Hebrews

What constitutes a faithful life? At its most basic level, the New Testament book of Hebrews considers this essential question and pleads with its audience to find in faithful living the rest that Christ offers. The book begins with a poetic reflection on the one who lived the most faithful of lives--Jesus--and concludes with words of exhortation to go and do likewise.

In the 37th volume in the Believers Church Bible Commentary series, scholars Debra J. Bucher and Estella Horning examine at great length one important aspect of Hebrews: Jesus as the ＂new covenant＂ and the ＂once for all,＂ better sacrifice who replaces the daily and yearly sacrifices offered in the temple in Jerusalem. The authors give attention to the ways this idea has been used to minimize the value of other religious traditions and even to legitimize the horrors of the mid-twentieth century. They carefully unpack the language around sacrifice and covenant based on the saving work of Jesus, drawing out encouragement found in Hebrews to live as individuals and as a community led by Jesus, the pioneer and high priest.

Bucher and Horning don’t shy away from the difficult language in Hebrews, but rather help readers understand its historical context and then how to use the text with love within our own context.

About the Believers Church Bible Commentary series

This readable commentary series is for all who seek more fully to understand the original message of Scripture and its meaning for today--Sunday school teachers, members of Bible study groups, students, pastors, and other seekers. --From the Series Foreword

Debra J. Bucher is head of collections and discovery at Vassar College Libraries. She has also taught first-year writing seminars on the history of the Bible as book, and most recently a course on race and racism in the historical collections at Vassar. She grew up in the Church of the Brethren and received a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania in 2009. She also enjoys gardening, baking, singing, and taking long walks in the Hudson Valley with her husband Mark Colvson.

Estella Horning is a retired professor of biblical studies at Bethany Theological Seminary and Northern Baptist Theological Seminary. She is also an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren and served as a missionary in Ecuador for 15 years and in Nigeria for 4 years. She served on the editorial council of the Believers Church Bible Commentary series for over 20 years. She received her PhD in religious and theological studies from Northwestern University and Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. She currently lives in Lombard, Illinois.