Why Trust the Bible? - Part 3

References: (1) (i) Jesus claimed to be God in John 10:30. That claim is confirmed by 3 evidences: His sinless life, the fulfillment of OT prophecies about the Messiah, and the crowning evidence of His physical resurrection from the dead found in Rom. 1:4. (ii) Therefore, we must conclude that Jesus is, in fact, God. (iii) Thus, we know that what God teaches is true. (iv) Jesus, as God, taught the OT is the Word of God (John 17:17). What Jesus meant was the OT. (v) Therefore, the OT is the Word of God. (vi) Certainly, then, the OT is reliable and trustworthy. (2) Allow me to give a very brief but interesting way John Wesley proved the Bible to be from God and thus trustworthy. Premise 1: There are 3 ALTERNATIVES: the Bible must be the invention either of good men or angels; or of bad men or devils; or from God. Premise (2): It could not be the invention of good men or angels; for they neither would nor could make a book that tells lies all the time they were writing it, saying “Thus says the Lord,” if it was, in fact, their own invention. Premise (3): It could not be the invention of bad men or devils; for they would not make a book which commands duty, forbids sin, and condemns their souls to hell for all eternity. Conclusion (4): Therefore, the Bible must be given by divine inspiration. (3) In a world filled with skepticism, understanding the trustworthiness of the Bible is crucial for the Christian faith. Let’s explore other reasons why we can confidently rely on Scripture. Almost everyone will accept that Jesus was a very rare individual who could be trusted to speak the truth. Since Jesus said the OT was reliable and truthful, we can believe that. Moreover, His disciples wrote the NT. The authors of the gospels were either eyewitnesses themselves or they were reporting what eyewitnesses told them. Matthew and John were apostles chosen by Christ Himself (Matt. 10:1-3). John Mark is the author of the Gospel of Mark and was once a missionary companion of Paul and Barnabas [Acts 13:5]. We are told by the early church fathers that Mark recorded the words and experiences of the apostle Simon Peter. Luke, the physician for Paul, emphasizes his careful investigation and reliance on eyewitness accounts (Luke 1:1-4). Paul who met the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus wrote 13 epistles in the NT. James and Jude were brothers of Jesus. Only in the book of Hebrews do we not know clearly the author’s connection to Jesus. (4) What do we know about the author of Hebrews? (i) The author of Hebrews says that salvation was confirmed to the readers of Hebrews by those who heard the Lord (Heb. 2:3). The apostles are those who heard Him. So the author of Hebrews is not one of the 12 apostles. (ii) He wrote before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD (Chapters 7 and 8 of Hebrews). Thus, the author lived around the time of the 12 apostles. (iii) He was well-versed in the OT. (There were 98 citations in the book of Hebrews). (iv) He wrote in a more polished Greek rather than the other NT writers who wrote in the common Koine Greek. (v) He calls Timothy “our brother” (13:23). We see then that Timothy is not the author. (vi) He was in Italy when he wrote (13:24). (vii) Even though the author is doubtful among the scholars of our time, he was not unknown to the people to whom the letter was sent. The readers knew him well enough to accept this letter without him mentioning his name. There are at least 3 passages that show that the readers and the author are mutual acquaintances (10:34; 13:18; and 13:23). The passage 13:23 suggests they knew the author well but also that they knew his relationship with Timothy. Luke, Barnabas, and Apollos all fit these characteristics, and some bibles assert that Paul is the author of Hebrews, but that designation is not scripture itself but an indication of a scribal insertion. (5) Allow me to give additional points against Paul being the author of Hebrews. First, Paul’s writing in the 13 epistles attributed to him is in common, ordinary, everyday Koine Greek, while Hebrews is written in a more technical, refined Greek. Secondly, Paul called Timothy, “my son” or “my beloved son in the faith” (1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:2) while Hebrews refers to him as a “brother” or an associate. This difference in relational terminology suggests a different authorial voice. Third, the writing style, theology, and anonymity of the author of Hebrews contrast significantly with Paul’s known epistles. Paul always names himself in the opening salutation. It would be uncharacteristic for Paul, who was always eager to assert his apostolic authority when writing. Fourth, early church tradition was divided about attributing Hebrews to Paul. The early church Father Origen questioned Paul’s authorship. He famously said, “Who wrote the epistle, in truth, [only] God knows.” Fifth, there is a difference in theological emphasis. Paul emphasizes concepts like justification by faith and Christ as the “one Mediator between God and men, who gave Himself a RANSOM for all,” (1 Tim. 2:5-6), while Hebrews focuses on Christ as our High Priest, the superiority of the New Covenant, and a heavy use of OT typology — themes that are not central in Paul’s letters. The concept of Jesus as a High Priest is unique to Hebrews and is not found in Paul’s writings. Sixth, greater WARNINGS appear in Hebrews than Paul ever gave in his known epistles. (6) There are several possibilities as to who is the author of Hebrews might be. (i) The early church Fathers in the East attributed Hebrews to Paul. The author was certainly familiar with Paul’s own doctrine. Moreover, the author was familiar that Timothy [13:23] was Paul’s trusted companion. However, point 2 above shows that Paul always refers to Timothy as his “son in the Lord” and not merely as an associate [1 Tim. 1:2, 1:18; 2 Tim. 1:2; 2:1]. I think I have sufficiently proved that Paul is not the author of Hebrews. (ii) Luke. The evidence that could support Luke as author of Hebrews is Luke’s familiarity with the polished Greek in Hebrews. Luke having travelled with Paul in his missionary journeys, along with Silas and Timothy, and his exposure to Paul’s doctrine and his knowledge that Timothy was Paul’s trusted companion makes Luke a candidate for the author of Hebrews. (iii) Barnabas. The early church father Tertullion held that Barnabas was the author of Hebrews. The evidence is he was an associate of Timothy and he was a Levite (Acts 4:36) which would fit the emphasis in Hebrews. (iv) Apollos. The evidence for him being the author of Hebrews is the polished style of Greek fits his training; the OT quotes fit his emphasis, and the eloquence of Hebrews fit his oratorical skills (see Acts 18:24). (v) Apollos. The evidence for him being the author of Hebrews is the polished style of Greek fits his training; the OT quotes fit his emphasis, and the eloquence of Hebrews fit his oratorical skills (see Acts 18:24). (v) Priscilla and Aquila. Adolf Harnack promoted this view but it LACKS internal or eternal evidence. (vi) Priscilla and Aquila. Adolf Harnack promoted this view but it LACKS internal or eternal evidence. (vii) So it turns out that the most likely candidates for the author of Hebrews whose names ares listed in the NT is Luke, Barnabas, or Apollos. Of course, the author could be a person whose name is not listed in the NT. This is episode 246.