Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
Christ was made so much better than the angels, having by inheritance obtained the more excellent name of Son, as a distinct individual personal being from the Father. His exalted position was given by the Father who appointed Him heir of all things and made Him equal with Himself, as the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, through whom He made the worlds and who by Himself purged sins and sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. He existed with the Father and was one with Him before the angels were created, and the Father gave Him unlimited authority and command over the heavenly host, requiring angels to obey and worship Him as they obey the Father. His exaltation took away no rightful honor from the angels, yet Satan, before rebellion a high angel next in honor to the Son, in envy refused to submit to His authority and sought to be equal with God and rule above Christ. Though honored above the angels He willingly humbled Himself to take humanity and die to redeem and restore fallen humanity, so His words demand more diligent heed than even angelic ministry, and those who receive Him may become partakers of the divine nature and be exalted with Him.
Son Superior To Angels
The Father and the Son are distinct individual personal beings, the Son standing distinct from the Father. He has been made so much better than the angels, having by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they, holding a position far above them. That more excellent name is Son, for he is God's Son and first-begotten, whom the Father calls Son, and his sonship is set apart from the standing of the angels while the angels are commanded to worship him. His exalted position is given by the Father, who appointed him heir of all things and made him equal with the Father, with access to all the counsels of God laid open to him. He is the brightness of the Father's glory and the express image of his person, upholding all things by the word of his power, and as heir through whom God made the worlds, as Creator and rightful Ruler, he by himself purged sins and sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.
He existed with the Father and was one with the Father before the angels were created, and had always stood at God's right hand. The Father gave him special honor, unlimited authority, power, rank and command over the heavenly host, and the angels and the whole heavenly family are required to obey and submit to him as to the Father. His loving authority had not been questioned, and his commands had been a joy for the angels to carry out. His exaltation took away no honor that rightly belonged to Satan or that the angels had previously received.
Yet Satan, before rebellion a high and exalted angel next in honor to the Son, in envy and ambition rebelled against the Son's authority and refused to submit to him. Command and rule over heaven devolved on Christ alone, and Satan sought to assume that command for himself, to be equal with God and to rule above Christ. That demand was rejected.
Humiliation And Human Response
Though high and honored in heaven by the angelic host, he willingly humbled himself to come into the world to live among fallen people. In taking humanity he became a servant. His coming in the flesh was the incarnation, through which the Father establishes heaven's kingdom among humanity. He who is far greater than the angels and has inherited a more excellent name than theirs is God's Son, worshiped by the angels, yet he stooped to this lowly place.
Before he left heaven to come to die he was taller than any of the angels, majestic and lovely. His glory was far above even the glory of the one angel at the tomb, before whose light the strong Roman soldiers fell as dead men. If men could not endure the presence of that one glorious angel, much less could they have endured his own glory. Therefore he laid aside that noble, heavenly form and veiled his divinity, becoming but little taller than the common size of men then living, so that men could behold him and so that his outward appearance would not attract minds to himself and he would not be received without the exercise of faith.
He came to die to rescue humanity from death, to redeem it and to elevate human nature from sin's degradation and restore it to its original purity. As the divine Leader of Israel and builder of God's house he remains higher than the angels and greater than Moses, and his exalted name and position belong to him as God's Son. The great and grand work accomplished through God's gift of his Son offers great salvation, which is eternal life to the receiver. Through his human life and work of redemption those who receive him and believe in his name may share in the divine nature and be exalted with him.
Because he is superior to the angels and his ministry is more excellent than theirs, his words demand more diligent, earnest heed and esteem. Priests, rulers and teachers had leavened the Old Testament gospel with erroneous theories and misinterpretation to fit their spiritual condition. He came to give the gospel in its purity and true bearing and to lead the people back to real truth. His words spoken in his earthly ministry in no case contradicted his words spoken to Moses to be given to the people, and verses 4-7 point to heavenly powers with whom believers are to connect, through which connection they may become partakers of the divine nature and face temptation without yielding.
