1God, having in the past spoken to the fathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2has at the end of these days spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds. 3His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, who, when he had by himself purified us of our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4having become as much better than the angels as the more excellent name he has inherited is better than theirs. 5For to which of the angels did he say at any time,
“You are my Son.
Today I have become your father?”
and again,
“I will be to him a Father,
and he will be to me a Son?”
6When he again brings in the firstborn into the world he says, “Let all the angels of God worship him.” 7Of the angels he says,
“He makes his angels winds,
and his servants a flame of fire.”
8But of the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.
The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your Kingdom.
9You have loved righteousness and hated iniquity;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.”
10And,
“You, Lord, in the beginning, laid the foundation of the earth.
The heavens are the works of your hands.
11They will perish, but you continue.
They all will grow old like a garment does.
12You will roll them up like a mantle,
and they will be changed;
but you are the same.
Your years won’t fail.”
13But which of the angels has he told at any time,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet?”
14Aren’t they all serving spirits, sent out to do service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?
Hebrews stands as 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.
The authorship of Hebrews has been debated since antiquity. Tertullian attributed it to Barnabas, while other early scholars proposed Paul, Apollos, or Luke. The epistle’s refined Greek style rivals that of Luke’s Gospel and Acts, leading some to speculate that Hebrews may reflect Paul’s theology but was penned by Luke as his scribe—perhaps during Paul’s Roman imprisonment around AD 59, when Luke was with him completing the book of Acts.
Paul’s self-identification as a “Hebrew of Hebrews” (Philippians 3:5) is notable given the linguistic pattern of the New Testament, which refers to the people of Judea overwhelmingly 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.
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, it would be his fourteenth New Testament letter. Three of his epistles—his first and third letters to Corinth and one to Laodicea—are lost. However, since the author of Hebrews does not name himself, its authorship remains uncertain.
Hebrews provides a key historical reference, mentioning Timothy’s release (Hebrews 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 (Hebrews 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. This strongly suggests Hebrews was written before the fall of Jerusalem on 10 Av, August 3, AD 70 (Josephus, The War of the Jews, 6:4:5).