The Epistle to the Hebrews
Heb 1:11 God
[ par. 1 2 ]
Heb 1:11 [1] God has spoken! Praise Him! Without His speaking, God is mysterious. But He has revealed Himself in His speaking. He is no longer mysterious. Now He is the revealed God.
Heb 1:11 [2] The emphasis of this book is that God, not man, has spoken. Therefore, it does not identify its writer, nor in any of its quotations from the Old Testament does it mention the speaker’s name. According to the concept of this book, the entire Scripture is the speaking of God. Hence, in referring to the Old Testament, this book always says that it is the Holy Spirit’s speaking (3:7; 9:8; 10:15-17).
Heb 1:12 many
[ par. 1 2 ]
Heb 1:12 [1] In the Old Testament, God spoke to the people not once for all and in only one way but in many portions and in many ways: in one portion to the Patriarchs in one way, in another portion through Moses in another way; in one portion through David in one way, in other portions through a number of prophets in several different ways.
Heb 1:12 [2] It is most fitting and meaningful that this book, a book of God’s speaking, is entitled The Epistle to the Hebrews. The first Hebrew was Abraham (Gen. 14:13), the father of all those who contact God by faith (Rom. 4:11-12). Therefore, God is called “the God of the Hebrews” (Exo. 9:1, 13). The root of the word Hebrew means to pass over. It can mean specifically to pass over a river, that is, to pass over from this side of the river to the other side, to pass over from one side to another. Therefore, a Hebrew is a river crosser. Abraham was such a one. From Chaldea, the land of idolatry, which was on the other side of the great river Euphrates, he crossed over to Canaan, the land of the worship of God, which was on this side of the Euphrates (Josh. 24:2-3). The intention of God’s speaking in this book was that the Jews who believed in the Lord but still lingered in Judaism would leave the law and cross over to grace (4:16; 7:18-19; 12:28; 13:9), that they would leave the old covenant and cross over to the new covenant (8:6-7, 13), and that they would leave the ritualistic service of the Old Testament and cross over to the spiritual reality of the New Testament (8:5; 9:9-14); that is, that they would leave Judaism and cross over to the church (13:13; 10:25), that they would leave the earthly things and cross over to the heavenly things (12:18-24), that they would leave the outer court, where the altar is, and cross over to the Holiest of all, where God is (13:9-10; 10:19-20), that they would leave the soul and cross over to the spirit (4:12), and that they would leave the beginning of truth and life and cross over to the maturity of life in the truth (5:11—6:1). Not only the Jews who believed in the Lord but all who contact God by faith should be such river crossers. This is the purpose of God’s speaking in this book.
Heb 1:21 last
A Hebrew expression indicating the end of the dispensation of the law, when Messiah was to be introduced. See Isa. 2:2; Micah 4:1.
Heb 1:22a Son Matt. 17:5
[ par. 1 2 3 ]
Heb 1:22 [1] In the Old Testament, God spoke in the prophets, in men borne by His Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21). In the New Testament, He speaks in the Son, in the person of the Son. The Son is God Himself (v. 8), God expressed. God the Father is hidden; God the Son is expressed. No one has ever seen God; the Son, as the Word of God (John 1:1; Rev. 19:13) and the speaking of God, has declared Him with a full expression, explanation, and definition of Him (John 1:18).
Heb 1:22 [2] The Son is the center, the focus, of this book. In the Godhead He is the effulgence of God’s glory and the impress of God’s substance. In creation He is (1) the means through which the universe was made (v. 2); (2) the power that upholds and bears all things (v. 3); and (3) the Heir appointed to inherit all things. In redemption He accomplished the purification of man’s sins and is now sitting on the right hand of God in the heavens (v. 3).
Heb 1:22 [3] This book reveals to us the contrast between the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament was of the law in letters and forms, of man, earthly, temporary, and by sight and issued in a religion called Judaism. The New Testament is of life, spiritual, heavenly, permanent, and by faith and is focused in a person who is the Son of God.
Heb 1:23 whom
This short recommendation of the Son in vv. 2-3 unfolds to us both the person and work of the Son. In His person He is the effulgence of God’s glory and the impress of God’s substance. In His work He created the universe and upholds and bears all things, and made purification of our sins.
Heb 1:24b Heir Psa. 2:8
I.e., the legal Heir, inheriting all things in God’s economy. Since He is not only the Son of God but also the Heir of God, all that God the Father is and has is His possession (John 16:15). In the past the Son was the Creator (vv. 2, 10; John 1:3; Col. 1:16; 1 Cor. 8:6); in the present He is the Upholder of all things and the One who bears all things (v. 3); in the future He will be the Heir, inheriting all things (cf. Rom. 11:36).
Heb 1:2c through John 1:3; Col. 1:16; 1 Cor. 8:6
Heb 1:25d universe Heb. 11:3
Lit., ages. The ages is a Jewish expression that means the universe. Ages here does not refer to the matter of time but to creation (the universe) unfolded in time through successive ages.
Heb 1:31 effulgence
The effulgence of God’s glory is like the shining or the brightness of the light of the sun. The Son is the shining, the brightness, of the Father’s glory. This refers to God’s glory. The impress of God’s substance is like the impress of a seal. The Son is the expression of what God the Father is. This refers to God’s substance.
Heb 1:3a impress 2 Cor. 4:4; Col. 1:15; cf. John 1:18
Heb 1:32 word
The Greek word denotes the instant word. The Son upholds and bears all things not by His work but by His instant word, the word of His power. In creation all things came into being through Him as the Word (John 1:1-3). The universe has been framed by the word of God (11:3): “He spoke, and it was; He commanded, and it stood” (Psa. 33:9). In salvation we are saved through His word (John 5:24; Rom. 10:8, 17). It is through His word that His authority with power is exercised (Matt. 8:8-9). It is by His word that His healing power is realized (John 4:50-51). Here, this book says that God speaks in the Son and the Son upholds and bears all things by His word. It is altogether a matter of speaking. When the Lord speaks, everything is in order.
Heb 1:33 purification
In the Old Testament type the expiation was able only to cover sins (Psa. 32:1); it was unable to take away sins. So the expiating priests stood daily, offering the same sacrifices (10:11), and could never sit down. But the Son took away sin (John 1:29) and accomplished the purification of sins once for all. So He sat down forever (10:10, 12).
Heb 1:34c sat Eph. 1:20; Heb. 1:13; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2
This book, having the concept that all positive things are heavenly, points us to the very Christ who is in the heavens. In the Gospels is the Christ who lived on the earth and died on the cross for the accomplishing of redemption. In the Acts is the resurrected and ascended Christ propagated and ministered to men. In Romans is the Christ who is our righteousness for justification and our life for sanctification, transformation, conformation, glorification, and building up. In Galatians is the Christ who enables us to live a life that is versus the law, religion, tradition, and forms. In Philippians is the Christ who is lived out of His members. In Ephesians and Colossians is the Christ who is the life, the content, and the Head of the Body, the church. In 1 and 2 Corinthians is the Christ who is everything in the practical church life. In 1 and 2 Thessalonians is the Christ who is our holiness for His coming back. In 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus is the Christ who is God’s economy, enabling us to know how to conduct ourselves in the house of God. In the Epistles of Peter is the Christ who enables us to take God’s governmental dealings administered through sufferings. In the Epistles of John is the Christ who is the life and fellowship of the children of God in God’s family. In Revelation is the Christ who is walking among the churches in this age, ruling over the world in the kingdom in the coming age, and expressing God in full glory in the new heaven and new earth for eternity. In this book is the present Christ, who is now in the heavens as our Minister (8:2) and our High Priest (4:14-15; 7:26), ministering to us the heavenly life, grace, authority, and power and sustaining us to live a heavenly life on earth. He is the Christ now, the Christ today, and the Christ on the throne in the heavens, who is our daily salvation and moment-by-moment supply.
Heb 1:35d Majesty Heb. 8:1; Jude 25
Or, Greatness; denoting God as the greatest One with His dignity.
Heb 1:36 high
The high place, the third heaven, the highest place in the universe.
Heb 1:41 more
This more distinguished name is “the Son,” a name that is fully defined in the succeeding verses.
Heb 1:5a You Psa. 2:7; Heb. 5:5; Acts 13:33
Heb 1:51 this
This day refers to the day of resurrection (Acts 13:33). This chapter gives us an account of Christ from eternity past to eternity future. He was the very God in eternity past (v. 8); He was the Creator of the earth and the heavens (vv. 10, 2); He is the Upholder of all things and the One who bears all things (v. 3); He is the Heir of all things (v. 2); He was incarnated to accomplish redemption by being crucified (v. 3); He was begotten as the Son of God in resurrection for the imparting of life to the many sons of God (v. 5); He is the firstborn Son of God who will come again (v. 6); He will be the King on the throne with the scepter in the kingdom (vv. 8-9); and He will remain forever and ever in eternity future (vv. 11-12).
Heb 1:61a Firstborn Rom. 8:29
This verse refers to the Son’s second coming. In His first coming He was God’s only begotten Son (John 1:14). Through the process of resurrection the only begotten Son became the Firstborn among many brothers (Rom. 8:29). Thus, in His second coming He will be the Firstborn.
Heb 1:7a Who Psa. 104:4
Heb 1:71 winds
In Greek, the same word as for spirits. Here it denotes winds, to match flame of fire. The angels are like winds and a flame of fire. They are simply creatures, while the Son is the Creator. As creatures, the angels are much inferior to the Son, and as the Creator, the Son is much superior to the angels.
Heb 1:8b throne 2 Sam. 7:13; Luke 1:32
Heb 1:81 O
[ par. 1 2 ]
Heb 1:81 [1] O God here and Your God in v. 9 refer to the Son. Since the Son is God Himself, He is God; therefore, here it says, “O God.” Since the Son is also man, God is His God; therefore, in v. 9 it says, “Your God.”
Heb 1:81 [2] The intention of this book is to show the Hebrew believers that God’s salvation is superior to Judaism. In Judaism the boast was in God, angels, Moses, Aaron the high priest, and the Old Testament with its services. Initially, the writer points out that in God’s salvation the first superior thing is not only God but God expressed, i.e., God the Son (vv. 2-3, 5, 8-12). Then he goes on to unfold that Christ is superior to angels (1:4—2:18), to Moses (3:1-6), and to Aaron (4:14—7:28) and that the new covenant of life made by Him is superior to the old covenant of letters (8:1—10:18).
Heb 1:8c kingdom 2 Sam. 7:12; Dan. 7:14; Luke 1:33
Heb 1:9a anointed Isa. 61:1; Luke 4:18
Heb 1:92b partners Heb. 3:14
In God’s economy Christ is the One appointed by God to accomplish God’s plan, and we are Christ’s partners in the divine interest. He was anointed by God, and we share with Him this anointing for the fulfillment of God’s purpose. See note 141 in ch. 3.
Heb 1:10a You Psa. 102:25-27
Heb 1:101 Lord
Since the Son is God (v. 8), He is the eternal Lord, who remains perpetually (v. 11).
Heb 1:13a Sit Psa. 110:1; Matt. 22:44
Heb 1:131 until
This book stresses the fact that Christ has accomplished everything for God and us, leaving nothing for us to do. His sitting at the right hand of God signifies that His work has been accomplished and that He is resting there, waiting for only one thing—for God to set His enemies as a footstool for His feet. He is sitting there in the heavens waiting for a footstool that He may have complete rest.
Heb 1:13b footstool Heb. 10:13
Heb 1:14a ministering Psa. 34:7; Matt. 18:10; Acts 10:3; 12:7-11, 15
Heb 1:141 those
[ par. 1 2 3 ]
Heb 1:141 [1] The Son is the appointed Heir of all things (v. 2). We, His believers, are His partners (v. 9). Thus, we are His joint heirs (Rom. 8:17), not only inheriting salvation but also inheriting all things with Him (1 Cor. 3:21-22). Hence, we with Him are joint owners of the universe, while the angels are merely our servants, inferior not only to Him but also to us.
Heb 1:141 [2] The Son was appointed to be the Heir. We are saved to be His joint heirs, sharing in His inheritance. The “so great a salvation” mentioned in 2:3 is able to save us to such an extent that it brings us into partnership with Him in His appointment. Thus we share in whatever He inherits.
Heb 1:141 [3] As the partners of the Son, we are the house of God, the real Bethel, the gate of heaven, where the Son is the heavenly ladder, joining earth to heaven and bringing heaven to earth. On this ladder the angels of God are ascending and descending (Gen. 28:12, 16-19; John 1:51) as the ministering spirits to serve us, those who inherit so great a salvation. What is spoken of in this book is like the gate of heaven. Here we enjoy Christ as the heavenly One who joins us to heaven and brings heaven to us that we may be a heavenly people, living a heavenly life on earth and inheriting all the heavenly things. How could the Hebrew believers withdraw from this and return to their old religion and boast in the angels? The angels are simply our ministering servants.
Heb 2:11 Therefore
Along with every major point in this book there is a warning. There are five such warnings in the book. Along with the first major point, that Christ is superior to angels, unfolded in 1:4—2:18, there is the first warning in vv. 1-4.
Heb 2:12 drift
Or, drift by them, drift past them.
Heb 2:2a angels Acts 7:53; Gal. 3:19
Heb 2:31a escape Heb. 12:25
In principle, to escape here is to escape some recompense, as mentioned in v. 2. If we neglect so great a salvation, it is right and just that we receive a certain recompense.
Heb 2:32b salvation Heb. 1:14; 2:10; 5:9
Salvation here refers back to what is mentioned in 1:14. It is God’s full salvation, from the forgiveness of sins to the sharing of the coming kingdom with glory. It refers not only to what Christ has done and will do for us but also to Himself, the One who is able to save us to the uttermost (7:25). As the Son of God—as God—and as the Son of Man—as man—He is our salvation. His wonderful person plus His splendid work constitute so great a salvation, a salvation that none of us should neglect. Our negligence will cause us to miss this great salvation’s (1) most precious part—the enjoying of Christ as our saving life and rest in this age; and (2) most glorious part—the inheriting of Christ’s kingdom with glory in the coming age. These two points are fully developed and dealt with in the succeeding chapters of this book.
Heb 2:4a witness Mark 16:20; Acts 14:3
Heb 2:41 distributions
Distributions of the Holy Spirit, which include the Holy Spirit Himself, are the things that the Holy Spirit distributes to those who receive salvation by believing.
Heb 2:51 inhabited
I.e., the earth that will become the Lord’s kingdom in the next age (Psa. 2:8; Dan. 2:35; Rev. 11:15).
Heb 2:61a What Psa. 8:4-8
[ par. 1 2 ]
Heb 2:61 [1] The first man, Adam, created by God in Gen. 1, failed to accomplish God’s purpose for man. Psalm 8 then alludes, through prophecy, to another man, a man who would replace the first man and would fulfill God’s purpose. This chapter tells us that this other man, the second man, who is Jesus, has come and has accomplished so much for the fulfilling of God’s desire in man as revealed in Gen. 1:26, 28 and alluded to in Psa. 8:4-8. Hence, in whatever the first man, Adam, failed, the second man, Christ, succeeded, by replacing the first man.
Heb 2:61 [2] This chapter is the fulfillment of the prophecies in Psa. 8 and 22 concerning the major steps taken by Christ, as a man, to fulfill God’s purpose. In incarnation He partook of human nature (v. 14). In crucifixion He suffered death for everything (v. 9) and destroyed the devil (v. 14). In resurrection He brought forth many sons of God, His brothers, to form the church (vv. 10-12). In exaltation He was crowned with glory and honor. All these steps are the qualifications that qualify Him to be our High Priest (v. 17).
Heb 2:71 a
Or, for a little while inferior. So also in v. 9.
Heb 2:8a subjected 1 Cor. 15:27; Eph. 1:22
Heb 2:91 inferior
In eternity Christ was the Creator, unlimited and omnipresent, but when He became a man in time, He was limited so that one day He could go to the cross to deal with the universal problem—death. In order to suffer death and thus destroy and nullify death, Christ had to become a man and lose His freedom temporarily, for thirty-three and a half years. In that sense, He was inferior to the angels during that period. However, three days after His death He resurrected out of that inferiority and is now much superior to all the angels.
Heb 2:9b crowned Rev. 19:12
Heb 2:92c glory 2 Pet. 1:17; Rev. 5:12, 13
Glory is the splendor related to Jesus’ person; honor is the preciousness related to Jesus’ worth, value, and dignity, which is related to His position (2 Pet. 1:17; cf. 1 Pet. 2:17; Rom. 13:7). In 1 Pet. 2:7 the Greek word for preciousness is the same as that for honor here.
Heb 2:93d everything Col. 1:20
Or, everyone. The Lord Jesus’ redemption was accomplished not only for people but for everything created by God. Thus, God can reconcile all things to Himself through Christ (Col. 1:20). This is clearly typified by the redemption accomplished through Noah’s ark, in which not only eight persons but all living things created by God were saved (Gen. 7:13-23).
Heb 2:101 Him
Referring to God, who created all things.
Heb 2:10a for Rom. 11:36
Heb 2:102b many Rom. 8:29
The many sons here are the many brothers in Rom. 8:29 and the many grains in John 12:24.
Heb 2:103c glory Rom. 8:21, 30; 1 Cor. 2:7; Col. 3:4; 1 Thes. 2:12; 1 Pet. 5:10
The last step of God’s great salvation is to bring His many sons into glory. Romans 8 tells us that God’s work of grace upon us began with His foreknowing, passed through His predestination, calling, and justification, and will end with His glorification (Rom. 8:29-30). Also, Rom. 8 tells us that the whole creation eagerly awaits the revelation (glorification) of the sons of God, in hope that the creation itself will enter into the freedom of the glory of the children of God (Rom. 8:19-21). This will be accomplished by the Lord’s coming back (Phil. 3:21), at which time we will be manifested with Him in glory (Col. 3:4); this is our hope (Col. 1:27). This glorification of the sons of God, as the goal of God’s salvation, will last through the millennial kingdom and will be manifested in full in the New Jerusalem for eternity (Rev. 21:11, 23).
Heb 2:104d Author Heb. 12:2; Acts 3:15; 5:31
Or, Captain, Originator, Inaugurator, Leader, Pioneer. The salvation mentioned in this verse and referred to in v. 3 and 1:14 saves us from our fallen state into glory. Jesus, as the Pioneer, the Forerunner (6:20), took the lead to enter into glory, and we, His followers, are taking the same way to be brought into the same glory, which was ordained by God for us (1 Cor. 2:7; 1 Thes. 2:12). He cut the way, and we are now taking the way. Hence, He is not only the Savior who saved us from our fallen state but also the Author who, as the Pioneer, entered into glory that we may be brought into the same estate.
Heb 2:10e salvation Heb. 1:14; 2:3; 5:9
Heb 2:105f perfect Heb. 5:9; 7:19, 28; 9:9; 10:1, 14; 11:40; 12:23
[ par. 1 2 ]
Heb 2:105 [1] To make Jesus perfect was to make Him perfect in terms of qualification. It does not imply that there was any imperfection of virtue or attribute in Jesus, but only that the completing of His experience of human sufferings was needed to make Him fit to become the Author, the Leader, of His followers’ salvation.
Heb 2:105 [2] As the self-existing and ever-existing God, the Lord Jesus is complete from eternity to eternity. But He needed to be perfected through the processes of incarnation, the partaking of human nature, human living, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, that He might be qualified to be God’s Christ and our Savior.
Heb 2:111 He
He who sanctifies is Christ as the firstborn Son of God, and those who are being sanctified are the believers of Christ as the many sons of God. Both the firstborn Son and the many sons of God are born of the same Father God in resurrection (Acts 13:33; 1 Pet. 1:3) and have the same divine life and nature. Hence, He is not ashamed to call them brothers.
Heb 2:11a sanctifies Heb. 13:12
Heb 2:11b sanctified Heb. 10:10, 14
Heb 2:112 of
Lit., out of. The Sanctifier and the sanctified are all out of one source, one Father.
Heb 2:11c brothers John 20:17; Rom. 8:29
Heb 2:121 declare
The firstborn Son declared the Father’s name to His brothers after He resurrected from the dead, when He met with the Father’s many sons (John 20:17, 19-23).
Heb 2:122 church
The church is mentioned only twice in this book, here and in 12:23. Here it is referred to as a corporate composition of the many brothers of the firstborn Son of God.
Heb 2:123 I
This is the firstborn Son’s praising of the Father within the Father’s many sons in the church meetings. When we, the many sons of God, meet as the church and praise the Father, the firstborn Son praises the Father in our praising. It is not that He praises the Father apart from us and alone; rather, He praises within us and with us through our praising. In our singing He sings hymns of praise to the Father. If then we do not sing, how can He sing? The more we sing to the Father, the more we enjoy His presence, His moving, His anointing, and His life-imparting within us. Thus we will grow in Him and be brought into His glorification above all.
Heb 2:14a blood Matt. 16:17; Eph. 6:12
Heb 2:14b partook John 1:14; Rom. 8:3
Heb 2:14c death John 12:31, 33
Heb 2:141d destroy Gen. 3:15; 1 John 3:8; cf. John 3:14
Or, bring to nought, make of none effect, do away with, abolish, annul, discard. After the devil, the serpent, seduced man into the fall, God promised that the seed of woman would come to bruise the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:15). In the fullness of the time the Son of God came to become flesh (John 1:14; Rom. 8:3) by being born of a virgin (Gal. 4:4), that He might destroy the devil in man’s flesh through His death in the flesh on the cross. (See notes 141 in John 3, 311 in John 12, and 33 in Rom. 8.) This was to abolish Satan, to bring him to nought. Hallelujah, Satan has been abolished and done away with!
Heb 2:14e death Rom. 5:14; 1 Cor. 15:55-56; 2 Tim. 1:10
Heb 2:14f devil Rev. 12:9; 20:2
Heb 2:151 release
Since the Lord destroyed the devil, who has the might of death, we who were held in slavery through the fear of death have been released by Him. Death reigned over us (Rom. 5:14), and we were under its slavery, continually fearing death. Since the Lord destroyed the devil and nullified death (2 Tim. 1:10), we now have no more fear of death and are released from its slavery.
Heb 2:161 gives
Jesus has rendered us—human beings, not the angels—help to succor us, to release us from the slavery of death under the devil’s might, which is in our nature. He did this by partaking of our nature, in which the devil dwells, and then annulling it on the cross through His all-inclusive death.
Heb 2:171 made
The Son of God was made like us, His brothers, in that He partook of blood and flesh (v. 14). This was done for two purposes, one negative and the other positive. The negative purpose was to destroy for us the devil, who is in the flesh. The positive purpose is to be our merciful and faithful High Priest who has the human nature, that He may sympathize with us in all things.
Heb 2:172b High Heb. 3:1; 4:14; 5:5, 10; 6:20; 7:26, 28; 8:1, 3; 10:21
As the High Priest, Christ ministers God Himself and the riches of the divine life to us. As the God-man, He is more than fully qualified to be our High Priest. Here, merciful corresponds with His being a man; faithful corresponds with His being God.
Heb 2:173 things
Lit., things toward God.
Heb 2:174d propitiation Rom. 3:25; 1 John 2:2; 4:10
Jesus made propitiation for our sins, thereby satisfying the demand of God’s righteousness and appeasing the relationship between God and us, that God may be peacefully gracious to us. See note 252 in Rom. 3. Cf. Luke 18:13 and note 1.
Heb 3:11 holy
To be holy is to be separated to God for a definite purpose. (See note 23 in Rom. 1.) Here, by calling the receivers of the book “holy brothers,” the writer intended to remind them that they should not remain common in Judaism but should be separated to God for His purpose.
Heb 3:12a partakers Heb. 6:4; 12:8
See note 141.
Heb 3:13 heavenly
The concept of this book is focused on the heavenly nature of the positive things. First, it points out to us that Christ today is sitting in the heavens (1:3). He entered into the heavens (9:24). He passed through the heavens (4:14) and became higher than the heavens (7:26). Then this book unfolds to us the heavenly calling (v. 1), the heavenly gift (6:4), the heavenly things (8:5), the heavenly country (11:16), and the heavenly Jerusalem (12:22). Also, it tells us that we are enrolled in the heavens (12:23) and that God warns us today from the heavens (12:25). All the things in the Old Testament that were held by Judaism were of an earthly nature. In this book the writer’s intention was to show the Hebrew Christians the contrast between the heavenly nature of the New Testament and the earthly nature of the Old Testament that they might forsake the earthly things and attach themselves to the heavenly.
Heb 3:1b calling 1 Cor. 1:9; Phil. 3:14; Eph. 1:18; 4:1
Heb 3:14c Apostle Acts 3:26
The Apostle is the One who was sent to us from God and with God (John 6:46; 8:16, 29). The High Priest is the One who went back to God from us and with us (Eph. 2:6). As the Apostle, Christ came to us with God to share God with us that we may partake of His divine life, nature, and fullness. As the High Priest, Christ went to God with us to present us to God that we and all our case may be fully cared for by Him. As the Apostle, He is typified by Moses, who came from God to serve the house of God (vv. 2-6), and as the High Priest, He is typified by Aaron, who went to God with the house of Israel and their cases (4:14—7:28).
Heb 3:1d High Heb. 2:17; 4:14; 7:26
Heb 3:2a Moses Num. 12:7; Heb. 3:5
Heb 3:2b house Lev. 22:18
Heb 3:31a glory Heb. 2:9
See note 92 in ch. 2.
Heb 3:32b built Zech. 6:12-13; Matt. 16:18
Moses had the human nature, which is fit for God’s building, but he did not have the divine nature, which is suitable for being the builder. In contrast, Christ in His humanity is the good material for God’s building (the foundation stone—Isa. 28:16; the cornerstone—Matt. 21:42; Acts 4:11; the topstone—Zech. 4:7; and the living stone that produces us as living stones—1 Pet. 2:4-5). Moreover, in His divinity He is the Builder.
Heb 3:33 the
Lit., it.
Heb 3:51 servant
Servant here is a designation that implies dignity and freedom.
Heb 3:52 testimony
Or, prefigure; a type of the real, typical, and genuine Apostle sent from God.
Heb 3:61a house 1 Tim. 3:15; 1 Pet. 4:17
In Old Testament times the house of God was the house of Israel (Lev. 22:18; Num. 12:7), symbolized by the tabernacle or the temple, which was in Israel’s midst (Exo. 25:8; Ezek. 37:26-27). Today, the house of God is actually the church (1 Tim. 3:15; 1 Pet. 4:17). The children of Israel, as people of God, are a type of us, the New Testament believers (1 Cor. 9:24—10:11). Their entire history is a prefigure of the church.
Heb 3:71 Therefore
This word connects the house of God in v. 6 with the Sabbath rest in 4:9, indicating that these two are the same. The house of God is our church life today, our Sabbath rest.
Heb 3:7a Spirit Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22
Heb 3:7b Today vv. 7-11: Psa. 95:7-11
Heb 3:9a tried Exo. 17:2, 7; Deut. 6:16; Psa. 78:18, 41
Heb 3:10a displeased Heb. 3:17
Heb 3:10b generation cf. Acts 2:40
Heb 3:101 go
Or, err, are deceived.
Heb 3:102 ways
God’s ways are different from His acts. His acts are His activities; His ways are the principles by which He acts. The children of Israel knew only His acts, but Moses knew His ways (Psa. 103:7).
Heb 3:111a They Heb. 4:3, 5
The Hebrew is idiomatic and conveys a strong negative. So also in 4:3, 5.
Heb 3:121 falling
Or, turning away, deserting, departing, standing aloof.
Heb 3:12a living Heb. 9:14; 10:31; 12:22; 1 Tim. 3:15
Heb 3:13a exhort Heb. 10:25
Heb 3:13b deceitfulness Rom. 7:11
Heb 3:141a partners Heb. 1:9
In Greek, the same word as that for partakers in 3:1; 6:4; and 12:8. In those three places the meaning is that we share in the heavenly calling, the Holy Spirit, and the discipline; thus, the word is rendered partakers. Here and in 1:9 the meaning is that we share with Christ; hence, the word is rendered partners. We are partakers of heavenly, holy, and spiritual things, sharing in the heavenly calling, the Holy Spirit, and the spiritual discipline. We are partners of Christ, sharing with Him the spiritual anointing (1:9), as the members share the Spirit with the Head, and sharing with Him the heavenly rest, as Caleb shared with Joshua the rest of the good land (Num. 14:30).
Heb 3:16b not Num. 26:64, 65; 1 Cor. 10:5
Heb 3:161 Moses
Moses brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, but he did not bring them into the good land of Canaan. It was his successor, Joshua, who did this (4:8).
Heb 3:17a displeased Heb. 3:10
Heb 3:17b fell Num. 14:29, 32; 1 Cor. 10:8
Heb 3:18a not Num. 14:30
Heb 3:181b disobedient Heb. 4:6, 11
Or, unpersuadable, obstinate, unbelieving.
Heb 4:12 seem
Or, think that he has come too late for it.
Heb 4:21 not
Only the Codex Sinaiticus can be rendered in this way. All other ancient MSS read, they [referring to those who heard the word] not being mixed together by faith with those who heard [referring to Caleb and Joshua].
Heb 4:3a As Psa. 95:11; Heb. 3:11
Heb 4:3b foundation Zech. 12:1; Rev. 13:8; cf. Eph. 1:4
Heb 4:5a They Psa. 95:11; Heb. 3:11
Heb 4:61a disobedience Heb. 3:18; 4:11
Or, obstinacy, rebellion, stubbornness, unbelief.
Heb 4:7a Today Psa. 95:7-8; Heb. 3:15
Heb 4:81 Joshua
Joshua, which means Jehovah the Savior or the salvation of Jehovah (Num. 13:16), is a Hebrew name, of which the equivalent in Greek is Jesus. Hence, Joshua was a type of the Lord Jesus, who brought the people of God into rest.
Heb 4:82 another
This “another day” is “today” (3:7, 13, 15; 4:7). This is the promised Sabbath rest that remains for us (v. 9).
Heb 4:91 Sabbath
[ par. 1 2 3 ]
Heb 4:91 [1] This Sabbath rest is Christ as our rest, typified by the good land of Canaan (Deut. 12:9; Heb. 4:8). Christ is rest to the saints in three stages: (1) in the church age, as the heavenly Christ, the One who rests from His work and sits on the right hand of God in the heavens, He is the rest to us in our spirit (Matt. 11:28-29); (2) in the millennial kingdom, after Satan is removed from this earth (Rev. 20:1-3), Christ with the kingdom will be the rest in a fuller way to the overcoming saints, who will be His co-kings (Rev. 20:4, 6), sharing and enjoying His rest; (3) in the new heaven and new earth, after all the enemies, including death, the last enemy, have been made subject to Him (1 Cor. 15:24-27), Christ, as the all-conquering One, will be the rest in the fullest way to all God’s redeemed for eternity. But the Sabbath rest mentioned here and typified by the rest of the good land of Canaan covers only the first two stages of Christ’s being our rest; it does not include the third stage. The rest in the first two stages is a prize to His diligent seekers, who not only are redeemed but also have enjoyed Him in a full way, thus becoming the overcomers; whereas the rest in the third stage is not a prize but the full portion allotted to all the redeemed ones. Therefore, in the first two stages, and especially in the second, Christ as our rest is the Sabbath rest mentioned here, the rest that remains for us to seek after and enter into diligently. It is in the second stage of His being our rest that Christ will take possession of the whole earth as His inheritance (Psa. 2:8; Heb. 2:5-6), making it His kingdom for a thousand years (Rev. 11:15). All His overcoming followers who seek and enjoy Him as their rest in the first stage will participate in His reign in the millennium (Rev. 20:4, 6; 2 Tim. 2:12). Moreover, they will inherit the earth (Matt. 5:5; Psa. 37:11), some having authority over ten cities, some over five (Luke 19:17, 19), and will partake of the joy of their Lord (Matt. 25:21, 23). That will be the kingdom rest, which is typified by the rest of entering into the good land of Canaan. The rest of the good land was the goal of all the children of Israel, who had been redeemed and delivered from Egypt; likewise, the rest of the coming kingdom is the goal of the New Testament believers, who have been redeemed and saved from the world. We are now all on the way toward this goal.
Heb 4:91 [2] God’s full salvation, which He intended for the children of Israel, included redemption through the passover lamb, the exodus from Egypt, feeding on the heavenly manna, having their thirst quenched by the living water from the cleft rock, and partaking of the good land of Canaan. All the children of Israel shared in the passover lamb, the heavenly manna, and the living water, but only Joshua and Caleb, out of those who shared the exodus from Egypt, entered into the good land and partook of it; all the rest fell in the wilderness (Num. 14:30; 1 Cor. 10:1-11). Though all were redeemed, only the two overcomers, Joshua and Caleb, received the prize of the good land.
Heb 4:91 [3] The passover lamb, the heavenly manna, the living water, and the good land of Canaan are all types of different aspects of Christ. According to what is depicted by the experiences of the children of Israel, not all believers who have been redeemed through Christ will partake of Christ as a prize, as their rest, their satisfaction, in both the church age and the coming kingdom; only those who, after being redeemed, seek Christ diligently will partake of Him in such a way. This is why the apostle Paul, though fully redeemed, was still pursuing toward the goal that he might gain Christ as the prize (Phil. 3:10-14). In Phil. 3 Paul told us that he had been in Judaism but that for Christ’s sake he had given it up (Phil. 3:4-9). Here, in this book, the writer held the same concept, encouraging the Hebrew believers to forsake Judaism and press toward Christ so that they would not miss the prize.
Heb 4:10a God Gen. 2:2; Heb. 4:4
Heb 4:111 fall
Since the rest that is covered in this portion of the word is the all-inclusive Christ, to fall from it is to fall from Christ, to be brought to nought from Christ (Gal. 5:4). In Galatians the danger was that the Galatian believers would drift into the bondage of law from the freedom of grace (Gal. 5:1-4). Paul advised them to stand fast in the freedom of grace, that is, not to be brought to nought from Christ. Here, in this book, the danger was that the Hebrew believers would not forsake their old religion, which was according to the law, and press on into the enjoyment of Christ as their rest. If they continued to stagger in their old religion, i.e., in Judaism, they would come short of Christ, who was their rest. The writer of this book earnestly encouraged them, as Christ’s partners, to press on with Christ and enter into the rest, that they, as His partakers, might enjoy Christ as their rest.
Heb 4:112 after
Lit., in.
Heb 4:113a disobedience Heb. 3:18; 4:6
See note 61.
Heb 4:121a word 1 Pet. 1:23
The Greek word denotes the constant word of God. Here it refers to the word in 3:7—4:11 that is quoted from the Old Testament (as indicated by the word for at the beginning of this verse). That word is living, operative, and sharper than a two-edged sword.
Heb 4:122d soul 1 Thes. 5:23; Luke 1:46-47
[ par. 1 2 3 ]
Heb 4:122 [1] According to the Bible, man is a tripartite being—spirit, soul, and body (1 Thes. 5:23). Here, in this verse, are the joints and marrow—which are parts of the body—and the soul and spirit.
Heb 4:122 [2] The foregoing verses describe the children of Israel as falling away from entering into the rest of the good land. With them there were three places: (1) Egypt, from which they were delivered; (2) the wilderness, in which they wandered; and (3) Canaan, into which they entered. Their history in these three places signifies the three stages of their participation in God’s full salvation. This is a type of us, the New Testament believers, in our participation in the full salvation of God. In the first stage we receive Christ and are redeemed and delivered from the world. In the second stage we become wanderers in following the Lord; our wandering always takes place in our soul. In the third stage we partake of and enjoy Christ in a full way; this is experienced in our spirit. When we pursue the pleasures of material and sinful things, we are in the world, typified by Egypt. When we wander in our soul, we are in the wilderness. When we enjoy Christ in our spirit, we are in Canaan. When the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness, they were always murmuring, reasoning, and chiding. This surely took place in their soul, not in their spirit. But Caleb and Joshua believed in the word of God, obeyed the Lord, and pressed toward the goal. This surely took place not in their soul but in their spirit. At that time the receivers of this book, the Hebrew believers, were wondering what they should do with their old Hebrew religion. This wondering in their mind was a wandering in their soul, not an experience of Christ in their spirit. So the writer of this book said that the word of God, i.e., what was quoted from the Old Testament, could pierce into their wondering like a sharp two-edged sword and divide their soul from their spirit. As the marrow is concealed deep in the joints, so the spirit is deep in the soul. The dividing of the marrow from the joints requires mainly the breaking of the joints. In the same principle, the dividing of the spirit from the soul requires the breaking of the soul. The Hebrew believers’ soul, with its wondering mind, its doubting concerning God’s way of salvation, and its considering of its own interests, had to be broken by the living, operative, and piercing word of God that their spirit might be divided from their soul.
Heb 4:122 [3] Our soul is our very self (Matt. 16:25; cf. Luke 9:25). In following the Lord we must deny our soul, our very self (Matt. 16:24; Luke 9:23). Our spirit is the deepest part of our being, a spiritual organ with which we contact God (John 4:24; Rom. 1:9). It is in our spirit that we are regenerated (John 3:6). It is in our spirit that the Holy Spirit dwells and works (Rom. 8:16). It is in our spirit that we enjoy Christ and His grace (2 Tim. 4:22; Gal. 6:18). Hence, the writer of this book advised the Hebrew believers not to stagger in the wandering of their soul, which soul they had to deny, but to press on into their spirit to partake of and enjoy the heavenly Christ that they might participate in the kingdom rest of His reign in the millennium. If they staggered in the wandering of their soul, they would miss God’s goal and suffer the loss of the full enjoyment of Christ and the kingdom rest.
Heb 4:12e spirit Zech. 12:1; Job 32:8; Prov. 20:27; John 3:6; 4:24; Rom. 8:16; 1 Cor. 5:4; 2 Tim. 4:22; 1 Pet. 3:4
Heb 4:123 thoughts
Our spirit is the organ with which we contact God (John 4:24), while our heart is the organ with which we love God (Mark 12:30). Our spirit contacts, receives, contains, and experiences God. However, this requires that our heart love God first. Our soul is of three parts—mind, will, and emotion; and our spirit too is of three parts—conscience, fellowship, and intuition. Our heart is not separate from our soul and spirit but is a composition of all the parts of our soul, plus the conscience, a part of our spirit. Hence, in our heart is the mind, with the thoughts, and the will, with the intentions. The thoughts affect the intentions, and the intentions carry out the thoughts. The living word of God is able to discern the thoughts in our mind and the intentions in our will. What was quoted from the word of God by the writer in the foregoing verses was able to expose what and where the thoughts and intentions of the Hebrew believers were while they were staggering in the process of their salvation.
Heb 4:141 great
I.e., excellent, wonderful, glorious, and most honorable. Christ is great in His person (1:5, 8; 2:6), work (1:3; 2:17, 9, 14-15, 10; 3:5-6; 4:8-9; Acts 2:24, 27), and attainment (6:20; 9:24; 2:9).
Heb 4:142a High Heb. 2:17; 7:26
The Lord Jesus first was sent from God to us through incarnation (2:14) to be our Apostle (3:1), our Author, our Leader (2:10), the One superior to Moses (3:3), and our real Joshua (4:8) to bring us, His partners (1:9; 3:14), into glory and rest (2:10; 4:11). He then went back from us to God through resurrection and ascension (5:5-6) to be our High Priest to bear us in the presence of God and to care for all our needs (2:17-18; 4:15).
Heb 4:143 passed
Having had the principalities and powers stripped off (Col. 2:15), having risen from Hades (Acts 2:24, 27), and having passed through the heavens, our High Priest is now sitting on the throne at the right hand of God.
Heb 4:14b heavens Eph. 4:10; Heb. 8:1; 9:24
Heb 4:144d confession Heb. 3:1
Referring to the faith.
