There are several conjectures and ongoing discussions over the identity of the Hebrews book’s author. A few scholars put its authorship on Paul, while others say Apollos or Luke were responsible. In this paper, we will compare and contrast the many candidates for the authorship of Hebrews and discuss the pros and cons of each.
The author of Hebrews, Paul, benefited in several ways. The most widely accepted argument is that Paul himself penned the book of Hebrews. Paul’s prominence as an early Christian church leader and the outstanding quality of the Book of Hebrews provides the foundation for this hypothesis (Donaldson, 2022). Throughout his letters, Paul demonstrates his profound familiarity with the Old Testament and his command of the New Testament canon. He was also extremely knowledgeable about the ancient Greek and Roman worlds and their respective ideas and practices. If true, this would prove Paul to be the best candidate to pen the book of Hebrews.
Paul was also an ardent proponent of the gospel and a tireless worker to get the word out about Christianity. He penned several letters to the churches and discussed the gospel and salvation at length. Paul is the most likely author of the book of Hebrews, which writes about God’s plan to save humanity via belief in Jesus Christ. There was probably tension between Jewish and Gentile churches when the book of Hebrews was written. Paul knew all about the tension between the two communities and might have utilized his knowledge to publish a book to help ease the tension. This would also explain why there is such an enormous emphasis in the text on the oneness of the church and its members. Last but not least, Paul’s other works and the language and style of the book of Hebrews are quite similar. This points to Paul as the probable author of the book of Hebrews.
However, its largest flaw is the need for more direct evidence against Paul’s authorship of Hebrews. A similarity in vocabulary and style to Paul’s prior works is not conclusive evidence of authorship. More importantly, the book does not directly mention Paul or any other author, and there is no firsthand information about who the author is. In addition, others contend that the Book of Hebrews contradicts Paul’s other works. This is because the book of Hebrews is more concerned with the believer’s perfection via obedience and faithfulness. In contrast, Paul’s other works are more focused on the justification of the gospel through faith. This inconsistency may suggest that Paul should have written the book.
One additional person who might have written the book of Hebrews is Apollos. Jewish by birth, Apollos converted to Christianity and became a scholar. He knew the Greek language and culture intimately and was well-versed in Jewish texts. If so, then Apollos would have been an excellent choice to pen the book of Hebrews, as he possessed the requisite wisdom and experience. In addition to being a prominent leader in the early church, Apollos was also a gifted orator (Phillips, 2022). Christians in Ephesus and around the Roman Empire held him in high esteem for his role in spreading the Good News. This demonstrates that Apollos was capable of penning an influential and convincing book. Furthermore, Apollos was Paul’s contemporary, so he was aware of the tensions between the Jewish and Gentile churches. This indicates that he may have written a book that effectively addressed the problems between the two communities. In conclusion, Apollos was an energetic and fervent proponent of the Christian gospel. Since the book of Hebrews is primarily concerned with man’s redemption through trust in Jesus Christ, this strongly suggests that he wrote it.
The main disadvantage of Apollos as the author of the book of Hebrews is that there needs to be explicit evidence to support this theory. While Apollos was a contemporary of Paul, there must be firsthand information regarding the book’s authorship. Additionally, the language and writing style of the book of Hebrews is different from that of Apollos’ other writings, which could be an indication that he was not the author.
Thirdly, the evangelist Luke has been proposed as a possible author of Hebrews. Educated and well-read, Luke was a Gentile who had converted to Christianity. He knew his way around the Greco-Roman civilization and its philosophy and customs inside and out. If so, then Luke is a likely candidate to have written the book of Hebrews, as he possesses the requisite background information. Like Paul, Luke was an intimate of the early church, and he was aware of the tensions between the Jewish and Gentile congregations. This suggests that he would have been capable of penning a book that directly addressed the problems that existed between the two communities. In addition, Luke was a key figure in disseminating the gospel and zealously preached the message of Jesus Christ (Widianto et al., 2022).
Given that the book of Hebrews is primarily concerned with man’s redemption through trust in Jesus Christ, this strongly suggests that he wrote it. The language and style of Hebrews, Luke’s final book, are consistent with his other works. That Luke wrote the book of Hebrews is supported by these facts.
The main disadvantage of Luke as the author of the book of Hebrews is that there needs to be explicit evidence to support this theory. While the language and writing style may be similar to Luke’s other writings, this is not definitive proof of authorship. Furthermore, the book contains no direct reference to Luke or any other author, and there is no firsthand information regarding the author’s identity.
In conclusion, the authorship of the book of Hebrews remains a mystery. While there are advantages and disadvantages for all three candidates, it is only possible to determine definitively who wrote the book of Hebrews with concrete evidence. Therefore, it is best to look at the book of Hebrews as a whole and appreciate it for the powerful and persuasive message it contains.
References
Donaldson, J. (2022). A Critical History of Christian Literature and Doctrine: Vol. 1: The Apostolical Fathers. In Google Books. BoD – Books on Demand. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=YKBjEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA3&dq=Paul+was+a+very+influential+leader+in+the+early+Christian+church
Phillips, L. D. (2022). Implicit Followership Traditions in the New Testament: Priscilla, Aquila, and Apollos. Followership and Faith at Work, pp. 71–91. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-90614-6_5
Widianto, K., Setyarini, L., Karina, N. A., & Lontoh, F. O. L. (2022, July 7). Evangelism: A Field Study of Preaching and Spirituality Impact. Www.atlantis-Press.com; Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.220702.009
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