ESV Expository Commentary (Volume 12) E-Book

Crossway

• Herausgeber: Crossway
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Serie: ESV Expository Commentary
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 2155

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Beschreibung

Designed to strengthen the global church with a widely accessible, theologically sound, and pastorally wise resource for understanding and applying the overarching storyline of the Bible, this commentary series features the full text of the ESV Bible passage by passage, with crisp and theologically rich exposition and application. Editors Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton, and Jay A. Sklar have gathered a team of experienced pastor-theologians to provide a new generation of pastors and other teachers of the Bible around the world with a globally minded commentary series rich in biblical theology and broadly Reformed doctrine, making the message of redemption found in all of Scripture clear and available to all. Six experienced Bible teachers walk through some of the richest but more challenging books of the New Testament, helping Bible readers understand what they say about Christians' hope for the future. Contributors include: Dennis E. Johnson Robert L. Plummer C. Samuel Storms Ray Van Neste Matthew S. Harmon Thomas R. Schreiner

Leseprobe

ESV Expository Commentary

Vol. XII

Hebrews–Revelation

Editors

Iain M. Duguid

James M. Hamilton Jr.

Jay Sklar

ESVExpository

Commentary

Vol. XII

Hebrews–Revelation

HebrewsDennis E. Johnson2 Peter and JudeMatthew S. HarmonJamesRobert L. Plummer1–3 JohnRay Van Neste1 PeterSam StormsRevelationThomas R. Schreiner

ESV Expository Commentary, Volume 12: Hebrews–Revelation

© 2018 by Crossway

Published by Crossway 1300 Crescent Street Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Crossway® is a registered trademark in the United States of America.

Cover design: Jordan Singer

First printing 2018

Version: 2021-06-25

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Scripture quotation marked CSB has been taken from The Christian Standard Bible®. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are from The New American Standard Bible®. Copyright © The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from The New King James Version. Copyright © 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NRSV are from The New Revised Standard Version. Copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Published by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.

The Scripture quotation marked PHILLIPS is from The New Testament in Modern English, translated by J. B. Phillips © 1972 by J. B. Phillips. Published by Macmillan.

The Scripture quotation marked RSV is from The Revised Standard Version. Copyright © 1946, 1952, 1971, 1973 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.

Scripture quotations marked AT are the author’s translation.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the authors.

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4335-4672-3

ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-7631-7

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Table of Contents

Editors

Title Page

Copyright

Tables

Preface

Contributors

Abbreviations

Hebrews

James

1 Peter

2 Peter

1 John

2 John

3 John

Jude

Revelation

Scripture Index

Tables

Hebrews

1.1  Major Sections in Hebrews

1.2  Hebrews 7:16 in Greek Word Order: A Different Criterion of Priestly Selection

1.3  Hebrews 7:28: Contrasting the Aaronic Priesthood and the Priesthood of Christ

1.4  Contrasting Ministries of the Holy and Most Holy Place (Heb. 9:6–7)

1.5  Common Themes in Hebrews 4:14–16 and 10:19–25

1.6  Hebrews 10:36 as a Positive Restatement of 10:35

1.7  Greek Syntactical Parallels Linking Hebrews 13:4 and 13:5–6

1 John

5.1  The Parallel Portions of 1 John 2:12–14

Revelation

9.1  Indications of Persecution in Revelation

9.2  Interpretive Approaches to Revelation

9.3  A Simplified Structure of Revelation

9.4  The Seven Blessings in Revelation

9.5  The Descriptions of the Ones Revealed in Daniel 10 and Revelation 1

9.6  Elements of the Seven Letters

9.7  Revelation 6: The First Six Seals

9.8  The Seven Trumpets

9.9  The Judgments in Revelation 16

9.10  Amillennialist View of First Resurrection and Second Death in Revelation

Preface

to the ESV Expository Commentary

The Bible pulsates with life, and the Spirit conveys the electrifying power of Scripture to those who lay hold of it by faith, ingest it, and live by it. God has revealed himself in the Bible, which makes the words of Scripture sweeter than honey, more precious than gold, and more valuable than all riches. These are the words of life, and the Lord has entrusted them to his church, for the sake of the world.

He has also provided the church with teachers to explain and make clear what the Word of God means and how it applies to each generation. We pray that all serious students of God’s Word, both those who seek to teach others and those who pursue study for their own personal growth in godliness, will be served by the ESV Expository Commentary. Our goal has been to provide a clear, crisp, and Christ-centered explanation of the biblical text. All Scripture speaks of Christ (Luke 24:27), and we have sought to show how each biblical book helps us to see the “light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6).

To that end, each contributor has been asked to provide commentary that is:

exegetically sound

—self-consciously submissive to the flow of thought and lines of reasoning discernible in the biblical text;

robustly biblical-theological

—reading the Bible as diverse yet bearing an overarching unity, narrating a single storyline of redemption culminating in Christ;

globally aware

—aimed as much as possible at a global audience, in line with Crossway’s mission to provide the Bible and theologically responsible resources to as many people around the world as possible;

broadly reformed

—standing in the historical stream of the Reformation, affirming that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, taught in Scripture alone, for God’s glory alone; holding high a big God with big grace for big sinners;

doctrinally conversant

—fluent in theological discourse; drawing appropriate brief connections to matters of historical or current theological importance;

pastorally useful

—transparently and reverently “sitting under the text”; avoiding lengthy grammatical/syntactical discussions;

application-minded

—building brief but consistent bridges into contemporary living in both Western and non-Western contexts (being aware of the globally diverse contexts toward which these volumes are aimed);

efficient in expression

—economical in its use of words; not a word-by-word analysis but a crisply moving exposition.

In terms of Bible translation, the ESV is the base translation used by the authors in their notes, but the authors were expected to consult the text in the original languages when doing their exposition and were not required to agree with every decision made by the ESV translators.

As civilizations crumble, God’s Word stands. And we stand on it. The great truths of Scripture speak across space and time, and we aim to herald them in a way that will be globally applicable.

May God bless the study of his Word, and may he smile on this attempt to expound it.

 —The Publisher and Editors

Contributors

Editors

Iain M. Duguid

PhD, University of Cambridge

Professor of Old Testament, Westminster Theological Seminary

James M. Hamilton Jr.

PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Professor of Biblical Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; Preaching Pastor, Kenwood Baptist Church, Louisville

Jay Sklar

PhD, University of Gloucestershire

Professor of Old Testament, Covenant Theological Seminary

Authors

Matthew S. Harmon

PhD, Wheaton College

Professor of New Testament Studies, Grace College and Theological Seminary

(2 Peter, Jude)

Dennis E. Johnson

PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary

Professor of Practical Theology, Westminster Seminary California

(Hebrews)

Robert L. Plummer

PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Professor of New Testament Interpretation, Chairman of the New Testament Department, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

(James)

Thomas R. Schreiner

PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary

James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation, Associate Dean, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

(Revelation)

Sam Storms

PhD, University of Texas at Dallas

Senior Pastor, Bridgeway Church, Oklahoma City

(1 Peter)

Ray Van Neste

PhD, University of Aberdeen

Professor of Biblical Studies, Director of the Ryan Center for Biblical Studies, Union University

(1–3 John)

Abbreviations

General

b.

born

c.

circa, about, approximately

cf.

confer, compare, see

ch., chs.

chapter(s)

d.

died

diss.

dissertation

ed(s).

editor(s), edited by, edition

e.g.

for example

esp.

especially

et al.

and others

etc.

and so on

ff.

and following

Gk.

Greek

Hb.

Hebrew

ibid.

ibidem

, in the same place

i.e.

that is

lit.

literal, literally

LXX

Septuagint

mg.

marginal reading

MT

Masoretic Text

n.d.

no date

n.l.

no place of publication

n.p.

no publisher

NT

New Testament

OT

Old Testament

par.

parallel passage

r.

reigned

repr.

reprinted

rev.

revised (by)

s.v.

sub verbo

(under the word)

trans.

translator, translated by

v., vv.

verse(s)

vol(s).

volume(s)

vs.

versus

Bibliographic

AB

Anchor Bible

ACCS

Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture

BDAG

Bauer, W., F. W. Danker, W. F. Arndt, and F. W. Gingrich.

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature

. 3rd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1999.

BECNT

Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament

CBQ

Catholic Biblical Quarterly

ConcC

Concordia Commentary

JETS

Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society

LCL

Loeb Classical Library

LSJ

Liddell, Henry George, Robert Scott, and Henry Stuart Jones.

A Greek-English Lexicon

. 9th ed. with revised supplement. Oxford: Clarendon, 1996.

MM

Moulton, James H., and George Milligan.

The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament

. London, 1930. Repr. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1997.

NA

28

Nestle-Aland,

Novum Testamentum Graece

, 28th rev. ed. Edited by Barbara Aland, Kurt Aland, Johannes Karavidopoulos, Carlo M. Martini, and Bruce Metzger in cooperation with the Institute for New Testament Textual Research, Munster/Westphalia; German Bible Society, 2012.

NAC

New American Commentary

NICNT

New International Commentary on the New Testament

NIDNTT

New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology

. Edited by Colin Brown. 4 vols. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1975–1978.

NIDNTTE

New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology

. Edited by Colin Brown. 4 vols. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014.

NIGTC

New International Greek Testament Commentary

NIVAC

NIV Application Commentary

NovT

Novum Testamentum

NTL

New Testament Library

PNTC

Pillar New Testament Commentary

TDNT

Theological Dictionary of the New Testament

. Edited by Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich. Translated by Geoffrey W. Bromiley. 10 vols. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans: 1964–1976.

TNTC

Tyndale New Testament Commentaries

TynBul

Tyndale Bulletin

WBC

Word Biblical Commentary

WTJ

Westminster Theological Journal

ZECNT

Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament

ZNW

Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft und die Kunde der älteren Kirche

Books of the Bible

Gen.

Genesis

Ex.

Exodus

Lev.

Leviticus

Num.

Numbers

Deut.

Deuteronomy

Josh.

Joshua

Judg.

Judges

Ruth

Ruth

1 Sam.

1 Samuel

2 Sam.

2 Samuel

1 Kings

1 Kings

2 Kings

2 Kings

1 Chron.

1 Chronicles

2 Chron.

2 Chronicles

Ezra

Ezra

Neh.

Nehemiah

Est.

Esther

Job

Job

Ps., Pss.

Psalms

Prov.

Proverbs

Eccles.

Ecclesiastes

Song

Song of Solomon

Isa.

Isaiah

Jer.

Jeremiah

Lam.

Lamentations

Ezek.

Ezekiel

Dan.

Daniel

Hos.

Hosea

Joel

Joel

Amos

Amos

Obad.

Obadiah

Jonah

Jonah

Mic.

Micah

Nah.

Nahum

Hab.

Habakkuk

Zeph.

Zephaniah

Hag.

Haggai

Zech.

Zechariah

Mal.

Malachi

Matt.

Matthew

Mark

Mark

Luke

Luke

John

John

Acts

Acts

Rom.

Romans

1 Cor.

1 Corinthians

2 Cor.

2 Corinthians

Gal.

Galatians

Eph.

Ephesians

Phil.

Philippians

Col.

Colossians

1 Thess.

1 Thessalonians

2 Thess.

2 Thessalonians

1 Tim.

1 Timothy

2 Tim.

2 Timothy

Titus

Titus

Philem.

Philemon

Heb.

Hebrews

James

James

1 Pet.

1 Peter

2 Pet.

2 Peter

1 John

1 John

2 John

2 John

3 John

3 John

Jude

Jude

Rev.

Revelation

Apocrypha and Other Noncanonical Sources Cited

1 En.

1 Enoch

1 Esd.

1 Esdras

1 Macc.

1 Maccabees

2 Bar.

2 Baruch

2 En.

2 Enoch

2 Esd.

2 Esdras

2 Macc.

2 Maccabees

3 En.

3 Enoch

3 Macc.

3 Maccabees

4 Macc.

4 Maccabees

Bar.

Baruch

Jub.

Jubilees

Sir.

Sirach/Ecclesiasticus

Tob.

Tobit

Wisd.Sol.

Wisdom of Solomon

Hebrews

Dennis E. Johnson

Introduction to Hebrews

Hebrews 1:1–4

Overview of Hebrews 1:5–2:18

Hebrews 1:5–14

Hebrews 2:1–4

Overview of Hebrews 2:5–18

Hebrews 2:5–9

Hebrews 2:10–18

Overview of Hebrews 3:1–4:13

Hebrews 3:1–6

Overview of Hebrews 3:7–4:13

Hebrews 3:7–19

Hebrews 4:1–13

Overview of Hebrews 4:14–7:28

Hebrews 4:14–5:10

Overview of Hebrews 5:11–6:20

Hebrews 5:11–6:3

Hebrews 6:4–12

Hebrews 6:13–20

Overview of Hebrews 7:1–28

Hebrews 7:1–10

Hebrews 7:11–28

Overview of Hebrews 8:1–10:31

Hebrews 8:1–6

Hebrews 8:7–13

Hebrews 9:1–10

Overview of Hebrews 9:11–28

Hebrews 9:11–14

Hebrews 9:15–22

Hebrews 9:23–28

Hebrews 10:1–10

Hebrews 10:11–18

Overview of Hebrews 10:19–35

Hebrews 10:19–25

Hebrews 10:26–35

Overview of Hebrews 10:36–12:17

Hebrews 10:36–39

Overview of Hebrews 11:1–40

Hebrews 11:1–7

Hebrews 11:8–22

Hebrews 11:23–31

Hebrews 11:32–40

Hebrews 12:1–11

Hebrews 12:12–17

Hebrews 12:18–29

Overview of Hebrews 13:1–25

Hebrews 13:1–8

Hebrews 13:9–16

Hebrews 13:17–25

Introduction to

Hebrews

Overview

Hebrews is unique among the NT documents. Its author describes it as a “word of exhortation” (Heb. 13:22), the same Greek expression used to describe Paul’s “word of encouragement” in a synagogue of the Jewish Dispersion (Acts 13:15). Hebrews is probably a sermon composed for a Jewish Christian congregation, showing them from the OT (which God spoke through prophets; Heb. 1:1) that Jesus has fulfilled the promises and shadows given to Israel in the law of Moses, guaranteeing to believers cleansing of conscience and access to God’s throne of grace (9:13–14; 10:19–24; 4:14–16). Hebrews explains both the continuities and the development in redemptive history from the old covenant given at Sinai to the new covenant mediated by Jesus. Hebrews exemplifies how revealed truths concerning Christ’s unique person and redemptive mission establish Christians’ confidence and hope, calling the church to perseverance and mutual encouragement.

Title

Unlike other General Epistles, which bear their authors’ names, the title of Hebrews describes its recipients. Yet the text of Hebrews itself identifies neither its recipients nor their location. The traditional title “To the Hebrews,” traceable to the second century AD, is inferred from the contents or perhaps reflects a tradition transmitted orally from the first generation. The identity of the original recipients as “Hebrews,” Jewish Christians rather than Gentiles, has been challenged (cf. Date and Occasion). On balance, however, evidence supports the ancient title’s claim that this book was originally addressed to Jewish people who had come to faith in Jesus.

Author

Unlike the typical Hellenistic letter (cf. Genre and Literary Structure/Features), Hebrews does not open with the identification of its author. The first recipients no doubt knew him, for he asks them to pray that he may be “restored” to them in the near future (13:18–19, 23) and recalls the specifics of their past and present trials (6:9–12; 10:32–34).

The earliest church tradition, reflected in Papyrus 46 and arguments known to Clement and Origen in Alexandria at the end of the second century AD, associates Hebrews with the apostle Paul. Clement, however, speculated that Hebrews may have been penned by a Pauline associate, perhaps Luke. Origen, while granting the theological affinity of Hebrews with Paul, concluded that only “God knows” who actually authored the sermon-letter. The mention of Timothy (13:23) and appearance of “Pauline” themes (e.g., Christ’s atoning death and the new covenant) have been cited as supporting Pauline authorship. However, a central emphasis of Paul, Jesus’ resurrection, is mentioned rarely (13:20), although it is implied in the motif of Jesus’ “indestructible life” (7:16). Moreover, as John Calvin observed, Paul stressed that his call to apostleship came from the risen Christ himself, unmediated by other humans (Gal. 1:1, 11–17). It is unlikely, then, that Paul would number himself, as the author of Hebrews does, among those who encountered the message of salvation through other apostles (Heb. 2:3). The Muratorian fragment, a seventh-century document that may reflect a second-century original, mentions thirteen Pauline epistles, addressed to seven churches and three individuals. It does not include Hebrews among the Pauline epistles or even among works falsely attributed to Paul.

Another second-century church father, Tertullian of Carthage, proposed Barnabas as the author of Hebrews. Joseph “Barnabas” was a Levite from the Dispersion (Cyprus, specifically), and the nickname assigned to him by the apostles is interpreted as “son of encouragement [paraklēsis]” (Acts 4:36). These features would fit the author of a “word of exhortation [paraklēsis]” (Heb. 13:22) composed in polished Greek and elaborating Jesus’ fulfillment of the Levitical sanctuary and its sacrifices. Yet Tertullian’s attribution of Hebrews to Barnabas stands alone in the early Christian centuries. Tertullian may be correct, but he does not cite earlier tradition, and none of his contemporaries seem aware of his view.

Other authorship proposals were made centuries later, based strictly on induction from the content and style of the sermon-letter itself, without any claim of external confirmation from early church tradition. Supposed authors include Apollos (Martin Luther), Clement of Rome (Calvin, tentatively), Epaphras, and Priscilla (19th- and 20th-century scholars).

The identity of the human author of Hebrews is, and likely will remain, unknown. We do know some things about him. The Greek masculine participle in “time would fail me to tell” (11:32) implies that the author was male. Along with his hearers, he heard about the salvation Christ achieved through the apostles “who heard” the Lord (2:3). He was fluent in literary Hellenistic Greek and a skillful interpreter of Scripture who used the Greek Septuagint (LXX). He could assume his pastoral authority among the sermon-letter’s hearers. Although we, at a distance of twenty centuries, do not know who he was, this would probably not concern him. At one point he mentions a human author of Scripture to make a point about chronology (4:7), but his dominant concern is that we attend to Scripture and the authority of its divine author, who spoke long ago through prophets and still speaks in the Son and, after his ascension to heaven, through the Son’s messengers (1:1–2; 2:1–4, 6; 3:7; 12:25–27; 13:7).

Date and Occasion

Date

Hebrews was probably written before the destruction of the temple in AD 70. Hebrews 10:1–4, 11–14 argues from the ceaseless repetition of animal sacrifices in Israel’s earthly sanctuary that such deaths cannot cleanse worshipers’ consciences. If the temple had already been destroyed, that event would have generated a different line of argument: that the earthly sanctuary and its sacrifices were obviously insufficient, since the temple’s destruction showed that they had been replaced by a “new and living way” into God’s presence, opened by Jesus in his death (cf. 10:19).

On the other hand, it probably was not written too long before 70, for the hearers of the letter are described as having embraced the gospel some time ago and therefore as being less mature than they should have been (5:12–14). The greeting conveyed from “those who come from Italy” (13:24) suggests the sermon-letter’s destination was Italy and that these greeters were Italian expatriates sending greetings home.

Some scholars suggest that the suffering that the readers of this letter had earlier endured, including public exposure, imprisonment, and loss of property (10:32–34), might have been associated with the edict of the emperor Claudius expelling Jews from Rome, reportedly in response to turmoil generated by or over someone named Chrestus or entitled Christos, Greek for “Messiah” (c. AD 49; cf. Acts 18:2). Apparently the edict was not imposed on every Jew who resided in the capital, and it may have lapsed after a few years.

When Paul arrived in Rome for adjudication of his appeal (c. AD 60), he found both an established Jewish community and one or more Christian congregations (Acts 28:14–15, 17–28). Although the members of the Hebrews congregation “have not yet resisted to the point of shedding . . . blood” (Heb. 12:4), the author assures them that Christ’s death has freed them from the fear of death (2:15) and reminds them that those who preceded them in the pilgrimage of faith endured both torture and violent death (11:35–38). A composition date for Hebrews in the mid-60s, as Nero’s persecution of Christians in the imperial capital was escalating, is consistent with all of this available evidence.

Occasion

The occasion of the writing of this letter can be inferred from direct comments addressing the hearers’ situation and spiritual condition and from the sermon’s own argumentation. The addressees began their pilgrimage of faith well when “enlightened” by the gospel, enduring suffering and caring for other sufferers for Jesus’ sake (Heb. 6:10; 10:32–34). At the time of writing, however, some were in danger not only of abandoning the Christian gathering (10:25) but also of renouncing their confession of trust in Christ and his atoning blood (6:4–6; 10:29–30). The sermon argues throughout that Jesus and his redemptive work surpass and replace the means of atonement and access to God, the sanctuary and sacrifices, commanded in the law given to Moses. This argument seems to imply that the hearers were inclined to look to the institutions of Judaism for assurance of God’s forgiveness, as well as for relief from persecution.

