Hebrews 3:1

Several uses the Holy Ghost makes, from the beginning of this chapter to the end of chapter four, {Heb 3:1-4:16} of the gospel doctrine of God the Son incarnate, set by the Father in office, to deal for sinners towards God as their great Prophet. The counsel he giveth is comprehended in; {Heb 3:1-6} and as directing these Hebrews to their duty, so further explaining and confirming his office to them, by comparing of him with Moses, and setting him as above angels, so above him; and to be so valued, esteemed, and preferred by these Hebrews: seeing this great gospel Prophet was for a little while made lower than the angels in his humanity, and it was infinitely beneficial to us upon the account of what he suffered in it in our stead, and purchased by it for our good; therefore should those who are partakers of it, being related in the flesh to him as Hebrews, descending with them from Abraham, consider, but much more as Christians, believing and adopted in him to be God’s children, and sanctified by his Spirit, 1Pe 1:1-5; 2Pe 1:1.

Partakers of the heavenly calling; and made thus a Christian fraternity by the heavenly calling of them out of the world by the gospel; when by his Spirit he enlightened their minds, and renewed their wills, and made them obedient to it, so as for the temper of their souls they are made holy, and for their condition happy; the work of God’s power and mercy eminently appearing in it: God therein preventing man, so as he influenceth him to hear him from heaven, walk worthy of heaven, and at last to rest in heaven for ever.

Consider; katanohsate imports not a bare single act of the mind, to think on, or understand, but a repeated one, to think again and again, expressed by that periphrasis of laying it to heart, pressing on their spirits the due effort of faith and obedience arising out of this observation, Isa 52:15.

The Apostle; God’s Messenger, his own Son sent from heaven to be incarnate, with authority to execute in his human nature his prophetical, as all his offices, and with authority to send forth his apostles to do their part, Joh 20:21; which is no more than is intimated in that title, the Messenger of the covenant, Isa 42:19; Mal 3:1; that was, to propose it to and confirm it with them. This was he by whom Moses desired God’s message might be sent to them, Exo 4:13; and whom he foretold should bring it, Deu 18:15; Act 3:22,23.

And High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus: the Son is the great gospel High Priest, to deal in all matters with God for them, Heb 2:17. The offices divided among other persons in the Old Testament church were all united in his person, he doth transcend them all, being a High Priest peculiar to the called and sanctified ones of God, of which all preceding were faint resemblances and types; he, the most excellent Minister of the Christian faith and religion professed by them, being anointed unto all these offices in the flesh by the Father with the Holy Ghost, Heb 1:2; and being Jesus a Saviour, our Emmanuel, God on our side, saving his people from their sins, and re-uniting them to God, Mat 1:21,23; Joh 17:21-23.

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

Heb_3:1

Wherefore, holy brethren

The heavenly calling

Wherefore connects generally with chaps, 1.

, if., where Christ is Apostle (Heb_1:1-3) and High Priest Heb_2:9, &c.), though immediately with faithful (Heb_2:17) and the closing words of chap. if. The author had in view this comparison with Moses, and prepared the way for it by using faithful in Heb_2:17. The author had called believers sanctified and sons Heb_2:11-13); recalling this, and realising what it implied, he addresses the Hebrews as holy brethren. Further, he had set before them what the great salvation was to which they were destined (Heb_2:3), and to which the Captain of their salvation had attained, even lordship over all things in the world to come (Heb_2:5, &c.); and as called to this heavenly world and already tasting its powers (Heb_6:5; Heb_2:4), he addresses them as partakers of a heavenly calling; that is, sharing in a call to the possession of the heavenly world to come. In the word heavenly there is struck for the first time, in words at least, an antithesis of great importance in the Epistle, that of this world and heaven; in other words, that of the merely material and transient and the ideal and abiding. The things of this world are material, unreal, transient; those of heaven are ideal, true, and eternal. Heaven is the world of realities, of things themselves (Heb_9:23), of which the things here are but copies. There is the true Tabernacle (Heb_8:2); the city that bath the foundations (Heb_11:10); the heavenly Jerusalem and Mount Zion Heb_12:22); the kingdom that cannot be shaken (Heb_12:27-28); the true country which the patriarchs sought (Heb_11:16)--all the eternal real things of which the things of this world are but shadows (Heb_10:1); and to these things we are called and are come, for this heavenly world projects itself into this present life like headlands of a new world into the ocean. This world of realities has been revealed, for Christ, who belongs to it, has come from it, and has opened up the way to it by entering it through death as our Forerunner Heb_6:20) and High Priest (Heb_10:19). This real world is the abode of God, where He is as He is in Himself. It is that which He has destined to be put in subjection to man as his final possession Heb_2:5-8). Being true and consisting of things themselves, it cannot be shaken, but remains after the great convulsions under which things that are made pass away (Heb_12:27). Then it may be called earth or heaven, for earth and heaven coincide. (A. B. Davidson, LL. D.)

The causes of mens being holy, and of calling them so

This excellent prerogative of being holy cannot arise from mens selves. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one (Job_14:4). But every good and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights (Jam_1:17). This Father of lights communicateth holiness to men two ways.

1. By imputing unto them the righteousness of His Son. Thus we are said to be made the righteousness of God in Christ (2Co_5:21), and Christ is said to be made of God righteousness unto us (1Co_1:30).

2. By conveying His Spirit into us, who altereth our nature and disposition, and enableth us to perform the works of righteousness. In this respect He is not only called the Holy Ghost, but also the Spirit of holiness Rom_1:4); and sanctification is said to be of the Spirit (2Th_2:13), because it is wrought in us by the Spirit of God. Thus this excellent title Holy gives no matter of boasting unto man (2Co_4:7); but it giveth great cause of glorying in God. The apostle here giveth these Hebrews this title not so much in regard of their parentage, because the root from whence they sprouted was holy Rom_11:16); for the partition wall betwixt Jew and Gentile was now broken down, and all that were of the faith of Abraham were counted to be of Abrahams seed (Gal_3:7).

The apostle therefore here gives them this title

1. In regard to their profession, whereby they were distinguished from profane persons.

2. In regard of his opinion of them; for he judged them to be true members of the holy Church (1Co_6:11). Thus he usually styleth all to whom he wrote saints; that is, holy ones. How did the apostle know that they were holy? By their holy profession; for the ground of judging others is not certainty of knowledge, but the rule of love (1Co_13:7). (W. Gouge.)

Directions to be holy

That we may be such holy brethren as are here set down

1. Be well informed in the nature of holiness. If the mark be mistaken, the more diligence we use, the further we shall be off from it. The faster a traveller goes in a wrong way, the farther he may be from the place to which he desires to go. The Jews, being ignorant of Gods righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, were farthest off from true holiness.

2. Cleanse yourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. Thus may you perfect holiness in the fear of God (2Co_7:1). It is a course which all of all sorts observe for perfecting a thing, namely, first to remove the impediments; thus physicians purge out peccant humours, chirurgians draw out festering matter, husbandmen stock up broom, briars, thorns, and all noisome weeds.

3. Have special care of your company. Avoid the society of unholy ones Psa_16:3). That this means is very powerful is evident (Pro_13:20; Pro_22:24-25).

4. Be constant in using such means as God hath sanctified for attaining holiness; for God will be found in His own way. The means are

(1) Public;

(2) private;

(3) secret. Public means are the Word and Sacraments.

5. Be instant and constant in prayer, and that for the Holy Spirit which is promised to those that ask Him (Luk_11:13). This Spirit it is which makes us holy.

6. Be patient under crosses; for God cloth chasten His, that they might be partakers of His holiness (Heb_12:10). (W. Gouge.)

Partakers of the heavenly calling

The heavenly trilling

The calling of saints is here commended unto us by this attribute heavenly. It is here in this place attributed to saints calling

1. To distinguish it from earthly callings.

2. To show the excellency thereof; for excellent things are called heavenly; great, deep, excellent mysteries are called heavenly (Joh_3:12).

3. To declare the end of this calling, which is to bring us to a heavenly kingdom (1Th_2:12), namely, an inheritance incorruptible, reserved in heaven (1Pe_1:4). This particular excellency here mentioned by the apostle is of force to raise up our hearts unto heaven, seeking the things that are above. It doth also instruct us how to walk worthy of this calling, namely, by an inward heavenly disposition and an outward heavenly conversation. (W. Gouge.)

The superiority of Christianity

I. THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE JEWISH AND CHRISTIAN DISPENSATIONS IN RESPECT TO THEIR NATURE.

1. This distinction of nature is set forth in the word by which the apostle designates the Christians vocation. He terms it the heavenly calling.

(1) The word rendered here calling must not be confounded with the gospels general invitation to salvation, but refers to that to which believers are entitled through Christ Jesus.

(2) It is termed heavenly, not in respect to its source, for Judaism and Christianity have a common origin. Both are of God, in respect to the nature of the blessings proffered and the sphere where the blessings are to be enjoyed.

(3) The intimate and exalted fellowship of those united under the banner of this heavenly calling is here noticeable: Holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling.

(a) Brethren by kinship closer and more enduring than that formed by natural bonds.

(b) Holy, in the sense of being set apart by God the Father, through Christ His Son by the Holy Spirit, to one heavenly and sacred aim--the service of God alone.

(c) Partakers; literally, holding things in common. Sharers together of the privileges of the heavenly calling.

(4) Noticeable also are the terms applied to the Lord in connection with the heavenly calling, and the earnest exhortation of the apostle to due consideration of Christ in these offices. Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.

(a) The word rendered consider means to observe well, to consider attentively, to ponder thoughtfully.

(b) The word apostle (literally, one sent), as applied to our Lord here, is peculiar, this being the only place where this special term is applied to Him. We may regard the word apostle as used to avoid ambiguity, and also at the same time to set forth our Lord as having been sent of God, and therefore divinely authorised, as was Moses.

(c) The expression the High Priest of our profession, suggestively represents the Divine authority, and also the redemptive feature so prominent in the Christian system.

II. THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN CHRIST AND MOSES IN THE RELATION THEY SUSTAINED TO THEIR RESPECTIVE DISPENSATIONS.

I. Christ is here represented as being the owner of the house He served, Moses being only servant of the house he served.

(1) Notice the significance of the term house. Its meaning, as applied to Christs house, is given in Heb_3:6.

(2) The sense in which Christ is, and Moses was not, owner of the house each respectively served thus becomes obvious. The apostle, however, even here, holds still prominently before us that it was in His capacity as Son He also redeemed.

2. This ownership in the household of faith sustains the apostle in his next position--that Christ has a higher claim to homage and honour than Moses.

3. The prominent and practical characteristic here mentioned should not be lost sight of in connection with Christs superiority to Moses, namely, His faithfulness.

III. PRACTICAL AND SOLEMN INFERENCES FROM THE PRECEDING POSITIONS.

1. An earnest lesson from the history of the past (Heb_3:7-12).

2. Practical counsel as to what they should do (Heb_3:13).

3. The only reliable evidence of our union with Christ (Heb_3:14).

4. The essential importance of every-day religion (Heb_3:15-18).

(1) To prevent hardness of heart. Heedlessness is the beginning and the sure evidence of hardness (Heb_3:15).

(2) To avoid that grieving of the Holy Spirit which is inevitably followed by Divine judgment (Heb_3:16-17).

5. The fearful cause of all defection from God and of all sin against God--unbelief (Heb_3:19).

(1) It was the cause of the first sin of our first parents in Eden.

(2) It was the cause of the first murder on record.

(3) It was the prolific cause of all those terrible effects which culminated in the destruction of all religious life in the antediluvians, with the exception of one man, and led to the destruction of the whole race of mankind save Noah and his family. Oh, what a hydra-headed, destructive monster is unbelief! (D. C. Hughes, M. A.)

Consider the High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus

Christ to be appreciated

A young lady, a novice in art, said to her father, who was an accomplished man of taste, Father, I cannot enjoy the works of the old masters. Then, said he look at them till you can. Even so, if one were to say, I cannot appreciate the Cross, our earnest reply would be, Study it till you can. (C. Clemance, D. D.)

Christ should be contemplated

It is recorded of a celebrated philosopher that, pursuing his investigations on the subject of light, he ventured on a bold experiment. Without the protection of smoked glass, he turned his naked eye on the sun, and kept it fixed there for awhile. When he removed it, such was the impression made upon his eyes, that whichever way he looked, upwards, downwards, right or left, he saw nothing but the sun. The last thing he saw at night, the first thing he saw in the morning, was the sun. What a blessed thing it would be for us if we had some such view of Christ, if the glory and love of Him who died, and was buried, and rose again for us, Jesus Christ our Lord, was thus impressed upon our souls! (A. C. Price, B. A.)

Consider Jesus

Hazlitt once copied a painting of Titians, and showed it one evening to his friends, Charles and Mary Cowden Clarke. It was fine, but as he held the light to it, and thus unconsciously showed his own intellectual head, square potential forehead, and eyes full of earnest fire, they felt that he was really the picture to gaze at. In like manner, Jesus lifts the light of truth to the picture of duty, but He also grandly embodied it in His daily life. (T. R. Stevenson.)

Consider Jesus and banish frivolity

The wise picture-dealer at Oxford was right, who, handing to an undergraduate the fine engraving of an ancient master, said, Hang this on your wails, sir, and it will soon banish all the pictures of jockeys and ballet-girls. (F. W. Farrar, D. D.)

Priesthood of Christ

About a hundred years ago a Welsh boy heard a sermon upon the priesthood of Jesus Christ. It was a new idea to the boy, filling him with astonishment and delight. The doctrine was so excellent and sweet to him, that without delay he opened his heart to it. To this day all the Welsh revere his memory, for that boy became the Rev. Thomas Charles of Bala, the apostle of his native land, the founder of day and Sabbath schools and of the Bible Society. And such a faith in Christ will give you, too, a true and fruitful life. (J. Wells, M. A.)

The advantages derived from considering Jesus

I. The solemn consideration of Jesus Christ may well RECONCILE YOU TO ANY DIFFICULT OR TRYING CIRCUMSTANCES in which you may be placed. Compared to His what are all the duties which we have to perform, or any sufferings which we have to endure? How few have to resist unto blood, striving against sin. Every repining thought must be subdued.

II. Consider the Apostle and High Priest of your profession, and you will see in Him A MODEL FOR YOUR CONDUCT, and will learn how to act in circumstances of difficulty or distress. Amid injustice and ill-treatment, which so easily discompose the mind and render ones duty so peculiarly difficult, Jesus has taught us how wisdom, integrity, and goodness would act. Now the principles which formed the character and governed the whole conduct of Jesus are evidently these two--faith in God and love to mankind. Clearly discovering in His character and conduct the wonderful efficacy of these principles, we must fix them in our souls if we wish to fulfil the more difficult duties of life or rest in composure and peace of mind amid its various ills.

III. To consider Jesus will ANIMATE AND ENCOURAGE YOU AMID THE DIFFICULTIES AND ILLS OF LIFE. He foresaw all the extent of His sufferings, and in all things made like unto His brethren, He felt all the depression natural to the human mind in such disheartening prospects; but declining any exertion of supernatural powers, He resigns Himself to the violence of wicked men, with no other defence but that Divine grace and those heavenly principles which the humblest of His followers may through His mediation attain. And can His admirable conduct be exhibited to us in vain? Can it be contemplated without exciting our efforts and prompting our imitation? (R. Boog, D. D.)

The Christian and his Redeemer

I. A DESCRIPTION OF TRUE CHRISTIANS.

1. A common character: Holy.

2. A common relationship: Brethren.

3. A common privilege: Partakers, &c. A call from heaven and to heaven.

II. A DESCRIPTION OF THE GREAT REDEEMER.

1. The Apostle of our profession. Sent from God to us.

2. The High Priest of our profession. By Him we draw near to God, even as by Him God draws near to us.

3. The Christ Jesus--the anointed Deliverer.

III. THE OBLIGATIONS OF TRUE CHRISTIANS TO THE GREAT REDEEMER, it Consider. Mens characters are formed by their thinkings. Meditation is the most constant and influential operation of our nature. (U. R. Tibetans.)

The Advent call

Consider, then, it is here directed, the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus. Seeing what He is, according to the statements of the two previous chapters; how great, how Divine, how human, how merciful, and how faithful; how sufficient in His atonement for sin, how experienced in His sympathy with the tempted; consider Him, fix your thoughts upon Him. Now in what aspects are we here charged to consider Christ?

1. As the Apostle of our profession; that is, of our confession, or common faith. An apostle means an emissary, or ambassador, or representative--one who comes to us with a message or commission, in this case from God Himself. We ought to be transacting business with Him, if I might so express it, every day; dealing with Him as to the concerns of our life, inward and outward, and conscious that, in so doing, we are dealing also with God Himself.

2. Again, the High Priest of our confession. You know how large a part of this Epistle is occupied with the subject thus introduced: the priesthood of Jesus Christ as satisfying all those wants which any other priesthood could only indicate and impress. Hark the glad sound! the Saviour comes--why is it a glad sound? It is not because we wanted an Apostle, and because we wanted a High Priest? Put Christ out of sight altogether for a moment, and then see how dark life is, the present and the future. See what it is to be conscious of sin, and then suppose that there were no Christ, no Saviour, no Propitiation, and no Intercessor! Yes, we know that we shall all want Him; as our Apostle, as Gods representative, that is; as our all-wise Teacher, our Revealer of God as He is, as the Person in whom as well as by whom God deals with our souls, and bids us also to deal with Him; want Him also as our High Priest, our Sacrifice and Propitiation for sin, our merciful Intercessor, our faithful Advocate with God. (Dean Vaughan.)

Christians invited to consider Christ

I. THE CHARACTERS ADDRESSED: Holy brethren.

1. All real Christians are

(1) Partakers of the same spiritual nature.

(2) Members of the same family.

(3) Interested in each others welfare.

2. Christians are holy

(1) By the dedication which they have made of themselves to God.

(2) By the purification of their minds,

3. They are partakers of a calling

(1) Heavenly in its origin.

(2) Heavenly in its end.

II. THE ADVICE GIVEN.

1. Christ was a Divine Messenger. He is a Divine Person. He was divinely Joh_4:34; Joh_5:23; Joh_7:16).

2. Christ was a voluntary messenger. He came willingly (Heb_10:5-9). The undertaking was arduous, but He gave Himself for us.

3. Christ was a merciful messenger. He came not to destroy, but to save; and it was all free, unparalleled mercy.

4. He is the High Priest of our profession.

(1) He made an atonement for sin (Heb_9:28).

(2) The Jewish high priest blessed the people (Num_6:23-27).

(3) The Jewish high priest interceded for the people; and Christ ever liveth to make intercession for us.

5. The advice given is, Consider the apostle, &c. Consideration is the exercise of thought, not a hasty glance at an object, but a deliberate exercise of the mind. Hence we should consider Christ.

(1) That we know Him. The knowledge of Christ is the most beneficial we can possess; but no man can know Christ who will not consider Him.

(2) That we may be grateful to Him. Our obligations to Christ should bind us to be grateful to Him; but these obligations can be known only by consideration.

(3) That we may keep His commandments. No man can keep

Christs commandments who neglects the advice in the text.

(4) That we may emulate His example. (Sketches of Sermons.)

The consideration of the apostle-ship and priesthood of Christ inculcated

I. THE CHARACTERS HERE PECULIARLY ADDRESSED.

1. Holy brethren. Every one must possess holiness, not indeed in perfection: but, as it were, the Christians element, where he breathes with freedom and with peace. Sin is the Christians aversion, and therefore he looks forward with joy to that period when he shall put off this body of sin, and be in possession of a holy and blessed state in heaven.

2. The characters here addressed are described as Partakers of the heavenly calling. Here we speak of the manner in which such are brought to this brotherly love.

II. THE HIGH CHARACTER GIVEN IN THE TEXT OF CHRIST JESUS

1. Apostle. The Redeemer of mankind, though one with the Father and the Holy Spirit, is declared to have come out from God in the capacity of a servant. In His commission to His disciples after the Resurrection, He acknowledged His own apostleship. He says, As My Father hath sent Me, so send I you.

2. High Priest. The high priest was to offer up the evening sacrifice and prayer. Christ Jesus appears offering Himself a perfect sacrifice for sin.

III. THE DUTY RECOMMENDED. Consider. As if he had said, do not turn away from Him, as though you had no interest in this great subject; but let your attention be drawn off from everything else, that your soul may be found resting here. (F. H. Fell, M. A.)

The Apostle and High Priest of our profession

I. THE AGENTS. Who are exhorted to consider Christ? The holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling. Holy brethren. The terms define sufficiently the class of persons to whom this exhortation is directly addressed. It is a word, not for those who are without, but for those who are within. The two terms are interesting separately, and in their union. If they do not certify what all the worshippers are, they certainly declare what each ought to be. You may detect here the twofold division of duty, which from its fountain in the decalogue flows down, and penetrates all the moral teaching of the Scriptures. Christians get both the first and the second commandments printed on their life. They love the Lord with all their heart, and their neighbour as themselves. They are holy to God, and brethren to men. Further, they are partakers of the heavenly calling. It comes from above, and invites them thither.

II. THE OBJECT. Whom should the holy brethren regard? The Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus. Our profession is the religious system which we adopt -the confession which we make and maintain. It indicates profession to God, and confession one with another. We hold the truth, and we hold it together. We hold to God by faith, and to our brethren in love. It is not the truth in type and shadow, but the truth Himself unveiled--God manifest in the flesh. Our profession, finally, is not self-righteousness, but faith. It is not what I am able to do, but what God is willing to give. Our plea is, not that our sins are small, but that our Saviour is great. By grace are ye saved through faith. Of this profession, the Apostle and High Priest is Christ Jesus. Either office is important in itself; and the union of both in the person of the Lord Jesus has a distinct and peculiar importance of its own. An apostle is one sent out. Missionary, with which we have become so familiar in our days, is the same word in another language. An inexpressible dignity is connected with the mission of this Apostle. The sender, the sent, and the errand, are all great. All our missions are copies of this great original. He is High Priest too. It is His office to go into the holiest with atoning blood, and there plead for the rebellious. With His own blood our High Priest has entered into the heavens, where He ever liveth to make intercession for us. In His own personal ministry He was first Apostle and then High Priest. In the order of time His mission as Gods representative sent out to us was first accomplished, and thereafter His mission as our representative sent in to God. Throughout His personal ministry in the body He acted as Apostle; at His death and resurrection and ascension He became High Priest. When Jesus as our High Priest passed into the heavens, His personal ministry as our Apostle ceased; but He has not left Himself without a witness. He has left that work to His servants. He prescribed their task, and promised them Mat_28:20). Not only every preacher, but every believer of the Word, is an apostle, charged and qualified to make it known. When He ascended He left on earth a multitudinous ministry. Nor is Divine commission wanting to the meanest: Let him that heareth say, Come. In a similar manner the intercession of the High Priest in heaven is reduplicated on the earth. Brethren, n, pray for us, expresses the true instinct of the new creature in a time of need. All who preach in any form to men also pray for them; and, besides these, a great number of the Lords little ones, who lack courage or skill to spake a word for Christ, speak in secret to Him, for their neighbours and for the world. In view of both these offices He said to His disciples, It is expedient for you that I go away. His ascension into heaven spreads both the apostleship and the priesthood over the world. In contact with the earths surface the sun would be only a consuming fire; from the height of heaven it sheds down light and heat on every land. So Christ, after the days of His humiliation were done, was a Light inaccessible and full of glory.

III. THE ACT. How the holy brethren should regard Christ: Consider Him. Consider Him the Apostle. Well we may. When the heavens must open, and a messenger come forth bearing the mind of God to men, we have cause to rejoice that the mission is intrusted to a partaker of our nature. It was necessary that we should meet God; to make the meeting possible, God became man and dwelt among us. Consider Him who has brought out the message, for He is gentle and easy to be entreated. Consider Him the High Priest. He is before the throne, charging Himself with all the interests of His people. He has power with God, and pity for man. (W. Amos.)

Consider Christ

I. We have here ONE GREAT COMPREHENSIVE COMMAND. The word consider implies in the original an earnest, fixed, prolonged attention of mind.

1. The first remark that I would make is that a Christian mans thoughts should be occupied with his Saviour. How do you Christian people expect to get any blessing from Jesus Christ? Does He not work by His truth? And can that truth which sanctifies and saves produce effects if it is not appropriated by the meditative occupation of our minds with it? What is all the gospel to you unless it is consciously present to your understanding, and through your understanding is ruling your affections, and moulding your will, and shaping the outgoings of your life?

2. Then, that being premised, note how much practical direction as to the manner of that occupation of mind and spirit with Christ lies in that single emphatic word consider.

(1) There is surely implied, to begin with, that such occupation must be the result of conscious effort. Why, you cannot even make money until, as you say, you give your minds to business. A man sitting at a desk cannot even add up a column of figures correctly if he is thinking about a hundred other things. And do you think that the Divine glories of Christ are to flow into a mans soul on condition of less concentration and attention?

(2) But, still further, our gaze on Him must be the look of eager interest; it must be intense as well as fixed. I do not wonder at so many people thinking that there is nothing to interest them in the gospel. There is nothing--and that because they do not come to it with awakened eagerness, and so because they have no hunger it is tasteless. If we would hear Christ, we must keep our ear attent unto His voice. To superficial investigation no treasures are disclosed, we must dig deep if we would find the vein where the gold lies. Still further, another requisite of this occupation of mind with Christ and His work may be suggested as included in the word.

(3) Our consideration must be resolute, eager, and, also, steady or continuous. A hurried glance is as profitless as a careless one. You do not see much on first going into a dark room out of the light; nor do you see much on first going into the light out of the dark. It was Newton, I think, who, when asked as to his method of working in attacking complicated problems, had only the simple answer to give, I keep it before me. Yes, that is the way to master any subject of thought. The steady gaze will, by slow degrees, see order where the random glance saw only chaos. And we shall never see the glory of that light which dwells between the Cherubim if our visits to the shrine arc brief and interrupted, and the bulk of our time is spent outside the tabernacle amidst the glaring sand and the blazing sunshine. Let us fix our eyes on Him, our Lord. Surely there is enough there to draw and satisfy the most prolonged eager gaze. He is our Example, our Redeemer, our Prophet. In Him we see all of God that man can apprehend, and all of man. In Him we behold our wisdom, our strength, our righteousness.

II. THE GREAT ASPECTS OF CHRISTS WORK WHICH SHOULD FIX OUR GAZE. We have Himself proposed as the object of our thoughts.

1. He is the Apostle of our profession. No declaration was more common on our Lords lips when on earth than that He was sent of God. He is the sent of God. And our loving thoughts are to lay hold upon this aspect of His nature avid work, not to tarry in the simple manhood, fair and blessed as that is, but to discern in Him the complete expression of the Divine Will, the complete fulfilment of the slow marching revelations of God, the perfect, final, eternal word spoken of God among men.

2. Then we are to think of Him as our High Priest. As Apostle, it has been well said, He pleads Gods cause with us: as High Priest He pleads our cause with God. The Apostolate and the Priesthood of Christ are both included in the one word--Mediator.

III. THE GREAT REASONS FOR THIS OCCUPATION OF MIND AND HEART WITH CHRIST, OUR MEDITATOR. These are to be found in the remaining portion of this verse.

1. Our relation to Christ and the benefit we derive from it should impel us to loving meditation on Him. Holy brethren.

2. The calling of which we are partakers should impel us to loving meditation. God in Christ calls us to His service, to His love, to His heaven. Of this call all Christian souls are recipients. Therefore it becomes them to set their thoughts and love on that Saviour, through whom they receive it at the first, and continue to feel its quickening impulse and its immortal hopes.

3. Further, the avowal which we have made concerning Him should impel us to loving, steadfast contemplation. He is the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, or, perhaps, more accurately of our confession. Our creed avows that Christ is everything to us. Alas! alas! how many of us proclaim in our lives that He is nothing. If these tremendous sentences are believed at all by us, what means this languid, occasional half-hearted gaze upon Him? Surely, if we believe them, we should never turn away from beholding that face, so gentle and so Divine, radiant with the brightness of God, and soft with the dewy pity of a brother and a priest! Is your life in accordance with your confession? If not, what is the confession but a blasphemy or a hypocrisy? And what does it avail except to make the life more criminal in its forgetfulness of your Saviour? (A. Maclaren, D. D.)

Consider Christ

When a traveller passes very rapidly through a country, the eye has no time to rest upon the different objects in it, so that, when he comes to the end of his journey, no distinct impressions have been made upon his mind. This explains how it is that death, judgment, eternity, make so little impression upon most mens minds. More souls are lost through want of consideration than in any other way. The reason why men are not awakened is, that the devil never gives them time to consider. He beguiles them away from simply looking to Jesus: he hurries them away to look at a thousand other things. But God says, Look here, consider the Apostle and High Priest of your profession; look unto Me, and be be saved.

I. BELIEVERS SHOULD LIVE IN DAILY CONSIDERATION OF THE GREATNESS AND GLORY OF CHRIST, OH, could I lift you away back to that wonderful day, and show you Jesus calling all the angels into being, hanging the earth upon nothing; consider Him, and see if you think He will be a sufficient Saviour. I can as little doubt the sureness and completeness of my salvation as I can doubt the sureness of the solid earth beneath my feet. And where is Jesus now? All power is given to Him in heaven and on earth. Oh, could you and I pass this day through these heavens, and see what is now going on in the sanctuary above--could you see the Lamb, surrounded by all the redeemed, the many angels round about the throne, and were one of these angels to tell you, This is He that undertook the cause of lost sinners--consider Him--look long and earnestly upon His wounds--upon Hisglory--and tell me do you think it would be safe to trust Him? Do you think His sufferings and obedience will have been enough? Yes, yes, every soul exclaims, Lord, it is enough! Oh, rather let me ever stand and gaze upon the Almighty, all-worthy, all-Divine Saviour, till my soul drinks in complete assurance that His work undertaken for sinners is a finished work.

II. CONSIDER CHRIST AS THE APOSTLE, OR MESSENGER OF GOD. NOW Christ is an Apostle, for God ordained and sent Him into the world. Oh, could I lift you away to the eternity that is past;--could I bring you into the council of the Eternal Three; and as it was once said Let us make man;--could I show you how God from all eternity designed His Son to undertake for poor sinners;--could I show you the intense interest with which the eye of God followed Jesus through His whole course of sorrow, and suffering, and death. Oh, sinner, will you ever doubt any more whether God the Father be seeking thy salvation?

III. CONSIDER CHRIST AS THE HIGH PRIEST OF OUR PROFESSION.

1. Consider Him making atonement. Now the atonement has been made, Christ has died, His sufferings are all past. And how is it that you do not enjoy peace? It is because you do not consider.

2. Conisider Christ as making intercession. (R. M. McCheyne.)

The Apostle and High Priest

I. THE APOSTLESHIP OF CHRIST. In its exact and original signification an apostle is one who is sent, i.e., the bearer of a message from some one. There have been many revelations of God, differing in kind, differing in degree and completeness. The greatest and most complete revelation of God is in Jesus Christ. In the teaching of Christ, in pregnant saying, or parable, or discourse, we have a revelation concerning God which it had not entered the mind of man to conceive.

II. THE HIGH-PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. The essential idea of a priest is that he comes between man and God; and the essential idea of a priesthood is that of a class of men who act as mediators between God and men. The priest offered sacrifices, or conducted religious ceremonies, but he did these things not for himself, but for the worshippers. If it be true that without blood there is no remission of sins, it is also true that without an intervening priest, there was no shedding of sacrificial blood, and therefore no remission. Carry these thoughts with you then, and you will see why Christ is called the High Priest of our profession. High Priest, because He stands for mankind before God: High Priest, because He has made one all-sufficient sacrifice for the sins of men: High Priest, because He does for men what they could not and cannot do for themselves. Christs priesthood means that we have a way by which we may approach the eternal and all-holy Father. They who are conscious of their own unworthiness may plead the worthiness of Christ, may rest with confidence on the sympathy of Him who wore our humanity as a brother-man. Christs priesthood further means that a sacrifice bus been made by which the defilement of sin is removed, and a new relation begun between men and God. Christs priesthood means that in His crucifixion, from which He did not shrink, there was given to men a means of reconciliation with God. And, once more, Christs priesthood means that there is in heaven One who pleads continually for pardon for sinful men. To what now, I ask, should these considerations of the apostleship and priesthood of Christ tend? The writer of this Epistle uses them to add point to his exhortation, and to warn against unbelief. I know that some among you are fully aware of the responsibilities of belief, and shrink from doing or professing anything which seems to go beyond your power to practise. Have you ever thought of the responsibilities in which the want of belief may involve you? Have you ever, amid your doubts and hesitations, considered this, that by your doubts and hesitations you are practically denying that the revelation of God in Christ is a revelation to you; that you are practically saying, Christs sacrifice was no sacrifice, so far as I am concerned. True it is that they who enter into the temple, have their responsibilities; but are they free from responsibility who stand at the threshold and will not enter in? And the same considerations may be used to quicken and sustain our faith.

Christ is our Apostle; therefore we have a sure knowledge of God. Christ is our High Priest; therefore, we have in our hearts the assurance of Divine love, and the abiding hope of Divine forgiveness. (D. Hunter, B. D.)

The study of Jesus

I. THE SUBJECT FOR STUDY.

1. Consider the person of Jesus. Christianity is Christ; and if Christ be not God. Man our religion is the dream of sanguine enthusiasts or the fraud of ingenious impostors.

2. Consider the offices of Jesus.

(1) In His Divine-human capacity Jesus is the Apostle of our confession.

(2) As Apostle Jesus has a mission. He is High Priest.

II. THE STUDENTS.

1. Confessors. Practical confession is the living up to all we believe, and the carrying out of all that that belief involves.

2. Holy brethren. Christ was born and died that He might communicate His Holy Spirit, by whose regenerating, adopting, and sanctifying work we arc made holy, the sons of God, and His brethren.

3. Partakers of a heavenly calling.

(1) Walk worthy of it.

(2) Make it sure.

III. THE METHOD OF STUDY AND THE SPIRIT IN WHICH IT IS TO BE PURSUED.

1. As for the method, the word consider is descriptive of the posture of the earnest student who abstracts his attention from every other object, and pores over the thing in hand with unflagging industry until he has mastered it.

(1) To our study of Jesus we must give undivided attention. We know so little of Christ, in spite of all our prayer and meditation, because we think of so much else while we are trying to think of Him.

(2) Our study must be deep. Just as nature is grand or commonplace according as our reading is profound or superficial, so is it with the great subject of Christian study.

(3) Our study must be patient and persistent. That knowledge is not worth much, and is often worth less than nothing, which is acquired in a few weeks scamper over a mighty continent.

2. The spirit.

(1) Reverential.

(2) Humble boldness. (J. W. Burn.)

Consider Christ fully

If you wish to look at a portrait of Raphaels, what would you think to see only the forehead uncovered, and then only the eyes, and so on, until all the features had been separately seen? Could you gain a true idea of the picture as a whole? Yet this is the way men look at the picture of Christ in the Gospels, reading a few verses and mottoes here and there, and never considering the life in its wholeness and harmony. (H. W. Beecher.)

