James Swetnam, «The Crux at Hebrews 2,9 in Its Context», Vol. 91 (2010) 103-111
The note suggests that Heb 2,9 means that Jesus died physically so that he could die in the gaze of those who believe in him and thus be freed from the fear of death (2,15). It also suggests that Heb 2,8b-9 is a subsection about Jesus as the heavenly sacrificial victim and corresponds to Heb 2,14-16 which is about Jesus the earthly sacrificial victim. Heb 2,10-12 in turn is a subsection about Jesus as heavenly high priest and corresponds to Heb 2,17-18 which is about Jesus as earthly high priest.
104 JAMES SWETNAM
is found nowhere else 3. Further, it fails to exploit fully the particular and
general context of Heb 2,9 4.
The general context of Heb 2,9 may be stated as follows:
1,1-4 : exordium to the entire epistle and introduction
to what immediately follows;
1,5-14 : an exposition on Jesus as son [of God];
2,1-4 paraklêsis based on the preceding exposition;
2,5-18 : an exposition on Jesus as son of man;
3,1-6 paraklêsis based on the preceding exposition 5.
The entire passage 2,5-18 is dominated by the theme of the faith-trust
of Jesus, enunciated at 2,13a. With regard to 2,8b-12 this faith-trust is about
the risen Jesus, i.e., his faith-trust has been vindicated; with regard to
2,13b-18 this faith-trust is about Jesus in the face of death, i.e., before his
resurrection. 2,13b-18 is about Jesus the earthly high priest; 2,8b-12 is
about the heavenly high priest. The earthly high priesthood of Jesus is in
function of his coming “sharing blood and fleshâ€, i.e., taking on an earthly
body ; his heavenly high priesthood is in function of his resurrection, i.e.,
his being given a heavenly body. At 2,12 there is an allusion to the
Christian tôdâ — the heavenly high priest presides at this the memorial of
his earthly bloody sacrifice. This is structural background against which the
crux at Heb 2,9 would seem to find a solution.
A first indication of the way to a solution of the crux is found in the use
of the word blepw, which in Hebrews occurs in contexts involving faith 6.
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That is, the gazing on Jesus involves faith in what is “gazed onâ€. The
object of what is being gazed on with faith in 2,9 is Jesus crowned with
glory and honor, i.e., the risen Jesus. Inasmuch as the author and his
addressees may be presumed to belong to the generation following those
who knew Jesus at first-hand (cf. Heb 2,3), the presumption is that this
“ gazing †on Jesus is on the risen Jesus perceived with the eyes of faith. The
The matter is discussed in ELLINGWORTH, Hebrews, 155.
3
The present writer is in full agreement with this last view insofar as it
4
makes the glorification/resurrection of Jesus essential for the relevance of the
death of Jesus to all mankind. But he prefers to take a liturgical approach as
regards the means of making the death relevant to Christians, an approach
which depends on the ontological change in Jesus’ body undergone at the
moment of the resurrection. This liturgical approach is based on the allusion to
the tôdâ prayer of Ps 22 cited at Heb 2,12. Cf. J. SWETNAM, “o apostolov in
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Hebrews 3,1â€, Bib 89 (2008) 254-257.
J. SWETNAM, “The Structure of Hebrews: a Fresh Lookâ€, Melita
5
Theologica 41 (1990) 27.
ELLINGWORTH, Hebrews, 154. Cf.: Heb 10,25; 11,1.3.7. Even in 3,19
6
blepw is found in a context involving faith.
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