The Background and Structure of Hebrews

1.Give an overview of the debate concerning the authorship of Hebrews. Who are some of the major candidates put forward as possible authors? What can we know about the author from the book of Hebrews? Why is the discussion of authorship important? If you were asked to defend a specific author for the book, who would you pick and why?

2. Give an overview of the issues related to the potential date for when Hebrews was written. List some of the proposed dates and give the rationale behind them. Why is this issue important to an interpretation of Hebrews? Why was this letter written? If you had to explain the basic idea(s) of Hebrews, what would you say? Why is the study of Hebrews important for Christian life?

3. Explain the situation of the first recipients of Hebrews. Who are these people? What threats or crises are they facing? How does the letter address them? What is the basic worldview of the letter to the Hebrews? What lessons can people today draw from Hebrews? How can we apply the principles/worldview of this book to our lives today?