JBL 120/3 (2001) 469-485
A CELEBRATION OF THE ENTHRONED SON:
THE CATENA OF HEBREWS 1
KENNETH L. SCHENCK
kschenck@indwes.edu
Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion, IN 4(5953
I. Introduction
The Epistle to the Hebrews is well known for its pervasive contrasts and
antitheses. Most of these fit neatly into the authors systematic contrast of the
“old” covenant with the new one mediated through Christ. Chapters 9 and 10,
for example, contrast the earthly tabernacle and its sacrifices with the decisive
“sacrifice” of Christ. Chapters 5 and 7 demonstrate the superiority of Christs
priesthood to that of levitical priests, while ch. 3 shows that Christ is greater
than Moses, the giver of the law.1 Even in 2:1-4 a </<‫׳‬// wahomer argument functions on the basis of a contrast between Christ as the voice of Gods most recent
revelation and the angels as speakers of a previous “word” (see 1:2).2 This
angelic word is of course the law, a fact that demonstrates that the author can
also situate angels within his thematic contrast of the two covenants.3
Nevertheless, many scholars do not relate the contrast between Christ and
the angels in ch. 1 to this broader contrast of the epistle.4 Loren Stuckenbruck,
1 As Susanne Lehne and others have noted, most of Hebrews' argument virtually equates the
law with the levitical cultus (The New Covenant in Hebrews [JSNTSup 44; Sheffield: JSOT Press,
1990], 23, 93-94; Mary Rose D’Angelo, Moses in the Letter to the Hebrews (SBLDS 42: Missoula.
MT: Scholars Press. 1979], 24.3-46).
2 Imagery of speaking pervades the epistle.
3 I use the masculine pronoun in reference to the author of Hebrews in light of the masculine
participle the author uses of himself in Heb 11:32.
4 E.g., David M. Hay. Glory at the Right Hand: Psalm 110:1 in Early Christianity (SBLMS
18: Nashville: Abingdon, 1973), 38-39; Ernst Kasemann. The Wandering People of God: An lavesligation of the Letter to the Hebrews (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1984; orig. 1957), 170-71: Gerd
Theissen, Unters tichungen zuni Ilebraerbrief (SNTSV 2; Gutersloh: Mohn. 1969), 34—37; Loren T.
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Journal of Biblical Literature
for example, has noted that there is a certain “logical distance” between the
argument of ch. 1, which contrasts Christ with the angels, and the parenesis of
2:1-4, which contrasts the revelations delivered through Christ and the angels.5
Chapter 2 does allude twice to the catena of the preceding chapter (2:5, 16),
but these allusions have often seemed superficial at best.6 Beyond ch. 2, angels
play no explicit role in the author’s contrast of the two covenants.7
Finally, many scholars would argue that the temporal perspective of the
catena does not correspond to the authors contrast of the two covenants. The
contrast between the two covenants focuses on the transition brought about by
the death of Christ and his entrance into the heavenly tabernacle. Hebrews
1:5-14, on the other hand, is often thought to contrast not only the exalted
Christ with the angels (1:13)—the temporal perspective of the two-covenant
contrast—but also the preexistent (1:10) and earthly Christ (1:6). If this is the
case, the timing of the catena does not correspond to that of the subsequent
argument regarding the two covenants.
Given the apparent detachment of Heb 1:5-14 from the remainder of the
epistle, a number of hypotheses have arisen to account for its presence in ch. 1.
Several scholars, for example, have argued that the catena is a traditional testimonium that has been edited and inserted into the epistle.8 Some explain it on
the basis of angel worship among the recipients or an angel Christology.9 Perhaps the recipients believe angels to provide atonement in a heavenly taberna­
Stuckenbruck, Angel Veneration and Christology: A Study in Early Judaism and in the Christology
of the Apocalypse of John (WUNT 70; Tubingen: Mohr-Siebeck, 1995), 127-28; F. C. Synge,
Hebrews and the Scriptures (London: SPCK, 1959), .3-6,53-54, to name a few.
5 Stuckenbruck. Veneration, 127-28.
fi Harold Attridge, The Epistle to the Hebrews (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1989), 50-51.
7 Further, the reference to angels in 12:22 seems to situate them on the heavenly side of the
contrast.
8 Most of those mentioned in n. 4 would be sympathetic to this reading.
9 Angel worship: Hans Windisch, Der Hebrderbrief (HNT 14; Tubingen: Mohr-Siebeck.
1931), 17; Jean Hiring, L’Epitre aux Hebreux (CNT 12; Paris: Delachaux & Niestl6, 1954), 24;
Yigael Yadin, "The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Epistle to the Hebrews,” in Aspects of the Dead Sea
Scrolls (ed. C. Rabin; ScrHier 4; Jerusalem: Hebrew University Press, 1965; orig. 1958), 39-40;
Ronald Williamson, Philo and the Epistle to the Hebrews (ALGHJ 4; Leiden: Brill, 1970), 194; F. F.
Bruce, The Epistle to the Hebrews (NICNT; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964), 9.
Angel Christology: J. R. Harris, Joseph«« and his Testimony (Cambridge: Heffer. 1931), 18;
Martin Werner, Die Entstehung des christlichen Dogmas (Bern: Haupt, 1941), 344-45; Hugh W.
Montefiore, A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews (London: Harper & Black, 1964), 35,
40-47; Otto Michel. Der Brief an die Hebraer (Gottingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1966),
131-32; L. K. K. Dey, The Intermediary World and Patterns of Perfection in Philo and Hebrews
(SBLDS 25; Missoula, MT: Scholars Press, 1975), 14.5—49; J. D. G. Dunn. Unity and Diversity in
the New Testament (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1977), 260-61; and in a very general way, Stuckenbruck, Veneration, 139.
Schenck: A Celebration of the Enthroned Son
471
cle along the lines of 4QShirShabba 11.8, 10, 16: T. Levi 3:5; and Philo, Spec.
1.66. All of these proposals would provide a rationale for the catenas existence,
but they are suggestions at best. Hebrews makes no explicit arguments along
such lines.10
It was G. B. Caird, however, who first suggested that the argument of ch. 1
is best understood when it is read in light of the authors use of Ps 8 in ch. 2.11
Although Christ was made lower than the angels “for a little while,” he is now
crowmed with glory and honor at the right hand of God (2:7, 9). The contrast
between Christ and the angels in ch. 1, therefore, should be read in terms of
Christs exaltation, he now having become greater than the angels (1:4).
Lincoln Hurst has attempted to flesh out Caird’s suggestion by interpreting each of the OT citations in ch. 1 from an eschatological perspective.12 Reading each quotation in the light of Christ’s exaltation, Hurst attempted to
substantiate Caird’s basic thesis. Both of these studies are moving in the right
direction, although neither exhausts the full significance of the contrast.13 Further, while both correctly read the catena from an eschatological perspective,
they do not fully address the rhetorical significance of the passage for the
authors overall argument.
In the following pages, I would like to offer a fuller perspective on the
relationship between ch. 1 and the remainder of the epistles argument. I will
do this not only bv showing that Caird and Hurst were correct to read the
catena in the light of Christs exaltation but also by probing the meaning of this
event within the broader matrix of Hebrews’ thought and rhetoric. I will argue
that ch. 1 paints a picture of Christ’s cosmic enthronement as royal Son with the
angels offering obeisance to their king.14 Such a hvmnic celebration, while not
incorporated extensively into the subsequent discourse, is nevertheless highly
appropriate in the way it subtly announces the accomplishment of salvation and
thus sets the mood for the argument proper.15 Further, the author did not need
10 One might argue, however, that Heb 2:16 is an explicit polemic against an angel Christol°gy·
11 C. B. Caird, “The Exegetical Method of the Epistle to the Hebrews,” CJT 5 (1959): 49.
12 Lincoln Hurst, "The Christology of Heb 1 and 2," in Glori/ at the Right Hand: Studies in
Honor of George Bradford Caird (Oxford: Clarendon, 1987), 149-64.
11 William L. Lane’s commentary (Hebrews 1-8 [Dallas: Word, 1991]) makes several exegetical decisions that are similar to those of Caird. Hurst, and myself, vet neither does he plumb the
depth of the rhetorical connection the catena hits with the epistle’s broader thought.
14 So also William R. G. Loader. Sohn tind Hohepriester: Eine traditionsgeschichtliche
Untersuchung zur Christologie des Hehraerbriefes (WMANT 53; Neukirehen-Vluvn: Neukirchener Verlag, 1981), 25; Bertold Klappert. Die Esehatologie des Hebraerbriefs (Munich: Kaiser,
1969), 22-23, and others.
15 Hebrews sends mixed signals regarding its rhetorical structure. On the one hand. 2:17-18
look somewhat like a proposilio. with 3:1 starling the argument proper (see Walter G. Ubelacker,
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Journal of Biblical Literature
to belabor the implications of a contrast between Christ and the angels, since
the connection would have been obvious to the original audience. Not only was
the association of angels with the law deeply ingrained in their worldview, but
the mediatorial role the author ascribed to Christ in and of itself begged the
question of his place vis-a-vis the angels. Finally, the relationship between the
metaphor of enthronement and the worship of Christ may provide important
clues to the origins of the worship of Jesus.
II. The Exaltation Context of Hebrews 1:5-14
It would not be too controversial to claim that at least the first and last citations in the catena are focused on the exalted Christ.16 In the* case of Heb 1:13,
which quotes Ps 110:1, there is no doubt about its reference to Christs exaltation. After all, this is the most important exaltation text used in the whole of the
NT.17
The case is similarly strong for the use of Ps 2:7 in v. 5. Not only does the
tradition history of the verse point to the exaltation (cf. Acts 13:33), but the
immediate context suggests the same. The preceding verses (1:3-4) indicate
that Christ sat at the right hand of Cod, “having come to be as much greater
than the angels as the name he has inherited is greater than theirs." The most
obvious reading of this sequence is that Christs session at God's right hand is
the point at which he is enthroned with the royal title of “Son,” thus inheriting
at that point a more excellent name than the one the angels possess.18
As Caird and Hurst have suggested, this interpretation makes good sense
in the light of Ps 8, which is quoted in the second chapter of the epistle.
According to Hebrews’ reading of this psalm, humanity was intended to have
glory and honor in the created realm, a glory humanity fell short of as a result of
Der Hebrderbrief als Appel: Untcrsuchungen zu exordium, narratio. und postscriptum (Hebr 1—2
and 13,22-25) (ConBNT 21: Lund: Almqvist & Wiksell, 1989). On (lie other hand, 4:14 makes a
clear transition to the topic of Christ’s high priesthood after a series of exposition;!] sections relating
to his Sonship (see the transition of 5:5 and 6). To complicate matters further, the author frequently
interrupts a somewhat continuous train of thought in his exposition with exhortations that maintain
the audience’s attention (see George 11. Guthrie. The Structure of Hebrews: A Text-Linguistic
Analysis [SNTSU 73: Leiden: Brill, 1994], 112-26). In short, it is very difficult to capture the
sophisticated nature of Hebrews’ rhetorical structure in a straightforward outline.
16 John Meier, for exampl(’, who believes the catena to be arranged chiastically. argues that
the catena starts and ends with the exalted Christ (“Structure and Theology in the Old Testament
Citations in Heb. 1:5-14," Bih 66 11985]: 504-33). See 11. 21 below . He believes that the remainder
of the catena treats other points of Christ’s existence as well.
1 ‫ ׳‬For a treatment of Ps 110 in the NT, see 1 lay. Glory.
ls For a more in-depth defense of this understanding of 1:5, see my article "Keeping His
Appointment: Greation and Enthronement in Hebrews," JSA'T 66 (1997). 91—117.
Schenck: A Celebration of the Enthroned Son
473
sin and death.19 Christ thus partook of flesh and blood to “troubleshoot" the
human problem (2:14). He becomes lower than the angels for a little while,
tastes death as humans do—yet without sinning (4:15). Thus, while they failed
to attain their intended glory and honor, Christ succeeds, finally making it possible for his “brothers” to attain glory as well (2:10). To say that Christ has been
exalted to Gods right hand is thus to signal the accomplishment of salvation.
In this light, the catena of Hebrews 1 should be read as a hymnic celebration of the accomplishment of salvation—a fitting introduction to a sermon
whose main teaching point is the definitive atonement provided through
Christ.20 This celebration is presented poetically in the form of a contrast
between the now exalted Christ and the angels whose status previously was
higher than his “for a little while.” Now he holds the exalted status of “Lord,”
king over the creation in fulfillment of Ps 8, a realm in which the angels function as mere servants. Christ, on the other hand, is the enthroned Son of God.
When the remaining citations of ch. 1 are read carefully in this light, we see that
their contrast does indeed take place along these very lines.
Hebrews 1:7-12
Verse 7, for example, is in a μέν-δέ construction with w. 8-12.21 This fact
alone helps to hone in on the points of contact the author found most significant in these three citations. As we would have expected, there are two princi­
19 While some scholars have denied any anthropological reference in the author’s use of this
psalm (e.g.. Kasernann, Wandering. 124-28), the context clearly connects Christ's attainment of
glory with a glory intended for humanity in general. A proper understanding of Hebrews’ argument
requires us to read the psalm first in reference to humankind and only secondarily in reference to
Christ. See Kenneth Schenck. "The Settings of the Sacrifice: Eschatology and Cosmology in die
Epistle to the Hebrews” (Ph.D. diss.. University of Durham. 1996). 86-92. For a more elementary
discussion, see my forthcoming book The Thought World of Hebrews (Louisville: Westminster
John Knox), ch. 3.
20That the definitive accomplishment of salvation is the main point of I Iebrews’ exposition is
indicated by 8:1. which notes that the chief point of the author’s rhetoric is the superiority of
Christ's high priesthood, a priesthood whose essential implication is the final atonement of humanity’s sins (2:17).
21 The observation that v. 7 is in a μέν-δέ construction, as well as our later observation that
the first three citations are connected by way of their filial language, presents a significant objection
to the frequent claim that the catena is arranged chiastically (e.g.. Meier, “Symmetry": Martin Kissi.
Der Theologie des Hebraerhriefs [WUNT 41; Tubingen: Mohr-Siebeck], 1987], 49-50: Obelacker.
Apell, 142; and others). Some who have at least recognized the μέν-δέ construction include Herbert W. Bateman IV, Early Jewish Hermeneutics and Hebrews 1:5-13: The Impact of Early Jewish
Exegesis on the Interpretation of a Significant New Testament Passage (New York: Peter Lang.
1997), 225-27 (he limits it to w. 7-8): James Thompson, The Beginnings of Christian Philosophy
(CBQMS 13; Washington, DC: Catholic Biblical Association, 1982), 135: and Ubelacker. Apell. 141
(also limits the contraction to w. 7-8).
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Journal of Biblical Literature
pal points of contact: (1) the servant status of the angels in contrast to Christs
royal status, and (2) the association of the angels’ servant role with the created
realm, while Christ is Lord of the creation.
In v. 7 the angels are said to be ministers whom God uses as winds and
flames.22 Some have taken such imagery‫ ׳‬as an indication of Middle Platonism
in the epistle, as if the main point of the contrast were the metaphysical inferiority of the angels to Christ and their transitory nature.23 Indeed, there probably is a metaphysical element to the contrast. Yet one does not have to delve
into the background debate to know what the author primarily wishes us to
gather from the verse. Verse 14 recapitulates the authors understanding of the
role of angels in the first covenant: they are “ministering spirits sent to serve
those about to inherit salvation.”
Verse 14s repetition of the λειτουργ- root in conjunction with the word
spirit shows that the focal point of the authors understanding of v. 7 is the servant role in which God uses angels to minister to his people on earth as they
await salvation. It thus clearly places angels as servants of the old covenant, servants to humans on earth awaiting salvation. The authors covenantal contrast
peeks through, showing that it was in his mind throughout the whole catena.
If the angels are servants of God who minister to Gods people in the ereated realm, then the citations in w. 8-12 highlight Christs royalty, on the one
hand, and his lordship over the creation, on the other. Psalm 45, quoted in
w. 8-9, is a royal psalm. Its language of anointing and the exaltation of a king
above his companions not only echoes the royal title of “Christ" but also foreshadows the imagery of Jesus and his brothers in 2:11-18.24 It is language of
enthronement.
As Hurst has cautioned, we should not be misled by the later controversies
of the church into thinking that referring to Christ as “God" here is anything
like a trinitarian statement.25 There are in fact two levels on which the word
God is used in the citation: (1) the Son of God, who is Christ, the Anointed
One, and (2) the God whom the enthroned king serves—Yahweh (1:9). When is
Christ enthroned as cosmic king? He receives the title “Christ,” “Anointed
One,” most meaningfully at the same time that he receives the royal title “Son
of God”—when he is seated at the right hand of God in fulfillment of Ps 8 (cf.
Rom 1:3 and Acts 2:34—35).26
22 The word “winds" could equally be translated as “spirits,” between which the distinction is
far greater in our world than it was in the first century C.E.
23 E.g., Thompson, Beginnings, 133.
24 When viewed in isolation, one might rather take the angels to he the “companions" here.
In the broader context of ch. 2, however, Christ’s brothers seem a more appropriate choice (cf.
2:16).
