HEBREWS 2:10
“For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the originator of their salvation through sufferings.”
Many years ago, I worked for Florida Baptist Children’s Homes and had a coworker who was quite the jokester. He called me Commodore. He even photoshopped my official agency picture with me wearing a boat captain’s hat. I still have that picture lying around somewhere. The only boat I captained was a three person rowboat, lol.
You may ask, “Where do you see the word “captain” in our verse today?” The Greek word translated “originator” is arxēgós “from arxḗ, ‘the first’ and ágō, ‘to lead’ – properly, the first in a long procession; a file-leader who pioneers the way for many others to follow. Arxēgós does not strictly mean ‘author,’ but rather “a person who is originator or founder of a movement and continues as the leader – i.e. ‘pioneer leader, founding leader’” (HELPS Word-studies) The word can be defined as captain or prince.
ASK QUESTIONS (Command to Obey, Promise to claim, Sin to avoid, Application to make, Something new about God)
Do you see the Something new about God here? I have never seen Jesus as Captain, even though the full definition of the Greek word definitely describes Him. This word is only used three other times in the New Testament. It is used by Peter in his second sermon found in Acts 3:15 where it says, “but put to death the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses.” Later in Acts, we find it used again by Peter in 5:31. Right after Peter tells the high priest they have to obey God rather than men (verse 29), he says, “He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” Don’t you know those words really got under their skin?
The last time we see the word arxēgós used is later in Hebrews 12:2. “looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus began the Christian faith. He was the originator, the captain, the author. He set the example for us all to follow.
Can I point out one more thing in our verse today? It’s something that you might miss. We are told that God perfected Jesus through sufferings. Look at the last phrase again. It says, “to perfect the originator of their salvation through sufferings.” Jesus was already perfect, wasn’t He? Why did God have to use sufferings to perfect Him? MacLaren says it well. “Christ’s perfecting is not the perfecting of His moral character, but the completion of His equipment for His work of being the Captain of our salvation.” God completed His work through Christ through His sufferings. What a gift to us!
Father God, I give You praise for establishing Jesus as the Captain of our salvation.
