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Hebrews 2:1. Therefore, we must be especially attentive to what we hear, so as not to fall away. “For this reason, it is fitting for us to pay extra attention to what we hear, lest we fall away.” So, knowing this difference, you should pay more attention to the teaching, so as not to be subjected to any creeping. Hebrews 2:2. For if through the angels the word proclaimed was firm, and every crime and disobedience received a righteous reward. Hebrews 2:3. How can we escape by neglecting so much salvation, which, having first been preached by the Lord, was confirmed in us by those who heard from Him. Hebrews 2:4. With evidence from God with signs and wonders, and various powers, and the dispensing of the Holy Spirit according to His will? “If the word spoken by the angels is quickly known, and every crime and righteous disobedience will receive recompense”: “how shall we flee from the great negligent salvation, which began to receive the word spoken from the Lord, who heard it in us”, “I bear witness to God with signs and wonders, and with various powers, and by dividing the Holy Spirit according to His will." And to the exhortation the Apostle again added a comparison and shows how much the Gospel teaching is higher than legal decrees. For the Angels served to lay down the law, and here the Lord of the Angels Himself was the first to bring the saving teaching, and those who were worthy of apostolic grace accepted it. And the law was a word showing what one should do, and the Lord’s teaching brings eternal salvation. since Moses also performed miracles, it was necessary for the Apostle to show that grace abounds in this too. For here it was not the Lord alone who performed miracles, but His divine disciples and their successors performed them. The Apostle showed that the new covenant also shines with spiritual gifts. For in ancient times only the prophets partook of the spiritual gift, but now all believers are worthy of this grace. This is what the Apostle added: and “divided by the Holy Spirit, according to His will.” He said this, exhorting them to listen more carefully to the Divine teaching. And under the guise of exhortation, he taught the difference between the two. He very wisely said that God testifies to the preaching with miracles. Miracles are obvious evidence, and the truth of the witness is beyond doubt. But, having mentioned this in passing, the Apostle resumes his speech about comparison with Angels. Hebrews 2:5. For God did not subject the future universe of which we are speaking to Angels. Hebrews 2:6. On the contrary, someone testified nowhere, saying: What does it mean for a man that You remember him? or son of man, that You visit him? Hebrews 2:7. You did not humiliate him much before the Angels; You crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of Your hands. Hebrews 2:8. He put everything under his feet. When he had subdued everything to him, he left nothing unsubdued to him. Now we still do not see that everything has been subjugated to him. “For God shall not conquer the coming universe with an angel, of which we speak”: “But no one testified anywhere, saying: What is man, that you remember him? or the son of man, how do you visit?” “Thou hast made him little less than an angel: thou hast crowned him with glory and honor, and thou hast placed Thy hand over his works,” “thou hast subdued all things under his nose.” The Apostle called the future life “the universe to come.” Again, not as with God, but as with man, he compares the Angels with the Lord Christ and shows that not the Angels, but He took dominion over everything. And this: “what man is,” although it is said about our common nature, is also applied to our Firstfruits, as having assimilated to Himself what belongs to the whole nature. Thus, on behalf of all of us, He said: “Far from My salvation is the word of My sins” (Ps. 21:2). Although He Himself, in His humanity, did not experience sin, “Thou shalt not commit sin, lest flattery be found in His mouth” (1 Pet. 2:22); however, having assimilated what was ours, he became the mouth of nature; He took our sins upon Himself, and bore our illnesses on Himself. And to assure that the divine Apostle offered this testimony as being in agreement with the Master’s teaching, let us listen to what the Lord says to the Jews. “Have you brought forth praise... from the mouth of a child and of those who piss, have you brought praise” (Matthew 21:16)? So, this One, “from the mouth of a child and a pissing” who performed praise, visited human nature; and the divine Apostle added an interpretation to the prophetic testimony. “Let everything be subdued to Him, and nothing should be left unsubdued to Him.” And since it was likely that others would say: “We see that most people disagree and do not want to worship Him,” then, out of necessity, the Apostle added: “Now we see that all things are subject to Him.” This has already been said by the Apostle and above. “Do not conquer the future universe with an angel, about which we say,” that is, in that life everything will prevail, then those who disobey now will submit. since he called Him the Creator and Lord of the Angels, and this seemed somewhat incredible to those who know the immortal nature of the Angels and at the same time have information about the suffering of the Lord Christ, then the Apostle, of necessity, offers a teaching about this too. Hebrews 2:9. But we see that for suffering death Jesus was crowned with glory and honor, Who was made a little lower than the Angels, so that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for all. “And we see Jesus, made a little child by the angels, crowned with glory and honor for the acceptance of death, as if”, except for God 1, “he shall taste death for all.” Not because of the Divine nature was he lowered before the Angels, but because of the suffering of humanity. Yes, and after the resurrection it became a participant in the Divine glory. He endured suffering for everyone, because everything that has a created nature needed this healing. This is what the Apostle said: “for yes,” besides God, “he will taste death for everyone,” that is, the Divine nature alone has no need, yet everything else needs the healing of incarnation. God the Word, having become man, crushed the power of death; having crushed it, He promised us resurrection, and with resurrection incorruptibility and immortality are associated, and in incorruption the visible will also take part. The Apostle said this in his Epistle. to the Romans: “for the creation itself will be freed from the work of corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Rom. 8:21). And the