Who wrote Hebrews? and who goes to Hell?

Summary of Who wrote Hebrews? and who goes to Hell?

by Premier Unbelievable

35m•November 9, 2025
Listen to Episode

Overview of Ask NT Write Anything — "Who wrote Hebrews? and who goes to Hell?"

This episode of the Ask NT Write Anything podcast (hosts Mike Bird and N. T. Wright) answers listener questions on three main topics: the authorship of Hebrews (including an unusual suggestion that Mary, the mother of Jesus, wrote it), what happens to those who don’t follow Christ (who goes to hell), and the place of the Apocrypha (deuterocanonical books) in Christian belief and practice. Tom Wright gives historically informed, pastoral, and theologically nuanced replies emphasizing uncertainty, humility, and the value of background literature.

Key topics covered

  • Authorship of Hebrews: historical uncertainty, plausible candidates, why we don’t know.
  • Final judgment/hell: theological options, New Testament emphases, Wright’s tentative leanings.
  • Apocrypha (Jutero-canon): Anglican practice, historical usefulness, and limits on doctrinal use.
  • Practical recommendations: reading the Apocrypha for context, avoiding simplistic judgments about others’ salvation.

Who wrote Hebrews?

  • Main point: The author of Hebrews is unknown; ancient tradition (e.g., Origen) recognized God knows but human certainty is lacking.
  • Unlikely authors:
    • Paul: Wright notes the Greek and style differ significantly from Paul’s letters.
    • Mary, mother of Jesus (Marian authorship): Wright considers this extremely unlikely; there is no internal textual evidence pointing to a female author.
  • Plausible / frequently suggested candidates:
    • Apollos: a common scholarly suggestion—educated, scripturally literate, appears in Acts and 1 Corinthians, and his profile fits some features of Hebrews.
    • Luke: possible but speculative.
  • Practical conclusion: Because the author’s identity doesn’t materially change the letter’s theological message, the lack of a name is a puzzling but non-essential issue for most readers.
  • Meta-note: Wright once wrote a short Hebrews commentary decades ago but is not planning a full new volume soon; he praises ongoing scholarship (e.g., the forthcoming ICC on Hebrews by Philip and Loveday Alexander).

Notable quote: “The only person who knows who wrote Hebrews is God.”

Who goes to Hell? (Eschatological question)

  • Overarching stance: Wright refuses to claim final knowledge about individual destinies — that is God’s prerogative. Christians should maintain humility and avoid presumptuous judgments.
  • Rejects simple universalism: Wright does not accept a blanket “everyone is saved” stance; the New Testament presents the real possibility of final loss.
  • Preferred language and models:
    • New creation is the New Testament’s primary focus; the opposite is “missing out” on God’s new world rather than medieval fire-and-brimstone imagery.
    • Wright gives serious consideration to annihilation/“destruction” models: those who definitively reject God may cease to exist as image-bearing human beings (or persist in some reduced, non-human way).
  • Moral culpability and structural distortion:
    • Wright is particularly concerned about people and systems that systematically dehumanize others, distort the gospel, or turn people away from Christ — such attitudes and actions look like clear candidates for final loss.
  • Biblical examples: Judas is cited as someone Jesus implies will fare very badly (Jesus’s comment that it would have been better if he had not been born).
  • Pastoral emphasis: love, prayer, and evangelistic humility are central — Christians should avoid self-righteous certainty and continue calling people to repentance.

Notable quotes:

  • “There are only two sorts of people, those who ultimately say to God, ‘Your will be done,’ and those to whom God will at the last say, ‘Your will be done.’”
  • Wright leans toward a model like annihilationism while acknowledging mystery and the possibility of other outcomes.

The Apocrypha (Jutero-canon): place in belief and practice

  • Anglican position summarized: Formal canon = 66 books, but the Apocrypha is “useful to read” (historic Anglican nuance).
  • Wright’s practical view:
    • The Apocrypha is not on the same level as the canonical Old and New Testaments for doctrinal proof or authoritative preaching, but it is invaluable background literature for understanding Second Temple Judaism and the cultural/intellectual world of the New Testament.
    • He would not ordinarily proclaim an Apocryphal text as “the word of the Lord” in liturgy, but he wouldn’t refuse to read or expound it if asked — with clear contextual framing.
  • Uses and benefits:
    • Historical context: books like Wisdom of Solomon, Psalms of Solomon, and 1 Maccabees illuminate Jewish thought, prayer, messianic expectation, eschatology, and language that shaped New Testament writers.
    • Comparative reading helps interpret Pauline vocabulary and first‑century debates (e.g., Wisdom of Solomon enriching readings of Romans; Psalms of Solomon and Paul).
  • Cautions:
    • Beware using the Apocrypha as proof texts to prop up later doctrines they don’t actually teach (example: selective reading of 2 Maccabees was historically linked to doctrinal arguments about purgatory).
  • Practical encouragement: read the Apocrypha for background rather than as substitute Scripture; it contains memorable prayers and poetry (e.g., the Song of the Three) useful in devotion and worship.

Notable insights and quotes

  • “If it was important for our understanding of the letter, or for our understanding of Jesus and God and the gospel, that we should know who the author was, I think we would have been told.”
  • On humility in judgment about others’ salvation: central, repeated theme.
  • On canon: “These books…help us get a three-dimensional view of what Paul is doing.”

Practical takeaways & recommendations

  • On Hebrews:
    • Accept the historical uncertainty about authorship; engage the letter on its theological merits.
    • If you want deeper scholarship, watch for the new ICC on Hebrews and consult Wright’s older “Hebrews for Everyone” for a readable introduction.
  • On the fate of those outside explicit faith:
    • Avoid dogmatic pronouncements about individual judgment; emphasize evangelism, prayer, and compassionate engagement.
    • Read New Testament passages on judgment and new creation keeping pastoral humility in view.
  • On the Apocrypha:
    • Read these books for historical and devotional insight (they illuminate Second Temple Judaism and New Testament background).
    • Don’t use Apocryphal texts as sole proof-texts for doctrine; place them within broader canonical and historical study.
  • Resources mentioned:
    • askntright.com — submit questions and access bonus episodes.
    • Premier resource: premierinsight.org/resources — Journey to Bethlehem (seasonal text series).
    • Wright’s works referenced: Christian Origins and the Question of God series, New Testament for Everyone commentaries, Vision of Ephesians, Hebrews for Everyone; upcoming ICC Hebrews (Philip & Loveday Alexander).

Final note

Wright’s answers combine historical scholarship, pastoral sensitivity, and theological caution: accept limits to our knowledge, value historical background (including the Apocrypha), and prioritize humble, loving engagement rather than confident condemnation when thinking about authorship questions or the ultimate fate of others.