Upload
georgina-powers
View
221
Download
4
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
HebrewsIntroduction...
• The study of any Bible book will seek to answer these questions:
- Who wrote it?- To whom was it written?- Why was it written?- When was it written?- From where was it written?
HebrewsIntroduction...
• Who wrote Hebrews?- There have been many answers suggested:
Clement of Rome (an early church leader); Barnabas; Silas; Mark; Apollos, and others. Many scholars have agreed for various reasons that Paul the apostle is most likely the author.
HebrewsIntroduction...
• Who wrote Hebrews?- The case for Paul’s authorship of Hebrews:
- Many of the “church fathers” attributed the book to Paul.
- The internal evidence of Paul’s authorship:- The style of writing.- The author’s friendship with Timothy.- The Hebrew writer used the word “mediator,”employed only by Paul elsewhere.
HebrewsIntroduction...
• Who wrote Hebrews?- The case for Paul’s authorship of Hebrews:
- Many of the “church fathers” attributed the book to Paul.
- A negative argument against Paul”s authorship: Why did Paul not identify himself since he always did so in other letters?
HebrewsIntroduction...
• To whom was the book written?- No salutation is affixed to the letter.- “To the Hebrews” was attached at an early
date after its writing.- It is generally agreed that it was addressed
to Jewish Christians in Palestine.
HebrewsIntroduction...
• To whom was the book written?- Internal evidence suggests strongly that
Jewish Christians received the letter:- It assumed that the recipients were
familiar with Jewish history- It assumed familiarity with the Jewish Law- It assumed familiarity with Jewish
ceremonial activities
HebrewsIntroduction...
• Why was the book written?- To show the unquestioned superiority of the
New Covenant over the Old.- To encourage wavering Jewish Christians to
be faithful to Christ:
HebrewsIntroduction...
• When was it written?- The temple service seems to have been in
place at the time of writing (8:4; 10:11).- The temple was destroyed by the Romans in
70 A.D. Hebrews must have been written prior to that date, possibly between A.D. 63 and A.D. 65.
• From where was it written?- It probably was sent from a Roman prison
prior to Paul’s release (13:19,24).