Who do you think wrote Hebrews? Why do you think so?
It is not important to ascertain with certainty the authorship of a Bible book that has satisfactorily passed all the internal examinations by which it evidences itself to be of divine origin. Further, it may not be possible to ascertain with certainty, at least to everyone’s satisfaction, who wrote some Bible books, including the Book of Hebrews. “Who wrote the Epistle to the Hebrews still remains the greatest single problem for the student of this book” (Wycliffe).
Adam Clarke lists several affirmations of as well as objections to the Pauline authorship of Hebrews from antiquity onward. The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary records a plausible reason for which the author’s name is absent from Hebrews, which lack of attribution gives rise to questions as to who wrote the volume. “Clement also says that Paul, as the Hebrews were prejudiced against him, prudently omitted his name in the beginning…”
Barnes’ Notes offers several extra-biblical reasons that the apostle Paul should be viewed as the author of the Book of Hebrews.
Clement of Alexandria says, that Paul wrote to the Hebrews, and that this was the opinion of Pantaenus, who was at the head of the celebrated Christian school at Alexandria, and who flourished about 180 AD. …It was inserted in the translation into the Syriac, made very early in the second century, and in the Old Italic version, and was hence believed to be of apostolic origin, and is by the inscription ascribed to Paul. …This Epistle was received as the production of Paul by the Eastern churches. Justin Martyr, who was born at Samaria, quotes it, about the year 140 AD. …As another proof that it is the writing of Paul, we may appeal to the internal evidence…
Barnes’ also contains references to internal evidences that support a Pauline authorship of the Book of Hebrews. Clarke’s and Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s enumeration of internal evidences for Paul writing Hebrews are extensive. Wycliffe, though, lists several internal evidences opposed to Pauline authorship of Hebrews.
In conclusion, though no one can say with certainty that the apostle Paul wrote the Book of Hebrews, it nevertheless seems that the consensus is that Paul is its human penman. Marshalling more resources, which could be done without end, nevertheless would end with the same conflicting testimonies.
But it is generally assigned to the apostle Paul; and some later copies and translations have put Paul’s name in the title. In the primitive times it was generally ascribed to him, and the style and scope of it very well agree with his spirit, who was a person of a clear head and a warm heart, whose main end and endeavour it was to exalt Christ. (Matthew Henry’s)
Works Cited
Adam Clarke’s Commentary. CD-ROM. Seattle: Biblesoft, 1996.
Barnes’ Notes. CD-ROM. Seattle: Biblesoft, 1997.
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary. CD-ROM. Seattle: Biblesoft, 1997.
Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible. New modern ed. CD-ROM. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1991.
The Wycliffe Bible Commentary. CD-ROM. Chicago: Moody, 1962.
