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Introduction to the Ascension
The purpose of this study will be to explore the ascension in the book of Hebrews. Ascents into heaven are common in both Greco-Roman and Jewish texts in the Mediterranean world. “[T]he dominant understanding of ascent in ancient Jewish and Christian literature is of a process initiated not by the visionary but by God.”1 In works on heavenly ascensions in Christian and Jewish thought, there is a tendency in scholarship to overlook or ignore Hebrews as evidence of ascension when they are considering NT examples.2 Although, in this scholarship there are afew exceptions where Hebrews is mentioned in this regard, these references are largely in passing.
The ascension of Jesus Christ is important to the writers of the NT. Felix Cortez writes, “Jesus’ ascension stands at the foundational core of NT theology.”4 In Christian theology, the ascension of Jesus Christ refers to his return to heaven after his death and bodily resurrection. The importance of the doctrine for the early church ensured its place in the Rule of Faith.5 In the past, this doctrine generally has been studied with respect to its historical development in the earlychurch, 6 from the perspective of systematic theology, 7 or as a matter of historical theology examining later theologians.8 More recently in the field of NT studies, there have been studies examining Luke-Acts’ portrayal of the ascension.
Hebrews does not give us a historical account10 of the ascension of Jesus as, for example, does Luke-Acts. However, “[m]ore than any other book in the NT, Hebrews brings out the theological significance of the ascension.”11 It is more common in NT scholarship to focus on the exaltation of Christ in Hebrews, the concept of the heavenly tabernacle, or Jesus’ session at the right hand (a la Ps. 110:1) as a major theme in Hebrews than to specifically refer to his ascension and entrance into heaven.
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY
1. Introduction to the Ascension
2. Survey of Scholarship
3. Proposal
4. Methodology
CHAPTER 2: SONSHIP AND THE DEITY OF CHRIST IN HEBREWS 1, PART 1
1. Introduction
2. Heb. 1:1-4
2.1. The Son as the Climax of Revelation
3. Heb. 1:5—Sonship and the Use of Ps. 2:7 and 2 Sam. 7:14
4. Functional Sonship as Revelatory of the Son’s Ontology
5. Conclusion
CHAPTER 3: SONSHIP AND THE DEITY OF CHRIST IN HEBREWS 1, PART 2
1. Introduction
2. Heb. 1:6—The Son as Firstborn and Object of Worship
3. Heb. 1:8-9—The Son and His Throne: Sonship & the Use of Ps. 45:6-7
4. Heb. 1:10-12—The Unchanging One: Sonship and the Use Ps. 102:25-27
5. Alternative Models for the Christology in Heb. 1
6. Conclusion
CHAPTER 4: THE ADAMIC VOCATION OF SONSHIP IN HEBREWS 2
1. Introduction
2. Second Adam Christology: A Working Definition
3. Ps. 8 in the Argument of Heb. 1 and 2
4. Heb. 2:6-8
5. Heb. 2:8b-10—Seeing Jesus Made Perfect through Suffering
6. Heb. 2:11-13—Jesus’ Solidarity with His People
7. Heb. 2:14-18—Made Like His Brothers to Become a High Priest
8. Conclusion
CHAPTER 5: THE SON ASCENDS INTO THE HEAVENLY TABERNACLE
CHAPTER 6: THE SON’S ADAMIC OBEDIENCE LEADS TO ASCENSION
CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
