Hebrews

Summary

Hebrews is a sermon letter designed to keep tired believers from drifting away from Christ. It does that by lifting Christ high, higher than angels, higher than Moses, higher than Aaron, and by showing that His once for all sacrifice secures a better covenant and a lasting access to God. David B. McWilliams approaches Hebrews with a preacher’s instinct. He does not treat the book as a theological puzzle to solve at arm’s length. He treats it as a pastoral instrument meant to sustain faith, strengthen assurance, and produce endurance.

McWilliams helps preachers track the book’s movement, Christ’s supremacy, the call to listen, the danger of unbelief, the priesthood after the order of Melchizedek, the new covenant promises, and the practical summons to draw near and hold fast. He is also alert to the repeated warning passages. Hebrews warns fiercely because love is fierce when souls are in danger. We appreciated that McWilliams handles these warnings without losing gospel comfort. The warnings are real. The promises are real. Both drive us to Christ.

This volume is aimed at church use. It is not a technical reference work. It is an expository guide that helps the preacher keep the main line of argument visible while still offering enough detail to handle difficult texts responsibly. For busy pastors, Hebrews can feel daunting. Its Old Testament richness, its theological density, and its warning passages require careful work. This commentary offers a steady hand.

Strengths

First, McWilliams keeps Christ central in the way Hebrews itself does. He shows that the book’s doctrinal sections are pastoral. Christ’s person and work are not discussed for curiosity. They are proclaimed for endurance. When Hebrews says Christ is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact imprint of His nature, it is not offering poetic theology. It is anchoring faith. When Hebrews says Christ is a merciful and faithful high priest, it is giving weary sinners a reason to draw near with confidence. McWilliams keeps those aims clear.

Second, the commentary handles the Old Testament texture with care. Hebrews is saturated with Psalm 110, Psalm 95, Jeremiah 31, and more. McWilliams helps readers see how Hebrews reads the Old Testament as fulfilled in Christ, without collapsing the Old Testament into allegory. That is a helpful model for Reformed preaching that honours authorial intent and the unfolding storyline of redemption.

Third, he is pastorally wise about the warning passages. Hebrews warns against unbelief, hardening, neglect, and falling away. Those warnings can be mishandled in two ways. We can soften them until they mean little, or we can use them in a way that crushes tender consciences. McWilliams helps keep them as Scripture intends, as means God uses to preserve His people by driving them back to Christ.

Limitations

The main limitation is that those seeking detailed engagement with scholarly debates about authorship, audience, and complex grammatical questions will need an additional technical resource. This commentary aims at exposition and pastoral use. It sometimes moves quickly through dense argument. That is helpful for weekly preaching rhythms, but preachers may still want to slow down, especially in Hebrews 6, 10, and in the Melchizedek section, to ensure careful handling. Also, because Hebrews is a sermon like book, the rhetoric and structure can be complex. McWilliams provides guidance, but some readers may wish for more visual outlining help.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume while preaching through Hebrews, particularly to keep the logic clear and the application faithful. It is also helpful for pastoral care, especially for those struggling with assurance, weariness, and fear. Hebrews is a book for the weary, and McWilliams helps keep its comfort grounded in Christ’s priesthood and promise.

We would also use it for training leaders to read the Old Testament Christologically with restraint and confidence. Hebrews shows how to read the Old Testament as pointing to Christ without ignoring its original voice. That is a skill many leaders need, and this commentary supports it.

Closing Recommendation

This is a strong pastoral commentary on Hebrews that will serve preaching, discipleship, and endurance. It keeps Christ high, handles warnings soberly, and points weary believers to the better covenant secured by the better Priest. We commend it for pastors who want a church serving guide that does not lose theological depth, yet stays close to proclamation.