This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is greater than their names.
Hebrews 1:4
We have examined the opening verses of the Letter to the Hebrews. I have dealt in depth with the strange reading of “a Son” and have given you an indication as to why the writer of Hebrews is writing as he is. The fourth verse in the opening lines gives us the topic that he is going to address first in detail. Following the verse above is his argument as to why Jesus is far superior than the angels. It helps us to divide the parts of the letter into the units which belong together. I have told you before in the context of Gems about sense units and certainly teach the fact in Deeper Bible. Gordon Fee and Eldon Epp were the first to talk about looking at the Bible in Sense Units. Well here comes our first sense unit.
Here is the author’s argument as to why Jesus is far greater than the angels.
For God never said to any angel what he said to Jesus: “You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.”
God also said, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son.”
And when he brought his supreme Son into the world, God said, “Let all of God’s angels worship him.”
Regarding the angels, he says, “He sends his angels like the winds, his servants like flames of fire.”
But to the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. You rule with a scepter of justice. You love justice and hate evil. Therefore, O God, your God has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.”
He also says to the Son, “In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with your hands. They will perish, but you remain forever. They will wear out like old clothing. You will fold them up like a cloak and discard them like old clothing. But you are always the same; you will live forever.”
And God never said to any of the angels, “Sit in the place of honour at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.”
Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation. So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished. So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose.
And furthermore, it is not angels who will control the future world we are talking about. For in one place the Scriptures say, “What are mere mortals that you should think about them, or a son of man that you should care for him? Yet for a little while you made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honour. You gave them authority over all things.”
Now when it says “all things,” it means nothing is left out. But we have not yet seen all things put under their authority. What we do see is Jesus, who for a little while was given a position “a little lower than the angels”; and because he suffered death for us, he is now “crowned with glory and honour.” Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone.
God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation. So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. For he said to God, “I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among your assembled people.”
He also said, “I will put my trust in him,” that is, “I and the children God has given me.” Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.
We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham. Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.
Hebrews 1:5 – 2:18
Oh Ian, what are you doing to us?
No, it is not what I am doing TO you, it is what I am doing FOR you. I have given you the block of the writer’s argument as to why Jesus is so much better than the angels. He is now dealing with the first main argument of the letter as to why these Hebrew Christians should not turn their backs on This Son and return to Judaism. He has mentioned the Prophets in passing from the list I gave you in Gem 2027. Both the prophets and the angels are messengers in the Hebrew mind and have the potential to be venerated, but the angels more so. The writer could have included an argument as to why Jesus was so much greater than the Prophets, but he doesn’t. He is not arguing his case for the benefit of Muslims but for Jews. It is clear that Jesus is greater than the Prophets. The writer has already made that clear by outlining the characteristics of This Son which set Him apart from the Prophets. Now he goes straight to the issue of whether Jesus is classed among the angels. No! He is so much greater. Why? How does he structure his argument?
Read his full argument over a number of times and it will make sense what he is doing. I could have given you this block with the sentences (verses) all run together as they appeared in the early texts. But I have divided it into paragraphs. Did you notice what the divisions are based on? Do you see what the writer is doing and why? Just read it a number of times and let the argument settle on you. I think you will see the key to understanding his argument and see why he has structured it in the way he has.
I will leave you with the time to piece his argument together before we pull it apart.
To understand any book of the Bible you have to read it in one sitting at least seven times.
Dr Basil Brown
Why would my Greek professor tell us to read a book, a passage or an argument seven times? Why tell us to read it SEVEN times?
Ian Vail
To see what is in front of one’s nose requires a constant struggle.
George Orwell
Take the time to notice the details in the text and then ask why.
Ian Vail