Jesus Christ is Superior to the Prophets as God’s Spokesman (Hebrews 1:1-3)

“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who 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 at the right hand of the Majesty on high ...” (Hebrews 1:1-3, NKJV)

God Reveals Himself

The various ways God has spoken in the distant past have included direct address,¹ communicating through nature,² angels,³ judges,⁴ priests and scribes,⁵ dreams and visions,⁶ the Law of Moses,⁷ and by the prophets.⁸ But in these last days, the final period of biblical history,⁹ God speaks through a Son, namely his own Son (Heb. 1:5; 5:5; 6:6), Jesus the Christ (Heb. 3:6; 4:14).

All authority has been given to the Lord Jesus Christ, conveyed through his words (Matt. 28:18; John 12:48), transmitted via the Holy Spirit to specially chosen emissaries (John 14:25-26; 15:26-27; 16:12-13), and preserved in writing through divine inspiration (Eph. 2:19–3:5; 2 Tim. 3:16-17). The New Testament—the new and better covenant (Heb. 7:22; 8:6, 13)—is the avenue through which God now speaks, the inspired word of God (Heb. 4:12; 6:5; 13:7).

Dual Nature of God’s Son

As the Son of God, Jesus is equal with God in his inherent nature, while subordinate in his functional (incarnate) role. The opening verses of Hebrews recognize Jesus as the one whom God “has appointed heir of all things” (1:2b), the natural consequence of divine sonship, albeit subordinate in relation to the Father.¹⁰ At the same time Jesus is the one “through whom also He made the worlds” (1:2c), descriptive of deity’s supernatural activity,¹¹ “who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person ...” (1:3a). He is the personification of God, bearing the very stamp of the divine essence, while “upholding all things by the word of His power” (1:3b). He is equally divine as creator and sustainer of the material world.¹²

The Son’s Humiliation and Exaltation

Jesus, having taken on human flesh, “purged our sins” (1:3c) through his sacrificial life and death (cf. 9:15-18, 22). He then “sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (1:3d).¹³ The “right hand” is a position of power, authority, and honor (cf. 1:13; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; cp. 1 Kings 2:19; Psa. 110:1). Jesus is currently enthroned with God and shares in God’s dominion.

Whether from the perspective of mid-first-century Hellenistic Jewish Christians who first received the message of Hebrews, or of modern-day westerners reading the same text, Jesus Christ is still deity’s great spokesman reigning from the heavenly throne.

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ Gen. 1:28-30; 2:16-17; 3:9-17; 4:6, 9-15; 6:13; 7:1; 9:1; 12:1; Ex. 33:11.

     ² Gen. 6:17; 9:13; Num. 22:28. 

     ³ Gen. 18:1-2; 19:1; 32:24-30 (Hos. 12:2-4); Ex. 3:2; Judg. 6:11-12. 

     ⁴ Judg. 3:10, 20. 

     ⁵ Lev. 10:11; Ezra 7:6, 10. 

     ⁶ Gen. 31:11; Dan. 2:1-45. 

     ⁷ Deut. 4:1, 13; 10:4.

     ⁸ Num. 22:38; 1 Sam. 8:7-10; 2 Pet. 1:21.

     ⁹ The expression “last days” is in reference to the final period of Bible history: see Heb. 9:26; Acts 2:16-17; 1 Pet. 1:20; 2 Pet. 3:3.

     ¹⁰ See also Matt. 17:5; 28:18; John 16:15; 1 Cor. 15:24-28.

     ¹¹ See also John 1:1-3; Col. 1:16.

     ¹² See also John 1:18; 14:7-9; Col. 1:15, 17.

     ¹³ See also Mark 16:19; Acts 2:33; 5:31; Rom. 8:34; Phil. 2:9; Col. 3:1; 1 Pet. 3:22.

