The Faithful Son: Rereading Hebrews 1:3b

In this article I suggest a new reading of Heb 1:3b, wherein the Son is described as φέρων τε τὰ πάντα τῷ ῥήματι τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτου. This is often rendered in English translations along the lines of "he sustains all things by his powerful word" (NRSV). A survey of previous scholarship on t...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Rowlands, Jonathan (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: Scholar's Press 2023
In: Journal of Biblical literature
Year: 2023, Volume: 142, Issue: 4, Pages: 699-716
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Bible. Hebräerbrief 1,3 / Incarnation of Jesus Christ / Jesus Christus
IxTheo Classification:HC New Testament
NBD Doctrine of Creation
NBF Christology
NBK Soteriology
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:In this article I suggest a new reading of Heb 1:3b, wherein the Son is described as φέρων τε τὰ πάντα τῷ ῥήματι τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτου. This is often rendered in English translations along the lines of "he sustains all things by his powerful word" (NRSV). A survey of previous scholarship on this clause yields three different readings of Heb 1:3b: a protological reading, a presentist reading (describing the Son's current activity), and an eschatological reading. Instead, I suggest a fourth reading, which understands this clause as a reference to the faithful obedience of the Son on earth. I translate the passage as "enduring all things by the message concerning his [i.e., God's] power." This reading is to be preferred to prior alternatives since it more fully does justice to the vocabulary and syntax of the clause, the role of the clause in its immediate context, and the role of the faithfulness of the Son throughout Hebrews.
ISSN:1934-3876
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of Biblical literature