Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition)
Exhortation to holdfast the Fuilh IIEBKICWS X. with Patience and ThauLtgiving,
"tasted" a certain measure even of grace of "the Holy Ghost" (the Spirit of truth, John U. 17; ami "the Spirit than man, wlien one does so with fiVM\\ faith in his father's love, Ihiiugh (iod chastises him. "It is fearful" to fall into His hands iis a reprobate and presumptuous sinner doomed to His jusl vengeance as Judge (i>. 27). living God—therefore able to punish for ever (Mallhow 10.28). 32. As previously he has warned them by the awful end of apostates, so here he stirs thon up by the remembrance of their own former faith, patience, and self-sacrificing love. So Revelation 2. 3, 4. call to r<'meml>rance —Iiabitually : so the present tense means, illuuiinated —" enliglitened :" come to "the knowledge of the truth"
Of grace," v. 29) : to fall aivai/(a.s "sin " lu-re means, cli. :i. 12,
17; cf. ch. 0. 6) and apostatize (ch. S. 12) to Ju.hiisni or infidelity, is not a sin of ignorance, or error {"oi// of the iva.i/," Ihe result) of infirmity, ljut a deliOi-rate sinnin;/ against the Spirit (v. 29; ch. 5. 2): siicfi sinning, wliere a couBCiousness of Gospel ohligations not only was, but is present: a sinning presumptuously and perseveringly ayaiust Christ's redemption /or us, and tlie Spirit ofgraee in us. " He only wlio stands high can fall low. A lively reference in the soul to what is good is necessary in order to be thoroughly wicked; hence, man can be more repro-
2()) in connection with baptism {iS'ote, cli. (>. 4). In spiritual bnptism, Christ, who is "the Light,'' is put on. "On the one hand, we are not to sever tlie sign and tlie grace signified where Ihesacrifice truly answers its liesigns ; on liate than the beasts, and the apostate angels than apostate man." [Tholuck.] 1-eiiiaiuetli no more sacrllice
I"or there is but one Sacrifice tlial can alone tor sin ; they, tlie other, the glass is not to be mistaken lor the liquor, nor the sliealh for the swoi d." [liENGEJ>.] liglit of— (. e., consistingof afflictions. 33. The persecutions liere referred to seem to have been endured by the Hebrew Christhins at their first conversion, not only in Palestine, hut also in Rome and elsewhere, the Jews in every city inciting the populace and the Roman authorities against (Christians, gazing-stocli—as in a ?/ieah-e (s(> the Greek): pften used as the place of punishment in tiic presence of the assemliled multitudes. Acts 19. 2>; 1 Corinthians 4. 9, " Made a theatrical spectacle to the world." yc became of your own accord : attesting your Christian sympathy with your suflering bretliren. companions of—sharers a''ter having fully known that sacrifice, deliberately reject
27. a certain—an extraordinary and indescribable. The indefiniteness, as of something peculiar of Us kind, makes the description tlie more terrible (cf. Greek, James
1. IS), looking for—"expectation:" a later sense of the Greek. Alfoud strangely translates, as the Greek usually means elsewhere, "reception." The transition is eas.y frotu "giving a reception to" something or some one, to looking for. Contrast the "expecting" (the very same Greek as here), v. 13, which refutes Afford, fiery in<Ii<;- uation—W., "zeal of fire." Fire is personilieil : glow or ardour of fire, i.e., of Him wlio is "a consuming fire." devour—continually. !48. Cf. ch. 2.2,3; 12. 25. «lcspise<l —"setat naught " [Al-KoKDj: utterly and heinously violated, not merely some minor detail, but the u-liole law and covenant, as ex. gr., by idolatry (Deuteronomy 17. 2-7). So hi>re opos<((«i/ answers to such an ul ter violation of the old covenant, died— G'rccA:, " dies :" tlie noi nial punishment of such transgression, then still in force, ^vitliottt mer< y—lit., mercies: removal out of the pale of mitigation, or a respite of his doom, umler—on the evidenceof. 29. sorer Greek, " worse," viz., " punisliment " {lit., vengeance) tluin any mere temporal punishment of the body, suppose ye—an appeal to the Hebrews' reason and conscience, thoiiglit wortliy—by God at tlie judgment, trodden under foot tite Son of Cod—by "willul " apostasy. So he treads under foot God Himself who "glorified His Son as an high priest" (ch. 5.6; 0'. G). nn iin Holy tiling—?