“Confession of the Son of God in Hebrews,” New Testament Studies 53.1 (2007): 114–129

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Abstract
Hebrews is addressed to a community whose waning commitment may lead to a complete abandonment of their Christian identity. In response, the author crafts an imaginative and powerful exhortation that centers on Jesus’ identity as the Son of God. The author first dramatizes the Son’s exaltation, emphasizing the Father’s declaration of Jesus’ sonship, the Son’s reciprocal confession of the Fatherhood of God, and the Son’s conferral of family membership upon the recipients. The recipients are then called upon to participate in this pattern of mutual familial confession in two strategic hortatory passages: 4.14-16 and 10.19-25. These two exhortations to confess Jesus as the Son of God are intended to bring a halt to their wavering commitment and solidify their identity as siblings of the Son.