Bible Commentaries

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God.

The Apostle had said that he had many things to say concerning Melchisedec, which were hard to be uttered, in consequence of the Hebrews being dull of hearing. As it is difficult to speak to a deaf Hebrews 9:10, signifying the necessity of repentance. In like manner, the laying on of hands on the sacrifice about to be offered, represents faith. The worshipper, by laying his hands on the victim, confessing his sins, expressed his faith of remission through the shedding of blood. Hebrews 9:22. [The baptisms here spoken of cannot refer to the ordinance of Christ, for there is but one Christian baptism. Ephesians 4:5. The resurrection of the dead, which is a most prominent part of the doctrine of Christ, was plainly taught by Moses and the prophets, and generally believed by the Jews. Acts 24:15; John 11:24; Acts 23:6; Mark 12:23; Mark 12:27; while the Sadducees denied it. Acts 23:8. The faith of the resurrection implied the future judgment. Indeed the future judgment was implied by mankind after the fall being divided into two classes, while all were to return to the dust. The separation must be made after death, so that the resurrection and the judgment were clearly taught from the beginning. All go to one place whatever be their character, the grave receives them all; in dividing mankind into two classes after the fall, God clearly intimated the general judgment It is called eternal judgment, because its decisions will never be reversed.]

And this will we do, if God permit.

This, therefore, was the course, which, by Divine permission, he intended to follow.

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,....

It appears from this and other parts of the Epistle that there had been a great apostasy among the Hebrews who had professed the faith of Christ, but had returned to Judaism, and their case was so hopeless that the Apostle would not occupy time by addressing himself to them. They are described as having been once enlightened. When the Lord divides the hearers of the Gospel into four classes, one class is represented as receiving the word with joy, but having no root, and therefore only enduring for a time. The same persons are described—"For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them." 2 Peter 2:20-21. See also Hebrews 10:26-27. Whence it appears that a great external reformation may be produced by the Gospel, and the feelings of the hearers may be greatly excited while they are destitute of saving faith. This is the gift of God, and the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. Romans 11:29.

There may, however, be a temporary impression made by the Gospel, whence some are described as believing for a time, Luke 8:13; which is explained in next clause, and have been made partakers of the Holy Ghost. This refers to the miraculous gifts conferred by the laying on of the Apostle's hands. Men thus receiving the Holy Ghost did not imply that they were truly converted. Hence our Lord says: " Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?" Matthew 7:22. And the Apostle supposes the case of men possessing a faith by which they might remove mountains, 1 Corinthians 13:2, while destitute of love, and therefore ignorant of God. 1 John 4:8.

And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come.

Tasted the good word of God, felt somewhat of its sweetness: "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" Psalm 119:103. "More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey, and the honeycomb." Psalm 19:10. "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of Hosts." Jeremiah 15:16. The persons referred to have tasted somewhat of this excellence and the power of the world to come. What is rendered the Everlasting Father is in the LXX. the Father of the age to come, and we read of the world to come, that is the Gospel dispensation. Heb. ii5. Now the power of the world to come means the diversity of miraculous gifts under the new dispensation, referred to by the Apostle. 1 Corinthians 12:4; 1 Corinthians 12:10. We are unable accurately to distinguish these, because we do not possess miraculous gifts; but there are the powers conferred under the Gospel dispensation. What is rendered in our version working of miracles, 1 Corinthians 12:29, is working of powers. Again in Matthew 7:22-23, wonderful works, is in the original, powers.

