Who Wrote Hebrews?

It's a long-debated topic on who wrote the Book of Hebrews. That's what we're talking about today in Hebrews chapter 1, so open with us and let's delve in to see who wrote it. While you're standing, would you open your Bibles with me to the Book of Hebrews? If you don't have a Bible, you can raise your hand, and one of the ushers will bring you one. Hebrews is near the end of your Bible, right after a little book called Philemon and just before another little book called James.

We're in Hebrews 1. I'm not going to get very far again, but let's look at Hebrews 1, verse 1. Don't worry, next week we'll cover four whole verses. Hebrews 1, verse 1 states, "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past by the fathers to the prophets, or to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things and through whom He also made the worlds."

Jesus, we pray that You'd open our hearts and minds this morning and that You would speak to us Your word. Teach us, for You promised to give us the Spirit of truth who would guide us in all truth and teach us all things. So, Holy Spirit, we pray for a divine influence upon our hearts and minds today and that You would continue that work of transformation in us, Lord, by Your word and by Your power. We pray this in Jesus' name, and all those that agreed said, "Amen." You can be seated.

I feel it's somewhat necessary to preface this message today. It isn't exactly like the messages that I typically deliver; it's a little bit more academic, so I ask that you bear with me a little bit. As we prepare to launch into a verse-by-verse exposition of the Book of Hebrews, which we will officially start next week, it's helpful to set up the series. That's what we've been doing the last three weeks and today as well as we prepare to go into it. Because of that preface to the book, I think it's really important to take...

Let's take a moment to talk about the author of the Book of Hebrews. If you are new to the Bible and haven't studied through the whole of it, or if this is your first time moving through a book like Hebrews, then this is probably something you've never thought about, and that's perfectly okay. However, if you've been around the Bible for a little while, if you've read through the Book of Hebrews or maybe sat in a Bible study on it, then you know that there is some discussion about this.

You probably realize that the Book of Hebrews is slightly different from many of the other books that make up the New Testament. Most of the New Testament is comprised of letters that were written, which we call epistles. These epistles were written by apostles, and those are different things. Apostles wrote epistles. From the Book of Romans to the Book of Jude, you have that big section of the New Testament, and all of those are letters written by individuals to individuals or to churches.

You have letters that were written by Paul. In all of Paul's letters, they begin the same way, with his name at the very beginning. That was the customary way of beginning a letter in the first century. You would start by announcing who it is that is writing the letter. Whether you're reading Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, or Philemon, all those written by the Apostle Paul begin with very much the same introduction: "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ" or "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ."

But it wasn't just Paul. The Book of James, also a letter, begins with "James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ." The Book of Jude, another letter, begins with "Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ and the brother of James." Peter's letters, of which he wrote two, begin with "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ." The second letter begins with "Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ."

So, the customary way in the first century to write a letter was to begin by announcing yourself at the front end of the letter before addressing it to the specific people you were writing to. However, as we've already read through Hebrews chapter one, verse one, we see that it doesn't begin like that. It is fairly unique among the New Testament letters.

Over the last several weeks, especially as we prepare to delve into this book, I've been approached by a number of different people in the church who have asked me, "So, who wrote the Book of Hebrews?"

If you're new to the Bible, you might never have thought to ask the question of who wrote it. It's one of those topics that people like to discuss, a bit of a Christian nerdy thing. So, today will be like a nerdy Bible study as we explore this question.

As I've been receiving inquiries about the authorship of Hebrews, I think it's helpful to set the stage and perhaps put some of these questions to rest as we study through the 13 chapters of Hebrews. Let's take some time this morning to talk about who wrote it.

Here's the interesting thing: I've spoken with a few people about this over the last few weeks, and they often ask, "Who do you think wrote the book of Hebrews?" I usually respond, "Well, you'll have to come back on Sunday in a few weeks." Some people confidently say, "I know who wrote the book of Hebrews." I reply, "That's awesome! Who wrote it?" They respond, "God wrote the book of Hebrews."

Paul's letters begin with "Paul," James' letter begins with "James," and Peter's letters begin with "Peter." However, Hebrews begins with, "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son."

