Wednesday Bible Study: Hebrews 2

 

Since the topic of the angels continues into the second chapter, I thought perhaps we should get an idea of what we're dealing with.  From Wiki:

Evidently from works such as the Apocryphon of John, the Ophite Diagrams, On the Origin of the World and Pistis Sophia, archons play an important role in Gnostic cosmology. Probably originally referring to the Greek daimons of the planets, in Gnosticism they became the demonic rulers of the material world, each associated with a different celestial sphere.[6] As rulers over the material world, they are called ἄρχοντες (archontes, "principalities", or "rulers"). As with ancient astronomy, which thought of a sphere of fixed stars, above the spheres of the seven planets,[7] beyond the spheres of the evil archons (Hebdomad), there were the supercelestial regions which a soul must reach by gnosis to escape the dominion of the archons. This place is thought of as the abode of Sophia (Wisdom) and Barbelo, also called Ogdoad.

"Archons" were basically equivalent to 'angels' in the Hebrew mind of the time. You can note the names "principalities' and 'rulers'- names Paul uses to describe the ranks of angels.  "Barbelo" was in this theology the highest of the 'emanations of god"- in their minds, only Spirit was good, all matter was evil. 'God' manifested in increasingly lesser 'emanations', one of which were the archons, who developed matter and flesh.  Ogodad was the concept of there being seven emanations, or 'heavens'- where we get "Seventh heaven" from.  The author here had to debunk all this 'seemingly logical' crap from their minds BEFORE he could get to his main point:

Heb 3:1  Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession...

So this week, we look at the three points he presses home about angels- and Jesus- this time.

I.Angels didn't have the last Word- or the Best

Heb 2:1  Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 

Heb 2:2  For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 

Heb 2:3  how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? 

Yes the word of God's angels was reliable- it was reliable when one threatened to kill Balaam, it was reliable when Mary conceived.  But the author goes on to explain the layers of info the Hebrews had that were greater:

-Declared by the Lord (as at Jesus's baptism and on the mount of Transfiguration)...

-Eyewitness testimony of the Apostles (both these from the rest of 2:3)

-Signs, wonders, and miracles, performed both by Christ and His followers (first part of v4)

-And the gifting of the Holy Spirit, coming at Pentecost (Last of v4).

All of these should have been of greater weight than the testimony of angels.

II. Angels didn't get to run things

Think of this:

 Gen 1:26  Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 

From the beginning, man had dominion over the earth- not angels.  Remember the last line of last chapter?

Heb 1:14  Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? 

So the next section of our chapter starts with:

Heb 2:5  Now it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. 

And yet, angels were certainly more POWERFUL than man...

Heb 2:6  It has been testified somewhere, "What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? 

Heb 2:7  You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, 

Heb 2:8  putting everything in subjection under his feet." Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 

So, though man seemed less than angels, it was to men that God subjected everything.  This was a direct connection between man and God- so much for the seven 'emanations'. (BTW the "somewhere" was Psalms 8:4-6.  On the sidebar, I think this might be a clue that neither Paul nor Peter wrote this, as neither one ever phrased their many Scriptural quotes thus.  But, that's just me.)  But this was just the start, because, as the author said, we don't SEE that subjection yet- not since Genesis.

Heb 2:9  But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 

Now, He connects the prophecy of Psalms 8 to Jesus, who- though God- was made 'for a little while lower than the angels', for the purpose of bringing salvation.  And that means, despite the Gnostics, He had to take on flesh:

Heb 2:14  Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 

Heb 2:15  and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 

III.  You don't see angels getting saved, do you?

The final blow to the Gnostic doctrine comes when the author shows everyone the PRIORITY of men over angels:

Heb 2:16  For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 

Heb 2:17  Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 

Heb 2:18  For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. 

But wait, how do we KNOW God didn't help angels?  Well, first we have this... 

1Pe 1:12  It was revealed to them (the prophets) that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. 

So the Gospel is what we are talking about, something angels 'long to look into'- because they don't comprehend it, because they don't receive it.  Also...

2Pe 2:4  For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; 

And...

Jud 1:6  And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day-- 

Angels don't get second chances.  And logically, why should they?  We have gotten second chances through Christ, because we act through faith in what we haven't seen- the angels were IN HEAVEN, and yet disobeyed.  They knew the truth of God, and turned away anyhow.

So at this point, the author has shredded the Gnostics' game plan.  Now that myth was dispelled, he (or she; I've seen it suggested that perhaps Priscilla was the writer) was ready to talk about facts- and 'Consider Jesus.'