Warning Against Neglecting Salvation
1 We ought to be obedient to Christ Jesus, 5 and that because he vouchsafed to take our nature upon him, 14 as it was necessary.
Heb 2:1 We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
That is, because of the supremacy of the Son over the angels, the theme of ch. 1, and consequently because of the importance of the message of the Son “in these last days” (see on ch. 1:2).
Which we have heard. The way the message came to them is described in v. 3.
Drift away.
The clause may be translated, “lest we should float past them,” or “lest we should drift away from them.” The author fears that his readers will fail to recognize the transcendent importance of that which was spoken by Christ. The Jewish Christians possessed great zeal for OT revelation but were in danger of failing to see the importance of the new revelation that had been given.
Drifting is one of the easiest and most pleasant means of locomotion, but it is also a most treacherous and dangerous one. No effort is needed to drift, and as one glides down the river toward sure death, the feeling is that of well-being and contentment, even of drowsiness. The downward movement is hardly perceptible, for as the boat moves down the river it seems to remain motionless. The water moves with the boat and thus appearances are deceitful.
Heb 2:2 For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment,
Word spoken by angels. A reference to the system of laws instituted at Sinai (see on Gal. 3:19).
Stedfast. Gr. bebaios, “sure,” “firm,” “established.” The law was fully valid and could not be ignored with impunity.
Transgression. Gr. parabasis, literally, “a going aside,” hence, “an overstepping,” “a
transgression.” The word implies a stepping over a line knowingly; a deliberate act as contrasted with an accidental fall. A man may, in the dark, stumble over a line that he does not see and does not know is there. This is different from coming to the same line in the full light of day, seeing the sign forbidding trespassing, and then stepping over. Such willful stepping over is transgression.
Disobedience. Gr. parakoē (see on Rom. 5:19).
A just punishment.
The Mosaic law specified the penalties for various kinds of transgression. Though “spoken by angels” the law was of divine origin and hence, like its author, was just in all its penalties and requirements.
Heb 2:3 how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.
How shall we escape? The rhetorical question demands the answer, “We shall not escape.” The pronoun is emphatic in the Greek. The “we” is contrasted with those who in OT times transgressed the Mosaic code (v. 2). They neglected “the word spoken by angels”; those represented by “we” are in danger of neglecting the word spoken by Christ.
Ignore. Gr. ameleō, “to be careless of,” “not to care,” “to neglect.” Many of the
Jewish Christians clung to the old Judaic system and were inclined to think depreciatingly of the gospel. It was the purpose of the epistle to show that the old system had come to an end and that salvation could be found only in Christ and the gospel.
The warning is applicable in any age. There is no escape for those who are careless of the appeals of the gospel. There may be no outright rejection of Christ but simply a delay and neglect. Such a course is fraught with extreme danger and if persisted in will lead to eternal loss.
So great a salvation. Great, in that God is its author. Great, because of its cost, the life of the Son of God. Great in its accomplishment, the renewal of body, soul, and spirit, and the exaltation of mankind to a place in heaven above.
Announced by the Lord.
In contrast with “the word spoken by angels” (v. 2). “God … hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son” (ch. 1:1, 2). The reference is to the message proclaimed by Christ during His earthly ministry. For the significance of the title
“Lord” when applied to Christ see on John 13:13; 20:28.
Confirmed. Gr. bebaioō, “to establish,” “to confirm.” The gospel had not simply been proclaimed to them; it had been proclaimed with convicting power.
To us. The author here classes himself with those who had the gospel confirmed to them by those who heard it directly from Jesus. This excludes any of the twelve apostles from being the author of Hebrews. Many hold that it also excludes Paul, for he boasts that he did not receive the gospel of man but by revelation of Jesus Christ (Gal. 1:12).
However, this reasoning is not in itself conclusive, for the author could be including himself in a general way with his readers. Furthermore, there were doubtless many things that were confirmed to Paul by eyewitnesses of Jesus. The mystery of the gospel he, of course, received directly from Jesus Christ. The problem of authorship must be settled on other considerations.
Heb 2:4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
God also.
God also bore witness to the verity of the gospel message. The message could have no greater attestation.
According to his own will. See on 1 Cor. 12:11.
The Founder of Salvation
Heb 2:5 It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking.
