持守真道

因此,我们必须更加重视所听的道,以免随流漂去。 既然借天使传下来的话正确无误,凡干犯、违背的人都受到了应有的报应, 我们若忽略了这么大的救恩,怎能逃避惩罚呢?这救恩首先由主亲口宣讲出来,后来由听见的人向我们证实了。 同时,上帝按自己的旨意,用神迹、奇事、各样的异能、圣灵的恩赐和他们一同做见证。

救恩的元帅

上帝并没有把我们所谈论的未来世界交给天使掌管。 相反,有人在圣经中做见证说:

“人算什么,你竟顾念他?
世人算什么,你竟眷顾他?
你使他暂时比天使低微一点,
赐他荣耀和尊贵作冠冕,
派他管理你所造的一切,
使万物降服在他脚下。”

既说叫万物都降服在人的管理之下,就没有一样例外。不过,我们到现在还没有看到万物都降服在人的管理之下, 只看见耶稣暂时比天使低微一点,好靠着上帝的恩典为全人类亲尝死亡的滋味。祂因为经历死亡的痛苦而得到了尊贵和荣耀作冠冕。

10 作为万物的归宿和根源的上帝,叫救恩的元帅耶稣经历苦难而得以纯全,以便带领许多的儿女进入荣耀,这样的安排是恰当的。 11 因为使人圣洁的耶稣和那些得以圣洁的人都出自同一位父亲,所以耶稣不以称呼他们弟兄姊妹为耻。 12 祂说:

“我要向众弟兄传扬你的名,
在会众中歌颂你。”

13 又说:

“我要倚靠祂。”

还说:

“看啊,我和上帝赐给我的儿女都在这里。”

14 因为众儿女都是血肉之躯,所以祂也同样取了血肉之躯,为要亲身经历死亡,借此摧毁掌握死亡权势的魔鬼, 15 释放那些因怕死而一生做奴隶的人。 16 很明显,祂要救助的不是天使,而是亚伯拉罕的后裔。 17 所以祂必须在每一方面都与祂的弟兄姊妹相同,以便在事奉上帝的事上成为一位仁慈忠信的大祭司,替众人献上赎罪祭。 18 祂经历过受试炼的痛苦,所以能帮助受试炼的人。

Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;

How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.

But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man that thou visitest him?

Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:

Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.

14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.

17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Do not turn away from God's message

So we must be very careful. We must continue to remember the message that we have heard about God's Son. Then we will not go in the wrong direction, and turn away from God. The message that God spoke by angels was certainly powerful.[a] God punished people when they did not obey the Law that he gave to Moses. In a completely right way he punished people who did anything wrong.

As for us, God has shown us the way that he will save us from our sins. So we must not forget God's message about his great way to save us. If we do, he will certainly punish us. The Lord Jesus himself first spoke that message about how God would save people. Then the people who heard Jesus told the message to us.[b] That is how we know that it is true. God himself also showed clearly that what these people said is true. He did many miracles and powerful things which showed that he was with them. He also helped them with gifts from the Holy Spirit, in the way that he wanted.

Jesus became human like us, to save us

We are speaking about the new world that will come. God did not choose angels to rule over that world. No! Instead, someone wrote this somewhere in the Bible:

‘Lord God, why do you even think about people?
You take care of men and women,
even though they seem to be so small.
For a short time, you made them less important than the angels
But then you made them great and powerful, like kings.
You caused them to rule over everything.’[c]

It says that God has caused people to rule over everything. That means that there is nothing that people do not have authority over. But at this time, we do not yet see that people rule over everything. But we do see Jesus![d] God made him less important than the angels for a short time. And now God has made him the great and powerful king. God did this because Jesus died as a sacrifice on behalf of all people. His death showed that God is very kind.

