| | *by describing Hebrew culture in perfect Greek, this has Jesus' trademark intellectual style of overcoming ostensibly insurmountable barriers, analogous to His walking on water and turning water into wine. | | *by describing Hebrew culture in perfect Greek, this has Jesus' trademark intellectual style of overcoming ostensibly insurmountable barriers, analogous to His walking on water and turning water into wine. |
| | *the tone of authority is greater than in any other letter in the Bible, as in Hebrews 9:27: "It is reserved for men to die once, and then be judged." | | *the tone of authority is greater than in any other letter in the Bible, as in Hebrews 9:27: "It is reserved for men to die once, and then be judged." |
| − | *this Epistle was written before any physical persecution of the disciples: "In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood" ([http://biblehub.com/multi/hebrews/12-4.htm|Hebrews 12:4]<ref>[[ESV]].</ref>) Stephen was martyred around A.D. 37, merely a few years after the [[Crucifixion]] of [[Jesus]], so this Epistle was written before then. But there is indication to some afflictions having had occurred prior to this Epistle.<ref>Compare [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+10%3A32-34&version=RSV Hebrews 10:32-34] and [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+13%3A3&version=RSV 13:3] which testifies to their sufferings and physical abuse (Strong's numbers ''3804'' and ''2347'' and ''2558'': KJV "afflictions" ''hardship'' or ''pain'', and "afflictions" ''pressure, anguish, burden, persecution, tribulation'', and "adversity" ''maltreat, torment'').<br>See text analysis: [http://biblehub.com/text/hebrews/10-32.htm Hebrews 10:32], [http://biblehub.com/text/hebrews/10-33.htm 33], [http://biblehub.com/text/hebrews/10-34.htm 34] and [http://biblehub.com/text/hebrews/13-3.htm 13:3]</ref>. This makes it likely the Epistle was written prior to the [[Ascension]], during Jesus's time here. | + | *this Epistle was written before any physical persecution of the disciples: "In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood." ([http://biblehub.com/multi/hebrews/12-4.htm|Hebrews 12:4]<ref>[[ESV]].</ref>) Stephen was martyred around A.D. 37, merely a few years after the [[Crucifixion]] of [[Jesus]], so this Epistle was written before then. But there is indication to some afflictions having had occurred prior to this Epistle.<ref>Compare [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+10%3A32-34&version=RSV Hebrews 10:32-34] and [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+13%3A3&version=RSV 13:3] which testifies to their sufferings and physical abuse (Strong's numbers ''3804'' and ''2347'' and ''2558'': KJV "afflictions" ''hardship'' or ''pain'', and "afflictions" ''pressure, anguish, burden, persecution, tribulation'', and "adversity" ''maltreat, torment'').<br>See text analysis: [http://biblehub.com/text/hebrews/10-32.htm Hebrews 10:32], [http://biblehub.com/text/hebrews/10-33.htm 33], [http://biblehub.com/text/hebrews/10-34.htm 34] and [http://biblehub.com/text/hebrews/13-3.htm 13:3]</ref> It is quite possible this Epistle was written prior to the [[Ascension]], during Jesus's time here. |
| | *this Epistle uses the same distinctive phrase once used by Jesus as quoted in the [[Gospel of John]], which reinforces the likelihood of his authorship. | | *this Epistle uses the same distinctive phrase once used by Jesus as quoted in the [[Gospel of John]], which reinforces the likelihood of his authorship. |
| | *the writing has a "striking purity of language and elegance of Greek style," and "is a treasure-house of expressions characteristic of the individuality of the writer," using "168 terms ... which appear in no other part of the New Testament, among them ten words found neither in Biblical or classical Greek."<ref name="Encyclopedia">[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07181a.htm The Catholic Encyclopedia]</ref> There is not a single grammatical flaw in the entire work, despite its complexity. | | *the writing has a "striking purity of language and elegance of Greek style," and "is a treasure-house of expressions characteristic of the individuality of the writer," using "168 terms ... which appear in no other part of the New Testament, among them ten words found neither in Biblical or classical Greek."<ref name="Encyclopedia">[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07181a.htm The Catholic Encyclopedia]</ref> There is not a single grammatical flaw in the entire work, despite its complexity. |