Consider Christ intently

Consider not lightly, as they that do not mind the thing they look upon. Their eyes are upon it, but their mind is on another matter. Look on Him with the sharp eye of your mind. Consider that in Him all the treasures of wisdom lie hid. He is a rich storehouse, in whom ye may find all the pearls and jewels of wholesome doctrine. In Him there is salvation, and in no other; therefore all other teachers set aside, listen to Him. When the judge of assizes gives the charge, all that be in the shire-house, especially they that be of the great inquest, consider seriously what is spoken. When the king makes a speech in the Parliament-house, the whole House considers earnestly what he says. Christ Jesus, the King of kings, speaks to us in the ministry of the Word, yet few consider the excellent things that be spoken. The Queen of Sheba considered Solomon well, all that he spake or did. Behold, here is a greater than Solomon. Therefore let us diligently consider what He says. If they were matters of no moment, we were not to be blamed, though we did not consider them; but being of such weight, touching the eternal salvation of our souls, what madmen be we, that we consider them no better. If one should talk to us of gold and silver, we would consider what he says. Christ speaks to us of that which surpasseth all the silver in the world, yet we regard Him not.

Let us consider Him now, that He may consider us hereafter when He comes with His holy angels. (W. Jones, D. D.)

Of Christ as an Apostle

I. THE GENERAL FUNCTION OF CHRIST, as a Prophet, Apostle, and Minister of the Word of God, was to make known the will of the Father unto His people.

II. HIS SPECIAL CALL to that function was immediate from the Father. Christ thus saith of Himself (Joh_20:21). Oft does Christ make mention of this that His Father sent Him. Where Christ saith to the Jews Joh_5:37; Joh_6:46; Joh_1:18).

III. THE PRIVILEGES which belonged to an apostolical function, and in a most eminent manner appertained unto Christ, were these.

1. Christ laid the foundation, for He first preached the gospel (Gen_3:15). Yea, Christ Himself was the very foundation (1Co_3:11). He is also the chief corner-stone (Eph_2:20).

2. The whole world was Christs jurisdiction. No limits were set to His function (Psa_2:8; Eph_2:17).

3. He had His gifts immediately by the Spirit (Isa_11:2; Luk_2:20).

4. He received the Spirit more abundantly than any other (Joh_3:34; Col_2:3; Col_2:9; Joh_1:16).

5. He could not but have infallible assistance in that He was the very truth itself (Joh_14:16; Luk_4:18).

6. He also must needs have power of giving gifts, in that He was the prime Author of all gifts (Eph_4:7; Joh_20:22).

7. About miracles He had mote power than ever any other.

8. Vengeance especially belongeth unto Christ (Rom_12:19). When the apostle delivered the incestuous person over to Satan, he did it in the name and with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ (1Co_5:4). (W. Gouge.)

Christ the only Apostle and High Priest of our profession

Where Christ is said here to be the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, we must learn this: that we that be Christians profess no other teacher, nor no other Saviour, but that Christ is both our wisdom and our justification; His word is ours, His doctrine is ours, His wisdom is ours, we profess not one jot whereof He hath not been an Apostle unto us; and whosoever he be that teacheth us other things than what Christ hath taught us already, he is not of our profession nor of our brotherhood. And more than this, we are sure he teacheth nothing but vain illusions and imaginations of men; for all treasures of wisdom and true knowledge are hit in Christ. And seeing it hath pleased Him to be our Apostle, who is the Son of God, the brightness of His glory, the ingraven form of His substance, the Heir of all things, the Maker of heaven and earth, far greater than angels, how unthankful be we if His doctrine be not our profession; nay, how mad be we, if we will change Him for any other or for all other. Whatsoever glorious names they bring, of fathers, doctors, councils, we neither know them nor their names. If they be ministers of Christ unto us, their feet are beautiful, and their names are honourable, it they be their own ministers, we know them not, nor all their glory. Now where the apostle calleth Christ the High Priest of our profession, as we have learned before, if He be our Apostle, we have no other teacher. So we learn here, if He be the Priest of our profession, no part of the office of His Priesthood we may give to another, but profess it clearly that He is our priest alone. And as the priest is ordained to make sacrifice for sin, and to be a mediator between God and man, so all this work we must leave wholly unto Him, receive no other, upon whom we will lay this reconciliation, to purge our sins, and to bring us to God, but Christ alone. (E. Deering, B,D.)

Open Christian profession

Let us look at the word profession. We are very apt to undervalue things with which abuse and danger are connected, and which may be easily counterfeited. There is such a thing as a mere outward hypocritical profession; but is that a reason why we should not attach importance to confessing Christ? With the heart we are to believe unto righteousness, and with the mouth we are to confess that Jesus is the Lord. It may be a mere lip-utterance to say, I believe in Jesus; it may be only a form to sit down at the Lords table; but as the outward expression of an inward reality, it is a great and blessed fact. Let us not be secret disciples; let us not come to Jesus merely by night, ashamed to bear testimony to the gospel. Our confession of Christ in the outward Church, in the congregation of professed disciples, in the ordinances of Christs institution, let us not undervalue it! Remember with gratitude that you have publicly professed Christ; that into the Church of Christ you have been received by baptism, and acknowledged at the Lords Supper as a brother and partaker of the heavenly calling. Let the remembrance of this be to us continually helpful, and stimulate us to adorn the doctrine of the gospel by a Christ-like life and walk. (A. Saphir.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Heb 3:1. The apostle, in the first chapter of this epistle, having affirmed that Jesus of Nazareth, by whom the gospel revelation was given to mankind, is God’s Son, in a peculiar sense; a sense in which no man or angel is his son; and having proved, from the Jewish Scriptures, that God had constituted this his Son the Heir or Lord of all things, because by him he made the worlds; and in the second chapter, having answered the objections which were, or might be, brought for invalidating the claim of Jesus to be God’s Son, and having thereby given full effect to the direct proofs which established his claim; he, in this third chapter, proceeds to show what is implied in Christ’s being the Heir or Lord of all things; which is the third fact on which the authority of the gospel revelation depends. A proper account of this matter was necessary; 1st, Because the title of Jesus to remove the Mosaic economy, and to substitute the gospel dispensation in its place, was founded on the power which he possessed as the Son of God and Heir of all things; 2d, Because many of the Jews, in the persuasion that the law of Moses was of perpetual obligation, and that its sacrifices were real atonements for sin, rejected Jesus as an impostor for pretending to abolish these institutions.

Wherefore — Seeing the author of the gospel is so excellent a person, (Hebrews 1,) and so highly advanced above all others, men and angels, (Heb 2:7-8,) holy brethren — By giving this appellation to those to whom he wrote, it is evident he addressed his epistle, not, as Macknight supposes, chiefly, if at all, to the unbelieving Hebrews, but principally, if not only, to such as had embraced the gospel, and were really made new creatures in Christ; partakers of the heavenly calling — The calling of the gospel, which came from heaven, and is intended to bring men to heaven, including the preaching of the word, and the various means of grace, whereby men are brought to believe in Christ. Consider the Apostle — The messenger of God, sent immediately from him to preach that gospel to you which you profess to believe; the highest office this in the New Testament; and High-Priest — This was the highest function in the Old Testament church. As an Apostle, or God’s messenger, he pleads the cause of God with us; and as High-Priest, he pleads our cause with God. Both are contained in the one word Mediator. He compares Christ as an apostle, with Moses; as a priest, with Aaron. Both these offices, which Moses and Aaron severally bore, he bears together, and far more eminently; of our profession — Of the religion we profess, of which Jesus is called the Apostle, because he was sent by God to reveal it; and the High-Priest, because we receive its blessings through his mediation. By thus calling upon them to consider Christ Jesus in these characters, the apostle seems to intimate that the believing Hebrews had not sufficiently adverted to the nature and quality of the person and offices of Christ, and for that reason were kept in the entanglements of Judaism; therefore he exhorts them to fix their minds attentively on the sublime subject.

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

II. THE SON AS DIVINE APOSTLE FULLY CONTEMPLATED, Heb_3:1 to Heb_4:13.

1. Superior as Son to Moses, who was only servant, Heb_3:1-6.

Having, in the first two chapters, summarily presented the Son as Apostle, beaming forth from the fountain of divinity and becoming incarnate High Priest, St. Paul now proceeds to a more full consideration of him first as Apostle.

1. Wherefore—In view of the development of Christ as sent from the bosom of the Eternal, (see note Heb_1:3,) and emerging on earth as our Apostle and propitiator, thus far portrayed.

Holy brethren— Nowhere else is the epithet holy thus applied to brethren, although brethren is several times used in this epistle without the epithet. Probably holy is here used slightly in the Old Testament sense of the word, (see note on 1Co_7:14,) because the writer is about to parallel their position under Christ with their old position as Hebrews under Moses.

They are the holy under the new dispensation, as Israel was under the old.

Calling—See notes on 1Co_1:1; 1Co_7:20. The calling, here, is used very much in the sense of 1Co_7:20, to denote the permanent state resulting from permanent obedience to the call, and which has solidified into the correlative profession soon named.

Heavenly—As coming directly from heaven through our divine Apostle. Heb_12:25.

Consider—Steadily contemplate and study. You have had him introductorily presented in his twofold offices in the first two chapters. Let us now fully and steadily analyze his nature in each office.

Apostle—One sent, a legate. So Joh_20:21, “As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” The twelve were the human apostles of Christ; Christ was the divine Apostle of God. He alone, as sent Son, speaks to us as antithesis to the whole body of prophets, (Heb_1:1-2;) nay, he is an outbeaming radiation sent from the divine Essence, (Heb_1:3;) he thence took part of our flesh, (Heb_1:14.) And

High Priest— Briefly unfolded in Heb_1:14-14, (as Apostle is in Heb_1:1-13,) and fully developed in Heb_4:14 to Heb_10:18. As God’s Apostle or Legate, Christ is super-angelic representative of God on earth; he is ruling administrator over the incoming dispensation, Heb_2:5-8; he is the glorious Messiah. And as humanized Sufferer (Heb_2:9-18) he is our High Priest. Our “Hebrews” here addressed rejoiced in the grandeur of the divine Apostle, the glorious Messiah, but were shrinking almost to apostasy from the degradation of the High Priest, the suffering Messiah. Our St. Paul will now so unfold both as to confirm their view of the grandeur of the exaltation, and reconstruct their view of the equal grandeur and pathos of the humiliation.

Of our profession—Or, rather, confession. Not simply as one we confess; for the word embraces all the truths and beings we confess as Christians; our whole confession of faith; Jesus Christ being the central figure and object in that confession and faith.

Christ Jesus—Words signify anointed or Messiah Saviour.

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

COMPARISON OF THE TWO GREAT MEDIATORS

CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES

IN the estimation of the Jews the pre-eminence of the Law—by that term meaning the Old Testament dispensation—was seen in three things:

(1) it was ministered by angels;

(2) it was in the hands of a mediator of singularly exalted character;

(3) its principal official was a high priest of superior dignity and authority. Having compared the ministry of angels with the ministry of the Son, and brought out the superiority of the new dispensation, and answered the objections which might be grounded on the humiliation and shameful human death of the Son, the writer proceeds to compare Christ with the two great officials of the older dispensation. In the comparison of the mediators the following points are presented:

1. In the one respect of faithfulness there is similarity.

2. In another matter there is equality; for God is the Author of both dispensations.

3. Moses, however, does but take a place as part of the furniture of the house; Christ takes His place with God as the Founder and Builder of it.

4. Moses was a servant in the house; but Christ was the Son, who is over the house. Then follows a hortatory passage bearing on the peril of apostasy.

Heb_3:1. Wherefore.—Lit. “whence.” Allowing what has been said of Christ to be true, there is ground for fixing further and even closer attention upon Christ. Holy brethren.—An expression indicating the conciliatory tone of the epistle. As separated unto Jehovah, the Jews were a “holy nation.” The writer makes no assertion of their personal holiness; he does but recognise the Jews as a people separated by God unto Himself. “This people have I formed for Myself; they shall shew forth My praise.” “Brethren” asserts the common relation of Jew and Christian to special revelations from God. The word means “one of the same faith or profession”; but it carries also the idea of friendly feeling, mutual sympathy. Heavenly calling.—Privileges of the new dispensation. “Heavenly” may be taken as equivalent to “spiritual,” and as contrasted with the material features of the Jewish calling. Consider.—Fix your attention on. A worthy apprehension of the person of Christ would preserve these Jewish Christians from the temptation to return upon the older system. So Jesus endeavoured to give His disciples right ideas concerning Himself. Starting thought by asking them, “What think ye of Christ?” Apostle.—Compare ἄγγελος. That word is not used here because the writer had already used it in a special sense. The Jews called the minister or ruler of the synagogue an apostle. The word means “sent one”; “mediator,” “communicator” between two parties; and comparison can be made between Moses and Christ, because they bore similar relations to each of the dispensations. Our profession.—Either

(1) whom we confess; or

(2) what we confess. A doubtful passage in Philo calls the Logos “the Great High Priest of our Confession.” Bengel marks the distinction between Apostle and High Priest: “As Apostle, Jesus pleads the cause of God with us; as High Priest, He pleads our cause with God.” Christ Jesus.—The best manuscripts omit the word “Christ.” Stuart gives the point of the verse thus, “If the curator ædis sacræ et novæ be compared with the curator ædis sacræ et antiquæ, the result will be such as the sequel discloses.”

Heb_3:2. Faithful.—In carrying out the particular duties of His office. For the faithfulness of Moses see Num_12:7. House.—Not the tabernacle only, but the entire theocratic system. Compare “the house of God which is the Church of the living God” (1Ti_3:15). Moulton says, “The house, or household, is God’s people Israel.”

Heb_3:3. This man.—R.V. “He”—that is, Jesus. More glory.—Or, a fuller glory. Farrar points out that the “Jews had begun to elevate Moses into a position of almost supernatural grandeur, which would have its effect on wavering and almost apostatising converts.” Builded the house.—Not “founding a family,” but establishing a dispensation, under the figure of erecting and furnishing a house. Christ was really the Founder of the house in which Moses was an official. So Christ has higher honour than Moses. Observe the assumption that the Divine Son was ministrant of the older dispensation. He is the Executor of the Divine purpose in all material spheres.

Heb_3:4.—The thought here is that every house has its maker, and we must conceive of a Maker of this house, or dispensation. It can be no other than God.

Heb_3:5. Servant.—Ministering according to the will of another. Not δοῦλος, slave, nor διάκονος, minister, but θεράπων, voluntary attendant.

Heb_3:6. Over His own house.—R.V. “over His,” i.e. God’s “house.” House are we.—For the figure see 2Co_6:16; Eph_2:21-22; 1Pe_2:5. The rights of sonship are wholly distinct from and superior to the rights of servant-hood. Sonship involves independent authority. Hold fast.—A transition to the hortatory passage.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.—Heb_3:1-6

Christ above Moses.—The bigoted Jewish party distressed the Christian Jewish party, by urging that the Jewish dispensation was manifestly superior to the Christian, on two grounds:

(1) it was ministered by angels;

(2) its agent was the most remarkable man that had ever lived. In the previous two chapters the assumed superiority in the ministration of angels has been dealt with. Now the writer deals with the extravagant claims advanced on behalf of Moses (see Illustration), and shows that in nature, relation to God, and office, Christ is altogether above Moses.

I. Fix attention on the Head of the new dispensation.—The word “consider” means “fix your thoughts attentively on.” His unique nature, as the Divine-human Being, and His primary and essential relationship to God as Son, have already been treated. Now attention is fixed upon His office. The writer takes an ideal rather than an actual view of Moses. In fact, Moses was prophet or apostle, and Aaron was high priest; but Aaron’s association with Moses was a Divine after-thought. Ideally, and in the Divine plan, Moses was the head of the dispensation, and was both the prophet and the priest, and as such was the type of Messiah the Christ. A man occupying the position of Moses must be what Bengel says Christ is, Apostle from God to man, and High Priest from man to God. “As Apostle Jesus pleads the cause of God with us; as High Priest He pleads our cause with God.” The complete mediatorship of the Old Testament was, in fact, in the hands of Moses and Aaron combined, and regarded as one. The Mediatorship of the new dispensation is in the hands of Christ alone, and He is actually one. Here is a mark of superiority.

1. One side of Christ’s work is represented by the term “Apostle,” which is virtually the same as “prophet.” Both terms mean “messenger,” “sent one.” Both imply a direct commission from God to men; a Divine message which they—prophet or apostle—have to put into their human language for the apprehension of men. Moses and Christ were both revealers, prophets, teachers, for God. Fixing attention on Christ, we can see two marked peculiarities:

(1) His message was Himself, in a sense that Moses’ message was not.

(2) His message belonged to the sphere of spiritual things, not of material or ceremonial.

2. Another side of Christ’s work is represented by the term “High Priest.” Later in the epistle this term is treated more fully. Here one thing more especially is in the mind of the writer. One work of the Mosaic high priest was to “make reconciliation [propitiation] for the sins of the people” (Heb_2:17). The limited idea, which need not injuriously affect the larger idea, which we shall have to consider later on, is this. When as a prophet Moses brings a message from God, the fact must be taken into account that men will use their free wills upon the message, and will receive it or reject it: the rejection of it will be sin, and will lead to sin, and will put men out of relation with God. The prophet therefore will need to be also priest, and deal with the restoration and reconciliation of those who break their relations with God by rejecting His message. And this which applies to Moses must apply also to Christ, who, if He is Apostle, must needs also be Priest.

II. Compare the heads of the two dispensations.—Lest the writer should be thought in any sense to lower the dignity of Moses, he freely recognises that both the apostle and high priest of the old dispensation, and the Apostle and High Priest of the new, were faithful to their several trusts. There is no call whatever for exalting Christ by the depreciation of any other of God’s servants. Accept every man at his best; estimate his life and work most charitably and most hopefully, and still there will be no difficulty in showing the unique superiority of Him who is Son of God, Son of man, and Saviour from sin. The faithfulness of Moses is asserted in Num_12:7.

III. Contrast the heads of the two dispensations.—The use of the term “house” as a figure for dispensation, or religious system, suggests the points of contrast. “The house is God’s house or household, i.e. the theocratic family of which the tabernacle was a symbol. See 1Ti_3:15.

1. Christ was more honourable than Moses, as a person, seeing that He was Owner of the house in which Moses was a servant.

2. And Christ’s range of service was higher than that of Moses, as owner-faithfulness must always be in a higher plane than servant-faithfulness—though, as faithfulness, both may stand in equal acceptance. The contrast of service may also be seen in this:

(1) That of Moses was a service of preparation;

(2) that of Christ was a service of fulfilment. Do, then, all honour to Moses. Recognise the dignity of his position and the faithfulness of his service, and still it is reasonable to ask that men should pass from Moses to Christ, seeing that He is no servant in the house, but Son over His own house. Carry all thankfulness for the earlier revelation, and all honouring of the agent of that revelation, over with you into the reception of the later, completing, and spiritual revelation, of which the Son of God is the agent. Keep considering, fixing attention, and ever learning more concerning, the “Apostle and High Priest of our confession.”

Jewish Glorifying of Moses.—Eagerly as the writer is pressing forward to develop his original and central conception of Christ as our eternal High Priest, he yet has to pause to prove His superiority over Moses, because the Jews had begun to elevate Moses into a position of almost supernatural grandeur, which would have its effect on the imaginations of wavering, and almost apostatising, converts. Thus the Rabbis said that “the soul of Moses was equivalent to the souls of all Israel” (because by the cabalistic process called Gematria the numerical value of the letters of “Moses our rabbi” in Hebrew equal 613, which is also the value of the letters of “Lord God of Israel”). They said that “the face of Moses was like the sun”; that he alone “saw through a clear glass,” not as other prophets “through a dim glass”; and that whereas there are but fifty gates of understanding in the world, “all but one were opened to Moses.” St. Paul, in 2Co_3:7, contrasts the evanescing splendour on the face of Moses with the unchanging glory of Christ.—Farrar.

SUGGESTIVE NOTES AND SERMON SKETCHES

Heb_3:1. Messenger and Priest.—

1. Consider Christ as the Apostle or Messenger of God. The word “apostle” means “messenger”—one ordained and sent on a particular embassy.

2. Consider Christ as the High Priest of our profession. The duty of the High Priest was twofold: to make atonement; to make intercession.

(1) Consider Christ as making atonement.

(2) Consider Christ as making intercession.—R. M. McCheyne.

The Duties of the High Priest.—He must be free from every blemish and defect (Lev_21:16-23). He must not observe the external signs of mourning for any person, or leave the sanctuary upon receiving intelligence of the death of even father and mother. He must wash his hands and feet when he went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and when he came near the altar to minister (Exo_30:19-21). He must offer daily, morning and evening, the peculiar meat-offering he offered on the day of his consecration (Exodus 29). He must perform the ceremonies of the day of expiation (Leviticus 16). He must arrange the shewbread every Sabbath, and eat it in the holy place (Lev_24:9). He must judge of the leprosy, and adjudicate in certain legal questions. When there was no Divinely inspired judge, the high priest was the supreme ruler, until the time of David, and again after the return from the Captivity (1Sa_4:18). Other duties were: Bearing before the Lord the names of Israel for a memorial (Exo_28:12; Exo_28:29); inquiring of God by Urim and Thummim (1Sa_23:9-12; 1Sa_30:7-8); consecrating the Levites (Num_8:11-21); appointing priests to offices (1Sa_2:36): interceding (Num_16:43-48); blessing (Lev_9:22-23).—After Kitto.

Consider Christ.

I. One great comprehensive demand—consider Christ.—The word implies an earnest, fixed, prolonged attention of mind. A Christian man’s thoughts should be occupied with his Saviour. A simple and obvious remark, but one much forgotten in practice. The measure of a man’s Christianity is the occupation of his mind and heart with the truth as it is in Jesus. There is implied in the word “consider”:

1. That the occupation of mind must be the result of conscious effort.

2. It must be the look of eager interest; it must be intense as well as fixed.

3. It must be steady or continuous.

II. The great aspects of Christ’s work which should fix our gaze.—We have Himself proposed as the object of our thoughts; not merely the truth concerning Him, but Him as brought near us by the truth. Scripture never deals with Christ’s work apart from Him, the worker, nor presents truth in the hard and abstract form which it must necessarily take when men begin to reflect upon it, and try to arrange their thoughts into something like order and consistency. Two aspects—consider Him as Apostle and as High Priest. He is the “Apostle” of our profession. No declaration was more common on our Lord’s lips when on earth than that He was “sent of God.” He is the sole messenger, sent by God as none others are sent, to declare His whole name once and for all, to bring His whole love, not only to serve but to save, not only to help but to rule, the sons of men, His brethren. The Apostolate and the Priesthood are to be included in the one word, Mediator. The idea of priesthood depends upon that of sacrifice, and the idea of sacrifice is incomplete without that of expiation. The idea of priesthood includes that of representation, and the priestly representation of the people is incomplete without the presence of the priest within the veil.

III. The great reasons for this occupation of mind and heart with Christ, our Mediator.—They are:

1. Our relation to Christ, and the benefit we derive from it.

2. The calling of which we are partakers.

3. The avowal which we have made concerning Him. Cultivate the habit of fixed calm meditation on Christ.—A. Maclaren, D.D.

Two Terms for the One Mediator.—Such passages as 1Ti_2:5, Gal_3:20, set forth the position of Christ as Mediator. A mediator must sustain a twofold relation—a relation to each party between whom he mediates. He may do a twofold work—that of interpreter, and that of reconciler. In the case of Christ this twofold relation and twofold work will come out if we consider—

I. Christ as God’s Apostle to men.—Christ is God in respect of wisdom; as High Priest He is man, in order to be true representative. To unfold the idea of apostle take two analogies:

1. Moses, as an apostle in the distinct sense of interpreter.

2. The twelve apostles, in the distinct sense of teachers. Show how both involved also the idea of ruling, and point out the relations of Moses to God and the apostles to Christ. The ruling will take up the later Jewish idea of ἀπόστολος, as curator.

II. Christ as man’s High Priest to God.—Bring in the second idea of mediator, viz. reconcilement and intercession.

1. The high priest was commissioned by the people to go into the Holy of Holies for them; so Christ is commissioned by us to go, as our Representative, into the eternal Holy of Holies.

2. The high priest not only went as the first representative, but he took with him the terms on which he asked for reconciliation; and so Christ took with Him into the eternal Holy of Holies the terms on which He pleaded for reconciliation.

3. The high priest had himself previously prepared these terms; and so Christ Himself prepared the terms, and was indeed in Himself the terms on the ground of which He asked acceptance.

4. The high priest, having gained acceptance, asked of the propitious and reconciled God the supply of blessings to the people; and so Christ, having gained acceptance for men, becomes their Intercessor.

The Heavenly Calling.—Heavenly is placed in contrast with earthly. It precisely answers to the contrast spiritual and material. The heavenly temple represents the spiritual worship of God. The heavenly world is that in which the spiritual life is lived. And so the “heavenly calling” is that call of God to live a life of spiritual relations with Him which has come to us through Jesus Christ. Response to the call is possible with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Christ our Apostle and High Priest.—Consider the offices and relations of Christ Jesus. That is precisely the work that we should do in preparing our hearts for our sacramental service. The text seems to brace up our attention, in view of some unusually important subject that is to be considered. The writer has already presented two subjects. He has shown the contrast between Christ as the Son and angels as servants, as ministering spirits. His primary and essential relation to God is altogether unique. None in heaven and none on earth can ever stand in precisely His relation. And he has dwelt on the humanity of Christ, bringing Him out of the realms of mystery, and making clear His brotherhood with us in the human limitations and infirmities. “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part in the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Now the writer proceeds to deal with the superiority and the exceeding glory of His offices in relation to God and man, comparing them with the highest offices in the Old Testament economy. He calls attention by addressing his readers as “holy brethren.” Saints, brethren in faith and feeling, as consecrated with him to Christ and to Christ’s service. By “heavenly calling” he figuratively describes the more spiritual blessings to which men were introduced by Christ Jesus. And Christ being the very centre of this new spiritual dispensation, deserves special attention and consideration; we cannot too resolutely fix eye and heart on Him. “Apostle” and “High Priest” are terms that explain the more general and comprehensive word “Mediator.” That is a characteristic term used by the apostle Paul. Writing to the Galatians, he says, “The law was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one” (Gal_3:19-20). Writing to Timothy, he says, “There is one God, and one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus” (1Ti_2:5). Now a mediator sustains a twofold relationship—a relation to each of the parties between whom he mediates. It is this twofold work that is brought out by the terms used in our text. A mediator may do a twofold work—he may be an interpreter, and he may be a reconciler. This will come out clearly to view in relation to Christ if we put it in this way: Jesus Christ is God’s Apostle to man, and Jesus Christ is man’s High Priest to God. You will easily see how these terms conserve the truths of which we are so supremely jealous. Christ is God revealing Himself to man; He is God’s Representative. And Christ is man entering into communion with God—man’s Representative. So we have freshly suggested to us the dual truth of the Deity and humanity of Christ.

I. Christ is God’s Apostle to man.—The word “apostle” simply means “one sent,” a person under commission—one who is entrusted with some duty to discharge for another. Every ambassador is an apostle; every missionary is an apostle; every prophet is an apostle. The term has been especially applied to twelve of our Lord’s disciples because they were the first persons to receive His commission, and to be sent out as preachers of His gospel. But the term was subsequently applied to Silas and Barnabas and Paul. We need not think of any special authority belonging to the so-called apostles; they were simply men entrusted with a Divine message and mission for men; they were the prophets or preachers of the new dispensation. Their office was in no sense restricted to themselves. They were what their Master was; and we are what both they and their Master was. We are all God’s sent ones, God’s ambassadors, God’s apostles to our fellows.

1. Moses was an apostle in the distinct sense of being an interpreter. The writer of this epistle had Moses in his mind, for he immediately refers to him, saying of Christ the Apostle, “Who was faithful to Him that appointed Him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.” The inspiration of Moses to his work came out of the conviction that he was a sent one, Divinely commissioned; and his authority with the people followed upon their belief that he was Divinely sent. He had been arrested of God that day when he was compelled to turn aside and see that great sight, the bush that burned and yet was not consumed. That day God made Moses an apostle, and this was his commission: “Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto Me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth My people the children of Israel out of Egypt.” His work is usually put into the word “mediator.” He was the “go-between.” And as such the people fully accepted him; for when God’s great thunder-voice, proclaiming the law from Sinai, filled the people with alarm, they made this their prayer to Moses, “Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” As apostle, or mediator, or ambassador, we may look at the work of Moses from three sides:

(1) He was to reveal God’s will. This he could only do as the will was revealed to him; and that he might be fitted to receive it, he spent those long days in communion with God. It was not that what Moses received would take forty days to tell: it was that only after prolonged abstraction and devotion could Moses be spiritually fitted to receive the revelation. When it did come to him, it proved to be ten clear-cut sentences. They embodied God’s will for the people, and that will Moses was commissioned to reveal to the people. It may be said that the tables of the law could have been handed to Moses in an hour. And so they could, but in that case Moses would not have so entered into the soul of them, gained such sympathy with them, or felt the applications of them, as would enable him rightly to reveal them to the people. On his revealing work had to rest the impress of his own soul-culture and soul-sympathies.

(2) For it must be borne in mind that Moses had not only to reveal God’s will, but also to interpret the revelation. It is now known to all Bible scholars that the elaborations and details of Levitical law given to us in later Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, were worked out by Moses after his time on Sinai, and in the power of the inspiration he there received. His apostolic service was in part working out the great principles of the Sinaitic law into all the relations and duties of life. And that was the work of years.

(3) And the writer of the Hebrews points out another feature of Moses’ apostleship: he was to preside over and rule his house, or dispensation; for he who reveals and interprets the Divine will cannot help gaining supreme influence and authority in so doing. But the only healthy authority over men is that which comes, not by any form of personal claim, but by virtue of the commission entrusted to us. We have dwelt for a moment on the apostleship of Moses because he helps us to understand the sense in which Christ was an Apostle—“the Apostle of our profession.” To us He is the Sent One who reveals to us God. If I were required to put the mission of Christ into a sentence, and were allowed only one sentence in which to put it, I would say this, “He came to show us God.” “This is eternal life, to know Thee, the only true God.” And He revealed this concerning God—you will never apprehend God aright until you take your human father-idea at its best, and apply it to Him. Ask me what is the very essence of Christ’s Apostleship, the one all-controlling purpose for which He was sent. I answer, “To reveal the Fatherliness of God.” I prefer to answer, “To show the Fatherliness of God.” But He is our Apostle in a further sense, for He interprets to us the will of God. When He has told us and shown us what God is, He proceeds to tells us and to show us what God wishes. The Son interprets the Father. And just as Moses elaborated the great principles of the Sinaitic revelation, so our Lord Jesus elaborates and applies to all the duties and relations of our lives the mind and will of our Father. And as in the case of Moses authority was seen to grow out of commission, so with the Apostle of our profession, Christ Jesus, He is become the Head of all those who love and serve God—“Head over all things to His Church”; and this office and relation we give Him with all our hearts. He is our Moses, God’s Sent One to us, who reveals to us God, interprets to us His will, and takes, what we lovingly and gratefully give Him, supreme lordship and rule over our hearts and lives.

2. The twelve disciples of Christ were apostles in the distinct sense of being teachers. This is an advance on the idea of an apostle as interpreter, and adapts the figure to more settled and continuous relations. We occasionally want revealers and interpreters; we always want teachers. In this sense the disciples had only a tentative apostleship while Christ lived. That was their preparation-time for the teaching-work of the future—the time when they were being taught to teach. After the ascension of their Divine Lord, we can clearly see what was their office and their work. Christ sent them forth in His name, as His witnesses, His ambassadors. They were to tell men anything and everything that they knew about Him, what He had been, what He had said, and what He had done. If they began to do this, they would realise that they were sent to preach. If they continued to do this, they would realise that they were sent to teach. And out of this teaching of those who accepted Jesus as their Saviour would surely grow their work of forming and guiding the assemblies, or Churches. But in all this those apostles were but repeating what Christ Himself had been, and exhibiting what Christ is in the higher sense, in His present spiritual relations with His Church. He is still the Apostle of our profession, the present Teacher of His Church, in the working of His Holy Spirit. He alone has the right to teach, to reveal truth and duty, and to rule in His Church; and we may not let any conceptions of a past and completed Mediatorship keep us from realising that He is to-day the Apostle of our profession, the Teacher who, by His Spirit, still to-day, leadeth us into all truth. It is the present actual, effective relation of the Lord Jesus to our soul-life and culture that comes into our view when, in the presence of the sacramental emblems, we consider the Apostle of our profession. It is of that living relation we need to be supremely jealous.

II. Christ is man’s High Priest with God.—Now the essential idea of the high priest was representation. He stood for the people; he represented them in all dealings with God. The more important features of his work were reconcilement and intercession.

1. The high priest went on behalf of the people into the Holy of Holies. The incidents of the great Day of Atonement set forth the work of the high priest very vividly. His everyday work is seen in the light of that one day’s work. “The priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service. But into the second went the high priest alone, once every year.” And so Christ our High Priest has gone, not once for the year, but once for all, into the heavenlies, heaven itself, the region of spiritual and eternal realities; “Christ being come, an High Priest of good things to come,” enters a “greater and more perfect tabernacle, one not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building.” Our interests with God absolutely and entirely stand in Christ our High Priest, who is for us in the world of spiritual and Divine realities.

2. The high priest not only went into the Holy of Holies, he took with him the terms of acceptance; “not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people.” The blood that he took represented the devoted life of a creature on whom the sins of the people had been confessed. That creature represented the humble, penitent reconsecration of the people, the fresh giving of themselves in love and obedience to Jehovah; it was the blood, or life, of the creature that symbolised that purposed complete obedience which the high priest took into the Holy of Holies as the plea and the ground of acceptance. And so Jesus Christ, the High Priest of our profession, took into the spiritual Holy of Holies His own proved and perfected obedience, sealed in His life-blood, which carries with it, and pledges, ours as the plea and the ground on which He claims acceptance for us. “By His own blood [or, with His own blood] He entered in once for all into the holy place, obtaining thus eternal redemption for us.… How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

3. Now we come to a point which is of great importance, and yet can only with difficulty be presented. It may be easy to grip in a formal way; it is hard to reach in that spiritual manner in which we always seek to apprehend truth. The high priest had himself prepared the terms on which he sought the people’s acceptance. He was to put his hands on the living creature; he was, as his own act, to take the life of the living creature; he was to take the blood with him, as if it were a part of himself, into the holy place. He went in at once a priest and a sacrifice, in both representing the people. They went, in him, seeking Divine acceptance. It is the foreshadowing, the solemn picturing of the spiritual mystery of the union we find in Christ. He prepared, as our High Priest, His own sacrifice. It was Himself. It was His own surrender. It was His own yielded life. It was His own obedience unto death. He went into the spiritual Holy of Holies with His sacrifice, at once our Priest and our Offering. His redemptive work was His alone. And He is, Himself, now, in the presence of God, our Sacrifice, the ground of our acceptance, and our Priest pleading for our acceptance on the ground of His sacrifice. The truth is embodied for us in a striking symbol. Before the eternal throne is seen the Mediator of the new covenant; but behold Him! Is it not a surprise that suggests inquiry? He is a “Lamb as it had been slain.” Once again:

4. The high priest, having gained acceptance, sought blessings for the people. While the high priest was within the veil, on that great Atonement Day, the vast company of Jews crowded the outer courts, and watched most anxiously for the moving of the outer veil of the tabernacle, and the first sight of the returning priest. If he were delayed, the intense excitement moved those people to press nearer in their anxious watching; and when at last he came forth, and the light of acceptance was on his face, we can picture to ourselves how every heart thrilled with thankful joy, and how every head was bowed, as he stood and breathed forth the benedictions he had won for them from their God. We do not wait expecting to see our great High Priest come forth from the heavenlies, to speak in human words the forgiveness and acceptance He has won for us; but we do expect Him to come in spiritual fashion to our waiting souls, with Divine comfortings and assurances. We think of Him as entered once into the holy place, there to abide for ever; always there, the “Lamb as it had been slain,” the ground of our acceptance; always there, the “Angel of the covenant,” waving the golden censer wherein are the prayers of the saints; always there, the Medium whence comes to us every spiritual good; always there representing us. There where one day we hope to be beside Him. He is at once our Moses and our Aaron joined in one—Moses as God’s Apostle, Aaron as our High Priest with God. What then do we need for the strengthening and comforting and satisfying of our souls? A steadier setting of eye on Jesus Christ. Consider Him. Consider His mission, His work, His offices, His relations. Consider what He is to God. Consider what He is to us. More and more it is being pressed on attention that Christ Himself is the centre of the Christ-revelation. Christianity is no organised force of doctrines and demands. It always was, though men have overlaid it—it is to-day, though men crowd creeds and rites into it—the living power, to convict, convert, redeem, comfort, teach, and sanctify, of the living Lord Jesus Christ Himself. My Sacrifice for sin—it is Christ Himself. My ground of acceptance with God—it is Jesus Himself. My Advocate with the Father—it is Jesus Himself. My one only and all-sufficient Teacher—it is Jesus Himself. “Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession”—our Alpha and our Omega—our All in all, it is the ever-living, glorified, spiritual, Divine Lord Jesus.

