Der Hebräerbrief als Appell. I. Untersuchungen zu exordium, narratio und postscriptum (Hebr 1-2 und 13,22-25).

In English After a review of previous research on Hebrews cncerning the structure, basic themes and the way the author characterizes his own work in the book as a word of exhortation, various methods of analyzing structure and themes are discussed and evluated.
An exegetical and rhetorical analysis of Hebrews 1 and 2 leads to the conclusion that Heb 1:1-4 is the rhetorical exordium and 1:5–2:18 the narratio of a deliberative discourse, with 2:17f constituting the propositio, stating the main problem and question for the entire discourse.
The writer of Hebrews has, according to the present author, used the rhetorical model of a deliberative speech in addressing his audience. The character of Heb 13:22-being part of the prostscriptum-shows that the writer of Hebrews intentionally labels his discourse in 1:1–13:21 an eshortation, or an urgent apppeal. I so doing, he is using methods drawn from the practices of the rhetoricians of Classical antiquity. In the Christian community, this sort of rhetoric was used by leaders to persuade their audience that it was for their own benefit to persevere in faithfulness to the Christian confession: specifically, to accept Jesus' once-for-all sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin an an all-sufficient sacrifice for coming into the fellowship with God.
The writer of Hebrews appeals to the fact that Christians bear more responsibility than their Israelite forebears because of the superior gift of the Son, the utmost means of communication between God and men.