The Letter to the Hebrews:
An Explanation of the Mechanism
of Our Salvation

Lesson 3 More Glory Than Moses
the Letter to the Hebrews 3:1–19

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)*
New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)*
Catechism of the Catholic Church
ex libris (in our library)
Lumen Fidei (Light of Faith)
Tami Palladino’s visual-meditation journal
cross references in the Letter to the Hebrews
next lesson: Rest for the People of God

This material coordinates with Lesson 3 on pages 14–16 in The Letter to the Hebrews: An Explanation of the Mechanism of Our Salvation.

“In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard for his godly fear. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and being made perfect he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.”—the Letter to the Hebrews 5:7–10

welcome to our in-depth study of the Letter to the Hebrews
We invite you to check out the sample first lesson and video from this 18-lesson Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study. Our online study pages link to free lesson videos and cross references in the biblical text, and include illustrations and prayers based on Scripture in each lesson. The Letter to the Hebrews: An Explanation of the Mechanism of Our Salvation has been granted an imprimatur. This study currently is being expanded; the content will be available in a new printed study at a later date. Please contact us if you’re interested in purchasing a digital copy of the existing study.

open with prayer
It’s always wise to begin any Bible study with prayer, whether reading the Scriptures alone or meeting with others in a discussion study group. You can pray using your own words or use one of the opening prayers on our website. We especially like the following:

Lord Jesus, you promised to send your Holy Spirit
to teach us all things.
As we read and study your word today,
allow it to touch our hearts and change our lives. Amen.

a sense of urgency & an emphasis on moral behavior
In quoting from Psalm 95:7b–11, the author of the Letter to the Hebrews is laying the groundwork for an increased emphasis on Christian moral behavior. Not only does the author suggest that there’s no time like the present to take Christianity seriously, he also insists that not to begin acting in ways indicated by our faith is to place ourselves in danger of falling away from the living God. “Today, when you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” Prayed at Sunday Vigils (Weeks I and II), Psalm 95 will be included as part of Lesson 1 He Who Sits in the Heavens Laughs and Lesson 15 Let Us Ring Out Our Joy to the LORD, both in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline, which is scheduled for publication in 2025. And don’t miss Turning to God’s Word co-founder Tami Palladino’s illustrated reflections on the Scripture passages that form the basis of The Letter to the Hebrews: An Explanation of the Mechanism of Our Salvation. Click on the illustration (above left) left to enlarge it, and check out Tami’s visual-meditation journal to see all of her drawings. Her reflections for this lesson, “More Glory Than Moses,” are on pages 10 through 13 of her journal.

?  Consider whether there are any areas of your life in which you’ve been hardening your heart in rebellion against God’s teaching. Where can you expect to hear God’s voice today?
?  What steps can you take to open your heart to obey the Word that God is speaking to you?

every lesson has a free video (10:59)
Don’t forget—each lesson of The Letter to the Hebrews: An Explanation of the Mechanism of Our Salvation has a related video. In these short presentations, Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps reads the biblical text for the lesson and comments about it. You can watch the videos as part of your preparation for group discussion or to catch up if you have to miss a discussion. Some groups watch the videos together prior to their discussions. Because the videos are on YouTube, you can access them wherever and whenever it’s convenient—and they’re free. This study and its videos are undergoing revision  to incorporate additional material. The original content will be included in a different printed study. The original 18 lessons pertaining to the Letter to the Hebrews currently are available digitally.


the popes inspire us—seeing & hearing
If you’re interested in learning about visual and auditory implications of your faith, you’ll want to read more along the lines of “Seeing & Hearing” on page 16 in The Letter to the Hebrews: An Explanation of the Mechanism of Our Salvation. This magisterial quote is from Lumen Fidei (Light of Faith). In this document, Pope Francis examines the Old Testament emphasis on the link between the visual aspects of glory and the obedience of faith tied to listening. Find links to other magisterial documents referred to in Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible studies at ex libris—magisterial documents, which includes a listing of recent encyclicals as well as historical Church documents.

WHAT DO YOU THINK about the glory that’s been given the Son of God?
The Greek root of the word “glory” suggests judgment or opinion, and it’s also the root of our word “orthodox.” In the Old Testament, “glory” is a translation of a Hebrew word meaning “splendor” or “brightness.” All of these elements are factors in the claim made by the author of the Letter to the Hebrews about the superiority of Jesus’ glory over the glory of Moses.

?  Consider all of the ways in which the glory of Moses may be contrasted with the glory of the Son of God.
?  How are Moses and Jesus both associated with judgment?
?  How might they both be associated with the idea of straightness or correct behavior?
?  Recall what you know about Moses from the book of Exodus. How is Moses associated with splendor or brightness?
?  What does it matter to you as a Christian that Jesus has been given more glory than Moses?

glory—you could look it up in our archives
Even the patron saint of translators had difficulty figuring out what was meant by Moses’ “glory.” To learn how St. Jerome’s translation of the Latin Vulgate Bible has resulted in artistic confusion, read Lost in Translation, an online column in which Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps helps readers connect with ideas expressed in the original languages of the Scriptures. New Lost in Translation entries are posted on Mondays, and past entries are archived on our website. Contact us if you’d like to receive Lost in Translation by email every week.

WHAT DO YOU THINK about calling Jesus an apostle?
It’s interesting that the third chapter in the Letter to the Hebrews refers to Jesus as an “apostle,” a description of Jesus that never appears in the Gospels. As we move forward in our study of the Letter to the Hebrews, keep your eyes peeled for other differences in the way that the author writes about Jesus.

?  What do you think of when you hear the word “apostle”?
?  Consider how it is that Jesus can be considered an apostle.
?  Who are the modern descendants of Jesus’ first apostles?
?  How do they fulfill the role of an apostle?
?  Consider whether being an apostle is taking an important role in the present-day world.
?  To learn more about what constitutes apostleship, refer to “Apostle” on page 16 of The Letter to the Hebrews: An Explanation of the Mechanism of Our Salvation. What point might the author of the Letter to the Hebrews might be trying to make about Jesus by writing that God’s Son is an apostle?

pray with the Psalms—joyful praise in the morning
Psalm 95 is the first Psalm prayed by the Benedictine monks at Conception Abbey when they gather every Sunday at 6:20 a.m. to chant Vigils. In addition to the urgent admonition that we not harden our hearts, Psalm 95 contains words of praise and thanksgiving. Prayed at Sunday Vigils (Weeks I and II), Psalm 95 will be included as part of Lesson 1 He Who Sits in the Heavens Laughs and Lesson 15 Let Us Ring Out Our Joy to the LORD, both in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline, which is scheduled for publication in 2025.

?  What is it that makes the Psalmist joyful?
?  How many reasons does the Psalmist express for praising and thanking the LORD?
?  What reason does the Psalmist give for why we shouldn’t refuse to listen to the voice of the LORD speaking to us today?
?  Consider whether this seems like a valid reason.
?  How might your life change if you began each day by vowing to pay closer attention in order not to miss what God is saying to you?

the best Catholic commentary about Scripture
To find out more about how Church teaching is supported by Scripture passages in The Letter to the Hebrews: An Explanation of the Mechanism of Our Salvation, check out the Index of Citations in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Links to the primary Scripture passages in the lesson (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition [RSVCE*]) and relevant paragraphs in the Catechism are provided here. Not every passage in the biblical text for this study is referenced in a Catechism paragraph, however.

the Letter to the Hebrews 3:1—4:11—paragraph 1117
the Letter to the Hebrews 3:6—paragraph 2778
the Letter to the Hebrews 3:7—4:11—paragraph 1165

to learn more, read more Scripture
If you’re having difficulty with a particular passage of Scripture, it can be helpful to read the relevant cross references—but looking these up can take time. To make that easier, we’ve compiled the cross references from the Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE)—the translation that we reprint in our study books. That list can be found at the top of every online study page, and it includes links to cross references in the primary biblical text for The Letter to the Hebrews: An Explanation of the Mechanism of Our Salvation.

don’t forget about our indexes & extra online material
If you’re trying to locate information about a passage in Scripture, you can look it up in the index in the online sample lesson. If you want to revisit a particular commentary, you can look that up by title in the topics index. If you want to learn more about another book of the Bible for which there’s a Turning to God’s Word study, you can read the online commentaries and watch any accompanying videos by going to the online study directories. Finally, if you have a question or would like to make a comment about any of our studies, you can use one of the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” buttons to email our authors.

ex libris—Church documents & books about religious topics
You can find links to magisterial documents referred to in Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible studies at ex libris—magisterial documents. This page includes a listing of significant recent encyclicals as well as a number of historical Church documents. Recommended books related to Scripture study can be found at ex libris—main bookshelf.

wondering how to pronounce some of these words?
The following link is to a reading from the New International Version (NIV) Bible. To listen, click on the audio icon above the printed text. Although not taken from the translations used in our study materials, the NIV reading provides an audio guide to pronunciation of words in this lesson’s primary biblical text. A close online version of the translation of the Bible used in Catholic liturgy in the United States as well as an audio guide for daily Mass readings for the current month can be found on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

the Letter to the Hebrews 3:1–19 (NIV)

round black doveclose with Bible-based prayer related to this lesson
Many of our Catholic study groups like to conclude their discussions with a prayer based on the scriptural focus of their lesson, and some participants include Scripture-specific prayer in their individual study. If you’re uncomfortable composing your own Bible-based prayers you can follow our four easy steps, or you can use the following prayer based on this lesson’s text from the Letter to the Hebrews.

God our Father,
you made your Son worthy of more glory than Moses.
Help us not to harden our hearts or turn away
but instead to listen and obey your voice
when we hear you speaking to us this day.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ,
our apostle and great High Priest. Amen.

Lesson 4 Rest for the People of God, the Letter to the Hebrews 4:1–16
Lesson 2 Like His Brethren in Every Respect, the Letter to the Hebrews 2:1–18

you also may like our study of the book of Exodus
You Shall Have No Other Gods: The Book of Exodus, a 28-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, provides an in-depth look at how significant events in biblical history that occurred thousands of years ago to descendants of Jacob remain relevant and even critical for present-day Christians to understand. The deliverance of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt and the giving of Ten Commandments are examined along with the development of Moses’ relationship to God. Click on the book’s cover to view a sample lesson.

start a Turning to God’s Word Bible study
Thank you for your interest in The Letter to the Hebrews: An Explanation of the Mechanism of Our Salvation. Information about beginning a Turning to God’s Word Bible study can be found at start a Bible study. Tami, Matthew, and I are available to answer your questions and to offer support. Contact us if you’re interested in purchasing a digital version of this study, in starting another Turning to God study, or in having your study schedule listed with other TtGW study groups on our website. —Jennifer

*There are seven deuterocanonical books in the Old Testament—the Books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and First and Second Maccabees, as well as some passages in the Books of Esther and Daniel. Protestants usually refer to these works as “apocryphal,” a word that means “outside the (Protestant) canon” because they’re excluded from most Protestant Bibles. The word “deuterocanonical” means “second canon”; Catholics use that word to refer to any section of the Catholic Old Testament for which there are no extant, or existing, Hebrew manuscripts. All of the deuterocanonical books appear in the Septuagint, the earliest remaining versions of which date to the 1st century B.C. This Greek translation of the Old Testament was in common use by Jews at the time of Jesus. Learn more by reading How Do Catholic & Protestant Bibles Differ?

Turning to God’s Word printed Bible studies use the 2006 Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) translation for all Scripture references except those to the Psalms, which are taken from The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, prepared by the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey and published in 2020 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). All Scripture links for the online pages of The Letter to the Hebrews: An Explanation of the Mechanism of Our Salvation are to the 1966 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE) translation. The New International Version (NIV) audio recordings follow the same chapter and verse numbering as the RSV Catholic translations, but the NIV translation doesn’t include the deuterocanonical books and passages.

The 1966 RSVCE uses archaic pronouns and verb forms such as “thee,” “thou,” “didst” in the Psalms and in direct quotations attributed to God. The 2006 RSV2CE replaces these with more accessible English. The few significant translation changes in the RSV2CE include rendering almah as “virgin” in the Book of Isaiah 7:14 and restoring the term “begotten” in the Gospel According to John 3:16.

Numbering varies for some passages in this Bible study. Turning to God’s Word studies (print and digital) follow the numbering in the Revised Standard Version Catholic translations (RSV2CE and RSVCE). Discrepancies in the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) are noted in the Index of Scripture Citations in the study book and the online sample.

You can learn more about the Psalms by viewing a sample lesson from the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers. The second part of that study, Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline, is scheduled for publication in 2025. Some verse numbers may vary in different translations of the Psalms.