Who Wrote Hebrews?

You will often hear preachers mention that they think that Paul wrote Hebrews, but they very seldom take the time out of the message to explain why.  And I can understand why you would not want to interrupt the flow of the message or get on a side trail that distracts from the point at hand.  I also think that Paul wrote Hebrews and I think so for many reasons.

1)    It was written about 64 A.D. The book had to be written before 70 A.D. because it was written before the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. Hebrews 10:11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:

Paul writes in the present tense about the priests making sacrifices. This shows that the temple was not yet destroyed.  So the timeframe of the book allows for Paul to be the writer.

2)    The early eastern church accepted Paul as the writer. It was not until the 4th century that the writer was in doubt.

3)    There is also internal evidence that Paul was the writer. Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that [our] brother Timothy is set at liberty; with whom, if he come shortly, I will see you.

Paul says our brother Timothy. The writer knew Timothy in a personal way.  That certainly fits with the writer being Paul.

4) The writer of Hebrews was in prison. Heb 10:34 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.

That certainly fits Paul

5) The writer is writing from Rome.  Heb 13:24 Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you.

The writer was not only in prison but he was in Rome.  Paul was in prison in Rome.  This fits. 

6)  The salutation at the end is like Paul's. 

7)    Peter says that Paul wrote it.  This takes some logic so follow closely.  In the book of 1st Peter he is writing to Hebrew Christians and reminds them that Paul had also written to them about the same subject. 

2Pe 3:15 And account [that] the longsuffering of our Lord [is] salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;

Peter says that Paul had already written to them.  And watch the first words of verse 16. 

2Pe 3:16 As also in all [his] epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as [they do] also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

The words "As also" connects what Paul wrote to them to Paul's other epistles.  This means that what Paul wrote before is also scripture.  You see this in the end of verse 16 where it says, as they do also the other scriptures.  The word "also" connects Paul's earlier writing as also being scripture. 

So far we have established that Paul wrote to these Hebrew Christians before.  And Peter established that what Paul wrote earlier to them was scripture.  None of the other letters of Paul were written to them.  This leaves you with only 2 possibilities.  Either we are missing a whole book of scripture, or Paul wrote Hebrews.  Since God promised to preserve His Word, then we must have it all because God cannot lie.  That only leaves one possibility and that is that Paul wrote Hebrews.

8)    There is a mathematical law that affects the occurrence of important words.  If you take certain words in Paul's Epistles alone then the law does not work.  If you include Hebrews to Paul's writings then the law is in harmony.  This most likely will be a foreign idea to you unless you have studied numbers and the Bible.  Important words will appear in squares, cubes, or multiples of 7 and 11.  A square is a number times itself.  A cube is a number times itself and then times itself again.  For example 3 cubed is 27.  Or the number will appear by a multiple of 7 or a multiple of 11.  It really is fascinating.  Here are some examples of how Paul's writings are only in harmony if you include Hebrews.

This is only a sampling to show the principal and how it gives evidence that Paul is the writer of Hebrews.  Add up all the above 8 reasons and it makes a strong case for Paul being the writer.

Some will still reject that Paul is the writer.  There are people who have a hard heart about it for some reason.     

Others will reject that Paul is the writer for the reason that the style of Greek is different.  I say so what.  It is not uncommon for a writer to use different styles for different reasons for different groups of people to accomplish different goals. 

Hebrews is written different than all of Paul’s other books because this one he wrote to his own people. The rest of his books were written to the Gentiles. It is Paul’s style when he is writing to his own people.

I believe that when you add up the circumstantial evidence, the Biblical evidence from Peter, and the mathematical evidence that Paul is the writer of Hebrews.

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