25 Ilurst, “Christology” 155.
26 For further justification of this temporal focus, sec James D. G. Dunn's, Christology in the
Schenck: A Celebration of the Enthroned Son
475
The authors understanding of Ps 102 in w, 10-12 must similarly be read in
terms of a contrast with v. 7. Since the author relates the servant role of angels
in the catena to Gods people in the created realm (1:7, 14), the main point of
contact in w. 10-12 would seem to be Christs lordship over the creation—we
would suggest in fulfillment of Ps 8. The imagery‫ ׳‬of winds and flames in v. 7, for
example, echoes various events in the history of Israel where angels ministered
to Gods people in such forms, such as in the burning bush or the form of fire in
the wilderness (cf. 12-.18).27 Such mediations by the angels took place within
the created realm by way of forms that were part and parcel of the created
realm, like winds and flames. Christ’s enthronement, on the other hand, takes
place beyond the created realm in the unshakable heaven where God dwells
(cf. 12:25-29). Not only is he enthroned as cosmic Lord with a higher status
than the angels have previously held in the created realm, but they are now
included among those who must bow in obeisance to him (1:6).
Further, the role of angels as ministers to those awaiting salvation will
come to an end when salvation arrives—Gods people wi 11 no longer need their
service. In fact, humanity’s status will then also exceed that of the angels.
Christ will have led them to the glory‫ ׳‬originally intended for them (2:10; cf.
Rom 3:23). Similarly, the created realm will be removed at the time of judgment (12:27), and the angels’ dominance over this realm will reach ultimate
finality28’.‫׳‬
The emphasis of the citation is thus the permanence of Christ’s lordship
over the creation in contrast to its passing existence and the passing function of
the angels in it.29 While the created heavens and earth will become old and
Making: An Inquiry into the Origins of the Doctrine of the Incarnation (2d ed.; London: SCM,
1989), 33-36,107-13, as well as my own "Appointment.” As mv article argues, placing the locus of
sonship language at the point of Christ’s enthronement does not preclude the possibility that
Hebrews also refers to Christ as Son before that point in time. The ancient sense of destiny, ;is well
as the flexibility built into the phrase "son of God.” would have made it appropriate to refer to the
earthly Jesus as "Son” even before his enthronement proper—particularly as it became increasingly
difficult not to think of Christ apart from his possession of such titles.
27 The angel of the LORD in Exod 3:2, for example, appears to Moses as a flame of fire (see
also Philo, Mos. 1.66). In fact, the phrase φλογ'ι πυρός in the LXX of Exod 3:2 comes closer to the
way Hebrews cites Ps 104 than the Greek of the psalm itself. Perhaps the author had this text in
mind. If so, does this substantiate the idea that the catena is a polemic against an angel Christology?
In Mos. 1.166 Philo suggests that the pillar of flame that led the Israelites might also have been an
angel, "one of the lieutenants of the great king.” Cf. also Jtth. 2:2 and 1 Kgs 19:12. Clearly, many
Second Temple Jews saw flame as one form in which angels served as emissaries from God to
humanity.
28 "Today" is an in-between category for the author. The transference of lordship is in a sense
already accomplished, yet there are still those awaiting salvation in the earthly realm. The tension
between these two facts leaves the current status of angelic service somewhat ambiguous.
29 There are also connotations of permanence in the author’s use of Ps 45 in v. 8: "Your
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Journal of Biblical Literature
eventually will be “rolled up as a garment” (1:12), Christ’s years will never come
to an end. The contrast between the two covenants is once again close at hand,
for the epistle consistently relates the earthly to the old covenant, while the new
covenant is associated with the heaven where God’s throne is (e.g., 4:14;
7:26-27; 8:4; 9:1, 11, 24; 11:13-16; 12:18-29; 13:11-13) 30 Chapter 1 thus indicates the “passing of the guard" from the angels who have served God in this
realm, to the Christ who will rule long after this realm has passed away.
As witli the previous citation, we must be careful to read this one also in
context—one cannot assume that all the salient points of a quotation are meant
to be extracted from another author’s use of it. For example, the focal point of
1:10-12 is not that Christ was the agent of creation. In fact, there are good reasons to think that the author only considered Christ to be the creator of the
world in a figurative way—as the embodiment of Gods creative wisdom.31
Indeed, we should remember that the tradition history of the christological title “Lord” conferred this designation on Jesus principally as he was exalted
to Gods right hand, just as is true of the titles “Son of God” and “Christ” (see
Acts 2:34-36; Rom 10:9; Phil 2:9-11; etc.).32 The tradition history of all three
christological titles alluded to in the catena places the locus of their meaning at
the* point of Christ’s exaltation. It is not surprising that the author immediately
follows the citation of Ps 102 with a quotation of Ps 110:1. a verse spoken to a
“Lord" who is distinct from the LORD, just as two “Gods” are distinguishable in
throne. O God, is forever and ever. . Note that the permanence and definitiveness of Christ's
work is a recurring motif in the epistle; see. e.g., 7:25, 28; 9:25-26; 10:11-12; etc.
30 Not to be confused with the created heavens that will be rolled up in 1:10-12. The distinction between the created heavens and the heaven where God dwells reminds us of Stoic and Aristotelian elements in Middle Platonic thought, in which the lower realm has the four elements for its
στοιχεία (earth, water, air, and lire), while ether, a fifth substance, is the element of the highest
realm of spirit. See Thomas II. Tobin, The Creation of Man: Philo and the History ofInterpretation
(CBQMS 14; Washington. DC: Catholic Biblical Association, 1983), 77-87.
31 See my “Appointment, ” 113-15. The biggest clues that the author uses creation language
to equate Christ witli the creative wisdom of God come from Heb 1:3, which is an allusion to Wis
7:26; and Heb 2:10, which actually speaks of God as the creator in distinction from Jesus. Hebrews’
default mode is to refer to God as creator rather than Christ (cf. 2:10; 3:4; 11:3).
32 The issue of whether early Christians understood the title "Lord" to equate Jesus with the
Yahweh of the OT is an intriguing one raised by such scholars as |arl Possum. The Name of Cod and
the Angel of the Lord (WUNT 36; Tubingen: Mohr-Siebeck. 1985); Margaret Becker, The Great
Angel: A Study of Israel's Second God (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1992); Alan F. Segal,
"The Risen Christ and the Angelic Mediator Figures in Light of Qumran," in Jesus and the Dead
Sea Scrolls (ed. J. 11. Charlesworth; New York: Doubleday, 1992), 308-13; Crispin Fletcher-Louis.
