es]iecially as the Son is the first-begotten (irpuri- To^os, 1''). Further, the Heir of all is repre.sented as the -Maker of all — by Him God made the ages (toi>s ai'wi'os) or worlds. This implies pre-existeiice, or rather, seeing no reference has yet been made to an earthly slate, ancient existence. It takes us b.ack to the 'beginning' spoken of in Gn 1' and in .In 1', to the primitive era of world-making. It gives to the Son the position a.ssigne(l to the Logos in the system of I'hilo. that of (iod's agent in the universe, the statement being supplemented and completed by the added clause in 1^ : ' bearing all things by the word of his power.' The Son thus appears acting for (iod in the creation and preservation of the world. To all intents and pur])oses this means that the Son is a Divine Heing, the active Deity of the universe. The presiniiption is that He is an Eternal Heing, « partf onte. as He is a parte post, a Son from eternity as well as for evermore ("-*), though the function of world-making implies strictly only antecedence to the things made.*
The eternal being of the Son is more clearly implied in the phrase following, wherein the Son is called the radiance of the glory and the exact image of the essence of (iod (iiiray7oi7-ua t^s J6J>)S Kai xa/'o^'TT^p TTJs iiiroardaeus avTov). There might be a time when God was without a world, but there never was a time when God was without glory. It is the nature of that glory to manifest itself ; like the sun it must shine, and the shining is eternal as the glory. The Son of (ioii is the shining of His glory, and therefore eternal as the glory. Probaljly, however, the aim of the writer in using these remarkable expre.s-sions is not so much to declare the eternal being of the Son, as to indicate His supreme qualification for tlie function of fully revealing God. Who so fit to maki^ God known as one who is related to Him as the sun's rays to the sun, and who resembles Ilim as the imaw impressed on wax resembles the seal V His word will be as the bright light of day,r than which nothing can be brighter, and he may say of Himself, ' He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.' The precise theological significance of these phrases cannot easily be determined ; or rather, one should say, it is doubtful if they possess any such significance. They do not ab- soUuely exclude Sabellianism or Arianism. The Sabellians laid stress on the term dirai)-) aff^a, ius suggesting the idea of a model manifestation rather than of a distinct personality. The Ariaiis. on the other hand, emphasized, the term x''P<"^'^Vf>- as implying a position of subordination and di - pendcnce for the Son in relation to the Father. The orthodox, on their side, maintained that, by the combination of the two, both errors were excluded — the former phrase implying identity of nature, so excluding Arianism ; the latter im- plying iiKlepeiident personality, so excluding .Sabellianism.
The final clause of the Christological statement represents the Son .as taking His seat 'on the right hand of the Majesty on high.' It is the )iiace which befits one whose positiiui and functions in the universe are such as previcmsly described. The dignity answers to His nature as the Son. and to His vocation as the maker and snslainer i>f worlds. The language is grand and solemn, and is intended to convey the impression that the Son's place is thi' higliest possible beside that of (iod. It may indeed be sai<l that to place the Son brsidf (>od is not to make Him (iod.t Formally the distinction may bo valid, but it camiot prevent the inference to Deity being drawn. He who
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HEBREWS, EPISTLE TO
HEBREWS, EPISTLE TO
sitti-tli at tlie right liaiid of God is God for all who belif vu in His i-xaltatiim. This I'xaluition, though only what correspiinds to the nature of the exalted i )nc, is a new event in His history. It takes place after He has perfmiued a signal service for men, referred to in tlie woiils ' when he had purged our sins.' It is from tlii.s phrase only, .so far a.s the person is concerned, that we learn that the • .Son ' ever had a place in the history of this earth. He might have done all that is a.scribeii to Him, even spoken the final word of God, without being man. His word, like tlie law, might be that of an angel, spoken from heaven. Hut jiurging sin is a sacer<lot;d act, a function nowhere asi'ribed to angels, but only to men. That the puritieation was performed by one in tlie likeness of men would be very evident if tlie words • by him.self ' (5/ iavroO) were part of the text. But that great thought, unfamiliar to the first readers though coiniiionplace to us, would not be introduced by so skilful a writer till it had been carefully jirepared for. The ' Son,' then, was man when He performed for us men a priest's [lart. how, remains to be seen, and it wa.s after He iiad done this that He took His pliice at the right hand of Divine Majesty.