The teaching of the Epistle to the Hebrews

by Geerhardus Vos

In this book, Dr. Vos reflects on the Epistle to the Hebrews and its theological themes. In chapter 1, Vos explains why the outstanding feature of the Epistle is its connection with the Old Testament and why the Old Testament is prominent in it. In Chapter 2, Vos discusses the Epistle’s conception of the “Diatheke” – the new covenant, new testament, new organization of relationship between God and humanity – and shows how the Epistle’s conception affects the whole of Christianity. In chapter 3, Vos points out that the Epistle presents its own philosophy of redemption and revelation and that it presents a significant, and corrective teaching on the subject of Christian eschatology. In the remaining portion of this chapter the author analyzes the Typology of the Epistle, the Problem of the Inferiority of the Old Testament from the religious point of view, and teh Epistle’s doctrine of revelation. In chapter 4, Vos lays out the Epistle’s teaching of the Priesthood of Christ and in Chapter 5 he concludes with a discussion of the better the sacrifice of the new covenant. This last chapter also contains helpful notes on the rigual terminology employed by the writer of the epistle.

James T. Dennison Jr. (M.Div., Th.M., Pittsburgh Theological Seminary) is academic dean and professor of church history and biblical theology at Northwest Theological Seminary, Lynnwood, Washington. he is the editor of the English translation of Turretin's three- volume Institutes and author of The Market-Day of the Soul; The Puritan Doctrine of the Sabbath in England, 1532- 1700, as well as numerous scholarly articles.

Genres: Biblical Studies, Theology, Reference, Nonfiction

124 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1956

About the author

Geerhardus Johannes Vos was an American Calvinist theologian and one of the most distinguished representatives of the Princeton Theology. He is sometimes called the father of Reformed Biblical Theology.

Vos was born to a Dutch Reformed pastor in Heerenveen in Friesland in the Netherlands. In 1881, when Geerhardus was 19 years old, his father accepted a call to be the pastor of the Christian Reformed Church congregation in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Geerhardus Vos began his education at the Christian Reformed Church's Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, before moving to Princeton Theological Seminary. He completed his studies in Germany, receiving his doctorate in Arabic Studies from the Philosophy Faculty of Strassburg University in 1888.

Herman Bavinck and Abraham Kuyper tried to convince Vos to become professor of Old Testament Theology at the Free University in Amsterdam, but Vos chose to return to America. Thus, in the Fall of 1888, Vos took up a position on the Calvin Theological Seminary faculty. In 1892, Vos moved and joined the faculty of the Princeton Theological Seminary, where he became its first Professor of Biblical Theology.

In 1894 he was ordained as a minister in the Presbyterian Church in the USA.

At Princeton, he taught alongside J. Gresham Machen and Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield and authored his most famous works, including: Pauline Eschatology (1930) and Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments (1948). Despite his opposition to the growing modernist influence at Princeton in the late 1920s, he decided to remain at Princeton Seminary after the formation of Westminster Theological Seminary by Machen, as he was close to retirement. Vos did indeed retire to California in 1932, three years after the formation of Westminster.

Vos's wife, Catherine, authored the well-known Child's Story Bible. She died in 1937, after 43 years of marriage. They had three sons and one daughter, and their son J. G. Vos studied at Princeton Theological Seminary and also became a minister.

Reviews

[Peyton Gunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

So much easier to understand than some of his other stuff. There’s some extremely helpful stuff in here!

Hard to imagine though that the author’s parents saw him as a new born and said, “Aww, let’s name him Geerhardus!” Imagine being in middle school with this name.

[Christian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vosian Triangle 100/5
Rest of the book 3/5

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find Vos' writing to be tedious at best, though his insights are certainly orthodox and occasionally profound. But it's a lot of work to find them…

[Ethan McCarter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The material is very well researched and thought out. Vos clearly had a mastery of Greek, NT theology, and biblical theology proper; it's amazing to see how his mind works here and in other works. This is a collection of lectures given at Princeton and was not written as a commentary or book. Thus, the book is very dry, tedious, and he could stand to tone it down with some of his vocabulary and nomenclature. That being said, it's not the greatest introduction to Hebrews from a base position or for non-technical folks or those who don't have some Greek training. For pastors it is still a slog; same for seminarians. The material is great, but it will cost you some attention points and re-looking over sentences too due to the vocabulary and often hard to follow sentences. A good set of lectures on themes in Hebrews, not the best, that will help one wanting to research this Epistle or begin a sermon series on it.

[Adam Nesmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This thin volume I found very dense and technical but the middle chapter on “The Epistles Philosophy of Revelation and Redemption” is so excellent and thought provoking that it is worth the effort. The book isn’t a commentary on Hebrews but rather seeks to tackle the big questions posed by the book and its emphases. And I really benefitted from this “focus on the forest not the trees” approach. Vos is always very detailed in his analysis and thoughtful, a true scholar that addresses the text head on rather than hand waving any uncertainties away. Again, the middle chapter has so many broader implications for biblical theology, hermeneutics and systematics that it really “makes” their book for me.

[Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

An odd little book, honestly. It's a general introduction to Hebrews' themes, but Vos spends quite a bit of time in the weeds of particular passages and technical debates. He also takes an exceptionally obscure view of the authorship and audience -- namely that neither were ethnically Jewish. There's good content to be found here, but I would only use it as supplement to other materials. I certainly wouldn't recommend it as a general introduction to Hebrews. The introductory sections to commentaries by Hughes, Witherington, or Guthrie (or Guthrie) would serve that purpose much better.

[Matt Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do not buy this book as a commentary of the Book of Hebrews. Rather it is a series of essays on themes in the book of hebrews. Albeit some of his observations in who the writer is and how the writer of hebrews has a different definition of words than Paul for me stuck. Which is unfortunate because I usually enjoy the Dutch Reformed. It helps provide background to those welcoming serious study. Agree or disagree, Vos makes an excellent conversation partner.

[Alexander Proudfoot · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume has many gold nuggets in it. However, as other reviewers have pointed out, it's a bit random in what Vos chooses to comment on. I don't come away from this book feeling as though I have a better understanding of the forest, but perhaps seeing individual trees clearer.

[Travis Robnett]

Dry. But solid.

Deserves a return when I study Hebrews in-depth.

[Scott Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s Vos. Need I say more? Probably. But I won’t.

[Jason Keel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very useful, but somewhat dry theology book. Definitely not for light reading, but very helpful for those who teach the Bible.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are aspects of this little book that are dated. It is also not a commentary. If you are not familiar with Vos and his writing style you will find it tedious. Vos did not waste a single word, thought in Dutch, and was a poet. All of these things carry over into his theological writing style which is quirky to say the least. With that being said, It still is one of the best treatments of the theology of Hebrews I have read. He takes a less popular approach for the issues at hand the author of Hebrews wrote against. Personally, I found his view to be more convincing. I will be referencing it along with others as I teach through Hebrews for the foreseeable future.

[Zack · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in parts and outlined (deeply and in detail) most of it. It is a classic and accessible study, though a bit dated now (as of 2021). I think that it is a must-read for any studies on Hebrews or NTBT or the NT use of the OT. Vos believed that someone other than Paul wrote Hebrews. Overall a very good book.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

This text is an extremely tehnical book but that's to be expected as this is a collection of his seminary lectures. Pastors and seminary students will benefit from his careful exegesis. Readers should note this is not a comprehensive treatment of the epistle of Hebrews but just a collection of (4) topics that Vos gives attention to.

[Timothy Decker · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 would be more accurate. A bit dated and thus abused Greek grammar. Additionally, I felt he lacked precision in his statement on a change of the law on p. 50. But good theological content nonetheless.

[Timothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vos traces out some important themes in the book of Hebrews in his unique style.
Some of his arguments/exegesis is quite advanced and so would not be suitable for a layman.

[Evan]

Skimmed the first two chapters. Good. Vos is never easy to read.

[Jim Gulley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Voss’s treatment of Hebrews is scholarly and dense. It is to Hebrews what Ridderbos is to the Pauline epistles. It provides excellent exegesis of the Greek and highlights Christ's priestly office.

[Ethan Preston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good, short book on the Epistle to the Hebrews. Vos brings his characteristic philological, exegetical, and canonical knowledge to exploring the themes and theology of Hebrews. I found it to be stimulating in many ways. The only areas in which I found it lacking were in those of my own larger theological differences with Vos, which I felt blinded him to certain things in the text at certain places. Overall very helpful.

[Paul Wichert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short but rich book on the theology of Hebrews which covers how Hebrews is distinct in the canon, how the author approaches the concept of covenant/testament, revelation, priesthood, and sacrifice. This is a great introduction to the typology and shadow-fulfillment aspects of Hebrews. It is written at a fairly high level theologically with some exegetical aspects to it, but Vos generally makes his points very plainly. Overall this is a very insightful book and at 124 pages is a great introduction to this important NT book.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tough to evaluate. There is really important Vosian content here that helps unlock the riches of Hebrews and the rest of Scripture.

But as seminary lecture notes turned into book chapters, it's not the smoothest or most pleasant reading experience.

Probably too difficult a read for laity, and slow-going even for pastors, too.

[Peter Stonecipher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vos provides here a good starting point to consider the unique biblical-theological contributions of the epistle to the Hebrews. Its brevity is both a strength and a weakness. For me, Vos is unable to pull together a coherent thesis about the book of Hebrews, but the individual chapters and exegetical insights contained therein are well worth exploring.

[Tyler Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Vos’s thought and doctrine, not always his delivery. I get the sense he would be the brightest professor but not the most captivating teacher. I especially loved his emphasis on the earthly models being copies of the heavenly in Hebrews.

[Matthew Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a relatively small book, this book packs enormous punch! Page-for-page, I think this might be the best book you could read on the Book of Hebrews.

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good.

[Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, brief work on the major themes and content of the Book of Hebrews.

[Benjamin Davenport · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent.

[Mayowa Adebiyi · Rating 4 out of 5]

For such a short commentary, this is rich. Revisiting after failing on the first attempt due to the heavy dose of Greek.

[Roy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little confusing at first. My fault. He deals with topics or themes in the book, hence the hopping around to various texts.