Who wrote Hebrews?

[ncn]

We are not told for sure who penned the Book of Hebrews, but God wrote it. 

 

Just as man uses a pen as a tool to place ink on a page,

God uses man as a tool to write His words.

[Inchrist1]

Amen ncn!

[Inchrist1]

Thanks Bethany

[Trinitron]

If not Paul, Barnabas us commonly thought as a popular option.  I've never heard the Paul thru Luke.  I'm not sure how much I like this as it is thought that many of Paul's letter's are thought to have gone thru a secretary of sorts, and that did not seem to dramatically cause as noticeable distinctions in writing styles.

Edited June 1, 2014 by Trinitron

[DemetriusB]

The Holy Spirit is the only author that matters

[GoldenEagle]

I always thought it was Paul because that is what I was taught. After reading these 2 verse i don't think Paul wrote it. Am i wrong?

 

 

There was a discussion a while back on this topic:

 

From post #15... What do you think inChrist1?

 

I took a course on this a while back and the main source was: Lea, Thomas D., and David Alan Black. The New Testament: Its Background and Message. Second Edition. Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 2003.

Here are some thoughts.

I. AUTHORSHIP: It is clearly anonymous. (Lea, pp. 502-5)

• It seems the 1st-century readers knew who the writer was:

a. The plural number in Heb. 2:1-4; 4:14-16 suggests the writer and readers shared these experiences.

b. Heb. 6:9-11; 10:25, and 32-34 suggest the writer knew personal spiritual details about the readers.

c. Heb. 13:23 suggest the readers knew the writer’s identity, who was coming to visit them.

d. The request for prayer in Heb. 13:19 suggests the readers knew the writer.

• However, it is unclear today who the writer was.

1. Paul

Evidence For (internal):

a. This is the traditional view, which was accepted through the Protestant Reformation.

b. Hebrews contains some doctrinal similarities to Paul.

c. There are stylistic similarities to Paul

d. The letter reflects a Jewish Christian author who was learned in the OT and who had an effective ministry with both Jews and Gentiles

Evidence Against (internal):

a. The letter is anonymous, yet all 13 of Paul’s NT letters mention him as the author in the first sentence.

b. The writer made no claim to apostolic authority, unlike Paul. Instead, the writer appealed to eyewitnesses of Jesus’ ministry (Heb. 2:3).

c. Hebrews has a highly polished Greek, which is different from Paul's abrupt style.

d. The theological emphasis is not characteristically Pauline (such as saying Jesus was the great high priest: Heb. 4:14-16).

e. OT quotations in Hebrews are usually from the LXX, but Paul did not always follow this practice.

f. Hebrews’ place in NT seems to question authorship.

Evidence Against (external):

a. Both the Council of Hippo (AD 393) and the 3^rd Council of Carthage (AD 397) listed Hebrews separately from Paul’s 13 letters.

b. During the Reformation, Calvin claimed Clement of Rome or Luke wrote Hebrews.

c. Lea says virtually no NT scholar today proposes Pauline authorship.

2. Luke

Evidence For:

Similarities of the polished Greek to Luke-Acts.

Evidence Against:

It is not likely a Gentile would write with such a Jewish outlook

This leaves Appolos, Priscilla, and Barnabas as the other main possibilities IMO.

3. Apollos (Martin Luther favored him as the author)

Evidence For:

a. He was a friend of Paul, so this would explain theological similarities.

b. He was known as an eloquent speaker (Acts 18:24-28), which would explain the polished literary style.

c. He was a Jew, an Alexandrian, learned in the OT, which would explain the use of the LXX (which was written in Alexandria).

d. He had a successful ministry to Jews.

e. He had contacts with Timothy as well as considerable influence in various churches.

Evidence Against:

a. There is no early evidence for this view.

b. If Hebrews were written by so prominent a person, why is his authorship forgotten? This same argument works against Barnabas being the author. (See below)

4. Priscilla (Adolf Harnack proposed)

Evidence For:

1. She had close ties with Paul

2. Since she was a woman it would explain the anonymity.

Evidence Against:

1. Little external evidence to support this

2. The reference to self in Heb. 11:32 with the masculine participle of the word “tell” is problematic.

5. Other Choices:

A. Barnabas

Evidence For:

a. Tertullian attributed Hebrews to him.

b. Barnabas was a Jew and a friend of Paul, so his theology must have been similar to Paul’s.

c. Barnabas could minister to both Jew and Gentile alike.

d. His Levitical background (Acts 4:36) would explain the interest in priestly functions found in Hebrews.

Evidence Against:

a. Barnabas probably was an eyewitness to, yet the author of Hebrews depended on the testimony of others (2:3).

b. It is hard to explain how the name of a leader like Barnabas could have been lost.

c. The lack of early references to him as the author is hard to explain.

B. Other minor possibilities: Clement of Rome, Silas, Acquilla, Philip, Mark, Titus

 

[GoldenEagle]

Also from post #16 of the other topic:

 

 

Also the date and destination of Hebrews is important to the discussion...

II. DATE: mid to late 60s (Lea, p. 507)

1. There is no mention of the AD 70 fall of Jerusalem and temple destruction. Considering the theme of Hebrews that Jesus Christ was greater than these, their destruction would surely be mentioned had they happened already.
2. The use of present tenses in referring to ritual of sacrifice suggests it was still occurring (Heb. 7:8; 9:6-7, 9, 13; 13:10), placing it prior to AD 70.
3. The mention of Timothy (Heb. 13:23) places it in the apostolic era (if this is the Timothy who was Paul’s companion)

III. DESTINATION / SETTING (Lea, p. 505)

1. ”To the Hebrews" (1:1) shows this letter was written either to Jewish believers or else Gentile believers interested in the OT
a. There are many appeals to the OT.
b. The writer assumed his readers knew Jewish ritual.
c. He warned against a return to Judaism.

2. The letter reflects Hellenistic Judaism
a. It avoids Jewish rabbinical interpretation.
b. It refers to the tabernacle rather than Temple.
c. Its preferred use of the LXX shows Hellenism.
d. In 2:3 it seems the readers did not see or hear Jesus in His earthly ministry
e. In 6:10 they assisted poverty-stricken Christians (so, they were not the poor Palestinians)

3. In 13:24 the writer said, "those of Italy salute you.” So, was Hebrews was written to or from Italy? Either scenario could apply.

 

What do you think inChrist?

God bless,

GE

[ncn]

I have moved this thread here which is a more appropriate forum.

 

God Bless. 

Nigel. 

[Inchrist1]

Golden Eagle,

That was an excellent find! Thanks for posting that.

Do you think it's possible that some of Hebrews is missing? I also have always wondered if there were NT writings after 70 AD that were destroyed. Also do you think the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD was a judgement from God? I have read some of Josephus writings on the Roman/Jewish war and some of the things he witnessed are strikingly similar to what John saw in Revelation.

[GoldenEagle]

Golden Eagle,

That was an excellent find! Thanks for posting that.

Do you think it's possible that some of Hebrews is missing? I also have always wondered if there were NT writings after 70 AD that were destroyed. Also do you think the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD was a judgement from God? I have read some of Josephus writings on the Roman/Jewish war and some of the things he witnessed are strikingly similar to what John saw in Revelation.

 

 

Re: Hebrews

What did you think about the section on Paul? Who do you think could be the writer?

Why would you think that part of Hebrews is missing?

God bless,

GE