The Epistle to the Hebrews

The Epistle to the Hebrews is anonymous: unlike Paul’s letters, it opens with no signature. Tradition long ranked it among his fourteen epistles, and this is why it stands here; but its polished language and its own thought led, from the first centuries, to the thought of another hand, perhaps a disciple of Paul. The author remains unknown. What the Church holds firmly is that this text is the inspired word of God. This also explains its form. Hebrews is less a letter than a sermon: the author himself calls it a “word of exhortation” Hebrews 13:22, an address preached and then sent, which accounts for its opening with no greeting, while it ends like a letter.

Not to go back

The letter is addressed to Christians come from Judaism, tempted, under persecution, to return to the religion of their fathers. The letter speaks of the Temple worship as a service still going on, the priests offering their sacrifices day after day: it was therefore written while the Temple still stood, before its destruction by the Romans in 70. The shadow was about to vanish of itself, which gave the warning all its urgency. Against this danger, the author sets a single demonstration, pursued from end to end: Christ is greater than all that preceded him, the angels, Moses, the priests, the sacrifices. To go back would be to leave the reality for its shadow. The demonstration begins from the top. The Son is shown first above the angels, who are only servants and worship him: “Let all God’s angels bow down before him.” Hebrews 1:6 Then above Moses: Moses was faithful in God’s house as a servant, Christ is so as the Son who is over the house. “Christ is faithful as a son, over his own house.” Hebrews 3:6 The angels and Moses served; the Son possesses.

God has spoken by his Son

From the first words, all is said. After speaking little by little through the prophets, God has said his last word in his Son, through whom he made the world and to whom he has given all: “In the past God spoke to our fathers through the prophets, at many times and in many ways; but in these days, which are the last, he has spoken to us through the Son.” Hebrews 1:1-2 The Son is not one more prophet: he is the very Word of God, his last and definitive language.