Hebrews 2:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.

NIV: and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

NASB: and free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

CSB: and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death.

NLT: Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.

KJV: And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

NKJV: and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

In the previous verse, Satan was described as wielding the power of death. As the one who tempted man to fall (Genesis 3:1–7), and who tempts us to sin today (Ephesians 4:27; 1 Peter 5:8; 1 John 3:8), Satan certainly can bring death and destruction into our lives (Romans 6:23). It's common for people to reject obedience to God because they see it as too restrictive. In truth, sin will make us slaves, while submission to Christ will set us free (John 10:10; Galatians 5:1, 13).

The particular form of slavery the Devil wields, in this verse, is the fear of death. When we are afraid to die, we can make all sorts of immoral and irrational decisions. Becoming a Christian doesn't make us immune to this fear, of course. But it does provide a much different perspective on life and death. Instead of fearing death above all else, and living as a slave to that fear, the saved believer can take full advantage of a "more abundant" life, through Christ.

The crucial reason Jesus is able to give us this confidence is through His own example. He isn't merely a detached spirit giving us orders. As this passage already explained, Jesus took on the sufferings that other people experience. This not only allows Him to comfort us with compassion, it makes His sacrifice and victory applicable to our lives. If He has experienced our pain and suffering, we can be assured He understands our struggles.

Hebrews 2:5–18 explains why the Messiah, Jesus Christ, came in the form of a man, rather than being an angel. In order to serve as a true example, He had to experience our human suffering and temptation. By doing so, Jesus was able to become the ''Captain,'' or the ''Founder,'' of our salvation. His resurrection breaks the slavery we experience over our fear of death. By using more quotations from the Old Testament, the writer of Hebrews shows that this is exactly what God planned for all along.

Chapter 2 begins with a strong warning about the dangers of apostasy. Chapter 1 opened by explaining that Jesus Christ is the message of God. This chapter points out that those who have faith in Christ, but drift from that truth, will face dire consequences. The rest of the passage continues a series of proofs begun in Chapter 1. These are quotes from the Old Testament, used to prove that the Messiah is not an angel, but is superior to any created being. He is, in fact, identical to God. And yet, He became fully human in order to serve as our perfect high priest.

The first two chapters of Hebrews are meant to prove that Jesus Christ is superior to angels. Rather than seeing Jesus as a created being, or some form of exalted angel, He should be viewed as what He is: identical with God. These two chapters use extensive Old Testament quotes to prove this point. The first few verses of chapter 2 feature the first of several warnings within the book about the dangers of apostasy. Later chapters will demonstrate that Christ is also superior to other prophets, spiritual leaders, and priests.

The book of Hebrews is meant to challenge, encourage, and empower Christian believers. According to this letter, Jesus Christ is superior to all other prophets and all other claims to truth. Since God has given us Christ, we ought to listen to what He says and not move backwards. The consequences of ignoring God are dire. Hebrews is important for drawing on many portions of the Old Testament in making a case that Christ is the ultimate and perfect expression of God's plan for mankind. This book presents some tough ideas about the Christian faith, a fact the author makes specific note of.