If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

There is no if in the original; it is " and having fallen away;" for it is coupled with the preceding participles, enlightened, tasted, made partakers of, after all had fallen away. [This does not imply that the people of God shall ever fall away. We have already seen that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance; indeed this must be the case, because believers were chosen in and given to Christ. Ephesians 1:4; John 17:6; and shall never perish. John 10:28-29. Where God begins a good work he will carry it on till the day of Christ; but believers as well as others require cautions and warnings, and it is not improbable that there may be here an intentional obscurity in regard to the feelings excited by the truth as it is in Jesus, which is intended to serve as a beacon against any tendency to backslide from God. Our comfort ought not to be derived from our past feelings or fancied acquirements, but from the habitual contemplation of Christ as our Savior. We can only enjoy the assurance of hope by the contemplation of the glory of the sacrifice of Christ, and the absolute freeness of the great salvation. Let the apparent genuineness of our Christian experience be what it may, we can only have proof of our being living members of Christ by abiding in him and holding fast the truth.] While this is a solemn warning to him who thinketh he standeth, to take heed lest he fall, 1 Corinthians 10:12, it throws no doubt upon the perseverance of the saints, although we can only know that such is our character by holding fast the truth. It is evident from this and many other passages that men's natural feelings may be much excited, and such a change in their habits and sentiments produced as may strikingly resemble the fruits of the Spirit, while they are imposing on themselves and others.

But it may be asked, why is it impossible to renew such persons again to repentance? It is not impossible for God thus to renew them, for with Him all things are possible. The impossibility appears to be the same as for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. " It is easier," says the Lord, "for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom," and adds, "with man it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible." However, their case was Matthew 1:19. They, as it were, set their seal to all the insults and injuries which were heaped on Jesus, and that after the fullest evidence had been given of his divine character and mission, not only by his resurrection but by the outpouring of the Spirit, of whose miraculous gifts they had been made partakers. Acts 2:33. We find a parallel passage in chap10:26 , 29 , where apostates are represented as treading under foot the Son of God, and counting the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified ["Sanctified" may either apply to Christ, who says, "For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they may be sanctified through the truth." He was set apart, like the paschal lamb, that his people might be set apart through the truth; or it may refer to the apostate, for the Scripture often speaks of them as they appear, for instance Simon Magus is said to have believed.] an unholy thing; and, having done despite to the Spirit of Grace, by rejecting the testimony he bore to Jesus. These passages confirm the observation already made that many of the Hebrews who had professed the truth had returned to Judaism; and the Apostle wrote this Epistle with a view of putting a stop to the apostasy by teaching the Hebrews the nature of the Mosaic law, by the misunderstanding of which they had been misled, and showing them that it was a temporary dispensation, a shadow of good things to come.

For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God.

The Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament frequently illustrate spiritual by temporal things, and not uncommonly by a reference to the operations of husbandry. See John 15:1-2. Here we are taught that the fertility of the earth proceeds from the blessing of God, Genesis 1:11; Genesis 27:27; Psalm 65:9; Psalm 65:11. This does not, however, preclude the labours of the husbandman, which is essential to the production of the fruits of the earth, Genesis 3:19; but all man's labour is vain without the blessing of God, Psalm 127:1, to which alone we are taught to look for success. When he crowns the year with his goodness, causing the grass to grow for the cattle and herb for the service of Isaiah 5:1-2, but it produced wild grapes, on which account the Lord declared his intention of laying it waste, so that it should only produce thorns and briers. We have another illustration of this passage in the prophecies of Ezekiel. He describes the waters which flowed from the threshold of the house, which gradually augmented. The water was at first to the ankles, then to the knees, afterwards to the loins, and then a river which could not be passed over. In these waters there were exceeding many fishes, and fishermen spreading their nets: "And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh. And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from En-gedi even unto En-eglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many. But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt." Ezekiel 47:9-11. Ezekiel's vision of the temple is very obscure, but it is evident that the waters issuing from the house of God denote the Gospel, and the fishers the Apostles and those who succeeded them as preachers of the Gospel.

Every thing lived whither the waters came, but the miry places and the marshes thereof were not healed: "They shall be given to salt," ver11.

The Gospel is not only the savour of life unto life, but of death unto death, and of such it will prove to apostates of whom the Apostle treats. To such we may apply the words of the prophet respecting Jerusalem: "In thy filthiness is lewdness; because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee." Ezekiel 24:13; and again, "But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels." Psalm 81:11-12.

