One Sentence Summary of Hebrews

One of the first things I do when I pick up a new book or commentary on Hebrews is to flip to the opening comments on the opening words of the letter: "In many times and in many ways . . ." If there is one place in a work on Hebrews where an author is tempted to wax eloquent about the writer's eloquence it's here!

In Peter T. O'Brien's new book on Hebrews, he has a nice one sentence summary of the packed periodic sentence that begins Hebrews' homily:

This opening paragraph suggests that the theological ground and starting point of Hebrews is that God has spoken his final word in his Son, its main theme or overarching topic concerns the person, work and status of God's Son, and the conceptual framework within which the author intends to read or hear his word of exhortation is God's unfolding plan of salvation that moves from eternity to eternity.

He also states that Heb 1:1-4 is a "magnificent introduction" and a "carefully crafted sentence" that "sets the programme for the whole discourse."

 –O'Brien, God Has Spoken in his Son: A Biblical Theology of Hebrews, 18.