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All rights reserved. The author does not introduce himself as Paul typically did (cf. – 254? The internal evidence presented by the book of Hebrews itself indicates an author other than Paul. 20). Over them, the author of Hebrews had. Footnotes 1 The epistle was written some time prior to 70 A.D., before the Romans destroyed the Temple. “Since we have now been justified by his blood”; “offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.”. .”. 3:21 – 5:9) and sanctification (e.g., Rom. Practically speaking, however, the identity of the author does not affect the scope of this study. While we wait for Warren to complete writing his commentary on the next passage, it might interest you that the author of the letter to the Hebrews will remain a mystery. However, since the third century this has been questioned, and the consensus among most modern scholars is that the author is unknown. The Book of Hebrews is an important book that teaches many lessons about the Bible. First, he states that the ancients who were commended, received this commendation because they had true faith. It is impossible for fallen-away Christians to be saved. Question: "Who wrote the Book of Hebrews? It is possible that his name is completely unknown to Christians today. Although the writer is nowhere identified in the epistle, it is widely believed that the book was written by the apostle Paul. The author of Hebrews believed that he was living in the "last days." They would have known what books essentially were canon and what were not, but the Council decided to set the record straight and exile the books that did not belong or contained erroneous teachings. Thanks, Floyd . The soteriology of Hebrews is quite consistent with Paul’s own teaching. Moreover, both Paul and the author of Hebrews thought of Abraham as the spiritual father of Christians in similar ways. Circumcision, a stumbling block for many converts, had been a Jewish practice when a child was weaned, or when a man converted to the Jewish faith. Apollos was “mighty in the Scriptures” and he “refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ” (Acts 18:24-28). 3:12. The enormously influential King James Bible took its cue from this tradition. Many of the thoughts of Hebrews are similar to those found in Paul’s writings: Hebrews 1:3 Zion, a place of joy and celebration. Alexandria) as a whole believed that Paul was the author, while the West (i.e. Eusebius believed that Paul was the author of Hebrews but acknowledged that this opinion was not universal. Even at its beginning, the … Several theories regarding the author’s identity have been proposed over the centuries, but all of them carry significant obstacles. Pursue a deeper knowledge of God through self-paced college- and seminary-level online courses in Old and New Testament studies, theology, biblical Greek, and more. a. Simon Vibert – Wycliffe Hall, Oxford University (06:40) b. Carol Kaminski – Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (07:20) c. Dennis E. Johnson – Westminster Seminary California (08:35) d. Sean McDonough – Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (10:10) 3. The first, and one many seem to attribute the authorship to, is Paul. he's writing to writes to the Hebrews and gives them instruction about who has rule. We do not know the author of Hebrews. Besides the author of this Epistle had a desire and purpose to go to the Hebrews (Heb. 2 Cor. One twentieth-century scholar named William Manson suggested that Christians who were of the same mind as Stephen brought the Christian message to Alexandria, noting several elements common to Stephen’s speech in Acts 7 that are also shared by the book of Hebrews. (Didn't the author know about confession or the finality of being saved?) Eusebius, the great historian of the church, recognizes that the letter Clement wrote from Rome to the Corinthian church in the late first century contained many allusions to and quotations from Hebrews and notes that on that basis some believed that Clement himself was the translator or author of Hebrews (Hist. H. E., VI, 25, 14. Apollos, Paul, Priscilla, Luke, Barnanabas, and anyone else to whom scholars attribute authorship of this book would have been apostles. 13:22). In short, not exactly. While we can’t say for certain who the true author is, we can deduct from the different style of writing that Paul probably wasn’t the true author. . Find out more about her at her website. This seems to be a description of the Book of Hebrews. We can’t ask the author of Hebrews if that’s how they felt, but the way these words leap from the page 2,000 years later certainly makes it seem that way! She is also the co-author of the Dear Hero duology, which was published by INtense Publications. It is likely that the writer was a well-educated Hellenistic Jew (a Greek-speaking Jew) who had become a Christian. “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death. Footnotes 1 The epistle was written some time prior to 70 A.D., before the Romans destroyed the Temple. An even more persuasive argument that the apostle Paul was not the author of Hebrews is the way the author alludes to