In Hebrews 1:1-4 the preacher announces "that he will speak about the «name» of Christ, that is to say - because such is the underlying idea in the Semitic mentality - that he will define the personal position of Christ and his relational capacities. To this effect just one title cannot be sufficient. A whole series of explanations, even two series are needed for it, as we shall see." (p25)
The first part of the homily (1:5-2:18) defines the position of Christ first in relation to God (1:5-14), leading to an exhortation, then in relation to humanity (2:5-16), before the actual subject of the homily is announced in 2:17-18.
once it is realized that the first part of the homily has as its subject the «name» of Christ and that it defines that name with a twofold relationship, Son of God (1,5-14) and brother of mankind (2,5-16), it becomes clear that the author has thereby highlighted the position of Christ as mediator between God and mankind, or in other words, as the «high priest».
In 2,17 the title «high priest» comes then as a conclusion to the first part of the homily and announces the subject which the author wishes to treat. The following chapters depend on this announcement. They expound a priestly Christology and its consequences for Christian living. (both quotations from p29)Vanhoye observes that two adjectives specify the high priest, "merciful and trustworthy," and argues that the second part of the homily (3:1-5:10) shows in two sections that Christ possesses these two qualities, treated in reverse order. 3:1-6 briefly sets out the trustworthiness of the priesthood of Christ and is followed by an exhortation. 4:15-16 "move on to the other aspect of Christ's priesthood...the capacity of Christ to show compassion, having been put to the test" (p32) which is then developed in 5:1-10.
With its "triple affirmation" of "the outcome of Christ's passion" (p33), the conclusion of the second part in 5:9-10 announces the subject of the third part of the homily (5:11-10:39). After a preamble (5:11-6:20), the first section in 7:1-28 expounds on the third outcome, priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek. At the end of chap. 7 the author comes back to the first outcome, "to make perfect," which is then explored in the second section (8:1-9:28), the central part of the homily. Its last word indicates the theme of the third section (10:1-18), "salvation," which is developed in terms of forgiveness of sins. The third part of the homily concludes with an exhortation (10:19-39).
The themes in 10:36-39 of "endurance" (stressed by its position in the sentence) and "faith" (stressed by repetition) announce the two themes of the fourth part of the homily, again dealt with in reverse order, faith in 11:1-40, endurance in 12:1-13. The quotation from Prov 4:26-27 in the final verse "moves us on from the theme of Christian endurance...to the one of Christian activity, which will be that of the following part" (p50).
The theme of the fifth part of the homily (12:14-13:21) remains the same throughout, "conduct to be followed, but a certain distinction can be perceived between the first paragraph and the other two, in accordance with the initial distinction between «peace with all» and «sanctification». Of course, these aspects are developed in reverse order." (p52)
13:22-25 is the dispatch note, "added to the text of the homily when it was sent to one distant community or another" (p54). Apart from these verses only the short sentence in 13:19 suggest an epistolary context. It is noteworthy that the beginning of Hebrews does not. Vanhoye concludes that "the Letter to the Hebrews is a sermon to which an epistolary ending has been added" (p54). Others have suggested that the epistolary ending begins in 13:1 but Vanhoye argues that most of chap. 13 belongs to the homily itself.
