1:1; and 2 Tim. Unfortunately, Clement didn’t give any other clues regarding who wrote the book. Who Wrote the Book of Hebrews? 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. 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. 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). 3:21 -5:9) and sanctification (e.g., Rom. Out of the 27 books in the New Testament, the Book of Hebrews is the only one where the author remains a mystery. – 220?) It expects a knowledge of the Old Testament that many do not have. Dr. Christopher R. Smith is an an ordained minister, a writer, and a biblical scholar. The Epistle to the Hebrews, or Letter to the Hebrews, or in the Greek manuscripts, simply To the Hebrews is one of the books of the New Testament. [1] CSB Study Bible (Nashville: Holman, 2017), 1946. When Acts 6:1 mentions both Hellenistic and Hebraic Jews, the phrase pros tous hebraious is used in that context, the exact phrase by which Hebrews is later known. It gives six terrifying warnings that seem to indicate believers can lose their salvation. The letter itself does not state it is to the Hebrews, but it obviously is, given its content. Luke? Help save a baby's life! Article Images Copyright ©. The Apostle Paul has been suggested as the author by some scholars, but the true author remains anonymous. 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. 4:12a). In other words, the rejection of Pauline authorship of Hebrews is a long-standing position in the church. The church father Tertullian (AD 160? Stolen property, beatings, imprisonment and martyrdom have been the fate of countless Christians. Bible scholars believe one of the following three people are most likely to have written it. The epistle starts off as a written sermon and closes in the form of an epistle. 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. 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. The different ways of writing is to focus attention to a different people. First, in the earliest manuscript editions of the New Testament books, Hebrews is included after Romans among the books written by the apostle Paul. Hebrews is beautifully written and has an Alexandrian feel, fitting with Apollos’s eloquence and Alexandrian roots (Acts 18:24). The nuanced position on the authorship question by the Alexandrian fathers was obscured by later church tradition that mistook Pauline association for Pauline authorship. Brian has been in the ministry for over 14 years and serves as the pastor of Huntsville Baptist Church in Yadkinville, North Carolina. Luther had a novel but brilliant guess regarding authorship, proposing that the book was written by Apollos. It’s possible, but not certain. Thus, it would seem as though the writer is a cohort of Paul, perhaps even a second-generation Christian as the writer notes that “salvation had its beginning when it was spoken of by the Lord, and it was confirmed to us by those who heard him” (Hebrews 2:3). Paul? In fact, Hebrews is the only New Testament writing to expound on Jesus as the Great High Priest and final sacrifice. 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. Design By Microhound. Why is St. Paul considered the writer of the book of Hebrews? He was active in parish and student ministry for twenty-five years. And by some reports, Christ's followers are being persecuted more than ever in our own day. 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 author’s understanding of the doctrine of salvation was highly compatible with what the apostle Paul taught, though creatively distinctive. B But was Paul the author? 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. Brian is a Ph.D. student at Liberty University in the Theology and Apologetics program. 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. eccl. He was a highly educated Alexandrian who would have been schooled in the literary style exemplified by Hebrews. In truth, only God knows!” (Hist. Paulis the possible author for several reasons. All rights reserved. In spite of all this evidence for Pauline authorship, few New Testament scholars today believe Paul wrote it. 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. Apollos? As evidence of Priscilla’s skill, Luke did not hesitate to record her capabilities as a … Modern biblical scholarship considers its authorship unknown, perhaps written in deliberate imitation of the style of Paul. 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. The term “kreitton” (literally, “more excellent” or “better”) permeates the book. These folks knew about angels, the Old Testament heroes, the devil, and Moses’ tabernacle, but someone thought they needed to know a little more. Although long thought to be Paul, the author of Hebrews is in fact unidentified. Brian Chilton is the founder of BellatorChristi.com and is the host of The Bellator Christi Podcast. 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. After the fourth century, it was agreed that St. Paul is the writer. The Gospel of the Hebrews (Greek: τὸ καθ' Ἑβραίους εὐαγγέλιον), or Gospel according to the Hebrews, was a syncretic Jewish–Christian gospel. © Copyright 2014 CrossExamined.org. It makes little difference who wrote the book of Hebrews. Barnabas? Many early church leaders believed Paul to have been the author. Based on evidence such as early New Testament manuscripts attributing Hebrews to Paul, historical Pauline association, and similar theology, the King James Version allowed the title of the book to remain as “The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews.” was over. Now, we examine a more mysterious letter. ・ｷ The early church father Eusebius believed that Paul wrote the epistle in … 6.25.14). 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. The book of Hebrews is a long list of reasons to cling to Jesus. A Bible Study, by Robert Breaker, on the topic of who wrote the book of Hebrews and when. There are a handful of contenders. www.thecloudchurch.org Scholarship and the Epistle to the Hebrews. Does God Really Close Doors and Open Windows for Us? It is the subject matter of the book which is most important. 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. 20). 3.3.5; 6.20.3). 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. Today, some modern critics still raise the question. Church tradition teaches that Paul wrote the book of Hebrews, and until the 1800s, that issue was closed. mentioned that Barnabas, Paul’s traveling companion on his first mission to the Gentiles, authored Hebrews (Pud. 