We have been considering that which is considered Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews. The author’s (perhaps not Paul) repeated use of the Jewish Bible tells us something about the community. Not only does it suggest that the Old Testament (OT) was of great importance to its members, but also that he could count on their recognizing the verses he quoted and the allusions he made. This suggests it was made up of Christian Jews or God-lovers and most likely both. Most God-lovers knew the Jewish Bible well from their attachment to synagogues. This is further reinforced by the exhortations against apostasy (renunciation of one’s religious faith or moral principles) from the Christian faith and the demonstration that the old covenant has been superseded. Although many scholars propose a Gentile-Christian group, and the view has even been put forth that the word was intended for a group of Jews who had broken with orthodox Judaism but were not convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, the arguments for these positions, particularly the latter, are not convincing. In favor of the former position, such texts as 3:12; 6:1; and 9:14 are adduced and it is claimed that to speak of falling away from the living God shows that the apostasy the author feared was a relapse into paganism, not Judaism, and that the references to laying the foundation of faith in God and to worshiping the living God indicate that the readers had been converted from paganism. But the author’s concept of the living God is of a God who has manifested Himself by His acts and by His speaking to man. The expression the living God means, for the author, the God Who has revealed Himself through Jesus. Consequently, a return to Judaism would be apostasy from the living God. The author’s concern to show that the sacrificial cult of the OT had been replaced by Christ’s sacrifice does not prove beyond a doubt that he was writing to converts from  Judaism. In Galatians, written to Gentile Christians, Paul insists upon their freedom from the Mosaic Law. Hebrew’s author focuses on the replacement of the old covenant and its cult. This is best explained by the hypothesis that Hebrews was intended for Jewish Christians, and, unlike the case of Galatians, there is no indication that the addressees were Gentiles who had become attracted to OT institutions through outside influence.

There is no consensus about the date of Hebrews. Estimates range from 60 to the early 90s C.E. Though the document emphasizes the temple, the high priesthood, and sacrifice, it does not mention the destruction of the temple and the end of sacrifice in the year 70. Thus some scholars argue that it must have been written before 70. Other scholars, at least a slight majority, are not persuaded by the lack of reference to the events of 70. On the whole, the date later than 70 seems likely. The situation is similar to that of Matthew’s Gospel, the 80s or 90s.