Christ was made so much better than the angels, having by inheritance obtained the more excellent name of Son, as a distinct individual personal being from the Father.
His exalted position was given by the Father who appointed Him heir of all things and made Him equal with Himself, as the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, through whom He made the worlds and who by Himself purged sins and sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.
He existed with the Father and was one with Him before the angels were created, and the Father gave Him unlimited authority and command over the heavenly host, requiring angels to obey and worship Him as they obey the Father.
His exaltation took away no rightful honor from the angels, yet Satan, before rebellion a high angel next in honor to the Son, in envy refused to submit to His authority and sought to be equal with God and rule above Christ.
Though honored above the angels He willingly humbled Himself to take humanity and die to redeem and restore fallen humanity, so His words demand more diligent heed than even angelic ministry, and those who receive Him may become partakers of the divine nature and be exalted with Him.
Son Superior To Angels
The Father and the Son are distinct individual personal beings, the Son standing distinct from the Father. He has been made so much better than the angels, having by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they, holding a position far above them. That more excellent name is Son, for he is God's Son and first-begotten, whom the Father calls Son, and his sonship is set apart from the standing of the angels while the angels are commanded to worship him. His exalted position is given by the Father, who appointed him heir of all things and made him equal with the Father, with access to all the counsels of God laid open to him. He is the brightness of the Father's glory and the express image of his person, upholding all things by the word of his power, and as heir through whom God made the worlds, as Creator and rightful Ruler, he by himself purged sins and sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.
He existed with the Father and was one with the Father before the angels were created, and had always stood at God's right hand. The Father gave him special honor, unlimited authority, power, rank and command over the heavenly host, and the angels and the whole heavenly family are required to obey and submit to him as to the Father. His loving authority had not been questioned, and his commands had been a joy for the angels to carry out. His exaltation took away no honor that rightly belonged to Satan or that the angels had previously received.
Yet Satan, before rebellion a high and exalted angel next in honor to the Son, in envy and ambition rebelled against the Son's authority and refused to submit to him. Command and rule over heaven devolved on Christ alone, and Satan sought to assume that command for himself, to be equal with God and to rule above Christ. That demand was rejected.
Humiliation And Human Response
Though high and honored in heaven by the angelic host, he willingly humbled himself to come into the world to live among fallen people. In taking humanity he became a servant. His coming in the flesh was the incarnation, through which the Father establishes heaven's kingdom among humanity. He who is far greater than the angels and has inherited a more excellent name than theirs is God's Son, worshiped by the angels, yet he stooped to this lowly place.
Before he left heaven to come to die he was taller than any of the angels, majestic and lovely. His glory was far above even the glory of the one angel at the tomb, before whose light the strong Roman soldiers fell as dead men. If men could not endure the presence of that one glorious angel, much less could they have endured his own glory. Therefore he laid aside that noble, heavenly form and veiled his divinity, becoming but little taller than the common size of men then living, so that men could behold him and so that his outward appearance would not attract minds to himself and he would not be received without the exercise of faith.
He came to die to rescue humanity from death, to redeem it and to elevate human nature from sin's degradation and restore it to its original purity. As the divine Leader of Israel and builder of God's house he remains higher than the angels and greater than Moses, and his exalted name and position belong to him as God's Son. The great and grand work accomplished through God's gift of his Son offers great salvation, which is eternal life to the receiver. Through his human life and work of redemption those who receive him and believe in his name may share in the divine nature and be exalted with him.
Because he is superior to the angels and his ministry is more excellent than theirs, his words demand more diligent, earnest heed and esteem. Priests, rulers and teachers had leavened the Old Testament gospel with erroneous theories and misinterpretation to fit their spiritual condition. He came to give the gospel in its purity and true bearing and to lead the people back to real truth. His words spoken in his earthly ministry in no case contradicted his words spoken to Moses to be given to the people, and verses 4-7 point to heavenly powers with whom believers are to connect, through which connection they may become partakers of the divine nature and face temptation without yielding.