Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
Lots of folks like to refer to Jesus as an "anchor"—someone who keeps you still in rocky waters. That image comes from Hebrews 6:19: "we have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul." Believe it or not, that's the only time this symbol pops up in the whole Bible. Our author is such a trailblazer. (Source)
Some folks who promote the use of spanking and other physical punishments for kids look to Hebrews 12:6 for support: "the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and chastises every child whom he accepts." What do you think? Is that what God is saying? (Source)
Check it out: there's also a Gospel of the Hebrews. Some of the early church fathers write about it and quote from it in their letters, but it fell out of fashion and didn't end up making it into the Bible. Probably better that way. Two different books in two different genres called "Hebrews"? Too confusing.
Hebrews is actually kind of a one-hit wonder. Our anonymous author only ever wrote one book that we know of (unlike Paul, who gets 13 letters attributed to him. Show off!). That puts this little book in the ranks of such literary greats as To Kill a Mockingbird, Gone with the Wind, and Catch-22.