Brakelite
Well-Known Member
KJV Hebrews 1
1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
3 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 on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Tyndale‘s translation says that the Son is the ―very image of God‘s ―substance. This is in contrast to the formulators of the KJV who translated hupostasis as ―person. The earlier translation is much clearer to us today than the KJV. It shows exactly what Paul meant by his use of hupostasis. It is referring to God‘s very (inner) being (what God is). It is that which makes God God. It is His substructure. Unfortunately today, when we say person, we simply think of this as the entirety of a human being when in fact it can mean the actual self or personality (inner nature/being) of a human being. Other translations also make it very clear. They translate this phrase as ―…the exact representation of His nature …New American Standard Bible ―
…the very stamp of his nature…Revised Standard Version ―
…the very image of his substance...American Standard Version ―
…an exact representation of his very being…Rotherham Bible ―
…the flawless expression of the nature of God…J. B. Phillips translation ―
…stamped with God's own character Moffatt translation ―
…the exact representation of His being…
Weymouth translation
By saying that Christ was the express image of God‘s inner person (nature/being), Paul was saying everything that God is (in His nature) so is the Son (in His nature). This expression therefore (express image of God‘s person) means that Christ is a visible representation of the inner person/character/being of the invisible God. This is why Jesus told Philip (when Philip asked Him to reveal the Father) ―…Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? John 14:9
Then Paul said this...
―Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? Hebrews 1:4-5 Angels have a superior nature to that of humanity (Hebrews 2:7, 2:9, 2:16, 2 Peter 2:11). Paul is saying here that Christ‘s nature, in His pre-existence, is far superior to that of the angels. This was not referring to Christ‘s human nature during the incarnation. That was fallen human nature (Romans 8:3, Hebrews 2:16). Christ‘s pre-existent nature is divine. His attributes are those of deity. This was His inheritance as a son. The attributes of the angels are not those of deity. Angels are created. They did not receive their nature as an inheritance. The question posed here by Paul invites a negative response. God has never said to any of the angels ―Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee therefore no single angel has the title the Son of God. When reasoned through, it is not possible that God could have spoken these words to an angel. This is because the angels are not begotten but created. God created them through His Son (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16, Hebrews 1:2). The Son therefore was begotten before the angels were created. Christ is the only begotten of God. This is why He is an only son. And why He is God.
1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
3 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 on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Tyndale‘s translation says that the Son is the ―very image of God‘s ―substance. This is in contrast to the formulators of the KJV who translated hupostasis as ―person. The earlier translation is much clearer to us today than the KJV. It shows exactly what Paul meant by his use of hupostasis. It is referring to God‘s very (inner) being (what God is). It is that which makes God God. It is His substructure. Unfortunately today, when we say person, we simply think of this as the entirety of a human being when in fact it can mean the actual self or personality (inner nature/being) of a human being. Other translations also make it very clear. They translate this phrase as ―…the exact representation of His nature …New American Standard Bible ―
…the very stamp of his nature…Revised Standard Version ―
…the very image of his substance...American Standard Version ―
…an exact representation of his very being…Rotherham Bible ―
…the flawless expression of the nature of God…J. B. Phillips translation ―
…stamped with God's own character Moffatt translation ―
…the exact representation of His being…
Weymouth translation
By saying that Christ was the express image of God‘s inner person (nature/being), Paul was saying everything that God is (in His nature) so is the Son (in His nature). This expression therefore (express image of God‘s person) means that Christ is a visible representation of the inner person/character/being of the invisible God. This is why Jesus told Philip (when Philip asked Him to reveal the Father) ―…Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? John 14:9
Then Paul said this...
―Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? Hebrews 1:4-5 Angels have a superior nature to that of humanity (Hebrews 2:7, 2:9, 2:16, 2 Peter 2:11). Paul is saying here that Christ‘s nature, in His pre-existence, is far superior to that of the angels. This was not referring to Christ‘s human nature during the incarnation. That was fallen human nature (Romans 8:3, Hebrews 2:16). Christ‘s pre-existent nature is divine. His attributes are those of deity. This was His inheritance as a son. The attributes of the angels are not those of deity. Angels are created. They did not receive their nature as an inheritance. The question posed here by Paul invites a negative response. God has never said to any of the angels ―Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee therefore no single angel has the title the Son of God. When reasoned through, it is not possible that God could have spoken these words to an angel. This is because the angels are not begotten but created. God created them through His Son (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16, Hebrews 1:2). The Son therefore was begotten before the angels were created. Christ is the only begotten of God. This is why He is an only son. And why He is God.