Saturday, January 13, 2024

Sigurd Grindheim on Hebrews 13:8

  

13:8 The leaders of the past are to be trusted, and strange teachings to be rejected (v. 9), because Jesus Christ always remains the same. Therefore, the gospel message does not change. The author’s pithy affirmation primarily serves to emphasize the constancy of the proclamation and the need to remain firm in one’s commitment to it.

 

Because of the confessional character of the statement, many scholars have detected a traditional, creedal formula behind it. It is impossible to know. Some scholars have also sought to find specific references in the terms “yesterday,” “today,” and “forever,” but there are few contextual clues to support such interpretations. It is best to be content with the affirmation that the message about Jesus never changes. (Sigurd Grindheim, The Letter to the Hebrews [The Pillar New Testament Commentary; Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2023], 676, emphasis added)