The first Christians confessing Christ
The Brightness of His Glory (Hebrews 1)
Hebrews opens with a sentence of soaring dignity, announcing that God, who spoke in many ways of old, has now spoken by his Son, the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person. The exalted, balanced language has led many to hear a confessional or hymnic quality in these lines. In four verses the letter sets Christ above prophets, angels, and all creation.
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,”Hebrews 1:1
The passage
The passage. Hebrews begins without the usual greeting, launching straight into its theme: "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they" (Hebrews 1:1-4). The passage sets a contrast: God once spoke through many prophets in many ways, but now finally and fully through one Son. Then it heaps up descriptions of that Son, heir of all things, maker of the worlds, radiance of God's glory, exact imprint of his being, sustainer of all, purger of sins, enthroned at God's right hand, exalted above angels. It is the overture to the whole letter.
Why it is read as an early creed or hymn
Why it is read as an early creed or hymn. These opening verses stand apart from ordinary prose in their rhythm and density. They form one long, carefully built sentence in the Greek, rising through a series of relative clauses, "whom he hath appointed... by whom... who being...," each adding another glory. The language is elevated and confessional, piling up titles and functions in a way that reads like a considered summary of who the Son is. For this reason some regard the passage as drawing on hymnic or creedal material, a compact confession the author sets at the head of his sermon. This is a softer case than the explicit creed of 1 Corinthians 15 or the marked hymn of Philippians 2; the author of Hebrews writes throughout in a polished, rhetorical style, so the exalted opening may simply be his own artistry. Honesty allows for both. What is clear is that these lines function as a confession of the Son, laying the doctrinal foundation on which the entire letter will build its argument for his supremacy.
What the first Christians confessed about Christ
What the first Christians confessed about Christ. The confession sets the Son at the summit. He is "heir of all things," the one to whom all creation belongs, and the one "by whom also he made the worlds," the agent of creation itself. He is "the brightness of his glory," the radiance streaming from God's own glory, and "the express image of his person," the exact imprint of God's very being, sharing the divine nature. He is "upholding all things by the word of his power," sustaining the universe by his command. He "by himself purged our sins," accomplishing atonement through his own self-offering, and then "sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high," the posture of a finished work and a reigning Lord. He is "so much better than the angels," bearing a more excellent name. In these lines the church confesses the Son's deity, his role in creation and providence, his saving death, and his heavenly enthronement. The final and full word God has spoken to humanity is not a message only; it is his Son.
Questions people ask
Is Hebrews 1:1-4 a quoted hymn?
It is a softer case than passages like Philippians 2. The elevated, tightly built opening reads confessionally, and some see hymnic material behind it. But the author of Hebrews writes in a polished style throughout, so it may simply be his own artistry. Either way it functions as a confession of the Son's glory.
What does 'express image of his person' mean?
The phrase pictures an exact imprint, like the impression a seal leaves in wax. The Son is the precise expression of God's own being, sharing his nature fully. It is a strong statement of deity: to see the Son is to see the exact character of God.
Why does it stress that Christ 'sat down'?
Sitting at the right hand signals both a finished work and a royal reign. Having 'by himself purged our sins,' the Son had no more sacrifice to offer and took his seat, unlike priests who kept standing to serve. Hebrews returns to this throughout to show his once-for-all atonement.