hebrews as an instructional appendix to romans 259
solution “mercy seat” in rom 3:25 and the fact that every major exposi-
tional theme in Hebrews can be construed as meeting this demand (i.e.,
Jesus’ superiority [Hebrews 1, 2, 3], Jesus’ role as high priest [Heb 4:14–
5:10], Jesus as high priest in the order of melchizedek [Hebrews 7], Jesus’
role in the heavenly sanctuary [Hebrews 9], Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice
[Hebrews 10]) support the conclusion. paul’s terse writing style, frequent
deployment of synecdoche, other forms of βραχυλογία, ἔλειψις, and theo-
logical abbreviation70 frequently attracted explanations of this type. post-
pauline literature features a host of examples.
Hebrews as Instructional Appendix to Romans
the above lexical correspondences of ἔφαπαξ in romans and Hebrews
suggests Hebrews was deliberately composed as an appendix71 to, or some
other form of intentional commentary on, romans. an explanation of
how and why ἐφάπαξ in Hebrews develops what paul is saying in romans,
explored next, supports the conclusion that Hebrews functioned, at some
level, as a reading guide to romans.
according to origen and John chrysostom (above), Hebrews develops
paul’s view of sin’s defeat as stated in rom 6:7: “for whoever has died
is freed from sin” and rom 6:10: “the death he died he died to sin once
for all.”72 this theme in romans 6 develops ideas paul first presents
in romans 3.73 In romans 3, paul refers to expiation of sin (rom 3:25)
through Jesus’ “sacrifice of atonement” (ἱλαστήριον, v. 25).74 the meaning
70 H. d. betz, Galatians (Hermeneia; philadelphia: Fortress, 1979), 27–28.
71 the question of genre needs to be addressed. Hebrews is an exegetical commentary on
romans in the form of a pseudepigraphon (see rothschild, Hebrews as Pseudepigraphon).
therefore, Hebrews is intended as clarification by paul of his prior correspondence—
a habit the author may have known (and therefore imitated) as paul’s own from reading,
for example, 1, 2 corinthians. see margaret m. mitchell, Paul, the Corinthians and the Birth
of Christian Hermeneutics (cambridge: cambridge university press, 2010).
72 paul’s audience is both dead to (rom 6:7) and yet subject to (rom 6:12–13) sin, pre-
sumably because their “death” in baptism is only symbolic (i.e., baptism).
73 according to Jewett, the probatio extends from 1:18 to 15:13. rom 3:25 is a part of the
first proof, whereas rom 6:10 is a part of the second proof (Romans, 271 [3:25a], 394 [6:10]).
Contra Godet, wilckens, and cranfield, Jewett prefers an emphasis on “the unrepeatable
dimension of christ’s life and death” rather than atonement in 6:10 (Romans, 407). what-
ever paul’s intention, Hebrews construes an emphasis on atonement in order to make
sense of rom 3:25.
74 “they are not justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in christ
Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood effective through
faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had
passed over the sins previously committed.” (rom 3:24–25, nrsV)