Reply To: Bible Overview Discussion Board

[Ben]

The classification of the Epistle of Hebrews is a bit controversial as many believe the author is anonymous. Hence, neither a classification under the Pauline Epistles or the general Epistles. However, few comparisons to the Pauline Epistles could be found in the Epistles of Paul to which I would classify it as one of Paul’s letters. Such comparisons or similarities are as follows:

1. Similarly of Phraseology.
The style is notably different from the rest of Paul’s epistles, a characteristic noted by Clement of Alexandria (c. 210), who argued, according to Eusebius, that the original letter had a Hebrew audience and so was written in Hebrew and later translated into Greek, “some say the evangelist Luke, others had written the letter to the Hebrews but the thoughts were that of Paul [by Clement of Rome]. Reason being that, in view of the similarity of phraseology shown throughout the Epistle to the Hebrews, and in absence of any great difference between the work in the underlying thought.” He concluded that “as a result of this translation, the same complexion of style is found in this Epistle and in the Acts: but that the [words] ‘Paul an apostle’ were naturally not prefixed. For, he says, ‘in writing to Hebrews who had conceived a prejudice against him and were suspicious of him, he very wisely did not repel them at the beginning by putting his name.” So possibly, Luke the writer of Acts must have written the letter but conveying the thoughts of the Apostle Paul. Other points following, will indicate more why the thoughts of the Epistle was of Paul.

2. The mention of Timothy as a companion and the location Italy.
Some theologians and groups, who continue to maintain Pauline authorship, repeat the opinion of Eusebius that Paul omitted his name because he, the Apostle to the Gentiles, was writing to the Jews. They conjecture that Jews would have likely dismissed the letter if they had known Paul to be the source. They theorize that the stylistic differences from Paul’s other letters are attributed to his writing in Hebrew to the Hebrews, and that the letter was translated into Greek by Luke.

Now, in the 13th chapter of Hebrews, Timothy is referred to as a companion of the writer or person whose thoughts were being communicated. Timothy was Paul’s missionary companion in the same way Jesus sent disciples out in pairs. He was also a loyal son of Paul, 1 Timothy 1:2, ” To Timothy, my loyal child in the faith…”

Also, the writer states that he wrote the letter from “Italy”, which also at the time fits Paul, Hebrews 13:24, “…they of Italy salute you”. The difference in style is explained as simply an adjustment to a more specific audience, to the Jewish Christians who were being persecuted and pressured to go back to old Judaism.

3.Stylistic similarities to Paul’s greetings.
The epistle contains Paul’s classic closing greeting, “Grace… be with you…” as he stated explicitly in 2 Thessalonians 3:17–18, “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the mark in every letter of mine; it is the way I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you.” And as implied in 1 Corinthians 16:21–23, “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Let anyone be accursed who has no love for the Lord. Our Lord, come! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.” and Colossians 4:18, “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.”

This closing greeting is included at the end of each of Paul’s letters. And the same we see in Hebrews 13:25, “Grace be with you all. Amen.”

Although the writing style varies from Paul in a number of ways, some similarities in wordings to some of the Pauline epistles have been noted. In antiquity, some began to ascribe it to Paul in an attempt to provide the anonymous work an explicit apostolic pedigree.