Hebrews 4:14

The excellency of the great gospel Minister beyond all others in respect of his priestly office, especially beyond Aaron and the Levitical priesthood, is shown by the Holy Ghost:. {Heb 4:14-5:11} It is introduced as the Spirit’s counsel to these Hebrews, from the premises, for their using of this High Priest, in order to their reaching home to the rest of God, to whom and whose profession they ought to adhere, since he is so fit and so willing to give them an entrance into it: compare Heb 2:17,18; 3:1,6.

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest; being therefore by the Spirit through faith not only interested by a common relation in him, but by a real union to, and communion with him, as here described, a High Priest (Heb 2:11, and Heb 3:1) so great as none was, or can equal him: all the high priests on earth but imperfect types of him; above Aaron and all others; the grand presider over all God’s worship, who had work peculiar to himself above all; the supreme and universal Priest in heaven and earth, whose title the Roman antichrist usurpeth, to him only due, Pontifex optimus maximus; yet officiating always for us.

That is passed into the heavens; he hath fulfilled his type, entering into the holy of holiest in heaven, taking possession of God’s rest, and purchasing an entrance for us into it, and this after the removal of the curse, satisfaction of the Divine justice for our sins, victory over all enemies that would oppose his or our entrance by him, as sin, wrath, death, and the devil, and keeping possession of this rest for us, Heb 9:23,24,28.

Jesus the Son of God; Jesus the Saviour of his people from all their sins, their Emmanuel, Mat 1:20,21,23, who being God the Son by eternal generation, was incarnate by taking to himself and uniting a true body and a reasonable soul, being conceived miraculously by the virgin Mary from the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost: in which nature, inseparably united to his person, he fulfilled all righteousness, and died a sacrifice for our sins, and rose in our nature, and ascended and entered into the holy of holiest in heaven, and made atonement, and laid open the way to believers to enter God’s rest there.

Let us hold fast our profession; the entire religion of which Jesus is the author, as opposite to that of the Jews in its principles and practical part of it, Heb 3:1, is powerfully, strongly, and perseveringly to be held by his without relaxation; in which if we follow him, cleave to him, and by him labour to enter, we shall not come short of God’s rest, Heb 7:24,25; where the Head is, there shall the body be also, Joh 14:2,3; 17:24.

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

Heb_4:14-16

A great High Priest

Our great High Priest

I.

PRACTICAL FEATURES OF OUR LORDS PRIESTHOOD.

1. It is an argument for steadfastness in the Christian life.

(1) The fact that Christ is our Priest (Heb_4:14).

(2) That heaven is the sphere of the exercise of His priesthood.

2. It is an encouragement to the faith of the believer.

(1) Because of the sympathy of our great High Priest (Heb_4:15).

(2) Because of His personal experience of temptations.

(3) Because of His sinlessness.

(4) Believing prayer under such circumstances cannot be denied,

II. OUR LORDS PRIESTHOOD CONFORMED TO THE GENERAL LAWS OF PRIESTHOOD.

1. The priest must be taken from among men (Heb_5:1).

2. The priest was ordained to offer sacrifices to God.

3. The priest was ordained to be ready to sympathise with the unfortunate and wretched (Heb_5:2).

4. The priest was not self-appointed (Heb_5:4).

5. But the change in the order of priesthood in our Lords case is most suggestive and significant. It implies

(1) Perfection (Heb_7:11-19). (2) Perpetuity (Heb_7:20-25).

(3) That Christ alone could meet such requirements (Heb_7:26). Lessons:

1. The priesthood of Christ implies Divine qualities.

2. The sphere of the priesthood of Christ ensures the finished work as Redeemer.

3. The priesthood of Christ guarantees all-sufficient sympathy, assistance, and ultimate salvation. (D. C. Hughes, M. A.)

Jesus Christ, the Mediator between God and man

I. THE NECESSITY THERE IS FOR A MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MAN.

1. This is clear, if we consider the circumstances in which our first parents placed themselves.

2. It is implied in the Divine institution of sacrifices and of the order of priesthood.

3. It is expressly taught in Holy Scripture.

4. It is confirmed by the almost universal practice of heathen nations.

II. THE SUFFICIENCY OF JESUS CHRIST TO SUSTAIN THIS IMPORTANT CHARACTER.

1. His greatness.

2. His goodness.

III. THE PARTICULAR MANNER IN WHICH WE, AS INDIVIDUALS, ARE TO DERIVE THE BENEFITS DESIGNED TO BE CONVEYED BY THE MEDIATION OF OUR LORD. Let us come to the throne--in other words, let us come to God--to Him who sits upon the throne. This implies, of course, a previous conviction of our being separated from God, and of the necessity of our return. (J. Crowther.)

Encouragement to hold fast

1. He giveth them a direction for entering into their rest; to hold fast their profession; that is, in faith and love to avow the doctrine of Christ.

(1) Then he that would enter into rest must be steadfast in maintaining and avowing the true religion of Christ.

(2) He who quitteth the profession of the truth of Christ taketh courses to cut off himself from Gods rest. For if we deny Christ He will deny us.

2. He commandeth to hold fast our profession. Then

(1) God will not be pleased with backsliding, or coldness, or indifference in matters of religion, because this is not to hold it fast; but to take a loose hold, which is the ready way to defection.

(2) There is danger lest our adversaries pull the truth from us.

(3) The more danger we foresee, the more strongly must we hold the truth.

3. The encouragement which He giveth to hold fast is, We have Christ a great High Priest, &c. Then

(1) As we have need of threatening, to drive us to enter into Gods rest, so have we need of encouragements to draw us thereunto.

(2) All our encouragement is from the help which we shall have in Christ, and that is sufficient.

(3) Christ is always for us in His office, albeit we do not always feel Him sensibly in us.

4. He calleth Christ a great High Priest, to put difference betwixt the typical high priest and Him in whom the truth of the priesthood is found. Then what the typical high priest did in show for the people, that the great High Priest doth in substance for us; that is, reconcileth us to God perfectly, blesseth us with all blessings solidly, and intercedeth for us perpetually.

5. He affirmeth of Christ, that He is passed into heaven; to wit, in regard of tits manhood, to take possession thereof in our name. Then

(1) Christs corporal presence is in heaven only, and not on earth, from whence He is passed.

(2) Christs corporal presence in heaven, and absence from us in that respect, hindereth not our right unto Him, and spiritual having or possessing of Him.

(3) Yea, it is our encouragement to seek entry into heaven, that He is there before us.

6. He calleth Him Jesus the Son of God; to lead us through His humanity unto His Godhead. Then no rest on the Mediator till we go to the rock of His Godhead, where is strength and satisfaction to faith. (D. Dickson, M. A.)

Our High Priest

We know how one man sometimes controls great masses of men. We know how the soldiers of Napoleon, not only in the day of battle, but to the end of their lives, carried in them a worshipping conception of that great hero of battles. We know that everywhere it is the habit of men to cling to some great nature and attempt to pattern their life after his life and to live by his power. Such is the genius of the New Testament. It holds up before the mind of the Jews the pattern which is most heroic to them--the high priest. It holds up Jesus Christ as the Exemplar, the Leader, the Deliverer, the God imminent to their imagination, and attempts to draw men not only through all those endeavours which they make to grow, but through all those experiences which befall them as residents of this lower sphere, without diminishing their faith, their hope, their joy, their courage, or their strength. This is the way in which Christ is presented to men. It is quite possible for an army to be enthusiastic for their king; but then, he is a different sort of being from themselves; and they mutter, He is a king, and has a good time. He does not know what it is to be wet, and half starved, and wearied with marching through the mud. He has no idea of what we poor privates have to endure. But if the general of an army has been a private soldier, and has gone through weary, dragging marches, and has been hungry and sick, and if he remembers it all, and if when his men go into camp he makes his round, and sits down by the side of one and another, the soldiers say, Though our general is regarded as the best general in Europe, yet he is not above thinking of us and feeling for us poor fellows in the ranks; he has been situated just as we are, and ha has sympathy for us what an inconceivable power that sympathy shown to those soldiers gives to that general! Now, the Lord Jesus Christ identifies Himself with the whole universe in such a way that we are sure that He knows us, and every possible experience that we can go through. Then He is lifted up, and is declared to be at the head of power in the universe. And both of these things--the humiliation by which He gets hold of our confidence and the elevation by which we are filled with enthusiasm for Him--makes Him one who is our inspiration and our encouragement. Now this conception of the Lord Jesus Christ is unfolded in many different ways, as if there were not enough syllables in the world to describe it! Now there is a doable connection between men and their Leader, Jesus Christ. In the first place, He is united to us by that which we need and lack. That which brings a physician to the side of the afflicted mans bed in his disease, his wounds, his putrefying sores. And we are in some respects in the same way related to Christ. He looks upon our sins as things to be healed. He looks upon us, in our unfortunate condition, as objects to be sorrowed over, and to be saved. We have, then, a ground for concluding that it is possible for us to live upon a higher plane than that which we find ourselves upon. All men cannot rise to the attainments of some. And, generally speaking, there is, I think, an element of discouragement among men in attempting to form a high religious life in themselves. It is of no use, they say. The temptations and the besetments are too many. But one is hopeful and courageous who has a conception of being folded in and guided by the watchful care and love of Jesus, who is at the source and centre of power, and who works, not on the principle of justice and equity, but on the principle of love, doing not that which we deserve to have done, but that which will rescue us, relieve us, build us up, instituting new measures instead of those which prevail in courts of justice. If a man wants to be a Christian; if he wants to be Godlike in his character and conduct; if he wants to practice benevolence and self-denial; if he wants to cultivate humility and gentleness; then he has encouragement in the life and power of the Lord Jesus Christ, who has been through the experiences of this life, and who knows what trials men are beset with here, who knows what inward strivings we have, and who, notwithstanding his knowledge of there things, loves us, and is willing to watch over us from day to day in order to build us up in spiritual things. With that inspiration, I think a man may well enter with courage and confidence upon the Christian life--a courage and a confidence which he could not feel if there were not this thought of his God, his Saviour, his Leader, who has given a concrete, practical example which he can follow, and following which he can attain to the Christian character upon a higher plane. Then, consider the experiences which men are obliged to go through in this life on account of the inequalities of condition. Men do not walk abreast. They are scattered up and down through the earth with every conceivable variation of circumstance and opportunity. Some men are rich, and some men are poor. Some men are educated, and some men wake up in mid-life to see what education would have been to them, but to find that it is too late for them to acquire it. If a man looks about and compares himself with those who are around him, if he compares his condition, his felicities or infelicities, with theirs, he may easily become discouraged and fall into complainings. Hear what the Matter says when He speaks on that subject: The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. Is there one single privation known to human life that your Leader has not experienced? Is there one single circumstance of position, of hindrance, which you have been subject to that your Lord has not felt in its full weight? The disciple ought not to complain of treatment which he sees his own Master bear with equanimity and meekness. What if every ill-fortune be yours? What if you are emptied of everything? What if you are overthrown? What if your health is broken down in mid-life? What if your affections are blighted? What if your name is traduced? So then, in the midst of the great deficiencies of life, its alterations, its trials, you have the leadership of this personal Christ, who is your Friend, your Guide, who is your Inspiration to patience, and who is your Joy and Triumph in the midst of sorrow and defeat. You cannot tell, by the way a cup looks when it goes into the furnace, what it will look like when it comes out. When, in the pottery, the colours are laid on, they do not appear as they will after they have gone through the burning process. Many a cup whose rim shines with gold after it comes out, goes in black at a negros face, such is the nature of the gold when it is prepared for the furnace. Even when it comes out it is bill little changed in appearance; and yet the colour is the same that it was when it went in. It is burnt in now, however, while then it was simply laid on. But there is another process that it goes through. By and by it is burnished; and the moment attrition is brought to bear on it, that moment the black begins to fall off, and the gold begins to come out in its perfect colour. Many a man says, I have endured and suffered year after year, and I am willing to be painted, and to go into the furnace, if I can come out anything comely and beautiful; but I am as black and homely as ever. Yes; but time is going to reveal what you have become. You do not know what you are. You do not know how much of what appears on the surface is cineration or charcoal which will fall away in death. You do not know what effects are being wrought by the strifes that are going on in the inner chamber of your soul. But God knows; and you should have faith that all will be well at last. He is dealing with you, and He says to you, You do not know what I am doing, but you shall know hereafter. No man is just what he seems to be. Everybody is being changed. God is preparing us for a higher state of existence. By the things which we suffer or endure, by yokes and burdens, by wounds and sickness, by failures, by all manner of overwhelmings in this life, He is working out in us that stature which shall yet appear in glory. (H. W. Beecher.)

Christ a great High Priest

I. THE PRIESTLY DIGNITY OF JESUS. Seeing, then, that we have a great High Priest.

1. Christ is a Priest. The term signifies one who ministers in holy things. The priests under the law were distinguished as follows

(1) They were appointed of God.

(2) Separated to their office and work at a peculiar time.

(3) Consecrated with the washing of water and anointing oil.

(4) Had peculiar apparel and ornaments; the robe, the mitre, and the breast-plate.

(5) They taught the people.

(6) Offered sacrifices.

(7) And burned incense before the Lord. It will easily be seen bow strikingly all these exhibited the character and work of Jesus.

2. Christ is a High Priest. Now the high priest was distinguished from the other priests

(1) As he was appealed to on all important occasions, and decided all controversies.

(2) He offered the great annual sacrifice.

(3) He only entered into the holiest of all once a year.

(4) He offered the annual intercessory prayer, and came forth and blessed the people in the name of the Lord.

3. Christ is the Great High Priest. Now Jesus is infinitely greater than the high priests of old.

(1) In the dignity of His person. He is the Son of God, Heir of all things, Lord of all.

(2) In the purity of His nature. Holy, harmless, and separate from sinners. Without spot.

(3) In the value and efficacy of His sacrifice. An equivalent for the worlds guilt. Only once offered, and for all sins.

(4) In the unchangeable perpetuity of His office. A priest for ever. An unchangeable priesthood (Heb_7:24). He had no direct predecessor, and He shall have no successor. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever.

II. HIS HIGH EXALTATION. Who is passed into the heavens.

1. The place into which He is exalted. The heavens. Represented of old by the holiest of all. Described by Jesus as His Fathers house.

2. The manner of His exaltation. He passed into the heavens.

(1) According to His own predictions.

(2) While in the act of blessing His disciples.

(3) Visibly, and with great splendour.

3. The great end of His exaltation.

(1) To enjoy the rewards of His sufferings and toils (Php_2:6; Php_2:8-9).