In all honesty, I could be a bit of a wise guy and say that God wrote the book of Hebrews, and it would be perfectly acceptable to do so. In 2 Timothy 3:16, the Apostle Paul writes, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God." Another version, the New International Version, states that "all Scripture is God-breathed." In one of his letters, Paul writes that holy men of God spoke or wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

So, Scripture is given by inspiration of God. This is one of the core tenets of the Christian faith. We believe that Scripture is given by divine inspiration and revelation. Therefore, it is true to conclude that God is the ultimate author of Scripture and, by extension, the ultimate author of the book of Hebrews.

However, aside from the wise guy answer, it would be a cop-out to stop there. We must consider who the holy hand was that God, by the Holy Spirit, moved to write these 13 chapters that we are going to study.

Before we delve into the question and the answer, you might actually be asking a different question: Why is this even important? What does the authorship of Hebrews matter? What is the significance of the authorship of any of these books?

Why does it matter? Point number one on your outline is: why does authorship matter? There are two reasons: first, authority, and second, legitimacy.

You see, every New Testament book—there are 27 of them—was either written by an apostle or had an apostle's endorsement. There was either apostolic authorship or apostolic endorsement. The Old Testament is different. The Old Testament scriptures, from Genesis to Malachi, consist of 39 books that were already established for the most part under Judaism. In Christianity, we carried on that tradition of the Hebrew scriptures.

However, the 27 books that make up the New Testament are important to understand in the context of early church history. There were councils in the early church, especially in the second, third, and fourth centuries AD, where it was discussed which books should be included in what we call the canon of scripture. Certain letters were selected or set apart, while others were deemed not canon-worthy. There were even passages referred to as gospels that were set aside because authorship was unknown or they were written well outside the time of the first century. Therefore, they did not fit the standards of apostolic authorship or apostolic endorsement and were excluded from the scriptures.

Hebrews is an interesting book in this context. It is important for us to understand that the early church, and the church as it exists today, was established upon the life, ministry, and teaching of Jesus, as well as on the doctrine or teaching of the apostles. The very beginning of the church, as described in Acts chapter two, marks the birth of the church on the day of Pentecost. Immediately following this event, we read in Acts 2:42 that the early church continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine, in the teaching of the apostles.

In fact, that same group of apostles later stated in Acts chapter six that they would not depart from the word of God and prayer. They were completely committed to teaching the scriptures and the doctrines of the apostles. Thus, they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine.

Years later, in the book of Ephesians, specifically Ephesians chapter two, the apostle Paul states that the church is built upon the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, with Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone. This means that while Jesus is the cornerstone of the church, the church itself is established on the teachings of the apostles and the prophets.

What was so special about these individuals we call apostles, who wrote epistles and taught doctrine? There are two primary things that set them apart with a distinct authority within the church. First, they were eyewitnesses of the risen Lord Jesus. Second, the apostles were directly commissioned to their work by Jesus.

Who are these individuals? Sometimes they are referred to as the disciples of Jesus. We typically call them the twelve disciples or the twelve apostles. These were individuals in Jesus's ministry whom he called after a night of prayer. He selected them to come and be with him. They spent many years with him—three years—learning from him, watching him, and being dispatched by him to preach and to heal.

After the death of Jesus, the number of apostles went from twelve to eleven. In the early church, as recorded in the book of Acts, they added a twelfth, and later on, God added another one: the apostle Paul. These individuals were eyewitnesses of the risen Lord and were commissioned directly by him, under his authority—an authority that he extended to them.

Matthew chapter 28, verse 18, contains one of those distinct commissioning statements. Jesus came to his disciples and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Thus, the apostles were eyewitnesses of the risen Lord Jesus, who was right there with them. With his authority, he imparted it to them and commissioned them to the work of teaching the apostles' doctrine. This is what they did. These first-century apostles were a unique group of individuals who held a level of authority within the church that we do not believe was handed down to others.

We do not hold to the concept or the idea of what is commonly referred to as apostolic succession. We do not believe that authority continues to be handed down to apostles throughout the church age. The early apostles held a unique place, and their unique authority is primarily seen in what they wrote and taught, which became the foundational beliefs and doctrines of the church. This was often codified in books and letters that are canonized and placed in the canon of Scripture.

The 27 books of the New Testament are there because they had apostolic authorship or apostolic endorsement. Who were these apostles? Of course, we think of individuals like Matthew, who was a follower of Jesus and one of the twelve. He saw the risen Lord and was commissioned by the risen Lord with that authority, and he writes the Gospel of Matthew.

