Who Didn't Write Hebrews?
A brief introduction to Hebrews
Hello my friends! I’ve been really enjoying this schedule, and I wonder if you’ve picked up on the pattern. Here’s what I’m thinking:
Tuesday: Textual Tuesday - this is where I’ll either give a short overview, share an insight, or dig deep into a particular verse, passage, or chapter of the Bible. Paid subscribers will get these one week early as a gift at 5:00pm.
Thursday: Topical Tuesday - these days will be for posting more topical studies that will go along with the weekly podcast. Paid subscribers will get these early as a gift at 5:00pm. It may take me a couple of weeks to get caught up on this schedule as it is now.
I have ideas of adding another day, but I’m going to try to work ahead a bit before I do that so I don’t get overloaded. I’m really thankful for all of you who read and share my articles. Your support means so much to me.
So, as some of you know, I’ve been teaching on Hebrews in my Tuesday morning class for sometime now. After our summer break, we’re going to be starting back in on chapter four next Tuesday. My friend Corri and I decided to continue our coffee shop studies and their corresponding posts, so we’ll both be sharing something on the book of Hebrews each week. We’ll start with the chapter studies, but we’ll slow down to do the sections I’ll be in with my class.
If you have questions about any specific passages in Hebrews, let me know and I’ll try to cover it!
Who Didn’t Write Hebrews?
There are a wide variety of theories as to who wrote this fascinating, sermon-like book. Most people think of Paul when they think of Hebrews because of the introductions in some of their Bibles. After all, having written thirteen of the New Testament books, all in letter form, it makes sense that some would assign this book to Paul.
However, there are a few kinks with this typical guess. Some scholars get into the style, the content, and the word usage to cast doubt on a Pauline authorship, but that’s a bit above my pay grade. Instead, I'll just point out one passage:
…how will we flee away, neglecting such a great deliverance, which, being received at first to have been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed for us by those who hear… — Hebrews 2:3, all passages from Hebrews will be from The Second Testament by Scot McKnight
This passage may cast doubt on a Pauline authorship because of Paul’s claim to authority and apostleship in Galatians 1:
For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin, for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. — Galatians 1:11–12, NRSV
For Paul, the gospel did not come from an apostle like Peter or an evangelist like Phillip; instead, he heard the gospel from Jesus himself. If that’s the case, then who wrote Hebrews?
Another point of interest is found in Hebrews 13:18-19:
Pray for us. For we are persuaded that we have a beautiful consciousness, wanting to behave beautifully in all things. I encourage you all the more to do this so I may be restored to you quicker.
Notice the pronouns in these two verses… us, we, and I.
Was there more than one author to the book of Hebrews?
Take 1 and 2 Thessalonians for example. Those two books were not written by just Paul. He co-authored those books with Silvanus and Timothy (1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1). All throughout the epistles, the first-person plural ‘we’ is used: see 1 Thessalonians 1:2, 5, 2:1, 2, 3:1, 2, 4:1, 2, 5:12. But notice 1 Thessalonians 5:27-28 and 2 Thessalonians 5:16-18. In both texts, Paul adds his final thoughts, a greeting, and a blessing before signing his name and providing his classic line “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all…”
Could it be that this switch from “we” to “I” in Hebrews 13 is a sign of Paul’s influence on the letter? Could it have been composed by Priscilla and Aquila, the husband and wife team who hosted a house church in Italy (compare Romans 16:3 and Hebrews 13:24), and Paul simply signed off on it? Or maybe they were simply influenced Paul?
While we may never know the origin of this letter or its specific date (but its sometime close to the fall of the temple in Jerusalem), we can still appreciate the beautiful composition and the powerful comparisons throughout this letter.
What is the Point of Hebrews?
Hebrews was written to encourage the Jewish Christians to embrace the freedom that is in Christ. That is not to say that the Law itself was bondage because the Law is holy and just and good (Romans 7:12). But in view of the soon collapse of the Jewish state which would bring with it the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple, it would be important for the Jewish Christians to accept that reality and fully embrace the spiritual nature of the New Covenant.
As Jesus warned in John 4, there would be coming a time in which people would not worship God on either Mount Gerizim or Mount Zion because of the impending decimation of the land by Rome (John 4:21). The sooner they embraced the worship of God in Spirit and in Truth, the quicker they would fully realize the reality that is both sweet and bitter:
So then let us exit to him outside the encampment, carrying his degradation. For we don’t have here a remaining city but we pursue the coming city. — Hebrews 13:13–14
So what the writer, or perhaps narrator and transcriber, of Hebrews does is take the readers through a series of comparisons between Jesus and different elements of the First Testament.
He begins with demonstrating the superiority of the Son over the angels. When one considers that the Law was given by angels, then the fact that the gospel was given through God in the flesh gives the New Covenant a different level of importance (Hebrews 2:1-4).
In chapters 3-4, the author of Hebrews compares the leaders of Israel, Moses and Joshua, to the leadership of Jesus. While Moses and Joshua failed to give the people real rest, despite fulfilling all of God’s promises concerning the land, Jesus gives rest to his people. Notice these two passages:
And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one thing has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you; all have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed. — Joshua 23:14
For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not speak later about another day. So then, a Sabbath rest still remains for the people of God, for those who enter God’s rest also rest from their labors as God did from his. Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall through such disobedience as theirs. — Hebrews 4:8–11
Towards the end of chapter 4 and going through chapter 7, the Hebrews writer then compares the ministry of Jesus to the ministry of the priesthood. Then, in chapters 9-10, Jesus is compared to the sacrificial system, culminating in the Day of Atonement.
Chapter 11 contains a list of many faithful men and women throughout Israel’s history. The point of this chapter is that none of them were fully satisfied with the blessings they received, usually revolving around the land promises; instead, they looked forward to the time of Christ.
In Chapter 12, we have one more comparison between Mount Sinai and Mount Zion, which is the New Jerusalem. These comparisons once again show the difference between the temporary, shakeable “world” they lived in with the eternal kingdom of God.
In the next article, we’ll take a look at Hebrews chapter 1! Just to let you know, I have handouts on all of these chapters at https://danielr.net/hebrews.