HEBREWS — GOING DEEPER 1.A

1.A WHO WROTE HEBREWS—AND WHO RECEIVED IT?

Examining the Evidence Without Going Beyond Scripture

TEXT B4 TRADITION — READ FIRST. CONCLUDE LATER.

We know who wrote Romans. Paul identifies himself in the opening verse.

We know who wrote James. The writer identifies himself as James.

But when we open Hebrews, something is missing.

The writer never tells us his name.

Yet Hebrews contains some of the New Testament's most detailed teaching about Jesus Christ, His priesthood, His sacrifice, and His covenant.

So who wrote it? Who received it? When was it written? And why does any of this matter?

Let's examine the evidence.

1. What Does Hebrews Tell Us About Its Author?

The book does not begin with a greeting identifying its writer.

Instead, it begins with a declaration about God's revelation:

“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son...” (Hebrews 1:1–2, KJV)

The writer immediately directs attention away from himself and toward Jesus Christ.

But throughout the letter, we learn a few things about him.

He knew the Old Testament extremely well.

He quotes or refers to Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, the Psalms, Jeremiah, and other Scriptures.

He understood the priesthood, the sacrifices, the tabernacle, and God's covenant promises.

He knew his readers personally, or at least had an established relationship with them.

In Hebrews 13:19, he urges them to pray that he might be restored to them sooner.

In Hebrews 13:23, he mentions Timothy and expresses hope of visiting the readers with him.

These are personal remarks, not merely theological observations.

He considered his message an exhortation.

In Hebrews 13:22, he calls it a “word of exhortation.”

The writer was not merely explaining doctrine. He was encouraging people to remain faithful to Christ.

What can we conclude?

He was a knowledgeable Christian teacher with a concern for his readers.

But none of these facts identifies him by name.

2. Did Paul Write Hebrews?

Paul has often been suggested as the author.

There are understandable reasons.

Paul taught extensively about the relationship between the Law and Christ.

He knew Timothy, who is mentioned in Hebrews 13:23.

And early Christian traditions sometimes associated Hebrews with Paul.

However, there are difficulties.

Paul normally identifies himself in his letters.

Hebrews does not.

Its vocabulary, sentence structure, and method of argument differ in noticeable ways from Paul's usual writing.

But perhaps the most important question concerns Hebrews 2:3.

The writer describes the salvation message as something first spoken by the Lord and then confirmed to “us” by those who heard Him.

Some understand this to mean the writer received the gospel through people who had heard Jesus personally.

Paul, however, emphasized that his gospel was received through revelation from Jesus Christ rather than through human instruction (Galatians 1:11–12).

That creates a question about Pauline authorship.

It is not an absolute contradiction. Hebrews 2:3 could describe the confirmation of the gospel to a Christian community rather than the writer's personal conversion.

But it is evidence we must consider.

Conclusion: Paul is a possible author, but the text does not establish that he wrote Hebrews.

3. What About Barnabas, Apollos, or Luke?

Other names have been proposed.

Barnabas was a Levite from Cyprus (Acts 4:36). His background could help explain the writer's familiarity with priestly matters. Tertullian, an early Christian writer, attributed Hebrews to Barnabas.

But Hebrews itself never identifies Barnabas.

Apollos was an eloquent speaker who knew the Scriptures well (Acts 18:24). Those qualities fit the literary and biblical skill displayed in Hebrews.

Martin Luther suggested Apollos as a possible author.

But there is no direct evidence connecting Apollos to the book.

Luke has also been suggested because of the polished Greek and his association with Paul.

Some early Christians proposed that Luke may have translated or expressed Paul's teaching in Greek.

Again, this remains speculation.

Each candidate has arguments in his favor.

None can be established from the text.

A possible author is not the same as a proven author.

That distinction matters whenever we study biblical history.

4. Who Received Hebrews?

The traditional title suggests a Jewish audience.

The book certainly assumes familiarity with Israel's Scriptures and religious institutions.

But the recipients are never identified by name, city, or ethnic background.

What does the text actually tell us?

Hebrews 3:1 addresses them as holy brothers and sisters who share in a heavenly calling.

Hebrews 5:12 indicates they had received teaching over a considerable period.

Hebrews 10:32–34 recalls their earlier suffering.

Hebrews 13:7 refers to leaders who had taught them God's word.

Hebrews 13:17 instructs them to respect and cooperate with their present leaders.

These details suggest an identifiable Christian community, or perhaps a network of closely connected believers.

The text does not tell us whether every recipient was ethnically Jewish.

A predominantly Jewish Christian audience is a reasonable possibility.

But we should not turn that possibility into a certainty.

5. Were They Planning to Return to Judaism?

This is one of the most common explanations of Hebrews.

According to this interpretation, Jewish Christians were tempted to return to the older religious system because of persecution or discouragement.

The book's extensive comparisons between Jesus and the Levitical priesthood support the possibility.

But where does Hebrews explicitly say the readers were planning to return to Judaism?

It does not.

Instead, the book directly warns against drifting away (2:1), unbelief (3:12), spiritual immaturity (5:11–14), neglecting Christian fellowship (10:25), and throwing away their confidence (10:35).

These are stated concerns.

A return to Judaism may have been one form the danger could take.

But the danger of abandoning Christ is clearly broader than that single historical reconstruction.

We should build our interpretation on what the writer says before trying to reconstruct what he does not tell us.

6. When Was Hebrews Written?

The book does not give us a date.

One major question is whether it was written before or after the destruction of Jerusalem's temple in AD 70.

The argument for a date before AD 70

Hebrews discusses priests, sacrifices, and sanctuary service in language that sometimes sounds current.

For example, Hebrews 8:4 refers to priests who offer gifts according to the Law.

Hebrews 10:11 describes priests standing daily to minister and offer sacrifices.

Some interpreters reason that if the temple had already been destroyed, the writer would have mentioned that fact.

That is a reasonable argument.

But it is not conclusive.

The argument against treating AD 70 as a certain deadline

The writer is explaining the sacrificial system as prescribed by the Law.

He can describe those arrangements in the present tense without necessarily reporting that sacrifices are being offered in Jerusalem at the exact moment he writes.

Also, Hebrews focuses heavily on the wilderness tabernacle rather than the later Jerusalem temple.

The absence of a reference to the temple's destruction does not prove that the event had not occurred.

An argument from silence must be handled carefully.

Conclusion: A date before AD 70 is possible and often defended, but Hebrews itself does not establish that date.

Other evidence must also be considered, including the book's reception among early Christians and the circumstances implied by its closing remarks.

7. Where Were the Readers Living?

Hebrews 13:24 contains an interesting statement:

“They of Italy salute you.” (KJV)

What does that mean?

It might refer to Christians from Italy who were living somewhere else and sending greetings home.

Or it might refer to Christians located in Italy who were sending greetings to readers elsewhere.

The wording does not settle the matter.

Rome has often been proposed as the destination.

That is possible, but not certain.

Again, we must distinguish between what the text allows and what it proves.

8. Does Not Knowing the Author Weaken the Message?

The writer's anonymity raises an understandable question.

If we cannot identify the human author, why should we accept Hebrews as Scripture?

That is a question about the recognition and authority of New Testament writings, and it deserves a careful historical study of its own.

For now, two distinctions are important.

First, authorship and authority are related questions, but they are not identical questions.

Second, uncertainty about the human writer does not give us permission to invent an identity.

The early church discussed the authorship of Hebrews, and its reception was not equally settled in every region at the same time.

Over time, Hebrews came to be recognized among the New Testament writings received by the wider church.

That historical process deserves examination without assuming that later agreement, by itself, answers every question about inspiration.

Our task in this series is to examine Hebrews as part of the received New Testament while remaining honest about what we know—and do not know—concerning its human author.

9. What Can We Say With Confidence?

Let's separate the evidence from the possibilities.

QuestionWhat we can establishWho wrote Hebrews?The human author is not named.Did the writer know Scripture?Yes. The book demonstrates extensive knowledge of the Old Testament.Did he know his readers?His personal remarks strongly suggest an existing relationship.Were the readers Christians?They had received Christian teaching and were addressed as participants in the Christian community.Were they suffering?Yes. Hebrews 10:32–34 describes earlier hardship.Were they in spiritual danger?Yes. The warnings make that unmistakable.Were they all Jewish?Possible, but not established.Were they returning to Judaism?A plausible reconstruction, but not explicitly stated.Was Hebrews written before AD 70?Possible, but not proven.Was it addressed to Rome?Possible, but not proven.

Notice how much we can learn without pretending to know what Scripture has not revealed.

10. Why Does This Matter?

Because assumptions can quietly become the foundation of an entire interpretation.

Suppose we begin by announcing that Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians who were about to return to temple worship.

We then interpret every warning as though that historical reconstruction were a stated fact.

Before long, our conclusions may depend more heavily on our reconstruction than on the actual wording of Hebrews.

That does not mean historical reconstruction is useless.

It means we must use it carefully.

A sound interpretation should be able to explain the writer's argument using the evidence the book actually supplies.

Historical possibilities can help us understand the setting.

But they must never be allowed to overrule the text.

Conclusion: What Matters Most?

We do not know with certainty who wrote Hebrews.

We cannot identify its original readers or date with complete confidence.

But we can understand its message.

The writer wanted his readers to recognize the greatness of Jesus Christ, understand what His priesthood and sacrifice accomplished, and remain faithful despite discouragement and suffering.

The book itself provides the evidence for those conclusions.

And that gives us an important lesson about Bible study:

We do not strengthen Scripture by claiming to know more than Scripture tells us.

We strengthen our understanding by distinguishing what the text says from what we infer.

That is the method we will follow throughout Hebrews.

Continue Exploring Scripture

Return to: WHY WAS HEBREWS WRITTEN?
https://www.text-b4-tradition.com/why-hebrews-was-written

Next Study: WHY IS JESUS GREATER THAN THE PROPHETS? — Hebrews 1:1–4

We will begin where Hebrews begins: with God's declaration that He has spoken through His Son.

TEXT B4 TRADITION

READ FIRST. CONCLUDE LATER.

Examine the text. Test the reasoning. Follow the evidence.

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