What was Adolf von Harnack's case that Priscilla wrote Hebrews?
score:13
The authorship of Hebrews cannot be known for certain, but we can know several things about the author.
- The early church counted Hebrews among the letters of Paul, even though it does not bear Paul's name. Clement of Alexandria and Origen noted that the writing style did not match Paul's, but did not consider it a forgery. This indicates that they believed Hebrews contained teaching from Paul and likely was written by someone who traveled with him.
- The author quotes extensively from the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Jewish Bible) and has an extensive Greek vocabulary. This indicates a highly educated Jew who was also a Roman citizen.
The Book of Acts provides us with several names that fit this profile:
- Barnabas, a Levite from Cyprus (Acts 4:36)
- Apollos, an Alexandrian Jew (Acts 18:24)
- Aquila, native of Pontus (Acts 18:2)
- Priscilla
- Luke, the author of Acts
The original intended audience of Hebrews also may provide clues as to its authorship. Harnack (among others) suggested the original recipients were in Rome, for the following reasons:
- Of all Paul's letters, Romans is the most similar to Hebrews in terms of its treatment of Jewish law and customs.
- Second century Roman Christians quoted Hebrews much earlier than Christians in other locations.
- The mention of the recipients' previous suffering, persecution, imprisonment, and confiscation of property (Hebrews 10:32-34) appears to be a reference to Nero's persecution of Christians after the fire in Rome.
- The reference to "those from Italy send their greetings" in Hebrews 13:24 Harnack took to refer to Christians who had been exiled from Rome by Claudius (Acts 18:2)
If the letter was addressed to Roman Christians, Priscilla and Aquila are the most natural candidates for authorship. They had hosted a house church in Rome (Romans 16:3-5).
They were also known to have "explained the way of God more fully" to Apollos (Acts 18:24-26). Furthermore, the author of Hebrews sometimes uses the pronoun "I" and sometimes "we", which would make sense if Priscilla and Aquila both had a hand in organizing the material.
Finally, Harnack argued that because of the lower status given to most women in ancient times, Priscilla would have had a greater incentive to have written anonymously than any of the other possible authors. (Or alternatively, that the original recipients would have had a greater incentive to delete her name from the beginning of the letter before distributing it.)
Upvote:4
I have researched and written about the case for Priscilla's authorship of Hebrews. Your summary of Harnack's arguments is good. Please refer to several of my published articles on the following website: www.clarksons.org/spiritleads/ruth_hoppin.htm. My book, "Priscilla's Letter" ("La Carta de Priscila") has even more details. As for the "masculine participle" in Heb. 11:32, the neuter, identical in form, was likely intended, as customary when persons in general are referred to.
Ruth Hoppin
More post
- 📝 The four living creatures and twenty-four elders in Revelation?
- 📝 Where did Augustine say "It is certain that few are saved"?
- 📝 According to Christian denominations, why are we all cursed for Adam's sin and is that fair?
- 📝 Looking for the Context Surrounding This St. Robert Bellarmine Quote
- 📝 How do deniers of the personhood of the Holy Spirit interpret Romans 8:26-27?
- 📝 What is the purpose of asceticism?
- 📝 What is the "Israel Mandate"?
- 📝 What process will be followed for the Anglican Covenant after its rejection by the Church of England?
- 📝 Satan and language
- 📝 According to Catholic doctrine, how can an angel be a saint?
- 📝 How does the LDS church respond to the similarities between the book of Nephi and the book of Napoleon?
- 📝 Did Jesus Christ certify that the Apostles were infallible?
- 📝 Do the LDS believe in the Hypostatic Union?
- 📝 Who was Pharaoh when Moses lived in Egypt?
- 📝 Did the early church believe that Jesus was uncreated?
- 📝 Why has God created us?
- 📝 According to the YEC, when was the earth created?
- 📝 What is the difference between being blessed and being happy?
- 📝 What is the Jehovah's Witness official viewpoint of 12-step programs like AA?
- 📝 Did the oil fail to come out 1 Samuel 16?
- 📝 Do any Christian denominations consider it not sinful to commit suicide in order to donate organs? If so, why?
- 📝 What was the charge that was given by the Jewish court to Jesus?
- 📝 Is there an explanation in Catholicism as to why it was the Son and not the others of the Blessed Trinity to become man and be crucified for our sake?
- 📝 How can one offer Christ's sacrifice to God?
- 📝 According to Biblical Unitarians, is it theoretically possible for God to incarnate as a human and live a holy and humble life?
- 📝 Do Mainline Presbyterians oppose Satisfaction Theory? Is this why "In Christ Alone" was rejected for their Hymnal?
- 📝 Did a pre-schism Roman Bishop say he is not special?
- 📝 What is the distinction between Justification and Salvation? (Roman Catholic view)
- 📝 How to pray for a corrupt government involved in drug trafficking?
- 📝 What are the differences/distinctive between the Anglican and Episcopal churches?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 What was Adolf von Harnack's case that Priscilla wrote Hebrews?
- 📝 What evidence is there that Jesus was a carpenter?
- 📝 What was it about the death of Jesus that allows God to forgive us?
- 📝 What denominations, besides JWs, hold that the Star of Bethlehem was sent by Satan?
- 📝 What does it mean that Jesus was the "second Adam"?
- 📝 What is the evidence that suggests that the Apostle Paul was married?
- 📝 What Scriptures did Arius use to support teaching that Jesus was created?
- 📝 What evidence is there that Peter was a bishop in Rome?
- 📝 What is the basis for Lombard's view that the basis of justification for OT men was different than for OT women?
- 📝 What was the most likely method of crucifixion that was used on Jesus?
- 📝 What are the arguments that Acts was written prior to 70 AD?
- 📝 What is significant about the title of "Son of David" that was attributed to Jesus?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for the belief that Satan was the serpent in the Garden of Eden?
- 📝 What arguments are given that Ephesians was not written by Paul?
- 📝 What is the basis of the view that Jesus was separated from the Father and Holy Spirit upon death?
- 📝 What is the basis for saying that the Gospel of Thomas was accepted as scripture by early Christians?
- 📝 What was the difference between Ratramnus's view of the Eucharist and that of Calvin?
- 📝 What is the Meaning of Hebrews 2:11 - he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one
- 📝 What is the evidence that Ignatius of Antioch was ordained by the Apostles?
- 📝 What evidence is there that the Jews thought leprosy was due to sin?
- 📝 What evidence does the LDS church forward for the claim that the Garden of Eden was in Missouri?
- 📝 What is the evidence for the claim that Young Earth Creationism was the mainstream viewpoint in ancient times?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis that it was was the second person of the Trinity that walked in the garden of Eden?
- 📝 What is the evidence that Thomas Aquinas was assassinated?
- 📝 What was the basis for saying that 11th-century Greek churches were "rebaptizing" Latins?
- 📝 What is the origin of the idea that Miriam, sister of Moses, was a virgin?
- 📝 On what basis was Jesus’ death sufficient for redemption according Non-Trinitarians who maintain that Jesus was not eternal God as God the Father is?
- 📝 What does Mormonism have to offer in regards to salvation through Jesus Christ that was not already taught in the New Testament?
- 📝 What evidence is there that God as father was a common concept for Jesus's first century Jewish audience?
- 📝 What is the reasoning behind the belief that Eve was NOT created on the sixth day?