Hebrews 2
CHAPTER 2
Therefore we ought to give the more earnest attention to the things that we heard, lest we drift away from them. 2 For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3 how shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation? Which having at the first been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed to us by those that heard; 4 God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by various powers and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will.
5 For not to angels did He subject the world to come, of which we speak. 6 But one has somewhere testified: What is man, that You are mindful of him? Or the Son of Man, that You visit him? 7 You made him a little lower than the angels, You crowned him with glory and honour and did set him over the works of Your hands; 8 You did put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that He subjected all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not see all things subjected to him.
The humanity of Christ
9 But we behold him who has been made a little lower than the angels- Jesus- crowned with glory and honour because of his suffering of death, whereby, by the grace of God, he tasted death for every person.
10 For it became Him for whom are all things and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both he that sanctifies and they that are sanctified are all of the same nature. For this cause he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12 saying: I will declare Your name to my brothers, in the midst of the congregation will I sing Your praise. 13 And again: I will put my trust in Him. And again: Behold, I and the children whom God has given me. 14 Since then the children are sharers in flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same nature; so that through his death he might bring to nothing him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 and might deliver all those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16 For truly not to angels does he take hold in association; but he took hold of the seed of Abraham. 17 Therefore in all things he had to be made like his brothers, so that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself suffered when tempted, he is able to succour those who are being tempted.
Commentary
2:4 The miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit were given to confirm the spoken word; once the New Testament was completed, there was no need for this confirmation.
2:11 This solidarity between Jesus and us is fundamental; and any teaching that Jesus was God Himself is therefore fundamentally wrong.
2:13 The humanity of Jesus is reflected in the way that He had to put His faith in God.
2:14 He also himself in like manner partook of the same- This is saying the same thing five times over. It is a colossal emphasis.
2:14 Sin has the power of death (Rom. 6:23)- here “the devil” has this power. Paul often personifies sin, and here he is personifying it as the greatest ‘slanderer’ or ‘false accuser’ which there is. For ‘devil’ as a word means just those things; it doesn’t of itself refer to an evil cosmic being.
2:18 God cannot be tempted (James 1:13), He has no possibility of sinning. But Jesus had temptation in a meaningful, legitimate sense- in that He had the real possibility to sin.