Heb_3:2. Faithfulness is independent of the Nature of our Trust.—Two persons are introduced here for the sake of a comparison which is to be made between them. But first of all it must be seen that in character they are one. Both good men, and both faithful men. Their trusts differ. The relations in which they stand to their work differ. But no disadvantage, in personal character, attaches to either. Jesus was “faithful to Him that appointed Him, as also was Moses in all his house.” Faithfulness is a virtue. It includes the purpose of the will. A man must mean to be faithful, or there can be no moral value in his faithfulness. Faithful by natural disposition, and faithful by accident, have no moral quality in them. But the purpose of the will must be matched by the endeavour of the life. For will is only virtuous when it finds fitting expression in conduct and relations. Faithfulness implies the recognition of dependence, the sense of responsibility, the clear knowledge of what ought to be done, and the personal interest and pleasure of a man in the doing. The term “faith-ful” suggests the carrying out of the work entrusted thoroughly; going beyond the limits of bare necessity to do the work even over-efficiently, if that be possible, the thoroughness indicating that the heart is wholly in it. With such views of faithfulness read the life-work both of Moses and of the Lord Jesus.

I. Faithfulness is not dependent on ability.—The man who has the trust of ten talents has no better possibility of faithfulness than the man who has the trust of one. It may be that the men of marked ability get the recognition of faithfulness from their fellow-men. The faithful man who has no special ability is absolutely secure of the recognition of God. And “there are last which shall be first.”

II. Faithfulness is not dependent on trusts.—As there are all sorts of persons to make up a world, so there are all sorts of missions for meeting the world’s needs. Everybody cannot have what men call high and honourable trusts. Some must have the lowly ones, even what men think the unlovely ones. In them they can be as faithful as the favoured few.

III. Faithfulness is not dependent on success.—A grave mistake is often made in relation to this. We think those are proved to be faithful who succeed. God knows His faithful ones who fail. We are not bound to succeed. Succeed or fail, we are bound to be faithful, and that we can be.

Heb_3:4. The House and its Builder.—Had the house a builder, or did it build itself? This is a question which is occupying many minds, many tongues, many pens, just now, one to which various answers are given, though only two of them seem worth considering. If we say, “The house built itself,” that clearly is a straightforward answer to the question, however unsatisfactory it may prove on examination. And if we say, “The house was built by God,” that again is clearly an answer to the question, and an answer which seems at once to commend itself to our common sense, however disputable it may be. But if we have nothing more to say than “We do not know,” clearly we do not answer the question at all; we do not even show it to be unanswerable; we simply admit our incapacity to answer it; and though that may be a sufficiently interesting fact to us, it has no interest for the world at large, which cares very little for us, but cares a great deal for the question we have raised.—S. Cox, D.D.

The Relativity of Christ and Moses to their Dispensations.—The term “house” here properly suits the idea of building, but the writer is referring to the “dispensations,” or religious systems, which are associated with the names of Moses and of Christ. In some sense both were the founders and organisers of their dispensation. But not in the same sense. And the writer suggests that the differences are of greater importance than the similarities. The earlier is not properly called the Mosaic dispensation; it should be called the Jehovah dispensation; for Jehovah was the founder of it, and the Jehovah revelation is the very heart of it. And Moses was no more than the earth-ministrant of it, who must stand beside but never before Jehovah. The later is not properly called the Christian dispensation; it should be called the Father dispensation. But Christ stands in an altogether unique relation to it. He does not minister it; He embodies it. It is His Sonship, and what His Sonship did, does, and can do for men.

ILLUSTRATIONS TO CHAPTER 3

Heb_3:1. The Moral Influence of a Leader.—There is a touching fact related in history of a Highland chief, of the noble house of MacGregor, who fell wounded by two balls at the battle of Prestonpans. Seeing their chief fall, the clan wavered, and gave the enemy an advantage. The old chieftain, beholding the effects of his disaster, raised himself up on his elbow, while the blood gushed in streams from his wounds, and cried aloud, “I am not dead, my children; I am looking at you to see you do your duty.” These words revived the sinking courage of the brave Highlanders. There was a charm in the fact that they still fought under the eye of their chief. It roused them to put forth their mightiest energies, and they did all that human strength could do to turn and stem the dreadful tide of battle.

Heb_3:4. God in Nature.—See here; I hold a Bible in my hand, and you see the cover, the leaves, the letters, the words, but you do not see the writers, or the printer, the letter-founder, the ink-maker, the paper-maker, or the binder. You never did see them, you never will see them, and yet there is not one of you who will think of disputing or denying the being of these men. I go further; I affirm that you see the very souls of these men in seeing this book, and you feel yourselves obliged to allow that, by their contrivance, design, memory, fancy, reason, and so on, the book was made. In the same manner, if you see a picture, you judge there was a painter; if you see a house, you judge there was a builder of it; and if you see one room contrived for this purpose and another for that, a door to enter, a window to admit light, and a chimney to hold fire, you conclude that the builder was a person of skill and forecast, who formed the house with a view to the accommodation of its inhabitants. In this manner examine the world, and pity the man who, when he sees the sign of a wheatsheaf, hath sense enough to know that there is a joiner and somewhere a painter, but who, when he sees the wheatsheaf itself, is so stupid as not to say to himself, “This had a wise and good Creator.”—R. Robinson.

The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.

SECOND SECTION

SUPERIORITY OF JESUS CHRIST TO THE DIVINELY-SENT SERVANTS AND LEADERS OF ISRAEL, MOSES AND JOSHUA

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I

The exhortation to fidelity toward Christ, the faithful Messenger of God, rests on the preëminence of Christ, as Son ruling over the house, above Moses, the faithful servant in the house

Heb_3:1-6

1Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the [a] heavenly calling, consider [κατανοήσατε, mark with attention, observe attentively] the Apostle and High Priest of our profession [δμολγίας, confession], Christ Jesus1 [om. Christ]; 2Who was faithful to him 3 that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all2 his house. For this man [this personage, he] was [has been] counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch [by as much] as he who hath builded [established, κατασκευάσας] the house hath more honor than the house. 4For every house is builded [established] by some man [one]; but he that built [established] all things3 is God. 5And Moses verily [Moses indeed] was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after [to the things hereafter to be spoken, τῶν λαληθησομένων]; 6But Christ as a Son [was] over his own [his, αὐτοῦ] house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence [boldness, παῤῥησία] and the rejoicing [glorying, καύχημα] of the [our] hope firm unto the end.4

[Heb_3:1.—Ὅθεν, whence, wherefore, logical, as nearly, or quite always in this Epistle.—Κατανοήσατε: κατά emphatic; mark with attention, contemplate earnestly. Moll: “Richtet euren Sinn anf.’ Κατανοεῖν, of lingering, penetrating regard, a favorite word of Luke.” (Del.)—Ἀπόστολον, commissioned one, then Apostle. Moll and Del.: Gottesbote; De Wette: der Gesandte; used of Christ as God’s great commissioned one of the New Testament, as Moses was of the Old. Moses was the ἀπόστολος and Aaron the ἀρχιερεύς of the Old Covenant; Christ combines in himself both characters in the New.

Heb_3:2.—πιστὸν ὄντα, being faithful. Eng. ver. renders “was faithful;” so De Wette; Moll, following Bleek, renders is, but justly censures Bleek for pressing the force of the present ὄντα. The truth is ὄντα is not necessarily present at all, except to the time that is expressed by the finite verb, or that is present to the mind of the writer. Here I take it to be clearly that of Christ’s residence on earth, and hence follow Eng. ver. and De W., in supplying was rather than Moll and Del. in rendering is. But see exposition.

Heb_3:3.—“This man,” Eng. ver., οὗτος is often difficult to render into Eng. ‘This one’ is inelegant English; ‘This man,’ directs an undue amount of attention to the word ‘man’ (for here the reference is almost equally to Christ’s sojourn as ‘man’ on earth, and his present heavenly exaltation): ‘this personage,’ is too formal; ‘he’ is not sufficiently emphatic. The German dieser is unexceptionable. Has been counted or deemed worthy; ἡξίωται Perf., much better than Auth. ver. “was counted worthy,” because the reference is not merely to that reward of glorification which Jesus once received, but which he still retains.

Heb_3:4.—Founded, κατασκευάζειν, furnish out, prepare, equip; not οἰκοδομεῖν, to build, as also the noun is not οἰκία, a house proper, but οἶκον, an estate, a domestic establishment, a household.

Heb_3:5.—“And Moses indeed,” or “while Moses.” Eng. ver. renders μέν here, as often elsewhere, “verily;” but always unfortunately.

Heb_3:6.—Χριστὸς ὡς υἱὸς ἐπί, etc. The ellipsis may be supplied so as to read, “But Christ, as a Son, was faithful over His house,” or “was faithful, as a Son, over His house;” or, “as a Son was over His house,” which construction I adopt with Moll and Del. (except that they put is for was, which, perhaps, is admissible, the discussion sliding forward into the present) as the simplest, the idea of fidelity retreating, and that of authority becoming prominent. Both the best texts and the connection demand His (viz., God’s αὐτοῦ) not his own (ἑαυτοῦ).—K.].

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL

Heb_3:1. Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling.—The ὅθεν, wherefore, links the exhortation of this verse with the preceding characterization of Jesus. The same holds also of the designation of the readers (“holy brethren”) who, however, are not here addressed as brethren of Christ (Michael., Carpz., etc.), nor as Jewish compatriots of the writer (Chr. Fr. Schmidt); but as consecrated members of the Christian brotherhood, who have become partakers of a call to the kingdom of God, which has come from heaven (ἐπουράνιος,=ἡ ἄνω κλῆσις, Php_3:14, comp. Heb_12:25), and has proved itself effectual, i.e., has secured to them an actual participation in heavenly treasures and blessings (Col_1:5)—designations from which the following exhortation receives, alike in form and substance, both confirmation and emphasis. The combination “holy brethren” is not found elsewhere (1Th_5:27, the reading is doubtful), but is here a most appropriate summary of the ideas developed from Heb_2:11. The other epithets point still further back—to Heb_2:1, and even Heb_1:1. [ἄγιοι, as usual also with Paul, marks of course not the degree of individual holiness, but the collective, and, so to speak, official, or rather ideal character of Christians. As a community in their relation to Christ, who alone can procure sanctification, they are characteristically ἅγιοι.—K.].

Consider attentively the apostle and high-priest of our confession.—Κατανοεῖν denotes the turning of the νοῦς to an object, not, however, for the sake of theoretical recognition, but for the practical weighing of that which we have in Him—i.e., for moral and spiritual heeding. The two epithets, descriptive of Jesus, bring most impressively before the readers the substance of the preceding statements. Jesus is the highest organ of the revelation of God to man, and at the same time the true and perfect Mediator of redemption. Precisely for this reason He is not like Moses and Joshua, a mere lawgiver and leader, but with all His resemblance to these servants of God, is yet exalted infinitely above them. To avoid all misunderstanding, however, He is not called ἄγγελος, but ἀπόστολος, which word corresponds as well with the Heb. maleach, as with His essential relations, Gal_4:4; Joh_3:34; Joh_5:36; Joh_6:29; Joh_10:36; Joh_20:21. Thol. and Biesenthal (after Braun, Deyling, Schöttg.) are inclined to refer the term to Rabbinical usage, in which ἀπόστολος=שְׁלִיחַ might bear the sense of Mediator. But according to Del. the priest has this name only precisely in his quality of delegate partly of God, partly of the congregation. Otto (“The Apostle and High Priest of our confession,” 1861) assumes a reference to Numbers 13, and sums up the result of his investigation in the following paraphrase: “Therefore, ye brethren who have been rescued from the world, and been endowed with the prerogative of a heavenly home and citizenship, observe that the Apostle and High-priest of our confession, i.e., He who first trod the sacred land of our inheritance with the confession, ‘Jehovah delivers,’ and now stands at our head as leader, but who at the same time is the high-priest of our confession, i.e., who brings before God our confession, ‘Jehovah delivers,’ in that He secures by His mediation our entrance into the heavenly home,—in fine that the Apostle and High priest of our confession, Jesus (as it were, our Joshua) is πιοτός to Him who has constituted Him.” We have here an interpolation of references and allusions which, indeed, a subtle ingenuity might easily enough light upon, but which are wholly alien to the context. Equally without foundation is also the remark of Kluge (p. 19): “From His κλῆσις, act of calling, the Son receives the name of ἀπόστολος, from His ἁγιάζειν, sanctifying, the name of ἀρχιερεύς.” In His two-fold character Jesus is immediately described as belonging specifically to our, i.e., the Christian confession, in order that the readers may direct their mind to Him, and consider what they have in Him. The rendering of the Itala: Constitutionis nostræ, reminding us perhaps of the ‘Messenger of the Covenant’ (Mal_3:1), is inadmissible, since ὁμολογία in the New Testament signifies only confession, acknowledgment, never ‘contract or covenant,’ and this along with the subject (De W.) and the object (Bl., Lün.) of the confession, 2Co_9:13; 1Ti_6:12-13. The Gen. marks possession, belonging to. [The high-priest who belongs to our confession: the high-priest whom we confess, acknowledge, i.e., (as Beng.) agree with; God λέγει, man ὁμολογεῖ.]

Heb_3:2. Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.—According to Otto πιστός does not designate a moral quality, but “position next the heart of a higher personage” (p. 47), and should for this reason be taken in the sense of trusted, confidential, organ of trust. This by no means harmonizes with Heb_2:17, where assuredly a moral quality is indicated for the display of which in His high-priestly calling the Son of God became incarnate. But the faithfulness of Jesus creates an obligation of like faithfulness in His church. The mention of the former lays a foundation for demanding the latter; and this all the more in that the two historical and visible founders of the old and of the new covenant, in their exhibition of this fidelity in their respective positions, have left a pattern to their disciples, that, viz., of fidelity toward Him to whom they owed their respective historical positions. In this respect there is a close analogy between Jesus and Moses, which adds weight to the writer’s exhortation. The object of κατανοεῖν, attentively observe, is not the fact that Jesus is a πιστός (Otto), but the person of Jesus, already signalized as entirely peculiar, and whose permanently abiding quality the ὄντα renders prominent. Bleek, after Seb. Schmidt, erroneously presses the present, as if indicating that the reference is to the exalted Messiah. It is also an error (with Calv., Bl., Ebr.) to place a comma after Moses; for the following words are cited from Num_12:7, and apply properly only to Moses. For in respect of Jesus we are immediately reminded of His prerogative of being over the house. [I doubt if this is any adequate reason against inserting the comma with Calv., Bl., and Ebr. Because although Christ was a Son over the house, He was also a servant in the house, and the point of resemblance is that which is first adverted to: the distinction comes out later. In His double character Christ could be at once compared and contrasted with Moses. Like him and more fully than he, He proved a faithful servant in God’s house, but unlike him, He was also a Son over it. In the exceedingly elliptical language of the author some elements of the parallel are taken for granted, and hence its difficulty. Still I incline on the whole, though with hesitation, to obliterate the comma after Moses.—K.]5

The ποιεῖν, make, constitute, appoint, denotes the placing or putting forward of Christ on the theatre of history (De W., Del., Thol.). Bleek, Lönemann, and Alford, with Ital., Ambros., Primas., D. Schultz, adhere to the proper signification of the word, and refer the ποιεῖν either to the incarnation of the Son, or to His eternal generation. [Alford: “The word, thus taken, however, is, of course, to be understood of that constitution of our Lord as Apostle and High-priest, in which He, being human, was made by the Father”]. They are right, in so far as they take the word absolutely; for it is quite unnecessary to supply a second accusative (as is done by the majority following Chrys.), as if the construction were “who made Him, scil., Apostle or high-priest.” But on the other hand, to refer the word to the “eternal generation”—considering that ποιεῖν is used Heb_1:1 for actual creation, would give the passage a strong tincture of Arianism, and resolve Christ into a creature (κτίσμα), in decided contradiction to Heb_1:3. And again, to refer the word to the incarnation—the commencement of the temporal and earthly life of Jesus—though done by the orthodox Fathers, is scarcely admissible; for this term would hardly have been employed to designate the assumption of human nature by the Logos in the bosom of the virgin, or the overshadowing influence of the Holy Spirit and of the “power of the Highest” (Luk_1:35). The author was, perhaps, led to the term by 1Sa_12:6 [ὁ ποιήσας τὸν Μωυσῆν καὶ τὸν Ἀαρών. Heb. עָשָׂה]. Bl. The house οἶκος designates the family of God, or the Theocratic nation (Heb_10:21), in which Moses had a position in which he could show fidelity. The reference of αὐτοῦ to Moses (Oec. and alt., with whom I formerly agreed) is inadmissible, since the words refer to Num_1:2; Num_1:7 : the reference to Christ (Bl., Riehm) would be anticipating.

Heb_3:3. For of greater glory than Moses has he been deemed worthy by how much, etc.—The passage is not explaining or analyzing Heb_3:2 (De W.), but enforcing the exhortation κατανοήσατε. It expresses directly the elevation of Jesus above Moses, which appears all the more worthy of regard as it comes out in connection with the recognition of a like fidelity on the part of both. The relation between them is then illustrated in the relation which always exists between a house and its founder. Κατασκευ. is not barely building, but fitting out a house with furniture and servants. But from this it does not follow that we are to construct τοῦ οἴκου with τιμήν, honor from the house (Wolf, Michael., Steng., etc.). The Gen. depends rather on πλείονα. The respect and admiration rendered to a house redound in a very high degree to him who has reared and established it. In the same relation stands the glory (δόξα) of Christ to that of Moses. There is here no comparison drawn between the splendor of the countenance of Moses when, having spoken with Jehovah on the mount, he was about to utter His word to Israel, and the radiance which involved the whole person of Jesus on the mount of transfiguration (Hofm., Weissag., II. 188). The reference is to the glory of their respective callings and positions. Entirely untenable is the assertion of Del., that by understanding Christ to be here referred to as the founder, we involve in confusion the entire course of argumentation. Such a view by no means necessitates the absurd conclusion that in that case Moses must be the house. For the thought may perfectly well be, that Moses, as servant, is only a member or a part of the house of which Christ is the founder. We can only say that the language does not speak directly and in terms of Christ, but has the form of a universal statement, and that there appears as yet no occasion to pass beyond the comparison immediately expressed in the text between the relation of Jesus to Moses and the relation of a founder to a house. But we involuntarily turn our thoughts upon Jesus, and are justified in applying the passage to Him, as the founder of that house of God which we Christians constitute.

Heb_3:4. For every house is established by some one: but he who established all things is God.—This is also a general statement of unquestionable correctness, forming a link between the premise and the conclusion, but neither the conclusion itself, nor a remark merely incidental and parenthetical. If Christ is founder of the true Theocracy, it follows not from this that He has reared this house alongside of that which was established through the instrumentality of Moses. The general statement that God is the universal founder and establisher, who has placed Jesus, as He formerly did Moses, in His historical position [as founder of His New Testament house], would rather and simply suggest that the Theocracy founded by Jesus is in correspondence with the will of God. [And also, perhaps, it incidentally illustrates the way in which both Moses and Jesus could be faithful—the ground on which fidelity could be predicated of them, viz., that while each of these was a founder in his respective sphere, yet each worked under God as supreme founder, and to whom, therefore, both stood responsible.—K.].

Many older expositors have erroneously regarded (with Theodoret) θεός as predicate, and found in it a proof passage for the divinity of Jesus, whom they assumed to be the subject. So also Otto, who, by οἶκος, Heb_3:3, understands specially the house of God, and thus paraphrases the following (p. 87 and 96): “For every house is founded by some one (but to meet and supply all its needs is in the power of none). He who has furnished the house with every thing (as Jesus, for example, has supplied it with all that was needful for time and eternity),—such an one is all-powerful,—such an one must be Divine (θεός).” But the absence of the article involves no necessity of assuming this construction, for θεός here has nearly the force of a proper name; and the connection is opposed to it. [Alford: “Apart from the extreme harshness and forcing of the construction to bring out this meaning, the sentiment itself is entirely irrelevant here. If the writer was proving Christ to be greater than Moses, inasmuch as He is God, the founder of all things, then clearly the mere assertion of this fact would have sufficed for the proof, without entering on any other consideration; nay, after such an assertion, all minor considerations would have been not only superfluous, but preposterous. He does, however, after this, distinctly go into the consideration of Christ being faithful, not as a servant, but as a Son, so that he cannot be here speaking of his Deity as a ground of superiority”].

Πᾶς οἰ̄κος designates not the house in all its parts, the whole house, but according to the usage of our Epistle Heb_5:1; Heb_5:13; Heb_8:3 [and correct classical usage], every house. They who refer the previous clause (ὁ κατασκευάσας αὐτόν) directly to Jesus, interpolate the idea that the question is here answered how fidelity can be predicated of Jesus, at the same time that He is asserted to be the founder of the Theocracy. The solution then is this: The Theocracy stands in the same category with every household, in that it must have a [subordinate] founder; while it yet remains true that God is the causa prima of each and all (Thol., Ebr., etc.) But the question itself, raising such a query, and demanding a solution, is entirely gratuitous: inasmuch as the Messiah has been from the outset designated as Son, and in the most definite manner declared to be the Mediator of Revelation and Redemption, as well as Mediator of the creation and government of the world. In these relations then the matter of His fidelity has of course already come up and been disposed of. This point is no longer under discussion; the topic now under consideration is the relation of him who has founded a house to the house. And as God is the supreme and universal founder, the Theocracy, as well in its Christian as in its Mosaic form, must be referred back to Him. And in perfect harmony with this view is the fact that a little before God is styled in reference to the Messiah ὁ ποιήσας αὐτόν, and that it is only by this view that the following verse (Heb_3:5) is brought into logical connection with Heb_3:3, as legitimately authorizing its assertion of the superior glory (δόξα) of Christ. [That is: Heb_3:3, Christ, the founder of the New Testament house, is declared to have been deemed worthy of higher glory than Moses, by all the difference between the founder of the house and the house itself. Then Heb_3:4 reminds us that the New Testament house, as well as the Old Testament Mosaic house, was also founded under the ultimate and supreme direction of God, whence Moses and Christ, both in their respective positions, sustained direct relations to God, each having been placed, constituted, viz. ποιήσας, by God in his position. Consequently we are prepared at Heb_3:5, to see the different relation which these two personages sustained to the house, on the one hand, and to God as the common founder, on the other; Moses being a servant, and Christ a Son; Moses being in the house and a part of it, and Christ over it. Yet I cannot see, after all, any very essential difference between the author’s view of the force of ὁ δὲ κατασκευάσας, and that of Ebrard and Tholuck, which he rejects. Ebrard makes it declare God the supreme founder, and thus answer the implied question, how Christ as founder could have fidelity predicated of Him. Moll says: that “as God is the universal founder, therefore, the Theocracy, in its Christian as well as in its Mosaic form, must be referred back to Him.” This comes to near the same thing as the other. Both make the passage put God as universal and supreme founder into His true relation to both Moses and Jesus in their respective spheres. But with respect to the statement of Moll, regarding the Mediatorship of the Son, he seems to me to put the Son’s mediatorship in the creation and government of the world, as eternal Logos, one and equal with the Father, too nearly on a level with His Mediatorship in His humbled and servile character as Redeemer. In the latter the question of His fidelity is indeed often raised, and is absolutely vital: in the former relation, I do not remember where the term πιστός is applied to Him, and I scarcely see how it could be without derogating from His divine dignity.—K]. Riehm’s opinion, (Lehrbegriff, I. 310) that Christ is designated as the founder of the Old Testament kingdom of God, and that Moses has held his position in it as assigned by Christ, cannot be substantiated by an appeal to the doctrine of our Epistle, that the Son is the Mediator of every form of divine agency that is directed to the world. It is here decidedly to be rejected, because the subject of discourse is here specially Jesus, the Messiah, as actually and historically manifested.

[Moll’s exposition of this difficult and vexed passage seems to labor under obscurity from his having failed to do justice to the elliptical character of the passage. The first thing, it seems to me, to be settled, is whether Moses and Christ are conceived by the author, as both in one house of God, or as in two, i.e., each in that respectively to which God had assigned him. This Alford, following Delitzsch, denies, maintaining that both are in one house of God, Moses as servant, and Christ as Son, and that the force and “strictness of the comparison” requires this. It seems to me that this confounding of the houses in which Moses and Christ were, raises at once an inexplicable difficulty. The question arises, How could Moses be in a house which was not reared or founded until by Christ, many centuries after? Or, how could Jesus found or rear a house in which Moses had officiated as servant, many centuries before? For that Christ founded or reared the New Testament house of God, is certain, and Christ, on the other hand, did not rear the Old Testament house of God; for Christ, the God-man, the Mediator, Jesus, had not then an existence. And to bring in here the Logos, the Eternal Son, as founding the Old Testament economy, is entirely out of the question; for with Him as such, the passage has nothing to do. The comparison is between Moses and Jesus, and by the whole tenor and sentiment of the Epistle, it is between Moses, as the servant of God in founding the Old Testament or Jewish economy, in rearing the house of God in its Old Testament form, and Jesus, in founding the New Testament economy—in rearing the house of God in its New Testament form. The comparison is between the two historical characters in the work which each respectively had performed. And it matters not that the two houses—the house of Moses and the house of Jesus—are in their deepest significance one house—as they certainly are—both God’s house—yet for the purposes, and in the representation of the author, they are different houses—the one an earthly, transitory, typical house, the other a heavenly, spiritual, imperishable house. In these two houses, respectively stand Moses and Jesus; both raised up of God, made, constituted (see ποιήσας applied to Moses, 1Sa_12:6, and to Jesus, Heb_3:2, I have little doubt the latter suggested by the former)—each for his special work. Each was a founder, an institutor, inaugurator,—Moses of the Old Testament economy, Jesus of the New Testament economy. Each had the high honor of being appointed by God as the introducer and inaugurator of His respective system. But each was not only a founder, he was also a servant: Moses a servant (θεράπων, often so called in the Sept.); Jesus still more manifestly and deeply a servant (δοῦλος, διάκονος); yet both faithful in both relations. Moses was faithful as a founder under God, of the old economy, and as a servant in it; Christ was faithful as a founder, under God, of the new economy, and as a servant in it. Thus far the resemblance; now the contrast. Moses, while apparently a founder of the old economy, a builder of the Old Testament house, was in reality only a servant in it; his highest function was purely ministerial. Christ, while apparently, and indeed really a servant in the New Testament house, yet in reality was a Son over it; His character of servant was but secondary and temporary; His highest and trne nature was that of Son. Thus Moses, the apparent builder of the Old Testament house, yet in reality and ultimately sinks to the level of the house, and becomes a part of it. Jesus, the builder of the New Testament house, and also seemingly an humble servant in it, yet ultimately rises completely above this servile condition, and by virtue of His essential equality and identity with God, the Supreme Founder of all things, becomes precisely as much superior to Moses as the founder of the house which He truly and absolutely was, is to the house itself, to which Moses only belonged as a part. The paradox, it is perceived, is a necessary one. It grows out of the double nature of the great Head of the New Testament Church. Lower than the angels, He yet rises in position, as He was in essential nature, infinitely above them. Appearing lower than Moses—as much lower as a δοῦλος, slave, is lower than a θεράπων, voluntary attendant, He yet rises transcendently and infinitely above him, by virtue of that nature which He shared in common with the eternal Father. I should, therefore, paraphrase the exceedingly elliptical passage somewhat as follows, reminding the reader that the facts regarding the positions both of Moses and of Christ—and certainly of the former—were so well-known, that the author, in his comparison, could safely presuppose them: “Consider—Jesus, who was faithful in the New Testament house of God to Him who constituted Him as builder and servant, as also Moses was faithful in all God’s Old Testament house to Him who constituted him builder and servant in it. For Jesus has been deemed worthy of, and been advanced to, higher glory than Moses, by how much the builder of the house has more honor than the house. For every house (and of course, therefore, the Old and the New Testament houses) must be founded immediately and secondarily by some one, as was the former by Moses, and the latter by Jesus; but He who ultimately and absolutely founded all things, and therefore was ultimate and supreme founder of these, was God. And while Moses, though apparent and formal founder of the Old Testament house, was in reality in his highest nature, but in it, and strictly but a part of it, Jesus, the founder of the New Testament house, though apparently a servant in it, was, in reality, and in His highest nature, as Son, equal with and substantially identical with the absolute and Supreme Founder Himself.”—This paraphrase introduces no elements into the comparison which are not presupposed in it, and which do not lie on the very face of the historical facts. It simply says thus: Moses and Jesus, each a founder of and a servant in the Old and the New Testament Theocracy respectively; each appointed of God and each faithful; but Moses, after all, only faithful as a servant, who was thus but part of the house; but Christ faithful as a Son, who was, therefore, in spite of His servile appearance, equal with the Supreme Founder Himself.

The only point on which there can be doubt, is as to the dual nature of the house of God; but I confess I do not see how there can be legitimate doubt on this point. Moll himself, who with most, denies this duality, is yet obliged to speak of the house of God “in its Old and its New Testament form,” and I suppose he could hardly deny that Moses was founder or rearer of the house in its Old Testament form, as was Jesus of the house in its New Testament form. But this comes very nearly to the same thing as affirming two houses. None can doubt that ultimately, and in their deepest meaning, they were indeed identical; i.e., both were not only from one Supreme Founder, but stood in close connection with the same great economy of salvation. But formally, and historically, and according to the whole scope and treatment of our author, they were different; as different as the Mosaic Tabernacle in which Aaron ministered, and the heavenly Tabernacle in which Christ ministered; as different as were the many animal sacrifices of the one, from the single spiritual and life-giving offering of the other. The Old Testament house of God which Moses reared, but in which he was but servant, was earthly, material, typical and transitory; the New Testament house of God which Jesus reared, apparently a servant, but in reality a Son and Lord, is heavenly, spiritual, archetypal and eternal.—K.].

Heb_3:5. And while Moses indeed is faithful, etc.—Moses, as well as Christ, has been raised up, set, forth by God, and designated in his fidelity, not merely for an individual service, or for a special department of action in the administration of God’s house, and his agency and fidelity stand in relation to the entire Theocracy. But (as shown by the Μωυσῆς μέν, Moses indeed, within this similar relation, which is common to Moses and Christ, we are to recognize a profound and fundamental difference in the two persons. Moses has officiated as a servant, by no means indeed as a slave (δοῦλος), or as a domestic servant, or menial, (οἰκέτης), but (Wis_10:16) as a θεράπων, a word always implying voluntary subordination, and willing and honorable service. But at the same time all this has been but typical and preparatory. The λαληθησόμενα are not the revelations which Moses was hereafter himself to receive, thus requiring the translation: “in order to render testimony to that which was then to be spoken.” Bleek, De W., Thol., Lün., so understanding the words, refer them specially to the law; Riehm reminds us of the expression, Num_12:8, στόμα κατὰ στόμα λαλήσω αὐτῶ. These words, it is true, indicated the definite point in the life of Moses in which to him himself future revelations were promised. But the question is here no longer of the resemblance between Jesus and Moses, in fidelity to their respective vocations, but of the elevation of Christ above Moses, which, in fact, receives attestation even from the fidelity of Moses, who scrupulously held himself entirely within his prescribed sphere. The term refers therefore to those revelations to whose necessity the very ministry of Moses renders in all respects its testimony; and these, too, are not the revelations of later prophecy, nor specially, again, the declarations contained in our Epistle. They are rather those which have been disclosed in full perfection in the Son, John 5:49 (Erasm., Calv., Ebr., Hofm., Del., etc.). Precisely for this reason the name now employed is not Ἰησοῦς, but χριστός.

Heb_3:6. Yet Christ as a Son over his house, whose house are we.—The reading, ὅς, instead of οὗ, in Heb_3:6, is critically unsustained, and the article is wanting before οἶκος, as frequently before θεός, νόμος, and similar familiar terms. The house is still the Theocracy in which Moses served, but at the head of which stands Christ, who, as Son of Him who appointed Him, and erected the house, receives a position of authority and preëminence, and inasmuch as He, as Son of God, is not merely Lord and Heir of all possessions, but the essential agent in originating and procuring them, has a corresponding glory. These declarations, with which the Epistle opens, could not possibly remain unregarded by the readers. But with them the representation here given stands in the most perfect harmony, and ὡς υἱός emphatically precedes, because, while even a servant of higher grade might be entrusted with the management of a household, yet this would leave the specific distinction between Christ and Moses entirely unexpressed. For this reason we are neither to refer αὐτοῦ, Heb_3:5, to God, and ἀυτοῦ, Heb_3:6, to Christ (Œcum., Bl., De W., etc.), as if designing to place in contrast the fact that Moses has his special position in an alien house, but Christ in His own; nor are these genitives to be regarded as genitives of reference=in his, i.e., in the house assigned to him (Ebr., who speaks confusedly of two houses); but they both refer grammatically to God (Chrys., Theod., Calv., Lun., Del., etc.), as does also the relative οὗ, although referring as matter of fact to the Christian dispensation; for this is quite frequently called the house of God, Heb_10:21; 1Co_3:9; 1Co_3:16; 2Co_6:16; Eph_2:22; 1Ti_3:15; 1Pe_4:17; 1Pe_2:5; but never the house of Christ. We give most emphasis to the contrast by simply supplying ἐστίν with χριστὸς δὲ—αὐτοῦ (Erasm., Grot., Del., etc.), while the supplying of πιστός ἐστιν is yet undoubtedly admissible, Heb_10:21; Mat_25:21 (Bez., Grot., Thol., etc.); not, however, twice (Bl., De W., Bisp.)=Christ (is faithful) as a Son over his house (is faithful). The ὡς cannot here signify quemadmodum, but simply ut.

Provided that we hold fast the confidence and the glorying of our hope, etc.—Christianity, as such, bears the above assigned character of the ‘house of God;’ hence exclusion from the temple need occasion no anxiety to the Church. But whether, as a Church, we preserve this character (not whether we are permitted personally to apply to ourselves this designation, or to regard ourselves as this house), depends on the fulfilment of the requisite condition. The παῤῥησία denotes here, as Heb_4:16; Heb_10:19; Heb_10:35; not bold confession (Grot., etc.), but resolute confidence, and triumphant joyfulness of faith, corresponding to the πληροφορία τῆς ἐλπίδος mentioned Heb_6:11, which gives to itself a corresponding expression, even in the most unfavorable circumstances. This expression the ὁμολογία τῆς ἐλπίδος, Heb_10:23, is here called καύχημα, which denotes the result of the act of glorying (καύχησις), not glorying itself (Bl., etc.), and not the mere object of glorying (Lün.). The ἐλπίς denotes, in a specifically Christian sense, the hope of the perfect consummation of the Kingdom of God, and of participation therein. For this reason μέχρι τέλους refers not to the death of the individual (Schlicht., Grot., Kuin.), but to the end of the present order of things.

DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL

1. The connection of Christians among one another has its peculiar character, as that of a holy association, in the fact that it, as a fellowship of the children of God, who are called to the Kingdom of Heaven, received its beginning, its progress, and perfection, alone through its living connection with the historical God-Man. It is hence charged with the duty, not merely of recognizing this relation, but also of expressing it in confession and in action, and hence, in imitation of, and likeness to Christ, of appropriating to itself His fidelity, as a principle which lies at the very basis of perfection in life.

2. In their fidelity, in their respective vocations, towards God who has given to His messengers their respective historical position, appears a striking parallel between Jesus and Moses, inasmuch as the vocation of both has special reference to the establishment of the kingdom of God among men. It is by this that Moses takes precedence above all the prophets and messengers of God in the Old Covenant. But the infinite elevation of Jesus Christ is not, in this respect, in the slightest degree disparaged; but within the limits of the parallel stands forth sharply and clearly. Moses was neither priest nor king, but within the Theocracy, to whose establishment his ministry and fidelity had reference, was a servant, and so served that the true theocracy was designated by Himself as still in the future. Christ, on the contrary, is a High-Priest and for this reason, inasmuch as redemption was accomplished through His sacrifice of Himself, He announces, at the same time, a present salvation; and again, because He is Son He appears, indeed, as a messenger of God, but is, at the same time, ruler over the kingdom of God, and not one of its servants and citizens.

3. The confession of Christians has, as its specific subject, the historical God-man, and Him, as one who in His essential agency appears as, at one and the same time, the author and the herald of salvation. This confession is the original, universal, and comprehensive confession of the primitive church. It is the fundamental, Apostolical, Scriptural testimony, which, as such, is not merely to regulate subsequent developments, but also, as an expression of the living faith of the Church, has, to direct individual souls in their impulses of thought, feeling, and will, toward the person of that Saviour, who, as Son of God, possesses an incomparable elevation, an everlasting ministry, and a Divine ubiquity.

4. The actual earthly ministry of Jesus, with its beginning in time, within local relations, and under given conditions, by no means reduces Him as a historical personage, to the level of a creature. Nor is this result produced by the fact that the life of the God-man has an actual historical commencement. For although the commencement of the life, and the ministry of Jesus may, and must, on the one hand, be regarded as determined, and at a definite point of time, originated by the will and power of God, yet, on the other, we must maintain with equal emphasis the self-determining purpose and act of the Son of God by which, in time as well as in eternity, He kept Himself in undisturbed harmony with the will of His Father. For the Holy Scripture says no less that He came—Mat_9:13; Mat_18:11; Joh_16:28; Joh_18:37, than that He was sent, Mat_10:40; Joh_20:21, and lays no less emphasis upon His offering Himself in sacrifice (Joh_10:17-18; Eph_5:2; Heb_7:27), than upon His being delivered up for the expiation of the sins of the world (Rom_8:32; Joh_3:16; 1Jn_4:10). Neither again has the man Jesus at any time received or acquired the Divine nature; nor has the preëxistent Son of God so “emptied Himself” in His incarnation, that a complete destitution of the essence of the Logos, even to the extent of an unconsciousness of the commencement of life, existed in the human embryo. But the uncreated Son of God received, at the incarnation, human nature into the personal unity of an actual theanthropic consciousness and life. If the carrying out of the doctrine of the communicatio idiomatum, led in fact to that conception of the κένωσις which we have just denied, which Gess. (The Doctrine of the Person of Christ, Basle, 1856) has most unqualifiedly developed, it were then high time to surrender this form of our doctrine for the sake of preserving its real substance. The inconsequence of the earlier Lutheran theologians, who denied the applicability of the intrinsically possible fourth kind of the communicatio idiomatum argues a higher mode of thinking, and is substantially more correct than the formal consistency of many recent divines; but still shows the necessity of a reconstruction of this doctrinal formula which, in the form it has hitherto held, is untenable.

5. In that the same God who brought forward Moses upon the stage of history, in like manner brought forward Jesus, any internal contradiction between the Mosaic and the Christian Theocracy is out of the question; while at the same time the fidelity of these two persons who are brought into comparison—a fidelity having reference to the theocracy in its collective character as a house of God—furnishes a pledge that in both cases the founding and arrangement of the house in question has been made in entire accordance with the Divine will. But the diversity of the two persons introduces a corresponding diversity of the Mosaic and the Christian Theocracy. And equally also from the diversity of the economies, which, as a matter of fact, comes first under our eyes, we may reason back to the diversity of the persons. And this diversity is not barely that relative diversity expressing itself in a merely negative way, which the synagogal Midrash expresses in the words (Jalkut on Isa_52:13): “the servant of Jehovah, the King Messiah, will be more venerable than Abraham, more exalted than Moses, higher than the angels of the service;” but it is the positive and absolute distinction between preparation and fulfilment on the one hand, and between a creaturely servant, and a son and lord equal with God, upon the other.

6. “Moses prophesied, not only by his vocation, and his fidelity in that vocation, but also by his testimony (Joh_5:47) to the Son, the Apostle of the final salvation. None the less did the Old Testament house of God, in which Moses had the employment of a servant, viz., the Old Testament Church, which had, as its central point, the ‘tabernacle of testimony’ (Act_7:44; Rev_15:5), with its typical furniture and administration, prophesy of the New Testament house of God, over which Christ is placed as Son, viz., the New Testament Church which has its central point in Christ, in whom God appeared incarnate, and in whom as antitype that tabernacling (σκήνωσις) of God among men which was prefigured in the Old Testament tabernacle (σκηνή), has thus been realized.” Del.

7. Christ is not, indeed, ashamed to call us His brethren; and He has in reality become truly man, and by circumcision has subjected Himself to the Jewish law (Gal_4:4), and become incorporated with the Israelite people of God. But in respect to the New Testament people of God, He is not a member, but Head and Lord. He is, indeed, “the first-born among many brethren” (Rom_8:29); and, by that completed and perfected life on which our Epistle lays special stress, holds a relationship to men who, by regeneration, become children of God, and becomes a type and pattern to all who are perfected through Him. But the expression “first-born” points to His relation to those who, after the resurrection, are perfected in the Messianic kingdom (Heb_1:5; Col_1:18; Rev_1:5). In His essential being, He is chief of the creation (Rev_3:14), and πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως (Col_1:15). The attributes which are ascribed to the Son in the opening of our Epistle, forbid our assigning to this term, in the present section, any other signification than that He who, as Son of the Universal Founder, is elevated over the house of God, is essentially equal to Him, so that an indirect proof of the deity of Jesus Christ may be drawn from this passage.

8. While the mention of the fidelity of Jesus reminds us, indeed, of His moral perfection, and the comparison of His vocation with that of Moses, reminds us of His agency in establishing a new relation of man to God, in a new covenant and kingdom; while the mention, at the same time, of the filial nature and imperial dignity of Jesus Christ rises above and beyond the sphere of mere morality and natural religion; and the whole tenor of Scripture forbids our interpreting the language used in such a way as to favor the subordinatian and Arian heresy,—so, on the other hand, the declaration that God “made Him,” and has “founded all things,” precludes the interpretation which merges the Father in the Son, and yet lends no countenance to Monarchianism or Unitarianism.

9. “Calling” (κλῆσις) denotes not merely an invitation into the kingdom of God by means of preaching. To this conception of a “called” one (κλητός), as occurring in the parables of Jesus (Mat_20:16; Mat_22:14), and there without doctrinal import, but simply standing in inseparable connection with the depicting of well-known usages and customs, corresponds in our Epistle, the term εὐηγγελισμένος, Heb_4:2, or εὐαγγελθείς (Heb_4:6). The κλητός, on the contrary, is, precisely as with Paul, one in whom the gracious call has been made effectual. He is one destined for the Messianic salvation (Heb_1:14), for the eternal inheritance (Heb_9:15), which is the substance of the ἐπαγγελία, Heb_6:17, has His citizenship in heaven, Heb_12:23, and has been given by the Father to the Son, Heb_2:13, and by a Divine act, in which the eternal purpose of grace realizes itself in time in the case of individuals, has become, by means of the preached Word, an actual member of the Church which is destined to eternal salvation. But since the Word of God works, not magically, but spiritually, and, as a condition of its saving efficacy, requires repentance and faith (as unfolded in the passage immediately following), steadfastness in a gracious state and the attainment of perfection, are secured by our imitation of the fidelity of Jesus Christ.

HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL

The duty of fidelity 1. in its ground and reason in our relation to God; 2. in its extent in the calling assigned to us; 3. in its patterns in the servant and in the Son of God; 4. in its blessings, in securing to us the joys of salvation; 5. in its cultivation within and by means of the Church.—Moses and Christ 1. in their resemblance, a. as sent of God; b. of unimpeached fidelity; c. in the aggregate nature of their vocation, as having reference to the establishment of the kingdom of God; 2. in their diversity, a. in position and office; b. in their nature and history; c. in their influence and the honor conferred upon them.—We are the house of God; 1. in what sense? 2. under what conditions? 3. with what obligations?—What in the confession of our faith have we principally to regard? That it be 1. true in its substance; 2. clear in its expression; 3. sure in its living power; 4. correct in its grounds; 5. adapted to its ultimate end.—If the hope of our calling is to be fulfilled in us, then 1. our calling must become effectual in us, a. in its heavenly character, b. under a gracious Divine influence, c. within the sphere of the Christian brotherhood; and 2. our hope must express, a. in its confidence, faith, b. in its glorying, a living power, c. in its steadfastness, the fidelity of the servants and children of God.—Even those who are placed highest among us should not cease to be 1. servants of the true God; 2. members of the house of God; 3. imitators of the Son of God.—Also the humblest among us must not forget 1. that God has founded and established all things, and 2. that they are partakers of a heavenly calling.—The beginning in Christianity is harder than the beginning in any earthly work; yet the beginning in Christianity is easier than steadfast perseverance to the end.—Complain not of God if thou hast no hope of salvation, but murmur 1. against thine unbelief in the heavenly calling: 2. against thine unfaithfulness in the service committed to thee; 3. against thy negligence in using the gracious means of salvation.—The blessings of Christian church-fellowship and life, correspond in the Divine arrangements 1. to the tasks which we have to fulfil; 2. to the dangers which threaten us; 3. to our essential needs.—The confession, whose obligation rests upon us, urges us 1. to a joyful faith which we are unanimously to profess; 2. to a holy love which we are fraternally to exercise; 3. to a blessed hope which we are faithfully to maintain unto the end.—We are called 1. by a heavenly calling; 2. into a holy fellowship; 3. to the inheritance of the Son of God.

Berlenburger Bible:—Stability of doctrine takes the lead; to this, therefore, stability on our part must be added, not from our own powers, but from grace. We must look to it that we do not fall from our own steadfastness (2Pe_3:17). In this we should place the glory of our religion.

Starke:—That which was required to be said, and actually is said of the ways of God, demands to be heard, and received with faith. Blessed, therefore, are ye who hear and keep the word of God (Luk_11:29).—What avails it to have begun in the spirit and to end in the flesh? The end crowns the work.—It is a great dignity of believers that they are, and are called the house of God. Angels are called, indeed, thrones (Col_1:16), but never the house of God; but believers are so named, alike on account of the essential, and on account of the gracious presence of God, by which He dwells in them. This house, Jesus Christ as the true light, illuminates by virtue of His prophetic office; He sanctifies it by virtue of His high-priestly office, whence it is called (1Pe_2:5) a spiritual house; He maintains and protects it by virtue of His kingly office. But as He dwells in this house so is He also its foundation upon which it is built (1Co_3:11; Eph_2:20; 1Pe_2:6).

Laurentius:—Believers may take courage; they are the house and temple of God.—In faith firmness is requisite.

Von Bogatzky:—But believers, even the most dull-eyed, see that they cannot too much trust in our God, and cannot so much hope in Him that they do not always need to arouse themselves still more, to this confidence and this hope. For there are always many things which would fain take from us confidence, faith, and hope; therefore should we hold all fast, and in such trust and such hope, not allow even our short-comings to render us weak and unstable.

Steinhofer:—Faith and the confession of faith before God and men, are the two things demanded of a Christian in the Gospel of the new covenant (Rom_10:4).—By faith we come, really to a blessed enjoyment of grace, and to an essential communion with the Father and with the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; and by the confession of this faith, we come, at the same time, into the joint partnership of those who have received the like precious faith, and have Jesus as their Lord and Head.—From all that transpires in the house of God we may discover that the eternal Son, whom the whole creation has got to recognize as its Creator and Lord, is in especial the God and Lord of sinners.—O Thou who art faithfulness, make us faithful to Thee!

Hahn:—He who has directed his look toward Christ will have ample encouragement to fidelity, and will all the more look to it that it be not found wanting in him.—The faithfulness of all the servants of Christ is but a weak and shadowy image of the faithfulness of Christ our Lord.

Rieger:—As an apostle, Jesus has brought to us the testimony of God, as High-Priest; He manages our cause with God; and faith recognizes Him, or accepts Him for that for which He has been made unto us of God. Confidence, and the glorying of hope, are the bands by which this house, this divine race, are united with its head, and the call to one faith, and to one hope of their calling, unites also among one another these members of the household, provided only they hold fast to their profession.—Stier:—That house of God, wherein Moses is called faithful, was only the forecourt and the beginning of the structure which only appears entirely completed in Christ.—Fricke:—With the coming of Christ the house of God appears completed; all is ready; we need only to enter in; but if we enter in, we shall be ourselves (1Pe_2:5) living stones in this house.

[Owen:—That men be brethren, properly and strictly, it is required that they have one father, be of one family, and be equally interested in the privileges and advantages thereof. The saint’s calling is heavenly, 1. from the fountain and principal cause of it; 2. in respect of the means whereby it is wrought, which are spiritual and heavenly (the word and the Spirit, both from above); 3. of the end, which is to heaven and heavenly things, wherein lies the hope of our calling. All true and real professors of the Gospel are sanctified by the Holy Ghost, and made truly and really holy.—No man comes into a useful, saving knowledge of Jesus Christ in the Gospel, but by virtue of an effectual, heavenly calling.—The spiritual mysteries of the Gospel, especially those which concern the person and offices of Christ, require deep, diligent and attentive consideration.—Solomon’s merchants would not have gone to Ophir had there not been gold there as well as apes and peacocks.—The business of God with sinners could be no way transacted but by the negotiation and embassy of the Son. It was necessary that God’s Apostle unto sinners should, in the whole discharge of His office, be furnished with a full comprehension of the whole mind of God, as to the affair committed to Him. Now, this never any was, nor ever can be capable of, but only Jesus Christ, the Son of God.—Truths to be believed are like believers themselves; all their life, power, and order consist in their relation unto Christ; separated from Him they are dead and useless.—The builders of the New Testament church are servants; (1) they act by virtue of commission, from Him who is the only Lord and ruler of it: (2) it is required of them as servants, to observe and obey the commands of their Lord; (3) as servants they are accountable; (4) as servants they shall have their reward.—It is an eminent privilege to be the house of Christ, or a part of it; “Whose house are we.”—Although these “living stones” are continually removed, some from the lower rooms in this house in grace to the higher stories in glory, yet not one atone of it is, or shall be lost for ever.—Interest in the Gospel gives sufficient cause of confidence and rejoicing in every condition.].

Footnotes:

[1]Heb_3:1.—The simple Ἰησοῦν has in its favor the usage of the Epistle, and the authority of A. B. C.* D.* xvii. 34. [So Alf., Lün., etc.].

[2]Heb_3:2.—The ὅλῳ is sustained by the authority of Sin. A. C. D. E. K. L. M., and by the fact of its being found in the passage (Num_12:7), which is virtually cited by the author.

[3]Heb_3:4.—Instead of τὰ πάντα we should read barely πάντα after Sin. A. B. C.* D.* E.* K. M., 17, 53.

[4]Heb_3:6.—Μέχρι τέλους βεβαίαν is, since Mill, regarded by some as a gloss transferred from Heb_3:14, and is harsh, though not without classical analogies. [It is harsh as to gender, overleaping καύχημα, and going back to the preceding παῤῥησίαν, or possibly determined by ἐλπίδος. A more serious objection is the repetition of so marked a phrase in two passages so near each other (Heb_10:6; Heb_10:14), which, as Del. well observes, is singular in so careful and practised a writer. Hence Del., with Tisch., expunges it; Bleek, De Wette, Thol., Lün., retain it.—K.]. It is sustained by Sin. A. C. D. E. K. L. M.

[5][Regarding the fidelity of Moses Owen speaks thus: “Moses was faithful. It is true he failed personally in his faith, and was charged of God in that he believed Him not (Num_20:12); but this was in respect of his own faith in one particular, and is no impeachment of his faithfulness in the special office intended. As he was the Apostle, the ambassador of God, to reveal His mind, and institute His worship, he was universally faithful: for he declared and did all things according to His will and appointment, by the testimony of God Himself, Exo_40:16, ‘According to all that the Lord commanded him so did he.’ He withheld nothing of what God revealed or commanded, nor did he add any thing thereunto; and herein did his faithfulness consist”].

Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures (Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical), ed. John Peter Lange, English translation edited by Philip Schaff (1864–1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Hebrews

CONSIDER JESUS

Heb 3:1

THE kinds of consideration enjoined in these two exhortations are somewhat different. The former of them is expressed by a word which means fixed attention and close scrutiny. It is employed, for instance, by our Lord in His injunctions to consider the ravens and the lilies, and by Peter in his account of his vision of the great sheet let down from heaven, upon which, when he had fixed his eye, he considered. Such a fastened gaze of awakened interest and steady contemplation, the writer would have all who are partakers of the heavenly calling to direct upon Jesus.

The other exhortation refers to a specific kind of contemplation. The word might almost be rendered ‘compare,’ for it means to weigh one thing in relation to another. It is the contemplation of comparison which is meant. What or whom is the comparison to be drawn between? Jesus, as the Leader of the great host of the faithful, and ourselves. The main point of comparison is to be found in the difficulties of the Christian life. Think what he has borne and what you have to bear; how He bore it and where, having borne it, He is now. The Captain has sustained the whole brunt of the assault and has conquered. Think of Him and be brave, and lift up the hands that hang down, and confirm the feeble knees.

So, then, throwing these two injunctions together, we may regard them as impressing upon us an all-important exercise of mind and heart, without which there can be no vigorous Christian life, and which, I fear me, is woefully neglected by the average Christian to-day.

I. I ask you to think first of this gaze of the Christian soul ‘Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.’

I have said that the word implies an awakened interest, a fixed and steady gaze; and that is almost the Alpha and the Omega of the Christian life. So to live in the continual contemplation of Jesus our Pattern and our Redeemer is the secret of all Christian vitality and vigour. There must he no languid look, as between half-opened eyelids, as men look upon some object in which they have little interest, but there must be the sharpened gaze of interested expectancy, believing that in Him on whom we look there lie yet undiscovered depths, and yet undreamed-of powers, which may be communicated to us.

There must be not only the sharpened look of contemplation, but there must he a very considerable protraction of the gaze. You will never see Jesus Christ if you look at Him only by snatches for a moment, and then turn away the eye from Him, any more than a man who comes out from some brilliantly lighted and dazzling room into the darkness, as it at first appears, of the midnight heavens, can see their glories. The focus of the eye must be accommodated to the object of vision, before there can be any real sight of Him. We must sit before Him, and be content to give time to the gaze, if we are to get any good out of it. Nobody sees the beauties of a country who hurries through it in an express train. These passing glances, which are all that so many of us can spare for the Master, are of little use in revealing Him to us. You do not feel Mont Blanc unless you sit and gaze and let the fair vision soak into your souls, and you cannot understand Jesus Christ, nor see anything in Him, unless you deal with Him in like fashion.

But if there be this steady and protracted contemplation of the Lord, then, amidst all the bustle of our daily life, and the many distractions which we all have to face, there will come sudden flashes of glory and the clouds will lift often, and let us see the whole white range in its majesty and sublimity. They who know what it is to come apart into a solitary place, and rest awhile with Him, will know what it is to bear the vision with them amid all the distractions of duty and the noise of the world.

There is no way by which we can bring an unseen person to have any real influence upon our lives except by the direction of our thoughts to Him. So if you professing Christian men and women will give your thoughts and your affections and the run of your minds to everything and everybody rather than to your Master, there is no wonder that your religion is of so little use to you, and brings so little blessing or power or nobleness into your lives. The root of weakness lies in the neglect of that solemn and indispensable duty to consider Jesus, in patient contemplation and steadfast beholding.

Now such thoughts as these, as to the relation between the protracted gaze and a true realisation of the Master’s presence, cast light upon such a question as the observance of the Sunday. I do not care to insist upon anybody keeping this day sacred for devout purposes unless he is a Christian man. I would not talk about the obligation, but about the privilege., And this I say, that unless you have a reservoir you will have empty pipes, and the water supply in your house will fail And unless you Christian men and women use this blessed breathing time, which is given to us week after week, in order to secure that quiet, continuous contemplation of the Master, which is almost impossible for most of us amidst the rush and hurry of the week day, your religion will always be a poor thing.

I know, of course, that we may be taunted with concentrating and clotting, as it were, devout contemplations into one day in seven, and then leaving all the rest of the week void of Christ, and may be told how much better is worship diffused through all life. But I am sure that the shortest way to have no religion at all is to have it only as a diffused religion. If it is to be diffused it must first be concentrated; and no man will carry Jesus Christ with him throughout the distractions of daily life who does not know what it is to be often in the secret place of the Most High, there in the silence of fixed spirit, to ‘consider Jesus Christ.’

Then let me remind you, too, that such a gaze as this is not to be attained without decisive effort. You have to cut off sidelights; just as a man will twist up a roll of paper and put it to his eye and shut Out everything on either side, if he wants to see the depth of colour in a picture. So we have to look away from much if we would look unto Christ, and to be contented to be blind to a great deal that is fascinating and dazzling, if we would be clear sighted as to the things that are far off. The eye of nature must be closed if the eye of the Spirit is to be opened. And if we are to see the things that are, we must resolutely shut out the false glories of the things that only do appear. For these are perishable, and the others are real and eternal.

II. Secondly, notice here a little more particularly the object of the Christian gaze.

We may dwell briefly in this connection upon the predicates of our Lord in these two verses. According to the true reading of the first of them we are to consider Jesus. The first thing that is to rivet our interested and continuous contemplation is the manhood of the Lord. That name Jesus is never used in this epistle, and seldom in any part of the New Testament, without the intention of especially emphasizing the humanity of Christ. It is that fair life, as it is unrolled before us in the pages of the Gospels, to which we are to look for illumination, for inspiration, for pattern and motive of service, and for all companionship in suffering and victory in warfare. ‘Consider Jesus,’ our Brother, the Man that has lived our life and died our death.

Note that we have to consider Him in His offices, ‘the Apostle and High Priest of our profession.’ This is the only instance in scripture in which the name ‘Apostle’ is given to our Lord. And of course it is here employed not in its technical, but in its wider and etymological sense. It means ‘one who is sent.’ The contrast floating in the writer’s mind is apparently between Jesus and Moses; the two men both of whom, though in different fashion, were God’s messengers to found a polity. Perhaps another contrast is floating in his mind, such as he has drawn out at length in the first chapter of this great epistle, between those by whom ‘at sundry times and in divers manners God spake unto the fathers’; and Him ‘by whom in these last days, He has, once for all, spoken unto us.’ Possibly there is also a contrast between Jesus Christ the Lord of the angels, and the ministering spirits who, the previous context tells us, ‘are sent forth to minister to them that shall be heirs of salvation’ The name thus lifts Christ above Moses, prophets, angels, and sets Him on a pedestal, as the sole and single Revealer of the will of God to the world. The Father sanctified and sent Him into the world to be the one communicator of His perfect Name. The completeness and uniqueness of our Lord’s revealing mission are expressed in that title.

The other side of what is needful for communion between God and man is expressed in the other designation, ‘the High Priest.’ Two things go to make complete communion - God’s revelation to us and our approach to God. Christ is the Agent of both. As the subsequent context - where this idea of High Priest is more fully developed - distinctly shows, the main ideas connected with it in the writer’s mind here, are intercession and sympathy. So on the one hand, as Apostle, He brings God to us; and on the other hand, as Priest, He brings us to God; and makes the golden link by which heaven and earth are united, and God tabernacles with man.

It is this Christ - not merely in His manhood, but in that manhood interpreted as being the medium of all revelation possible to the world, and as being, on the other hand, the medium of all the access that sinful men can have to God - it is this Christ whom we are to consider, not merely in the sweetness and gentleness and holiness of His lovely Manhood as recorded in the gospels, but in these mighty offices of which that Manhood was the discharge and the expression, whereby God dwells with man, and sinful men can dwell with God.

We hear a great deal in these days about Christianity being Christ and not doctrines. I say, too, Christianity is Christ, but I say it is the Christ whom these great truths proclaim to us that we have to grasp. And it is not enough to consider Jesus from a mere humanitarian point of view, nor will the consideration of Him be peace and power and holiness and life to men, unless they consider Him as the ‘Apostle and High Priest of their profession.’

And again, we have to consider not only the Manhood in itself, and the offices which that Manhood discharges, but also the sorrows through which it passes. That is the force of the second of my two texts. We have to think of that Lord, who is the Leader of all the great host of the faithful, whose praises have been sung in the magnificent roll-call of the eleventh chapter; and to turn away from their lesser struggles, and paler beauties, and less complete victories. We have to think of what Jesus Christ bore, of what was laid upon Him, of how He bore it, and of how He has been exalted now to the right hand of God. Compare our difficulties and trials with His, and think that these are the pattern for us; and that we have to tread the path which He trod. Then consider how insignificant ours are in comparison with His. The whole fury of the tempest broke upon Him. It is only the tail of the storm that comes to us. The whole force of the blow was sustained unfalteringly by the steadfast Christ. It is only the blunt sword which has glanced off His strong shoulder to smite us.

‘We need not seek a resting place

Where He we loved had none.’

And if we will ‘consider Him that endured,’ sorrow and difficulty and opposition in our Christian life will dwindle into a very little thing, and will become a token that as is the Master so is the servant.

III. Lastly, notice the blessings of this gaze.

First, let us consider Him for calmness amidst a world full of noise and confusion. We live in a time and in a city where life is very crowded; and the pressure of every day is almost more than some of us can bear. There is no relief from the continual agitation about trifles, from the hurry and bustle of this community and this country, as continuous, and in the truest point of view as aimless and insignificant as the running of ants upon an ant hill - except we live in the daily contemplation of Jesus Christ. Nothing will quiet a man like that. It gives a certain sense of remoteness, and a very positive conviction of insignificance, to what else is intrusively and obtrusively near, and fallaciously appears to be important to us. Christ’s voice quiets the storm.

‘On my soul

Looks Thy fair face and makes it still.’

If you would have inward calmness, without which life is busy slavery, ‘consider Jesus.’

Again, that gaze will help us to a fixed confidence amidst the fluctuations of opinion. We live in a day of unrest, when the foundations are being re- investigated, and the Tree of Life can scarcely grow because men are digging it up to look at its roots. Let us try to remember that the vital centre of all is Jesus, that faith is independent of criticism, and that if we can realise His presence in our lives in these great capacities of which I have been speaking, and as the Companion of our difficulties who has trodden the same path that we have to tread, then we can look very quietly upon all the unsolved questions which are important in their place, but which, however they are answered, do not touch that central fact and our possible relation to Him. ‘Consider Jesus,’ and then you will be able to say, ‘The things which can he shaken are removed that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.’ Ceremonies, churches, creeds, have all of them a human element, which will go. The divine Christ is the permanent in Christianity.

I might turn the word of my text in another direction for a moment, though it is a digression. After unbelieving theories have done their worst, I would say to the men who advocate them, ‘Consider Christ.’ Look at that fair vision. Where did it come from? Account for Him on any hypothesis but the truth of these four gospels. Account for His influence in the world on any hypothesis but His divine mission. You may talk till Doomsday, but you have to reckon with Jesus Christ, and to explain Him. Until you do, you have not established your negations. The reef on which so many goodly ships of unbelief have struck, and where their hulls lie broken and covered with the drifting sands of oblivion, is waiting for many a flaunting theory of today. ‘Consider Christ.’ That shatters anti-supernatural religion.

And, last of all, let us do it for diligence in service and patience in suffering. If we lay that fair image upon our hearts, it will lead to love, and love will make us toil in His service. If the sensitive plate be laid in the sunshine it will receive the image of the sun. If we consider Him, thereby, and not without such consideration, shall we become like Him.

As for our suffering and toils and difficulties, how they dwindle, and how easy patience is when we think of Him! Simon the Cyrenian had to carry the Cross after Christ, but we have only to carry a very little, light one, when compared with that which He bore and which bore Him. We compare our suffering with His, and are silent. We have to think of what He deserved and we deserve, and the blush comes to our cheeks. We have to remember how He bore, and how we have borne, and we are ashamed of our fretfulness and petulance. We have to think of Him at the right hand of God. The poor fighters in the arena can lift their eyes to the place where the Emperor sits between the purple curtains, and with the flashing axes of the guard round Him, and remembering that He, throned there, was once wrestling here as we are, and that we shall be throned with Him, the thought will make us bear the blows, and run the race, and face the lions. So, dear brother, the sure means of calmness amidst agitation, of confidence amidst the fluctuations of a restless age, of strenuous warfare, of diligent service, and patient endurance, lies here in the consideration of Christ. If we try to keep Him before our eyes life will be blessed. The secret of joy and peace on earth is the consideration of the Master by faith, and to see Him as He is will be the heaven of heaven. Here, the condition of holiness, joy, peace, power, is ‘consider Jesus’; and yonder the Charter of new felicities and new capacities will be, ‘Behold the Lamb.’ If we set Him at our right hand we shall not be moved, and shall walk in the light of His countenance on earth, and He will set us at His right hand in the heavens, where His servants shall serve Him and see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads.

Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture (1904–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

CHAPTER 3

1. As Son over the house of God, greater than Moses (Heb 3:1-6)

2. The danger of unbelief (Heb 3:7-13)

3. The need of faith (Heb 3:14-19)

Heb 3:1-6

He now addresses believing Hebrews as “holy brethren and partakers of the heavenly calling,” and exhorts them to consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus.” Hebrews address each other as “brethren” (Act 2:29; Act 7:2; Act 22:1). Believing Hebrews are here addressed by the Spirit of God as “holy brethren.” Trusting in Christ they were sanctified and belonged to those whom He is not ashamed to call brethren. They are called “partakers of the heavenly calling” in contrast with their former “earthly calling” of Israel. The two titles of the Lord Jesus, Apostle and High Priest, correspond to the preceding opening chapters of the Epistle. As Apostle (a Sent One), the Son of God came from God to man. And then as Man who suffered and died, He has gone from man to God as High Priest, typified by Aaron. As the Lord Jesus Christ is in this Epistle called the Apostle, the Spirit of God may have, for this reason, kept the pen of the apostle, who wrote this document, from calling himself an apostle.

Then follows the contrast with Moses. Moses was faithful in all his house (the tabernacle) but only as a servant. Christ is over God’s house, which He has built, for He is God. And in this house He is not a servant, but a Son. Both the universe and the Church, as the House of God, are here blended together. The house in the wilderness, the tabernacle, was a type of the universe. “And every house is built by some one, but He that built all things is God.” Christ is the builder of the universe, the house, and the upholder of it and so He is counted worthy of greater honor than Moses, inasmuch as He who hath built it hath more honor than the house. The Apostle of our confession, the Sent one of God, the Son of God, is also the High Priest. After His finished work on the cross, having made propitiation for the sins of the people, He passed through the heavens into the Holiest not made with hands. (The three parts of the tabernacle, the outer court, the holy part, and the Holiest typify the first, the second and the third heaven.) Ultimately in virtue of redemption, all having been cleansed by the blood, God will dwell in the house. “Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God” (Rev 21:3).

“And Moses verily was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after.” And those things have come and are given through Christ, who is Son over His house, whose house are we. This is His spiritual house, the house of God composed of living stones, the sanctified, the holy priesthood. The Son of God, the builder of all things, has now as High Priest, His own house, which are we “if we hold fast the confidence (boldness) and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” It is a warning to those Hebrews who had confessed Christ, who were facing trials and many difficulties, not to give up the confidence and the rejoicing in the hope. They are urged to hold it fast and are solemnly warned against unbelief. They were in danger of forsaking Christianity, and turning back to Judaism. And these words of warning are also given to us, for they are needful for the exercise of the conscience. A true believer will continue in confidence firm to the end. Such a continuance is the proof of the reality of our confession.

(“It is clearly not our standing which is in question; for this being wholly of God and in Christ is settled and sure and unchanging. There is no “if” either as to Christ’s work or as to the gospel of God’s grace. All there is unconditional grace to faith. The wilderness journey is before us (as the next verses show). Here it is that “if” has its necessary place, because it is our walk through the desert, where there are so many occasions of failure, and we need constant dependence in God.”)

Heb 3:7-13

The danger and calamity of unbelief is next called to their remembrance. Psa 95:1-11 is quoted. The Holy Spirit saith “Today if ye will hear His voice harden not your hearts.” Such was the word of warning addressed to Israel in the past, but it also has its application in the present. The word “today” expresses God’s wonderful patience and long suffering towards Israel as well as towards all during this age of grace. The “today” is now; the great morrow comes, when the “today” ends and the kingdom of power and glory with its attending judgments upon those who did not obey the gospel of Jesus Christ comes, and the once rejected King Messiah appears. The fathers of the Hebrews had tempted God in the wilderness. He was wroth with that generation and swore in His wrath “they shall not enter into My rest.” It was God’s solemn sentence of exclusion from His rest. They hardened their hearts, did not obey His voice and their unbelief shut them out from God’s rest.

Even so these Hebrews, professing Christianity were in the same danger. “Take heed brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in falling away from the living God.” But while it was “today,” God still waited to be gracious and so they were to exhort each other daily, lest any of them be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Danger surrounded them on every side. “The heart of unbelief which barred the land of Canaan from their natural fathers was yet within their flesh. Not only were the lusts of nature in their ordinary shape forever combating against the will of God, they were exposed also to a more specious, and therefore a more dangerous form of evil in the still existing rivalry which they who made their boast in their traditions were opposing to the cross of Christ. Of all the evils with which Satan can afflict the heart, atheism, religion without faith in God, is by very much the worst. For it lulls the conscience, while it weaves its web of unblessed, unsanctifying exercises about the heart’s affections so as effectually to exclude the light of God. It was to this peace-corroding yet seductive evil that these Hebrew Christians stood practically exposed.”

“Now the remedy and safeguard of all evil is the truth of God. It is only by listening to the word of Him who speaks to us as children with a knowledge of our need, that believers can be kept in their true place. The possession of truth in the way of doctrine is not enough. God daily speaks and must be daily heard if we would really know Him” (A. Pridham).

