Hebrews 6:1-3
AN EXHORTATION TO ADVANCE BEYOND ELEMENTARY CATECHETICAL INSTRUCTIONS... [ Continue Reading ]
AN EXHORTATION TO ADVANCE BEYOND ELEMENTARY CATECHETICAL INSTRUCTIONS... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΦΈΝΤΕΣ ΤῸΝ ΤΗ͂Σ�, “_leaving the discourse of the beginning of Christ_,” i.e. _getting beyond_, ceasing to speak of, the earliest principles of Christian teaching. He does not of course mean that these first principles are to be _neglected_, still less _forgotten_, but merely that his readers ought... [ Continue Reading ]
ΒΑΠΤΙΣΜΩ͂Ν ΔΙΔΑΧΗ͂Σ. Not “doctrine of baptisms” as in A. V., but “_teaching about ablutions_.” The gen. βαπτ. is objective and the διδ. depends on θεμέλιον. That “ablutions” (Hebrews 9:10; Mark 7:3-4) are meant, is clear both (1) from the use of the plural (which cannot be explained either physicall... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΟΥ͂ΤΟ ΠΟΙΉΣΟΜΕΝ. We will advance towards perfection. The MSS., as in nearly all similar cases, vary between “we will do” (אBKL) and “let us do” (ACDE). It is difficult to decide between the two, and the variations may often be due (1) to the tendency of scribes, especially in Lectionaries, to adopt... [ Continue Reading ]
ΓΆΡ. An inference from the previous clauses. We must advance, for in the Christian course stationariness means retrogression—_non progredi est regredi_. ἈΔΎΝΑΤΟΝ ΓᾺΡ ΤΟῪΣ Κ.Τ.Λ. We shall see further on the meaning of the word “_impossible_.” The sentence begins with what is called the accusative of... [ Continue Reading ]
THE AWFULNESS OF APOSTASY... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑΛῸΝ ΓΕΥΣΑΜΈΝΟΥΣ ΘΕΟΥ͂ ῬΗ͂ΜΑ. “_That the word of God is good_.” The verb “_taste_,” which in the previous verse is constructed with the _genitive_ (as in the classical Greek), is here followed by an _accusative_, as is more common in Hellenistic Greek. It is difficult to establish any difference in... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΑΡΑΠΕΣΌΝΤΑΣ. The rendering “if they _shall_ fall away” is one of the most erroneous translations in the A. V. The words can only mean “_and have fallen away_” (comp. Hebrews 2:1; Hebrews 3:12; Hebrews 10:26; Hebrews 10:29), and the position of the participle gives it tremendous force. It was once t... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΠʼ ΑΥ̓ΤΗ͂Σ. The ill-supported ἐπʼ αὐτὴν is the common phrase in this sense. 7. ΓΗ͂ ΓᾺΡ Ἡ ΠΙΟΥ͂ΣΑ. “_For land which has drunk_.” Land of this kind, blessed and fruitful, resembles true and faithful Christians. The expression that the earth “drinks in” the rain is common (Deuteronomy 11:11). Comp. V... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΚΦΈΡΟΥΣΑ ΔῈ�. “_But if it freely bear thorns_,” Isaiah 5:6; Proverbs 24:31. This neglected land resembles converts who have fallen away. ΤΡΙΒΌΛΟΥΣ. The Latin _tribuli_ (τρεῖς, βολή). Genesis 3:18, &c. In N. T. only here, and Matthew 7:16. ἈΔΌΚΙΜΟΣ. The same word, in another metaphor, occurs in Je... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΕΠΕΊΣΜΕΘΑ. Lit., “_We have been_ (_and are_) _convinced of_.” Comp. Romans 15:14. ἈΓΑΠΗΤΟΊ. The warm expression is introduced to shew that his stern teaching is only inspired by love. This word and ἀδελφοί are often introduced to temper the severity of the sterner passages in the Epistles. ΤᾺ ΚΡΕ... [ Continue Reading ]
WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT AND HOPE... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΗ͂Σ� אABCDE. The beautiful phrase of the rec. τοῦ κόπου τῆς� is a gloss from 1 Thessalonians 1:3. 10. ἘΠΙΛΑΘΈΣΘΑΙ. The aorist implies “_to forget in a moment_.” Comp. Hebrews 11:6; Hebrews 11:20. God, even amid your errors, will not overlook the signs of grace working in you. Comp. Jeremiah 31:16;... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΠΙΘΥΜΟΥ͂ΜΕΝ ΔῈ Κ.Τ.Λ. “BUT _we long to see in you_,” &c. ἝΚΑΣΤΟΝ ὙΜΩ͂Ν. Here again in the emphasis of the expression we seem to trace, as in other parts of the Epistle, some _individual_ reference. ΤῊΝ ΑΥ̓ΤῊΝ … ΣΠΟΥΔΉΝ. He desires to see as much earnestness (2 Corinthians 7:11) in the work of adv... [ Continue Reading ]
ἽΝΑ ΜῊ ΝΩΘΡΟῚ ΓΈΝΗΣΘΕ. “_That ye_ BECOME _not slothful_” in the advance of Christian hope as you already are (Hebrews 5:11) in acquiring spiritual knowledge. ΜΙΜΗΤΑΊ. “_Imitators_,” as in 1 Corinthians 4:16; Ephesians 5:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:6, &c. ΔΙᾺ ΠΊΣΤΕΩΣ ΚΑῚ ΜΑΚΡΟΘΥΜΊΑΣ. See Hebrews 6:15; Hebr... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΩ͂Ι ΓᾺΡ ἈΒΡΑΆΜ. The “_for_” implies “and you may feel absolute confidence about the promises; for,” &c. Abraham is here only selected as “the father of the faithful” (Romans 4:13); and not as the _sole_ example of persevering constancy, but as an example specially illustrious (Calvin). ΚΑΤʼ ΟΥ̓ΔΕΝ... [ Continue Reading ]
FOUNDED ON THE IMMUTABILITY OF GOD’S PROMISES... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕἸ ΜΉΝ אABDE. MSS. vary between ἧ μὴν (the classical affirmation), and εἰ μή. This _formula jurandi_ is used in the LXX. (Ezekiel 33:27, &c.), and perhaps comes from the Hebraic εἰ μή. 14. ΕἸ ΜΉΝ. “_In very truth_.” A mixed and Hebraic form, used here alone (if the reading be correct) in the N.T. C... [ Continue Reading ]
ΜΑΚΡΟΘΥΜΉΣΑΣ. “_Having patiently endured_,” which may mean “by patient endurance.” The participles in this passage are really contemporaneous with the principal verbs. ἘΠΈΤΥΧΕΝ. Genesis 15:1; Genesis 21:5; Genesis 22:17-18; Genesis 25:7, &c.; John 8:56. There is of course no contradiction to Hebrews... [ Continue Reading ]
ἌΝΘΡΩΠΟΙ ΓΆΡ. Some MSS. read μὲν γάρ. But there is no subsequent δέ, and it is better to omit μέν. Winer, p. 719. ΚΑΤᾺ ΤΟΥ͂ ΜΕΊΖΟΝΟΣ. “_By a greater_.” The article is distributive, as also in ὁ ὅρκος. Genesis 21:23; Genesis 24:3; Genesis 26:30-31. The passage is important as shewing the lawfulness... [ Continue Reading ]
TO WHICH THEY ARE EXHORTED TO HOLD FAST... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΝ ὮΙ. “_On which principle_”; “in accordance with this human custom.” The relative might indeed be made to agree with ὅρκῳ, but it seems better here to regard it as nearly equivalent to ἐφʼ ᾧ _qua-propter_. ΠΕΡΙΣΣΌΤΕΡΟΝ, i.e. than if he had not sworn. ΒΟΥΛΌΜΕΝΟΣ. “_Wishing_.” θέλω is _volo;_ βοίλ... [ Continue Reading ]
ΔΙᾺ ΔΎΟ. Namely, by the _oath_ and by the _word_ of God. The Targums for “By Myself” have “By My Word have I sworn.” ἈΔΎΝΑΤΟΝ ΨΕΎΣΑΣΘΑΙ ΘΕΌΝ. St Clement of Rome says “_Nothing_ is impossible to God, except to lie” (_Ep. ad Cor._ 27). “God that cannot lie” (Titus 1:2. Comp. Numbers 23:19). ΠΑΡΆΚΛΗΣ... [ Continue Reading ]
ὩΣ�. An anchor seems to have been an emblem of Hope—being something which enables us to hope for safety in danger—from very early days (Aesch. _Agam_. 488), and is even found as a symbol of Hope on coins. Clement of Alexandria tells us that it was one of the few symbols which Christians wore on thei... [ Continue Reading ]
ὍΠΟΥ ΠΡΌΔΡΟΜΟΣ … ΕἸΣΗ͂ΛΘΕΝ. Lit., “_where a forerunner entered … Jesus_”; or better “where, as a forerunner” (or harbinger), “Jesus entered.” I see no reason to depart from the normal force of the aorist by rendering it (as in the A.V.) “is entered,” which would rather require the perfect εἰσελήλυθε... [ Continue Reading ]