Not just Matthew, but then we have John, the apostle John. He wrote the Gospel of John, as well as First, Second, and Third John, and the Book of Revelation. After that, we think of Paul, the apostle Paul. He was not one of the early eleven, but later on, Jesus revealed Himself after His resurrection to the apostle Paul and commissioned him to be an apostle. We are so thankful He did because God used him to write much of the New Testament, including Romans, First and Second Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, First and Second Thessalonians, First and Second Timothy, Titus, and Philemon.

Another apostle, of course, is James, who wrote the Book of James. He was also the brother of Jesus. Jude, who wrote the Book of Jude, was also a brother of James and a brother of Jesus. Then there is Peter, who wrote First and Second Peter.

In that listing, there are some books that I have left out, such as the Gospel of Mark, the Gospel of Luke, and the Book of Acts. However, these individuals, Mark and Luke, who wrote Luke and Acts, received apostolic endorsement. It is commonly believed that Mark had the endorsement of the apostle Peter, so some people refer to the Gospel of Mark as the Gospel according to Peter. It was written down as Mark received it, spoken to him by the apostle Peter. This is a commonly held belief. The Gospel of Luke was written by a traveling companion and gospel associate of the apostle Paul.

He is the author of the Book of Luke and the Book of Acts. He had the endorsement of the Apostle Paul to write what became the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. However, this leads us to the discussion of the Book of Hebrews, which stands uniquely among all the books of the Bible. The question arises from time to time: Who wrote the Book of Hebrews?

You may or may not know this, but there is actually a passionate debate over this issue. Within this church, there has been a passionate debate over the years. I remember years ago, during a small group Bible study that I taught in a home, we went through the Book of Hebrews, and we had quite a discussion about who wrote it. It sometimes became a heated discussion about the authorship of the Book of Hebrews.

At this point, you might be thinking, "Really? This is an issue? This is a problem?" Yes, it can be a problem because the questions surrounding the authorship of the Book of Hebrews and the debate that has arisen over many centuries have caused some theologians to question the legitimacy of this book. Is it legitimate to be in the canon of Scripture? There are those who question its legitimacy and canonicity. Not only do some question its legitimacy, but there are also those who question its authority.

There are even some within the church who consider the Book of Hebrews to have a second-rate status in relation to theology, believing it does not have the same authority as other New Testament books. As a result, some churches have, for the most part, practically ignored the Book of Hebrews due to the question of its authorship.

This is a significant problem because the Book of Hebrews has deeply theological importance, especially regarding the teaching of salvation, which theologians refer to as soteriology. It also relates to questions of church structure and hierarchy, or what you would refer to as ecclesiology—the makeup and structure of the church. The Book of Hebrews has a lot to say about these issues, as we will see as we go through them.

At this point, some may be asking, "Why should I even care about this? Why should I be interested in this?" I believe it is important because we need to be able to trust that the Bible we have, the Bible we read and study, is the Bible as it should be.

That's why I think this is important. We need to be able to believe and trust that the Bible, as we have it, as we studied and read it, is as it should be.

So, who are the potential authors, the possible authors of the book of Hebrews? If you have an opinion about this and you've been around the book of Hebrews for a little while, it is highly likely that your opinion is that Paul wrote it. I heard some people say Paul. That is the common view. In fact, early church tradition held that the Apostle Paul was the author of the book of Hebrews.

Hebrews is written by someone with a strong understanding and knowledge of Hebrew tradition. Paul was a former Jewish Pharisee. He understood the Hebrew roots of the faith and the Hebrew tradition. Therefore, he certainly had a great working knowledge of the Hebrew faith, which is evident in the book of Hebrews.

However, there is a problem. The structure of Paul's letters all begins the same way. Every single one of the letters that Paul wrote starts with his name prominently at the front: "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ," or "Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ." Hebrews doesn't begin that way.

Those who argue that Paul is the author of the book of Hebrews acknowledge this discrepancy. They say, yes, it doesn't start that way, but it does end that way. And you know what? They would be right. Every single one of Paul's New Testament letters ends almost identically with the same salutation: "The grace of the Lord be with you."

If you turn to the very last verse of Hebrews chapter 13 and look at the words that conclude chapter 13, verse 25 of Hebrews states, "Grace be with you all. Amen." There are people who argue that, while it doesn't begin like Paul's letters, it certainly ends like them. Therefore, it must be the Apostle Paul.

