Epistle to the Hebrews

Chapter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 When starting to explain this letter, we must first resolve one puzzling question: why did Paul not write his name in this letter, as in all his letters? Then, there are those who say that this epistle was not written by Paul at all. Firstly, (they claim this) because he did not write his name in the message, as in his other messages. Secondly, because the image of the external presentation in this epistle is not similar to other epistles of the apostle. And since the manner in which this epistle is presented is similar to Clement’s, they say that this epistle belongs to Clement, and not to Paul. Others argue that Paul himself wrote the epistle, but for the sake of the enmity and hatred of the Jews towards him, he completely hid his name, so that this name written at the beginning of the epistle would not turn them away from reading it, and they would not be deprived of the great benefit that lies in an epistle filled with convictions (in the truth). They say that (the apostle) wrote this epistle in Hebrew, and not in Greek. Since Clement translated it from Hebrew into Greek, then by the way of speech (and external presentation) it was considered Clement’s, although it did not belong to him. As for the reason why the apostle did not write his name in that epistle, they agree with the opinion of others that he did not write because of the enmity of the Jews, which they had against him. I believe that the two sayings written by Paul at the end of this letter resolve both doubts caused by the beginning of the letter. This is exactly what he writes: “Know... I am your brother Timothy, whom I sent, that I might come to you quickly” (Heb. 13:23). In addition, once or twice (Heb. 13:23, 19) he adds: “if... she comes quickly, I... with him... will come quickly.” From this it is clear that he sent this message to people close to him. And if he sent to his loved ones, then we ask: why did he hide his name before them, when he did not do this in the epistles written to the Galatians, to the Corinthians and to his relatives whom he saw, just as he did not do anything like this in the epistles to the Romans and to others whom he did not see? However, although we have briefly proven that he wrote this message to close people, we will also provide some more evidence. Listen to what the apostle himself says in his letter to the Hebrews: “Remember,” he says, “the former days in which you were baptized, - in which you ... endured many sufferings and struggles, sometimes reproaches and sorrows and (persecutions); moreover,” he says, “you accepted the theft of your property with joy and joy, because you knew for sure that ... better things than these are prepared for in heaven.” you, who remain even for ever” (Heb. 10:32-34). So, if he could write this only to the Jews, his listeners (that is, believers), and not to those who stubbornly kept within themselves the malice of the crucifiers, then why didn’t he write his name in this letter, as he wrote it at the beginning of the letter to all the pagans? Maybe there were still apostles there then. And since they received the command to be apostles to the circumcision, just as he himself had the power of apostleship to the pagans, therefore the apostle himself did not want to give his name to them, since he was not sent to them. Meanwhile, they too were in a great struggle and endured a difficult struggle for the Gospel. So, it was hard for them to see the church, which was still standing, and the performance of sacred rites, which continued decorously and decorously; in addition, they were subjected to persecution and theft of their estates; Moreover, the apostle knew from the law itself about the abolition of the priesthood, as well as their sacrifices and services, which they then continued to perform and which with their external splendor captivated ordinary people. Since he knew that although in everything else he was equal to the apostles - his comrades, yet in glory he was stronger than his comrades, then, omitting his name, he directed his teaching to those (Jewish Christians); so that by omitting his name he reveals his humility, and in his revelation of Christian teaching his guardianship is revealed. In addition, although the leaders of the Jews were perfect, they became unstable in relation to their disciples and together with them. So Paul himself, when he came there (to Jerusalem), did the same thing, for example: he performed cleansing and offered a sacrifice for his cleansing, as evidenced in the Acts of the twelve apostles (Acts 21:26-27). So, since Paul saw that the disciples forced their mentors to be unstable with them (the disciples), he does not touch (and leaves) the mentors who were perfect, and directs his message specifically to their imperfect disciples. Just as Paul himself once felt the need for the writings of the Jerusalem apostles to be sent through Judas and Silas to the pagans, among whom the circumcised were found and troubled them (Acts 15:1, 22), so he himself, because of the disciples of the apostles, wrote this letter, because the apostles themselves were afraid to preach and speak openly in that country. And not because they were afraid of the crucifiers themselves, but they feared for their disciples, so that with the abolition of circumcision and other things, as they were taught, the disciples would not depart from the Gospel, and from the true and perfect law they would not again turn to the former law (Mosaic). In the same way, when Peter came to Antioch, Paul did not touch those who did not act directly with him according to the truth of the Gospel, but considered it necessary to exhort Peter himself and talk with him about perfection, so that through Peter those who walked with Peter would hear (Gal. 2:11-14). So, just as he taught through words about the abolition of the law when he was present in person, so with his message he wanted to convince and persuade those who were far from him. And perhaps, after they heeded his word in Antioch, when he was near them, he sent to attract those who still did not obey their mentors. Therefore, bypassing the mentors, he writes to the disciples, so that the apostles would have the opportunity to answer that (Paul) did not write to them, and so that they (the apostles) could not be suspected of having themselves written to him for the purpose of having him answer them. He hides and conceals his name, firstly, out of his humility, as I said, and then for the purpose of not calling himself an apostle over the Jews, since neither they were his disciples, nor he was sent to them. So, so that he would not be ridiculed, and the crucifiers would not say: “Here is Saul among the apostles,” 1 - he omits his name, and to those who considered the Son, the Lord of Angels, to be an Archangel, he writes a letter from Italy (Heb. 13:24), which begins like this: An allusion to 1 Samuel 19:24: “Therefore they say, Is Saul also a prophet?” You might be interested in: