(Q) According to Hebrews 8:4, does the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews believe that Jesus was never on Earth? And when Stephen talks to a Jewish audience, he uses examples from the Old Testament (Acts 7). 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. Answer: Theologically speaking, scholars generally regard the book of Hebrews to be second in importance only to Paul’s letter to the Romans in the New Testament. Some early Church fathers believed the author to be St. Paul. And her inspirational adult romance Picture Imperfect releases in October of 2021. She was the teacher of Apollos and was married to Aquila and traditionally listed among the Seventy Disciples (see Luke 10:1), and also thought to have been the first example of a female preacher. Proud member After all, a number of the apocryphal books and pseudepigraphal books (books written under a false name) did not make the cut for the New Testament canon. 1:1; and 2 Tim. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from HarperCollins Christian Publishing (501 Nelson Place, Nashville, TN 37214 USA) providing information about products and services of HCCP and its affiliates. Get started with a free online course. 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. This description of the author's purpose helps orient us to the main ideas found in the book of Hebrews. Apostates will burn in hell with the other non-believers. Hebrews was likely written prior to 70 AD, when the Romans sacked Jerusalem and laid waste to their sacrificial systems. . 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. We do not know the author of Hebrews. And being found in appearance as a human being, Hebrews 8:6 It revealed that Judaism based upon the Mosaic Law, Levitical sacrifices, etc. Who was the author of Hebrews?" Timothy? eccl. In spite of all this evidence for Pauline authorship, few New Testament scholars today believe Paul wrote it. Ultimately, the author of Hebrews was God the Holy Ghost; the human writer is anonymous. I have always believed the apostle Paul wrote Hebrews, but some question him being the writer. “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 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. The author begins with a reminder of the preexistence, incarnation, and exaltation of Jesus that proclaimed him the climax of God’s word to humanity (Heb 1:1–3). 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. It’s certainly reasonable to conclude Paul wrote the book of Hebrews. Apostates will burn in hell with the other non-believers. He was a highly educated Alexandrian who would have been schooled in the literary style exemplified by Hebrews. Many people have thought that he was Paul. It is impossible for fallen-away Christians to be saved. 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. particularly Jewish people who had converted, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. . 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. After all, the Hall of Faith featured in Hebrews 11 features three women, something a male writer may overlook. 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. “Since we have now been justified by his blood”; “offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.”. We’ve established that someone other than Paul wrote the epistle. First, in the earliest manuscript editions of the New Testament books, Hebrews is included after Romans among the books written by the apostle Paul. No matter who wrote it, God helped those on the Council of Nicea to decide to include the book in the Scriptural canon. Although the writer is nowhere identified in the epistle, it is widely believed that the book was written by the apostle Paul. A. People believed and taught that Paul was the author of Hebrews for centuries, despite reservations which explain why it is placed at the end of the rest of Paul’s letters. Besides the author of this Epistle had a desire and purpose to go to the Hebrews (Heb. Both John Calvin and Martin Luther shared this judgment as far as the sixteenth century. Today, we can still find hope in these verses written two thousand years ago. 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. 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. The author of the Book of Hebrews refers to themselves only seven times in the entire book.” 5 Several modern scholars are leaning toward Priscilla as the author. 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. 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. And all this has nothing to do with Gentiles (all non-Hebrew people) because Gentiles were never under the Law of Moses to begin with, and never will be. Rome) was much less willing to accept Pauline authorship. Eusebius believed that Paul was the author of Hebrews but acknowledged that this opinion was not universal. Hebrews is one of the many section of the bible with an unknown author. Secondly, regardless of who wrote it or spoke it, an unbelieving Jew wanted nothing to do with God’s Word. 3.38.2). However, most will agree, that in all their efforts, conclusions have been uncertain and many resolve, like Origen, that "God only knows" who is the author. Copyright © 2020 HarperCollins Publishers. The Book Of Hebrews Author: Unknown; The East (i.e. mentioned that Barnabas, Paul’s traveling companion on his first mission to the Gentiles, authored Hebrews (Pud. Its audience members would have known the original author, a companion of Paul or Paul, and they would have found hope in its truthful words, numerous examples from the Old Testament, and list of heroes of the faith. He was from Alexandria and traveled in the Apostle Paul’s orbit (Acts 18:24). The author of the letter to the Hebrews does not give his name, so a number of names have been offered throughout the years. 