The authorship of the Book of Hebrews has been a matter of debate throughout church history. The epistle itself is technically anonymous, as the author does not identify themselves by name. There have been several suggestions over the years as to who the author might be, but there is no scholarly consensus. Here is an overview of the key facts and theories regarding the authorship of Hebrews:
Evidence from the Text Itself
The text of Hebrews contains a few clues about its author:
- The author was highly educated, as evidenced by their strong command of Biblical knowledge and their eloquent Greek writing style (Hebrews 5:11–14; Hebrews 11:32–38).
- The author had knowledge of Timothy’s recent release from prison (Hebrews 13:23).
- The author appears to have been present among the original audiences of Jesus’ ministry (Hebrews 2:3).
- The author refers to themselves using masculine pronouns like “I” and “me” in Hebrews 11:32.
Beyond this, the text itself does not explicitly identify the author. There are no references like “Paul, an apostle…” as we see in many of his other letters. The author’s identity has been deduced based on stylistic comparisons with other New Testament books and inference from the social situation implied in the text.
Theories on Authorship
Here are some of the main theories that have been suggested about who wrote Hebrews:
Paul
Many in the early church believed Paul was the author, including originators like Clement of Alexandria and Origen. Those who advocate for Pauline authorship note connections in theology and language to Paul’s other letters. However, the writing style of Hebrews is more polished and elaborate than Paul’s other works. Others counter that Paul could have used a more refined style for a treatise like Hebrews versus his other occasional letters. Overall, Pauline authorship is doubtful but cannot be ruled out entirely.
Barnabas
Barnabas was an early Christian leader and missionary companion of Paul. Some believe the themes and motifs in Hebrews align with what we know of Barnabas from other Biblical texts. For example, both Barnabas and the author of Hebrews emphasize Jesus as the perfect sacrifice that supersedes the Old Testament law. However, we have no other surviving texts attributed to Barnabas, so stylistic comparisons are not possible. Barnabas remains a plausible but uncertain candidate.
Apollos
Apollos was a leader in the early Alexandria church praised for his speaking and teaching abilities. His scholarly credentials make him a viable option for authorship. Thematically, Apollos is said to have vigorously refuted Jewish opponents of Christianity in public debates much like the letter to the Hebrews does. However, this connection is circumstantial. As with Barnabas, the lack of undisputed writings by Apollos makes authorship difficult to confirm.
Priscilla or Aquila
A more recent theory suggests that Priscilla and Aquila, a wife and husband missionary team, may have authored Hebrews together. Priscilla’s name is mentioned first when the couple is referenced in Acts and Romans, hinting she may have taken the lead. Some see parallels between Hebrews 11:31 (Rahab) and Acts 18:24-28 (Apollos’ teaching). However, Priscilla and Aquila’s joint authorship remains speculative.
Luke, Clement of Rome, or Others
A range of other first and second century Christian figures have also been proposed as potential authors, including Luke, Clement of Rome, Philip the Apostle, and Silas. However, there is insufficient evidence to make a strong case for any of them as the writer of Hebrews. The letter’s author remains enigmatic.
A Nameless Companion of Paul
Many scholars now think the most plausible scenario is that the letter to the Hebrews was written by an anonymous Jewish Christian disciple of Paul well-versed in the Old Testament. This would account for the overlap in theology with Paul’s ideas but the differences in tone and style. However, the specific name and background of this disciple remains a mystery.
When was Hebrews written?
There is also uncertainty around when Hebrews was composed. The mid-first century AD is the commonly accepted timeframe:
- The author references the Jewish temple sacrifices as still ongoing when the letter was written (Hebrews 8:4, 9:6-9). The temple was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70.
- Hebrews quotes extensively from the Greek Old Testament. The Septuagint (Greek translation of the OT) was likely completed between 250-150 BC.
- There are no references to the Council of Jerusalem (AD 49), so a date before then is likely.
- If Paul was the author, Hebrews must pre-date his death around AD 64-68.
Based on these contextual clues, most place the composition of Hebrews somewhere between AD 40-65, making it one of the earliest New Testament texts. But some propose later dates extending into the early 2nd century. The only certainty is that Hebrews dates to sometime in the 1st century AD.
Why was the author’s name not included?
It was highly unusual for a New Testament letter to lack the author’s name, especially one as sophisticated as Hebrews. Here are a few theories on why the author’s identity was omitted:
- The author was a woman, like Priscilla, and preferred to remain anonymous since female authorship was uncommon for that era.
- The author was a lesser known disciple who did not want to claim undeserved apostolic authority.
- The author invited confusion to focus attention on the content rather than their identity.
- The letter was posthumously published without the author’s name attached.
- The destination community already knew the author, so there was no need to introduce them.
Ultimately, we can only speculate. But the anonymity of the Book of Hebrews has not compromised its importance or authority in the New Testament canon.
Implications of the Authorship Question
The open question of authorship has some interpretive implications:
- We cannot assume Pauline theology when studying Hebrews unless we first assume Pauline authorship. The letter must be interpreted on its own merits while accounting for influences.
- We lose the lens of authorial intent and context that a known author would provide.
- There may be less basis for the canonicity of Hebrews since authorship was a key factor in canonization. However, its early and consistent acceptance provided justification.
- Exegesis cannot rely on the author’s identity or background as an interpretive aid. Only the content itself is available.
At the same time, the message of Hebrews has been embraced as authoritative Scripture for almost 2,000 years, despite unresolved questions about its human source. In the end, the Holy Spirit ensured the Book of Hebrews would become part of the biblical canon and speak truth to generations of believers, regardless of the human hand that put pen to paper.
Conclusion
The authorship of the epistle to the Hebrews remains one of the intriguing mysteries of New Testament scholarship. While the author’s identity is uncertain, suggestions have ranged from Paul to lesser known companions like Barnabas or Apollos. The advanced theology and masterful Greek of Hebrews suggests an educated, Jewish Christian writer steeped in the Old Testament. Linguistic and stylistic analysis rule out certain candidates but cannot definitively identify the author. In the end, the Holy Spirit has still used the anonymous book powerfully in the life of the church. The message remains impactful, even if the human messenger is unknown. While academic curiosity persists about the author, the text itself points ultimately to God as the divine source of its revelation and authority.
