Narrative Christological Solidarity in Hebrews
Exploring a Theological-Ethical Principle of Hebrews
(avg. read time: 27–53 mins.)
Scholars have widely recognized the theological-ethical character of Hebrews as a work that interweaves exposition and exhortation. As much of the focus of this text in both aspects is Jesus, understanding the role of Jesus in the argument is crucial for understanding the theological-ethical message of the author of Hebrews. However, while the theological role of Jesus in the argument of Hebrews has produced robust christological studies, the ethical role has produced much less variety. Scholars have tended to view Jesus’s ethical role as that of an exemplar. This view is not so much incorrect—as there is much to support the idea of Jesus as exemplar in Hebrews—as it is incomplete. Restricting Jesus’s ethical role in Hebrews to that of an exemplar inevitably maintains a certain distance between Jesus’s ethical conduct and that of his followers. The connective link between the two is only one of imitation and conformity. This picture of Jesus’s ethical function does not appear to fit with the deep connection of Jesus and his followers in participatory union indicated in Jesus’s theological function. As such, when the author invokes Jesus’s story, it is likely that more is happening in the ethical contexts than the author providing an example to imitate. Indeed, I argue that the author is relying on an idea that I call “narrative christological solidarity.”1 By “narrative christological solidarity,” I refer to the notion that the foundational connections and bonds (i.e., the solidarity) that community members share with one another and with their God is of a christological character, specifically because these connections and bonds are forged and maintained by the narrative of Jesus Christ and by participating in the same through faithful obedience.
What is fascinating about Hebrews in particular is how often the author invokes Jesus’s story. This includes the major gospel events of crucifixion, resurrection, and exaltation, as noted previously, but goes beyond them. The author stresses how Jesus is the union of divine and human, thereby implying, even if not narrating, his Incarnation. A point he references at multiple junctures is Jesus’s sinlessness (e.g., Heb 4:15; 7:26; 9:14; cf. 2 Cor 5:21; 1 Pet 1:19; 2:22; 3:18; 1 John 3:5), which relies on his life before his crucifixion. This includes references to Jesus’s temptations and sufferings prior to his death. I describe these references to Jesus’s story up to and including the major gospel events as exemplifying narrative christological solidarity because the story is invoked to emphasize an ongoing connection of the audience (and the author) with Jesus. There are several texts in Hebrews that highlight this connection that I will examine here, though I will, of course, try to set these texts in their context to further illuminate the connections this idea has with Hebrews as a whole.