(2) To appear before God as the intercessor of His Church.

(3) To carry on His mediatorial designs. Hence, He is to subdue His foes, prolong His days, see His seed, and witness the travail of His soul until He is satisfied.

(4) To abide as the Mediator between God and men to the end of the Christian state. Now God only treats with us by and through Jesus. And He is the only way of access to the Father (Joh_14:6; Heb_9:28).

III. THE PRACTICAL INFLUENCE THIS SUBJECT SHOULD HAVE UPON US. Let us hold fast our profession.

1. The profession referred to. It is a profession of faith and hope in Christ, and of love and obedience to Him.

2. This profession must be maintained. Held fast, not abandoned. We shall be tempted, tried, persecuted. Our profession may cost us our property, liberty, lives. This profession must be held fast by the exercise of vigorous faith, constant love, and cheerful obedience.

(1) For Christs sake. Whose we are, and whom we serve.

(2) For the professions sake; that Christs cause may not be injured, and His people cast down.

(3) Especially for our own sake. It is only thus we can retain Divine acceptance, peace, joy, and the sure prospect of eternal life.

Application:

1. Christs example is the model of our steadfastness.

2. Christs exaltation should be the exciting attraction to steadfastness.

3. Christs intercession will always provide the grace necessary to our holding fast our profession. (J. Burns, D. D.)

Christ the Reconciler

This book presents an ideal of Christ as a reconciler. Of what? It has been said that man was reconciled to God. That is correct. Men are reconciled to the law of God, but that is vagneness itself. Christ is a reconciler by revealing to us what is the real interior nature of perfectness, and what bearing it has upon imperfectness. The experience of noble souls is that discord prevails, and that with the struggle there can be no peace. There may be peace by lowering the ideal of our range of attainment, or by indifference and discouragement, but not by vital stress and strife can men have peace, when they are obliged every day to see that they come short, not of the law in its entirety and purity, but in their own conceptions in regard to single lines of conduct. Men all around are resolving to do the right and are eternally coming short of it, and then they say: How under the sun am I going to face God! I cannot face my neighbour. The reason is, that your neighbour is not God. There is a view of God that while it intensifies the motives for righteousness, encourages men who are unrighteous, and brings about a reconcilaiation between these constantly antagonising experiences in the human bosom. It is to such that this experience of Christ is presented. Jesus Christ is the spotless High Priest who offered Himself once for all mankind. He came forth and lived among men, and He knows what their tears and struggles are, what their temptations and difficulties. Every faculty that is found in a human being was found in Christ, and yet He was without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Do not come to a man who is conscious of his own infirmities, for he would not help you; but come to that Being who is conscious of absolute purity, and from whom you will get higher sympathy and a quicker succour. The moral perfectness of Christ develops sympathy for the sinful. It needed something like this in that age when the better men were the worst men, men whose righteousness was finished off by an enamel of selfishness, the men whose temperance made them hate drunkards, the men whose honesty made them hate men of slippery fingers, the men whose dried up passions made them scorn the harlot, the men who had money enough and abominated the tax-gatherers. Christ does not set Himself up on a throne apart, and say, I am pure, but says that because He is perfect He has an infinite sympathy with and compassion for the sinful and fallen. The supreme truth that we need to know is that God is determined to bring the human race on and up out of animalism and the lowest forms of barbarism to the highest degree of intellectual and spiritual development. That is the eternal purpose of God, and in that great work He will deal with the human family with such tenderness and gentleness that He will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax, nor blow out the wick which He has just kindled, and He will not stop until He brings forth judgment unto victory. I think sometimes that the greatest attribute of God is patience, and one of the greatest illustrations of patience of the same kind in men is that of the music Leacher, who takes a boy to teach him the violin, and hears him and bears with him through days, and through weeks, and through months and through years, and then has to take another and go right on the same way again. Or the artist who sees his pupil smudging a canvas, and tries to teach him the whole theory of colour, and tries to develop his ideality. Any parent, teacher, musician, artist, or any one else is obliged to go upon the theory God acts on--namely, that the higher you are the more you owe, and can give, to those who are lower; and if you are going to be instrumental in bringing them up, you have got to carry their burthens and their sorrows and to wait for them, and be patient with them. It is the law of creation, and if it is the law of creation in all its minor and ruder developments among mankind, its supreme strength and scope for beauty is in the nature of Himself. Look at the sun, the symbol of God. It carries in itself all trees and all bushes, and all vines, and all orchards, and all gardens. It sows the seed and brings the summer; and the outpouring of the vital light and heat of the sun makes it the father of all husbandmen and all pomologists. And yet Gods nature is greater than that. He is the life of life; He is the heart of hearts; He is the soul of souls; and the grandeur of His endowments is the life of mankind. Cast away all the old mediaeval notions of reconciliation, the mechanical scheme of atonement and plan of salvation, and all those lower forms. They stand between you and the bright light of the God revealed in Jesus Christ, a God who has patience with sin because He is sinless, who has patience with infirmity because He has no infirmities, who has patience with weakness and ignorance because He is supremely wise and supremely strong. Our hope is in God, and our life ought to be godly. Though we be faint or feeble, He will revive our courage and will give us His strength, and it will not be in vain that we endeavour to serve the Lord. (H. W.Beecher.)

Our great High Priest

The first important word is the epithet great prefixed to the title High Priest. It is introduced to make the priestly office of Christ assume due importance in the minds of the Hebrews. As an author writing a treatise on an important theme writes the title of the theme in letters fitted to attract notice, so this writer places at the head of the ensuing portion this title, Jesus the Son of God the Great High Priest, insinuating thereby that He of whom he speaks is the greatest of all priests, the only real priest, the very ideal of priesthood realised. The expression passed through the heavens is also very suggestive. It hints at the right construction to be put upon Christs departure from the earth. There is an obvious allusion to the entering of the high priest of Israel within the veil on the great day of atonement; and the idea suggested is, that the ascension of Christ was the passing of the great High Priest through the veil into the celestial sanctuary, as our representative and in our interest. The name given to the great High Priest, Jesus the Son of God, contributes to the argument. Jesus is the historical person, the tempted Man; and this part of the name lays the foundation for what is to be said in the following sentence concerning His power to sympathise. The title, Son of God, on the other hand, justifies what has been already said of the High Priest of our confession. If our High Priest be the Son of God, He may well be called the Great, and moreover there can be no doubt whither He has gone. Whither but to His native abode, His Fathers house? Having thus by brief, pregnant phrase hinted the thoughts he means to prove, our author proceeds to address to his readers an exhortation, which is repeated at the close of the long discussion on the priesthood of Christ to which these sentences are the prelude (Heb_10:19-23). In doing so he gives prominence to that feature of Christs priestly character of which alone he has as yet spoken explicitly: His power to sympathise, acquired and guaranteed by His experience of temptation (Heb_2:17-18). It is noteworthy that the doctrine of Christs sympathy is here stated in a defensive, apologetic manner, We have not a High Priest who cannot be touched, as if there were some one maintaining the contrary. This defensive attitude, may be conceived of as assumed over against two possible objections to the reality of Christs sympathy, one drawn from His dignity as the Son of God, the other from His sinlessness. Both objections are dealt with in the only way open to one who addresses weak faith--viz., not by elaborate or philosophical argument, but by strong assertion. As the Psalmist said to the desponding, Wait, I say, on the: Lord, and as Jesus said to disciples doubting the utility of prayer, I say unto you, Ask, and ye shall receive, so our author says to dispirited Christians, We have not a High Priest who cannot be touched with sympathy--this part of his assertion disposing of doubt engendered by Christs dignity--but one who has been tempted in all respects as we are, apart from sin--this part of the assertion meeting doubt based on Christs sinlessness. To this strong assertion of Christs power to sympathise is fitly appended the final exhortation. Specially noteworthy are the words, Let us approach confidently. They have more than practical import: they are of theoretic significance; they strike the doctrinal keynote of the Epistle: Christianity the religion of free access. There is a latent contrast between Christianity and Leviticalism. The contrast is none the less real that the expression to draw near was applied to acts of worship under the Levitical system. Every act of worship in any religion whatever may be called an approach to Deity. Nevertheless religions may be wide apart as the poles in respect to the measure in which they draw near to God. In one religion the approach may be ceremonial only, while the spirit stands afar off in fear. In another, the approach may be spiritual, with mind and heart, in intelligence, trust, and love, and with the confidence which these inspire. Such an approach alone is real, and deserves to be called a drawing near to God. Such an approach was first made possible by Christ, and on this account it is that the religion which bears His name is the perfect, final, perennial religion. (A. B. Bruce, D. D.)

Hold fast our profession

Holding fast the Christian profession

I. THE NATURE OF THE CHRISTIAN PROFESSION.

1. A cordial assent to the whole of Scripture truth, and especially the testimony which God has given of His Son Christ Jesus.

2. A profession of practical conformity to the whole of Gods revealed will.

3. The hope of eternal life and glory in heaven.

II. WHAT IS IMPLIED IN HOLDING FAST OUR PROFESSION?

1. That we actually have this profession.

2. A just sense of its high value.

3. That we may be tempted to forsake it.

4. That we are called to the regular, uniform, constant exercise of it.

5. Perseverance to the end.

III. THE MOTIVES TO THIS DUTY.

1. The person and character of Him who is its object.

2. Christs office and relation to us.

3. The security afforded against our own weakness, and the malice of spiritual foes. (H. Hunter.)

Holding fast our profession

I. WHAT IS OUR PROFESSION?

1. Attachment to the person of Christ.

2. Dependence on the work of Christ.

3. Devotedness to the service of Christ.

II. HOW IS THIS TO BE DONE?

1. By avowing in Gods ordinances your attachment to the person, reliance on the work, and devotedness to the service of Christ.

2. By a consistent life. (W. Cadman, M. A.)

Exhortation to steadfastness

I. THE EXHORTATION TO STEADFASTNESS IN OUR CHRISTIAN PROFESSION. By our profession we are sometimes to understand that which we profess, or the subject of our profession. In Heb_3:1, the term evidently means the holy religion which we profess. But the term applies to the act also. This is its import in that other passage, let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering. There are in what is called the Christian world two kinds of professors.

1. All nominal Christians. All who say that they are disciples of Christ; all who wish it to be understood that they have embraced the faith. Such persons may with propriety be exhorted to hold their profession fast: it is worthy of being held fast. And yet, if we do venture to remind such persons of the obligation arising from the very name they bear; if we point out any inconsistency in their conduct, the accusation is repelled with indignation, and they tell us they make no profession of religion. Now this

(1) Is singularly impudent and wicked. What would you think if the expression were applied to social life, to the duties which belong to a parent, a husband, a child, a subject, an honest man?

(2) It is in most cases not true. They themselves, at other times, deny it; and they would be highly affronted if they thought any one supposed that they deny the Lord who bought them. They do call themselves Christians, and hence they ought to be careful to live and act as such. But there are in the world

2. Those who profess to be Christians indeed. Now the profession of real Christians is distinguished from that which is nominal by these three marks.

(1) It is Scriptural. He founds his belief on having discovered that it is the infallible Word of God; and he receives nothing but what in his conscience he believes to have this sanction, Thus saith the Lord.

(2) It is experimental. I mean to say that every Christian has, in his own experience, an evidence of the truth of the gospel. He has put its truths to the test: he has tried them in his own case, and found them to be sanctifying and saving.

(3) It is practical. That is, the truth professed is not belied, but is borne out and appealed to by their conduct. Put these things together, and you will see how a real profession is distinguished from that which is merely nominal, It is scriptural, experimental, and practical: it is manifested by cheerfully doing, and patiently suffering the will of God. Such a profession as this we are commanded to hold fast.

3. This command implies that we are in danger of renouncing our profession. And this danger arises from various causes. Satan, the great foe of God and the gospel, goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he mar devour. Infidels and their associates having apostalised from the faith are aiming to seduce others to their guilt. The world too is a foe: by its smiles it would often allure, by its frowns it would often deter from steadfastness. Last, but not least, are the foes of our own household; a heart that is deceitful, and which is not fully renewed, will betray us into the hands of our outward enemies, so that we shall lose our peace at the last.

4. Let us hold fast our profession, says the apostle. Be valiant for the truth.

(1) Hold fast the simplicity of evangelical doctrine. Stand fast in one spirit, earnestly contending for the faith once delivered to the saints.

(2) Hold it fast in an evangelical experience of its blessings.

(3) Hold it fast by the practice of all that is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report.

(4) Hold fast by a public profession of the gospel, the truths in which you thus believe--the privileges you thus profess to enjoy--the duties you profess to exemplify. Thus give to every man a reason of the hope that is in you.

II. THE MOTIVE TO THIS DERIVED FROM HE PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. We have a great High Priest, greater than any under the law. Many grounds of superiority to any who went before Him might be adduced.

1. Because of the place in which He ministers. He is at the right hand of the Majesty on high. He who is our Friend, the best Friend we ever had, who has given us such tokens of His love and kindness, is in that place where best of all He can serve our cause! Our High Priest can never be at a loss for a place in which to minister; He can never be at a loss for want of access to His Father and our Father, to His God and our God. He ever liveth to make intercession where He can make it with the greatest certainty of success.

2. Because of the more substantial benefits derived from the exercise of His office. Aaron was Gods high priest, but he was not a Saviour; his successors were Gods high priests, but they were not Jesus; they could not save from sin. But Jesus our great High Priest can redeem from all iniquity; and He is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him. Greater

3. Because of the superior dignity of His original nature and character, The Son of God. As the Son of God He was sinless. There was no guilty spot upon His soul, though He was made a sacrifice for sin. He, therefore, is all our own; He was cut off for us, to finish our transgression, to make reconciliation for our iniquity. As the Son of God He is also necessarily immortal. Death could never have had any claim on Him after He took our nature into conjunction with the Divine, but by His own consent; He willingly laid it down, as an act of infinite benevolence to that world, whose cause He sustained. As the Son of God He can die no more, but liveth for ever. And oh, what a mercy in such a dying world as this, where so many are taken away from us, to be able to lift up our eyes to heaven, and be able to commit our concerns to this immortal and never-dying Redeemer! But wherein consists the force of all this as a motive to steadfastness in the Christian profession? Why

(1) For this reason we ought to hold fast the profession of Christianity. It is the priesthood of Christ that confers the crowning excellence on Christianity.

(2) But perhaps you say you have no intention to relinquish it; your only fear is that you shall not be able to hold it fast. You feel such powerful temptations, you are surrounded by so many adversaries, that you fear that in some dark and cloudy day you shall become their prey. And so you would if you were left to yourselves, if you depended on your own power. But you are not left to yourselves, the Gospel tells you that you have a great High Priest. You can hold fast your profession: the priesthood of Christ renders this practicable. (J. Bunting, M. A.)

Let us hold fast our profession

Our High Priest is a mighty one, able to punish us if we shrink from our profession, and of power to protect us from all our enemies if we stick to Him; therefore let us hold last our profession. The doctrine professed by us; let no enemies drive us from our profession, neither Satan, nor any of his instruments. The Pharisees held fast the traditions of their elders and would not be removed from them Mar_7:3). The Turks are wonderfully addicted to Mahomet, he is a great prophet among them, they will not let him go. And shall not we hold the profession of the Lord Jesus? They hold errors fast, and shall not we the truth? The subject of their profession, counterfeit things, mere inventions of men, lies and fables. The subject of our profession is Jesus Christ the Son of God. Therefore us hold it fast; let neither the syrenical songs of heretics and schismatics in the time of peace, nor the blustering wind of persecution in the time of war pull us from our confession. Let us be faithful to the death as the martyrs were; let house and land, wives and children, liberty and country--yea, our lives--go before our profession. But this is a hard matter; we have no strength of ourselves to hold it against so many strong and mighty enemies. Therefore let us all fear ourselves and fly to God for strength, that it would please Rim so to strengthen us by His Holy Spirit, that we may hold fast the profession of Christ and His gospel to the end: Hold that which thou hast, lest another take thy crown. We will hold our money fast though it be to good uses, we will not part with that; but as for religion, a number are at this pass, the, care not what becomes of it; let that go whither it will, so we may sleep in a whole skin and keep that which we have; let come what religion there will, we can be of any religion. Such turncoats and timeservers shall never set a foot in the kingdom of heaven. If we hold not our profession last we shall miss of the crown of eternal life. (W. Jones, D. D.)

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

Heb 4:14. The writer of this epistle having spoken of the Author of the gospel, as the Creator of the world, as the Lawgiver in God’s church, as the Conductor of the spiritual seed of Abraham into the heavenly country, the rest of God, and as the Judge of the whole human race, now proceeds to speak of him as the High-Priest of our religion, and to show that, as such, he hath made atonement for our sins by the sacrifice of himself. This is the fourth fact whereby the authority of the gospel, as a revelation from God, is supported. See note on Heb 1:1. They who are acquainted with the history of mankind, know that from the earliest times propitiatory sacrifices were offered by almost all nations, in the belief that they were the only effectual means of procuring the pardon of sin and the favour of the Deity. In this persuasion the Jews more especially were confirmed by the law of Moses, in which a variety of sacrifices of that sort, as well as freewill-offerings, were appointed by God himself. And as the heathen offered these sacrifices with many pompous rites, and feasted on them in the temples of their gods, they became extremely attached to a form of worship which at once eased their consciences and pleased their senses. Wherefore, when it was observed that no propitiatory sacrifices were enjoined in the gospel, and that nothing of the kind was offered in the Christian places of worship, Jews and Gentiles equally were very difficultly persuaded to renounce their ancient worship for the gospel form, in which no atonements appeared; and which, employing rational motives alone for exciting their affections, was too naked to be, to such persons, in any degree interesting. Wherefore, to give both Jews and Gentiles just views of the gospel, the apostle, in this passage of his epistle, affirms, that although no sacrifices are offered in the Christian temples, we have a great High- Priest, even Jesus the Son of God, who, at his ascension, passed through the visible heavens into the true habitation of God, with the sacrifice of himself; and from these considerations he exhorts the believing Hebrews in particular to hold fast their profession. Then to show that Jesus is well qualified to be a High-Priest, he observes, that though he be the Son of God, he is likewise a man, and so cannot but be touched with a feeling of our infirmities. On which account we may come boldly to the throne of grace, well assured that through his intercession we shall obtain the pardon of our sins, and such supplies of grace as are needful for us. These being the doctrines which the apostle is to prove in the remaining part of this epistle, this paragraph may be considered as the proposition of the subjects he is going to handle in the following chapters. And as his reasonings on these, as well as on the subjects discussed in the foregoing part of the epistle, are all founded on the writings of Moses and the prophets, it is reasonable to suppose that his interpretations of the passages which he quotes from these writings, are no other than those which were given of them by the Jewish doctors and scribes, and which were received by the people at the time he wrote. See Macknight. Seeing then that we have — Greek, εχοντες ουν, having therefore. The apostle refers to what he had affirmed, (Heb 1:3,) that the Son of God had made purification of our sins by the sacrifice of himself, and to what he had advanced Heb 2:17, that he was made like his brethren in all things, that he might be a merciful and faithful High-Priest; and to his having called him the High-Priest of our profession, Heb 3:1. He had not, however, hitherto attempted to prove that Jesus really was a high-priest, or that he had offered any sacrifice to God for the sins of men. The proof of these things he deferred till he had discussed the other topics of which he proposed to treat. But having finished what he had to say concerning them, he now enters on the proof of Christ’s priesthood, and treats thereof, and of various other matters connected with it, at great length, to the end of chap. 10. Theodoret, who had divided this epistle into sections, begins his second section with this verse, because it introduces a new subject. Indeed, the 5th chapter, according to our division of the epistle, should have begun with this verse. A great High-Priest — Great indeed, being the eternal Son of God; that is passed into the heavens — Or, through the heavens, as the expression διεληλυθοτα τους ουρανους, literally signifies. The word heavens is taken in two senses: 1st, For the palace of the great King, where is his throne, and where thousands of the holy ones stand ministering before him. This heaven the Lord Jesus did not pass through but into, when he was taken up into glory, 1Ti 3:16. There he is at the right hand of the majesty on high; and these heavens have received him until the time of restitution of all things, 3:27. But by the heavens we are sometimes to understand, 2d, the air, as when mention is made of the fowls of heaven; and concerning them our apostle says, (chap. Heb 7:26,) that Jesus is made higher than the heavens; he passed through them, and ascended above them, into that which is called the third heaven, or the heaven of heavens. The allusion is evidently made to the Jewish high- priest, and to what he typically represented to the church of old. As he passed through the veil into the holy of holies, carrying with him the blood of the sacrifices on the yearly day of atonement; so our great High-Priest went, once for all, through the visible heavens with the virtue of his own blood, into the immediate presence of God. It is to be observed, the apostle calls Jesus, the Son of God, a great High-Priest, because in chap. 1. he had proved him to be greater than the angels; and in Heb 3:1-4, to be worthy of more honour than Moses. Let us hold fast our profession —

Our professed subjection to him and his gospel, notwithstanding our past sins, the present defects of our obedience, and our manifold infirmities. The word ομολογια, however, may be properly rendered, and probably was chiefly intended to signify, confession; for it is required that we should make a solemn declaration of our subjection to the gospel, with prudence, humble confidence, and constancy; for with the mouth confession is made unto salvation, Rom 10:10. The open acknowledgment of the Lord Christ, of his word and ways under persecution, is the touch-stone of all profession. This is what we are to hold first, totis viribus, with our whole strength, as κρατωμεν signifies, or with resolution, zeal, and firmness. See Rev 2:25; Rev 3:12. This verse, therefore, contains the enjoinment of a duty, with a motive and encouragement to the due performance of it. We have a great High-Priest, therefore let us hold fast, &c.

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

III. THE SON AS OUR DIVINE HIGH PRIEST FULLY CONTEMPLATED, Heb_4:14 to Heb_10:18.

A. INTRODUCTORY, Heb_4:14 to Heb_6:20.

1. Recurrence to former view (Heb_2:9-18) of our High Priest, Heb_4:14-16.

14. Seeing—Joins on to Heb_2:18, and continues the description of the approachable sympathy of the suffering Saviour.

Then—Or, therefore. In view of the stern nature of the divine legation (apostleship) of the Messiah. Seeing that this terrible

Word—this adjudging King—is also a tender Priest, with all the saving power of royalty, let us not merely fear (Heb_4:1) and labour, (Heb_4:11,) but come boldly for mercy and grace, (Heb_4:16.)

A great high priest—Greater than the highest sacred dignitary known to the Hebrews. Great high priest means a dignitary highest in the line of high priests. If our faltering “Hebrews” reverence that sacred line, most of all should they reverence Jesus.

Passed into—Rather, passed through; namely, in his ascension to the right hand of God. See notes on Eph_4:8-10. The great high priest surpassed the ordinary line in this transcendent respect, that, whereas they only passed annually through the temple veil into the most holy, he passed through the heavens to the presence of God, of which the most holy was symbol. He was the real of which they were figure.

Jesus the Son of God—Not Jesus (Joshua) the son of Nun, Heb_4:8.

Profession—Note, Heb_4:1.

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

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.—Heb_4:14-16

The Divine-human High Priest.—This passage introduces the consideration of the priesthood of Christ, to which brief reference is made in Heb_3:1. Three things are argued:

1. His extraordinary dignity.

2. His perfect character.

3. His glorious work. The high priest was the prominent man, the example, of the Old Testament dispensation. There is an important distinction between a model and an example, which needs to be kept in view. F. W. Robertson skilfully explains that distinction. “You copy the outline of a model; you imitate the spirit of an example. Christ is our Example, not our Model. You might copy the life of Christ, make Him a model in every act, and yet you might not be one whit more of a Christian than before. You might wash the feet of poor fishermen as He did, and live a wandering life, with nowhere to lay your head. You might go about teaching, and never use any words but His words, never express religious truth except in Bible language; have no home, and mix with publicans and sinners. Then Christ would be your Model; you would have copied His life like a picture, line for line, and shadow for shadow, and yet you may not be Christ-like. On the other hand, you might imitate Christ, get His Spirit, breathe the atmosphere of thought that He breathed, do not one single act which He did, but every act in His Spirit; you might be rich, whereas He was poor; never teach, whereas He was teaching always; lead a life in all outward particulars the very contrast and opposite of His; and yet the spirit of His self-devotion might have saturated your whole being, and penetrated into the life of every act, and the essence of every thought. Then Christ would have become your Example; for we can only imitate that of which we have caught the spirit.” But if we make Christ our Example two things need to be carefully explained.

1. He must be in our plane, or we cannot hope to follow Him or to be like Him.

2. He must be out of our plane, He must belong to a higher plane, or we cannot be satisfied with Him. Fixing thought on Him figured as our High Priest, observe—

I. Christ was one with men.—In the records left us of His life there is a more evident effort to convince us of His veritable humanity than of His Divinity. It is as though men were sure to light on the idea of His being extraordinary, and it needed to be proved that He was really man. In his first epistle St. John does not argue or assert that Christ was God. That seems to have been believed. St. John demands belief in Christ as having “come in the flesh.” Illustrate:

1. The significancy of our Lord’s living so long a time as thirty years of common and ordinary human life, fully recognised during that time as a man among men.

2. The distinct apprehension of His ordinary manhood by His brethren, and by the people of Nazareth.

3. The perfect humanness of the habits and exhibited feelings of Christ’s life. Sensitiveness to suffering, bodily and mental. He was humanly affected towards the character and conduct of others. He was weary, hungry, sleepy.

4. The simple human character of our Lord’s death. One might expect such a Being to die in some sublime way. But, physically, our Lord’s was just a common and usual man’s death; and, morally, it was remarkable as a good man’s innocent death. With the idea of the humanness of Christ’ before us, we cannot but feel that His character is the expression, the outliving, of our ideal of humanity; it is the realised perfect character for a man.

II. Christ was distinct from sinners.—It is important to estimate clearly the distinction between a man and a sinner. The condition of our world would be hopeless if the two terms were convertible. All that belongs to man was in Christ, but nothing that belongs to the sinner. But Christ was not distinct from sinners because His nature was imperfect, incomplete, on any side. It was a whole. Some may only be separate from sinners in some points, because they have no capacities for certain particular sins. There is no virtue in their sinlessness, any more than there is honesty in a thief whose hands have been cut off. This sense of our Lord’s distinctness was produced on all who came in contact with Him. Illustrate: The disciples—as in the call of Matthew. People—“speaks with authority, and not as the scribes.” Enemies and indifferent—see money-changers in Temple-courts. “Never man spake like this man.” His judge and the Roman soldiers—see the awe of Pilate, and the exclamation of the centurion. The same truth is borne in on us by the record. As we study the man we feel that He is more than man, other than man. There are two aspects in which His distinctness from sinners is impressively shown.

1. His acts are never doubtful. There has never been a merely human life without some incidents of questionable truth and virtue. In Christ’s life there is no record of any, but a distinct impression is left on us that there were none to record. This is a coin that you need not ring twice.

2. His acts were never selfish. This is largely characteristic of human acts; it is too constantly the “fly” in the best pots of ointment. Christ’s acts were all done under a profound sense of duty, and under a sublime impulse of love. The acts were right in form, and the life and feeling that inspired them were right also.

III. The Divine-human High Priest exerts the most ennobling and sanctifying power upon us.—Precisely what man needed was salvation by God through man, through manhood; what he needed was a moral redemption. The Saviour of the world must be a Divine man. Only such a Saviour—

1. Could demonstrate the distinction between man and sin.

2. Could bring to light the higher possibilities that are in human nature as God designed it.

3. Could exhibit the ennobling influence of the two great principles of our nature—dependence, and the sense of duty. Ever near to God, ever doing the will of God, these are the essentials of true manhood.

4. Could show the charm which character, moral excellence, can put on all the relations of life.

5. And could reveal a sublime future for the race: as High Priest, working until all whom He represents have become like Him in fact. Then we are to be the people belonging to this great High Priest, the Son of God. What made men disciples of Christ while He was on earth? That makes men disciples now.

