Last week, we learnt about how important Psalm 110 and the concept of Jesus reigning was in the gospels and Acts. This week, we can see how this text formed a crucial part of the theology of Paul and the writers of the other New Testament letters.

Psalm 110:1 in the Pauline Epistles

Psalm 110:1 in Romans
“Who is he that condemns? Messiah Jesus, who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God, and is also interceding for us.” (Rom 8:34)

Although the metaphor here portrays a courtroom situation, with God as judge, once again the phrase “who is at the right hand of God” is used of Messiah. This shows that “the real emphasis in this passage is on His power and authority. As the One on the right side of the judge, Jesus is a co-regent with all the power and authority” that entails.¹

Psalm 110:1 in 1 Corinthians

In 1 Corinthians 15:25 we read that “He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet”.

David Anderson observes that “the ultimate use of Psalm 110:1 in 1 Corinthians 15:25 is to prove the kingdom power of the King … Psalm 110:1 is used to prove that the Messiah will subjugate all other authorities”, and so “Psalm 110:1 is used to support the messianic authority of Christ”.²

Psalm 110:1 in Ephesians

“When He raised Messiah from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills everything in every way.” (Eph 1:20-23)

Here, Psalm 110:1 forms the bedrock of what some see as Paul’s last intended theological and pastoral message to the church. Ephesians 1:15–2:10 constitutes a midrash (a Jewish exposition) on Psalm 110:1, in which Paul expounds Jesus as seated in the place of present power and authority, where God has placed “all things under His feet … for the ecclesia”, (Eph 1:22) that is for those called out to exercise that authority, as also implied at Ephesians 2:6.

Ephesians 1:20-21 identifies Christ as being “seated at His right hand in the heavenly realms”, and is emphatic that Jesus is “far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age, but also in the one to come”. Paul could not strive any harder to use as definitive and all-embracing language as possible, in order to emphasise Messiah’s absolute superiority and authority. It is a graphic picture of the full theological significance of being seated at the right hand.

Paul could not strive any harder to use as definitive and all-embracing language as possible, in order to emphasise Messiah’s absolute superiority and authority.

Ephesians 1:22 continues the derivation from Psalm 110:1 by noting that “God placed all things under His feet”. By specifying that God “appointed Him to be head over everything for the church” Paul ties this in to involve the ecclesia, as participating in the present exercise of messianic authority. In case this is at all unclear or in doubt, Paul affirms his intention in Ephesians 2:6 where he sees the church already spiritually “raised up with Christ and seated with Him in the heavenly realms”, so that we can walk in the (spiritual) works which God intended us to do (Eph 2:10).

If Ephesians is intended as Paul's final theological treatise to the church at large, then it is hugely significant that it relies on a midrash of Psalm 110:1 as its theological platform, not forgetting that Paul's closing exhortation will refer to our struggle against spiritual powers (Eph 6:12).

Paul begins his epistle by laying a powerful basis of the absolute authority of Christ, and of our right to be identified with Him, before ending by acknowledging the realities of our struggles against evil in this world. The certainty of his theological position is derived from, and solidly based on, the absolute recognition by the early church of the messianic significance of Psalm 110:1.

Psalm 110:1 in Colossians

“Since then you have been raised with Messiah, set your hearts on things above where Messiah is seated at the right hand of God.” (Col 3:1)

Colossians is likewise concerned not only with the power and authority of the Messiah, but also with His identity with the church. Colossians 1:13 identifies the risen Messiah as having “the kingdom of the Son”, and goes on to elaborate his authority over things “visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities” (Col 1:16).

He is shown to be the creator of these powers (Col 1:16), their head (Col 2:10), and victor over them (Col 2:15).

He is shown to be the creator of these powers (Col 1:16), their head (Col 2:10), and victor over them (Col 2:15). But He is also head of the body (Col 1:18 & Col 2:19), echoing Paul's insistence in Ephesians in linking the ecclesia to the functioning Lordship of Messiah. This link is again emphatically stressed in Colossians 3:1 where since believers are already deemed to have been “raised with Christ” they are enjoined to seek to identify with Him in that place “where Christ is seated at the right hand of God”.