The position of Christ in contrast with that of the angels is further discussed (cf. ch. 1). The thought that follows implies the positive side—unto the Son the world to come has been subjected.
The world to come.
Doubtless a reference to the kingdom of glory to be ushered in at the second advent of Christ (cf. on Matt. 4:17; 5:3). Compare Eph. 1:21; Heb. 6:5.
Heb 2:6 But there is a place where someone has testified: “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him?
A place. This does not imply uncertainty as to where the reference is to be found, but is simply a means of introducing a statement when it is felt necessary to cite the source.
What is man? The quotation in vs. 6–8 is from the LXX of Ps. 8:4–6. For the meaning of this passage in its original setting see on Ps. 8:4–6. By inspiration the author of Hebrews extends the meaning of the passage, applying it to Christ (Heb. 2:9). For the principles underlying such applications see on Deut. 18:15.
Heb 2:7 You made them a little lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honor
A little. Or, “for a little while.” The Greek may be understood either way. Both ideas are true. The latter is especially appropriate when applied to Christ (v. 9), for only briefly during His incarnation was He made lower.
Crowned them. This points to the experience of Adam and Eve recorded in Gen.1:28 (see comment there). God did not create man to be a servant or a slave. He made him to be king, and bestowed glory and honor upon him.
Heb 2:8 and put everything under their feet.” In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them.
After God had created Adam and Eve, He “blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it” (Gen. 1:28). This gave man undisputed possession of the earth, and dominion over every living thing.
Left nothing. Scholars are not agreed as to the extent of this original dominion. Some contend that it included power over nature and the elements as Christ had power over them when on earth; others hold that all that is meant is that man was given dominion over and was superior to the brute creation.
To a remarkable degree man today has learned to harness the powers of nature. He soars in the heavens above, and the depths of the sea yield their secrets to him. He harnesses the mighty waterfalls and makes electricity his servant. He speaks, and the ends of the earth hear his voice; he sunders continents and brings forth riches from the bowels of the earth. He splits the atom and releases immeasurable power.
Heb 2:8 and put everything under their feet.” In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them.
Despite his remarkable achievements (see above under “left nothing”) there are forces against which man is helpless. He has learned to postpone death but he cannot ultimately escape it. He is largely under Satan’s power, so that he falls far short of exercising the position originally assigned him.
Heb 2:9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
The “but” here denotes contrast. Man does “not yet” have dominion (see on v. 8), “but we see Jesus.” He has dominion. He has been crowned with glory and honor. He has all authority (Matt. 28:18).
A little lower. Or, “a little while lower” (see on v. 7). Christ is shown to be very man, as truly as in the first chapter He was shown to be very God. His humanity enables Him to be the kind of high priest men need (vs. 17, 18).
In heaven Christ was, of course, higher than the angels, immeasurably so. When He became man, He voluntarily took His place among men and demanded no special favors. But even under these conditions He did not renounce HisGodhood. He knew whence He came (John 13:3); He knew He had power to forgive sins (Matt. 9:6); He knew that at any time He could call to His aid help from above (ch. 26:53).
But although He had this power, at no time did He use it to save Himself, except as directed by God. To do this would have invalidated His work. For a discussion of the humiliation of Christ see on Phil. 2:5–8.
Heb 2:9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
Heb 2:10 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.
Bringing many sons unto glory.
As Christ, following His humiliation, was glorified (see John 17:5), so His sacrificial death was to result in many being glorified.
But by His sufferings He became perfect as Saviour (see Acts 5:31). The thought here in teleioō is that of reaching a predetermined goal, of finishing a race, of completing a prescribed course. Before Christ came to earth, the path He must tread was plain before Him; every step was clear. To reach the goal He must go all the way.
He could not stop short of His ultimate destination; He must persevere to the end. It is the finishing of this course that is involved in the text before us, not any moral perfecting.
Sufferings. Christ reached His exalted state through the pathway of suffering. It was His “suffering of death” (v. 9) that constituted Him a savior and enabled Him to be the captain leading many sons to glory. The sufferings of temptation enabled Him to be “a merciful and faithful high priest,” “able to succour them that are tempted” (see on vs. 17, 18).
