The previous post summarised the development of the letter to the Hebrews according to Albert Vanhoye, A Different Priest: The Epistle to the Hebrews (transl. Leo Arnold; Miami: Convivium Press, 2011). This post gives his own structural summary, as set out on pages 56-57.
Exordium: God has spoken to us in his Son (1,1-4)
Announcement of the subject of the First Part: 1,4b
Part One: The »name« of Christ: general Christology (1,5-2,18)
Christ is Son of God (1,5-14) and brother of mankind (2,5-16)
This double relationship makes him a mediator between God and mankind, a high priest.
Announcement of the subject of Part Two: 2,17
Part Two: Christ is trustworthy and merciful high priest: priestly Christology, general characteristics (3,1-5,10)
1st section: Christ is trustworthy high priest (3,1-6); appeal for faith (3,7-4,14)
2nd section: Appeal for confidence (4,15-16), for Christ is compassionate high priest; he has suffered and offered (5,1-10)
Announcement of the subject of Part Three: 5,9-10
Part Three: Christ is the perfect high priest priestly Christology, specific characteristics (5,11-10,39)
Preamble: Appeal for attention and generosity (5,11-6,20)
1st section: Christ is a high priest of a special kind (7,1-28)
2nd section: Christ offered a sacrifice of a new kind (8,1-9,28)
3rd section: Christ's offering was fully effective (10,1-18)
Epilogue: Appeal for union with Christ, our high priest (10,19-39)
Announcement of the subject of Part Four: 10,36-39
Part Four: Union with Christ high priest through faith and endurance (11,1-12,13)
1st section: Eulogy of the faith of ancestors (11,1-40)
Achievements and trials of faith in the Old Testament
2nd section: Call to imitate Christ in his passion and practising endurance in trials (12,1-13)
Announcement of the subject of Part Five: 12,13
Part Five: Call for upright conduct in the search for holiness and peace (12,14-13,18)
Search for holiness (12,14-29) and Christian solidarity (13,1-18)
Final invocation and doxology: Invocation for divine assistance through the mediation of Jesus Christ (13,20-21a), doxology (13,21b)
Dispatch note: (13,19.22-25): Exhortation, news, greetings.
This plan offers more than one remarkable feature. It is closely linked to biblical rhetoric, for it is built in a concentric way. By their length and the number of their sections, four parts are arranged symmetrically around the third part, which is central..." (p57)
""It is clear that the author wanted above all to pass on a substantial lesson in priestly Christology to his listeners. But he passes this teaching on in a pastoral and not professorial way. He takes care first to nourish their faith; he is also careful to call upon them to live generously in accordance with the gift of God received in faith." (p58)
