I'll start with these two questions:
*Who do you think wrote it? (I am not looking for debates on this, just your honest opinion and why, then leave it at that, thanks!)
*Who do you think it is written to?
1.
Who do you think wrote it? I am strongly inclined to think that Paul wrote this letter but of course cannot prove it 100%. Paul was called not only as an apostle to the Gentiles (which we see the most of in the NT) but also to the Jews: "
he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel"
(Acts 9:15). It may not have bore his name on it because the name of Paul, formerly Saul, may have struck terror or suspicion into the hearts of early Christians in Israel whom he formerly persecuted and was cursed by Jews who most likely saw him as a heretic and traitor to the Jewish faith.
Many of the author's concerns and themes are similar to Paul's and also is consistent with Paul's exposition of OT Scripture.
The only legitimate objection I have seen to the possibility of the author being Paul is adduced from the verse that says "
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"
(Hebrews 2:3) with the essential argument being that Paul in Galatians said that he learned the Gospel from no man, and rather was by divine revelation only, thus never had it "confirmed" to him by those who heard Jesus in person. The weight lays on how much this statement is supposed to reflect on the author himself in his relating with the audience. Paul after his 3 years in Arabia
did consult with some of the Apostles shortly, and could be generalizing for the audience at any rate, however this
is a possible consideration for the author not being Paul.
Some traditions say that Barnabas wrote it but I have a hard time accepting that, knowing that several pseudonymous books were later written under the name of Barnabas also, and it just doesn't seem to fit for some reason. A more attractive alternative, and one that scholars are supposedly increasingly prefering and favoring is that the author was Apollos, and in that case this letter would be a wonderful proof of his eloquence and skill in Scripture, of which Acts says about him, "
Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus.... he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ" (Acts 18:24, 28). I think that Apollos is a satisfactory alternative if Paul is not the author.
2.
Who was it written to? It does indeed appear to be directed to a believing Jewish audience. Some unbelieving Jews/Israelites or those who had heard the Gospel/wanted to hear more about it
may have been among them but the whole of the letter is directed at
believing Jews/Israelites. That being said, since Gentiles are spiritual Israelites the fact that it may have been directed at Jewish Christians does not negate its usefulness in instructing the Gentile believer as well. There are universal Christian commands at the end of Hebrews that would not apply to only Jewish Christians at any rate
(Hebrews 13:1-6). So this book is for the believer in general in its Scriptural legacy for generations other than the contemporary one to whom it was immediately written.
Those are my thoughts. Feel free to comment.
God Bless,
Josh