There is no mention of circumcision, which would have loomed large if the first audience were Gentiles (as seen in Galatians, Romans, Philippians, Ephesians, Acts, and elsewhere). Thus the hearers probably were not Gentiles being luredtoward institutional Judaism and its temple but were Jewish followers of Jesus tempted to return to the visible sanctuary and its liturgy in Jerusalem, abandoning their confession of Christ’s supremacy as eternal High Priest and his sufficiency as the final, conscience-cleansing sacrifice.

Genre and Literary Structure/Features

Genre

Although Hebrews is typically categorized among the “Catholic” or General Epistles, it lacks features that characterized typical Hellenistic epistles. It does not open with the author’s name, the recipients’ name/description/locale, or an opening benediction or expression of thanks. The author himself characterizes the book as a “word of exhortation” (13:22). This description highlights the letter’s pervasively “hortatory” tone—urging hearers to respond rightly to God’s Word. It also signals that the book is to be received as a spoken explanation and application of Scripture: a sermon. In the synagogue of Pisidian Antioch, Paul’s exposition of the OT Scriptures, issuing in a summons to faith, is called a “word of encouragement” (Acts 13:15), employing the same Greek expression rendered “word of exhortation” in Hebrews 13:22. In Paul’s directive to Timothy for his ministry in Christian congregations, the reading of Scripture is followed by “exhortation” and “teaching” (1 Tim. 4:13).

Consistent with this sermonic genre, in Hebrews God’s Word is conveyed orally by “speaking” or “testifying” and is received by “hearing” (Heb. 2:1, 3; 3:7; 7:17; 8:8; 10:15; 12:25; etc.). Hebrews closes with features often found in epistles: commands on various topics, a request for prayer, a benediction, and final greetings. So the sermon has been adapted for distribution via written correspondence.

Structure

This sermon is structured by six contrasts1 between aspects of God’s means of relating to Israel under the old covenant, on the one hand, and the superiority of engagement with God that Christ has effected under the new covenant, on the other (cf. Outline). Each section expounds one primary OT passage, argues that Christ’s mediatorial mission transcends old covenant institutions, and leads to a specific exhortation. The flow of thought moves from God’s speech (revelation) to his provision for our atonement and forgiveness (reconciliation) and finally to the goal of our worship in his holy presence (rest). The author skillfully interlocks sections, unifying the sermon’s movement from theme to theme. As a result, the boundaries between the sermon’s sections are not always sharply defined (table 1.1).

TABLE 1.1: Major Sections in Hebrews

Text Boundaries

Christ Is Superior To:

With Reference To:

Primary OT Text (Secondary Text)

Exhortation

1:4–2:18

Angels

Revelation

Ps. 8:4–6

2:1–4

3:1–4:13

Moses

Revelation

Ps. 95:7–11 (Num. 12:7)

3:7–4:13

4:14–7:28

Aaronic priests

Reconciliation

Ps. 110:1, 4 (Gen. 14:17–20)

5:11–6:12

8:1–10:31

Covenant, sanctuary, sacrifice

Reconciliation

Jer. 31:31–34 (Ps. 40:6–8)

10:19–31

10:32–12:17

Promised Land

Rest (inheritance)

Hab. 2:2–4

12:1–17

12:18–29

Sinai

Rest (worship)

Ex. 19:16–23 (Deut. 4:11)

12:25–29

Theology of Hebrews

Hebrews explicitly reaffirms many doctrines revealed throughout the rest of the Bible. God created the universe by his word (Heb. 11:3; cf. 1:10–12) through his eternal Son (1:2–3). OT Scripture is God’s very Word, addressed by the Holy Spirit to us (1:1–2; 3:7). The human race is destined to rule over other creatures (2:7–8), but we have sinned and are alienated from God, requiring atonement through a pure sacrifice (2:17; 5:1–3; 9:7, 13–14). We are enslaved by the Devil through the fear of death (2:14–15), and we need salvation from his power (2:3, 10; 5:9; 7:25). This list could go on. The distinctive theological contributions of Hebrews are in the areas of Christology, soteriology, the covenantal structure of redemptive history, and the church and its worship.

Christology

God’s Son, Jesus the Christ, is fully divine, infinitely transcending God’s angels in dignity (1:2–9) and the entire universe in immutable longevity (1:10–12; 13:8). The Son became fully human, sharing in our flesh and blood, “like his brothers in every respect,” in order to become a merciful, faithful High Priest who offered his own life to rescue us from God’s wrath and to grant us access to God’s presence (2:14–18; 5:5–10; 10:19–22). Having died for his people’s sins, Jesus has been raised to an “indestructible life” (7:16) and has ascended to God’s right hand in heaven (8:1–2; cf. 12:2), where he lives forever to intercede for those who approach God through him (7:23–25).

Soteriology

Hebrews elaborates most fully the priestly aspect of Christ’s saving mission, the sermon’s central point (8:1). His sufferings during the “days of his flesh” qualify him to represent weak sinners with sympathetic compassion befitting a priest interceding for his brothers and sisters (2:17–18; 4:14–5:4; 5:7–10). As High Priest he offered himself in death as the final, once-for-all, conscience-cleansing sacrifice of atonement, fulfilling and replacing the endless succession of slaughtered animals associated with the OT sanctuary. Christ has now entered God’s heavenly Holy Place and is interceding on our behalf. We await his emergence from the heavenly sanctuary to consummate our rescue from sin and death.

Covenantal, Redemptive History

Hebrews opens with the theme that God has revealed his Word progressively throughout history, speaking to past generations through prophets but “in these last days” through his Son (1:1–2). This two-age model of history pervades the sermon. Moses testified to “things that were to be spoken later” (3:5). The law’s tabernacle and its sacrifices forecast the priestly work of Jesus and its venue in heaven. Christ “has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (9:26). By contrast, the rules given to Moses restricting access to the tabernacle’s holiest inner chamber in times past were the Holy Spirit’s signal that the “time of reformation” had not yet arrived (9:8–10).

Now that Christ has come as High Priest to offer himself as sacrifice, rituals serving as shadows of “good things to come” (10:1) have given way to the realities to which they pointed—the “good things that have come” (9:11). God announced in Jeremiah 31 (cited in Heb. 8:8–12) that he would replace the covenant established at Sinai with a new covenant, based on better promises to secure our access to God. Christ’s death has inaugurated that new covenant (9:14–15). The new era of God’s covenant communion with his people has dawned.

Ecclesiology and Worship

Hebrews summons its hearers to view their present situation in light of the pattern of Israel’s pilgrimage through the wilderness, from slavery in Egypt to rest in the Promise Land (3:7–4:11; cf. 11:8–10, 13–16; 13:14). Liberation from slavery is a great grace, but in order to enter its blessed destination (variously called “God’s rest”; the city with foundations, designed and built by God; the city to come, which abides eternally) the church must persevere in the hope it confesses (3:6; 4:1; 6:11, 18; 10:23–25, 35–39). This endurance demands mutual encouragement and accountability (3:12–13; 12:12–17), and its source is expectant worship and prayer, in which we draw near to God’s throne of grace, seeking his timely help (4:14–16; 10:19–22; 12:18–24). As a congregation making its way through wilderness trials toward its promised inheritance, the church must hold fast to its confession by holding together in proactive care for one another.