But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

Having delivered this solemn warning the Apostle proceeds to encourage his brethren who had stood fast in the faith. He was persuaded better things of them, although he thus spoke. It was necessary for him to set before them the awful state of those who had apostatized, but he had confidence in those whom he addressed. He was persuaded better things of them, even things that accompany salvation, although he had found it necessary to use the language he had done. It may be asked, What are the better things to which he refers? and he answers the question, Things which accompany salvation, which are the evidence of our union with Christ, and which are therefore far superior to these gifts to which he had referred, and to which apostates may attain. We have here an instance of the wisdom and tenderness with which the Apostle addressed his brethren. He had set before them the awful doom of apostates, and he now returns to the strongest expressions of confidence and brotherly love. Of this we have another instance, 2 Thessalonians 2:13. There also he speaks of apostates, whom in righteous judgment God gave up to strong delusion, that they should believe a lie, but adds: " But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth." 2 Thessalonians 2:13. So also Ephesians 4:20. He had described the wickedness of the Gentiles, who had abandoned themselves to all uncleanness with greediness, but adds: " Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect Ephesians 4:13.

For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

Here, as elsewhere, brotherly love is described as far superior to all spiritual gifts, which the Apostle had shown might be possessed by hypocrites and apostates. "Beloved," says another Apostle, "let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us." 1 John 4:7-12. Christ condescends to acknowledge what is done to his brethren as having been done to himself, Matthew 25:45, and here the Apostle says God is not unrighteous. He acknowledges himself as having been laid under an obligation by their work of faith and labour of love, which he will not forget, in having in time past ministered, and still continuing to minister, to his saints. We can have no claim upon God, we have nothing but what we receive from his bounty; but he has engaged to reward the services of his people, and he is faithful who hath promised and will also do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24. The same line of argument is pursued by the Apostle: "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. Hence we learn that gifts, however great, are inferior to love; and we may observe that the Apostle supposes a man to give his goods to feed the poor and his body to be burned, for attachment to the profession which he has made, and yet to be nothing because destitute of love; he then proceeds to describe the love which he so highly commends. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. It is the very Spirit of Christ; God is love. There is no inconsistency in this declaration with our God being a consuming fire. The God of love is described as being jealous, and revenging, and being furious; his fury is poured out like fire. Nehem1:3-6. Sin has brought misery and confusion into his universe; and, as he sware that he would have war with Amalek from generation to generation, he hath sworn irreconcilable war with sin. But this, so far from being inconsistent with God's being love, is essential to the perfection of his character as the God of love. It is in his righteous indignation against sin that his character is fully brought out. He is indeed angry with the wicked every day, he will in no wise clear the guilty; but the full manifestation of the love of God consists in his sending his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him. 1 John 4:9.

The Hebrews had shown great liberality in ministering to the saints in the beginning of the Gospel, Acts 2:45; Acts 4:34, and they had compassion of himself in his bonds, Hebrews 10:34, ministering to him when he was prisoner at Caesarea, and, not only 1 John 3:19. This exactly corresponds with the passage under consideration, that we should use diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end. Our hearts are deceitful above all things, and we are prone to take comfort from considering ourselves as believers; this is very common, and many substitute faith for the great object of faith. We see people utterly destitute of the knowledge of Christ shocked with the sentiments of infidels; they believe that the Scriptures are true, as king Agrippa believed the prophets; but as he did not believe what the prophets testified, neither do they believe the Gospel of Christ, but a figment of their own brain. I may ask a man the road to a particular place, with the full assurance that he knows it well; but, if I mistake his directions, this will not lead me to the place. So we may believe that the Gospel is true, while we substitute a fable for the truth as it is in Jesus; and what will such faith profit us? Now we are guarded against error, not only by the great plainness of speech used by the Lord and His Apostles, but by being informed what effects the faith of the Gospel must necessarily produce, and the more these effects are produced in us the greater evidence we have that it is the true grace of God wherein we stand. Nothing is more insisted on in Scripture than brotherly love. It is Christ's new commandment, and the possession or the want of it is represented as the decisive test of our belonging to him, or being of the world that lieth in the wicked one. Matthew 25:34; Matthew 25:40.

While the Word of God pours contempt on our own righteousness, declaring that by the deeds of the law no flesh living shall be justified, it enforces the duty of obedience, declaring that without holiness no man shall see the Lord; and so inseparably connected are faith and obedience, that all shall receive of the deeds done in the body, whether they be good or bad, The grace of God teaches the believer that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, he should live soberly, righteously, and godly; and, while we are justified by grace through faith, we are taught the inseparable connexion of faith and works, by the declaration that Abraham, the father of believers, Habakkuk 2:3.

For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.

Men swear by the greater, by some one superior to themselves; and, when other evidence cannot be obtained, an oath settles the matter. Israel were commanded to swear by the name of the Lord, Deuteronomy 6:13, so that the strife is brought to an end. The example of God, with the Apostle's observation, decides the question of the lawfulness of oaths, which has been denied. Can we for a moment suppose that God, in His transactions with men, should by His own example sanction what is unlawful, and direct the Apostle to speak of an oath as putting an end to strife? Strife arises now as formerly, and an oath for confirmation is as necessary now as it was before. There are two passages in the New Testament which are alleged as a proof of the unlawfulness of oaths. In the sermon on the mount, the Lord says, "Swear not at all;" but it is more evident, from the connexion, that the Lord there condemns the confirmation of a vow by an oath. "Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perforin unto the Lord thy vows. [There is no reference here to transactions between men.] But I say unto you, Swear not at all." We have an example of a vow without an oath in the history of Jacob at Bethel, Genesis 28:20-22. The Apostle James likewise forbids swearing, chap5:12; but it is evident, from the connexion, that he is also treating of vows. Not only were oaths regulated by the Jewish law, but the Lord Himself, when questioned by the high priest, gave no answer till, put upon His oath, He heard "the voice of swearing." And not only Romans 4:13-17; Galatians 3:27) the fullest assurance of the unchangeableness of His counsel, confirmed His promise with an oath. Numbers 14:22; chap3:17; Isaiah 45:23.

That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.

That by two immutable things, the promise and the oath of God, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge [The word refuge is not in the original. It Numbers 35:11-12—has led our translators to the insertion of the word.] to the hope set before us might have strong consolation.

The promise of God, which He confirmed by an oath to Abraham, Genesis 22:18. So that the promise was confirmed to them as well as to their father Abraham.

Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil.

The hope set before us is the blessing of Abraham, which has come upon the Gentiles (as well as Jews) through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith, Galatians 3:14, and thus be sealed to the day of redemption. This hope is compared to an anchor, and the figure is most appropriate and beautiful. The anchor, which holds the ship, and prevents her from drifting with the wind and tide, is out of sight, fixed in the ground by its form and weight. Thus it is with the believer; the Lord Jesus Christ, who has entered within the vail, is his hope, 1 Timothy 1:1, and this keeps him steadfast and immovable, preventing his being led away by the lying vanities of this present evil world. When about to remove from her anchorage, the ship is drawn forward to the anchor, which is then weighed, and comes into sight. In this world we hope for what we see not, and with patience wait for it; but, when we receive the adoption, to wit, the redemption of the body, our hope will be swallowed up in enjoyment; then we shall see what, while on earth, we only hoped for.

Besides preserving a ship from drifting, the anchor is used to remove her from one part of a river or harbour to another; and thus, while the hope of the believer keeps him steadfast, it at the same time serves to draw him nearer to the object of his hope, till he shall no longer see through a glass darkly, but face to face; and shall no longer hope for eternal glory, but enter on the full possession of it.

Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec,

Christ, the great object of our hope, has, in the character of our forerunner, entered within the vail, thus taking possession, as it were, on our behalf, of the heavenly inheritance, and giving us the assurance of being with Him.

He is gone to prepare a place for His people, and He says, "And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I John 14:3. Having offered an all-sufficient sacrifice, and being brought again from the dead through the blood of the everlasting covenant, He has entered into the most holy place with His own blood, as the glorious head and representative of His body the Church. He is made forever a high priest after the order of Melchisidec.