himself in Hebrews 2:3, stating that the gospel was confirmed “to us” by those who heard the Lord announce salvation. But ultimately, we do not have a conclusive answer to who wrote this book. eccl. Secondly, regardless of who wrote it or spoke it, an unbelieving Jew wanted nothing to do with God’s Word. Letter to the Hebrews, also called Epistle to the Hebrews, abbreviation Hebrews, anonymous New Testament letter traditionally attributed to St. Paul the Apostle but now widely believed to be the work of another Jewish Christian. Paul? . We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. This description of the author's purpose helps orient us to the main ideas found in the book of Hebrews. In spite of all this evidence for Pauline authorship, few New Testament scholars today believe Paul wrote it. The author was likely a close associate of Paul, The author was able to write in a rhetorically ornate Greek style, The author had become a Christian out of Judaism. “God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.”, 1 Corinthians 12:11 Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. 3.3.5; 6.20.3). Although scholars have not reached a unanimous, or near-unanimous, conclusion about who authored the book of Hebrews, this article will endeavor to explore some of the possible writers who contributed to this book. Some may read the book of Hebrews with some skepticism. P.N. Those who have rejected Pauline authorship are divided as to who did write Hebrews. However, the book also seems to miss some of the hallmarks of this author that we see in other books. (Q) According to Hebrews 8:4, does the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews believe that Jesus was never on Earth? Eusebius believed that Paul was the author of Hebrews but acknowledged that this opinion was not universal. Here the author explains that he is a second generation believer—not an eyewitness of Jesus. 6:4-6. However, not all in the East were in agreement. The author of Hebrews speaks of the faith of these two women, a faith which enabled these miraculous events to take place. Let's take a look at the context and some clues to determine who wrote the book fo Hebrews. Although many scholars have debated the authorship of various books of the Bible, Hebrews is the only one that does not have a majority rule as to who wrote it. Enhance your school’s traditional and online education programs by easily integrating online courses developed from the scholars and textbooks you trust. “The Son is the image of the invisible God. She has worked for various publishing companies, magazines, newspapers, and literary agencies and has edited the work of authors such as Jerry B. Jenkins and Michelle Medlock Adams. Coming from an evangelical perspective, Jobes addresses issues of historical relevance as well as how these books connect with Christian faith and practice today. The intriguing theory presented in more modern times by the German biblical scholar Adolf Harnack argued that Hebrews was written by Priscilla, the woman who, together with her husband, Aquila, was a close associate of Paul’s. Moreover, Barnabas is referred to as an “apostle” (Acts 14:14) and, being a Levite (Acts 4:36), would have had the interest in and knowledge about the priesthood that forms such a dominant theme in Hebrews. In fact, Hebrews is the only New Testament writing to expound on Jesus as the Great High Priest and final sacrifice. While Timothy was a close associate of Paul, he was from Lystra, a small town in Asia Minor where it is unlikely he could have received the formal rhetorical training reflected in Hebrews. All Rights Reserved. Many people have thought that he was Paul. 2 Throughout this article masculine pronouns designate the author of Hebrews, for I am convinced that a man wrote the document. The author of Hebrews writes, “After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, 4 God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will” (Heb. In Hebrews 12:22 and following, the author to the Hebrews says that we have already come to Mt. But we've come to Mt. First, he states that the ancients who were commended, received this commendation because they had true faith. Those who have rejected Pauline authorship are divided as to who did write Hebrews. But as it doth not appear that this Clement was ever in Palestine, so what reason he should have to leave his own charge now to go thither, no man can imagine. Hebrews was likely written prior to 70 AD, when the Romans sacked Jerusalem and laid waste to their sacrificial systems. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”, Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”, Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”. mentioned that Barnabas, Paul’s traveling companion on his first mission to the Gentiles, authored Hebrews (Pud. The style of the book is sometimes like his style, but sometimes it seems different. And when Stephen talks to a Jewish audience, he uses examples from the Old Testament (Acts 7). The Book of Hebrews teaches that Jesus was not an angel (a servant of God from heaven) (Hebrews 1). Her modern-day Daniel trilogy released its first two installments with IlluminateYA, and the final one, Vision, releases in August of 2021. Because the Jewish audience would have had a rich understanding of Old Testament history, the main purpose of Hebrews is to show how Christ fulfilled prophecies set forth in the Old Testament and to prove the sufficiency of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Though we cannot be absolutely sure who the writer was, the letter does give a few hints that help us identify certain characteristics about him. 8:1 – 17). eccl. The author brings us through history. I don’t absolutely know that Priscilla wrote Hebrews. Cyril condemns the monk's teaching as a heresy, which the author attributes to Carpocrates, Satornilus, and Ebionites. In the first few centuries, the book was grouped together with Paul’s 13 NT letters. Luther himself believed that Paul wrote Hebrews, but also suggested that Apollos could have been the author. Second, the author knows that by using examples from the Old Testament, they can better appeal to the audience. Parallels between Hebrews and Paul’s writings. So, regarding the author of Hebrews, we’ve seen that he was (1) a man, (2) a second-generation believer (probably not Paul), (3) who may have chosen to remain anonymous to echo the mysterious nature of one of the main characters in his book, Melchizedek. it says, amongst other things:
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story. The nuanced position on the authorship question by the Alexandrian fathers was obscured by later church tradition that mistook Pauline association for Pauline authorship. Also, Rahab is named by Matthew as the wife of a leading member of the community. Fortunately, our ability to apply the powerful message of Hebrews doesn’t depend on our knowledge of the identity of the author. Plus, you’ll get occasional updates about new courses, free videos, and other valuable resources. Finally, does the book speak the truth? Yet, as we saw in yesterday’s post, the author of Hebrews is making a case for his audience that true faith is the foundation of our hope and it requires us to trust that which we cannot see. The notion that Luke or Clement of Rome translated the epistle from Hebrew into Greek is a later development. Copyright © 2020 HarperCollins Publishers. 16:12). And so if either Clement or Luke were involved in the production of the extant book of Hebrews, he would have had a very free hand in working with Paul’s material, to the point that he would be an author, not a translator by any modern definition. Dr. Karen H. Jobes. The Author . 1:1). But as it doth not appear that this Clement was ever in Palestine, so what reason he should have to leave his own charge now to go thither, no man can imagine. Philippians 2:7 – 8 The author now proves, Hebrews 8:4, that He cannot be a priest in the earthly sanctuary, whence it then follows of itself that He must be so in the heavenly one. In the first few centuries, the book was grouped together with Paul’s 13 NT letters. A work could apparently still be accepted as authentic and canonical if the exact identity of the author was in doubt, but not if the author claimed to be someone he was not. Throughout Hebrews the author attributed all of the Scriptural quotes to God. When you consider the wide agreement among biblical scholars about who wrote every other book of the New Testament, it’s a little mysterious that we don’t know who wrote Hebrews. Although we may not know who wrote the book, those who received it would have. The author of Hebrews believed that he was living in the "last days." The author of Hebrews believed that he was living in the "last days." Many Early church fathers believed that the Book of Hebrew was solely written by Paul for the Jewish people. The reason for this is that the persecutions described in Acts 8: 1 and Hebrews 10: 32-34 were intense; Jewish Christians outside Palestine suffered relatively less compared to their counterparts in Palestine (Ogden, 1994). If you have any questions, please review our. (Check out more comparisons on Bible Study Tools here.). The Epistle to the Hebrews of the Christian Bible is one of the New Testament books whose canonicity was disputed. 6:8. Here the author explains that he is a second generation believer—not an eyewitness of Jesus. This reflected the belief that Paul was either the author or that the author was a close associate of Paul. The missionary impetus of the Christian gospel arose in Jerusalem following the stoning of Stephen when a great persecution broke out and Christians began to scatter (Acts 8). No matter who wrote it, God helped those on the Council of Nicea to decide to include the book in the Scriptural canon. Third, some scholars, like Mimi Haddad at CBE International, have suggested that Priscilla wrote the book of Hebrews. In the Letters to the Church course, respected New Testament scholar Karen Jobes introduces the cultural and theological background of Hebrews and the general epistles. Hebrews and Revelation never claimed to have been written by Paul and the apostle John respectively. Please check errors and resubmit. Jesus is our priest (Hebrews chapters 5-9). Apostates will burn in hell with the other non-believers. Although perhaps Paul had written the book, perhaps someone who had followed him closely in ministry, and heard his sermons and the examples he used compiled this book. Here the author writes to illustrate what this means to the readers. The book of Jude itself tells us that it was written by “Jude, slave of Jesus the Anointed One, and brother of James.” Every skeptic and nonbeliever has "an evil heart of unbelief." Second, that leaves us with a close companion of Paul who accompanied him on his journeys, Luke. Some early Church fathers believed the author to be St. Paul. The style of Hebrews, except in the closing verses (13:18 – 25), is quite unlike any other writing of Paul’s that has survived. 