Question about Hebrews 1:1-4

[apexviper13]

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;

4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

These verses are Paul addressing the Hebrews...duh. In these particular verses he speaks of the Father and then the Son. You notice I bolded a certain part in verse 4. In verse 4 we see Paul talking about the Son who is Jesus Christ. What exactly does Paul mean when he says Jesus was made better than the angels? When I think of the term "made" in this sense I think of the word created.

[bytebear]

Read Hebrews 2:7-9.

I think Paul is talking about how Christ overcame, and atoned, and became from one lesser than the angels to one greater than the angels. Of course, I think this is allegorical to the state of man, and not Jesus Christ specifically. In other words. we are elevated through the act of atonement. And therefore we are no longer "lesser" but "greater."

See also Psalms 8:5

[mordorbund]

Taken as a whole, Paul is comparing the Old Testament order of things with the New Testament and showing that the New is superior. Some points to consider:

• Who is the messenger? Previously God sent Prophets and angels. This time around he sent his Son.
• What is the Priesthood of the High Priest? Previously the Priesthood was after the order of Aaron (a descendant of Abraham). This time the High Priest (Christ) is a priest after the order of Melchizedek, to whom Abraham was subject. (Note also how for us in the latter days, we recognize that the Aaronic Priesthood holds the keys of the ministry of angels while the Melchizedek holds the keys of the mystery of Godliness and seeing the face of God etc.)
• How efficacious is the High Priest's sacrifice? Previously there were many sacrifices that were offered over and over again. This time around the High Priest need only offer one sacrifice, and that sacrifice stands permanently efficacious.

[rameumptom]

Paul is referencing Psalms 8:5, where the English and some Hebrew translations say that man is a "little lower than the angels." Originally, the Hebrew states that man is a "little lower than the gods."

Angel (Greek for "messenger") could mean not only an angel in the sense we know it, but also a member of God's divine entourage, or divine council. These beings included archangels, such as Michael and Gabriel. And the Lord himself was known as the Angel of the Lord's Presence (Shekinah). So, Christ is higher than all the divine beings in God's council, just as humans are currently a little less than the gods (divine council), but can obtain that council through Christ.

[prisonchaplain]

Since in Hebrews 1:6-8 the Father commands the angels to worship Jesus (something reserved only for the God), and then addresses him as God, I would take the word "made" to mean fashioned or groomed. The overall theme is one of praising and uplifting Christ's awesome...suggesting that Christ was a created being would seem counter to the whole flow of that message.

[rameumptom]

PC, given that LDS do not believe things are created from nothing (ex nihilo creatio), we can believe that Jesus is uncreated, as are the rest of us. Instead, each of us is formed from matter and intelligence. Jesus has always existed, though perhaps not as part of the Godhead (our revelation/doctrine on such is rather limited, as it is for all Christians).

That Christ was a member of the Godhead since prior to the Grand Council and the creation of this world would also fit in with Heb 1:6-8, IMO.

[apexviper13]

Paul is referencing Psalms 8:5, where the English and some Hebrew translations say that man is a "little lower than the angels." Originally, the Hebrew states that man is a "little lower than the gods."

Angel (Greek for "messenger") could mean not only an angel in the sense we know it, but also a member of God's divine entourage, or divine council. These beings included archangels, such as Michael and Gabriel. And the Lord himself was known as the Angel of the Lord's Presence (Shekinah). So, Christ is higher than all the divine beings in God's council, just as humans are currently a little less than the gods (divine council), but can obtain that council through Christ.

"little lower than the gods" makes more sense because I've seen that sometimes the term "angel" can refer to other people, not actual angels.

[Maureen]

The NET Bible gives this information:

1:1 After God spoke long ago 1 in various portions 2 and in various ways 3 to our ancestors 4 through the prophets, 1:2 in these last days he has spoken to us in a son, 5 whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he created the world. 6 1:3 The Son is 7 the radiance of his glory and the representation of his essence, and he sustains all things by his powerful word, 8 and so when he had accomplished cleansing for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. 9 1:4 Thus he became 10 so far better than the angels as 11 he has inherited a name superior to theirs.

10tn Grk “having become.” This is part of the same sentence that extends from v. 1 through v. 4 in the Greek text.

11tn Most modern English translations attempt to make the comparison somewhat smoother by treating “name” as if it were the subject of the second element: “as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs” (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV, CEV). However, the Son is the subject of both the first and second elements: “he became so far better”; “he has inherited a name.” The present translation maintains this parallelism even though it results in a somewhat more awkward rendering.

sn This comparison is somewhat awkward to express in English, but it reflects an important element in the argument of Hebrews: the superiority of Jesus Christ.

M.

[Seminarysnoozer]

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;

4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

These verses are Paul addressing the Hebrews...duh. In these particular verses he speaks of the Father and then the Son. You notice I bolded a certain part in verse 4. In verse 4 we see Paul talking about the Son who is Jesus Christ. What exactly does Paul mean when he says Jesus was made better than the angels? When I think of the term "made" in this sense I think of the word created.

Could it be that the body is "made" and by being born, this is how he received both a "name" and inheritance? These are things the angels don't have.