1.1-4 - Theme¶

• Table of contents
• 1.1-4 - Theme
  • Text
  • Observations
  • Analysis
    • Theme stated - the uniqueness and finality of Jesus Christ
    • Comparison with the revelation through the prophets old
    • Diagrams
  • Questions
    • Does the aorist ἐλάλησεν indicate that God is finished speaking?
  • Applications

Text¶

Πολυμερῶς καὶ πολυτρόπως πάλαι
ὁ θεὸς λαλήσας τοῖς πατράσιν ἐν τοῖς προφήταις
ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτου τῶν ἡμερῶν τούτων ἐλάλησεν ἡμῖν ἐν υἱῷ,
ὃν ἔθηκεν κληρονόμον πάντων,
δι᾿ οὗ καὶ ἐποίησεν τοὺς αἰῶνας·

ὅς ὢν ἀπαύγασμα τῆς δόξης καὶ χαρακτὴρ τῆς ὑποστάσεως αὐτοῦ,
φέρων τε τὰ πάντα τῷ ῥήματι τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ,
καθαρισμὸν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ποιησάμενος
ἐκάθισεν ἐν δεξιᾷ τῆς μεγαλωσύνης ἐν ὑψηλοῖς,
τοσούτῳ κρείττων γενόμενος τῶν ἀγγέλων
ὅσῳ διαφορώτερον παρ᾿ αὐτοὺς κεκληρονόμηκεν ὄνομα.

Observations¶

• Πολυμερῶς "in many portions" cf. John 3.34, that God gives to Christ the Spirit "without measure."

  οὐ γὰρ ἐκ μέτρου δίδωσιν τὸ πνεῦμα.
  

• λαλήσας is a temporal adverbial participle, modifying the main verb, ἐλάλησεν. i.e. "after He spoke" or "having spoken," He spoke.

• ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτου τῶν ἡμερῶν is used in the LXX, mainly to refer to the messianic eschaton (Num.24.14, Jer 23.20, Jer. 49.39, Dan 10.14), especially Dan. 10.14.

  Daniel 10:14:  καὶ εἶπέν μοι Ἦλθον ὑποδεῖξαί σοι τί ὑπαντήσεται τῷ λαῷ σου 
  ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτου τῶν ἡμερῶν, ἔτι γὰρ ὅρασις εἰς ἡμέρας.
  

• It was Jesus Himself, speaking to the fathers in the prophets. cf. 1 Peter 1.11, Rev. 19.10

• anarthrous ἐν υἱῷ gives this a strong qualitative force, which focuses our attention on His credentials. cf. Wallace, p.245

Analysis¶

Theme stated - the uniqueness and finality of Jesus Christ¶

Comparison with the revelation through the prophets old¶

• cf. 2 Cor. 1.20

Diagrams¶

Questions¶

Does the aorist ἐλάλησεν indicate that God is finished speaking?¶

So says Hughes, footnote 6, p.37. But cf. Matt. 3.17, Luke 7.35. Could this be something like a Gnomic Aorist, used to state an eternal truth? Here there is obviously a temporal comparison between what was fragmentary and variegated in time past, and what is full, final and complete now. But, Jesus Christ is the Word who eternally proceeds from the Father, and does not the gospel age inaugurate what is the eternal reality?

MC: Another small thought along these lines, it always has seemed odd to me that some cessationists have used Heb. 2:3-4 as a lynch-pin verse. A better argument could be made with this verse.

Applications¶