Hebrews 10:23

23. the profession of our hope] Rather, “the confession of our Hope.” Here we have the same trilogy of Christian graces as in St Paul—Faith (Heb_10:22), Hope (Heb_10:23), and Love (Heb_10:24).

without wavering] “So that it do not bend.” It must be not only “secure” (Heb_3:6; Heb_3:14), but not even liable to be shaken.

for he is faithful that promised] Heb_6:13, Heb_11:11, Heb_12:26. The writer felt the necessity of insisting upon this point, because the sufferings of the Hebrew converts, and the long delay (as it seemed to them) of Christ’s return, had shaken their constancy.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Heb 10:23-25. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith — Or, rather, of our hope, as the most approved MSS., indeed all but one, read the clause. The apostle referred to that profession or confession of their hope of eternal life, which believers made at their baptism. For being God’s children, and heirs through faith in Christ, (Joh 1:12; Gal 3:26,) they had an undoubted right to hope for the heavenly inheritance: without wavering — Without giving way to any doubt or fear in a case where we have such certain and indubitable evidence; or unmoved by the threats of our persecutors. For he is faithful that promised — That is, all the promises of God shall be made good to us, if we continue steadfast. And let us consider one another — Let us reflect seriously on one another’s temptations, trials, infirmities, failings, and other circumstances attending us, that we may judge what influence we can have over one another for our mutual advantage: and especially to provoke and excite one another unto love to God, his people, and all mankind; and to good works — Of all kinds, the proper fruits of love. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together — For public or social worship; as the manner of some is — Either through fear of persecution, or from a vain imagination that they are above external ordinances; but exhorting one another — To constancy in the faith, zeal and diligence in all works of piety and virtue; and so much the more as ye see the day approaching — That awful day, in which we must appear before the tribunal of God, preceded by the day of death, which is drawing continually nearer, and will fix our character and condition for ever. As also that day of vengeance coming on the Jewish nation, which Christ hath described as so terrible an emblem of the day of final judgment, and the conflagration of the world. From what Christ had said concerning the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, and the dreadful calamities awaiting the Jews, as events that should happen during the lives of some who had been present with him about thirty years before the date of this epistle, these Hebrews might infer that these judgments were now near, and doubtless might see them approaching, by the appearing of those signs which our Lord had said should precede them.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10:23 We are to hold tightly . . . to the hope we affirm, that Christ’s death is effective in winning us right relationship with God.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Heb 10:23. Καὶ λελουμένοι, and being washed) Single verbs and single participles cohere in Heb 10:22-24,[64] and the particle καὶ, and, divides the members of the sentence. But the order is, verb, participle; participle, verb; verb, participle, by Chiasmus.—τὸ σῶμα, the body) The allusion is to the Levitical washings; and yet he does not say the flesh, but the body, by which the whole substance of the man is denoted by Synecdoche. The body also had been formerly polluted by sin, but it is washed, that it may be fitted, after the example of the holy body of Christ, Heb 10:10, for an oblation: Rom 12:1; 1Co 6:13; 1Co 6:20.—ὕδατι καθαρῷ, with pure water) Eze 36:25; Joh 19:34; 1Co 6:11; Tit 3:5; 1Jn 5:6.—[65] τὴν ὁμολογίαν, confession) Confession was taken up at baptism, and ought to be retained [held fast].

[64] Beng. thus makes καὶ, in Heb 10:23, join προσερχώμεθα and κατέχωμεν, not ἐῤῥαντισμένοι and λελουμένοι.—ED.

[65] Καθαρῷ—τῆς ἐλπίδος, with clean—of hope) In like manner cleansing is joined with hope, 1Jn 3:3.—V. g.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Heb_10:23. The words: καὶ λελουμένοι τὸ σῶμα ὕδατι καθαρῷ, are, by the Peshito, by Primasius, Faber Stapulensis, Luther, Estius, Wolf, Baumgarten, Storr, Kuinoel, Bleek, Stein, de Wette, Bloomfield, Bisping, Delitzsch, Riehm (Lehrbegr. des Hebräerbr. p. 741, Obs.), Alford, Maier, Kluge, and others, combined in one, and referred still to προσερχώμεθα, Heb_10:22, as a second participial clause. Better, nevertheless, shall we conjoin καί with κατέχωμεν; so that λελουμένοι τὸ σῶμα ὕδατι καθαρῷ becomes a parenthetic clause, which specifies the subjective qualification to the κατέχειν, exactly as ἐῤῥαντισμένοι κ.τ.λ., Heb_10:22, brought out the subjective qualification to the προσέρχεσθαι. In connection with the first-named construction,[102] the rhythmical symmetry of the members, Heb_10:22-23, would be needlessly sacrificed, and ΚΑΤΈΧΩΜΕΝ stand there too much torn from the context. For the supposition that ΚΑΊ might have been wanting before ΚΑΤΈΧΩΜΕΝ, since a third verb (ΚΑΤΑΝΟῶΜΕΝ) follows at Heb_10:24, the placing of the ΚΑΊ was thus necessary only before this last, is erroneous; inasmuch as the author could hardly, from the very outset, comprehend Heb_10:24 in thought with Heb_10:22, and Heb_10:23, on the contrary, only brings in later that which is observed at Heb_10:24 as a new and independent exhortation, while ΠΡΟΣΕΡΧΏΜΕΘΑ … ΚΑῚ ΚΑΤΈΧΩΜΕΝ stands together in the closest inner relation (as a decided approaching to the communion with God opened up by Christ, and a persevering maintenance of the same).

ΛΕΛΟΥΜΈΝΟΙ ΤῸ ΣῶΜΑ ὝΔΑΤΙ ΚΑΘΑΡῷ] inasmuch as our body has been washed with pure water [washed as regards the body with pure water]. Reference to the sanctifying of Christians by Christian baptism. Comp. Eph_5:26; Tit_3:5. Analogon in the Levitical domain the washings, Exo_29:4; Exo_30:19 ff; Exo_40:30 ff.; Lev_16:4. To find denoted in a merely figurative sense (to the exclusion of baptism), with Calvin [Owen] and others, in accordance with Eze_36:25 : the communication of the Holy Ghost; or, with Limborch, Ebrard, and others: the being cleansed from sins; or, with [Piscator and] Reuss: the blood of Christ (Il sagit ici, comme dans toute cette partie de lépître, du sang de Christ. Cest ce sang, qui nous lave mieux que leau des Lévites); or, with Schlichting: Christi spiritus et doctrina, seu spiritualis illa aqua, qua suos perfundit Christus, ipsius etiam sanguine non excluso, we are forbidden by the addition of τὸ σῶμα, which implies likewise the reminiscence of an outward act.

ΚΑΘΑΡῷ] that which is pure, and in consequence thereof also makes pure.

κατέχωμεν τὴν ὁμολογίαν τῆς ἐλπίδος ἀκλινῆ] let us hold fast the confession of hope as an unbending, unswerving one.

κατέχωμεν] inasmuch as the ὉΜΟΛΟΓΊΑ became at once, with baptism, the possession of believers.

ΤῊΝ ὉΜΟΛΟΓΊΑΝ] may here be taken actively (the confessing of the hope), but it may also be taken passively (the confession which has as its subject the Christians hope).

ἀκλινῆ] stronger than ΒΕΒΑΊΑΝ, Heb_3:6; Heb_3:14.

ΠΙΣΤῸς ΓᾺΡ Ὁ ἘΠΑΓΓΕΙΛΆΜΕΝΟς] for faithful (so that He keeps that which He promises; comp. 1Co_1:9; 1Co_10:13; 1Th_5:24) is He who has given the promises (namely, God). Ground of encouragement for the κατέχειν.

[102] A third mode of combining, followed by Hofmann (Schrifthbew. II. 2, 2 Aufl. p. 178 f.), according to which ἐῤῥαντισμένοι is separated by a full stop from that which precedes, and is conjoined with κατέχωμεν, willsince thereby the harmonic clause-formation of the whole delicately-arranged period, vv. 1923, is rudely shatteredhardly meet with approval on any side. The period so euphoniously commenced would be lacking in the appropriate conclusion, the supposed new clause in the appropriate beginning.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Heb 10:23 . A second branch of the exhortation is given in the words κατέχωμεν τὴν ὁμολογίαν … “Let us hold fast and unbending the confession of our hope,” as in Heb 3:6 . Cf. also Heb 6:11 . For as yet in this life the fulness of blessing which comes of fellowship with God is not experienced, the perfected salvation and the heavenly country (Heb 12:22-23 ) are yet to be reached. But these are the contents of the Christian hope, and this hope is confessed and maintained in presence of a commonplace, scoffing and alluring world. It is to be maintained for the best of all reasons: πιστὸς γὰρ ὁ ἐπαγγειλάμενος . The promises of God are necessarily the ground of hope, v . Heb 6:12 . These promises cannot fail, because God cannot lie, Heb 6:18 .

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

23. τὴν ὁμολογίαν τῆς ἐλπίδος. “The confession of our Hope.” Here we have the same trilogy of Christian graces as in St Paul—Faith (Heb 10:22), Hope (Heb 10:23), and Love (Heb 10:24).

ἀκλινῆ. “So that it do not bend.” It must be not only “secure” (Heb 3:6; Heb 3:14), but not even liable to be shaken.

πιστὸς γάρ. Heb 6:13, Heb 11:11, Heb 12:26. The writer felt the necessity of insisting upon this point, because the sufferings of the Hebrew converts, and the long delay (as it seemed to them) of Christ’s return, had shaken their constancy.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

With the grace of the holy Ghost.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

(Heb 3:6, Heb 3:14; Heb 4:14.)

profession--Greek, "confession."

our faith--rather as Greek, "our hope"; which is indeed faith exercised as to the future inheritance. Hope rests on faith, and at the same time quickens faith, and is the ground of our bold confession (Pe1 3:15). Hope is similarly (Heb 10:22) connected with purification (Jo1 3:3).

without wavering--without declension (Heb 3:14), "steadfast unto the end."

he--God is faithful to His promises (Heb 6:17-18; Heb 11:11; Heb 12:26, Heb 12:28; Co1 1:9; Co1 10:13; Th1 5:24; Th2 3:3; see also Christ's promise, Joh 12:26); but man is too often unfaithful to his duties.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 23. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith] The word ομολογια, from ομου, together, and λογος, a word, implies that general consent that was among Christians on all the important articles of their faith and practice; particularly their acknowledgment of the truth of the Gospel, and of Jesus Christ, as the only victim for sin, and the only Saviour from it. If the word washed above refer to Christian baptism in the case of adults, then the profession is that which the baptized then made of their faith in the Gospel; and of their determination to live and die in that faith.

The various readings on this clause are many in the MSS., c. Της ελπιδος την ὁμολογιαν, the confession of our HOPE D*, two of the Itala, Vulgate, Erpen's Arabic, and the AEthiopic. Ὁμολογιαν της πιστεως, the confession of FAITH; one of the Barberini MSS. and two others. This is the reading which our translators have followed; but it is of very little authority. Την επαγγελιαν της ελπιδος, the promise of HOPE; St. Chrysostom. Την ελπιδα της ὁμολογιας, the HOPE of our PROFESSION; one of Petavius's MSS. But among all these, the confession or profession of HOPE is undoubtedly the genuine reading. Now, among the primitive Christians, the hope which they professed was the resurrection of the body, and everlasting life; every thing among these Christians was done and believed in reference to a future state; and for the joy that this set before them, they, like their Master, endured every cross, and despised all shame: they expected to be with God, through Christ; this hope they professed to have; and they confessed boldly and publicly the faith on which this hope was built. The apostle exhorts them to hold fast this confession without wavering-never to doubt the declarations made to them by their Redeemer, but having the full assurance of faith that their hearts were sprinkled from an evil conscience, that they had found redemption in the blood of the lamb, they might expect to be glorified with their living Head in the kingdom of their Father.

He is faithful that promised] The eternal life, which is the object of your hope, is promised to you by him who cannot lie; as he then is faithful who has given you this promise, hold fast the profession of your hope.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

23. Let us hold fast, etc. As he exhorts here the Jews to persevere, he mentions hope rather than faith; for as hope is born of faith, so it is fed and sustained by it to the last. He requires also profession or confession, for it is not true faith except it shows itself before men. And he seems indirectly to touch the dissimulation of those who paid too much attention, in order to please their own nation, to the ceremonies of the Law. He therefore bids them not only to believe with the heart, but also to show and to profess how much they honored Christ.

But we ought carefully to notice the reason which he subjoins, for he is faithful that promised. For we hence first learn, that our faith rests on this foundation, that God is true, that is, true to his promise, which his word contains; for that we may believe, the voice or word of God must precede; but it is not every kind of word that is capable of producing faith; a promise alone is that on which faith recumbs. And so from this passage we may learn the mutual relation between the faith of men and the promise of God; for except God promises, no one can believe.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(23) In this verse again we have the characteristic words of earlier exhortations: “hold fast” (Heb_3:6; Heb_3:14); “profession,” or, rather, confession (Heb_3:1; Heb_4:14).

Of our faith.—This rendering, apparently found in no earlier English version, is supposed to be due to oversight on the part of our translators. The true reading is “of the hope” (Heb_6:11; Heb_6:18-19). The two following words must be joined with “confession,” “let us hold fast the confession of the (Christian) hope so that it waver not.” This hope “maketh not ashamed” (Rom_5:5), for the promise is sure.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together,.... Or the episynagogue of one another; which word is used to distinguish Christian assemblies from Jewish synagogues, and to denote the coalition of Jews and Gentiles in one church state, and to express the saints' gathering together to Christ; see Th2 2:1 and their act of meeting together in some one place to attend his worship, word, and ordinances. Now to "forsake" such assembling, signifies a great infrequency in attending with the saints, a rambling from place to place, and takes in an entire apostasy. It is the duty of saints to assemble together for public worship, on the account of God, who has appointed it, who approves of it, and whose glory is concerned in it; and on the account of the saints themselves, that they may be delighted, refreshed, comforted, instructed, edified, and perfected; and on account of others, that they may be convinced, converted, and brought to the knowledge and faith of Christ; and in imitation of the primitive saints. And an assembling together ought not to be forsaken; for it is a forsaking God, and their own mercies, and such are like to be forsaken of God; nor is it known what is lost hereby; and it is the first outward visible step to apostasy, and often issues in it.

As the manner of some is; or custom; and this prevailing custom among these Jews might arise from contempt of the Gentiles, or from fear of reproach and persecution: and in our day, this evil practice arises sometimes from a vain conceit of being in no need of ordinances, and from an over love of the world, and from a great declension in the exercise of grace; the consequence of it is very bad. The Jews (a) reckon among those that go down to hell, and perish, and have no part in the world to come, , "who separate from the ways of the congregation"; that is, who do not do the duties thereof, attend with it, and fast when that does, and the like:

but exhorting one another; to prayer, to attend public worship, to regard all the duties of religion, to adhere to Christ, and a profession of him, and to consider him, and walk on in him: or "comforting one another"; by meeting privately together, and conferring about experience, and the doctrines of grace; and by observing to one another the promises of God, relating to public worship; and by putting each other in mind of the bright day of the Lord, that is coming on:

and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching; either of death, or the last judgment, or rather of Jerusalem's destruction; which at the writing of this epistle was near at hand; and was an affair that greatly concerned these Hebrews; and by various symptoms might be observed by them, as approaching; and which was no inconsiderable argument to engage them to a diligent discharge of their duty; unless the day of darkness, infidelity, and blasphemy in the last days of the world, should be intended, after which will succeed the latter day glory.

(a) T. Bab. Roshhashanah, fol. 17. 1. Maimon. Hilch. Teshuba, c. 3. sect. 6, 11.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

Ver. 23. Without wavering] Gr. ακλινη, without tilting or tossing to one side or other. This amounts to more than that conjectural confidence of the Popish dubitanei, and that common faith that holds men in suspense, and hangs between heaven and earth as a meteor.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering - To secure this was one of the leading designs of this Epistle, and hence, the apostle adverts to it so frequently. It is evident that those whom he wrote were suffering persecution Heb. 12, and that there was great danger that they would apostatize. As these persecutions came probably from the Jews, and as the aim was to induce them to return to their former opinions, the object of the apostle is to show that there was in the Christian scheme every advantage of which the Jews could boast; everything pertaining to the dignity of the great Founder of the system, the character of the High Priest, and the nature and value of the sacrifices offered, and that all this was possessed far more abundantly in the permanent Christian system than in what was typical in its character, and which were designed soon to vanish away. In view of all this, therefore, the apostle adds that they should hold fast the profession of their faith without being shaken by their trials, or by the arguments of their enemies. We have the same inducement to hold fast the profession of our faith - for it is the same religion still; we have the same Saviour, and there is held out to us still the same prospect of heaven.

For he is faithful that promised - To induce them to hold fast their profession, the apostle adds this additional consideration. God, who had promised eternal life to them, was faithful to all that he had said. The argument here is:

(1)That since God is so faithful to us, we ought to be faithful to him;

(2)The fact that he is faithful is an encouragement to us.

We are dependent on him for grace to hold fast our profession. If he were to prove unfaithful, we should have no strength to do it. But this he never does; and we may be assured, that all that he has promised he will perform. To the service of such a God, therefore, we should adhere without wavering; compare the notes on 1Co 10:13.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Let us hold fast; this duty is inferred from the doctrine of the gospel High Priest, and the perfect work he wrought in taking away sin, and bringing in everlasting righteousness: let us herefore persevere in the faith and hope of him, really, actually, stedfastly, retaining it with all our might and power; whatsoever insinuations may be used to entice us, or violence by persecutions to force us, from it, retaining it still in mind, will, affection, and operation.

The profession of our faith; an outward exhibition to the world both in word and deed, as we have it sincerely in our hearts, solemnly owning it in the ordinances of God in his church, of the hope we have in Christ our High Priest, and of all that he hath purchased for us, and promised to perform in us and to us, Heb 3:1,6; 4:14; 6:11; Rom 10:9,10; 1Pe 1:3,21.

Without wavering; aklinh, without any declining from it, either to the right or left, from the first and due state of it; not warping or wavering from the revelation of God about it, when others weakly made a defection from it, Heb 6:6,9. And good reason for this unbiassed retention of it, while others declined.

For he is faithful that promised; for God, who covenanted with them what he will be to and do for them, is only primitively, eminently, and reciprocally faithful and unchangeable for his person and purpose; all is sure on God’s side, Num 23:19, and his power is irresistible. He hath promised to reward those who persevere and continue to the end true to the Redeemer, and to give them grace and assistance that they may so continue, so as they need not fear the power of their enemies, nor their own weakness, for he will enable them to perform the duty, endure the afflictions for it, and then to reach the blessing, 1Co 10:13; 1Th 5:23,24; 2Th 3:3.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

23. Let us hold fast—As we have a new and immeasurably superior access to the holiest, let us firmly maintain the confession, (rather, than, as in our translation, profession.) There must be no relapse to the old.

For— Encouraging assurance, if we are firm on our part there will be no failure on God’s part. It is God who has promised, and he will be faithful.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Vers. 23-25. Let us hold fast the confession (omologian , see Heb_3:1, and ref.; also Heb_4:14) of our hope without wavering (aklinh , agreeing with "confession"); for he is faithful that promised: and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works; not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. The readers, having been exhorted to confidence towards God, are further warned against remissness in confession before men, or in their duties within the Church towards each other. They had once, at their baptism, "confessed the good confession". (than , 1Ti_6:12) Let not the recurrence of Jewish prejudices, or either influence or persecution from their Jewish compatriots, or any delay of the Parousia, induce them to waver in maintaining it. Some among them did, it could not be denied, show signs of such wavering, notably in their remiss attendance at Christian worship; let the faithful give heed to keeping faith alive in themselves and others, and especially through the means of the regular Church assemblies. That by this meant definitely the actual assembling together of Christians for reading, exhortation, and worship, (such as is referred to in 1Co 11 Jam_2:2, etc., ; and described by Justin Martyr, "Apol., c. 87) we hold confidently with the majority of commentators and with Chrysostom. The word episunagwgh occurs in the New Testament only here and 2Th_2:1, where it denotes the gathering together at the Parousia. In RAPC 2Ma 2:7, where alone it occurs in the LXX, it expresses the actual assembling of people together, as does the verb episunagw , both in the LXX and the New Testament. (cf. Mat_23:37 Mat_24:31 Mar_13:27 1:33 Luk_12:1) Hence, and in regard to the context as well as the etymology of the word, we may reject the less definite meaning, by some here assigned to it, of Christian communion (conjugatio fidelium), and the explanation of Bengel: "Sensus est, non modo debetis synagogam frequentare, ut Judaei, quod libentius facitis, sed etiam episynagogam, ut Christiani. Neque tamen innuitur praecise aggregatio ad unum locum, aut aggregatio ad unam fidem ; sed, medio sensu, congregatio mutua per amorem et communicatio publica et privata officiorum Christianorum." The seen approach of the second advent (thran : cf. 1Co_3:13) is adduced as an additional argument against remissness. The word blepete seems to imply more than the general belief in its imminence, founded on the language of Christ. It would seem as if the signs of the times were interpreted as denoting its approach. (1Jn_2:18) And it may be that they were rightly so interpreted in reference to the primary fulfillment of our Savior"s words, though to that only, as the event proved. The blending together in the discourses of Mt 24 Mr 13 Lu 17 and Lu 21, of the times of the fall of Jerusalem and of the final day, would naturally lead Christians to regard the signs of the first event as denoting the other also. And indeed the imminence of the first, of which the signs were really apparent, was in itself a peculiar reason why the Hebrew Christians should stick resolutely to Christianity, for its own sake and apart from Judaism. Else might their whole hold on Christ be loosened in the temple"s fall Thus, though the writer might share in the mistaken view then prevalent of the imminence of the final day, his warning, founded on the supposed signs of it, hits well the peculiar needs of his readers.

Christian fidelity. "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith," etc.

I THE EXHORTATION TO CHRISTIAN FIDELITY. "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope, that it waver not.

1. The object of our hope. That in Christ we have at present forgiveness of our sins, the right of approach unto God, sanctifying influences, etc. That through Christ we shall attain unto the future and perfect rest the sabbath-keeping which remains for the people of God. Or in brief, that Jesus is the Christ of God, and that in him we have salvation in its beginnings here and now, and shall have it in perfection hereafter.

2. The compression of our hope.

(1) The confession made. The Christian baptism of these Hebrew Christians was a confession of their faith in Christ. When the hope is clear and assured, it "cannot remain dumb; it must speak, and give a reason of its own existence. It utters itself in a frank confession, which we are to hold fast." This confession is obligatory upon believers in Christ Jesus. (cf. Mat_10:32, 33 Luk_12:8, 9 Rom_10:9, 10 1Jn_4:15)

(2) The confession maintained. "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope, that it waver not." It is implied that there was a danger of their relinquishing it. They were in danger by reason of persecution; (cf. Joh_9:22) and by reason of the ritualistic and other attractions of Judaism, and the simplicity and spirituality of Christianity. And a clear, consistent, and steadfast confession of our Christian hope is imperiled today by not a few influences. There is danger from Satanic solicitation, from worldly suggestion and example, and from the inclinations and disinclinations of our lower nature. Visible and material interests would draw us away from the claims of the invisible and spiritual. Having so much to do with seen and temporal things, there is danger lest we relax the firmness of our grasp on the unseen and eternal verities. There is danger, too, of attempting to base our hope upon Christ and something else, rather than upon Christ and Christ alone. "Let us hold fast the confession," etc. Let there be no uncertainty, no timidity, no wavering, in our acknowledgment of Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.

(a) Our own true interests enforce the exhortation of the text.

(b) The great company of the glorified call upon us to "hold fast the confession of our hope," etc. (cf. Heb_6:11, Heb_6:12)

(c) God himself summons us to fidelity and perseverance. "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life." "Hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy crown.

II THE ENCOURAGEMENT TO CHRISTIAN FIDELITY. "For he is faithful that promised." Many are the promises which God has made to his people. Promises to the penitent, the tempted, the afflicted, the mourner, the weak, the perplexed, etc. Now, all these promises are perfectly reliable. Of this we have many guarantees; e.g. :

1. His infinite intelligence. "When he promises anything, he sees everything which may hinder, and everything which may promote the execution of it, so that he cannot discover anything afterwards that may move him to take up after-thoughts: he hath more wisdom than to promise anything which he knows he cannot accomplish.

2. His almighty power. He is able to perform all and everything that he has promised. "Trust ye in the Lord for ever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.

3. His perfect faithfulness. "It is impossible for God to lie". (Tit_1:2) "God is not a man, that he should lie," etc.. (Num_23:19 1Sa_15:29) With him can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning". (Jam_1:17) "How many soever be the promises of God, in Jesus Christ is the yea," etc. (2Co_1:20) The fidelity of God to his glorious promises should ensure our fidelity in the confession of our hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. W.J.

The Christian"s steadfast acknowledgment of his hope.

I THE EXISTENCE OF ACTUAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT IS ASSUMED. The writer is addressing those who are avowedly Christians. Jesus has already been acknowledged as Apostle and High Priest, (Heb_3:1) and already an exhortation has been given to hold fast the acknowledgment of him. In the first age of Christianity, the breaking away from Judaism or from Gentile idolatry could not, of course, be concealed. It never was meant to be paraded or obtruded; but, in the very nature of things, light rising in the midst of darkness must manifest itself. Saul"s conversion was soon known in Damascus. The Nicodemus-attitude, however excusable at first, cannot long be maintained. It must advance to acknowledgment or subside into spiritual indifference. Many there must have been who, like Timothy, had made a good confession before many witnesses; therein, as Paul hinted, following the example of Jesus before Pilate. (1Ti_6:12, 1Ti_6:13)

II THE SPECIAL FORM OF THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT HERE REFERRED TO. It is the acknowledgment of a hope. These Jewish Christians have made all their expectation of the future to depend on Christ. Hope is the natural and proper feeling of the human breast; men hope for that which it is within the limit of human ability to attain. And when Christ, by his death and resurrection, and by the gift of his Spirit, has enlarged that limit, then the hope is enlarged and elevated also. Christ meant that a spiritual and lofty hope should brighten the arduous lives of his servants; and evidently his first apostles had such a hope as they contemplated the possibilities of their own lives. In referring to the Christian hope here, the writer is but continuing the strain running through the previous part of the Epistle. (Heb_3:6 Heb_6:11, 18 7:19) If we do not get hope into our hearts from our connection with Christ, then that connection is a delusion.

III THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT WILL BE OF NO USE UNLESS IT IS HELD FAST. We must avow, without the slightest hesitation or vacillation, the confidence and expectation we have from our connection with Christ. And we can only make the avowal if the feeling is real, deep, and based on a proper understanding of what it is that Christ promises. Christ is not bound to justify all our hopes, but only such as the obedient and spiritually minded ought to entertain, Note the strong words which the writer uses in insisting on the need of holding fast this acknowledgment. This shows what temptation there would be to fall away from it.

IV THE GROUND GIVEN FOR HOLDING FAST. "He is faithful that promised." The word of one who has done such things as Jesus, and manifested such a character, is the very best ground we can have. The faithfulness of Jesus is known in all those points whereby, in the present world, it can be tested. When he speaks of the treasures of a future which we cannot yet test, our wisdom is to hold fast to him, and not listen to the confused utterances of men, or the too often rebellious promptings of our own hearts. Y.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The profession of our hope - The hope which we professed at our baptism.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

The second duty which the apostle exhorts the Hebrews here unto, is perseverance in the Christian faith and hope, in order to the actual enjoyment of the great reward.

Where observe, 1. The duty itself to hold fast the profession of our faith: not blindly, without due examination; but, having examined the grounds and foundations of our faith, to maintain the profession of it against all tempations and terrors of the world, occasioned by sufferings and persecutions, and against all the cunning arts and insinuations of busy and disputing men, whose design it is to unhinge us from our religion, and make us proselytes to their party and faction: Thus let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering.

Observe, 2. The reason enforcing this duty, because he is faithful that has promised. Mark the gradation: We have a promise, even a promise of eternal glory, as the reward of our perseverance. This promise is God’s promise, not man’s, and the promise of a faithful God, who neither can nor will change his mind; he can as soon change his being as change his word and promise; He is faithful, &c.

William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

23. Let us hold fast. The thought is, cling to the faith professed and the hope in the soul without wavering.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

Let us also hold tightly to the confession of our hope

Here "hold tightly" is a metaphor that refers to a person determining to do something and refusing to stop. The abstract nouns "confession" and "expectation" can be translated as verbs. AT: "Let us be determined to continue confessing the things that we confidently expect from God" (See: Metaphor and Abstract Nouns)

without wavering

Being uncertain about something is spoken of as if he were wavering or leaning from side to side. AT: "without being unsure" or "without doubting" (See: Metaphor)

Let us not stop meeting together

You can make explicit that the people met to worship. AT: "Let us not stop coming together to worship" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

as you see the day coming closer

A future time is spoken of as if it were an object coming closer to the speaker. Here "the day" refers to when Jesus will return. AT: "as you know that Christ will return soon" (See: Metaphor and Metonymy)

translationWords

confess

confidence

God

promise

faithful

love

works

assembly

courage

day of the Lord

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

23.] (First we must treat of the punctuation and connexion. I have stated above the ground for attaching καὶ λελουμένοι κ.τ.λ. to the foregoing, with Syr., Primas., Faber Stap., Luther, E. V., Estius, Seb. Schmidt, Cramer, Michaelis (paraphr.), Wolf, Baumgarten, Storr, Kuin., De Wette, Bleek, Delitzsch,—not to κατέχωμεν with Erasm., Beza, Erasm. Schmid, Bengel, Peirce (and Michaelis as Peirce), Griesb., Knapp, Heinrichs, Schulz, Böhme, Lachmann, Tholuck, Tischdf. (edn. 2), Ebrard, Lünemann. Besides, 1. the ground there alleged, it may be further urged, 2. that the λελουμένοι has no imaginable connexion with κατέχωμεν κ.τ.λ., whereas it continues to describe the condition in which we are to approach God: and, 3. that by joining this participial clause with what follows, the rhythm of the sentence (agst. Lünem.) is entirely broken up. Then, thus much being determined, our next question is, what stop to set after καθαρῷ. Bleek prefers a period, Delitzsch a comma only. I believe a colon, as after ἐπαγγειλάμενος, would best give the form of the sentence, in which the three verbs, προσερχώμεθα … κατέχωμεν … καὶ κατανοῶμεν, are correlative) let us hold fast (= κρατῶμεν, ch. 4:14: let us hold with full and conscious possession: see ch. 3:6, 14) the confession (see on ch. 4:14: subjective, but in a pregnant sense,—that which we confess, held in our confession of it) of our hope (see ch. 3:6: and bear in mind that ἐλπίς is used also for the object of hope subjectivized: our hope (subj.), as including that on which it is fixed) so that it may be without wavering (“Valcknaer compares ἔχειν ἀκλινῆ τὸν λογισμόν, 4 Macc. 6:7” Del. The adjective predicates that which the confession becomes by being held fast: = βεβαίαν, ch. 3:14. The word itself is late Greek, found in Ælian, V. H. xii. 64: Lucian, Encom. Demosth. 33: Philo, al): for He is faithful that promised (viz. God, see reff.: and ch. 6:13; 11:11; 12:26, as referring to Him the title ὁ ἐπαγγειλάμενος. Thl. interprets it, ὁ χριστὸς ὁ εἰπών, ὅτι Ὅπου εἰμὶ ἐγώ, καὶ ὁ διάκονος ὁ ἐμὸς ἔσται, and similarly Œc., al., but not so accurately):

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Profession of our faith [την ομολογιαν της ελπιδος] . Rend. "confession of our hope." Faith does not appear among Ms. readings. It is an innovation of the translators. Hope is the rendering of Tyndale, Coverdale, the Great Bible, the Geneva, the Bishops ', and Rheims. On confession see on 2Co 9:13, and comp. notes on 1Ti 6:12,

Heb 10:13The phrase confession of hope N. T. o. They are steadfastly to confess their hope in God 's promise and salvation. Comp. ch. Heb 3:6; Heb 6:11, 18; Heb 7:19. Hope is here = the object of hope.

Without wavering [ακλινη] . N. T. o.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

23. κατέχωμεν τὴν dpor.] Let us hold fast the confession of our hope that tt waver not. Compare c. iv. 14 κρατῶμεν τῆς ὁμολογίας.

For κατέχειν see 6. fii, 6, 14.

Tho word was used specially of tho ἐκ τούτου [the Lord’s questions to St Peter] τρεῖς ὁμολογίας ἀπαιτεῖσθαι τοὺς μέλλοντας βαπτισθῆναι (Ammon. Οαί. in Joh. xxi.) ὡμολογήσαμεν ὅτε τὰς συνθήκας τῆς πίστεως ἐποιούμεθα εἷς ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν πιστεύειν καὶ εἷς ζωὴν αἰώνιον (Theophict.). The illustrations given by Suicer (Thes. 2. v. ἀποτάσσομαι) are worthy of study.

The phraso ‘confession of hope’ is remarkable. The Apostle substitutes for the more general word ‘faith,’ that word which gives distinctness to special objects of faith to bo realised in the fature. Hope gives a definite shape to the absolute confidence of Faith. Faith reposes completely in the love of God: Hope vividly anticipates that God will fulfill His promises in a particular way.

The conception of Hope naturally occupies a prominent place in an Rpistlo directed to meet despondency.

iii. 6 οὗ οἶκός ἐσμεν ἡμεῖς ἐὰν τὴν

For the form of the sentence see ©. Vv. 14; Vii. 24.

πιστὸς yap ὁ ἐπαγγ.} Tho fidelity of God is not only tho sure ground of our confidence but (as men speak) it challenges our fidelity. Oompare 1 Oor. i. 9; x. 13; 1 Thess. v. 24.

Sicut enim fidelis et verus remunerator est Christus in promissionibus suis, ita fidelos nos case vult in pronissis nostris que vovimus tempore baptismatis, diabulo vidolicet contradicere Christoque | aervire (Primas ).

Brooke Foss Westcott (1825–1901), The Epistle to the Hebrews (1889) and The Epistles of St John (1883) — public domain (pre-1929). Text recovered from Internet Archive / Google Books OCR scans. Westcott’s Gospel of John commentary is not included (its OCR lost the chapter running-heads required for reliable verse-keying). Some Greek quoted in the Hebrews volume is imperfectly rendered by the OCR.