St. Paul the
Apostle & Author of Hebrews
There is overwhelming evidence to support the fact that the
Apostle Paul wrote the Epistle to the Hebrews.
- The
Epistle’s location. It's located right
at the end of the other Pauline Epistles and neatly fits right at the end.
- If
Paul didn't write Hebrews then you can't say that
he wrote half of the New Testament.
Because not including Hebrews, there are 13 Pauline Epistles and 27
New Testament Book altogether. But
if you include Hebrews as one of the Pauline Epistles, then that is a
total of 14 Books written by Paul—more than half of the New Testament
Books!
- Moreover,
if you include the Epistle to the Hebrews, there are exactly 100 Pauline
Chapters in the Bible!
- I have
5 Bibles (Cambridge KJV, Zondervan Gift & Award KJV, and Gideon's New
Testament KJV Pocket Bible, JVI KJV, & Christian Duplications audio
cassette Bible) that all credit St. Paul with the penmanship of the Book
of Hebrews.
- By the
grace of God in Christ Jesus, I have a reproduction of the 1611 King James
Version by Oxford. The 1611
attributed the Epistle to the Hebrews to Paul: Apostle Paul’s name is in
the heading of the letter.
- Whoever
wrote Hebrews had a profound knowledge and understanding concerning the
Old Covenant. The Book of Hebrews compares and contrasts the Levitical Priesthood of the
Old Covenant with the New Testament Priesthood of Jesus Christ. The Epistle also reveals that the Old
Testament precepts shadowed the office which Christ has now fulfilled
under the New Covenant. The Apostle
Paul had exemplary understanding in both, because before he was saved he was a devote
Pharisee. (cf. II Cor. 11:22; Gal. 1:13-14; Phil. 3:4-9) He said that he was "…an Hebrew of
the Hebrews…" (Phil 3:5)
Someone who was 'an Hebrew of the Hebrews' would certainly be
someone you'd consider as the penman of Hebrews, "And unto the Jews I
became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the
law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law"
(I Cor. 9:20) Remember St. Paul became a born-again Christian and Hebrews
is a Christian Epistle. And after
his conversion he became the model for Christian zeal… "But by the
grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was
not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than
they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." (I
Corinthians 15:10)
In the Pauline Epistles, the Apostle Paul quoted from the
Old Testament Books more than any other New Testament Apostle. (Not even
including Hebrews.) Man, but I
don't really like these comparison things, Paul himself wrote under the
inspiration of the Spirit, "…but they measuring
themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are
not wise." (I Cor. 10:12) So I'll stop here and realize we're all
one Body in Christ and Christ is the Head.
And by Christ all things exist and consist. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
- The
Epistle to the Hebrews is widely known as the greatest Book in the
Biblical Canon on FAITH. And I have
FAITH enough to believe the KJV’s title to the Epistle is correct, in that
“Paul the Apostle” wrote it!
- St.
Paul also had a heart for the Jews.
Even though he certainly gave his everything to the Apostleship to
the Gentiles (Rom. 11:13), he still mentioned the Jews often in his
writings and by reading the Book of Acts we also see that he preached to
many Jews. Granted that he often
used the Jewish theology as a pivot point to turn and preach the grace of
Christ. But also
you read in Romans 9:1-3, 11:14
that St. Paul had a great sense of compassion for the Jews. Therefore the
Epistle to the Hebrews may have been penned by Paul out of the Holy
Spirit's compassion.
- We see
a similar analogy concerning Mt. Sinai and the City of Jerusalem discussed
in both St. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians (see Gal. 4:24-26) and Hebrews
12:18-24.
- "For
ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of
your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an
enduring substance." (Heb. 10:34) We see here 'the writer' mentions
that had been in bonds, and that the Hebrew Church had apparently
communicated with him at this time as well. It's a well know
fact that throughout the New Testament Paul was frequently and often in
bonds, chains, and imprisonments. There
are scores of Scriptures that reveal the tremendous persecution which he
endured for Christ's sake. (see II Cor. 11:21-33, 12:5-11) From Acts
Chapter 21-28 we read of Paul's imprisonment. At the end of the Book of Acts (Chapter
28) Paul is finally in Rome.
According to Church history he remained in Rome until his martyrdom
under Roman Emperor Nero. The Book
of Hebrews was very likely written from Rome. (Before the destruction of
Herod's Temple. Because the holy
Epistle counters Judaism.) He mentioned
himself as “the prisoner of the Lord” in Eph. 4:1 and Philemon 1. And talks about his “bonds” in
Philippians Chapter 1 verses 13, 14, 16.
- He
mentions Timothy in Hebrews 13:23. Timothy was one of Paul's fellow
Christian labourers, he wrote 1st and
2nd Timothy to him, and also called
him his son.
- Habakkuk
2:4 is quoted in Hebrews 10:38. This verse is quoted also in two
other places in the Bible (see Rom. 1:17;
Gal. 3:11), both
Pauline Epistles. "The just
shall live by faith…" is a Pauline doctrine.
- "labour of love" (I
Thess. 1:3; Heb. 6:10)
is a Pauline phrase.
- There's
no question that Apostle Paul wrote the Epistle to the Romans. In Romans 9:7 he quotes Genesis 21:12. Genesis 21:12 is also quoted in Hebrews
11:18. ¶ Again, Apostle Paul quotes Deuteronomy
32:35 in Romans 12:19. Deuteronomy
32:35 is also quoted in Hebrews 10:30.
- He
mentions Italy in Hebrews 13:24. Rome is a city in Italy. According to the Book of Acts, Paul
lived in Rome because he appealed the false
accusations against him to Caesar.
He also wrote the Epistle to the Romans. Church history also tells us that our
dear Apostle Paul was beheaded under the Roman Emperor Nero. He mentions “Caesar's household” in
Phil. 4:22.
- And finally we see the Apostle Paul's blessed salutation in
Hebrews 13:25 "Grace be
with you all. Amen." When we
compare this salutation which is at the end of Hebrews, with the closing
salutations[i] at
the end of the rest of the Pauline Epistles: it is clear to see this was
his writing. Paul even said that
this particular salutation was a token of his
writing. (cf. II Thess. 3:17,18) Other than Jesus Christ himself, Paul has
the greatest grace preacher ever (just read Romans), therefore it makes
perfect sense that he would close the Book of Hebrews by mentioning grace.