So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. 15. Tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Christ is able to understand our weaknesses and miseries, for He Himself has experienced these very things. To imagine that since Jesus could not sin, He could not suffer is to miss the point of the passage. First, this passage only explicitly states that He did not sin, not that He could not. Second, temptation can be, and is, a reality apart from sin. God cannot be tempted (Gr apeirastos) with evil (Jas 1:13), yet God is tempted (Gr peirazō) by men (3:9; Acts 15:10). Christ was tempted; He did not sin; He can understand and intercede. Yet, beyond the explicit statements of this passage, He who is God was made like sinful man (Rom 8:3). But He could not sin (impeccable); and, indeed, He need not sin to be human. Before he sinned, Adam was human, and probably “more” human than after his fall; for that was not how God had created him. One needs not sin to be human, nor does one even need to possess the potential to sin. The glorified saint will never again be able to sin, yet he remains human. Christ’s temptation was real, for temptation exists apart from yielding to it through sin. Indeed, the temptation is greater in duration and intensity when one does not take the “easy” way out by sinning. If man’s temptation is greater when he endures it, surely Christ’s was great since He had no alternative but to endure it. He has suffered, or endured, the temptation (2:18). 16. Because of our tried and proven High Priest, we can come boldly to God’s throne. In the Old Testament everyone who looked upon the Ark of the Covenant faced the fear of death, including the high priest, unless he met all of the conditions, and then only on the Day of Atonement. Now we, including these Jewish saints, are encouraged to come before the Lord at any time, especially when we truly need help. Only Christianity provides such boldness by sinful men before a holy God, and that boldness is only possible because of our great Intercessor, Jesus Christ. 2. The qualifications of a priest. 5:1–10. This section breaks naturally between verses 4 and 5. The first four verses describe the qualifications of the levitical priests, the other six verses demonstrate Christ’s qualifications. 5:1. Sacrifices for sins. The discussion of the priestly office focuses first upon the function or goal of that office. Men were placed in the office to minister on behalf of (Gr huper) other men by offering sacrifices and offerings for their sins. 2–3. The second qualification of a human priest involved his character. He must have compassion upon those who inadvertently sin out of ignorance. This compassion (Gr metriopatheō) is a controlled compassion, meaning “to be gentle with.” Etymologically, it involved a measured, or balanced, feeling. This unusual word (found nowhere else in the New Testament) was used “in the Aristotelian philosophical tradition in the sense of to moderate one’s feelings or passions and so to avoid excesses either of enthusiasm or impassivity” (Hughes, p. 176). It involves caring without undue harshness or weepy sentiment. It was a necessary quality of character for all priests. It stemmed from the patience learned by the priest’s own infirmity and out of his own need of a priest for his sins. 4. The third qualification of the priest concerned his appointment. He must be appointed by or called of God. These qualifications are listed here, not because God is looking today for those who aspire to be priests, as He is for pastors (Gr episkopos, I Tim 3:1). Just the opposite—the priests were appointed by God’s decree. Those who took the office to themselves suffered severe consequences (Korah in Num 16:1–35; Saul in I Sam 13:9–11; Uzziah in II Chr 26:16–23). 5–6. Starting with verse 5, Christ’s qualifications are shown to parallel those of the levitical priests. They are, however, presented in reverse order. The author’s first point, therefore, is that Christ glorified not himself to be made a high priest; rather, God the Father appointed Him, as the Scriptures declare. The first of the two passages cited, Thou art my Son, is from Psalm 2:7 and was previously cited in Hebrews 1:5. Even though a reference to Christ’s Sonship may seem irrelevant here, Christ’s position as Son, and hence sovereign King, is important in light of the priesthood He possesses. He has been appointed a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. Since Melchizedek was a king-priest (cf. 7:1–3), so Christ, who is of that order, must be a king-priest. 7–8. Christ also meets the qualification of being a compassionate priest due to those things which He has suffered. Who in the days of his flesh speaks of the thirty years during which the Son became flesh and dwelt among men (Jn 1:14), suffering many things in behalf of His people. After this brief phrase concerning His life, the author focuses upon one trying event’ Gethsemane. Offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears. These words are even more intense and descriptive than those that are recorded in the Gospels. The tone compares to that of Psalm 22, in which Christ’s thoughts upon the cross are expressed. In Gethsemane, Jesus reveals that His soul is “… exceeding sorrowful unto death …” (Mk 14:34). He prays to the Father, asking if this cup might be taken away, referring to His suffering on the cross. Though it may involve the ignominy and anguish of the physical death, its quintessence is the horror of the Son’s separation from the Father, bearing the wrath and curse of God’s holiness against man’s sin. For the first time in eternity, the fellowship between Father and Son will be broken; God will forsake Him. And was heard in that he feared. How the Father heard or answered Christ’s prayer is not answered here since it is not the point of the author’s discourse. God may have answered by removing Christ’s fear of the imminent cross experience. More likely, in harmony with the statements of Psalm 22, He answered by reaffirming the promise of the Resurrection (see Bruce, pp. 100–102). 