Who Wrote Hebrews?

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, whom He has appointed heir of all things and through whom He also made the worlds. — Hebrews 1:1–2

The long-debated question "Who wrote Hebrews?" is best answered not by tradition or opinion, but by the internal evidence of the book itself.

A Word of Preface

I feel it's necessary to preface this message, because it isn't exactly like the messages I typically deliver. It's a little more academic, so I ask that you bear with me. As we prepare to launch into a verse-by-verse exposition of Hebrews, it's helpful to set up the series, and part of that setup means taking time to talk about the author of the book.

If you're new to the Bible, this is probably something you've never thought about, and that's perfectly okay. But if you've been around the Bible for a while, you know there's some discussion here. Hebrews is slightly different from most of the New Testament.

Apostles, Epistles, and an Unusual Letter

Most of the New Testament is comprised of letters we call epistles, written by apostles. From Romans to Jude, these are letters written by individuals to individuals or to churches. Paul's letters all begin the same way, with his name at the very beginning—"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ" or "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ." That was the customary first-century way to begin a letter.

It wasn't just Paul. James begins, "James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ." Jude begins, "Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ and brother of James." Peter's letters begin, "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ." But Hebrews doesn't begin that way. It's fairly unique among the New Testament letters, and that uniqueness is what raises the question.

Over the last several weeks I've been stopped by a number of people asking, "So who wrote the book of Hebrews?" It's one of those questions people like to talk about—kind of a nerdy Bible study topic. So today we'll take time to address it.

"God Wrote It"—True, but Not the Whole Answer

When I've asked people who they think wrote Hebrews, some say, "God wrote the book of Hebrews." Honestly, I could be a wise guy and agree. In 2 Timothy 3:16 Paul writes, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God"—the NIV says it is "God-breathed." Elsewhere we read that "holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit."

So it is true that God is the ultimate author of Scripture, including Hebrews. But it would be a cop-out to stop there. The question remains: who is the holy hand that God, by the Holy Spirit, moved to write these thirteen chapters?

Why Does Authorship Matter?

You might be asking why this even matters. There are two reasons: authority and legitimacy. Every New Testament book—there are 27—was either written by an apostle or had an apostle's endorsement. The Old Testament's 39 books were already established under Judaism, and Christianity carried on that tradition. But the New Testament books were discussed by councils in the second, third, and fourth centuries, which determined what belonged in the canon. Some letters and so-called gospels were set aside because authorship was unknown or they were written far outside the first century, failing the standard of apostolic authorship or endorsement.

The church was established on the life, ministry, and teaching of Jesus, and on the doctrine of the apostles. At the birth of the church in Acts 2:42, the early believers "continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine." In Acts 6 the apostles refused to depart from the word of God and prayer. And in Ephesians 2:20, Paul says the church is built "on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone."

What Set the Apostles Apart

Two things gave the apostles their distinct authority. First, they were eyewitnesses of the risen Lord Jesus. Second, they were directly commissioned to the work by Jesus. These were the men called after a night of prayer, who spent three years with Him learning, watching, and being dispatched to preach and heal. After Jesus' death the number went from twelve to eleven, then a twelfth was added in Acts, and later God added the apostle Paul.

In Matthew 28:18 Jesus says, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations… 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." Eyewitnesses of the risen Lord, commissioned under His authority—they held a unique place. We do not hold to apostolic succession; we do not believe that authority continues to be handed down. Their unique authority is seen in that what they wrote and taught became the foundational doctrines of the church, codified in the books we call canon.

Apostolic Authorship and Endorsement

Matthew, one of the Twelve, wrote his Gospel. John wrote his Gospel, 1–3 John, and Revelation. Paul, revealed to and commissioned by the risen Lord after His resurrection, wrote much of the New Testament—Romans through Philemon. James, the brother of Jesus, wrote James; Jude, also a brother of James and Jesus, wrote Jude; and Peter wrote 1 and 2 Peter.

That leaves Mark, Luke, and Acts. These men had apostolic endorsement. Mark is commonly believed to have written under the endorsement of Peter—some call it the Gospel according to Peter, written down as Peter spoke it. Luke was a traveling companion and gospel associate of Paul and wrote Luke and Acts with Paul's endorsement. But Hebrews stands uniquely among all the books of the Bible.

A Surprisingly Passionate Debate

There's actually a passionate debate over the authorship of Hebrews—even within this church over the years. I once taught a small-group study through Hebrews and we had quite a heated discussion about it. This matters because the debate has caused some theologians to question the book's legitimacy in the canon, and others to treat it as second-rate, lacking the same authority as other New Testament books. Some churches have practically ignored Hebrews because of this question.

That's a big problem, because Hebrews has deep theological importance—especially regarding salvation (soteriology) and church structure (ecclesiology). Why should we care? Because we need to be able to trust that the Bible we read and study is the Bible as it should be.

The List of Candidates

If you've been around Hebrews a while, your guess is probably Paul. Early church tradition held that view. Hebrews is written by someone with a strong knowledge of Hebrew tradition, and Paul was a former Pharisee who understood the Hebrew roots of the faith. But Paul's letters all begin with his name, and Hebrews doesn't. Those who argue for Paul say, yes, but it ends like Paul's letters. They're right—every one of Paul's letters ends with the same salutation, and Hebrews 13:25 reads, "Grace be with you all. Amen."

