Sermon Tone Analysis
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Start Off By Reading the Introduction to Michael Whitworth’s “The Son’s Supremacy”
Our New Wednesday Night Study is Going to Be Over the Book of Hebrews
Hebrews is One of the Most Amazing Books in the Entire Bible
Definitely One of My Favorites
For Our First Lesson, We are Going to Do an Overview of the Book
Lord Willing, We Will Start Chapter 1 Next Wednesday
No Other NT Books Ties Together the OT With the Life of Jesus as Thoroughly as Hebrews
Walking Away From Hebrews, it Ought to Be Obvious to Us that Jesus Has Fulfilled the OT
Author
No One Really Knows for Sure Who Wrote Hebrews
That Already Makes Things Interesting
Let’s Speculate for a Few Minutes
For a Long Time, People Speculated that Paul was the Author
But Very Few People Seem to Believe that Anymore
There are Several Similarities But Also a Lot of Differences in the Writing Styles of Paul and the Author of Hebrews
Paul Typically Identified Himself at the Beginning and End of His Letters
Whether By Name or By Some Identifying Mark
This is Not Present in Hebrews
Hebrew’s Style and Vocabulary are Different From Paul’s
Paul Used “Christ Jesus” About 90 Times in His 13 Letters
It’s Not Used a Single Time in Hebrews
One of the Major Themes of Hebrews is the High Priesthood of Jesus…
And We Don’t Really See that in Paul’s Writings
The Writer of Hebrews Claims to Have Heard the Gospel From Others
Hebrews 2:3 (NASB)
how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?
After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard,
Paul Claimed to Have Received the Gospel By Revelation of Jesus
Galatians 1:11–12 (NASB)
For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.
For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
So it’s Definitely Not Paul
2 Likely Names that Have Been Suggested are:
Apollos
He was a Jew From Alexandria Who was Known for His Great Knowledge in the Scripture
Barnabas
He was a Levite and was Named “Son of Encouragement”
And Author of Hebrews Called His Writing a “Word of Encouragement”
Hebrews 13:22 (NASB)
But I urge you, brethren, bear with this word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly.
Some Other Names Include:
Luke
Peter
Jude
Stephen
Silas
Epaphras
Philip
Aquila
Clement of Rome
It Would Probably Be Easier to Make a List of NT Figures Who Haven’t Been Suggested to Be the Author of Hebrews
What Do We Know About the Author?
He Knew His Recipients
Hebrews 13:19 (NASB)
And I urge you all the more to do this, so that I may be restored to you the sooner.
The Author and His Recipients Knew Timothy
Hebrews 13:23 (NASB)
Take notice that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom, if he comes soon, I will see you.
The Author Was Most Likely Male
Because He Refers to Himself Using a First-Person Masculine Participle
He Passes On the Greetings of Those “From Italy”
Hebrews 13:24 (NASB)
Greet all of your leaders and all the saints.
Those from Italy greet you.
Was He in Italy Writing to a Church Somewhere Else?
Or Was He Writing Somewhere Else Accompanied By Italians and Writing to Those in Italy?
He was Likely a Hellenistic (Greek Speaking) Jew
When Quoting OT Scripture, He Would Predominantly Use the Septuagint (Greek OT)
And He Used Advanced Greek Rhetoric
He Uses 169 Greek Words that Occur Nowhere Else in the NT
And He Uses Another 100 Greek Words that Occur Only One Other Time in the NT
He was a Second-Generation Christian
As We Noted Earlier, He Received the Gospel From Others Who Received it From Jesus
All That Being Said, My Favorite Speculation of the Author of Hebrews is Timothy
There are Some Who Believe that Hebrews was Not Originally a Letter…
But a Sermon Preached By Timothy
And an Anonymous Author Copied it Down and Distributed it as an Epistle
Why Timothy?
It Would Make Sense of the Similarities and Differences With Paul’s Writings
Timothy was Raised in Greek Culture But Knew the OT Very Well
2 Timothy 3:15 (NASB)
and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Timothy was a Second-Generation Christian
The Letter Seems to End in Verse 21, But Then Verses 22-25 are Added On
Those Extra Verses Mention Timothy’s Release From Prison
All in All, We Don’t Know Who Wrote Hebrews
One of the Church Fathers (Origen - Died Around 254 AD) Said of the Author of Hebrews:
“Who actually wrote the epistle, only God knows.”
And That’s Okay
Title & Audience
Like with Paul’s Letters, We Get the Name of the Book From the Recipients Instead of the Author
When Paul Wrote Romans, Who was He Writing to?
What About 1 & 2 Corinthians?
What About 1 & 2 Timothy?
So Who was Hebrews Written to?
Hebrew People - Members of the Israelite Nation
But it’s Not Just to Hebrew People…
But Specifically to Hebrew Christians
Where Were These Jewish Christians From?
We Don’t Know
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