Authorship of Hebrews
Even during the early part of church history, there was a split between the western and eastern Roman Empire regarding who the true author of Hebrews was. The authorship debate was and is important because it will determine whether the book is canonical. Within the Western Roman Empire, Hebrews was quoted or reiterated in the writings of Clement of Rome, Polycarp, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Gaius of Rome, and Hippolytus. Out of all of these men, the only one who suggested an author was Tertullian, and he attributed this letter to Barnabas.[1]
In the East, there was a different view on authorship. Pantaenus and his successor, Clement of Alexandria, viewed the Apostle Paul as the author.[2] Although they believe it is a Pauline letter, they realize that the introduction and writing style differ from any other of Paul’s letters. Pantaenus claimed that Paul started this letter like he did because he considered himself the apostle to the Gentiles, but the Lord was the apostle to the Jews.[3] On the other hand, Clement of Alexandria stated that Paul left his name out of the introduction so that he would not offend the Jews. Clement also suggests that the writing style differed from Paul’s because Paul wrote the letter in Hebrew while Luke translated it into Greek.[4]
Clement’s successor, Origen, does not hold to the same tradition that Pantaenus and Clement did but rather brings up two other possible candidates, Clement of Rome and Luke.[5] To prove his point, he pointed out that he believed the thoughts found within Hebrews were Paul’s thoughts, but the way it was written was from someone who remembered Paul’s teaching. He continued to point out that some who had gone on before him claimed that Clement of Rome or Luke were possible authors of Hebrews. Later in church history, Martin Luther, being dissatisfied with any other candidate, proposed that Apollos was the author of Hebrews. He believed that the description of Apollos in Acts 18:24-19:1 fits the description of the man who wrote Hebrews.[6]
If this author had to decide and defend his belief in the authorship of Hebrews, he would be torn between Barnabas and Apollos. First of all, it seems very unlikely that he is the author of Hebrews because of the drastic difference between the writing styles and his normal introductions, so Barnabas and Apollos seem to be the best candidates. Barnabas is a strong contender because he had the Jewish background and understanding to write a book like this since he was a Levite, and much of the book uses priestly imagery. On the other hand, Apollos is a likely candidate because of his description in Acts 18:24-19:1, calling him a learned man and having a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. But one thing is obvious: whoever wrote the Book of Hebrews had a firm grasp of the Scriptures and understood Jewish traditions.
