How are we to describe this document? Is it a letter, a sermon or a thesis? It begins like no other letter in the New Testament begins (which is a reason for suspecting that Paul was not the author!), it continues like a sermon, and it concludes like a letter.
Hebrews 1:1 opens in the style of a thesis or essay. ‘God spoke.’ Hebrews 2:1 reveals the sermon style. ‘We ought to give the more earnest attention to the things which we have heard.’ Hebrews 13:23 concludes like a letter. ‘You should understand that our brother Timothy has been set at liberty.’
What is the correct title? The oldest known title for the document is, simply, ‘To Hebrews’. (About the middle of the 2nd century). Therefore, it was written for Hebrew Christians.
Since it is generally agreed that it was written about 65 A.D., we can answer this question in a fairly satisfactory manner.
1. Thirty years or more after Pentecost, the novelty of The Faith had worn off.
2. Some of them may possibly have expected an early return of the Lord, in which case they were again disappointed.
3. The end of the old religion is nowhere in sight; the temple was still standing.
Under these circumstances, it is not surprising that some of them had begun to wonder if they had not been over-hasty, perhaps even made a terrible mistake in becoming Christians.
Maybe they had lost more than they had gained. It was written to discourage such negative thinking and to reveal that the old religion is decayed and lifeless because its purpose has been fulfilled.
The author of the book is unknown, but is well-versed in Old Testament history. Although some suggest that the apostle Paul wrote it, this is highly unlikely. Notice what the writer says in Hebrews 2:3, ‘This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.’ This implies it’s not speaking about the apostle Paul because he heard directly from the Lord.
Cargill, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Hebrews 2:3 indicates that Paul was not the author of the book, because the writer says that he received the gospel second-hand, from those who heard the Lord himself.’
It is generally agreed that it was written about 65 A.D.
The main theme of the letter, therefore, is ‘the supremacy of Christ and the superiority of the new over the old.’ The keyword is ‘better’, which occurs thirteen times and is rendered ‘better’ in K.J.V. and ‘superior’ in R.S.V.
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