Related Posts: Jesus Christ: the Son of God 

 

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Let the women “keep silent” in the churches: 1 Corinthians 14:34-35

The Context

     First Corinthians is an occasional letter, addressed to the Christian community at Corinth (1:2), written by the apostle Paul around AD 56. In 12:1–14:40 the misuse of spiritual gifts in worship assemblies is the pressing issue. The church is one body comprised of many diverse parts intended to work in harmony for the benefit of the whole (12:1-31). The selfish abuse and temporary nature of spiritual gifts is contrasted with the better way (12:31) of love – its importance (13:1-3), description (vv. 4-7), and lasting duration (vv. 8-13). Then the proper use and the misuse of prophecy and tongues in the Corinthian assemblies is addressed (14:1-40): the misuse of tongues vs. the correct use of prophecy (vv. 1-5); the necessity of understanding vs. confusion (vv. 6-25); and a call for order in church gatherings (vv. 26-40).¹

Specific application to the situation at Corinth

     First, rules for tongue-speakers in the assembly (14:27-28). Multiple tongue-speakers are to speak in turn (not all at once) and have someone interpret (v. 27). If no interpreter is available, “keep silent” (sigáō) in the church, i.e. do not speak publicly. In this situation it is appropriate to speak silently to oneself and to God (v. 28), but do not disrupt the assembly and generate confusion.

     Second, rules for prophets in the assembly (14:29-33). Let two or three prophets speak in turn; let the others (cf. 12:10) discern (14:29). Speak one at a time so that everyone can learn and be encouraged. If one prophet is speaking, let the others “keep silent” (sigáō) and exercise self-control (14:30-32). “God is not [a God] of confusion/disorder but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints” (14:33).

     Third, rules for women in the assembly (14:34-35).² Let the women “keep silent” (sigáō) in the churches (assemblies), “for it is not permitted for them to speak (laléō)” (14:34). In other words, do not speak as to lead the church (cf. vv. 5, 6, 19). In this particular context, silence is also enjoined on male tongue-speakers (when there is no interpreter, v. 28) and on male prophets (when someone else is speaking, v. 30); i.e. they were not to speak publicly as leaders in the assembly.

     The silence enjoined here on tongue-speakers, prophets, and women does not prohibit singing (v. 15), saying “amen” (v. 16), public confession (1 Tim. 6:12), etc.; they are simply instructed not to speak as to lead the public assembly. In 1 Corinthians laléō (to “speak”) is used with reference to public speaking, particularly in the exercise of a spiritual gift (cf. 2:6, 7, 13; 3:1; 9:8; 12:3, 30; 13:1, 11; 14:2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 11, 13, 18, 19, 21, 23, 27, 28, 29, 34, 35, 39).

     “But if they [women] desire to learn anything, let them ask their own andras [‘men’] at home” (14:35a). This appears to have reference to spiritually-gifted women who potentially had the miraculous gift of prophecy or discernment (cf. 11:5; 12:10). If a woman questioned the public message of a prophet, she was not to exercise her gift in the public worship assembly but wait and ask her husband (or father, brother, etc.) outside the assembly.

     To limit the meaning of andras to “husbands” would exclude unmarried women, widows, and those married to unbelievers (7:8, 13), so the more generic “men” might be intended, unless all the spiritually-gifted women in Corinth at the time were married to believers. There were things appropriate at home that were inappropriate at church gatherings (cf. 11:22), and Paul dissuades women from the appearance of taking a lead in the worship assembly.

     “It is a shame/improper for a woman to speak (laléō) [as to lead] in an assembly” (14:35b). The prohibition here no doubt had cultural relevance (cf. 11:5, 6, 13-16). However, it is essentially based on God’s design for distinctive roles of men and women (cf. v. 34, “the law”; 7:39; 9:21; 11:3, 8-9; 1 Tim. 2:11-15), and is thus unchanging.

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ Scripture quotations are the author’s own translation.

     ² A number of critical scholars contend that 14:34-35 blatantly contradicts 11:2-16 (under the unwarranted assumption that 11:2-16 is restricted to a mixed worship assembly) and propose that 14:34-35 is a post-Pauline interpolation (cf. C. K. Barrett, First Corinthians 330-33; G. Fee, First Corinthians 699-705; et al.). However, these verses are found in all extant manuscripts, although a few erratic ones place them at the end of the chapter. See Gary Workman, “I Cor. 14:34-35,” The Spiritual Sword 3 (April 1995): 35-46.

Related Posts: Female Head-coverings Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5; Woman Preacher?; A Woman's Service; Questions Concerning Woman's Role 

Related articles: Wes McAdams' "No Male and Female"; Dave Miller's Male and Female Roles

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