Outlining the Book of Hebrews, Part 1
Introduction
In the next few articles I want to begin a thematic study of the book of Hebrews. If you are familiar with the materials at Restoration of Torah Ministries, then you know that the main foundation of our teachings center around thematic analysis. Thematic analysis involves studying the Bible by looking for and connecting similar themes, words, phrases, topics, situations and circumstances. I have found that the two most practical ways to study thematically pertain to outlining and discovery of the thematic patterns in the text. Therefore, when I want to take a deep dive into a passage in Scripture, I start by creating a general outline. This outline is extremely valuable because it provides the basic understanding of how the passage flows thematically, i.e., how it flows from topic to topic. Once I have completed an outline of the passage, I typically move on to discovering its thematic pattern, which typically consists of various chiastic structures and parallelisms. Analysis of the chiasms and parallelisms then allows an even deeper understanding of the passage. However, this series of articles will be limited initially to outlining alone.
Identification of Themes
The basis for my outlines are ALWAYS dependent upon the flow of individual smaller themes/topics in the text. I read small portions of text searching for a unifying theme. This is basically a three step process as follows.
Step 1 – I look for intermediate-sized themes. These are themes that typically (but not always) range from three to twenty verses. Here’s an example of what I call intermediate themes from a portion of an outline I did for the book of Daniel. I have summarized each theme with a short phrase.
Daniel 1:1-4 – Jewish Exiles Chosen to Learn the Chaldean Culture
Daniel 1:5-16 – Daniel’s Actions to Prevent Defilement
Daniel 1:17-21 – Daniel and His Friends Prove Their Excellence and Exceptionalism in All Wisdom Including the Chaldean Culture
Notice how these themes are generally in the range of three to twenty verses, hence intermediate in length. Also, notice how they break the chapter into three major thematic sections, topics or movements. After discovering an intermediate theme, I go to step two.
Step 2 – I try to break intermediate-sized themes into smaller supporting themes if I can. I call these small themes. Small themes are typically around one to four verses long. I’ve done this for the three major themes above. As you can see below, Daniel 1:1-4 and Daniel 1:5-16 can both be broken down into two smaller themes, whereas Daniel 1:17-21 stands alone as one intermediate-sized theme.
Daniel 1:1-4 – Jewish Exiles Chosen to Learn the Chaldean Culture
Daniel 1:1-2 – Jerusalem (People and Temple Articles) Exiled to Babylon
Daniel 1:3-4 – Exceptional Jews Chosen to Learn the Chaldean Culture
Daniel 1:5-16 – Daniel’s Actions to Prevent Defilement
Daniel 1:5-7 – Provision of Food and Training to the Jews from the King
Daniel 1:8-16 – Daniel’s Success in Preventing Defilement (Staying Holy)
Daniel 1:17-21 – Daniel and His Friends Prove Their Excellence and Exceptionalism in All Wisdom Including the Chaldean Culture
Step 3 – I try to thematically connect a string of intermediate-sized themes that all seem to be part of a larger theme/topic/movement within the story.
The typical length of a larger section, comprised of multiple intermediate sections, is anywhere from about twenty verses to one or more chapters. Once I form larger topics/sections/movements, I give each major section a Roman letter designator and assign its supporting themes with appropriate numbers and letters as you would do for any normal outline. In the example at hand, the first three themes in Daniel chapter 1 coalesce to produce the first movement of Daniel’s prophecy as follows:
Application of Outlining Guidelines to the Book of Hebrews
Let’s take these three basic guidelines and apply them to the book of Hebrews. I did this by outlining small sections at a time. In other words, I looked for small thematic chunks of verses that were united by a common theme. I began reading Hebrews chapter 1, looking for intermediate-sized themes (three to twenty verses) and noticed that Hebrews 1:1-2a expressed one complete thought/theme.
