Comments on Hebrews 2
By Jonathan Mitchell
Chapter 2
1. Because of this, it is continuously necessary and binding for us to more earnestly (or: exceedingly) be continually holding to (attending to; applying one's self to) the things having been heard, lest we may flow (or: glide; drift) aside.
"Because of this" refers to what he has just said in the previous 14 verses. Like the letters of John and Judah (Jude) 17, the admonition here is to constantly hold to the original message about Jesus being the Messiah - "the things having been heard" - lest they be drawn back into Judaism or be led astray into one of the forms of Gnosticism that was invading the communities in that time period. If, as it is presumed, these were folks who had a firm grounding in the OT Scriptures, and were therefore probably in the Jewish religion before the coming of the message of the Messiah, this would not likely be written from thinking that they may "flow or drift aside" into things of society or the "natural life," but rather into the snares of the false teachers that had gone out into the world (cf 1 John). His emphasis is to hold to the message of the Christ and to the teachings of Jesus, while constantly attending to living out the message to where "... the lives of Jesus' followers are continuations of the narrative of Israel - the story to which the one true and living God has bound Himself, and through which the true and living God is bringing about the reconciliation and rectification of the entire created order" (Kirk, ibid. p 193).
We are instructed that "it is continuously necessary and binding for us" to do as the author has said. I have given the two meanings of this verb in the present tense, the first showing its importance and the second showing the force of the requirement.
2. For you see, if the Word (or: message) spoken through agents (or: messengers; folks with a message) became firm, and every deviation (or: side-stepping) and imperfect hearing (or: hearing amiss; or: disobedience) received a fair discharge of wages, The agents/writers of the message were Moses, the historians, the poet/wisdom/song writers, the prophets - all of which became "the Law" and "the Word of the Lord" which had to be obeyed, upon penalty of judgment. This was the old, or first, covenant which created Israel as a nation, and throughout their history was the context that brought Yahweh's Word to the people.
3. how shall we proceed fleeing out (or: escape), in not caring for (or: neglecting) so great a deliverance (rescue; healing and restoration to health and wholeness), which - after receiving a beginning (or: a headship and place of ruling; a high estate; a principality [see Jude 6]) to be repeatedly and progressively spoken [of] through the Lord (or: by means of [Christ or Yahweh]) - was made firm into us and was guaranteed as valid by those who heard,
Verse 2 gives the background of Israel's history for a comparison, and now we see that God's judgments continue for us (1 Pet. 4:17) who have been grafted into their tree (Rom. 11:17). And since the original recipients of this letter were likely a continuation of that tree, they applied to them as well. Paul makes it clear that if our attitude towards outsiders is not loving, God will take action upon us,
"For you see, since (or: if) God spares not (or: did not spare) the natural branches (the branches down from, or, in accord with, nature), neither will He spare you!" (Rom. 11:21).Care is the watchword, not presumptuous neglect of what the message tells us to do: to love and accept others,
"... to continue the ministry of Jesus, to embody the identity of Jesus to every corner of the world that God claims as his own" (Kirk, ibid. p 51). Or, as he put it in another place, "And the life to which Jesus calls us is defined by his own" (ibid. p 79).
They had received "a beginning." The noun is arche, and this first meaning would suggest that there was more to follow - indeed a whole world to fill with good news. History is replete with evidence of the growth of the kingdom of the heavens within the earth. But this word can also mean that they had received "a headship and a place of ruling; a high estate; a principality." This metaphor recalls Paul's image: that God
"caused [us] to sit (or: seats [us]) together within the things situated upon [thus, above] the heavens within and in union with Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:6).
And then there is the figure of the overcomer to whom it is promised
"to sit (or: be seated) with Me within My throne, as I also conquer (or: conquered; overcome; overcame and was victorious) and sit (or: sat down) with My Father within His throne" (Rev. 3:21).
They had been given the kingdom - the high estate and principality - through their union with the King and Lord of all.
Keep in mind the corporate sense from the plural "we," with which the author shows solidarity and participation. This is seen again in the last clause: "us." All of this - however arche is rendered - was given to us through our having been placed within Him.
The next clause,
"to be repeatedly and progressively spoken [of] through the Lord (or: by means of [Christ or Yahweh]),"
was given first to the twelve disciples (a figure of the twelve tribes of the new Israel which Jesus was creating - now from a different mountain: no longer Sinai, but Zion; cf Heb. 12:22), but this message of a new "beginning" (a new headship: Christ instead of Moses; a new creation - referencing Gen. 1:1, from the story of creation) was to be spoken again and again as it progressively unfolded through the unveilings given to His sent-forth folks and emissaries. After the resurrection and ascension, the message still came by means of Christ, but His mouthpiece was now His body.
Another view can be taken here. The word 'kurios' (Lord) was the word used to replace the Hebrew Yahweh in the Greek version of the OT. All of the author's original hearers would have been aware of this (and some scholars think that the reason that the author used the LXX in quoting the OT was because the recipients would have been most familiar with the Greek version). With this in mind, the "beginning" which they received could have referred back to the beginning of Israel, or even creation.
If this is what the author meant, then what was "repeatedly and progressively spoken through the Lord" may have referred to the OT Scriptures that came through Yahweh. Thus, this would be a continuation of the thought expressed in vs. 2. The message that the Messiah brought was a continuation of the story of Israel, but its consummation (its telos: the goal and end of the story). The beginning would have been the root of the olive tree, or the beginning of the story. The fulfillment of that story was "made firm into us and was guaranteed as valid by those who heard" - Christ's disciples, His witnesses.
Taken either way makes sense of what the author is saying. The first reading of this text focuses on the beginning of the new; the second reading focuses on the consummation of the old which in turn brought into being the new.
4. God joining with added corroborating witness, both by signs and wonders and a full spectrum of (or: various; multi-faceted) powers and abilities, and by (or: in) divisions (partings; distributions) of set-apart Breath-effect (or: of [the] Holy Spirit; from a sacred attitude), corresponding to His willing [it] and exercising His purpose? This happened throughout Israel's history, and we see God's story continuing under the new covenant with the advent of Israel's Messiah and then with the giving of the Promise from the Father on the Day of Pentecost. The Gospels record the signs and wonders performed by Jesus and His disciples, and then the book of Acts continues the "added corroborating witness." Paul speaks of the "divisions (partings; distributions) of set-apart Breath-effect" in 1 Cor. 12. Note that this is all "corresponding to His willing [it] and exercising His purpose." The noun in this phrase ('thelesis') signifies an action, and so I expanded the rendering to show this sense of the word. God is very involved in bringing His will and purpose into being within His creation.
5. For, did He not align the impending habitable world - about which we continue speaking - under agents? (or: You see, not to messengers, or folks with a message, does He subject the habitually occupied house - the one [which is] about to be - concerning which we repeatedly speak.)With the understanding that God's agents are humanity (Gen. 1:27-27), as we also observe from history, it seemed best to me that this verse be rendered as a rhetorical question. However, if taken as a declarative statement, then the folks with a message would have been those agents that brought the Word to Israel, while He "subjected the habitually occupied house" under a Son. Still, it seems that the quote in vs. 6-8 argues for it being a rhetorical question.
6. Now a certain person, somewhere, made a solemn testimony (or: gave proof through thorough evidence), saying, "What is a human, that You remember him? Or a son of man (= the human being), that You continually visit, inspect (look observantly at), help and look after him?
7."You made him a brief time inferior, at the side of agents (or: alongside folks with a message); You crowned him with glory and honor (or: You put a celebration and victor's wreath on him in a manifestation which called forth praise with a good reputation, and for value), and then You set him down (or: made him to stand; or: = appointed him) upon the works (or: actions) of Your hands.
8."You subjected all things (or: You humbly align and arrange all people) under his feet, in order to support him." [Ps. 8:5-7] For you see, in the [situation] to subject the whole (or: humbly align and arrange all), nothing is sent away not subjected (or: humbly aligned) to Him. Yet now we are not yet seeing the whole (or: all) having been subjected (or: humbly aligned, placed or arranged under [Him]).
9. But yet, we are continuously seeing Jesus - having been made inferior for a brief time beside agents - having been encompassed with glory (or: crowned by a good reputation) and with honor (or: in value) on account of (or: through) the effect of the experience of death
(or: Now in this certain short bit of time, we keep on observing Jesus - having been made less because of the result of the suffering from, and which was, death - now having been encircled with the Victor's wreath in a manifestation which calls forth praise and with esteemed respect, at the side of the folks with the message), so that by the grace of and from God (or: for God's grace; in the favor which is God;
[note: MSS 0243 & 1739, plus a Vulgate MS and in the works of Origen, Ambrose and Jerome and quoted by various writers down to the 11th century, the reading is: apart from God]) He might taste of death over [the situation and condition of] all mankind (or: for and on behalf of everyone).
The quote from Ps. 8 and the explanation in vs. 8b-9 need to be considered together in order to come to a clear understanding of what our author is saying. The psalmist is accessing the Genesis account as he speaks of humanity in vs. 6-8a. So the question arises, who are the "agents" beside whom humanity was made inferior (vs. 7)? Who were the "folks with a message" alongside (at the side of - the literal meaning of the preposition para) whom God set this human?
I suggest that our author (as well as the psalmist) is speaking specifically about Adam who in the story of Israel is a type of Christ, the Messiah (Rom. 5:14b; 1 Cor. 15:42-50), the figure of humanity that is anointed by God's Spirit to govern and be King, and Lord of all. Bear in mind that the theme of our author is the Son, the Christ, and the theme of this letter is the Son's (Messiah's) superiority over the old order of the Jewish religion, and the old covenant that created Israel as a nation. And thus do we see verse 9 pointing us to Jesus. He was the One who was made to be "a brief time inferior," as He took the role of a Servant of humanity (Phil. 2:7) and of Israel (Rom. 15:8). He was a brief time in an inferior position as He submitted to the judgment of the Jewish leadership, and then to the cross.
So as vs. 8 states, we are not yet "seeing the whole (all) having been subjected to Him," but the reality is the One that we do continuously see by the eye of faith's conviction. The eyes having been opened by the Spirit and blessed (e.g., Matt. 13:16) see the kingdom, and the King "having been encompassed (encircled; crowned) with glory (or: a good reputation; a manifestation which calls forth praise) and honor (or: value)." This is a present reality. Our Father exalted Him to this position "on account of (or: through) the effects and results of the experience of death" - i.e., the cross. Or, it was "through" the effects of His death that resulted in the death of all humanity - for as Paul says in 2 Cor. 5:
14. for you see, Christ's love (urge for accepting reunion) continuously holds us together. [We are] deciding (discerning; judging) this: that [some MSS add: since] One Person (or: Man) died over [the situation of] all mankind (or: for the sake of all); consequently, all people died (or: accordingly, then, all humanity died) -that He was encircled with splendor and value.
Now let us consider the alternate parenthetical rendering of the first half of the verse. First of all, "in this certain short bit of time" represents 'ton brachu ti' with other meanings of their semantic ranges, puts them where they stand in the text and associates them with the main verb, rather than with the participle. Secondly, following a footnote in the Ronald Knox translation of the Vulgate, and seeing that the Concordant Version also follows this syntax, I associated the following together: "having been made less because of the result of the suffering from, and which was, death." Finally, I placed the location of "at the side of the folks with the message" to follow and be associated with the wreathing of the Victor.
The result is that the author and his readers were still continuing to observe what had happened in that "certain short bit of time" since the cross. In hindsight they observed Christ having been made less by His suffering and death. But now they were seeing Him crowned as the Victor over death (1 Cor. 15:54, 55) amidst glorious manifestations through His covenant community, beside which He has taken His stand. Recall Rom. 12:1b,
"... stand your bodies alongside (or: to set or place your bodies beside) [the] Well-pleasing, Set-apart (Holy; Different-from-the-usual), Living Sacrifice by God (or: in God; for God; to God; with God) ..."
And He now stands beside, among, and within His called-out communities (Rev. 1:12, 13, 20) - His agents within the earth.
The purpose for all of this was
"so that by the grace of and from God (or: for God's grace; in the favor which is God) He might taste of death over [the situation and condition of] all mankind (or: for and on behalf of everyone)."
The noun of the last phrase is 'pantos,' "all" in the singular, so it means specifically "every human," or "everyone, individually," or, "all mankind" as a collective whole. His death was the death of every human being "by the grace of God." This is what grace looks like: God's love and favor - which IS God - covering every person so that Christ's death for sin was humanity's death for sin. Also, the realm that this happens is "in the favor/grace from God." Quanbeck says of this, "By his self-humiliation he identifies himself with mankind so that he becomes a representative man and what he undergoes becomes the experience of the human race" (ibid. p 901).
Because of the evidence from the early church fathers, as well as the manuscript evidence, I decided to include the alternate MS reading 'choris' (which is by these witnesses given in place of 'chariti') - just for your information. This would read "apart from" instead of "by the grace of." The significance would picture Christ as having fully entered into complete solidarity with humanity in its being relationally "apart from God."
10. You see, it was fitting for Him - on account of Whom [is] the collective whole ([are] all things that exist) and through Whom [is] the collective whole ([are] all things that exist) - in, when and by leading many sons [note: a figure for all humanity] into glory (a good reputation), to finish and perfect the Leader who first walked the Path of their deliverance (to bring to a complete state the Originator and Chief Agent of their rescue; to script the final scene for the Chief Conveyor of their restoration; to bring the Pioneering Bringer of their salvation to the destined goal) through the effects of sufferings and results of experiences
[note: 'pascho' means: to be affected by something - either good or bad; to feel, have sense experiences; thus, also: to suffer or undergo passion].
Why was it fitting for God to do this? Part of the answer lies in vs. 17, below,
"He was indebted (or: obliged) to be assimilated by (or: made like or similar to) the brothers in accord with all things (or: concerning everything; = in every respect; or: in correlation to all people), so that He might become a merciful and a faithful (or: loyal) Chief Priest..."
Another reason is found in Heb. 7:19 where the same verb as here is used, but in regard to the inadequacy of the Law:
"the Law perfects nothing (brought nothing to its goal or destiny; finishes nothing)."
Then we read in 10:14,
"For you see, by one offering He has perfected (brought to the goal; matured; completed; finished; brought to their purposed destiny) - on into the whole length (or: extended or stretched into the unbroken continuance) - those folks being one after another set-apart (separated; made sacred and holy;
[p46 reads: restored back up again into the original state and condition; rescued back and delivered again; made healthy and whole again]).
And in 5:9 we see a similar statement to the purpose expressed in vs. 10, above:
"And being perfected (being brought to maturity and completion; being finished and brought to the goal of [His] destiny) He became a cause of eonian deliverance (or: rescue, wholeness and good health and restoration to the original state of being which pertains to and has the character of the Age; safety and healing of and for the ages) for all (or: in all) those habitually giving the ear (or: paying attention; or: humbly and submissively hearing with obedience) to Him."
Furthermore, Jesus led by example. He tells us in John 14:6,
"I Myself am (exist being) the Way (or: Path), the Truth (the Reality) and the Life (or: = I am the way to really live). No one is presently going to, or progressively coming toward, the Father, except through Me (through means of Me, or, through the midst of Me)."
In Matt. 16:24 He told His followers,
" If anyone continues intending (purposing; willing; wanting) to come on behind Me, let him at once deny, reject and disown himself, and then in one move lift up his execution state (cross), and after that proceed to be by habit continuously following after Me!"
This is why I have chosen as the first rendering "the Leader who first walked the Path of their deliverance." Our life is to be the Path that Jesus first walked. Now, having been placed into union with Him, we follow Him on this Path so that
"We are to be living stories of the crucified Christ" (Kirk, ibid. p 87). John tells us (3:16) that "in this manner God loves the sum total of created beings as being the Son: He gives the Only-begotten One"
(optional rendering). And Jesus fills in the picture with the words,
"No one continues holding (or: having) greater love than this: that someone should place (set; lay; lay down) his soul (or: soul-life; inner being; self; person) over [the situation or circumstances of] (or: on behalf of) his friends." (John 15:13)
So this is why it was "fitting for" the Father to bring humanity "into [His] glory" (which the author in the next phrase equates to "deliverance, rescue, salvation, etc.") "through the effects of sufferings and results of experiences." This has, in fact, been the path of all humanity since Adam and Eve departed from the garden of Eden: suffering and all kinds of experiences that end in death. And Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 10:13a,
"No trial (or: ordeal; temptation; putting to the proof; effect of probing and testing) has laid hold of or seized you folks except a human one (something pertaining to the human nature and situation)."
But he leaves the Corinthians with a promise that comes to us through our Faithful Chief Priest,
"Now God [is] faithful, loyal, trustworthy, and full of faith and trust - One who will not permit (let, allow; or: let go; leave alone) you folks to be tested, tried, tempted or made to undergo an ordeal above (or: over; = beyond) that which you people continue having ability and power [to handle or endure], but to the contrary, together with the trial (or: ordeal), He will also continually make the way out (the egress; or: He also will habitually do the stepping forth from out of the midst; or: He will even progressively construct the out-come) to continually enable and repeatedly empower you folks to undergo [it] (to bear up under [it]; to carry on under [it], sustain [it], and lead on)."
I especially like the optional renderings of 'poiesei'... 'ekbasin': "do the stepping forth from out of the midst [of it]; progressively construct the out-come." Keep in mind here the corporate "you folks" and the plural verb "you people continue having ability and power" ('dunasthe'). Paul expects them to be working together as a community as they face the trials and ordeals.
Notice that our author references the purposes of God as being in an environment of "the collective Whole," or as involving "all things that exist." These many sons are the ones who are called to reflect His image to the aggregate of humanity, while giving their lives TO the world.The optional phrases regarding the Originator and Chief Agent (etc.) color in the painting of Who Jesus is, and the purpose for which we follow Him: deliverance, rescue, restoration, healing and wholeness, salvation for those among whom we live. We are called to be part of the group prophesied by Obadiah, "Saviors (or: Deliverers) will come up in Mount Zion..." (vs. 21), and that is where we are now (Heb. 12:22).
11. For both the One separating and setting-apart and the ones being separated and set-apart [are] all out of One (= spring forth from one Source). On account of which cause (or: motive) He is not ashamed to be calling them brothers, A double meaning can be taken from both the phrase "all out of One" and the term "brothers." Verse 14a suggests the common humanity of the Messiah and His brothers, but the "glory" into which the Son brought the "many sons" (vs. 10) was in fact Himself when He created them to be His body, members of the Christ (1 Cor. 12:12, 14, 18), the covenant community. Paul further describes this oneness of Family in Rom. 8:29,
"... He also marked out beforehand (determined, defined and designed in advance) [as] copies (joint-forms) of the image (material likeness; portrait; mirrored image) of His Son (or: He previously divided, separated and bounded conformed patterns from theimage of His Son) into the [situation for] Him to be (or: to continually exist being) the Firstborn among, within the center of, and in union with many brothers (= a vast family of believers)!"
