8. For (yap). Explanatory. Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet, that is to say, nothing is excepted.
That is not put under him (airo avurréraxtov). Lit. “unsubjected to him.” The adjective only here and 1 Tim. i. 9;
Cx. II} THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 399
Tit. i.6. But this ideal is not yet a reality. We see not yet all things subjected to him, but we do see the germinal ful- filment of the prophecy in Jesus’ life, suffering, and death.
9. Jesus— made a little lower, etc. Repeated from ver. 7. To be subordinated to the angels is the same as being “made under the law,” Gal. iv. 4. In that chapter Paul shows that the law under which the church in its state of pupilage was kept (Gal. ili. 23; iv. 3) was instituted through the media- tion of angels (Gal. iii. 19). Then, as interchangeable with under the law, Paul has “enslaved under the elements (i716 ra ototyeta) of the world” (Gal. iv. 8,9). These elements are elemental forces or spirits, as appears from a correct interpre- tation of Col. ii. 8, 20.* The subjection to elemental spirits is only another form of subjection to the angels of the law, and our author uses this doctrine to show the mutable nature of angels in contrast with the immutable perfection of the Son (see ch. i. 7, 8). This accords with the Epistle to the Colossians which deals with the heresy of angel-worship, and in which the worship of angels is represented as connected with the service of elemental or cosmic forces. Very strik- ing is Col. ii. 15. When the bond of the law was rendered void in Christ’s crucifixion, that ministry of angels which waited on the giving of the law was set aside by God (azrex- dvcapevos having stripped off), revealing Christ as the head of every principality and power. God made a show or display of them (édevypaticev) as subordinate and subject to Christ. He thus boldly (év rappnoia), by a bold stroke, put his own chosen ministers in subjection before the eyes of the world. See on Col. ii. 15. The use of the human name, Jesus, at this point, is significant. In this epistle that name usually furnishes the key to the argument of the passage in which it oceurs. See ch. iii. 1; vi. 20; xii. 2.
* On this subject see T. K. Abbott, International Commentary on Col. ii. 8, and compare Lightfoot, Commentary on Colossians, ad loc. Also von Soden ad loc. in Hand-Commentar on Colossians; Professor Hincks in Journal of Biblical Literature, Vol. XV., 1896 ; Ore Everling, Die paulinische Angelo- logie und Daemonologie, p. 65 ff.
400 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Cu II.
For the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour (dia 7d wdOnwa rod Oavdrov Sd—n Kal Tiny éotepavo- pévov). The usual interpretation connects for the suffering of death with made lower than the angels, meaning that Jesus was subordinated to the angels for the suffering of death. But for the suffering of death should be connected with crowned, etc. Ard should be rendered because of. Jesus was crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death. Christ’s exaltation and preéminence over the angels was won through humiliation and death. For crowned, see on 2 Tim. ii. 5. Exaltation was the logical result of Christ’s humiliation (comp. Philip. ii. 9), not simply its recompense (comp. Matt. xxiii. 12; L. xiv. 11; xviii. 14). He was glorified in humiliation. “The humiliation is only the glory not yet begun.” *
By the grace of God (ydpite Oeod). God manifested his grace in giving Christ the opportunity of tasting death for every man, and so abolishing death as a curse. The same thought of glory in humiliation is expressed in J. i. 14. To be called to the office of “apostle and high-priest of our con- fession ” (ch. iii. 1), an office which involved personal humili- ation and death, was to be “‘ crowned with glory and honour,” and was a signal token of God’s favour. Note J. xii. 23, 28; xiii. 31, 32, in which Jesus speaks of his approaching passion as itself his glorification. Comp. Heb. iii. 8. It was desir- able to show to Jews who were tempted to stumble at the doctrine of a crucified Messiah (Gal. iii. 13), that there was a glory in humiliation. +