SUGGESTIVE NOTES AND SERMON SKETCHES

Heb_4:14-16. Safety through the Great High Priest.—The epistle to the Hebrews is an argument against apostasy. Everywhere, throughout this epistle, the signal-lights of danger are swung out along the Christian track. The fear which sometimes startled the steadfast and heroic heart of Paul—lest, having preached to others, he himself should be a castaway—is declared to be, in this epistle, for every Christian a reasonable and substantial fear (Heb_6:4-6). Against the too common tendency of putting the main stress of the Christian life upon its beginning, of reckoning upon heaven because one imagines himself once to have been in Christian mood and spirit, though he certainly is not now, this epistle is a prolonged Divine warning. “Let us hold fast our profession,” or, as the original has it, “let us be strong in holding fast to it”—that is the solemn and strenuous exhortation of this epistle. And in order to make its warning real and sure, the epistle falls back upon the ancient Scripture, and brings forward a clear instance of a good beginning and a bad ending (Heb_4:11). The Hebrews started well. But the experiences of the wilderness were too much for them. They never enjoyed the Canaan rest. They were unworthy and apostate. Their carcasses mouldered in the wilderness. Now these later Hebrews to whom this epistle was addressed had begun well. They had acknowledged Jesus as their spiritual Moses—the Messiah of promise and of prophecy. Under His leading they had begun their march out of the spiritual Egypt, through this worldly wilderness, to the spiritual Canaan—to heaven, the home and rest of those who believe in and follow Christ. But the worldly wilderness was full of difficulties, and these Hebrew Christians showed signs of faltering. The Hebrew nation was against them; the resplendent and still standing Temple was against them; worldly success and the chance for livelihood were against them; bitter scorn and contumely were against them. Yet this epistle assures them there is no safety in apostasy; there is safety only in steadfastness. Apostasy is destruction. Still must they hold fast their profession (Heb_4:1; also Heb_4:11).—Homiletic Review.

Holding fast our Profession.—Now the question comes, “Can we hold fast our profession?” Yes, and our great High Priest is the reason and the power. We are not left on a lonely pilgrimage. We are not left to a single-handed conflict.

1. Since He is High Priest, He has made atonement for us.

2. Since He is High Priest, He now makes intercession for us.

3. His atonement is accepted, and His intercession is worthy, for His resurrection has set triumphant seal upon them. “He has passed into the heavens.”

4. He has Himself been tried, “tempted in all points like as we are.” So He is athrill with sympathy.

5. He knows temptation, yet He has vanquished it; He is without sin. Herein is help peculiar—the help of a victorious strength.

Heb_4:15. Christ’s Sympathy with the Infirm.—How many are burdened with a sense of deficiency, with their unlikeness to others—their inability to do what others can, or perhaps what they could once; how many see others come to the house of God, and are distressed that through weakness they cannot; how many feel themselves a burden to others, who would rather that others should burden them; how many mourn that their lives are useless and inactive! They want one who will take their part, comfort them by his tenderness, sustain them with his arm. In the text is such an one.

I. Consider the fact of the sympathy of the Lord Jesus. It is assured by—

1. His personal human experience.

2. His perfect knowledge and love.

3. His vital union with His people.

II. Consider this sympathy in its connection with His high-priestly work.

1. As High Priest He has direct intercourse with us.

2. He prays for the supply of our need.

3. He brings us to the Father.

III. Consider that this sympathy with infirmity is the pattern for His people.

1. It rebukes our hardness.

2. It shows one of the great needs of the world.

3. It suggests a recompense for suffering. He suffered that He might sympathise with sufferers; that is why we suffer.—Charles New.

Tempted, not overcome by Temptation.—“In all points tempted” must not be taken as meaning in all points sharing our experience in dealing with the temptation. Christ did not share anybody’s experience of yielding to temptation. He was never overcome by temptation. But that was not essential to human experience. That was fallen man’s experience. And Christ was man, not fallen man. Find what is essential to man. Christ experienced that.

Heb_4:15-16. The Sympathy of Christ.—According to these verses the Priesthood of Jesus Christ is based upon the perfection of His humanity; and that implies that He was possessed of a human soul as well as a human body.

1. Accordingly in the life of Christ we find two distinct classes of feeling. When He hungered in the wilderness, etc., He experienced sensations which belong to the bodily department of human nature. But His grief, friendship, fear, etc., were the affections of an acutely sensitive human soul, alive to all the tenderness and hopes and anguish with which human life is filled, qualifying Him to be “tempted in all points like as we are.”

2. The Redeemer not only was but is man. It is imagined that in the history of Jesus’ existence, once, for a limited period and for definite purposes, He took part in frail humanity; but that when these purposes were accomplished the man for ever perished, and the spirit reascended, to unite again with pure, unmixed Deity. But our Lord’s resurrection life should be the corrective of this notion. And this suggests the truth of the human heart of God. Man resembles God. Love does not mean one thing to man and another thing to God. The present manhood of Christ conveys this deeply important truth, that the Divine heart is human in its sympathies.

3. There is a connection between what Jesus was and what Jesus is. He can be touched now because He was tempted then. His past experience has left certain effects durable in His nature as it is now. It has endued Him with certain qualifications and certain susceptibilities which He would not have had but for that experience.

I. The Redeemer’s preparations for His Priesthood.—The preparation consisted in being tempted. But temptation as applied to a Being perfectly free from tendencies to evil is not easy to understand. Temptation has two senses: it means test or probation; it means also trial, involving the idea of pain or danger. Trial placed before a sinless Being is intelligible enough in a sense of probation; it is a test of excellence. And Scripture plainly asserts this as the character of Christ’s temptation. Not only test, but trial. There was not merely test in the temptation, but there was also painfulness in the victory. How could this be without any tendency to evil? Analyse sin. In every act of sin there are two distinct steps: there is a rising of a desire which is natural, and, being natural, is not wrong; and there is the indulgence of that desire in forbidden circumstances, and that is sin. Sin does not consist in having strong desires or passions: in the strongest and highest natures, all, including the desires, is strong. Sin is not a real thing. It is rather the absence of something, the will to do right. Sin is not in the appetites, but in the absence of a controlling will. There were in Christ all the natural appetites of mind and body. Conceive then a case in which the gratification of any one of these inclinations was inconsistent with His Father’s will. At one moment it was unlawful to eat, though hungry: and without one tendency to disobey, did fasting cease to be severe? Christ suffered from the force of desire. Though there was no hesitation whether to obey or not, no strife in the will, in the act of mastery there was pain. There was self-denial; there was obedience at the expense of tortured feeling. Not by the reluctancy of a sinful sensation, but by the quivering and the anguish of natural feeling when it is trampled upon by lofty will, Jesus suffered, being tempted. His soul was tempted.

II. The Redeemer’s Priesthood.—By Priesthood is meant that office by which He is the medium of union between man and God. The capacity for this has been indelibly engraven on His nature by His experience here. All this capacity is based on His sympathy. We are scarcely aware how much the sum of human happiness in the world is indebted to this one feeling—sympathy. Of this sympathy Christ, in its fulness, was susceptible. The sympathy of Christ was not merely love of men in masses; He had also discriminating, special sympathy with individuals. The priestly powers conveyed by this faculty of sympathising are two:

1. The power of mercy.

2. The power of having grace to help. There are two who are unfit for showing mercy: he who has never been tried; and he who, having been tempted, has fallen under temptation. The qualification in the text, “without sin,” is very remarkable; for it is the one we least should think of. Unthinkingly we should say that to have erred would make a man lenient; but it is not so. He alone is fit for showing manly mercy who has, like His Master, felt the power of temptation in its might, and come scathless through the trial. We must not make too much of sympathy as mere feeling. Feeling with Christ led to this, “He went about doing good.” Sympathy with Him was this, “Grace to help in time of need.” The sympathy of the Divine-human! He knows what strength is needed.

In conclusion, draw two inferences:

1. He who would sympathise must be content to be tried and tempted; he must be content to pay the price of the costly education. But it is being tempted in all points, yet without sin, that makes sympathy real, manly, perfect, instead of a mere sentimental tenderness.

2. It is this same human sympathy which qualifies Christ for judgment. The Father hath committed all judgment to Him, because He is the Son of man. The sympathy of Christ extends to the frailties of human nature, not to its hardened guilt; He is “touched with the feeling of our infirmities.”—F. W. Robertson.

Heb_4:16. Boldness at the Throne of Grace.—The throne of grace is the reality figured in the mercy-seat, or propitiatory, or cover of the Ark, that was in the Holy of Holies. As the high priest in the old dispensation went in once a year with the incense and the blood, and brought blessings for the people from that throne of grace, so Jesus, as the great High Priest of the race, went into the spiritual Holy of Holies, and gained blessings for us from the “throne of grace.” Only there is this distinction: the old priest came out; Christ, our Priest, stays in,—the veil is never closed behind Him, and we can go in; the way is open for us to go and ask for blessings, and we can go boldly because He is there, to be the ground of our acceptance, and to plead for us.

ILLUSTRATIONS TO CHAPTER 4

Heb_4:15. The Help of our Lord’s Human Experiences.—They tell us that in some trackless lands, when one friend passes through the pathless forests, he breaks a twig ever and anon as he goes, that those who come after may see the traces of his having been there, and may know that they are not out of the road. Oh, when we are journeying through the murky night, and the dark woods of affliction and sorrow, it is something to find here and there a spray broken, or a leafy stem bent down with the tread of His foot and the brush of His hand as He passed, and to remember that the path He trod He has hallowed, and that there are lingering fragrances and hidden strengths in the remembrance, “in all points tempted as we are,” bearing grief for us, bearing grief with us, bearing grief like us.—A. Maclaren, D.D.

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.

THIRD SECTION

I

Exaltation of Jesus Christ above Aaron and his high-priestly successors

The exaltation of Jesus Christ, as the High-Priest who has passed through the heavens, furnishes a basis for the exhortation to the maintenance of the Christian confession

Heb_4:14-16

14Seeing, then, that we have a great high priest, that is [has] passed into [through] the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession [confession, ὁμολογίας]. 15For we have not a high priest which [who] cannot be touched with the feeling of [sympathize with] our infirmities; but was [has been] in all points tempted8 like as we are, yet without sin [apart from sin]. 16Let us therefore come boldly [approach with confidence] to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy,9 and find grace to help in time of need [for seasonable succor].

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL

Heb_4:14. Since, therefore, we have a great high priest, etc.—Delitzsch, disconnecting the οὖν from the ἔχοντες ἀρχ., and carrying it over to the κρατῶμεν, makes the ἐχον. ἄρχ. here incidental, and regards the οὖν with κρατῶμεν as deducing from the words immediately preceding the duty of steadfast perseverance [so Alf.]. But the position of οὖν between ἔχοντες and ἀρχιερέα, shows that, looking back to the entire previous discussion, in which Jesus has been not merely styled ἀρχιερεύς, Heb_2:17; Heb_3:1 (Thol., De W.), but also been set forth in His personal elevation and majesty (Lün.), the author is drawing the conclusion that we possess in Jesus not merely a Prophet and Messenger of God, legislator, and Leader, like Moses and Joshua, but a High-priest who, precisely on account of this character, can, as άρχηγὸς τῆς σωτηρίας, conduct into the Sabbath rest (σαββατισμός). The epithet μέγας points at once to that elevation of this High-Priest above Aaron and his successors, which is unfolded in this section; for the opinion of John Cappell, Braun, Ramb., Mich., etc., that the epithet μέγας only serves to give to the combination μεγ. ἀρχ. the meaning of high-priest, is entirely without foundation. Philo had previously called the Divine Logos μέγ. ἀρχ. (I., 654 Ed. Mang.). That the author’s special point here is the majesty of this Christian High-Priest, is clear from the two appended descriptive clauses, of which the former tells us that this High-Priest has accomplished His course, in order that, exalted above all created existences (Heb_7:26; Eph_4:10), He might receive the Place belonging to Him upon the throne of the majesty of God, Heb_1:3; Heb_1:13; while the other connects immediately with His special designation as High-Priest the mention of His Divine Sonship, which explains this elevation (Heb_1:1; Heb_1:5; Heb_6:6; Heb_7:3; Heb_10:29). The rendering: “who has gone to heaven” (Pesh., Luth., Calv., Ernesti, etc.) is erroneous [as also that of the Eng. version, “who has passed into the heavens”]; and no less erroneous is the opinion of Wolf and Böhme, that the appended τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ is intended to distinguish Jesus from Joshua.

Heb_4:14. Let us hold fast our confession.—The circumstance that not merely such a High-Priest as the above exists, but that we already stand in a definite historical relation to Him, whereby He is our High-Priest, forms the ground of the exhortation to the holding fast, Heb_6:18; Col_2:19; 2Ti_2:15 (κρατῶμεν not to be explained as by Tittman, lay hold of), of our confession, viz., our entire Christian profession, not merely our confession of Christ as our High-Priest (Storr).

Heb_4:15. For we have not an high priest—infirmities.—The author is not here giving the ground of the exhortation which has already found its reason in the ἔχοντες οὖν ἀρχ., but proceeds to elucidate still further the declaration of Christ’s High-Priesthood which follows from the preceding discussion, by anticipating and setting aside the thought which might arise that a Messiah who had come from God, and who had gone to God, might perhaps indeed have taken upon Himself the human mode of life, but could scarcely have assumed our entire human nature to the extent of an actual sympathy with our weaknesses and our temptations. An actual joint endurance (συμπάσχειν, Rom_8:17; 1Co_12:26) of these sufferings is here not intended. The writer simply affirms a sympathy, a fellow-feeling, (συμπαθεῖν, Heb_10:34); through which compassion shows itself in emotional participation, and in hearty sympathy with the condition of those into whose circumstances, perils and modes of feeling we are enabled to enter. The ἄσθένειαι are not merely sufferings (Chrys., etc.), but our outward and inward infirmities.

But one who has been tempted—Without Sin.—The δέ stands hero as Heb_2:6; Heb_4:13, so that the adversative clause contains, at the same time, a heightening and a carrying forward of the thought. Καθ̓ ὁμοιότητα sc. ἡμῶν is stronger than ὁμοίως, Christ’s likeness to us in respect of being tempted extends to every relation with a single, far-reaching exception,—an exception that, in fact, modifies the relation of likeness at every point, viz., apart from sin (χωρὶς ἁμαρτίας). This cannot mean, “except in sin,” in all other things beside (Capp., Storr, etc.); for in that case κατὰ πάντα must have been united immediately with χωρίς, and ἁμαρτίας must have had the definite article. The view of Œcum., Schlicht., and Dindorf, to wit, without having stained His sufferings by sin, is unnatural. The common explanation, viz., without His temptation leading Him to sin, is too narrow. The participation of Jesus in every form of human suffering—the actual stirring of His emotions, His complete fellow-feeling with our weaknesses, the reality of His actual temptation,—all have taken place without one single sinful emotion, and without ever finding in Him, as their condition, or point of contact, a single slumbering element of sin. Every thing took place with Him “separately from sin.” The sinlessness of the Divine Logos in Philo, (Ed. Mang. I., 562 ff.).

