The Dominant Themes and Intersecting Motifs in the Book of Hebrews

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Abstract

The Book of Hebrews is a theologically rich New Testament epistle aimed at encouraging early Jewish Christians to remain steadfast in their faith amidst pressures to revert to Judaism. Six themes dominate the book, namely: Christ's supremacy, the new covenant, Christ's priesthood, faith and perseverance, the call to holiness and worship, and the warning against rejecting Christ's sufficient atonement. These are unified by four interwoven motifs: rest, covenant fulfilment, access to God's presence, and perfection.

Hebrews extensively relies on the Old Testament. This grounds its claims, using Old Testament scriptures to demonstrate Christ's fulfilment of God's redemptive plan.

The theme of Christ's supremacy presents Him as superior to angels, Moses, and the Levitical priesthood, fulfilling Old Testament promises and leading believers into God's rest. The new covenant, superior to the Mosaic Law, offers forgiveness and direct access to God, completing Old Testament shadows and enabling rest through faith. Christ's eternal priesthood in the order of Melchizedek surpasses the Levitical system, securing access to God's presence and perfecting believers. Faith and perseverance are urged through Old Testament examples, with unbelief warned as barring entry to God's rest. The call to holiness and worship reflects gratitude for the new covenant, requiring a life aligned with God's presence. The warning against rejecting Christ's atonement emphasises the peril of relying on human works or the old sacrificial system, which jeopardises redemption and rest.

The motifs unify these themes: rest symbolises salvation's goal, covenant fulfilment highlights Christ's completion of Old Testament promises, access to God's presence emphasises relational intimacy, and perfection underscores salvation's completion. Each motif, rooted in Old Testament imagery, reinforces Christ's supremacy, the new covenant's efficacy, and the necessity of a faith kept pure from syncretism with any form of works-based salvation. Together, they create a cohesive narrative, exhorting believers to trust fully in Christ's finished work to enter God's rest, access His presence, and receive perfected salvation, fulfilling the Old Testament's promises.

1 Introduction

The Book of Hebrews, a profound epistle in the New Testament, is a theological masterpiece crafted to encourage early Jewish Christians to remain steadfast in their faith in Jesus Christ amidst pressures to revert to Judaism. After discussing the book's Old Testament foundation, this essay explores the six most dominant themes in Hebrews—namely, the supremacy of Christ, the new covenant, the priesthood of Christ, faith and perseverance, the call to holiness and worship, and the critical warning against failing to trust fully in Christ's sufficient atonement. It also examines how the motifs of rest, covenant fulfilment, access to God's presence, and perfection interweave these themes, serving as unifying threads that underscore the book's message of salvation through faith in Christ alone.

This essay argues that Hebrews employs its themes and motifs to exhort believers to trust fully in Christ's finished work, fulfilling and surpassing the Old Testament.

2 Reliance on the Old Testament

The Book of Hebrews heavily relies on the Old Testament to construct its theological arguments, grounding its claims about Christ in the scriptures familiar to its Jewish Christian audience. As John Calvin observes, “The Epistle to the Hebrews is a kind of commentary on the Old Testament, for it explains how the figures and shadows of the Law are fulfilled in Christ, and how the promises given to the fathers are accomplished in Him”.¹ F.F. Bruce notes, “The writer of Hebrews is saturated with the Old Testament; he quotes it directly, alludes to it constantly, and assumes his readers' familiarity with its texts and themes to demonstrate the superiority of Christ and His new covenant”.² Hebrews includes direct quotations from the Septuagint, drawn from texts like the Psalms, Jeremiah, and Leviticus (e.g., Ps 95 in Heb 3:7–11; Jer 31:31–34 in Heb 8:8–12). These quotations, often introduced with phrases like “as it is written” or “the Holy Spirit says,” emphasise their authoritative role. Beyond direct quotes, Hebrews frequently alludes to Old Testament figures (e.g., Melchizedek in Heb 7; Moses in Heb 3) and events (e.g., the wilderness wandering in Heb 3–4), using them as types or shadows fulfilled in Christ. Indirect references permeate the book's discussions of the Law, sacrifices, and priesthood, which assume familiarity with Old Testament institutions (e.g., Lev 16 in Heb 9). This grounding in familiar scriptures bolstered the author's appeal to Jewish Christians facing temptation to either abandon Christ, or to see Christ as an addition to the Levitical ordinances.

