Being fully God he of course is sinless and perfectly obedient. So how ever we are to understand these verses, we need to also consider the humanity of Christ, not just his deity. Related to this, we know from elsewhere in Hebrews (let alone the rest of the New Testament) that Jesus is assumed to be without sin, and that he never disobeyed. See Heb. 4:15 and 7:26-27 for example.

Here I offer you a two for one package deal. These two passages are related, and both have long raised questions for many believers. The first speaks of Jesus becoming “perfect through what he suffered” while the second one speaks of Jesus learning “obedience from what he suffered” and then being “made perfect”.

The difficulty of course is this: How are we to understand Jesus becoming perfect and obedient? How is Jesus, who is fully God – yet also fully man – anything less than perfect? And how can he not be fully obedient? And how does suffering relate to all this?

Christians believe that Jesus is the perfect and spotless Son of God who was always fully obedient to the Father. If so, then how are we to understand these two passages? And what are we to make of the connection to suffering in each one? That is what we will try to get to the bottom of here.

Let me first offer each passage within the larger context in which it is found, with the relevant portions underlined:

Hebrews 2:9-10 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.

Hebrews 5:7-10 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

Before looking at each passage in turn, a few things can be said about both. A major way we try to resolve any problems here is to bear in mind the standard Christian understanding of the person of Christ – something I already mentioned. And that is, he is one person with two natures: a human nature and a divine nature.

Being fully God he of course is sinless and perfectly obedient. So how ever we are to understand these verses, we need to also consider the humanity of Christ, not just his deity. Related to this, we know from elsewhere in Hebrews (let alone the rest of the New Testament) that Jesus is assumed to be without sin, and that he never disobeyed. See Heb. 4:15 and 7:26-27 for example.

As to the first verse in question, the phrase “perfect through sufferings” is, as Peter O’Brien says, an “unusual expression [that] has been the subject of significant exegetical and theological debate since earliest times.” The context has to do with securing salvation for lost sinners, and the suffering spoken of is especially associated with the suffering Jesus endured on the cross. Many see the perfection being spoken of here as having to do with his office or vocation, not his nature or character. It is a functional perfection, not a moral perfection.

Various commentators can be brought in here. One of the earlier of the more modern commentaries on this is the 1964 NICNT commentary by F. F. Bruce. He says the following about Heb. 2:10:

But what is meant by His being made “perfect” through His sufferings? If the Son of God is the effulgence of His Father’s glory and the very impress of His being, how can he be thought of as falling short of perfection? The answer is this: the perfect Son of God has become His people’s perfect Savior, opening up their way to God; and in order to become that, He must endure suffering and death. The pathway of perfection which His people must treat must first be trodden by the Pathfinder; only so could He be their adequate representative and high priest in the presence of God.

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