Hebrews 2:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

NIV: God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

NASB: God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders, and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.

CSB: At the same time, God also testified by signs and wonders, various miracles, and distributions of gifts from the Holy Spirit according to his will.

NLT: And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose.

KJV: 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?

NKJV: God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?

Prior verses warned that the consequences of "drifting" (Hebrews 2:1) from the truths God has given are dire. Both God's direct judgment as well as natural cause-and-effect will affect those who follow error (Hebrews 2:2). Since the stakes of Jesus' message are so high, we can't be lazy or casual about it and expect to avoid trouble.

In verse 3, the writer of Hebrews began to mention the supporting evidence for the gospel message. There, Jesus' direct testimony is offered along with the accounts of those who saw His ministry in person (Luke 1:1–4; 2 Peter 1:16). Here, the use of miracles and other supernatural events is used as further proof. The apostles were given the ability to verify their message via God's power (Acts 2:43; 2 Corinthians 12:12).

The reason for bringing up these proofs is to highlight how serious the problem of "drifting" really is. God has not been casual about demonstrating Himself to mankind (Romans 1:18–20; Psalm 19:1; Hebrews 1:1–2). His message is not obscure or disguised. It is not dependent on blind faith. And so, there are very few excuses we can make when we violate His will. As verse 3 pointed out, God punished those who disobey, and He has given us more than enough evidence. How can a person reject all that God has done, and shown, and then expect not to be judged accordingly?

Hebrews 2:1–4 is the first of five warnings against spiritual error found in this book. Since Jesus is God's message to mankind, ignoring Him will bring disaster. The writer of Hebrews points out that those who violated the Old Covenant suffered punishment. Therefore, those who violate the New Covenant can expect consequences. This gospel has been confirmed by witnesses and miracles, and needs to be given closer attention by the reader. Whether by accident, or on purpose, breaking God's laws always results in disaster.

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.