Paul uses another metaphor showing our oneness with Christ which also directly speaks to the experience of His death referred to in vs. 9, above. In Rom. 6 which gives a vivid picture of what He accomplished in His cross, he says:
3. Or are you continuing to be ignorant (are you remaining without experiential knowledge; do you continue not knowing) that as many of we who are immersed (or: were at one point baptized) into Christ Jesus are immersed (or: were then baptized) into His death?
4. We, then (or: consequently), are (or: were) buried together (entombed together with funeral rites) in Him (or: by Him; with Him), through the immersion (baptism) into the death, to the end that just as (or: in the same manner as) Christ was roused and raised forth from out of the midst of dead folks THROUGH (through means of) THE GLORY (the glorious manifestation of splendor which calls forth praise; the notion; the renown; the reputation) of The Father (or: which is the Father), thus also we can walk around (or: we also should likewise conduct ourselves and order our behavior) within newness of life (in union with life characterized by being new in kind and quality, and different from that which was former).
Not only do we see "the glory" as the means of Christ's resurrection (and thus also, ours, since He led "many sons" into this same "glory" - i.e., into resurrected life with Christ), but further we see that this "glory" is "out of the One" - i.e., out of and from "The Father," and indeed (reading the genitive as apposition) "is the Father." [As an aside, note Paul's corporate expressions in these verses from Romans]. A second witness to this appositional reading is seen in the prayer of Jesus to the Father in John 17:5,
"So now You Yourself, O Father, glorify (bring a good reputation and a manifestation which calls forth praise to) Me alongside Yourself (or: with the presence of Yourself) in, by and with the glory (good reputation; manifestation which calls forth praise) which I was having (or: used to have) and continued holding (possessing) at Your side and in Your presence, before the universe (or: world and system of culture, religion and government) is continuing to have being (or: had existence)."
So in both senses, "both the One separating and setting-apart and the ones being separated and set-apart [are] all out of One (= spring forth from one Source)." And in the reunion which Christ brought about, we see the picture that Paul gave us in Rom. 11:36,
"Because, forth from out of the midst of Him, then through the midst of Him (or: through means of Him), and [finally] into the midst of Him, [is] the whole (everything; [are] all things; or: = Because He is the source, means and goal/destiny of all things - everything leads into Him)!"
12. saying, "I will continue reporting Your Name to My brothers; in the midst (within the middle) of called-out communities and gathered assemblies I will sing praise songs." [Ps. 22:23]
13. And again, "I will continue being one having been convinced on Him." [Isa. 8:17, LXX] And again [it continues],"Look and consider! [Here am] I, and the young children whom God [= Yahweh] gave (or: gives) to me!" [Isa. 8:18]
So now our author reaches back into Israel's writings again, bringing up two passages that emphasize family: first "brothers," and then a "Parent-children" relationship. The work of God, and the work of the Messiah were to create an expanded Family.
The following is from a phone conversation in which my friend Dan Kaplan presented this fine tapestry: We see the story of Yahweh choosing Abraham (figure of the Father and whom Israel called "our father") and then giving him a Promise which was to come through a promised son, Isaac (figure of the Son in the story of the Messiah), who then brought forth a son, Jacob, who created a large family of 12 sons that became the 12 tribes of Israel, a figure of God's corporate Son (recall that God said of Israel, "Israel [is] My son, My firstborn" - Ex. 4:22). Jacob, like his father Isaac, dug a well which Jesus used as a metaphor for the water of the Spirit of Life and the new creation in the Spirit of God (John 4:6-14). The corporate body (Israel) which Jacob became is a figure of the body of Christ (the resurrected Israel) that was created with the sending of God's Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, and from there, due to the work of the Spirit of Christ within the covenant communities, the Messiah's "children" have become a vast multitude of sons, and through them His kingdom is filling the earth (Dan. 2:35). The story is from one man, to a promise, to a large family, to a nation, and now to all humanity (with the inclusion of the Gentiles into the story).
Again, let us not miss the context of vs. 12, "in the midst of called-out communities [the new Exodus] and gathered assemblies [the new, all-inclusive Israel]." It all starts with "the One," but then moves into Family, the corporate body through which He reigns in the earth. In regard to the quote of Isa. 8:18 (where I inserted "[= Yahweh]" following the word "God") the reading is from the LXX, but in the Hebrew version the text reads "Yahweh," not "God."
14. Since, then, the young children have participated in and commonly shared existence of blood and flesh (= humanity), He also, nearly alongside [them], shared theirs in common (partook of the [ingredients] which comprise them), in order that through means of death He might render useless (or: deactivate; idle-down; discard) the one normally having the strength (or: the person presently holding the force) of death (or: which is death; or: whose source is death), that is, the adversary (or: that which throws folks into dualism with divided thinking and perceptions; or: the one that throws something through the midst and casts division; the one who thrusts things through folks; the slanderer who accuses and deceives; or, commonly called: the "devil"),
15. and would set them free (or: could fully change and transform these; or: should move them away to another [situation; existence]): as many as were through all of life held within slavery by fear of death (or: in fear, from death: or: with fear, which is death)!
In examining these two verses, let us keep in mind the context and continuation of the author's line of reasoning. Vs. 14 picks up the subject matter of vs. 13, "the young children." The Greek is ta 'paidia': little boys and/or girls. The connotation of this word was either: a) one of age, i.e., an infant, a small child, or one of undeveloped understanding; or, b) one of social position, i.e., a household servant or an attendant - e.g., a "slave-boy/girl."
So we have another contrast between those that came before (the young children, or household slaves) and the new situation, a Son (huios). Paul made a similar comparison in Gal. 4:1-4 between a "babe" ('nepios') - where he says "also we ourselves [were], when we were progressing from infants to minors" (vs.3) - and "the Son" (vs. 4). As babes, humanity was under "the elementary things" - "being folks having been enslaved" (vs. 3), until "the effect of the filling of the time came," and "God sent-off His Son" (vs. 4). Thus, we see here that by using different words Paul associates the youth with the position of a servant, just as we see in the dual connotations of paidia here in vs. 14.
Next, we see that since these young children/servants "participated in and commonly shared existence of blood and flesh (= humanity)," that the Son also "nearly alongside [them], shared theirs in common (partook of the [ingredients] which comprise them)." In other words, the Son was also a human - became one of them (had common being and existence) in complete solidarity with their blood and flesh, or as Paul describes it in Phil. 2:7,
"... receiving (or: taking; accepting) a slave's form (external shape; outward mold), coming to be (or: birthing Himself) within an effect of humanity's (mankind's; people's) likeness."
The reason and purpose for this is stated in the last half of vs. 14, and in vs. 15. The Son became human so that He could die. His death as, and in union with, the first Adam (1 Cor. 15:45) and His burial of the first Adam/humanity (Rom. 6:3-8) accomplished two things:
1) "the one normally having the strength (or: the person presently holding the force) of death (or: which is death; or: whose source is death), that is, the adversary" was "rendered useless." It was not destroyed, but it just went out of service because of having become useless. The parenthetical expansion indicates that this verb could also be rendered "deactivate; idle-down; discard." What was it that was deactivated, discarded and rendered useless through the coming of the Messiah? What was it that had "the strength" of death? Again we get insight into this enigmatic statement from Paul, in 1 Cor. 15:
56. Now the sharp point and stinger of (or: the sting, thus, the injection from) the Death [is] the Sin (the mistake; the error; the failure), and the power and ability of the Sin [is] the Law.
So we see here that "the person presently holding the force whose source is death" is Moses, or the person that uses the Law. These who represented and used the Law were now "rendered useless, deactivated, idled-down and discarded." This meant that the old covenant, the sacrificial system, the priesthood, the purity codes, etc., were all rendered useless. Again, recall Paul in Rom. 7:
6. But now (at the present time), we [= Israel] are (or: were instantly) rendered inactive (brought down to living without labor, released from employment, made unproductive; discharged) away from the Law (= the Torah; [some MSS add: of Death]), dying within that in which we were constantly being held down (held in possession and detained), so that it is [for] us to be habitually performing as slaves within newness of spirit (a newness pertaining to spirit and has its source in the Breath-effect; freshness and new quality of attitude) and not in oldness (obsoleteness; outdatedness) of letter (or: not in outwornness of what is written).
Notice what God was going to do to this "one" through the death of Christ: "might render useless (or: deactivate; idle-down; discard)." It had been of use, in its time, age and arrangement, but now no longer. The Law has been rendered useless and is deactivated and discarded. It had brought "fear of death" (15) and "held [them] within slavery" (cf Galatians, on the topic of slavery) and thus was an adversary to folks who were powerless to keep it. Let us pause here to look at the parenthetical alternative renderings of this word ('dia-bolos').
This substantive comes from the verb ballo which means "to throw, cast or thrust." The noun 'bolis', which is derived from this verb, is a "missile weapon, dart, javelin, arrow, or anything thrown." The verb, when prefixed with 'dia-,' thus means "to throw, cast or thrust [something] through" an object - be it a person, or a group of people. What was thrown could be words, so that an associated meaning of this verb meant to slander or calumniate or defame - even inform against (Lu. 16:1). Our text uses a substantive of this compound verb: diabolos. Paul used this term in the second chapter of his letter to Titus:
3. Old (or: Aged; Older) women, similarly (or: likewise), [are to be] women in a state and resultant condition proper and fitting for being engaged in the sacred (suitable in demeanor for serving the temple; or: = living a life appropriate [for] a person [being] a temple), not folks who thrust-through or hurl [a weapon, or something hurtful] through [someone] (or: not devils nor slanderous adversaries which bring division and hurt), nor women having been enslaved by (or: to) much wine.
So, as you can see, this word (although traditionally translated "devil") can refer to people or systems within this life. Paul also used this word about people in 2 Tim. 3:3 right in the middle of a laundry list of vices and negative human qualities,
"without natural affection, unwilling to make a treaty (implacable; not open to an agreement), DEVILS (adversarial slanderers; folks who throw or thrust something through people to hurt or cause divisions), without strength (without [self-] control), uncultivated (wild; untamed; ferocious; fierce), without fondness for expressions of good or aspects of goodness (or: without affection for good people; unfriendly; averse to virtue..."
In our present text, the term can mean the following:
a) the one that throws something [e.g. an idea; a concept; a rule; a doctrine] through the midst and casts division;
b) that which throws folks into dualism (the root idea if 'dia' is 'di', "two") with divided thinking and perceptions; the Law itself created such a division - us, and them; right and wrong; good and evil; sacred and profane; clean and unclean; Jew and Gentile; the Law was an adversary to unity among peoples;
c) the one who thrusts things through folks;
d) the slanderer who accuses and deceives.
The high priest used the Law to accuse Jesus of blasphemy. The Jewish leadership used "their Law" (John 19:7) to make use of the Romans to thrust nails and a javelin through the body of Jesus. The false witnesses used the Law to accuse Jesus at His trial. The teachings of the scribes and Pharisees used the Law to thrust "sinners" out of their "holy" society and make them outcasts. And so, it has continued, in religion, until this day. Rules become the adversary to humanity and are often the things that thrust-through the heart of love, bringing prejudice. We see Paul addressing the "rules of table fellowship" that brought division within the covenant community at Antioch (Gal. 2).
Jesus used the term diabolos to refer to Judas in John 6:70,
Jesus considered and gave answer to them, "Do I Myself not select and pick you out - the twelve - for Myself (or: Did I not choose you twelve Myself)? And one from among you men is a person who thrusts things through [people] (or: a devil)!"
Jesus also used the word satan when speaking to Peter in Mark 8:33. John, in Rev. 12:9, connects the words satan and diabolos with the apocalyptic terms "the dragon" and "the serpent." Both John the immerser (baptist) and Jesus referred to the Sadducees and Pharisees as offspring of poisonous serpents (Matt. 3:7; 12:34). These words were metaphors of people who were adversarial and harmful - in various ways.
2) "and would set them free (or: could fully change and transform these; or: should move them away to another [situation; existence]): as many as were through all of life held within slavery by fear of death (or: in fear, from death: or: with fear, which is death)!" By means of His death we can now shout with the prophet,"Where, O Death, [is] your victory (or: overcoming)? Where, O Death, [is] your stinger (sharp point; sting; goad; spur)?" [Hos. 13:14; 1 Cor. 15:55]
Or, as Paul said in Gal. 5:1,
"For this freedom, Christ immediately set us free (or: [The] Anointed One at once frees us in, to, for and with freedom)!"
Or, as Paul exclaimed in 2 Cor. 5:17,
"... [there is] a new creation (or: [it is] a framing and founding of a different kind; [he or she is] an act of creation having a fresh character and a new quality): the original things (the beginning [situations]; the archaic and primitive [arrangements]) passed by (or: went to the side). Consider! New things have come into existence (have been birthed; or: It has become new things; or: He has been birthed and now exists being ones of a different kind, character and quality)!"
[note: cf Rev. 21:5]
Let us unpack the optional renderings in vs. 15. The verb of the first clause is 'ap-allasso'. The meaning of the main verb is often given as: to change or to transform. In the first parenthetical translation I rendered ap- as an intensifier, thus, we have "fully change and transform." We find this concept presented to us by Paul in 2 Cor. 5:19 where he uses the same main verb with a different preposition prefixed to it, 'kat-allasso',
"as that God was existing within Christ (God was and continued being in union with [the] Anointed One) progressively and completely transforming [the] aggregate of humanity (or: world) to be other [than it is]."
This is the root of a person being "set free" from their fears. This is deliverance and salvation. Looking at this compound verb from the core meaning of the preposition apo, we have the idea of movement "away from." The root idea of 'allasso' is "other; another." So the resulting meaning would then be, "move away to another [situation; existence; etc.]." We find this concept painted for us in Col. 1:13, "He ... changes [our] position (or: transported [us], thus, giving [us] a change of standing, and transferred [us]) into the midst of the kingdom and reign of the Son of His love." This is rescue.
The last phrase of vs. 15 is made up of the word fear in the dative case, and death in the genitive/ablative. The bold rendering renders fear as instrumental, and death as the object of the fear. The next option presents fear as the location (in) or sphere, and death as the source of the fear ('thanatou' as an ablative). The last option offers us fear as an associate of slavery, and then defines this fear as BEING death ('thanatou' as the genitive of apposition). Each picture makes sense, and each offers us another glimpse into the predicament of humanity before the advent of our Savior.