All this is true of God’s people at all times, for faith and obedience are the essential conditions of blessing and the tests of profession. God is faithful and will certainly not permit that any of His own perish. Faith reckons with this, but also heeds the warning, knowing and owning the tendency of the flesh to depart from God, and hence the need of His constant and never-failing grace is recognized and a walk in godly fear is the blessed result. There are teachers who claim that these solemn exhortations have no meaning for Christians today and even have made the statement that this epistle was not for the church at all. Such claims show a deplorable ignorance of the truth of God. All believers must heed the warning “that none of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”

(“Sin separates us from God in our thoughts; we have no longer the same sense either of His love, His power, or His interest in us. Confidence is lost. Hope, and the value of unseen things, diminish; while the value of things that are seen proportionately increases. The conscience is bad; one is not at ease with God. The path is hard and difficult; the will strengthens itself against Him. We no longer live by faith; visible things come in between us and God, and take possession of the heart. Where there is life, God warns by His Spirit (as in this epistle), He chastises and restores. Where it was only an outward influence, a faith devoid of life, and the conscience not reached, it is abandoned” J. N. Darby.)

Heb 3:14-19.

The need of faith, the holding fast of the beginning of our confidence unto the end, is now more fully presented. All Israelites came out of Egypt. But with whom was he wroth for forty years? it was with them that sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness. Their sin was unbelief And those who believed not were kept out of His rest. “So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief” What the rest of God is we shall follow in the annotations of the next paragraphs.

Arno C. Gaebelein, The Annotated Bible (1913–1922) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Heb 3:1

The Study of Jesus.

I. The Person of Christ is the great miracle and mystery of the universe enshrined in the Christian faith; and that is the object which we are invited perpetually to contemplate. "Wherefore, holy brethren," signifies the lifting of a veil from before an august Being, who has been already described in His two natures, though their union has not been described, but is taken for granted. Our Lord is the central object of our profession. He Himself tells us that the bond of perfectness in our religion is devotion to His own Person. After having brought into a new and most marked prominence the supremacy of the love of God, as occupying all the heart, and soul, and mind, and thought, He demands literally the same all for Himself. There is a specific Christian grace that has no name in the New Testament, which is derived from the impress of the Redeemer on the heart and life. Be sure you aspire to this, or, rather, think nothing of aspiring to it; look at Him much, and His image will steal irresistibly into your nature and form and life, II. The office of Christ is here dwelt upon. He is the Apostle and High Priest of our profession. There is to us no person of Christ without His work; the personal Emmanuel is in the background; but the ministry of Jesus Christ fills up the whole visible horizon of thought. We are all in the school of Jesus, and, however busy we may be, like Martha, we must find time, like Mary, to sit and behold, and study the Master.

III. But the study of Christ is not yet exhausted; there remains the habitual consideration of the supreme faithfulness of our common Master. It inspires boundless trust in all the brethren of the Christian profession who keep their eyes fixed on Him who is its High Priest. Looking to Him, and considering His faithfulness, we at once see the perfect Example, and feel the Divine energy flowing from it into our souls.

W. B. Pope, Sermons and Charges, p. 101.

I. We have here one great comprehensive command: "Consider Christ." Now that word "consider" implies in the original an earnest, fixed, prolonged attention of mind. Our gaze upon Christ is to be like that of a man who resolutely turns away his eyes from other things to fix them, with keen interest and eagerness, with protracted, steady look, on something which he is resolved to learn thoroughly. (1) The first remark that I would make, then, is the very simple and obvious one—that a Christian man’s thoughts should be occupied with his Saviour. (2) But, still further, our gaze on Him must be the look of eager interest; it must be intense as well as fixed. (3) Still, further, another requisite of this occupation of mind with Christ and His work may be suggested as included in the word. Our consideration must be resolute, eager, and also steady or continuous.

II. Notice the great aspects of Christ’s work which should fix our gaze. (1) He is the Apostle of our profession. He is sent forth from God, and brings God to us. He, and He alone, He, and He for ever, He, and He for all, is the sent of God. (2) Then we are to think of Him as our High Priest. "As Apostle," it has been well said, "He pleads God’s cause with us; as High Priest He pleads our cause with God." The Apostolate and the Priesthood of Christ are both included "in the one word—Mediator." The idea of priesthood depends upon that of sacrifice, and the idea of sacrifice, as this epistle abundantly shows, is incomplete without that of expiation.

III. Notice, finally, the great reasons for this occupation of mind and heart with Christ our Mediator. (1) Our relation to Christ, and the benefit we derive from it, should impel us to loving meditation on Him. (2) The calling of which we are partakers, should impel us to loving meditation. (3) The avowal which we have made concerning Him should impel us to loving, steadfast contemplation.

A. Maclaren, Sermons in Manchester, p. 289.

Heb 3:1

Christ our Priest.

Christ our Victim is slain. His blood is poured out on the cross. The cross and the earth are sprinkled with that blood. He Himself, as our Priest, is baptized with it. And when that sacrifice was accomplished He, our High Priest, went up with the marks of the sacrifice upon Him, the same Jesus, into the presence of God, there to plead the merits of His blood for us. And we are waiting, as the people waited without on that day of atonement, for Him to come forth—to return again to bless us with the glorious effects of that His atonement, even everlasting salvation. Now in this, the principal work of Christ’s priestly office, there are several minor particulars, all of interest as further explaining and setting it forth.

I. Note the qualifications for the office, and His fulfilment of them. (1) All bodily freedom from blemish did but faintly set forth the purity and spotlessness of the Lord Jesus. (2) Our High Priest was harmless, undefiled. (3) He was separated from sinners. (4) He is a merciful High Priest, full of sympathy, knowing how to compassionate and to succour them that are tempted and led out of the way.

II. Note the efficacy and finality of the High Priesthood of Christ. In the poured out blood of Jesus we have all that we can want—pardon, acceptance, renewal unto righteousness. We have all we want, and we therefore want no more. His everlasting priesthood is enough for us. That He is in heaven, appearing for us, makes all human mediators vain and needless. That He has offered Himself for us makes all other sacrifices valueless. Every believer, however humble, is a priest unto God; a priest of the tabernacle which God built, and not man, to offer up the sacrifice of thanksgiving, even his body, soul, and spirit, consecrated and devoted to God’s service.

H. Alford, Quebec Chapel Sermons, vol. vi., p. 145.

References: Heb 3:1.—Homilist, 3rd series, vol. i., p. 103. Heb 3:1-4.—J. W. Brown, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xxxii., p. 4.

Heb 3:1-6

Christ the Lord, and Moses the Servant.

I. To speak of Moses to the Jews was always a very difficult and delicate matter. It is hardly possible for Gentiles to realise or understand the veneration and affection with which the Jews regard Moses, the servant of God. All their religious life, all their thoughts about God, all their practices and observances, all their hopes of the future, everything connected with God, is to them also connected with Moses. Moses was the great apostle unto them, the man sent unto them of God, the mediator of the Old Covenant; and we cannot wonder at this profound, reverential affection which they feel for Moses.

II. After admitting fully the grandeur and excellence of Moses, the Apostle proceeds to show us the still greater glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. The zeal of Moses was not free from earthborn elements, and had to be purified. But there was nothing in Jesus that was of the earth, earthy; no sinful weakness of the flesh was in Him who condescended to come in the weakness of sinful flesh. His love was always pure, His zeal holy, His aim single. Moses spake face to face with God, and was the mediator between God and Israel. The Lord Jesus is Prophet, Priest, and King, in one Person; but He is perfectly and eternally the true Revealer, Reconciler, Ruler, and the Son of God. Moses was willing to die for the nation; the Lord Jesus actually died, and not for the nation only, but to gather all the children of God into one. Moses brought the law on tables of stone; the Lord Jesus, by His Spirit, even the Holy Ghost, writes the law on our hearts.

A. Saphir, Expository Lectures on the Hebrews, vol. i., p. 167.

Reference: Heb 3:1-6.—Homiletic Quarterly, vol. i., p. 456.

Heb 3:1, etc

I. The High Priest was one taken out of the people, and bound to the people by ties of the closest and most intimate kind. It might have been otherwise. This important official might have been a stranger introduced into the nation from an alien source; or he might, although being a Jew, have occupied a position of such complete independence and isolation as should have placed him almost in antagonism to the rest of the community. Such was the case of the priestly caste in other countries. But with the Jews the Divine method of constructing the ecclesiastical system, secured the most perfect identification of the man who was at the head of it with the feelings and sympathies of the rest of the people. We observe, also, as another result of the Divine arrangement, that all the Israelites, drawn as they were towards a single person, were reckoned before God as being in the High Priest. The man who stands there in the sanctuary, arrayed in his gorgeous robes, is not to be regarded as a mere individual,—is not to be looked upon as merely one out of many, though one above the many, and distinguished from the many, by superior dignity and higher privileges; but he is the head, in whom the whole nation is included, and involved, and gathered, and summed up before God. It was, for instance, as including in himself the entire mass of the nation, that the High Priest on the day of atonement had to enter into the most holy place with the blood of sprinkling, and afterwards to confess the sins and iniquity of the people over the head of a living goat.

II. Now in all this we have a lively and striking portraiture of the position which the Lord Jesus Christ, the great antitype of the Jewish official, occupies with respect to the blessed company of faithful people. The Lord Jesus is the ideal man. If you turn to the Jewish high priest you find that he was what every Jew was intended to be. The Lord Jesus alone possesses complete perfection of human character. But He is very much more to us than the pattern man. He does much more than exhibit to us in His own person what a king and a priest unto God ought to be. He is also, if I may so express myself, the inclusive man; He is the great Head, in whom His people are gathered, and summed up, and presented before God. If St. Paul teaches us anything by his writings, he teaches us this, that the entire spiritual community, the whole body of the faithful in Christ Jesus, are reckoned by God as being gathered and summed up, involved, included, represented in Christ before the throne of God. And this, in its Christian form, is precisely what, in its Jewish form, the Israelite was taught by the existence of such a personage in the state of the Jewish high priest. The ordinary Israelite, if he were a spiritual and a thoughtful man, would look with longing desire upon the unbroken communion which the High Priest, by virtue of his office, maintained with God. So the Spirit of Christ maintained an unbroken communion with His Father in heaven. This characteristic of His earthly life is still more characteristic of His resurrection life, in which He is, in a special manner, the High Priest of our profession.

G. Calthrop, Penny Pulpit, new series, No. 495.

References: Heb 3:1-19.—Preacher’s Monthly, vol. iv., p. 250. Heb 3:6-14.—H. W. Beecher, Christian World Pulpit, vol. v., p. 378. Heb 3:7.—Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xx., No. 1160; Homilist, 2nd series, vol. iii., p. 46.

Heb 3:7-19

Unbelief in the Wilderness.

I. The history of the wanderings of the Israelites in the wilderness is most instructive. No Scripture is of private interpretation, but is Catholic and eternal. Israel’s history in the wilderness is typical throughout. (1) It is a marvellous history from beginning to end. (2) It was a history of solemn and glorious privileges. Is not this a picture of the Christian’s life? (3) It is a sad history, full of fearful judgments. Do you understand the parable?

II. Unbelief prevented Israel’s entering into the Promised Land. Then it follows that faith enters into the rest. "Believe with thy heart," is the great lesson of the chapter. Only believe, only worship, only harden not your heart, when in the Scripture, and in the Spirit’s teaching, and in God’s daily dealings you hear God’s voice; and, though wild beasts, hunger and privation, weakness and temptation, beset you, you are safe, you are blessed. God is with you; who can be against you? Angels are around you, and you can give thanks, for you are more than conquerors, through Him that loved you and gave Himself for you.

III. Yesterday is the past of sin and misery. To-day is the present of Divine grace and man’s faith. To-morrow is eternity, full of joy and glory. To-day is the turning-point, the crisis, the seedtime. To whom can we go but unto Jesus Christ, with the past of our transgression, with the yesterday of the first Adam, with the today of our weakness and need, with the for ever of our endless destiny? He is Jehovah, the Saviour God, the same yesterday, today, and forever. Cleaving to Him, we rest in mercy, which is from everlasting to everlasting.

A. Saphir, Expository Lectures on the Hebrews, vol. i., p. 188.

References: Heb 3:7-19.—Homiletic Quarterly, vol. i., p. 457. Heb 3:12.—Clergyman’s Magazine, vol. iii., p. 281. Heb 3:13.—H. W. Beecher, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xiii., p. 249; Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xi., No. 620. Heb 3:14.—Ibid., vol, xviii., No. 1042; Preacher’s Monthly, vol. vii., p. 13.

Heb 3:16

The Warnings of Advent.

The true translation of these words is this: "For who were they, who, when they had heard, did provoke? Nay, were they not all who came out of Egypt with Moses?" So far from meaning that some and not all did provoke, He lays a stress on the universality of the evil.

I. There is something striking in the season of the natural year at which we celebrate the beginning of another Christian year. It is a true type of our condition, in which all the changes of our lives steal upon us, that Nature, at this moment, gives no outward signs of beginning; it is a period which does not manifest any striking change in the state of things around us. The Christian spring begins ere we have reached the half of the natural winter. Nature is not bursting into life, but rather preparing itself for a long season of death. And this is the type of a universal truth: that the signs and warnings which we must look to must come from within us, not from without; that neither sky nor earth will arouse us from our deadly slumber unless we are ourselves roused already, and more disposed to make warnings for ourselves than to find them.

II. If this be true of Nature, it is true also of all the efforts of man. As Nature will give no sign, so man cannot. There is no voice in Nature, no voice in man, that can really awaken the sleeping soul. It is the work of a far mightier power, to be sought for with most earnest prayers for ourselves and for each other; that the Holy Spirit of God would speak and would dispose our hearts to hear; that so being wakened from death, and our ears being truly opened, all things outward may now join in language which we can hear; and Nature and men, life and death, things present and things to come, may be but the manifold voices of the Spirit of God, all working for us together for good. Till this be so we speak in vain; our words neither reach our own hearts nor the hearts of our hearers; they are but recorded in God’s book of judgment, to be brought forward hereafter for the condemnation of us both.

T. Arnold, Sermons, vol. iv., p. 157.

Heb 3:18

The Hardening Influence of Sin.

I. Sin has distinctly this effect, that while it makes repeated sin more easy, it makes repentance more difficult. It makes sin, in a measure, the obvious beaten path where our own footsteps are stamped for a precedent. They lie there before our eyes; we repeat ourselves. We have less scruple in sinning today than we had yesterday; we find it easier to sin again than it was to sin once; we sin now with a relish where we sinned before with a pang. This is what Holy Scripture calls hardening the heart. This is the way in which the deceitfulness of sin works within us. It conveys, as it were, a bribe to the judgment, an opiate to the conscience; we have learned what it were better for us not to have known, viz., that a sinner may be let alone by God’s judgment to pursue his way unmolested. It is a fearful thing to be thus initiated into the mystery of ungodliness, ever working grosser deceit within.

II. As was the first step of man from purity to sin, so is, in a lower degree, every first step. True, we have no upright nature to debase, we have no untainted spirit within us to corrupt; yet the grace of God has done much for us, has set us on a pinnacle of vantage. Every time we resist a temptation we make that vantage more easy to keep. Every time we yield we forfeit a position which of itself was a preservative. You are members of Him from whom radiate and to whom rally all the pulses of the spiritual life. The will fixed on Him tends to fix itself yet more intently, to be set and rooted in Him. That was the best security you had. For He worketh in you, both to will and to do, of His good pleasure. All this you may strengthen yet more by the entrenchments of habit. Then there will go on a process gradually building up a result, each day, each hour adding something; like the massive reefs of coral, which are the result of the deposits of a worm.

H. Hayman, Rugby Sermons, p. 199.

References: Heb 3:19.—H. Jones, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xxv., p. 404; Clergyman’s Magazine, vol. iii., p. 281. Heb 4:1.—E. D. Solomon, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xvii., p. 195. Heb 4:1, Heb 4:2.—Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xx., No. 1177. Heb 4:1-13.—R. W. Dale, The Jewish Temple and the Christian Church, p. 81.

The Sermon Bible, ed. William Robertson Nicoll (1888–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Section 3. (Heb 3:1-6.)

His glory as Son over the house of God.

The third section carries us from the scene of His humiliation to that of His glory. He is over the house of God as the Son of God; and as His being the Son of God is the foundation of His priesthood, and that is the direct connection here, we are still in the line of the Day of Atonement; although, as ever, the substance goes beyond the shadow. The high priest in Israel (though, of course, with well-known restrictions) was over the house of God; and in the tenth chapter here we have, in confirmation of this, the very thing expressed: "Having a great High Priest over the house of God" (Heb 10:21). This makes it evident that the comparison with Moses, which exists no longer here, is not the sole one; and to take it as such is to hinder a clear conception of what is before us. Moses is the apostle, rather, as Aaron the high priest; and we are exhorted to consider both "the Apostle and High Priest of our confession." Moses and Aaron appear together thus, in the history, as the double type of the Lord; and as Moses was in a sense the builder of the tabernacle, receiving the pattern of it in the mount, so, having built it, he put it under the charge of Aaron. Moses and Aaron are thus together before us here.

The apostle addresses us here distinctly as "holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling." He thus, therefore, even while addressing Hebrews, does not fail to remember that these are Christian Hebrews, and what is implied in that. Israel when fully blessed will never have this character; and if they had received the Lord, as in fact they rejected Him, still would not have had it. Those who believe, in the midst of the sorrow of national rejection, have the joy of higher privileges which the perfect grace of God has brought in in the lapse of the old earthly ones. It is in this way, then, that we are to "consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus," one Person now, who fills the double type of Moses and of Aaron, one "who is faithful (this is not past, but present) to Him that hath appointed Him, as Moses also was in all the house of God." This is, of course, the tabernacle. It is with reference to this, that the apostle is speaking; but he has before him One who is not a servant in the house as Moses was, but a Son over it. He does not belong properly, as the servant does, to the house Himself; His glory is above it all; even though the house represents, as doubtless the tabernacle represented as a whole, the universe of God.

The house itself included, in the general thought of it, the court around, as well as the actual building, and in that court stood the altar, the altar of burnt offering, as the cross of Christ and the offering upon it therefore were on earth. The house proper, the sanctuary, was typically heaven, as the apostle says that these things were the patterns of things in the heavens. By faith we enter into them here, but that does not, of course, alter their character; rather, their character as heavenly gives our entrance in its proper blessing. But thus the tabernacle, looked at as a whole, is the picture of the universe of God, which, in that sense, is the created house in which God dwells. The apostle refers to this here, where he says that while every house is established by some one, he that hath established all things is God. This establishment of all things he applies to Christ. And Christ, as we have seen, is the Creator and Upholder. "Without Him was not anything made that was made," and He "upholdeth all things by the word of His power." He is divine, therefore, in the fullest sense. But He is the Son of God, as we know. He is the One who has been pleased thus to come forward in representative character to make known the Father, and in all the work of His hands is doing this.

Thus the difference between Moses and the One whom he typically represented is vast indeed. Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a ministering servant, for a testimony to the things to be spoken afterwards. He has had his place in an important dispensation which had its purpose in the mind of God, but which was to be done away. Christ, on the other hand, is a Son over, not "His own" house, (that is not the meaning here,) but the house of God. He is the One to whom all things belong, for whom they are, as by whom they are; and this connects His work from the beginning with His work now for fallen man, and in view of all that sin has wrought in the creation of God.

Thus, then, although Aaron does not come into view in the chapter before us by any plain statement, yet in fact we find how we have to take him into account in order to reach the full truth of what is here. If the Son of God be in supreme charge over the universe of God, and now if sin come in as a breach upon its glorious order, then we can see that He is immediately concerned in this. He will not give up His place. Sin will not make Him renounce His office, but, on the contrary, only display the more His competence for it. In view of sin it is that the Son becomes the Priest, the Mediator and Reconciler; and the moment it is added, as in the passage before us, "whose house are we," all becomes clear. Aaron is now before us. It is now the Priest in charge, assuredly, if we are His house.

It is simple to refer to the board structure of the tabernacle in typical explanation of how, in fact, the redeemed come in here, and a wonderful thing it is to realize the connection of this with that larger aspect of the tabernacle which we have been called to remember as the pattern of the universe at large. Here, at the heart of it, in the boards set up on the silver sockets made from the atonement-money (see Exo 26:1-37, notes), we find a "spiritual house," of sinners redeemed and standing upon the basis of the work accomplished for them; and being the fruit of a mightier work than creation itself, we can understand, also, how this should be in fact the very sanctuary of God. Here is the display of His holiness, His grace, His manifold wisdom, as nowhere else. Here the very principalities and powers of heaven find their sweetest theme of praise.

But it does not seem as if the board structure is sufficient by itself to give us the thought of this house of God which we are. Here, as in so many other places, different types are needed, in order to give us the full thought of God. The house is a living house, nay, human; and thus not display alone, but living activities abide in it. That the Holy One would inhabit the praises of Israel is the Lord’s own answer, in the twenty-second psalm, to the question of the cross; and the connection with the Day of Atonement is obvious: for the main purpose of it is that the dwelling of the Lord in the midst may be continued among them. Here we are in direct connection with all this, though beyond it, as the substance is beyond the shadow. The house is a spiritual house, and the praises are those of a people brought near to Him, a priestly house, therefore. For these the largest offering of the Day of Atonement, the bullock, is offered; and for us the High Priest is One who could not offer for Himself; so that it is the priestly house alone for which, in fact, the bullock is offered. It is not strange, then, that they should appear here. It would be strange, rather, if they did not appear; and Peter joins thus together, also, what might seem at first too diverse to be identified in such a manner, the "living stones" built on the "Living Stone" with "a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." "Whose house are we," as it certainly shows the Son over the house to be now the "Great Priest over the house of God," so does it identify, also, the tabernacle with the priestly worshipers. But we are the house of God, the apostle reminds us, if indeed we "hold fast the boldness and the boast of our hope firm unto the end."

F. W. Grant, The Numerical Bible (4th ed., 1903) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

CHAPTER III.

FUNDAMENTAL ONENESS OF THE DISPENSATIONS.

Hebrews 3:1 - Hebrews 4:13 (R.V.).

"Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High-priest of our confession, even Jesus; who was faithful to Him that appointed Him as also was Moses in all his house. For He hath been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by so much as he that built the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some one; but He that built all things is God. And Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were afterward to be spoken; but Christ as a Son, over His house; Whose house are we, if we hold fast our boldness and the glorying of our hope firm unto the end. Wherefore, even as the Holy Ghost saith,

To-day if ye shall hear His voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, Like as in the day of the temptation in the wilderness, Wherewith your fathers tempted Me by proving Me, And saw My works forty years. Wherefore I was displeased with this generation, And said, They do always err in their heart: But they did not know My ways; As I sware in My wrath, They shall not enter into My rest.

Take heed, brethren, lest haply there shall be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God: but exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called today; lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin: for we are become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end: while it is said,

To-day if ye shall hear His voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

For who, when they heard, did provoke? nay, did not all they that came out of Egypt by Moses? And with whom was He displeased forty years? was it not with them that sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware He that they should not enter into His rest, but to them that were disobedient? And we see that they were not able to enter in because of unbelief.

Let us fear therefore, lest haply, a promise being left of entering into His rest, any one of you should seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good tidings preached unto us, even as also they: but the word of hearing did not profit them, because they were not united by faith with them that heard. For we which have believed do enter into that rest; even as He hath said,

As I sware in My wrath, They shall not enter into My rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

For He hath said somewhere of the seventh day on this wise,

And God rested on the seventh day from all His works;

and in this place again,

They shall not enter into My rest.

Seeing therefore it remaineth that some should enter thereinto, and they to whom the good tidings were before preached failed to enter in because of disobedience, He again defineth a certain day, saying in David, after so long a time, To-day, as it hath been before said,

To-day if ye shall hear His voice, Harden not your hearts.

For if Joshua had given them rest, he would not have spoken afterward of another day. There remaineth therefore a sabbath rest for the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest hath himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Let us therefore give diligence to enter into that rest, that no man fall after the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do."

The broad foundation of Christianity has now been laid in the person of the Son, God-Man. In the subsequent chapters of the Epistle this doctrine is made to throw light on the mutual relations of the two dispensations.

The first deduction is that the Mosaic dispensation was itself created by Christ; that the threats and promises of the Old Testament live on into the New; that the central idea of the Hebrew religion, the idea of the Sabbath rest, is realised in its inmost meaning in Christ only; that the word of God is ever full of living energy. Hereafter the Apostle will not be slow to expose the wide difference between the two dispensations. But it is equally true and not less important that the old covenant was the vesture of truths which remain when the garment has been changed.

At the outset the writer's tone is influenced by this doctrine. He turns his treatise unconsciously into an epistle. He addresses his readers as brethren, holy indeed, but not holy after the pattern of their former exclusiveness; for their holiness is inseparably linked with their common brotherhood. They are partakers with the Gentile Churches in a heavenly call. Startling words! Hebrews holy in virtue of their sharing with Greeks and barbarians, bond and free, in a common call from high Heaven, which sees all earth as a level plain beneath! The middle wall of partition has been broken down to the ground. Yet soothing words, and full of encouragement! The Apostle and his leaders were standing near the end of the Apostolic age, when the Hebrew Christians were despondent, weak, and despised, both by reason of national calamities and because of their inferiority to their sister Churches among the Gentiles. The Apostle does not bluntly assure them of their equality, but gently addresses them as partakers of a heavenly call. His words are the reverse of St. Paul's language to the Ephesians, who are reminded that the Gentiles are partakers in the privileges of Israel. Those who sometimes were far off have been made nigh; the strangers and sojourners are henceforth fellow-citizens with the saints and of the household of God. Here, on the contrary, Hebrew Christians are encouraged with the assurance that they partake in the privileges of all believers. If the wild olive tree has been grafted in among the branches and made partaker of the root, the branches, broken off that the wild olive might be grafted in, are themselves in consequence grafted into their own olive tree. Through God's mercy to the Gentiles, Israel also has obtained mercy.

The Apostle addresses them with affection. But his behest is sharp and urgent: "Consider the Apostle and High-priest of our profession, Jesus." Consider intently, or, to borrow a modern word that has sometimes been abused, Realise Jesus. Dwell not with abstractions and theories. Fear not imaginary dangers. Make Jesus Christ a reality before the eyes of your mind. To do this well will be more convincing than external evidences. To behold the glory of the temple, linger not to admire the strong buttresses without, but enter. Realisation of Christ may be said to be the gist of the whole Epistle.

This spiritual vision is not ecstasy. We realise Christ as Apostle and as High-priest. We behold Him when His words are a message to us from God, and when He carries our supplications to God. Revelation and prayer are the two opposite poles of communion with the Father. The dispensation of Moses rested on these two pillars,--apostleship and priesthood. But the fundamental conceptions of the Old Testament centre in Jesus. Though our author has distinguished between God's revelation in the prophets and His revelation in a Son, he teaches also that even the prophets received their message through the Son. Though he contrasts in what follows of the Epistle the high-priesthood of Aaron with Christ's, still he regards Aaron's office as utterly meaningless apart from Christ. The words "Apostle and High-priest" pave the way, therefore, to the most prominent truth in this section of the Epistle: that whatever is best in the Old Testament has been assimilated and inspired with new energy by the Gospel.

1. To begin, we must understand the actual position of the founders of the two dispensations. Neither Moses nor Christ set about originating, designing, constructing, from his own impulse and for his own purposes. Both acted for God, and were consciously under His directing eye.[38] "It is required in stewards that a man be found faithful."[39] They have but to obey, and leave the unity and harmony of the plan to another. To use an illustration, every house is built by some one or other.[40] The design has been conceived in the brain of the architect. He is the real builder, though he employs masons and joiners to put the materials together according to his plan. This applies to the subject in hand; for God is the Architect of all things. He realises His own ideas as well through the seeming originality of thinkers as through the willing obedience of workers. Now, the dispensation of the old covenant was one part of God's design. To build this portion of the house He found a faithful servant in Moses. The dispensation of the new covenant is but another, though more excellent, part of the same design; and Jesus was not less faithful to finish the structure. The unity of the design was in the mind of God.

Moses was faithful when he refused the treasures of Egypt, and chose affliction with the people of God and the reproach of His Christ. He was faithful when he chid the people in the wilderness for their unbelief, and when he interceded for them again with God. Christ also was faithful to His God when He despised the shame and endured the Cross.

Yet we must acknowledge a difference. God has accounted Jesus worthy of greater honour than Moses, inasmuch as Moses was part of the house, and that part the pre-existent Christ erected. Moses was "made" all that he became by Christ, but Christ was "made"[41] all that He became--God-Man--by God. Moreover, though Moses was greater than all the other servants of God before Christ, because they were placed in subordinate positions, while he was faithful in the whole house, yet even he was but a servant, whereas Christ was Son. Moses was in the house, it is true; but the Son was placed over the house. The work which Moses had to do was to uphold the authority of the Son, to witness, that is, to the things which would afterwards be spoken unto us by God in His Son, Jesus Christ.[42]

The Apostle seems to delight in his illustration of the house, and continues to use it with a fresh meaning. This house, or, if you please, this household, are we Christians. We are the house in which Moses showed the utmost faithfulness as servant. We are the circumcision, we the true Israel of God. If, then, we turn away from Christ to Moses, that faithful servant himself will have none of us. That we may be God's house, we must lay fast hold of our Christian confidence and the boasting of our hope out-and-out to the end.

2. Again, the threatenings of the Old Testament for disobedience to God apply with full force to apostasy from Christ. They are the authoritative voice of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle is reminded by the words which he has just used, "We are God's house," of the Psalmist's joyful exclamation, "He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand."[43] Then follows in the Psalm a warning, which the Apostle considers it equally necessary to address to the Hebrew Christians: "To-day, if indeed you still hear His voice (for it is possible He may no longer speak), harden not your hearts, as you did in Meribah, rightly called,--the place of contention. Your fathers, far from trusting Me when I put them to the test, turned upon Me and put Me to the test, and that although they saw My works during forty years." Forty years,--ominous number! The readers would at once call to mind that forty years within a little had now passed since their Lord had gone through the heavens to the right hand of the Father. What if, after all, the old belief proves true that He returns to judgment after waiting for precisely the same period for which He had patiently endured their fathers' unbelief in the wilderness! God is still living, and He is the same God. He Who sware in His wrath that the fathers should not enter into the rest of Canaan is the same in His anger, the same in His mercy. Exhort one another. In the wilderness God dealt with individuals. He does so still. See that there be no evil heart, which is unbelief, in any one of you at any time while the call, "To-day!" is sounded in your ears. For sin weakens the sense of individual guilt, and thus deceives men by hardening their hearts.[44] All that came out of Egypt provoked God to anger. But they provoked Him, not in the mass, but one by one, and one by one, with palsied limbs,[45] they fell in the wilderness, as men fall exhausted on the march. Thus, for their persistent unbelief, God sware they should not enter into His rest--"His," for He kept the key still in His own hand. But persistent unbelief made them incapable of entering. If God were still willing to cut off for them the waters of Jordan, they could not[46] enter in because of unbelief.

3. Similarly, the promises of God are still in force. Indeed, the steadfastness of the threatenings involves the continuance of the promises, and the rejection of the promises ensures the fulfilment of every threatening. As much as this is expressed in the opening words of Hebrews 4: "A promise being left to us, let us therefore fear."

To prove the identity of the promises under the two dispensations, the Apostle singles out one promise, which may be considered most significant of the national no less than the religious life of Israel. The Greek mind was ever on the alert for something new. Its character was movement. But the ideal of the Old Testament is rest. Christ came into touch with the people at once when He began His public ministry with an invitation to the weary and heavy-laden to come unto Him, and with the promise that He would give them rest. Near the close of His ministry He explained and fulfilled the promise by giving to His disciples peace. The object of our author, in the difficult chapter now under consideration, is to show that the idea most characteristic of the old covenant finds its true and highest realisation in Christ. After the manner of St. Paul, who, in more than one passage, teaches that through the fall of Israel salvation is come unto the Gentiles, the writer of this Epistle also argues that the promise of rest still remains, because it was not fulfilled under the Old Testament in consequence of Israel's unbelief. The word of promise was a gospel[47] to them, as it is to us. But it did not profit them, because they did not assimilate[48] the promise by faith. Their history from the beginning consists of continued renewals of the promise on the part of God and persistent rejections on the part of Israel, ending in the hardening of their hearts. Every time the promise is renewed, it is presented in a higher and more spiritual form. Every rejection inevitably leads to grosser views and more hopeless unbelief. So entirely false is the fable of the Sibyl! God does not burn some of the leaves when His promises have been rejected, and come back with fewer offers at a higher price. His method is to offer more and better on the same conditions. But it is the nature of unbelief to cause the heart to wax gross, to blind the spiritual vision, until in the end the rich, spiritual promises of God and the earthly, dark unbelief of the sinner stand in extremest contrast.

At first the promise is presented in the negative form of rest from labour. Even the Creator condescended thus to rest. But what such rest can be to God it were vain for man to try to conceive. We know that, as soon as the foundations of the world were laid and the work of creation was ended, God ceased from this form of activity. But when this negative rest had been attained, it was far from realising God's idea of rest either for Himself or for man. For, though these works of God, the material universe, were finished from the laying of the world's foundations to the crowning of the edifice,[49] God still speaks of another rest, and threatens to shut some men out for their unbelief. Our Lord told the Pharisees, whose notion of the Sabbath was the negative one, that He desired His Sabbath rest to be like that of His Father, Who "worketh hitherto." The Jewish Sabbath, it appears, therefore, is the most crude and elementary form of God's promised rest.

The promise is next presented as the rest of Canaan.[50] This is a stage in advance in the development of the idea. It is not mere abstention from secular labour, and the consecration of inactivity. The rest now consists in the enjoyment of material prosperity, the proud consciousness of national power, the growth of a peculiar civilization, the rise of great men and eminent saints, and all this won by Israel under the leadership of their Jesus, who was in this respect a type of ours. But even in this second garden of Eden Israel did not attain unto God's rest. Worldliness became their snare.

But God still called to them by the mouth of the Psalmist, long after they had entered on the possession of Canaan. This only proves that the true rest was still unattained, and God's promise not yet fulfilled. The form which the rest of God now assumed is not expressly stated in our passage. But we have not far to go in search of it. The first Psalm, which is the introduction to all the Psalms, declares the blessedness of contemplation. The Sabbath is seldom mentioned by the Psalmist. Its place is taken by the sanctuary, in which rest of soul is found in meditating on God's law and beholding the Lord's beauty.[51] The call is at last urgent. "To-day!" It is the last invitation. It lingers in the ears in ever fainter voice of prophet after prophet, until the prophet's face turns towards the east to announce the break of dawn and the coming of the perfect rest in Jesus Christ. God's promise was never fulfilled to Israel, because of their unbelief. But shall their unbelief make the faithfulness of God of none effect? God forbid. The gifts and calling of God are without repentance. The promise that has failed of fulfilment in the lower form must find its accomplishment in the higher. Even a prayer is the more heard for every delay. God's mill grinds slowly, but for that reason grinds small. What is the inference? Surely it is that the Sabbath rest still remains for the true people of God. This Sabbath rest St. Paul prayed that the true Israel, who glory, not in their circumcision, but in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, might receive: "Peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God."[52]

The faithfulness of God to fulfil His promise in its higher form is proved by His having accomplished it in its more elementary forms to every one that believed. "For he that entered into God's rest did actually rest from his works"[53]--that is to say, received the blessings of the Sabbath--as truly as God rested from the work of creation. The Apostle's practical inference is couched in language almost paradoxical: "Let us strive to enter into God's rest"--not indeed into the rest of the Old Testament, but into the better rest which God now offers in His Son.

The oneness of the dispensations has been proved. They are one in their design, in their threatenings, in their promises. If we seek the fundamental ground of this threefold unity, we shall find it in the fact that both dispensations are parts of a Divine revelation. God has spoken, and the word of God does not pass away. "Think not," said our Lord, "that I came to destroy the Law or the prophets; I came not to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the Law till all things be accomplished."[54] On another occasion He says, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away."[55] These passages teach us that the words of God through Moses and in the Son are equally immutable. Many features of the old covenant may be transient; but, if it is a word of God, it abides in its essential nature through all changes. For "the word of God is living,"[56] because He Who speaks the word is the living God. It acts with mighty energy,[57] like the silent laws of nature, which destroy or save alive according as men obey or disobey them. It cuts like a sword whetted on each side of the blade, piercing through to the place where the natural life of the soul divides[58] from, or passes into, the supernatural life of the spirit. For it is revelation that has made known to man his possession of the spiritual faculty. The word "spirit" is used by heathen writers. But in their books it means only the air we breathe. The very conception of the spiritual is enshrined in the bosom of God's word. Revelation has separated between the life of heathenism and the life of the Church, between the natural man and the spiritual, between the darkness that comprehended it not and the children of the light who received it and thus became children of God. Further, the word of God pierces to the joints that connect the natural and the supernatural.[59] It does not ignore the former. On the contrary, it addresses itself to man's reason and conscience, in order to erect the supernatural upon nature. Where reason stops short, the word of God appeals to the supernatural faculty of faith; and when conscience grows blunt, the word makes conscience, like itself, sharper than any two-edged sword. Once more, the word of God pierces to the marrow.[60] It reveals to man the innermost meaning of his own nature and of the supernatural planted within him. The truest morality and the highest spirituality are both the direct product of God's revelation.

But all this is true in its practical application to every man individually. The power of the word of God to create distinct dispensations and yet maintain their fundamental unity, to distinguish between masses of men and yet cause all the separate threads of human history to converge and at last meet, is the same power which judges the inmost thoughts and inmost purposes of the heart. These it surveys with critical judgment.[61] If its eye is keen, its range of vision is also wide. No created thing but is seen and manifest. The surface is bared, and the depth within is opened up before it. As the upturned neck of the sacrificial beast lay bare to the eye of God,[62] so are we exposed to the eye of Him to Whom we have to give our account.[63]

FOOTNOTES:

[38] Heb_3:2.

[39] 1Co_4:2.

[40] Heb_3:4.

[41] poiêsanti.

[42] Heb_3:5.

[43] Psa_95:7, sqq.

[44] Heb_2:13.

[45] ta kôla. Cf. Heb_12:12.

[46] ouk êdynêthêsan (Heb_3:19).

[47] euêngelismeno (Heb_4:2).

[48] Reading synkekerasmenos.

[49] Heb_4:3.

[50] Heb_4:8.

[51] Psa_27:4.

[52] Gal_6:16.

[53] Heb_4:10.

[54] Mat_5:17-18.

[55] Mat_24:35.

[56] Heb_4:12.

[57] energês.

[58] merismou.

[59] harmôn.

[60] myelôn.

[61] kritikos.

[62] tetrachêlismena (Heb_4:13).

[63] ho logos.

William Robertson Nicoll, ed., The Expositor's Bible (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1887–1910) — public domain. 65 of 66 books (1 Corinthians is not separately keyed, as that volume carries no machine-parseable verse references); section-level commentary keyed to the opening verse. Introductory and overview sections not keyed to a specific passage are excluded.

3:1-6 The author compares Jesus to Moses, setting Jesus forward as the supreme example of faithfulness. The great status of Moses, a revered figure in Judaism, is used to show the incomparable greatness of Jesus.

3:1 dear brothers and sisters who belong to God: Literally holy brothers. Speakers and writers of the ancient world often addressed religious gatherings as “brothers” (Greek adelphoi), referring to both men and women. • think carefully about this Jesus: Focusing on Jesus is a primary means of persevering in the faith (2:9; 12:1-2). • God’s messenger (literally God’s apostle): This description might be highlighting the Son’s role in bearing a proclamation of God’s name and message (2:12; Matt 10:40; Mark 9:37; Luke 10:16).

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

Heb 3:1. Ὅθεν, whence) An urgent particle. From those very things which have been said in ch. 2, consideration ought to flow.—ἀδελφοὶ, brethren) He now for the first time addresses those to whom he is writing. And the title, brethren, from ch. Heb 2:11, has in it the idea of sanctity.—ἅγιοι, holy) There is a Chiasmus in this verse.—κλήσεως ἐπουρανίου, of the heavenly calling) made by the Lord from heaven, and bringing them on to that place, whence it was made, ch. Heb 12:25, of the calling of God from above (τῆς ἄνω κλήσεως), as Paul says, Php 3:14. The correlative of calling is ὁμολογία, confession; concerning which the writer treats presently: so Paul in 1Ti 6:12.—μέτοχοι, partakers) There is the same word, Heb 3:14, ch. Heb 6:4, Heb 1:9, Heb 12:8.—τὸν ἀπόστολον, the apostle) the Ambassador of God the Father; Him who pleads the cause of God with us. Thence we are said to be partakers of the heavenly calling.—καὶ ἀρχιερέα, and High Priest) who pleads our cause with GOD. On this account we are called holy. This Apostleship and High Priesthood are included in the one term Mediator. He compares Jesus as an apostle to Moses, and as a priest (and this appellation is taken up again, Heb 4:14) to Aaron, and at the same time prefers Him to both; He alone holds both dignities united, and in a more eminent degree, which those two brothers [the duumvirate of brothers] held apart. Here He is called in a relative sense πιστὸς, faithful, as ἀληθὴς, true, Joh 5:31, unverwerflich, a testimony which cannot be refused.—τῆς ὁμολογίας, of our confession or profession) The confession or profession is intended, not that which is made to men, but that which is made to GOD. This word admirably expresses the nature of faith, which is borne with a ready response towards (in respect to) the promise: GOD, who sent His Son and gave Him as a priest to us, λέγει, speaks: man ὁμολογεῖ, declares his agreement, assents, subscribes. So ch. Heb 4:14, Heb 10:23. They did that most solemnly in baptism. The opposite is ἀντιλογία, contradiction, ch. Heb 12:3.

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

Heb_3:1. Ὅθεν] refers back to the total characterization of Christ given in chaps. Heb_1:2. Wherefore, i.e. seeing that it stands in such wise with Christ, His nature and disposition. As regards its contents, ὅθεν is unfolded by the τὸν ἀπόστολον καὶ ἀρχιερέα τῆς ὁμολογίας ἡμῶν immediately following, inasmuch as by these designations the preceding total-characterization of Christ is recapitulated in its two main features (vid. infra). For if the author says: Therefore regard well Jesus, the ἀπόστολος καὶ ἀρχιερεὺς τῆς ὁμολογίας ἡμῶν! that is only a Greek form of expression for the thought: Therefore, because Jesus is the ἀπόστολος καὶ ἀρχιερεὺς τῆς ὁμολογίας ἡμῶν, regard Him well!

ἀδελφοὶ ἅγιοι] belongs together. With Michaelis, to separate the two words from each other by a comma, would be permissible only if by the isolation thereof a gradation were obtained. But this is not the case; since then only two relations parallel to each other, namely, on the one side the relation of the readers to the author (ἀδελφοί), and on the other side their relation to the non-Christian world (ἅγιοι), would be rendered separately prominent.

ἀδελφοί] designates the readers not as brethren of Christ (so with an unwarranted appeal to Heb_2:11-12; Heb_2:17, Peirce, Michaelis, Carpzov, Pyle; comp. also Delitzsch, according to whom this is at least also to be thought of), nor does it express the brotherly relation in the national sense, i.e. the descent from the Jewish people common to the author and readers (Chr. Fr. Schmid), but has reference to the spiritual, ideal brotherly relationship, into which author and recipients of the letter have been brought towards each other by the common bond of Christianity.

κλήσεως ἐπουρανίου μέτοχοι] ye who are partakers of a heavenly calling. This second direct addressto which Grotius needlessly supplies nobiscumstrengthens the former, and the two forms of address explain the ground of the obligation to the κατανοεῖν, by pointing to the readers state of grace. κλῆσις stands actively. It denotes the call or invitation, which God[54] has by Christ given to the readers, to participation in the Messianic kingdom. This calling, however, is termed ἐπουράνιος, either because the blessings, the possession of which it promises, are existent in heaven and of heavenly nature (Grotius, al.), or, what is more probable, because they have come to men from heaven [so Owen], where God their supreme author has His throne, and whence Christ their proclaimer and procurer (Vermittler) was sent forth. It is possible, however, that both references are to be combined: a calling which proceeds from heaven and leads to heaven. So Bengel, Tholuck, Stuart, Ebrard, Bisping, Delitzsch, Riehm, Lehrbegr. des Hebräerbr. p. 693; Alford, Maier, Kurtz, and others.

κατανοήσατε] direct your view to Jesus, sc. in order to cleave firmly to Him; regard well what He is and what you have in Him!

τὸν ἀπόστολου καὶ ἀρχιερέα τῆς ὁμολογίας ἡμῶν] the Envoy and High Priest of our confession, is comprehended into a unity of idea by the article τὸν only once placed (Him who is ἀπόστολος and ἀρχιερεύς in one person), in connection with which τῆς ὁμολογίας ἡμῶν is then also most naturally referred in equal degree to both substantives. τῆς ὁμολογίας ἡμῶν, however, is not to be resolved into δν ὁμολογοῦμεν (Luther, Cameron, Calov. Wolf, de Wette, Maier, and others; similarly Delitzsch: who is the subject-matter of our confession; and Riehm, Lehrbegr. des Hebräerbr. p. 427 f.: who appertains to our confession), but stands, like πίστις, Gal_1:23, and ἐλπίς, Col_1:5, objectively: of our Christian confession (of our evangelical faith). Comp. Heb_4:14, Heb_10:23; 2Co_9:13; 1Ti_6:12-13. [So Calvin, Piscator, Owen (with hesitation), Stuart.] The opposition is to the pre-Christian or Mosaic confession, without, however, the emphasis, as Kurtz supposes, falling upon ἡμῶν, which is forbidden by the position of the words: The deputed One (sc. of God) for our confession, i.e. sent by God (comp. Gal_4:4; Mat_10:40, al.) in order to bring about our confession or Christian faith. The signification mediator, which Tholuck attaches to the word ἀπόστολος, after the example of Braun and others, appealing in favour thereof to the authority of Rabbinico-talmudic usage, the latter never has. The notion of mediator follows, alike for ἀπόστολον as also for ἀρχιερέα, only from the context. By ἀπόστολον, namely, is referred back to the main thought of the last and highest divine revelation (the λαλεῖν), contained in Christ, of which the writer has treated Heb_1:1 to Heb_2:4; by ἀρχιερέα, to the main thought of the reconciliation of sinful humanity to God by Christ, then further treated in the second chapter. Aptly, therefore, does Bengel distinguish ἀπόστολου and ἀρχιερέα as eum, qui Dei causam apud nos agit and qui nostram causam apud Deum agit.

[54] For God, as everywhere with Paul also, not Christ, as Delitzsch supposes, is thought of as the καλῶν.

Heb_3:1-6. Even above Moses is Christ exalted. By so much higher than Moses does He stand, as the son exercising authority over his own house has precedence over the servant of the house. This new dogmatic consideration, to which the discourse now advances, was indeed already contained implicite as the minus, in the preceding argument as the majus; it must, however, still be separately insisted on, inasmuch as, in addition to the angels as the suprahuman agents (Vermittler) in connection with the founding of the Old Covenant, Moses, as the human agent (Vermittler) in the founding of the same, could not remain unmentioned. Appropriately to the subject, however, the author treats of this new point of comparison only with brevity, blending the same with the exhortation, derived from that which precedes, to cleave firmly unto the end to Christ and the Christian hope; and then, from Heb_3:7 forward, further developing this exhortation in detail,in the form of a parallel instituted between the people of God of the present time, i.e. the Christians, and the people of God of Moses time,in their interest, with even a warning impressiveness.

On Heb_3:1-6, comp. Carl Wilh. Otto, der Apostel und Hohepriester unsres Bekenntnisses. An Exegetical Study on Heb_3:1-6, Leipz. 1861, 8vo.[53]

[53] This writer finds (comp. p. 96), by dint of a long extended chain of arbitrary assertions and erroneous presuppositions, the absolutely impossible sense in the words: (Ver. 1) From this (Heb_2:10-18), beloved brethren, who, delivered from death, are presented a sacrifice to God, and have your right of citizenship in heaven, perceive that the Ambassador and High Priest, who in His own person has borne our confession to the heavenly goal, and as mediator continually introduces into heaven, namely Jesus (ver. 2), is one entrusted (an organ of confidence) of Him who made Him (such), i.e. (comp. p. 65) called Him into existence as Jesus, as was also Moses in the house of God, i.e. in the limitation and subordination, as this was presupposed by his position in the house of God. (Ver. 3) For (comp. p. 87) greater glory (i.e. higher position of power) has been vouchsafed to this man than to Moses, in which measure, as the house (sc. of God), so has He who has fitted it up, greater honour (sic!). (Ver. 4) For every house is fitted up by some one (but to correspond to all its requirements, no one is able); He, however, who has fitted it up with all things (sc. as Jesus the house of God, for time and eternity) is omnipotent, is of divine nature. (Ver. 5) And Moses, indeed, was trustworthy in all his house, as a servant, to testify what was to be revealed (ver. 6); Jesus, however, as the Christ (comp. p. 90), trustworthy as Son (sc. of God) over His (sc. Gods) house. Whose (sc. Gods) house we are and remain, if at any rate we retain the joyfulness and boasting of hope to the end.

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 3:1 . Ὅθεν , “wherefore,” if through Jesus God has spoken His final and saving word (Heb 1:1 ), thus becoming the Apostle of God, and if the high priest I speak of is so sympathetic and faithful that for the sake of cleansing the people He became man and suffered, then “consider, etc.”. The πιστός of Heb 3:17 strikes the keynote of this paragraph. Here for the first time the writer designates his readers, and he does so in a form peculiar to himself (the reading in 1Th 5:27 being doubtful) ἀδελφοὶ ἅγιοι , “Christian brethren,” literally “brethren consecrated,” separated from the world and dedicated to God. Bleek quotes from Primasius: “Fratres eos vocat tam carne quam spiritu qui ex eodem genere erant”. But there is no reason to assign to ἀδελφοὶ any other meaning than its usual N.T. sense of “fellow-Christians,” cf. Mat 23:8 . But there is further significance in the additional κλήσεως ἐπουρανίου μέτοχοι , “partakers of a heavenly calling” ( cf. οἱ κεκλημένοι τῆς αἰωνίου κληρονομίας , Heb 9:15 ) suggested by the latent comparison in the writer’s mind between the Israelites called to earthly advantages, a land, etc., and his readers whose hopes were fixed on things above. “In the word ‘heavenly’ there is struck for the first time, in words at least, an antithesis of great importance in the Epistle, that of this world and heaven, in other words, that of the merely material and transient, and the ideal and abiding. The things of the world are material, unreal, transient: those of heaven are ideal, true, eternal. Heaven is the world of realities, of things themselves (Heb 9:23 ) of which the things here are but ‘copies’ ” (Davidson). κατανοήσατε , “consider,” “bring your mind to bear upon,” “observe so as to see the significance,” as in Luk 12:24 , κατανοήσατε τοὺς κόρακας , though it is sometimes, as in Act 11:6 ; Act 27:39 , used in its classical sense “perceive”. A “confession” does not always involve that its significance is seen. Consider then τὸν … Ἰησοῦν “the Apostle and high priest of our confession, Jesus,” the single article brackets the two designations and Bengel gives their sense: “ τὸν ἀποστ . eum qui Dei causam apud nos agit. τὸν ἀρχ . qui causam nostram apud Deum agit”. These two functions embrace not the whole of Christ’s work, but all that He did on earth ( cf. Heb 1:1-4 ). The frequent use of ἀποστέλλειν by our Lord to denote the Father’s mission of the Son authorises the present application of ἀπόστολος . It is through Him God has spoken (Heb 1:1 ). Moses is never called ἀπόστολος (a word indeed which occurs only once in LXX) though in Exo 3:10 God says ἀποστείλω σε πρὸς φαραώ . Schoettgen quotes passages from the Talmud in which the high priest is termed the Apostle or messenger of God and of the Sanhedrim, but this is here irrelevant. καὶ ἀρχιερέα , a title which, as applicable to Jesus, the writer explains in chaps. 5 8. τῆς ὁμολογίας ἡμῶν , “of our confession,” or, whom we, in distinction from men of other faiths, confess; chiefly no doubt in distinction from the non-Christian Jews. ὁμολογία , as the etymology shows, means “of one speech with,” hence that in which men agree as their common creed, their confession , see ref. As Peake remarks: “If this means profession of faith, then ‘the readers already confess Jesus as high priest, and this is not a truth taught them in this Epistle for the first time’.” [Carpzov quotes from Philo ( De Somn .): ὁ μὲν δὴ μέγας Ἀρχιερεὺς τῆς ὁμολογίας , but here another sense is intended.] Ἰησοῦν is added to preclude the possibility of error. Ἰησοῦς occurs in this Epistle nine times by itself, thrice with Χριστός .

Heb 3:1 to Heb 4:13 . Chapters 3 and 4 as far as Heb 3:13 , form one paragraph. The purpose of the writer in this passage, as in the whole Epistle, is to encourage his readers in their allegiance to Christ and to save them from apostacy by exhibiting Christ as the final mediator. This purpose he has in the first two chapters sought to achieve by comparing Christ with those who previously mediated between God and man, the prophets who spoke to the fathers, and the angels who mediated the law and were supposed even to regulate nature. He now proceeds to compare Jesus with him round whose name gathered all that revelation and legislation in which the Jew trusted. Moses was the ideal mediator, faithful in all God’s house. Underlying even the priesthood of Aaron was the word of God to Moses. And yet, free channel of God’s will as Moses had been, he was but a servant and in the nature of things could not so perfectly sympathise with and interpret the will of Him whose house and affairs he administered as the Son who Himself was lord of the house.

He therefore bids his readers encourage themselves by the consideration of His trustworthiness, His competence to accomplish all God’s will with them and bring them to their appointed rest. But this suggests to him the memorable breakdown of faith in the wilderness generation of Israelites. And he forthwith strengthens his admonition to trust Christ by adding the warning which was so legibly written in the fate of those who left Egypt under the leadership of Moses, but whose faith failed through the greatness of the way. It was not owing to any incompetence or faithlessness in Moses that they died in the wilderness and failed to reach the promised land. It was “because of their unbelief” (Heb 3:19 ). Moses was faithful in all God’s house, in everything required for the guidance and government of God’s people and for the fulfilment of all God’s purpose with them: but even with the most trustworthy leader much depends on the follower, and entrance to the fulness of God’s blessing may be barred by the unbelief of those who have heard the promise. The promise was not mixed with faith in them to whom it came. But what of those who were led in by Joshua? Even they did not enter into God’s rest. That is certain, for long after Joshua’s time God renewed His promise, saying “To-day if ye hear His voice, harden not your hearts”. Entrance into the land, then, did not exhaust the promise of God; there remains over and above that entrance, a rest for the people of God, for “without us,” i.e. , without the revelation of Christ the fathers were not perfect, their best blessings, such as their land, being but types of better things to come. Therefore let us give diligence to enter into that rest, for the word of God’s promise is searching; and, by offering us the best things in fellowship with God, it discloses our real disposition and affinities.

The passage falls into two parts, the former (Heb 3:1-6 ) exhibiting the trustworthiness of Christ, the latter (Heb 3:7 to Heb 4:13 ) emphasising the unbelief and doom of the wilderness generation.

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

CH. 3. SUPERIORITY OF CHRIST TO MOSES (1–6). EXHORTATION AGAINST HARDENING THE HEART (7–19)

1–6. SUPERIORITY OF CHRIST TO MOSES

There is a remarkable parallelism between the general structure of this and the next chapter, and that of the first and second chapters. This illustrates the elaborate and systematic character of the entire Epistle.

Christ higher than angels (Heb 1:5-14).

Christ higher than Moses (Heb 3:1-6).

Exhortation (Heb 2:1-5).

Exhortation (Heb 3:7-19).

In Him man is exalted above angels (Heb 2:6-16).

In Him His people enter into rest (Heb 4:1-13).

His Higher Priesthood (Heb 2:17-18).

His Higher Priesthood (Heb 4:14-16).

1. Ὅθεν. The same word as in Heb 2:17, where see the note. It is an inference from the grandeur of Christ’s position and the blessedness of His work as set forth in the previous chapters.

ἀδελφοὶ ἅγιοι. This form of address is never used by St Paul. It assumes that all Christians answered to their true ideal, as does the ordinary term “saints.”

κλήσεως ἐπουρανίου μέτοχοι, “partakers of a heavenly calling.” It is a heavenly calling because it comes from heaven (Heb 12:25), and is a call “upwards” (ἄνω) to heavenly things (Php 3:14) and to holiness (1Th 4:7).

κατανοήσατε, “contemplate,” consider attentively, fix your thoughts upon (aorist). Compare the use of the word in Act 7:31; Act 11:6; Act 27:39.

τὸν ἀπόστολον. Christ is called Ἀπόστολον as being “sent forth” (ἀπεσταλμένος) from the Father (Joh 20:21). The same title is used of Christ by Justin Martyr (Apol. I. 12). It corresponds both to the Hebrew maleach (“angel” or “messenger”) and sheliach (“delegate”). The “Apostle” unites the functions of both, for, as Justin says of our Lord, He announces (ἀπαγγέλλει) and He is sent (ἀποστέλλεται).

καὶ ἀρχιερέα. Christ was both the Moses and the Aaron of the New Dispensation; an “Apostle” from God to us; an High Priest for us before God. As “Apostle” He, like Moses, pleads God’s cause with us; as High Priest He, like Aaron, pleads our cause with God. Just as the High Priest came with the name Jehovah on the golden plate of his mitre in the name of God before Israel, and with the names of the Tribes graven on his jewelled breastplate in the name of Israel before God, so Christ is “God with us” and the propitiatory representative of men before God. He is above Angels as a Son, and a Lord of the future world; above Aaron, as a Priest after the order of Melchisedek; above Moses, as a Son over the house is above a servant in it.

τῆς ὁμολογίας ἡμῶν, “of our confession” as Christians (Heb 4:14, Heb 10:23; 2Co 9:13; 1Ti 6:12). It is remarkable that in Philo (Opp. I. 654) the Logos is called “the Great High Priest of our Confession”;—but the genuineness of the clause seems doubtful.

Ἰησοῦν. This is a better reading than the Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν of the rec. Such a variation of reading may seem a matter of indifference, but this is very far from being the case. First, the traceable differences in the usage of this sacred name mark the advance of Christianity. In the Gospels Christ is called Jesus and “the Christ”; “the Christ” being still the title of His office as the Anointed Messiah, not the name of His Person. In the Epistles “Christ” has become a proper name, and He is frequently spoken of as “the Lord,” not merely as a title of general respect, but in the use of the word as an equivalent to the Hebrew “Jehovah.” Secondly, the difference of nomenclature shews that St Paul was not the author of this Epistle. St Paul uses the title “Christ Jesus,” which (if the reading be here untenable) does not occur in this Epistle. This author uses “Jesus Christ” (Heb 10:10, Heb 13:8; Heb 13:21), “the Lord” (Heb 2:3), “our Lord” (Heb 7:14), “our Lord Jesus” (Heb 13:20), “the Son of God” (Heb 6:6, Heb 7:3, Heb 10:29), but most frequently “Jesus” alone, as here (Heb 2:9, Heb 4:14, Heb 6:20, Heb 7:22, Heb 10:19, Heb 12:2; Heb 12:24, Heb 13:12) or “Christ” alone (Heb 3:6; Heb 3:14, Heb 5:5, Heb 6:1, Heb 9:11, &c.). See Prof. Davidson, On the Hebrews, p. 73.

1. Ἰησοῦν אABC1D1M. The reading Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν is not only supported by inferior authority (EKL), but is against the usage of this writer, who never elsewhere uses this collocation, and Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς only (if at all) in Heb 6:20. He uses the simple Ἰησοῦς (Heb 2:9, Heb 4:14, Heb 6:20, Heb 7:22, &c.) or the simple Χριστός (Heb 3:6; Heb 3:14, Heb 5:5, Heb 6:1, &c.). See the note.

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.

Chap.

3:1-4:16.] The Son of God greater also than Moses: and inferences therefrom. The Writer has arrived through the reasonings of ch. 1:2, at the mention of the High Priesthood of Jesus. He might at once have passed thence to the superiority of His High Priesthood to that of the imperfect priests on earth. But one point yet remains, without which the gospel would not have its entire comparison with the law. The law was given by angels in the hand of a mediator. Moses was that mediator. Moses was above all others the Prophet by whom God had spoken to the Fathers in times past. Christ therefore must be compared with Moses, and shewn to be greater than he. This being done, he returns again to his central idea, the High Priesthood of Christ (ch. 4:14); and from thenceforward treats of and unfolds it. Ebrard gives the detailed connexion well: “The angel of the covenant came in the name of God before the people of Israel; Moses in the name of Israel before God: the High Priest came in the name of God before Israel (with the name יהוה on his forehead), and in the name of Israel (with the names of the twelve tribes on his breast) before God (Exo 28:9-29 and 36-68). Now the N. T. Messiah is above the angels, according to ch. 1:2: α. because in Himself as Son of God He is higher than they, and β. because in Him all humanity is exalted above the angels to lordship in the οἰκουμένη μέλλουσα, and that by this means, because the Messiah is not only מלאך, but also ἀρχιερεύς,—not only messenger of God to men, but also the propitiatory sacerdotal representative of men before God. Now exactly parallel with this runs our second part. The fundamental thesis, ch. 3:3, πλείονος γὰρ οὗτος δόξης παρὰ Μωυσῆν ἠξίωται, is plainly analogous in form with the fundamental thesis of the first part, 1:4, τοσούτῳ κρείττων γενόμενος τῶν ἀγγέλων. The N. T. Messiah is above Moses, because He, α. of Himself, as Son of the house (3:6), is above him who was only the servant of the house (cf. with 3:5, θεράπων,—1:14, λειτουργικὰ πνεύματα), and, β. because the work, of bringing Israel into rest, which was not finished by Moses, is now finished by Him (4:1 ff.). And this work Christ has finished, by being not, as Moses, a mere leader and lawgiver, but at the same time a propitiatory representative, an ἀρχιερεύς (ch. 5:11 ff.). So far does the parallelism of the two portions reach even into details, that as the two divisions of the former part are separated by a hortatory passage, so are those of this part also:—

“I. The Son and the angels,II. The Son and Moses.α. The Son of God of Himself higher than the λειτουργικὰ πνεύματα of God, 1:5-14.α. The Son of the house of Israel higher than the θεράπων of the house, 3:1-6.(Hortatory passage, 2:1-4.)(Hortatory passage, 3:7-19.)β. In Him manhood is exalted above the angels, 2:5-16.β. In Him Israel has entered into rest, 4:1-13.For He was also High Priest, 2:17, 18.Thus He is also our High Priest, 4:14-16.” Comm. pp. 123 f.Ebrard has perhaps not enough noticed the prevalence of the hortatory mood not only in the interposed passage, 3:7-19, but all through the section: cf. 4:1, 11, 14, 16.

1.] Whence (i. e. seeing that we have such a helper: it is connected with the result of ch. 2: not, surely, with ch. 1:1, as De W. The fact just announced in 2:18, is a reason for κατανοήσατε: see below), hely brethren (Michaelis proposed to put a comma at ἀδελφοί, and treat the two as separate,—brethren (and) saints. But, as Bleek observes, the rhythm seems against this, κλής. ἐπαυρ. μέτοχοι following. And a graver objection may be found in the choice of the words themselves: for there can hardly be a doubt that both are used in reference to the ἁγιαζόμενοι and ἀδελφοί of ch. 2:11, 12. Not that the ἀδελφοί here are Christ’s brethren: but that the use of the word reminds them of that brotherhood in and because of Christ, of which he has before spoken. Whether the idea of common nationality is here to be introduced, is at least doubtful. I should rather regard it as swallowed up in the great brotherhood in Christ: and Bleek has well remarked, that, had the Writer been addressing believing Jews and Gentiles, or even believing Gentiles only, he would have used the same term of address and without any conscious difference of meaning), partakers (see on μετέχειν, ch. 2:14: and reff. here) of a heavenly calling (κλῆσις, as usual, of the invitation, or summons, of God, calling men to His glory in Christ—and hence of the state which is entered by them in pursuance of that calling: cf. especially Php 3:14, τῆς ἄνω κλήσεως τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. Then also ἐπουρανίου (see reff.)—a calling made from heaven, see ch. 12:25: “vocatio quæ de cœlo,” Syr. Or it may mean, the calling which proposes a heavenly reward,—whose inheritance is in heaven. By far the best way is, to join the two meanings together: so Bengel, “per Dominum e cœlo factæ, et eo, unde facta est, perducentis.” In fact the calling being ἐπουράνιος and proceeding from heaven, must of necessity be heavenly in its purport and heavenward in its result; eine vom himmel aus ergangene und gen himmel rufende: ihr Ausgangsort, ihr Inhalt, ihr Ziel—das Alles ist himmlisch. Delitzsch), contemplate (survey, with a view to more closely considering. The word is used of the survey of the spies at Jericho (λαθόντες γὰρ τὸ πρῶτον ἅπασαν ἐπʼ ἀδείας τὴν πόλιν αὐτῶν κατενόησαν, τῶν τε τειχῶν ὅσα καρτερὰ κ.τ.λ. Jos. Antt. v. 1. 2: cf. also Gen 42:9, κατάσκοποί ἐστε, κατανοῆσαι τὰ ἴχνη τῆς χώρας ἥκατε, and Num 32:8, Num 32:9); and of fixing the thoughts on any object, see reff. Luke, with whom it is a favourite word. The meaning then of the exhortation here is not, ‘pay attention to’ (“ut sedule attendant ad Christum,” Calv.), ‘be obedient to,’ but as above) the Apostle and High Priest (notice that but one art. covers both ἀπόστ. and ἀρχ., thereby making it certain that both words belong to τῆς ὁμολογίας) of our profession, Jesus (ἀπόστολον, as superior to the ἄγγελοι, being Himself the angel of the covenant, God’s greatest messenger: the word ἄγγελον being, as Ebrard, avoided, on account of its technical use before, to prevent Christ being confused with the angels in nature. He is ὁ ἀπεσταλμένος παρὰ πατρός: see Joh 20:21. (I may remark, that the circumstance of the Writer using ἀπόστολος without scruple, as designating our Lord, may shew that the ἀπόστολοι as a class were not so distinctly marked as they have since been: a view supported also by some expressions of St. Paul: e. g. 2Co 8:23.)

Ebrard well remarks, that all the difficulties which Commentators have found in this term vanish, on bearing well in mind the comparison between Christ and the angels in ch. 1:2. See an instance of this in the elaborate discussion of its meaning on Hebraistic grounds in the last edition of Tholuck; who, by rendering ἀπόστ., “mediator,” has lost the joint testimony of the two, ἀπόστ. and ἀρχ., to Christ’s mediatorship. Bengel says well on the two,—“τὸν ἀπόστ., eum qui Dei causam apud nos agit: τὸν ἀρχ., qui causam nostram apud Deum agit. Hic Apostolatus et Pontificatus uno mediatoris vocabulo continentur.” τῆς ὁμολογίας ἡμ., of our Christian confession,—i. e. of our faith: so Thl., τουτέστι τῆς πίστεως· οὐ γὰρ τῆς κατὰ νόμον λατρείας ἀρχιερεύς ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας πίστεως. And so Thdrt., Œc., and Erasm., Calv., Beza, Grot., al. Tholuck objects, that thus we get no good sense for ἀπόστολος: but he does not seem to have taken into account the parallel with ch. 1:14. Thos. Aquinas, Luther, Camero, Calov., Owen (as an altern.), Wolf, al., and De Wette, and Tholuck, take the words as merely importing “whom we confess.” But although De W. defends this from ch. 4:14, it does not seem to agree with the usage there, κρατῶμεν τῆς ὁμολογίας,—nor with ch. 10:23,—nor 1Ti 6:12, 1Ti 6:13. To render ὁμολογία by “covenant,” as Camerar., Tittmann, al., is not according to N. T. usage, which always has διαθήκη for this idea. There is a remarkable passage quoted by Wetst., out of Philo de Somn. i. § 38, vol. i. p. 654, containing the expression ὁ μέγας ἀρχιερεὺς τῆς ὁμολογίας: a parallel hardly to be accounted accidental, especially as the ἀρχιερεύς here spoken of is the λόγος (see above,§ 37, p. 653, δύο ἱερὰ θεοῦ, ἓν μὲν ὅδε ὁ κόσμος, ἐν ᾧ καὶ ἀρχιερεύς, ὁ πρωτόγονος αὐτοῦ θεῖος λόγος). But Bleek has argued that, there being nothing in the context, or in the usage of Philo elsewhere, which can justify τῆς ὁμολογίας there, the only inference open to us is, that it has been inserted in Philo’s text from this passage.

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

Having laid the foundation, that is to say, declared and proved both the natures of one selfsame Christ, he giveth him three offices, to wit, the office of a Prophet, king, and Priest: and as touching the office of teaching and governing, compareth them with Moses and Joshua, unto verse 14 of the next Chapter, and with Aaron touching the Priesthood. And he propoundeth that which he purposeth to speak of, with a most grave exhortation, that all our faith may tend to Christ, as to the only everlasting teacher, governor, and high Priest.

The Ambassador or messenger, as Rom. 1:5, he is called the minister of circumcision.

Of the doctrine of the Gospel which we profess.

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

In these verses we have the application of the doctrine laid down in the close of the last chapter concerning the priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ. And observe,

I. In how fervent and affectionate a manner the apostle exhorts Christians to have this high priest much in their thoughts, and to make him the object of their close and serious consideration; and surely no one in earth or heaven deserves our consideration more than he. That this exhortation might be made the more effectual, observe,

1. The honourable compellation used towards those to whom he wrote: Holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling. (1.) Brethren, not only my brethren, but the brethren of Christ, and in him brethren to all the saints. All the people of God are brethren, and should love and live like brethren. (2.) Holy brethren; holy not only in profession and title, but in principle and practice, in heart and life. This has been turned by some into scorn: "These," say they, "are the holy brethren;" but it is dangerous jesting with such edge-tools; be not mockers, lest your bands be made strong. Let those that are thus despised and scorned labour to be holy brethren indeed, and approve themselves so to God; and they need not be ashamed of the title nor dread the scoffs of the profane. The day is coming when those that make this a term of reproach would count it their greatest honour and happiness to be taken into this sacred brotherhood. (3.) Partakers of the heavenly calling - partakers of the means of grace, and of the Spirit of grace, that came from heaven, and by which Christians are effectually called out of darkness into marvelous light, that calling which brings down heaven into the souls of men, raises them up to a heavenly temper and conversation, and prepares them to live for ever with God in heaven.

2. The titles he gives to Christ, whom he would have them consider, (1.) As the apostle of our profession, the prime-minister of the gospel church, a messenger and a principal messenger sent of God to men, upon the most important errand, the great revealer of that faith which we profess to hold and of that hope which we profess to have. (2.) Not only the apostle, but the high priest too, of our profession, the chief officer of the Old Testament as well as the New, the head of the church in every state, and under each dispensation, upon whose satisfaction and intercession we profess to depend for pardon of sin, and acceptance with God. (3.) As Christ, the Messiah, anointed and every way qualified for the office both of apostle and high priest. (4.) As Jesus, our Saviour, our healer, the great physician of souls, typified by the brazen serpent that Moses lifted up in the wilderness, that those who were stung by the fiery serpents might look to him, and be saved.

II. We have the duty we owe to him who bears all these high and honourable titles, and that is to consider him as thus characterized. Consider what he is in himself, what he is to us, and what he will be to us hereafter and for ever; consider him, fix your thoughts upon him with the greatest attention, and act towards him accordingly; look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. Here observe, 1. Many that profess faith in Christ have not a due consideration for him; he is not so much thought of as he deserves to be, and desires to be, by those that expect salvation from him. 2. Close and serious consideration of Christ would be of great advantage to us to increase our acquaintance with him, and to engage our love and our obedience to him, and reliance on him. 3. Even those that are holy brethren, and partakers of the heavenly calling, have need to stir up one another to think more of Christ than they do, to have him more in their minds; the best of his people think too seldom and too slightly of him. 4. We must consider Christ as he is described to us in the scriptures, and form our apprehensions of him thence, not from any vain conceptions and fancies of our own.

III. We have several arguments drawn up to enforce this duty of considering Christ the apostle and high priest of our profession.

1. The first is taken from his fidelity, Heb 3:2. He was faithful to him that appointed him, as Moses was in all his house. (1.) Christ is an appointed Mediator; God the Father has sent and sealed him to that office, and therefore his mediation is acceptable to the Father. (2.) He is faithful to that appointment, punctually observing all the rules and orders of his mediation, and fully executing the trust reposed in him by his Father and by his people. (3.) That he is as faithful to him that appointed him as Moses was in all his house. Moses was faithful in the discharge of his office to the Jewish church in the Old Testament, and so is Christ under the New; this was a proper argument to urge upon the Jews, who had so high an opinion of the faithfulness of Moses, and yet his faithfulness was but typical of Christ's.

2. Another argument is taken from the superior glory and excellence of Christ above Moses (Heb 3:3-6); therefore they were more obliged to consider Christ. (1.) Christ was a maker of the house, Moses but a member in it. By the house we are to understand the church of God, the people of God incorporated together under Christ their maker and head, and under subordinate officers, according to his law, observing his institutions. Christ is the maker of this house of the church in all ages: Moses was a minister in the house, he was instrumental under Christ in governing and edifying the house, but Christ is the maker of all things; for he is God, and no one less than God could build the church, either lay the foundation or carry on the superstructure. No less power was requisite to make the church than to make the world; the world was made out of nothing, the church made out of materials altogether unfit for such a building. Christ, who is God, drew the ground-plan of the church, provided the materials, and by almighty power disposed them to receive the form; he has compacted and united this his house, has settled the orders of it, and crowned all with his own presence, which is the true glory of this house of God. (2.) Christ was the master of this house, as well as the maker, Heb 3:5, Heb 3:6. This house is styled his house, as the Son of God. Moses was only a faithful servant, for a testimony of those things that were afterwards to be revealed. Christ, as the eternal Son of God, is the rightful owner and sovereign ruler of the church. Moses was only a typical governor, for a testimony of all those things relating to the church which would be more clearly, completely, and comfortably revealed in the gospel by the Spirit of Christ; and therefore Christ is worthy of more glory than Moses, and of greater regard and consideration. This argument the apostle concludes, [1.] With a comfortable accommodation of it to himself and all true believers (Heb 3:6). Whose house we are: each of us personally, as we are the temples of the Holy Ghost, and Christ dwells in us by faith; all of us jointly, as we are united by the bonds of graces, truths, ordinances, gospel discipline, and devotions. [2.] With a characteristic description of those persons who constitute this house: "If we hold fast the confidence, and the rejoicing of the hope, firmly to the end; that is, if we maintain a bold and open profession of the truths of the gospel, upon which our hopes of grace and glory are built, and live upon and up to those hopes, so as to have a holy rejoicing in them, which shall abide firm to the end, notwithstanding all that we may meet with in so doing." So that you see there must not only be a setting out well in the ways of Christ, but a stedfastness and perseverance therein unto the end. We have here a direction what those must do who would partake of the dignity and privileges of the household of Christ. First, They must take the truths of the gospel into their heads and hearts. Secondly, They must build their hopes of happiness upon those truths. Thirdly, They must make an open profession of those truths. Fourthly, They must live so up to them as to keep their evidences clear, that they may rejoice in hope, and then they must in all persevere to the end. In a word, they must walk closely, consistently, courageously, and constantly, in the faith and practice of the gospel, that their Master, when he comes, may own and approve them.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

CHAPTER III.

Jesus is the High Priest of our profession, 1.

And is counted worthy of more honour than Moses, as the Son

Israelites did, and were excluded from the earthly rest in

Canaan, 7-11.

We should be on our guard against unbelief, 12.

And exhort each other, lest we be hardened through the

deceitfulness of sin; and we should hold fast the beginning of

our confidence to the end, and not provoke God as the

Israelites did, and who were destroyed in the wilderness,

13-17.

They were promised the earthly rest, but did not enter because

of unbelief, 18,19.

NOTES ON CHAP. III.

Verse 1. Holy brethren] Persons consecrated to God, as the word literally implies, and called, in consequence, to be holy in heart, holy in life, and useful in the world. The Israelites are often called a holy people, saints, c., because consecrated to God, and because they were bound by their profession to be holy and yet these appellations are given to them in numberless instances where they were very unholy. The not attending to this circumstance, and the not discerning between actual positive holiness, and the call to it, as the consecration of the persons, has led many commentators and preachers into destructive mistakes. Antinomianism has had its origin here: and as it was found that many persons were called saints, who, in many respects, were miserable sinners, hence it has been inferred that they were called saints in reference to a holiness which they had in another; and hence the Antinomian imputation of Christ's righteousness to unholy believers, whose hearts were abominable before God, and whose lives were a scandal to the Gospel. Let, therefore, a due distinction be made between persons by their profession holy, i.e. consecrated to God; and persons who are faithful to that profession, and are both inwardly and outwardly holy. They are not all Israel who are of Israel: a man, by a literal circumcision, may be a Jew outwardly; but the circumcision of the heart by the Spirit makes a man a Jew inwardly. A man may be a Christian in profession, and not such in heart; and those who pretend that, although they are unholy in themselves, they are reputed holy in Christ, because his righteousness is imputed to them, most awfully deceive their own souls.

Dr. Owen has spoken well on the necessity of personal holiness against the Antinomians of his day. "If a man be not made holy he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. It is this that makes them meet for the inheritance of the saints in light; as without it they are not meet for their duty, so are they not capable of their reward. Yea, heaven itself, in the true light and notion of it, is undesirable to an unsanctified person. Such a one neither can nor would enjoy God if he might. In a word, there is no one thing required of the sons of God that an unsanctified person can do, and no one thing promised unto them that he can enjoy.

"There is surely then a woful mistake in the world. If Christ sanctify all whom he saves, many will appear to have been mistaken in their expectations at another day. It is grown amongst us almost an abhorrency to all flesh to say, the Church of God is to be holy. What! though God has promised that it should be so; that Christ has undertaken to make it so? What! if it be required to be so? What! if all the duties of it be rejected of God, if it be not so? It is all one, if men be baptized, whether they will or not, and outwardly profess the name of Christ, though not one of them be truly sanctified, yet they are, it is said, the Church of Christ. Why then let them be so; but what are they the better for it? Are their persons or their services therefore accepted with God? Are they related or united to Christ? Are they under his conduct unto glory? Are they meet for the inheritance of the saints in light? Not at all: not all nor any of these things do they obtain thereby. What is it then that they get by the furious contest which they make for the reputation of this privilege? Only this: that, satisfying their minds by it, resting if not priding themselves in it, they obtain many advantages to stifle all convictions of their condition, and so perish unavoidably. A sad success, and for ever to be bewailed! Yet is there nothing at all at this day more contended for in this world than that Christ might be thought to be a captain of salvation to them, unto whom he is not a sanctifier; that he may have an unholy Church, a dead body. These things tend neither to the glory of Christ, nor to the good of the souls of men. Let none then deceive themselves; sanctification is a qualification indispensably necessary to them who will be under the conduct of the Lord Christ unto salvation; he leads none to heaven but whom he sanctifies on earth. The holy God will not receive unholy persons. This living head will not admit of dead members, nor bring men into possession of a glory which they neither love nor like."

Heavenly calling] The Israelites had an earthly calling; they were called out of Egypt to go into the promised land: Christians have a heavenly calling; they are invited to leave the bondage of sin, and go to the kingdom of God. These were made partakers of this calling; they had already embraced the Gospel, and were brought into a state of salvation.

Apostle and High Priest of our profession] Among the Jews the high priest was considered to be also the apostle of God; and it is in conformity to this notion that the apostle speaks. And he exhorts the Hebrews to consider Jesus Christ to be both their High Priest and Apostle; and to expect these offices to be henceforth fulfilled by him, and by him alone. This was the fullest intimation that the Mosaic economy was at an end, and the priesthood changed. By της ομολογιας ημων, our profession, or that confession of ours, the apostle undoubtedly means the Christian religion. Jesus was the Apostle of the Father, and has given to mankind the new covenant; and we are to consider the whole system of Christianity as coming immediately from him. Every system of religion must have a priest and a prophet; the one to declare the will of God, the other to minister in holy things. Moses was the apostle under the old testament, and Aaron the priest. When Moses was removed, the prophets succeeded him; and the sons of Aaron were the priests after the death of their father. This system is now annulled; and Jesus is the Prophet who declares the Father's will, and he is the Priest who ministers in the things pertaining to God, see Heb 2:17; as he makes atonement for the sins of the people, and is the Mediator between God and man.

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

1. Wherefore, holy brethren, etc. He concludes the preceding doctrine with a necessary exhortation, that the Jews should attentively consider what sort of being and how great Christ is. As he had before, by naming him a teacher and a priest, briefly compared him with Moses and Aaron, so he now includes both clauses; for he adorns him with two titles, as he sustains a twofold character in the Church of God. Moses was a prophet and a teacher, and Aaron was a priest; but the two offices belong to Christ. If then we seek rightly to know him, we must inquire what sort of being he is; yea, he must be clothed with his own power, lest we lay hold on an empty shadow and not on him.

First, the word consider, is important, for it intimates that singular attention is required, as he cannot be disregarded with impunity, and that at the same time the true knowledge of Christ is sufficient to dissipate the darkness of all errors. And to encourage them the more to pursue this study, he reminds them of their calling; as though he had said, “God favored you with no common grace when He called you into his kingdom; it now remains that you have your eyes fixed on Christ as your leader in the way.” For the calling of the godly cannot be otherwise confirmed than by a thorough surrender of themselves to Christ. We ought not therefore to regard this as said only to the Jews, but that it is a general truth addressed to all who desire to come into the kingdom of God; they ought sedulously to attend to Christ, for he is the sole instructor of our faith, and has confirmed it by the sacrifice of himself; for confession, or profession, is to be taken here for faith, as thought he had said, that the faith we profess is vain and of no avail, unless Christ be its object.

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.

(1) Wherefore.—The address which here begins (the first direct address in the Epistle) bears the same relation to all that has preceded, as Heb_2:1-4 bears to the first chapter. In particular, the contents of the second chapter are gathered up in this verse, almost every word of which recalls some previous statement or result.

Holy brethren.—United in one brotherhood in virtue of a common sonship (Heb_2:10) and of a common brotherhood (Heb_2:11) with Jesus, Him “that sanctifieth” (Heb_2:11).

Partakers.—Through Him who “took part” of our earthly nature (Heb_2:14) we are partakers of a “heavenly calling” (Heb_2:10) as God’s sons.

The Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.—The best MSS. omit “Christ”; and it is impossible not to feel how fitly the personal name “Jesus” is used after the later verses of Hebrews 2. Here only is the name Apostle directly given to our Lord; but the thought is present in Heb_2:3, and in the many passages in which Jesus designates Himself as the Sent of God, using the word from which Apostle is derived (Joh_3:17; Joh_5:36, et al.; especially Joh_17:18; Joh_20:21). There is very little difference between Apostle and Prophet, thus applied; but the one brings into relief the mission, the other the office and position. Each presents a thought complementary of that contained in high priest: “as Apostle Jesus pleads the cause of God with us; as High Priest He pleads our cause with God” (Bengel). The next verse renders it probable that the two terms contain a reference to the special mission of Moses and the priesthood of Aaron; our Christian confession looks to One mediator.

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

1. Wherefore] The same word (ὅθεν) as in Heb_2:17, where see the note. It is an inference from the grandeur of Christ’s position and the blessedness of His work as set forth in the previous chapters.

holy brethren] This form of address is never used by St Paul. It assumes that they answered to their true ideal, as does the ordinary term “saints.”

partakers of the heavenly calling] Rather, “of a heavenly calling.” It is a heavenly calling because it comes from heaven (Heb_12:25), and is a call “upwards” (ἄνω) to heavenly things (Php_3:14) and to holiness (1Th_4:7).

consider] The word means “contemplate,” consider attentively, fix your thoughts upon (aorist).

the Apostle] Christ is called an “Apostle” as being “sent forth” (apostellomenon) from the Father (Joh_20:21). The same title is used of Christ by Justin Martyr (Apol. i. 12). It corresponds both to the Hebrew maleach (“angel” or “messenger”) and sheliach (“delegate”). The “Apostle” unites the functions of both, for, as Justin says of our Lord, He announces (apangellei) and He is sent (apostelletai).

and High Priest] Christ was both the Moses and the Aaron of the New Dispensation; an “Apostle” from God to us; an High Priest for us before God. As “Apostle” He, like Moses, pleads God’s cause with us; as High Priest he, like Aaron, pleads our cause with God. Just as the High Priest came with the name Jehovah on the golden plate of his mitre in the name of God before Israel, and with the names of the Tribes graven on his jewelled breastplate in the name of Israel before God, so Christ is “God with us” and the propitiatory representative of men before God. He is above Angels as a Son, and a Lord of the future world; above Aaron as a Priest after the order of Melchisedek; above Moses as a Son over the house is above a servant in it.

of our profession] Rather, “of our confession” as Christians (Heb_4:14, Heb_10:23; 2Co_9:13; 1Ti_6:12). It is remarkable that in Philo (Opp. i. 654) the Logos is called “the Great High Priest of our Confession;”—but the genuineness of the clause seems doubtful.

Christ Jesus] Rather, according to the best MSS. “Jesus” (A, B, C, D). Such a variation of reading may seem a matter of indifference, but this is very far from being the case. First of all, the traceable differences in the usage of this sacred name mark the advance of Christianity. In the Gospels Christ is called Jesus and “the Christ;” “the Christ” being still the title of His office as the Anointed Messiah, not the name of His Person, In the Epistles “Christ” has become a proper name, and He is frequently spoken of as “the Lord,” not merely as a title of general respect, but in the use of the word as an equivalent to the Hebrew “Jehovah.” Secondly, the difference of nomenclature shews that St Paul was not the author of this Epistle. St Paul uses the title “Christ Jesus” which (if the reading be here untenable) does not occur in this Epistle. This author uses “Jesus Christ” (Heb_10:10, Heb_13:8; Heb_13:21), “the Lord” (Heb_2:3), “our Lord” (Heb_7:14), “our Lord Jesus” (Heb_13:20), “the Son of God” (Heb_6:6, Heb_7:3, Heb_10:29), but most frequently “Jesus” alone, as here (Heb_2:9, Heb_4:14, Heb_6:20, Heb_7:22, Heb_10:19, Heb_12:2; Heb_12:24, Heb_13:12) or “Christ” alone (Heb_3:6; Heb_3:14, Heb_5:5, Heb_6:1, Heb_9:11, &c.). See Prof. Davidson, On the Hebrews, p. 73.

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.

Wherefore, holy brethren,.... The apostle calls the Hebrews "brethren", not because they were of the same natural stock and lineage, but because they were in the same spiritual relation; they all had the same Father, belonged to the same family, were the adopted sons of God, the brethren of Christ, of one another, and of the apostle; and they were "holy", not by birth, nor by their external separation from other nations, but through sanctification of the Spirit; and they were so by profession, and in the opinion of the apostle:

partakers of the heavenly calling; by which is meant not any business, or employment of life; nor a call to any office in church or state; nor a mere external call by the ministry of the word; but an internal special call of grace, to the enjoyment of the blessings of grace here, and to glory hereafter; and which is not according, to works, but according to the grace of God, and is by powerful, efficacious, and irresistible grace: and this is said to be "heavenly", because the grace by which the saints are called is from heaven, and it is to heaven they are called; and the means of their calling, the Gospel, is from heaven; and this epistle epithet is used to show the excellency of their calling, and to distinguish it from all others: and this the Hebrews are said to be "partakers of"; which shows, that God had not utterly cast off that people, and yet that they were not the only persons that enjoyed the grace of the effectual calling, they were but partners with others; and that the saints are alike sharers in this blessing, they are called in one hope of their calling; and it denotes the truth and reality of it: the duty they are exhorted to is,

to consider the apostle and high priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; the Alexandrian copy, the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions, read, only "Jesus"; who is called "the apostle", because he was sent of God to preach the Gospel, work miracles, and do the will of God, particularly to obtain redemption and salvation for his people, which mission does not suppose any inequality of persons, or change of place, or any compulsion or disrespect to Christ, but love to men; and is to be understood of him as in office as Mediator, and shows his authority, and that he was no impostor. The high priest among the Jews was, on the day of atonement, considered as "an apostle", or "messenger" (s); for so the elders of the sanhedrim address him on that day, saying,

"Lord high priest, we are the messengers of the sanhedrim, and thou art "our apostle", or "messenger", and the messenger of the sanhedrim.''

And it follows here, and "the high priest of our profession"; which may be understood either objectively, whom they professed, both by words or deeds; for a profession of him should be public, visible, and sincere; or efficiently, he being the author, sum, and substance of the religion, faith, and Gospel which was professed by them: and he is to be "considered" in the greatness and dignity of his person, as the Son of God; and in his wondrous grace and love in assuming human nature, and dying for his people; and in the relations he stands in to them as a Father, husband, brother, friend; and in his several offices, as Mediator, and particularly as sent of God, to be the Saviour of sinners; and as the high priest, who has offered himself a sacrifice, and ever lives to make intercession; and all this to encourage the saints to hold fast their profession of him.

(s) Misn. Yoma, c. 1. sect. 5.

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

1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

Ver. 1. Holy brethren] HOLY, because partakers of a calling that is heavenly. 1. Rations fontis, Php 3:14-15. 2. Ratione finis, to the fruition of heavenly privileges in Christ.

Consider] Gr. κατανοησατε. Bend your minds with utmost diligence upon him.

The apostle and high priest] Those two chief offices of both Testaments, ut ubique superemineat Christus.

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.

Wherefore - That is, since Christ sustains such a character as has been stated in the previous chapter; since he is so able to succour those who need assistance; since he assumed our nature that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest, his character ought to be attentively considered, and we ought to endeavor fully to understand it.

Holy brethren - The name “brethren” is often given to Christians to denote that they are of one family. It is “possible,” also, that the apostle may have used the word here in a double sense - denoting that they were his brethren as “Christians,” and as “Jews.” The word “holy” is applied to them to denote that they were set apart to God, or that they were sanctified. The Jews were often called a “holy people,” as being consecrated to God; and Christians are holy, not only as consecrated to God, but as sanctified.

Partakers of the heavenly calling - On the meaning of the word “calling,” see the notes at Eph 4:1. The “heavenly calling” denotes the calling which was given to them from heaven, or which was of a heavenly nature. It pertained to heaven, not to earth; it came from heaven, not from earth; it was a calling to the reward and happiness of heaven, and not to the pleasures and honors of the world.

Consider - Attentively ponder all that is said of the Messiah. Think of his rank; his dignity; his holiness; his sufferings; his death; his resurrection, ascension, intercession. Think of him that you may see the claims to a holy life; that you may learn to bear trials; that you may be kept from apostasy. The character and work of the Son of God are worthy of the profound and prayerful consideration of every man; and especially every Christian should reflect much on him. Of the friend that we love we think much; but what friend have we like the Lord Jesus?

The apostle - The word “apostle” is nowhere else applied to the Lord Jesus. The word means one who “is sent” - and in this sense it might be applied to the Redeemer as one “sent” by God, or as by way of eminence the one sent by him. But the connection seems to demand that; there should be some allusion here to one who sustained a similar rank among the Jews; and it is probable that the allusion is to Moses, as having been the great apostle of God to the Jewish people, and that Paul here means to say, that the Lord Jesus, under the new dispensation, filled the place of Moses and of the high priest under the old, and that the office of “apostle” and “high priest,” instead of being now separated, as it was between Moses and Aaron under the old dispensation, was now blended in the Messiah. The name “apostle” is not indeed given to Moses directly in the Old Testament, but the verb from which the Hebrew word for apostle is derived is frequently given him. Thus, in Exo 3:10, it is said, “Come now, therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh.” And in Heb 3:13, “The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you.” So also in Heb 3:14-15, of the same chapter. From the word there used - שׁלח shaalach - “to send.” The word denoting “apostle” - שׁליח shaliyach - is derived; and it is not improbable that Moses would be regarded as being by way of eminence the one “sent” by God. Further, the Jews applied the word ” - שׁליח shaliyach - “apostle,” to the minister of the synagogue; to him who presided over its affairs, and who had the general charge of the services there; and in this sense it might be applied by way of eminence to Moses as being the general director and controller of the religious affairs of the nation, and as “sent” for that purpose. The object of Paul is to show that the Lord Jesus in the Christian system - as the great apostle sent from God - sustained a rank and office similar to this, but superior in dignity and authority.

And High Priest - One great object of this Epistle is to compare the Lord Jesus with the high priest of the Jews, and to show that he was in all respects superior. This was important, because the office of high priest was what eminently distinguished the Jewish religion, and because the Christian religion proposed to abolish that. It became necessary, therefore, to show that all that was dignified and valuable in that office was to be found in the Christian system. This was done by showing that in the Lord Jesus was found all the characteristics of a high priest, and that all the functions which had been performed in the Jewish ritual were performed by him, and that all which had been prefigured by the Jewish high priest was fulfilled in him. The apostle here merely alludes to him, or names him as the high priest, and then postpones the consideration of his character in that respect until after he had compared him with Moses.

Of our profession - Of our religion; of that religion which we profess. The apostle and high priest whom we confessed as ours when we embraced the Christian religion.

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

The....high priest of our profession. That is, of the faith we confess, or profess. Christ is also here called our apostle, i.e. sent by his Father. (Witham) --- Jesus Christ is not only our apostle, he is the doctor, the legislator or the religion we profess. He is our high priest, who offered himself in sacrifice for the sanctification of his Church, and who is now exercising at the right hand of his Father the office of the priesthood in our behalf, both in heaven and on earth. We here see our dignity: we have a God for the apostle and high priest of our religion.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Jesus Christ, Lord of the Household of Gods

(b) Christ is superior also to Moses; for He is Son over the house of God, whereas Moses was only a servant in it.

1. Wherefore] A new section begins here, in which argument and exhortation are blended. The connexion with the preceding is not quite plain. It may lie in the fact that Christ has been described (Heb_2:10) as a Leader of salvation, conducting God's children to glory, suggesting a similar function performed by Moses, the Leader of God's people to the rest of Canaan. Christ is the Apostle and High Priest of the new profession, as Moses was of the old. But all those who set out under the leadership of Moses did not enter into the. promised rest. Hence the warning against unbelief and falling away from the living God (Heb_3:12 : cp. Heb_2:1-3). Holy brethren] They are consecrated to God, as Israel was: cp. Exo_19:6 and see on Exo_2:11. The heavenly calling] RV 'a heavenly calling,' as distinguished from the calling of Israel to an earthly Canaan. Apostle and High Priest] Christ is both the messenger (cp. Heb_1:2) or representative of God to man, and the representative of man before God.

2. In all his house] i.e. God's house: see Num_12:7. Christ and Moses both set an example of faithfulness, which the Hebrews will do well to copy; but Christ's sphere is higher than that of Moses, for while Moses was a servant in the house, Christ, as Son of God, made the house: cp. Heb_1:2.

5. For a testimony] i.e. to bear testimony to the revelation afterwards made in the Law: cp. Heb_1:1.

6. If we hold fast] Transition to the warning in v. 7-4:13. The condition of remaining in the house of God is steadfast faith.

7. Wherefore] In AV the long quotation from Psalms 95 is treated as a parenthesis, and 'Wherefore' is connected with 'Take heed' in Heb_3:12. This is probably correct, but owing to the length of the parenthesis, the connexion becomes broken and a new sentence begins at Heb_3:12. The Holy Ghost saith] cp. Heb_10:15; Act_1:16; 2Pe_1:21.

8. Provocation and temptation are translations of the Heb. proper names, Massah and Meribah. For the instances of unbelief and apostasy connected with these places see Exo_17:1-7; Num_20:1-13; Deu_33:8.

9. Proved me] RV 'by proving me,' i.e. by presumptuously putting to the proof. Saw my works] 'my works of judgment following on their unbelief,' or, more probably, 'in spite of their experience of my works of deliverance and mercy.'

13. Deceitfulness of sin] The sin in view is unbelief culminating in apostasy, for which no doubt many specious reasons were forthcoming.

15. While it is said] This is best taken in connexion with the preceding v. to mean 'in view of the saying,' 'seeing we have received this warning.'

16. RV rightly takes this v., like the two following, interrogatively. 'For who, when they heard, did provoke? Nay, did not all they that came out of Egypt by Moses? And with whom was he displeased forty years?

Was it not with them that sinned..? And to whom sware he.. but to them that were disobedient?' Israel's apostasy was universal in spite of the fact that they had heard the words and seen the works of the Lord, and had such a leader as Moses. The inference is the same as in Heb_2:1-3.

J. R. Dummelow, A Commentary on the Holy Bible (Macmillan, 1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

THE SON SUPERIOR TO MOSES. Here begins the second section of the argument of the first four chapters. (see summary given under Heb_1:5) But though a new branch of the argument begins, it is linked, after the artistic manner of the Epistle, to what has gone before in a continuous chain of thought. This sequence is denoted by the initiatory.

Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus (Criston before Ihsoun is ill supported, and to be rejected from the text). Reference to what has gone before is perceptible throughout this verse. The persons addressed are "holy," as being among the "sanctified"; (Heb_2:11) "brethren," as being, with the writer, in this relation to Christ; (Heb_2:11, Heb_2:12, Heb_2:13, Heb_2:17) their calling is a heavenly one, being from heaven (Heb_1:1) and to heaven. (Heb_2:10) Jesus is their" Apostle," as having been sent into the world, as above set forth, from God; their "High Priest," as implied, though not distinctly expressed, at the end of Heb 2, which led up to the idea. "Jesus" is added at the end in apposition, so as to fix attention on him, as the bearer of these titles, who was known by that name in the flesh. On the title "Apostle," we may observe that, though it is nowhere else in the New Testament applied to Christ, yet its idea with respect to him is frequent both in flits Epistle and elsewhere. (cf. Luk_4:43 Luk_9:48 Luk_10:16 Joh_17:3, Joh_17:18, etc.) The word omologia (translated "confession;" in the A.V, "profession") is generally used for the Christian"s avowal of his faith before men. (cf. Heb_4:14 Heb_10:23 2Co_9:13 1Ti_6:12) The genitive here depends on both the preceding substantives, its force probably being that Jesus, as Apostle and High Priest, is the object of our confession of faith. On Jesus, then, being such, the readers are called to fix earnestly their mental gaze, and in doing so take further note of his superiority to Moses, which is the subject of what follows.

HOMILIES BY C. NEW Vers. 1-6. The superiority of Christ to Moses the reason why they should cleave to Christ.

The writer has met the objection to Christianity raised by the supposed want of dignity in its Founder, as opposed to the greatness of the angels through whom the old dispensation was said to be "ordained." He proceeds to deal with another objection. "The Law was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator;" but, he says, however great this mediator was, Christ is greater still. Subject The superiority of Christ to Moses the reason why they should cleave to Christ.

I ALL THAT MOSES WAS TO GOD"S PEOPLE, CHRIST IS. A very delicate subject. To exhibit Moses in a subordinate position was to touch a point on which the Hebrews were very sensitive. The writer, therefore, begins by simply speaking of Christ as, at least, on a level with Moses.

1. Moses and Christ were successively the divinely appointed heads of Israel. "House" equivalent to "household." Both Moses and Christ successively presided over, administered the affairs of, the household of God on earth. The New Testament often draws a parallel in some kind between Moses and Christ: "As Moses lifted," etc.; "The Law was given by," etc.; "They sing the song of Moses," etc. This parallel is more sharply drawn in the affirmation that Moses and Christ occupied this position in the twofold capacity of Apostle and High Priest. " The two aspects of the mediatorial position: an apostle is one sent of God to represent him to the people, and the high priest is one appointed to represent the people before God. Moses fulfilled this dual position with regard to Israel; but the Hebrews had lost nothing in advancing from him to Christ, for they had all this in Jesus.

2. Moses and Christ were both faithful in their fulfillment of the Divine appointment. Not, "Each was personally faithful," but "Each perfectly fulfilled the part allotted to him;" so that if Moses did less than Jesus (as may presently appear), he did all that was incumbent on him as administrator of the old economy. The writer is careful not to sink Moses that he may exalt Jesus. (We need not undervalue any of God"s gifts in order to extol Christ.)

II WHILST CHRIST IS ALL THAT MOSES WAS, HE IS ALSO MORE. From the resemblance he proceeds carefully to the superiority.

1. Moses was but a part of the household; Christ is the Founder of it.

Moses was born into the family which existed before him, and had to share its privileges, duties, responsibilities, etc. But God was the Founder of the family, and Jesus has before been shown to be God. He must, therefore, be greater than Moses. (All the beauty in anything we love must be more fully in Christ, because it originates in him.)

2. Moses was but a servant to the house; Christ is Lord of it. Moses only did what he was bidden: "The Lord said unto Moses." What he did for the nation was not due to him, but was the carrying out of the will of another, and therefore the reverence and thankfulness given to him were really due to the Master whose instrument he was. And that Master was Christ. By so much is Christ better than Moses. (Do we think of that when anything ministers to our well being, that it is only a servant all things come of God?)

3. Moses was but a symbolic witness in the house; Christ was the realized Life of it. "Moses was for a testimony of those things which were afterwards to be spoken." He and his work were symbolic of things to come a dead symbol. The contrast is drawn in ver. 6: "Christ, whose house are we, if we hold fast our boldness and the glorying," etc.; that is, the Church is a living organism, whose life is Christ; Christ"s family are such by a living faith which binds each member of it to him. Christ is the quickening Spirit to which Moses, as a symbol, pointed. (Everything we value on earth is only a symbol of something better in Christ. Happy we if, ere the evanescent symbol fades, we have grasped the reality; if, when Moses passes out of sight, Jesus is left!)

III THE CONSIDERATION OF THE SUPERIORITY OF CHRIST IS THE POWER TO CONFIRM THE WAVERERS IN THEIR ALLEGIANCE TO HIM. Christ is better than Moses; therefore, ye wavering Hebrews, cleave to Christ; that is the idea. The practical lesson is, that:

1. Moses, in the case of Israel, corresponds with anything which in our case competes with Christ. What Moses was to them many an object is to us, and we stand hesitating between it and our Lord.

2. Then, remember that all that is to be found in this object is to be found in Christ, and much more. Whatever good it promises us is but the shadow of a greater good in him.

3. Then, when we are tempted to leave Christ for anything, our safety is in considering him. If we leave him it is because we do not know him, and that is because we do not reflect upon him. As you "consider him," and he turns on you a sad look, asking, "Will ye also go away?" you will answer decidedly, joyously, "Lord, to whom shall," etc.? C. N.

HOMILIES BY J.S. BRIGHT Vers. 1-6. The superiority of Christ.

I HERE WE HAVE THE PRE-EMINENCE OF CHRIST OVER THE JEWISH LAWGIVER ASSERTED. Having proved that our Lord was by nature and by his work infinitely above the angels, and that his assuming our flesh qualified him to be the great High Priest, it was desirable to show that he was immeasurably greater than Moses, who was the human mediator in establishment of the covenant and Law. The apostle knew the luster with which the name and ministry of Moses were always surrounded in the minds of the people of Israel, and therefore with admirable wisdom he proceeds to claim for Jesus Christ his rightful ascendancy and special glory. Jewish believers are addressed as "holy brethren" and partakers of the heavenly calling, which differed from the calling which invited the tribes to march and take possession of Canaan. It is heavenly because it comes to them from heaven and calls them to heaven, and is heard continually by the spiritual ear of those who are advancing to the "rest which remaineth for the people of God." Moses had a glory which was that of fidelity to the thoughts and ideas of Jehovah, who said to him, "See that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount." When the tabernacle was finished God looked upon the work and blessed it, because it faithfully realized his design. He was faithful in receiving communications from God and delivering them to the people, and in publishing the laws respecting sacrifices, ceremonies, and social life. He uttered predictions respecting the future course of Israel and the character and ministry of the Lord Jesus, and could say, as Paul said, "That which I have received of the Lord have I delivered unto you." He was faithful to the interests of the people, and in a time of danger from the righteous anger of Jehovah was willing to die for them. (Exo_32:32) He was a servant in the house, and ministered under him who was its Architect and Builder. Our Lord rises infinitely above Moses, because he is a Son, and by his dignity and nature is far above all angels, all patriarchs, and prophets, and even Moses himself, who spake to God "face to face." This is confirmed by the events of the Transfiguration, for when Moses and Elijah were with him in glory the voice was heard, "This is my beloved Son; hear him." The apostle invites us to consider the sublime edifice of the Church, which is the work of God, who created all things, in which Jesus Christ has a special and glorious ministry as the Son of the Father. He is faithful as Moses was in the range of his Divine communications, and said, "Whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said to me, so I speak". (Joh_12:50) He came to do the Father"s will in his mighty and sacrificial sorrows, and drank the bitter Cup that we might drink the cup of blessing. He promised to see his disciples again, and to pour out the Spirit upon them. St. Peter stood with joy on the day of Pentecost, and affirmed, "He hath shed forth that which ye now see and hear." The existence of his Church proves his faithfulness; for the gates of hell have not prevailed against it; and "blessed are all they that trust in him.

II THE NEED AND ADVANTAGE OF REVERENT CONSIDERATION OF HIS GLORY. To "consider" signifies to withdraw from the excitement and turbulence of human life to look steadily at the Son of God, and resemble, in some degree, the astronomer who enters into his observatory to gaze in silence on the glory of the heavens above. It was needful for Jewish Christians to look to the glory of Christ, as the best way to counteract the discouragements which arose from the opposition of the synagogue and of those to whom the cross of Christ was a stumbling-block and an offence. The truth of his priesthood was to be acknowledged, and the glory of his apostleship was to be confessed; for he was sent by the Father to reveal his will and claim our faith; and "whosoever will not hear this Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people." If the steady contemplation of Jesus Christ was necessary for Jewish believers, it is equally so for ourselves. It is by beholding him we are changed into the same image of constancy, and hold fast the cheerful confidence with which we began the career, and cherish the exaltation of our hope to the end of our earthly life. Then those who die in the Lord gain the precious recompense of the congratulation and welcome of the Redeemer, who will greet them with those sacred words, "Well done, good and faithful servant: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." Believers are besought by the endearing appeal to their brotherhood to be faithful to him who was faithful as a Son, to whom they are predestinated to be conformed; and as he is not ashamed to call us brethren, we should strive to please him who encourages us to be faithful unto death, and he will give us "the crown of life. B.

HOMILIES BY D. YOUNG Ver. 1. Heavenly things. There are four heavenly things spoken of in this Epistle which it may be well here to connect together.

