Mystery:Was Epistle to the Hebrews the Foundation of NT

See also: Mystery:Did Jesus Write the Epistle to the Hebrews?

There are many reasons to conclude that the Epistle to the Hebrews was the foundation or doctrinal guide for many books in the New Testament, including the writings by John, Luke, Paul, and Peter which along with Hebrews comprise more than 75% of the entire New Testament. Stated another way, the Epistle to the Hebrews is the cornerstone of the New Testament, similar to Psalms as the cornerstone of the Old Testament.

Paul's theology in particular appears to have been inspired and framed by the Epistle to the Hebrews, so much so that early Christians concluded that Paul was also the author of this Epistle. Paul's letters were often circulated in a collection that included this Epistle.

Thirty-one (31) reasons that this Epistle most likely guided much of the entire New Testament include:

• the expression "forever and ever" is never used in the Gospels, but is used twice in this Epistle and then in five of Paul's letters, twice by Peter in his first letter, and twelve times by John in the Book of Revelation.
• the concept of "perfection" is virtually never used in the Gospels, but this Epistle uses it 13 times. Then Paul uses this concept in 8 of his letters, while James and the first letter of John use it 4 times apiece.
• the Epistle to the Hebrews introduced the concept of "brotherly love" (Philadelphia), which both Paul and Peter then used identically in their own letters.
• "στοιχεῖον (stoicheion)" is used to mean elementary principles in Hebrews 5:12 , but nowhere in the Gospels. Then Paul uses this same term at least four times for this same meaning.
• "salvation" is emphasized in this Epistle, but is almost entirely absent from the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and the John, but then referenced often by Luke and Paul presumably in reliance on this Epistle to the Hebrews.
• the Epistle to the Hebrews mentions faith a remarkably numerous 38 times, more than all of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John do. Paul's letters and Luke's works focus extensively on faith just as the Epistle does.
• Nearly every verse in the Epistle of James can be matched to something in the Epistle to the Hebrews;
• Jesus at the right hand of God is mentioned five times in the Epistles to the Hebrews, and Paul then uses that very same concept in most of his letters.
• the emphasis on logos (translated as "word") in this Epistle states, "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Heb 11:3 states, "By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible."
• this Epistle emphasizes four times how important is to avoid hardening one's heart and mind, and both Mark (twice), John (once), and Saint Paul (four times, three of which are in his Letter to the Romans) reiterate this same point.
• the unforgivability of blaspheming the Holy Spirit (i.e., the revealed truth of Christianity) in Mark 3:29 ("but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”) and in the Gospel of Matthew Matthew 12:31–32 appears to have been guided by Hebrews 10:26 .
• "grace" is not mentioned anywhere in the synoptic Gospels, but is emphasized six (6) times in this Epistle, and then often by Luke and Paul. The Gospel of John mentions grace three (3) times, perhaps after having the benefit of this Epistle.
• multiple references by Paul to running a race appear to have been inspired by, and elaborations on, this statement in the Epistle to the Hebrews:

"let us run with endurance the race that is set before us" (Heb 12:1 )

compare with 1Corinthians 9:24 ("Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.") and 2Timothy 4:7 ("I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.")

• the unusual use of the term for "slavery" to describe the lifelong fear of death apparently originated in this Epistle, and was then copied by Paul: compare Heb 2:15 ("and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery") with Romans 8:15 (“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!'”). Paul also criticized slavery to sin.
• the unique concept in this Epistle of finding "God's rest" Heb 4:9-11 , or eternal peace with God, is echoed by Romans 5:1 : "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
• this Epistle emphasizes angels and their infinite number/presence, which Luke, Paul, and the Book of Revelation then run with.
• "forever" is emphasized far more by this Epistle than by any other New Testament book except the later-written Book of Revelation.
• "new covenant" is emphasized four (4) times in this Epistle, and then once by Luke and three times by Paul, and not by any other New Testament author.
• neither Paul nor Luke personally heard Jesus teach, and Paul was stuck in prison during much of his writings; a treatise on doctrine for Paul and Luke to read would have been immensely valuable -- indeed, necessary -- for them to learn the faith. This Epistle is such a treatise.
• Paul's first letter, to the Galatians, which scholars estimate that he wrote in 48 A.D., is remarkably similar to the Epistle to the Hebrews in substance, though not in style, and this was before Paul had time to learn all of the faith or even see many of the Gospels.
• "heir" is mentioned only 3 times in all of the Gospels, but the Epistle to the Hebrews mentioned it 4 times and then Paul mentions it 9 times in his letters.
• the concept of "intercession" is nowhere in the Gospels, but is mentioned in Hebrews 7:25 and then used by Paul three times in his letters.
• this Epistle cites the example of "Rahab the prostitute" from the Old Testament, Heb 11:31 and then the Epistle of James cites the same little-known example at James 2:25 .
• "hold fast" to our faith and hope is never mentioned in the Gospels, but is mentioned 4 times in this Epistle and then in many of Paul's letters and the Book of Revelation.
• "blood" is mentioned 2-7 times more in this Epistle than in each Gospel, but then Paul, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Book of Revelation mention this term often.
• the Gospel of John twice precisely used "εἰσερχόμενος" after it was used by Hebrews 10:5 in connection with Jesus Christ, meaning "cometh" (both present and past tense).
• This Epistle states "but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.' But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls" in Heb 10:38-39 became "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh" in Galatians 5:16 and then "for we walk by faith, not by sight" in 2Corinthians 5:7 .
• Paul's Romans 4:13 ("For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.") appears to be built on Hebrews 11:8-9 ("By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise.").
• Paul's Philippians 2:8 ("And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.") appears to be built on Hebrews 12:2 ("looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.").
• Paul's Ephesians 6:17 echoes Hebrews 4:12 in describing the Word of God as being a sword.

Did Paul inspire this Epistle?

Scholars admit the strong similarities in substance (but not style) between Paul's letters and the Epistle to the Hebrews. Is it possible that Paul inspired this Epistle, rather than vice-versa?

No, for several reasons:

• this Epistle is written at much higher level of Greek than Paul's letters are;
• this Epistle speaks with the direct authority of God, in some cases in the first person of Jesus or his Father, in contrast with Paul's letters;
• this Epistle uses vocabulary not used anywhere else in the New Testament, and even terms not found anywhere else in all of Greek literature;
• this Epistle chides all of Jesus's disciples, which Paul never would have done;
• this Epistle was written before martyrdom, see Hebrews 12:4 , and thus prior to Paul's conversion after he participated in persecuting early Christians.
• this Epistle contains material found nowhere in Paul's writings, thereby demonstrating that this Epistle was not derived from Paul's work. One example is this Epistle's praise of the faith by Rahab the prostitute: "By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies." Hebrews 11:31
• this Epistle mentions the concept of "a shadow of good things to come" in Hebrews 10:1, which is not in the Gospels but "shadow" is then mentioned by Paul and James.