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Unlike the thirteen letters attributed to Paul,[3] Hebrews nowhere identifies Paul nor anyone else as its author. He was active in parish and student ministry for twenty-five years. As early as 255 AD, church leaders concluded the author of the book was unknown. The different ways of writing is to focus attention to a different people. The style of Hebrews, except in the closing verses (13:18 -25), is quite unlike any other writing of Paul’s that has survived. Origin also recognized that Paul himself probably did not write Hebrews.[5]. Biblical scholars argue that Hebrews was written by a highly educated teacher, one who was well acquainted with the various philosophical debates of the day. It is possible Paul wrote the book of Hebrews. Hebrews is beautifully written and has an Alexandrian feel, fitting with Apollos’s eloquence and Alexandrian roots (Acts 18:24). Many of the thoughts of Hebrews are similar to those found in Paul’s writings: The soteriology of Hebrews is quite consistent with Paul’s own teaching. Paul wrote the Book of Hebrews. Origen is often quoted as saying in reference to the book of Hebrews’ authorship that “in truth, only God knows.” However, a further investigation of Origen’s writings will demonstrate that he believed Paul to have been the author. Clement of Alexandria suggests that Paul wrote the book originally in Hebrew and that Luke translated it into Greek, though the Greek of Hebrews bears no resemblance to translation Greek (e.g., that of the Septuagint). He was a highly educated Alexandrian who would have been schooled in the literary style exemplified by Hebrews. The author’s understanding of the doctrine of salvation was highly compatible with what the apostle Paul taught, though creatively distinctive. The Apostle Paul has been suggested as the author by some scholars, but the true author remains anonymous. Stolen property, beatings, imprisonment and martyrdom have been the fate of countless Christians. ・キ He wrote 13 books of the New Testament. [2] Origen writes, “However, some one hard pressed by this argument may have recourse to the opinion of those who reject this Epistle as not being Paul’s; against whom I must at some other time use other arguments to prove that it is Paul’s.” Origen, A Letter from Origen to Africanus, 9. 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. We’ve established that someone other than Paul wrote the epistle. 3.38.2). CrossExamined.org is a non-profit ministry started in 2006 that conducts dynamic I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be An Atheist seminars on college campuses, churches, and high schools. Martin Luther believed it was Apollos. [1] CSB Study Bible (Nashville: Holman, 2017), 1946. The internal evidence presented by the book of Hebrews itself indicates an author other than Paul. Harnack’s argument that Priscilla deliberately disguised her gender by using the masculine gender is sheer speculation, and his theory remains a curiosity of New Testament scholarship. For those of us who aren't suffering in these ways, it's hard to imagine the temptations that persecution brings. The author does not introduce himself as Paul typically did (cf. 11. eccl. These connections make it very likely that the author was originally from the Alexandrian church, regardless of where he was when he penned the letter, and regardless of to whom it was originally sent. He received his Master of Divinity in Theology from Liberty University (with high distinction); his Bachelor of Science in Religious Studies and Philosophy from Gardner-Webb University (with honors); and received certification in Christian Apologetics from Biola University. These folks knew about angels, the Old Testament heroes, the devil, and Moses’ tabernacle, but someone thought they needed to know a little more. T he epistle of Hebrews was written to demonstrate to Jews that as great as the Mosaic Law was, as great as the Temple was, as great as the Levitical sacrifices were, Christ was superior (Hebrews 1.1-3, 4-2.18, 3.1-4.13, 4.14-10.18, 10.19-12.29). Today, some modern critics still raise the question. The text of the gospel is lost with only fragments of it surviving as brief quotations by the early Church Fathers and in apocryphal writings. 1:1, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. However, doubt on Pauline authorship in the Roman Church is reported by Eusebius. Does God Really Close Doors and Open Windows for Us? All rights reserved. Unfortunately, questions about authorship and the ways some heretical groups misused the book of Hebrews, led some people during the patristic period to doubt if Hebrews should be included in the New Testament Canon. The Gospel of the Hebrews (Greek: τὸ καθ' Ἑβραίους εὐαγγέλιον), or Gospel according to the Hebrews, was a syncretic Jewish–Christian gospel. There are a couple reasons why this might be the case. Dr. Christopher R. Smith is an an ordained minister, a writer, and a biblical scholar. Brian is a Ph.D. student at Liberty University in the Theology and Apologetics program. Its contents are deep and challenging. 