When in polemic discussion with Social Trinitarians, the book of Hebrews, chapter one is often presented by the Pluralists as a proof for plural rational persons in the Godhead. Although I have written on most all the passages of holy Scripture concerning Christology (including this one) it seems that not enough attention has been given to this section of Scripture by those of us who hold to a Modalistic view of the Godhead. With that in mind I feel as though a more exhaustive investigation of this text should be undertaken. Therefore, what follows is part II of my exegesis of Chapter One of the Book of Hebrews. In this episode we cover verses 5-7.
V5 Τίνι γὰρ εἶπέν ποτε τῶν ἀγγέλων, Υἱός μου εἶ σύ, ἐγὼ σήμερον γεγέννηκά σε; καὶ πάλιν, Ἐγὼ ἔσομαι αὐτῷ εἰς πατέρα, καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσται μοι εἰς υἱόν; (For to which of the angels did He ever say, “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”? And again, “I will be a Father to Him And He will be a Son to Me”?).
V5 For to which of the angels did He ever say, (Τίνι γὰρ εἶπέν ποτε
τῶν ἀγγέλων). The previous verse stated that the Son of God has become much better than the Angels by virtue of the better name he had inherited. Here, our Author prepares to demonstrate the superiority of the Son of God over the Angels by a proclamation of the Father. Angel (ἀγγέλὸς): the word, strictly speaking, means "messenger." Sometimes, it may have reference to human beings who are messengers of God, as in Luke 7:24 and James 2:25, but most generally the term references an order of spirit beings. Originally all Angels were created holy and good; however, some followed Lucifer in his fall and have become his lieutenants in perdition. Thus, there are Angels of light and Angels of darkness. They are created beings who have free wills that must answer to the Creator for their deeds. Most are free and active in the world and in Heaven, some are imprisoned awaiting the judgment (2 Peter 2:4). The Angels are organized and arranged into ranks (Isaiah 6:1-3; Daniel 10: 13; Ephesians 3:10; Jude 9). Angels are ministering spirits: they ministered to Christ during His earthly life and will be present with Him at His return (Matthew 2:13; 4:11; 26:53; 28:2, 5; Luke 22:43; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8). They serve believers (Hebrews 1:14), and are present in the assembly during worship (Hebrews 12:22). Michael, alone, holds the rank of archangel (Daniel 13, 21; Jude 9), Gabriel is the angel of message (Luke 1:19, 26).
You are My son, today I have begotten You? ( Υἱός μου εἶ σύ, ἐγὼ σήμερον γεγέννηκά σε;). Although Angels are called the sons of God (Genesis 6:2; Job 1:6) in the sense that they are beings of direct creation, only one is the Son of God with the article, because He is the Son in the sense of possessing all the essence and attributes of the One of Whom He is the Son: as Barnabas was the Son of Consolation (Acts 4:36), and James and John were Sons of Thunder (Mark 3:17).
today I have begotten you (ἐγὼ σήμερον γεγέννηκά σε). This is a quote from Psalms 2:7 and may echo 2 Samuel 7:14. One thing is certain, however, Paul applied this prophecy to the resurrection of Jesus from the dead (Acts 13:32-34, And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, 33 that God has fulfilled this promise to those of us who are the descendants by raising Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm: ‘You are My Son; today I have fathered You.’ 34 As for the fact that He raised Him from the dead, never again to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: ‘I will give you the holy and faithful mercies of David.’). Some (such as Charles C Ryrie) apply v33 to the incarnation, but when read in its context with vv32 and 34 that position can hardly be maintained. Such a claim could be made from v33 alone, but when verses 32 and 34ff are consulted, the meaning should be clear: It is a reference to the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
and again (καὶ πάλιν,). Here, and in v6, our author is giving a list that demonstrates Christ’s superiority over the Angels.
I will be a Father to him and he shall be to me a Son? (Ἐγὼ ἔσομαι
αὐτῷ εἰς πατέρα, καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσται μοι εἰς υἱόν;). This is cast in the form of a question because it goes with a preceding clause "For to which of the angels did He ever say,…”. The Father had never said this to any Angel. This is, again, an Old Testament quote from 2 Samuel 7: 14. Yahweh spoke it as a promise to David, concerning David's son, Solomon. Our author takes the prophecy and raises its lyrics to a much higher key, and declared its ultimate fulfillment in Christ. While many will apply this to the incarnation, and surely it may well be understood in that light, I feel it would be a mistake to leave it there. I say this because of this text’s context which has the resurrection of Christ from the dead in view, and because of its obvious likeness to Romans 1:4 "and declare to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:…" So, then, because of the clause being located in a verse which clearly references the resurrection and because of it being in the same genre as Romans 1: 4, its reference to the resurrection of Christ from the dead should not be ignored.
V6 ὅταν δὲ πάλιν εἰσαγάγῃ τὸν πρωτότοκον εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην, λέγει, Καὶ προσκυνησάτωσαν αὐτῷ πάντες ἄγγελοι θεοῦ. ( And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, “And let all the angels of God worship Him.”)
V6. And when He again brings (ὅταν δὲ πάλιν εἰσαγάγῃ). If "again", is used with “brings" (εἰσαγάγῃ) then the second coming is in view (9:28). If, however, "again" is only introducing another quote from the Old Testament then the incarnation is in view (A. T. Robertson Word Pictures of the Greek New Testament). I suppose Psalms 97:7 could be referenced here, but I do not think likely; therefore I take “again” (πάλιν) as belonging with “brings.” I based my opinion on the way in which the New Testament writers (Paul, John and our Author) employed the term "firstborn" (“first begotten,” KJV) (πρωτότοκος, St’s #G4416). The word is used 9 times in the New Testament: once, both in Matthew (1:25) and Luke (2:7) to reference Jesus as Mary's firstborn; once by our Author to reference the firstborn of the Egyptian's killed by the angel of death (Hebrews 11:28); the other 6 uses of πρωτότοκος are shared by Paul, John and our Author. Paul employees πρωτότοκος in Romans 8:29, Colossians 1:15 and again in v18. In Romans 8:29 and Colossians 1:18, he is clearly referencing Jesus's resurrection from the dead. E.g., it is stated clearly that Jesus is the “firstborn from the dead.” (Past resurrections are not counted, because all who were resurrected [the man who touched the bones of Elijah, Lazarus, the widow of Nain’s son] died again.) The apostle Paul's other citation of πρωτότοκος (Colossians 1:15) could possibly be referencing His rank in the creation order, but being found in the context of v18 where the very word has reference to the resurrection, it is most likely that its meaning in v15 has the resurrection in view as well. Our Author uses πρωτότοκος three times (1:6; 11:28; 12:23). Once, as already mentioned, he is referencing the firstborn of the Egyptians killed at the beginning of the Exodus. The other two uses are referencing Christ. We take 1:6 (here being discussed) to be referencing the Second Coming (9:28), but even if it does not reference the Second Coming and does reference the incarnation, it remains likely that the author is identifying Jesus as the firstborn from the dead, and is, therefore, speaking proleptically. Hebrew’s third citation of πρωτότοκος is found at 12:23: here, the reference is to the “Church of the Firstborn.” Such a reference is to the Church of Him that was dead, but is alive forevermore (Revelation 1:18): thus, a reference to His resurrection. The last New Testament usage of πρωτότοκος is found in Revelation 1:5; here, Jesus is referenced as the “firstborn from the dead.” Given Paul’s, John’s and our Author’s use of πρωτότοκος it is reasonable to understand it to reference the resurrected Christ, unless the context demands different.
into the world (εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην,). Oἰκουμένην has as its meaning “the habitable world”) or, that part of the world fit for human habitation: that part under Roman governance. If, here, as Robertson suggests, the Holy Spirit, through the pin of our Author, could be referencing the Second Coming of Christ, then οἰκουμένην is referencing the Christianized world to which Jesus will return: thus, “the habitable world”.
He says (λέγει). God says.
And let all the angels of God worship Him (Καὶ προσκυνησάτωσαν
αὐτῷ πάντες ἄγγελοι θεοῦ). While it is true the Angels worshipped at the first advent of the Christ (Luke 2:13-14), this is a reference to the Second Coming (9:28). Our Author is pulling from two Old Testament passages for his reference here: both are from the Septuagint (Psalms 96:7 and Deuteronomy 32:43). Our Greek text, here, is an exact quote from the Septuagint at Deuteronomy 32:43. The context of Deuteronomy 32:43, from the Septuagint, is a time when the Hebrews and Gentiles will be one people (Deuteronomy 32:44): thus, the Second Coming is referenced because such a state did not exist at the time of the Messiah’s birth, but does and will exist at the time of His Second coming to a triumph church.
V7
καὶ πρὸς μὲν τοὺς ἀγγέλους λέγει, Ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ
πνεύματα, καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πυρὸς φλόγα: (And regarding the angels He says, “He makes His angels winds, And His ministers a flame of fire.”)
And regarding the angels (καὶ πρὸς μὲν τοὺς ἀγγέλους). Is best understood as: “With reference to” (Robertson).
He says (λέγει). God says. The statement that follows is said concerning the Angels.
He makes His angels winds (Ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ
πνεύματα,), And His ministers a flame of fire (καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς
αὐτοῦ πυρὸς φλόγα). Moffatt comments that God is the one who can make His angels and ministers into the elemental forces of wind and fire. However, this is a quote from Psalms 104:4 ("He makes the winds His messengers, flaming fire His ministers." NASB). Since the meaning of ἀγγέλος is "messenger" and since our text is a quote from Psalms104:4 we should understand our text, here, to be saying: “God makes wind His messenger and fire His servant” (which speaks to the majesty of God) – thus, the exact rendering of Psalms 104:4 (NASB) of which our text is a quote (Gottlieb Lunemann agrees). However, not only does this text speak to the Majesty of God in making the wind His messenger and fire His servant, but also, we are to understand that just as the Angels are servants of God (as is wind and fire), they are also subordinate to the Son of God. This last point is in keeping with the context of the prologue to Hebrews, in showing the superiority of the Son over the Angels.
To be continued:
Apostolically Speaking
☩ Jerry L Hayes
Further reading on this topic:
Be sure to read the other episodes on Hebrews Chapter One, An Exegesis:
Hebrews Chapter One, An Exegesis, The Prolouge
https://bishopjerrylhayes.blogspot.com/2021/05/hebrews-chapter-one-prologue-exegesis.html
Hebrews Chapter One Part III, vv8-9
https://bishopjerrylhayes.blogspot.com/2021/05/hebrews-chapter-one-exegesis-part-iii.html
Hebrews Chapter One, Part IV
https://bishopjerrylhayes.blogspot.com/2021/05/hebrews-chapter-one-exegesis-part-iv.html
View tbe video where Bishop Hayes is teaching from this text:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=os8lIeqeDjE&t=154s
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