Bible Verse Lookup
The Letter to the Hebrews -
Introduction
Over time Paul the apostle * was thought to be the author, and this document was placed at the end of his collected letters. Paul, after all, was a prodigious letter writer; but scholars now agree that he did not write Hebrews, nor is it a genuine letter, except for a few features at its end ( 13.20–25 ). The content, style, and viewpoint are not those of Paul, but of a highly educated person familiar with Greek philosophy, the scriptures, and allegorical * logic. Hence the author is often compared to Philo * of Alexandria, who in the same century writes in a similar manner about Israelite matters. The audience is often thought to be Israelites living in exile because use of the scriptures as an argument and extensive discussion of the Jerusalem Temple * and cult are things that would make particular sense to those of Judean background. But scholars cannot be certain about identifying author, audience, or place of composition. The type of document seems to be a mixture of exhortation * and argument, but in a manner totally unlike other New Testament letters.
