Hebrews 2

1. Historical/Literal Background:

How We Should Behave In Light of Christ’s Revelation vv1-4

Chapter one made the argument that Christ is greater than any angel.  And since it is through Christ that God now speaks in the last age of the world, chapter two begins by giving us the application to this truth: “we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard (the things Christ has revealed).”  The author of Hebrews goes on to say that God was faithful to the word mediated through angels.  Everything He said He would do, He did.  But if angels are inferior to the Son of God, then how much more should we listen and obey the Word mediated through Jesus Christ (v2)?

Indeed, there will be no escape for those who neglect the Word of Christ, which is the knowledge that leads to salvation from sin and death.  The angels mediated the word that first spoke of it, but now Christ Himself reveals it in completeness, and continued its revelation through His chosen apostles whom God approved through miracles (v3-4).  As we read in Luke’s account of the early church (Acts), the apostles were commanded to wait until the Holy Spirit fell on them giving them the power to be witnesses of of Jesus and bear the news of salvation.  God accompanied their message with miracles such as Peter healing the cripple in the temple (Acts 3:7), speaking in foreign languages (Acts 2:4; 10:46; 19:6), and even raising the dead (Acts 20:12).  The context of God’s signs through the apostles were very public and were “not done in a corner”.

Jesus, Although a  Man, Still Greater than the Angels vv5-18

Therefore the message delivered through Christ is worthy of complete obedience seeing He accomplished this salvation which no angel could accomplish.  Although, men are created with powers less than that of angels who are spirits, it was not given to angels to control future events, but it was given to a man, the man Jesus (v5).

The author of Hebrews displays a hermeneutical understanding of this theme in Psalms 8:4-8. Quoting the Psalms, the author shows God’s peculiar care and concern for men.  One might assume God would assign greater power to those whom is particularly concerned, however men seem to be the receptionist of God’s special grace, even more so than angels who are greater in power.  God intends to give authority over creation to men, particularly to Jesus (v6-8).

Through this work of Christ he makes men holy and raises their status as His brothers and sisters.  This status raising of mortal men is also found in OT scriptures which the author provides in a quote (v12 cf Ps 22:22; v13 cf Isa 8:17-18).

In order to complete this salvation and status raising for men, the Son of God must become a man Himself so that He could die as one in propitiation for them.  In this way Christ takes the fear out of death for men, rather death actually becomes a part of man’s salvation by leaving the body of sin in the grave, but raising him to a new life in Christ free from sin’s effects (v14-15).  Indeed, what a “so great salvation! (v3)!”

Finally, who are the recipients of God’s help and God’s salvation?  It wasn’t any angel, rather it is the men who are the spiritual descendants of Abraham’s faith (v16).   So by become a man Himself, He could acts a human High Priest who not only understands the fulness of God, but also compassionately understands the weakness of men being accustomed to human frailty Himself.  Because He became a human (v17).  we can pray to Him for for a most practical help knowing He has shared in all our sorrows and trials (v18).

2. Theological Observations:

Confirmation of God’s word by the Holy Spirit (v4).   The New Testament and this passage helps us identify that the Holy Spirit, the third person in the Trinity, was the One who performed certain supernatural works, if not all of them.   Because revelation of God is progressive, the Old Testament did not yet reveal the “spirit of God” as the third person in the Godhead, but rather highlighted His visible workings in miracles and especially inspired messages from God.  It is NT passages like 2 Peter 1:21 that reveal the Holy Ghost specifically fell on men and gave messages and visions from God.  The trouble is how does one judge between false claims and the inspired word of God?  In the OT, Israel was given a few standards to test a supposed word from God.

1. Accuracy of the message. Those prophetic messages brought by the Holy Spirit would able to pass the test of being 100% true (See Deut. 18:22), otherwise, the prophet in question would be a false one.
2. Congruency of the message. Another condition would be any new revelation from the Holy Spirit would not contradict things for said thus causing a believer to stop following the Lord (See Deut. 13:1-5).
3. Moral quality of the messenger. It is apparent that God is concerned about the medium of the message, that the preacher in question upheld a moral standards and held pure motives for expressing God’s word.  If a prophet were found to be less than honorable, his word would carry no authoritative weight (See Jeremiah 23:14 cf. Micah 3:5).  One mustn’t try to absolutize this however, we understand the Holy Spirit inspired men born under Adam’s curse to use as His mouthpiece, but there is a quality of holiness and moral integrity to be found in God’s prophet.

