Supremacy

Hebrews 1:1-4

¹Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 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. 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, ⁴having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

With these brilliant opening words, the Book of Hebrews comes to us as an exposition of the supremacy of Jesus Christ over all things. This letter (which is probably rather a sermon, meant to be read aloud as such) is first a foremost a message that centers around the Person and work of Jesus Christ. His name is expressed in every sentence. His work is espoused with each point made. Jesus is at the center – where He belongs. Because this letter is not a personal letter but a sermon addressed to an unnamed congregation, he introduces God to them as the Speaker and God’s Son as his mouthpiece.

In this unit [vs. 3-4] the teacher appeals to the imagination of his congregation with vivid imagery. He describes the enthronement of Jesus as a King who shares God’s throne and as a Priest who has purified his subjects from sin. God has worked with Jesus, his Son, in creating the world and has appointed him as his heir, the one who has inherited his holy name. Jesus therefore manages the world on God’s behalf. His relationship with God resembles the “radiance” of light from the sun and the impression or “imprint” of a signet ring on sealing wax (1:3). Jesus’ close relationship with God equips him well to be God’s spokesman to the congregation.

Kleinig, J. W. ©2017. Hebrews. (C. P. Giese, Ed.) (p. 52). Saint Louis, MO: CPH.

Hebrews stands as a somewhat mysterious entry into the Biblical cannon. We are not certain as to the author, but several clues in style and content lead to four probable authors. While all scholars agree that no amount of detective work can discover the secret of the author’s identity in the evidence extant to us now, most still hazard a calculated guess on the basis of external historical data and internal linguistic and theological evidence. The most likely candidates for author are, in order of increasing probability, Barnabas, Apollos, St. Paul, Clement of Rome, and Luke.

The case for Barnabas rests on his status as a Levite (Acts 4:36), his status as a teacher and prophet (Acts 11:25–26; 13:1), his reputation as a man with the gift of encouragement (Acts 4:36; 11:22–23), and the misidentification of him as the author of the Epistle of Barnabas.

The case for Apollos depends on the biographical sketch in Acts 18:24–28, which may explain the eloquence and scriptural expertise of the author of Hebrews.

The case for Paul is based on the Alexandrian tradition in the early church and on the use of terminology common to both Paul and the author of the sermon. This case is modified by Origen, who suggests that it was written by a student of Paul who had composed it from notes he had taken from what Paul had said.

The case for Clement depends on the report from Origen that some of his predecessors had regarded Clement as the author of Hebrews. This case identifies Clement with the person mentioned as Paul’s associate in Phil 4:3 and builds on the material that is common to both Hebrews and the First Letter of Clement to the Corinthians.

The ascription of Hebrews to Luke stems from Origen’s remark that some of his predecessors had regarded Luke as its author. It rests on Luke’s close association with Paul (Col 4:14; 2 Tim 4:11) and his possible Jewish identity, his literary and rhetorical expertise, the use of vocabulary common to both Hebrews and Luke-Acts, and similarities in style. The claim is also made that Luke agrees with Hebrews in its pastoral purpose and its theological emphasis on the priestly status and work of the exalted Lord Jesus.

Despite these proposals, we do not actually know who wrote Hebrews. But we do know that even though the author was obviously known by his hearers, his identity remains undisclosed because he did not wish to emphasize his own personal authority. Instead, he spoke God’s Word in a self-effacing way as one who had heard it from those who had heard it from the Lord Jesus (2:3).

Kleinig, J. W. ©2017. Hebrews. (C. P. Giese, Ed.) (pp. 3–5). Saint Louis, MO: CPH.

Having been composed sometime between AD 50 and 90, Hebrews addresses the Jewish-Christian community. Clearly, the audience is one that is Biblically literate. In the modern church, we are highly influence by the words of this book, even though we may not acknowledge that impact, by our recitation of the Nicene Creed.

Since this prologue to Hebrews was one of the key texts that guided the great Christological debates in the third and fourth centuries and determined their outcome, its most lasting ecumenical legacy has been its role in shaping the content of the Nicene Creed. That catholic confession of faith receives four main things from this introduction. First, it confesses that God’s only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, is “of one substance with the Father.” The Son does not just resemble God in certain respects but is himself God. He does not just reflect God’s glory; he is the radiance of his glory. Yet he also differs from God as the Son; he is not the same as God, but he has the same nature as God.

Second, even though the Son is “the exact imprint of his [God’s] substance” (1:3), his relationship with God the Father is asymmetrical in that he derives his divine being from him. Since he has the same glory as God, he fully and perfectly reflects that glory. He is therefore “God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God” (Nicene Creed). God the Father is his source and head. This means that he does nothing by himself but always acts together with God. He speaks God’s Word, does God’s work, and delivers God’s gifts to people on earth. He alone brings the Father and his gifts to God’s people on earth.

Third, the declaration in 1:2 that God not only made the world through him but also appointed him as the heir of all things is summarized by the Nicene confession that “all things were made” by him. He did not appear on earth as an alien interloper or illegitimate intruder but as the maker and manager of it as his estate. Since he sustains the world by his powerful Word (1:3), he has a personal interest in it and its salvation.

Fourth, the Son now “sits at the right hand of the Father” (Nicene Creed). There he reigns over heaven and earth together with God as his royal co-regent. Because he occupies that position, he has an excellent name. He is the “Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, … very God of very God” (Nicene Creed).

Kleinig, J. W. ©2017. Hebrews. (C. P. Giese, Ed.) (pp. 61–62). Saint Louis, MO: CPH.

My perception of Hebrews as the most difficult of the New Testament books is perhaps erroneous. The next several weeks shall indeed prove to be interesting as we daily see how Christ is indeed at the center of all things.