The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Hebrews 1:1-4, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,
2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.
3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
4 having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.”

It’s too long a story to share here regarding how I entered the
teaching arena. I never wanted to be a teacher (at least, that’s what I always said); yet my mother was a teacher and her father before her was a teacher. It must have been inate with me!

I clearly remember the rousing debate in my New Testament class
at Northeastern Bible College in New Jersey. There were half a dozen students, who differed viciously on the authorship of the Letter to the Hebrews. (The school is no longer there, and I emphatically deny that class debate as having to do anything with the school’s demise!)

Of the 27 books of the New Testament, only one carries no name of its author. It is the Letter to the Hebrews. As wild animals fight each other for food, even when it lacks scarcity, so biblical commentators and New Testament scholars struggle and fuss over the authorship of Hebrews. Many ancient biblical scholars attributed the authorship to Paul. While the presence of antiquity is not to be excluded, it must be admitted that antiquity itself is little, if any, actual proof of authorship.

As there is nothing like joining the fray, I have thoroughly searched everything that might serve as a help to the answer to the letter’s authorship. Four aspects, each supportive of Pauline writing, have convinced me of his authorship; and I humbly set them forth for your consideration.

1.When Saul of Tarsus was converted to Christ on the Road to Damascus (Acts 9), he suffered a temporary loss of his eyesight. The result of that loss, while temporary, may have been a reason that he later three times sought the LORD to free him from what he termed a “thorn in the flesh” (II Cor. 12:8). Simultaneous to Saul’s conversion, the LORD tapped Ananias, himself a spiritual convert, to attend to Paul’s need of vision and also instruct him regarding the nature of events forthcoming in his life: “…the Lord said to Ananias, ‘…he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.’” (Acts 9:15-16).

While Paul’s ministry was almost exclusively to the Gentiles, the inclusion of “the sons of Israel” in Ananias’ instructions to Paul (Acts 9:10ff) permits him to minister to the Jews as well as to the Gentiles. Therefore, Paul could well have authored the Letter to the Hebrews.

2.In the final chapter (the 13th) of the Letter to the Hebrews, verse 23 mentions “our brother Timothy.” Timothy is mentioned six times in the Acts of the Apostles, each mention includes a notation of Paul. Further, Timothy is mentioned once in Romans, twice in First Corinthians, and twice in Second Corinthians, twice in Philemon, once in Colossians, three times in First Thessalonians, once in Second Thessalonians, three times in First Timothy, once in Second Timothy, and once in Philemon. All of these letters are unquestionably authored by Paul.

3.In all, Paul wrote 14 letters (including Hebrews) in the New Testament. The closing salutations in 12 of his letters (excluding Colossians and Titus) mention Timothy. This argument speaks for Paul as the author of Hebrews.

4.Hebrew’s conclusion (13:24) also notes that the author is in Italy, the very place where Paul spent his last days on earth.

There are clear answers to all the questions we have concerning the Bible. What’s more, they are found in the Bible itself. We have but to search the Scriptures. Jesus said, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me…” (John 5:39). Just keep searching!
Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom