The epistle to the Hebrews was written to the "twelve tribes instantly serving God" and hoping; especially such as were Israelites indeed and had accepted Christ: it is applicable therefore also to all those who from among the Gentiles have been grafted into the promises of God to Abraham, by union with Christ, the true, faithful "Seed." R2085:6

To appreciate the necessity for the book of Hebrews, we must mentally take our stand back in apostolic days and get our bearings as though we were living there under those conditions. The question of the Law Covenant was a burning question in the early Church, not only with the Hebrews, but also with the Gentiles. It seemed impossible, especially for the former, to learn that the Law Covenant was not necessary and that a Gentile could really have access to the Abrahamic Covenant through Christ easier than could a Jew. It was to counteract this powerful error of that day that St. Paul wrote the epistle to the Hebrews. It certainly has been a valuable epistle to the Gentiles, but it was written specially to the Hebrews, and because of their tenacious adherence to the Law Covenant, from the dominating influence of which they seemed not to be able to free themselves. The epistle to the Hebrews was written to prove that a totally new dispensation of grace, and not of works, had been ushered in through Jesus at Pentecost. R4510[R4510:128]

Paul, or whoever wrote this epistle, addressed it to the Church. It seems peculiarly adapted to converted Jews, who were familiar with the writings of the Old Testament. We have in this epistle some of the most earnest exhortations to be faithful to the Lord, and the very best reasons and motives given for our encouragement. R78:2

No signature is attached to the book of Hebrews, nor does the writer of it in any way identify himself, except as we see in its style, close reasoning, deep penetration, and wide knowledge of the divine plan, strong evidence that it was written by the Apostle Paul. Who but he could have written it? It is not addressed to Jews, as if with the intention of converting those who did not believe in Christ--but to the Hebrews--to those who were the children of Abraham according to the flesh, but who had accepted Christ. The Apostle would strengthen and establish the faith of these (and indirectly of all others who would come to a similar knowledge of God's dealings with Israel). In this epistle he seeks to show that, so far from the new dispensation repudiating the old one, it was merely an advance step which was being taken because its due time had come. The Jewish system was not being repudiated as a divine institution, but was being established as such, everything in the new dispensation having an analogy to the things in the old one, but on a higher plane. R2821:2, 3

Who wrote the Book of Hebrews? - R2821

References for Vss. 1-2: R2407, 4092 (The Voice of the Lord), R5186 (Humility an Element of True Courage), 1386 (The Bride, the Lamb�s Wife), E38.2

Verse 1

�God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,�

Verse 3 References: A211:1; B108:1; R4667

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