Luke-Acts (WUNT 94; Tubingen: Mohr-Siebeck, 1997); and others. It cannot be assumed out of
hand, however, that the author of Hebrews paid any attention to the fact that the Tetragrainmaton
lies behind the word Lord in this citation any more than we can of OT citations such as that of Joel
2:32 in Rom 10:13. On the whole our study points in the opposite direction.
Schenck: A Celebration of the Enthroned Son
477
Ps 45. In the same way, the author’s quotation of Ps 102 pictures Christ as the
Lord addressed by the LORD in Ps 110:1.
The Hebrew Scriptures do not reflect the strong distinction between ereation and salvation we might be tempted to make given our modern presuppositions.33 Paul certainly found creation language wholly appropriate to describe
incorporation into Christ (e.g., 2 Cor 5:17), and the notion of ex nihilo creation
is rare in this period in general, reflecting the fact that most ancients saw the
world’s origins in terms of the ordering of chaos into a cosmos far more than the
generation of material out of nothing.34 Hebrews’ choice of καταρτίζω in 11:3,
for example, may very well imply that its author also saw creation primarily as
the ordering of previously existing material.35
While the founding of the heavens and earth in I leb 1:10, therefore,
clearly relates to the creation of the universe, we should not think this image to
be unrelated to the epistles soteriology. The God who “mended" the worlds by
his word (11:2) also mends his people through the word of salvation he spoke
through his Son (1:2; 2:3). This salvific word is no less creative than the one
“through which” God made the worlds (1:2). We should not be surprised that
the author uses such imagery in the highly charged, poetic language of his liyninic introduction to the epistle.
Hebrews 1:6
The only verse in the citation we have not discussed, v. 6. must also be read
against the backdrop of the exaltation, although it has often been read out of
33 See Isa 45:18 and 51:16, where creation imager)· is used in reference to contemporary situations.
34 2 Maccabees 7:28 is the clearest reference to ex nihilo creation from this period, although
even this verse could be more subtle in meaning. See the following footnote.
'fhe connection between language of creation and salvation was much discussed in the 1970s,
when authors such as Jerome Murphy-O’Connor (e.g.. “I Cor VIII, 6: Cosmology or Soteriology?”
RB 85 [1978]: 253-67) and James D. G. Dunn (e.g.. Christology, 179-83) argued that passages like
1 Cor 8:6 were more about soteriology than cosmology traditionally conceived. While scholarship
has often discounted such claims, they deserve a thorough reexamination.
35 Pliilo is an excellent example of a first-century individual who firmly believed in the ereation of the world by God. In fact, he made some very strong comments against anyone who might
suggest otherwise (e.g.. Opif 7). Yet it is clear from other comments he makes (e.g.. Plant. 3) that
creation for him was primarily the process of bringing order to chaotic ύλη. It is less certain that
Philo believed God had created the chaotic matter in the first place (perhaps in Somn. 1.76). In
either case, Philo's principal paradigm for God as creator was God as δημιουργός, τεχνίτης, and
κοσμοπλάστης (see H. A. Wolfson. Philo: Foundations of Religious Philosophy in Judaism, Christianity and Islam 2 [Cambridge. MA: Harvard University Press, 1947], 301). I thus disagree with
the emphasis of Wolfson and Williamson's conclusions (Philo, 372-76), both of whom focus on passages in Philo allegedly supporting an ex nihilo creation. See also Wis 11:17. which states that God
made the world "out of formless matter.''
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Journal of Biblical Literature
context as well. The statement that God commanded the angels to worship the
firstborn Son as he was led into the habitable world has often been taken to
refer to the birth story, since Luke 2:13-14 could be taken to refer to such an
event. Yet this interpretation would be a serious misreading of Heb 1:6, since it
is exactly at this point of Jesus’ existence that the author of Hebrews believes
him to have become lower than the angels in accordance with Ps 8 36
Further, the author tells us in 2:5 that the “habitable world” about which
he has been speaking is not the present, earthly one, but the coming habitable
world—the eschatological kingdom.37 Arguments have often been made that,
since the overwhelming majority of the occurrences of οικουμένη refer to
earthly, human civilization, Ileb 1:6 must refer to Jesus' arrival on earth.38 Yet
this interpretation not only misses our particular authors only other use of the
word, which clearly refers to the coming world as an οικουμένη, but it ignores
the authors frequent use of imagery that points toward the heavenly realm as
the true homeland of God’s people (Heb 11:13-16; 13:14), the true promised
land (4:6-11), and the truly unshakable kingdom (12:28). In other words, a
metaphorical reference to heaven as the truly civilized world is exactly the kind
of thing we would expect from the author of Hebrews.39
When Heb 1:6 is read in context, we see that it is actually the third of three
“Sonship” citations that begin the catena. We have already noted that the
authors use of Ps 2:7 places Christs cosmic enthronement at the point when he
is exalted and seated at Gods right hand. The same is true of the authors use of
2 Sam 7:14 in v. 5—a citation the author clearly connects to the previous one by
his use of πάλιν. While it has more often than not been overlooked, these same
features connect v. 6 with the two preceding citations: (1) the use of πάλιν and
36 Not to mention the fact that the angels in Luke 2 do not worship Christ hut rather give
glory to God for Jesus’ birth (2:20).
37 Meier. “Symmetry.” 507. In keeping with the observation we made in n. 15, 2:5 resumes to
some extent the train of thought left off in 1:14. Hebrews 2:1-4 is a brief exhortation that interrupts
the author’s exposition.
38 E.g., Attridge, Hebrews, 55-56.
39 Those who fail to read the verse in this way often do so, in our opinion, because they
believe the catena to be a testimonium inserted into (lie epistle. They are thus predisposed to miss
the sometimes subtle connections between the catena and the remainder of Hebrews. Some who
have recognized a heavenly referent here include Meier, “Symmetry," 507: ! .ane, Hebrews, 27;
Friedrich Schierse, Verheissung und Heilsvollendung: Zur theologischen Grundfragen des Hehrderbriefes (Munich: Karl Zink, 1955), 96; and Albert Vanhoye, “Ε'οΐκουμενή dans 1'Epitre aux
Ilebreux,“ Bib 45 (1964): 248-53.
The second most likely interpretive option is that the verse refers to the parousia, a timing
that still maintains a focus on the exalted Christ (see Loader, Sohn. 24). The original context of this
verse in the Song of Moses could easily be understood of the messianic king as he comes to judge
the world. For the peculiarities of the textual tradition behind this verse, see Simon Kistemacker,
The Psalm Citations in the Epistle to the Hebrews (Amsterdam: Van Soest. 1961), 20-23.
Schenck: A Celebration of the Enthroned Son
479
(2) a clear understanding of the citation in terms of royal sonship, as is reflected
by the authors use of filial language.40 The God who enthrones Christ as royal
Son leads him into the heavenly world, where he seats him at the right hand of
the throne of grace. As befits a cosmic king, God instructs the servant angels to
bow in obeisance to the one who has now been exalted above them.
Both the immediate context of the catena, therefore, and the inner logic of
the catena itself indicate that it should be read against the backdrop of the exaltation and in terms of a royal enthronement of cosmic proportions. We have
also made a few indications of how the catena fits within the broader argument
and presuppositions of the epistle. It is to the place of the catena in this overall
rhetoric that we now turn.
III. The Place of the Catena in the Rhetoric of Hebrews
In a very broad way, we might summarize the main point of Hebrews’
exposition as the superiority and definiteness of Christ’s high priesthood, as 8:1
explicitly claims. The principal point of Hebrews' exhortation flows neatly from
this main didactic: continue in faithfulness and endurance to Christ over and
against any competing claim that might come from the sacrificial means of
atonement provided under the old covenant.41 The complexity of the author's
argument often overshadows the fact that, for him, Christ’s heavenly high
priesthood is at root a metaphor built on the efficacy of his atoning death coupled with his ascension to the highest heaven—heaven’s Holy of Holies.42
Christs entrance as high priest into the Holy of Holies of the true tabernacle is
a metaphorically charged presentation of his exaltation to the right hand of
God.
In this light, the catena was a highly appropriate way to commence the
epistle. The talent of the author as a rhetorical artist is signaled by the way in
which he uses a contrast between the mediators of the two respective covenants to present the accomplishment of salvation. In highly charged, hymnic
language, he captures the audience’s attention by placing them in medias res, at
the climax of the story; where Christ, the great high priest, has just completed
his earthly mission and has been seated as Lord and king at God’s right hand. In
40 For the debate concerning whether πάλιν is a linking term or refers to a second entrance
into the world, see any of the standard commentaries. “Firstborn” is a filial term with a royal “lineage” similar to that of “Son of God.” See Ps 89:27, lor example, a verse to which the author may
actually allude here.
41 While few would contest the importance of endurance for the epistle, the connection of
this exhortation with OT means of atonement is a point upon which there is less agreement .
42 See Schenck, “Settings," 74-83.
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Journal of Biblical Literature
fulfillment of Ps 8, humanity can now attain their intended glory‫ ׳‬because Christ
is no longer lower than the angels. The Melcliizedekian priest has entered the
true tent and offered the definitive sacrifice. The angels bow in obeisance to
the one who has made their ministering function to God’s people on earth
obsolete.
The first and strongest connection between the catena and the author s
later argument, therefore, comes from its bold proclamation of Christ as
enthroned king, since his enthronement implies the accomplishment of a
definitive salvation. In a sense, the angels of ch. 1 are foils against which the
exaltation of Christ can be powerfully and relevantly narrated. Herein is one
reason why they need not feature prominently in the subsequent argument.
They are utilized far more to indicate the extraordinary significance of Christ
than to explicate their own place in the story, let alone address some heresy
among Hebrews’ recipients.
Yet the relevance of angels to the authors argument goes well beyond how
he explicitly discusses them. The inner dynamic of the contrast between Christ
and the angels lies in the link they had to the old covenant and the law in the
authors mind. Not only were they the ones who “spoke” the law and apparently
were concerned with its proper observance; they were the logical “competition” for any new intermediary figure one might suggest between God and his
people. Because many Jews saw angels as the operative intermediaries between
God and the earth, the claim that Christ was a new mediator that had displaced
the law would lead naturally to the question of his identity and role vis-a-vis the
angels.
Angels and the Created Order
As our analysis above indicated, the catena clearly connects the angels
with the old covenant. In this regard Ileb 1:14 is decisive: the angels are “ministering spirits sent to serve those about to inherit salvation.” Christ’s accomplishment of salvation brings to an end this defining role for the angels in relation to
God’s people. The verse places the entire catena into an eschatological context,
with angels as the ministers of the old age and Christ as the one who inaugurates the new. Chapter 1 thus pictures the “passing of the guard” from the
angels as mediators to God’s people on earth to Christ as a heavenly mediator
who provides direct access to God.
Hebrews 2:5 picks up this thread and confirms the eschatological orientation of the authors thought regarding the angels. The coming world, the author
says, the heavenly world that relates to salvation, will not be subject to angels. It
will be subject to Christ, in the first place, and secondarily to those human
beings whom God leads to glory through him in fulfillment of Ps 8. The domain
of the coming world is one in which humans have bold and unhindered access
Schenck: A Celebration of the Enthroned Son
481
to God without the need for angelic mediation. Christ is not another angelic
mediator to the earthly realm (Heb 2:16); rather it is Christs humanity that has
enabled Gods people to reach heaven themselves (4:16; 11:16).
Given the strong distinction Hebrews makes between the created realm
and the heaven to which Christ has ascended, the eschatological contrast
between Christ and the angels carries cosmological overtones with it as well.
While the angels are clearly present and functional in God's heaven (Heb 1:6;
12:22), their role as mediators and intermediaries to Gods people is intrinsically linked to the earthly, created realm. “Those about to inherit salvation” are
on earth, as God’s people have been throughout salvation history. It is to these
that the angels have come as “winds and flames of fire” during the time of the
old covenant. Yet the author of Hebrews clearly believes that the μετάθεσις/removal of the created realm is an essential component in the completion of salvation (1:11-12; 12:27) 43 It follows, therefore, that the full arrival of
the new covenant implies an end not only to the created realm but also to the
angels’ role therein. They cease de facto to be Gods mediators to humanity.
When viewed in this way, the inner logic of the connection between
angels, the old covenant, and the created realm is apparent. Jewish literature at
the time of Christ is replete with examples of God utilizing angels as his primary interface with humanity on earth.44 Philo sums up their principal function
well when he writes that angels are “ministers for the care of mortals” (Gig. 12)
and “emissaries from humanity to God and from God to humanity” (Gig. 16) 45
Philo is also typical in locating angels in the air above the earth (e.g., Spec. 1.66;
Conf. 174; cf. Eph 2:2).46
But Hebrews teaches that Christ will bring an end to the created heavens
and that he made possible unhindered and immediate access to God’s divine
throne. These aspects of his belief implicitly render the previous role of the
angels obsolete. The opening contrast of the epistle thus functions well not only
within the authors eschatological framework, but also within his cosmology.
43 While μετάθεσις might refer to the transformation rather than the removal of the created
realm, a removal seems to fit better until (1) the author’s strong heaven/earth contrast, (2) the
imagery of the word elsewhere in the epistle (7:12; 11:5), (3) other allusions to its removal (1:11-12;
9:8), and (4) the context of 12:27, where reality is divided into “things being shaken" and "things not
being shaken.” The "things being shaken, as having been made" are removed.
44 There is hardly any single body of surviving Jewish tradition in which this role of angels
cannot be found, whether it be the Hebrew Scriptures, the NT, Philo, Josephus. Qumran, apocalyptic literature, and so on. It is understandably less evident in Jewish wisdom literature (although
cf. Wis 18:15).
45 Cf. also P/rm/. 14: Conf. 171-74; Sown. 1.142.
46 Note the similar location of the angels in apocalyptic works like / En. 15:7; T. Levi 3:3-5;
and Ascen. Isa. 7-10.
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Journal of Biblical Literature
Angels and the Laie
Hebrews does not make a major point of the connection between angels
and the law, but it does explicitly make the connection (2:2). Given that the
obsolescence of the law is a major point in the authors argument (ch. 7), the
relevance of the catena’s contrast is once again apparent, even if the author
does not specifically incorporate that function of angels into the catena itself. It
substantiates our claims regarding the inner logic that drives the Christ/angel
contrast.
The notion that angels mediated the Jewish law was fairly common among
Jews of this period, even appearing several times in the NT itself (Acts 7:38, 53;
Gal 3:19; Heb 2:2).4 ‫ ׳‬We can find further hints throughout the literature of the
period to indicate a connection between angels and the administration of the
law. A number of texts, for example, seem to connect angels with atonement or
priestly intercession offered in the heavens (e.g., 4QShirShabba 1 I, 8, 10, 16;
T. Levi 3:5; and Philo, Spec. 1.66). Testament of Levi 3:5 notes that the
archangels of the third heaven “offer propitiatory sacrifices to the Lord in
behalf of all the sins of ignorance of the righteous ones”—a “rational and bloodless oblation.”47
48 Such traditions downplay or reject the significance of the
Jerusalem temple for one reason or another. For Qumran it was perhaps rejection of the current temple administration; for Philo and T. Levi a physical sanetuary could never be the locus of ultimate atonement.
The significance of such a connection is less certain for Hebrews, since it
does not contrast Christ's heavenly sacrifice with a heavenly sacrifice offered by
angels. It contrasts Christs heavenly sacrifice with the earthly sacrifices of levitical priests. While the existence of a connection between angels and cultus
reinforces the general association of angels with the law’s operation, the nature
of Hebrews’ contrast places into question any specific polemic against angelic
sacrifice. Indeed, since elsewhere Hebrews virtually equates the law with the
sacrificial system, it is probably more the angels’ status as mediators between
God and humanity in general that stands behind the contrast of the catena
rather than their specific connections with the administration of the law. Their
involvement with the law‫ ׳‬is simply one of the most significant examples of their
general function as intermediaries.49
47 E.g.. Deut 33:2 LXX; Jub. 1:27; cf. Phil‫״‬. Decal. 46.
4s Translation by Howard C. Kee, OTP 1:789.
49 This distinction between their general status as intermediaries in the catena (versus Christ
in 8:6) and the specific example of their mediation of the law in 2:2 is part of the “logical distance”
Stuckenbnick noted between the catena and the argument in 2:2 (see n. 5 above). The other main
difference is that of genre: the catena is hvmnic and expositional, while 2:1 -4 is parenetic and prosaic.
Schenck: A Celebration of the Enthroned Son
483
There are also background texts that could be taken to associate angels
with the maintenance of appropriate holiness vis-a-vis the law. Several passages
from the Dead Sea literature warn against the presence of the infirm among
those who go out to war with the angels (CD XV. 16; lQSa II, 8; 1QM VII, 6:
4QDe ΙΟ II, 9), presumably because a temple standard of purity needs to be
observed in their midst. Joseph Fitzmyer has brought this idea to bear on the
interpretation of I Cor 11:10, where women need to veil their heads “because
of the angels,” connecting a need for physical “purity” with being in their presence.50
The problematic phrase “worship of angels" in Col 2:18 probably relates
similarly to the question of holiness when worshiping in the presence of angels,
especially since the need for covenanta] purity seems to be a part of the Colossian “heresy” (e.g., 2:21). What is important for our purposes is to show that
Colossians and the Dead Sea literature both connect a need for law observance
with being in the presence of angels. Again, such an association plays almost no
role in the argument of Hebrews (except for 2:2). but it substantiates our claim
that the inner dynamics of an angel-Christ contrast relate well to a contrast
between the two covenants.
