When I was in college, our pastor said you can’t understand the letter of Hebrews unless you’re a Presbyterian. Having grown up Baptist, I downplayed the comment as rhetorical overstatement. But now, as I reflect on that statement decades later, I can see his point.
It’s not that other traditions don’t understand Hebrews or have much insight to offer. They certainly do, and I’ve learned a great deal from non-Presbyterians. Yet, the contours of Hebrews exhortations, which are so prevalent in the letter, are best understood by those whose theology of the church understands the overlapping reality of what theologians call the “visible” and “invisible” church.
The exhortations in Hebrews address a church community that may include both believers and unbelievers. This awareness greatly influences the way we read Hebrews.
That’s why I’m happy to commend this new book on Hebrews by Dennis Johnson, longtime professor at Westminster Seminary California. “Perfect Priest for Weary Pilgrims” (Crossway, 2024) is one the newest contributions to a fresh set of studies on individual New Testament books.
Based on the books I’ve seen thus far, this New Testament Theology series is a strong collection, and Johnson’s volume is another winner. These books are a great resource for pastors preparing to teach or preach on specific books of the Bible, but should also be accessible for a wider audience of interested readers.
Johnson’s skills as a biblical theologian are well-established, having penned books on how to read the Bible, a book on Acts, a commentary on Revelation, and other theological and exegetical works. Johnson’s interpretation of Hebrews is informed by the biblical-theological approaches in the tradition of Richard Gaffin and Geerhardus Vos, both of whom have written or taught on Hebrews at some length.
Johnson’s Reformed approach to biblical theology, which appreciates the unity of the single unfolding plan of redemption and the escalation (or “eschatology”) inaugurated by the coming of Christ in the New Testament, reflects the contents of Hebrews well.
Hebrews has a great deal to say about how the Old Testament is relevant for us today. Johnson shows how important Psalm 110 is in Hebrews, which addresses Christ’s royal priesthood. “Weary pilgrims” in the book’s title relates the situation of New Testament believers as people on a spiritual pilgrimage to the wanderings of God’s people in the Old Testament, which helps us relate the Old Testament to the New Testament.
How do we find the gospel in the Old Testament? Johnson shows us from Psalm 95 in Hebrews 3 – 4 (pg. 27–34). Who is Melchizedek, and how does he relate to Christ? Melchizedek is the priest-king who points ahead to a greater priest-king. How should we understand the Old Testament priesthood and sacrifices? These anticipate the final sacrifice of Christ.
Johnson also provides guidance to those who may have stumbled into the world of contemporary scholarship on Hebrews. If the letter of Hebrews itself is confusing, one may find the discussions about Hebrews in the secondary literature to be even more confusing. How does Jesus’s sacrifice relate to the Day of Atonement? Where did Jesus’s sacrifice occur? When did Jesus become high priest, and how does this relate to his present, heavenly ministry? Johnson is aware of these debates, and walks readers through the issues without getting bogged down in tertiary issues.
Commentator William Lane noted that Hebrews is “unusually important” for Christology. As Johnson unfolds the letter’s teaching on the divinity and humanity of Christ, he addresses how Jesus can become a Son if he is already Son (Hebrews 1:4), and how Jesus can be perfected as a priest if he is eternally perfect as Son of God (Hebrews 7:28). We must understand these statements in the context of the incarnation and redemptive history. Here again, the Reformed tradition offers a strong exegetical path forward, and Johnson is a sure-footed guide.
When my college pastor was speaking about the Presbyterian insight into Hebrews, he especially had in view how one reads the “warning passages” that warn against falling away from the message of the gospel. Hebrews contains several such passages, perhaps most famously in Hebrews 6:4–6. If true believers cannot lose their salvation, then how does one understand the warnings not to fall away? The warnings are best understood as directed to the entire church community, which continues to comprise both true believers and unbelievers as it did in the Old Testament (see pg. 22, 151–52).
It is not until the return of Christ that the church will be pure and contain only true believers. Johnson explains this well in the final chapter of the book, though I did wish for a bit more clarity on what he meant by “apostasy” given the broader audience for this book. Even so, Johnson shows clearly that the New Testament teaches God’s preserving grace in the lives of his children (pg. 154–55), and that nothing in Hebrews undercuts this important reality.
I therefore warmly recommend this book for all who are interested in going deeper in the message of Hebrews. At times the discussion may be a bit detailed, but so is Hebrews! It is a great blessing to have an accessible resource to help us understand Scripture better. Those who pick up Johnson’s volume will find a faithful resource that will help us see our faithful Savior—our merciful Great High Priest.
Brandon Crowe serves as professor of New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary.