The Structure of Hebrews 1:1–2
In our previous column (Greek for Bible Readers, BR 08:02), we looked at the structure of sentences in the Greek New Testament and suggested that you analyze the structure of Hebrews 1:1–2. Compare your analysis with what we offer below. The brackets demonstrate how the major subsections of the text relate to each other.
The author’s main point is that God has spoken. But God expressed himself in two different ways, one in an earlier and preliminary revelation, the other in a final and definitive revelation. The structure and style of Hebrews 1:1–2 is extremely well organized. A clear progression of ideas moves from God to the Son (the rest of the paragraph deals specifically with the Son and with his attributes). This prologue is a thematic introduction to the whole book. (For a detailed discussion, see my “Hebrews 1:1–4: A Study in Discourse Analysis,” Westminster Theological Journal 49 [1987], pp. 175–194.)