Hebrews 1

Hebrews 1 is the first chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews. Unlike other epistles, it has no opening greeting and begins directly with the declaration that God has spoken through his "Son." Verses 1–4 serve as the introduction to the entire book. The verses that follow weave together Old Testament quotations to develop the theme that the Son is superior to the angels, a theme that continues into Hebrews 2.

Outline

• Verses 1–4 In times past God spoke through the prophets in various ways; in the last days he has spoken by his Son. The Son is the heir of all things and the one through whom the worlds were made; he is the brightness of God's glory and the express image of his person. Having purged sins, the Son sat down at the right hand of God and obtained a more excellent name than the angels.
• Verses 5–6 God never said either of two things to any of the angels. One is "Thou art my Son" (Psalm 2:7), and the other is "I will be to him a Father" (2 Samuel 7:14). Instead, the angels are commanded to worship the firstborn.
• Verses 7–12 The angels are described as ministers who are like winds and flames of fire (Psalm 104:4). The Son, whose throne is everlasting, is addressed as "God" (Psalm 45:6–7). He is also portrayed as the Lord who made the earth and the heavens and who alone remains unchanged, though all creation grows old (Psalm 102:25–27; verses 10–12).
• Verses 13–14 "Sit on my right hand" (Psalm 110:1) was likewise never said to an angel. The angels are "ministering spirits," sent forth to serve those who shall be heirs of salvation.

Key Verses

• Hebrews 1:1–2 "Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son" — the starting point of the whole book, which both links and contrasts Old Testament revelation with revelation through the Son (Hebrews 1:1–3).
• Hebrews 1:3 "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person" — frequently cited in Christology because it sums up the Son's identity and work (creation, the upholding of all things, atonement, and exaltation) in a single sentence.
• Hebrews 1:14 "Are they not all ministering spirits" — one of the verses most often cited to explain the role of angels.

People and Places

• God The one who spoke through the prophets and through the Son.
• The Son Though not named in this chapter, the Son is Jesus Christ. He is also called the firstborn, Lord, and God.
• Angels Beings compared with the Son, described as spirits who worship and serve him.
• Prophets Those who in times past delivered God's word to the fathers.

No specific places are mentioned.

Points to Consider

• Authorship The text does not name its author. One strand of church tradition has regarded the epistle as the work of Paul, but a view going back to antiquity holds that its author cannot be identified with certainty. Today many scholars regard the author as unknown.
• The deity of the Son The phrase "express image of his person" in verse 3 and the address "O God" in verse 8 are cited in discussions of the Trinity as evidence for the deity of the Son. A minority view holds that verse 8 could be rendered "God is thy throne." However, the major Korean translations—including the Korean Revised Version, the New Korean Revised Version, and the New Korean Standard Version—all render it as a vocative, addressing the Son as "God."
• "Again" in verse 6 Interpreters differ over whether this word refers to the incarnation, the resurrection and ascension, or the second coming. The quotation in verse 6 does not appear in the Masoretic Text of Deuteronomy 32:43 but closely resembles a line found there in the Septuagint.
• Verse 14 and guardian angels Verse 14 is sometimes cited in support of the idea that each person has a guardian angel. The text, however, says only that angels serve those who shall be heirs of salvation.
• Connections with other New Testament passages Verses 1–3 are read alongside John 1:1–3 and Colossians 1:15–17 as passages that speak of the Son's role in creation. Psalm 110:1, quoted in verse 13, is cited repeatedly in the New Testament, including in Matthew 22:44.

In the Korean Church

Churches that follow the liturgical calendar read Hebrews 1:1–4 (5–12) as the epistle reading for Christmas, in accordance with the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL).