Hebrews Introduction

The writer of Hebrews left littl to go upon when trying to figure out his identity for centuries scolors hav debated over who wrote the book. Many believe it to be Paul.

Arguments For Paul:

1> Timothy was with the writer. [Hebrews 13:23]

2> Timothy was in Rome at the same time as Paul. [Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:1]

3> Paul sent Timothy to Philippi with the letter to the Philippians - perhaps after being released [Philippians 2:19, 24]

4> Timothy is not mentioned in Ephesians, Pauls other prision epistle.

5> That Paul was not popular in Jerusalem.

Arguments Against Paul:

1> One author sited Hebrews 2:3 as evidence that Paul couldn't have written the book. Because they say it means the author learned from the disciples, but Paul learned from the Lord. However, if you read the verse the turn over to Galatians you find another prespective. Paul after 3 years went to Jerusalem and saw the disiples [James and Peter}, and again after 14 years he went again to Jerusalem. The leaders of the church in Jerusalem confirmed Pauls faith and could not add anything to it [Galatians 1-2]. So then this verse may actually indicate Paul, instead.

2> One author says "Pauls letters are choppy; but the book of Hebrews is a smoothly written essay". The problem with this is that Paul's letters really aren't choppy. They do have a progression and a flow. One thing leads into the next. But some people have trouble transitioning from one subject to the next; prehaps to such a one Paul's letters would seem choppy.

3> Hebrews is written in the most polished Greek of the New Testament. The peoblem with this argument is that Paul spoke quite fluently to the Athenians on Mars hill. It was after this incident in Paul's life that Paul declaired: "I determined to know nothing among you save the Christ and him Crucified." Also much of Paul's contact was with the lower classes of the citizenship. Just because Paul chose to speak and write in general in a form of speach that these spoke does not mean that Paul could not speak or write in a more polished style.

4> The writer quotes only from the septuigent [the Greek translation of the Old Testament Hebrew scriptures], instead of the original Hebrew Paul knew so well. The problem with this argument is that Paul was being groomed to take the place of Gameliel. Gameliel was and is still considered by Jewry to be one of the greatest teachers of the law. Without a doubt Paul knew the Septuigent as well as the original Hebrew.

What We Do Know:

1> The author was a man [11:32]

2> He was in Italy [13:24]

3> He knew Timothy [13:23]

4> He knew the scripture quite well

But in the end we are forced to come to the same conculsion as one writer: "God knows the truth of the matter."

The key word of Hebrews: is Better or Superoir.

At the time of Nero, the percicution of the church had increased to a great extent. The pressures from the Roman government and the Jews was causing many Jewish believers to try to keep both the Jewish laws and the Christian faith. But this is like mixing water and oil. Judiasm is outward and external. Christianity is inward and a matter of the heart and spirit. Many of the gentile bleivers were also subcumbing to forces in the church that were saying that they had to convert to Judiasm before they could accept Jesus. Hebrews was written to combat this upheaval in the Lord's church.

The author desired to see the believers in Our Lord to continue in the freedom and life that Christ gives. And to see other come out of the bondage and death that trying to follow outward rules bring.