Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
All Commentaries on Hebrews 1:3 Go To Hebrews 1
John Chrysostom
AD 407
O! The wisdom of the Apostle! Or rather, not the wisdom of Paul, but the grace of the Spirit is the thing to wonder at. For surely he uttered not these things of his own mind, nor in that way did he find his wisdom. (For whence could it be? From the knife, and the skins, or the workshop?) But it was from the working of God. For his own understanding did not give birth to these thoughts, which was then so mean and slender as in nowise to surpass the baser sort; (for how could it, seeing it spent itself wholly on bargains and skins?) but the grace of the Spirit shows forth its strength by whomsoever it will.
For just as one, wishing to lead up a little child to some lofty place, reaching up even to the top of Heaven, does this gently and by degrees, leading him upwards by the steps from below—then when he has set him on high, and bidden him to gaze downwards, and sees him turning giddy and confused, and dizzy, taking hold of him, he leads him down to the lower stand, allowing him to take breath; then when he has recovered it, leads him up again, and again brings him down—just so did the blessed Paul likewise, both with the Hebrews and everywhere, having learned it from his Master. For even He also did so; sometimes He led His hearers up on high, and sometimes He brought them down, not allowing them to remain very long.
See him, then, even here— by how many steps he led them up, and placed them near the very summit of religion, and then or ever they grow giddy, and are seized with dizziness, how he leads them again lower down, and allowing them to take breath, says, He spoke unto us by [His] Son, whom He appointed Heir of all things. For the name of Son is so far common. For where a true [Son] it is understood of, He is above all: but however that may be, for the present he proves that He is from above.
And see how he says it: Whom He appointed, says he, heir of all things. The phrase, He appointed Heir, is humble. Then he placed them on the higher step, adding, by whom also He made the worlds. Then on a higher still, and after which there is no other, who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person. Truly he has led them to unapproachable light, to the very brightness itself. And before they are blinded see how he gently leads them down again, saying, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty. He does not simply say, He sat down, but after the purifying, He sat down, for he has touched on the Incarnation, and his utterance is again lowly.
