不可忽视救恩

因此,我们必须更加留心所听过的事,免得随流漂去。 要知道,那藉着天使所说的话既然是确定的,连一切过犯和悖逆都受到了应得的报应, 那么,如果我们忽视了如此伟大的救恩,又怎么能逃脱报应呢?这救恩起初由主传讲,后来由那些听见的人向我们证实。 神又照着自己的旨意,用神迹、奇事和各种大能,以及圣灵的各种恩赐,与他们一同见证。

耶稣与谦卑

事实上,我们所说的那“将要来的世界”,神并没有使它服从天使, 但是有人在经上[a]某处郑重地见证说:

“人算什么,你竟然顾念他?
人之子算什么,你竟然照顾他?
你使他暂时比天使低微[b]
你赐他荣耀和尊贵为冠冕;[c]
你使万有都服从在他的脚下。”[d]

既然神使万有都服从他,就没有留下一样不服从他;但如今,我们还没有看见万有都服从他。 不过我们看见的是:那暂时比天使低微的耶稣,因着死亡的痛苦被赐予荣耀和尊贵为冠冕,好使他藉着神的恩典,替所有的人尝了死的滋味。

10 万有因他而有、万有藉他而成的那一位,既然要带领许多儿女归于荣耀,就藉着苦难使他们救恩的元首[e]得以成全,这是合宜的, 11 因为那使人分别为圣的,和那些被分别为圣的,都是出于同一位。因这理由,他称他们为弟兄,并不以为耻。 12 他说:

“我要向我的弟兄们宣扬你的名,
我要在会众面前歌颂你。”[f]

13 他又说:“我要依靠他。”[g]还说:“看哪,我和神所赐给我的孩子们都在这里[h]!”[i]

14 所以,孩子们既然同属血肉之体,他也照样同有一样的血肉之体,为要藉着死亡来废除那掌握死亡权势的——就是魔鬼, 15 并且释放那些因怕死而终生被束缚为奴役的人。 16 显然,他并不是要救拔天使,而是救拔亚伯拉罕的后裔。 17 故此,他必须在各方面都像他的弟兄们那样,为要在属神的事上成为怜悯人的、忠心[j]的大祭司,好为子民的罪孽献上平息祭[k] 18 既然他自己在被试探的时候受了苦,他就能帮助那些受试探的人。

Footnotes

  1. 希伯来书 2:6 在经上——辅助词语。
  2. 希伯来书 2:7 暂时比天使低微——或译作“比天使低微一点”。
  3. 希伯来书 2:7 有古抄本附“你也委任他统管你手所造的;”。
  4. 希伯来书 2:8 《诗篇》8:4-6。
  5. 希伯来书 2:10 元首——或译作“创始者”。
  6. 希伯来书 2:12 《诗篇》22:22。
  7. 希伯来书 2:13 《以赛亚书》8:17;12:2。
  8. 希伯来书 2:13 都在这里——辅助词语。
  9. 希伯来书 2:13 《以赛亚书》8:18。
  10. 希伯来书 2:17 忠心——或译作“信实”。
  11. 希伯来书 2:17 平息祭——或译作“挽回祭”。

1-4 It’s crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we’ve heard so that we don’t drift off. If the old message delivered by the angels was valid and nobody got away with anything, do you think we can risk neglecting this latest message, this magnificent salvation? First of all, it was delivered in person by the Master, then accurately passed on to us by those who heard it from him. All the while God was validating it with gifts through the Holy Spirit, all sorts of signs and miracles, as he saw fit.

The Salvation Pioneer

5-9 God didn’t put angels in charge of this business of salvation that we’re dealing with here. It says in Scripture,

What is man and woman that you bother with them;
    why take a second look their way?
You made them not quite as high as angels,
    bright with Eden’s dawn light;
Then you put them in charge
    of your entire handcrafted world.

When God put them in charge of everything, nothing was excluded. But we don’t see it yet, don’t see everything under human jurisdiction. What we do see is Jesus, made “not quite as high as angels,” and then, through the experience of death, crowned so much higher than any angel, with a glory “bright with Eden’s dawn light.” In that death, by God’s grace, he fully experienced death in every person’s place.

10-13 It makes good sense that the God who got everything started and keeps everything going now completes the work by making the Salvation Pioneer perfect through suffering as he leads all these people to glory. Since the One who saves and those who are saved have a common origin, Jesus doesn’t hesitate to treat them as family, saying,

I’ll tell my good friends, my brothers and sisters, all I know
    about you;
I’ll join them in worship and praise to you.

Again, he puts himself in the same family circle when he says,

Even I live by placing my trust in God.

And yet again,

I’m here with the children God gave me.

14-15 Since the children are made of flesh and blood, it’s logical that the Savior took on flesh and blood in order to rescue them by his death. By embracing death, taking it into himself, he destroyed the Devil’s hold on death and freed all who cower through life, scared to death of death.

16-18 It’s obvious, of course, that he didn’t go to all this trouble for angels. It was for people like us, children of Abraham. That’s why he had to enter into every detail of human life. Then, when he came before God as high priest to get rid of the people’s sins, he would have already experienced it all himself—all the pain, all the testing—and would be able to help where help was needed.

A Warning to Pay Attention

So we must pay the most careful attention to what we have heard. Then we will not drift away from it. Even the message God spoke through angels had to be obeyed. Every time people broke the Law, they were punished. Every time they didn’t obey, they were punished. Then how will we escape if we don’t pay attention to God’s great salvation? The Lord first announced this salvation. Those who heard him gave us the message about it. God showed that this message is true by signs and wonders. He showed that it’s true by different kinds of miracles. God also showed that this message is true by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. God gave them out as it pleased him.

Jesus Was Made Fully Human

God has not put angels in charge of the world that is going to come. We are talking about that world. There is a place where someone has spoken about this. He said,

“What are human beings that you think about them?
    What is a son of man that you take care of him?
You made them a little lower than the angels.
    You placed on them a crown of glory and honor.
    You have put everything under their control.” (Psalm 8:4–6)

So God has put everything under his Son. Everything is under his control. We do not now see everything under his control. But we do see Jesus already given a crown of glory and honor. He was made lower than the angels for a little while. He suffered death. By the grace of God, he tasted death for everyone. That is why he was given his crown.

10 God has made everything. He is now bringing his many sons and daughters to share in his glory. It is only right that Jesus is the one to lead them into their salvation. That’s because God made him perfect by his sufferings. 11 And Jesus, who makes people holy, and the people he makes holy belong to the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. 12 He says,

“I will announce your name to my brothers and sisters.
    I will sing your praises among those who worship you.” (Psalm 22:22)

13 Again he says,

“I will put my trust in him.” (Isaiah 8:17)

And again he says,

“Here I am. Here are the children God has given me.” (Isaiah 8:18)

14 Those children have bodies made out of flesh and blood. So Jesus became human like them in order to die for them. By doing this, he could break the power of the devil. The devil is the one who rules over the kingdom of death. 15 Jesus could set people free who were afraid of death. All their lives they were held as slaves by that fear. 16 It is certainly Abraham’s children that he helps. He doesn’t help angels. 17 So he had to be made like people, fully human in every way. Then he could serve God as a kind and faithful high priest. And then he could pay for the sins of the people by dying for them. 18 He himself suffered when he was tempted. Now he is able to help others who are being tempted.

Warning to Pay Attention

We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.(A) For since the message spoken(B) through angels(C) was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment,(D) how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation?(E) This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord,(F) was confirmed to us by those who heard him.(G) God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles,(H) and by gifts of the Holy Spirit(I) distributed according to his will.(J)

Jesus Made Fully Human

It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. But there is a place where someone(K) has testified:

“What is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    a son of man that you care for him?(L)
You made them a little[a] lower than the angels;
    you crowned them with glory and honor
    and put everything under their feet.”[b][c](M)

In putting everything under them,[d] God left nothing that is not subject to them.[e] Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them.[f] But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor(N) because he suffered death,(O) so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.(P)

10 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists,(Q) should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.(R) 11 Both the one who makes people holy(S) and those who are made holy(T) are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.[g](U) 12 He says,

“I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;
    in the assembly I will sing your praises.”[h](V)

13 And again,

“I will put my trust in him.”[i](W)

And again he says,

“Here am I, and the children God has given me.”[j](X)

14 Since the children have flesh and blood,(Y) he too shared in their humanity(Z) so that by his death he might break the power(AA) of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil(AB) 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear(AC) of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants.(AD) 17 For this reason he had to be made like them,[k](AE) fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful(AF) and faithful high priest(AG) in service to God,(AH) and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.(AI) 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.(AJ)

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 2:7 Or them for a little while
  2. Hebrews 2:8 Psalm 8:4-6
  3. Hebrews 2:8 Or You made him a little lower than the angels;/ you crowned him with glory and honor/ and put everything under his feet.”
  4. Hebrews 2:8 Or him
  5. Hebrews 2:8 Or him
  6. Hebrews 2:8 Or him
  7. Hebrews 2:11 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verse 12; and in 3:1, 12; 10:19; 13:22.
  8. Hebrews 2:12 Psalm 22:22
  9. Hebrews 2:13 Isaiah 8:17
  10. Hebrews 2:13 Isaiah 8:18
  11. Hebrews 2:17 Or like his brothers