Continuing the discussion of salvation, the Messiah, and angels, the author of the letter draws attention to an essentially important point in this regard. He speaks of the Messiah as a Human Being who can help people precisely because...
Continuing the discussion of salvation, the Messiah, and angels, the author of the letter draws attention to an essentially important point in this regard. He speaks of the Messiah as a Human Being who can help people precisely because He Himself is human.
The world of angels is remarkable in its own way, and angels surpass people in their present condition because they did not fall, speaking, of course, about the angels who kept faithfulness to God and not about fallen spirits. Yet for all that, angels and people belong, in a certain sense, to different layers of reality. Angels and people were created differently from the beginning; their interaction was conceived by God from the very beginning as the interaction of beings that are spiritual, but each existing in its own way and in forms belonging only to it.
An angel can bring God's message to a person, for the Greek word "angel," like the corresponding Hebrew word, properly means "messenger." But he cannot help a person in the condition in which the person found himself after the fall. He cannot, in particular, because a person is a being at once spiritual and natural, in whom both components are united in a completely special way, unrepeatable either in the spiritual or in the natural world.
Of course, one cannot exclude in principle the appearance in the world of God's fullness contained within the bounds of angelic nature, insofar as one can speak of nature with regard to angels. All things are possible for God. But for a person such fullness would still remain inaccessible. It might perhaps be perceived by him somehow, but in any case it would remain separated from him in such a way that the person could never become at home in the Kingdom, could never become its true inhabitant. Only another Human Being could do this for a person: a Human Being who contained in Himself God's fullness and at the same time was absolutely "one of his own" by nature for every person.
So much "one of his own" that even the possibility of death was quite real for Him, whereas for an angel death in the human sense of the word is impossible in principle. And the Messiah became exactly such a "one of his own" for everyone, differing from fallen people only in the uncorruptedness of His human nature. But this "only" is precisely what made it possible for Him to contain God's fullness and unite it with His humanity. And therefore it made salvation possible as well, opening the road to the Kingdom for those who seek it.
2 In this and the two following chapters the apostle sub - joins an exhortation, answering each head of the preceding chapter.
2:10 In this verse the apostle expresses, in his own words, what he expressed before in those of the Psalmist. It became him - It was suitable to all his attributes, both to his justice, goodness, and wisdom. For whom - As their ultimate end. And by whom - As their first cause. Are all things, in bringing many adopted sons to glory - To this very thing, that they are sons, and are treated as such To perfect the captain - Prince, leader, and author of their salvation, by his atoning sufferings for them. To perfect or consummate implies the bringing him to a full and glorious end of all his troubles, Евр 5:9. This consummation by sufferings intimates,
- the glory of Christ, to whom, being consummated, all things aremade subject.
- The preceding sufferings.
Of these he treatsexpressly, Евр 2:11-18; having before spoken of his glory, both to give an edge to his exhortation, and to remove the scandal of sufferings and death. A fuller consideration of both these points he interweaves with the following discourse on his priesthood.But what is here said of our Lord's being made perfect through sufferings, has no relation to our being saved or sanctified by sufferings. Even he himself was perfect, as God and as man, before ever be suffered. By his sufferings, in his life and death, he was made a perfect or complete sin - offering. But unless we were to be made the same sacrifice, and to atone for sin, what is said of him in this respect is as much out of our sphere as his ascension into heaven. It is his atonement, and his Spirit carrying on "the work of faith with power" in our hearts, that alone can sanctify us. Various afflictions indeed may be made subservient to this; and so far as they are blessed to the weaning us from sin, and causing our affections to be set on things above, so far they do indirectly help on our sanctification.2:11 For - They are nearly related to each other.He that sanctifieth - Christ, Евр 13:12.And all they that are sanctified - That are brought to God; that draw near or come to him, which are synonymous terms.Are all of one - Partakers of one nature, from one parent, Adam.
2:12 I will declare thy name to my brethren - Christ declares the name of God, gracious and merciful, plenteous in goodness and truth, to all who believe, that they also may praise him. In the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee - As the precentor of the choir. This he did literally, in the midst of his apostles, on the night before his passion. And as it means, in a more general sense, setting forth the praise of God, he has done it in the church by his word and his Spirit; he still does, and will do it throughout all generations. Psa 22:22.
2:13 And again - As one that has communion with his brethren in sufferings, as well as in nature, he says, I will put my trust in him - To carry me through them all. And again - With a like acknowledgment of his near relation to them, as youngerbrethren, who were yet but in their childhood, he presents all believers to God, saying, Behold I and the children whom thou hast given me. Isa 8:17-18
2:14 Since then these children partake of flesh and blood - Of human nature with all its infirmities. He also in like mannertook part of the same; that through his own death he might destroy the tyranny of him that had, by God's permission, the power of death with regard to the ungodly. Death is the devil's servant and serjeant, delivering to him those whom he seizes in sin.That is, the devil - The power was manifest to all; but who exerted it, they saw not.
2:15 And deliver them, as many as through fear of death were all their lifetime, till then, subject to bondage - Every man who fears death is subject to bondage; is in aslavish, uncomfortable state. And every man fears death, more or less, who knows not Christ: death is unwelcome to him, if he knows what death is. But he delivers all true believers from this bondage.
2:16 For verily he taketh not hold of angels - He does not take their nature upon him. But he taketh hold of the seed of Abraham - He takes human nature upon him. St. Paul says the seed of Abraham, rather than the seed of Adam, because to Abraham was the promise made.
2:17 Wherefore it behoved him - It was highly fit and proper, yea, necessary, in order to his design of redeeming them. To be made in all things - That essentially pertain to human nature, and in all sufferings and temptations. Like his brethren - This is a recapitulation of all that goes before: the sum of all that follows is added immediately. That he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest - Merciful toward sinners; faithful toward God. A priest or high priest is one who has a right of approaching God, and of bringing others to him.
In things pertaining to God, to expiate the sins of the people - Offering up their sacrifices and prayers to God; deriving God'sgrace, peace, and blessings upon them.
2:18 For in that he hath suffered being tempted himself he is able to succour them that are tempted - That is, he has given a manifest, demonstrative proof that he is able so to do.