Heb_4:16. Let us therefore approach—of grace.—Since we possess in Jesus Christ a High-Priest who is not merely exalted, but also sympathizing and tried, and who thus has not merely the external position and power, not merely the internal inclinations and volitions, but every possible requisite form of qualification and fitness to be our Saviour, with this the previous train of thought, with its naturally accompanying exhortations, is brought to a sort of temporary, and, as it were, preliminary close. The “throne of grace” is neither Christ (Gerh., Seb. Schmidt, Carpz., etc.), nor the throne of Christ (Primas., Schlicht.), but the throne of God. The expression, however, is not intended to suggest the throne which arose upon the lid of the ark of the covenant (Bisp. after the earlier interpp.), but the throne of God in heaven, which at Heb_8:1 is called θρόνος τῆς μεγαλωσύνης, and here θρόνος τῆς χάριτος, the throne of grace, because from it there descends to us the grace which is wrought through Christ the Son, enthroned at the right hand of God. There is no occasion for interpreting it as the throne which stands upon grace, Isa_16:5; comp. Psa_89:15 (Del.), but rather, as that upon which grace is enthroned. The coming or drawing near to this throne, designated by προσέρχεσθαι with an obvious reference to the approach of the Levitically clean to the sanctuary (Lev_22:3), or of the priest to the altar (Lev_21:17), is to be with the bold and joyous confidence (παῤῥησίας) which gives to itself the corresponding expression (Heb_3:6), and rests upon the assurance of reconciliation with God.

That we may obtain mercy, etc.—The object of coming to the throne of grace, which in the Old Testament was made possible by the Levitical sacrifice, in the New, by the sacrificial death of Christ, but in both cases finds the impulse to its realization in the faith of those who stand in need of succor, is the attainment of ἔλεος (mercy) and χάρις (grace). It is equally unwarrantable (with Lün.) to reject all distinction between these two terms, and with Bisp., to refer the ἔλεος (mercy) to forgiveness of sins and deliverance from suffering, and the χάρις (grace) on the contrary, to the communication of the higher gifts of grace. For ἔλεος (pity, mercy) always involves a more especial reference to wretchedness, which touches the heart; whether consisting in outward misfortune, suffering, punishment, or inward corruption, guilt and sin, while χάρις (grace), on the contrary, looks rather to a mere self-determined and kindly inclination toward those who have neither right nor claim to it. To restrict the words εἰς εὔκαιρον βοήθειαν to the then still existing season of grace, with a reference back to Heb_3:13 (Bl., De W., Lün.), would indeed be preferable to the wholly vague and indefinite interpretation, “so often as we need help;” yet such a limitation is still less appropriate than (with Thol. and Del.) in reference to Heb_2:18, to refer it to our weaknesses and need of succor in temptations.

DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL

We must not merely believe what is announced to us of Jesus in the Holy Scripture, but also confess what we have in this great, and in every respect perfected Mediator of salvation.—This confession presents itself, indeed, in separate acts, but the confession itself is a united and distinct whole; and the holding fast to this, as the confession of the Christian Church, presupposes in the members of the Church, a vitality, power, and fidelity of personal faith, which should ever be cherished, and by which again, our joyful access to the throne of grace is secured under the most painful trials.

2. The passing of Jesus through the heavens is not here presented as a parallel with the official and solemn passing of the Jewish High-priest through the holy place, into the Holy of holies.—Rather the return of the High-priest Jesus, who, as such, has already made His perfect sacrifice by the offering up of His life upon the cross—His actual return, as Son of man, to the Father, is, in our passage, as an extra ordinary token of His incomparable majesty, placed in parallel with His Divine Sonship; whereby the whole person of the God-man is exalted above all finite beings and localities, and freed from the limitations of time and place, has been brought into full and unrestricted participation in the Divine majesty and glory.—The Lutheran Dogmatic has for this reason drawn from our passage a capital proof of its doctrine of the ubiquity of Christ.

3. A contrast of the strongest kind appears in thus setting over against each other the exaltation of the God-man above every thing created, and His actual participation in human sufferings and fortunes. This participation is of a two-fold character; the one is a sympathizing and ever-enduring compassion, in respect to our needs, in a loving sensibility and fellow-feeling with our sufferings; the other is the sinless sharing, during his earthly life, not only of our susceptibility to suffering, but also of our liability to temptation. Both are a testimony of the perfection of Jesus, and a foundation of our confidence in His help, which we, for this reason, have to implore in our time of need. Upon this rests, in great part. the importance of the experiences obtained by Jesus in His human life, in regard to the character of human sufferings and temptations. “As former of the world, the Logos of God knew doubtless what sort of a creature we are; but, clothed with our flesh, He became acquainted with human weakness from diversified and comprehensive experience. His Divine, preexistent knowledge, came to learn that which springs from personal trial.”—In these words of Cyrill of Alexandria, cited by Del., comes out rather the importance of these experiences, for the development of the personal consciousness and life of Jesus Christ, which has been touched on elsewhere in our Epistle; the object here aimed at, is the quickening of Christian steadfastness and fidelity, by pointing to His capability, not merely to understand our condition, but by virtue of His permanent connection with our nature, in which He has Himself been once tempted, even now, in His exalted condition, to take livingly to heart our state of need and of struggle.

4. The opinion defended by Menken, Collenbusch, Irving, that Jesus Christ was exempt, indeed, from actual sin, but not, in His nature, from inherited sin, has, lying at its basis, the endeavor to bring into clear light the reality of His humanity, the historical character of His temptations, and the greatness of His moral power and dignity. But it consists in a false explanation of the phrase, “conceived of the Holy Spirit,” in which certainly the phrase, “born of the Virgin Mary,” finds its supplementary and correlated truth, and it involves a dangerous confounding of the actual nature of fallen humanity with the God-created human nature which the Son of God assumed in order to redeem and sanctify humanity. This confusion again, has its ground in an inability rightly to distinguish in the human bosom the possibility of sinning, and the reality of temptation, from the commencement of sinful emotion in the affections (compare Ullmann, The Sinlessness of Jesus, 6th Ed., p. 151 ff., and Schaff, The Person of Christ, p. 51 ff.).

HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL

The duty of fidelity to our profession: a. in its ultimate ground; b. in its exercise; c. in its blessing.—Whence arises the joyfulness of our approach to the throne of grace? 1, from the certainly of our reconciliation with God through the great High-Priest, Jesus, the Son of God; 2, from the experience of the sympathy which Jesus has with our weaknesses, as one who has Himself been tempted; 3, from faith in the power of Jesus for timely succor, inasmuch as He has gone sinless through temptation, and victorious through the heavens.—What most powerfully consoles us in our struggles? 1, the testimony in regard to the great High-Priest, Jesus, if we can jointly confess it; 2, a survey of the temptations which Jesus has endured without sin, if we recognize therein His sympathy and His strength; 3, our sure and confident approach to the throne of grace in our need of help.—It is not enough that we hear of the great High-Priest, Jesus. We must also, 1, confess Jesus in faith as the Son of God; 2, comfort ourselves in our temptations with His example; 3, seek and find from His grace timely succor in our weaknesses.

Starke:—Take heed that thou do not fall off from the confession of Christ; for He is a mighty Lord, who can easily punish this thy wickedness; but He is also compassionate and sympathizing, since thou always findest with Him grace, compassion, and succor. Wilt thou then deprive thyself of such blessedness? There are times when compassion and grace are peculiarly needful for us: in our first repentance, when we feel within ourselves nothing but sin, wrath and curse; in our conflict with spiritual foes; in all forms of trouble, and at the final judgment.—Joyfulness of heart and of conscience render prayer mighty with God. But if we are to attain such gladness we must stand in the state of faith, and of a true conversion (Rom_5:2; Eph_2:18; Eph_3:12).—Our approach to the throne of God depends upon compassion and grace; these we must take by the hand of our faith which reaches forth after them; and we must find them as a great treasure, which, indeed, has been already obtained, but must still be sought by believing prayer.—We need at all times the compassion and grace of God; for the sake of these we must seek without intermission the throne of grace; but we feel at one time more than at another, our destitution, the assaults of our enemies, the sorrows of this world; for which reasons we must at such times preëminently draw near with reverence to the throne of grace.

Berlenburger Bible:—We have a great High-Priest who consecrates the internal foundation for a holy temple in the Lord, and exercises in all respects His priesthood within us, as He has also outwardly exercised it for us.—A weak faith which confesses itself to be weak, is always dearer to God than a strong faith which regards itself as strong, and is not.—Christ, in all the assaults upon us, is assaulted along with us.—Wrath and judgment are abundantly evident of themselves, and frighten the heart away from God. But grace and love are disclosed only through the Spirit of Christ, who then also works perpetually to this end, that we may learn to have a good conscience toward God, and this through the single perfect Mediator and High-Priest, who again has so won back love, that we can now find a throne of grace in the heart of God, provided only that we knock thereat, and make our supplications in the name of Christ.—Taking, finding, receiving, are all that are of value here, and not any personal work or merit.

Laurentius:—Believers still have weaknesses, but Christ sympathizes with believers in respect to their weaknesses.—We must, 1, draw near, since by remaining at a distance from God, and by not being willing to draw near to Him, we could not possibly obtain succor. we must, 2, draw near to the throne of grace, since it is through grace alone that man obtains help, not through works. We must, 3, draw near with joyfulness, since to have begun to believe, and still be always inclined to doubt, is equivalent to doubting whether God is truthful, whether He is compassionate, whether He is Almighty; and he that doubteth must not think that he shall receive anything from the Lord (Jam_1:6-7).

Rambach:—The recognition of the glory of Jesus Christ, and in particular of His High-priestly office, is the most excellent preservative against apostasy.

Von Bogatzky:—Our sins must surely be great, and a great abomination, since so great an High-Priest was obliged to expiate them by the sacrifice of His own life. But man would fain make his sin insignificant and small, and is full of excuse, security, and impenitence, and he thus denies Christ as the great High-Priest, and His great propitiatory sacrifice.

Steinhofer:—With a disconsolate heart, bewailing its misery, feeling nothing but corruption, one may yet summon a confident spirit to come to Jesus. The sinner may address Him. Before the throne of grace that has been sprinkled with blood, the sinner may present his cause, his whole burden of anxiety.—We may only come to the throne of grace, as we are, and of our condition present what we feel, and ask for what we need.—It is simply the result of the same pride with which Satan has poisoned us, if we refuse to throw ourselves upon mere compassion, and in this, let ourselves be looked upon precisely as we are.

Rieger:—Sympathy carries us through, and obtains for us that which else a bold claim upon pity might deprive us of. Compassion reaches down the deepest into our misery, and is, as it were, the nearest thing for us to receive or lay hold of. Led by this, we always find, more and surer grace for opportune help in every time of need.

Von Gerlach:—We are tempted by sin and to sin. Christ was tempted in both senses, without sin.—As His kingly office has respect to the annihilation of the dominion of sin, death and the devil, and the restoration of men to the glorious freedom of the children of God, so His priestly office has respect to the doing away of that separation of men from God, which sin has occasioned, and the reëstablishment of their intimate fellowship with Him. The former is preëminently a glorifying of God’s omnipotence; the latter preëminently a glorifying of God’s love, in the work of redemption.

Stier:—For that in thee which still loves to sin, thou shalt find no comfort and no sympathy, but hostility even unto blood, even unto death. But for the new man in thee, who is a member of Christ, and feels and suffers sin with pain, it is to thee truly a great consolation, that He, thy Lord and Head, has felt and suffered it also.—In our perpetual drawing near lies the whole secret of our struggle unto certain victory; in the neglect of this, in indolent and distrustful standing aloof, lies our whole danger of destruction.—Provided that prayer persists and becomes earnest seeking, we cannot fail to find grace at the throne of grace, where nothing else is to be sought and found.

Heubner:—Christ, as a son, had a right to take upon Himself the creature. As a son, He was an eternal propitiator; God looked upon Him from eternity as the ground of our salvation, and in Him loves from eternity our fallen humanity as reconciled in Him. As son, He remains propitiator through eternity; His propitiation holds good forever, because, through the Son, it is grounded in the nature of God. Were the atonement to lose its efficacy, the Son must cease to have efficacy with the Father, and this is impossible.—In Jesus Christ there is a wondrous union of loftiest elevation and condescending sympathy.—Both the temptations and the sinlessness of Jesus inspire confidence in the heart.

Stein:—The freer we feel ourselves from evil, the more painfully must temptations touch us.

Fricke:—Having and holding, belong together.

Gerok:—The lovely paths which open themselves to the Christian from the mount of the ascension: 1. downwards toward earth; a. a field of labor for our faith; b. a place of blessing for our exalted Saviour. 2. Upwards toward heaven; a. a gate of grace for daily joyful approach; b. an opened door of heaven for future blissful entrance.

Footnotes:

[8]Heb_4:15.—The lect. rec. πεπειρασμένον is attested by Sin. A. B. D. E., and is to be retained against the reading πεπειραμένον received by Mill, Bengel, Matthäi, and recommended by Griesbach, which would properly mean, “who has made trial of, expertus.”

[9] Heb_4:16.—The form ἔλεος, preferred by Lachm. and Tisch. instead of ἔλεον, has the sanction of Sin. A. B. C.* D.* K. 17, 71.

[Heb_4:14.—διελήλυθότα τοὺς οὐράνους, having passed through (not as in Eng. ver. into) the heavens: though of course either might be said.—τῆς ὁμολογίας, our confession.

Heb_4:15.—συμπαθ. ταῖς ἀσθενείαις, to sympathize with our weaknesses.—κατὰ πάντα, as to all things, in all things,—καθ’ ὀμοιότητα, according to or after our similitude,=just as we are tempted.—χωρὶς ἁμαρτὶας, apart, or separately from sin; tempted in all things, just as men are tempted, but still totally free from sin.

Heb_4:16.—μετὰ παῤῥησίας, Eng. ver. boldly: De Wette, Del., Moll, mit Freudigkeit=with joyfulness: Lün., mit Zuversicht=with confidence, as also Del. at 3, 6, nearly, viz.: joyous, unhesitating, confidence; Alf., confidence.—εἰς εὔκαιρον βοήθειαν, for seasonable succor.—K.].

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.

ARGUMENT 3

THE TWO MEDIATORSHIPS:

THAT OF MOSES AND THAT OF CHRIST.

