HEBREWS AND CHRIST'S DEITY

As an extremely subtle and somewhat ingenious argument against the full deity of Christ, a friend of mine offered the following: If Jesus while on earth demonstrated any limitations at all (such as lack of total knowledge, lack of total power, needing to mature, deference to the Father, etc.), then he can't have been equal to God in his pre-incarnate or resurrected state either since Hebrews 13:8 states that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and for ever.

This argument just goes to demonstrate what nonsense one can come up with by refusing to take the immediate context of a Scripture passage into account. It is a common technique utilized repeatedly by militant atheists and heretical groups alike. Rather than give my own thoughts on the subject, I thought I would see what the scholars had to say. And the results truly amazed me because every single one I consulted agreed exactly on what this passage means. I think that is probably a first in my experience, since commentators generally try to outdo one another in coming up with new nuances of meaning in biblical texts.

Jerusalem Bible: “Christ Jesus was the central theme on which the heads of the community preached. They may die out but Christ remains, and so it is to him that Christians owe their allegiance.”

Moffatt: “Human leaders may pass away, but Jesus Christ, the supreme object and subject of their faithful teaching, remains, and remains the same: no novel additions to His truth are required.”

Hodges: “The call, 'Remember your leaders' [v. 7], perhaps referred to former leaders who had passed away. 'The outcome of their way of life' could be contemplated with good effect and the readers were to 'imitate their faith.' Those leaders were gone, but Jesus Christ of whom they spoke remains continuously the same.”

Stibbs: Let them find inspiration to be steadfast in the faith by remembering their former Christian leaders (v. 7), by whom they were instructed in the truth of God and the gospel. Fresh consideration of the lives they lived and of the way such lives ended will help them to copy their faith. For Jesus Christ, whom they trusted and followed, is the same today as He was then, and will continue the same for ever (v. 8). He is the one all-sufficient guarantee of salvation.”

Schnabel: “In the context of Hebrews 13:7, the statement in Hebrews 13:8 asserts that although the missionaries and preachers change, the acclamation of Hebrews 13:8 implies that to the extent that Jesus Christ was presented authoritatively in the preaching of the missionary leaders, they continue to have authority in the local Christian community even after their death.”

Bruce: “Those who planted this community of Christians and fostered it by the ministry of the word of God and the example of a life of faith had run the race unwavering to the end; ...Yet they died; they lived on in the memory of those who had known them, but they were no longer available for consultation and wise guidance as they once had been. Jesus Christ, by contrast, was always available, unchanging from year to year.”

In case you may have missed the implication of this unified testimony to the question regarding Christ's deity, two additional commentators specifically pointed out the time frame which Hebrews 13:8 covered:

    Ellingsworth: “'Yesterday and today,' in the broad sense of these terms, correspond to the previous and current generation of the life of the local church to which Hebrews is addressed, and with which v. 7 was concerned. 'And for ever'...draws the readers' attention to the great theme of Christ's everlasting high priesthood.”

    Porter cites this verse as an example of “eternity circumscribed,” which in this case “speaks of a continued existence for the entirety of a set period of time, often with reference to the future.” Thus, it applies not to “the beginning and the end” of time, but to the specific period beginning with Christ's resurrection on into the future.

So, in conclusion, Hebrews 13:8 has no bearing whatsoever on the unchanging nature of Jesus Christ either in His pre-incarnate or earthly state. It simply states that His present glorified state with the Father will continue forever and forever.