Hebrews 3:14

μέτοχοι τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Lit., “partakers of Christ,” but the meaning may rather be “partakers with Christ”; for the thought of mystical union with Christ extending into spiritual unity and identity, which makes the words “in Christ” the “monogram” of St Paul, is scarcely alluded to by this writer. His thoughts are rather of “Christ for us” than of “Christ in us.” “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne,” Revelation 3:21.

γεγόναμεν, “we are become.”

ἐάνπερ. The περ emphasizes the condition. “If—not otherwise.” It strikes the same note of distrust—of anxiety respecting their steadfastness—which marks the whole tone of the Epistle.

τὴν�. The word ὑπόστασις is here rendered “confidence,” as in Psalms 39:7 (“sure hope”). This meaning of the word (elsewhere rendered “substance,” to which it etymologically corresponds, Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 11:1), is found only in later Greek (Polybius, Josephus, Diod. Sic). The expression ἀρχὴν does not here imply anything inchoate or imperfect, but is merely in contrast with “end.”

μέχρι τέλους βεβαίαν. See note on Hebrews 3:6.