I THE HEAVENLY CALLING. Elsewhere the upward calling. A voice out of the pure, the abiding, the unchangeable. A voice of love, pity, invitation, authority, such as could not sound from anywhere in this distracted, defiled world.

II THE HEAVENLY GIFT. The dwrea the free donation of God; the gift bestowed for men to taste and live by; the bread of eternal life. Remember what James says, that "every perfect gift is from above". (Jam_1:17)

III THE HEAVENLY COUNTRY. The fatherland; the patriv of the Christian. The voice from heaven calls us there. The heavenly gift is for our provision by the way; the manna of our desert life. (Heb_11:16)

IV THE HEAVENLY JERUSALEM Where all the glory of the heavenly fatherland is concentrated. The treasures of a land are represented in its capital city. Jerusalem gave a site for the temple, a palace for the king. Y. (Heb_12:22)

What Christ is to us.

I CONSIDER THE PEOPLE HERE ADDRESSED, AND THE SPEAKER IN RELATION TO THEM. Amid the endless, fruitless discussion as to the authorship of this Epistle, so much at least it is not unreasonable to conclude, that the author was a Hebrew Christian, not a Gentile one. The Hebrews were now divided into what might be called Christian Hebrews and non-Christian Hebrews Hebrews of the gospel and Hebrews of the Law and in addressing the Christian Hebrews the writer implies certain profound distinctions. He calls them:

1. Brethren. This not a mere word of courtesy. It acknowledged the relation between writer and readers; it indicated the writer"s interest; he had a certain claim to be listened to. And, to put this brotherhood beyond doubt, there is the subsequent "our." Then there is the brotherhood of the readers to one another, and their brotherhood to the Son of God.

2. Holy; or perhaps better taken as a substantive saints; men with the stamp of consecration on them. The Jewish nation was a holy nation, holy by nature; and now these believers, with the Holy Spirit"s work going on in them, were twice holy.

3. Partakers of a heavenly calling. (This expression noticed more particularly in a separate homily.)

4. Those who have made an acknowledgment, a profession, with respect to Christ.

II CONSIDER THE IMPLIED PARALLEL WITH THE EXPERIENCES OF THE HEBREW NATION. All Hebrews were brethren, in this sense, that they had descended from one father, Abraham. They were holy by the consecration of Jehovah"s historical dealings with them. God had not dealt so with any other nation. They were partakers of a heavenly calling. It was a voice of God, not some self-dictated impulse, which sent out Abraham and directed and bounded the track of his posterity. And, most important of all, the Hebrew nation made their acknowledgment of apostle and high priest. The apostle was Moses, and of the high priest Aaron may be taken as representative. Though while living Moses had been only too often the object of hatred, jealousy, rebellion, he had now come to be vehemently acknowledged. It could not be too much proclaimed by the Hebrews of the Law that he was the sent of God.

III CONSIDER THE APOSTLE AND HIGH PRIEST OF OUR PROFESSION. The Hebrews of the gospel had only one Person to consider, where the Hebrews of the Law had two. The matter is one for consideration close and penetrating application of the mind. Consideration as opposed to negligence, as opposed to superficiality; sufficient examination as opposed to insufficient. To obey the exhortation meant to bend the mind to all the subsequent arguments and illustrations of the Epistle. The writer was going to exhibit the results of his own consideration. And though the interest and responsibility of this consideration is special to Jews, yet it is well for all Gentiles to consider how thoroughly Jesus is a sent Person. Moses was clearly a sent person; there is nothing to show that in himself he was a man of extraordinary gifts. By so much as the nature of Jesus is richer and purer than that of Moses, we need to be on our guard against forgetting that he is a sent Person. We must acknowledge him as such; the supreme Sent One, out of the infinite, the eternal, the unseen. Y.

Ver. 1. Consider Jesus.

The exhortation of this verse marks the transition from the first section of the treatise to those which follow. Its reference is both retrospective and prospective. Indeed, the whole Epistle says in effect, "Consider what is written herein concerning Jesus; for he is greater than the prophets, greater than the angels, greater than Moses and Joshua, greater than Aaron, and. pre-eminent among the heroes of faith.

I A DESCRIPTION OF CHRIST.

1. The Apostle" of the gospel Jesus, the Son of God (and no longer prophets or angels), is now the Divine Ambassador to men. God has sent him to us, as he sent Moses (Ex 3) to the ancient Israelites. (Heb 3 4:1-13) It is singularly appropriate that Christ, the Sent of God, should be called God"s "Apostle.

2. The "High Priest" of the Church. As our Mediator, Jesus draws near to God for us. He expiates, propitiates, reconciles, and intercedes. (Heb_4:14 Heb_10:18) Through Christ, as Apostle, God holds intercourse with us; and through Christ, as High Priest, we hold intercourse with God.

II A DESCRIPTION OF CHRIST"S PEOPLE.

1. Holy brethren. " This phrase evidently looks back to Heb_2:11 and following verses. Believers are so styled on account of their common oneness with Christ, their Sanctifier and eider Brother.

2. Partakers of a heavenly calling. " This refers to the sovereign gift of regeneration, and of the blessings flowing from it, which all believers have received. The "calling" is "heavenly," because it has come from heaven; it creates heaven within us; and it conducts to heaven.

3. Confessors of Christ. Jesus expects his people to make an open and proud avowal of attachment to him as their Teacher and Priest. Believers confess him by connecting themselves with his Church, by sitting at his table of communion, by defending his honor, by spreading his truth, and especially by reflecting his likeness in their lives.

III A DUTY OF CHRIST"S PEOPLE TOWARDS HIM. Christianity centers in Christ; in fact, Christ himself is Christianity. Personal religion does not consist in any merely intellectual acceptance of gospel truth; it is a life of loving devotion to the living Savior. How necessary, then, that we "consider Jesus," earnestly, intensely, habitually, and make the study of him the main interest and business of life! We must" consider" him:

1. To know him. We are saved through faith in Christ; but knowledge is necessary in order to faith. If we would know the Redeemer in his Person, natures, offices, and work, we must "consider" him.

2. To love him. A Christian is one who loves Christ; but this love will fill his heart only in so far as he gazes admiringly upon the God-Man, who loved him and gave himself for him.

3. To serve him. If we truly love Christ as our Savior, this love will control and dominate our life. But, in order to know his will, our "eyes" must always "look unto the hand of our Master.

4. To become like him. Sanctification can be effected only by always "looking unto Jesus" for mercy and grace and aid, until we finally attain the prize of the heavenly calling.

CONCLUSION. This subject suggests a test of character. Do I belong to the holy brotherhood? Have I accepted the heavenly calling? Do I confess Christ with my lip and in my life? Is the contemplation of Jesus my most cherished desire?

HOMILIES BY W. JONES. Ver. 1. The sublimest contemplation. "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling," etc.

I THE CHARACTERIZATION OF CHRISTIANS.

1. They are fraternal in relation. "Brethren." These Hebrew Christians were brethren in a twofold sense to the writer of the Epistle first, as being his kindred according to the flesh; and next, as being of the same religious faith. Every Christian is a member of a glorious brotherhood. We are brothers inasmuch as we have all one Father and one elder Brother; we are animated by one Spirit; we are tending to one home, our "Father"s house." Let us endeavor to realize this relationship, and to practically express its spirit. "Love the brotherhood.

2. They are consecrated in character. "Holy brethren." By applying to them the term "holy," the writer does not affirm that all those whom he was addressing were in a state of sinless purity. The adjective conveys two ideas consecration and transformation. Christians are holy because they have consecrated themselves to the Lord, and are being transformed into moral resemblance to him.

3. They are exalted in privilege. "Partakers of a heavenly calling." This calling "is the invitation given on the part of God and Christ to men, to come and partake of the blessings proffered" in the gospel. In two senses it is "a heavenly calling.

(1) It is heavenly in its origin; a calling from heaven. The holy voices and gracious invitations are from above. All saving influences and impulses are from God.

(2) It is heavenward in its end; a calling to heaven. Spiritual, sublime, eternal, heavenly, are the blessings to which we are called. It is "the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." The "partakers" of this calling are not those who have merely heard the call to gospel blessings, but those who have both heard and accepted that call.

II THE CHARACTERIZATION OF THE LORD AND SAVIOR.

1. He is the Apostle of our confession. " There is here a comparison of Jesus with Moses. Moses was "sent" of God to be the emancipator, chieftain, and ruler of the Israelites. (see Exo_3:10, Exo_3:12, Exo_3:14, Exo_3:15) In this sense he was an apostle of God. Jesus Christ was the Sent of God. (see Joh_3:34 Joh_5:36, 37 6:29 10:36 17:18) He was sent on a still grander mission of redemption. (see Isa_61:1-3) Moreover, the Jews designated the minister of the synagogue, who had the charge of its affairs and presided over them, an apostle. And in the verse following our text the writer goes on to speak of Jesus and Moses as each presiding over the affairs of a house. In this sense also our Lord is "the Apostle of our confession." He is sent, not only to emancipate, but also to rule over his Church; to be both "a Prince and a Savior.

2. He is "the High Priest of our confession. " Here the comparison is with Aaron. As Aaron was high priest of the Jews, and, as such, made expiation for the sins of the people, so our Savior has made atonement for the sins of the world by the offering of himself in sacrifice. Through him we approach unto God. He maketh intercession for us. He pleads with us and in us and for us. Through him we shall rise to heaven. As the Apostle, he is the Representative of God to men; as the High Priest, he is the Representative of men with God.

3. He is Jesus. There is perhaps a reference here to Joshua, the great general of the Israelites, who led them into the promised land. "Thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins." How great, then, is our Lord and Savior!

III THE ATTITUDE WHICH CHRISTIANS SHOULD MAINTAIN TOWARDS THEIR LORD AND SAVIOUR. "Wherefore, holy brethren... consider the Apostle and High Priest, etc.

1. The argument. "Wherefore," i.e. because we have in Jesus such "a merciful and faithful High Priest," such a mighty and gracious Helper, we should attentively consider him. And such consideration would be likely to strengthen the Christian faith of any who were in danger of falling back into Judaism; for they would find him a greater Apostle than Moses, a greater High Priest than Aaron, a greater "Captain of salvation" than Joshua. The great principle is this, that the greatest safeguard against weariness, discouragement, and apostasy is an earnest consideration of Jesus; a believing, steadfast, looking unto him.

2. The exercise. "Consider the Apostle," etc. Contemplate him as "the Apostle of our confession." How much greater is he than Moses! Moses did not lead the people into the Promised Land, or even enter therein himself; but Jesus has entered heaven as our Forerunner, has led multitudes into its blessedness, will lead all his people there. Contemplate him as "the High Priest of our confession." How much greater is he than Aaron! Aaron"s priesthood was imperfect, typical, preparatory; but our Lord"s is gloriously perfect. By his sacrifice he has made full atonement; his intercession is divinely efficacious. Contemplate him as our Savior, "Jesus." He is "mighty to save;" "able to save to the uttermost," etc. Here is the sublimest contemplation. In weakness and weariness consider him, and you will be strengthened and animated. In darkness consider him, and the night will shine even as the day. In sin consider him, and you will seek and obtain forgiveness. In sorrow consider him, and the troubled heart will grow calm and restful. In death consider him, and his rod and staff will comfort you, and he himself will lead you through its dark portals into the joys and glories of heaven. Let this be our constant attitude unto Jesus. W.J.

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

The heavenly calling - God calls from heaven, and to heaven, by the gospel. Consider the Apostle - The messenger of God, who pleads the cause of God with us. And High Priest - Who pleads our cause with God. Both are contained in the one word Mediator. He compares Christ, as an Apostle, with Moses; as a Priest, with Aaron. Both these offices, which Moses and Aaron severally bore, he bears together, and far more eminently. Of our profession - The religion we profess.

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

partakers

companions; the same word trans. "fellows" in Heb 1:9.

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Superiority of Christ over Moses.

Christ compared with Moses:

v. 1. Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus,

v. 2. who was faithful to Him that appointed Him, as also Moses was faithful in all His house.

v. 3. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honor than the house.

v. 4. For every house is builded by some man; but He that built all things is God.

v. 5. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;

v. 6. but Christ as a son over His own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

Having shown the superiority of Christ over the angels, the sacred writer proceeds to strengthen the allegiance of his readers in presenting Christ as the final Mediator. The angels, although the mediators of God in the disposition of the Law and of great power in the forces of nature, yet could not compare with the Lord of the angels. The same is now proved in regard to the earthly mediator of the Law: Wherefore, holy brethren, associates of the heavenly calling, mark well the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him that appointed Him, as also Moses was in His whole house. The inspired author here apparently goes back to the first statement of his letter, concerning the fact that God spoke His final and saving word through His Son Jesus Christ. This the readers should mark well, for which reason they are tenderly urged and encouraged by the name "holy brethren" which the writer applies to them. All Christians are holy, sanctified, consecrated to God by virtue of the faith which was kindled in their hearts. By reason of this fact also they are companions of the writer, associates with him in the heavenly calling. Through the call of God in the Gospel they have actually secured a participation in all the heavenly treasures and blessings, Col 1:5. This being the case, the readers are also in a position to look upon Christ in a proper manner, to realize the scope of His office, to understand the greatness of His dignity, at least in a measure. For He was truly made and appointed by God as the Apostle and High Priest of our confession. He was sent forth by God with the message of our salvation, He was appointed to be our High Priest and Sacrifice at and on the altar of the cross. This we, who believe, freely and gladly confess and praise. The special qualification of Jesus for this important office, to which we and all believers should direct our careful attention, is His faithfulness or trustworthiness. It was the faithfulness of the Son to the obedience of the Father. Moses indeed was also faithful in God’s house, in the congregation of the believers of the Old Testament, in the Lord’s Church. This testimony God Himself gave him while he was yet living, Num 12:7. Even here the structure of the sentence, if not the words themselves, indicates that the faithfulness of Moses cannot truly compare with that of Christ.

This idea is more fully substantiated by the writer: For of greater glory than Moses has this Man been deemed worthy by as much as he that erects a house is greater than the house. For every house is erected by someone, but He that establishes all things is God. With emphasis the writer says "this Man," since he is referring to that great God and man in one person, who assumed a true human nature in order to gain salvation for the whole world. He has been adjudged of God worthy of greater glory than Moses, the greater glory being seen in the more important place occupied by Him in the fulfillment of God’s purpose of salvation. So far as the worth and the dignity of Christ and Moses, respectively, are concerned, there is the same difference of degree as in the case of a man that erects and prepares a house for occupancy and the house itself. The man that plans a house, builds it, and equips it with all the paraphernalia necessary for a well-conducted household is greater than the household in its condition in the house. But He that builds, prepares, and equips the house of God, the Church in all its fullness, is Jesus Christ, who is thus identified with the Builder of the house of the Church, with God Himself, while Moses is considered only a part of the household. In the form of a proverb the author adds that every house naturally has someone that plans the building and the equipment, Jesus Christ in this case being the Builder of the structure of the Church. God, however, being the Author and Creator of all things, it follows that Christ is on a level with God and worthy of much more honor than Moses.

The argument is continued in the next verses: And Moses indeed was faithful in His entire house as an attendant, to a testimony of the things that would be spoken of, hut Christ is as a Son over His house, whose house are we, if we shall have held fast our confidence and the glorying of our hope firm to the end. This is not an unwilling concession, but a willing praise of Moses. He was faithful in every department of God’s house, in every branch of his difficult ministry. But he was, after all, only in the house of God, only in the congregation of the believers, as an attendant upon holy things, as a servant of God. So far as the people, the children of Israel, were concerned, the fact that God Himself had testified to the faithfulness of Moses was the guarantee also of the trustworthiness of the report and message which he gave of what the Lord had spoken to him on the mountain. The Law, as he preached it, was indeed the Word of God, and as such served a very definite purpose in the Church of the Old Testament. But Christ is more. As the Son of God, He is over the house, He is the Lord of the structure of the Church, to which, as the author points out, we and all believers belong. We are members of the Church of God and Christ, if we remain faithful to the end, if we adhere with all confident boasting to the hope of our salvation until the end. The hope of the Christians is not an unstable, uncertain quantity, which is subject to every fluctuation of feeling, but being founded in the promises of the Lord, it is a cheerful confidence, a quiet boast, that there is laid up for them a crown of righteousness, which the Lord will give them on the last day, 2Ti 4:8. There is no self-reliance, no self-sufficiency in the true Christian, but only an unwavering trust in the love and power of God. "The Christian’s hope of a heavenly inheritance, of perfected fellowship with God, should be so sure that it confidently proclaims itself, and instead of being shamefaced, glories in the future it anticipates. And this attitude must be maintained until difficulty and trial are past and hope has become possession."

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

These words are an exhortation to the believing Hebrews, to consider and ponder in their hearts the high dignity and excellency of Christ, as the great prophet and apostle of his church; and in them,

Observe 1. The title given to the Hebrews, unto whom the exhortation is directed; he styles them.

1. Holy brethren, so they were all by external profession, and many of them, no doubt, by internal sanctification.

Learn hence, That all the professors of the gospel are obliged to be holy, and such as are real professors of it, are sanctified by the Holy Ghost, and made truly and really holy.

2. Partakers of the heavenly calling; that is of that calling from heaven which makes you heirs of heaven implying, that the only way to attain the saving knowledge of Christ in the gospel, is by means of an effectual heavenly calling.

Observe, 2. The duty exhorted to, and that is diligent consideration. Consider Christ Jesus; that is, rationally attend unto, and with great intention of mind ponder upon, the undertaking of the Son of God: for if you consider him in his person and offices, you will firmly adhere to him and his most holy and excellent religion, without entanglements unto Judaism.

Learn thence, That the spiritual and deep mysteries of the gospel, especially those which concern the person and offices of our Lord Jesus Christ, do require our deep and diligent, our most attentive and serious consideration.

Observe, 3. The title given to Jesus Christ, the object of this consideration: he is styled the Apostle and High-priest of our profession; that is, the first and chief apostle sent of God to be the prime preacher of the gospel, the first legate sent from heaven, and the great High-priest that mediates between God and man.

Here note, That the function of an apostle and high-priest were the greatest functions that ever God instituted in his church; none greater than an high-priest under the law, none greater than an apostle under the gospel, both of them never conjoined in one man but here.

Learn hence, That the Lord Jesus Christ is all in all unto his church, the king, priest, prophet, and apostle of it, all in one: Consider the Apostle an High-priest of our profession, &c.

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

1. This verse holds up Jesus as the Apostle, High Priest and Paragon of all religious profession, the only infallible Exemplar, the universal Archetype of the Gospel dispensation, in contradistinction to Moses in bygone ages.

William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Hebrews Chapter 3

Thus the Lord is set before us as the Apostle and High Priest of believers from among the Jews, the true people. I say,”from among the Jews,” not that He is not our Priest, but that here the sacred writer places himself among the believing Jews, saying “our;” and, instead of speaking of himself as and apostle, he points out Jesus as the Apostle; which He was in Person among the Jews. In principle, it is true of all believers. That which He has said is the Lord’s word, and He is able to succour us when we are tempted. We are His house.

For we have here a third character of Christ. He is a “Son over his house.” Moses was faithful in all the house of God as a servant, in testimony to the things that were afterwards to be proclaimed. But Christ is over God’s house; but it is not as a servant but as a Son. He has built the house, He is God.

Moses identified himself with the house, faithful therein in all things. But Christ is more excellent; even as he who builds the house is more excellent than the house. He who builds all things is God. And this is what Christ did.For in fact the house (that is, the tabernacle in the wilderness) was a figure of the universe; and Christ passed through the heavens, as the high priest passed into the sanctuary. All was cleansed with blood, even as God will reconcile all thins by Christ in the heavens and on the earth. In a certain sense this universe is the house of God. He deigns to inhabit it. Christ created it all. But there is a house which is more properly His own. We are His house, taking it for granted that we persevere to the end.

The Hebrew Christians were in danger-being attracted by their former habits, and by a law and ceremonies which God Himself had established-of forsaking a Christianity, in which Christ was not visible, for things that were visible and palpable. The Christ of Christians, far from being a crown of glory to the people, was only an object of faith, so that, if faith failed, He was deprived of all importance to them. A religion that made itself seen (the “old wine”) naturally attracted those that had been accustomed to it.

But in fact Christ was much more excellent than Moses, as he who has built the house had more honour than the house, Now this house was the figure of all things, and He who had built them was God. The passage gives us this view of Christ and of the house, and also says, that we are this house. And Christ is not the servant here; He is the Son over God’s house.

We must always remember that which has been already remarked, namely, that in this epistle we have no the assembly as the body of Christ in union with Himself; nor even the Father either, except as a comparison in chapter 12. It is God, a heavenly Christ (who is the Son of God), and a people, the Messiah being a heavenly Mediator between the people and God. Therefore the proper privileges of the assembly are not found in this epistle-they flow from our union with Christ; and here Christ is a Person apart who is between us and God, on high while we are here.

There are still a few remarks which we may add here in order to throw light on this point, and to assist the reader in understanding the first two chapters, as well as the principle of the instructions throughout the epistle.

In chapter 1, Christ accomplishes by Himself as a part of His divine glory the purification of sins, and seats Himself at the right hand of God. This work, observe, is done by Himself. We have nothing to do with it, save to believe in and enjoy it. It is a divine work which this divine Person has accomplished by Himself; so that it has all the absolute perfection, all the force, of a work done by Him, without any mixture of our weakness, of our efforts, or of our experiences. He performed it by Himself, and it is accomplished. Thereupon He takes His seat. he is not placed there-He seats Himself upon the throne on high.

In chapter 2 we see another point which characterises the epistle-the present state of the glorified Man. He is crowned with glory and honour; but it is with a view to an order of things which is not yet accomplished. It is the Person of the Man Christ which is presented, not the assembly in union with Him, even when He is beheld as glorified in the heavens, This glory is viewed as a partial accomplishment of that which belongs to Him, according to the counsels of God, as the Son of man. hereafter this glory will be complete in all its parts by the subjugation of all things.

The present glory therefore of Christ makes us look forward to an order of things yet future, which will be full rest, full blessing. In a word, bedsides the perfection of His work, the epistle sets before us the sequel of that which belongs to Christ in Person, the Son of man, not the perfection of the assembly in Him. And this embraces the present time, the character of which, to the believer, depends on Christ’s being now glorified in heaven while waiting for a future state, in which all things will be subjected to Him.

In this chapter 2 we see also that He is crowned. He is not seen sitting there as in His original right, though He had that glory before the world was, but, having been made a little less than the angels, God crowns Him. We also plainly see that although the believing Hebrews are especially in view, and even all Christians are classed under the title of Abraham’s seed on the earth, yet that Christ is viewed nevertheless as the Son of man, and not as the Son of David; and the question is put, “What is man?” The answer (the precious answer for us) is, Christ glorified, once dead on account of man’s condition. In Him we see the mind of God with regard to man.

The fact that Christians themselves are viewed as the seed of Abraham plainly shews the way in which they are considered as forming part of the chain of the heirs of promise on earth (as in Rom 11:1-36), and not as the assembly united to Christ as His body in heaven.

The work is perfect; it is the work of God. He has by Himself made purification of sins. The full result of the counsels of God with regard to the Son of man is not yet come. Thus the earthly part can be brought in, as a thing foreseen , as well as the heavenly part, although the persons to whom the epistle is addressed had part in the heavenly glory-participated in the heavenly calling-in connection with the present position of the Son of man.

The remnant of the Jews, as we have said, are considered as continuing the chain of the people blessed on earth, whatever heavenly privileges they may also possess or whatever their especial state may be in connection with the Messiah’s exaltation to heaven. We have been grafted into the good olive-tree, so that we share all the advantages here spoken of. Our highest position, and the privileges belonging to it, are not here in view. Accordingly, as writing to Hebrews and as one among them, he addresses them, that is to say, Christians and believing Israelites. This is the force of the word “us” in the epistle; we must bear it in mind, and that the Hebrew believers always form the word “us” of which the writer is also a part.

No one ought to harden his heart; but this word is especially addressed to Israel, and that until the day when Christ shall appear. In speaking of it, the author returns to the word that had formerly been addressed to Israel; not now in order to warn them of the danger they would incur by neglecting it. but of the consequences of departing from that which they had acknowledged to be true. Israel, when delivered out of Egypt, had provoked God in the wilderness (it was indeed the case also of Christians in this world), because they were not at once, and without difficulty, in Canaan.Those to whom he wrote were in danger of forsaking the living God in the same way; that is, the danger was there before their eyes. They should rather exhort each other, while it was still called to-day, in order that they might not be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.This word “to-day” is the expression of the patient activity of God’s grace towards Israel even unto the end. The people were unbelieving; they have hardened their hearts; they have done so, and will alas! do so to the end, until judgment come in the Person of the Messiah-Jehovah, whom they have despise. But until then God loves to reiterate, “Today, if ye will hear my voice.” It may be that only a few will hearken; it may be that the nation is judicially hardened, in order to admit the Gentiles; but the word “today” still resounds for every one among them who has ears to hear, until the Lord shall appear in judgment. It is addressed to the people according to the long-suffering of God. For the remnant who had believed it was an especial warning not to walk in the ways of the hardened people who had refused to hearken-not to turn back to them, forsaking their own confidence in the word which had called them, as Israel did in the wilderness.

As long as the “today” of the call of grace should continue, they were to exhort one another, lest unbelief should glide into their hearts through the subtlety of sin. It is thus that the living God is forsaken. We speak thus practically, not with reference to the faithfulness of God, who certainly will not allow any of His own to perish, but with regard to practical danger, and to that which would draw us away-as to our responsibility-from God, and for ever, if God did not intervene, acting in the life which He has given us, and which never perishes.

Sin separates us from God in our thoughts; we have no longer the same sense either of His love, His power, or His interest in us. Confidence is lost, Hope, and the value of unseen things, diminish; while the value of things that are seen proportionately increases. The conscience is bad; one is not at ease with God. The path is hard and difficult; the will strengthens itself against Him. We no longer live by faith; visible things come in between us and God and take possession of the heart. Where there is life, God warns by His Spirit (as in this epistle), He chastises and restores. Where it was only an outward influence, a faith devoid of life, and the conscience not reached, it is abandoned.

It is the warning against so doing that arrests the living. The dead-they whose consciences are not engaged, who do not say, “To whom shall we go? thou has the words of eternal life”-despise the warning and perish. This was the case with Israel in the wilderness, and God sware unto them that they should not enter into His rest. (Num 14:21-23) And why? They had given up their confidence in Him. Their unbelief-when the beauty and excellence of the land had been reported to them-deprived them of the promised rest.

The position of the believers to whom this epistle is addressed was the same as this, although in connection with better promises. The beauty and excellence of the heavenly Canaan had been proclaimed to them. The had, by the Spirit, seen and tasted its fruits; they were in the wilderness; they had to persevere to maintain their confidence unto the end.

Observe her-for Satan and our own conscience when it has not been set free, often make use of this epistle-that doubting Christians are not here contemplated, or persons who have not yet gained entire confidence in God: to those who are in this condition its exhortations and warnings have no application. These exhortations are to preserve the Christian in a confidence which he has, and to preserve, not to tranquillise fears and doubts. This use of the epistle to sanction such doubts is but a device of the enemy. Only I would add here that, although the full knowledge of grace (which in such a case the soul has assuredly not yet attained) is the only thing that can deliver and set it free from its fears, yet it is very important in this case practically to maintain a good conscience, in order not to furnish the enemy with a special means of attack.

John Nelson Darby — Synopsis of the Books of the Bible: the New Testament (c. 1857–1862) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1, 2. Wherefore. Seeing Christ is so exalted as the first and second chapter show. Holy brethren. Christians made holy by being purged of their sins. Partakers of the heavenly calling. Called by a gospel which came from heaven and which will lead those who obey it, and thus become partakers, to heaven. Consider the Apostle and High Priest. Christ. An apostle is one sent. Moses, in this sense, was an apostle. Christ was sent from heaven. The Twelve were sent out by Christ. He is not only Apostle, but High Priest; superior to both Moses and Aaron combined. Our profession. More correctly, “Our confession,” that is, of all confessors of Christ. The confession of Peter (Matt. 16:16) was the confession of primitive Christians.

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.

Connecting Statement:

This second warning is longer and more detailed and includes chapters 3 and 4. The writer begins by showing that Christ is better than his servant Moses.

holy brothers

Here "brothers" refer to fellow Christians, including both men and women. AT: "holy brothers and sisters" or "my holy fellow believers" (See: Metaphor and When Masculine Words Include Women)

you share in a heavenly calling

Here "heavenly" represents God. AT: "God has called us together" (See: Metonymy)

the apostle and high priest

Here the word "apostle" means someone who has been sent. In this passage, it does not refer to any of the twelve apostles. AT: "the one whom God sent and is the high priest"

of our confession

This can be reworded so that the abstract noun "confession" is expressed as the verb "confess." AT: "whom we confess" or "in whom we believe" (See: Abstract Nouns)

in God's house

The Hebrew people to whom God revealed himself are spoken of as if they were a literal house. AT: "to all of God's people" (See: Metaphor)

Jesus has been considered

This can be stated in active form. AT: "God has considered Jesus" (See: Active or Passive)

the one who built everything

God's acts of creating the world are spoken of as if he had built a house. (See: Metaphor)

every house is built by someone

This can be stated in active form. AT: "every house has someone who built it" (See: Active or Passive)

translationWords

holy

brother

heaven

call

Jesus

apostle

high priest

confess

faithful

appoint

Moses

house of God

worthy

glory

honor

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

The leading ideas of the preceding section are echoed in this verse : brethren, of whom Christ made himself the brother : holy, in virtue of the work of the sanctifier.

Wherefore [οθεν] . Drawing a conclusion from ch. 2 9 - 18.

Holy brethren [αδελφοι αγιοι] . The phrase N. T. o. jAdelfoi brethren, in address, is not found in the Gospels. In Acts mostly andrev aJudelfoi brother men. In Paul, ajd. ajgaphtoi brethren beloved, or ajd. ajgap. kai ejpipoqhtoi brethren beloved and longed for (once, Phi 4:1), ajd. hjgaphmenoi ujpo tou qeou and tou kuriou brethren beloved of God or of the Lord, and ajd. mou my brethren. In James mostly ajd. mou. In Hebrews, except here, aJudelfoi simply. Holy brethren (see ch. 2 11) are worshippers of God, taking the place of God 's O. T. people, as called and consecrated to ethical and spiritual service according to the Christian ideal. Partakers of a heavenly calling [κλησεως επουρανιου μετοχοι] . Metocoi partakers only in Hebrews except Luk 5:7. See on metescen took part, ch. 2 14. The phrase heavenly calling N. T. o. Comp. thv avw klhsewv the upward calling, Phi 3:14. The expression points to the lordship of the world to be (ch. 2 5); and the world to be is the abiding world, the place of realities as contrasted with types and shadows. The calling comes from that world and is to that world. See ch. Heb 13:14. Consider [κατανοησατε] . 179 Attentively, thoughtfully [κατα] . See on Jas 1:23. The writer's habit is to use the communicative we or us identifying himself with his readers.

The apostle and high priest [τον αποστολον και αρχιερεα] . In calling Jesus apostle, the writer is thinking of Moses as one sent by God to lead Israel to Canaan. Comp. LXX, where ajpostellein to send is often used of Moses. See Exodus 3 - 7. Often of Jesus, as Luk 10:16; Joh 3:17; Joh 5:36; Joh 6:29.

Of our profession [της ομολογιας ημων] . Rend. confession for profession. The apostle and high priest whom we confess. Comp. 1Ti 6:12.

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

thinge ts God. 9 And while Moses wae faithful in all Hise (God's) house as.a servant, for a testimony of the things which should be spoken, 6 Christ is faithful as Son over 7112 (God’s) house ; whose house are te, if we hold fast our boldness and the boast of our hope firm unto the end,

tv. 1,2. Tho thought of the majesty and sympathy of Christ, the Son, and the glorified Son of man, glorified through sufferings, which bring Him near to fallen man as Redeemer and High-priest, imposes upon Christians the duty of considering His Person heedfully, in His humanity as well as in His divinity.

1. ὅθ.) Wherefore, because Christ has taken our nature to Himself, and knows our needs and is able to satisfy them.

ἀδελφοὶ ἅγιοι] holy brethren. The phrase occurs only here, and perhaps in 1 Thoss, v. 27. [0 follows naturally from the view of Christ’s office which has just boen given. This revenis the destiny of believers.

The epithet ἅγιοι is social and not personal, marking the ideal character not nocessarily realised individually. (Compare John xiii. 10.)

In this sense St Paul speaks of Christians gonerally as ἅγιοι (6.9. Eph. ' iL 19). Compare 1 Pet. ii. ς ἱεράτευμα ἅγιον, td. li. ο ἔθνος ἅγιον.

Hore the epithet characterises the natare of the followship of Christians which is farther defined in the following clause,

The title ἀδελφοί occurs again in tho Epistle ». 12; x. 19; xiii. 22. The sense of brotherhood springs from the common relation to Christ, and the uso of the title here first may have beon suggested by fi. 11 ff., to which however there is no direct reference. Contrast fv. 1. Filil unius ceelestis Patris et unius Ecclesise matris (Herv.).

Primasius says: Fratres eos vocat tam carno quam spiritu, qui ex eodem genere erant, eandemque fidem habebant. This is truo in itself, but perhaps doos not lie in the writer's thoughts.

κλήσεως ἐπουρανίου] Comp. Phil. iii. 14 τῆς ἄνω κλήσεως.

The Christian's ‘calling’ is heavenly not simply in the sense that it is addressed to man from God in heaven, though this is true (comp. c xii 25), but as being a calling to a life fulfilled in heaven, in the spiritual realm. The voico from heaven to Moses was an earthly calling, a calling to tho fulfilment of an earthly life.

Theophylact’s words are too narrow when he says, treating heaven as a μηδὲν ἐνταῦθα ζητῶμεν. ἐκεῖ ὁ μισθός, ἐκεῖ ἡ ἀνταπόδοσις.

The word κλῆσιν is found elsewhere in tho N. T. only in St Paul and 2 Pet. i. 10. Oomp. Clom. 1 Cor. vii; xlvi.

16; xii. 22. Comp. Eph. i. 3; Phil. ii. 10; John iii. 12 note; and, for the LXX., Ps. Ixvii. 15; (Dan. iv. 23); 2 Mace. iii. 39.

μέτοχοι] Vulg. participes. The word where in N. T. Luke v. 7); Clem. 1 Cor. xxxiv. Comp. ii. 14 μετέσχεν (note). .

As distinguished from κοινωνός, which suggests the idea of porsonal fellowship (comp. c. x. 33 note), péroxos describes participation in some common blessing or privilege, or the like. The bond of union lies in that which is shared and not in the persons themselves, |

κατανοήσατε.. πιστὸν ὄντα] O. IL. intuimini.. fidelem esta (fidelem 65- tstentem). Vulg. considerate......qut

Sidolis est.

The word is objective here like slorcs. Theod. ὁμολ. δὲ ἡμῶν τὴν πίστιν ἐκάλεσεν (co Theophict., Prim., (cum.).

Ἰησοῦν] The human name of the Lord is chosen as presenting in brief the thoughts developed at the end of c. ji. The name Christ appears firat in ὁ. 6.

The use of the name is characte: - istic of the Epistle; see ii. 9 note, and Addit. Note on i. 4. It is of interest to notice that tho usage in the Epistle of Barnabas is similar (Rendall on Barn. Zp. ii. 6). The difficulty of the Ilobrews and their consolation turned on the Lord’s humanity.

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.