At a recent Bible study a question was put forward to us as something to think about. That question was “Who could have written the book of Hebrews?”
Since that question came up I have pondered and prayed much on the subject. In my searching out this question one main point stood out to me, the letter to the Hebrews was written with authority.
Example: Hebrews chapters 1 through 10 repeatedly demonstrates and affirms Jesus Christ as preeminent over all things, saying in Hebrews 1:6 “let all the angels of God worship him.”
The book of Hebrews demonstrates Jesus as Creator saying in verse 3:3 that Jesus is “counted worthy of more glory than Moses inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honor than the house.”
So the writer of Hebrews by the above statement is displaying the same authority that John wrote with in his gospel (John 1:3), “All things were made by him.” – Jesus.
Both statements are foundational as they place Jesus Christ as the creator of heaven and earth and all things. Jesus is portrayed as God in the flesh in both books, as Hebrews also states in verse 1:8, “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever…”
To say to the Hebrews (who knew God) that Jesus was made to be worshiped by angels, that God calls him God, and that Jesus was worthy of more glory than Moses because he created Moses, was not something that anyone but an apostle, who had displayed the miracles and signs of an apostle, could with any credibility write.
Also, the writer of this letter to the Hebrews (not to the Gentiles, who knew not God, but to the Hebrews, who knew God) places the ministry of Jesus Christ above the ministry of the Aaronic priesthood (5:10) and (7:12) gives evidence of Jesus as a changer of the law!
These things would seem preposterous to the Hebrews if they were written without foundational authority and only the apostles had that authority given to them by God to lay the foundation of our faith, which is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:9-11) and the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).
If the author of the book of Hebrews was not an apostle, then in order to be credible, would of necessity have had to at least quoted or acknowledged that the assertions made therein were made by apostolic authority.
Due to the omission of any such acknowledgement it can only be deemed to be written by an apostle. Another example of authority may be taken from Hebrews 10:4, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”
Such a saying could not be received as credible from anyone but an apostle of the Lord. The writer is again laying a foundational principal, that with the coming of Jesus Christ into the world, the then present sacrifices that the priests of the Temple continually offered for the sins of the people were now invalidated.
The letter to the Hebrews shows them as a mere shadow of the True Sacrifice offered once and for all, Jesus Christ.
In Hebrews chapter 11 the writer equates all those of old who had died in faith (from Able unto those of whom the world was not worthy) lacked perfection, saying in verse 40, “God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. In Hebrews chapter 12, Jesus is placed as the “author and finisher of our faith”, not finisher only but also AUTHOR.
To say such things to the Hebrews would be preposterous, if it were not written with authority by someone with the signs following…an apostle.
So which apostle wrote, or authored the book of Hebrews?
I propose that this letter to the Hebrews was written by Paul while imprisoned in Rome during the Neronian persecution, 64 – 68 A.D.
I further propose that the reason that the book of Hebrews is devoid of any introduction is because the book of 2 Peter, which was also written in 67 A.D, is the cover letter to the book of Hebrews.
It is known in history that both Paul and Peter were killed around the same time, 67 A.D. The letter to the Hebrews, 2 Peter and 2 Timothy were all written in 67 A.D. Both Peter and Paul were imprisoned in Rome during the same time period.
It is very possible that these two leaders of the Church, during their imprisonment in Rome, having the same sentence of death for the same ‘crime’ of following Jesus, would have been placed in the same cell or at least the same cell block. Such a thing was common Roman Protocol in the prisons. People of the same culture were kept in the same place.
Now as to Paul writing Hebrews or at least having part in writing Hebrews, let us compare a well-known text of Paul with some of the text of Hebrews.
1 Corinthians 3:2 says, “I have fed you with milk and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet are ye now able.” In Hebrews 5:9-14 we see that the Hebrews are in need of milk and not of strong meat, being unskillful in the word of righteousness. The two letters certainly have the same style of prose. Also, Paul was the only apostle who ever mentioned Timothy in any epistle, yet Timothy is mentioned in the closing of Hebrews 13:23.
Paul, while imprisoned in Rome was expecting Timothy to come to him (2 Timothy 4:9). Hebrews is known to be written from Rome not just from history but from the letter itself, “…They of Italy salute you.” Hebrews 13:24.
Now one of the things that seem to bolster the notion that Paul couldn’t have written this epistle to the Hebrews is the fact that all the scripture quotes in Hebrews are from the Septuagint, yet Paul in all his other epistles quotes from the Masoretic text – the original Hebrew.
But under the severe persecution in Rome at that time when Emperor Nero was seeking to stamp out all that pertained to Jesus the Hebrew and the ‘Christian hoard’ that followed him, a Hebrew text would be rare indeed.
According to 2 Timothy 4:9, Paul is expecting Timothy in Rome. In 2 Timothy 4:6, Paul writes to Timothy that his time of death is at hand. Don’t forget this was the Rome of the Neronian Persecutions yet Paul exhorts Timothy to come to him in a hurry.
What could be so important to Paul to ask Timothy, the first Bishop of Ephesus, to hazard his life and liberty to come to Rome at such a time? In Acts 20:37-38, Paul had already said his goodbyes, to the churches in Asia (Acts 20:17, Ephesus is mentioned specifically). Besides, to hazard the life of Timothy would have been unreasonable for a man of Paul’s persuasion to ask either for simple sentimentality or personal comfort.
It was something greater, a higher calling, something nearer to Paul’s heart. That something was to reach out to the Hebrews. It was Paul’s urgings to go to Jerusalem to preach to the Jews that got him thrown into Prison in the first place (see Acts 20:17-38).
In 2 Timothy 4:13, Paul exhorts Timothy to bring the books but especially the parchments. This could only be the Masoretic text which Paul was used to quoting, of which text would have been available to him at Jerusalem but unavailable to him in Rome. Such a mission would be worthy of Timothy indeed.
Did Timothy, at risk of life and liberty, make it to Paul with those texts? Not at the time of the writing of Hebrews, as Hebrews 13:23 says that “…our brother Timothy is set at liberty, with whom if he come shortly…” Paul is still waiting, Timothy was detained but obviously set free at this point – but Hebrews was already written.
Timothy risked his life to bring the books and the parchments to Paul in Rome but he obviously didn’t make it in time and any Masoretic text would have surely been confiscated by the Romans if one was caught in the vicinity of Rome with them at this time.
Let’s compare 2 Timothy 4:6 with 2 Peter 1:14-15. Both speak of their soon demise. Both, we know from history, were imprisoned in Rome during the same time period. Both were under the same sentence of death, for the same ‘crime’ of following Jesus. Both were renowned leaders of the Christian faith which Nero had vowed to destroy.
Peter was a confessed apostle to the circumcision (Jews) as Paul was to the un-circumcision (Gentiles) – Galatians 2:7-8. Both Peter and Paul, according to history, died in the Vatican Arena outside of Rome in the same time frame.
The books of Hebrews, 2 Peter, and 2 Timothy were all written from Rome, again according to history and in the same year, 67 A.D.
I believe that the reason there is no introduction in the book of Hebrews is twofold:
One:
Paul was the confessed and proclaimed apostle to the Gentiles. It would have been a contradiction and improper for Paul to address this letter as Paul, an apostle…to the Hebrews, so a cover letter from Peter would have been quite appropriate.
Two:
Peter was effectual to the circumcision as Paul was to the Gentiles. The book of Hebrews carries within its pages some of the most profound revelations in all of scripture concerning Jesus Christ, as it even testifies in itself of “many things hard to be uttered.” Hebrews 5:11.
Peter in his last epistle, as he awaits execution in Rome, writes of Paul, saying in 2 Peter 3:14, “And account that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation, even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you.”
Peter wrote to the Hebrews and testifies that Paul also…hath written unto you. So where is Paul’s letter to the Hebrews? Surely it must be Hebrews.
I believe that Hebrews was Paul’s last epistle and that he wrote it (perhaps by the hand of Luke) while he was imprisoned in Rome with Peter at the same time Peter wrote his last epistle. I also believe that Paul and Peter conspired together to produce this profound testimony of Jesus Christ our Lord and as previously stated, that 2 Peter is actually the cover letter – the introduction if you will – to the letter to the Hebrews and that they were smuggled out together, bound by the same Spirit and with the same string. Both books having the same theme: To remember the preeminence of Christ. Not with the authority of only one apostle, but with the foundational authority of both the apostle (Peter) to the circumcision and the foundational authority of the apostle (Paul) to the un-circumcision.
Hebrews 5:10-11, speaking of Jesus “of whom we have many things to say and hard to be uttered.” The we could only be apostles for this word to be acceptable to the Hebrews.
Hebrews 11:40 from Able to those of whom the world was not worthy, without us could not be made perfect. Who could the ‘us’ really be and be acceptable to the Hebrews?
Only apostles of the Lamb of God, with power to lay the foundation of the church by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, could write such a profound, authoritative, foundational work, and its proper place is in the folds of Scripture as one of the greatest revelations of Scripture in Scripture to the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Hebrews is a true ornament of the candlestick – the church.
I thank God the question arose. I personally was much edified by it.
In Jesus name, Amen.
Brother John D’Auria, January 29, 2015 A.D.