/;., "common," as opposed to " .sanctified." No better than the blooO of a common man, thus involving the consequence that Christ, in claiming to be God, was guilty of blasphemy, and so deserved to <iie ! wJierewitli lie was sanctified-for Clirist died even for him. "Sanctified," in the fullest sense, belongs only to tlie saved elect.. But in some sense it belongs also to those who have gone a far way in Christian experience, and yet fall away at last. The higher such a one's past Christian experiences, the deeper his fall, done despite unto—Ijy repelling in fact: as " blasphemy" is despite in words (Mark 3. 2i)). " Of the Jews who Ijecame Christians and relapsed to Judaism, we And from the history of Ukiel Acosta, thiit they required a blasphemy against Chi'st. Tiiey applied to Him epithets used against Molech the adulterous branch,' "Ac. [Tholuck.] the Spirit ot grace-the Spirit that confers grace. "He who does not accept the lienefit, insults Him •wlio confers it. He hath made thee a son: will thou become a slave 7 He has come to take up His abode with thee; but thou art introducing evil into tliyself." [CiuivsOSTOM.] "It is the cur.se of evil eternally to propagate evil : so, for him who profanes the Christ without him, and blasphemes the Christ within him, there is subjectively no renewal of a change of mind (ch. 6. 6), and objectively no new sacrifice for sins" (ch. 10. 26). [Thoi.uck.] 30. Iiim— God, who enters no empty threats, vengeance Itelongin affliction with. 34. ye had coiiipassiuu on me in my !>onds—Tlie oldest MSS. and versions omit " me," and read, " Ye both sj-mpathized with t/iosc in bonds (answering to the last clause of v. 33; cf. ch. 13. 3, 2:3; 6. 10), and accepted (so the Greek is translated ch. 11. Xi) with JO'/ (James 1.2; Jo.y in tribulations, as exercising faith and other graces, Romans 5.3; and (he pledge of the coming glory, Matthew 5. 12) the plundering of yonr (own) goods "
(answering to the first cliiuse of v. ;i3). in yoursclveis The oldest MSS. omit " in :" translate, " Knowing that ye have for (or to) yourselves." iM'.lter—a heavenly (cli. 11.
IG). enduring—not liable to spoiling. subj,tance—possession : peculiarly our own, if we will not cast aivay our birth-right. 35-37. Consequent exhortation to confidence and endurance, as Christ is soon coming. Cast not away—Implying that they now have "confidence," and that it will not withdraw of itself, unless they "cast it away" wilfully (cf. cli. 3. 14). -wMcU — Greek, "the which:" inasmucli as being sucli as. liafU— present tense : it is as certain as if you had it in your hand {v. 37) It hath in reversion, recompense of rewi««d—of grace not of debt: a reward of a kind whicli no mercenary sellseeker would seek : holiness will be its own reward ; selldevoting unselfishness for Christ's sake will be its own rich recompense {Note, ch. 2. 2; 11. 2(i). 3f;. patience— Greek, "waiting endurance," or "enduring perseverance :" the kindred Greek verb in the LXX., Habakkuk
2,3, is translated, ''Wail for it" (cf. James 5. 7). after ye have done the will of God—"that whereas ye have done the will of God" hitherto {v. 32-35), ye ma.v now shoiv also jiatient, per.^evering endurance, and so "receive tl.e promise," i. e., the promised reward: eternal life aLd bliss commensurate with our work of faith and love (ch.
G. 10-12). We must not only do, but also suffer (1 Peter 1.
19). God first uses the active talents of His servants ; the Q polishes the other side of the stone, making the passioe graces shine, patience, meekness, Ac. It ma.v be also translated, "That ye may do the will of God, and receive," &o. [Ai.ford]: "patience" itsellisa furtlier and a persevering doing of " God's will ;" otherwise it would be profitless and no real grace (Matthew 7. 21). We should lo< k, not merely for individual bliss now and at death, but for the great and general consummation of liliss of all saints, both in body and soul. 37, 38. Kneonragement to patient enduriuice by consideration of the shortness of the time till Clirist shall come, and God's rejection of him etli unto me— Greek, "To me belongelh vengeance:" exactly according with Paul's quotation, Romans 12. 19, of the same text. Lord shall Judge his people— in grace, or else anger, according as eadi deserves: here, "juilge," BO a.s to punish the reprobate aiiostate ; there, "judge," so aa to interpose In behalf of, and save His peojile (Deuteronomy 32. STi). 31. fearful . . . to fall Into llkr liand», &c. —It le good like David to fall into the hands of God, rather tliat draws back, t.-ilcen from Habakkuk 2. 3, 4. a little while—(John IG. IG.) he that shall come — lit., " tlia Comer." In Habakkuk, it is the vision that is said to be about to come. Christ, being tlie grand and ultimate snb«
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