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. The Book of Hebrews teaches that Jesus was not an angel (a servant of God from heaven) (Hebrews 1). It is thought that at one point the author had been recognized and revered by its audience. 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. 13:22). Although we may not know who wrote the Book of Hebrews, we do know that it belongs in the Scriptural canon. 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? Jesus is God. 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. It is possible Paul wrote the book of Hebrews. As noted above, the stylistic differences influenced Origen, Clement’s student, to such a degree that he finally concluded: “Who wrote the epistle only God knows. 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). 6 Hence, the notion that Origen believed Paul was the author fails to persuade. ), who said, according to Eusebius, “Who wrote the epistle of Hebrews? he's writing to writes to the Hebrews and gives them instruction about who has rule. This article from Biblical Training digs into this question. The Author . Coming from an evangelical perspective, Jobes addresses issues of historical relevance as well as how these books connect with Christian faith and practice today. HEBREWS (Lesson 1) INTRODUCTION . The King James Version assumes Pauline authorship. 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. 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). While many accredit the section to Paul, others give credit to a woman name Priscilla that is mention throughout the New Testament. Some may read the book of Hebrews with some skepticism. The notion that Luke or Clement of Rome translated the epistle from Hebrew into Greek is a later development. 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. Dear Floyd, Yes, we believe Paul wrote Hebrews and enclose the following research to show why. 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. Priscilla also did spend a great deal of time with Paul and his companions on their missionary journeys. 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). It has been shown that when Origen speaks of who wrote the epistle he was referring to the author, not merely the secretary. Black’s interpretation of Origen should be rejected. 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. The style of Hebrews, except in the closing verses (13:18 – 25), is quite unlike any other writing of Paul’s that has survived. 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. (Didn't the author know about confession or the finality of being saved?) If you have any questions, please review our. Yea, he desired to be restored unto them as one that had been with them before. In the first few centuries, the book was grouped together with Paul’s 13 NT letters. However, since the third century this has been questioned, and the consensus among most modern scholars is that the author is unknown. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”. 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. “Being made in human likeness. The Book of Hebrews is one of the disputed books of the Bible when it comes to authorship. 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. More than 1,000 of her works have been featured in various publications ranging from Writer's Digest to Keys for Kids. Her modern-day Daniel trilogy released its first two installments with IlluminateYA, and the final one, Vision, releases in August of 2021. Salem Media Group. There are a handful of contenders. 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. According to James 1:1, the letter is written by James himself. 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 enormously influential King James Bible took its cue from this tradition. In any case, the church believed that the contents of the book spoke for themse… It is impossible for fallen-away Christians to be saved. However, not all in the East were in agreement. Footnotes 1 The epistle was written some time prior to 70 A.D., before the Romans destroyed the Temple. 3.38.2). She is also the co-author of the Dear Hero duology, which was published by INtense Publications. The author brings us through history. How did the author of Hebrews affirm the continuing validity of the old covenant for his readers? 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. 