“to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect” (Hebrews 12:23).
The translation above accurately communicates the plurality of the Greek noun used. The firstborn being referenced is not Jesus (I.e., singular as in Hebrews 1:6); rather, it is all the members (plural) who comprise the church Jesus has redeemed.
The phrase is inherently stunning.
It implies an astonishing inheritance.
Among the ancient customs of inheritance is the tradition that only male offspring could be heirs (Numbers 27:8). Also, the firstborn male offspring would receive a double portion of his father’s inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:17). Therefore, if a man died with three surviving sons, the inheritance would be equally divided into four portions and the oldest son would receive two of the portions.
In distributing His inheritance to His children–the church of the firstborn ones, God gives all His children–male and female alike–an equal inheritance (1 Peter 3:7). All His children are co-heirs with each other (Ephesians 3:6) and joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17).
God has no stepchildren, half-children, or inferior children. If you have been redeemed by the blood of the Firstborn, you are a child of God who has been promised a firstborn’s inheritance as a registered, natural-born citizen of heaven.
An astonishing inheritance in the eternal city is one of the riches of God’s amazing grace given to the church of the firstborn.