In terms of sheer volume, Matthew Capps notes that “Hebrews contains 35 direct quotations from the Old Testament”.³ Gareth Lee Cockerill identifies twenty-eight distinct Old Testament passages cited in the epistle, yielding “a final number of 32 [Old Testament] citations”.⁴ Dana M. Harris reports that George Guthrie speaks of “thirty-seven quotations, [and] forty allusions” to the Old Testament, underlining the letter's pervasive dependence on Scripture.⁵ Harris summarises, “The prevalence of the Old Testament is one of the most striking features of the Epistle to the Hebrews”.⁶

This pervasive Old Testament engagement anchors Hebrews' argument that Christ fulfills and surpasses the old covenant, making the Old Testament indispensable to its message.

3 The Supremacy of Christ

At the heart of Hebrews lies the theme of Christ's supremacy, portraying Him as superior to all figures and institutions of the Old Testament. Hebrews 1:1–4 establishes Jesus as the eternal Son of God, the ultimate revelation who surpasses angels, Moses, and the Levitical priesthood, fulfilling Old Testament prophecies (e.g., Ps 2:7; 2 Sam 7:14). Jonathan Edwards, preaching on Christ's infinite greatness, declared that our Saviour “is infinitely great and high above all… He is higher than the highest angels of heaven… angels themselves are as nothing before him.”⁷ As the Creator and Sustainer of all things (Heb 1:3), Christ therefore alone reigns at the Father's right hand as the supreme Mediator. His exalted status fulfills every Old Testament promise and brings believers into God's eternal rest. In short, “[Christ] has received a more excellent name than Moses” and a priesthood “after the order of Melchizedek” that far surpasses Aaron's (Heb 3:3; 7:17). Christ's glory and authority are thus presented throughout Hebrews 1–4 as utterly beyond any angel or human minister, securing full access to God's presence and the completeness of salvation.

As the creator and sustainer of all things, seated at God's right hand (Heb 1:3), Christ is the sole mediator of salvation. The motif of rest ties directly to this theme, as Christ leads believers into God's true rest, surpassing the temporary rest of the Promised Land under Joshua (Heb 4:8–10, referencing Ps 95). Christ's divine authority ensures a rest surpassing Joshua's, as His eternal mediation secures what temporary leaders could not. Covenant fulfilment underscores Christ's role as the culmination of Old Testament promises (Heb 1:1–2), as Augustine notes, “Christ is the end of the law, the prophets, and the patriarchs; in Him all things are fulfilled”.⁸ Access to God's presence is enabled by His exalted position (Heb 4:16), and perfection highlights Christ as the pioneer of salvation, made “perfect through suffering” (Heb 2:10, alluding to Old Testament suffering servant imagery of, e.g., Isa 50:4–9 & 52:13–53:12).

The Book of Hebrews strongly affirms the divinity of Christ, a truth that undergirds his supremacy over all things. From the outset, the author presents Jesus as the Son of God, through whom God created the universe and who is “the exact representation of his being” (Heb 1:2-3). This language identifies the Son as the sustainer of all things and the one who has purified sins, roles attributed to God himself. Moreover, in Hebrews 1:8, the author quotes Psalm 45:6-7, where God addresses the Son as “God,” affirming his divine status and eternal reign. The epistle also emphasises Christ's unchanging nature in Hebrews 13:8, stating that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever,” a declaration that aligns with God's immutability (e.g., Mal 3:6). As scholar William Lane observes, “The affirmation of the Son's deity is integral to the argument of Hebrews, establishing his unique qualifications as the mediator of salvation”.⁹ Thus, through these scriptural references and theological assertions, Hebrews unequivocally establishes Christ's divinity as central to his supreme authority and salvific work.