Others say it was Peter, since he too understood the Hebrew background, and in Galatians Paul says he was apostle to the Gentiles while Peter was apostle to the Jews. Still others—Martin Luther among them—argued for Apollos, an eloquent early evangelist from Alexandria who ministered in Ephesus and Corinth. Some say Barnabas, a pillar of the early church and Paul's associate on his first missionary journey. And some even argue for Priscilla, wife of Aquila, an early Christian of Jewish faith who ministered with Paul.

There are a lot of opinions. Recently I sat with three pastor friends, including David Guzik, and when I said we were starting Hebrews, the first question was, "Who wrote it?" Get four pastors and ask a direct question, and you get seven opinions. But the bigger question is not what tradition says or what opinions people hold—it's whether there is any internal evidence as to the authorship. There is. And some of you aren't going to like it.

A Covenant Before the Evidence

So let's all sign a covenant: "I, [your name], hereby promise that I will forthwith never argue with anyone about non-essential issues like who wrote the book of Hebrews." Sign and date it. I'm serious—I don't want any emails, because I'm about to burst some bubbles.

Internal Evidence #1: A Second-Hand Hearer

Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away… How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him? — Hebrews 2:1, 3

Hebrews was written by a second-hand hearer of the gospel—one to whom it was "confirmed by those who heard Him." That rules out Paul and Peter. In Galatians 1:11–12 Paul says, "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." In 1 Corinthians 11:23 he says of communion, "I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you." Peter, too, heard the gospel by direct revelation. So if you've passionately held that Paul wrote Hebrews—please see point number two.

Internal Evidence #2: A Man in Chains

Recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings… for you had compassion on me in my chains. — Hebrews 10:32–34

Hebrews was written by someone in chains. You might say, "That had to be Paul—he wrote Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, Philemon, and the Pastorals from prison." But Hebrews 2:3 already told us the author was a second-hand hearer of the gospel, which Paul was not. So we still have a problem.

Internal Evidence #3: The Septuagint

There are nearly a hundred Old Testament references in Hebrews, many of them direct quotes. In the first century there were two primary sources of Old Testament Scripture: the Hebrew Masoretic text, and the Septuagint, a Greek translation made by seventy Jewish scholars around the third century BC (hence "Septuagint," the seventy).

Jews living in Judea and Jerusalem generally spoke Hebrew and used the Masoretic text. Jews living outside Judea generally spoke Greek and used the Septuagint. Here's the key: every Old Testament reference in Hebrews comes from the Septuagint. But in his letters, Paul always quotes or paraphrases from the Hebrew Masoretic text. Strike two for the apostle Paul.

Internal Evidence #4: Two Endings, Two Authors

Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive… Pray for us… But I especially urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner. Now may the God of peace… make you complete in every good work… to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. — Hebrews 13:17–21

This is the first ending, by the first author, concluding the previous thirteen chapters. Notice three things. He says, "Pray for us"—speaking of himself and at least one other. He says, "Pray that I may be restored to you," pointing back to his imprisonment in 10:34. And he closes with "Amen" after a glorious benediction. There the first portion ends.

I appeal to you, brethren, bear with the word of exhortation; for I have written to you in few words. Know that our brother Timothy has been set free… Greet all those who rule over you, and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you. Grace be with you all. Amen. — Hebrews 13:22–25

This is a second ending by a second author. Five things stand out. He asks readers to "bear with the word of exhortation"—to receive the heavy exhortations of the previous chapters. He says, "I have written to you in few words"—strange if he means the nearly 7,000 words of Hebrews, but fitting if he means this short 62-word note. He announces that "our brother Timothy has been set free," apparently since the letter was finished. He closes with "Grace be with you all," an ending readers immediately recognize as Paul's. And he ends with "Amen." Hebrews has two endings because Hebrews has two authors.

The Conclusion: Timothy, Endorsed by Paul

I am 100% convinced the internal evidence supports this: Hebrews 1:1–13:21 was written by Timothy while imprisoned later in Paul's life. Timothy was a second-hand hearer of the gospel, having heard it from Paul when Paul came through Lystra. His mother and grandmother were Jewish, but his father was Greek, so his first language would have been Greek and his Old Testament would have been the Septuagint. The book also has a Pauline flair—which makes sense, because Timothy was discipled by Paul himself.

I also believe Hebrews 13:22–25—those short 62 words—were written as an apostolic endorsement by Paul, urging the readers to receive Timothy's exhortations. So if you thought Paul wrote Hebrews, you were kind of right—at least the last 62 words.

You're welcome to a different opinion, but you'd have to answer the internal evidence found here. My conclusion is that Timothy wrote Hebrews under the endorsement and tutelage of the apostle Paul. That matters, because we want to know that what we're studying has legitimacy and authority. As we go through this book we'll find some challenging things, and we need to recognize that this is God-inspired for us, just as it was for these Hebrew Christians 2,000 years ago. God's word can and should be trusted.

Closing Prayer

Jesus, I thank You for Your word. As we're going to 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 that we would be freed up as we study through this book to have our lives transformed by You and by Your grace, and that we would be able to manifest and share that grace with those we come in contact with in this world—a world in desperate need of Your gospel of grace. 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. Amen.