One subject is dealt with exhaustively in Galatians, namely the place that circumcision

holds in the economy of grace. If Hebrews was sent together with Galatians, we have a

sufficient explanation. When writing of the better things to the Hebrews, the apostle did

not deal with circumcision. The omission even of the word is inexplicable if Hebrews

stand alone. If however the covering letter be Galatians then the matter is dealt with once

and for all, and the way is open for the Apostle to address the Hebrews with his "word of

exhortation" (Heb. 13: 22).

Returning to the question of authorship, let us consider the evidences that Scripture

itself produces that bear upon the reason why the title "Apostle" and the name "Paul"

should be withheld from the epistle to the Hebrews.

When we turn to the epistle to the Hebrews, no reference to Paul by name is found

either in the salutation or in the body of the epistle, but that the Hebrews to whom the

epistle was written knew the identity of the writer is evident, for, toward the close of the

epistle he said "Pray for us . . . . . that I may be restored to you the sooner" (Heb. 13: 18,

19). "Timothy" is also closely associated with the writer (Heb. 13: 23), and the epistle

ends with the words "Grace be with you all. Amen", a salutation which constituted the

token of Paul's authorship in each of his epistles, as he states in II Thess. 3: 17, 18.

We an but conjecture the reasons that made Paul omit his name, but we have more

positive ground to stand on when we consider the omission of the title "apostle".

While keeping within the bounds of his commission to the Gentiles, Paul spoke with

the full authority that apostleship brings, but when he addressed Hebrews he asked them

to "suffer the word of exhortation" (Heb. 12: 22), and omitted both his name and the

credentials of his authority.

Peter was the Apostle of the Circumcision, and includes the title in the salutation of

his two epistles. Towards the close of the second epistle he alludes to something that

Paul had written, which must refer to either to some writings now lost and never heard of

throughout the history of the church, or to this epistle to the Hebrews.  Peter had

addressed his first epistle "to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia,

Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia" (I Pet. 1: 1), and his second to the same scattered

companies (II Pet. 3: 1). There are other evidences that favour the idea that the epistle to

the Galatians was a covering letter to the Hebrews, but this must await the completion of

our studies in the comparison of Hebrews and Ephesians. For the present purpose

attention must now be concentrated on the following facts: