Hebrews 1 & 2: Christ is Superior to Angels

Hebrews 1 & 2: Christ is Superior to Angels

Prologue: 1:1-4 • Highly literary • Difficult to convey full meaning from Greek into English due to complexity / richness • One single sentence • Captures the entire book’s theme(s) in just the opening The earliest known copy of the Book of Hebrews / AD 180 - 200. The papyrus has the last line from the book of Romans, and then Heb 1:1-7 displayed. www.lib.umich.edu/papyri-king-james/05_02.jpg

Rhetorical Features • Words starting with same letter (alliteration:1:1; 2:1-4; 4:16;11:17) • 1:1 ¶ God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, • 1:1 Polymeroœs kai polytropoœs palai ho theos laleœsas tois patrasin en tois propheœtais • Of the first 12 words in Hebrews, 5 of the most important start with the letter p. • Same word in successive sentences (anaphora, Ch 11, “by faith..., by faith...”) • Internal near-rhyme (e.g., penitence, reticence: assonance, 5:8, 6:20). • Opposition of contrasts (antithesis, 7:23-24) • etc...

What is the relevance of such rhetorical features? • Such features communicate additional things (the way poetry does), such as: • Attention/care in creating the sentences -- an absence of casualness • Suggestions to look for additional meanings • Pleasant-sounding, easy to listen to • Subtle highlighting of concepts/words

KJV Heb. 1:1 ¶ God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Heb. 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, ... NIV Heb. 1:1 ¶ In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, Heb. 1:2but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, NASB 95 Heb. 1:1 ¶ God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, Heb. 1:2 in these last dayshas spoken to us in His Son, NJB Heb. 1:1 ¶ At many moments in the past and by many means, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; but Heb. 1:2 in our time, the final days, he has spoken to us in the person of his Son, NET Heb. 1:1 ¶ After God spoke long ago in various portions and in various ways to our ancestors through the prophets, Heb. 1:2 in these last days he has spoken to us in a son,

The thrust of these verses is to contrast the agents of God’s speaking. In the past, God spoke in/through/by the prophets, but now speaks in/through/by a Son. The superiority and specialness of God’s speech through his Son is the main argument of Hebrews, and indeed fully understanding this “speech” (that is, Jesus) is a massive (lifelong?) undertaking. Hebrews will also argue that this superior speaking requires a superior response of faith and action than that shown by “the fathers.” (LTJ, p65)

at sundry times and in divers manners. • “In a Platonic worldview, the sheer multiplicity of revealing acts—to present-day readers a positive thing—would suggest inadequacy.” (LTJ/Hebrews) • “The OT revelation was fragmentary and occasional, lacking fullness and finality.” (NIV Study Bible) • sundry times can be translated as various portions or other ways, suggesting again inadequacy of the past revelation -- always partial.

God...spake... • One of the remarkable features of Hebrews’ worldview is that it views the Old Testament as God’s speech, pure and simple. • Note what is on each side of the balance: • In the past, it was prophets; now, it is Son. (Single is better than multiple.) • In the past, it was at many times and in various ways; now, it is... well, there is no contrast, it is the Son, God’s singular revelation. (LTJ/65-66)

“The phrase in a son is the fulcrum of Hebrews 1:1–4. It concludes the contrast of God’s old and new revelation and introduces a series of seven descriptions of the Son. These descriptions show why he is the ultimate revelation of God.” -NET Bible • In other words, who is this Son? • Answer: seven attributes

KJV whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Heb. 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; NIV whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. Heb. 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. NASB 95 whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. Heb. 1:3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, NJB whom he appointed heir of all things and through whom he made the ages. Heb. 1:3 He is the reflection of God’s glory and bears the impress of God’s own being, sustaining all things by his powerful command; and now that he has purged sins away, he has taken his seat at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high. NET whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he created the world.Heb. 1:3 The Son is the radiance of his glory and the representation of his essence, and he sustains all things by his powerful word, and so when he had accomplished cleansing for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

KJV whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Heb. 1:3Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; NIV whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. Heb. 1:3The Son is the radiance of God’s gloryand the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. NASB 95 whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. Heb. 1:3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, NJB whom he appointed heir of all things and through whom he made the ages. Heb. 1:3He is the reflection of God’s glory and bears the impress of God’s own being, sustaining all things by his powerful command; and now that he has purged sins away, he has taken his seat at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high. NET whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he created the world.Heb. 1:3The Son is the radiance of his gloryand the representation of his essence, and he sustains all things by his powerful word, and so when he had accomplished cleansing for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

“Radiance” -- what does it really mean? what context? • apaugasmaG575 (apaugasma), radiance, effulgence, reflection. • apaugasma may be translated either as effulgence, radiance (in the act. sense) or reflection (in the pass. sense). It derives from augazoœ, to shine forth, or to illuminate (2 Cor. 4:4). diaugazoœ is found in 2 Pet. 1:19 in the first meaning. The cognate noun augeœ, radiance, is rendered at Acts 20:11 by dawn, or daybreak, i.e. when the sun shines forth. • CL apaugasma is found only in Hellenistic writers who use the noun with the meanings noted above. It is not attested before the Wisdom of Solomon, but a Stoic influence on Philo’s use of the term has been suspected. Philo says that what God breathed into Adam was “an effulgence” [apaugasma] of his blessed, thrice-blessed nature“ (Spec.Leg. 4, 123; cf. Philo in Op. Mund. 146). In Plant. 50 (cf. Mut. Nom. 181; Som. 1, 71, 115, Migr.Abr. 71) Philo uses apaugasma as a synonym of eikoœn and mimeœma meaning ”reflection“. The same sense is attested in Plutarch, Mor. 83d, 934d. Of special interest for the NT background is the use of cognate terms in the Isis aretalogies, found at Cyme. Isis confesses: egoœ en tais tou heœliou augais eimi, ”I am in the beams of the sun“. Isis is also praised as enlightener of the world and an emanation of God. • OT The most significant text is Wis. 7:25 f., where divine wisdom is hailed as “a breath of the power of God, and a pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty . . . she is a reflection of eternal light [apaugasma . . . estin phoœtos aidiou], a spotless mirror of the working of God, and an image of his goodness [eikoœn teœs agathoteœtos autou].” In this setting wisdom is hypostatized as a source of light whose shining forth (apaugasma) is understood as “effulgence” or “reflection” (RSV). The former meaning finds support in the view that, since wisdom is praised for her active role in uniting man and God, the sense of “radiance” is better. But most scholars prefer “reflection”, though with hesitation. • NT The single text to be considered is Heb. 1:3: hos oœn apaugasma teœs doxeœs kai charakteœr teœs hypostaseoœs autou, where there are several echoes of the Wis. tribute. In Heb. the verse stands in a doxological, possibly hymnic tribute to the cosmic Christ who is described as either the radiance of the divine doxa as the sun-light conveys the brightness and intensity of the sun (Kittel: we may compare for this sense, Philo, Som. 1, 239), or God’s reflection in a way comparable with the thought of Christ as the eikoœn, “image” or mirror (Wis. 7:26) or the morpheœ (RSV “form”) of God (Form, arts. morpheœ and hypostasis). Either way, the verse is a piece of wisdom christology that interprets Christ as the supreme and final revelation of the Father. On balance, the active sense of “radiance” is to be chosen in preference to “reflection”. • (from the New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology) Note the echoes of the apocryphal book, “Wisdom of Solomon”

“Hypostasis” -- what does it really mean? • We will tackle this question in much more detail when we reach Hebrews 11, because “person” in 1:3 = “substance” in 11:1...! • For this verse, however, the following translator’s notes may be useful: • H. W. Montefiore translates this as “the exact representation of God’s being” (A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews, 1964, 35). • J. Héring comments: “He is not merely like the Father, He is of the same essence, although subordinate to the Father” (The Epistle to the Hebrews, 1970, 5). • F. F. Bruce comments: “Just as the glory is really in the effulgence, so the substance (Gk. hypostasis) of God is really in Christ, who is its impress, its exact representation and embodiment. What God essentially is, is made manifest in Christ. To see Christ is to see what the Father is like” (Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews, NLC 1964, 6). He holds that hypostasis here means “substance” or “real essence” in contrast to what merely appears to be. • -NIDNTT

Sustaining: see D&C 88:7-13 • Word (rhema) of God’s power -- why would Hebrews use this phrase? (See Genesis 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, Deut 5:5, Isa 38:7...) • Note Lectures on Faith 7:3 3. Let us here offer some explanation in relation to faith, that our meaning may be clearly comprehended. We ask, then, what are we to understand by a man's working by faith? We answer -- we understand that when a man works by faith he works by mental exertion instead of physical force. It is by words, instead of exerting his physical powers, with which every being works when he works by faith. God said, "Let there be light, and there was light." Joshua spake, and the great lights which God had created stood still. Elijah commanded, and the heavens were stayed for the space of three years and six months, so that it did not rain: he again commanded and the heavens gave forth rain. All this was done by faith. And the Savior says, "If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, say to this mountain, 'Remove,' and it will remove; or say to that sycamine tree, 'Be ye plucked up, and planted in the midst of the sea,' and it shall obey you." Faith, then, works by words; and with these its mightiest works have been, and will be, performed.

KJV whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Heb. 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; NIV whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. Heb. 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. NASB 95 whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. Heb. 1:3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, NJB whom he appointed heir of all things and through whom he made the ages. Heb. 1:3 He is the reflection of God’s glory and bears the impress of God’s own being, sustaining all things by his powerful command; and now that he has purged sins away, he has taken his seat at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high. NET whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he created the world.Heb. 1:3 The Son is the radiance of his glory and the representation of his essence, and he sustains all things by his powerful word, and so when he had accomplished cleansing for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Something only the High Priest could do...

Christ on the Right Hand of God Psa. 110:1 ¶ The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. Heb. 1:13 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Heb. 8:1 ¶ Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; Heb. 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; Heb. 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Eph. 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Col. 3:1 ¶ If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 1Pet. 3:22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him. D&C 76:23 For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—

KJV Heb. 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Heb. 1:4 ¶ Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. NIV Heb. 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Heb. 1:4So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. NASB 95 Heb. 1:3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, Heb. 1:4having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. NJB Heb. 1:3 He is the reflection of God’s glory and bears the impress of God’s own being, sustaining all things by his powerful command; and now that he has purged sins away, he has taken his seat at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high. Heb. 1:4So he is now as far above the angels as the title which he has inherited is higher than their own name. NET Heb. 1:3 The Son is the radiance of his glory and the representation of his essence, and he sustains all things by his powerful word, and so when he had accomplished cleansing for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Heb. 1:4 Thus he became so far better than the angels as he has inherited a name superior to theirs.

After Prologue, what? • 1:5-2:18 are considered by most students to be a single coherent unit, focusing on why Christ is superior to the angels. • Why the comparison to angels? • Lots of possible reasons, perhaps main one is the superiority of the revelation from the Son compared to revelations declared via angels.

Psa. 2:7 ¶ I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. 2Sam. 7:14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: v5: Father / Son KJV Heb. 1:5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? NET Heb. 1:5 ¶ For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my son! Today I have fathered you”? And in another place he says, “I will be his father and he will be my son.”

KJV Heb. 1:6 And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. KJV Deut. 32:43 Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people. LXX Deut 32:43 (Brenton, 1851) Rejoice, ye heavens, with him, and let all the angels of God worship him; rejoice ye Gentiles, with his people, and let all the sons of God strengthen themselves in him; for he will avenge the blood of his sons, and he will render vengeance, and recompense justice to his enemies, and will reward them that hate him; and the Lord shall purge the land of his people. KJV Psa. 97:7 Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods. LXX Deut 32:43 (NETS) Be glad, O skies, with him, and let all the divine sons do obeisance to him. Be glad, O nations, with his people, and let all the angels of God prevail for him. For he will avenge the blood of his sons and take revenge and repay the enemies with a sentence, and he will repay those who hate, and the Lord shall cleanse the land of his people. NET Heb. 1:6 But when he again brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all the angels of God worship him!” The word for world here means “the world to come.” Refers not to the first coming, but to the second coming and/or final exaltation oi˙koume÷nhn oikoumenen oi˙koume÷nh (oi•koß) oikoumene (oikos) Noun feminine singular accusative world

Heb. 1:7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. Heb. 1:7 And he says of the angels, “He makes his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire,” Psa. 104:4 Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire: Jewish thought sometimes stressed the ongoing nature of God’s creative activity upon the angels -- the angels were changeable. “God changes us [the angels] hour by hour ... sometimes he makes us of fire, and sometimes wind.” -Yal. Sim‘oni 2.11.3 The “He” here is the Son -- thus emphasizing that the Son is not only superior because he is unchangeable, but also because the unchangeable Son creates changeable angels.