Heb 4:15b without Heb. 7:26; 2 Cor. 5:21
Heb 4:16a come Heb. 10:22; 7:25
Heb 4:161 throne
Undoubtedly, the throne mentioned here is the throne of God, which is in heaven (Rev. 4:2). The throne of God is the throne of authority toward all the universe (Dan. 7:9; Rev. 5:1). But toward us, the believers, it becomes the throne of grace, signified by the expiation cover (the mercy seat) within the Holy of Holies (Exo. 25:17, 21). This throne is the throne of both God and the Lamb (Rev. 22:1). How can we come to the throne of God and the Lamb, Christ, in heaven while we still live on earth? The secret is our spirit, referred to in v. 12. The very Christ who is sitting on the throne in heaven (Rom. 8:34) is also now in us (Rom. 8:10), that is, in our spirit (2 Tim. 4:22), where the habitation of God is (Eph. 2:22). At Bethel, the house of God, the habitation of God, which is the gate of heaven, Christ is the ladder that joins earth to heaven and brings heaven to earth (Gen. 28:12-17; John 1:51). Since today our spirit is the place of God’s habitation, it is now the gate of heaven, where Christ is the ladder that joins us, the people on earth, to heaven, and brings heaven to us. Hence, whenever we turn to our spirit, we enter through the gate of heaven and touch the throne of grace in heaven through Christ as the heavenly ladder.
Heb 4:162b mercy Rom. 9:15, 18, 23
[ par. 1 2 ]
Heb 4:162 [1] Both God’s mercy and God’s grace are the expression of His love. When we are in a pitiful condition, first God’s mercy reaches us and brings us into a situation in which He is able to favor us with His grace. Luke 15:20-24 tells us that when the father saw the prodigal son returning, he had compassion on him. That was mercy, which expressed the father’s love. Then the father clothed him with the best robe and fed him with the fattened calf. That was grace, which again manifested the father’s love. God’s mercy reaches farther and bridges the gap between us and God’s grace.
Heb 4:162 [2] God’s mercy and grace are always available to us. However, we need to receive and find them by exercising our spirit to come to the throne of grace and contact our High Priest, who is touched with the feeling of all our weaknesses. By this word the writer of this book encouraged the wearied Hebrew believers to receive mercy and find grace for timely help, that they might be set upright (12:12).
Heb 4:16c grace John 1:14, 16, 17; Rom. 5:2; 2 Cor. 12:9; 13:14; Gal. 6:18
Heb 5:1a established Heb. 7:28
Heb 5:1c offer Heb. 7:27; 8:3; 10:11
Heb 5:11 gifts
Gifts are for God’s pleasure; sacrifices are for our sins.
Heb 5:21 compassion
The Greek here implies a feeling toward the ignorant and erring that is neither too severe nor too tolerant. To exercise compassion is to be moderate or tender in judging their situation. The thought in this verse is a continuation of the thought in 4:15. Though not encompassed with weakness like the high priest taken from among men, Christ as our High Priest was tempted in all respects like us. Hence, being touched with the feeling of our weaknesses, He is able to exercise compassion toward us, the ignorant and erring ones.
Heb 5:2c erring James 5:19; 1 Pet. 2:25
Heb 5:4b Aaron Exo. 28:1; 1 Chron. 23:13
Heb 5:51 glorify
In this verse the word glorify replaces honor used in the foregoing verse. With the high priest taken from among men, there is only honor, a matter of position. With Christ as the High Priest, there is not only honor but also glory, not only the preciousness of His position but also the splendor of His person. See note 92 in ch. 2.
Heb 5:5a High Heb. 2:17; 4:15; 5:10; 7:26
Heb 5:5b You Heb. 1:5; Psa. 2:7; Acts 13:33
Heb 5:52 begotten
This refers to Christ’s resurrection (Acts 13:33), which qualifies Him to be our High Priest. For Christ to be our High Priest, He had to partake of our humanity, as mentioned in 2:14-18, and enter with this humanity into resurrection. In His humanity He can be touched with the feeling of our weaknesses and be merciful to us (4:15; 2:17). In resurrection, in His divinity He can do everything for us and be faithful to us (7:24-25; 2:17).
Heb 5:61a You Psa. 110:4
This refers to the ascension and enthronement of Christ (Psa. 110:1-4), which are in addition to His resurrection and further qualify Him to be our High Priest (7:26).
Heb 5:62b order Heb. 5:10; 6:20; 7:11, 17
The order of Melchizedek is higher than the order of Aaron. The order of Aaron was for the priesthood that was only in humanity, whereas the order of Melchizedek is for the priesthood that is in both humanity and divinity. This is fully delineated in ch. 7.
Heb 5:7a flesh John 1:14; Heb. 2:14
Heb 5:7b petitions Matt. 26:39, 42, 44
Heb 5:71 out
Out of death here does not mean that Christ did not enter into death and suffer death. It means that He resurrected out of death. Before He died, Christ prayed for this, and God answered by raising Him from the dead.
Heb 5:81a obedience Phil. 2:8
God ordained that Christ should die, and Christ obeyed (Phil. 2:8). He learned this obedience through the suffering of death.
Heb 5:8b suffered Luke 24:26
Heb 5:91a perfected Heb. 2:10
See note 105 in ch. 2.
Heb 5:92 source
The Greek word implies the thought of author and cause.
Heb 5:93 eternal
Not everlasting salvation but eternal salvation, of which all the effects, benefits, and issues are of an eternal nature, transcending the conditions and limitations of time.
Heb 5:9b salvation Heb. 2:3, 10
Heb 5:101 addressed
This word also conveys the sense of designated, hailed.
Heb 5:121 rudiments
Or, primary elements.
Heb 5:122 oracles
I.e., divine utterances.
Heb 5:123b milk 1 Cor. 3:2; 1 Pet. 2:2
Though this verse mentions teachers and teach, it likens the word of God to milk and solid food, which are for nourishment. This corresponds with the Lord’s word in Matt. 4:4 and the prophet’s word in Jer. 15:16. Paul and Peter held this same concept concerning the divine word (1 Cor. 3:2; 1 Pet. 2:2).
Heb 5:12c food Matt. 4:4; Jer. 15:16
Heb 5:131 milk
Milk here refers to the rudiments of the beginning of the oracles of God mentioned in v. 12, whereas the word of righteousness refers to solid food. The good word mentioned in 6:5 is the word of the beginning of Christ (6:1). But the word of righteousness is deeper than the rudiments of the beginning of the oracles of God because it embodies the deeper thought of God’s justice and righteousness in His dispensational and governmental dealings with His people. This word is more difficult to discriminate than the word of grace (Acts 14:3; 20:32) and the word of life (Phil. 2:16).
Heb 5:131a word cf. Heb. 6:1, 5; Acts 14:3; 20:32; Phil. 2:16
See note 131.
Heb 5:13b infant 1 Cor. 3:1; 1 Pet. 2:2
Heb 5:14a full-grown Heb. 6:1; 1 Cor. 2:6; Phil. 3:15
Heb 5:141 faculties
Or, senses; implying powers of perception that depend not only on our mental capability but also on our spiritual apprehension.
Heb 5:142 good
Good and evil here refers to what is superior in contrast to what is inferior, e.g., the superiority of Christ in contrast to the inferiority of the angels, Moses, and Aaron, or the superiority of the new covenant in contrast to the inferiority of the old covenant. According to the context of this verse, the discriminating mentioned here is similar to discriminating between different foods and has nothing to do with the moral nature of things.
Heb 6:11 word
Or, primary word. The word of the beginning of Christ refers to the six items mentioned in this verse and the next verse, items that constitute the foundation of the Christian life: (1) repentance from dead works, (2) faith in God, (3) the teaching of baptisms, (4) the laying on of hands, (5) the resurrection of the dead, and (6) eternal judgment. These six items form three pairs. The first item of each pair refers to our emergence from a negative situation, and the second speaks of our entering into the positive things. Repentance is a turning away from dead works; faith is the entry into God. Baptisms are separations from and terminations of the negative things; the laying on of hands is the identification and fellowship with the divine things. The resurrection of the dead is the emergence from death; eternal judgment is the entry into eternity and the eternal destiny.
Heb 6:12a beginning Heb. 5:12
The beginning of Christ includes not only the beginning of the believers’ experience of Christ, e.g., the six items enumerated in the latter half of this verse and the next verse, but also the early ministry of Christ, i.e., all His work on earth, recorded in the four Gospels. All saved believers have already experienced, as had the Hebrew believers, the beginning of Christ; henceforth they must pursue unto perfection, unto maturity. The Lord intends to complete this perfecting in His later heavenly ministry, as revealed in this book.
Heb 6:13 be
[ par. 1 2 ]
Heb 6:13 [1] In the experience of our spiritual life, there is always the Lord’s doing, on the one side, and our pursuing in cooperation with Him, on the other side. The Lord wants to bring us on to maturity, but we still need to cooperate with Him by being brought on to perfection, to maturity.
Heb 6:13 [2] The Lord wants to bring us on, but we must let Him do it. This is our willing cooperation with His gracious work. In order to be brought on to perfection, to maturity, we need to share with Christ in His attainments (1:9; 3:14), to be diligent to enter into the remaining Sabbath rest (4:9, 11), to come forward to the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace (4:16), and to feed on the solid food to enjoy Christ as our High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek (5:9-10, 14).
Heb 6:14b maturity Heb. 5:14
Or, perfection.
Heb 6:1c repentance Mark 1:15; Acts 5:31; 20:21
Heb 6:1e faith Rom. 1:17; Eph. 2:8
Heb 6:21a baptisms Heb. 9:10; Lev. 6:27; Mark 7:4
Baptisms, the same word in Greek as for washings in 9:10 and dipping in Mark 7:4, refers to the washing of the utensils and vessels used for God’s service in the tabernacle or temple (Lev. 6:28) and also, probably, to the washing of the priests (Exo. 30:18-21; Lev. 16:4). This matter is, of course, related to the background of the Hebrew believers. However, it is the same in principle as the New Testament baptism—both are the washing away and terminating of the negative things.
Heb 6:2b laying Acts 6:6; 8:17; 9:17; 13:3; 19:6; 28:8; 1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6
Heb 6:2c resurrection Matt. 22:31; Acts 4:2; 23:6
Heb 6:2d judgment Heb. 9:27; Rom. 2:5; Rev. 20:12, 13
Heb 6:31 this
I.e., we will do what is mentioned in v. 1: be brought on to perfection, to maturity, not laying again the foundation.
Heb 6:41 impossible
Those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come have already laid the foundation, at the time they believed. If they fall away and turn back, there is no need for them to lay the foundation again (v. 1); there is only the need to go on, to be brought on to perfection, to maturity. There is no need for them to repeat repentance, for it is impossible for them to renew themselves unto repentance. Verse 1 indicates that it is not needed; v. 4 says that it is not possible; and vv. 7-8 show that it is not right.
Heb 6:4a enlightened Heb. 10:32; John 1:9; 2 Cor. 4:6
Heb 6:42 heavenly
The heavenly gift here refers to God’s giving of the heavenly things, such as His forgiveness, righteousness, divine life, peace, and joy, at the time we repented and believed in the Lord.
Heb 6:4b gift Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:23
Heb 6:43c partakers Heb. 3:1; 12:8
The Holy Spirit is what God in His gospel promised to give man (Gal. 3:14). God called us from the heavens to the heavenly things that we might become partakers of His Holy Spirit and share in His Holy Spirit. It is by God’s Holy Spirit that we can live a heavenly life on earth and partake of the divine holiness. As partakers of the Holy Spirit, we partake of God as our enjoyment. See note 141 in ch. 3.
Heb 6:4d Spirit 2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5; Gal. 3:2, 5, 14; Eph. 1:13; 1 John 3:24; 4:13
Heb 6:5a tasted 1 Pet. 2:3
Heb 6:5b good Heb. 6:1; cf. 5:13
Heb 6:51 word
The Greek word denotes the instant word of God. The good word of God here refers to the word of the beginning of Christ, which was mentioned in v. 1 and which was the milk the Hebrew believers tasted when they believed in the Lord. Now they had to go on to the deeper word, the word of righteousness (5:13), which is concerned not mainly with God’s redemption but with the way of His economy, and which was the solid food by which they could reach perfection, maturity (v. 1).
Heb 6:52 powers
Powers here refers to the divine power, and the age to come refers to the age of the coming kingdom. The divine power of the coming kingdom restores, renews, and revives the things that have become old (Matt. 19:28). At the time of their regeneration (Titus 3:5) the believers all tasted this divine power and were restored, renewed, and revived.
Heb 6:61 fallen
Fallen away refers to the fact that the Hebrew Christians deviated from the pure Christian faith by returning to their old, traditional, Judaic religion. In principle, this could be applied to any Christians who fall away from the right track of God’s way.
Heb 6:62a crucifying cf. Heb. 10:29
Crucifying and putting modify the predicate renew. To renew unto repentance means to repeat the repentance that has been made already; this is not needed. To do this is to crucify again the Son of God and put Him to open shame.
Heb 6:71 rain
The rain here refers back to the five categories of good things mentioned in vv. 4-5.
Heb 6:72 produces
Produces vegetation is an illustration of being brought on to perfection, to maturity (v. 1). The believers, as the earth, are tilled for God’s sake that they may bring forth Christ, as the vegetation, to perfection, to maturity. By bringing forth Christ they partake of blessing from God.
Heb 6:81a thorns Gen. 3:18
Strictly, the thorns and thistles here refer to the traditional things of the Hebrew believers’ old religion.
Heb 6:82 disapproved
Or, rejected, disqualified, counted worthless. The same word is used in 1 Cor. 9:27. If a believer would not be brought on to perfection, to maturity, but rather falls back to the old things, he will be disapproved, be counted worthless, by God.
Heb 6:83 near
Once saved, the believers can never be a real curse. However, if they do not go on to grow Christ but rather hold on to things that displease God, they are near the curse of suffering the punishment of God’s governmental dealing. (This should be considered with the discipline or chastisement in 12:7-8.) Being near a curse is absolutely different from the suffering of eternal perdition, which is the real curse.
Heb 6:84b burned 1 Cor. 3:13, 15
The earth could never be burned, but what it brings forth could be burned. The believers could never be burned, but all they bring forth that is not according to God’s economy will be burned. The believers are God’s cultivated land. Whatever they grow as wood, grass, and stubble will be burned (1 Cor. 3:9, 12).
Heb 6:91 things
To bring forth thorns and thistles (v. 8) is not a thing that belongs to salvation. To give heed to the things that we have heard (2:1), to be diligent to enter into the promised rest (4:11), to come forward to the throne of grace (4:16), and to be brought on to perfection, to maturity (v. 1) are things that belong to salvation.
Heb 6:92 salvation
Salvation here refers to God’s full salvation, the “so great a salvation” mentioned in 2:3, including the saving mentioned in 7:25, the salvation mentioned in Phil. 1:19 and 2:12, and the salvation of the soul mentioned in 1 Pet. 1:9. To be so saved is to be saved from being near the curse of suffering the punishment of God’s governmental dealing, mentioned in v. 8.
Heb 6:10a work 1 Thes. 1:3
Heb 6:101c ministered Heb. 13:16; Rom. 12:13; 2 Cor. 8:4; Phil. 4:15, 16
Referring to the ministering of material things to the needy saints.
Heb 6:11a assurance Heb. 3:14; 10:22
Heb 6:11b hope Heb. 3:6; 6:18; 7:19; 1 Pet. 1:13
Heb 6:121 sluggish
Or, dull; as in 5:11.
Heb 6:12a imitators Heb. 13:7; 1 Cor. 4:16; 11:1; 1 Thes. 1:6; 2:14
Heb 6:12b faith 2 Thes. 1:4; Rev. 13:10
Heb 6:12c inheriting Heb. 11:9
Heb 6:13a swore Gen. 22:16; Luke 1:73
Heb 6:14a Surely Gen. 22:17
Heb 6:15a endured Rom. 4:17-21
Heb 6:15b promise Gal. 3:16-18
Heb 6:17b unchangeableness Psa. 33:11; 110:4
Heb 6:181 two
These two things are God’s promise and oath (v. 17).
Heb 6:18a lie Num. 23:19; Titus 1:2
Heb 6:182 fled
Lit., fled intensively; implying to flee to a safeguard. Cf. Acts 14:6.
Heb 6:183 refuge
The Lord Jesus entered the heavens, the Holy of Holies within the veil, as mentioned in v. 20, and with Him is the heavenly haven for our refuge, which we can now enter in our spirit (10:19).
Heb 6:191 anchor
Anchor signifies that we are on a stormy sea and that without the anchor of hope we may shipwreck (1 Tim. 1:19).
Heb 6:192 enters
The heavens, into which the Lord Jesus entered, are today the Holy of Holies within the veil. Our hope, as a secure and firm anchor, has entered there, and we may now enter there in our spirit (10:19-20).
Heb 6:201a Forerunner cf. Heb. 2:10
As the Forerunner, the Lord Jesus took the lead to pass through the stormy sea and enter the heavenly haven to be the High Priest for us according to the order of Melchizedek. As such a Forerunner, He is the Author of our salvation (2:10). As the Forerunner, He cut the way to glory, and as the Author, He entered into glory.
Heb 7:11 For
According to the work and ministry of Christ, this book has a turn at this verse, a turn from earth to heaven. To the end of ch. 6, what is revealed is mainly Christ’s work on earth, typified by the priesthood of Aaron. That section is the word of foundation. From this verse, Christ’s ministry in heaven according to the order of Melchizedek is unveiled. This section is the word of perfection, which shows us how the heavenly Christ ministers in the heavenly tabernacle. His purifying of sins is typified by the work of Aaron, while His sitting down on the right hand of the Majesty on high (1:3) is according to the order of Melchizedek (Psa. 110:1, 4). His work on the cross on earth, typified by the work of Aaron, affords us forgiveness of sins. His ministry on the throne in heaven ministers to us the overcoming of sin. His cross delivered us out of Egypt; His throne brings us into Canaan. The Hebrew believers participated in His work on the cross. Now they had to press on to enter into the enjoyment of His ministry on the throne.
Heb 7:12a Melchizedek Heb. 5:6, 10; 6:20; Gen. 14:18-20
Melchizedek means king of righteousness, and king of Salem means king of peace (v. 2). As the King of righteousness (Isa. 32:1), Christ made all things right with God and made all things right with one another. Righteousness issues in peace (Isa. 32:17). As the King of peace (Isa. 9:6), Christ, through righteousness, brings in peace between God and us, and in such a peace He fulfills the ministry of His priesthood. He is the King who becomes the Priest; thus, His priesthood is kingly, royal (1 Pet. 2:9).
Heb 7:1b slaughter Gen. 14:17
Heb 7:2a tenth Gen. 14:20
Heb 7:21b king Psa. 72:2; Isa. 32:1
At the beginning of this chapter we have the King, and at the end we have the Son of God (v. 28), indicating that Christ as our High Priest is both kingly and divine. His kingship maintains a condition that is full of righteousness and peace that He may minister the processed Triune God to us for our enjoyment; His divinity as the Son of God constitutes Him a High Priest who is living and full of life that He may be able to continue His priesthood perpetually.
Heb 7:21c king Isa. 9:6; Eph. 2:14; Isa. 32:17; Psa. 72:3; 85:10
See note 21.
Heb 7:31 without
For all the important persons in Genesis, except Melchizedek, there is a genealogy. In the divine writing, the Holy Spirit sovereignly gave no account of the beginning of Melchizedek’s days or of the end of his life, that he might be a proper type of Christ as the eternal One, as our perpetual High Priest. This corresponds with the presentation of the Son of God in the Gospel of John. Being eternal, the Son of God has no genealogy (John 1:1). But as the Son of Man, Christ does have a genealogy (Matt. 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38).
Heb 7:3a beginning cf. John 1:1; 8:58
Heb 7:3c perpetually Heb. 7:24
Heb 7:41a great Heb. 10:21
The fact that Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils testifies to the greatness of Melchizedek, who is a type of Christ. Christ, as a Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, is greater than the priests of the tribe of Levi, who offered tithes to Melchizedek through their father Abraham (v. 9), since they were in Abraham’s loins when he met Melchizedek (v. 10).
Heb 7:5a tithes Num. 18:21
Heb 7:61a blessed Gen. 14:19
The fact that Melchizedek blessed Abraham testifies again that he is greater than Abraham (v. 7).
Heb 7:71 lesser
Or, inferior.
Heb 7:72 greater
Or, superior, better.
Heb 7:8a of Psa. 110:4; Heb. 5:6
Heb 7:8b lives John 14:19; Rev. 1:18
Heb 7:91 Levi
This corresponds with the fact that all the human race sinned in Adam, since all the human race was in the loins of Adam when he sinned (Rom. 5:12).
Heb 7:111 Priest
This book is focused on the heavenly Christ, and the chief point concerning this Christ is that He is a Priest not according to the order of Aaron but according to the order of Melchizedek. All the other aspects of Christ in the foregoing chapters, such as His being the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Author of salvation, the Apostle, and the real Joshua, are the necessary qualifications for Him to be such a Priest, a Priest who can minister to us whatever we need and save us to the uttermost.
Heb 7:11a Melchizedek Heb. 5:6
Heb 7:12a priesthood cf. Heb. 7:24
Heb 7:121 transferred
I.e., transferred from the order of Aaron to the order of Melchizedek (v. 11), from the priestly tribe of Levi to the kingly tribe of Judah (v. 14), and from men to the Son of God (v. 28), who is both the only begotten Son and the firstborn Son.
Heb 7:122b transfer Heb. 8:7, 8, 13
This was a transfer from the law of letters to the law of life, according to which Christ has been appointed a living and perpetual High Priest (v. 16).
Heb 7:131 belongs
Lit., has partaken of.
Heb 7:141 risen
The Greek word carries the sense of sprung up, sprouted.
Heb 7:142a Judah Matt. 2:6; Rev. 5:5
In the Old Testament, Levi was the tribe of the priests, and Judah was the tribe of the kings. The Lord descended from the tribe of Judah, causing a transfer in the priesthood and combining in one tribe the priesthood and the kingship (Zech. 6:13), as manifested in Melchizedek, who was both high priest and king (v. 1).
Heb 7:16b power Rom. 1:4; Phil. 3:10
Heb 7:161 indestructible
Or, indissoluble. Christ was appointed the High Priest not according to the powerless letters of law but according to the powerful element of an indestructible life, which nothing can dissolve. This life is endless, being the eternal, divine, uncreated life, and the resurrection life, which passed through the test of death and Hades (Acts 2:24; Rev. 1:18). It is by such a life that Christ ministers today as our High Priest. Hence, He is able to save us to the uttermost (v. 25).
Heb 7:16c life 2 Tim. 1:10
Heb 7:181a setting Col. 2:14
The commandment, or the regulations, of the law concerning the Levitical priesthood was set aside because it was merely in letters and thus was weak. It was not a matter of life but was a dead commandment in letters; thus, it was unprofitable.
Heb 7:191b perfected Heb. 9:9; 10:1; Rom. 8:3
Because of the weakness of man, the law perfected nothing (Rom. 8:3).
Heb 7:192 thereupon
Upon the position occupied by the commandment.
Heb 7:193 better
This better hope is the priesthood in an indestructible life (v. 16).
Heb 7:19c hope Heb. 6:18; 10:23
Heb 7:19d draw Heb. 7:25; cf. Heb. 4:16; 10:22
Heb 7:21a The Psa. 110:4
Heb 7:221 surety
The Greek word means a guarantee, bondsman, sponsor, and is from the root word meaning a hand into which something is placed as a pledge, implying that the guarantee, the surety, cannot be unbound. Christ is not only the consummator of the new covenant; He is also the surety, the pledge that everything in that covenant will be fulfilled. That Christ has become the surety of a better covenant is based on the fact that He is the living and perpetual High Priest.
Heb 7:22b covenant Heb. 8:8; 9:15; 12:24
Heb 7:24a abides Rom. 6:9; Rev. 1:18
Heb 7:251 to
Or, completely, entirely, perfectly, to the end, and for eternity.
Heb 7:25b come Heb. 4:16; 11:6; 10:22; 7:19
Heb 7:25c lives Heb. 7:8; Rev. 1:18
Heb 7:252d intercede Rom. 8:34
Christ as our High Priest undertakes our case by interceding for us. He appears before God on our behalf and prays for us that we may be saved and brought fully into God’s eternal purpose.
Heb 7:26b guileless Heb. 4:15; 1 Pet. 2:22
Heb 7:261 higher
In His ascension Christ passed through the heavens (4:14), so that now He not only is in heaven (9:24) but also is higher than the heavens, far above all the heavens (Eph. 4:10).
Heb 7:27c once Heb. 9:12, 28; 10:10
Heb 7:281c perfected Heb. 5:9
Perfected means brought to an end by being completed, implying to be made qualified. The Son of God here must be not just the only begotten Son but also the firstborn Son, who has been perfected forever through His incarnation, human living, death, and resurrection. Now He is completely perfected, equipped, and qualified to be our divine High Priest.
Heb 8:1b right Heb. 1:13; Mark 16:19; Col. 3:1
Heb 8:11 heavens
Christ, as the High Priest in the heavens, brings us into heaven, from the earthly outer court into the heavenly Holy of Holies, which is joined to our spirit by Him as the heavenly ladder (Gen. 28:12; John 1:51).
Heb 8:21a Minister cf. Rom. 15:8
One who ministers as a priest. As a minister of the true (heavenly) tabernacle, Christ ministers heaven (which is not only a place but also a condition of life) into us that we may have the heavenly life and power to live a heavenly life on earth, as He did while He was here.
Heb 8:22b holy Heb. 9:24
The Greek word for holy places, used as a noun, is plural here. It refers to all the holy places in the tabernacle; strictly, it refers to the Holy of Holies, the holiest of all the holy places (9:8, 12, 25; 10:19; 13:11).
Heb 8:31 gifts
See note 11 in ch. 5.
Heb 8:3b offer Heb. 9:14; Eph. 5:2
Heb 8:51a example Heb. 9:23
Or, copy, representation.
Heb 8:5b shadow Col. 2:17; Heb. 10:1
Heb 8:5c See Exo. 25:40
Heb 8:61 ministry
Referring to the ministry of a priest; derived from the same Greek word as minister in v. 2.
Heb 8:62a Mediator Heb. 9:15; 12:24
In His heavenly ministry Christ, as the Mediator, is the Executor of the new covenant, the new testament, which He bequeathed to us by His death.
Heb 8:63b better Heb. 7:22
This better covenant not only was enacted upon better promises of a better law, the inner law of life (vv. 10-12), but also was consummated with Christ’s better sacrifices (9:23), which accomplished for us an eternal redemption (9:12), and the better blood of Christ, which purifies our conscience (9:14). Even more, the High Priest of this better covenant, the eternal Son of the living God, ministers with a more excellent ministry (v. 6) and in the greater and more perfect tabernacle (9:11).
Heb 8:6c covenant Heb. 8:8; 9:15; 12:24
Heb 8:64 enacted
Just as the old covenant was the old law enacted by God, so the new covenant is the new law enacted by God, as mentioned in vv. 10-12.
Heb 8:65 better
The better promises are given in Jer. 31:31-34 and are quoted in vv. 8-12 of this chapter and vv. 16-17 of ch. 10.
Heb 8:6d promises Heb. 8:8-12; Jer. 31:31-34
Heb 8:71a first Heb. 8:13; 9:1
The first covenant is the old covenant, and the second is the new covenant.
Heb 8:72 place
Or, space; metaphorically, occasion, condition.
Heb 8:8a Behold vv. 8-12: Jer. 31:31-34
Heb 8:8b new Heb. 8:13; 9:15; 12:24; Luke 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25
Heb 8:10a this Heb. 10:16
Heb 8:101 laws
[ par. 1 2 ]
Heb 8:101 [1] In Jer. 31:33, the source of this quotation, the word used is law (singular), whereas in this verse it is laws (plural). This proves that it is one law that spreads to become a number of laws. This one law is the law of life (see the law of the Spirit of life—Rom. 8:2). Every life has a law. The higher the life, the higher is its law. The divine life that we receive of God is the highest life; therefore, it has the highest law, the law referred to here. By imparting His divine life into us, God puts this highest law into our spirit, whence it spreads into our inward parts, such as our mind, emotion, and will, and becomes several laws.
Heb 8:101 [2] The law of life differs from the law of letters. The law of life regulates us from within by and according to its life element, whereas the law of letters regulates us from without by and according to its dead letters. The law of dead letters depends on outward teachings, but the law of life depends on the inward consciousness. Since we all, great or small, have the law of life, we do not need outward teachings that are according to the law of letters (v. 11).
Heb 8:102 mind
Here, mind corresponds with inward parts in Jer. 31:33. This proves that the mind is one of the inward parts and that it is the interpretation of the term inward parts. The inward parts consist of not only the mind but also the emotion and the will. These three are components of the heart, mentioned in the succeeding clause.
Heb 8:103 inscribe
First, God imparts His laws into us; then He inscribes them on us. He does the inscribing while we are experiencing the law of life.
Heb 8:104 I
Lit., I will be to them for God.
Heb 8:105 they
Lit., they will be to Me for a people. It is according to the law of life that we are a people to God and that He is God to us. God’s relationship with us today is based fully on the law of life, so that today we do not need to walk according to the knowledge of the law of letters but should walk according to the consciousness of the law of life.
Heb 8:11a teach 1 John 2:27
Heb 8:111 Know
In this verse two Greek words are used for know: the first is ginosko, which signifies the outward, objective knowledge; the second is oida, which refers to the inward, subjective consciousness. In John 8:55 the Lord Jesus told the Pharisees that they did not know (ginosko) God the Father (even in the outward, objective knowledge), and that He did know (oida) the Father (in the inward, subjective consciousness). Both words are used in 1 John 2:29.
Heb 8:121 propitious
The word is the root of the Greek word for make propitiation in 2:17. To be propitious is to make propitiation for our sins (see note 174 in ch. 2). In the new covenant four blessings are promised: (1) propitiation for our unrighteousnesses and the forgetting (forgiveness) of our sins (v. 12); (2) the imparting of the law of life by the imparting of the divine life into us (v. 10a); (3) the privilege of having God as our God and of being His people—the divine life’s enabling us to participate in the enjoyment of God in fellowship with Him (v. 10b); and (4) the function of life that enables us to know Him in the inward way of life (v. 11). According to the covenant that God consummated, these four blessings are His promise. But according to the testament that the Lord bequeathed to us, they are His bequests. See note 161 in ch. 9.
Heb 8:131 first
I.e., the old covenant. So also in 9:1.
Heb 8:13b disappearing Heb. 7:12, 18
Heb 9:1a first Heb. 8:7, 13; 9:15, 18
Heb 9:11c sanctuary Heb. 9:24; Exo. 25:8
The same Greek word as for holy places in 8:2. Here, however, it is singular and, hence, is rendered sanctuary. The sanctuary is the entire tabernacle (Exo. 25:8-9), including the first tabernacle, which is called the Holy Place (v. 2), and the second tabernacle, which is called the Holy of Holies (v. 3). See note 22 in ch. 8.
Heb 9:2a tabernacle Heb. 9:6; Exo. 26:35
Heb 9:2b lampstand Exo. 25:31-39
Heb 9:2c table Exo. 25:23-29
Heb 9:2d loaves Exo. 25:30
Heb 9:2e Holy Exo. 26:33
Heb 9:3a veil Exo. 26:31-33
Heb 9:3b tabernacle Exo. 40:21
Heb 9:3c Holy Exo. 26:33-34; Heb. 9:8, 12, 25; 10:19; 13:11
Heb 9:41 Having
[ par. 1 2 3 4 5 6 ]
Heb 9:41 [1] Regarding the place where the incense altar stood, there is apparently a discrepancy between the Old Testament and the New Testament. Exodus 30:6 says that the incense altar was put before the veil, i.e., outside the veil. This indicates clearly that the incense altar was put in the Holy Place, which is outside the veil, not in the Holy of Holies, which is within the veil. But here it says that the Holy of Holies has the incense altar. Therefore, most Christian teachers and Bible readers have thought that some error or misconstruction must somehow have occurred. But this is not so! The apparent discrepancy has great spiritual significance, as shown by the following points:
Heb 9:41 [2] (1) The Old Testament record of the incense altar’s location implies the closest relationship between the incense altar and the Ark of the Testimony, over which was the expiation cover, where God met with His people (Exo. 30:6). The record even says that the incense altar was set before the Ark of the Testimony, with no mention being made of the separating veil that stood between them (Exo. 40:5).
Heb 9:41 [3] (2) First Kings 6:22 (ASV) says that the incense “altar…belonged to the oracle.” The Hebrew word for oracle includes the meaning the speaking place of God. The oracle denotes the Holy of Holies, in which was the Ark of the Testimony with the expiation cover, where God spoke to His people. Thus, the Old Testament indicated beforehand that the incense altar belonged to the Holy of Holies. (Though the incense altar was in the Holy Place, its function was for the Ark of the Testimony in the Holy of Holies. On the Day of Expiation, both the incense altar and the expiation cover of the Ark of the Testimony were sprinkled with the same blood for expiation—Exo. 30:10; Lev. 16:15-16.) Hence, in Exo. 26:35 only the showbread table and the lampstand are mentioned as being in the Holy Place; the incense altar is not mentioned.
Heb 9:41 [4] (3) The incense altar is related to prayer (Luke 1:10-11), and in this book we are shown that to pray is to enter the Holy of Holies (10:19) and to come to the throne of grace, which is signified by the expiation cover over the Ark of the Testimony in the Holy of Holies. Our prayer often begins with our mind, which is a part of our soul, signified by the Holy Place. But our prayer always ushers us into our spirit, signified by the Holy of Holies.
Heb 9:41 [5] (4) On account of all the above points, the writer of this book had to consider the incense altar as belonging to the Holy of Holies. Verse 4 does not say that a golden altar was in the Holy of Holies, as the lampstand and the table were in the Holy Place (v. 2). It says that the Holy of Holies had a golden altar, because the altar belonged to the Holy of Holies. This concept fits the entire emphasis of the book of Hebrews, i.e., that we should press on from the soul (signified by the Holy Place) to the spirit (signified by the Holy of Holies).
Heb 9:41 [6] The incense altar belongs to the oracle—the speaking place of God, i.e., the Holy of Holies. The incense altar typifies Christ in His resurrection as the sweet and fragrant incense, in which God extends to us His well-pleased acceptance. We pray with such a Christ in order to contact God that God may be pleased to speak to us. We speak to God in our prayer with Christ as the sweet incense, and God speaks to us in the sweet savor of this incense. This is the dialogue in the sweet fellowship between us and God through Christ as the sweet incense.
Heb 9:4a golden Exo. 30:1-4, 6; 40:5; 1 Kings 6:22
Heb 9:42 altar
The Greek word here for altar can be translated censer. But here it refers to the incense altar, not the censer; according to the record of the Old Testament, there was no incense censer in the Holy Place or in the Holy of Holies.
Heb 9:4b Ark Exo. 25:10-22; 26:34; 40:21
Heb 9:43c pot Exo. 16:33-34
The arrangement of the furniture of the tabernacle portrays our experience of Christ. In the outer court were the bronze altar and the bronze laver (Exo. 40:29-32). This signifies that our experience of Christ begins, in an outward sense, with His redemption, which was accomplished on the cross, and the cleansing of the Holy Spirit, which is based on Christ’s redemption. In the Holy Place were the showbread table and the lampstand, with the incense altar located close to the Holy of Holies, in front of the Ark of the Testimony. The showbread table signifies our experience of Christ as our life supply, and the lampstand, our experience of Christ as the shining light. These experiences are rather inward, in the intellect and consciousness of our being. The incense altar signifies our experience of Christ as the sweet incense ascending to God. This experience is deeper and more inward, leading to the deepest and most inward experiences, in the Holy of Holies. In the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Testimony, in which were the golden pot containing the hidden manna; Aaron’s budding rod; and the tablets of the covenant. The hidden manna in the golden pot signifies our experience of Christ as our life supply in the deepest way, an experience much deeper than that signified by the showbread table in the Holy Place. The budding rod signifies our experience of Christ in His resurrection as our acceptance by God for authority in the God-given ministry. This is deeper than the experience of Christ as the incense for our acceptance by God. The tablets of the covenant, which are the tablets of the Ten Commandments, signify our experience of Christ as the enlightening inner law, which regulates us according to God’s divine nature. This is deeper than the experience of Christ as the shining lampstand in the Holy Place. All these deepest experiences of Christ take place in our spirit, signified by the Holy of Holies.
Heb 9:4d rod Num. 17:3, 5, 8, 10
Heb 9:4e tablets Deut. 10:4-5; Exo. 34:1, 29; 25:21; 40:20
Heb 9:5a cherubim Exo. 25:18-20
Heb 9:51b expiation Exo. 25:17, 21; Rom. 3:25
Lit., propitiation place. See note 252 in Rom. 3.
Heb 9:6a into Lev. 4:5-7; Exo. 27:21
Heb 9:6c continually Heb. 10:11
Heb 9:7b high Lev. 16:15-17
Heb 9:7c once Exo. 30:10; Lev. 16:34; Heb. 10:3
Heb 9:7d blood Lev. 16:14, 15
Heb 9:7e himself Lev. 16:6, 11; Heb. 5:3
Heb 9:71 sins
Lit., ignorances. The word refers to those sins that are committed in ignorance of God’s law; hence, they are sins of ignorance (Lev. 4:2, 13, 22, 27; 5:17-18).
Heb 9:7f people Lev. 16:15
Heb 9:81b way Heb. 10:20
The first tabernacle, the Holy Place, signifies the old covenant, and the second tabernacle, the Holy of Holies, signifies the new covenant. The veil that closed off the Holy of Holies was rent (Matt. 27:51) by the death of Christ, which crucified the flesh (10:20; Gal. 5:24), and now the way of the Holy of Holies has been manifested. Hence, we do not need to remain in the Holy Place, i.e., the old covenant, the soul; we must enter into the Holy of Holies, i.e., the new covenant, the spirit. That is the goal of this book.
Heb 9:8c Holy Heb. 9:3, 12, 25; 10:19
Heb 9:91a figure cf. Heb. 9:23, 24; 8:5
Or, symbol, type; lit., parable.
Heb 9:92b gifts Heb. 5:1
See note 11 in ch. 5.
Heb 9:9d conscience Heb. 10:2, 22; 9:14
Heb 9:101b washings Heb. 6:2
Lit., baptisms; as in 6:2 (see note 1 there).
Heb 9:102 setting
Or, reformation, putting in order, setting things straight. The time of setting things right occurred at Christ’s first coming, when He fulfilled all the shadows of the Old Testament that a new covenant might replace the old. This is a right arrangement, a right ordering. Hence, it is a reformation. This is different from the restoration in Acts 3:21, which will occur at Christ’s second coming.
Heb 9:111 the
Some ancient MSS read, the good things to come.
Heb 9:11c tabernacle Heb. 8:2; 9:24
Heb 9:11d made Mark 14:58; 2 Cor. 5:1
Heb 9:12a blood Lev. 16:14, 15
Heb 9:12b own Heb. 9:14; 12:24; 13:12; Matt. 26:28; Rom. 3:25; Eph. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:19; Rev. 1:5
Heb 9:12c entered Heb. 6:19, 20; 9:24
Heb 9:12d once Heb. 7:27; 10:10
Heb 9:121 obtaining
Christ accomplished redemption on the cross (Col. 1:20), but it was not until He entered into the heavenly Holy of Holies through the redeeming blood, i.e., when He brought His redeeming blood to offer it before God, that He obtained the redemption that has an eternal effect.
Heb 9:12f eternal Heb. 5:9; 9:15
Heb 9:122 redemption
In the old covenant the blood of goats and calves only made expiation for people’s sins (Lev. 16:15-18); it never accomplished redemption for their sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins (10:4). In Hebrew the root of the word for expiation means to cover. Thus, to make expiation means to cover sins; it does not mean to take away sins. Since Christ as the Lamb of God took away the sin of the world (John 1:29) by offering Himself once for all on the cross as the sacrifice for sins (v. 14; 10:12), His blood, which He sprinkled in the heavenly tabernacle (12:24), has accomplished an eternal redemption for us, even the redemption of the transgressions under the first (old) covenant (v. 15), transgressions that were only covered by animal blood. Thus, we have been redeemed with the precious blood of Christ (1 Pet. 1:18-19). See note 11 in Lev. 16.
Heb 9:13a blood Heb. 9:19; Lev. 16:18
Heb 9:13c sprinkling Num. 19:18, 19
Heb 9:131 defiled
Lit., made common.
