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NASB | Hebrews 1:3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Hebrews 1:3 The Son is the radiance and only expression of the glory of [our awesome] God [reflecting God's Shekinah glory, the Light-being, the brilliant light of the divine], and the exact representation and perfect imprint of His [Father's] essence, and upholding and maintaining and propelling all things [the entire physical and spiritual universe] by His powerful word [carrying the universe along to its predetermined goal]. When He [Himself and no other] had [by offering Himself on the cross as a sacrifice for sin] accomplished purification from sins and established our freedom from guilt, He sat down [revealing His completed work] at the right hand of the Majesty on high [revealing His Divine authority], |
Bible Question:
Can someone please explain the term " Word of His power"(nasb) // " His mighty word of power" (amp)? I understand it to mean that in order for God's power to operate, we must speak His word. His power actually operates by us speaking His word. His power is released through His Word. Help!!! |
Bible Answer: Hi HEWEsq, Welcome to the forum. I will be speaking to you as one who is interested in capitalization of the word of God. I distinguish between the word of God and the Word, God incarnate, by the use of lower and upper case letters. Thus, I want to point out to you that the "word of His power" in the NASB is lower case. Hebrews starts by saying that God spoke (through the Old Testament prophets and the Scriptures) in many portions and many ways and now has spoken to us through His Son (the Word). ***This Word is now upholding all things by the word of His power. For an example of the power of the word of God and the exact representation of His nature, I would have you look at Acts 17:18-29 in NASB and NKJ. Paul's spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was full of idols. Acts 17:16. Acts 17:18, "Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, "What does this babbler want to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods," [literally demons], because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection." The word of power for Paul seems to be the resurrection of Jesus. Acts 17:22, "Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, 'Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, (Him) I proclaim to you. God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heavn and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life,breath, and all things." ***The parentheses are mine for comparison. Paul is proclaiming Jesus to them; the unknown God. He is not a god who dwells in temples made with hands. Acts 17:26, "And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for (Him) and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;" ***The men of Athens were groping for the God that Paul was proclaiming. Acts 17:28, "for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.'" ***We are human offspring but we are searching and groping for the (Spirit) for we are God's offspring also. Acts 17:29, "Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature [Godhead, KJV] is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man's devising." ***This Godhead is the Spirit that they were groping for and is not made of material nor an image created by man. Acts 17:30, NKJ, "Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which (He) will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men [when He raised from the dead]. ***The faith in and assurance of the resurrection is what proves that Jesus was God and the expected Messiah. Acts 17:32, "And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, 'We will hear you again on this matter.' So Paul departed from them." ***So again the power is in the resurrection. For the discussion of whether the power is in the word or in the spoken Word as you printed it, consider the following verses. Acts 18:5, NKJ, "When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit [ Or, in his spirit or in the Spirit] and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ." I prefer the NASB for Acts 18:5, "But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ." Acts 17:2, "And according to Paul's custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, "This (Jesus) whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ."" ***God will judge the world in righteousness through this Man whom He appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead. Acts 17:31 Hebrews 1:3, "And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, *upholding all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, (He) sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high;..." From the heart, Ray |