Troublesome Topic: I BELIEVE THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS HAD MORE THAN ONE CONTRIBUTOR

What Do We Know for Sure about the Writing of Hebrews?

No name is attached to it.

The book of Hebrews reflects a strong knowledge of the priesthood and its details.

This letter was well received and respected by those who received it (but its authorship was debated in the decades that followed).

One of the authors (the final author) had never met Jesus nor heard directly from Jesus. Hebrews 2:3 says that “this salvation”… “was confirmed to us by those who heard [Him]”, meaning Jesus. Paul would not have said it that way because he considered himself to be among those who had personal contact with Jesus due to his experience on the road to Damascus. That experience was his confirmation of who Jesus was. To be an Apostle in the truest sense of the word, one had to show contact with Jesus directly. Paul could claim that, although not in the same way the 12 disciples could (see I Cor 15:7-9). This is conclusive evidence that Paul did write this by himself.

This is the writing of an intellectual. The Greek used in Hebrews is polished, sophisticated Greek. Not even Luke could write this way. It is obviously very different from Paul’s writing style.

At least one person involved in the writing of this letter knew Timothy and was close to Timothy. Timothy had been released from prison but was not with the author at the time of writing. If Timothy joined him, they would make the trip together to Israel (Heb 13:23).

It appears to have been written from Italy (Heb 13:24).

He quoted only from the Septuagint (the LXX), (however, there is reason to believe that all the NT quotes of the Old Testament are from the LXX.)

The final compiler considered this letter to be thrown together quickly (Heb 13:22). (This statement does not deny the possibility that parts of it may have been in the works for decades. It could mean that the parts and pieces he had available to him were joined together or redacted quickly.)

A large number of the early church fathers called it the Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews (see more below).

We know for sure that we don’t know who wrote this letter! In fact the list of all the things we know with certainty creates a jumbled mess, making it impossible to pick an individual that is known from the New Testament writings that meets all the criteria.

Why Did Some Early Church Fathers Say that Hebrews Was Written by Paul?

First of all, because of some connection to Paul, this book is included in our Bibles. We should be glad that some people saw a connection, regardless of what that connection looked like, otherwise we may not have access to it.

From the beginning there has been debate about its authorship, but a large number of the early church Fathers did attribute it to Paul. From AD 400 till about AD 1600, this book of the Bible was called “the Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews.” However, since the reformation, there have been many, like myself, who are convinced Paul could not possibly be the author (at least not the sole author).

The earliest manuscript of the collection of all the Pauline letters, P⁴⁶, dating from about 200 AD, includes Hebrews. However, Marcion and the Muratorian Canon did not include Hebrews due to ideological differences not philological ones (the study of literature).

I do believe there was probably some kind of connection to Paul, but I am convinced that Paul did not write Hebrews by himself.

An Epistle “of Paul” Was Similar to a Psalm “of David”

Allow me to go back to the term “of David” in the Psalms. I previously thought that the words “of David” at the beginning of a Psalm meant that the psalm had been written by David. However, the situation was not that simple. The Hebrew phrase basically means “belonging to David,” which in turn can mean “by David,” “about David,” “for David,” “in the style of David,” or “by a descendant of David.”

The same can be said of Paul’s connection to the writing of Hebrews. Although not included in the text itself, the future wording “Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews,” could have meant the following (with my response in parentheses):

That Paul actually wrote it (not a viable option in my opinion),

A descendant, or disciple of Paul wrote it (this is quite possible),

Someone associated with Paul wrote it (a very good option),

It was written in the style of Paul (no, the style is very different),

Paul had some involvement in it, but he was not the final or primary author (very possible).

The Most Important Considerations

First the statement that the salvation offered by Jesus was confirmed by others who had personal contact with Jesus rules out Paul as the sole author.

I think the level of Greek is another determining factor in who finally penned this letter. It would be easier to find someone who knew the priesthood well than to find an early believer who could write Greek on this level. A large number of Priests became followers of Jesus (Acts 6:7), but it is unlikely that any of them would be able to write with this type of Greek. It was also possible for someone to study the OT well enough to gain this perspective and choose to focus on this aspect of things. So a number of people could have provided the perspective presented in Hebrews, but it is doubtful that any of them could write in Greek in this way. This makes Apollos a stronger contender for the final version than any other person mentioned by name in the NT. He is said to have been a “learned/eloquent” man. This refers both to his education and to the manner in which he spoke and wrote, i.e. an intellectual, elevated style.

The Biggest Unanswered Question

What did Paul contribute or what is the connection to Paul?  It is not clear, but a connection must have existed.

We need at least three contributors

Paul was one of those people and that is why the epistle had his name associated with it in the early church.

We need someone who could write highly sophisticated Greek. No one mentioned in the New Testament other than Apollos seems to qualify. Once again it could have been someone who was never mentioned in the New Testament.

The most valid combinations are:

Paul, a priest, and Apollos;

Paul, a priest, and a scholar;

Paul, Barnabas, and Apollos.

The next lesson is Reasons I Am Convinced Paul Was Not the Sole Author of Hebrews