For two years (2017-2019), I taught a weekly women’s Bible study here on the RTS Charlotte campus where more than 150 women gathered each week to study the book of Hebrews. We captured each session on HD video which can be found here along with the handouts.
I am pleased to announce that all the material from that Bible study has been developed into a new lay-level commentary, Hebrews For You: An Anchor for the Soul (Good Book Company, releases March 1st). It is part of the “For You” commentary series, including other authors like Tim Keller, Al Mohler, Andrew Wilson and Sam Allberry.
While I tend to swim in the world of academic commentaries—with a sea of footnotes at the bottom of each page and regular excursions into complex questions and controversies—I really appreciated the discipline of writing a succinct commentary that stayed focused on the major themes and looked for more application to the heart.
That wasn’t easy to do in the book of Hebrews. As everyone knows, the book of Hebrews has a number of significant complexities and controversies that are easy to get mired in (and that I wanted to get mired in!). But, I did my best to resist these academic siren songs and keep the attention on the big theme of the supremacy of Jesus over all things.
Thankfully, there were plenty of opportunities to look for application to the heart. If any book is about proclaiming the beauty and uniqueness of Christ, it’s this one. Moreover, there are numerous exhortation passages that make the disposition towards application more natural.
My prayer is that this commentary, perhaps combined with the video series mentioned above, can be a great resource for churches and Christian organizations who want to study this important book.
The book release is well-timed since the TGC National Conference this year is on the book of Hebrews, aptly titled “Jesus is Greater.” In fact, Hebrews For You will be one of the free book give-aways, so every conference participant will receive a copy.
I am speaking twice at the conference but ironically I am not speaking on Hebrews! But, I will be speaking on Hebrews at the TGC Women’s Conference the following week when I address, “Can I Lose My Faith? Understanding Apostasy.”
The book releases March 1st! You can get it here.
Kamran says
Hi praise the lord my name kamran from pakistan i am bible college student in lahore punjab i read aa greek and hebrew in my college so please help me i need hebrew and greek books.God bless you
Nemo says
As everyone knows, the book of Hebrews has a number of significant complexities and controversies that are easy to get mired in (and that I wanted to get mired in!).
If one wants to “get mired in” all the complexities of Hebrews, which book(s) should s/he read?
Michael Kruger says
There’s a number of great commentaries. Hughes’ is a classic. A newer one is Schreiner’s. And, of course, there’s John Owen’s immense multi-volume commentary. Good luck with that one.
Nemo says
One of the intriguing questions is: Who wrote the Book of Hebrews?
According to Eusebius (ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY, VI. 14), Clement of Alexandria wrote “that the Epistle to the Hebrews is Paul’s, and was written to the Hebrews in the Hebrew language; but that Luke, having carefully translated it, gave it to the Greeks, and hence the same colouring in the expression is discoverable in this Epistle and the Acts; and that the name “Paul an Apostle” was very properly not prefixed, for, he says, that writing to the Hebrews, who were prejudiced against him and suspected, he with great wisdom did not repel them in the beginning by putting down his name.”.
What do you make of it?
I’m guessing it’s hard to make a solid case for Apollos because there are no surviving and undisputed writings of Apollos to compare with.
Jeremy says
Hey Michael, I’ve been listening to a lot of the content you put out on the Canon of scripture. Through your Ligonier series, YouTube, etc. I just wanted to say thank you for all your hard work putting together this content on the Canon. Your presentations are very well done. You’ve been tremendously helpful in understanding this topic. I’m very grateful! God bless!