Peter O'Brien's "The Letter to the Hebrews": A Review

I have been really captivated by the book of Hebrews as of late. This fascination has led me to review two recent commentaries on the epistle. I previously posted a review of David Allen's commentary that I did for Credo Magazine. In this post, I want to make available a review that I did on P.T. O'Brien's commentary on Hebrews (which will also be posted on Credo Mag's website). Hope you enjoy!

The Letter to the Hebrews. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. By Peter T. O’Brien. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2010.

For the past several years I have made it my goal to collect the best commentaries on each book of the Bible. As would be expected, the top rated ones are usually also the oldest and most proven. Occasionally, though, a recent commentary will come along that has all the features and qualities that mark older exegetical works. While it may be too early to tell, I anticipate that P.T. O’Brien’s recent commentary on Hebrews will one day take its stand alongside these other valuable and time-tested resources.

The Letter to the Hebrews is O’Brien’s latest contribution to the ongoing discussion of the fascinating and mysterious epistle of Hebrews. Far from being a redundant voice in a chorus of commentators, though, O’Brien’s work sounds forth a different note that puts the magnificence of the book of Hebrews on display. What makes O’Brien’s treatment stand head and shoulders above the rest can be discussed under two main headings. First, O’Brien presents his comments in a logical and organized manner. Second, his interpretations are textually derived and theologically grounded.

The lay out of O’Brien’s commentary makes it an accessible guide through the book of Hebrews. Some commentaries have so much technical detail and an overabundance of information that readers can easily get lost in them. Other commentaries fail to clearly distinguish between one verse and another, making them less dependable to busy pastors and teachers who often need quick guidance. Still others excel in terms of their readability but fail in terms of providing helpful exegetical and theological information.

Not so with O’Brien’s commentary. His work is organized and it is structured around a logical and clearly defined outline. O’Brien’s comments are thorough, but not overly technical or verbose. It is clear when his discussion is finished and when he has moved on to another topic or point. Moreover, he covers each verse of Hebrews in a sequential way, which allows readers to easily locate his comments on any given reference. On top of this, O’Brien’s explanations are also unusually lucid; never was I left scratching my head after reading his interpretations.

Out of the many positive elements of The Letter to the Hebrews, I was most pleased with O’Brien’s consistently careful handling of the text of Hebrews. Time and again, I found myself in substantial agreement with his interpretations. To cite but one example, I found his understanding of the warning passages to be well reasoned and exegetically sound. O’Brien rightly argues that these passages warn against the perils of apostasy and the sure judgment that awaits those who “fall away from the living God” (3:12). In line with classic Reformed exegetes, he holds that those who heed the warnings and persevere show themselves to be true believers, while those who reject the exhortations and fall away reveal that they never truly possessed saving faith to begin with.

Although I take a slightly different approach to these passages than he does, I sympathize with the Reformed perspective of the warning passages. Not only does it have a long historical pedigree, it makes good sense of the warnings and also harmonizes well with the clear New Testament teaching of both the preservation and perseverance of the saints. O’Brien’s comments on Hebrews 3:14 are representative of the way he views the warning passages: “The author [of Hebrews] is aware…that there is a transitory or spurious faith that does not persevere. Accordingly, [his reader’s] being sharers in Christ is dependent on their holding fast to the end…such perseverance will demonstrate that their faith is genuine” (151-2).

O’Brien also does a superior job explaining how the writer of Hebrews uses and interprets Old Testament texts. In several places, O’Brien’s expertise is showcased. His background information on the concept of “rest” (Heb. 4) is insightful and allows him to properly identify the way the writer of Hebrews uses this term as a picture of salvation. Other instances that show O’Brien’s adept understanding of the OT are his discussions of Melchizedek and the New Covenant. He avoids falling into the various traps surrounding typology and he does not erroneously suggest, as some commentators do, that the New Testament writers misuse the Old Testament. Rather, the NT authors simply develop themes and ideas that are inherent to the OT but are often overlooked by casual readers. O’Brien does a great job bringing this out and his method serves as a model of how to apply biblical theology to biblical study.

Overall, O’Brien’s exegesis is balanced and his theological conclusions are not excessive. I am confident that readers of differing theological backgrounds can all benefit from his excellent work. In many ways, O’Brien is an ideal exegete. He judiciously approaches the text of Hebrews and he presents his conclusions with grace. I highly recommend The Letter to the Hebrews as a resource beneficial to both scholars and students.