9–10. He became the author of eternal salvation. That which had been described first in relation to the levitical priests has been reserved until last in relation to Christ. His offering for sin was complete and final, providing eternal salvation for all them that obey him. It is eternal, but not universal. Only those who come to God claiming the sacrifice of Christ receive this eternal life (7:25; 9:26, 28; 10:10–14). 3. The third warning passage: Do not be spiritually immature. 5:11–6:20. a. The rebuke of immaturity. 5:11–14. 11–12. Of whom we have many things to say. This parenthetical passage of warning is placed where one would expect the author to develop his discourse on the priesthood of Melchizedek. He has just brought the Old Testament prophecies that predicted Christ’s priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek to light. Obviously, his intent is to develop this theme as quickly as possible; for he begins to do so in chapter 7, immediately after this rebuke. The author wishes to present many things concerning Melchizedek; but he knows they are not ready to receive them, for they are dull of hearing. This adjective (Gr nōthroi) means to be lazy or sluggish. In Proverbs 22:29 (LXX) it is translated “slothful.” The only other New Testament occurrence is in the next chapter (6:12). In verse 11 the rebuke concerns the slothfulness of their hearing. They have not been listening; they have not, therefore, been growing. Shortly, he will warn them, lest their whole life becomes sluggish (6:12). In verses 11–12 he describes their condition as due to poor, lazy hearing. They are immature. Whereas they should now be teachers, they still need to be taught. Whereas they should be ready to understand new and difficult teachings from God’s Word, they can only handle the milk. They have not advanced beyond the first principles of the oracles of God. Most likely, these first principles involve the “principles of the doctrine of Christ” that are enumerated in 6:1–3. 13–14. The author has used the second person to present the condition of his readers; now he changes to the third person to teach the nature of immaturity in general. Those who are immature are as babies who can only digest milk. They are unskillful (Gr apeiros), inexperienced in or unacquainted with the word that instructs them in how to live a life of righteousness. By contrast, the strong Christian is the one who by constant application of God’s Word to his life has his spiritual senses exercised (Gr gegymnasmena) as an athlete exercises or trains his body. Thus, the strong Christian can discern truth from error. b. The exhortation to maturity. 6:1–3. 6:1. Therefore leaving the principles. The author is not content to allow his readers to remain in their immature state (5:11–14). Unlike Paul’s capitulation to his Corinthian hearers, in that he feeds them as the babes they are (I Cor 3:2), our author admonishes his readers to “grow up.” Such words sting, but they are sometimes necessary. Let us go on (Gr pherōmetha). The verb is unusual in that it is not active as the translation would imply; rather, it is passive. It does not involve going as much as “being carried” or “being moved.” Westcott (p. 143) suggests the translation, “Let us be moved along.” Maturity will not be attained by personal effort as much as by personal surrender to God, who alone can accomplish the needed perfection (cf. vs. 3). The principles of the doctrine of Christ involve the same elementary principles that were mentioned in 5:12. The six doctrines now cited are probably representative, rather than inclusive, of all elementary teachings. They can be easily gathered into three sets. The first set involves conversion itself: of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God. Both the negative (repentance) and the positive (faith) aspects of conversion are cited. The dead works refer to one’s former sinful ways, which are ways of death. These works might include either the sinner’s unholy deeds of the flesh or his ungodly deeds of self-righteousness. Both produce death and must be renounced. The positive aspect, faith, must always be directed toward God alone. Paul’s witness regarding the Thessalonian believers, that they turned “… to God from idols …” (I Thess 1:9), likewise expresses these two aspects of conversion. 2. The second set of elementary doctrines represents post-conversion experiences: Doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands. The word baptisms (Gr baptismoi) creates several difficulties. First, the other uncontested usages of this word involve ceremonial washings (9:10; Mk 7:4), rather than Christian baptism. The usual word for baptism (Gr baptisma) is not used here. Nevertheless, baptism may be the correct usage; for baptismos appears to be the proper reading for the contested passage (Col 2:12), which does refer to Christian baptism. Second, the fact that the word is plural suggests to some that the reference must be to ceremonial washings. Yet, there are several baptisms to which the author could be referring—John’s baptism (with which these Jewish readers should be acquainted), Christian baptism, and Spirit baptism. The third set of elementary teachings are eschatological, involving last things. Some eschatological teachings are closely associated with the salvation message, such as resurrection and eternal judgment; for they involve the hope of salvation. Eschatology is included here among the first truths, not as part of the deeper truths. The mere study of last things does not demonstrate spiritual maturity. The practical changes which these eschatological truths produce within our lives are what manifest maturity. 3. And this will we do. The author now uses chapter 6 as a warning and admonition to move his readers on to maturity in order that they might receive and understand the difficult doctrine which they are about to hear (chs. 7ff.). If God permit. We must acknowledge that when a man is going in the wrong direction, only God can change his life.
Posted on: Mon, 18 Nov 2013 02:37:33 +0000
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