Today we are going to look at some reasons why Apollos wrote Hebrews but not Paul. We also need to remember that in theology it is within a Pauline school of theology but written in a High Alexandrian Greek style (Philonic style).
We then move on to look at some of the ethical material in chapter 13 namely the first four verses.
Background to Hebrews 13
We have shown and proven using probability that Apollos is the most likely contender as the writer of the book of Hebrews. Some have argued that the style in chapter 13 has changed. Yes, the style has changed to being more Pauline like. Perhaps the reason for this is that Apollos was part of this Pauline school. Throughout the whole of this letter, we have come across Pauline ideas, and this should not be a surprise. Apollos in this last section switches to giving advice on how believers ought to live. In Orthodox traditions Apollos was one of the seventy elders and he was bishop sometime in Corinth. He may also have been Bishop at Izmir (Smyrna), Caesarea (An archaeological site between Tel Aviv and Haifa) and other places. Some have also contended that Paul must have written this letter because Timothy is mentioned:
When Paul is writing formally to other churches, he has in a couple of places written ‘our brother’. However, in other places (more informal perhaps at the end of letters or to Timothy Himself) he calls him his child or son. There are about 23 references to Timothy in the New Testament
Take notice that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom, if he comes soon, I will see you. Hebrews 13:23
This to me would not make sense because Paul usually refers intimately about Timothy more like a ‘son’ than a brother! Having said that the Church had a special place for Timothy in their affections. He indeed was a special brother, and it was not unusual for Timothy to team up with Paul or Silas. There are possibly many instances of Timothy teaming up with other members of the Church. The writings we have are a snapshot of what was going on. Below are some references to Timothy:
For this reason, I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church. 1 Corinthians 4:17
Timothy my fellow worker greets you, and so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.
Romans 16:21
10 Now if Timothy comes, see that he is with you without cause to be afraid, for he is doing the Lord’s work, as I also am. 1 Corinthians 16:10
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
To the church of God which is at Corinth with all the saints who are throughout Achaia:
2 Corinthians 1:1
Bibliography
Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges; THE EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE HEBREWS; VEN. F. W. FARRAR, D.D., F.R.S.; Farrar, F. W. (1893). The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews, With Notes and Introduction (p. iii). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; Logos.com
(The introduction in the above commentary explains a lot how Apollos could have been the writer and the evidence is very compelling that Apollos wrote it. Farrar also shows how the Pauline ideas are found in the book of Hebrews but it has an Alexandrian and Philonic style, this includes his vocabulary and choice of words.)
Summary
The writer of Hebrews was a man who was from the school of Paul. At the same times he was a writer that wrote in an Alexandrian style. His style in the Scriptures is pure originality and we can be grateful to have such a masterpiece of writing in the New Testament. According to tradition he was one of the seventy elders, and this gave him God’s authority to command the Church to live godly lives.
COMMENTARY
Let’s read the first six verses:
Let love of the brethren continue. 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. 3 Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body. 4 Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. 5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,” 6 so that we confidently say,
“THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID.
WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?”
Verse 1
Let love of the brethren continue.
The word used here is φιλαδελφία (Philadelphia). It is brotherly love. Brotherly love happens within the family (God’s people the Church). This word is not the same one as used in love of neighbour by Jesus:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Matthew 5:43-47
In this section Jesus uses the word ἀγαπάω (agapaō). Basically, Jesus commands us to love everyone. When Jesus preached, he preached in public to everyone. The situation of Hebrews is different in the sense that this letter was only addressed to a close-knit congregation (s). Then again Jesus uses agapaō in the High Priestly prayer:
I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. John 17:23
I am not making any deeply theological statements here, but I am saying that in the Greek language they use a variety of words for love whereas in English we use one word to cover a plethora of meanings.
Verse 2
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.
Obviously, Apollos is referring to this situation:
Now the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day. 2 When he lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth, 3 and said, “My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please do not pass Your servant by. 4 Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree; 5 and I will bring a piece of bread, that you may refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since you have visited your servant.” And they said, “So do, as you have said.” 6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quickly, prepare three measures of fine flour, knead it and make bread cakes.” 7 Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and choice calf and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it. 8 He took curds and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and placed it before them; and he was standing by them under the tree as they ate. Genesis 18:1-8
So, the key words are love and hospitality. Hospitality is something that believers should just do and it is even commanded as it is here. Apollos goes a stage further that we ought to think about ‘strangers’. We do not know who they are but it may be that they need help. Perhaps they don’t even have any food and are hungry. How far would we go out of our way to help some one who is in need? (Or not in need but a friend).
Verse 3
Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body.
So, our three key words are love, hospitality, and now empathy.
At the end of this chapter, we see that Timothy was in prison and he had only recently been released. We have also seen it near the end of chapter 10:
But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, 33 partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. 34 For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one. 35 Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. Hebrews 10:32-35
Over the centuries things haven’t changed that much. Innocent people still get thrown in prison from various situations. Let us remember too those who are suffering through no fault of their own and are languishing in prison. We ought to remember even those who have been thrown in prison because of what they have done so that they can come to faith in Christ. God works in mysterious ways and we don’t always know what the outcome is going to be.
Verse 4
So up to now we have had Love, hospitality, empathy and now honour.
4 Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. Hebrews 13:4
Marriage in the UK usually lasted a lifetime, but the laws were relaxed in the 1970’s and it got easier to get divorced. The following link shows different religious groups and some dovorce rates:
https://divorce.lovetoknow.com/Divorce_Statistics_by_Religion
This is a sad state of affairs because God is love and those who divorce have decided to break their vows. I’m not standing in judgement, but it does show that we live in a dysfunctional world and the Fall is very much evident.
As in the early church (such as Corinth) there were believers married to unbelievers; believer married to believers but in all of Paul’s advice marriage was important. For example, believing couples were commanded to pray for each other 1 Corinthians 7. 5. When reading chapter 7 Satan is also mentioned in verse 6 (lack of self-control). We can see that in marriage the old fallen nature and the new nature are at odds. Prayer is very important because when we pray even for our partners and children it build God’s empathy in our hearts. Love is the glue that holds a marriage together so it does not surprise me that Marriage is used as a metaphor for Christ and the Church:
Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28 So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 because we are members of His body. 31 FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband. Ephesians 5:22-33
Reflection
As Paul did in his letters; Apollos gave advice for faithful living in Christ. In the first 4 verses we touched on some very important themes, so we ought to take these commands very seriously because they are indicators of how our walk with God is.
Apollos in these first few verses touched on
- Love
- Hospitality
- Empathy
- Honour
Where do we fit into this picture?
Do we love our neighbour whoever they may be?
Do we love those who have abused or wronged us in some way?
Do we have empathy for those who have had their freedoms taken away from them?
Do we respect marriage and the idea of marriage especially when it is a metaphor of the marriage of Christ and the Church?
Through out the book we had a feast of high Alexandrian Christian Theology, but Apollos is also concerned about our individual walk with God in the nitty gritty of daily life. Hebrews is definitely part of the Pauline school of Theology written by a Master theologian namely Apollos.
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