The pre-existent Christ

Apart from whet we’ve already noted in the section on pre-existence and multiple other places, the first chapter of Hebrews is clearly calling Jesus God. First clearly the status of the divine Son is clearly above every living creature, even the angels. This is significant because within creation God never ascribes superiority or inferiority, that’s the whole point of Christianity: “having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be his Father,  and he will be my Son”?^” (v.4,5). Next we are being told angels worship him “and again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” (v.6) and calls him God “Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds and his servants flames of fire.” But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.” (v.7-9) even ascribing these verses of creation, eternality and immutability to him “And, “In the beginning, Lord, you founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like clothing; like a cloak you will roll them up, and like clothing they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will never end.” (vv.10-12). Throughout the passage there is the attempt to contrast Jesus’ superior status with that of the angels and it ends with the assertion that of all creation including the spiritual realm, only Jesus is at the right hand of God “but to which of his angels has he ever said “sit at my right hand…” (v.13).

The next verse shows pre-existence because the prophets are clearly not in the same category as “a son”, since an obvious distinction is being made. If this “son” is just another human being that is born, it does not explain why he is not called a prophet”. The answer can only be is that Jesus transcends these categories:

“Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son…” (Heb.1:1,2)

Here Melchizedek, in the manner that he appears in the Bible without mention of his parents or genealogy is compared to Jesus with the analogous implication that Jesus does not have any natural descent nor even beginning of days in reality. The comparison is meant to show that while in the case of Melchizedek the details of his birth are an intentional textual omission, yet in the case of Christ it is reality. It is very obvious that the writer of Hebrews is using this as a literary device and they do not actually believe that Melchizedek is pre-existent. Melchizedek is being compared to Christ, rather than the other way round.

“Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.” (Heb.7:3)

“…but Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever” (Heb.13:8)

Hebrews 10:5-7 speaks of “a body you have prepared for me”, going off from the Septuagintal reading of Psalm 40:6 (The Masoretic text reads “but you have given me an open ear”). This reading makes it obvious that Christ is pre-existent, pre-existing his own Body. It is clear both that Jesus is pre-exists the incarnation and that he becomes incarnate “since therefore the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things…” (2:14) is an obvious indication that he only took flesh for a specific mission, it was not his prior state. The passage goes on “he did not come to help angels but the descendents of Abraham. So he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect…” (2:16,17), indicating he came into the world and became something other than his pre-existent state, and “because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are beign tested” (2:18) indicates that he does not suffer in his pre-existent state.

Jesus is called God

Apart from whet we’ve already noted in the section on pre-existence and multiple other places, the first chapter of Hebrews is clearly calling Jesus God. First clearly the status of the divine Son is clearly above every living creature, even the angels. This is significant because within creation God never ascribes superiority or inferiority, that’s the whole point of Christianity: “having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be his Father,  and he will be my Son”?^” (v.4,5). Next we are being told angels worship him “and again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” (v.6) and calls him God “Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds and his servants flames of fire.” But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.” (v.7-9) even ascribing these verses of creation, eternality and immutability to him “And, “In the beginning, Lord, you founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like clothing; like a cloak you will roll them up, and like clothing they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will never end.” (vv.10-12). Throughout the passage there is the attempt to contrast Jesus’ superior status with that of the angels and it ends with the assertion that of all creation including the spiritual realm, only Jesus is at the right hand of God “but to which of his angels has he ever said “sit at my right hand…” (v.13).

Hebrews: “Participating in the Blood”

(need to recopy this from the Eucharist article)

We give a synopsis of the 8^th and 9^th Chapters of the Epistle to the Hebrews in relation to the current topic. The author of the letter first stresses that this is “the main point…”in what is being said (8.1), and goes on to elaborate that Jesus “is the mediator (μεσίτης – arbitrator, mediator) of a better covenant…” (8:1-5, also 9:15, 12:24 cf. 1Tim2:5). Then we are given a description of how he brings this about. He ^“…he entered once for all” (ἐφάπαξ – “once for all”, or “once”, eg. to the 500), “has now entered the Holy Place” (9:12), “now appearing in God’s presence” (9:24); “at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty” (8:1); “in the heavens” (8:1, 10:24, 12:23), “if he were on earth he would not be a priest at all” (8:4) and he appears as “eternal high priest…a minister” (9:24, 8:1,2). The sacrificial offering of this high priest, is indeed his own blood “it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer.” (8:3);, “with his own Blood (9:14) (or “sprinkled Blood” (12:24, 10:22)), “on our behalf” (9:24); “thus obtaining eternal redemption (9:14). Indeed this is how Jesus completes his work of uniting us into the life of the Trinity. First he himself takes human flesh, and now he enters with that very flesh into the trinitarian Life itself. After all, this altar is “the true tent that the Lord, and not any mortal has set up” (8:2), the earthly sanctuaries were only ever “a sketch and shadow of the heavenly one” (8:5) a “greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation)” (9:11) “Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands…but he entered into heaven itself” (9:24). That is none else then the life of the Trinity itself that is being spoken of.