This argument is not only well authenticated in 3:1-6 and 4:14 to 5:10, but especially is it involved in the general consensus of the entire epistle. The old dispensation under the mediatorship of Moses was on the plane of justification, whose normal attitude is that of spiritual infancy or ecclesiastical minority, while the new dispensation is on the plane of entire sanctification, its normal attitude Christian perfection, its crowning glory the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and its legitimate status ecclesiastical adultage. During the period of her minority, the Church peregrinated but slightly beyond the limits of an isolated nation. On the arrival of her majority, she received the commission, “Go disciple all nations, teaching them to observe all things which I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you alway.” When Satan succeeded in derailing the Apostolic Church from the glorious doctrine and experience of entire sanctification, he dragged her down from the Delectable Mountains of full salvation, where she walked with Jesus in cloudless sunshine above mosquitoes and malaria, into the low grounds and malarious swamps of carnality and worldliness. Consequently, with an exception here and there, clergy and membership about the time of the Constantinian apostasy dropped back into the Mosaic dispensation. We must remember that Moses himself, with other patriarchs and prophets, lived and died in advance of his dispensation, having been gloriously sanctified at the burning bush, after a curriculum of forty years in God’s theological seminary — the crags and precipices of Mt. Sinai. While the patriarchs and prophets of the former dispensation, with their supernatural faith, inspired by the Holy Ghost, looked through type and prophecy, received and appropriated the perfect work of Christ, thus triumphing in the glorious experience of entire sanctification, the body of the Church only entered it as nowadays in the article of death, thus forfeiting the victory, blessedness, glory and triumph — a heaven in which to go to heaven. If the Christian Church had not retrogressed into the Mosaic dispensation, the Gospel would have flooded the earth like a shoreless ocean long centuries ago, and Jesus have come down on the throne of His glory, belting the globe with the splendors and triumphs of the millennial reign. This explains the almost universal antagonism of the popular clergy to the glorious experience of Christian perfection. They stand in the attitude of Moses, and want the people to follow them, as they followed Moses. In the dispensation of Christ we no longer follow Moses, but Jesus only. That is the reason why the Roman Catholics in all ages have done their utmost to keep the Bible out of the hands of the people. They are afraid they will become unmanageable. During the moonlit dispensation of type and symbolism the people needed mortal men like Moses to guide them through the darkness, but since the glorious Sun of Righteousness has risen on the world with healing on His wings we no longer need Moses and Aaron, but Jesus only. The truly sanctified man desires no following. His only effort is to get the people to follow Jesus.

In the Mosaic dispensation, Israel had twelve tribes. The Apostolic Church was a unit, and would ever so have remained if human rule had not superseded the Holy Ghost, dragging the Church down from the heights of spirituality and unanimity into the fogs of schism and ecclesiasticism. The unsanctified preacher at the present day is two thousand years behind the age, blundering along in the moonlight of the old dispensation.

14. While Moses was typical of Christ in his mediatorship, Aaron typified Him in his priestly office. So Moses and Aaron, in their respective capacities as leaders of Israel, are both forever superseded by Christ, who not only verified the typical characters of all His predecessors, completely expiating the sins of the whole world by the sacrifice of Himself, but has carried our glorified humanity into the very presence of God, where, fully and eternally accepted as our substitute, He ever liveth to intercede for the lost millions of earth. “Let us hold fast our confession.” This word “confession” is from homos, like, and logos, speech. Hence it means that we are to speak like God henceforth and forever. The speech is the exponent of the heart, and necessarily hypocritical if the heart is not like God.

15. Here the Holy Ghost certifies for our comfort that Jesus was tempted in all points as we are, but without sin. Satan with his utmost capacity tempted Jesus physically to satisfy His hunger; intellectually, to possess the whole world, and spiritually, to vitiate his faith by presumption in the leap from the pinnacle of the temple. So the devil will do his utmost to throw the lasso of his temptations around our physical appetites, and make us brutish; or our intellectual faculties, and make us worldly; or our spiritual experiences, and make us devilish. In all these assaults we have nothing to do but answer Satan in the language of Jesus when under the same temptation, and the victory comes.

16. Here we are importuned by the Holy Spirit to come boldly to a throne of grace, assuring us that we shall receive all needed help in every possible emergency.

1-3. Here we see the vivid picture of the Aaronic priest in his sacerdotal office’ ministering in the temple, offering sacrifices for the sins of the people. Meanwhile, it is absolutely necessary that he first offer sacrifices for himself, since he is encompassed with infirmity as well as the people. How decisive the contrast between Aaron, encompassed with infirmity, and Jesus, perfectly free from the slightest contamination of the violated law, and eternally triumphant over the world, the flesh and the devil. He is our Paragon. Inspired Paul says,

“Having been made free from sin we have our fruit unto sanctification, and the end everlasting life.” (Rom 6:22.)

Our great High Priest stands ready to wash us with His blood, and impart to us His own purity. An unsanctified preacher comes into an unsanctified church to hold a protracted meeting in order to get sinners converted. As I have observed on sundry occasions, they have to preach, pray and sing about ten days to get their own souls revived before they can do anything to rescue the perishing. The Aaronic preacher away back in the Mosaic dispensation has to pray and toil and work till he gets his own soul revived before he can help anybody else. I know this by sad experience, for I preached fifteen years unsanctified. Oh, what a contrast with sanctified people! They open the campaign with shouts of victory ringing from their lips. They do not need a protracted meeting to revive themselves, for they are already revived. Hence, in their first service they open their batteries on the devil’s works, and the salvation of the Lord is the normal order of every service.

4. This verse settles forever the divine call to the ministry. Without the call of God the most superb education is an essential failure.

5, 6. God’s call to the ministry is abundantly corroborated by the example of Christ Himself, whom God called and “made a priest forever, after the order of Melchisedec.”

7. This verse describes the memorable agony of Christ in Gethsemane. The clause, “in that He feared,” in the English should read, “because of His piety.” Of course He had no fear, as He was always free from sin. Many have been astonished over the terrible agony of Jesus in Gethsemane, especially contrastive with the heroic fortitude of the martyrs, who went joyfully and exultantly to the burning stake. The case is in no way parallel. The martyrs were free as angels, Jesus having carried all their burdens. No human being has ever been competent to sympathize with the Son of God in Gethsemane, because He there carried on His spotless soul the sins of a guilty world. His agony was homogeneous to torment. There His human will passed the terrible ordeal of consecration for Calvary, acquiescing submissively to His Father’s will, i.e., that He should redeem the doomed world by His vicarious sufferings and substitutionary death. We see Him come to the cross without a sigh or a groan, submissively and acquiescently bleed and die. Gethsemane solves the problem. There the battle was fought with the powers of darkness and the victory won. Whereas He was made perfect in His Messianic office and character by crucifixion, i.e., sanctified, to the redemptive scheme, He was fully consecrated in Gethsemane. He is our Paragon. When we perfectly submit to God in the Gethsemane of entire consecration, sanctification becomes easy and almost natural as breathing. The great trouble with seekers of sanctification is in consecration. They recoil from the terrible ordeals of Gethsemane. A preacher is convicted and proceeds to seek holiness. He soon enters the Gethsemane of consecration. The Holy Spirit holds up before his illuminated gaze ecclesiastical ostracism, humiliation, financial embarrassment, ejectment and decapitation. Then the bloody sweat breaks out and the bitter cup is presented to his lips. His courage fails, collapse follows and all is lost. Or, fortunately for him, grace prevails, and he says, “O God, give me the front of the battle and the thickest of the fight; let me die in the war and be buried on the battlefield; anything and everything for Jesus’ sake.” Then God turns on him a river from the heavenly ocean. He sinks, dies and floats, forever oblivious to his former troubles. Old friends have all skedaddled away, but God has given him more new ones than he knows what to do with, and they ‘re a thousand times better than his old ones.

8. What a wonderful condescension for the Son of God to suffer the terrible agonies of Gethsemane and the tortures of Calvary! This was not only indispensable to the redemption of a lost world, but preeminently pertinent for our exemplification. We must all, like Jesus, learn obedience from suffering.

9. “Being made perfect He became the Author of eternal salvation to all them that obey Him.” The Greek word is the same for faith and obedience, and for unbelief and disobedience. This is positively confirmatory of the lexical synonymy of faith and obedience, and unbelief and disobedience, because true faith is always obedient and unbelief disobedient. Faith is the cause and obedience the effect. Unbelief is the cause and disobedience the effect. Hence you see the nonsense of imputing salvation to obedience, which is simply the normal fruit of justifying and sanctifying faith. You also see the pertinency of the Scriptural imputation of damnation to unbelief. This verse certifies that Jesus was made perfect by His crucifixion. Hence it follows as a legitimate sequence that He did not claim perfection in His Messianic office and character till He suffered crucifixion on the cross. This was His sanctification, the Gethsemane being His consecration. Therefore it follows as a logical sequence that we are all imperfect Christians till Adam the first is crucified. Jesus is our great Exemplar. We must follow Him to the manger and be born in utter obscurity, then to the cross and be crucified with Him (Rom 6:6), if we would ascend and live with Him in glory. Before Christ was crucified justification was the normal status of earthly saintship. Since He has been crucified and thus made perfect, Christian perfection, or entire sanctification, has become the normal status of Christian discipleship. What a deplorable pity to see the Christian world this day plodding along in the dispensation of Moses three thousand years behind the age, the preachers sitting in Moses’ seat jealous lest the rod of their clerical authority be broken by the sanctification of their members!

10. In chapter seven we give a full exegesis of Melchisedec.

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

Section 1. (Heb 4:14-16; Heb 5:1-10.)

The Priest called of God.

The first section then identifies for us the true Priest before God; and there are again three subsections here, the first of which introduces us to two fundamental conceptions in that which follows: a "Great High Priest who has passed through the heavens," and the "throne of grace." We may take the latter as characterizing the first subsection.

A "throne of grace" is now to Christians, happily, a very familiar thought. It is only here, however, that we have precisely this expression, although we have the thought in Romans; "Grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life." The blood upon the mercy-seat before God, to which the apostle also refers in the third chapter of Romans, -"A propitiation through faith by His blood," -put there by the high priest once a year, when, on the Day of Atonement, he entered the holiest, -was the typical rendering of such a thought so far as in the old dispensation it could be rendered. The mercy-seat was the throne of Jehovah in Israel, where He dwelt between the cherubim. Literally, it was the "kapporeth," or "propitiatory," the blood being that which made propitiation for the soul, -the witness of divine righteousness, which, now being met by the blood of atonement, vindicated God’s grace in abiding among the people in spite of their sins.

All this was typical merely, a shadow, and nothing more. Israel could not really approach, as we know, to this throne of God, and the high priest only once a year, covered with a cloud of incense, and with the blood of atonement. For us the true sacrifice has been effected. The High Priest has passed through the heavens, the antitype to those holy places, and the throne of God is abidingly a throne of grace, to which, therefore, we are but giving honor when we come boldly to it for our need. This really implies for us the veil rent: for the throne of grace is in the holiest of all, and the rending of the veil is what has made for us a "new and living way" of approach there. The verses before us are, therefore, a real introduction to that which follows. It is the sympathy of the High Priest which we are here encouraged to reckon upon, and this is in connection with His being over the house of God. Thus we see how we are following on in one line of truth all through here. It reminds us of the words of the Lord in teaching us the consequences of His departure out of the world unto the Father: "If ye shall ask anything in My name, I will do it" (Joh 14:14).

How great an encouragement to know that upon the throne of God there is One who can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, and was "in all things tempted like as we are, sin apart"! Sin was to Him no temptation. There was nothing within that answered to it, except in suffering. There was and could be with Him no sinful infirmity; but He was true man, His divine nature taking nothing from the truth of His manhood, living a dependent life as we do, but with no callousness such as the flesh in us produces in a world everywhere racked with suffering from sin and out of joint, the trial of which He knew as no other could. In the garden He faced the awful cup with an agony that required angelic ministry to strengthen Him physically (in no other way) to sustain it. What a world it was for the Son of God to pass through! Has He forgotten it, or is He altered by being now out of it, and on the throne? No, but the very throne is characterized now as the "throne of the Lamb;" and for eternity will be the "throne of God and of the Lamb."

How well furnished for us, then, is the throne of grace! But we may notice that the apostle here speaks of nothing but "mercy and grace to help in time of need." Direct reference to any positive failure on our part is here omitted; and this is in the style of Hebrews, in which we find the believer, spite of all his weakness, as "perfected in perpetuity" by the precious blood which has been shed for him. This blood is here upon the mercy-seat, but the thought is therefore of nothing but the weakness which needs help. All sin has been already met.

This is only one side, it is true, of a subject such as this; and we shall find another when we turn to the first epistle of John. John gives us the subject of communion, and speaks of our relation to the Father. Paul here speaks of our relation to God as God. The mention of the Father at once assures us of a nearer relationship in which we stand to Him, and which cannot be broken. Sin, indeed, is only aggravated in its character by this very relationship, and communion is necessarily affected by the believer’s sin. Here, therefore, we have Christ in another character, as "an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous," while, indeed, we are still reminded that He is the propitiation for our sins. But in Hebrews, as already said, we are seen as creatures before God, and here sin is not contemplated, just because it has been fully provided for. We come to "obtain mercy and find grace for seasonable help." It is weakness that needs the Priest now. With regard to sin, the precious blood already shed has done all that can be done. The blood is upon the throne; and to that throne, whenever we turn to God, (if indeed, of course, there is true turning to Him,) we shall find an open door and a ready access.

2. The second subsection is a statement simply as to the high priest in Israel. It is important to keep it distinct as that. How far it applies to Christ we find as we go on, but in every type there is an element of dissimilarity, as there is of resemblance; and that because it is a type. How could there have been in Israel a high priest who never offered for himself? It would have falsified everything. And so with the veil; how could it have been rent under the legal system? But these exceptional contrasts have a purpose, therefore, and do not in the least hinder a careful, spiritual mind from finding Christianity in Leviticus. Of course it needs that we should have learned Christianity first from the New Testament. We should not go to Leviticus as a Jew would, and expect to find the unveiling of the truth of Christ. Moses has always a veil over the glory in his face; but it is there, we have not to put it there, and the veil for us is done away in Christ.

The high priest spoken of here is one taken from among men simply, from the common class of men. Such an expression could not be used of Christ, as ought to be clear. What follows makes it abundantly so. He is "appointed for men in things relating to God, that he might offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins." The sacrifices are thus his ordinary and necessary work, as we see; but we have not come to the application yet; and he is "able to exercise forbearance towards the ignorant and erring, since he himself also is clothed with infirmity." Here is an infirmity which is not sinless, (as any infirmity that Christ knew necessarily was,) and this is definitely seen in what follows. He is obliged, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins (which Christ never did). "And no one taketh this honor to himself but as called of God, even as Aaron was."

3. The third subsection gives us the fulfilment of the type in Christ, and here we have three parts: first, His calling, in which we find, also, the foundation of His priesthood; then His sufferings, even to death, and His deliverance out of it; and lastly, having been perfected, His greeting by God in resurrection as the royal Priest, Melchisedec.

