1Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, a complaint arose from the Hellenists against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily service. 2The twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not appropriate for us to forsake the word of God and serve tables. 3Therefore, select from among you, brothers, seven men of good report, full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. 4But we will continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word.”
5These words pleased the whole multitude. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch, 6whom they set before the apostles. When they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
7The word of God increased and the number of the disciples greatly multiplied in Jerusalem. A great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
8Stephen, full of faith and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. 9But some of those who were of the synagogue called “The Libertines”, and of the Cyrenians, of the Alexandrians, and of those of Cilicia and Asia arose, disputing with Stephen. 10They weren’t able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. 11Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes, and came against him and seized him, then brought him in to the council, 13and set up false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking blasphemous words against this holy place and the law. 14For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs which Moses delivered to us.” 15All who sat in the council, fastening their eyes on him, saw his face like it was the face of an angel.
Hebrews is one of the most theologically profound books of the New Testament, masterfully bridging the Old and New Covenants. It presents Christ as both High Priest and God, fulfilling and surpassing the Levitical system. Its literary sophistication and doctrinal depth make it a cornerstone of Christian theology.
Though it proclaims the superiority of the New Covenant in Christ, Hebrews contains more Old Testament quotations, allusions, and references—proportionally—than any other New Testament book, even surpassing Romans and Matthew in intertextual depth. This remarkable density reflects the author’s profound grasp of God’s covenants with Abraham, Moses, and David, and reinforces his authority to declare how the New Covenant fulfills and surpasses the Old.
The authorship of the Book of Hebrews has been a subject of debate for centuries. The author does not explicitly identify himself in the text, which has led to various theories. Some of the most prominent suggestions are:
Paul: Many in the early church traditionally attributed Hebrews to the Apostle Paul due to the letter’s theological depth and focus on Christ as the High Priest. However, many modern scholars doubt Paul’s authorship for several reasons, including the style of his Greek, the lack of a typical Pauline greeting, and the absence of his usual references to his apostleship.
Barnabas: Some early church fathers, including Tertullian, proposed that Barnabas, a companion, might have written Hebrews. Barnabas was a Levite, which could account for the author’s deep appreciation of Jewish customs and priesthood.
Apollos: Martin Luther suggested Apollos, a learned man from Alexandria who was known for his eloquence and knowledge of the Scriptures, and as a potential author. The argument is based on the fact that the author of Hebrews demonstrates a profound understanding of Jewish Law, which fits with Apollos’ reputation as a learned, eloquent missionary (Acts 18:24-28; 1 Cor 3:5-6; Titus 3:13), as well as a profound knowledge of classical Greek.
Priscilla: Some scholars, including the early church theologian Origen, suggested that Priscilla, a prominent early Christian figure, could have written the book. This theory is less common but is considered due to the text’s lack of gender-specific references and the intellectual skill in explaining complex theology.
Unknown Author: There is no direct evidence to support authorship by any of these candidates. The most widely accepted view among modern scholars is that the author of Hebrews remains unknown. Despite Origen’s speculation about Priscilla as the author, he also wrote that “only God knows” who wrote the epistle. He acknowledged its canonicity, however, writing, “The church has received the book, and it is read in the churches.”
There are compelling reasons to believe that Paul composed the letter, with Luke serving as his scribe during Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome.
One key objection to Pauline authorship is Hebrews 2:3: “How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard.” Critics argue that this verse implies the author was not an eyewitness of Christ’s ministry, whereas Paul received direct revelation from the risen Jesus, who spoke with Paul seven times (Acts 9:4-6; 18:9-10; 22:7-8, 17-21; 18:9-10; 20:35; 23:11; 26:14-15; Galatians 1:11-12; 1 Cor 11:23; 2 Cor 12:9). However, Paul did interact with Jesus post-resurrection. This verse can, therefore, be interpreted as simply acknowledging Paul’s lack of firsthand experience with Christ before the resurrection, rather than excluding him as the author.
Paul’s letters consistently open with his name—yet Hebrews is anonymous. Why? One possible reason is Paul’s strained relationship with many of the Jews. Throughout Acts, Paul’s teachings led to controversy, riots, and rejection among Jews (Acts 21:27-36). If he had placed his name at the start of the letter to the Hebrews, Jewish readers opposed to Paul might have dismissed it before reading it. By leaving it anonymous, he allowed the message to stand on its own merits.
While Hebrews differs stylistically from Paul’s, this could be explained if Luke served as Paul’s scribe or translator:
Paul’s, that is, was written to people in response to specific events or questions; Hebrews is pure theology, and thus, it is understandable that its author would adopt a more formal rhetoric. This theory would account for both the Pauline thought and the Lukan Greek style.
Hebrews 13:24 states, “Those from Italy send you greetings.” This strongly suggests that the author wrote the letter from Rome. There is no evidence from the apostolic age claiming that Barnabas or Apollos ever went to Italy. Certainly, Priscilla and Aquila did, for they were originally from Italy (Acts 18:2), and in AD 54, Paul addressed his book of Romans to the believers there, including them (Rom 16:3-5). The greetings from Italy fit neatly with Paul’s first or second imprisonment in Rome, where Luke was present.
Given its themes of endurance under persecution and the superiority of Christ over the Mosaic Law, Hebrews aligns well with Paul’s concerns. If he were the author, this would be his fourteenth New Testament letter. (Three of his epistles—his first and third letters to Corinth and one to Laodicea—are lost.)
While Hebrews does not bear Paul’s name, its theological depth, connection to Timothy (see below), and alignment with Paul’s circumstances make it plausible that he conceived the letter, with Luke refining and writing it down.
Another subtle clue points to Paul: his self-identification as “Hebrew of Hebrews”(Phil 3:5), together with the linguistic pattern of the New Testament, which overwhelmingly refers to the people of Judea as “Jews” (190 times) or “Israel” (68 times). The term “Hebrews” appears only three times (Acts 6:1;2 Cor 11:22; Phil 3:5)—two of which are in Paul’s writings. This suggests that if Paul wrote Hebrews, he may have intentionally chosen the rare term “Hebrews” to address his Jewish audience in a distinct way.
Hebrews provides a key historical reference, mentioning Timothy’s release (Heb 13:23), suggesting Timothy was either imprisoned and then freed or “released” on a specific mission, probably by Paul. Hebrews states in four places that the Levitical priesthood was still active at the time of writing (Heb 7:8; 8:3-5; 9:6-9; 10:1-3), affirming that the book was written before AD 70 when the Roman general Titus destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple.
If the Temple had already been destroyed, the author could have made a compelling argument against reverting to Judaism—namely, that the entire sacrificial system had ceased to exist. Instead, the warnings against returning to the Old Covenant system imply that it was still an active and available option. Hebrews was thus written before the fall of Jerusalem on 10 Av, August 3, AD 70 (Josephus, The War of the Jews, 6:4:5).