Peter, James, John, and Paul wrote letters to individual Christians, churches, regions, and groups of Christians to give encouragement, correct errors, and help Christ’s people better understand the faith. The book of Hebrews is one of those letters, meant to strengthen the faith of those who receive it and quell any fear or unease amongst believers. Discover the academic discussion surrounding the claims of authorship, historical setting, and key points from each chapter in this blog post adapted from Lutheran Bible Companion, Volume 2: Intertestamental Era, New Testament, and Bible Dictionary.
Historical and Cultural Setting
The title “To the Hebrews” is not part of the original letter itself, but it was probably added in the second century when the New Testament letters were gathered into a collection. Moreover, there is no salutation which identifies the readers. The destination of the letter must therefore be inferred from the letter itself.
Where these Jewish Christians lived cannot be definitely made out. Italy is the most likely place, and within Italy, Rome. The letter contains greetings to the church from “those who come from Italy” (Hebrews 13:24), evidently from members of the Jewish Christian Church who are now with the author and are sending greetings to their home church. This is confirmed by the fact the letter to the Hebrews is first quoted and alluded to by Roman writers, namely Clement of Rome and Hermas. These readers have their own assembly (10:25) but are also connected with a larger group, as the words “greet all your leaders and all the saints” (13:24; emphasis added) indicate. It has therefore been very plausibly suggested that the recipients of the letter to the Hebrews were one of the house churches to which Paul refers in his letter to the Romans (Romans 16:5, 14–15).
These Christians had in the past given evidence of their faith and love (Hebrews 6:10). They had stoutly endured persecution and had courageously aided others under persecution (10:32–34). Their believing courage had not failed them in times of crisis, but it was failing them in the long-drawn, unending struggle with sin (12:4). They were growing dispirited and slack (12:12); the continuous pressure of public contempt, particularly the contempt of their fellow Jews (13:13), had revived in them the old temptation to be offended at the weakness of the Christ they believed in, at His shameful death, and at the fact that the Christ did not fulfill their Judaic expectation and “remain forever” on earth (cf John 12:34) but was removed from sight in the heavens. They had ceased to progress in their faith (Hebrews 5:11–14) and were neglecting the public assembly of the church, which could strengthen them in their faith (10:25). Some had perhaps already apostatized (6:4–8); all were in danger of falling away (3:12) and reverting to the old faith (13:9–14). Judaism—with its fixed and venerable institutions, its visible and splendid center in the Jerusalem temple and its worship, its security and exemption from persecution as an approved religion under Roman law—must have had for them an almost overwhelming fascination.
Author of Hebrews
The letter does not name its author, and there is no consistent tradition in the early church concerning the authorship. In the East, the letter was regarded either as directly written by Paul or as in some sense owing its origin to Paul. Origen of Alexandria reflects this tradition; he says of the letter: “Its thoughts are the thoughts of the apostle, but the language and composition that of one who recalled from memory and, as it were, made notes of what was said by the master. … Men of old times handed it down as Paul’s. But who wrote the epistle God only knows certainly.” The Western Church did not attribute the letter to Paul; Tertullian of Carthage assigned it to Barnabas, while in Rome and elsewhere the letter was anonymous.
The fact that the author counts himself and his readers among those who received the word of salvation at second hand from those who had heard the Lord is conclusive evidence that the author is not Paul (Hebrews 2:3), for Paul appeals repeatedly to the fact that he has seen the Lord and has received the Gospel directly from Him (1 Corinthians 9:1; 15:8; Galatians 1:11–12).
The general character of the theology of the letter and the author’s acquaintance with Paul’s companion Timothy (Hebrews 13:23) point to someone who moved in the circle of Paul’s friends and co-workers. The characteristics of the letter itself further limit the possibilities, indicating that the author was in all probability a Greek-speaking Jewish Christian, thoroughly at home in the Old Testament in its Greek translation, and intimately acquainted with the whole worship and cultus of the Jews, a man capable, moreover, of the most finished and literary Greek in the New Testament.
Barnabas, the Levite from Cyprus (Acts 4:36) and companion of Paul, would be a likely candidate for authorship. Whether Tertullian attributed the letter to him on the basis of a genuine tradition or was making a plausible conjecture cannot be determined. Apollos, whom Luther suggested as the possible author, is even more likely. He was associated with Paul, though not in any sense a “disciple” of Paul, and Luke describes him as a Jew, a native of that great center of learning and rhetoric (Alexandria), an eloquent man, well versed in the Scriptures, and “fervent in spirit” (Acts 18:24–25), all characteristics that we find reflected in the letter to the Hebrews.
Luther’s conjecture remains the most reasonable of all the ancient and modern conjectures, which have attributed the letter to a great variety of authors—Luke, Clement of Rome, Silvanus, Aquila and Priscilla, Priscilla alone, etc. But Origen’s word still holds: “Who wrote the epistle, God only knows certainly.” More important than the man’s name is the kind of man he was—an earnest teacher of the church, deeply conscious of his responsibility, whom the Holy Spirit moved to employ all his resources of language and learning in order to restore to health and strength the weak and faltering church.
Purpose and Recipients of Hebrews
Many modern scholars are inclined to see in the readers not Jewish Christians in danger of relapsing into Judaism, but Gentile Christians (or Christians in general) in danger of lapsing into irreligion. And they have often argued their case with considerable ingenuity. But it is difficult to see why the letter should in that case be from beginning to end one great and emphatic exposition of the superiority of the New Testament revelation over that of the Old Testament. Why should an appeal to Gentile Christians in danger of apostasy take just this form? Jewish Christians seem more likely to be the recipients of the letter.
The purpose of Hebrews is practical, like that of every book of the New Testament. Its aim is to strengthen faith and hope, to inculcate stout patience and a joyous and resolute holding fast to the Christian confession. The message that provides the basis for the exhortation and the impetus and power for the fulfillment of the exhortation has three primary characteristics: (1) it is founded on the Old Testament; (2) it is centered in Christ; and (3) it is marked by an intense consciousness of the fact that all days since the coming of the Christ are last days.
Summary of Hebrews by Chapter
Hebrews 1 Jesus, through whom the Father created all things, and by whose Word all things are sustained, clearly reveals the gracious will of the Father to us. Although Jesus is heavenly like the angels, He is no mere creature.
Hebrews 2 Christians need God’s Word, spoken by Jesus and attested by those who heard Him. The Father and the Holy Spirit also bear witness. Jesus, as true man, willingly humbled Himself to taste death. As resurrected Lord, and as our firstborn Brother (2:11), He serves as our High Priest to intercede for us before the Father.
Hebrews 3:1–4:13 Though Moses was a faithful servant in God’s household, Jesus is the faithful Son. God’s people missed rest in the Promised Land through their unbelief. This is a warning to us.
Hebrews 4:14–6:20 Jesus Christ, our true High Priest, shares our humanity and knows the weaknesses that we experience. Being one with the Father, He is the source of God’s full forgiveness. Christians grow in maturity by building on the basic teachings of the faith and connecting God’s promises with the new way of life that He gives. Those who reject God’s promises should fear the just judgment of God. As heirs of Abraham, those who trust in Christ Jesus share in the blessing of life promised to Abraham. They experience unending stability and security through the Son’s gracious access to the Father.
Hebrews 7 Melchizedek, both priest and king, showed the true nature of his authority by receiving tithes from the patriarch Abraham and blessing him. As both king of righteousness and king of peace, Melchizedek foreshadowed Christ’s work of justification. Though the Levitical priesthood could not bring the fullness of God’s salvation, Jesus, the sinless and perfect Priest, serves eternally as the One who brings our needs to the Father.
Hebrews 8:1–10:18 The old covenant, because it could not permanently address the problem of sin, would “vanish away.” As Priest, Christ came to establish an everlasting covenant and atonement for our sins. The Holy Place of the tabernacle was a picture of the old covenant and the old sacrificial system. But the Most Holy Place was a picture of heaven and of Christ’s new covenant. Christ will come from His heavenly sanctuary and take us to Himself with joy. Christ offered up only one sacrifice for the sins of the world—Himself. He “perfects” or completes us by applying the benefits of His sacrifice to us in Holy Baptism and in His Holy Supper.
Hebrew 10:19–12:29 All Christians need patience through many sorrows. God calls us to do His will, bearing our crosses patiently, and He equips us with His Word and Spirit. Faith trusts even without sight what God has set forth in His Word. True faith is active in love and is steadfast under persecution. The Christian life is an endurance race, run with remembrance of the saints who have already finished. God sees you as holy through Christ’s sacrifice and disciplines you to struggle against sin. The unpleasant discipline shows that the Lord loves you as a true child. The Son of God’s speaking and presence are the center of worship.
Hebrews 13 To obtain pure hearts, Christ sacrificed Himself on the cross. By His blood, shed on the cross, Jesus our Shepherd redeemed us and made us well-pleasing to His Father. Hebrews sets forth God’s grace in Christ, earned on the cross, ratified in the new covenant, and distributed in Word and Sacrament.
Key Passages in Hebrews
The opening verses of Hebrews have contributed to our understanding of both Christ and the Holy Trinity (1:1–4), distinguishing Jesus from all other beings, including the most glorious angels. The letter is especially focused on Jesus’ unique role as a sinless High Priest, sympathizing with our weaknesses while giving us confidence that we will receive mercy in the Father’s presence (4:14–16). Such confidence is likewise fostered through the Sacrament that Christ instituted for cleansing our hearts and minds: Holy Baptism (10:22). This allows us to approach the Lord with our prayers, trusting by faith in Him. Faith is the topic of chapter 11, a great catalog of the faithful. Interpreters have focused especially on the teachings of 11:4–6, which teaches that righteousness is received through faith, without which it is impossible to please God. Faith leads to the fulfilling of God’s Law through acceptable worship and good works. In another popular passage, marriage is briefly commended through a firm teaching of the Sixth Commandment (13:4).
Blog post excerpted from Lutheran Bible Companion, Volume 2: Intertestamental Era, New Testament, and Bible Dictionary © 2014 Concordia Publishing House, 651–62. All rights reserved.
Read more about the entirety of the Bible, including Hebrews, in Lutheran Bible Companion, Volume 2.
