Only Jesus

Only Jesus

Hebrews 1:1-4 (p. 1862)                                                                            October 22, 2017    

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory
and the exact representation of his being,
sustaining all things by his powerful word.
Hebrews 1:3

Intro:            1) VERY short history of the author and text of Hebrews,
Πολυμερῶς καὶ πολυτρόπως πάλαι ὁ θεὸς
2) καὶ χαρακτὴρ τῆς ὑποστάσεως
hupostasis = “what stands underneath” (“substance” in Latin)
— but confidence, assurance (Hebrews 3:14, 11:1)
might be better translation

Why is Jesus better?

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets
at various times and in various ways,
but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son . . . .
Hebrews 1:1-2 (p. 1859)

1. Jesus is how God SPEAKS
2. Jesus is the only IMPRESSION
3. The POWER of Jesus’ word and name

Rediscovering Jesus

The Jews look for miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom,
but we preach Christ crucified . . . .
1 Corinthians 1:23 (p. 1736)

1. Preaching: _______________________________________________________
2. Church: _________________________________________________________
3. Salvation: ______________________________________________________

Meeting Jesus today

. . . then know this, you and all the people of Israel:
It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead,
that this man stands before you healed . . . .
Salvation is found in no one else for there is no other name under heaven
given to men by which we must be saved.
Acts 4:8-12 (p. 1696)

1. Meet Jesus at  THE CROSS (his righteousness and my sin)
2. Meet Jesus when  I SPEAK HIS NAME
3. Meet Jesus in  HIS WORD à PREACHING AND PERSONAL ENCOUNTER
4. Meet Jesus through  HIS BODY

More resources for studying solus Christus

Kevin deYoung’s Taking God at His Word (Crossway, 2014).  This is where I get the “knowable, necessary and enough” paradigm for thinking about the sufficiency of Scripture.

John Calvin’s Institutes, “Redemption to be sought in Christ alone” at http://www.ccel.org/print/calvin
/institutes/iv.vii

Michael Horton’s essay “Preaching Christ Alone” at https://www.monergism.com/preaching-christ-alone

Calvin Theological Seminary’s Forum (Spring 2017), “500 Years of the Reformation”.

Ligon Duncan’s “The Great Revelation of God” series at https://www.fpcjackson.org/resource-library/sermons/jesus-the-great-revelation-of-god-part-1

Ligonier Ministries’ “Grace Alone” devotion at http://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/grace-alone/

“Seven Things” blog at https://australia.thegospelcoalition.org/article/sola-scriptura-seven-things-it-is-and-isnt

 

ὑπόστασις

hypostasis, substance, firmness, confidence, collection of documents establishing ownership, guarantee, proof

→see also πίστις

hypostasis, S 5287; TDNT 8.572–589; EDNT 3.406–407; NIDNTT 1.710–714; MM 659–660; L&N 31.84, 58.1; BAGD 847

The usual Latin equivalent of hypo-stasis is sub-stantia, which in philosophical terms means the essence of an entity, that which is hidden beneath the appearances. This meaning, however, is not attested in the nt, apart from Heb 1:3, where the Son is the imprint or effigy of the substance of the Father.

In an ethical sense, hypostasis refers to what is deep in the heart—firmness, calm, confidence, courage; hence the meaning “hope” or psychological and moral support in Ruth 1:12; Ezek 19:5; Ps 39:7 (Hebrew tôḥeleṯ) and “assurance”—probably the meaning in 2 Cor 9:4; 11:17, and certainly in Heb 3:14—“if we hold our initial confidence (literally, the beginning of assurance) till the end.” It is more difficult to translate Heb 11:1, estin de pistis elpizomenōn hypostasis, where the Vulgate simply transcribes the word in question (“Fides est substantia sperandarum rerum”) and most moderns translate it “assurance or solid confidence.” But in the papyri our noun is usually used for property, for a right of possession: “without risk for myself and my property” (P.Oxy. 138, 26; 1981, 27; 2478, 28; P.Berl.Zill. 6, 4; SB 8986, 22; 9463, 6; 9566, 10); “the scribe attributed more land to me than I actually own” (P.Oxy. 488, 17; cf. P.Wisc. 61, 15); in an account from the fourth century, “produce from a property of twenty-four arourai.” Hypostasis is also used for the contents of a house. The commentaries of the church fathers and the medievals followed this line of interpretation: faith contains the substance of eternal life, which is the prima inchoatio (first beginning) of the object of hope. It already possesses that hope, perhaps only faintly, but nevertheless in its true essence.

This nuance of anticipation can be narrowed down further. Hypostasis means point of departure, beginning (Diodorus Siculus 1.66), provision for the future (P.Panop.Beatty 1, 269; P.Tebt. 336; 7; P.Stras. 309, verso 2; P.Fay. 343; SB 7360, 12), offer (P.Panop.Beatty 2, 144, 158), commitment or guarantee. According to the edict of Mettius Rufus, all owners of building and land have to have deeds on record establishing their property rights.¹² Thus a hypostasis is a collection of documents establishing ownership, deposited in the archives and proving the owner’s rights; hence it is a guarantee for the future. Moulton-Milligan are right to translate Heb 11:1 “Faith is the title-deed of things hoped for.” This was also the interpretation of the Peshitta: pyso, “guarantee, proof.” Faith is a title of ownership on property that is in the future.^[1]

^[1] Spicq, C., & Ernest, J. D. (1994). Vol. 3: Theological lexicon of the New Testament (421–423). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers.