(
a
) The Lord's humanity is declared to be real (2:14; comp. Heb. 12:10; 7:14), perfect (2:17
kata; pavnta
), and representative (2:9
uJpe;r pantov"
). At the same time, as has been seen, the Divine Personality was unchanged by the assumption of manhood. We must not however suppose that the body with its powers was simply an instrument which was directed by a divine principle. The body prepared for Him by God (10:5) is not, any more than flesh in John 1:14, to be interpreted in a partial sense. The use of the human name (
jIhsou'"
, see p. 33) guards the fulness of His humanity (comp. Heb. 2:6 LXX.). At the same time His perfect humanity was in absolute harmony with His Divine Nature, and so He could work through it using all men's powers; but it did not limit His Divine Nature in any way in itself: it limited only its manifestation.
( b ) Thus the perfect human nature of Christ found expression in a perfect human life. By the discipline of suffering the Lord was made perfect, bearing without the least failure every temptation to which we are exposed (4:15; 5:7 ff.; 7:26). Comp. Addit. Note on 2:10. His growth was not only negatively sinless, but a victorious development of every human power. Nor can it be without deep interest to notice how the writer recognises in Christ separate human virtues: trust in God (2:13 e[somai pepoiqwv" ...); faithfulness (2:17; 3:2); mercy and sympathy (2:17; 4:15); dependence on God (5:7 f.); faith (12:2). For the connexion of the discipline of Christ with the discipline of men, compare 2:10 f. with 12:7.
Christ did not however cease at any time to be the Son of God. He lived through death, offering Himself through His eternal spirit (9:14 note); and He exercises His priesthood in virtue of the power of an indissoluble life (7:16).
In this union of two Natures in the one Person of Christ, Whose Personality is Divine, to use the technical language of Theology, we recognise the foundation-fact of a true fellowship of God and man. There would be no true fellowship, no sure hope for men, if the Person of Christ were simply a manifestation of Deity, or a divine principle working through human nature as its material.
As it is we can see how in virtue of His humanity and human life the Lord was able to fulfil His twofold office for men, as Apostle and High-priest (3:1), declaring the will of God and preparing men to appear before Him.
(2) The Exaltation. The exaltation of Christ is placed in this Epistle, as by St Paul (Phil. 2:9 ff. diov ), in close connexion with His sufferings (Heb. 2:9; 12:2). But the writer differs from St Paul in his mode of presenting it. While St Paul dwells on the Resurrection in each group of his Epistles, the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews refers to it once only (13:20; comp. v. 7), fixing his attention on the Ascension (4:14; 6:20; 7:26; 9:11 f.; 24), and the Session on the right hand of God (1:3; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2). This difference follows from the unique teaching of the Epistle on the work of Christ as King-priest. Comp. Addit. Notes on 8:1 and 8:1, 2.
From what has been said it will be seen that there is a very close connexion between the Christology of the writer to the Hebrews and the Christology of St Paul. Both Apostles fix the minds of their readers upon what