Psa. 45:6 ¶ Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Psa. 45:7 Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. Heb. 1:8 but of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and a righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom. Heb. 1:9You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. So God, your God, has anointed you over your companions with the oil of rejoicing.” Heb. 1:8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Heb. 1:9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. Takes a royal wedding psalm and applies it to a crucified Messiah. Explicitly refers to the Son as God!

Heb. 1:10 ¶ And, “You founded the earth in the beginning, Lord, and the heavens are the works of your hands. Heb. 1:11They will perish, but you continue. And they will all grow old like a garment, Heb. 1:12and like a robe you will fold them up and like a garment they will be changed, but you are the same and your years will never run out.” Heb. 1:10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: Heb. 1:11 They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; Heb. 1:12 And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. Psa. 102:25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. Psa. 102:26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: Psa. 102:27 But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end. Seven “penitential psalms”: 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143. This psalm notes the vast gulf between the sinner versus immortal God (cf 102:11 to v 12 and the above)

Heb. 1:13 ¶ But to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? Heb. 1:13 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Psa. 110:1 ¶ The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

Lecture Fifth 1. In our former lectures we treated of the being, character, perfections, and attributes, of God. What we mean by perfections is, the perfections which belong to all the attributes of His nature. We shall, in this lecture, speak of the Godhead -- we mean the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 2. There are two personages who constitute the great, matchless, governing, and supreme power over all things, by whom all things were created and made, that are created and made, whether visible or invisible, whether in heaven, on earth, or in the earth, under the earth, or throughout the immensity of space. They are the Father and the Son -- the Father being a personage of spirit, glory, and power, possessing all perfection and fullness, the Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, a personage of tabernacle, made of fashioned like unto man, or being in the form and likeness of man, or rather man was formed after His likeness and in His image; He is also the express image and likeness of the personage of the Father, possessing all the fullness of the Father, or the same fullness with the Father; being begotten of Him, and ordained from before the foundation of the world to be a propitiation for the sins of all those who would believe on His name, and is called the Son because of the flesh, and descended in suffering below that which man can suffer; or, in other word, suffered greater sufferings, and was exposed to more powerful contradictions than any man can be.

But, notwithstanding all this, He kept the law of God, and remained without sin, showing thereby that it is in the power of man to keep the law and remain also without sin; and also, that by Him a righteous judgment might come upon all flesh, and that all who walk not in the law of God may justly be condemned by the law, and have no excuse for their sins. And He being the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, and having overcome, received a fullness of the glory of the Father, possessing the same mind with the Father, which mind is the Holy Spirit, that bears record of the Father and the Son, and these three are one; or, in other words, these three constitute the great, matchless, governing and supreme power over all things; by whom all things were created and made that were created and made, and these three constitute the Godhead, and are one; the Father and the Son possessing the same mind, the same wisdom, glory, power, and fullness -- filling all in all; the Son being filled with the fullness of the mind, glory, and power; or, in other words, the spirit, glory, and power, of the Father, possessing all knowledge and glory, and the same kingdom, sitting at the right hand of power, in the express image and likeness of the Father, mediator for man, being filled with the fullness of the mind of the Father; or, in other words, the Spirit of the Father, which Spirit is shed forth upon all who believe on His name and keep His commandments; and all those who keep His commandments shall grow up from grace to grace, and become heirs of the heavenly kingdom, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ; possessing the same mind, being transformed into the same image or likeness, even the express image of Him who fills all in all; being filled with the fullness of His glory, and become one in Him, even as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one. 3. From the foregoing account of the Godhead, which is given in His revelations, the saints have a sure foundation laid for the exercise of faith unto life and salvation, through the atonement and mediation of Jesus Christ; by whose blood they have a forgiveness of sins, and also a sure reward laid up for them in heaven, even that of partaking of the fullness of the Father and the Son through the Spirit. As the Son partakes of the fullness of the Father through the Spirit, so the saints are, by the same Spirit, to be partakers of the same fullness, to enjoy the same glory; for as the Father and the Son are one, so, in like manner, the saints are to be one in them. Through the love of the Father, the mediation of Jesus Christ, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, they are to be heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 1 & 2: Christ is Superior to Angels