1:12; 3:4 – 6, 22; 4:6; 16:12). Although we may not know who wrote the Book of Hebrews, we do know that it belongs in the Scriptural canon. was over. Here the author writes to illustrate what this means to the readers. “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.”, Colossians 1:15 – 17 Since the time of Origen (185 - 256 AD.) First, in the earliest manuscript editions of the New Testament books, Hebrews is included after Romans among the books written by the apostle Paul. 1:1; Col. 1:1; 1 Tim. How did the author of Hebrews affirm the continuing validity of the old covenant for his readers? The Book of Hebrews is one of the disputed books of the Bible when it comes to authorship. The church father Tertullian (AD 160? The King James Version assumes Pauline authorship. Traditionally, Paul the Apostle was thought to be the author. In fact, in the KJV, you’ll find the title translated as it was found in some manuscripts: “The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews.” The tradition of Pauline authorship continued. (Romans, I and II Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, I and II Thessalonians, I and II Timothy, Titus and Philemon). 1:1; Gal 1:1; Eph. Although entire books have been written on the subject, this article will briefly touch on some of the criteria they used to determine if Hebrews fit, as well as how other books such as the Shepherd of Hermas did not make the cut. . He said Paul didn’t prefix his normal introductory greeting because his audience was suspicious of Paul and he didn’t want to turn them away from the beginning. And being found in appearance as a human being, Hebrews 8:6 God purposefully withheld the name of the human instrument He used. This brings us to our next question: If we do not know the author, how can we trust the text? There is a consensus that the “brother of James” identifies the author... Get expert commentary on biblical languages, fresh explorations in theology, hand-picked book excerpts, author videos, and info on limited-time sales. eccl. You may unsubscribe from these email communications at any time. Ultimately, the author of Hebrews was God the Holy Ghost; the human writer is anonymous. Jesus is God. So we cannot be sure. Clement? There are a couple reasons why this might be the case. Yea, he desired to be restored unto them as one that had been with them before. Some traditions hold that the author may have been St. Barnabas or perhaps one of Paul’s other associates or later disciples. First, although we do not have the list of criteria used at the Council of Nicea, there would have been works that the early church would have deemed “apostolic” or having the authority of an Apostle. A. The reason why the Council of Nicea had to be called in the first place was because false authors had written under pseudonyms to try and seep ideas of something known as gnosticism in the church. Why would the audience need this proof, using several comparisons of Scripture like Hebrews 2:5-9 compared with Psalm 8:4-6? The Author of Hebrews While the Book of Hebrews does not reveal its author, it is safe to say with “a great deal of certainty that it was a man who belonged to Hellenistic or Greek-speaking Christianity.”9 Besides that, the Book of Hebrews has been attributed to many authors; some think it was Paul or even 4 Priscilla while other people think it was either Apollos or Barnabas. Books and articles that equip you for deeply biblical thinking and ministry. It is impossible for fallen-away Christians to be saved. Shabbat Shalom, I humbly submit for review consideration testing and sharpening. 6:4-6. This article will also discuss the context of Hebrews, and why the church decided to include the book in the Scriptural canon, even with the author being an unknown factor. “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.”, Hebrews 2:14( – 17) Timothy? For instance, it misses the salutation we often see in Paul’s writings (1 Corinthians 1:1-2), and the book uses the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament instead of the Masoretic, which Paul often used. While many accredit the section to Paul, others give credit to a woman name Priscilla that is mention throughout the New Testament. Because of this, a possible author is Apollos, a native of Alexandria, according to Acts 18:24. The author of Hebrews extensively argues that God had ‘liberated’ (freed) the ethnic/cultural/religious line of Hebrew people from the Law of Moses to enter into God’s rest (Hebrews 3-4). Dear