7 Truths You Need to Cling to in a Divided Nation, This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright © 2021, Crosswalk.com. ), who said, according to Eusebius, “Who wrote the epistle of Hebrews? 3.3.5; 6.20.3). Some speculate it was Paul, and from 400-1600 AD the Roman church declared the letter to be the Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews. Furthermore, it is doubtful that Timothy had any connection to Alexandria, though that connection may not be necessary. In fact, Hebrews is the only New Testament writing to expound on Jesus as the Great High Priest and final sacrifice. Hebrews is probably therefore a written homily, to which the author gave an epistolary ending (Heb 13:22–25). Second, both Clement of Alexandria (c. AD 150 – 215) and Origen (AD 185 – 253) claimed a Pauline association for the book but recognized that Paul himself probably did not put pen to paper for this book, even though they did not know the author’s name. The Best Way White Christians Can Respond to Racial Tensions. Ancient Rome, the likely location of the people addressed in the book of Hebrews. Design By Microhound. 8:1-17). https://www.insight.org/resources/bible/the-general-epistles Las contradicciones filosóficas de la cosmovisión transgénero, El realismo modal, libre albedrío y el infinito actual en Dark. We do not know who wrote the book of Hebrews, though it appears that it was probably Paul. Some have suggested that Luke was its writer. Was There Really A Census During the Time of Caesar Augustus? 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. Introduction to Hebrews The epistle to the Hebrews is a unique book in the New Testament. 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. Now, we examine a more mysterious letter. Neither author nor addressee is mentioned in it. Please try again. This dispute continued till the 4th century when most Christians accepted it as the work of Paul. Used with permission. Who Wrote the Book of Hebrews? Moreover, both Paul and the author of Hebrews thought of Abraham as the spiritual father of Christians in similar ways. 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. Tertullian thought Barnabas wrote Hebrews. The apostle Paul always made the point that, even though he wasn’t one of the twelve original disciples who walked with Jesus during his earthly life, he was nonetheless an apostle of Jesus Christ, and usually identifies himself as such in his letters. It’s certainly reasonable to conclude Paul wrote the book of Hebrews. Although long thought to be Paul, the author of Hebrews is in fact unidentified. Brian has been in the ministry for over 14 years and serves as the pastor of Huntsville Baptist Church in Yadkinville, North Carolina. Only God knows for certain who wrote this book. All Rights Reserved. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword” (Heb. It is probable that the Epistle was written near his second Roman imprisonment, about 60-62 AD. The book of Hebrews was probably written shortly after AD 60. Luther rejected Pauline authorship, believing that Heb 2:3 proves the book could not have come from Paul. In other words, the rejection of Pauline authorship of Hebrews is a long-standing position in the church. The enormously influential King James Bible took its cue from this tradition. He was from Alexandria and traveled in the Apostle Paul’s orbit (, He was taught by Paul’s companions, Priscilla and Aquila (, Paul knew Apollos personally, and encouraged him in his ministry (. The association of Barnabas with the book of Hebrews may be because he was described as a “son of encouragement” (Acts 4:36), and Hebrews 13:22 describes the letter as a word of encouragement (or exhortation). The author knew Timothy and referred to him as “our brother” (Hebrews 13:23, CSB) rather than “my son” as Paul did in (1 Timothy 1:2). More likely than not, the epistle was written sometime during the reign of Emperor Nero (AD 64-68).[1]. It gives six terrifying warnings that seem to indicate believers can lose their salvation. 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? We don?t even know who wrote it! The apostle Paul, for instance, never alludes to Jesus as a priest, which is the major motif of Hebrews. Apollos? Hebrews has intimidated readers over the centuries. Let’s look at the Book of Hebrews. As there is no other name known for the epistle it probably goes back to a very old tradition. Success! Luther had a novel but brilliant guess regarding authorship, proposing that the book was written by Apollos. 