Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? (Heb 2:1–4)
Paul showed that there is a very great difference between the old covenant and the new covenant since he speaks about the “word” in the first covenant, but in this covenant, he speaks of “salvation.” For the first covenant was only a giving of customs and observances, whereas in this covenant there is also the grace of the Spirit and release from sins and the promise of the kingdom of heaven and the promise of immortality. Therefore, he also rightly says, “such a great salvation,” showing by the epithet its greatness. In the first covenant it was given “through the angels,” but now “through the Lord.” And since there were marvels with the former covenant, so that the new covenant might not seem inferior to the old in this respect, he well appended the statement, “while God further testified with signs and wonders and various powers,” saying this so that by its increase the fullness of grace might appear beyond that of the law also in this matter. For there the wonders took place only according to the need, but here also many of those outside the faith were healed through us, from even whatsoever diseases happened to afflict them. For such was the abundance of healings among us. Also the dead were raised.… After comparing and contrasting the difference and showing the superiority in a various and manifold manner, he added a greater thing that did not happen to those in the Law: “and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed.” For that each of the believers should have their own share in the Spirit was a characteristic of those in grace. And well he adds in addition to all these things “according to his own will,” that is, the will of God who fully wished once and for all to lavish us greatly so that his grace for us might not be repented of, and that the gifts of grace once given to us might not be changed along with the things of the previous covenant, as some might suspect.
Theodore of Mopsuestia, Fragments on Hebrews 2
He then shifts his attention to exhortation, saying, Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard: understanding this difference, therefore, we must attend more zealously to the teaching in case we are guilty of backsliding. Again he associated a comparison with the exhortation, showing the extent to which the Gospel teaching surpasses the provisions of the Law. The ministry of angels was involved in the giving of the Law, whereas in this case the Lord in person was the first to propose the saving teaching, and those who were in receipt of the apostolic grace welcomed it. While the Law gives us a glimpse of what has to be done, the Lord’s teaching is the source of eternal salvation. Now, since Moses also employed wonderworking, it was necessary for Him to show the superiority of grace in this respect, too: in this case, it was not only the Lord who worked wonders but also His divine disciples and their successors. He also showed the New Covenant to be resplendent with spiritual gifts: of old the inspired authors alone shared in the spiritual bounty, whereas now all the believers enjoy this grace.
Theodoret of Cyrus, Commentary on Hebrews 2
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