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). Introduction to Hebrews The epistle to the Hebrews is a unique book in the New Testament. Timothy? In all likelihood, I believe Luke to have been the author of the book. The author is anonymous, although either Paul or Barnabas was traditionally accepted as the author. There was dispute as to the authorship of the book of Hebrews among the early Christians. Hebrews is probably therefore a written homily, to which the author gave an epistolary ending (Heb 13:22–25). 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. But if Paul did not write the book of Hebrews, the question arises: Is the book of Hebrews doctrinally sound? There was an error submitting your subscription. Many early church leaders believed Paul to have been the author. What Are "Signs and Wonders" of the End Times? 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. The text does not mention the name of its author, but was traditionally attributed to Paul the Apostle. We don?t even know who wrote it! Tertullian thought Barnabas wrote Hebrews. As there is no other name known for the epistle it probably goes back to a very old tradition. Scholars have proposed Luke, Clement of Rome, Barnabas, Apollos, Timothy, Philip, Peter, Silas, Jude, and Aristion as the authors. Moreover, both Paul and the author of Hebrews thought of Abraham as the spiritual father of Christians in similar ways. This dispute continued till the 4th century when most Christians accepted it as the work of Paul. 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 (. Author: Christopher R Smith The Rev. Its contents are deep and challenging. The book of Hebrews is a General Epistle (Apostolic Letter). 1:1; Col. 1:1; 1 Tim. 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. The book of Hebrews ties together the Old and New Testaments better than any other in the New Testament. Can Loved Ones in Heaven Look Down on You? Let’s take a look at the reasons each of them might be the author. As early as 255 AD, church leaders concluded the author of the book was unknown. 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. 8:1-17). What we know of Apollos matches more closely what we see in Hebrews than does what we know of Timothy. It says in Hebrews 13:24 "They of Italy salute you" and this phrase indicates that the letter was written from Italy. First and foremost is the lack of a salutation. 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. However, doubt on Pauline authorship in the Roman Church is reported by Eusebius. Already we have seen that there are good reasons for supporting the traditional view that the apostles Matthew and John wrote the Gospels attributed to them, John Mark writing the Second Gospel which was a documentation of Simon Peter’s testimony, Dr. Luke as the author of the Third Gospel and Acts after having attributed information from numerous eyewitnesses, and the apostle Paul as the author of all thirteen epistles attributed to him. It is possible Paul wrote the book of Hebrews. Some have suggested that Luke was its writer. 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. We do not know who wrote the book of Hebrews, though it appears that it was probably Paul. It was written mainly to the Hebrew believers. 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. We’ve established that someone other than Paul wrote the epistle. Some attribute Luke as its writer; others suggest Hebrews may have been written by Apollos, Barnabas, Silas, Philip, or Aquila and Priscilla. Martin Luther believed it was Apollos. Apollos was a great defender of the Christian, He eventually became as influential as the apostles Paul and Peter (. All Rights Reserved. The Book of Hebrews is a strange book. 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. Your free resource is on the way! Date: Many scholars believe that Hebrews was written sometime before the destruction of the temple (AD 70). While many attributed the book to Paul, others thought Barnabas, Apollos, Clement, or Luke to be the author. 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. [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. Who wrote the book of Hebrews? Hebrews has intimidated readers over the centuries. Christians who live in peace and safety often compromise their … 20 Great Bible Verses for Kids to Memorize, 5 Powerful Lessons from the Book of Hosea, 2 Cor. This was taken as evidence that Paul had written it, and some Eastern churches accepted Hebrews as canonical earlier than in the West. Paul wrote the Book of Hebrews. The internal evidence presented by the book of Hebrews itself indicates an author other than Paul. Because of this, a possible author is Apollos, a native of Alexandria, according to Acts 18:24. Throughout the past several weeks, we have been exploring who the authors of the books of the New Testament were. Get the first chapter of "Stealing From God: Why Atheists Need God to Make Their Case" in PDF. 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? And most biblical scholars today concur. The author of Hebrews does not name himself. 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. - Hebrews 4:11–13 Throughout most of church history, there has been some question as to the identity of the writer of Hebrews. The author begins with a reminder of the preexistence, incarnation, and exaltation of Jesus ( Heb 1:3 ) that proclaimed him the climax of God’s word to humanity ( Heb 1:1 – 3 ). 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). 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). Check your email. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword” (Heb. 11. Was There Really A Census During the Time of Caesar Augustus? It was written approximately 67 A.D. The author does not introduce himself as Paul typically did (cf. A recent theory suggests that Timothy wrote Hebrews, except for the closing verses that Paul appended himself where Timothy is mentioned by name.[6]. The Best Way White Christians Can Respond to Racial Tensions. Place Written. 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. Original Blog Source: http://bit.ly/2wNTMvu. Therefore, Hebrews must be later than the year 63, and very probably was written towards 67 in view of its urgent call for perfect faith, “all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (10:25). Because the author references Timothy as a brother, I do not think Timothy is a likely candidate either. 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