Austin W. Duncan

Series/The Book of Hebrews

The Book of Hebrews

Still being written

Why Jesus is better, final, and worth holding fast to.

Hebrews was written to tired believers who were tempted to drift backward. This series walks through the book's argument, showing how Jesus is the final priest, sacrifice, mediator, and word from God, and why that makes holding fast worth it.

Start with session 1See all 8

Who it is for

  • Christians who feel spiritually tired, distracted, or tempted to drift
  • Anyone trying to understand Jesus' priesthood and the warning passages
  • Readers who want to see how the Old Testament points to Christ

What you will take away

  • See how the Old Testament points to Christ
  • Understand Jesus as the final priest and sacrifice
  • Make sense of the warning passages in Hebrews

The sessions

The Son Who Speaks

Hebrews opens by establishing who Jesus is, superior to angels, greater than Moses, and the final word from God.

  1. 1Hebrews 1: God Has Spoken, and He Spoke in JesusOpening with the setting of Hebrews as a preached sermon to Jewish Christians under persecution, the teaching explains why the author bothers comparing Jesus to angels: many believed angels mediated the Law, and some had drifted toward venerating them. From the long single sentence of verses 1 to 4, seven descriptions of the Son are drawn out one at a time: heir of all things, Creator, radiance of God's glory, exact imprint of His nature, sustainer of the universe, the one who made purification for sins, and the one who sat down at God's right hand. Greek terms and cross references support each. The reading then moves into the Old Testament quotations of verses 5 onward, beginning with Psalm 2 and 2 Samuel 7, showing the Son is not a superior angel but outside the category altogether.
  2. 2Hebrews 2: Don’t DriftChapter 1 established who Jesus is; chapter 2 begins with "therefore." The teaching lingers on the warning of verses 1 to 4, arguing that the real danger is not open rebellion but quiet neglect. Drift is examined through the Greek words for close attention and slipping away, with diagnostic questions about Scripture, prayer, fellowship, and tolerated sin. The lesser-to-greater argument follows: if breaking the Law given through angels brought consequences, neglecting a salvation announced by the Son, confirmed by eyewitnesses, and attested by signs is graver still. Psalm 8 then frames humanity's lost dominion, and the answer comes in verse 9, Jesus lowered for a little while, tasting death for everyone, crowned in glory, the pioneer who calls us brothers.
  3. 3Hebrews 3: The Faithful Builder

The Priest Who Represents Us

Jesus is not only the sacrifice. He is the priest who brings us near, better than Aaron, holding an eternal office.

  1. 4Hebrews 4: Entering God’s RestPicking up the wilderness warning of Hebrews 3, this study shows how Hebrews 4 turns warning into invitation: the promise of rest still stands. Three Old Testament threads are woven together, the Promised Land, God's seventh-day rest in Genesis, and the ongoing "Today" of Psalm 95, to show that Canaan was a shadow of something greater. Joshua gave a temporary home; Jesus gives the lasting one. The unique word sabbatismos points to a whole mode of existence built on finished work, so believers obey from rest rather than for rest. The exhortation to strive is the striving of faith, and Scripture exposes the heart. The teaching then lifts eyes to the sympathetic High Priest and confident approach to grace.
  2. 5Hebrews 5: The High Priest Who Understands
  3. 6Hebrews 6: The Warning, the Promise, and the AnchorWorking through Hebrews 6 in four movements, this teaching traces the push toward maturity, the severe warning about falling away, the tender reassurance to the readers, and the anchor of God's sworn promise. The call to stop re-pouring the foundation is set against the practical temptation to perpetual restart. The warning passage is handled carefully: the five descriptions of experience are laid out, the major interpretive options are named without forcing a settlement, and scholarly voices are used to show that "impossible" removes the neutral middle ground rather than handing anyone a gavel. Anxious readers are told plainly that their worry is itself evidence the warning is not about them. The land illustration and the note that assurance is tied to visible fruit round out the exposition.
  4. 7Hebrews 7: Jesus, The Forever Priest-KingA teaching session that keeps one claim in view: Jesus is a better priest because he belongs to a better priesthood, established not by genealogy and law but by God's oath and the power of an indestructible life. Picking up the thread left hanging in Hebrews 5 and steadied by the warning of chapter 6, the study works through Melchizedek's appearance in Genesis 14 and Psalm 110, explains verse 3 as an argument from silence rather than speculation about angels or pre-incarnate Christ, and traces the tithe and blessing proofs. It then shows why a change in priesthood requires a change in law, why Jesus' descent from Judah matters, and how limited law gives way to a better hope that brings us near. The text breaks off as the oath argument of verses 20 to 22 begins.

The Sacrifice That Finished the Work

The once-for-all offering of Christ replaces every shadow and type in the Old Testament system.

  1. 8Hebrews 8: A Better Covenant and a Better PromiseHebrews 8 is where the author pauses his sermon and states his main point, and this study follows that argument in two movements. Verses 1 through 6 focus on where Jesus serves: seated at God's right hand, ministering in the true tent, while the earthly tabernacle was a God-given copy and shadow pointing beyond itself. Verse 6 is the hinge, stacking better ministry on better covenant on better promises. Verses 7 through 13 turn to Jeremiah 31, the longest Old Testament quotation in the New Testament, spoken to a people at rock bottom. The fault lay with the people, not the law: good instruction without power to obey. The new covenant supplies internal renewal and final forgiveness. Throughout, the concern is pastoral, keeping tired believers from drifting back.

How to use it

  • Work through one session at a time, then read that chapter of Hebrews
  • Pay attention to the author's 'Therefore' transitions. They carry the whole argument
  • Don't rush the warning passages: sit with them rather than explaining them away
  • After finishing, re-read Hebrews 12:1-3 as a summary of the whole book

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