Heb 9:141a blood Heb. 9:12
The blood of Christ was shed for the forgiveness of sins (Matt. 26:28), and the new covenant was consummated with it (10:29; Luke 22:20). It accomplished an eternal redemption for us (v. 12; Eph. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:18-19) and purchased the church for God (Acts 20:28). It washes us from our sins (1 John 1:7), purifies our conscience (v. 14), sanctifies us (13:12), and speaks something better for us (12:24). By this blood we enter the Holy of Holies (10:19) and overcome Satan the accuser (Rev. 12:10-11). Therefore, it is precious and better than the blood of goats and bulls (vv. 12-13). We must value it highly and should not regard it a common thing, like animal blood. If we do, we will suffer God’s punishment (10:29-31).
Heb 9:142 eternal
On the cross Christ offered Himself to God in the human body (10:5, 10), which was under the limitation of time. But He offered Himself through the eternal Spirit, who is of eternity and is not under the limitation of time. Hence, in the eyes of God, Christ as the Lamb of God was slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8). His offering of Himself was once for all (7:27), and the redemption consummated through His death is eternal (v. 12), having an eternal effect. The span of His redemption fully covers the span of sin. See note 261, par. 2.
Heb 9:14b offered Heb. 7:27; 9:28; 10:10, 12, 14; Eph. 5:2
Heb 9:14c without 1 Pet. 1:19
Heb 9:143d conscience Heb. 10:2, 22
The blood of Christ purifies our conscience to serve the living God. To serve the living God requires a blood-purified conscience. To worship in dead religion or to serve any dead thing, anything that is outside God, does not require our conscience to be purified. The conscience is the leading part of our spirit. The living God whom we desire to serve always comes to our spirit (John 4:24) by touching our conscience. He is righteous, holy, and living. Our defiled conscience needs to be purified that we may serve Him in a living way. To worship God in our mind in a religious way does not require this.
Heb 9:144e dead Heb. 6:1
Since we were dead (Eph. 2:1; Col. 2:13), whatever we did, whether bad or good, was dead works before the living God.
Heb 9:14f serve 1 Thes. 1:9
Heb 9:145g living Heb. 3:12; 10:31; Acts 14:15; 1 Tim. 3:15
This book does not teach religion; rather, it reveals the living God (3:12; 9:14; 10:31; 12:22). To touch this living God we need to exercise our spirit (4:12) and have a blood-purified conscience in our spirit.
Heb 9:15a Mediator Heb. 8:6; 12:24
Heb 9:15b new Heb. 8:8, 13, 6; 7:22
Heb 9:151 transgressions
I.e., transgressions reckoned as sins according to the standard of the provisions of the first covenant.
Heb 9:15d called Heb. 3:1; Rom. 8:30; Eph. 4:1, 4
Heb 9:152 promise
The promise of the eternal inheritance is based on Christ’s eternal redemption, not on our work, and is different from the promise in 10:36, which is conditioned on our endurance and our doing the will of God. (See note 362 in ch. 10.) The eternal inheritance in the promise here is through the eternal redemption of Christ, whereas the great reward (10:35) in the promise in 10:36 is given by virtue of our endurance and our doing the will of God.
Heb 9:153 eternal
See note 341 in ch. 10.
Heb 9:15e inheritance Acts 20:32; 26:18; Eph. 1:14; 1 Pet. 1:4
Heb 9:161 testament
In Greek the same word is used for both covenant and testament. A covenant is an agreement containing some promises to accomplish certain things for the covenanted people, while a testament is a will containing certain accomplished things that are bequeathed to the inheritor. The new covenant consummated with the blood of Christ is not merely a covenant but a testament in which all the things that were accomplished by the death of Christ have been bequeathed to us. First, God gave the promise that He would make a new covenant (Jer. 31:31-34). Then Christ shed His blood to enact the covenant (Luke 22:20). Since accomplished facts are promised in this covenant, it is also a testament. This testament, this will, was confirmed and validated by Christ’s death and is being executed and enforced by Christ in His resurrection. The promise of God’s covenant is insured by God’s faithfulness; God’s covenant is guaranteed by God’s righteousness; and the testament is enforced by Christ’s resurrection power.
Heb 9:171 testament
See note 161.
Heb 9:172 in
Lit., over the dead.
Heb 9:181 initiated
The word implies the sense of newly enacted, inaugurated.
Heb 9:19b scarlet Lev. 14:6, 49-52
Heb 9:21a tabernacle Lev. 16:14-19, 33
Heb 9:221 without
Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Without forgiveness of sins there is no way for the requirement of God’s righteousness to be fulfilled that the covenant may be enacted. But Christ’s blood was shed for the forgiveness of sins, and the covenant was enacted with His blood (Matt. 26:28).
Heb 9:22a blood Lev. 17:11
Heb 9:231 heavenly
The tabernacle and all things pertaining to it were sprinkled with and purified by the blood of goats and bulls (vv. 21-23). That was a figure showing that the heavenly things needed to be purified by the blood of better sacrifices, which are the sacrifices of Christ (7:27; 9:14, 28; 10:10, 12, 14). Heaven and all things in heaven were defiled by the rebellion of Satan and the fallen angels, who followed Satan in his rebellion against God. So all the heavenly things needed to be purified. Christ accomplished this purification with His own blood when He entered into heaven itself (v. 24).
Heb 9:232b better Heb. 9:26; 10:10, 12, 14
Christ offered Himself as the one sacrifice (v. 14; 10:12). This one sacrifice, viewed from its various aspects, can be considered many sacrifices. As Christ is the eternal Son of the living God incarnated to be the Son of Man, and as He offered Himself to God through the eternal Spirit, so His sacrifices, which are Himself, are better than the animal sacrifices. Those were shadows that could never remove sins (10:11), but His sacrifices are real and have put away sin once for all (v. 26). Thus He obtained an eternal redemption for us (v. 12).
Heb 9:241 holy
See note 22 in ch. 8.
Heb 9:242b figure Heb. 9:9
Or, copy.
Heb 9:24d heaven Heb. 4:14; 7:26
Heb 9:26a since Rev. 13:8; cf. 1 Pet. 1:20
Heb 9:26b once Heb. 9:12; 7:27; 10:10
Heb 9:261c consummation Heb. 1:2; 1 Pet. 1:20
[ par. 1 2 ]
Heb 9:261 [1] Or, completion of the ages, end of the ages. Here it means the end of the Old Testament age, whereas the consummation of the age in Matt. 28:20 refers to the close of the church age.
Heb 9:261 [2] Christ was foreordained for us before the foundation of the world (1 Pet. 1:20), and He was slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8). Actually, His being slain occurred once for all at the consummation of the ages, when He offered Himself to God, in His first manifestation, for the putting away of sin. See note 142.
Heb 9:26d manifested 1 John 3:5, 8
Heb 9:271 reserved
Or, laid up.
Heb 9:272 once
As man has to die once and be judged after dying, so Christ died once to bear man’s sins (v. 28; 1 Pet. 2:24) and on the cross suffered judgment for man (Isa. 53:5, 11).
Heb 9:27b judgment Acts 10:42; Rom. 2:16; Rev. 20:11-13
Heb 9:28a once Heb. 7:27; 1 Pet. 3:18
Heb 9:28b bear Isa. 53:11, 12; 1 Pet. 2:24
Heb 9:28c appear Col. 3:4; 1 Pet. 1:7; 1 John 2:28; 3:2
Heb 9:28d eagerly 1 Cor. 1:7; Phil. 3:20; 1 Thes. 1:10
Heb 9:281 apart
Since in His first appearing Christ put away sin (v. 26; 1 John 3:5), His second appearing will be apart from sin, having nothing to do with sin.
Heb 9:282e salvation Rom. 8:23, 24; Phil. 3:20-21
Salvation here means the redemption of our body and deliverance from the vanity and slavery of corruption of the old creation into the freedom of the glory of the children of God (Rom. 8:18-23; Phil. 3:20-21). This is to be glorified (Rom. 8:17, 30).
Heb 10:1a shadow Heb. 8:5; Col. 2:17
Heb 10:1d perfect cf. Heb. 10:14
Heb 10:2a ceased Heb. 10:18, 26
Heb 10:2b consciousness Heb. 9:9
Heb 10:3a year Exo. 30:10; Lev. 16:34; Heb. 9:7
Heb 10:4a impossible Heb. 10:11
Heb 10:5a Sacrifice vv. 5-7: Psa. 40:6-8
Heb 10:5b body Heb. 10:10
Heb 10:6b sacrifices Lev. 4:3, 14, 29; Heb. 10:26
Heb 10:7a in Luke 24:27, 44, 46; John 5:39, 46
Heb 10:71 roll
The Old Testament gives us a full record of Christ, either by plain words or by types (Luke 24:27, 44, 46; John 5:39, 46).
Heb 10:72b will Heb. 10:10
The will of God here was to take away the first, the animal sacrifices of the old covenant, that the second, the sacrifice of Christ of the new testament, might be established. So in vv. 9-10.
Heb 10:91 first
The first here refers to the sacrifices of the first covenant, the old covenant; the second refers to the sacrifice of the second covenant, the new covenant, which sacrifice is Christ. Christ came into the world that He might, according to the will of God, put away the animal sacrifices of the old covenant and establish Himself as the sacrifice of the new covenant.
Heb 10:10a will Heb. 10:7
Heb 10:10b sanctified Heb. 2:11; 10:14, 29; 13:12
Heb 10:10c offering Heb. 10:12; 7:27; 9:14
Heb 10:10d body Heb. 10:5; 1 Pet. 2:24
Heb 10:101e once Heb. 9:28
The main thought in vv. 1-18 is that Christ has removed sins, accomplishing what all the Levitical sacrifices were unable to do. Having put away sin once for all, Christ has now imparted Himself into us as the divine life so that through the working of this divine life we may become the corporate reproduction of Himself.
Heb 10:111 stands
The priests in the old covenant stood daily and offered the same sacrifices again and again, because what they offered could never remove sins. But Christ put away sin (9:26) by offering Himself to God as the one sacrifice for sins, whereupon He sat down forever on the right hand of God (v. 12). His sitting in heaven is a sign and proof that the removing of sins has been accomplished. His sitting there is forever. Hence, He no longer needs to do anything for sin. He did it once for all. His sitting down forever after having offered one sacrifice for sins is in contrast to the priests’ standing daily to offer often the same sacrifices.
Heb 10:11a never Heb. 10:4
Heb 10:11b remove cf. John 1:29
Heb 10:12a offered Heb. 10:10
Heb 10:12b sacrifice Heb. 9:26
Heb 10:121c sat Heb. 1:3, 13; 8:1; 12:2; Eph. 1:20
See note 111.
Heb 10:122 forever
Lit., unto perpetuity. So in v. 14.
Heb 10:13a enemies Psa. 110:1; Matt. 22:44; Acts 2:35
Heb 10:14a one Heb. 10:12
Heb 10:141b perfected cf. Heb. 7:19; 9:9; 10:1
Or, completed. Christ has already perfected and completed us through His one offering.
Heb 10:14c sanctified Heb. 10:10
Heb 10:15a Holy Heb. 3:7; 9:8
Heb 10:16a This Jer. 31:33; Heb. 8:10
Heb 10:17a their Jer. 31:34; Heb. 8:12
Heb 10:18a no Heb. 10:26, 2
Heb 10:19a boldness Heb. 4:16
Heb 10:191b entering Heb. 9:25; cf. Heb. 9:7
The Holy of Holies today is in heaven, where the Lord Jesus is (9:12, 24). How, then, can we enter the Holy of Holies while we are still on earth? The secret is our spirit, referred to in 4:12. The very Christ who is in heaven is now also in our spirit (2 Tim. 4:22). As the heavenly ladder (Gen. 28:12; John 1:51), He joins our spirit to heaven and brings heaven into our spirit. Hence, whenever we turn to our spirit, we enter into the Holy of Holies. There we meet with God, who is on the throne of grace. See note 161 in ch. 4.
Heb 10:19c Holy Heb. 9:3
Heb 10:19d blood Heb. 9:12
Heb 10:201 new
Lit., recently opened.
Heb 10:20a way Heb. 9:8
Heb 10:202b veil Exo. 26:33; Heb. 9:3; Matt. 27:51
This is the second veil (Heb. 9:3) within the tabernacle, which veil typifies the flesh of Christ. When Christ’s flesh was crucified, this veil was rent (Matt. 27:51), thus opening the way for us, those who were alienated from God, who is signified by the tree of life (Gen. 3:22-24), to enter into the Holy of Holies to contact Him and take Him as the tree of life for our enjoyment. This implies that because our old man was crucified with Christ, we have an open way to contact and enjoy God in our spirit as our life and life supply.
Heb 10:20c flesh John 1:14; Rom. 8:3; Heb. 2:14; Eph. 2:15
Heb 10:21a great Heb. 7:4
Heb 10:21b Priest Heb. 2:17; 4:14; 7:26
Heb 10:21c house Heb. 3:6
Heb 10:221a come Heb. 4:16; 7:25; cf. Heb. 7:19
Come forward (to the Holy of Holies) is in contrast to shrink back (to Judaism) in vv. 38-39.
Heb 10:22b Holy Heb. 9:8
Heb 10:22c assurance Heb. 6:11
Heb 10:22d sprinkled Heb. 9:14
Heb 10:222 bodies
Both the bodies and the pure water here are figurative, like the spot, the wrinkle, and the water in Eph. 5:26-27. The body refers to our visible outward being, just as the heart refers to our invisible inward being. The pure water refers to the Lord’s living word that cleanses our outward conduct and walk (cf. John 15:3).
Heb 10:22e washed cf. Exo. 29:4; 40:12; Lev. 8:6
Heb 10:23a hold Heb. 3:6, 14; 4:14
Heb 10:23b confession Heb. 3:1; 4:14
Heb 10:23c hope Heb. 3:6; 6:11, 18; 7:19
Heb 10:23d faithful 1 Cor. 1:9; 10:13; 1 Thes. 5:24; 2 Tim. 2:13
Heb 10:251 abandoning
For the Hebrew believers, at their time and in their situation, to abandon their own assembling together would have been to abandon the new covenant way of contacting God, to abandon the church and return to their old religion—Judaism. This would have broken God’s administration of grace, thus constituting a serious sin before God (v. 26).
Heb 10:252 assembling
Our assembling together as Christians. In those days the Hebrews who believed in the Lord had come out of Judaism and had formerly gone to the gatherings in Judaism. When they believed in Christ and became Christians, they attended Christian gatherings; this equaled their being separated from Judaism. Therefore, if any of them had gone back to the gatherings in Judaism, that would have been equivalent to their being separated from the proper Christian assemblings, which are according to God’s New Testament economy. Hence, Paul exhorted them not to abandon their own assembling together as Christians.
Heb 10:25a exhorting Heb. 3:13
Heb 10:25b day 1 Cor. 3:13; 2 Pet. 3:10
Heb 10:25c near Rom. 13:12; James 5:8
Heb 10:261 sin
To sin willfully here means to abandon one’s own assembling together with the church. The Hebrew believers had been instructed to abandon Judaism and remain under the new covenant. If they had still returned to Judaism, they would have abandoned their own assembling with the church. This would have constituted a willful sin in the eyes of God, in that it would have been committed after they had received the knowledge of the truth, after they had come to know that God had abandoned Judaism, which was formed according to the old covenant, and had initiated the new and living way of contacting God according to the new covenant.
Heb 10:262 truth
Truth here refers to the things disclosed in the foregoing chapters and verses; those things afforded the Hebrew believers the full knowledge that God had annulled the old covenant and had established the new.
Heb 10:263a no Heb. 10:18, 2
If the Hebrew believers had abandoned the church and returned to Judaism, there would have remained no sacrifice for sins in the economy of God, for all the sacrifices of the old covenant had been altogether replaced by the one sacrifice of Christ. Since Christ offered Himself once for all as the sacrifice for our sins (7:27; 10:10, 12), the sacrifice for sins ceased (v. 2). It was taken away by Christ (v. 9), who offered Himself to God as the real sacrifice for our sins.
Heb 10:26b sacrifice Heb. 10:6
Heb 10:27a fearful Heb. 10:31
Heb 10:27b judgment Heb. 10:30
Heb 10:27c fervor Psa. 79:5; Ezek. 38:19; Zeph. 1:18; 3:8
Heb 10:27d consume Isa. 26:11
Heb 10:28a Anyone Deut. 17:2-7; Heb. 2:2
Heb 10:28b two Num. 35:30; Deut. 19:15
Heb 10:29b how Heb. 2:3
Heb 10:291 worse
This is different from suffering the second death, which is to perish in the lake of fire for eternity (Rev. 20:6, 14; 21:8). Although believers cannot be lost, they may suffer some dispensational punishment for their failures. This punishment will be worse than that received by those who broke the law of letters.
Heb 10:292c trampled cf. Heb. 6:6
In the new covenant the Son of God replaces all the sacrifices of the old covenant. If the Hebrew believers had returned to Judaism to offer any of the old sacrifices, they would have been, in effect, trampling underfoot the Son of God.
Heb 10:293 considered
If the Hebrew believers had returned to Judaism to offer the old sacrifices and thus rely on the blood of slain animals, they would have been, in effect, considering the precious blood of Christ a common thing. This would have been to seriously disregard the unique redemptive work of Christ.
Heb 10:29d the Heb. 13:20; Matt. 26:28
Heb 10:29e sanctified Heb. 10:14; cf. Heb. 9:13
Heb 10:294 insulted
Under the new covenant, through the redeeming blood of Christ, the Hebrew believers became partakers of the Holy Spirit (6:4), the Spirit of grace. If they had returned to Judaism, the Spirit of grace, who dwelled in them and worked in them, would have been insulted by their willful sin.
Heb 10:29f Spirit Zech. 12:10
Heb 10:301a Vengeance Deut. 32:35; Rom. 12:19
The Greek word conveys no thought of vindictiveness; rather, it implies a full meting out of justice to all parties.
Heb 10:30c judge Heb. 10:27
Heb 10:31a fearful Heb. 10:27; 2 Cor. 5:11
Heb 10:31b living Heb. 3:12; 9:14; 12:22
Heb 10:32a enlightened Heb. 6:4
Heb 10:32b conflict Phil. 1:29-30
Heb 10:32c sufferings Rev. 1:9
Heb 10:331a spectacle 1 Cor. 4:9
A show exposed to the public, a gazingstock. The same thing happened to the apostles (1 Cor. 4:9).
Heb 10:33b reproaches Heb. 11:26; 13:13; Rom. 15:3; 2 Cor. 12:10; 1 Pet. 4:14
Heb 10:33c partakers 1 Thes. 2:14; 2 Tim. 1:8; Phil. 4:14; 3:10
Heb 10:34a bonds Heb. 13:3
Heb 10:34b joy Matt. 5:11-12; Acts 5:41; 1 Pet. 4:13
Heb 10:341 better
This better and abiding possession is the eternal inheritance (9:15) and the incorruptible, undefiled, and unfading inheritance that is kept in the heavens (1 Pet. 1:4). Under the old covenant the Jewish people inherited earthly things as their possession; but under the new covenant the believers inherit the heavenly riches as their possession. This better and abiding possession was a great incentive to the Hebrew believers to suffer the loss of earthly things.
Heb 10:34c possession Heb. 9:15
Heb 10:35a boldness Acts 4:13; Phil. 1:20; 1 Tim. 3:13
Heb 10:351b reward Matt. 5:12; 16:27; 1 Cor. 3:8, 14; Heb. 11:26; Rev. 22:12
The reward is something in addition to eternal salvation. Eternal salvation is obtained through faith, having nothing to do with our works (Eph. 2:8-9), whereas the reward is given for the work that we do after we are saved (1 Cor. 3:8, 14). We may not receive a reward but may suffer loss, even though we are saved, because we are void of the work that the Lord approves (1 Cor. 3:15). The reward will be given to us at the Lord’s coming back, according to our works (Matt. 16:27; Rev. 22:12; 1 Cor. 4:5). What we receive will be decided at the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10) and will be enjoyed in the coming kingdom (Matt. 25:21, 23). The apostle Paul strived to gain the reward (1 Cor. 9:24-27; Phil. 3:13-14; 2 Tim. 4:7-8). Even Moses looked away to the reward (11:26; see note 3 there). Here the Hebrew believers were charged not to miss the reward—the coming Sabbath rest (4:9), the enjoyment of Christ and the reigning with Christ in the coming kingdom.
Heb 10:36a endurance Heb. 12:1
Heb 10:361 will
The will of God here for the Hebrew believers was that they take the new covenant way (vv. 19-23) and remain with the church (v. 25), not shrinking back to Judaism (vv. 38-39) but suffering persecution from Judaism (vv. 32-34). For this they would receive the promise of a great reward (v. 35) at the Lord’s coming back (v. 37).
Heb 10:362b promise Heb. 4:1, 9
The promise here is the promise of the Sabbath rest mentioned in 4:9, a rest in which we will reign with Christ in the coming kingdom. That will be the great reward mentioned in v. 35, which is the gaining of the soul mentioned in v. 39. This promise is conditioned on our endurance and our doing the will of God. It differs from the promise in 9:15. See note 2 there.
Heb 10:37a come Hab. 2:3; Rev. 22:20
Heb 10:38a righteous Hab. 2:4; Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11
Heb 10:381 faith
After this verse and the next, ch. 11 gives a full definition of faith.
Heb 10:391 shrink
For the Hebrew believers to shrink back to Judaism was for them to shrink back to ruin, which is not eternal perdition but punishment meted out by the living God (vv. 29-31). See next note.
Heb 10:392 ruin
The ruin here is the punishment mentioned in vv. 27-31, which will come upon those who forsake the new covenant and return to Judaism, thus trampling underfoot the Son of God, regarding Christ’s precious blood a common thing, like animal blood, and insulting the Spirit of grace.
Heb 10:393a gaining Matt. 16:25; Luke 9:24; 17:33; John 12:25; 1 Pet. 1:9
Or, saving, preserving, possessing. Our being is of three parts—spirit, soul, and body (1 Thes. 5:23), and our soul is different from our spirit. At the time that we believed in the Lord Jesus and were saved, our spirit was regenerated with the Spirit of God (John 3:6). But we must wait until the Lord Jesus comes back for our body to be redeemed, saved, and transfigured (Rom. 8:23-25; Phil. 3:21). Concerning the saving, or gaining, of our soul, it depends on how we deal with our soul in following the Lord after we are saved and regenerated. If we lose our soul now for the Lord’s sake, we will save it (Matt. 16:25; Luke 9:24; 17:33; John 12:25; 1 Pet. 1:9), and it will be saved, or gained, at the Lord’s coming back (v. 37). This gaining of the soul will be the reward (v. 35) of the kingdom to the overcoming followers of the Lord (Matt. 16:22-28).
Heb 11:11a faith Heb. 10:38, 39
After presenting in the first ten chapters a thorough comparison of Judaism and God’s economy, this book charges the Hebrew believers, who were in danger of shrinking back, to live, to walk, to go on, by faith (10:38-39), that is, not by appearance (2 Cor. 5:7). Then, in ch. 11 it goes on to define faith according to the history of faith. Both the eternal inheritance (9:15) and the great reward (10:35) promised by God are things hoped for and things not seen. Faith is the substantiation of things hoped for. Hence, it is the assurance, the confidence, the confirmation, the reality, the essence, the supporting ground, of things hoped for, the foundation that supports the things hoped for. Faith is also the conviction of things not seen. It convinces us of what we do not see. Hence, it is the evidence, the proof, of things not seen.
Heb 11:12 substantiation
The same Greek word is used for substance in 1:3, assurance in 3:14, and confidence (in which one knows that he has a sure foundation) in 2 Cor. 11:17. Moreover, it can be translated confirmation, reality, essence (which denotes the real nature of things, as opposed to the appearance), foundation, or supporting ground. The word means, primarily, substance, but here it denotes the substantiating of the substance (of the things hoped for); hence, it is translated substantiation. The word substantiate is substance in verb form; to substantiate is to give substance to the reality of the substance not seen. This is the action of faith. Therefore, it says here that faith is the substantiation of things hoped for.
Heb 11:13b hoped Heb. 3:6; 6:11; 7:19; 10:23; 1 Pet. 1:3
The unbelievers, being without Christ, have no hope (Eph. 2:12; 1 Thes. 4:13). But we, the believers in Christ, are a people of hope. The calling that we receive from God brings us hope (Eph. 1:18; 4:4). We have been regenerated unto a living hope (1 Pet. 1:3). Our Christ, who is in us, is the hope of glory (Col. 1:27; 1 Tim. 1:1), which will issue in the redemption, the transfiguration, of our body in glory (Rom. 8:23-25). This is the hope of salvation (1 Thes. 5:8), a blessed hope (Titus 2:13), a good hope (2 Thes. 2:16), the hope of eternal life (Titus 1:2; 3:7); it is also the hope of the glory of God (Rom. 5:2), the hope of the gospel (Col. 1:23), the hope laid up for us in the heavens (Col. 1:5). We should keep this hope always (1 John 3:3) and boast in it (Rom. 5:2). Our God is the God of hope (Rom. 15:13), and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we can have hope (Rom. 15:4) all the time in God (1 Pet. 1:21) and can rejoice in it (Rom. 12:12). This book charges us to hold fast the boast of hope firm to the end (3:6), to show diligence unto the full assurance of our hope until the end (6:11), and to lay hold of the hope set before us (6:18). It also tells us that the new covenant brings in a better hope, through which we draw near to God (7:19). Our life should be a life of hope, which accompanies and abides with faith (1 Pet. 1:21; 1 Cor. 13:13). We should follow Abraham, who beyond hope believed in hope (Rom. 4:18).
Heb 11:14 conviction
The conviction of truth. The Greek word can be translated evidence, or proof.
Heb 11:15c not Heb. 11:7; 2 Cor. 4:18
All things hoped for are things not seen (Rom. 8:24-25). As people of hope, we should aim our life not at the things that are seen but at the things that are not seen; for the things that are seen are temporary, but the things that are not seen are eternal (2 Cor. 4:18). Hence, we walk by faith, not by appearance (2 Cor. 5:7).
Heb 11:2a testimony Heb. 11:4, 5, 39
Heb 11:31 By
From v. 3 this chapter presents to us a brief history of faith—from God’s creation, through all the generations of God’s chosen people, to the New Testament believers (v. 40)—to prove that faith is the unique pathway by which God’s seekers receive His promise and take His way.
Heb 11:32a universe Heb. 1:2
Lit., ages. See note 25 in ch. 1.
Heb 11:33b word Psa. 33:6, 9; John 1:1, 3; 2 Pet. 3:5
The Greek word denotes the instant word.
Heb 11:3c being Rom. 4:17; John 1:3
Heb 11:41 more
This more excellent sacrifice was a type of Christ, who is the real “better sacrifices” (9:23).
Heb 11:4c testimony Heb. 11:2, 5, 39
Heb 11:42 faith
Lit., it.
Heb 11:4e speaks Gen. 4:10; Heb. 12:24
Heb 11:5b testimony Heb. 11:2, 4, 39
Heb 11:61 be
Or, please Him.
Heb 11:6a comes Heb. 4:16; 7:25, 19; 10:22
Heb 11:62b diligently Psa. 24:6; 27:8; 105:4; 119:2
Lit., seek Him out.
Heb 11:7a Noah Gen. 6:8, 9, 13-22
Heb 11:7b prepared 1 Pet. 3:20
Heb 11:7c heir Heb. 1:14; 6:17; 1 Pet. 3:7; James 2:5
Heb 11:8c receive Gen. 12:7; 17:8
Heb 11:81 not
This afforded Abraham constant opportunity to exercise his faith to trust in God for His instant leading, taking God’s presence as the map for his traveling.
Heb 11:9b tents Gen. 12:8; 13:3, 18; 18:1; 24:67; 26:17, 25; 25:27; 31:25; 33:19; 35:21
Heb 11:101a city Heb. 11:16; 12:22; 13:14; Rev. 21:2, 10
This is the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (12:22), the Jerusalem above (Gal. 4:26), the holy city, New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:2; 3:12), which God has prepared for His people (v. 16), and the tabernacle of God, in which God will dwell with men for eternity (Rev. 21:3). As the patriarchs waited for this city, so we also seek it (13:14).
Heb 11:10b foundations Rev. 21:14, 19
Heb 11:10c God Heb. 11:16
Heb 11:11a Sarah Gen. 17:19, 21; 18:12-14; 21:2
Heb 11:11b faithful Heb. 10:23; 1 Cor. 10:13; 2 Tim. 2:13
Heb 11:12a dead Rom. 4:19
Heb 11:121b stars Gen. 15:5; 22:17
The stars of heaven signify Abraham’s heavenly descendants, the descendants who are of faith (Gal. 3:7, 29), whereas the sand by the seashore signifies Abraham’s earthly descendants, the descendants in the flesh.
Heb 11:121c sand Gen. 22:17; 32:12; cf. Gen. 13:16
See note 121.
Heb 11:122 seashore
Lit., the lip of the sea.
Heb 11:13a these Matt. 13:17
Heb 11:131 in
Lit., according to.
Heb 11:13b not Heb. 11:39
Heb 11:13c seeing John 8:56
Heb 11:13d strangers Gen. 17:8; 23:4; 47:9; 1 Chron. 29:15; cf. 1 Pet. 2:11
Heb 11:132 sojourners
Or, pilgrims, exiles, expatriates. Abraham was the first Hebrew (Gen. 14:13), a river crosser. He left Chaldea, the idolatrous land of curse, crossed the flood, the river Perath, or Euphrates (Josh. 24:2-3), and came to Canaan, the good land of blessing. Yet he did not settle there; rather, he sojourned in the land of promise as a pilgrim, even as an exile, an expatriate, longing after a better country, a heavenly one (v. 16), seeking a country of his own (v. 14). This might imply that he was ready to cross another river, from the earthly side to the heavenly side. Isaac and Jacob followed him in the same steps, living on the earth as strangers and sojourners and waiting for the God-built city that has the foundations (v. 10). The word in vv. 9-16 may imply that the writer of this book intended to impress on the memory of the believing Hebrews the fact that they, as the real Hebrews, should follow their forefathers, considering themselves strangers and sojourners on the earth and looking forward to the heavenly country, which is better than the earthly one.
Heb 11:14a country Heb. 11:16
Heb 11:16a country Heb. 11:14
Heb 11:16b heavenly Heb. 12:22
Heb 11:16c not Heb. 2:11
Heb 11:16d their Exo. 3:6, 15; 4:5
Heb 11:16e city Heb. 11:10
Heb 11:17a offered Gen. 22:1-10; James 2:21
Heb 11:17b promises Gen. 12:2, 7; 13:15-16; 21:12
Heb 11:18a In Gen. 21:12; Rom. 9:7
Heb 11:19a able Rom. 4:21
Heb 11:19b raise Rom. 4:17
Heb 11:191 figure
Lit., a parable.
Heb 11:20a Isaac Gen. 27:26-29, 39-40
Heb 11:21a Jacob Gen. 48:9, 14-16, 20
Heb 11:21b worshipped Gen. 47:31
Heb 11:211 leaning
This signifies that Jacob confessed that he was a sojourner, a traveler, on the earth (v. 13), and that God had shepherded him all his life long (Gen. 48:15).
Heb 11:22a Joseph Gen. 50:24, 25
Heb 11:22b gave Exo. 13:19
Heb 11:23a Moses Exo. 2:2
Heb 11:23b lovely Acts 7:20
Heb 11:23c king’s Exo. 1:15, 16, 22
Heb 11:24a grown Exo. 2:11
Heb 11:24b son Exo. 2:10
Heb 11:25a ill-treated Heb. 11:37
Heb 11:251 temporary
Or, for a while, fleeting, passing.
Heb 11:252 enjoyment
The enjoyment in Egypt, i.e., the enjoyment in the world, is sinful in the eyes of God. It is the enjoyment of sin, of a sinful life, and is temporary, fleeting, and passing.
Heb 11:261a Considering Phil. 3:7-8
Or, accounting, esteeming.
Heb 11:262b reproach Heb. 13:13; Rom. 15:3; Heb. 10:33; 1 Pet. 4:14
Christ, as the Angel of the Lord, was always with the children of Israel in their afflictions (Exo. 3:2, 7-9; 14:19; Num. 20:16; Isa. 63:9). Furthermore, the Scripture identifies Him with them (Hosea 11:1; Matt. 2:15). Hence, the reproach falling on them was considered His reproach, and the reproaches of those who reproached God fell also on Him (Rom. 15:3). The New Testament believers, as His followers, bear His reproach (13:13) and are reproached for His name (1 Pet. 4:14). Moses, choosing to be ill treated with the people of God (v. 25), considered this kind of reproach, the reproach of the Christ of God, greater riches than the treasures of Egypt in Pharaoh’s palace; for Moses looked away to the reward.
Heb 11:26c treasures Exo. 1:11
Heb 11:26d looked Heb. 12:2
Heb 11:263e reward Heb. 10:35; Rev. 22:12
Because he was willing to suffer the reproach of the Christ, Moses will receive the reward of the kingdom. He was not allowed to enter into the rest of the good land because of his failure at Meribah (Num. 20:12-13; Deut. 4:21-22; 32:50-52), but he will be with Christ in the kingdom (Matt. 16:28—17:3). In referring to this, surely the writer intended to encourage his readers who were suffering persecution for Christ’s sake to follow Moses by considering the reproach of the Christ greater riches than the things they had lost, and by looking away to the reward. See note 351 in ch. 10.
Heb 11:27a left Exo. 12:50-51
Heb 11:27b wrath Exo. 10:28
Heb 11:271 persevered
Or, was steadfast.
Heb 11:27c seeing Exo. 3:2, 16; 4:5
Heb 11:27d unseen Col. 1:15; John 1:18
Heb 11:28a Passover Exo. 12:21-27
Heb 11:28b one Exo. 12:23, 12, 29
Heb 11:29a passed Exo. 14:21-30
Heb 11:301 By
Nothing is mentioned here regarding the forty years during which the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness, since they did nothing by faith there to please God, but rather provoked God by their unbelief during those years (3:16-18). Even their crossing of the Jordan River is not mentioned here, because that crossing was due to the delay caused by their unbelief. That crossing would not have been needed if they had not had the unbelief that disqualified them from entering the good land at Kadesh-barnea (Deut. 1:19-46) just a short time after they left Mount Sinai (Deut. 1:2).
Heb 11:30a walls Josh. 6:20
Heb 11:30b encircled Josh. 6:3-4, 12-15
Heb 11:31a Rahab Josh. 6:22-25
Heb 11:31b received Josh. 2:4, 6; James 2:25
Heb 11:32a Gideon Judg. 6–8
Heb 11:32b Barak Judg. 4–5
Heb 11:32c Samson Judg. 13–16
Heb 11:32d Jephthah Judg. 11–12
Heb 11:32e David 1 Sam. 16– 2 Sam. 24
Heb 11:32f Samuel 1 Sam. 7–16
Heb 11:33a overcame Judg. 4:7, 14; 2 Sam. 5:19; 8:2; 10:12-19
Heb 11:33b worked 1 Sam. 12:3-5; 2 Sam. 8:15
Heb 11:33c obtained 2 Sam. 7:10-16
Heb 11:33d stopped Dan. 6:22; Judg. 14:5-6; 1 Sam. 17:34-37
Heb 11:34a Quenched Dan. 3:23; Isa. 43:2
Heb 11:34b escaped Exo. 18:4; 1 Sam. 19:10; Psa. 144:10
Heb 11:34c mighty Judg. 7:19-21; 1 Sam. 17:51; 2 Sam. 8:1-6
Heb 11:35a received 1 Kings 17:23, 24; 2 Kings 4:36
Heb 11:351 deliverance
Or, release. The Greek word means redemption (offered at a price).
Heb 11:352b better Rev. 20:5; Phil. 3:11
The better resurrection is not only the first resurrection (Rev. 20:4-6), the resurrection of life (John 5:28-29), but also the out-resurrection (Phil. 3:11), the extra-resurrection, the resurrection in which the Lord’s overcomers will receive the reward (v. 26) of the kingdom. This is what the apostle Paul sought after.
Heb 11:36a mockings Judg. 16:25; Jer. 20:7
Heb 11:36b imprisonment Gen. 39:20; Jer. 37:15
Heb 11:37a stoned 1 Kings 21:13; 2 Chron. 24:21
Heb 11:37b murder 1 Kings 19:10; Jer. 26:23
Heb 11:37c ill-treated Heb. 11:25
Heb 11:381 whom
These faith-people are an extra-people, a people on the highest plane, of whom the corrupted world is not worthy. Only the holy city of God, New Jerusalem, is worthy to have them.
Heb 11:38a deserts 1 Sam. 23:15; 24:1
Heb 11:38b mountains 1 Sam. 23:19
Heb 11:38c caves 1 Sam. 22:1; 1 Kings 18:4, 13
Heb 11:39a testimony Heb. 11:2, 4, 5
Heb 11:39b not Heb. 11:13
Heb 11:401 provided
Or, foreseen.
Heb 11:402a better Heb. 7:19, 22; 8:6; 9:23; 11:35
The Greek word means superior, nobler, greater; hence, better. It is used thirteen times in this book: the better Christ (1:4), better things (6:9), a better hope (7:19), a better covenant (twice—7:22; 8:6), better promises (8:6), better sacrifices (9:23), a better possession (10:34), a better country (11:16), a better resurrection (11:35), something better (11:40), and better speaking (12:24). (The other instance is in 7:7, where it is translated greater.) All these better things are the fulfillment and reality of the things that the Old Testament saints had in types, figures, and shadows. What God provided at that time was a picture of the things concerning us, the things that were to come in the new covenant and that are the true and real things, better, stronger, more powerful, nobler, and greater than their types, figures, and shadows. The Old Testament saints, who had only the shadows, need us for their perfection that they may share with us in the real things of the new covenant. Why, then, should we leave the real things of the new covenant and turn to the shadows of the old covenant?
Heb 11:403 apart
Both the participation in the kingdom for one thousand years (Rev. 20:4, 6) and the sharing in the New Jerusalem for eternity (Rev. 21:2-3; 22:1-5) are corporate matters. The kingdom feast will be for the overcomers of both the Old and New Testaments (Matt. 8:11). The blessed New Jerusalem will be composed of both the Old Testament saints and the New Testament believers (Rev. 21:12-14). Hence, apart from the New Testament believers, the Old Testament believers cannot obtain what God promised. To obtain and enjoy the good things of God’s promise, they need the New Testament believers to perfect them. Now they are waiting for us to go on that they may be made perfect.
Heb 12:11a cloud Exo. 13:21, 22; Num. 9:15-22
The cloud is for leading people to follow the Lord (Num. 9:15-22), and the Lord is in the cloud to be with the people (Exo. 13:21-22).
Heb 12:12 witnesses
In Greek witnesses implies the sense of martyrs.
Heb 12:13 encumbrance
Or, weight, burden, impediment. The runners of the race strip off every unnecessary weight, every encumbering burden, that nothing may impede them from winning the race.
Heb 12:14b sin Heb. 10:26
Sin here refers mainly to the thing that entangles us and prevents us from running the race, just as the willful sin mentioned in 10:26 would have kept the Hebrew believers away from the new covenant way in God’s economy. (See note 261 in ch. 10.) Both the encumbering weight and the entangling sin would have frustrated the Hebrew believers and restrained them from running the heavenly race in the new covenant way of following Jesus, who was rejected by Judaism.
Heb 12:1c run 1 Cor. 9:24, 26; Phil. 3:14; 2 Tim. 4:7; Gal. 2:2; 5:7
Heb 12:1d endurance Heb. 10:36
Heb 12:15 race
The Christian life is a race. All the saved Christians must run the race to win the prize (1 Cor. 9:24), not salvation in the common sense (Eph. 2:8; 1 Cor. 3:15) but a reward in a special sense (10:35; 1 Cor. 3:14). The apostle Paul ran the race and won the prize (1 Cor. 9:26-27; Phil. 3:13-14; 2 Tim. 4:7-8).
Heb 12:21 Looking
The Greek word translated looking away unto denotes looking with undivided attention by turning away from every other object. The Hebrew believers had to look away from all the things in their environment, away from their old religion, Judaism, and its persecution, and away from all earthly things, that they might look unto Jesus, who is now seated on the right hand of the throne of God in the heavens.
