Hebrews 2:4

God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will? THEM - rather, 'God, along with the Lord and His eye-witness, (Hebrews 2:3) bearing witness to it;' 'joining in attestation of it.' SIGNS AND WONDERS - performed by Christ and His apostles. "Signs" [ seemeia (G4592)] are miracles, or other facts regarded as proofs of a divine mission; "wonders" [ terata (G5059)] are miracles viewed as prodigies, causing astonishment (Acts 2:22; Acts 2:...

4._God also bearing them witness, etc. _In addition to the fact, that the Apostles had what they preached from the Son of God, the Lord also proved his approbation of their preaching by miracles, as by a solemn subscription. Then they who do not reverently receive the Gospel recommended by such testimonies, disregard not only the word of God, but also his works. He designates miracles, for the sake of amplifying their importance, by three names. They are called _signs _because they rouse men’s minds, that they may think of something higher that what appears; and _wonders_, because they present what is rare and unusual; and _miracles, _because the Lord shows in them a singular and an extraordinary evidence of his power. (33) As to the word, _bearing witness, _or attesting, it points out the right use of miracles, even that they serve to establish the Gospel. For almost all the m

1-4 Christ being proved to be superior to the angels, this doctrine is applied. Our minds and memories are like a leaky vessel, they do not, without much care, retain what is poured into them. This proceeds from the corruption of our nature, temptations, worldly cares, and pleasures. Sinning against the gospel is neglect of this great salvation; it is a contempt of the saving grace of God in Christ, making light of it, not caring for it, not regarding either the worth of gospel grace, or the want of it, and our undone state without it. The Lord's judgments under the gospel dispensation are chiefly spiritual, but are on that account the more to be dreaded. Here is an appeal to the consciences of sinners. Even partial neglects will not escape rebukes; they often bring darkness on the souls they do not finally ruin. The setting forth the gospel was continued and confirmed by those who hear...

Verse Hebrews 2:4. _GOD ALSO BEARING THEM WITNESS_] He did not leave the confirmation of these great truths to the testimony of _men_; he bore his _own_ testimony to them by _signs, wonders, various_ _miracles_, and _distributions of the Holy Ghost_, Πνευματος 'Αγιου μερισμοις. And all these were proved to come from _himself_; for no _man_ could do those miracles at _his own pleasure_, but the power to work them was given according to God's _own will_; or rather, God himself wrought them, in order to accredit the ministry of his servants. For the meaning of _signs, wonders_, c., _See the note on "_Deuteronomy 4:34_"_....

GOD ALSO BEARING THEM WITNESS - By miracles. Giving them the sanction of his authority, or showing that they were sent by him. No man can work a miracle by his own power. When the dead are raised, the deaf made to hear and the blind to see by a word, it is the power of God alone that does it. He thus becomes a “witness” to the divine appointment of him by whose instrumentality the miracle is performed; or furnishes an attestation that what he says is true; see notes on Acts 14:3. WITH SIGNS AND WONDERS. - These words are usually connected in the New Testament. The word rendered “signs” - σημεῖον sēmeion - means any miraculous event that is suited to show that what had been predicted by a prophet would certainly take place; see...

EXPOSITION HEBREWS 2:1 INTERPOSED EXHORTATION as explained above. HEBREWS 2:1 ON THIS ACCOUNT (_i.e. _on account of what has been seen of the SON'S superiority to the angels) WE OUGHT (or, _we are bound_)_ _MORE ABUNDANTLY TO GIVE HEED TO THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE HEARD (_i.e. _the gospel that has been preached to us in the Son), LEST AT ANY TIME (or, _lest haply_)_ _WE LET THEM SLIP (rather, _float past them_)_. _The word παραρρυῶμεν (aorist subjunctive from παραρρέω)_ _denotes flowing or floating past anything. The allusion is to the danger, inci

GOD ALSO BEARING THEM WITNESS,.... The apostles of Christ; God testifying to their mission and commission, and the truth of the doctrine they preached: BOTH WITH SIGNS AND WONDERS, AND WITH DIVERS MIRACLES; such as taking up serpents without hurt, healing the sick, causing the lame to walk, and raising the dead, and casting out devils, and the like; all which were for the confirmation of the Gospel preached by them: a sign, wonder, or miracle, for these signify the same thing, is a marvellous work done before men, by the power of God, to confirm a divine truth; God is the sole author of miracles; and they were done in the first ages of Christianity, when they were necessary, to give evidence of the truth of it, and to establish men in it; and these were various, as before observed: and gifts of the Holy Ghost; such as besides gifts of healing and working miracles, gifts of foretelling t...

Hebrews 2:1. _Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip._ We have heard them; do not let us forget them. Let them not be like the driftwood which goes floating down the stream. Let us make a desperate effort to retain them in our memories; and, above all, to ponder them in our hearts. Hebrews 2:2. _For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation;_ They could not trifle with the angels' message without receiving just punishment from God. Much less, then, can we trifle with Christ's gospel. We have not an angelic saviour; but God himself, in the person of his So

ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS I. CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD AND His GLORY CHAPTER 1-2:4 _ 1. The Son in whom God hath spoken (Hebrews 1:1)_ 2. So much better than the angels (Hebrews 1:5) 3. Admonition and warning (Hebrews 2:1) Hebrews 1:1 Sublime is the beginning of this precious document. God who in many measures and in many ways spake of old to the fathers in the prophets, at the end of these days hath spoken to us in a Son, whom He constituted heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; who being the effulgence of His glory and the expression of His substance, and upholding all things by the wor

For the first time the writer discloses the practical aim which gives force and meaning to his theological argument. Christian men ought to realise the grandeur of their calling, and to hold fast to the message which was not delivered by angels like the Jewish Law (_cf._ Acts 7:53; Galatians 3:19), but by the Son Himself. A suggestive image is spoiled by the insertion of from them in Hebrews 2:1. By forgetting the directions given them the readers may drift away from their true course, and by so doing will expose themselves to dreadful danger. For if the Law, as the history of Israel shows us, avenged itself on those who disobeyed it, there will be even worse punishment for Christian men if they are faithless to that message of whic