angels are in joy, seeing the salvation of men. Therefore Christ endured saving suffering for all; because the one Divine nature has no need for healing, which He performed. Hebrews 2:10. For it was fitting that He, for whom are all things and from whom are all things, bringing many sons to glory, should make the leader of their salvation through suffering. “It is fitting for Him, for whose sake all things are, and for whose sake all things are, I will bring many sons to glory, to accomplish the author of their salvation through suffering.” The Apostle showed that God the Word perfected the nature that He took upon Himself. And the nature He took upon Himself is the firstfruits of our salvation, because, having risen from the dead, it acquired the resurrection for all of us. Hebrews 2:11. For both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from One; therefore He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying. Hebrews 2:12. I will proclaim Your name to My brothers, in the midst of the church I will sing Your praises. Hebrews 2:13. And one more thing: I will trust in Him. And one more thing: here I am and the children whom God gave Me. “Both are holy and sanctified, from the One are all.” And this the Apostle said according to human nature; because the perceived nature is created, one Creator of both us and Him. But we are sanctified by Him. And if heretics want to understand this as said and according to the Divine nature, then even then they will not diminish the glory of the Only Begotten. For, says the Apostle, we have one Father, both we and He; but it is clear that He is the Son by nature, and we are sons by grace. He teaches us this understanding, saying that He sanctifies, and we are sanctified. “Even for the sake of guilt he is not ashamed to call them out on his brethren, saying: “I will proclaim Your name to My brethren, in the midst of the church I will sing to You.” “And again: I will hope Nan.” “And again: behold, Az and the children whom God has given to Me.” And this “not ashamed” is enough to show the difference of sonship. When talking about rulers and slaves and showing the humility of rulers, we have the custom of saying: “He is not ashamed to eat and drink with servants, to sit together and heal their sick himself.” Therefore, the same thing is meant here, namely, that He who suffered for us is not ashamed to call those for whom He suffered brethren. He calls them not only brothers, but also children. Thus, the Lord in the Holy Gospel said to the divine apostles: “Children, I have not been with you for a long time” (John 13:33), and also: “Children, have you anything to eat here” (Luke 24:41)? The Apostle showed that what he said humiliatingly was also said according to the Economy. For with this “I am not ashamed” I combined: “I will hope for Nan.” For the sake of saving people, He is not ashamed to use words that are demeaning to His own dignity. Then, dwelling on the testimony of children, the Apostle composes a word about saving suffering. Hebrews 2:14. And just as children partake of flesh and blood, He also received them, in order by death to deprive him of the power of the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil. Hebrews 2:15. And to deliver those who were subject to slavery throughout their lives from the fear of death. “Before the children have partaken of flesh and blood, and He sincerely partook of the same, so that by death he will abolish the possessing power of death, that is, the devil,” “and he will deliver these, who are born with the fear of death through all their life, guilty of work.” Would it be possible, says the Apostle, for Him to either be called our brother, or to call us in the true sense His children, if He were not endowed with the same nature as us? Therefore, having taken it upon Himself, He crushed the dominion of death and dispelled the fear that suppressed us. For we never ceased to fear death, since we were forced to drag out the yoke of mortality. And the Apostle very opportunely used the word “sincerely” in order to expose the slanderous idea of ​​a ghost. He expounded all this, teaching those who believe that the Son, because of his suffering, is less than the Angels, that He endured suffering out of necessity. He teaches this even more clearly in what follows: Hebrews 2:16. For He does not receive angels, but He receives the seed of Abraham. “When an angel receives it, he does not receive it, but from the seed of Abraham he receives.” If he had assumed the angelic nature, says the Apostle, he would have become incapable of death. But since he assumed human nature, just as he repaid human debt through suffering, so by the resurrection of the suffering body he proved his own strength. Very wisely, the divine Apostle used a proper name instead of a generic name; He did not say: “from the seed of man he receives,” but: “from the seed of Abraham he receives,” reminding them of the promise that was to Abraham. Hebrews 2:17. Therefore, He had to become like the brethren in everything, in order to be a merciful and faithful high priest before God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. Hebrews 2:18. For just as He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are tempted. “I must be like my brethren in everything.” For like us, he ate food, and was weary, and grieved, and cried, and accepted death. “May the high priest be merciful and faithful to those who approach God, so that he may atone for the sins of men.” “In it I suffered, I myself was tempted, and perhaps I can help those who are tempted.” The Apostle showed that His saving death was an offering, because for the sake of all creation He brought the body He took upon Himself. As a consolation for the Jews, he added something else. For he says: “Having experienced the weakness of human nature, as one who lived according to the law and grace, he gives help to those at war.” But this is also said according to human nature, because not as God, but as a man, He is our high priest; not as God, but as man suffered; not like God, he experienced what is characteristic of us, but on the contrary, like God, he wisely knows everything. Thus, the Apostle, having completed the comparison with the Angels, puts in comparison the greatest of all the prophets, the great Moses, in order, by showing the infinite difference, to show together the distance of the covenants, and the promises, and the priests. He again mixes in the comparison with an admonition, so as not to convey the idea that he is doing this with intention, but to show that he is forced to do this by some kind of necessity. Blazh. Theodoret, instead of χαριτι φεού, reads: χωρίζ φεού You might be interested in: