Author, Addressees and Dating - The Book of Hebrews was most likely written between 61-67 CE. The author is not identified, neither are the specific addressees. This seems to remove this book from the strict category of a “letter.” In fact, it reads more like an essay or a sermon.
Candidates for authorship most often advanced are Paul, Apollos, Barnabas, Silas, Philip, Aquila, or Priscilla. An early Church father, Clement of Rome, quoted from the Book of Hebrews in his writings dated AD 95, and given acceptance of the Book of Hebrews by the early Church, there is no doubt that it is “apostolic” – that is, it was certainly written either by a direct apostle of Christ or by a close colleague or disciple thereof. All the above names meet this test, and they are all Jews, which would also seem to satisfy a probable and rather obvious condition of authorship.
Purpose - The original purpose of the Book of Hebrews was to exhort and encourage mid-1st century Jewish believers to persevere in the Christian faith, in the face of crushing pressure to recant faith in Christ and revert to (or remain in) the Jewish system, with its various laws, rites and authorities.
It may be difficult for 21st century Americans, living in a pluralistic and relatively shameless “it’s all good” culture, to imagine the pressures of an honor/shame system such as early Jewish Christians faced. Judgment and disapproval from family and community were harsh and excruciating, and at the time the book was written, terrible persecutions and martyrdom at the hands of the Roman governments were either beginning or well under way. The writer of Hebrews sought to present a strong, compelling case, in the face of such pressure and persecution, for the new and superior Covenant of Christ, and against reverting to (or remaining under) the old, more politically acceptable, Mosaic covenant and religious system. In other words, the Book of Hebrews is a call to perseverance in New Covenant doctrine and truth, and in Jesus Christ as Lord, Savior and King, whatever the temporal cost.
It should be mentioned here that in our modern culture, there is a significant amount of cultural pressure against the Christian faith, especially against any outward, Christian professions and demonstrations This does create a modern cultural platform or foundation upon which today’s Christian believers can find traction, context and understanding in the Book of Hebrews.
Difficulty – In today’s Church, Hebrews must be one of the least read, least studied, and therefore seemingly least valued books of the New Testament. Like Romans, it is more often used for lifting isolated verses out of context, and for “proof texting,” than for its fuller, richer context and purpose. Reasons for this might include (1) Hebrews is perceived as one of the more “difficult” works in the New Testament, perhaps to the extent that many modern believers are just not interested in working through it, or do not believe they can do so; (2) since Hebrews basically was written to Jewish believers, and therefore contains many references to the Old Covenant system, modern Christian congregations might not think they can relate to it as readily as other books; and (3) when it is read piecemeal, out of context of itself and the rest of the Bible, Hebrews can (falsely) appear to contain confusing or even contradictory passages that can disturb or frustrate the casual reader.
Key verses:
Heb. 1:1-2 – “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.” (Jesus is immeasurably superior to Old Testament prophets.)
Heb. 4:14-16 – “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Jesus is superior to all human priests; Jesus, the righteous and merciful, beckons us to His throne of grace. We can approach with confidence in His great mercy and grace, despite our sin; it is so important for us to “hold fast” our confession of faith.)
Heb. 11:1 – “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Faith in Christ is a step off the edge of all we have previously lived with, seen, and thought we understood. Faith is embracing the new and stepping away from the old. We may want to reach backwards and grab for what we think we have seen, and for what is familiar and feels more tangible, and for the Jewish readers of Hebrews, this would mean Judaism with its customs, laws and expectations; but faith in Christ and the Gospel are worth pressing on for.)
Heb. 12:1-2 – “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Since Jesus is superior in every possible way to the old system of laws and rituals, and since faith in God is superior to works, we have every reason to put our complete faith in Christ, laying our favorite sins and traditions aside, and persevering in the New Covenant of grace through faith in the Lord Jesus.)
Context and Relevance - Hebrews seems to have been written to people who had been believers for some time (Heb. 5:11-14.) It seems also to have been intended for a congregation of Jewish believers, possibly in Rome or in Jerusalem, and the recipients very likely included some who had been converted from paganism to Judaism prior to professing faith in Christ. Like the rest of the Bible, the letter to the Hebrews was not written “to us,” though it is certainly available to us, and was most definitely intended “for us.”
The Book of Hebrews continually highlights and explains the superiority and preeminence of the New Covenant over the old, of Christ over Moses and the prophets, and of Christ as High Priest over all other priests and priesthoods. These comparisons and contrasts are driven home in order to build and support the over-arching argument that it is fatal to opt for (or revert to) the Old Covenant (and/or Hellenistic paganism) when a vastly superior and eclipsing New Way of Christ has been provided and offered. To its core, Hebrews is both an evangelical message and call to persevering belief and faith in Christ.
Contents for Modern Readers - If the Book of Hebrews was written to 1st century Jews, then what can we here in the 21st century hope to gain from it? For one thing, Hebrews is full of rich, informing and inspiring commentary concerning the Old Covenant, the priesthood, and how these have been eclipsed by the New Covenant and by Christ, our High Priest. We can learn much from Hebrews about the superiority of salvation by grace over the Jewish law and the Old Testament sacrificial system, which incidentally never cleansed a sinner, once and for all, from sin (Heb. 10:1-4). We are reminded in Hebrews not to revert back to legalism, or to measuring or obsessing on “our” righteousness more than (or instead of) Christ’s.
We find also in Hebrews a series of five warnings against the dangers of drifting or backsliding. These are:
1. The danger of drifting (chapter 2)
2. The danger of not entering into rest (chapters 3-4)
3. The danger of not going on to maturity (chapters 5-6)
4. The danger of willful sin (chapter 10), and
5. The danger of indifference to the point of denial (chapter 12)
In addition, in Hebrews chapter 11, we find the so-called “Hall of Fame” of faith – a list of Old Testament figures who demonstrated faith in God and in His promises. This is meant to emphasize the supremacy of faith over works as a basis for salvation, and to stress that righteousness by faith is not a brand new principle of the 1st century.
Perhaps most striking of all, we find throughout the Book of Hebrews a wonderfully drawn portrait of the Lord Jesus Christ, presented here in a unique and very powerful way. The entire message and argument of Hebrews, in fact, rests entirely upon the magnificence, superiority and preeminence of Christ. Ironically, the Jewish Messiah is “read back into” the lives of Jews who had made at least a tentative decision to believe in Him. The first four chapters of Hebrews is an absolutely magnificent description of the marvelous and matchless Christ, without who there would obviously be no reason to speak of grace and mercy over works, law and judgment.
Comments