Hebrews 2:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Having spoken of the Son, of the works of the divine economy, of creation, and of the Kingdom, and having proved the Son's equality with the Father and His dominion as Master, not only over men but also over the powers above, the Apostle then exhorts them. He teaches that we must give heed to what has been said, and says: "Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to what we have heard." Here he means that one must give heed more earnestly than to the Law, but he passes over this in silence. He explains it in the proofs, not in the exhortation or counsel itself, because this was better.

“Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard.” Since, he says, the superiority of the Son who spoke to us is so great over the prophets and angels, the ministers of the Old Testament, we must heed what He said more than the Law.

Yet he did not say this directly, so as not to strike them at the beginning. He left them to draw this conclusion from what follows.

He says this not by comparing the Old Testament with the New. No. He speaks against the opinion of those who speak of the Old Testament with great glory and neglect the New.

Therefore we must be exceedingly grateful and give the more earnest heed to what we have heard from Christ Himself and His apostles, lest we fall away from God. Out of gratitude, we must take care not to offend our Savior by disobeying His word, His Gospel. For disobedience and pride, like the pride of the fallen angel, the devil, lead to no good.

Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the words which we have heard from the Son, lest we too fall away, as the former people did.

Therefore, knowing this distinction, we must give more careful heed to the teaching, lest we be subject to some stumbling.

Since what concerns Christ's becoming man contains a deep and subtle meaning, we must give much greater heed to it than we gave to the old Law, "lest we fall away," that is, lest we turn aside from our duty and from the path leading to salvation.

Therefore, since all that concerns the Incarnation is deep and weighty, we must "give the more earnest heed," he says, than we gave to the Law. "Lest we fall away," that is, lest we fall away from the path that is needful and saving.

Having thus proved that David is speaking not of the angels, but of the human nature of Jesus Christ, when he says, “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand,’” the divine Apostle turns his discourse, by way of conclusion, to exhortation and instruction.

He teaches thus: “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest at any time we drift away.” The phrase “the more” implies comparison.

What, then, is being compared? To what does he apply “the more”? He said earlier: “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke of old to the fathers by the prophets” (Heb 1:1). This is one part of the comparison, namely, the prophets.

The Apostle's introductory words concern the comparative dignity of the word of the Law and the Gospel of Christ. "Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to what we have heard, lest we fall away" (Heb 2:1). For what reason precisely? Because of the superiority of Jesus Christ explained above, not only over the prophets but also over the angels.

The Apostle interrupts his discourse on the superiority of Jesus Christ over the angels with an exhortation to his readers. They must take care to preserve the Gospel proclaimed by the Son, because of all that he has already said about the Son and His significance, διά τούτο.