Este excelente comentario de Paul Ellingworth elimina hbilmente las barreras al significado de Hebreos, revelando el valor de esta compleja pero inmensamente importante epstola del Nuevo Testamento para todos los lectores, pasados y presentes.
El estudio de la Epstola a los Hebreos se ha visto tradicionalmente obstaculizado por una serie de factores. Por ejemplo, durante casi toda la historia cristiana, la atribucin de Hebreos a Pablo ha hecho difcil que los lectores pudieran percibir el tono distintivo de esta epstola. Entre los cristianos gentiles, tambin se ha asumido errneamente que Hebreos es de inters solo para los judos. Adems, a veces se ha pensado que representa una concesin o una etapa intermedia entre el judasmo y el cristianismo, en contraste con el mensaje puro de los Evangelios y el cristianismo radical de Pablo. Estos y otros factores han tendido a combinarse para darle a Hebreos una reputacin inmerecida de impenetrabilidad.
Ellingworth comienza con un estudio detallado del texto griego antes de abordar el contexto ms amplio, las cuestiones lingsticas y la relacin de Hebreos con otros escritos cristianos primitivos y con el Antiguo Testamento. Los escritos no bblicos como Filn y los rollos del mar Muerto, aunque no se relacionan tan directamente con Hebreos, se toman en cuenta cuando corresponde.
Al revelar la estructura del discurso de esta carta cuidadosamente escrita, el comentario de Ellingworth ayuda a darles un sentido coherente a las complejidades de Hebreos. Como resultado de su exhaustivo estudio, Ellingworth considera que Hebreos es principalmente un escrito pastoral, no polmico. Al mostrar cmo Hebreos resalta bellamente la supremaca de Cristo, Ellingworth concluye que el propsito esencial de la epstola, que mantiene la continuidad del pueblo de Dios antes y despus de Cristo, es animar a los lectores a cimentar sus vidas nada ms y nada menos que en Jess.
This excellent commentary by Paul Ellingworth skillfully removes barriers to the meaning of Hebrews, revealing the value of this complex but immensely important New Testament epistle for all readers, past and present.
The study of the Epistle to the Hebrews has traditionally been hampered by a number of factors. For example, for almost all of Christian history, the attribution of Hebrews to Paul has made it difficult for readers to perceive the distinctive tone of this epistle. Among Gentile Christians, it has also been erroneously assumed that Hebrews is of interest only to Jews. In addition, it has sometimes been thought to represent a compromise or an intermediate stage between Judaism and Christianity, in contrast to the pure message of the Gospels and the radical Christianity of Paul. These and other factors have tended to combine to give Hebrews an undeserved reputation for impenetrability.
Ellingworth begins with a detailed study of the Greek text before addressing the broader context, linguistic issues, and the relationship of Hebrews to other early Christian writings and to the Old Testament. Non-biblical writings such as Philo and the Dead Sea Scrolls, although not as directly related to Hebrews, are taken into account where appropriate.
By revealing the discourse structure of this carefully written letter, Ellingworth's commentary helps to make coherent sense of the complexities of Hebrews. As a result of his exhaustive study, Ellingworth sees Hebrews as primarily a pastoral, not a polemical, writing. By showing how Hebrews beautifully highlights the supremacy of Christ, Ellingworth concludes that the essential purpose of the epistle, which maintains the continuity of God's people before and after Christ, is to encourage readers to ground their lives in nothing less than Jesus.