Had Christ come to this world and spent His allotted time in peace and contentment, guarded by heavenly angels and protected from the hazards and temptations common to man, He would not have been perfected for His office. He would have had no opportunity to demonstrate what He would do under pressure.
Had He not been tempted in all points, men would have wondered what He would do if He were hungry, tired out, sick; what He would do if men should revile Him, curse Him, spit upon Him, scourge Him, and at last hang Him on a cross.
Would He still retain His composure and pray for His enemies? If those whom He trusted should forsake Him, deny Him, betray Him, and desert Him in His supreme hour, would He, undiscouraged, commit Himself to God?
If, as a climax, God Himself should appear to forsake Him. and the horror of darkness envelop Him and nearly crush Him, would He still drink the cup or would He draw back? Such questions men would ask if He had been shielded from temptations and suffering.
Heb 2:11 Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.
11. He that sanctifies. In this context Christ (cf. ch. 9:13, 14).
They who are sanctified. These are the “many sons” who are led to glory (v. 10).
Of one. That is, of God the Father. Christ the Son and the “many sons” have all one Father.
Not ashamed. Despite His vast superiority over the angels (Heb. 1:4; cf. Luke 9:26).
Brethren. See on Matt. 12:49, 50; cf. John 20:17.
Heb 2:12 He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.”
I will declare your name. A quotation from Ps. 22:22. Psalm 22 is Messianic.
Paul employs the passage to substantiate his observation that those who are sanctified (v. 11) are brothers of Christ.
Brothers.
The significant word for which the passage was quoted (see v. 11).
Heb 2:13 And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again he says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me.”
And again. A formula introducing a new quotation.
I will put my trust. A quotation from 2 Sam. 22:3 or Isa. 8:17, more likely the latter, since the following quotation is from latter, since the following quotation is from Isa. 8:18. The statement is quoted as proof of the humanity of Christ. It is a picture of His complete fellowship with us. He Himself exercised the same trust and faith that He requires of us.
I and the children.
For the meaning of this quotation in its original context see on Isa. 8:18. The author of Hebrews makes a Messianic application of the passage. He regards Isaiah, a type of Christ and his children as representative of the spiritual children of Christ. The metaphor is changed from “brothers” to “children,” but the same basic idea is emphasized—Christ shares humanity with us, here illustrated by the fact that a father and his children share the same nature.
Heb 2:13 And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again he says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me.”
God has given me. In His prayer before Gethsemane, Christ referred eight times to the disciples as being given to Him by God (John 17:2, 6, 9, 11, 12, 24). He did not ascribe honor to Himself but gave God the glory for the result of His lifework.
Heb 2:14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil
The children. That is, the children mentioned in v. 13.
Shared. Or, “have been made sharers.” The children share a common human nature. He also. That is, Christ.
Shared in their humanity.
The form of the Greek verb suggests the thought of taking hold of something not previously possessed. This was true of Jesus: He was divine, but He took our human nature, mysteriously blending the two natures in one (see on John 1:14).
That He might enter into all the experiences of mankind, Christ became man.
Bu his death.
That is, his sacrificial death on the cross (cf. v. 9). When Jesus died on the cross, Satan appeared to have triumphed; for it seemed that even the Son of God acknowledged Satan’s power of death and became subject to it. But God had another purpose.
Heb 2:14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— Already Satan’s power over death has been broken, for though natural death still reigns, the resurrection is assured (see 1 Cor. 15:20–22, 51–57). Finally, the originator of sin and the author of death will himself be annihilated (see on Rev. 20:10).
Satan has the power of death because he is the originator of sin, and death results from sin (see on Rom. 5:12). His kingdom is a kingdom of death, and in it he rules. As sin rules in our lives, so death rules, and so Satan rules.
Christ was the one who entered the strong man’s house (Mark 3:27), bound the enemy, and took away his prisoners. Christ entered the realm of death—Satan’s stronghold—and wrested from Satan his prey.
When he thought he had Christ in his power, when the tomb was sealed and Christ locked in, Satan exulted. But Christ burst the bonds of death and walked forth from the grave. Act 2:24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
Not only did Christ Himself rise, but “the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection” (Matt. 27:52, 53).
“Luk 11:21 “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe.
Luk 11:22 But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder.
The stronger man, Christ, entered the realm of death, and in death overcame him who had the power of death, took away his captives, and spoiled his house (Matt. 12:29); “and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it” (Col. 2:15).
Henceforth, death for the believers is but a sleep; they rest in peace until God calls them. For many it will even be a blessed sleep (Rev. 14:13). Christ “has abolished death” (2 Tim. 1:10). He has “the keys of hell and of death” (Rev. 1:18; cf. 1 Cor. 15:51–57).
Heb 2:15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. Christ came to free men from bondage to sin and death.
Fear of death.
This is the condition of the unredeemed. Millions are in bondage to sin and are longing for deliverance. They fear the present; they fear the future; they fear life; they fear death. Is there any hope or comfort or deliverance? The answer is that Christ has destroyed the power of Satan, has abolished death, and has delivered, and will deliver, them from the fears that have bound them.
Man is born in sin. He continues in servile bondage until released by Christ.
Heb 2:16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants.
Heb 2:17 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.
Man needs redemption and capable of restoration, and it is he about whom Christ is anxious as far as the plan of redemption is concerned.
For this reason.
That is, because He was concerned with man (see on v. 16).
In every way.
Christ must become man so completely and fully that it can never be said that He is a stranger to any temptation, any sorrow, any trial or suffering that men must pass through.
Made like.
For the reason stated subsequently, namely, to qualify Him for the position of high priest. Although this does not mean that His experiences must be identical with ours in every respect—for a thousand lifetimes would not be sufficient for that—it does mean that the trials must be representative, and must in principle include all that man has to suffer, and that in severity they must fully measure up to all that men have to bear.
Might become.
Merciful and faithful. These two characteristics are necessary to a just ministry.
Mercy alone might be too lenient and might ignore justice. Faithfulness provides a balance to mercy, as it considers the rights and duties of both the offender and the offended.
As high priest Christ must be kind and understanding toward the offender, but He must also be true to justice and not ignore the law. Faithfulness will keep the delicate balance between unconditional mercy and unrelenting justice. The high priest must consider the sinner, but he must also consider the one sinned against. He must be faithful to his trust as well as merciful to the transgressor.
High priest. The subject of Christ as high priest is here introduced and is later more fully developed (see chs. 3; 5; 7–10).
Things pertaining to God. That is, matters of divine service. The Greek phrase thus translated occurs in the LXX of Ex. 4:16, with reference to Moses’ relationship to God in regard to Aaron.
To make reconciliation. Gr. hilaskomai. For the meaning of this verb and related nouns see on Rom. 3:25. The verb occurs only here and in Luke 18:13, where it is rendered “to be merciful.”
Heb 2:18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
The human nature of Christ felt the full force of temptation. Otherwise, Christ would not have understood the terrific struggle of a poor sinner who is mightily tempted to yield. Christ was tempted in all points “like as we are” (Heb. 4:15). He suffered under temptation.
How much Christ suffered in resisting temptation, the wilderness, Gethsemane, and Golgotha reveal. In the first two cases the temptation was so overwhelming that it seems He would have died under the impact had not an angel been sent to strengthen Him (Matt. 4:11; Luke 22:43). The cup was not removed, despite His prayer. He must drink it.
To these experiences the author evidently refers when he says, “Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin” (Heb. 12:4). Christ did resist unto blood.
Able to help.
By successfully resisting temptation and patiently enduring suffering Christ overcame the tempter. We are now contending with a defeated foe. Christ’s victory is our assurance of victory. See on Matt. 4:1.
It is an ever-present source of comfort to the Christian to know that Christ understands our sorrows and perplexities and sympathizes with us. If Christ had not become man, the question might easily have arisen, How can we know that God loves and cares for us when He has never experienced the trials we encounter, has never been poor or forsaken, and has never known what it is to be alone and face an unknown future?
He asks us to be faithful to death, but has He ever faced the issues we face?
If He were one with us, He would know how hard it is to meet certain trials. But if He has never been man, does He really know all our sorrows, and can He sympathize with us when we stray?
To this the answer is that God does know, and that it was not for His sake, but for ours, that He became poor; it was not for His sake but for ours that He suffered and died. We needed the demonstration that Christ came to give, or we would never have known the deep love of God for suffering humanity. Besides, we would never have known the suffering that sin has brought to the heart of God.