(1) First, we have the call. The priest must be called of God; as was Aaron, so Christ. As moving only in obedience, He who had come simply to do the will of God in an already marked-out way, glorified not Himself to be made a High Priest, but received His call distinctly to that office. God’s recognition of the Son in manhood is quoted as that which was really this. He glorified Him as such who said to Him: "Thou art My Son; today have I begotten Thee." The same form of citation is used in the seventh chapter, verse twenty-one: "He with an oath, by Him that said unto Him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a Priest forever." The quotation, in the first place, is from the second psalm, which puts it in connection with His claim as Heir to the sovereignty of the nations. God’s Priest and King are one, and the two offices are founded upon the same personal qualification. Godhead and manhood united in Him constituted Him the true Mediator between God and men. We have seen Him taking flesh and blood for this purpose, "that He might be the First-born among many brethren;" and as the First-born is the Heir, so also has He the right of redemption. Thus He is Priest and King by the same title.

Now, if we look at the Gospels to find the open call for the priesthood, there ought to be really no doubt where it occurs. It is after His baptism by John that the Lord is first openly recognized as the Son of God by the Father’s voice from heaven; and the Spirit of God coming upon Him makes Him to be now in full reality the Christ, that is, the Anointed. It answers to the first anointing of Aaron alone, without blood (Lev 8:12). John then recognizes Him as the Son of God, as the sacrificial Lamb (Joh 1:29-34); for this blessed Priest is one with His offering: "He offered up Himself." This, then, is our Lord’s call to the priesthood. The apostle confirms the fact by a more direct quotation, the force of which he takes up later: "Thou art a Priest forever after the order of Melchisedec."

(2) Immediately now we are called to see Him in the white linen robe of the Day of Atonement. He is in that suffering in which, though Son of God, He had to learn the reality of the obedience which He had voluntarily undertaken. So intense is it that even He makes "supplication with strong crying and tears to Him that was able to save Him (not from death, which was impossible, but) out of death." That prayer was heard in resurrection. But notice especially what the answer was based upon. "He was heard for His piety, as in the margin of the common version; or, "for His godly fear," as in the revised. There is the white linen garment with which alone the sanctuary could be entered.

The priest is characterized, first of all, as the one able to draw near to God; and the first question involved, therefore, is, Is he such as can really draw near? Is he personally and entirely fitted to draw near to God? That is the question as to the offering: is it a perfect, unblemished one? That is the question as to the priest. Nothing but the white linen will do here. This is what the burnt-offering most strongly enforces. The offering is flayed and rigidly inspected; then the offerer brings it to God, nothing but sweet savor. It is what Christ is as no other offering (certainly not the sin-offering) develops it. Thus day and night the sweet savor of this must come up to God.

Here it is the priest who is spoken of, and it shows us why the garments of glory and beauty are not yet upon him: not because he is not yet the High Priest, but because atonement is in question, while the garments of glory and beauty show the acceptance of the work. Here he is being perfected, and, while personally nothing could perfect Christ, we have already seen that as Originator of salvation there must be perfecting. Thus, then, we see Him here. He is in the awful depths from which no other could have emerged, -where His feet alone could have found standing. There, being perfected by bearing the load that was upon Him, He becomes to those that obey Him the Author of eternal salvation.

(3) The being perfected is sometimes spoken of as if it were the same as being consecrated, but it should be plain that here there is a deeper meaning. We have already seen that the Originator of salvation was to be made perfect by sufferings; and we have had plainly the sufferings by which He is so. Then He is saluted of God, not merely a High Priest, but a High Priest after the order of Melchisedec. Ordinarily the distinction is not realized between the simple High Priest and the High Priest after this order. It is the same Person all through, and therefore it seems to be thought that this must necessarily follow; but His glories are displayed in due order, one following the other, and it is only in resurrection that He is saluted by God in this character. Notice that it is not exactly "called," as before. He is "saluted." The Priest has accomplished the fundamental work of His priesthood, and is held and acknowledged as having done so. The linen garments are now exchanged for the garments of glory and beauty. His priesthood now assumes manifestly the Melchisedec character; but we shall have, with the apostle, to break off here and take this up more fully in the seventh chapter.

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

4:14-16 These key verses conclude the exhortation begun at 3:1 and introduce the lengthy treatment of Jesus’ role as High Priest (4:14–10:25).

4:14 This verse effectively summarizes the whole message and challenge of Hebrews; the high priesthood of Jesus the Son of God is the basis for endurance in the Christian faith. • a great High Priest: Israel’s high priest was the main leader in the worship of God and the primary mediator between God and the people (see Exod 31:10; Lev 4:3; 2 Kgs 12:10; 2 Chr 26:20). • who has entered heaven: The earthly high priests entered God’s presence in the Most Holy Place once a year on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:1-25). By contrast, Jesus, our High Priest, has entered God’s presence in heaven, and there he remains (Heb 7:26; 9:11-12, 23-26). • let us hold firmly: An enduring commitment to active belief in and allegiance to Jesus (see also Col 2:19; 2 Thes 2:15; Rev 2:13, 25; 3:11).

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

Heb 4:14. Ἔχοντες, having) The exhortation begins in the same way, ch. Heb 10:19, Heb 12:1.—οὖν, therefore) He resumes the proposition which he had laid down, ch. Heb 2:17.—μέγαν, great) for He is the Son of GOD, higher than the heavens. He is called absolutely in Hebrew phraseology, a High Priest, ch. Heb 10:21: but here the Great High Priest, greater than the Levitical high priest.—διεληλυθότα) who has passed into, not merely has entered the heavens: ch. Heb 7:26.—κρατῶμεν, let us hold fast) From. ch. Heb 3:1 to ch. Heb 5:3, there are four points explained by Chiasmus, inasmuch as they contain the doctrine and practical application, the practical application and the doctrine. Look back again, I request, at the summary view (Synopsis) of the epistle.

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

to Heb_10:18

Heb_4:14 to Heb_10:18. The author has, in that which precedes, compared Christ with the angels and then with Moses, and proved the superiority of Christ over both. He applies himself now to a third point of the comparison, in that he institutes a comparison between Christ and the Levitical high priests, and developes on every side the exalted character of His high-priesthood above the Levitical high-priesthood, with regard to His person, with regard to the sanctuary in which He fulfils His office, and with regard to the sacrifice presented. The copiousness of this new dogmatic investigationwhich is subservient to the same paraenetic aim as the preceding expositions, and therefore opens with an exhortation of the same nature with the former ones, and is presently interrupted by a somewhat lengthy warning-paraenetic interludeis to be explained by the greater importance it had for the readers, who, in narrow-minded over-estimate of the temple cultus inherited from the fathers, regarded the continued participation in this cultus as necessary for the complete expiation of sin and the acquiring of everlasting salvation, and, because they thought nothing similar was to be found in Christianity, were exposed to an imminent peril of turning away from the latter and relapsing entirely into Judaism. Compare the explanation already given by Chrysostom, Hom. 8. init.: Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὐδὲν ἦν (sc. in the New Covenant) σωματικὸν ἦ φανταστικόν, οἶον οὐ ναός, οὐχ ἅγια ἁγίων, οὐχ ἱερεὺς τοσαύτην ἔχων κατασκευήν, οὐ παρατηρήσεις νομικαί, ἀλλʼ ὑψηλότερα καὶ τελειότερα πάντα, καὶ οὐδὲν τῶν σωματικῶν, τὸ δὲ πᾶν ἐν τοῖς πνευματικοῖς ἦν, οὐχ οὕτω δὲ τὰ πνευματικὰ τοὺς ἀσθενεστέρους ἐπήγεταο ὡς τὰ σωματικά, τούτου χάριν τοῦτον ὅλον κινεῖ τὸν λόγον.

The transition to this new section is formed by Heb_4:14-16.

Heb_4:14. The introductory phrase: ἔχοντες οὖν ἀρχιερέα, presupposes that the author has already had occasion to speak of Jesus as ἀρχιερεύς. We are therefore led back for οὖν to Heb_2:17, Heb_3:1. But, since there is further added to ἀρχιερέα the qualification μέγαν and διεληλυθότα τοὺς οὐρανούς, and thus also these characteristics must be presupposed as known from that which precedes, we have consequently not to limit οὖν, in its backward reference, to Heb_2:17, Heb_3:1, but to extend it to the whole disquisition, Heb_1:1 to Heb_3:6, in such wise that (logically, indeed, in a not very exact manner) μέγαν, διεληλυθότα τοὺς οὐρανούς glances back in general to the dignity and exaltedness of the person of Jesus, as described in these sections.

Erroneously does Delitzsch suppose that by means of οὖν the exhortation κρατῶμεν τῆς ὁμολογίας is derived as a deduction from Heb_4:12-13. Such opinion would be warranted only if, with the omission of the participial clause, merely κρατῶμεν οὖν τῆς ὁμολογίας had been written. For since κρατῶμεν τῆς ὁμολογίας has received its own justification in the prefixed ἔχοντες κ.τ.λ., apart from that which immediately precedes, it is clear that, in connection with Heb_4:14, there is no further respect had to the contents of Heb_4:12-13. It is not therefore to be approved that Delitzsch, in order to make room for the unfortunate reference to Heb_4:12-13, will have οὖν logically attached to the verb κρατῶμεν, instead of the participle, with which it is grammatically connected, and to which, as the most simple and natural, the like passage, Heb_10:19 ff., also points. What laboured confusion of the relations would Delitzsch require the reader to assume, when he is called to regard ἔχοντες κ.τ.λ., as being at the same time a recapitulation of that which has been said before, and continuation of the argument; and yet, spite of all this, to look upon κρατῶμεν τῆς ὁμολογίας as a deduction from Heb_4:12-13! In any case, the connection asserted by Delitzsch to exist between Heb_4:14 and Heb_4:12-13 : the word of God demands obedience and appropriation, i.e. faith, not, however, as merely a faith locked up within the breast, but also a loud Yea and Amen, unreserved and fearless confession, ὁμολογία from mouth and heart, as the echo thereof, is in itself a baseless imagination; because the before-demanded πίστις and the here demanded ὁμολογία are by no means distinguished from each other as a minus and a majus, but, on the contrary, in the mind of the author of the epistle are synonyms. It results that οὖν stands in a somewhat free relation to the foregoing argument, consequently must not at all be taken as, strictly speaking, an illative particle, with which that which precedes is first brought to a close, but as a particle of resuming, which, in the form of a return to that which has already been said before, begins a new section.

μέγαν] does not in such wise appertain to ἀρχιερέα that only in combination with the same it should form the idea of the high priest (Jac. Cappellus, Braun, Rambach, Wolf, Carpzov, Michaelis, Stuart), but is indicative of the quality of the high priest, and means exalted, just as μέγας, Heb_10:21, in combination with ἱερεύς. Comp. also Heb_13:20.

As the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews represents Christ the Son of God, so also does Philo (De Somn. p. 598 A, with Mangey, I. p. 654) represent the divine Logos as ὁ μέγας ἀρχιερεύς. Comp. ibid. p. 597 (I. p. 653): Δύο γάρ, ὡς ἔσικεν, ἱερὰ θεοῦ, ἓν μὲν ὅδε ὁ κόσμος, ἐν ᾧ καὶ ἀρχιερεὺς ὁ πρωτόγονος αὐτοῦ θεῖος λόγος, ἕτερον δὲ λογικὴ ψυχή, ἧς ἱερὺς ὁ πρὸς ἀλήθειαν ἄνθρωπος.

διεληλυθότα τοὺς οὐρανούς] elucidatory demonstration of μέγαν. Wrongly is it translated by Luther (as also by the Peshito): who has ascended up to heaven; by Calvin, Peirce, Ernesti, al.: qui coelos ingressus est. It can only signify [Piscator, Owen, Bengel, Tholuck, Stuart, al.]: who has passed through the heavens, sc. in order, exalted above the heavens (cf. Heb_7:26; Eph_4:10), to take His seat upon the throne of the Divine Majesty (i. 3, 13). Allusion to the high priest of the Old Covenant, who, in order to make atonement for the people, passed through the courts of the Temple, and through the Temple itself, into the Most Holy Place. Comp. Heb_9:11.

Ἰησοῦν τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ] emphatic apposition to ἀρχιερέα μέγαν κ.τ.λ., in which the characterization of Jesus as the υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ (Heb_1:1; Heb_1:5, Heb_6:6, Heb_7:3, Heb_10:29) serves anew to call attention to the dignity of the New Testament High Priest. Quite mistaken are Wolf and Böhme in their conjecture that the object in the addition of τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ is the distinction of Jesus from the Joshua mentioned Heb_4:8. For the mention of Joshua, Heb_4:8, was, as regards the connection, only an incidental one, on which account there also not even a more precise definition was given to the name.

κρατῶμεν τῆς ὁμολογίας] let us hold fast (Heb_6:18; Col_2:19; 2Th_2:15; wrongly Tittmann: lay hold of, embrace) the confession. ὁμολογία is not, with Storr, to be referred specially to the confession of Christ as the High Priest, but to be taken in general of the Christian confession. The expression is here too used objectively, as Heb_3:1, of the sum or subject-matter of the Christians belief.

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 4:14 . Ἒχοντες οὖν … “Having then a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.” οὖν resumes the train of thought started at Heb 3:1 , where the readers were enjoined to consider the High Priest of their confession. But cf. Weiss and Kübel. μέγαν is now added, as in Heb 10:21 , Heb 13:20 , that they may the rather hold fast the confession they were in danger of letting go. The μέγαν is explained and justified by two features of this Priest: (1) He has passed through the heavens and entered thus the very presence of God. For διεληλ . τ . οὐρανούς cannot mean, as Calvin renders “qui coelos ingressus est”. As the Aaronic High Priest passed through the veil, or, as Grotius and Carpzov suggest, through the various fore courts, into the Holiest place, so this great High Priest had passed through the heavens and appeared among eternal realities. So that the very absence of the High Priest which depressed them, was itself fitted to strengthen faith. He was absent, because dealing with the living God in their behalf. (2) The second mark of His greatness is indicated in His designation Ἰησοῦν τὸν υἱὸν τ . Θεοῦ , the human name suggesting perfect understanding and sympathy, the Divine Sonship acceptance with the Father and pre-eminent dignity. κρατῶμεν τ . ὁμολογίας . “Our confession” primarily of this great High Priest, but by implication, our Christian confession, cf. Heb 3:1 .

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

And let it not go out of your hands.

