Hebrews 1

KJV · Chapter 1/13

1God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

2Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

3Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

4Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

5For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?

6And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.

7And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.

8But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.

9Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

10And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:

11They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;

12And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

13But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?

14Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

📖 Chapter study

Summary

The author presents Jesus as the final and supreme revelation of God, superior to the prophets and to the angels. He uses a series of quotations from the Old Testament to prove the unique greatness of the Son of God.

Explanation

Hebrews was written to Christians of Jewish background who may have been tempted to return to traditional Judaism in the face of persecution, so the author begins by showing that Jesus is superior to everything that came before — including the angels, considered the supreme messengers of God in Jewish tradition. The quotations from Psalms and other Old Testament texts are used to prove, through the very Scripture the readers already respected, that the Son is greater than any heavenly creature. The central message is that God spoke partially through the prophets, but spoke completely and finally through Jesus. Today's application is that seeking God now necessarily involves recognizing the centrality of Jesus.

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