This is one of the strangest facts in all literature, that the author of so important a document as this should have left no trace of his name. Second, the writer describes himself and his readers we as ones who have faith heb 10. Hebrews was written for christians who had been in the church for a while. This sets the terminus ad quem for the book of hebrews. The book of hebrews was written for the jews who had accepted jesus as their messiah. None of these considerations are, of course, absolutely conclusive, but they are the kind of things that lead me to believe that hebrews was written to the community of jesus followers in rome, not in jerusalem. May 30, 2014 the book of hebrews is thought of as more elaborate and refined than all of the books in the new testament.
For, he says, in writing to hebrews who had conceived a prejudice against him and were suspicious of him, he very wisely did not repel them at the. God does not call them to do many things, but to study gods word heb. Watch our overview video on the book of hebrews, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. The book of hebrews exalts jesus and shows that he is superior to the sacrifices of old. More than any other book in the new testament, hebrews reads as a book written prior to the destruction of jerusalem in 70 a. Written to hebrew christians who were wavering in their faith and all future readers of the bible. Hebrews was written during the lifetime of timothy whom the author knew. Its purpose was to present the lord jesus christ as perfect and superior in comparison. The book of hebrews was probably written shortly after ad 60. The author of hebrews is unknown but we know that god inspired him, just as he inspired the authors of the other books in the. How do we know it was written to people who claimed to be jewish christians or hebrew christians. It is an anonymous book and the earliest suggested author paul is rarely defended today.
There are eight reasons to believe the entire book of hebrews was written to believers i. This summary of the book of hebrews provides information about the title, author s, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of hebrews. Yet, this verse tells us that by the time hebrews was written timothy had been imprisoned and released. It is probable that the epistle was written near his second roman imprisonment, about 6062 ad. Scholars of greek consider its writing to be more polished and eloquent than any other book of the new testament, and the very. The author is anonymous, although either paul or barnabas was traditionally accepted as the author. The best answer to this question is we do not know who wrote the book of hebrews. Many scholars believe that hebrews was written sometime before the destruction of the temple ad 70. The author of the book of hebrews refers to themselves only seven times in the entire book. How do we know that the book of hebrews was written to the.
Your introduction says that the recipients of this letter seem to have lived in italy. However, dating 1 clement is difficult, with commentators ranging from 95 ce to 120 ce or even as late as 140 ce. Hebrews was clearly known to the author of 1 clement 17. At the beginning of the epistle to the hebrews in the famous king james version 1611 is written. Since the above is true, the book of hebrews could not have been written until after acts chapter 15 circa a. For this reason, the book of hebrews must have been written after pauls death, which took place sometime around a. 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. While the author did not state his name, he assumed his audience knew him hebrews 10. Even early in the churchs history, a christian as learned as origen.
The writer of this letter does not identify himself, but he was obviously well known to the original recipients. The book of hebrews is a serious book, but it is also a wonderful book since it gives us a pattern for spiritual growth. The style of hebrews, except in the closing verses. With its myriad references to hebrew customs and the old testament, the book was likely sent to a jewish christian community, possibly in rome. However, doubt on pauline authorship in the roman church is reported by eusebius. The book of hebrews boldly proclaims the superiority of jesus christ and christianity over other religions, including judaism.
It was written in approximately 68 ad, but by whom, we do not know. So it is safe to say that hebrews was written about a. It was 6 years ago that we started teaching pauls letters. The bible hebrews, book written by an unknown author. The book of hebrews was written to jews who claimed to be christians. The association of barnabas with the book of hebrews may be because he was described as a son of encouragement, and hebrews. Equally dangerous for the believers eternal spiritual welfare was simply drifting from the truth of christ, which they had initi. The book of hebrews is a long list of reasons to cling to jesus. Hebrews was written before the fall of jerusalem and the destruction of the temple in 70 a. Intro to hebrews biblica the international bible society. In a logical argument, the author demonstrates christs superiority, then adds practical instructions for following jesus. The 1611 edition of the king james bible ends the epistle to the hebrews with written to the hebrewes, from italy, by timothie the epistle to the hebrews of the christian bible is one of the new testament books whose canonicity was disputed. During the second century, it was attributed to the apostle paul and as a result included in.
Among its 27 books are selected recollections of the life and acts and sayings of jesus in the four. However, internal evidence such as the fact that timothy was alive. This was taken as evidence that paul had written it, and some eastern churches accepted hebrews as canonical earlier than in the west. Hebrews deals with the situation of the jewish christians in palestine in the last few years before jerusalems destruction. The title to the hebrews designates jews in distinction from gentiles. Missing is pauls customary salutation common to his other works. Now i turn to the fourth author, sir robert anderson, and quote from his book, the hebrews epistle in the light of the types. The book of hebrews is a general epistle apostolic letter. Authorship of the epistle to the hebrews wikipedia. Jun 24, 2019 lesson 1 part 1 book 46 why hebrews was written. But as we read through hebrews, it seemed to us that it was addressing instead a pre70 a. Mar 05, 2008 it has been suggested that the title to the hebrews was written on the outside of the script rolls to identify the document as the letter we know as the letter to the hebrews.
Hebrews must have been written before the destruction of jerusalem and the temple in a. She was the teacher of apollos and was married to aquila and traditionally listed among the seventy disciples see luke 10. A friend and i recently read out loud through the book of hebrews using the books of the bible i can definitely recommend this way of experiencing the bible. The theology presented in hebrews is consistent with pauls. Why it matters that hebrews was written to believers grace. The fourteenth of the epistles, and the nineteenth book in the new testament, is entitled hebrews. For this reason, the book of hebrews must have been. The book was written before jerusalem was destroyed and during the persecution. This title was not originally a part of the letter.
The early church father clement quoted from the book of hebrews in a. Timothy was with the writer at the time it was written hebrews. For example, the late secondcentury or early thirdcentury codex 46, a volume of pauls general epistles, includes hebrews immediately after romans while the assumption of pauline authorship readily allowed its acceptance in the eastern church, doubts persisted in. Although some include the book of hebrews among the apostle pauls writings, the certain identity of the author remains an enigma. Then said i, see, i come in the volume of the book it is written of me, to do your will, o god. Looking back on them from our perspective, we can see that they were only about six years from the destruction of the temple and the end of the jewish way of life in their homeland. Weve been totally in pauls epistles now for a long time, and in the last lesson we finished up with timothy and titus. During the second century, it was attributed to the apostle paul and as a result included in the new testament, instead of. First, the writer calls the audience holy brethren heb 3. Nov 07, 2019 it was written to jewish christians who were encountering various pressures to purposely abandon the christian faith. The book of hebrews was written by an unknown author. Like the old testament, it contains a variety of kinds of writing.
This section of the bible has been titled as a masterpiece and immensely complex. Mar 29, 2020 hebrews, as one may guess from the title, is written to the hebrews, particularly jewish people who had converted to christianity during the first century, prior to the fall of jerusalem in 70 ad. From the first records of the christian church, its origins and who wrote it have been contemplated. Epistle to the hebrews encyclopedia of the bible bible. The epistle to the hebrews was included in the collected writings of paul from a very early date. The author of the letter to the hebrews remains shrouded in mystery. Significantly, the book makes no reference to the destruction of the temple at jerusalem in ad 70, and the author wrote as if the sacrificial system were still in existence hebrews 10.
It was written to jewish christians who were encountering various pressures to purposely abandon the christian faith. The book of hebrews was written to a group of older in the faith christians in an unnamed location. Ancient rome, the likely location of the people addressed in the book of hebrews. The theme of the epistle to the hebrews, the only book of the new testament in which our lord is presented in his high priestly office, is the supreme glory of christ, the son of god and son of man. The epistle to the hebrews of the christian bible is one of the new testament books whose. Hebrews intro to hebrews biblica the international bible society. In that last verse, peter is confirming that paul had also written a letter to the hebrews. However, internal evidence such as the fact that timothy was alive at the time the epistle was written and the absence of any evidence showing the end of the old testament sacrificial system that occurred with jerusalems destruction in a. Jesus is greater, so hold fast to him overviewbible. The epistle to the hebrews, or letter to the hebrews, or in the greek manuscripts, simply to the hebrews. We discover later in the book that the readers of this letter had been persecuted. 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. It revealed that judaism based upon the mosaic law, levitical sacrifices, etc.
But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, partly. Aug 31, 2016 the book of hebrews is a long list of reasons to cling to jesus. Since there is no greeting at the outset of the letter which identifies the original recipients, who they were can only be inferred from the internal evidence. The time fits that of pauls first imprisonment in rome which was from a. Jan 02, 2020 in that last verse, peter is confirming that paul had also written a letter to the hebrews. I place it where it is as a transitional book from church age to tribulation. Galatians was written to gentiles and hebrews was written to jews but they shared a common purpose. Pantaenus died 190 ad, clement of alexandria, jerome, and augustine all believed paul wrote the book. The epistle to the hebrews, or book of hebrews, was written anonymously. Author of the epistle to the hebrews how is it possible that an epistle such as hebrews should lack a prescript indicating both the author and the city or persons to whom the letter was addressed. Book of hebrews overview insight for living ministries. From what i understand, neither group and certainly not the latter was particularly fond of the jerusalemtemple.
First, in the earliest manuscript editions of the new testament books, hebrews is included after romans among the books written by the apostle paul. In addition, the suggestion that the writer of this epistle relied upon knowledge and information provided by others who were actual eyewitnesses of. They were in danger of slipping back into the traditions of judaism because they had not put down roots in the soil of christianity. It may have been added in the second century, when the letters of the new testament were assembled into a. Its purpose was to present the lord jesus christ as perfect and superior in comparison to anything. This also means we know very little about when the book was written, the original audience, or where the author was when he. Hebrews must have been written before the destruction of jerusalem and the. Walter martin, founder of the christian research institute and writer of the bestselling book kingdom of the cults, quipped in his usual tongueincheek manner that the book of hebrews was written by a hebrew to other hebrews telling the hebrews to stop acting like hebrews.
533 714 471 958 1212 698 203 102 380 633 339 1095 790 42 1397 215 1268 640 277 710 931 1133 881 1130 1420 946 472 1155 526 1225 1137 129 227 782 776 912 1210