An Expanded Paraphrase of the Book of Hebrews

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Hebrews Chapter 1

Verse:  1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8      9    10    11    12     13    14

Author's Intention: The Author is addressing a people who held the great and good men of old in high esteem, and who no doubt had questions regarding the leadership qualities and rights of those who were at the forefront of the early Christian movement.

With this in mind, the author immediately sets his readers at ease by assuring them that the great leaders of the past were not mistaken and that God had in fact spoken through them. But, and this is the thrust of his argument, if his readers were willing to acknowledge God's voice speaking to them through the agency of men, how much more should they be willing to acknowledge God's voice speaking to them through the agency and authority of His very own Son - He who is infinitely superior to any man.

Thus it is that in the first three verses of this chapter the author lays the foundation for the entire book of Hebrews. In no uncertain terms, he declares that Jesus, the One whom God has set `at His right hand in the heavenly places,' the One under whose feet the Father has `put all things,' the One whom the Father has appointed as `head over all things to the church,' is `far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.' (Ephesians 1:20-23).

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God Has Spoken

In the person of His prophets, God has in the past spoken to our forefathers on several occasions and in many ways - but in more recent times He has spoken to us through and in the person of His Son, Jesus.

God's Son is the Sovereign Lord

¤  This Jesus is the One to whom the Father has committed ownership and management of the entire universe.

¤  This Jesus is the One through whom the Father made time, eternity and all things.

¤  This Jesus has a character that is the perfect representation of the Father's glorious character.

¤  In every sense, this Jesus is the mirror-image, the very embodiment, the living, exact and true expression of the very inmost nature of the eternal God.

¤  Moment by moment this Jesus commands all things, gives energy to all things, and sustains all things by way of the miraculous power that is encompassed in His word.

¤  This Jesus became a man in order to stand as the representative of mankind. As our representative He first of all lived a perfect life on our behalf. Then, as our representative, He took the accusing finger of the law that pointed at us and He pointed it at Himself, and by so doing He took the penalty of our sinfulness upon Himself. The suffering that we deserve to suffer, He suffered for us; the death that we deserve to die, He died for us. Thus He perfectly satisfied the demands of the law that held us in condemnation - and thus he freed us from our guilt and our shame. And now, if we accept Him as our Substitute and Saviour, and if we give our lives to Him, our sins are pardoned, we are treated as though we had never sinned, and we are accepted into the family of God, not merely as forgiven sinners, but as sons and daughters of God. More than this, we can rejoice in the sure promise that, through our earnest and daily communion with Him, and through the powerful, motivating influence of His overwhelming and undeserved kindness, He will inspire us to live better lives and thus free us from our slavery to sin. (See SC62)

¤  This Jesus now has the unique distinction of sitting in the place of highest honour at the right-hand of the Father.

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Author's Intention: As it still is with the Jews of this age, the Jews of that time had great difficulty accepting the deity of Jesus. Many of them had seen Jesus in the flesh, some even knew His earthly father, His mother, and His brothers, and some were asking, `How can this man be God.' Others again had a superstitious and even idolatrous respect for angels and this made it difficult for them to accept that Jesus, a man, was superior to angels. Thus the author now sets out to show that Jesus is not just an angel or a man, but that He is God in the very highest sense, and that, as such, He is infinitely superior to any created being, not only in His person, character and dignity, but also in His function and power. All else that the author had to say would be meaningless until he had made this all-important point - for the deity of Jesus is the central fact in the plan of redemption.

Jesus is Infinitely Superior to Even the Most Exalted of Angels

Let us understand, therefore, that just as Jesus' name (Messiah, Son of God) is superior to that of any angel, and by the same infinite proportions that His achievements are more exalted than those of any of God's angels, so is He superior to them and more distinguished and glorious than they are in every way.

When we compare what God the Father has said of Jesus with what He has said of angels, the superiority of Jesus becomes strikingly apparent.

¤  God the Father has repeatedly declared that He shares an exclusive and intimate Father/Son relationship with Jesus. This is something that He has never done with any angel.

 ¤  God the Father has recognised the sovereignty and preeminence of Jesus by declaring that because angels are created beings, they should pay homage to Jesus and worship Him.

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Such recognition has never been given to angels. Instead, God the Father has declared that just as He uses wind and fire as His servants, so He has appointed angels to do His pleasure and to serve as His ministering hands.

But, in speaking of and to His Son, God the Father has repeatedly alluded to the fact . . .

¤  that Jesus is God,

¤  that Jesus rules over a universal kingdom that is founded on humility, love, and righteousness - one that is governed by truth, justice, and hatred of wickedness,

¤  that Jesus' existence is beyond the limitations of time and that He will rule over His kingdom forever,

¤  and that He, the Father, has joyfully appointed Jesus to a blessed position that is infinitely superior to any position that is held by any angel.

When we consider the inspired Word of God, it is beyond
question . . .

¤  that Jesus is Sovereign Lord, and that, as such, He is supreme in universal authority,

¤  that He is the One who created the earth, the heavens, and all that is within them.

¤  and that, unlike the world that He created, a world that is subject to ageing, to change, and to destruction, He is the eternal, indestructible and perfect God - whose perfection affords us the sure guarantee that His character or person will never change.

¤  And then, finally, we have the simple fact that God the Father has never invited any angel to sit at His right hand and to share His position, prerogatives, honour and authority and to be His co-worker in the great plan to overcome all that stands at enmity with truth and righteousness.

So what else can we conclude in this matter except that Jesus is God, Lord, and universal King, while angels are but servants, appointed to act as God's attendants in matters of divine service, to minister to the heirs of salvation, and to keep back the powers of Satan?

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Summary of Chapter 1

(1)  `This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!' (Matthew 17:5)

(2)  `He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.' (Colossians 1:17)

(3)  `And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.' (Isaiah 9:6-7)

(4)  `Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.' (Acts 5:31)

(5)  `There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.' (Acts 4:12)

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Thoughts For Meditation

What is implied by the fact that Jesus now sits at the right hand of God? Ephesians 1:20-21 assures us that this is an exalted position, reserved for One who is deserving of the highest honour and authority. It is a place expressly reserved for Him who created all things, manages all things, sustains all things and who, by His ultimate act of self-sacrifice, overcame sin and provided a way of escape for all men. Now, having successfully completed His work of redemption, He sits down at "the right side of God", not to rest, but to embark on His special work of mediation. Having laid down His life for us, He now lifts up His life before the Father and presents it as the only and all-sufficient argument in our favour. As we consider the perfect sacrifice of our perfect Saviour, we can only marvel at the fact that we have such a perfect Friend.

Why can't we see the Father?  Because God dwells `in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see.' (1 Timothy 6:16)

Why is Jesus referred to as the Word of God?  Because He is the voice of God - God's thought made audible. See John 1:1.

Why is Jesus referred to as the `Arm of the Lord?'  Because through Jesus the Father has reached out, picked up, and embraced fallen humanity. See Isaiah 53:1.

Is hating evil an essential characteristic of true love?  `Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.' (Romans 12:9)