Clearly, it is for us to join in, and how else, than by the commemoration in worship of that same activity. In other words, of our God is engaged in eternal Sacrifice, then how else are we to pray and worship other than in that same activity “on our behalf”? Moreover Jesus has indicated the manner in which we are to do so in the “do this in memory of me” statements in the Synoptics. Indeed this is our “way into the sanctuary (that had) not yet been disclosed…” (9:8). The Sacrifice is present and ongoing: “…he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues for ever. Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them…” (7:24,25,28).

Thus the “Blood of the Covenant” pronounced by Jesus at the Last Supper meal of the synoptic Gospels is none other than the Blood that He offers to the Father “in the Holy Place”. It would be absurd that Jesus be merely “representing” the Blood to the Father. Rather the one Sacrifice that Jesus presents to the Father is neither in the past, nor in the present, but an Eternal Sacrifice.

This quote from “On the Tree of the Cross: Georges Florovsky and the Patristic Doctrine of Atonement”, ed. M. Baker, S. Danckaert, N. Marinides: “The once for all offering of Christ on the Cross (because the letter of Hebrews says that it is once for all, not over and done with but once for all -added) the perfection and conclusion of all bloody sacrifices, cannot be seen as the key ingredient of what atonement means unless it is viewed as an integral part of the incarnational self-sacrifice of the Father-Son perfected only in the Eucharistic participation in His body and Blood. A statement such as “Christ atoned for our sins upon the Cross” is incomplete from the testimony of the Church’s liturgical practise until we see the work of the Cross as completed in the chalice where it began.

The atonement for sins did not happen at a moment in the past. It happens at the moment of man’s communion in the divine mystery of Christ’s Body and Blood when the joining together of God and man that took place in Bethlehem that reached throughout all of life and even death on the Cross that defeated death in the Resurrection is made real and present in the faithful communicant that who receives into his human body and is joined bodily and spiritually with the divine-human Person of the incarnate Son.”          

Let us further consider how it be possible that we “participate” in Jesus’ offering of himself to the Father in Heaven as is implied in the verse: “you have come…to the heavenly Jerusalem…²⁴and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks (a word)” (Heb. 12:23.24).

(God) raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” Ephesians 2:6

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then approach the Throne of Grace with confidence”

Hebrews 10:22 “let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water“

1Peter 1:2 2 “who have been chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with his blood“

1 Pet. 1:18-19 (NRSV) “You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish.”

When the Conscience is Purified, Sin is Vanquished, and we may Approach God

Christianity consists of, in the words of the author of Hebrews, the “perfection/ purification of the conscience” (katherei/teleiosai ten syneidesin hymon Heb.9:14/ 9:9), which is made possible by Christ’s Sacrifice of love. That is Christ “compels us” (he gar agape Christou synehcei [12occ.] hymas, 2Cor.5:14) through his example (hypodeigma, 6occ.,Jn13:15, from hypodeknumi 6occ.) to follow his display of perfection (Mt.16:24-26; Phil.3:9-11; Rom.6:8), and this becomes our spiritual pursuit of holiness. Thus purified, we may “approach God (engizomen to theo)” (7:19, 25) “approach the throne of grace with boldness (proserchometha meta parresias)” (4:16); “in fullness of faith (proserchometha en plerophoria pisteos)” (10:22)

The corollary is that a deity that does not love absolutely, does not inspire absolute love for him either. How can a creature display greater virtue than the Creator? Thus in Christianity alone is made possible this “purification/perfection of the conscience” (Heb.9:9,14), so that we “no longer have any consciousness of sin” (Heb.10:2 medemian echein eti synedeisin hamartion).

The conscience perfected, has desire for God alone. Nothing else can serve to achieve such perfection of the conscience:“…gifts and sacrifices are offered…cannot perfect the conscience of the worshipper (me dynamemai kata seneidesin teleiosai ton latreuonta-Heb 9:9)“; rather it is only Christ: “…the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, (will) purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God (kathariei ten syneidesin hemon apo nekron ergon eis to lateruein Theo zonti- Heb.9:14)”.

This is the crux: those who are cleansed by God will achieve the state wherein there ceases to be any even any consciousness of sin or sinning. The true victory over sin where it has finally “lost its sting” is when it truly fades into irrelevance. Sin will cease to exist for us, just as it never existed in the conscience of God anyway (Heb.10:2). This is beatitude and eternal happiness, and Heaven where there is no longer pain of sin, we are truly now “dead to sin, but alive to God” (Rom.6:11). What else is the earth but a cauldron of pain, so also what else is Heaven but the freedom from it.

Only thus having been cleansed and purified, shall we be able to approach God: “let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean (rherantismenoi tas cardias- rhantizo, to sprinkle, 4occ., all in Heb.) from an evil conscience (apo syneideseos poneras) and our bodies washed with pure water (lelousmenoi to soma hydati katharo- louo, wash,5occ.).” (Heb 10:22). Thus cleansed, might we “share in God’s holiness”, which is to participate in his own Life: “But he disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness (eis to metabalein [metalambano 7occ.]tes hagiotetos autou)” (Heb 12:10).

In 2 Peter we see koinonia with reference to the intimacy of our relationship with God:

“His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness (…) so that through (his promises) you may (…) become participants of the divine nature (θείας κοινωνοὶ φύσεως)” (2Pet.1:3,4). Such a “participation” implies an indwelling since it is the nature that is being participated in.