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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Heb_2:1-4
1For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. 2For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, 3how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, 4God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.
Heb_2:1 "For this reason" This refers to the truths of chapter 1.
▣ "we must" This is the term "dei," which means moral necessity. This is the first (i.e., Heb_2:1-4) of many warnings in the book of Hebrews addressed to a group of believing Jews still worshiping in a synagogue with unbelieving Jews. Some of the warnings of the book are directed at the believers to take the plunge, publicly join the church and move on into the fullness and maturity of the worldwide mission of the gospel (cf. Mat_28:19-20; Luk_24:47; Act_1:8). Other warnings are addressed directly to the unbelieving Jews who had heard the gospel and seen its power in the lives of their believing Jewish friends and co-worshipers, but had refused to personally accept Jesus as the promised Messiah and to move beyond their rabbinical traditions (cf. Hebrews 6; Hebrews 10).
NASB "pay much closer attention"
NKJV "give the more earnest heed"
NRSV "pay greater attention to"
TEV "hold on all the more firmly to"
NJB "turn our minds more attentively"
This is a strong Greek comparative and infinitive which means to give special, complete attention and care to something or someone (cf. Act_8:6; Act_8:10; Act_16:14). The New Covenant of the Son (the gospel) is both precious and dangerous! God's truth must be handled appropriately.
▣ "do not drift away from it" This term is used only here in the NT. It literally means "to flow by" or "slip away." It is used figuratively of a current of wind or water causing someone to be carried past a safe anchorage.
This warning is stated as an aorist passive subjunctive first person plural. There is an element of contingency caused by an unstated outside agent (passive voice) and the subjunctive mood. Drifting past or away from the truth was a real possibility. It is also possible that the metaphor is directed to the recipients still remaining while the truth moves on. This may be an allusion to Pro_3:21 in the Septuagint where the same verb is used.
There are three ways of viewing this warning.
1. as referring to those who refused to respond to the gospel (cf. Heb_2:3)
2. as referring to those who had believed (cf. "we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard,"v. 1), but not matured
3. as referring to those who had believed and were in danger of not holding on to their original profession/confession of faith in Christ.
The first would refer to the unbelieving Jews, while the second and third would refer to the believing Jews. The use of the first person plural seems to mean that the author groups himself with those addressed and would imply that they were believers or at lease in a synagogue where the gospel was shared (cf. Heb_2:3). However, this same grammatical plural appears in a literary, not literal, usage in Heb_10:26.
Heb_2:2 "if" This is a first class conditional sentence which is assumed to be true from the author's perspective or for his literary purposes. It is often translated in English as "since" or "because."
▣ "the word spoken through angels" This is referring to the Mosaic Law. The Jews believed that angels acted as mediators between YHWH and Moses on Mt. Sinai (cf. Exo_3:2; Exo_14:19; Exo_23:20-23; Exo_32:34; Exo_33:2; Psa_68:17; Act_7:38; Act_7:53; Gal_3:19).
NASB "proved unalterable"
NKJV "proved steadfast"
NRSV "was valid"
TEV "was shown to be true"
NJB "proved to be so reliable"
God is faithful to His word, both blessings and/or cursings (cf. Deuteronomy 27-28).
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▣ "every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty" The Mosaic Covenant was based on obedience! Willful disobedience has clear and immediate consequences (cf. Heb_10:28).
These two terms are formed with the same preposition; parabasis and parakoç, which may have been an intentional word (sound) play.
Heb_2:3 "how will we escape" The book of Hebrews has many severe warnings about neglecting God's truth (cf. Heb_2:1-4; Heb_3:7 to Heb_4:11; Heb_5:11 to Heb_6:12; Heb_10:19-39; Heb_12:14-29).
▣ "if we neglect so great a salvation" The term "neglect" (ameleô) means "to pay no attention to" or "to be unconcerned about" something or someone. It is used in the NT for (1) an admonition for Timothy not to neglect his spiritual gift (cf. 1Ti_4:14) and (2) an affirmation of YHWH's lack of attention to Israel because they violated His covenant (cf. Heb_8:9).
This is the major point of the argument that if the Mosaic Covenant had such tremendous consequences for its neglect then how much more severe the consequences for neglecting the new and better Covenant brought by Jesus (the Son). The consequences of knowingly neglecting a message are related to the majesty of the One who brings the message (i.e., parables of royal wedding, cf. Mat_22:2-14).
The interpretive question then becomes, "Is this referring to (1) a rejecting of the new covenant (the gospel) or (2) a neglecting of the new covenant?" The contemporary usage of the term implies #2. Some commentators would add the use of "we" as an evidence of the author identifying with a believing group, but in Heb_10:26 the author uses this same pronoun (first person plural) in addressing the unbelieving group. These recipients were not rejecting the gospel, but minimizing its influence in their lives.
▣ "it was at the first spoken through the Lord" Jesus is called by YHWH's OT covenant title "I Am that I Am" (cf. Exo_3:14, which was later read as "Lord" [adon]). See Special Topic at Heb_2:7. This is one of the ways that NT authors show the deity of Jesus of Nazareth. YHWH Himself bears witness to the truthfulness of Jesus' message (cf. Heb_2:4). See Special Topic: Archç at Heb_3:14.
▣ "by those who heard" Both John Calvin and Martin Luther said that this phrase refers to a second generation Christian. Obviously this cannot mean Paul (cf. Gal_1:11). Paul was not the human author of Hebrews. See note at Heb_13:23.
Heb_2:4 "God also testifying with them by signs and wonders and by various miracles" Signs and wonders were intended both to encourage believers and to help unbelievers accept the truth (cf. Act_2:22). God continues (present active participle) to bear witness to the truth of the gospel. There was an intensification of both evil and spiritual signs surrounding Jesus' first coming, as there will be surrounding His second coming.
▣ "and by gifts of the Holy Spirit" Every believer has at least one spiritual gift given by the Spirit at the time of conversion (cf. 1Co_12:7; 1Co_12:11; 1Co_12:18; Eph_4:11-12). This spiritual giftedness of believers is one of the contemporary evidences of the gospel's validity, which some of the recipients of the letter were denying or rejecting!
▣ "according to His own will" The Spirit chooses and distributes gifts (cf. 1Co_12:7; 1Co_12:11; 1Co_12:18). Believers are not gifted based on personal merit or personal choice! If the spiritual gift relates to a natural talent, it is energized and so directed as to bring honor to Christ, not the individual Christian. All the gifts serve the body. Each believer is to live for the health and growth of the body!