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Who Wrote the Book of Hebrews?

July 22, 2011

There is a question that has long plagued scholars concerning the book of Hebrews: who was its author? In determining an answer the methodology usually boils down to comparing the book to other known works or analyzing the internal evidence. Based on these observations “The idea of Pauline authorship of Hebrews is now almost universally abandoned.”[1]

Obviously, if the idea of Pauline authorship has been abandoned then the logical following question: who did write the book? “In antiquity, the names of Paul, Barnabas, Luke, and Clement of Rome were mentioned in certain church centers as the author of Hebrews. In current scholarship, Apollos, Silvanus, the deacon Philip, Priscilla and Aquila, Jude, Aristion.”[2]

These observations concerning the book of Hebrews are built on solid textual, linguistic, conceptual, and grammatical conclusions after extensively studying the book using a variety of methodological means.

However, they are wrong. They are built on faulty ideas about logic and errant human’s ability to correctly perceive elements concerning God’s Word without the aid of His Spirit and arrogantly relying on mere human reason.

Paul and Abraham really wrote the book of Hebrews. How do we know this? Because Todd Bentley traveled to the third heaven where Paul himself told him so. Yes, this is unprovable, but Todd said so, therefore, it must be true. Unless you are a materialist or post-Christian and have no faith whatsoever.

From Todd’s own site an article titled Face to Face in which he goes to heaven, meets Jesus and Paul, and Paul reveals the truth.

[begin]

I was taken right into the midst of the paradise of God.  Jesus came in the form of the son of man.  He had on an ephod that was the color of the earth, a tan or brown.  He had a golden sash and sandals and curly hair that hung to His shoulders.  He also wore a purple or blue robe.  I looked right into His eyes.  They were so brown like those of a deer.  I felt like I could go right into His eyes.  They were like doves’ eyes, or milky almonds.  He had a short beard.

I could see into heaven at a distance that seemed twenty or thirty miles.  I saw the tree of life at a distance.  I wanted to go there and eat from it.  As quickly as I had the thought, I was there.  Communication in heaven takes place by thought.  Everything is open and transparent, nothing is hidden.

I saw a bridge and a small flowing river.  I wanted to be on the bridge and as soon as I had the thought, I was there.  Nothing dies in heaven.  When I stepped on grass, it would spring right back up.  Everything is full of life.  The grass seemed so full of life that when I looked at it, I thought it was going to speak to me.  I was sitting on the bridge when Paul appeared.  He was a small man and he sat down next to me.  He was holding a blank scroll and a pen, something like a quill.  As he would write he said “Eat this.”  I began to eat, but realized I wasn’t eating through my mouth but by my belly.  At a distance I could see Abraham and David.

Paul took me to his house, which was a cabin.  Wall to wall was books, scrolls, diaries.  I saw every book of the Bible and also Paul’s journals.  He said, “Not everything is in the Bible, Todd.”  All of my revelation is based on the Bible.  He didn’t give me anything new.  He took the book of Titus and said, “You need to eat this.”  He stuffed the scroll down my throat.  I said, “Why do I need to eat this?” He said, “Because it is my apostolic son in the faith. I want you to get an impartation of what it really means to be an apostle, to have sons and daughters, what it really means to be a son.” And we spoke more about the apostolic that is coming.

We were in a room which was round in shape.  I asked, “What happens in this room?” It didn’t seem large enough to fit more than twelve people.  He said, “This is a room where I teach people who died prematurely and are in heaven today.”  He then took down another scroll which was 1 Corinthians chapter 2.  He said, “Eat this.” I said, “Why do you want me to eat this?” He said, “Because this is what I am breathing on in this hour.” And he spoke more to me about a supernatural faith, Gospel and experience.

He gave me one last book, which was Hebrews.  I ate the book and then he told me who authored it.  He explained that he in fact wrote the book but left it unclear because some of its content was given to him by supernatural visitation from Abraham.

[end]

So there you have it. Throw away your human commentaries relying on ‘learning’ and ‘logic’, and rely on the wonderful unseen revelation of the true truth: Paul and Abraham wrote Hebrews!

In addition, 2 Tim 3:16 tells us “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching,” but now we know that not only is Scripture “God-breathed” according to Bentley it is now “Paul-breathed.” So instead of theopneustos (God-breathed) we now have, um, paulpneustos? I guess so. Paul told Bentley himself, and because there is simply no way that we could demonstrate that this didn’t happen, therefore, it must be true!

************************************

[1] Paul Ellingworth, The Epistle to the Hebrews : A Commentary on the Greek Text, 2-3 (Grand Rapids, Mich.; Carlisle [England: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press, 1993), 2.

[2] William L. Lane, vol. 47A, Word Biblical Commentary : Hebrews 1-8, Word Biblical Commentary, xlix (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 2002), xlix.

23 Comments leave one →
  1. July 22, 2011 10:22 am

    Paul lives in a cabin?

    If you’re going to fake a vision, why make the Apostle Paul a western woodsman?