Heb 12:2a unto Heb. 13:13
Heb 12:22 Jesus
The wonderful Jesus, who is enthroned in heaven and crowned with glory and honor (2:9), is the greatest attraction in the universe. He is like an immense magnet, drawing all His seekers to Him. It is by being attracted by His charming beauty that we look away from all things other than Him. Without such a charming object, how could we look away from so many distracting things on this earth?
Heb 12:23b Author Heb. 2:10
[ par. 1 2 ]
Heb 12:23 [1] Or, Originator, Inaugurator, Leader, Pioneer, Forerunner. The same Greek word as in 2:10. All the overcoming saints in the Old Testament are only witnesses of faith, whereas Jesus is the Author of faith. He is the Originator, the Inaugurator, the source, and the cause of faith. In our natural man we have no believing ability. We do not have faith by ourselves. The faith by which we are saved is the precious faith that we have received from the Lord (2 Pet. 1:1). When we look unto Jesus, He as the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45) transfuses us with Himself, with His believing element. Then, spontaneously, a kind of believing arises in our being, and we have the faith to believe in Him. This faith is not of ourselves but of Him who imparts Himself as the believing element into us that He may believe for us. Hence, He Himself is our faith. We live by Him as our faith; i.e., we live by His faith (Gal. 2:20), not by our own.
Heb 12:23 [2] As the Author and the source of faith, Jesus is also the Leader, the Pioneer, and the Forerunner of faith. He cut the way of faith and, as the Forerunner, took the lead to pioneer it. Hence, He can carry us in His footsteps through the pathway of faith. As we look to Him as the Originator of faith in His life and in His path on earth, and as the Perfecter of faith in His glory and on His throne in heaven, He transfuses and even infuses us with the faith that He originated and perfected.
Heb 12:24 Perfecter
Or, Finisher, Completer. Jesus is also the Finisher, the Completer, of faith. He will finish what He originated. He will complete what He inaugurated. If we look to Him continually, He will finish and complete the faith that we need for the running of the heavenly race.
Heb 12:2d shame Psa. 69:19
Heb 12:25e sat Heb. 1:3
From 1:3 this book points us continually to the Christ seated in heaven. In all his other Epistles Paul presents to us mainly the Christ who dwells in our spirit (Rom. 8:10; 2 Tim. 4:22) as the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45) to be our life and our everything. But in this book he points us particularly to the Christ who has sat down in heaven and who is of so many aspects, that He may care for us in every way. In Paul’s other Epistles the indwelling Christ is versus our flesh, self, and natural man. In this book the heavenly Christ is contrasted to the earthly religion and all earthly things. To experience the indwelling Christ, we need to turn to our spirit and contact Him. To enjoy the heavenly Christ, we need to look away from all things on earth unto Him, who has sat down on the right hand of the throne of God. By His death and resurrection He accomplished everything that is needed by both God and man. Now in His ascension He is sitting in the heavens, in the person of the Son of God (1:5) and the Son of Man (2:6), in the person of God (1:8) and man (2:6), as the appointed Heir of all things (1:2), the anointed One of God (1:9), the Author of our salvation (2:10), the Sanctifier (2:11), the constant Succor (2:16), the instant Helper (4:16), the Apostle from God (3:1), the High Priest (2:17; 4:14; 7:26), the Minister of the true tabernacle (8:2) with a more excellent ministry (8:6), the surety and the Mediator of a better covenant (7:22; 8:6; 12:24), the Executor of the new testament (9:16-17), the Forerunner (6:20), the Author and Perfecter of faith (v. 2), and the great Shepherd of the sheep (13:20). If we look to Him as such a wonderful and all-inclusive One, He will minister heaven, life, and strength to us, transfusing and infusing us with all that He is, that we may be able to run the heavenly race and live the heavenly life on earth. In this way He will carry us through all the lifelong pathway and lead and bring us into glory (2:10).
Heb 12:3b contradiction John 5:16, 18; 7:30; 10:31; 11:53; 19:1-3, 5, 6; Matt. 27:39-44
Heb 12:31 fainting
Lit., becoming loosened.
Heb 12:41 sin
Sin here must refer to something evil in the sight of God that frustrates the believers and holds them back from the new covenant way, for it needs to be resisted, even unto blood.
Heb 12:5a My Prov. 3:11, 12
Heb 12:51 discipline
Or, chastening. So in vv. 7, 8, and 11.
Heb 12:61a disciplines Rev. 3:19
Or, chastens. So in vv. 7 and 10.
Heb 12:6b scourges 2 Sam. 7:14
Heb 12:71 discipline
From the viewpoint of God, the persecution from Judaism that the Hebrew believers suffered was a discipline, a chastening.
Heb 12:7a sons Deut. 8:5; Prov. 13:24; 19:18
Heb 12:91 discipliners
Or, chasteners.
Heb 12:9a respected Exo. 20:12; Eph. 6:2; cf. Deut. 21:18-21
Heb 12:92b Father John 1:13; 3:6
Father of spirits is contrasted with fathers of our flesh. In regeneration we are born of God (John 1:13) in our spirit (John 3:6). Hence, God is the Father of (our) spirits.
Heb 12:101a holiness Heb. 12:14; 1 Pet. 1:15, 16; Lev. 11:45
Holiness is God’s nature. To partake of God’s holiness is to partake of His holy nature. It was common, unholy, for the Hebrew believers to remain in Judaism. They needed to be sanctified unto God’s new covenant so that they could partake of God’s holy nature. For that purpose, persecution was aroused to discipline them that they might be sanctified from the common.
Heb 12:111a peaceable Heb. 12:14; Isa. 32:17; James 3:18
Peace is the fruit of righteousness (Isa. 32:17). Holiness is the inward nature, whereas righteousness is the outward behavior. God’s discipline helps the believers not only to partake of His holiness but also to be right with both God and man, that in such a situation of righteousness they may enjoy peace as a sweet fruit, a peaceable fruit of righteousness.
Heb 12:121 set
Lit., set upright.
Heb 12:12a hands Isa. 35:3; Job 4:3, 4
Heb 12:13a straight Isa. 40:3
Heb 12:131 paths
The Christian life is not a matter of theoretical doctrines for the mind to think about. It must consist of practical paths for our feet to walk on. All the sound, healthy doctrines in the Bible are paths that can be walked on. This is especially true with the book of Hebrews. First, this book ministers to us the highest and healthiest doctrines concerning Christ and His new covenant. Then, based on the proper doctrines that it shows us, it charges us to run the race and make straight paths for our feet. The first section of this book (1:1—10:18) deals with doctrines, and the second (10:19—13:25) deals with the race and the paths.
Heb 12:132 put
Or, dislocated, wrenched. An alternate meaning, turned aside, as in 1 Tim. 1:6; 5:15; and 2 Tim. 4:4, does not match the antithesis that follows, “but rather may be healed,” nor does it fit the context like the first meaning. The implication of the context is that the staggering Hebrew believers should abandon all appearance of the practices of Judaism (i.e., make straight paths) that they, the lame members (limbs) of the Body, might not fall into apostasy (i.e., not be put out of joint) but rather be brought fully into the new covenant way (i.e., be healed).
Heb 12:13b healed Isa. 6:10; Matt. 13:15
Heb 12:14a Pursue Rom. 12:18; 14:19; 2 Tim. 2:22
Heb 12:141b sanctification Heb. 12:10; 2 Cor. 7:1
With God, holiness is His holy nature; with us, holiness is our sanctification, our being separated unto God. (See note 23 in Rom. 1.) The implication here is that while we are pursuing peace with all men, we must pay attention to the matter of sanctification before God. Our pursuing of peace with all men must be balanced by our sanctification before God, our being separated unto God, without which no one will see the Lord and have fellowship with Him.
Heb 12:151a fall Gal. 5:4
The grace of God came to us through Christ (John 1:14, 17). Hence, it is also the grace of Christ (2 Cor. 13:14; 12:9). In our experience this grace is just Christ Himself (Gal. 6:18, cf. 2 Tim. 4:22). When we fall from grace we are brought to nought, separated from Christ (Gal. 5:4). Regarding this matter, Paul warned the churches of Galatia, which were in the same danger as the Hebrew believers, not to be separated from Christ by being turned aside to the law of the Jewish religion, lest they fall away from the grace of God, which is Christ Himself. We should not fall away from grace but should have grace (v. 28), be confirmed by grace (13:9), and stand in grace (Rom. 5:2). Both Galatians and Hebrews close with the blessing of grace (Gal. 6:18; Heb. 13:25).
Heb 12:15b grace John 1:17; Rom. 5:2; 6:14; Heb. 4:16; 12:28; 13:9, 25
Heb 12:152c root Deut. 29:18
According to the implication of the context, the root of bitterness must be a Judaizer who would have caused the Hebrew believers to be turned aside from the grace of God to the rituals of Judaism and thus to defile themselves in the sight of God, neglecting the holiness of God.
Heb 12:15d defiled 2 Cor. 7:1; Lev. 11:44; Neh. 13:29
Heb 12:16a fornicator Heb. 13:4; 1 Cor. 5:11; 6:9, 10; Gal. 5:19, 21; Eph. 5:5
Heb 12:16b Esau Gen. 25:29-34
Heb 12:161 birthright
[ par. 1 2 3 4 ]
Heb 12:161 [1] Esau’s birthright as the firstborn son of Isaac was the double portion of land, the priesthood, and the kingship. Because of Esau’s profaneness in giving up his birthright, the double portion of land was given to Joseph (1 Chron. 5:1-2), the priesthood was passed to Levi (Deut. 33:8-10), and the kingship was assigned to Judah (Gen. 49:10; 1 Chron. 5:2).
Heb 12:161 [2] We Christians, born of God, are the firstfruits of His creatures (James 1:18) that He has reaped in His creation. In that sense we are the firstborn sons of God. Hence, the church, composed of us, is called the church of the firstborn (v. 23). As the firstborn sons of God, we have the birthright. This includes the inheritance of the earth (2:5-6), the priesthood (Rev. 20:6), and the kingship (Rev. 20:4), which will be the main blessings in the coming kingdom and which the profane, world-loving-and-seeking Christians will lose at the Lord’s coming back. Eventually, this birthright will be a reward given to the overcoming Christians in the millennial kingdom. Any worldly enjoyment, even one meal, could cause us to forfeit this birthright of ours. After such a serious warning, if the Hebrew believers had still preferred to indulge in “one meal” of their old religion, they would have missed the full enjoyment of Christ and would have lost the kingdom rest with all its blessings.
Heb 12:161 [3] Esau was not the only one who lost his birthright (Gen. 25:29-34); Reuben was another who lost the blessing of the birthright (Gen. 49:3-4; 1 Chron. 5:1). Esau lost it because of his lust in eating. Reuben lost it because of the defilement of his lust. Both cases should be warnings to us. The word lest there be any fornicator in this verse might have been written with Reuben as the background.
Heb 12:161 [4] Actually, what we are privileged to enjoy in Christ is the foretaste of the blessings in the coming kingdom. The proper enjoyment of this foretaste will usher us into the full taste of the kingdom blessings. If we do not enjoy Christ today as our good land, as defined in note 91 of ch. 4, how can we enter into His rest in the kingdom and inherit the earth with Him? If we do not exercise our priesthood today to contact Him and prayerfully minister to Him, how can we fulfill our priestly duty in the kingdom? If we do not exercise our spirit with the God-given authority to rule our self, our flesh, our entire being, and the enemy with all his power of darkness today, how can we be Christ’s co-kings and rule the nations with Him in His kingdom (Rev. 2:26-27)? Our enjoyment of Christ and the practice of the priesthood and kingship today are the preparation and qualification for our participating in Christ’s kingdom tomorrow!
Heb 12:17a desired Gen. 27:30-40
Heb 12:171 no
No place for repentance does not mean that Esau had no ground to repent; it means that he had no ground, no way, to reverse by repentance the result of what he had done.
Heb 12:181a mountain Exo. 19:11
The things mentioned in vv. 18-19 are earthly and physical, signifying the side of the law, where everyone, including Moses, was in fear and trembling (vv. 19-21).
Heb 12:18b touched Exo. 19:12
Heb 12:18c fire Exo. 19:18; Deut. 4:11
Heb 12:18d darkness Deut. 5:23
Heb 12:18e gloom Exo. 20:21; Deut. 5:22
Heb 12:19a sound Exo. 19:13, 16, 19; 20:18
Heb 12:19b voice Deut. 4:12; Exo. 19:19
Heb 12:19c entreated Exo. 20:19; Deut. 18:16
Heb 12:20a If Exo. 19:12, 13
Heb 12:21a full Deut. 9:19
Heb 12:221 Mount
[ par. 1 2 ]
Heb 12:221 [1] The things mentioned in vv. 22-24 are heavenly and spiritual, in contrast to the earthly and physical things listed in vv. 18-19. These things signify the side of grace, where both the firstborn and the spirits of righteous men are saved by grace. The people under the old covenant came to the side of the law, whereas we Christians, who are under the new covenant, come to the side of grace. Hence, we are not under the law but under grace (Rom. 6:14). This portion of the word (vv. 18-24), like Gal. 4:21-31, shows us that we are not under the bondage of the law but under the freedom of grace to be the heirs of the inheritance. This is our birthright! We should not give this up by falling away from grace (v. 15), but should have grace (v. 28). The things on the side of grace are heavenly, but not all are in heaven yet. A great number of the firstborn of the church are still on earth, while the spirits of righteous men, who are the Old Testament saints, are in Paradise, where Abraham is (Luke 16:22-23, 25-26) and where the Lord Jesus and the saved robber went after they died on the cross (Luke 23:43).
Heb 12:221 [2] None of the six items listed on the side of the law is pleasant. First, there is a mountain set on fire. Who would approach such a place? Then there are the darkness, the gloom, and the stormy whirlwind. Last, there are the terrifying sound of a trumpet and the solemn, warning voice of words. All these present a fearsome sight. On the side of grace, however, everything is pleasant. The eight items here can be considered four pairs. The elevated Mount Zion and the beautiful heavenly Jerusalem are the first pair, denoting God’s habitation and the center of His universal administration. What a lovely place! The celebrating, jubilant angels, so closely related to the heirs of salvation to whom they minister (1:14), and the blessed firstborn of the church form the second pair in the scene. What a joyful demonstration of an angelic gathering! They celebrate the participation by the human heirs of salvation, the church of the firstborn, in the blessings of the new covenant. God, the Judge of all, and the spirits of righteous men, the Old Testament saints (their bodies, not resurrected, were not worthy to be listed in this portion) are linked as the third pair, showing that God, being righteous, justifies the righteous saints of old because of their faith. The dear Lord Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant, which is a better covenant, and His precious sprinkled blood, which speaks something better, compose the last pair, indicating that a better covenant was enacted with Jesus’ better blood, that Jesus died and bequeathed this new covenant as a new testament to His believers, and that He is now the Mediator, the Executor, of this new testament, bringing about the full realization of all the blessed facts contained within it. What a pleasant scene! What a contrast to the scene on the side of the law, where no God, no Savior, and even no angels are mentioned! It is no wonder that not one saved person is seen there. In the scene of grace there is the justifying God, the Savior, who is the Mediator of His new testament, with His speaking blood, the ministering angels with the assembly (the church) of the saved ones, and the spirits of the justified saints. On the side of the law the scene ends with the terrifying sound of a trumpet and the warning words. On the side of grace the scene ends with a sympathizing Mediator and a vindicating speaking. After seeing such a contrast, who would be so foolish as to leave the side of grace and turn to the side of the law? All eight items on the side of grace are not only heavenly and spiritual but also eternal. Hence, even when heaven is shaken (v. 26), these eight items that are eternal will still remain (v. 27).
Heb 12:22a Zion Psa. 2:6; Rev. 14:1
Heb 12:222b city Heb. 11:10, 16; 13:14; Rev. 21:2
See note 101 in ch. 11.
Heb 12:22c living Heb. 3:12; 9:14; 10:31
Heb 12:22d heavenly Gal. 4:26; Heb. 11:16; Rev. 21:2
Heb 12:22e myriads Rev. 5:11
Heb 12:223 universal
Or, festal gathering. The Greek word means universal gathering, whole or full assembly, and is used to denote a group of people gathered to celebrate a public festival, such as the Olympic games. The entire new covenant age is a festival, and the myriads of angels, who are the ministering spirits rendering service to the heirs of salvation (1:14) under the new covenant, are a universal gathering celebrating the marvelous festival of “so great a salvation” (2:3), the greatest and most exciting “game” in the universe! The Lord’s word in Luke 15:7, 10, and 1 Pet. 1:12 may indicate this.
Heb 12:23a church Heb. 2:12
Heb 12:231b firstborn James 1:18
See note 161, par. 2.
Heb 12:232c enrolled Luke 10:20
Though the firstborn of the church are not yet in heaven, they are enrolled in the heavens.
Heb 12:23d Judge Gen. 18:25; Psa. 50:6; 94:2
Heb 12:24a Mediator Heb. 8:6; 9:15
Heb 12:241b new Heb. 8:8; 9:15
The Greek word for new here means fresh, youthful, with respect to age, while the word for new in 8:8, 13, and 9:15 means new, fresh, with respect to quality.
Heb 12:242c blood Heb. 9:12, 14; 10:19; 13:12
In this book the blood of Christ is particularly prominent and crucial. It is the blood of the eternal covenant (13:20), with which the new and better covenant was enacted (10:29). Through this blood Christ entered once for all into the Holy of Holies and obtained an eternal redemption for us (9:12). By this blood Christ cleansed the heavens and all things in the heavens (9:22-24). This blood sanctifies us (13:12; 10:29), purifies our conscience to serve the living God (9:14), and speaks something better for us than the blood of Abel (v. 24). It is in this blood that we have boldness for entering the Holy of Holies (10:19). We should not regard this blood common, like animal blood; if we do, we will suffer God’s punishment (10:29).
Heb 12:24d sprinkling Exo. 24:8; Lev. 4:6, 7, 17, 18; 16:14, 15, 18, 19; 1 Pet. 1:2
Heb 12:243 speaks
The blood of Christ not only redeems, sanctifies, and purifies; it also speaks. It is the speaking blood, speaking something better than the blood of Abel. Abel’s blood speaks to God for accusation and vengeance (Gen. 4:10-15), whereas Christ’s blood speaks to God for forgiveness, justification, reconciliation, and redemption. Moreover, this precious blood speaks to God on our behalf, saying that by the blood (as unveiled in this book) the new covenant, which is eternal, has been enacted, and that in this new covenant God must give Himself and all His blessings to the believers in Christ who receive this covenant out of faith.
Heb 12:24e Abel Gen. 4:10
Heb 12:25a speaks Heb. 1:2; 2:3
Heb 12:25b escape Deut. 17:2-6; Heb. 10:28; 2:2
Heb 12:25c escape Heb. 10:29; 2:3
Heb 12:26a shook Exo. 19:18
Heb 12:26b Yet Hag. 2:6
Heb 12:27a removal Heb. 1:10-12; Matt. 24:35; 2 Pet. 3:10; Rev. 21:1
Heb 12:27b remain Heb. 1:11-12; 13:8
Heb 12:281a kingdom John 3:5; Rom. 14:17; Rev. 1:9
[ par. 1 2 ]
Heb 12:281 [1] The gospel that the New Testament has preached to us is the gospel of the kingdom (Matt. 3:1-2; 4:17, 23; 10:7; 24:14). We were regenerated into the kingdom (John 3:5) and were transferred into the kingdom (Col. 1:13). Now we are in the kingdom (Rev. 1:9), which today is the proper church life (Rom. 14:17). However, what we are in now and what is in the church today is the kingdom in its reality, whereas what will come with Christ’s return in the future will be the kingdom in its manifestation.