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. Hebrews seeks to show them how Christ fulfilled the law, and that under the New Covenant they would no longer need to practice circumcision or sacrifices. So we cannot be sure. The author’s understanding of the doctrine of salvation was highly compatible with what the apostle Paul taught, though creatively distinctive. The Book Of Hebrews Author: Unknown; The East (i.e. Luke? The author of Hebrews believed that he was living in the "last days." Some believe Paul to be the author, who wrote at least thirteen books in the New Testament and others attribute the book to Priscilla, a friend of Paul’s who accompanied him during part of his ministry. Luther himself believed that Paul wrote Hebrews, but also suggested that Apollos could have been the author. 5. Since the time of Origen (185 - 256 AD.) Origen knew through tradition or hearsay that some thought Luke was the author of Hebrews, and that others believed Clement of Rome wrote it. Moreover, both Paul and the author of Hebrews thought of Abraham as the spiritual father of Christians in similar ways. Please check errors and resubmit. 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). 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. eccl. The author of Hebrews believed that he was living in the "last days." 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. Donald Guthrie’s commentary The Letter to the Hebrews (1983) mentions Priscilla by name as a suggested author. was over. But we've come to Mt. Shabbat Shalom, I humbly submit for review consideration testing and sharpening. Because of this, a possible author is Apollos, a native of Alexandria, according to Acts 18:24.. Why Apollos might have been the author of Hebrews. In fact, Hebrews is the only New Testament writing to expound on Jesus as the Great High Priest and final sacrifice. Let’s take a look at the reasons each of them might be the author. 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). Although we may not know who wrote the book, those who received it would have. Church history until the past few centuries had attributed the authorship to him as well. ... As for Rahab's personal qualities, she not only believed in God but had spiritual discernment to perceive divine leading regarding the Israelite mission. 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. 2:3-4). The author of Hebrews wrote to exhort his audience to reject local Jewish teachings and to remain faithful to Jesus. What evidence have you that it was Paul who wrote Hebrews, the way he starts and ends some believe is not Paul's way of writing. If this is the case, she would be the only female author to contribute to Scripture. Some people think that Paul wrote Hebrews. Alexandria) as a whole believed that Paul was the author, while the West (i.e. it's rather looked down on now, but i still value it. In the same way, the author tries to use concrete comparisons from the text they would’ve known best, the Old Testament. 1:2, 9:26, 10.25, 10:37. For Instructors and School Administrators. 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. In spite of the weight of scholarly inference, the book of Hebrews does not in fact name its author. Every skeptic and nonbeliever has "an evil heart of unbelief." In truth, only God knows!” (Hist. 2:3-4). All rights reserved. What we know of Apollos matches more closely what we see in Hebrews than does what we know of Timothy. Second, the author knows that by using examples from the Old Testament, they can better appeal to the audience. He was the son of Joseph, a construction worker who originally lived in Nazareth in Galilee. eccl. 1:2, 9:26, 10.25, 10:37. 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. All Rights Reserved. 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. I don’t absolutely know that Priscilla wrote Hebrews. Throughout Hebrews the author attributed all of the Scriptural quotes to God. Plus, you’ll get occasional updates about new courses, free videos, and other valuable resources. “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 Why would the audience need this proof, using several comparisons of Scripture like Hebrews 2:5-9 compared with Psalm 8:4-6? Hebrews is probably therefore a written homily, to which the author gave an epistolary ending (Heb 13:22–25). 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. But, as I have said, there was a human author. “But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.”, 2 Corinthians 3:6 However that knowledge is lost and is now thought of as unattainable. Those who have rejected Pauline authorship are divided as to who did write Hebrews. Jesus is our priest (Hebrews chapters 5-9). 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. Get updates from Zondervan Academic directly in your inbox. Not only was he influenced by Paul, but he was also not a first-generation Christian (Jobes, 40). In any case, the church believed that the contents of the book spoke for themselves and bore the mark of divine inspiration and so included Hebrews in the canon of sacred books. (Check out more comparisons on Bible Study Tools here.). Philippians 2:7 – 8 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! The writer of the book of Hebrews is unknown, but the earliest church fathers taught the book of Hebrews to anyone that would listen. Martin Luther believed Apollos was the author. You may unsubscribe from these email communications at any time. We can present a few possible authors that scholars have suggested throughout all of church history.

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