The Theology of Hebrews through the Lens of Isaiah

This article examines the Epistle to the Hebrews, which plays a key role in the development of Christian theology. It is shown that the Epistle was addressed to a Christian community consisting largely of Jews who were facing persecution, experiencing a lack of faith in Jesus Christ, and standing on the brink of apostasy and a return to Judaism. The author of the Epistle exhorts the community. To do so, he draws upon the Tanakh, which held authority for a Jewish audience, and particularly the Book of Isaiah. Research has shown t that the audience to whom the Book of Isaiah was addressed was, at the time, in a situation much like that of the New Testament community; they, too, struggled with their faith in the Creator and were on the verge of apostasy. It is shown that the author of the Epistle attempts to resolve the problem of faith for his readers in the same way that Isaiah did for his. The author constructs the Epistle largely by mirroring the Book of Isaiah. A common thread running through both books is chiastic parallelism, which employs narratives designed to strengthen the readers’ faith. Both authors employ the same narratives and utilize similar literary techniques and themes. It is demonstrated that the Book of Isaiah played a key role in shaping the theology of the New Testament Epistle.