Many in early church tradition held that it was the Apostle Paul, and some aspects of the text seem to fit this view. So, if that's your opinion today, you would probably think that Paul was the author. But you know what? You wouldn't be alone in that view. There are other opinions as well. Others say, no, it was not Paul; it was the Apostle Peter.

They say the primary reason for this is that the person had to have a good understanding of Hebrew background, faith, and tradition. Peter would have had that. Here's the kicker: in the book of Galatians, Paul said, "I am an apostle to the Gentiles," and Peter was an apostle to the Jews. So it's not Paul; it's Peter.

However, as you would expect, there are some people who argue that it wasn't Paul or Peter. They claim it was Apollos who wrote the book of Hebrews. At this point, some of you may be wondering, "Apollos? Who on earth is Apollos?" Well, listen, Martin Luther, the great reformer of the church in the 16th century, held very strongly that it was Apollos who wrote the book of Hebrews.

Apollos was an early Christian evangelist mentioned in the book of Acts. He ministered following the apostle Paul in places like Ephesus and Corinth, as well as many other parts of the world at that time. He came from a Jewish background, specifically from a region called Alexandria in Northern Egypt, right on the Mediterranean Sea. He was a very eloquent teacher, and some people argue that the eloquence and the way everything is framed in the book of Hebrews suggest it must have been Apollos.

But it doesn't stop there. Some say, "You all have it wrong. It was not Paul, Peter, or Apollos. It was Barnabas." Again, some people are asking, "Barnabas? Who's Barnabas?" He was an early Christian man, a pillar in the early church, mentioned in Acts chapters four and five. He was Paul's associate on his first missionary journey and a man of Jewish faith and origin. Some people believe it must have been Barnabas.

Of course, it doesn't end there. There are others who assert, "Listen, you are all wrong. It was not Paul, Peter, Apollos, or even Barnabas. It wasn't even a man; it was Priscilla." Now, some people are thinking, "What? Who's Priscilla?" Priscilla was the wife of Aquila. They were early Christians of Jewish faith and associates of the apostle Paul.

With him in places like Corinth, Ephesus, and Rome, there are some who say it was Priscilla, not Paul, Peter, Apollos, or Barnabas. It was Priscilla. Listen, there are a lot of opinions, as you can tell. I happened to be sitting down with a group of pastors just a couple of weeks ago. In fact, I meet with pastors all the time. One of the questions that always comes up when you're a pastor meeting with other pastors is, "So, what are you teaching through? What are you preaching through right now?"

It always comes up. I said, "Well, we're getting ready to go through the book of Hebrews." I was sitting with three other pastors, and one of them, my good friend David Guzik, who has written commentaries on nearly the entire Bible, leaned across the table and asked, "Okay, who wrote the book of Hebrews?" That's always the question that comes up. I replied, "Well, I certainly have an opinion on this. Who do you think wrote the book of Hebrews?"

We went around the table with David, my friend Lance, and my friend Chuck. Opinions and ideas emerged. Listen, you get four pastors together and ask them a direct question, and you get seven opinions. One of them said, "I think it's Paul." Another said, "I don't even know; I don't care." So, there are a lot of opinions.

But the bigger question is not what church tradition says or what opinions people have. The question is, is there any internal evidence regarding the authorship of the book of Hebrews? I'm here to tell you today that there is, but here's the problem: some of you are not going to like it.

So, point number two on your outline: we have a Hebrews author covenant that we're all going to sign together right here. I, [put your name], hereby promise that I will forthwith never argue with anyone about non-essential issues like who wrote the book of Hebrews. Signed, [your name] and today's date, February 26th, 2017. Let's get it all in writing. I'll give you a second to write it down. I'm serious about this. I don't want any emails, none of it, because I'm going to burst some bubbles.

Starting with the first bit of internal evidence we find in Hebrews chapter two. Would you turn to Hebrews chapter two, verse one?

Therefore, let's be good students of the Bible. We must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation or so great a gospel, which at first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him?

Let me read that again: How shall we escape if we neglect so great a gospel, which at first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him?

Point number three on your outline: Hebrews was written by a second-hand hearer of the gospel. Why is that important? What does it mean? Well, simply put, and don't lose your matzah, Paul was not the author of Hebrews, and neither was Peter.

