Passage

Hebrews 2

Verses 5–9 WEB Voices

The world to come is subjected not to angels but to the Son of Man: Psalm 8’s royal human vocation, not yet seen fully under our feet, is already seen in Jesus—made lower than angels for a little while, crowned through death’s suffering, tasting death for everyone by God’s grace.

Hebrews 2:5

5For he didn’t subject the world to come, of which we speak, to angels.

Arminian

Wesley: the world to come—the Messiah’s dispensation—is not subjected to angels. In this last great dispensation the Son alone presides. The greater the salvation and the more glorious the Lord despised, the greater the punishment (linking to 2:1–4).

Angelic mediators do not rule the coming world. The Son’s presidency underwrites the warning already given.

Reformed

Calvin: the Father conferred on Christ sovereignty of the whole world; angels lack that honor. None of the angels should stand in the way of his preeminence who alone possesses supremacy.

The King who governs is the subjected world’s Lord. Obedience to Christ follows from his conferred rule.

Hebrews 2:6

6But one has somewhere testified, saying, “What is man, that you think of him? Or the son of man, that you care for him?

Arminian

Wesley: words concerning dominion were in some sense applicable to Adam; in their complete and highest sense they belong to none but the second Adam. To visit denotes the care of a present God.

Shared anthropology/christology: Psalm 8 rises from frail man to the Son of Man.

Reformed

Calvin: David speaks of mankind’s dignity; yet the words apply to Christ’s person. Man lost dominion in Adam; restoration begins with Christ the head. “One” names the psalmist with honor, not contempt.

Lost right in Adam, restored donation in Christ—Psalm 8’s “man” is fulfilled in the Head first.

Hebrews 2:7

7You made him a little lower than the angels. You crowned him with glory and honor.

Arminian

Wesley: made a little lower than the angels—true of Adam as created, and in a farther sense of the Son. Apostles cite the LXX; it was not their business, writing to Jews who esteemed it, to amend that translation into endless disputes.

Humiliation beneath angels is true in the incarnation path. Glory and honor crown the same one lowered.

Reformed

Calvin: the apostle does not overthrow David’s meaning but bids us consider Christ’s brief abasement and the glory with which he is perpetually crowned—more by allusion than by exact lexical transfer.

Humiliation and crown belong to Jesus; the King passed through lowliness into honor.

Hebrews 2:8

8You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” For in that he subjected all things to him, he left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we don’t yet see all things subjected to him.

Arminian

Wesley: putting all things under him implies nothing left out; yet this is not done now regarding man in general.

Shared already/not-yet: universal subjection is promised; present experience still waits. The gap drives the eye to Jesus in v. 9.

Reformed

Calvin: after laying down Christ’s universal dominion, he objects that all things do not yet obey; he answers that we already see glory and honor completed in Christ, and what is wanting will be completed in time. Christ wills that enemies not be subdued till the last day so that we may be tried.

The King who governs delays final subjection for the church’s testing—not from weakness.

Hebrews 2:9

9But we see him who has been made a little lower than the angels, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death for everyone.

Arminian

Wesley: we see Jesus crowned with glory and honour as reward for suffering death—made lower than angels who cannot suffer or die. Taste death—reality and shortness of continuance—for every man that ever was or will be born.

“For everyone” / every man is heard extensively—Christ tasted death for all humankind. Grace of God is the fountain; universal sufficiency meets a gospel that must still be believed. Jesus, not abstract humanity, is what we see crowned.

Reformed

Calvin: by saying for every man he means Christ died for us, taking what was due to us, redeeming us from death’s curse—not a physician’s mere sip for show. Through the grace of God: redemption’s cause is the Father’s infinite love, sparing not his own Son. Though universal subjection is not yet seen, we see Jesus crowned.

“everyone” is read in the scope of those he represents and redeems—particular love that actually removes the curse—while the verse’s grace is the Father’s. The King who governs crowns the crucified Jesus.

Key contrast Both see Jesus crowned through death by God’s grace. Arminians (Wesley) typically take “taste of death for everyone” as for every human being ever born—universal provision that still calls for faith. Reformed readers (Calvin) typically take the phrase as Christ’s substitution for those he redeems from death’s curse—effectual grace and definite saving intent—without denying the verse’s wide gospel proclamation.

Historic quotes

Voices from both camps

On Psalm 8, Jesus crowned through death, and tasting death for everyone, a few classic voices from each tradition.

Arminian Notable voices

“God hath not subjected the world to come—that is, the dispensation of the Messiah—to angels. In this last great dispensation the Son alone presides. What is man—these words concerning dominion were in some sense applicable to Adam; in their complete and highest sense they belong to none but the second Adam. Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels—also applicable to the Son of God. Now this putting all things under him is not done now with regard to man in general. It is done only with regard to Jesus, God-Man, who is now crowned with glory and honour as a reward for his having suffered death. That by the grace of God he might taste death—an expression denoting both the reality of his death and the shortness of its continuance—for every man that ever was or will be born into the world.”

John Wesley · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (on Heb 2:5–9)

Reformed Notable voices

“He again proves that Christ ought to be obeyed; for the Father has conferred on him the sovereignty of the whole world, while the angels are wholly destitute of such an honor. Man was put in possession of the world, but by his defection he deserved the loss of his dominion. God’s bounty belongs not to us until the right lost in Adam be restored by Christ. The dominion mentioned in the Psalm was lost in Adam and must again be restored as a donation; the restoration begins with Christ as the head. The world to come is the renovated world that began at Christ’s kingdom. Though universal subjection does not as yet appear, let us be satisfied that he has passed through death and been exalted to the highest honor; that which is wanting will in its time be completed. By saying for every man, he means that Christ died for us, and that by taking upon him what was due to us he redeemed us from the curse of death. This was done through the grace of God—the infinite love of God who spared not his own Son.”

John Calvin · Commentary on Hebrews (on Heb 2:5–9)

Quotations lightly abridged for length; wording follows standard English translations of the sources named.

Keep reading

Genesis, Psalms, Isaiah, Daniel, Matthew, John, Romans, Ephesians, Colossians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Hebrews, 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John are live

Browse verse-by-verse notes—Arminian and Reformed, side by side—kept fair and close to the text.

Browse the Bible