I really want to give you all a good jump start into the book of Hebrews.
The author of the book isn't stated in the scriptures but there are
several clues to who the author is. Most people believe in a Pauline
authorship of the book of Hebrews.
Many scholars generally regard the book of Hebrews to be second in
importance only to Paul's letter to the Romans in the New Testament.
Because it defines Christ as high priest of Christianity, superior to
the Aaronic priests in the tribe of Levi, and how he fulfills the Law
and the prophecies. This book presents Christ as the Author and
Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). However, both the authorship
and audience are in question.
There is no salutation, the letter simply begins with the assertion
that Jesus, the Son of God, has appeared, atoned for our sins, and is
now seated at the right hand of God in heaven (Hebrews 1:1-4). The
letter closes with the words "Grace be with you all" (Hebrews 13:25),
which is the same closing found in each of Paul's known letters (see
Romans 16:20; 1 Corinthians 16:23; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Galatians
6:18; Ephesians 6:24; Philippians 4:23; Colossians 4:18; 1
Thessalonians 5:28; 2 Thessalonians 3:18; 1 Timothy 6:21; 2 Timothy
4:22; Titus 3:15; and Philemon 25). However, we should also be aware
that Peter (1 Peter 5:14; 2 Peter 3:18) used similar—though not
identical—closings. I believe
letters like this with the words "Grace be with you all" during that
time.
Church tradition teaches that Paul wrote the book of Hebrews,because
in most KJV Bibles the book is titled "The epistle of PAUL the
apostle, to the HEBREWS", and until the 1800s, that issue was closed.
Although a vast majority of Christians—both and scholars and
laymen—still believe Paul wrote the book, there are some tempting
reasons to think otherwise.
First and foremost is the absence of a salutation. A personal
salutation from Paul appears in all of his letters. So it would seem
that writing anonymously is not his usual method; therefore, the
reasoning goes, Hebrews cannot be one of his letters. Secondly, the
book of Hebrews has a lot of quotes from the Old Testament. Paul, as a
Pharisee, would have been familiar with the Scripture in its original
Hebrew language. In other letters, Paul either quotes the Masoretic
Text (the original Hebrew) or paraphrases it. However, all of the
quotes in Hebrews are taken out of the Septuagint (the Greek Old
Testament), which isn't consistent with Paul's usage. Finally, Paul
claimed to receive his revelations directly from the Lord Jesus (1
Corinthians 11:23; Galatians 1:12), but the writer of Hebrews
specifically says that he was taught by someone else (Hebrews 2:3).
Well, if Paul didn't write the letter, who did? Some suggest that this
was actually a sermon Paul gave and it was written later by Luke, a
person who would have had the command of the Greek language which the
writer shows. Barnabas is another likely prospect, since he was a
Levite and would have been speaking on a subject that he knew much
about. Others suggest Apollos, since he would have had the education
the writer of this letter must have had. Priscilla and Clement of Rome
have been suggested by other scholars.
However, there is still a lot of evidence that Paul wrote the letter.
The most compelling comes from Scripture itself. Remember that Peter
wrote to the Hebrews (that is, the Jews; see Galatians 2:7, 9 and 1
Peter 1:1). Peter wrote: "...even as our beloved brother Paul also
according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you" (2 Peter
3:15). In that last verse, Peter is confirming that Paul had also
written to the Hebrews! Hebrews also mentions Timothy in 13:23, "Know
ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty; with whom, if he come
shortly, I will see you."
The doctrine presented in Hebrews is consistent with Paul's. Paul was
a proponent of salvation by faith alone (Ephesians 2:8, 9), and that
message is strongly communicated in Hebrews 4:2, 6:12, 10:19-22,
10:37-39, and 11:1-40. Either Paul wrote the epistle, or the writer
was trained by Paul.
So, who actually wrote Hebrews? The letter fills a needed space in
Scripture and both outlines our faith and defines faith itself in the
same way that Romans defines Christian living. It closes the chapters
of faith alone and serves as a prelude to the chapters on good works
built on a foundation of faith in God. In short, this book belongs in
the Bible. Therefore, its human author is unimportant. What is
important is to treat the book as inspired Scripture as defined in 2
Timothy 3:16-17. The Holy Spirit was the divine author of Hebrews, and
of all Scripture, even though we don't know who put the physical pen
to the physical paper and traced the words.
So now that we have looked into the controversial question of who the
author is and have decided that it doesn't matter, let us now look at
what the book of Hebrews has to say. I want to try to give some brief
insights to what I get from this book when I study it and hopefully
you all will either get something good from what I am saying or share
some insight about where I may be wrong / misled / or in complete in
thought. I want to encourage you all to read what I am writing and
go study for yourselves to see if it is accurate, and if it isn't
please correct me. My goal is to share what I get out of the
scripture and to help you in your study. I will not lead you wrong on
purpose but I am just human and I will eventually mess up and get
something wrong, so again I encourage you to study this and not just
take what I write as infallible.
I know that there is a lot of intro to this book and that I ramble a
lot so now I am going to jump into the book at the beginning.
In the first few verses Hebrews tells us how lucky we are to have the
word of God spoken through his son Jesus, because God had used many
ways to speak to us sometimes by personal directions, sometimes by
dreams, sometimes by visions, sometimes by Divine influences on the
minds of the prophets.
Hebrews also starts off by assuring us that Jesus purged our sins and
is now seated on the right hand of God. It is the same Jesus who tells
us of salvation it is the one who came and died for our sins and is
the one who is seated on the right hand of God. Hebrews 1:4 makes it
clear that Jesus, the son of God, is much greater than the angels. We
are also reassured that God is the only God throughout all eternity in
verses 6 - 12.
The author of the book isn't stated in the scriptures but there are
several clues to who the author is. Most people believe in a Pauline
authorship of the book of Hebrews.
Many scholars generally regard the book of Hebrews to be second in
importance only to Paul's letter to the Romans in the New Testament.
Because it defines Christ as high priest of Christianity, superior to
the Aaronic priests in the tribe of Levi, and how he fulfills the Law
and the prophecies. This book presents Christ as the Author and
Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). However, both the authorship
and audience are in question.
There is no salutation, the letter simply begins with the assertion
that Jesus, the Son of God, has appeared, atoned for our sins, and is
now seated at the right hand of God in heaven (Hebrews 1:1-4). The
letter closes with the words "Grace be with you all" (Hebrews 13:25),
which is the same closing found in each of Paul's known letters (see
Romans 16:20; 1 Corinthians 16:23; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Galatians
6:18; Ephesians 6:24; Philippians 4:23; Colossians 4:18; 1
Thessalonians 5:28; 2 Thessalonians 3:18; 1 Timothy 6:21; 2 Timothy
4:22; Titus 3:15; and Philemon 25). However, we should also be aware
that Peter (1 Peter 5:14; 2 Peter 3:18) used similar—though not
identical—closings. I believe
letters like this with the words "Grace be with you all" during that
time.
Church tradition teaches that Paul wrote the book of Hebrews,because
in most KJV Bibles the book is titled "The epistle of PAUL the
apostle, to the HEBREWS", and until the 1800s, that issue was closed.
Although a vast majority of Christians—both and scholars and
laymen—still believe Paul wrote the book, there are some tempting
reasons to think otherwise.
First and foremost is the absence of a salutation. A personal
salutation from Paul appears in all of his letters. So it would seem
that writing anonymously is not his usual method; therefore, the
reasoning goes, Hebrews cannot be one of his letters. Secondly, the
book of Hebrews has a lot of quotes from the Old Testament. Paul, as a
Pharisee, would have been familiar with the Scripture in its original
Hebrew language. In other letters, Paul either quotes the Masoretic
Text (the original Hebrew) or paraphrases it. However, all of the
quotes in Hebrews are taken out of the Septuagint (the Greek Old
Testament), which isn't consistent with Paul's usage. Finally, Paul
claimed to receive his revelations directly from the Lord Jesus (1
Corinthians 11:23; Galatians 1:12), but the writer of Hebrews
specifically says that he was taught by someone else (Hebrews 2:3).
Well, if Paul didn't write the letter, who did? Some suggest that this
was actually a sermon Paul gave and it was written later by Luke, a
person who would have had the command of the Greek language which the
writer shows. Barnabas is another likely prospect, since he was a
Levite and would have been speaking on a subject that he knew much
about. Others suggest Apollos, since he would have had the education
the writer of this letter must have had. Priscilla and Clement of Rome
have been suggested by other scholars.
However, there is still a lot of evidence that Paul wrote the letter.
The most compelling comes from Scripture itself. Remember that Peter
wrote to the Hebrews (that is, the Jews; see Galatians 2:7, 9 and 1
Peter 1:1). Peter wrote: "...even as our beloved brother Paul also
according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you" (2 Peter
3:15). In that last verse, Peter is confirming that Paul had also
written to the Hebrews! Hebrews also mentions Timothy in 13:23, "Know
ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty; with whom, if he come
shortly, I will see you."
The doctrine presented in Hebrews is consistent with Paul's. Paul was
a proponent of salvation by faith alone (Ephesians 2:8, 9), and that
message is strongly communicated in Hebrews 4:2, 6:12, 10:19-22,
10:37-39, and 11:1-40. Either Paul wrote the epistle, or the writer
was trained by Paul.
So, who actually wrote Hebrews? The letter fills a needed space in
Scripture and both outlines our faith and defines faith itself in the
same way that Romans defines Christian living. It closes the chapters
of faith alone and serves as a prelude to the chapters on good works
built on a foundation of faith in God. In short, this book belongs in
the Bible. Therefore, its human author is unimportant. What is
important is to treat the book as inspired Scripture as defined in 2
Timothy 3:16-17. The Holy Spirit was the divine author of Hebrews, and
of all Scripture, even though we don't know who put the physical pen
to the physical paper and traced the words.
So now that we have looked into the controversial question of who the
author is and have decided that it doesn't matter, let us now look at
what the book of Hebrews has to say. I want to try to give some brief
insights to what I get from this book when I study it and hopefully
you all will either get something good from what I am saying or share
some insight about where I may be wrong / misled / or in complete in
thought. I want to encourage you all to read what I am writing and
go study for yourselves to see if it is accurate, and if it isn't
please correct me. My goal is to share what I get out of the
scripture and to help you in your study. I will not lead you wrong on
purpose but I am just human and I will eventually mess up and get
something wrong, so again I encourage you to study this and not just
take what I write as infallible.
I know that there is a lot of intro to this book and that I ramble a
lot so now I am going to jump into the book at the beginning.
In the first few verses Hebrews tells us how lucky we are to have the
word of God spoken through his son Jesus, because God had used many
ways to speak to us sometimes by personal directions, sometimes by
dreams, sometimes by visions, sometimes by Divine influences on the
minds of the prophets.
Hebrews also starts off by assuring us that Jesus purged our sins and
is now seated on the right hand of God. It is the same Jesus who tells
us of salvation it is the one who came and died for our sins and is
the one who is seated on the right hand of God. Hebrews 1:4 makes it
clear that Jesus, the son of God, is much greater than the angels. We
are also reassured that God is the only God throughout all eternity in
verses 6 - 12.
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