Finally, Philo assigns to angels the role of punishing evildoers (Conf. 18082), a role reminiscent of the statement regarding angels in Heb 2:2. Since God
is the cause only of good things, he used intermediaries to create humanity so
that their sins might be attributed to others (Conf 179).51 Similarly, to keep
God free from any association with evil and so that God might exclusively be a
giver of grace, God uses the angels to punish wrongdoing on earth (Conf 182).
Behind Philos general references to the angelic punishment of wrongdoing
may lie traditions similar to those we have just seen in the Dead Sea Scrolls, traditions that viewed the angels as guardians and enforcers of the Jewish law. To
find such associations in such diverse contexts as Philo and the Dead Sea
Scrolls emphasizes the extent to which angels and the law must have been associated in many of the Judaisms of this period.
In the final analysis, the focal point of contact for Hebrews between angels
and the law is that they mediated it and served God’s people as they lived under
it. Ghrist, on the other hand, mediated the new covenant (e.g., 8:6). In the
50 Joseph Λ. Fitzmyer, "A Feature of Qumran Angelology anil the Angels of 1 Cor 11:10.” in
Essays on the Semitic Background■ of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdinans, 1997; orig.
1957-58). 187-204. Compare his resolution to this conundrum with that of Dale Martin, whose
approach probably is more in line with Paul’s usage of the term άγγελος in 1 Corinthians (e.g.. 6:3)
(The Corinthian Body [New Haven: Yale University Press. 1995], 229-49).
51 Philo’s apparent assumption that humanity would sin probably argues against a belie! in ex
nihilo creation on his part. We can understand a world of chaotic material ordered by God to 1n<ike
humanity‫ ׳‬susceptible to sin. It is more difficult to understand how material created by God out of
nothing could have this effect indeed that it would become chaotic in the first place.
484
Journal of Biblical Literature
authors actual discussion of Christs role as a covenantal mediator, he does not
explicitly mention angels, but his use of λειτουργία in reference to Christs
mediation (8:6) echoes what he has said about them in the catena (1:14). The
inner dynamic of Hebrews’ thought world connects angels with the later argument even though they are not mentioned explicitly. In ch. 1, as the author is
drawing the audience into his “rhetorical world,” he pits Christ against the
angels in the most general way—as the mediatorial representatives of the two
ages and two orders he will contrast in much greater detail in his argument
proper. The extant Jewish literature hints that deeper associations between
angels and the law could be and sometimes were made. But Hebrews’ point of
contact occurs on a much more general level.
IV. Conclusion
The catena of Heb 1:5-14 is a celebration of the enthroned Christ. The
exordium introduces the catena at the point of Christ’s session at God’s right
hand, and the argument that follows in chapter 2 places the distinction between
Christ and the angels into an eschatological framework. Although Christ became
lower than the angels for a little while, he is now crowned with glory and honor.
Through this process he has enabled his “brothers” on earth to attain glory and
honor as well. The coming world will not be subjected to angels, as the current
one is, but will be ruled by Christ and those he has freed from the power of
death. In this light, the catena is a hymnic celebration of the now enthroned
Christ, a poetic announcement of the accomplishment of salvation by way of
Christ’s exaltation to Gods right hand.
The rhetoric of the catena itself, when it is read correctly, is focused on the
exalted Christ. Echoing the titles “Son of God,” “Christ,” and “Lord,” the
catena celebrates the exaltation of Christ in distinction to those who ministered
to God’s people in the old age under the old covenant. While the angels are servants, Christ is king. While the angels mediated Gods purposes on earth for a
passing time, Christ provides direct heavenly access forever. Throughout, the
associations of angels with the administration of the created realm and the Jewish law made the catenas contrast an appropriate introduction to the argument
the author was about to make.
These observations on the interpretation of Heb 1 suggest some potentially significant directions for pursuing the question of the origins of the worship of Jesus.52 They warn, for example, that worship and preexistence
52 I hope to address this issue more systematically in a future article that will interact with the
various suggestions currently in play, a good overview of which can be found in The Jewish Roots of
Christologioal Monotheism: Papers from the St. Andrews Conference on the Historical Origins of
Schenck: A Celebration of the Enthroned Son
485
language in regard to Christ is highly metaphorical imagery. It is no surprise
that such language more often than not occurs in hymnic contexts. Positively,
the catena suggests that the worship of Jesus was connected to motifs of kingship, which in turn were associated with Christs exaltation. Here the fine distinctions between Yahweh, who is supreme God and LORD, and Christ, who is
representative God and Lord, indicate a subtle nuance relating to the hierarchy
of rulership. This fact suggests that the worship of Jesus originated in the veneration of him as cosmic Lord, with the worship of the one ultimate God always
presupposed.
the Worship ofJesus (ed. Carey C. Newman. James R. Davila, and Gladys S. Lewis; Leiden: Brill,
1999). The basic thesis of my article will be (1) that the origins of the worship of Jesus did indeed
take place within a Jewish rather than Gentile context; (2) that this worship (or more accurately,
veneration) originated in relation to the acclamation of Jesus as king (traditions regarding exalted
patriarchs contributed to the early Christians’ understanding of Jesus but were not the catalyst for
his worship); (3) that such veneration ditl not violate Jewish monotheism because (a) monotheism
was formulated more in terms of sovereignty than worship and (b) the veneration of Jesus accentuated God's sovereignty rather than competing with it; (4) that the veneration of Jesus largely took
place in hymnic and liturgical contexts where language was more metaphorical than literal; (5) that
the veneration of Jesus became more prominent in Hellenistic Jewish Christianity, especially
against the backdrop of emperor worship; and (6) that the worship of Christ on completely ecpiivalent terms to that of God does not occur within the pages of the NT.
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