Although the imagery of Psalm 110:1 is prominent, it is now used as an assumption in passing, rather than by direct quotation, as though the church has become so used to Psalm 110:1 being their bedrock for the understanding of Messiah’s risen authority, that it is effectively taken as read.

Anderson observes:
“despite verbiage which exalts Christ as much if not more than any other NT writings, Psalm 110:1 is not used for that effect. Like Ephesians 1:20 not a single word comes directly from the Septuagint. His exhortation in Colossians 3:1 seems to allude to Psalm 110:1 as a simple statement of fact. This move to the use of allusion rather than citation in the ‘Prison Epistles’ suggests that by AD 62 there was an established tradition in Christian circles regarding the use of Psalm 110:1. The imagery was well established and only allusions to it were necessary to convey the established meaning.”³

Commenting on the links to the ecclesia who rule with Messiah (so in Col 3:1), Anderson sees an emphasis “on the believers who are envisioned as also seated with Christ at the right hand of God … they must be seated with Him wherever He is”.⁴

Anderson’s summation is significant: “the use of allusion in Colossians rather than citation, is a strong indication that an established tradition of meaning for Psalm 110:1 was common knowledge by the end of Paul's life.”⁵

Psalm 110:1 in Peter

“It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand, with angels, authorities and powers in submission to Him.” (1 Pet 3:21-22)

As we have seen with Paul, so here where Peter places Messiah “at God's right hand”, the expression becomes a statement of authority, linked to the subjugation of supernatural powers: “with angels, authorities and powers in submission to Him”. As with Colossians, here we have an allusion to Psalm 110:1 rather than a direct quotation. However, once again it can be considered as a continuation of the ‘established tradition’ which was ‘common knowledge’ by this time.

Psalm 110:1 in Hebrews

Hebrews is widely regarded as highly sophisticated literature “written in what is considered as the best Greek in the NT”.⁶ Scholars speak of the many different themes skilfully woven together, even making a comparison with an orchestral composition having intertwining melodies.⁷ However, there is general agreement that among the many themes, Psalm 110 is the predominant refrain. Attridge picturesquely observes that Psalm 110 “runs like red thread” through the epistle.⁸

Attridge picturesquely observes that Psalm 110 “runs like red thread” through the epistle.

Psalm 110:1 is quoted directly in Hebrews 1:13 and is alluded to five more times (Heb 1:3; 8:1; 10:12-13; 12:2). Psalm 110:4 is introduced in Hebrews 5:6, then re-emerges at Hebrews 5:10, 6:20, 7:17, and 7:21, making it the dominant theme in the central argument of Hebrews.

FF Bruce is among those who support the view that the epistle is “a homiletical midrash based on Psalm 110”, in which the Hebrew scriptures “are treated by our author as a mashal, a parable or mystery which awaits its explanation”.⁹ Picking up on the view that Psalm 110:1 had already become an accepted expression of Messiah’s exalted position, one of the key arguments running through Hebrews can be summarised along the lines of “since we know that Psalm 110:1 applies to Jesus, therefore Psalm 110:4 must apply also”.¹⁰

What is significant from our point of view is that the strength of this argument rests on the assumption of the ready acceptance of Psalm 110:1 in the early messianic community. Ellingworth calls it an appeal “to a quotation deeply rooted in primitive tradition”, meaning an established early church tradition.¹¹

In Anderson’s extensive treatment of Psalm 110 in Hebrews, he rejects the concept that “Christ is enthroned but sitting passively on the throne”. Since “at the right hand” must imply active executive involvement, he insists it is unwarranted “to say the King is simply waiting around in heaven while He rests up for the final battle”.¹² Rather, Jesus is actively engaged through the church in exercising authority now. So “Psalm 110:1 is used by the writer to the Hebrews to … confirm the Son as King. He is … the Davidic King who presently rules from His exalted position on high.”¹³