Flowing naturally from Christ's supremacy is the establishment of a new covenant, for His exalted status not only fulfils the promises of the old but inaugurates a superior covenantal relationship that renders the former obsolete.

4 The New Covenant

Hebrews contrasts the old covenant, rooted in the Mosaic Law, with the new covenant established through Christ's sacrifice. This new covenant is superior, offering forgiveness and direct access to God (Heb 8:6–13, quoting Jer 31:31–34). John Owen affirms, “The new covenant, as foretold by Jeremiah and established by Christ, is the perfection of God's promises, whereby sins are forgiven, and the law is written on the heart, making the old covenant obsolete”.¹⁰ Hebrews 9:15 describes Christ as its mediator, replacing the repetitive sacrifices of the old system (Lev 16) with His once-for-all atonement. The motif of rest connects here, as the new covenant enables believers to enter God's rest through faith (Heb 4:3–5). Covenant fulfilment is central, as the new covenant completes the Old Testament's temporary provisions (Heb 8:13). Access to God's presence is a hallmark, symbolised by the torn temple veil (Heb 10:19–22, referencing Old Testament sanctuary imagery). Perfection is achieved through forgiveness, perfecting believers' consciences where the old covenant failed (Heb 10:1–4, 14), as R.C. Sproul notes, “The new covenant in Hebrews is the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy, where Christ's once-for-all sacrifice replaces the repeated offerings of the old covenant”.¹¹

4.1 Debates over Covenant Continuity and Discontinuity

The portrayal of the new covenant in Hebrews has sparked significant scholarly debate regarding its relationship to the old covenant. This debate, which centres on the extent of continuity and discontinuity between the two covenants, is crucial for understanding how Hebrews presents the new covenant as superior and how this superiority relates to the epistle's broader themes and motifs. While the previous section established the new covenant's role in offering forgiveness and direct access to God, the question remains: does this new covenant represent a radical break from the old, or does it fulfil and perfect what the old covenant foreshadowed?

Hebrews itself provides seemingly contrasting signals. On one hand, Hebrews 8:13 declares that “by calling this covenant ÔÇÿnew,'┬áhe has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear,” suggesting a sharp discontinuity. This perspective is echoed by scholars like Thomas Schreiner, who argues that Hebrews presents a theology of covenantal displacement, in which the Mosaic covenant becomes nullified in light of Christ's superior priesthood and sacrifice.¹² Such a view underscores the radical nature of Christ's work, rendering the old covenant's sacrificial system entirely obsolete and emphasising the urgency of embracing the new covenant fully. This interpretation aligns with Hebrews' stark warnings against reverting to the old system (e.g., Hebrews 10:26–31), as doing so would mean rejecting the only sufficient means of atonement.

On the other hand, Hebrews also portrays the new covenant as the fulfilment of promises embedded in the old covenant, suggesting a deep continuity. Peter O'Brien notes that while the old covenant is depicted as insufficient for salvation, it is never discarded as irrelevant. Instead, the new covenant is presented as the divinely intended consummation of the old, particularly through the prophecy of Jeremiah 31:31–34, which Hebrews quotes at length in 8:8–12.¹³ This motif of fulfilment is further evident in Hebrews 10:1, where the law is described as “only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves.” Thus, the new covenant does not abolish the old arbitrarily but brings its sacrificial, priestly, and prophetic elements to their intended completion in Christ. John Calvin captures this dual perspective, stating, “The old covenant was not contrary to the gospel, but was its cradle; in Christ, the shadows are removed and the truth shines forth”.¹⁴

This scholarly debate is not merely academic; it profoundly shapes how we understand the epistle's dominant themes and intersecting motifs. If the new covenant is seen as a sharp discontinuity, it highlights the transformative nature of Christ's work and the obsolescence of the old system, reinforcing the theme of Christ's supremacy and the peril of rejecting His sufficient atonement, and intensifies warnings like Hebrews 6:4-6, where rejecting Christ leaves no alternative atonement. This perspective also sharpens the motif of rest, as entry into God's rest becomes exclusively tied to faith in Christ rather than adherence to the old covenant's practices. Conversely, viewing the new covenant as a deep continuity enriches our understanding of motifs like covenant fulfilment and perfection. It shows how the old covenant's temporary provisions—such as the Levitical priesthood and repeated sacrifices—find their substance and completion in Christ's eternal priesthood and once-for-all sacrifice. This fulfilment motif underscores that Christ does not discard the old covenant but perfects it, achieving what it could only foreshadow.

