Hebrews - Introduction

From 400 to 1600 AD the letter was known as Paul’s letter to the Hebrews. However, there is actually very little evidence that the letter was written by Paul, and it certainly does not claim to be written by him. The content and style of the letter is very different from Paul’s letters, and 2:3 seems to indicate that Paul could not have written the letter. There have been theories that Paul originally wrote the letter in Hebrew, but then Luke translated it into Greek.
The earliest indication of authorship comes from Tertullian in 200 AD saying that Barnabas was the author. The letter does indicate that the author had authority and had good understanding of Hebrew Christianity, Barnabas would fit these criteria. Martin Luther later suggested that Apollos was the author, and he too would fit the criteria. The long and the short of it is that we do not know who wrote it.
Whoever the author might be, the key things is that he had a deep understanding of the relationship between the old and new covenants.
The letter was almost certainly written before AD70, for there is no mention of the destruction of the temple, and given the nature of the letter it is likely that the author would have mentioned this.
The primary themes in the letter are:

• The supremacy of Christ
• The relationship between the old and new covenants.