Reply To: Bible Overview Discussion Board

[Wechie]

The book of Hebrews follows just right after the book of Philemon which we clearly know is written by Paul. Also, we see that many of the thoughts of Hebrews is similar to those found in the Pauline epistles;
Let’s see some examples of the similarities
a. Hebrews 1: 3 and Colossians 1:15-17
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word Hebrews 1:3
Colossians 1:15 – 17
“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.
b. Hebrews 2:4 and 1Corinthians 12: 1
c. Hebrews 2:14-17 and Philippians 2:7-8
d. Hebrews 8:6 and 2 Corinthians 3:6
e. Hebrews 10: 14 and Romans 5:9,12:1
Without a closer look we might at this point allude to the fact that Paul wrote the book of Hebrews; however, I’ll consider the similarity to be Unity of doctrine by Paul and the Writer of Hebrew; which is one of the evidences of the authenticity of the Bible.

The Epistle of Hebrews fall under the general epistles for the following reasons;

1. Paul had a habit of introducing himself in his epistles. From the book of Romans all the way to Philemon, we see that pattern. But the author of Hebrews does not introduce himself as Paul typically did. See Romans 1:1, 1 Corinthians 1:1, 2 Corinthians. 1:1; Galatians 1:1; Ephesians. 1:1; Philippians 1:1, Colossians. 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 2 Thessalonians 1:1, 1 Timothy. 1:1; and 2 Timothy. 1:1, Titus 1:1 and Philemon 1;1.

2. Its theology, though very compatible with that of the Pauline letters, is very distinctive. The apostle Paul, for instance, never alludes to Jesus as a priest, which is the major motif of Hebrews. In fact, Hebrews is the only New Testament writing to expound on Jesus as the Great High Priest and final sacrifice.

3. The style of Hebrews, except in the closing verses (13:18 – 25), is quite unlike any other writing of Paul’s that has survived.
i. In keeping with the style of a person well educated in formal rhetoric, the Greek of Hebrews is highly literary and very ornate.
ii. The vocabulary is sophisticated, and it includes 150 words that are not found elsewhere in the New Testament and 10 that do not occur in any other Greek writings that have survived for our study.
iii. The structure of the epistle conforms to conventions found in Greek rhetoric used when a speech was designed to persuade its audience to action. Much of this rhetorical achievement is lost when the original Greek of Hebrews is translated into modern language, but in the original it is elegant and euphonious Greek prose. The high rhetorical quality of Hebrews indicates that its author most likely had the most advanced literary education of any of the New Testament writers.

4. The way the author alludes to himself in Hebrews 2:3, stating that the gospel was confirmed “to us” by those who heard the Lord announce salvation.
The apostle Paul always made the point that, even though he wasn’t one of the twelve original disciples who walked with Jesus during his earthly life, he was nonetheless an apostle of Jesus Christ, and usually identifies himself as such in his letters. It seems unlikely that Paul here in 2:3 would refer to himself as simply someone who received the gospel from those who had heard the Lord.

In conclusion, the book of Hebrews was written by someone other than Paul .

Reference: https://zondervanacademic.com/blog/who-wrote-the-book-of-hebrews