17
(shame), the author points to the suffering of the death of Jesus. The reference to "seated at the
right hand" corresponds to "crowned with glory and honor" in 2:9.
52
In other words, the word
aj
rchgov
"
in 12:2 has the idea of "making the transition from the past to the present and
contrasting former suffering with the present honor."
53
The term must be understood in relation
to the high priestly doctrine of Hebrews. The description in 12:2 is clearly the expression of
humiliation (i.e., in the days of his flesh in 2:7) and exaltation of Jesus, the high priest (i.e.,
having been made perfect in 2:9). The theme of humiliation and exaltation indicates that Jesus
should be taken as the object of faith (i.e., source of eternal salvation, 5:9) as well as the model
for imitation.
54
C
ONCLUSION
Grässer has correctly observed that in Hebrews faith is not expressed in terms of "faith in
Christ" or "to believe in Jesus" as in the Pauline literature. However, this does not mean that faith
in Hebrews is replaced by a mere ethical category of steadfastness or endurance. In Hebrews
Jesus is portrayed as the model of faith for believers. The exhortation to consider Jesus, the
apostle and high priest of our confession is the author's way of encouraging the readers to imitate
the faithfulness of Christ. It is also evident that Abraham's example of endurance is related to
believers' imitation of Christ. The author of Hebrews also presents Jesus as the object of faith for
believers. The expressions such as " consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our
confession," "hold fast confidence and pride of hope," and "hold fast our confession" are the
author's way of encouraging the readers to continue with the faith in Jesus Christ.
52 Thomas Wiley Lewis III, "The Theological Logic in Hebrews 10:1912:29 and the Appropriation of the Old
Testament" (Ph.D. diss., Drew University, 1965), 119.
53 Scott, "Archegos in the Salvation History of the Epistle to the Hebrews," 50.
54 Delling also expresses a similar view. He states,
"Yet Jesus is also aj
rchgov
" th'
" piv
stew"
in the sense that as the first man He gave an example of faith in God,
that by His death he `fulfilled' this faith in God's unconditional love and its overcoming of the barrier of sin, and that
He thereby gave this love concrete and once-for-all actualisation in the history of salvation." Gerhard Delling,