Salvation in its primary aspect is so removed from anything that the sinner can do, and

is so infinitely beyond the touch of any failure on his part, that to speak of `neglecting' is

to misapply the word. Timothy could be urged not to neglect a gift which he already

possessed (I Tim. 4: 14), and these Hebrews could be warned by the example of their

fathers in the wilderness of the possibility of failing to reach salvation in its fullest

meaning, and that is in view in Heb. 2: 3.

No sinner is saved from the guilt of sin by Christ as a `Captain'. The figure that sets

forth initial salvation is the Passover. Joshua is the type of the Captain of salvation, but

he leads a redeemed people on to the promised possession, so the Captain of salvation in

Heb. 2: 10 is seen `bringing many sons (not to life), but to glory'. So with the rest of the

occurrences of `salvation' in Hebrews. This is true even with the last which deals with

Noah and the Flood. The ungodly were not saved in the Ark. Noah was a saved and

justified believer, only eight souls were saved, and the rest of the world destroyed. One

can no more use the Ark as a type of initial salvation than one can use the type of the

`Captain' of the salvation that will be manifested at His Second Coming (Heb. 9: 28).

While salvation is found 7 times in Hebrews, the title "Saviour" does not occur.

Acts 5: 31 speaks of Him as `A Prince and a Saviour'. Hebrews retains the word

`Prince' (2: 10; 12: 2, same Greek word) but omits the title `Saviour'. In the epistle He

is Captain, Leader, High Priest and Perfecter, titles that deal with the land of promise

rather than with the exodus from Egypt.

Let us now turn our attention to Heb. 1: 4:

Let us first of all note the terms of comparison `by so much', `by how much',

represented in the A.V. of Heb. 1: 4 by the words `so much' and `as'.

The Apostle employs `by so much' again in Heb. 7: 22 where we read in connection

with the Melchisedec priesthood `By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better

testament'. The two words tosoutos and hosos came together in Heb. 10: 25 "Exhorting

one another and so much the more as ye see the day approaching". We do not need an

inspired revelation to assure us that He Who is set forth as `Son' and `Brightness of His

glory', `Express image of His person', `Upholder of all things', heir of all things and

maker of the worlds, must of necessity be `better than angels', and the epistle does not

say any such unnecessary thing. What Hebrews is concerned to enforce is that he Who

was so high, stooped so low, and as Man He became `lower than the angels', but by

virtue of His triumph over sin and death, that is by `inheritance' and not by absolute

inherent right, this same Redeemer has now been raised so much above angels as the

inherited Name excels every name that is named in this world and that which is to come.

For at the Name of Jesus every knee shall one day bow, and every tongue confess that He

is Lord.