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The STUDIA UNIVERSITATIS BABEŞ-BOLYAI issue article summary
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Abstract:
The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews presents Christ in the prologue (1:1–4) in a theologically rich way. Christ’s general work comprises creation (“through whom he created the world”) and providence (“he upholds the universe the word of his power”), while his special work is to reveal God to us and to cleanse us from our sins. Regarding his carrier he is prophet (who reveals God), priest (who makes atonement for our sins) and king (who sits at God’s right hand). He is pre-existent in his being (inherits everything even before creation took place) and after his God-revealing and sin-expiating work – which implies his incarnation – is glorified forever (as he is seated on God’s throne). Although he alone and without aid created the universe (hence his independence from the world), he came to inherit everything only through the Father (hence his dependence on the Father). Since he is not less than son, his name is greater than the angels’. However, since he is Son, it is inferred from the allusions to different psalms that he is great David’s greater Son, hence he is the Messiah. Consequently, his sonship has ontological and functional aspects as well. Having accomplished both divine and human tasks, he is both God and man in one person.The very fact that God speaks to us in his Son makes this revelation utterly unique. There was nothing like that in the Old Testament. The divine sonship of Christ that makes God’s revelation in the New Testament better and superior than his revelation in the Old Testament. However, this new revelation implies both continuity and discontinuity with the old. The continuity ensures that it is the same God who reveals himself to his people, while the discontinuity aspect emphasises that something completely new took place. Nevertheless, it is the discontinuity aspect that is most emphasized: the instrument and means of God’s revelation now is the Son, formerly being the prophets; the recipients of the revelation are “us”, in contrast with the fathers in the past; the time of revelation is identified as “these last days”, which is contrasted with “in the past”. Finally, concerning the history of revelation in the Bible this new revelation of God in Christ has a climactic and final aspect as well.
Keywords: Son, christology, superior, revelation, discontinuity.
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