    • July 22, 2011 11:54 am

      I was thinking the same thing. Shouldn’t he be in a tent?

    • Paul D. permalink
      July 22, 2011 6:50 pm

      Todd was probably subconsciously thinking about Paul Bunyan instead of Paul of Tarsus. It’s easy to do when you’re just making stuff up.

  2. Chris E permalink
    July 22, 2011 11:19 am

    Of course, even amongst those whose testimony that Peter advances as evidence, there is some disagreement whether going to heaven is possible 😉

    • Chris E permalink
      July 22, 2011 2:03 pm

      Apologies for subjecting people to 10 minutes of Benny Hinn in the first clip, apparently posting a url that jumps to a particular point in a youtube video doesn’t work on here. Listen around 9.20 in the first clip. The second is then self explanatory.

    • July 23, 2011 1:14 pm

      Chris, I hope you are not referring to me in this comment. If you are, you are misrepresenting me.

      • Chris E permalink
        July 23, 2011 1:57 pm

        Which one of your views am I misrepresenting? You are quite clear on your blog that both Todd Bentley and Benny Hinn are to be taken seriously in what they say. You have also supported Todd Bentley’s claim to go to the third heaven. It seems from the video evidence that Hinn would not accept this claim – though a number of years ago he himself claimed similar experiences.

        • July 23, 2011 3:02 pm

          Chris, I think if anyone claims to witnessed an unusual act such as a miraculous healing, their testimony ought to be taken seriously. Of course it takes far more than a single testimony to prove a matter. But what has this to do with the authorship of Hebrews?

          • Chris E permalink
            July 24, 2011 2:51 am

            “But what has this to do with the authorship of Hebrews?”

            I can only assume you didn’t read the post. It’s during his alleged visit to heaven that Todd Bentley (the one you take seriously) claims to have had the authorship of Hebrews revealed to him.

  3. July 22, 2011 1:56 pm

    First he’s eating through his belly and later the apostle jams a scroll down his throat? And heaven still uses ancient scrolls but at least has updated the hardware in the writing utensil department? He could at least have asked Paul where Harold Camping made his calculation mistake and give us the right date when we will be snatched away from this evil forbidden Apple iPhone/pad/pod infested world!

    • 4xi0m permalink
      July 22, 2011 3:17 pm

      Plus you’d think the Lord’s fashion sense would be a bit more transcendent, or at least updated from first-century-BC-middle-east by now, but he’s still wearing an ephod and a robe and sandals.

      Wait…a robe?!?!? Steven Anderson WILL NOT BE PLEASED!!!

  4. July 22, 2011 2:00 pm

    Poor Paul! Even in heaven he’s still short!

  5. July 22, 2011 2:07 pm

    When I say “updated”, that’s a very relative term of course since quills go back as far as the 6th century.

  6. Headless Unicorn Guy permalink
    July 22, 2011 4:26 pm

    Tatted Todd (and his Pet Angel Emma) strike again…
    SHEEKA-BOOM-BAH! BAM!!!!!

  7. July 22, 2011 10:10 pm

    Oh geee, just when he was going to one-up Benny the clip stops.

  8. July 23, 2011 7:07 pm

    This Todd clown has to be writing satire. Nothing inspired could be so bad.

  9. July 23, 2011 7:15 pm

    Scott, I got around to your bio, and I’m impressed, being a passionate hockey fan. I haven’t been here that long, but you must feel good about your Bs. I didn’t think they were good enough to taste the Stanley Pie, as were beaten pretty well by a middle-of-the-pack Rangers team during the season and ha no real offensive standout without Savard. But they persisted and never lost focus.

    My team is the Rangers. I can still remember Espo and Vadnias for Park and Ratelle, and still shake my head over the Hodge for Middleton deal. Nothing more exciting in the sporting world than an OT playoff goal.

  10. July 24, 2011 5:03 am

    Chris,

    Peter has a long history of not reading, misreading, or completely misunderstanding posts and comments. Combine that with, in my opinion, an inability to admit to error, and you are wasting your breath trying to talk sense to the man.

    • Chris E permalink
      July 24, 2011 12:17 pm

      Scott –

      I consider it a gift that keeps on giving.

  11. A mother permalink
    July 29, 2012 7:42 pm

    My son worked for Todd Bentley for many years. Trust me when I tell you this man is not what he appears to be and that experience turned my faithful Christian son off of church and Christians for life, it would seem. My son is wise and very intelligent. He is a deep thinker. He still has his faith but he now scorns most Christians and what he perceives as a total false front to hide a lot of evil. Thanks Todd. You destroyed my son as I knew him.

    And this ‘visitation’ is garbage.

Trackbacks

  1. Who Wrote the Book of Hebrews? (via Scotteriology) | Theological Musings
  2. August 2011 Biblical Studies Carnival « Daniel O. McClellan
  3. August 2011 Biblical Studies Carnival « Daniel O. McClellan

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