Relationship to the Rest of the Bible and to Christ

Hebrews and the OT

Hebrews provides the most extensive and detailed NT commentary on the design and significance of the OT sanctuary and the sacrifices offered in it. In other words, in this sermon the Holy Spirit (cf. 9:8–10) has provided his divinely inspired interpretation of a large section of the law given through Moses (Exodus 25–40; Leviticus 1–25; Numbers 3–9; 15–19; 28–29; Deuteronomy 12; 14–18; 26), as well as of later OT passages addressing the temple (e.g., 1 Kings 5–8; 1 Chronicles 21–26; 28–29; 2 Chronicles 2–7).

A case can be made that Psalm 110 unifies the entire argument of the sermon we know as Hebrews. The psalm presents a royal Messiah, enthroned at God’s right hand (cf. Heb. 1:3, 13; 8:1; 10:12). This king is also a priest, fitting the template of the ancient priest-king of Salem, Melchizedek. He serves as priest “forever,” his tenure in office secured by God’s solemn oath (Heb. 5:6; 6:20; 7:3, 11–28). Thus Hebrews discerns in this psalm (along with Gen. 14:17–20) the union of priestly and royal offices in Christ; the heavenly venue of his present ministry; the completion of his atoning sacrifice, signified by his seated posture; his unending tenure as priest; and the superiority of Jesus’ priesthood to Aaron’s.

In Hebrews 3:7–4:13, the interpretation of Psalm 95:7–11 shows Israel’s forty-year trek through the wilderness to be a pattern of the Christian church’s pilgrimage in the new covenant. Thus Hebrews casts light on the significance of wilderness accounts throughout the Pentateuch (cf. also Paul’s discussion in 1 Cor. 10:1–13).

Hebrews uses various interpretive methods to demonstrate, from the OT itself, the superiority of Christ to the events and institutions by which God formerly related to Israel. One strategy, employed three times, merits mention here. Certain OT passages imply that benefits God had bestowed on Israel—rest in the Promised Land, the Levitical priests, the covenant made at Sinai—were imperfect and temporary provisions destined to be replaced by even better blessings. If God had not planned for these provisions to become obsolete, Hebrews reasons, then the relevant OT passages would not have led readers to expect superior replacements in the future:

(1)

Hebrews 4:6–8

notes that Psalm 95:7–11, spoken through David long after Israel’s conquest of Canaan under Joshua, still urged its ancient audience—already living in the Promised Land—“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts,” for if the people of God did so, they would not enter God’s rest. “If Joshua had given them rest,” the argument continues, then “God would not have spoken of another day later on.” So the “rest” promised in Psalm 95 is something more secure and lasting than peaceful residence in Canaan (Josh. 21:44–45; 2 Sam. 7:1; cf.

Heb. 11:10

,

14–16

).

(2) If priests descended from Levi could have brought Israelite worshipers “perfection” (the cleansing needed to approach God), then Psalm 110:4 would not have spoken of a coming priest who would belong to a different priestly order, that of Melchizedek (

Heb. 7:11

). Thus the OT itself implies that a priest greater than Aaron would eventually come to “perfect” those who approach God through him (

10:14

).

(3) God promised in Jeremiah 31:31–34 to inaugurate a “new covenant,” unlike the covenant established at Sinai, which Israel broke.

Hebrews 8:7–13

reasons that, if that first covenant had sufficed, the Lord would not have predicted a later, better covenant—one in which sins are finally forgiven and all of God’s people enjoy direct access to him.

Hebrews and Other NT Books

Hebrews also displays connections with various NT books, especially in its descriptions of the person and redemptive work of Christ. Like the Fourth Gospel (John 1:1–3) and Pauline texts such as Colossians 1:13–20 and Philippians 2:5–11, Hebrews teaches that the Son is God, was active in the creation of the universe, and uniquely displays the glory of the Father. With the four Gospels and Paul, Hebrews teaches Christ’s full humanity (John 1:14; Phil. 2:6–9), which is essential to his mission as mediator (1 Tim. 2:4–5). Hebrews 5:7 offers a glimpse of Jesus’ anguish in prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, recorded more fully in the Synoptic Gospels (Matt. 26:36–44; Mark 14:32–40; Luke 22:40–46). Hebrews 7:24–25 and Romans 8:34 agree that Jesus now intercedes for believers at God’s right hand.

Preaching from Hebrews

Since Hebrews is probably an early Christian sermon in writing, we should approach this book not only as God’s Word to be preached but also as an example of what and how to preach, especially as we seek to expound a variety of OT passages and their relationship to Christ. Hebrews grounds its message in a careful interpretation of God’s written Word, which, though given “long ago” (Heb. 1:1), continues to “speak” to our hearers today (3:7, 13). Hebrews illustrates that profound theological truths—the mystery of the incarnation and its purpose, the atonement of our sin—are to be taught for practical purposes: to motivate Christians to persevere in faith, mutual encouragement, and the pursuit of holiness.

Preachers of the rich Christology of Hebrews, its typological interpretation of the OT, and its other motifs must follow the book’s homiletic lead, carrying theological exposition through to the response it evokes from believing hearts. While enduring faith is his primary application, our preacher does not ignore believers’ responsibility for one another (3:12–15; 6:10; 10:32–34; 13:1–2), nor our calling to pursue holiness in general (12:14), in sexuality (12:16; 13:4), and in our hearts’ search for security (13:5–6). As deep as his theological and exegetical insights are, the preacher to the Hebrews also exhibits a pastor’s compassionate understanding of his congregants’ spiritual needs and struggles. With a wise blend of gravity and grace, he combines sobering warnings (6:4–8; 10:26–31) with heartening acknowledgments of his hearers’ evidence of genuine faith (6:9–12; 10:32–39).

The original hearers, nurtured in the OT and the worship life of Israel, were profoundly aware of the defiling effects of human sin and the danger God’s holiness poses when he dwells among his people (10:26–31; 12:18–21, 29). Many listeners today, influenced by postmodern relativism and preoccupation with self-esteem, will need to be gripped by the biblical vision of the living God, supreme in his majesty and purity as “the judge of all” (12:23), in order to grasp the astonishing good news of the atoning work of Christ, which purges consciences and grants access into God’s presence in order to experience his grace.

In view of the theological richness of Hebrews and our hearers’ unfamiliarity with its OT roots, preachers will need to find ways to make its message clear and vivid today. This may require dividing the document into small texts for exposition, but in each sermon we need to keep in view both the wider flow of the book’s argument and the exhortation toward which each phase of the argument is driving.

Interpretive Challenges

Horizontal (Historical) and Vertical (Heaven/Earth) Typology

NT typology characteristically operates along a historical axis, linking events, institutions, offices, and individuals in past history (creation, fall, patriarchs, Israel) to their fulfillments in Christ and his new covenant people, the church. Adam, whose one act of disobedience brought condemnation to all humanity, was a “type of the one who was to come,” namely Jesus, whose obedience in life and death constitutes many as righteous (Rom. 5:12–19). Hebrews reflects the historical trajectory from OT type to NT “antitype” (that to which the type points and in which it is fulfilled); e.g., the ancient king-priest Melchizedek set a pattern for an “order” of priesthood that comprises only one other priest-king, Jesus (Hebrews 7).

But Hebrews adds a “vertical” dimension to this historical typology. Melchizedek could serve as a pattern for the Son who would arrive later in history because he was presented in the OT text in such a way that he “resembled the Son of God,” who lives forever (7:3). Similarly, the ancient tabernacle was a “copy and shadow” of the heavenly sanctuary of God, made visible to Moses on Mount Sinai (8:5). Into that heavenly Holy Place Jesus entered centuries later when he ascended after his death and resurrection. So the temple in which Christ now intercedes is the original, eternal, heavenly sanctuary; the earthly tabernacle and its furnishings were “copies of the heavenly things” (9:23).

Apostasy That Cannot Be Remedied

Among the most controversial and troubling sections of Hebrews are passages that warn of the dire, even irreversible, consequences of apostatizing from faith in Christ (6:4–6; 10:26–31; cf. 2:1–4). The sermon addresses a visible church, some of whose members appear inclined to renounce their confession of reliance on Jesus’ sacrifice and to return to the visible rituals of Judaism. The author warns that those who make such a move have shown such contempt toward God’s Son, his shed blood, and his Spirit of grace that for them “there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins” (10:26), and “it is impossible, . . . to restore them again to repentance” (6:4, 6). These texts pose two soteriological conundrums.

First, such texts seem to contradict the truth taught elsewhere in the NT that those whom God has chosen for salvation, given new life and faith, and justified will persevere in their faith to the end (e.g., John 10:27–29; Rom. 8:28–30). Within Hebrews itself we read that Christ “is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25). However, if Hebrews originates from God, who always speaks truth, these sober warnings can be reconciled with these and other “perseverance” texts. One issue that will be addressed in the commentary is whether the terms describing (potential) apostates’ previous Christian experience (6:4–5: “enlightened,” “tasted the heavenly gift . . . the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come,” “shared in the Holy Spirit”) must refer to genuine spiritual rebirth. It must be remembered that our preacher was addressing a congregation that, like ancient Israel in the wilderness, was likely a mixture of genuine believers and others who, though associated with the covenant community, had not responded to the means of grace with genuine faith (4:2).

The second problem concerns the impossibility of restoring apostates to repentance, leading to the forgiveness of their treason against Christ (cf. 6:4–6). Rigorist splinter groups in the early church cited Hebrews in defense of their conviction that no one who had renounced Christ under the pressure of persecution could be readmitted into church membership, however sincere their subsequent repentance seemed to be. The church at large, however, acknowledged that Christ’s grace could cover even such a grave transgression, as Jesus himself had extended mercy to Peter after his three fear-driven denials. Over the centuries, Hebrews 6:4–6 has distressed believers of tender conscience as they have recalled their fluctuating spiritual histories. Without vitiating these passages’ warnings, we can be comforted that none who sincerely turn away from unbelief in heartfelt repentance and faith have crossed the line into irremediable apostasy. See the comments on 6:4–12 for further discussion.

Outline

I. Prologue: in these last days God has spoken in a Son, who made purification for sins and now reigns at God’s right hand (

1:1–4

)

II. Revelation: Jesus is superior to the angels as the agent of God’s speaking (

1:5–2:18

)

A. Instruction: God’s contrasting words to the Son and to angels show the Son’s superiority (

1:5–14

)

B. Exhortation: those who neglect the salvation spoken through the Son will not escape wrath (

2:1–4

)

C. Instruction: the Son became human, lower than the angels, to redeem us, his brothers and sisters (

2:5–18

)

III. Revelation: Jesus is superior to Moses as the agent of God’s voice (

3:1–4:13

)

A. Instruction: Jesus, like Moses, was faithful; but Jesus deserves greater honor as Creator and as Son (

3:1–6

)

B. Exhortation: the Holy Spirit warns us not to harden our hearts “today” when we hear God’s voice, as Israel did in the desert (

3:7–4:13

)

IV. Reconciliation: Jesus is superior to Aaron as the High Priest forever (

4:14–7:28

)

A. Instruction: Jesus, like Aaron, is qualified for priesthood through human weakness and divine appointment (

4:14–5:10

)

B. Exhortation: do not be dull in hearing, but imitate believers who inherited God’s sure promises (

5:11–6:20

)

C. Instruction: Jesus is priest in the order of Melchizedek, greater than Aaron (

7:1–28

)

V. Reconciliation: Jesus is superior to the old covenant, its sanctuary, and its sacrifices, for his sacrifice cleanses consciences and brings us near to God (

8:1–10:35

)

A. Instruction: Jesus is the mediator of a new and better covenant, securing forgiveness and access to God (

8:1–13

)

B. Instruction: the earthly sanctuary of the old covenant showed that another route to God was needed (

9:1–10

)

C. Instruction: animal sacrifices, which could not cleanse consciences, showed that another way of forgiveness was needed: the blood of Christ (

9:11–10:18

)

D. Exhortation: draw near to God through Jesus’ blood (

10:19–25

)

E. Warning: no sacrifice remains for those who abandon Jesus (

10:26–31

)

F. Reassurance: remember your early faithfulness amid suffering (

10:32–35

)

VI. Rest: Jesus is superior to the patriarchs who greeted their inheritance from afar (

10:36–12:17

)

A. Exhortation: imitate those who pleased God by acting in faith (

Heb. 10:36–11:40

)

B. Exhortation: focus on Jesus and endure hardship as God’s fatherly discipline (

Heb. 12:1–11

)

C. Exhortation: cultivate endurance through Christian community (

Heb. 12:12–17

)

VII. Rest: Jesus is superior to Moses, for his blood grants access to the city of the living God (

12:18–29

)

A. Instruction: you have not come to the terrifying Mount Sinai on earth, but to the celebrating Mount Zion in heaven (

12:18–24

)

B. Exhortation: heed God’s voice as he warns from heaven, and worship him with grateful faith (

12:25–29

)

VIII. Epilogue: offer pleasing worship as the heirs of God’s unshakable kingdom (

13:1–25

)

A. Exhortation: Show love to brothers and sisters, hospitality to strangers, and compassion to prisoners (

13:1–3

)

B. Exhortation: Seek satisfaction of physical needs in submission to God the ever-present judge and helper (

13:4–6

)

C. Exhortation: Learn from the example of your past leaders, but rest in the unchanging Christ (

13:7–8

)

D. Exhortation: Share Jesus’ disgrace and offer sacrifices of praise and generosity (

13:9–16

)

E. Exhortation: Respect your leaders and receive God’s benediction (

13:17–25

)

1 No scholarly consensus exists on the structure of Hebrews. This six-part analysis receives partial support from R. T. France, “The Writer of Hebrews as a Biblical Expositor,” TynBul 47 (1996): 245–276.

