Colijn writes from the conviction that the doctrine of salvation (soteriology) in the letter to the Hebrews deserves more attention. The images of salvation used in Hebrews differ from the familiar images of justification and reconciliation that are usually in focus of systematic theologies, and thus enrich our understanding of the soteriology of the New Testament. In Hebrews, salvation is a journey toward a promise, a journey toward God. This essay focuses on the basis and nature of salvation, and the results of salvation.

The average American family today consists of 2.63 people; the average Israelite household would have consisted of 50 to 100 people. Jacob's household included about 70 people. The modern "Western" notion of family is more narrow, individualistic, private, and exclusive than the biblical view.

The term "salvation" (Greek, soteria) has given us the name for a central category of systematic theology (soteriology). However many discussions of the doctrine of salvation do not give much attention to the actual Biblical use of the word group related to salvation. In Systematic Theology the approach is to synthesize the various Biblical concepts, and the terms for salvation occur with relative rarity.

It has often been said that the Gospel of Mark has no real teaching on salvation. Theologians commonly identify the teaching on the person of Christ as Mark's central concern. Although Mark certainly does focus on Christ, for him his teaching on Christ is inseparable from what he teaches on salvation. In Mark's Gospel, understanding who Jesus is and what He did and is doing entails acknowledging his claim upon one's life. Therefor Mark's characteristic model of salvation is discipleship.

Paul's use of the expression "in Christ" or "in the Lord" has received a great deal of attention in the past century. His use of this formula has implications for his understanding of the person and work of Christ, the Bible's teaching on salvation, what we believe about the return of Christ and the Christian life.