Quotes & Notes
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John Wesley's Notes:
Who sat down-The third of these glorious predicates, with which three
other particulars are interwoven, which are mentioned likewise, and in
the same order, Col 1:15,17,20.
Who, being-The glory which he received in his exaltation at the right
hand of the Father no angel was capable of; but the Son alone, who
likewise enjoyed it long before.
The brightness of his glory-Glory is the nature of God revealed in its
brightness.
The express image-Or stamp. Whatever the Father is, is exhibited in the
Son, as a seal in the stamp on wax.
Of his person-Or substance. The word denotes the unchangeable perpetuity
of divine life and power.
And sustaining all things-Visible and invisible, in being.
By the word of his power-That is, by his powerful word.
When he had by himself-Without any Mosaic rites or ceremonies.
Purged our sins-In order to which it was necessary he should for a time
divest himself of his glory. In this chapter St. Paul describes his
glory chiefly as he is the Son of God; afterwards, Heb 2:6, &c., the
glory of the man Christ Jesus. He speaks, indeed, briefly of the former
before his humiliation, but copiously after his exaltation; as from
hence the glory he had from eternity began to be evidently seen. Both
his purging our sins, and sitting on the right hand of God, are largely
treated of in the seven following chapters.
Sat down-The priests stood while they ministered: sitting, therefore,
denotes the consummation of his sacrifice. This word, sat down, contains
the scope, the theme, and the sum, of the epistle.
- Treasury of Scripture Knowledge:
* the brightness. Joh 1:14; 14:9,10; 2Co 4:6
* image. 2Co 4:4; Col 1:15,16
* upholding. Ps 75:3; Joh 1:4; Col 1:17; Re 4:11
* the word. Ec 8:4; Ro 1:16; 2Co 4:7
* by himself. Heb 7:27; 9:12-14,16,26; Joh 1:29; 1Jo 1:7; 3:5
* sat. Heb 4:14; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; Ps 110:1; Mt 22:24; Mr 16:19; Lu
20:42,43 Ac 2:33; 7:56; Ro 8:34; Eph 1:20-22; Col 3:1; 1Pe 1:21; 3:22;
Re 3:21
* Majesty. 1Ch 29:11; Job 37:22; Mic 5:4; 2Pe 1:16; Jude 1:25
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Adam Clarke's Commentary:
The resplendent outbeaming of the essential glory of God. The
splendour of the sun. The same form of expression is used by an
apocryphal writer, Wisdom Wisdom 7:26, where, speaking of the uncreated
wisdom of God, he says: "For she is the splendour of eternal light, and
the unsullied mirror of the energy of God, and the image of his
goodness." The word augasma is that which has splendour in itself
apaugasma is the splendour emitted from it; but the inherent splendour
and the exhibited splendour are radically and essentially the same.
The express image of his person. The character or impression of his
hypostasis or substance. It is supposed that these words expound the
former; image expounding brightness, and person or substance, glory. The
hypostasis of God is that which is essential to him as God; and the
character or image is that by which all the likeness of the original
becomes manifest, and is a perfect fac-simile of the whole. It is a
metaphor taken from sealing; the die or seal leaving the full impression
of its every part on the wax to which it is applied.
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Family Bible Notes:
The brightness of his glory; in him the glory of the Father shines
forth, so that in and through him the Father's glory is seen. Joh 1:14;
14:9; 2Co 4:6.
The express image of his person; he in whom the very being of God is
represented to us, as far as we are able to apprehend it. The Greek word
rendered person, means rather substance, reality of being, as opposed to
mere appearance. Compare Mt 11:27; Joh 1:18; Col 1:15. Upholding all
things; sustaining the universe in being. Col 1:17. By the rod of his
power; the word of his creative power. The same almighty word of his
which called things into being, now sustains them. Compare Ge 1:3;,
etc.; Ps 33:9; 148:5. By himself; by the sacrifice of himself. Purged
our sins; made expiation for them, thus opening the way for our
forgiveness and purification. Ro 8:3; 2Co 5:21; Ga 3:13; Eph 1:7; 1Pe
2:24; 1Jo 1:7; Re 1:5. Sat down on the right hand; Ps 110:1; Mr 16:16;
Ac 7:1 As Jesus Christ made the atonement, it is perfect and sufficient
for all men, should be preached to all, and accepted by all; and is a
sure foundation of eternal life to all who believe on him.
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People's New Testament Commentary:
Who being the brightness of his glory. A manifestation of the
glory of God.
The very image of his substance. In Christ we have a tangible, visible
representation of the substance of God. We see God in him. "He that hath
seen me hath seen the Father" (Joh 14:9).
By the word of his power. The Son hath all power, and his power was
always manifested by his word. He spoke and it was done, whether it was
to still the winds or to raise the dead. So in creation, the word was
spoken and it was done.
When he had by himself purged our sins. Made an atonement for them.
Sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Of God. The right
hand was always the place of honor.
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Robertson's Word Pictures:
The tabernacle of God is with men (hê skênê tou theou meta
tôn anthrôpôn). It is one of the angels of the Presence (Re 16:17; 19:5)
speaking. And he shall dwell with them (kai skênôsei met' autôn). Future
active of skênoô, already in Re 7:15 from Eze 37:27; Zec 2:10; 8:8 and
used of the Incarnate Christ on
earth by John (Joh
1:14), now a blessed reality of the Father. The metaphor stands
for the Shekinah Glory of God in the old tabernacle (Re 7:15; 13:6;
15:5), the true tabernacle of which it was a picture (Heb 8:2; 9:11).
God is now Immanuel in fact, as was true of Christ (Mt 1:23).
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Albert Barnes' Commentary:
Who being the brightness of his glory. This verse is designed to
state the dignity and exalted rank of the Son of God, and is exceedingly
important with reference to a correct view of the Redeemer. Every word
which is employed is of great importance, and should be clearly
understood in order to a correct apprehension of the passage. First, In
what manner does it refer to the Redeemer? To his Divine nature? To the
mode of his existence before he was incarnate? Or to him as he appeared
on earth? Most of the ancient commentators supposed that it referred to
his Divine dignity before he became incarnate; and proceed to argue, on
that supposition, on the mode of the Divine existence. The true solution
seems to me to be, that it refers to him as incarnate, but still has
reference to him as the incarnate Son of God. It refers to him as
Mediator, but not simply or mainly as a man. It is rather to him as
Divine--thus, in his incarnation, being the brightness of the Divine
glory, and the express image of God. That this is the correct view is
apparent, I think, from the whole scope of the passage. The drift of the
argument is, to show his dignity as he has spoken to us, (Heb 1:1,) and
not in the period antecedent to his incarnation. It is to show his
claims to our reverence as sent from Gods the last and greatest of the
messengers which God has sent to man. But, then, it is a description of
him as he actually is ---the incarnate Son of God; the equal of the
Father in human flesh: and this leads the writer to dwell on his Divine
character, and to argue from that, Heb 1:8,10-12. I have no doubt,
therefore, that this description refers to his Divine nature, but it is
the Divine nature as it appears in human flesh.
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Jamieson-Faussett Brown:
Who being--by pre-existent and essential being.
brightness of his glory--Greek, the effulgence of His glory. "Light of
(from) light" [Nicene Creed]. "Who is so senseless as to doubt
concerning the eternal being of the Son? For when has one seen light
without effulgence?" [ATHANASIUS, Against Arius, Orations, 2]. "The sun
is never seen without effulgence, nor the Father without the Son" [THEOPHYLACT].
It is because He is the brightness, &c., and because He upholds, &c.,
that He sat down on the right hand, &c. It was a return to His divine
glory (Joh 6:62; 17:5; compare Wisdom 7:25, 26, where similar things are
said of wisdom).
express image--"impress." But veiled in the flesh. The Sun of God in
glory beams
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1599 Geneva Bible Notes:
Who being the (e) brightness of his glory, and the express image of his
(f) person, and (g) upholding all things by the word of his power, (3)
when he had by himself purged our sins, (h) sat down on the right hand
of the Majesty on high;
(e) He in whom the glory and majesty of the Father shines, who is
otherwise infinite, and cannot be under obligation. (f) His Father's
person. (g) Sustains, defends and cherishes. (3) The third part of the
same proposition: The same Son executed the office of the High Priest in
offering up himself, and is our only and most mighty Mediator in heaven.
(h) This shows that the savour of that his sacrifice is not only most
acceptable to the Father, but also is everlasting, and furthermore how
far this High Priest surpasses all the other high priests.
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Spurgeon Devotional Commentary:
The priest stood while he performed service, and only sat down when his
work was done. Jesus enthroned in glory enjoys the honors of his
finished work.
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William Burkitt's Notes:
Our apostle here proceeds in describing the Divinity of Christ's person,
by whom the Father has made known his will to us under the gospel. He
declares, 1. What he is. 2. What he does, or did. 3. The consequent of
both, or what he now enjoyeth.
Learn hence, That when our Lord Jesus Christ had finished his sufferings
upon earth, he was placed in the seat of the highest honour and
authority at the right hand of God his Father in heaven, even to be the
object of adoration both to angels and men, as the following verses
declare in which our apostle thus speaks:
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