Nature of the Son
The difference between the Son and the angels is one of kind, not just degree, for when someone compares these things to each other, the stronger is said to differ from the weaker, as is the case with wisdom and stones.
If the apostle had said that the Son advances more than the angels, it would have provided a pretext for comparing the Son to the angels, but instead, he says the Son is stronger and differs from them, showing that the Son is of a different nature.
The Son's nature is distinct from that of all created things, for as the founder of all, he is different from everything that has been created, and his substance is not comparable to that of created things.
The Son did not say 'My Father is stronger than I' because he did not want anyone to think he is foreign to the Father's nature, but rather said 'My Father is greater' - not in terms of size or time, but through birth from the Father, which demonstrates the distinctness of his substance, and also when he said 'greater', he showed the distinctness of his substance.
The Word's incarnate economy is distinct from previous economies, and the apostle, looking at this economy and the one that took place through him at that time, wanted to show that this one is not like the previous ones, so that to the extent that he differs in nature from those sent before by him, to that extent the grace that came through him and from him is greater than the service through angels.
For it was the role of servants to demand only the fruits, but of the Son and Master to grant debts and transfer the vineyard.
These things are sufficient to shame those fighting against the truth, for if the Son is considered to be from angels, then the 'became' should also apply to him as it does to them, and none of them should differ in nature, but either they should be sons or he should be an angel, and all should sit together at the right hand of the Father, or the Son should stand with all as a ministering spirit sent for services like theirs.
However, Paul distinguishes the Son from created things, saying 'For which of the angels did he ever say "You are my Son, today I have begotten you?"' (Hebrews 1:5), and when he introduces the firstborn again, he says it not as those who distort the truth to fit their view of creation arrange this, but because he himself is first in all things.
As people marveled at his presence, they asked, 'Who is this one coming from Edom?' (Psalm 110:1, Isaiah 63:1)
The term 'firstborn' is used to describe the Son.
The Son became greater than the angels.
The apostle says the Son is stronger and differs from the angels, showing that the Son is of a different nature.
Greek
ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον "διαφέρει ἐν δόξῃ·" ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ἑτερογενῶν, ὅταν τις ταῦτα παραβάλῃ πρὸς ἄλληλα, τότε τὸ κρείττων πρὸς τὸ διαλλάττον λέγεται, καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῆς σοφίας καὶ τῶν λίθων εἴρηται. εἰ μὲν οὖν εἰρηκὼς ἦν ὁ ἀπόστολος Τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον ὁ Υἱὸς τῶν ἀγγέλων προάγει, ἢ τοσούτῳ μείζων ἐστὶν, ἦν ἂν ὑμῖν πρόφασις ὡς συγκρινομένου τοῦ Υἱοῦ πρὸς τοὺς ἀγγέλους· νῦν δὲ λέγων κρείττονα αὐτὸν εἶναι καὶ τοσούτῳ διαφέρειν, ὅσῳ διέστηκεν Υἱὸς δούλων, δείκνυσιν αὐτὸν ἄλλον εἶναι τῆς τῶν ἀγγέλων φύσεως· λέγων δὲ πάλιν αὐτὸν εἶναι τὸν θεμελιώσαντα τὰ πάντα, δείκνυσιν αὐτὸν ἄλλον εἶναι πάντων τῶν γενητῶν· ἄλλου δὲ καὶ ἑτεροουσίου αὐτοῦ ὄντος παρὰ τὴν τῶν γενητῶν φύσιν, ποία τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ σύγκρισις ἢ ὁμοιότης πρὸς τὰ γενητά; διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Υἱὸς οὐκ εἴρηκεν Ὁ Πατήρ μου κρείττων μου ἐστὶν, ἵνα μὴ ξένον τις τῆς ἐκείνου φύσεως αὐτὸν ὑπολάβῃ· ἀλλὰ μείζων εἶπεν, οὐ μεγέθει τινὶ, οὐδὲ χρόνῳ, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Πατρὸς γέννησιν· πλὴν ὅτι καὶ ἐν τῷ εἰπεῖν Μείζων ἐστὶν ἔδειξε πάλιν τῆς οὐσίας τὴν ἰδιότητα. καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολος δὲ, οὐ τὴν τοῦ Λόγου οὐσίαν προηγουμένως διακρῖναι θέλων πρὸς τὰ γενητὰ ἔλεγε 373 Τοσούτῳ κρείττων γενόμενος τῶν ἀγγέλων· ἀσύγκριτον γὰρ, μᾶλλον δὲ ἄλλο ἐστίν· ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν ἔνσαρκον οἰκονομίαν τοῦ Λόγου βλέπων καὶ τὴν τότε γενομένην παρ' αὐτοῦ οἰκονομίαν, ἠθέλησε δεῖξαι οὐχ ὅμοιον εἶναι τοῦτον τοῖς πρότερον, ἵνα ὅσῳ τῇ φύσει διαφέρει τῶν προαποσταλέντων παρ' αὐτοῦ, τοσούτῳ καὶ πλέον ἡ παρὰ τούτου καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ γενομένη χάρις κρείττων τῆς δι' ἀγγέλων διακονίας γένηται· δούλων μὲν γὰρ ἦν ἀπαιτεῖν μόνον τοὺς καρποὺς, Υἱοῦ δὲ καὶ δεσπότου χαρίσασθαι τὰς ὀφειλὰς, καὶ μεταθεῖναι τὸν ἀμπελῶνα. Ἔστι μὲν οὖν ἱκανὰ ταῦτα δυσωπῆσαι τοὺς μαχομένους πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν· εἰ δ' ὅτι γέγραπται Γενόμενος κρείττων, τό Γενόμενος οὐ θέλουσιν, ὡς περὶ Υἱοῦ λεγόμενον, 5 ἴσον ἀκοῦσαι τῷ Ἐστὶν, ἢ διὰ τὸ γενέσθαι τὴν κρείττω διακονίαν τό Γενόμενος λαβεῖν καὶ νοεῖν ὡς εἴπομεν, ἀλλὰ νομίζουσιν ἐκ ταύτης τῆς λέξεως γενητὸν εἰρῆσθαι τὸν Λόγον, ἀκουέτωσαν πάλιν Εἰ μὲν ἐκ τῶν ἀγγέλων ἐστὶν ὁ Υἱὸς, ἔστω καὶ ἐπ' αὐτοῦ ὡς ἐπ' ἐκείνων τό Γενόμενος· καὶ μηδὲν αὐτῶν κατὰ τὴν φύσιν διαφερέτω, ἀλλ' ἔστωσαν ἢ καὶ αὐτοὶ υἱοὶ, ἢ κἀκεῖνος ἄγγελος· καὶ κοινῇ πάντες καθεζέσθωσαν ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἢ μετὰ πάντων καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς παρεστηκέτω ὡς λειτουργικὸν πνεῦμα εἰς διακονίας ἀποστελλόμενος καὶ αὐτὸς τὰς ὁμοίας ἐκείνων· εἰ δὲ διίστησι τὸν Υἱὸν ὁ Παῦλος ἀπὸ τῶν γενητῶν λέγων "Τίνι γὰρ εἶπέ ποτε τῶν ἀγγέλων Υἱός "μου εἶ σὺ, ἐγὼ σήμερον γεγέννηκά σε; καὶ πάλιν Ἐγὼ "ἔσομαι αὐτῷ εἰς πατέρα καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσται μοι εἰς υἱόν" .... Ὅταν δὲ πάλιν εἰσαγάγῃ τὸν πρωτότοκον. Πρωτότοκον δὲ αὐτόν φησιν οὐχ ὡς φασὶν οἱ τὰ ὀρθὰ δια 374 στρέφοντες τῇ κτίσει τοῦτο συντάττοντες ἀλλ' ἐπειδήπερ ἐστὶν ἐν πᾶσι πρωτεύων αὐτὸς .... ...κὸς, θαυμάζοντες ἔλεγον "Τίς οὗτος ὁ παραγενόμενος "ἐξ Ἐδώμ·