Take Me to The Woodshed O Lord

The human author of Hebrews has always been, and remains to this day, unknown. The Authorized Version of the Bible has as its author the Apostle Paul. The Revised Version and later versions correct this and simply entitle it the Epistle to the Hebrews. The late Dr. J. Vernon McGee in his thesis on Hebrews attempted to prove Paul as the human author. Neither John Calvin nor Martin Luther accepted Paul's authorship. On the other hand, there remains today some who are unyeilding in that Paul is its author. Personally, I do not think Paul was the author since He was the apostle to the Gentiles, and Hebrews was written to Hebrew believers. He had his work cut out for him dealing with them. Personally, and I have never heard anyone say this but, I believe that God Himself penned Hebrews. He did not need a human pen. The Bible records instances of God's handwriting. Remember Him writing on the wall in Daniel 5:5; in the sand in John 8:6, and in Exodus 31:18 the two tablets of stone were written with the finger of God.

Regardless of its author, what is known, is that the subject of Hebrews is the Messiah, Jesus Christ. It is called Hebrews because Hebrew Believers, or Messianic Jews, were its exclusive members, and to them it was written.

There are two views as to who these Hebrew brethren were. One teaching is that they were saved people and the letter was written to them warning of the danger of falling from grace and finally losing their salvation. This belief is held by the Arminian school of theologians and based on chapters six and ten. It is not widely accepted by Messianic Judaism nor by Fundamental Gentile believers.

The second interpretation is that the people spoken to in the letter are not truly born-again believers, but only professing Christians, who had come part way to the knowledge of Christ and stopped going forward to actually being saved Christians. This view is held by the Calvinistic school of interpretation as stated in the Scofield Reference Bible notes, on page 1295.

Which of the two is correct? Both cannot be right. The answer cannot be found in isolated passages. The entire teaching of Hebrews must be considered to understand verses six and ten. The correct interpretation of the book hinges on the answer to two questions: Were the people spoken to believers or unbelievers? Were they saved or lost? Now, people cannot be half saved and half lost. They have to be one or the other. Common sense alone answers the question if it is taken to its logical conclusion. They are not like a glass of water to answer that age old question-- is the glass half empty or half full?

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