The Relationship of Jewish and Gentile Believers to the Law Between A.D. 30 and 70 in the Scripture

15 But it [the argument of superiority] can hardly be applied to the entire section 1,5-2, 18, for the announcement states that Christ is superior (KpdTTwv ) to the angels and only 1,5-2,4 speak of this superiority; the remainder of ch. 2 speaks of his inferiority to the angels by dwelling on his suffering and death (cf. 2,9.10.14) and his brotherhood with men (cf. 2, 11-16) in the context of Ps 8 with its catch phrase on the inferiority of men to angels (2,6-9). 21 We would propose a different explanation of 1 :4 which hopefully honors the grammar, lexicology and context. Given the message of the introduction, which is the comparison between God speaking in the past and in the present, the comparison of Christ here with angels concerns the ability or suitability as bearers of revelation rather than a comparison of the nature or essence of the Son versus angels. The change (signalled by y(voµm) which has taken place is that Jesus has become the mediator and revealer par excellence to man. In his incarnation and pre-eminently at Calvary, Jesus mediated and communicated to man what angels or any other mediator could only hope for. By means of both his deity (in which his position and being are inherently higher than angels) and hi humanity" (in which his position and being are inherently lower than angels) Jesus has become a better mediator/revealer. One reason Jesus is a better mediator than angel i preci el because he is lower than them in his humanity for without his humanity he could not hav functioned as a priest. Thus, the discussion on y(voµm ha ought not only to clarify the meaning of ver e four but al o to demonstrate that the author' ubject i the final re lati n in hri t. The author' focu i not upon the per on of Je u nece aril , but n th r lati n hi h ha c m thr ugh him. I J . tn m , " rm nd nt nt in H br 1- " Bzblr a ' ( 1 7_