Tag: god

Evangel Everywhere (Hebrews 1:2-4)

There are at least six (depending on one’s breakdown) descriptions of the person and work of Jesus given in Hebrews 1:2-4.[1] The first three descriptions begin with a relative pronoun and the last three begin with a participle / participial phrase. I have listed them below, highlighting the indicators.

whom he [God] appointed heir of all things,

through whom he [God] made the worlds,

who is the radiance of his [God’s] glory and the exact imprint of his nature,

upholding all things by the word of his [own] power;

having cleansed our sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

having become superior to the angels as he has inherited a more excellent name.

These six realities can be turned into six statements regarding Christ’s superiority.

  1. He owns all things.
  2. He created all things.
  3. He is equal with God.
  4. He sustains all things.
  5. He interceded for man and reigns with God.
  6. He is greater than angels.

Additionally, I think the identification of six statements allows each of the first three to correspond to each of the last three. That is to say, number 1 connects with number 4, 2 with 5, and 3 with 6, as seen below.

  1. Jesus owns (as the appointed heir) and sustains all things.
  2. Jesus began his work with creation and “finished” his work of redemption (new creation) by sitting down at the Father’s right hand.
  3. Jesus possesses the glory and name of God, a greater glory and name than even the angels possess.

There is much more that could be said about Jesus (even from these verses), but these act as a kind of starting point for the rest of the book of Hebrews, which goes on to elaborate Jesus’ superiority in these ways and in many more.

[1]For a different, but also helpful, breakdown of the statements and their relation to one another, see Thomas R. Schreiner, Commentary on Hebrews (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing, 2015), 52.

Evangel Everywhere (Hebrews 1:1-2)

Two of the first three Greek words in the letter to the Hebrews appear nowhere else in the New Testament. “At many times” and “in many ways” describe how God “spoke to our fathers by the prophets” (1:1). “At many times” could be rendered “in many parts/portions,” giving the idea that the divine revelation through the prophets of old came about a little at a time, over the course of a long period of time.

This opening statement connects with what follows in a way that suggests both continuation but also contrast. I have separated the phrases to show their correspondence.

Long ago, at many times and in many ways,

God spoke to our Fathers by the prophets,

But in these last days

He has spoken to us by his Son. (ESV)

Lines 1 and 3 relate to one another in the way they speak about time. Lines 2 and 4 relate to one another in the way they speak about manner. In other words, lines 1 and 3 are about when certain things happened, and lines 2 and 4 are about what happened and how it happened.

All told, lines 1-2 explain a former way of speaking in the past, and lines 3-4 explain a current way of speaking in the present. There are differences, but there are also similarities. Let’s notice some of them.

  1. There is a contrast in time (long ago vs. last days).
  2. There is a contrast in source (prophets vs. Son).
  3. There is a contrast in audience (our fathers vs. us).
  4. There is a continuation in the fact that God still speaks. There is nothing to indicate that his latter speaking is lesser than his former speaking. In fact, as the rest of the book of Hebrews will show, God’s working through his Son is superior to his working through the prophets.
  5. God’s revelation through his Son takes place “in these last days,” which means the author understands that the incarnation ushered in a new age (see also 1 Cor 10:11; 1 Tim 4:1; 2 Tim 3:1; Heb 9:26; James 5:3; 1 Pet 1:20; 2 Peter 3:3; 1 John 2:18; Jude 18).

The point at the outset of the letter is that God has revealed himself through his Son, and that revelation is not less than, but on par with what he formerly revealed by the prophets. The point of the rest of the letter is that the person of Jesus is superior to what has formerly been revealed as only pointing the way to him.

Quick Hitters

A few highlights from the past few weeks.

1. Our church hosted a youth event this past weekend with about 65 people attending from four different churches. We enjoyed food, fun, games, music, and ice skating. I spoke twice from Luke 15. Pray for our ongoing fellowship with these students.

2. I continue to meet online with Pastor Alexe from Romania and other men from his village for a weekly Bible study. He sent me this video that excellently illustrates his ministry there, which I have seen firsthand. Pray for him and his work.

 Pastor Alexe – Romania.mp4

3. We also received an update from Pastor Mihai in Moldova, which I wanted to share with you so that you can know his work and pray for him as well. He and his family are hoping to travel to the US this summer.  https://youtu.be/ZBnqo491kcE?si=xCO8yvWPTP2IvhkJ

4. I had a video call with a fellow ABWE missionary in Jamaica about plans for continuing to provide theological training for pastors and students where he serves. Pray for wisdom as we have further conversations.

5. I talked on the phone with one of our directors yesterday about possibly being a part of New Missionary Orientation at ABWE in April. This would give me a chance to interact with potential teammates about the opportunities we have seen in our roles.

Your continued support for us allows us to play a part in these ministries around the world. Please pray for God to further these efforts, and give as you are able.  https://give.abwe.org/worker/david-and-brandi-prairie