Hebrews 1:1–4

1 1:1Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 1:2but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 1:3He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 1:4having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

Section Overview: Prologue: God’s Last, Best Word in the Son

In Greek, the prologue to Hebrews is one artfully constructed sentence of seventy-two words. It introduces the sermon’s central hero and previews his mission of revelation, reconciliation, and rule. The prologue identifies Christ as the Son of God, the agent of God’s eschatological revelation. Then a brief participial phrase, “after making purification for sins” (Heb. 1:3), encapsulates the sermon’s central point (cf. 8:1): the priestly ministry of the Son in sacrificing himself to cleanse sin-stained people and usher them into God’s presence. The prologue concludes with the Son’s kingly enthronement “at the right hand of the Majesty on high” and with a contrast between the Son’s superior name and the subordinate role of angels, the theme of the sermon’s first movement (1:5–2:18).

Section Outline

I. God’s speech (

1:1–2a

)

A. God formerly spoke to our fathers through prophets (

1:1

)

B. God has now spoken to us in a Son (

1:2a

)

II. Messianic sonship: the Son was appointed heir of everything (

1:2b

)

III. Divine sonship (

1:2c–3b

)

A. In relation to the universe: the Son created the ages (

1:2c

)

B. In relation to God: the Son embodies and displays God’s glory (

1:3a

)

C. In relation to the universe: the Son sustains everything (

1:3b

)

IV. Messianic sonship (

1:3c–4

)

A. The Son descended as priest to purify our sins (

1:3c

)

B. The Son ascended as king to the heights (

1:3d–4

)

1. The Son sat down at the majestic God’s right hand (

1:3d

)

2. The Son became superior to angels (

1:4

)

Comment

1:1–2aHebrews opens with the God who speaks, a theme that pervades the sermon (2:1–4; 3:7, 15–16; 4:2, 12–13; 6:13; 11:3; 12:25–27). When the living God speaks, his voice is heard in Scripture and in preaching (3:7); “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard” (2:1).

This prologue contrasts the messengers through whom God has spoken throughout biblical history. It opens with a contrast between human prophets who spoke God’s Word to Israel and the Son in whom God has spoken “in these last days.” It concludes with a contrast between the Son and angels, who delivered the law to the prophet Moses. Thus the prologue introduces the first two movements of the sermon, which show that, as God’s spokesman, Christ is superior to angels (1:5–2:18) and to Moses (3:1–4:13).

The first two clauses are balanced to demonstrate both the continuity (one divine speaker) and the differences between God’s self-revelation in the OT and the NT. The Greek word order shows the parallels:

At many times and in many ways

  long ago     [epoch]

   God spoke    [speech]

    to the fathers   [audience]

     by the prophets  [messengers]

  in these last days     [epoch]

   he has spoken    [speech]

    to us   [audience]

     by his Son  [messenger]

God’s OT speech came in many installments and modes: visions, dreams, riddles, and clear “mouth-to-mouth” self-disclosures granted to the patriarchs, Moses, and his prophetic successors (Num. 12:6–8, cited in Heb. 3:2, 5; cf. Hos. 12:10). The piecemeal, multiform character of God’s speech to Israel differed from his singular word spoken in the Son in these “last days.” Hebrews reasons that the plurality of agents and modes in the OT implies imperfection and incompleteness. There had to be many priests in the order of Levi and Aaron because death prevented them from continuing in office (Heb. 7:23), whereas Jesus holds his priesthood permanently and needs no successor (7:16, 20–21, 24). The many animal sacrifices offered in the tabernacle could not cleanse worshipers’ consciences, as Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice has now done (10:1–4, 10). So also, whereas OT revelation came piecemeal over a millennium or more, NT revelation came in one installment, complete in the Son and conveyed by those who heard him (2:3–4).

Like other NT texts (Acts 2:17; 1 Cor. 10:11; 1 Pet. 1:20), Hebrews announces that the “last days” foretold through the prophets have arrived with the incarnation of the Son (cf. Heb. 9:26). God had promised to intervene decisively in history to save and to judge in “the last days” (e.g., Num. 24:14; Isa. 2:2; Jer. 23:20; Dan. 10:14; Hos. 3:5). Christ’s life, death, and resurrection have launched those “last days,” delivering believers from the “present evil age” (Gal. 1:4). “The powers of the age to come” already operate in the Christian community (Heb. 6:5), yet believers still wait for Christ to “appear a second time” to consummate salvation (9:28).

1:2b–4 Christ is the Son of God in two senses, both of which are indispensable to his revelatory and redemptive mission. The prologue opens and closes with his messianic sonship as the incarnate God-man who followed a path of faithful suffering into glory (vv. 2b, 3c–4).

Behind and before Jesus’ messianic sonship is his divine sonship. Within the outer “envelope” describing his messianic sonship we find a description of divine sonship with respect to the universe (vv. 2c, 3b) and to God himself (v. 3a). As the divine Son, Jesus carries out his Father’s purposes in creation and providence. Foundational to his role as the universe’s creator and sustainer is the Son’s identity as the “radiance” of God’s glory and “exact imprint” of his substance (v. 3). The prologue’s chiastic (X-shaped) structure makes this the core truth that qualifies the Son to reveal the Father fully.1

1:2b With respect to his messianic sonship, at a moment in history the Son was “appointed heir of all things.” As the eternal divine Son, the Son is and always has been, with the Father and the Spirit, creator and owner of all things. Here, however, the focus is on appointment as messianic Son and heir, fulfilling Psalm 2:7–8: “You are my Son. . . . I will make the nations your heritage” (soon to be partially quoted in Heb. 1:5). The event foretold in Psalm 2:7–8 was the resurrection of Jesus (Acts 13:33; Rom. 1:4), and the reappearance of the terminology of “Son” and “heir/inherit” in Hebrews 1:3d–5 will elaborate on Jesus’ subsequent messianic accession to the status of heir to all that God has made.

1:2c–3b At the prologue’s center are three affirmations of the Son’s divine preexistence. As we have seen, the first and third pertain to his agency in the creation and preservation of the universe. Between them is a declaration of the Son’s eternal relationship to God the Father (v. 3a).

Like John 1:1–3 and Colossians 1:15–16, Hebrews affirms the Son’s agency in the creation of the world. The statement of the Son’s ongoing rule over the created order, whereby he “upholds the universe by the word of his power,” agrees with Paul’s statement that in Christ “all things hold together” (Col. 1:17). Yet the author’s word choice invites hearers to view the physical universe from a temporal perspective. The “world” (Heb. 1:2) that was created through the Son is literally “the ages” (aiōn; also in 1:8; 5:6; 6:5, 20; 7:17, 21, 24, 28; 9:26; 11:3; 13:8, 21). The referent here and in 11:3 is the spatial expanse of the heavens and the earth. But our preacher bypasses kosmos (used in 10:5), substituting “ages” to hint that the present heavens and earth are “wearing out” through successive ages (1:10–12; 13:8).