Heb 12:281 [2] The kingdom in its reality, or the reality of the kingdom, is an exercise and a discipline to us (Matt. 5:3, 10, 20; 7:21) in the church today whereas the kingdom in its manifestation, or the manifestation of the kingdom, will be a reward and an enjoyment to us (Matt. 16:27; 25:21, 23) in the millennial kingdom in the coming age. If we take the Spirit’s exercise and God’s discipline in the reality of the kingdom today, we will receive the Lord’s reward and enter into the enjoyment of the coming Sabbath rest (4:9) in the manifestation of the kingdom in the coming age; otherwise, we will miss the coming kingdom, we will not be rewarded with the manifestation of the kingdom at the Lord’s coming back, we will have no right to enter into the glory of the kingdom to participate in Christ’s reign in the millennial kingdom, and we will lose our birthright and therefore will be unable to inherit the earth in the coming age, to be the royal priests serving God and Christ in His manifested glory, and to be Christ’s co-kings ruling all the nations with His divine authority (Rev. 20:4, 6). To miss the coming kingdom and to forfeit our birthright does not mean that we will perish. It means that we will lose the reward but not our salvation. (See note 351 in ch. 10.) We will suffer loss but still will be saved, yet so as through fire (1 Cor. 3:14-15). This is the basic concept on which all five warnings in this book are given and with which they are all pervaded. All the negative points of these warnings are related to the suffering of the loss of the reward in the coming kingdom, whereas all the positive points are related to the reward and enjoyment of the kingdom. All seven epistles in Rev. 2 and 3 conclude with this same concept—the reward of the kingdom or the loss of it. Only in light of this concept can we rightly understand and properly apply the word in Matt. 5:20; 7:21-23; 16:24-27; 19:23-30; 24:46-51; 25:11-13, 21, 23, 26-30; Luke 12:42-48; 19:17, 19, 22-27; Rom. 14:10, 12; 1 Cor. 3:8, 13-15; 4:5; 9:24-27; 2 Cor. 5:10; 2 Tim. 4:7-8; Heb. 2:3; 4:1, 9, 11; 6:4-8; 10:26-31, 35-39; 12:16-17, 28-29; and Rev. 2:7, 10-11, 17, 26-27; 3:4-5, 11-12, 20; 22:12. If we do not have this concept, the interpretation of these verses falls into either the extreme objectiveness of the Calvinist school or the extreme subjectiveness of the Arminian school. Neither of these schools recognizes the reward of the kingdom; even more, they do not see the suffering of the loss of the kingdom reward. Hence, both consider all the negative points in these verses as referring to perdition. The Calvinist school, believing in eternal salvation (i.e., that once a person is saved, he will never perish), regards all these negative points as applying to the perdition of false believers; while the Arminian school, believing that a saved person will perish if he falls, regards these points as applying to the perdition of believers who have fallen. But the complete revelation of the Bible shows that these negative points refer to the suffering of the loss of the kingdom reward. God’s salvation is eternal; once we obtain it, we will never lose it (John 10:28-29). But we may suffer the loss of the kingdom reward, even though we still will be saved (1 Cor. 3:8, 14-15). The warnings in Hebrews do not refer to the loss of eternal salvation but to the loss of the kingdom reward. The Hebrew believers had received the kingdom, but they risked losing the reward in the manifestation of the kingdom if they shrank back from the grace of God, from God’s new covenant way. This was the writer’s main concern in warning the staggering Hebrew believers.
Heb 12:282 have
Or, take. To have grace, especially for the Hebrew believers, was to remain in the new covenant to enjoy Christ.
Heb 12:28b grace Heb. 4:16; 12:15; 13:9, 25
Heb 12:28c serve Heb. 9:14
Heb 12:28d well-pleasingly Heb. 13:21
Heb 12:28e fear 2 Cor. 7:1; 1 Pet. 1:17; 3:2
Heb 12:291 consuming
God is holy; holiness is His nature. Whatever does not correspond with His holy nature, He, as the consuming fire, will consume. If the Hebrew believers had turned aside to Judaism, which was common (unholy) in the sight of God, they would have become unholy, and the holy God as the consuming fire would consume them. God is not only righteous but also holy. To satisfy God’s righteousness we need to be justified through the redemption of Christ. To meet the demands of His holiness we need to be sanctified, to be made holy by the heavenly, present, and living Christ. Romans stresses more the matter of justification (Rom. 3:24) for God’s righteousness (Rom. 3:25-26), whereas Hebrews emphasizes more the matter of sanctification (2:11; 10:10, 14, 29; 13:12) for God’s holiness (v. 14). For their sanctification, it was necessary that the Hebrew believers separate themselves from the unholy Judaism unto the holy God, who has fully expressed Himself in the Son under the new covenant; otherwise, they would have defiled themselves with their old, profane religion and would be dealt with by the holy God as the consuming fire. That would be fearsome (10:31)! It is no wonder that Paul was very concerned about the fear of the Lord (2 Cor. 5:11).
Heb 12:29a fire Deut. 4:24; 9:3
Heb 13:11a brotherly Rom. 12:10; 1 Thes. 4:9
As indicated by its content, this chapter was written with a view to a proper church life. Nearly everything mentioned here, such as brotherly love and hospitality, is for the church life, not only for the Christian life.
Heb 13:12 continue
Or, remain.
Heb 13:2a hospitality Rom. 12:13; 1 Pet. 4:9
Heb 13:2b entertained Gen. 18:2-8; 19:1-3
Heb 13:31 Remember
This is to suffer with the suffering members of the Body of Christ, the church (1 Cor. 12:26).
Heb 13:3a ill-treated Heb. 11:25, 37
Heb 13:41 marriage
In the church life, contact between brothers and sisters is unavoidable. Hence, to be protected from falling into defilement, we must hold marriage in honor and not behave loosely. This is a matter that seriously affects our birthright in God’s economy. Reuben lost the birthright because of his defilement (Gen. 49:3-4; 1 Chron. 5:1), and Joseph received it because of his purity (1 Chron. 5:1; Gen. 39:7-12; see note 161 in ch. 12). God will judge fornicators and adulterers, and the church too must judge them (1 Cor. 5:1-2, 11-13). Nothing damages the saints and the church life as much as this defilement.
Heb 13:42 among
Or, in every way.
Heb 13:4a fornicators Heb. 12:16; 1 Cor. 5:11; 6:9, 10; Gal. 5:19, 21; Eph. 5:5
Heb 13:43b judge cf. 1 Thes. 4:6
This book concerns God’s holiness. The holy God will not tolerate any defilement among us. He will judge His people (10:30; 12:23).
Heb 13:51a love 2 Tim. 3:2
Surely money lovers cannot enter into the reality of the church life. We should always be satisfied with what we have so that we cannot be distracted from the church life by mammon. Since we have the Lord as our Helper, we should be content and at peace that we may be kept fully in the enjoyment of the church life.
Heb 13:5b satisfied Phil. 4:11; 1 Tim. 6:8
Heb 13:5c I Deut. 31:6; Josh. 1:5
Heb 13:6a The Psa. 118:6
Heb 13:71 Remember
[ par. 1 2 ]
Heb 13:71 [1] This is essential in the church life. The ministers of the word of God should have a manner of life that issues in an example of faith for the church members, the receivers of the word of God, to imitate. Then the church members not only will receive the word that the ministers minister but also will imitate the ministers’ faith, which is expressed in their manner of life.
Heb 13:71 [2] Verse 7 is a continuation of vv. 5-6. Manner of life must refer to the living and behavior pursued by those ministers of the word of God, in which they had no love of money and were satisfied with what they had (v. 5a). Their faith must refer to the fact that they trusted in the Lord, their Helper, for their living (vv. 5b-6). The word that they ministered and the life that they lived must have been entirely Christ, and their faith must have been the faith in Christ, of which Christ is both the Author and the Perfecter (12:2). Such a manner of life and such a faith were surely worthy to be imitated by the believers, who received the word of God that the ministers ministered and who considered the issue of their manner of life.
Heb 13:7a leading Heb. 13:17, 24; 1 Thes. 5:12
Heb 13:7c manner 1 Thes. 1:5
Heb 13:7d imitate Heb. 6:12; 1 Cor. 4:16; 11:1; 1 Thes. 1:6
Heb 13:81 Jesus
Christ, who is the word that the ministers of the word of God in v. 7 preached and taught, who is the life that they lived, and who is the Author and Perfecter of their faith, is perpetual, unchangeable, and unchanging. He remains the same forever (1:11-12). There must not be another Jesus and another gospel preached in the church (2 Cor. 11:4; Gal. 1:8-9). For a true and steadfast church life, we must hold on to the Christ who is the same yesterday and today, and even forever, and must not be carried away by various strange teachings (v. 9).
Heb 13:8a same Heb. 1:12; Rev. 1:18; 22:13
Heb 13:9a carried Eph. 4:14; cf. Acts 20:30
Heb 13:91b various 1 Tim. 1:3; Gal. 1:6-9; 2 Cor. 11:4
Various strange teachings are always used by Satan to cause dissension and even division in the church. Because of this, the apostle charged people not to teach different things (1 Tim. 1:3). The various strange teachings must have been taught at that time by the Judaizers. The writer warned the Hebrew believers not to let the teachings of the Judaizers carry them away from the church life under the new covenant.
Heb 13:92 confirmed
At that time, to be confirmed by grace was to remain in the new covenant to enjoy Christ as grace (Gal. 5:4) and not to be carried away back to Judaism to participate in the eating of food (sacrifices) in the Jews’ religious ceremonies.
Heb 13:9c grace Heb. 12:15
Heb 13:93d food Heb. 9:9-10; Col. 2:16
The food mentioned here, being in contrast to grace, is the food used in the ceremonial observances of the old covenant (9:10; Col. 2:16). The Judaizers attempted to use such food to carry away the Hebrew believers from the enjoyment of grace, which is the participation in Christ in the new covenant.
Heb 13:101 altar
This altar must be the cross on which the Lord Jesus offered Himself as the sacrifice for our sins (10:12). According to the regulations concerning the offerings in the Old Testament, the sacrifice for sin, or the sin offering, the blood of which was brought into the Holy of Holies or the Holy Place to make expiation, afforded the offering priest or the offerer nothing to eat; the entire offering had to be burned up (Lev. 4:2-12; 16:27; 6:30). Hence, those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat from the altar of the sin offering (which in the New Testament fulfillment is the Lord’s cross). Verse 10 is a strong argument against the Judaizers’ using of food in their strange teachings to attempt to carry away the new covenant believers from the enjoyment of Christ. The Judaizers’ emphasis was on the food that they enjoyed in their religious services. But the writer of this book argued that in the sin offering, the basic offering for yearly expiation (Lev. 16), there was nothing for anyone to eat. With the sin offering, it is not a matter of eating it but a matter of receiving its efficacy. Now the real sin offering is Christ, who offered Himself to God for our sin and accomplished full redemption (better than expiation—see note 122 in ch. 9) for us that we may be brought into the enjoyment of God’s grace in Him under the new covenant. What we need today is not to eat the food of the old covenant services but to receive the efficacy of Christ’s offering and follow Him in the new covenant grace outside the camp, outside the Jewish religion.
Heb 13:10a eat cf. 1 Cor. 10:18
Heb 13:111a bodies Lev. 16:27; 4:21
The blood of the sin offering being brought into the Holy of Holies on the Day of Expiation to make expiation for the people and the bodies of the animals being burned up outside the camp (Lev. 16:14-16, 27) typify the blood of Christ, who is the real sin offering, being brought into the true Holy of Holies to accomplish redemption for us and the body of Christ being sacrificed for us outside the gate of the city of Jerusalem (v. 12).
Heb 13:11b blood Lev. 16:14-16
Heb 13:121a sanctify Heb. 2:11; 10:14, 29
This book unveils to us that God’s heavenly calling is to make us a holy people (3:1), a people sanctified unto God. Christ is the Sanctifier (2:11). He suffered death on the cross, shedding His blood, and entered the Holy of Holies with His blood (9:12) that by the heavenly ministry (8:2, 6) of His heavenly priesthood (7:26) He might be able to do the sanctifying work, and that we might enter within the veil by His blood to participate in Him as the heavenly Sanctifier. By participating in Him in this way, we are enabled to follow Him outside the camp by the sanctifying pathway of the cross. See notes 122 and 131.
Heb 13:122b blood Heb. 9:12, 14; 10:19; 12:24
The Lord’s blood, through which He entered into the Holy of Holies (9:12), opened the new and living way, enabling us to enter within the veil to enjoy Him in the heavens as the glorified One (10:19-20); and His body, which was sacrificed for us on the cross, cut the narrow way of the cross, enabling us to go outside the camp to follow Him on earth as the suffering One (v. 13).
Heb 13:12c outside John 19:17-18, 20
Heb 13:123 gate
This is the gate of the city of Jerusalem. The city signifies the earthly realm, while the camp signifies human organization. Together, the two signify one thing, the Jewish religion with its two aspects, the earthly and the human. Judaism is both earthly and human.
Heb 13:13a unto Heb. 12:2
Heb 13:131b outside Heb. 13:11; Exo. 33:7-11
[ par. 1 2 ]
Heb 13:131 [1] Outside the camp and within the veil (6:19) are two very striking points in this book. To enter within the veil means to enter into the Holy of Holies, where the Lord is enthroned in glory, and to go outside the camp means to come out of religion, whence the Lord was cast in rejection. This signifies that we must be in our spirit, where experientially the practical Holy of Holies is today, and outside religion, where the practical camp is today. The more we are in our spirit, enjoying the heavenly Christ, the more we will come outside the camp of religion, following the suffering Jesus. Being in our spirit to enjoy the glorified Christ enables us to come outside the camp of religion to follow the rejected Jesus. The more we remain in our spirit to contact the heavenly Christ, who is in glory, the more we will go forth outside the camp of religion unto the lowly Jesus to suffer with Him. By contacting Christ in the heavens and enjoying His glorification, we are energized to take the narrow pathway of the cross on earth and bear the reproach of Jesus. First, this book gives us a clear vision of the heavenly Christ and the heavenly Holy of Holies, and then it shows us how to walk on the earth in the pathway of the cross, i.e., how to go forth unto Jesus outside the camp, outside religion, bearing His reproach. Even Moses, after the children of Israel worshipped the golden calf (Exo. 32), moved to a place outside the camp, where everyone who sought the Lord went to meet with him; for both the Lord’s presence and the Lord’s speaking were there (Exo. 33:7-11). We must go outside the camp that we may enjoy the Lord’s presence and hear His speaking. All these things are necessary for the practical and proper church life.
Heb 13:131 [2] The Holy of Holies, the pathway of the cross (signified by the going forth unto Jesus outside the camp, bearing His reproach), and the kingdom are three crucial matters set forth in this book. The Holy of Holies with its rich supply enables us to take the narrow, difficult pathway of the cross, and the pathway of the cross ushers us into the kingdom in its manifestation that we may obtain the reward of glory.
Heb 13:132 camp
See note 123.
Heb 13:13c reproach Heb. 11:26; Rom. 15:3; 1 Pet. 4:14; 2 Cor. 12:10
Heb 13:141a remaining cf. Heb. 10:34
Or, permanent.
Heb 13:142 we
The writer of this book considered himself and his readers real river-crossing Hebrews, like the Patriarchs (11:9-10, 13-16).
Heb 13:14b seek Heb. 11:10, 14, 16
Heb 13:14c one Rev. 21:2
Heb 13:151 Through
Verse 15 is a continuation of vv. 8-14. Since in the church life we enjoy the unchanging Christ as grace and follow Him outside religion, we should offer through Him spiritual sacrifices to God. First, in the church we should offer up through Him a sacrifice of praise to God continually. In the church He sings in us hymns of praise unto God the Father (2:12). In the church we too should praise God the Father through Him. Eventually, in the church He and we, we and He, praise the Father together in the mingled spirit. He, as the life-giving Spirit, praises the Father in our spirit, and we, by our spirit, praise the Father in His Spirit. This is the best and highest sacrifice that we can offer to God through Him. This is greatly needed in the church meetings.
Heb 13:15a offer 1 Pet. 2:5
Heb 13:15b praise Heb. 2:12; Eph. 5:19-20; Col. 3:16
Heb 13:15c fruit Hosea 14:2
Heb 13:15d confessing Phil. 2:11
Heb 13:161a sharing Heb. 6:10; Rom. 12:13; Phil. 4:15-16; 2 Cor. 8:4
Lit., fellowshipping. Doing good refers to giving, and fellowshipping refers to sharing, i.e., having fellowship in the needs of the saints. This kind of doing good and fellowshipping with others also are sacrifices that we should offer to God. These too are necessary for a proper church life. It is truly improper if in the church some needy saints are not well cared for and ministered to. This means that the fellowshipping with others is absent or inadequate.
Heb 13:16b sacrifices Phil. 4:18
Heb 13:171 Obey
This is vitally necessary in the church life.
Heb 13:17a leading Heb. 13:7, 24
Heb 13:17b submit 1 Cor. 16:16; 1 Pet. 5:5
Heb 13:17c watch Acts 20:28-31; 1 Pet. 5:2
Heb 13:181a Pray Eph. 6:19; Col. 4:3; 1 Thes. 5:25; 2 Thes. 3:1
Praying for the apostles is another aspect of the church life.
Heb 13:18b good Acts 23:1; 24:16; 1 Tim. 1:5, 19; 1 Pet. 3:16
Heb 13:20a God Rom. 15:33; 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:11; Phil. 4:9; 1 Thes. 5:23
Heb 13:20b brought Acts 2:24; 3:15; 4:10
Heb 13:20c Shepherd John 10:11, 14; 1 Pet. 2:25; 5:4
Heb 13:201d sheep John 10:16
The sheep here are the flock, which is the church. This confirms the view that the things covered in this chapter, with the experience of the unchanging Christ as our sin offering, through whom we were redeemed, and as our great Shepherd, by whom we are now being fed, are all for the church life.
Heb 13:20e blood Heb. 9:12
Heb 13:202 eternal
[ par. 1 2 ]
Heb 13:202 [1] This book does not concern temporal things, such as the things of the old covenant, but eternal things, things that are beyond the limit of time and space, such as eternal salvation (5:9), eternal judgment (6:2), eternal redemption (9:12), the eternal Spirit (9:14), the eternal inheritance (9:15), and the eternal covenant (13:20).
Heb 13:202 [2] The new covenant is not only a better covenant (7:22; 8:6) but also an eternal covenant. It is eternally effective because of the eternal efficacy of Christ’s blood, with which it was enacted (Matt. 26:28; Luke 22:20).
Heb 13:20f covenant Heb. 8:6, 8; 9:15
Heb 13:21a Perfect Eph. 4:12; 1 Thes. 3:10; 1 Pet. 5:10
Heb 13:21b good Eph. 2:10; Col. 1:10
Heb 13:21c will Rom. 12:2; Col. 1:9
Heb 13:211 doing
God is doing in us that which is well pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ that we may be able to do His will. God works in us both the willing and the working for His good pleasure (Phil. 2:13). From beginning to end this book presents to us a heavenly Christ. Only here, with the word “God…doing in us…through Jesus Christ,” does this book imply the indwelling of Christ. It is through the indwelling Christ that God works in us so that we can do His will.
Heb 13:21e pleasing Heb. 12:28; 1 John 3:22
Heb 13:21f glory Rom. 16:27; Eph. 3:21; 2 Pet. 3:18; Rev. 5:13
Heb 13:221 bear
I.e., endure and receive. To bear with the word of the apostle also is needed in the church life (Acts 2:42).
Heb 13:22a exhortation 1 Pet. 5:12
Heb 13:231a Timothy Acts 16:1; Rom. 16:21; 1 Cor. 16:10; 1 Thes. 3:2, 6
The mentioning of Timothy in such an intimate way is a strong proof that this book was written by the apostle Paul. See 1 Tim. 1:2 and 2 Tim. 1:2.
Heb 13:241 Greet
The greetings in this verse are a form of fellowship in the church and among the churches.
Heb 13:24a leading Heb. 13:7, 17
Heb 13:251a Grace Rom. 16:20; Gal. 6:18; Eph. 6:24; 2 Tim. 4:22; Titus 3:15
To realize and participate in all the things unveiled in this book, we need grace. To have grace (12:28) we need to come forward to the throne of grace that we may find grace for timely help (4:16). It is when we touch the throne of grace in the Holy of Holies through the exercise of our spirit that we enjoy the Spirit of grace (10:29) and that our heart is confirmed by grace (v. 9). By such an enjoyment of grace we run the race set before us (12:1) that we may reach the goal of God’s economy.