Why can I say that? In Paul's very first letter, the book of Galatians, he states in Galatians chapter one, verse 11, "But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me was not according to man, for I neither received it from man nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ." Paul was not a second-hand hearer of the gospel of Jesus Christ; he received it by revelation from Jesus Christ Himself.

Peter also heard the gospel by direct revelation from Jesus Christ. In another place, in First Corinthians chapter 11, verse 23, when Paul is talking about communion, he says, "For I received from the Lord that which I also deliver to you."

So, if you have passionately held that the Apostle Paul wrote the book of Hebrews, I apologize. Please see point number two. I got it in writing. You signed it. You better sign it and put a date next to it.

Before you email me, let's move on to point two. The next bit of internal evidence turns from Hebrews chapter two to Hebrews chapter ten. In Hebrews chapter ten, verse 32, the author says, "But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated by the gospel, you endured a great struggle with sufferings. You were persecuted partly while you were made a spectacle, both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated. For you had compassion on me in my chains."

Point number four: Hebrews was written by someone in chains, and his name was not Alice. Somebody got it. Hebrews was written by someone in chains. If you've been around the Bible for a while, you might immediately say, "Well, that had to be Paul." Paul was imprisoned and wrote many letters while he was in prison, including Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, Philemon, and First and Second Timothy and Titus. So certainly, it was the Apostle Paul.

However, the problem is that Hebrews chapter two, verse three tells us it was written by a second-hand hearer of the gospel. This presents a challenge.

Now, what's the other internal evidence? The third point of internal evidence is quite interesting. There are nearly a hundred Old Testament references in the book of Hebrews. Some of them are direct quotes from Old Testament passages. What is particularly interesting is that at the time the book of Hebrews was written in the first century, there were two primary sources of Old Testament scriptures. One was in Hebrew, known as the Masoretic text, which is the original text. The other was called the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures. The Septuagint was translated by a group of seventy Jewish scholars in about the third century BC, and because it was translated by these seventy, that's why it's called the Septuagint. The term "the seventy" is what it refers to.

Those who had the Hebrew scriptures, the Masoretic text, were generally located in the area of Judea and Jerusalem.

Those who did not have that were generally Greek-speaking individuals. The common language of the day was Greek, and they would have the Septuagint. If you were a Jew living in Jerusalem in Judea, you would probably speak Hebrew as your first language and read the Masoretic text. However, if you were a Jew living outside of Judea, born and raised, you would probably speak Greek, with Hebrew as your second language, and you would have the Septuagint.

The interesting thing is that every reference to the Old Testament in the book of Hebrews is a Septuagint reference. They are all translated or taken straight out of the Septuagint. Why is that important? The Apostle Paul, in his letters—Romans, Corinthians, Thessalonians—quotes the Old Testament, but he always does so from the Masoretic text. He always quotes or paraphrases the Hebrew Scriptures. So again, strike two for the Apostle Paul.

At this point, you might be asking, who wrote the book of Hebrews? I will say, well, God wrote it, and we can pray and be done. No, I'm not going to do that. Turn, if you will, to Hebrews chapter 13.

What we will find, if we carefully consider the text of Hebrews chapter 13, is point number five. It's on the back of your sermon guide: Hebrews has two endings and two authors. We will see this as we read through some of the text of Hebrews chapter 13.

Beginning at verse 17, Hebrews 13:17 marks the beginning of the first ending. There we read, "Obey those who rule over you and be submissive." I said, fill out point number two: "Obey those who rule over you and be submissive." Why? For they watch out for your souls as those who must give an account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

Then he says, "Pray for us, for we are confident that we have a good conscience in all things, desiring to live honorably."

But I especially urge you to do this: pray that I may be restored to you the sooner. Now may the God of peace, who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well-pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen.

That concludes, I believe, the previous 13 chapters of the book written by this first author. There are a few things I want you to note in these verses, verses 17 through 21. The first thing to note is this: the author says, "pray for us." Who is the "us"? He is speaking about himself and at least one more person, possibly others. He asks, "pray for us."

Then, in verse 19, he says, "pray that I may be restored to you quickly." What does this have to do with? I think it probably points us back to what we previously saw in verse 34, where the author revealed that he was imprisoned, that he was in chains. So, he asks here, "Hey, I have a really simple prayer request for you. Pray that I would get out of this fix."