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son (Hebrews 1:1-2a)
Once I find a passage that seems to convey a complete theme, I decide on a short phrase that captures the theme in as few words as possible, typically less than ten words. If you have to use too many words to express the theme of a passage, then most likely you have not yet zeroed in on the true theme. In the present example, I expressed the first theme of Hebrews chapter 1 as follows with a bullet point:
Hebrews 1:1-2a – God is speaking to us through Yeshua in the last days
As you can see, this theme was conveyed in a small number of verses. This is not always the case. So, you have to just learn how to allow the passage to dictate how many verses will comprise one theme. It’s really not that difficult. You just need to look for obvious subject changes. For example, let’s take a look at just the first couple of verses together.
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they (Hebrews 1:1-4).
The first theme I found is emphasized in bold, italicized text. As you can see, it pertains to how Adonai spoke to His people in the past compared to how He’s speaking to them in the last days. As you continue reading, there is an obvious subject change. Beginning in Hebrews 1:2b (whom He has appointed), the writer of Hebrews is no longer talking about how Adonai is speaking to His people. As of Hebrews 1:2b-4 (whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds), the writer of the book of Hebrews began talking about various things that characterized Yeshua! So, it’s an obvious subject change. You see, easy peasy :)
As I continued reading, the next complete theme seemed to be Hebrews 1:2b-3:
whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Hebrews 1:2b-3)
Again, once I find a set of verses that seem to be conveying one theme, I try to capture the essence of the theme in a short phrase. For example, Hebrews 1:2b-3 seems to have one overall theme describing various attributes of Yeshua. So I captured the theme as follows:
Hebrews 1:2b-3 – Description of who Yeshua is (His person and His works)
After determining an intermediate-sized theme of a passage, I try to see if I can break it up into smaller thematic chunks. For example, Hebrews 1:2b-3 consists of a number of characteristics that help us realize who Yeshua is. Hebrews 1:2b-3 is a great example of what I mean by finding common themes! Notice how throughout those few verses numerous characteristics of Yeshua’s person or work are mentioned. They are all different, but center around defining and/ or understanding WHO He is. They seem to answer the questions “Who is Yeshua?” or “What’s so special or unique about Yeshua?” I listed those as sub-bullets under the main theme heading. Putting together my first two major outline sections looks like this:
Hebrews 1:1-2a – God is speaking to us through Yeshua in the last days
Hebrews 1:2b-3 – Description of who Yeshua is (His person and His works)
Hebrews 1:2b – Yeshua is heir of all things
Hebrews 1:2c – Yeshua made the worlds
Hebrews 1:3a – Yeshua manifests the glory of Adonai
Hebrews 1:3b – Yeshua is the express image of Adonai
Hebrews 1:3c – Yeshua is upholding the universe by His power
Hebrews 1:3d – Yeshua single-handedly purged our sins
Hebrews 1:3e – Yeshua sits at the right hand of Adonai
As you can see, we are slowly building our outline, one theme at a time. As I continued to read Hebrews chapter 1, it seemed that Hebrews 1:4-14 comprised one entire theme; again, what I call an intermediate-sized theme:
having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. 5 For to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, today I have begotten You”? And again: “I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son”? 6 But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” 7 And of the angels He says: “Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire.” 8 But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.” 10 And: “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. 11 They will perish, but You remain; and they will all grow old like a garment; 12 Like a cloak You will fold them up, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not fail.” 13 But to which of the angels has He ever said: “Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool”? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?
All of these verses concentrated on demonstrating that Yeshua was greater and better than angelic beings. Therefore, I used the following phrase to capture the essence of Hebrews 1:4-14.
Hebrews 1:4-14 – Yeshua is greater than angels
As mentioned above, after finding a complete thematic unit, I try to further divide it into smaller thematic portions and sub-portions. The smaller themes and sub-themes I saw in Hebrews 1:4-14 are listed below.
Hebrews 1:4-14 – Yeshua is greater than angels
Hebrews 1:4a – Yeshua became better than the angels
Hebrews 1:4b – Yeshua inherited a more excellent name than angels
Hebrews 1:5 – Yeshua is the One and Only Unique Son of God
Hebrews 1:5a – Quotes Psalm 2:7 as proof of Yeshua’s sonship
Hebrews 1:5b – Quotes 2 Samuel 7:14 as proof of Yeshua’s sonship
Hebrews 1:6 – Angels are commanded to worship Him
Hebrews 1:7 – Angels are only called servants
Hebrews 1:8-9 – Adonai addressed Yeshua as GOD
Hebrews 1:10-12 – Yeshua is given Adonai’s attributes
Hebrews 1:10 – Yeshua is said to be the creator of the universe
Hebrews 1:11-12 – Yeshua is said to be eternal
Hebrews 1:13 – Yeshua rules and reigns from the right hand of Adonai
Hebrews 1:14 – Angels are only servants sent to serve the saints, heirs of salvation
As you can plainly see, Hebrews 1:4-14 contains numerous ideas all centered on Yeshua’s superiority over angels. The next intermediate-sized thematic unit I saw encompassed Hebrews 2:1-4:
Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,
4 God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?
As I tried to come up with one theme that captured the spirit of this passage, my thoughts led me to the following theme:
Hebrews 2:1-4 – Therefore, we must give greater heed to Yeshua’s message
And, as usual, I was able to further divide this intermediate theme into smaller thematic portions.
Hebrews 2:1-4 – Therefore, we must give greater heed to Yeshua’s message
Hebrews 2:1 – Heed, lest we drift away
Hebrews 2:2 – Disobedience was punished under the law given by angels
Hebrews 2:3a – Therefore, disobedience to the words spoken by Yeshua will surely be punished
Hebrews 2:3b-4 – Yeshua’s message was confirmed with supernatural signs
At this point I’d like to share two different ways to view an outline. One way is to look at all the details in one large picture so you can see every major/intermediate theme and all the minor/small themes. This view allows you to examine each theme and review them for consistency. If I were to look at all the details of my entire outline until this point, it would look like this.
As you can see, this is a great way to organize your thoughts. Also, once you’ve gone through this exercise you have a permanent record of the thematic flow from theme to theme. Furthermore, the work of thematically organizing a passage helps you to become more familiar with the text. You know it!
There is a second way to view your outline though. This second approach is just as valuable as the first, mainly because it helps you to see the BIG PICTURE! In this second approach we simply list the major themes!
1. Hebrews 1:1-2a – God is speaking to us through Yeshua in the last days
2. Hebrews 1:2b-3 – Description of who Yeshua is (His person and His works)
3. Hebrews 1:4-14 – Yeshua is greater than angels
4. Hebrews 2:1-4 – Therefore, we must give greater heed to Yeshua’s message
Here’s where our outline pays huge dividends. As you can see, Hebrews 1:1–2:14 seems to contain four major themes. I have a suggestion for you. Let’s take note of the thematic flow of these first four major themes by comparing and contrasting them. The process of studying thematically is basically the process of searching for themes in Scripture and then trying to connect them logically.
Theme number one has been captured in the phrase, “God is speaking to us through Yeshua in the last days.” The emphasis is on the fact that Adonai is trying to communicate to us through His Son Yeshua. The second theme pertains to attributes Yeshua has that equate Him to God. In other words, the themes in our second major thematic division pertain to Yeshua’s identity! Do themes one and two connect thematically? I’d have to say no. But no worries. Let’s continue our thematic exercise.
Next, let’s look at theme number three. Theme number three pertains to Yeshua, because all of these verses were written to prove that Yeshua was greater than the angels. In other words, Hebrews 1:4-14 also pertains to Yeshua’s identity! Alright, it looks like we can clearly thematically connect themes two and three because both of these portions of Scripture pertain to the establishment of Yeshua’s identity.
