By Darren Nguyen
Do Our Works Matter? The Use of ἔργον in Hebrews
Introduction
The author of Hebrews uses the word ἔργον (ergon) and it’s inflected forms ἔργα (erga),ἔργων (ergown), and ἔργου (ergou) nine times throughout the letter, translated each time by the ESV as the word “work(s)”. Over the course of the letter, the author gradually shifts the subject of work from the works of God (1:10, 3:9, 4:3-4) to the works of believers (4:10, 6:1,10, 9:14, 10:24). This shift communicates that the foundation of good works is God’s work of creation, salvation, and provision. In faith then, believers rest and repent from “dead works” (works of the Old Covenant, i.e. the law or flesh) and move toward participation in the good works of God, which are the fruit of the gospel of Jesus. This is an intentional shift that serves the author’s purpose of exhorting his audience to “hold fast to the hope set before us” (6:18), the gospel message of Jesus, in order to not fall away from New Covenant faith.
The ἔργον of God
The first four uses of ἔργον in Hebrews are all either direct quotes from or directly referencing the LXX (Septuagint). The author first quotes Psalm 102:25: “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work (ἔργα) of your hands.” While the primary purpose of this quote is to establish Jesus as the Son of God and heir of His Kingdom as opposed to the angels, it is still important to note that the act of creation is described as a work of the Son. In fact, creation is the first external work of the Trinity (traditionally attributed as a work of the Father through the Son) and therefore the foundation of all good works.
God’s work of creation is given further light in the author’s reference to Genesis 2:2, found in 4:3-4. God’s work of creation was finished “from the foundation of the world”, as Genesis says: “God rested on the seventh day from all his works (ἔργων).” It can be safely assumed that “all his works” is a specific reference to His works of creation, rather than a general rest from any sort of working. Jesus testifies to this Himself in John 5:17 saying: “My Father is working (ἐργάζεται) until now, and I am working (ἐργάζομαι)”. The author of Hebrews later (4:10) uses God’s rest from the work of creation as an example of how one rests from the works of the Old Covenant/Law when they believe in the gospel of Jesus.
Alongside creation, God’s work of salvation and provision is highlighted by the author of Hebrews by way of Psalm 95:9, found in 3:9: “where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works (ἔργα) for forty years.” In this psalm, the works of Godpertain to the works the wilderness generation of Israel witnessed in their lifetime, including the plagues God sent to Egypt, all of the events of God delivering Israel from Egyptian slavery (passover, parting the Red Sea, pillar of cloud and fire), and all the ways Godprovided for the Israelites in the wilderness (water from the rock, manna from heaven, victory in battle). The issue, however, is that this generation hardened their hearts towards God despite seeing and benefitting from all these works. Both the authors of Psalm 95 and Hebrews urge their audiences to place their faith in God after seeing His work of salvation and provision for themselves in contrast to the Israelites’ unfaithfulness.
The ἔργον of Believers
Beginning with 6:1, the author of Hebrews shifts his use of ἔργον from a focus on the acts of God to the works of man. 4:10 serves as a bridge for this transition: “for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works (ἔργων) as God did from his.” The believer enters God’s rest through faith, resting from what he later calls “dead works”. In the larger context of Hebrews, we can assume these dead works to be works performed under the old covenant meant to attain righteousness before God. Since righteousness (or perfection) was attained by Jesus as great high priest, believers are now made righteous and perfect through faith in Him and His sacrifice. This is why the author of Hebrews calls Christians in 6:1 to “go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God”.
This interpretation is confirmed by 9:13-14 and 10:23-24, in which the author uses the same formula of the Gospel cleansing Christians from dead works and leading them towards works of faith. In 9:13-14 he writes, “For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works (ἔργων) to serve the living God.” The old covenant sacrificial system provided a temporary atonement for the people of God but without faith did not lead to a life of good works. How much better is the sacrifice of the eternal Son of God? Infinitely better, as it not only purifies the one who has faith once and for all but also then transforms them to be able to participate in the good works of faith already started by the great high priest, Jesus Christ.
The author of Hebrews then later writes in 10:23-24: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works (ἔργων)”. The formula is at work once again; because of the gospel (the confession of our hope), the church is now to participate in love and good works. The nuance here is that the church is told to “stir up one another” to these good works. Believers are empowered by the Holy Spirit to produce fruit, love, and good works, and in that empowerment are called to encourage one another to hold fast and continue in them.
These good works, done in and by faith, are acknowledged by God Himself. After warning readers against apostasy, the author of Hebrews makes sure to assure them of their faithfulness and uses their works of love as proof, writing in 6:10: “For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work (ἔργου) and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.” The genitive inflection of ἔργον here shows possession, specifically that it is the people’swork of love for God and fellow saints that God does not overlook. Because of their faith in Jesus and His Gospel, the work of the saints is cleansed, purified, and looked upon favorably by God. They are not dead, producing nothing, but good and producing the fruit of the gospel; which is chiefly love.
Why Does This Matter to You?
This treatment of works in Hebrews serves to show that, for Christians, good works do indeed matter, but only in the context of faith in Jesus and His sacrifice which has already cleansed, purified, and transformed those works. The gospel transforms both how Christians view their good works of faith and the works themselves. A new covenant believer is no longer working for righteousness, for righteousness and perfection has already been attained for them by way of Jesus the great high priest. Going forward then, their works are no longer self-serving but, empowered by the Holy Spirit, serve God and others in love. Working in this way, the church participates in God’s ongoing work of salvation and provision by preaching and declaring the Gospel, encouraging the saints to hold fast to their hope in Jesus and loving one another and the world through sacrificial care and generosity. These are the good works the church is called to in Christ knowing that their salvation is already secure by His sacrifice.
As a Christian, it is natural to feel the tension between assurance of salvation and feeling compelled to do good works. In fact, it is a good thing to wrestle with this. It is an opportunity to further trust in the work of Christ on the cross, to trust that His grace is indeed sufficient. It is also an opportunity to put this faith into action, trusting that the Father sees and approves of these works of love. And not only does He approve, He is the one who empowers and transforms our good works; supplying and multiplying our efforts of faith in the world. Therefore, brothers and sisters of the faith, endure and persevere in faith and good works. Do not shy away from either, but allow the Spirit to produce fruit within and through you. God is not unjust, and because of your savior Jesus Christ, one day He will one day speak the longed-for blessing over you: “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matt. 25:23).
For Further Study
The Thorn-Infested Ground in Hebrews 6:4-12 (Article)A touch of condemnation in a word of exhortation: Apocalyptic language and Graeco-Roman rhetoric in Hebrews 6:4-12 (Journal Article)
Hold Fast to Your Hope (Devotional w/ Audio)
