From the Good News of Messiah Appendix:

Note on Hebrews

Introduction to Hebrews: Personally, I do not regard this book as canonical. Those who disagree with me will fall into two groups: a) the majority, who see the book as teaching the abolishment of Torah and YHWH’s covenant with Israel, and b) the minority, who think the book is misinterpreted and really agrees with Torah. For the first group my reply is that your very position means the book cannot be canonical.

For the second group, I agree that your heart is in the right place, but there are still some hard facts to be faced concerning grave difficulties in this book. I am confident after you honestly review them you will conclude that there is legitimate room to disagree on the status of this book, even if you yourselves are not so persuaded. And I urge you to preserve the unity of brotherhood on this issue, which means we agree to disagree and remain friends. I do not usually make my position on Hebrews a centerpiece of my teaching, unless someone else makes it an issue, usually by making an anti-torah argument.

I am including Hebrews in the MISB so that ultimately those of us who need to have Hebrews will not have to carry around an extra book to have it. And further, because even I who disagree with it, find that having a handy copy is necessary. Many who disagree with me about the status of the book, will at least agree on what the Torah does and does not say (as opposed to the typical church interpretation of the author). These things I have pointed out in the footnotes, so even if you think the book can be redeemed, you will at least know what the Torah says.

Below is a point by point summary of the main difficulties of the book. None of this, of course, means that everything in the book is an error. It would never have been an issue if it was all one way or the other. Some of the more serious issues are covered at length in the longer notes after this introduction.

1. Aarons rod is incorrectly said to be in the ark (cf. 9:4).

2. The pot of manna is incorrectly said to be in the ark (cf. 9:4).

3. It is said the Levitical Service was only symbolic (cf. 10:1, 4, 9:9-10). Jer. 33:17-22 assures us otherwise.

4. It is said that heaven is cleansed by sacrifices (cf. 9:23), which is absurd considering that only the earthly sanctuary can be defiled.

5. It is said that Messiah already abolished sin at the end of the ages (cf. 9:26; 10:37, 25), but clearly, saints are still sinners.

6. It is said that Messiah did not enter the holy place (cf. 9:24), but the Messenger of YHWH (who is Yeshua) stood in the holy place by the altar of incense.

7. It is said that Moses sprinkled the Torah Scrolls with blood (cf. 9:19), but Torah says no such thing.

8. It is said Messiah will not deal with Israel’s sin at the second coming (cf. 9:28), but the Scripture assures us he will, in Zech. 3:9.

9. It is said everything was sprinkled with blood (cf. 9:21), when in fact oil was used on most objects.

10. It errs in respect to Jacob’s staff (11:21).

11. It errs by placing the altar of incense in the most holy place (cf. 9:4).

12. It claims the blood taken into the sanctuary was for sins of ignorance (cf. 9:7), when in fact it was to cleanse the sanctuary from defilement.

13. It redefines a scriptural covenant as a last will and testament (cf. 9:16).

14. It says goats were used when the covenant was ratified (cf. 9:19), when in fact there is no mention of goats.

15. It substitutes “body” for “ears” in Psalm 40. (cf. 10:5). Not even the Septuagint has this modification, and it contradicts the Hebrew text.

16. It substitutes “taken no pleasure” for “not asked” in Ps. 40 (cf. 10:6, 8).

17. It omits words at the end of a verse fatal to its argument (cf. 10:7).

18. It claims unwanted offerings are “according to the Torah” (cf. 10:8), which is a contradiction by any other definition.

19. It claims the faithful are perfected (cf. 10:14; 1:3; 7:11; 19). Only someone influenced by Gnosticism could be so deluded.

20. If finds fault with the covenant (cf. 8:7), and even though the word covenant is not present in the original, but only implied, there is no getting away from the fact that this is what the author meant.

21. It mistranslates the Hebrew text of Jer. 31:32, which the LXX copied (cf. 8:9).

22. It terminates the Levitical Covenant at the cross, ignoring Jer. 33:17-22 (cf. 9:10).

23. It denies the heavenly Temple is created (cf. 9:11), which agrees with the Gnostic rejection of material creation.

24. It contradicts itself saying the new covenant has no force while Messiah lives (cf. 9:17) because the author mistakes a covenant for a will.

25. It relegates the earthly temple to a facsimile (cf. 9:24).

26. It claims the faithful are sanctified once for all (cf. 10:10).

27. It omits Jer. 31:33b-34a, which disprove its argument (cf. 10:16).

28. It omits “I will forgive” from the text (cf. 10:17).

29. It claims no Levitical Offering in the age to come (cf. 10:18, 26). This is contrary to the prophets.

30. It exaggerates the judgment of the Torah (cf. 10:28).

31. It makes Messiah less merciful than Torah (cf. 10:29).

32. It says the second coming will be very soon (cf. 10:37).

33. It uses a corrupt translation of Hab. 2:4a (cf. 10:38).

34. It splices Isa. 26:20 out of context (cf. 10:37).

35. It misinterprets Ps. 110:1 (cf. 1:3).

36. It says Messiah usurps the place of the high priest (cf. 2:17; 3:1).

37. It makes a bogus rule about blessing (cf. 7:7).

38. It uses a tortured drash (homily) to change the priesthood (cf. 7:7-24).

39. It says the oath of Ps. 110:4 was after the Torah (cf. 7:28).

40. It says the new will has better promises (cf. 8:6).

41. It defines “old” as disappearance and abolishes the covenant (cf. 8:13).

42. It calls Gõd's commandment “fleshly” (cf. 7:15).

43. It claims the covenant was ratified with scarlet and hyssop (cf. 9:19).

44. It rejects the Levitical laws for food (cf. 13:9).

45. It promotes an alien altar removed from the place of the Name (cf. 13:10, 14).