Three years ago I began a writing project. In January I began working on it full-time. This morning I printed out the last page.
I’ve described the nature of the project before, but I ‘ll summarize briefly here. The official name of the courses is “Analysis of Old/New Testament Books,” but the popular name is “Bible Arguments.” That’s because the goal is to discern and communicate the biblical writer’s “argument.” The essential ingredients of the project are (1) a message statement; (2) a detailed outline of the book which reflects the message statement; (3) a written “argument” which explains how the writer communicated his message through each part of the book.
I ‘ll use Hebrews as an example here, in part because some people think that the message of the book is “Jesus is better.” And it’s true that he is better. But I think that the primary point is something else. Namely, because Jesus is better, persevere. Here’s how I phrased the message statement:
Perseverance in the faith is demanded by the superiority of Jesus and his sacrifice, the certainty of judgment for those who apostatize, and the guarantee of reward for those who endure.
Hebrews is not an easy book to outline because there are few clear breaks, as the author is always tying his previous point into his next point. And unlike some of the letters of Paul, Hebrews does not begin with doctrine and end with practice.
Here’s my broad outline. Notice how the outline is related to the message statement.
I. Prologue: Jesus is the superior revelation of God (1:1-4).
II. Jesus is superior to the angels (1:5–2:18).
III. Perseverance in faith is essential in order to enjoy the promise of rest (3:1–4:13).
IV. Perseverance in faith is possible because Jesus is a sympathetic and divinely appointed high priest (4:14–5:10).
V. Perseverance in faith is necessary because of the consequences of failing to endure and mature (5:11–6:12).
VI. Jesus is a superior high priest because he is in the order of Melchizedek (6:13–7:28).
VII. Jesus is a superior high priest because he serves at the heavenly tabernacle as mediator of the New Covenant (8:1–10:18).
VIII. Perseverance in faith is motivated by encouragement, examples, and warnings (10:19–12:29).
IX. Perseverance in faith is demonstrated in obedience (13:1-25).
And here’s the summary I wrote at the end:
While many things about the letter of Hebrews remain unknown, the call to persevere on the basis of a superior high priest cannot be mistaken. The church was facing persecution which made more attractive the temptation of abandoning the Christian faith in order to return to Jewish practices. This was an unacceptable option, according to the writer, because the old system is now clearly out of date, obsolete, ineffective, and insufficient. The reader who turned from Christ back to the sacrifices of the temple was seeking atonement from that which could never provide forgiveness. The shadows of the earthly tabernacle were effective in pointing to Jesus until he came, but once he offered himself as a perfect sacrifice, to return to animal offerings was to deny his sufficient work and to exclude oneself from his forgiveness. The author used a number of means to persuade his readers to persevere in spite of suffering, including beckoning invitations, stern warnings, and examples both positive and negative. Though the author had great reason to believe that his readers would remain in the faith until the end, he wrote in order to give them more reasons to do just that.
So, what’s next?
I’m taking some time off. Christmas letters need to be sent, a car needs to visit the garage, and I need to prepare to teach on Handel’s Messiah on Sunday.
Beginning on Monday, I will start intensive study for my comprehensive exams. I have eight weeks to prepare for six exams, which comes out to 6 exams=1 week each, with two weeks of cramming in the first half of February. Fortunately, all I have to know is the Bible.