These qualities are carried over into the New Testament and in our passage.  In the same way, God confirms His word by the work of the Holy Spirit.  Our text in Hebrews (vv4) alludes to the presence of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and subsequent pentecost-like events that followed in Cornelius’ house (Acts 10:44) and with John the Baptist’s disciples (Acts 19:2).  For Paul, evidence of someone who believed the word of the Gospel was confirming manifestation of the Holy Spirit in their lives (Also see Rom. 8:9; Gal. 3:2-3).  Elsewhere Paul later teachers that true believers of God’s word in the gospel are sealed by the Holy Spirit and kept for God’s coming (Eph 1:13).

Inaugurated Authority of Man (vv8-10).  A certain theology known as “inaugural theology” is found in several places throughout the New Testament and is also found here in verses 8-10.  Also known as  the “Already-Not Yet” theme means that the kingdom of God has already dawned, but yet has yet to be fully arrived.  One of the facets of God’s coming kingdom is the authority He gives to men.  God first gave man the authority to rule over creation, but because of sin, man fell and much of man’s purpose was corrupted.  But in the renewal of the Kingdom, man’s authority will be restored to him as we “rule and reign with Christ”.  We are waiting on that day as it has yet to happen, but because of Christ’s finished work on the cross, it is as good as done.

The adoption of men into God’s house (vv11-13), and the infleshing of God’s Son.  This theology is briefly mentioned as a contributing factor in helping us understand how Jesus, as a man, and men rank higher than the angels.  God’s act of adopting sinners as His very own sons and daughters assumes that we do not belong to God’s family when we are born (See Eph. 2:3), therefore we do not share in any of Christ’s inheritance from the Father.  The paramount blessing of being adopted into God’s family is largely absent from the OT, but Paul and other authors assure us that it has always been in the mind of God to bring it about (See Eph. 1:4-6), revealing a mystery that would add joy to our astonishment.  In spite of John’s extended time walking with Jesus, he too spoke of adoption as a wondrous thing, as if one could hardly begin to grasp the sort of love that motivated God to adopt sinners as sons (1 John 3:1).

Our passage, perhaps does not add anything more to this theology, but it does make us think how adoption relates to Christ’s infleshing and sacrifice (vv14-15).  In order to adopt human beings, then Christ had to be made into a human in every respect so that he might atone everything about us that sin had corrupted, thus availing us to be adopted by our Father who is Holy.

Another consolation of Christ becoming human is that we have a tested and proved Helper in our time of trials and temptations.  We look to Christ for resources in dealing with our own suffering because He suffered in the same way.  His suffering brings Him closer to us, and we are intimately drawn to Him when we fellowship in the same sufferings.  Unlike the ungodly who suffer, Christians can meet there suffering with unshakable hope, even if the suffering lead to our own demise, for the suffering of Christ has assured us resurrected life and joy unspeakable.

3. Fulfillment in Christ

The Holy Spirit points to Christ, and the key is understand the Holy Spirit’s role in salvation of sinners.  The Holy Spirt does not set His own path apart from the Trinity, but He along with the Father, are working to make Jesus Lord in the hearts of God’s people.  The agent by which God does this is primarily His word, which transforms sinners into saints (See Heb. 1:1, 3 cf. 2:10). When Jesus taught told His disciples that He was about to leave them, He said the Holy Spirit would come, teaching and remind them what Jesus had expressed ( See John 14:26).  This would give them the power to be His witnesses and preachers of the Gospel message which is forever fixed has an unchangeable historical event on the cross.  The Holy Spirit’s role in the OT shares the same role in that He points to Christ, but they differ in that NT points back to Christ reminding disciples what Jesus said, while in the OT, the Holy Spirit revealed new information that led them to Christ.  We know that the Holy Spirit does not create new revelations after the cross, but rather works to confirm the word that God has already spoken in Christ (vv4).

Man’s inaugurated authority is a hope based on the work of Christ.  Whenever you see this theme in the Bible you’ll know that it’s base assumes that Christ indeed became a man, died to atone for sin, and raises man’s station to rule with Him (vv7-8).  While we do not yet “see: these things currently in place, what we do see is Jesus who was raised victoriously from the dead which gives us an infallible proof to base our faith in this hope.

4. Application