Book to the Hebrews... same target audience as James and Peter

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Heb 6:18 (AKJV/PCE)​
(6:18) That by two immutable things, in which [it was] impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:​

The believing remnant was chased out of Jerusalem by their unbelieving "brethren".

Acts 8:1 (AKJV/PCE)​
(8:1) And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
I find it quite likely that all of the Hebrew epistles (Hebrews-Jude) were written in the Acts 6-9 time-frame. Peter even appears to mention some of that work here:

Acts 6:2 (AKJV/PCE)​
(6:2) Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples [unto them], and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.​
 

JudgeRightly

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I find it quite likely that all of the Hebrew epistles (Hebrews-Jude) were written in the Acts 6-9 time-frame.

I doubt it, considering either 1 Timothy or Galatians was likely the first book written (as far as NT books go), and those were written after Paul's conversion, and thus well after the events of Acts 6-9...

See the comment by Affable Geek ("CTRL+F" and type "briefly" and it'll be the comment that begins with it, should be the first "answer".)

Peter even appears to mention some of that work here:

Acts 6:2 (AKJV/PCE)(6:2) Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples [unto them], and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

That sounds more like he's talking about not departing from what Christ had taught them for the past three years + 40 days, rather than letters that were written...
 

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I doubt it, considering either 1 Timothy or Galatians was likely the first book written (as far as NT books go), and those were written after Paul's conversion, and thus well after the events of Acts 6-9...

See the comment by Affable Geek ("CTRL+F" and type "briefly" and it'll be the comment that begins with it, should be the first "answer".)
I'll take a look when I get the chance.

I'm never too sure about the time-lines on those books. It seems to me that if you removed Acts 9 thru Philemon, that Hebrews would pick up right where Acts 7-8 left off. Acts 7 almost sounds like a highly condensed version of Hebrews.

That sounds more like he's talking about not departing from what Christ had taught them for the past three years + 40 days, rather than letters that were written...
That does not sound likely to me. They were concerned that they should leave the word of God AND serve tables.

How would serving tables affect them in such a way as to lead them to depart from what Christ had taught them? It just doesn't follow to me.

It sounds like they had a more time consuming task at hand, like writing some epistles.
 

JudgeRightly

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I'll take a look when I get the chance.

Okay.

I'm never too sure about the time-lines on those books. It seems to me that if you removed Acts 9 thru Philemon, that Hebrews would pick up right where Acts 7-8 left off. Acts 7 almost sounds like a highly condensed version of Hebrews.

Right, because God's program for Israel was put on pause, not cancelled.

The epistles to the Jews were for a future generation, not the current (at the time) one.

Once God cut off Israel in Acts 9, as time went on, it was less and less likely that Christ would return within their lifetimes, as more and more were saved by grace through faith, rather than by keeping the law, and Paul's gospel became more and more prevalent, especially by the time of the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15, which was right around the time that Galatians (and maybe James, even before Galatians, and perhaps even before the Jerusalem Council (earliest date for James is thought to be AD 45, which certainly fits with the J.C. and Galatians 2)) was written.

That does not sound likely to me. They were concerned that they should leave the word of God AND serve tables.

How would serving tables affect them in such a way as to lead them to depart from what Christ had taught them? It just doesn't follow to me.

It sounds like they had a more time consuming task at hand, like writing some epistles.

Unless I'm misunderstanding you, I think you misunderstood what was being said:

Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

Jesus didn't task the Twelve (and by extension, their disciples) with meeting the physical needs of all the new disciples. He tasked them with spreading the gospel of the Kingdom (the word of God), for "the kingdom of God is at hand!" Jesus would return "before they could make it through all the cities of Israel."

Up to that point, they had been faithful in doing so, and the number of converts had multiplied. "Serving tables" would be a distraction to spreading the gospel to as many people as possible.
 

Derf

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Heb 6:18 (AKJV/PCE)​
(6:18) That by two immutable things, in which [it was] impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:​

The believing remnant was chased out of Jerusalem by their unbelieving "brethren".

Acts 8:1 (AKJV/PCE)​
(8:1) And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
I find it quite likely that all of the Hebrew epistles (Hebrews-Jude) were written in the Acts 6-9 time-frame. Peter even appears to mention some of that work here:

Acts 6:2 (AKJV/PCE)​
(6:2) Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples [unto them], and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.​
If Peter mentions Paul's writing to the people he's writing to, who are in Asia Minor, and Paul has already established some authority over that area, it doesn't fit the timeline you've proposed. And even more than that, Paul had by that time written more than a couple epistles that had been copied and given to those of Asia Minor:
[2Pe 3:15-16 KJV] 15 And account [that] the longsuffering of our Lord [is] salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16 As also in all [his] epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as [they do] also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

Peter wrote 2 Peter to the same folks he wrote 1 Peter to, at least it looks that way:
[2Pe 3:1 KJV] 1 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in [both] which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:

And the first epistle was written to these folks:
[1Pe 1:1 KJV] 1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

But Paul hadn't gone there to preach the gospel until Acts 13, when he and Barnabas were first sent out.
Regarding Hebrews, assuming it is the same Timothy that Paul first started taking with him as a young man no earlier than his second missionary journey., he is mentioned in Hebrews, and therefore Hebrews can't have been written before Pauls 2nd journey (with Silas).

Also, if Hebrews is talking about the first persecution, the apostles didn't yet flee Jerusalem, so Hebrews would have to have been written by a non-apostle who was not even still under tutelage of an apostle. And while that doesn't explicitly disqualify the author to write a book of the NT, most were explicitly that way (James and Jude being the exceptions), so Hebrews looks more out of line.
 

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@JudgeRightly I'm sorry. I think that I have communicated poorly here. I did not mean to imply that I thought that "not leaving the word of God" was solely about writing epistles, but only that it was a part of it.

And yes, I know that they were commissioned with spreading their gospel. I also know that when the tribulation (i.e., the time of Jacob's trouble) really get going that God will be the one feeding the multitudes, just like He did in the wilderness. They will pray for and receive their "daily bread".
 
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