Okay, now let’s look at theme number four. The main message of theme number four is that we make it a priority to give heed to Yeshua’s words. Wow! The main message is communication again. I see a clear thematic connection between themes one and four! Theme one related how Adonai was speaking to us through His Son Yeshua, and theme number four informs us that we need to make sure we give heed to Yeshua’s message. So, clearly themes one and four are thematically connected. If we use letters instead of numbers to identify how the major themes above are connected, it looks like this:
Generically speaking, our four major themes relate as follows:
As you can plainly see, there is a pattern to these first four themes. At this point, I’d like to suggest the obvious. It seems that Hebrews 1:1–2:4 comprise a single, larger thematic unit that is trying to communicate a specific message. This will be even easier to see if we realize that the first and fourth major themes are like bookends marking the beginning and ending of one complete unit of thought! If we follow the path blazed by our four major thematic sections, we can see that the writer of Hebrews initially informed his readers that God was speaking to them through His Son Yeshua. He then spent a few short verses emphasizing the deity of Yeshua. After that he used quite a few words showing how Yeshua was different and better than angels. Then, to wrap things up, he returned to his original message by exhorting his listeners to make sure we give heed to God’s message to them through His Son. Thus ends one complete unit of thought. Therefore, we need to supply an overall theme that captures Hebrews 1:1–2:4:
Hebrews 1:1–2:4 – Give Greater Heed to God’s Message Through His Son
But some may disagree with the division points above because the outline does not divide evenly with the chapter divisions! Notice how our fourth theme, which I’ve stated is part of the first development of thought in the writer’s mind, spills over into the first four verses of chapter two. Here’s where you’ll need to be brave and trust the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you. Saints, please realize that the chapter divisions in your Bible are NOT INSPIRED! They are convenient, but not inspired. They are helpful, but not inspired. Therefore, sometimes the themes you find may extend over chapter divisions. If they happen to do that, it’s okay. Just stick with the themes! As much as is possible, when you are studying thematically, try to read the text without regard to the chapter divisions.
Let’s look at this issue of chapter divisions from another perspective. It’s obvious that whoever developed the chapter divisions felt that chapter two was a good place to break away from chapter one. Let’s see if we can determine why they thought this. Let’s look at the last couple of verses in chapter one and the first couple of verses in chapter two.
Chapter 1 –13 But to which of the angels has He ever said: “Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool”? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? Chapter 2 –1 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward
Looking at the passage above, it is easy to see why the division between chapter one and chapter two was chosen as it is. Look at how Hebrews 2:1 starts. It starts with the word therefore. Quite often we use the word therefore, which can mean for that reason or because of that, to begin a new train of thought based on the previous information. If that’s true, then it’s easy to see why one may think, “Hey, he’s starting a new thought here.” However, we also need to consider this. Sometimes the word therefore is used not to start a new train of thought, but to summarize a previously developed train of thought! In other words, I’m suggesting to you that when the writer of the book of Hebrews gets to Hebrews 2:1, he’s not using the word therefore to signal that he’s going to a new subject based on his previous message. To the contrary, he’s using the word therefore to summarize and bring to a close everything he’s said up until that point! And how can we know 100% for sure that’s the case at hand? Because of the thematic connection between Hebrews 2:1-4 and Hebrews 1:1-2a! He started this thematic section talking about how Adonai was communicating to His people, and he ended this section of thought by bringing the subject back to what he was originally talking about, communication between Adonai and His people through His Son. As I stated earlier, Hebrews 1:1-2a and Hebrews 2:1-4 are like bookends, conveniently showing us the beginning and ending of one complete line of reasoning. In my estimation, the chapter division dividing chapters one and two work better if it’s added between Hebrews 2:4 and Hebrews 2:5. Hopefully, this example has shown you the utility and the beauty of analyzing Scripture thematically. There are many interpretation issues that are easily solved by paying attention to matching themes in the text.
So what have we discovered? Well, simply by tracking themes in Hebrews 1-2 we have discovered that Hebrews 1:1–2:4 comprises one complete unit of thought. Hopefully you’ve noticed how powerful outlining is! It’s such a simple tool to use, but it helps us in a number of ways to see and understand things we may have missed apart from seeing them within the context of the outline. Outlining helps us focus on the minute details of a passage as we try to further divide larger thematic sections. However, it also helps us get a bird’s-eye view of larger portions of Scripture as we try to unite the many intermediate sized themes into larger congruent units.
Now that I have identified a major thematic section of the book of Hebrews, I arrange it in standard outline form by replacing all the bullets with appropriate outlining numbers and letters.
In this first article, I used thematic connections to establish that Hebrews 1:1–2:4 comprises the first unit of thought of the writer of the book of Hebrews. Furthermore, this first thematic unit is composed of four separate but related themes. In the next article, I’ll examine how themes 2 and 3 relate to themes 1 and 4. Furthermore, I’ll connect each of the four major themes to one another, commenting on why and how they flow together.