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。

Chapter 2

Exhortation to Faithfulness.[a] Therefore, we must attend all the more to what we have heard, so that we may not be carried away. For if the word announced through angels proved firm, and every transgression and disobedience received its just recompense,(A) how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? Announced originally through the Lord, it was confirmed for us by those who had heard.(B) God added his testimony by signs, wonders, various acts of power, and distribution of the gifts of the holy Spirit according to his will.(C)

Exaltation Through Abasement.[b] For it was not to angels that he subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. Instead, someone has testified somewhere:

“What is man that you are mindful of him,
    or the son of man that you care for him?(D)
You made him for a little while lower than the angels;
    you crowned him with glory and honor,
    subjecting all things under his feet.”

In “subjecting” all things [to him], he left nothing not “subject to him.” Yet at present we do not see “all things subject to him,”(E) but we do see Jesus “crowned with glory and honor” because he suffered death, he who “for a little while” was made “lower than the angels,” that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.(F)

10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the leader to their salvation perfect through suffering.(G) 11 He who consecrates and those who are being consecrated all have one origin. Therefore, he is not ashamed to call them “brothers,” 12 saying:

“I will proclaim your name to my brothers,
    in the midst of the assembly I will praise you”;(H)

13 and again:

“I will put my trust in him”;

and again:

“Behold, I and the children God has given me.”(I)

14 Now since the children share in blood and flesh, he likewise shared in them, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,(J) 15 and free those who through fear of death had been subject to slavery all their life. 16 Surely he did not help angels but rather the descendants of Abraham; 17 therefore, he had to become like his brothers in every way, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God to expiate the sins of the people.(K) 18 Because he himself was tested through what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

Footnotes

  1. 2:1–4 The author now makes a transition into exhortation, using an a fortiori argument (as at Hb 7:21–22; 9:13–14; 10:28–29; 12:25). The word announced through angels (Hb 2:2), the Mosaic law, is contrasted with the more powerful word that Christians have received (Hb 2:3–4). Christ’s supremacy strengthens Christians against being carried away from their faith.
  2. 2:5–18 The humanity and the suffering of Jesus do not constitute a valid reason for relinquishing the Christian faith. Ps 8:6–7 is also applied to Jesus in 1 Cor 15:27; Eph 1:22; and probably 1 Pt 3:22. This christological interpretation, therefore, probably reflects a common early Christian tradition, which may have originated in the expression the son of man (Hb 2:6). The psalm contrasts God’s greatness with man’s relative insignificance but also stresses the superiority of man to the rest of creation, of which he is lord. Hebrews applies this christologically: Jesus lived a truly human existence, lower than the angels, in the days of his earthly life, particularly in his suffering and death; now, crowned with glory and honor, he is raised above all creation. The author considers all things as already subject to him because of his exaltation (Hb 2:8–9), though we do not see this yet. The reference to Jesus as leader (Hb 2:10) sounds the first note of an important leitmotif in Hebrews: the journey of the people of God to the sabbath rest (Hb 4:9), the heavenly sanctuary, following Jesus, their “forerunner” (Hb 6:20). It was fitting that God should make him perfect through suffering, consecrated by obedient suffering. Because he is perfected as high priest, Jesus is then able to consecrate his people (Hb 2:11); access to God is made possible by each of these two consecrations. If Jesus is able to help human beings, it is because he has become one of us; we are his “brothers.” The author then cites three Old Testament texts as proofs of this unity between ourselves and the Son. Ps 22:23 is interpreted so as to make Jesus the singer of this lament, which ends with joyful praise of the Lord in the assembly of “brothers.” The other two texts are from Is 8:17, 18. The first of these seems intended to display in Jesus an example of the trust in God that his followers should emulate. The second curiously calls these followers “children”; probably this is to be understood to mean children of Adam, but the point is our solidarity with Jesus. By sharing human nature, including the ban of death, Jesus broke the power of the devil over death (Hb 2:14); the author shares the view of Hellenistic Judaism that death was not intended by God and that it had been introduced into the world by the devil. The fear of death (Hb 2:15) is a religious fear based on the false conception that death marks the end of a person’s relations with God (cf. Ps 115:17–18; Is 38:18). Jesus deliberately allied himself with the descendants of Abraham (Hb 2:16) in order to be a merciful and faithful high priest. This is the first appearance of the central theme of Hebrews, Jesus the great high priest expiating the sins of the people (Hb 2:17), as one who experienced the same tests as they (Hb 2:18).

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

Therefore, we must pay much more careful heed to the things we have heard, so that we will not drift away. For if the word God spoke through angels became binding, so that every violation and act of disobedience received its just deserts in full measure, then how will we escape if we ignore such a great deliverance? This deliverance, which was first declared by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him; while God also bore witness to it with various signs, wonders and miracles, and with gifts of the Ruach HaKodesh which he distributed as he chose.

For it was not to angels that God subjected the ‘olam haba — which is what we are talking about. And there is a place where someone has given this solemn testimony:

“What is mere man, that you concern yourself with him?
or the son of man, that you watch over him with such care?
You made him a little lower than the angels,
you crowned him with glory and honor,
you put everything in subjection under his feet.”[a]

In subjecting everything to him, he left nothing unsubjected to him. However, at present, we don’t see everything subjected to him — at least, not yet. But we do see Yeshua — who indeed was made for a little while lower than the angels — now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by God’s grace he might taste death for all humanity. 10 For in bringing many sons to glory, it was only fitting that God, the Creator and Preserver of everything, should bring the Initiator of their deliverance to the goal through sufferings. 11 For both Yeshua, who sets people apart for God, and the ones being set apart have a common origin — this is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers 12 when he says,

“I will proclaim your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”[b]

13 Also,

“I will put my trust in him, . . .”[c]

and then it goes on,

“Here I am, along with the children God has given me.”[d]

14 Therefore, since the children share a common physical nature as human beings, he became like them and shared that same human nature; so that by his death he might render ineffective the one who had power over death (that is, the Adversary) 15 and thus set free those who had been in bondage all their lives because of their fear of death.

16 Indeed, it is obvious that he does not take hold of angels to help them; on the contrary,

“He takes hold of the seed of Avraham.”[e]

17 This is why he had to become like his brothers in every respect — so that he might become a merciful and faithful cohen gadol in the service of God, making a kapparah for the sins of the people. 18 For since he himself suffered death when he was put to the test, he is able to help those who are being tested now.

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 2:8 Psalm 8:5–7(4–6)
  2. Hebrews 2:12 Psalm 22:23(22)
  3. Hebrews 2:13 Isaiah 8:17
  4. Hebrews 2:13 Isaiah 8:18 (Septuagint)
  5. Hebrews 2:16 Isaiah 41:8–9