Ep. #114 – Apologetics in Hebrews w/ Dr. Swafford
Summary
What can Catholics learn from the letter to the Hebrews? What does it teaching about Christ? How is it relevant to our worship? How can we respond to objections from Hebrews to the mass as a sacrifice? Isn’t there a glaring Bible error in Hebrews 9? Dr. Andrew Swafford joins us to answer these questions and more.
Guest Bio
Andrew Swafford is Associate Professor of Theology at Benedictine College. He is general editor and contributor to The Great Adventure Catholic Bible published by Ascension Press and host of the DVD series (and author of the companion book) Hebrews: The New and Eternal Covenant as well as author and host of Romans: The Gospel of Salvation, both published by Ascension. Andrew is the author of Nature and Grace; John Paul II to Aristotle and Back Again; and Spiritual Survival in the Modern World.
He holds a doctorate in Sacred Theology from the University of St. Mary of the Lake and a master’s degree in Old Testament & Semitic Languages from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, Academy of Catholic Theology, and a senior fellow at the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology. He lives with his wife Sarah and their five children in Atchison, KS.
Topics
- What’s the letter to the Hebrews about? Who wrote it?
- What does it teach us about Christ?
- What does it teach about the sacrifice of Christ?
- Don’t Catholics violate the “once for all” nature of Christ’s sacrifice as described in Hebrews?
- How can the mass be the sacrifice of Christ when believers can approach it many times and still die in mortal sin?
- Isn’t there a glaring Bible error in Hebrews 9? What does this mean for inspiration/inerrancy?
- How could someone implement this Bible study at the parish level?
Resources
Hebrews, The New and Eternal Covenant (study program) by Dr. Andrew Swafford
Hebrews exquisitely unveils how in Christ and the New Covenant, we now have access to heavenly realities—not just in the future, but right now on earth, and this is most fully manifest in the Holy Eucharist. My hope is that those who partake in this study will come to a fuller appreciation of the true splendor and glory of the New Covenant. Salvation and heaven are not just about the future; according to the book of Hebrews, we participate in this divine life even now by sharing in the risen and glorified life of Jesus Christ.”
Dr. Andrew Swafford, author of the Hebrews Study Program
The Great Adventure Catholic Bible (by Ascension Press)
Nature and Grace: A New Approach to Thomistic Ressourcement by Dr. Andrew Swafford
Emotional Virtue: A Guide to Drama-Free Relationships by Sarah Swafford
Related Episodes
Ep. #71 – Why Take Jesus Seriously? w/ Michael Gormley
Ep. #73 – The Bible & Catholicism w/ Jimmy Akin
Ep. #84 – The Inerrancy of Scripture w/ Dr. Feingold