Summary

Among both the Jewish religious community in Israel, and in the early church, Psalm 110 was believed to refer to Messiah. Anderson observes that “from the Synoptics to Acts to Paul to Peter, the Holy Spirit has planted Psalm 110:1 like seed in the soil of the New Testament to help germinate” the early Church’s ideas about Jesus as Messiah.¹⁴

The New Testament writings identify the right hand of God as a place of authority and power. This is made clear by the link with Daniel 7:13 in the synoptic reports of Jesus’ trial. When Jesus, at His trial, identified Himself as the figure “at the right hand”, coupled with Daniel 7:13, it was enough to provoke a charge of blasphemy, indicating that the High Priest recognised an implicit claim to divine status. The same reaction occurs from the Sanhedrin when Stephen later identifies Jesus as the figure “at the right hand”.

It was used by the Jewish writers of the New Testament as an assertive assurance of the present rule and authority of Messiah Jesus.

The authority over supernatural powers is emphatically portrayed in 1 Corinthians 15:20-27, Ephesians 1:20ff, Colossians 1:3 and 1 Peter 3:22. Technically, it can be affirmed from the grammar and syntax that “Paul expressly states that the spiritual principalities and powers” were made subject to Messiah at the Resurrection.¹⁵

There is widespread academic recognition of an ‘already but not yet’ tension; meaning a tension between the New Testament writers’ insistence that Jesus’ executive reign has begun, and the full implementation of that reign. However, that is not an aspect to discuss here, except to note that it has already been anticipated and made implicit in the phrase “until I make” of Psalm 110:1.¹⁶

The importance of Psalm 110:1 to the early Jewish messianic community should now be very clear. The trial of Jesus, Peter's first announcement of the gospel at Pentecost, Paul’s seminal midrash to the Ephesians (possibly his final exhortation), the “red thread” running through Hebrews, these are not passing incidents, they are all landmark occasions. In all these Psalm 110:1 plays the key role.

Conclusion

Psalm 110:1 is the most often quoted Hebrew scripture in the New Testament, yet its significance is largely overlooked. By the later writings of the New Testament, the acceptance of Psalm 110:1 relating to Jesus as Messiah was so commonly assumed by the New Testament community that it could simply be implied in passing. It was used by the Jewish writers of the New Testament as an assertive assurance of the present rule and authority of Messiah Jesus.

Frank Booth has a degree in Economics & History, and an MA in Biblical Interpretation. He lives in the Cotswolds, and has two children and two grand-children.

Notes

This article was based on an original research paper by the author, published by CMJ under their series of Olive Press Research Papers (No 21), which can be found on the CMJ UK website.

1. David Anderson The King-Priest of Psalm 110 in Hebrews (Peter Lang 2001) p 103
2. Anderson King-Priest p 108
3. Anderson King-Priest p 110
4. Anderson King-Priest p 110
5. Anderson King-Priest p 111
6. Paul Ellingworth The Epistle to the Hebrews (Epworth 1991) page viii
7. Ellingworth Hebrews (Epworth) p 41
8. Harold Attridge Hebrews (Fortress Press 1989) p 23
9. F F Bruce The Epistle to the Hebrews (NICNT Eerdmans 1990) p 26 & 27
10. Bruce Hebrews p 123
11. Paul Ellingworth Hebrews (NIGTC Paternoster 1993) p 131
12. Anderson King-Priest p 294
13. Anderson King-Priest p 291
14. Anderson King-Priest p 282
15. Anderson King-Priest p 284
16. In Ephesians (1:18-2.10) Paul identifies that we participate in Jesus' authority. So also in Matthew 28:18 Jesus says “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me, therefore go ...”. Our part is to come under Jesus' authority so that His reign on earth is established through us. I hope to explore this theme a little in a further article.