Thirdly, notice the conclusion in verse 21 when he says "Amen," following a glorious closing benediction in verses 20 and 21. There, the first portion of the letter ends. This immediately brings us to ending number two, which begins in the very next verse.

In verse 22, look at Hebrews 13:22. The author says, "And I appeal to you, brethren, bear with the word of exhortation, for I have written to you in a few words." He also notes that our brother Timothy has been set free, with whom I shall see you if he comes shortly. He adds, "Greet all those who rule over you and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you. Grace be with you all. Amen."

Now, there are five things that stand out to me here in these short verses. First, the author of these verses says, "bear with the word of exhortation" in verse 22. A second author, I believe, asks the readers to receive the exhortations that have come in the previous 13 chapters. It is as if the author is saying, "Listen, I know that those are some pretty heavy exhortations."

And I say that you should please have an open heart to receive what has just been said to you in the previous 13 chapters.

In verse 22, the author states, "For I have written to you in a few words." This is intriguing because there are almost 7,000 words in the 13 chapters of the Book of Hebrews. If by "few words" he means 7,000 words, that would be a little strange. However, if the second author is saying, "Listen, I've written you just a short little message here at the end," which is only 62 words, then maybe it is a second author speaking about his second ending of this letter, an endorsing letter of a different author.

The third point we see in verse 23 is when the second author in this short ending says, "Know that our brother Timothy has been set free." The second author encourages the readers that Timothy, who was apparently previously in chains and imprisoned, has now been set free since the letter was finished.

Next, notice in verse 25 that there is a very common ending used. The author of this short ending says, "Grace be with you all," an ending that many readers would immediately associate with Paul. Finally, in verse 25, the second ending concludes with the word "Amen."

Hebrews has two endings because it has two authors. I am 100% convinced that the internal evidence of the Book of Hebrews supports the conclusion that Hebrews chapter 1, verse 1 through chapter 13, verse 21, the first ending, was written by Timothy while he was imprisoned at some point later in Paul's life. Timothy was a second-hand hearer of the gospel; he heard the gospel from the Apostle Paul when Paul, on his missionary journeys through Galatia, came to the city of Lystra, where Timothy was born and raised. His mother and grandmother were Jewish, but his father was Greek. He grew up in a family where his first language would have been Greek, and the access he would have had to the Old Testament would have been in the Septuagint.

Additionally, the letter, the book of Hebrews, has kind of a Pauline flair to it, similar to the Apostle Paul. This makes sense because Timothy was discipled by none other than the Apostle Paul. I believe the internal evidence also supports that Hebrews chapter 13, verses 22 through 25, those short 62 words, were written as an apostolic endorsement by the Apostle Paul of Timothy's letter. As he says, "Listen, receive these words of exhortation because I'm encouraging you to do so in this short letter that I send to you."

So, if you were thinking that the Apostle Paul wrote the book of Hebrews, you were kind of right, at least regarding the last 62 words. How do we conclude? You are welcome to have a different opinion on this; everyone is entitled to be wrong. However, you'd have to do so based on alternative facts, and you'd need to be able to answer the internal evidence found in the book of Hebrews.

It is my conclusion that Timothy wrote the book of Hebrews under the endorsement and tutelage of the Apostle Paul. This is an important truth for us to understand because we want to know that what we're studying has legitimacy and authority. As we go through this passage, we will encounter some challenging things. We need to recognize and understand that this is God-inspired for us, just as it was for these Hebrew Christians 2,000 years ago.

I want to encourage you: God's word can and should be trusted. Amen. Since you signed point number two, we'll just say that's all she wrote. Would you stand with me as we close in prayer?

Jesus, I thank you for your word. As we will see in this book, it is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, and it cuts deep. Lord, it touches us at the soul level so that you can bring about transformation in our lives. I pray, God, that we would be in some way freed up as we study through this book.

To have our lives transformed by You and by Your grace, so that we would be able to manifest and share that grace with those we come in contact with here in this world. It is certain that the world we live in is in desperate need of Your gospel of grace, Jesus.

Lord, we thank You that You love us so much that You've revealed Yourself, Your nature, and Your will to us in the pages of Scripture. Help us to learn it, memorize it, meditate upon it, and hold tightly to it. We ask this in Jesus' name. All those who have agreed to it, have a seat.