10 It was right that God should bring Jesus back to heaven as king. All things belong to God, and he causes all things to continue. God wanted many people to become his children. He wanted them to live with him in heaven. Jesus made this possible because he died with much pain as a sacrifice. 11 Jesus is the one who makes people clean in front of God. Jesus himself and all the people that he makes clean have the same Father. So Jesus is not ashamed to call all those people his brothers and sisters. 12 He says this to God:

‘I will tell my brothers and sisters that you are great.
When your people meet together,
I will stand with them,
and I will praise you with songs.’[e]

13 He also says this:

    ‘I will trust God completely.’
He says this too:
    ‘I stand here with the children that God has given me.’[f]

14 So, those people who become God's children are human. They have human bodies. Because of that, Jesus himself became human like us. In that way, when he died he was able to destroy the Devil. It is the Devil who has power over death. 15 Before, we were like slaves all our lives because we were afraid of death. But now, Jesus' death makes us free. 16 It is clear that Jesus did not come to help the angels. He came to help people who are from Abraham's family.[g]

17 Because of that, it was necessary for Jesus to become completely like us, his brothers and sisters. He had to become God's servant on our behalf, like God's most important priest. In that way, he could serve God well and be kind to us. He died as a sacrifice so that God could forgive us for our sins. 18 While Jesus lived on earth, the Devil tried to make him do wrong things. This caused Jesus to have much pain and trouble. But because of that, he can now help us not to do wrong things.

Footnotes

  1. 2:2 The Bible says that an angel gave God's Law to Moses on Sinai mountain many years ago. See Exodus 19—20, Acts 7:38,53 and Galatians 3:19.
  2. 2:3 The writer wrote this letter only 30-40 years after Jesus died. The writer had heard about Jesus from other people who had met Jesus himself. They had listened to him while he taught them.
  3. 2:8 This is what David wrote in the Bible. See Psalms 8:6-8.
  4. 2:9 The writer is saying that the words from this Psalm are speaking about Jesus.
  5. 2:12 See Psalms 22:22.
  6. 2:13 These words are in Isaiah 8:17-18. The writer takes all these words from the Old Testament as if Jesus is speaking them. They show that Jesus thinks about us as his family. He became human, like us. As a man, Jesus trusted God. He believed that God would bring him safely through great trouble and death. He believed that, after his death, God would bring him back to heaven.
  7. 2:16 Abraham was the ancestor of God's people in the Old Testament. He chose to believe God, even when that was very difficult. So he is like the father of everyone else who believes in God. In this verse, ‘people who are from Abraham's family’ means people who believe in Jesus. See Genesis 15:1-6, Hebrews 11:8-12,17-19 and John 8:39.

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

Do Not Neglect Salvation

Therefore we must give [a]the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word (A)spoken through angels proved steadfast, and (B)every transgression and disobedience received a just [b]reward, (C)how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, (D)which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was (E)confirmed to us by those who heard Him, (F)God also bearing witness (G)both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and (H)gifts[c] of the Holy Spirit, (I)according to His own will?

The Son Made Lower than Angels(J)

For He has not put (K)the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. But one testified in a certain place, saying:

(L)“What is man that You are mindful of him,
Or the son of man that You take care of him?
You have made him [d]a little lower than the angels;
You have crowned him with glory and honor,
[e]And set him over the works of Your hands.
(M)You have put all things in subjection under his feet.”

For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now (N)we do not yet see all things put under him. But we see Jesus, (O)who was made [f]a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death (P)crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death (Q)for everyone.

Bringing Many Sons to Glory

10 For it was fitting for Him, (R)for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation (S)perfect through sufferings. 11 For (T)both He who [g]sanctifies and those who are being sanctified (U)are all of one, for which reason (V)He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying:

(W)“I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.”

13 And again:

(X)“I will put My trust in Him.”

And again:

(Y)“Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.”

14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He (Z)Himself likewise shared in the same, (AA)that through death He might destroy him who had the power of (AB)death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who (AC)through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16 For indeed He does not [h]give aid to angels, but He does [i]give aid to the seed of Abraham. 17 Therefore, in all things He had (AD)to be made like His brethren, that He might be (AE)a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 (AF)For in that He Himself has suffered, being [j]tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 2:1 all the more careful attention
  2. Hebrews 2:2 retribution or penalty
  3. Hebrews 2:4 distributions
  4. Hebrews 2:7 Or for a little while
  5. Hebrews 2:7 NU, M omit the rest of v. 7.
  6. Hebrews 2:9 Or for a little while
  7. Hebrews 2:11 sets apart
  8. Hebrews 2:16 Or take on the nature of
  9. Hebrews 2:16 Or take on
  10. Hebrews 2:18 tested