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circumstances, of rules and observances, as factors in religious life: no acknowledgment of a relation of proportion between spiritual lessons and a people's capacity. It is an illustration of the same fundamental fault that we find in the Epistle not only a complete rejection of the letter of the Levitical system, but also an imperfect and inadequate view of Christian institutions.

On the other hand we have in Heb. 1:1-4 a view of the unfolding and infolding of the divine counsel in creation of infinite fulness. The end is there seen to be the true consummation of the beginning. We discern that one message is conveyed by the different modes of God's communication to His people: that one Voice speaks through many envoys: that at last the spoken word is gathered up and fulfilled in the present Son.

We have not yet mastered all the teaching of the pregnant words; yet even now we can perceive how the thoughts which they convey characterise the whole Epistle: how they arose naturally out of the circumstances of the early Church; and, by comparison with the Epistle of Barnabas, how far they transcended the common judgment of the time. Under this aspect the Epistle to the Hebrews, by its composition and its history, throws light upon the ideas of Inspiration and a Canon of Scripture. On the one side we see how the Spirit of God uses special powers, tendencies and conditions, things personal and things social, for the expression of a particular aspect of the Truth; and on the other side we see how the enlightened consciousness of the Church was in due time led to recognise that teaching as authoritative which was at first least in harmony with prevailing forms of thought.

COMMENTARY

Introduction

INTRODUCTION (Hebrews 1:1-4). The first paragraph of the Epistle gives a summary view of its main subject, the finality of the absolute Revelation in Christ as contrasted with the preparatory revelation under the Old Covenant.

The whole is bound together in one unbroken grammatical construction, but the subject is changed in its course. In the first two verses God is the subject: in the last two the Son; and the fourth verse introduces a special thought which is treated in detail in the remainder of the chapter.

Thus for purposes of interpretation the paragraph may be divided into three parts.
i.
The contrast of the Old Revelation and the New: vv. 1, 2.
ii.
The nature and the work of the Son: v. 3.
iii.
Transition to the detailed development of the argument: v. 4. It will be noticed that the Lord is regarded even in this brief introductory statement in His threefold office as Prophet ( God spake in His Son ), Priest
(
having made purification of sins ), and King ( He sat down ).


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