Bible Question:
Who wrote this letter? My old AV calls Hebrews "The Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews," but no one seems to ascribe it to Paul anymore. I have heard Barnabas suggested as the author, and seem to recall the argument was convincing (but I didn't take any notes). Is anyone aware of sound reasons to ascribe this letter to one particular author? |
Bible Answer: Greetings Stobor! I have been doing some reading on this question. Apparently, even the early church fathers had no clue who wrote the Letter to the Hebrews. A few late references mention that some thought Paul may have written it. One early African reference mentions Barnabas as being the author. Origen even wrote about the authorship of Hebrews, "But who wrote the Epistle God only knows certainly." The list of prospective authors over the years include: Paul, Barnabas, Luke, Clement, Silvanus, Apollos, Philip, and Priscilla. So, the external evidence is very inconclusive. The internal evidence suggests that Paul was not the author, based upon sytle. The most telling point I could find was the Heb. 2:3 seems to indicate that the author wot someone who personally knew the Lord. Paul, even though he was not a disciple of Christ, received his commission directly from Christ, so he probably would not have described his introduction to the Gospel in the manner found in Heb. 2:3. All we know for sure is that the author was acquainted with Timothy (13:23). Every position is a guess at this point. I have always been fond of the opinion that Apollos may have written this letter. There is not a single shred of evidence to support that position, so I am not dogmatic on it. Like Origen, I would say that only God knows in this case. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |