In 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Paul uses a total of 278 personal pronouns. hahah. And outside of that one point, I can’t find other logical arguments against her authorship of Hebrews. Believing the author to have been Priscilla, Ruth Hoppin posits that the name was omitted either to suppress its female authorship, or to protect the letter itself from suppression. But, if that is the case then why didn’t Christ select a female disciple? But if you are one of those Pauline folks – I’d love to hear your logic!! Priscilla and Aquila were apparently in Rome when Paul wrote to that congregation [Romans 16:3]. James Hope Moulton, New Testament scholar and Greek lexicographer, writing in 1909, referred to the "man-or woman" who wrote Hebrews. If Pricilla had violated Paul’s Alleged prohibition against the teaching ministry of women it seems likely that either Luke or Paul would have criticized her for having taught a man. It tends to show that they SHOULDN’T be, or the early church didn’t think they should anyway – as it was a woman writing anonymously. All six references of Prisca by Paul mentioned her husband as well. Perhaps the most interesting modern proposal is that of Adolf von Harnack, who suggested that Priscilla wrote Hebrews. He wrote, “...for he did not say, ‘Great Aquila and Priscilla’ but ‘Priscilla and Aquila.’ He does not do this without a reason, but he seems to me to acknowledge a greater godliness for her than for her husband... She took Apollos, an eloquent man and powerful in the scriptures, but knowing only the baptism of John; and she instructed him in the way of the Lord and made him a teacher brought to completion.”13. The fact that Jesus didn’t pick a woman as a disciple doesn’t bother me one bit. He picked the people that would have the most impact on the community. Since the disciples were all Hebrew men, therefore also all circumcised, should we limit our pastors to being like that? Ann & Ruth, | The Crowe's Nest, Did A Woman Write the Book of Hebrews? Seriously, thanks for taking the time to read the ramblings of a random person. Tip: to find an exact phrase or title, enclose it in quotation marks. So who was Hebrews written to? Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. But you never know – he could have met her in Rome. The first being that the author is the reference to Timothy in Hebrews 13:23. Who Wrote the Book of Hebrews?,Zondervan Academic - Study from the Bible and be encouraged to grow your faith! The Book of Hebrews is one of the disputed books of the Bible when it comes to authorship. But I do believe Christianity really is just that progressive. They were human after all. Though I doubt it as I’m sure he married a Jew and probably from his own home town. They are really impressive – and honestly, outside of Christ, these two are the people I’d like to meet most from the Bible. The Roman Emperor Claudius apparently ordered them out of Rome probably just before meeting Paul [Acts 18:2]. Through personal experience Priscilla would have understood the challenge presented by a strange land and the need for a strong faith during forced exile. Priscilla and Aquila as the Authors: This view is supported by Adolf Harnack, who suggested Priscilla, because of her close ministry and working relationship with Paul. clarify something; Priscilla as author of Hebrews did not hide her identity; This story was compiled in a 10th century work known as the Acts of St. Prisca.1 These ancient remembrances indicate that someone named Priscilla had an impressive impact on the early church. Hrmmm. Nero offered his own gardens for the spectacle.” Tacitus in his Annals (xv. I’m so convinced that Priscilla wrote Hebrews that I find myself referring to “the author of Hebrews” as “her” and “she” when interacting with others about this book. 6 (July/August 1980), p. 3-6. According to Hamack, women teachers in the early church soon came under attack. I would love to debate the facts. When I wrote my 1997 book, Priscilla’s Letter: Finding the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, I knew that the masculine and neuter forms were identical, but did not realize that the neuter might have been intended. A survey of Priscilla’s ministry in Rome, Corinth, and Ephesus reveals a woman whose abilities and life’s circumstances beg the question: Was it Priscilla who wrote Hebrews? There are a number of issues that arise when dealing with the idea that Priscilla wrote the book of Hebrews. Not in any dogmatic way, but because it makes as much sense, maybe more, as anything else I have read, even in academic circles. Priscilla: Christian, wife of a Jewish freedman, fellow worker with Paul, teacher of teachers, church planter — and author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, (a letter whose writer’s name is mysteriously absent)? Its a forgone conclusion to me. Amazing. He spoke to tax collectors, Samaritans, to sinners of various stripes and even to harlots. So glad to have come across this. The list of possible authors of Hebrews is narrowed down to a close associate of Paul (and Timothy) with a career centered along the Rome-Ephesus axis. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. There can be no doubt that Priscilla and Aquila were vital members of the Pauline circle, and partners in ministry with Timothy. Who was the eminent intellectual associate of Paul who wrote the letter--if not Priscilla? Hamack found that in Acts 18:26 Aquila’s name had been placed before Priscilla and in three different places Aquila’s name was inserted without Priscilla’s.14 After reviewing these ancient manuscripts Hamack made the following conclusion; “It is quite certain that the interpolator, taking up his corrections in the first third of the second century, suppressed Prisca’s authority, placing Aquila above her in converting Apollos, and withdrew from them a letter they had written. Neither Paul nor Luke hesitate to condemn misconduct among members of the church (Acts 5:1-11). Chrysostom suggested that it was because of Priscilla’s superior Christian character that she preceded Aquila in four of the six Biblical references. Regardless of the authorship of Hebrews, we know for a fact that Priscilla and Aquila are a really cool tag-team combo. You can also subscribe without commenting. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. I’m sure the early church knew who wrote it as you state… but I’m sure she didn’t care what others thought, or didn’t seek any sort of recognition. Regardless, we can see that the author of Hebrews is intimately familiar with the sufferings of the Roman church. Not even one dissenting opinion? My thoughts parallel yours and I have argued If one removes gender, the obvious choice is Priscilla. This book indicates extensive and up-to-date acquaintance with the literature and commentaries, and presents a convincing argument for Priscilla’s authorship of the Epistle to the Hebrews. With Priscilla’s instruction, Apollos’ message was made complete. Very interesting stuff. “Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. Very pleasant read. ... That being said, a fascinating theory is that Priscilla was the author and the logic of that argument makes a great deal of sense... but there isn't hard evidence, or at least not yet, that such was the case. In Romans Paul uses 103 pronouns. Inside Llewyn Davis Is Impossible To Comprehend, Wander Darkly Movie Recommendation and Explanation, Interview with Active Shooter Screenplay Author Toby Osborne, The Machinist: Plot Analysis And Ending Explained. So who wrote Hebrews?If you step back and look at all the possible candidates — Luke, Barnabas, Apollos, Priscilla and Clement — you’ll notice that they all have one thing in common: They had contact with or were disciples of St. Paul. I love this topic. Scholars rarely attribute Hebrews to Paul primarily because the letter lacks both the traditional Pauline pre and post scripts, as well as the usual Pauline method of exhortation and argument. Hahah) I have a natural yen to know more about it. One must not overlook the key fact that Apollos accepted Priscilla’s instruction without reservation. Eusebius, the great historian of the church, recognizes that the letter Clement wrote from Rome to the Corinthian church in the late first century contained many allusions to and quotations from Hebrews and notes that on that basis some believed that Clement himself was the translator or author of Hebrews (Hist. Just questioning the logic. Hahaha. Aquila and Priscilla befriended him and explained the Gospel to him more fully. Take a second to support Taylor Holmes on Patreon! Let’s talk verses. I personally believe Prisca was probably a key structural piece of the church throughout that area. But I love this discussion all the same. And I am also certain that God will use men and women alike, and equally. My own mother was ordained for heavens sake. First, the strongest reason to reject the Priscilla view is the use of a first person masculine participle in the book of Hebrews. You can find several articles on Wiley Clarkson’s website http://www.wherethespiritleads,org; click on “Where the spirit leads” and scroll down the left margin to my name. I am sure that people knew who it was in the beginning, but it had to be hidden when Greek/Roman concepts of women became too popular for the truth. Excellent presentation and argument. Wow. However, there is still much evidence that Paul wrote the letter. The first person to argue for Priscilla’s authorship of Hebrews was Adolf von Harnack, one of the most significant theologians of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Ruth. (23) The anonymity, he claimed, was meant to protect those who would not accept a book written by a woman. After the death of Claudius, Pricilla and Aquila returned to Rome. I always leaned toward Paul’s authorship for lack of any other better explanation, your argument seems to make perfect sense! Too bad the church played along so long. Of the many attempts to identify the author of Hebrews, Priscilla can be overlooked, and yet she remains an obvious candidate: Priscilla, a Roman Christian, a co-worker with Paul and Timothy, a woman who had not seen the Lord Jesus but had received confirmation of salvation by those who had; Priscilla, pious and wise, a church planter who was familiar with the struggles of Gentiles, exiles, and women; Priscilla, a teacher of teachers, whose name was female enough to pose a threat to a later interpolator unsympathetic with the authority and approval a woman such as she had enjoyed. It’s rare to see someone consider another opinion or idea and watch them say… huh, you know what? While Paul was in Corinth for a year and a half he lived with Priscilla and Aquila. Eventually Paul returned to Ephesus and wrote 1 Corinthians and Priscilla and Aquila were there at that time too [1 Corinthians 16:19]. Love that this post is still getting readers. Want a fun Bible study? The author of Hebrews also quotes widely from the Septuegent (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures) where as Paul always quoted directly from the Hebrew. Her name was found inscribed on Roman monuments, churches, and on an ancient Roman burial site called the Coemeterium Priscillae. Mary Magdalen also was the first to witness the resurrection and so arguably the founder of the whole Jesus movement and hence the Christian Church. Does it belittle the message because it might have been written by a woman? The brilliant theologian Dr. Harnack asserted that the author’s frequent use of the communicative “we” teaches, among other things, that there is possibly more than one author. Very impressive presentation. Scholars have suggested several names as possibilities for the author of this book, including Apollos, Barnabas, Luke, Priscilla, Silas, and, of course, Paul. Would you like a complimentary (review) copy No. Gifts of Stock, Mutual Funds, and Retirement Accounts, The Unavoidable Link Between Patriarchal Theology and Spiritual Abuse, Early-Church Heroines: Rulers, Prophets and Martyrs, Sign Up to Get CBE’s Academic Journal Online. Both Paul and Luke attach some sort of significance to Priscilla by virtue of placing her name first in four of the six Biblical references to Priscilla and Aquila. In August of 64 AD Nero blamed the burning of Rome on the Christians and here is what follows: “First those were seized who confessed that they were Christians. Since all the books in the Bible come from men, having Priscilla as the author of Hebrews would stand as a delightful bonus. Can you imagine having that opportunity? By Thomas Schreiner. Russell, Moreover, because Priscilla had ministered in three great Roman centers as an apologete and church planter, she was likely skilled in leading to Christ those who had been deceived by the popular religious competitors to Christianity. So, please don’t let this get to you in any sort of fundamental way. Eventually he stopped teaching in the synagogue because of opposition and began teaching in the home of Titus who lived next door to Priscilla and Aquila [Acts 18:7]. . Apollos had been preaching the baptism of John with great success, yet his understanding of redemption was somehow incomplete. All this primacy of Peter business has become so tiresome. We do know for sure that they were tentmakers like Paul [Acts 18:3]. [9] Since that time, the possibility of his authorship has gained some support. My response to Bart was mainly around women in leadership – which is an entirely different topic. Hey Michael… Image source. It is MAN that has created this issue of gender inequality. This article is awesome and thought provoking. What better way to ensure the advantage of these churches than to pen an Epistle for the guidance and exhortation of her leaders? The argument that all the disciples were men doesn’t hold much water to me. And we see that she is admonishing them onwards towards the more lasting possession. Remember that Peter wrote to the Hebrews (that is, the Jews; see Galatians 2:7, 9 and 1 Peter 1:1). Even more appealing would be if Priscilla wrote it. The blessed Judith ... went forth and exposed herself to peril ... for love of country, the Lord delivered Hologemes into the hand of a woman.”8, Does Priscilla draw parallels between her experiences as a Roman exile in Corinth and Ephesus, and the exiles in Hebrews 11? Having lived and worked among these churches as a leader and patron, Priscilla had a burden for their safety and success. As far back as the third century, Origen3 wrote: “In the epistle entitled To the Hebrews the diction does not exhibit the characteristic roughness of speech or phraseology admitted by the Apostle [Paul] himself, the construction of the sentences is closer to the Greek usage, as anyone capable of recognizing differences of style would agree . Moreover, neither Luke nor Paul criticize Pricilla for having taught a man. Scholars posit that Pricilla and Aquila were Christians at the time of Paul’s visit, as Paul does not mention leading them to faith, and it is unlikely that unbelieving Jews would reside with believing Jews. In more recent times, some scholars have advanced a case for Priscilla having been the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews. 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. 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