Hebrews 1-8, Volume 47A by William L. Lane & David A. Hubbard & Glenn W. Barker & John D. W. Watts & Ralph P. Martin

Author:William L. Lane & David A. Hubbard & Glenn W. Barker & John D. W. Watts & Ralph P. Martin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: REL006070 Religion / Biblical Commentary / New Testament
Publisher: Zondervan

Then shall the Lord raise up a new priest . . . .

And he shall execute a righteous judgment upon the earth.

And he shall open the gates of paradise

and shall remove the threatening sword against Adam.

And Beliar shall be bound by him,

and he shall give power to his children to tread upon evil spirits.

(T. Levi 18:10–12)

This text, like others that represent God as the champion of Israel, preserves an apocalyptic point of view. It offers a hellenistic-Jewish paradigm for the christological perspectives developed in Heb 2:10–18. The element of representation that is common to the offices of champion and of high priest may account for the fact that in Hebrews champion perspectives flow smoothly into the presentation of a high priestly christology.

The description of Jesus as a “faithful high priest in the service of God” constitutes an allusion to 1 Sam 2:35, where God announces, “I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall act according to what is in my heart and in my mind; and I will build him a sure house.” The recognition of the allusion prepares for the transition to 3:1–6, where the writer calls attention to Jesus as the high priest who “was faithful to the one who appointed him . . . as a Son over God’s house” (3:2, 6).

εἰς τὸ ἱλάσκεσθαι τὰς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ λαοῦ, “to make propitiation with regard to the sins of the people.” The second purpose clause is a natural extension of the first; it describes the activity of the incarnate Son in distinctly priestly categories. The proper translation of ἱλάσκεσθαι has been a matter of academic debate. In a full and balanced treatment of the subject Morris has demonstrated that “to make propitiation” is to be preferred rather than “to make expiation,” because this is the usual meaning of the verb and its cognates not only in secular usage but in the LXX (Apostolic Preaching, 125–60). Moreover, the accusative of respect in the expression ἱλάσκεσθαι τὰς ἁμαρτίας, “to make propitiation with respect to sin,” is an unusual Greek construction, but in the few examples where it is preserved it “seems generally to imply the thought of propitiation” (175–76). The making of propitiation for sins exhibits the primary concern of the high priestly office with the reconciliation of the people to God. The concept implies sacrifice, and in this context the propitiatory work of the Son consisted in the laying down of his life for others (cf. vv 10, 14, 18).

The description of those on whose behalf the high priest functions as “the people” (τοῦ λαοῦ) has its background in the Greek Bible, where ὁ λαὸς [τοῦ θεοῦ] is a technical term for Israel in its character as the nation chosen by God and separated from the other nations by covenant relationship (cf. Strathmann, TDNT 4:29–57, esp. 54–55). The writer does not hesitate to transfer this title of honor to the Christian community, for all of the OT is for him a parable of God’s provision for the Church.

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