16. For doubtless (or: assuredly; I hardly need say) it [i.e., fear of death] is not normally taking hold upon [the] messenger-agents (or: folks with the message), but even so it is repeatedly and progressively taking hold upon (seizing) Abraham's seed (= descendants).
The verb 'epi-lambanetai' (taking hold upon; seizing), used twice here, does not have an expressed subject, so I (along with The Concordant Literal NT) have chosen "it" as the subject in both cases. It seems to me that the antecedent of "it" is "fear of death, etc." in the previous verse, and thus I suggested this by inserting this in brackets in the translation. However, "slavery" is another possible candidate for the antecedent. Others have chosen to render the subject "He," seeing the verb as speaking of "assisting or helping" Abraham's descendants.
From understanding the messenger-agents (or: the folks with the message) as referring to the prophets of God, or to His people who had embraced the message from God, I see our author saying that the fear of death did not normally seize or take a hold upon those who knew God and had faith in Him (David before Goliath is one example; the three young Hebrews before the fire - Dan. 3:17-18 - is another classic example). However, among the masses of Israel this fear had "repeatedly and progressively taken hold upon [them]." This was, of course, also the case for all of the estranged and alienated peoples of the ethnic multitudes, but the focus of this passage is on the Messiah and the people of Israel to whom He was sent.
17. Wherefore, He was indebted (or: obliged) to be assimilated by (or: made like or similar to) the brothers in accord with all things (or: concerning everything; = in every respect; or: in correlation to all people), so that He might become a merciful and a faithful (or: loyal) Chief Priest (Leading, Ruling or Beginning Priest) [in regard to] the things toward God, into the [situation] to be repeatedly and continuously overshadowing the failures (mistakes; errors; misses of the target; sins) of the People with a gentle, cleansing shelter and covering.
Because of the situation of humanity's "slavery by fear of death (or: in fear, from death: or: with fear, which is death)" the Son was obliged "to be assimilated by (or: made like or similar to) the brothers" in every respect - or, in correlation to all people ('panta' can refer to things, or to people). But the question arises, Why was He indebted or obliged to become a merciful and loyal Chief Priest? Does this imply that God owes something to humanity? He did "set up" Adam and Eve in the Garden story. He is the one that put the serpent in the Garden; what chance did they have? If Jesus "knew what was within humans" (John 2:25) did not God also know their vulnerability?
Nonetheless, because of humanity's condition it was necessary for Him to be like us so that He can be merciful and loyal to us as our Chief Priest and "to be repeatedly and continuously overshadowing the failures (mistakes; errors; misses of the target; sins) of the People with a gentle, propitiatory covering and shelter" so that other people will not shame us. This is what Love does, and it brings to mind the statement by Paul in Rom. 13:8,
"You folks are not to be continual debtors (or: do not be in the habit of owing even one thing) to anyone, except to be constantly loving one another..."
We, as image-bearers of God, are indebted to be like our Father - to love people. As the perfect Image of God, Jesus was indebted to be made like humanity in order to be merciful, like His Father, and to be a faithful Beginning Priest of the new priesthood that would dispense God's conciliation to the masses, and "to be repeatedly and continuously overshadowing the failures (mistakes; errors; misses of the target; sins)" of the One new Humanity (the joined People of Jew and Gentile) - Eph. 2:15.
He removes our feelings of guilt, causes the effects of our mistakes to flow away from us, and gives us peace in our relationships with God and with others. He is our Counselor and our Helper. He reveals to us God's love for us, and through His agents (His body) He supplies our needs.
His solidarity with us was seen in vs. 11, above, where the author tells us that both He and we are all "from one Source." His work as our Chief Priest describes His ongoing service to us as He visits us - for the Chief Priest goes into the very heart of the temple, and we are His temple.
18. For you see, in what He has experienced Himself, having been tried in ordeals, He is able to run to the aid of those who cry for help - those being tried (put through ordeals).
Again, we see Christ's solidarity and empathy - and His willingness to run to our aid when we cry out to Him. His experiences and sufferings as a human made Him fit to enter into our plight and understand what we need - as humans. Through seeing His indebted obligation to us and why He needed to go through what He did in order to help us, we can now understand why we are also indebted to others and need to go through the ordeals and trials that He sends our way.
In Rom. 1:14, Paul said,
"I am (or: I continue being) a debtor to (or: for; or: with) both Greeks (Hellenists) and to (for; with) barbarians (non-Hellenists: those who do not possess Greek culture); to (or: for; with) both wise ones and to (for; with) those without understanding (unintelligent ones; foolish ones; folks who lack sense)."
This word debtor comes from the verb indebted in vs. 17. The heart of the Christ was placed into Paul - and into us. We just need to have this understanding revealed to us.
Jonathan
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