Moreover, the way one interprets the relationship between the covenants influences how believers understand their identity and practice under the new covenant. A discontinuity view might lead to a greater emphasis on the distinctiveness of Christian worship and ethics, free from the old covenant's rituals. In contrast, a continuity view could encourage believers to see their faith as the true realisation of Old Testament worship, with Christ as the ultimate High Priest and sacrifice. This perspective deepens the call to holiness and worship (Heb 12:14, 28), as believers are invited to live in grateful response to the fulfilled promises of God.

Ultimately, while Hebrews clearly presents the new covenant as superior and the old as obsolete, the epistle also weaves a narrative of fulfilment that honours the old covenant's role in God's redemptive plan. This nuanced interplay between continuity and discontinuity enriches our understanding of the epistle's themes, particularly the supremacy of Christ and the perfection He achieves for believers. It also reinforces the urgency of the warning against rejecting Christ's atonement, as to spurn the fulfilled covenant is to forfeit the very rest, access, and perfection that the old covenant could never provide.

5 The Priesthood of Christ

Christ's role as the eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek, surpassing the Levitical priesthood, is a dominant theme. Hebrews 7:23–28, referencing Ps 110:4, highlights His eternal priesthood, with His single sacrifice perfecting believers forever (Heb 10:11–14). Philip Edgcumbe Hughes states, “The priesthood of Melchizedek, as expounded in Hebrews, reveals Christ as the eternal priest who, by His own blood, secures an eternal redemption”.¹⁵ This priesthood grants access to God's presence (Heb 4:14–16), central to the motif of rest, as the sabbatismos of Heb 4:9–10 reflects God's Sabbath rest, shared through Christ's priestly work (Gen 2:2).

Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 315–386) discusses how Christ's divine-human nature is tied to his eternal priesthood. In his Catechetical Lectures he explains that Jesus was “eternally anointed by the Father to His High-Priesthood on behalf of men”, meaning that Christ's role as High Priest comes directly from God and is set for all eternity. Cyril goes on to emphasise that Christ “is a High Priest, whose priesthood passes not to another”, underscoring that Jesus alone offers the once-for-all sacrifice for sin.¹⁶ This echoes the book of Hebrews: as our perfect God-man High Priest, Christ has entered the heavenly sanctuary to intercede for us and grant us direct access to God, accomplishing what the old priestly sacrifices could only foreshadow (cf. Heb 4:14–16).

Covenant fulfilment is evident, as Christ's priesthood completes the Aaronic system (Heb 7:11–22). Access to God's presence is secured by His mediation (Heb 10:19), and perfection is achieved, as His priesthood makes believers complete (Heb 7:19, 28).

6 Faith and Perseverance

Hebrews emphasises faith and perseverance, particularly in trials. Chapter 11 recounts Old Testament figures who, despite significant failures and moral shortcomings, exemplified enduring faith, encouraging believers to persevere (Heb 10:19–39). Martin Luther observes, “Faith, as Hebrews 11 teaches, is the substance of things hoped for, and by it the saints of old trusted God's promises, looking forward to Christ”.¹⁷ The motif of rest is linked, as Heb 3:12–19, citing Ps 95, warns that unbelief prevents entry into God's rest, while Heb 4:2–3 assures that faith secures it. Abraham's faith (Heb 11:8–10) anticipates the rest fulfilled in Christ (Heb 4:9), illustrating perseverance toward God's promise. Abraham's faith amid uncertainty (Heb 11:8) models perseverance for believers facing persecution. John Wesley adds, “The faith of the patriarchs, as recounted in Hebrews, is our example to persevere in trusting Christ, for without faith it is impossible to please God”.¹⁸ Covenant fulfilment connects, as faith in Christ's work secures Old Testament promises (Heb 11:39–40). Access to God's presence is accessed through faith (Heb 4:16), and perseverance ensures continued access (Heb 10:22). Perfection is received by faith, as believers await completion through Christ (Heb 11:40).

7 The Call to Holiness and Worship

Hebrews urges believers to embrace holiness and worship as vital responses to Christ's redemptive work. Hebrews 12:14 exhorts, “be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord,” while Hebrews 12:28-29 calls for worship “with reverence and awe.” These commands are not mere ideals but practical expressions of faith. Jonathan Edwards captures this, noting, “True holiness, as urged in Hebrews, is the fruit of faith in Christ's redemption, whereby we live to God's glory and worship Him in reverence”.¹⁹

Holiness entails ethical living, compassion, and peacemaking. Practically, believers can reflect this by making honest choices at work, showing kindness to the marginalised, or mediating disputes with grace (Heb 12:14). This flows from Christ's sanctifying sacrifice (Heb 10:14). Holiness reflects the perfection Christ imparts (Heb 10:14), aligning believers with their completed status. R.C. Sproul underscores its urgency: “Holiness is not optional for the Christian; Hebrews 12:14 declares it essential to see the Lord”.²⁰ Without it, we cannot fully enter God's presence.

Worship, meanwhile, transcends rituals, permeating daily life through gratitude, service, and awe. Simple acts—thanking God for a meal, serving a neighbour, or marvelling at a sunset—become offerings of praise (Heb 13:15-16). Engaging Scripture or creation deepens reverence (Heb 12:28).

These practices interweave with Hebrews' motifs: holiness and worship bring rest (Heb 4:9), fulfil the new covenant (Heb 8:10-12), grant access to God (Heb 12:14), and reflect Christ's perfection (Heb 10:14). Yet, they stem from grace, not obligation (Heb 10:10). Edwards and Sproul affirm that holiness and worship, rooted in Christ's sufficiency, transform believers' lives, fostering peace, integrity, and intimacy with God. But failing to recognise that holiness and acts of worship stem from grace and are rooted in Christ's sufficiency, and thinking that they somehow help towards our redemption, is, in fact, rejecting the sufficiency of Christ's atonement.

8 Warning Against Rejecting Christ's Sufficient Atonement

The warning against failing to accept Christ's atoning work as sufficient, particularly by turning to human works or the Levitical system, is critical. Although these warnings were addressed to Jewish Christians tempted to revert to Judaism, the concept of working towards salvation, thus rejecting Christ's sufficiency, is universal for all Christians.

Hebrews 10:1–4, referencing Leviticus, explains that old covenant sacrifices were shadows, while Christ's sacrifice is definitive (Heb 10:10–14). John Calvin warns, “To reject Christ's sacrifice is to trample underfoot the blood of the covenant, for there remains no other sacrifice for sins”.²¹ Rejecting this truth risks peril (Heb 6:4–6, 10:26–31). Gareth Lee Cockerill adds, “To spurn Christ's once-for-all sacrifice, as Hebrews warns, is to reject the only means of atonement, incurring a judgment far greater than under the old covenant”.²² A stark warning is proffered: unbelief or syncretism bars entry into God's rest (Heb 3:7–19, 4:1–11). Covenant fulfilment underscores the danger, as rejecting Christ's sacrifice negates the fulfilled covenant (Heb 10:29). Access to God's presence is jeopardised by reverting to works (Heb 10:19–22), and perfection is forfeited by rejecting Christ's sacrifice (Heb 10:26–31). Today, this warning applies to reliance on moralism, echoing the legalism Hebrews rejects.