Floyd, Yes, we believe Paul wrote Hebrews and enclose the following research to show why. eccl. And so if you were ever asked about the authorship of Hebrews, the correct answer is well expressed by the church father Origen (AD 185? One can read apocryphal or pseudepigraphal books and see where the book fails to match the truths found in other books of the Bible (other books of the Bible that have been affirmed to be the word of God by apostles, prophets, or Christ himself). But it is possible—even likely—that because of some of the parallels with Paul’s epistles, we know the following things about the author: Christianity reached Alexandria at a very early date. The author of Hebrews writes, “After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, 4 God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will” (Heb. The author of Hebrews believed that he was living in the "last days." Who was the author of Hebrews?" 5. These were decided When the Council of Nicea decided in 325 AD which books belonged in the New Testament. Here’s what we know about Apollos from the Bible: We also know from the very early history of the church that Apollos would also fit the memory handed down to both Clement of Alexandria (c. AD 150 – 215) and to Origen (AD 185 – 253), who claimed a Pauline association. Hope Bolinger is an editor at Crosswalk.com, literary agent at C.Y.L.E., and a graduate of Taylor University's professional writing program. 2:3-4). Proud member But Jesus became a man. So, when Jews converted to Christianity, they still had ideas ingrained into their minds from the Old Covenant, such as circumcisions. “He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant — not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”, Hebrews 10:14 Your form could not be submitted. So, regarding the author of Hebrews, we’ve seen that he was (1) a man, (2) a second-generation believer (probably not Paul), (3) who may have chosen to remain anonymous to echo the mysterious nature of one of the main characters in his book, Melchizedek. The author of the letter to the Hebrews does not give his name, so a number of names have been offered throughout the years. But, as I have said, there was a human author. 6:8. In other words, the rejection of Pauline authorship of Hebrews is a long-standing position in the church. Even more so, he was a Jewish Christian that had also been heavily influenced by the Greco-Roman culture of the era. It’s certainly reasonable to conclude Paul wrote the book of Hebrews. An even more persuasive argument that the apostle Paul was not the author of Hebrews is the way the author alludes to himself in Hebrews 2:3, stating that the gospel was confirmed “to us” by those who heard the Lord announce salvation. Alexandria) as a whole believed that Paul was the author, while the West (i.e. As we've just suggested, the author of Hebrews wrote to exhort his audience. “For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”, Romans 5:9; 12:1 It is believed that the intended readers lived in the region of Palestine. [28] Believing the author to have been Priscilla , Ruth Hoppin posits that the name was omitted either to suppress its female authorship, or to protect the letter itself from suppression. No other book so eloquently defines Christ as high priest of Christianity, superior to the Aaronic priesthood, and the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. Zion, not to Mt. It is possible Paul wrote the book of Hebrews. Apollos was a great defender of the Christian faith, vigorously refuting the opposing Jews in public debate and proving from the Old Testament that Jesus was the Messiah (Acts 18:28). During the start of the early church, a number of the Jewish converts tried to convince the Gentile converts of Christianity that they needed to be circumcised (Ephesians 2:11). It seems unlikely that Paul here in 2:3 would refer to himself as simply someone who received the gospel from those who had heard the Lord. And Jesus is the perfect priest (Hebrews … Although Harnack’s idea generated much discussion in its day, the author refers to himself in Hebrews 11:32, using a masculine participle in the Greek original, and there is no manuscript evidence for a feminine variant reading. Moreover, as a Jewish believer (Acts 18:24), he had the thorough knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures in their Greek version that the book of Hebrews exclusively uses. For instance, the statement in Hebrews 10:14 that those who have been “made perfect” are in the process of being “made holy” sounds very much like Paul’s teaching on justification (e.g., Rom. After all, if we do not know who penned the book, how can we trust that it’s scripturally sound? Others have suggested a number of Paul’s companions such as Barnabas (Acts 4:36) or Apollos (1 Corinthians 3:4), among others. Clement believed Hebrews was written by Paul in the Hebrew language, then translated into Greek by Luke. A recent theory suggests that Timothy wrote Hebrews, except for the closing verses that Paul appended himself where Timothy is mentioned by name.[6]. and in him all things hold together.”, Hebrews 2:4

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