The incarnate Christ uniquely reveals the Father’s glory because he eternally “is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” (v. 3a). He shares God’s divine being (John 1:1–3, 14; 10:30–33; Phil. 2:5–6; Col. 1:15; cf. 2 Cor. 3:18; 4:4–6; Rom. 9:5). As early as Origen (early third century AD), commentators have heard here echoes of Wisdom of Solomon 7:25–26, which characterizes God’s attribute of wisdom as an emanation of his “glory” and the “radiance” of his light. Unlike that intertestamental book, Hebrews (following Proverbs 8) applies these terms not to the personification of a divine attribute but rather to a divine person, distinct from yet equal to the Father. “Exact imprint” in extrabiblical Greek was the design on a coin that replicated the die from which it was cast, or the insignia in a wax seal that reflected the stamp impressed into it. Through the images of “radiance” and “exact imprint” Hebrews captures Jesus’ claim that “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).

1:3c The prologue takes a decisive turn at “After making purification for sins,” returning to Christ’s messianic sonship and focusing on the priestly mission necessitating his incarnation. Hebrews 2:5–18; 4:14–5:10; 10:5–10 will show why the Son’s assuming human nature was necessary to his priestly ministry in empathy, sacrifice, and intercession. This first glimpse of the sermon’s central theme (8:1) shows the result of Christ’s death: the purification of believers’ consciences (9:14) so that we may approach God in worship (10:19–22).

1:3d–4 Jesus’ reward for his messianic obedience, culminating in his sacrifice for sinners, was his resurrection, ascension to heaven, and enthronement “at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” This allusion to Psalm 110:1 complements the allusion to Psalm 2:8 in Hebrews 1:2b, since the following series of OT passages in Hebrews 1 will open with Psalm 2:7 and close with Psalm 110:1, which will also reappear throughout the sermon (Heb. 8:1; 10:12; 12:2). The more excellent “name” that Christ “inherited” through his redemptive mission is the title “Son” (Ps. 2:7), addressed to him at his resurrection from the dead (cf. Acts 13:33). Angels replace the human prophets with which we began for two reasons: (1) angels delivered the law to the prophet Moses (Heb. 2:1–4), and (2) the divine Son became “lower” (Ps. 8:5) than angels through his incarnation in order to save his siblings, the offspring of Abraham.

1 The phrases and clauses in 1:2–5 are structured in a chiasm signaled by repetition of terminology:

(a)Son (v. 2a) (b)heir (v. 2b) (c)made (the ages) (v. 2c) (d)“being” (present participle) (v. 3a)(d')“bearing” (present participle) (v. 3b)(c')made (purification) (v. 3c)(b')inherited (v. 4b)(a')Son (v. 5)

By including verses 1–2a, William Lane and Peter O’Brien discern similar chiastic structures, with verse 3ab at the center point (William L. Lane, Hebrews 1–8 [Dallas: Word, 1991], 6–7; Peter T. O’Brien, The Letter to the Hebrews [Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2010], 45–47).

Response

The preacher to the Hebrews exhorts his hearers to hold fast to their confidence in Jesus (10:35–39), “the apostle and high priest of our confession” (3:1). Such endurance can come only from a deepened grasp of the majesty of the Son in whom God has spoken his final, finest word. This sermon will fix our eyes on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of faith (12:2). Faithfully confessing the identity of Christ is a matter of spiritual life or death! This opening sentence refutes Christological heresies that deny the full deity of the Son (adoptionism, Arianism, etc.). Later sections of Hebrews will expose the error of denying his true humanity (docetism, Apollinarianism, etc.).

The Son’s threefold mediatorial office (prophet, priest, king) guides our response. He is the definitive spokesman sent from God, so we must hear and heed his voice in the Scriptures as they are read and preached. He is the priest whose sacrifice purifies our defiled consciences, so through him we may and must draw near to God’s throne of grace. He is the king enthroned at God’s right hand, so we rejoice in his royal victory over the Devil (2:14) as we are the fulfillment of God’s promise to the priest-king at his right hand: “Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power” (Ps. 110:3).

Overview of Hebrews 1:5–2:18

The prologue’s concluding affirmation that the Son surpasses the angels leads to an extended discussion of the relationship of the Son to the angels. First, a series of seven OT quotations shows the Son’s superiority to angels in terms of his title (1:5), their obligation to worship him (1:6), their servant role (1:7), his divine reign (1:8–9) and immutability (1:10–12), and, finally, his enthronement at God’s right hand (1:13). A concluding comment on the angels reaffirms their role as servants to those who will inherit salvation through the Son (1:14). Second, the core exhortation of this section (2:1–4) shows the preacher’s purpose in contrasting the Son to the angels: God’s word came through both—the law through angels at Sinai, and the word of salvation through the Lord (the Son) in his incarnation. Third (2:5–9), at his incarnation the Son assumed human nature, becoming for a little while lower than angels, fitting the description of humanity in Psalm 8:5–7. The purpose of the Son’s voluntary condescension was to “[bring] many sons to glory” (Heb. 2:10) by destroying the one who enslaves his human “brothers” (2:11–16), making propitiation for their sins, and providing aid as their merciful and faithful High Priest (2:17–18).

Hebrews 1:5–14

5 1:5For to which of the angels did God ever say,

“You are my Son,

today I have begotten you”?

Or again,

“I will be to him a father,

and he shall be to me a son”?

6 1:6And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,

“Let all God’s angels worship him.”

7 1:7Of the angels he says,

“He makes his angels winds,

and his ministers a flame of fire.”

8 1:8But of the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,

the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.

9 1:9You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;

therefore God, your God, has anointed you

with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

10 1:10And,

“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,

and the heavens are the work of your hands;

11 1:11they will perish, but you remain;

they will all wear out like a garment,

12 1:12like a robe you will roll them up,

like a garment they will be changed.1

But you are the same,

and your years will have no end.”

13 1:13And to which of the angels has he ever said,

“Sit at my right hand

until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?

14 1:14Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?

1 Some manuscripts omit like a garment

Section Overview: Scripture Shows the Son’s Superiority to Angels

The Son’s superiority to angels, asserted in Hebrews 1:4, is now demonstrated through a series of seven quotations from the OT, strung together with minimal (but sometimes significant) introductions. This rapid-fire citation of Scripture heightens the dichotomy between the way God has spoken to and about his Son and the way he has addressed and described angels. The Son’s superiority to angels is emphasized not only by the content of the citations but also by the disparity in their number: five concern the Son, while only two concern the angels.

The OT texts are grouped in two sets of three, followed by a final OT quotation about the Son and a summative description of the angels’ role. In the first triplet, two passages highlight the exalted title “Son,” and then one summons the angels to worship him. In the second set, one text shows the angels’ role as creaturely servants, and then two illustrate the eternal reign of the Son, who is “God,” and his divine immutability as creator and “Lord.” The OT testimonies follow the order of the prologue: the Son as royal heir (Heb. 1:2b, 5–9) and mediator of creation (vv. 2c, 10), his eternal divine nature (vv. 3ab, 11–12), and his exaltation to God’s right hand (vv. 3d, 13).1 The seventh OT quotation, like the first, is introduced with the rhetorical question, “To which of the angels has he ever said . . . ?” The form of the question in Greek demands a negative answer (“none”), thus implying the Son’s unique superiority. Its repetition in verse 13 signals the conclusion of the sequence of citations that began in verse 5.