9 The Motifs as Unifying Threads

The motifs of rest, covenant fulfilment, access to God's presence, and perfection unify the six themes, each illuminating a facet of Christ's work. F.F. Bruce observes, “The rest promised in Hebrews is the ultimate fulfilment of God's Sabbath, entered through faith in Christ, who fulfils the Old Testament's types and opens the heavenly sanctuary to believers”.²³ John Owen adds, “Christ's priesthood and sacrifice grant access to God's presence, fulfilling the old covenant's shadows and perfecting believers”²⁴ :

• Rest (katapausis and sabbatismos, Heb 4:9) symbolises salvation's goal, entered through Christ's supremacy, the new covenant, and priesthood, dependent on faith, exhibited in holiness, and jeopardised by unbelief, framed by Old Testament references (e.g., Ps 95).
• Covenant fulfilment highlights Christ's completion of Old Testament promises, surpassing the old covenant through His supremacy, priesthood, and new covenant, requiring faith and inspiring holiness, with warnings against rejecting the fulfilled covenant (e.g., Jer 31).
• Access to God's presence emphasises salvation's relational aspect, enabled by Christ's mediation, secured through the new covenant and priesthood, accessed by faith, expressed in holiness, and lost through syncretism, rooted in Old Testament sanctuary imagery.
• Perfection underscores salvation's completion, achieved by Christ's supremacy, priesthood, and new covenant, received through faith, reflected in holiness, and forfeited by rejecting His atonement, contrasting with the Old Testament's ineffective sacrifices.

Rest is experiential, symbolising salvation's goal; covenant fulfilment is theological, focusing on Old Testament fulfilment; access to God's presence is relational, emphasising intimacy; and perfection is soteriological, highlighting completion. These motifs, grounded in the Old Testament, create a cohesive narrative exalting Christ.

10 Conclusion

The Book of Hebrews weaves a rich theological tapestry grounded in Old Testament imagery and fulfilled in Christ. Its core themes—Christ's supremacy, the new covenant, His eternal priesthood, faith and perseverance, the call to holiness and worship, and the warning against rejecting His atonement—together present a sustained argument for the sufficiency of Christ's work and the necessity of enduring faith. Interwoven throughout are the motifs of rest, covenant fulfilment, access to God's presence, and perfection, each deepening the epistle's message and unifying its structure.

Crucially, Hebrews presents not merely a rejection of the old covenant but a transformative fulfilment of it. While certain elements—such as the Levitical priesthood and repeated sacrifices—are rendered obsolete in light of Christ's once-for-all atonement (Heb 10:1–14), the theological arc of Scripture is not broken but brought to maturity. The new covenant does not abolish God's former dealings but reveals their intended goal in Christ (Heb 8:6–13, 10:1). This dual movement—both discontinuity and continuity—invites readers to interpret Scripture not as static law but as dynamic promise, fulfilled through the incarnate Son and now mediated to believers through faith.

Theologically, this calls readers to embrace Christ as the exclusive and sufficient means of access to God, cautioning against any return to performance-based righteousness or religious syncretism. Practically, Hebrews exhorts believers to perseverance in trials, confident access to God's presence (Heb 4:16), reverent holiness (Heb 12:14, 28), and deep trust in the promises yet to be fully seen (Heb 11:1). The motifs function not only as literary devices but as discipleship tools, guiding believers into experiential rest, covenantal identity, relational intimacy, and the hope of perfected salvation.

Ultimately, Hebrews compels a response: to trust fully in the sufficiency of Christ's finished work, to live in gratitude for God's fulfilled promises, and to await, with patient perseverance, the final consummation of the salvation already secured.

Bibliography

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Bruce, F. F. The Epistle to the Hebrews. New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964.

Calvin, John. Commentaries on the Epistle to the Hebrews. Translated by John Owen. Edinburgh: Calvin Translation Society, 1853.

Capps, Matthew Z. Hebrews: A 12-Week Study. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015.

Cockerill, Gareth Lee. The Epistle to the Hebrews. New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2012.

Cyril of Jerusalem. “Catechetical Lectures.” In Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Volume 7. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. Lecture 12. Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1894.

Edwards, Jonathan. “The Excellency of Christ.” Pages┬á565–94 in Sermons and Discourses, 1738–1742. Edited by Harry S. Stout. Vol.┬á19. The Works of Jonathan Edwards. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2001.

_________. “A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections.” In The Works of Jonathan Edwards. Edited by John E. Smith. Vol.┬á2. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1959.

Harris, Dana M. “The Use of the Old Testament in the Epistle to the Hebrews.” Southwestern Journal of Theology 64.1 (2021): 92–106.

Hughes, Philip Edgcumbe. A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1977.

Lane, William L. Hebrews 1–8. Vol.┬á47A. Word Biblical Commentary. Dallas: Word, 1991.

Luther, Martin. “Lectures on Hebrews.” Pages┬á109–241 in Luther's Works. Edited by Jaroslav Pelikan. Vol.┬á29. St. Louis: Concordia, 1968.

O'Brien, Peter T. The Letter to the Hebrews. Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2010.

Owen, John. An Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews. Edinburgh: Johnstone; Hunter, 1854–1855.

Schreiner, Thomas R. Covenant and God's Purpose for the World. Short Studies in Biblical Theology. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2017.

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Wesley, John. Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament. London: Epworth, 1755.

Source	Access Type	Platform/Link	Notes
Augustine – On the Spirit and the Letter (1887)	✅ Free	https://ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf105.html	In Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 5
Bruce, F. F. – The Epistle to the Hebrews (1964)	❌ Paywalled	https://books.google.com	NICNT series; available via libraries or Logos
Calvin, John – Commentaries on Hebrews (1853)	✅ Free	https://archive.org/details/commentariesonep00calvuoft	Calvin Translation Society edition
Cyril of Jerusalem – Catechetical Lectures (1894)	✅ Free	https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3101.htm	In NPNF, Second Series, Vol. 7; also on CCEL
Cockerill – The Epistle to the Hebrews (2012)	❌ Paywalled	https://www.worldcat.org/title/epistle-to-the-hebrews/oclc/774021037	NICNT volume; available in libraries or Logos
Edwards – Religious Affections (1959)	✅ Free	https://ccel.org/ccel/edwards/religiousaffections	Yale edition not free, but original is public domain
Edwards – The Excellency of Christ (2001)	✅ Free (sermon)	https://www.monergism.com/excellency-christ	Full Yale edition not free; sermon is public domain
Hughes – Commentary on Hebrews (1977)	❌ Paywalled	NaN	Library or Logos only
Lane – Hebrews 1–8 (WBC 47A, 1991)	❌ Paywalled	https://books.google.com	WBC volume; available in print or digital
Luther – Lectures on Hebrews (LW 29, 1968)	❌ Paywalled	https://www.projectwittenberg.org/	Full Pelikan edition not free
O’Brien – The Letter to the Hebrews (2010)	❌ Paywalled	https://www.worldcat.org/title/letter-to-the-hebrews/oclc/555667274	Pillar commentary; available in Logos, Kindle, print
Owen – Exposition of Hebrews (1854–55)	✅ Free	https://www.monergism.com/exposition-epistle-hebrews-7-volume-set	Full 7-volume set, public domain
Schreiner – Covenant and God’s Purpose (2017)	❌ Paywalled	https://books.google.com	Part of Short Studies in Biblical Theology series
Sproul – The Holiness of God (1985)	❌ Paywalled	https://www.ligonier.org/store/the-holiness-of-god-paperback/	Available in multiple formats
Wesley – Explanatory Notes on the NT (1755)	✅ Free	https://ccel.org/ccel/wesley/notes	Also available via the Wesley Center
Harris – Use of the OT in Hebrews (2021)	✅ Free	https://equipthecalled.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/SWJT-Vol.-64-No.-1.pdf	SWJT article, free from EquipTheCalled
Guthrie – Structure of Hebrews (PhD diss.)	❌ Paywalled Book	https://www.worldcat.org/title/structure-of-hebrews-a-text-linguistic-analysis/oclc/32346865	Brill (1994), Baker (1998); check libraries or purchase
Guthrie – 'Hebrews' in NT Use of OT (2007)	❌ Paywalled	https://www.logos.com/product/5489/commentary-on-the-nt-use-of-the-ot	Chapter by Guthrie; in Beale & Carson; Logos or print only