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. eccl. However, scholarly examination shows that the Greek text of Hebrews could not be a translation of a Semitic text — at least as we understand “translation” today — because its rhetorical features would be possible only when composed in Greek. It is the subject matter of the book which is most important. Its theology, though very compatible with that of the Pauline letters, is very distinctive. Paul? Article Images Copyright ©. There is one certainty pertaining to the author of Hebrews and that is that the author was someone who was known in the ranks of Paul’s cohorts. The book of Hebrews is a General Epistle (Apostolic Letter). By using this site, you agree to our updated, The Historical Reliability of the Gospels, I Still Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist, Articles on Intelligent Design / Evolution, https://bellatorchristi.com/2017/07/17/did-paul-write-all-thirteen-letters-attributed-to-him/, How To Have A Challenging Conversation With Someone You Love, “Immortal: How Death Drives Us” with Clay Jones, A Simple Reason Why The Qur’an Cannot Be The Word of God, 10 Reasons to Accept the Resurrection of Jesus as an Historical Fact. It’s possible, but not certain. It begins as an essay , progresses as a sermon , and ends as a letter (Heb 13:23-25). Author: Here is the million-dollar question; Who wrote the book of Hebrews? Various church fathers and theologians down through the ages have speculated as to the writer of the book of Hebrews. But if Paul did not write the book of Hebrews, the question arises: Is the book of Hebrews doctrinally sound? Of course, notable scholars The term “kreitton” (literally, “more excellent” or “better”) permeates the book. It expects a knowledge of the Old Testament that many do not have. Because the author is a second-generation Christian, I do not think Barnabas, Peter, Silas or Jude (if referencing the Lord’s brother) would be candidates. © Copyright 2014 CrossExamined.org. It is possible Paul wrote the book of Hebrews. Many early church leaders believed Paul to have been the author. The letter itself does not state it is to the Hebrews, but it obviously is, given its content. Brian Chilton is the founder of BellatorChristi.com and is the host of The Bellator Christi Podcast. Timothy? As I have shown, Paul is a false apostle and his words are far from being the infallible word of God. 1:1; Col. 1:1; 1 Tim. The author is anonymous, although either Paul or Barnabas was traditionally accepted as the author. 2) Eusebius (AD 325) However, though a vast majority of Christians—both and scholars and the laity—still believe Paul wrote the book, there are some tempting reasons to think otherwise. Clement? The title "to the Hebrews" only appears in the 2nd century with Clemens of Alexandria (around 150 - 215 AC). Check your email. Date: Many scholars believe that Hebrews was written sometime before the destruction of the temple (AD 70). B But was Paul the author? Even centuries earlier in the fourth century, the church of Rome did not believe Paul wrote Hebrews, possibly retaining a latent memory of the actual author (Eusebius, Hist. Get the first chapter of "Stealing From God: Why Atheists Need God to Make Their Case" in PDF. 20). It was written approximately 67 A.D. While many attributed the book to Paul, others thought Barnabas, Apollos, Clement, or Luke to be the author. Because the author references Timothy as a brother, I do not think Timothy is a likely candidate either. [2] But was Paul the author? The author of Hebrews does not name himself. I used to think Barnabas was the author, but since Barnabas was an early Christian and the author of Hebrews is a second-generation Christian, I no longer think that is the case. Barnabas? View of the Hebrews is an 1823 book written by Ethan Smith, a United States Congregationalist minister, who argued that Native Americans were descended from the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.This was a relatively common view during the early nineteenth century, as most Europeans and Americans had a view of history as biblical. The nuanced position on the authorship question by the Alexandrian fathers was obscured by later church tradition that mistook Pauline association for Pauline authorship. The Book of Hebrews is a strange book. mentioned that Barnabas, Paul’s traveling companion on his first mission to the Gentiles, authored Hebrews (Pud. Church tradition teaches that Paul wrote the book of Hebrews, and until the 1800s, that issue was closed. In (2 Pet 3:15-16), an Epistle that Peter wrote to the Hebrews, it was declared that Paul had also written an Epistle to them: “As our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; as also in all his epistles…” There is no evidence that Paul wrote any other Epistle to the Hebrews. 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). For these reasons, Apollos of Alexandria has been a leading contender for the authorship of Hebrews at least as far back as the great Protestant Reformer, Martin Luther, but he has not been the only contender. 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