Now he entereth into the comparison of Christ’s Priesthood with Aaron’s, and declareth even in the very beginning the marvelous excellency of this Priesthood, calling him the Son of God and placing him in the seat of God in heaven, plainly and evidently setting him against Aaron’s Priests, and the transitory tabernacle: which comparisons he setteth forth afterward more at large.

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

Seeing then--Having, therefore; resuming Heb 2:17.

great--as being "the Son of God, higher than the heavens" (Heb 7:26): the archetype and antitype of the legal high priest.

passed into the heavens--rather, "passed through the heavens," namely, those which come between us and God, the aerial heaven, and that above the latter containing the heavenly bodies, the sun, moon, &c. These heavens were the veil which our High Priest passed through into the heaven of heavens, the immediate presence of God, just as the Levitical high priest passed through the veil into the Holy of Holies. Neither Moses, nor even Joshua, could bring us into this rest, but Jesus, as our Forerunner, already spiritually, and hereafter in actual presence, body, soul, and spirit, brings His people into the heavenly rest.

Jesus--the antitypical Joshua (Heb 4:8).

hold fast--the opposite of "let slip" (Heb 2:1); and "fall away" (Heb 6:6). As the genitive follows, the literally, sense is, "Let us take hold of our profession," that is, of the faith and hope which are subjects of our profession and confession. The accusative follows when the sense is "hold fast" [TITTMANN].

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

Verse 14. Seeing then that we have a great high priest] It is contended, and very properly, that the particle ουν, which we translate seeing, as if what followed was an immediate inference from what the apostle had been speaking, should be translated now; for the apostle, though he had before mentioned Christ as the High Priest of our profession, Heb 3:1, and as the High Priest who made reconciliation for the sins of the people, Heb 2:17, does not attempt to prove this in any of the preceding chapters, but now enters upon that point, and discusses it at great length to the end of chap. 10.

After all, it is possible that this may be a resumption of the discourse from Heb 3:6; the rest of that chapter, and the preceding thirteen verses of this, being considered as a parenthesis. These parts left out, the discourse runs on with perfect connection. It is very likely that the words, here, are spoken to meet an objection of those Jews who wished the Christians of Palestine to apostatize: "You have no tabernacle - no temple - no high priest - no sacrifice for sin. Without these there can be no religion; return therefore to us, who have the perfect temple service appointed - by God." To these he answers: We have a High Priest who is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God; therefore let us hold fast our profession. See on Heb 3:1, to which this verse seems immediately to refer.

Three things the apostle professes to prove in this epistle: -

1. That Christ is greater than the angels.

2. That he is greater than Moses.

3. That he is greater than Aaron, and all high priests.

The two former arguments, with their applications and illustrations, he has already despatched; and now he enters on the third. See the preface to this epistle.

The apostle states,

1. That we have a high priest.

2. That this high priest is Jesus, the Son of God; not a son or descendant of Aaron, nor coming in that way, but in a more transcendent line.

3. Aaron and his successors could only pass into the holy of holies, and that once a year; but our High Priest has passed into the heavens, of which that was only the type. There is an allusion here to the high priest going into the holy of holies on the great day of atonement.

1. He left the congregation of the people.

2. He passed through the veil into the holy place, and was not seen even by the priests.

3. He entered through the second veil into the holy of holies, where was the symbol of the majesty of God. Jesus, our High Priest,

1. Left the people at large.

2. He left his disciples by ascending up through the visible heavens, the clouds, as a veil, screening him from their sight.

3. Having passed through these veils, he went immediately to be our Intercessor: thus he passed ουρανους, the visible or ethereal heavens, into the presence of the Divine Majesty; through the heavens, διεληλυθοτα τους ουρανους, and the empyreum, or heaven of heavens.

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

14. Seeing then that we have, or, Having then, etc. He has been hitherto speaking of Christ’s apostleship, But he who passes on to his second office. For we have said that the Son of God sustained a twofold character when he was sent to us, even that of a teacher and of a priest. The Apostle, therefore, after having exhorted the Jews obediently to embrace the doctrine of Christ, now shows what benefit his priesthood has brought to us; and this is the second of the two points which he handles. And fitly does he connect the priesthood with the apostleship, since he reminds us that the design of both is to enable us to come to God. He employs an inference, then; for he had before referred to this great truth, that Christ is our high priest; but as the character of the priesthood cannot be known except through teaching, it was necessary to prepare the way, so as to render men willing to hear Christ. It now remains, that they who acknowledge Christ as their teacher, should become teachable disciples, and also learn from his mouth, and in his school, what is the benefit of his priesthood, and what is its use and end.

In the first place he says, Having a great high priest, Jesus Christ, let us hold fast our profession, or confession. Confession is here, as before, to be taken as a metonymy for faith; and as the priesthood serves to confirm the doctrine, the Apostle hence concludes that there is no reason to doubt or to waver respecting the faith of the Gospel, because the Son of God has approved and sanctioned it; for whosoever regards the doctrine as not confirmed, dishonors the Son of God, and deprives him of his honor as a priest; nay, such and so great a pledge ought to render us confident, so as to rely unhesitantly on the Gospel.

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.

(14) All the chief points of the earlier chapters are brought together in this verse and the next:—the High Priest (Heb_2:17; Heb_3:1); His exaltation (Heb_1:3-4; Heb_1:13; Heb_2:9); His divine Sonship (Hebrews 1; Heb_3:6); His compassion towards the brethren whose lot He came to share (Heb_2:11-18).

That is passed into the heavens.—Rather, that hath passed through the heavens. As the high priest passed through the Holy Place to enter the Holy of Holies, Jesus “ascended up far above all heavens,” and sat at the right hand of God. This thought is developed in Hebrews 8-10.

Our profession.—See Heb_3:1.

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

14–16. Exhortation founded on Christ’s High Priesthood

14. Seeing then that we have a great high priest] These verses refer back to Heb_2:17, Heb_3:1, and form the transition to the long proof and illustration of Christ’s superiority to the Levitic Priesthood which occupies the Epistle to Heb_10:18. The writer here reverts to his central thought, to which he has already twice alluded (Heb_2:17, Heb_3:1). He had proved that Christ is superior to Angels the ministers, and to Moses the servant of the old Dispensation, and (quite incidentally) to Joshua. He has now to prove that He is like Aaron in all that made Aaron’s priesthood precious, but infinitely superior to him and his successors, and a pledge to us of the grace by which the true rest can be obtained. Christ is not only a High Priest, but “a great High Priest,” an expression also found in Philo (Opp. i. 654).

that is passed into the heavens] Rather, “who hath passed through the heavens”—the heavens being here the lower heavens, regarded as a curtain which separates us from the presence of God. Christ has passed not only into but above the heavens (Heb_7:26). Transiit, non modo intravit, caelos.—Bengel.

Jesus the Son of God] The title combines His earthly and human name with his divine dignity, and thus describes the two natures which make His Priesthood eternally necessary.

our profession] Rather, “our confession,” as in Heb_3:1.

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.

For we have not an high priest,.... That is cruel and unmerciful; the saints have an high priest, but not such an one:

which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; such as bodily diseases and wants, persecutions from men, and the temptations of Satan; under all which Christ sympathizes with his people; and which sympathy of his arises from his knowledge and experience of these things, and the share he has had of them, and from that union there is between him and his people: and it is not a bare sympathy, but is attended with his assistance, support, and deliverance; and the consideration of it is of great comfort to the saints:

but was in all points tempted like as we are: of the temptations of Christ, and of the saints; see Gill on Heb 2:18.

yet without sin; there was no sin in his nature; though he was encompassed about with infirmities, yet not with sinful infirmities, only sinless ones; nor was there any sin in his temptations; though he was solicited to sin by Satan, yet he could find none in him to work upon; nor could he draw him into the commission of any sin.

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

14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

Ver. 14. We have a great high priest] Who by a new and living way will bring us into the rest above mentioned. A great high priest Christ is, because, 1. Real, not typical; 2. Eternal, and needed not succession, as Aaron; 3. Entering (not into the holy places made with hands, but) into heaven itself, Heb 9:23.

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.

Seeing then that we have a great high priest - The apostle here resumes the subject which had been slightly hinted at in Heb 2:17; Heb 3:1, and pursues it to the end of Heb. 10. The “object” is to show that Christians have a great High Priest as really as the Jews had; to show wherein he surpassed the Levitical priesthood; to show how all that was said of the Aaronic priesthood, and all the types pertaining to that priesthood, were fulfilled in the Lord Jesus; and to state and illustrate the nature of the consolations which Christians might derive from the fact that they had such an High Priest. One of the things on which the Jews most valued their religion, was the fact that it had such a minister of religion as their high priest - the most elevated functionary of that dispensation. It came therefore to be of the utmost importance to show that Christianity was not inferior to the Jewish religion in this respect, and that the High Priest of the Christian profession would not suffer in point of dignity, and in the value of the blood with which he would approach God, and in the efficacy of his intercession, when compared with the Jewish high priest.

Moreover, it was a doctrine of Christianity that the Jewish ritual was to pass away; and its temple services cease to be observed. It was, therefore, of vast importance to show “why” they passed away, and how they were superseded. To do this, the apostle is led into this long discussion respecting their nature. He shows that they were designed to be typical. He proves that they could not purify the heart, and give peace to the conscience. He proves that they were all intended to point to something future, and to introduce the Messiah to the world; and that when this object was accomplished, their great end was secured, and they were thus all fulfilled. In no part of the Bible can there be found so full an account of the design of the Mosaic institutions, as in Heb. 5–10 of this Epistle; and were it not for this, the volume of inspiration would be incomplete. We should be left in the dark on some of the most important subjects in revelation; we should ask questions for which we could find no certain answer.

The phrase “great high priest” here is used with reference to a known usage among the Jews. In the time of the apostle the name high priest pertained not only to him who actually held the office, and who had the right to enter into the holy of holies, but to his deputy, and to those who had held the office but who had retired from it, and perhaps also the name was given to the head of each one of the twenty-four courses or classes into which the priests were divided; compare Luk 1:5 note; Mat 26:3 note. The name “great high priest” would designate him who actually held the office, and was at the head of all the other priests; and the idea here is, not merely that the Lord Jesus was “a priest,” but that he was at the head of all: in the Christian economy he sustained a rank that corresponded with that of the great high priest in the Jewish.

That is passed into the heavens - Heb 9:12, Heb 9:24. The Jewish high priest went once a year into the most holy place in the temple, to offer the blood of the atonement; see the notes on Heb 9:7. Paul says that the Christian High Priest has gone into heaven. He has gone there also to make intercession, and to sprinkle the blood of the atonement on the mercy-seat; see the notes at Heb 9:24-25.

Jesus the Son of God - Not a descendant of Aaron, but one much greater - the Son of God; see the notes at Heb 1:2.

Let us hold fast our profession - see the notes at Heb 10:23; Heb 3:14; see the note, Heb 3:1. This is the drift and scope of the Epistle - to show that Christians should hold fast their profession, and not apostatize. The object of the apostle now is to show why the fact that we have such a High Priest, is a reason why we should hold fast our professed attachment to him. These reasons - which are drawn out in the succeeding chapters - are such as the following:

We may look to him for assistance - since he can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; Heb 4:15-16.

(2)The impossibility of being renewed again if we should fall away from him, since there is but “one” such High Priest, and since the sacrifice for sin can never be repeated; Heb. 6:

The fact that all the ancient types were fulfilled in him, and that everything which there was in the Jewish dispensation to keep people from apostasy, exists much more powerfully in the Christian scheme.

(4)The fact that they who rejected the laws of Moses died without mercy, and much more anyone who should reject the Son of God must expect more certain and fearful severity; Heb 10:27-30.

By considerations such as these, the apostle aims to show them the danger of apostasy, and to urge them to a faithful adherence to their Christian profession.

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

Having, therefore, as I told you before, a great high priest, Christ, who ascended into heaven, who can compassionate our infirmities, let us with a firm confidence approach the throne of grace, by faith, hope, charity, and good works. (Witham)

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).

To the interposed minatory warning of the three preceding verses now succeeds encouragement, based on the view, which has been now a second time led up to, of Christ being our great High Priest, who can both sympathize and succor. The passage answers closely in thought to the conclusion of Hebrews 2., and might naturally have followed there; but that, before taking up the subject of Christ"s priesthood, the writer had another line of thought to pursue, leading up (as has been explained) to the same conclusion. The oun at the beginning of ver. 14 either connects kratwmen ("let us hold fast") with the verses immediately preceding in the sense, "The Word of God being so searching and resistless, let us therefore hold fast," etc., in which ease the participial clause econtev , etc., is a confirmation of this exhortation (so Delitzsch); or is connected logically with the participial clause as a resumption of the whole preceding argument. Certainly the idea of the participial clause is the prominent one in the writer"s mind, what follows being an expansion of it. And the position of oun suggests this connection. It is to be observed that, after the manner of the Epistle, this concluding exhortation serves also as a transition to the subject of the following chapters, and anticipates in some degree what is to be set forth, though all the expressions used have some ground in what has gone before. Having then a great High Priest who hath passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. The rendering of dielhluyota tou in the A.V ("is passed into the heavens") is evidently wrong. The idea is that Christ has passed through the intermediate heavens to the immediate presence of God to the sphere of the eternal sabbatismov . In his use of the plural, touv , the writer may have had in his mind the Jewish view of an ascending series of created heavens. Clemens Alexandrinus, e.g. speaks of seven: Epta ouranouymousi kat epanabasin . Cf. also "the heaven and the heaven of heavens", (Deu_10:14 2Ch_6:18 Neh_9:6) and "who hast set thy glory above the heavens", (Psa_8:1) also "the third heaven," into which St. Paul was rapt. (2Co_12:2) Cf. also Eph_4:10, O anabanw pantwn twn ouranwn ina plhrwsh ta panta . The conception of the phrase is that, whatever spheres of created heavens intervene between our earth and the eternal uncreated, beyond them to it Christ has gone, into "heaven itself (auton );" "before the face of God". (Heb_9:24) From this expression, together with Eph_4:10 (above quoted), is rightly deduced the doctrine of Christ s ubiquity even in his human nature. For, carrying that nature with him and still retaining it, he is spoken of as having passed to the region which admits no idea of limitation, and so as to "fill all things." The obvious bearing of this doctrine on that of the presence in the Eucharist may be noted in passing. (It is to be observed that "the heavens" in the plural is used (Heb_8:1) of the seat of the Divine majesty itself to which Christ has gone. It is the word dielhluyota that determines the meaning here.) The designation, "Jesus the Son of God," draws attention first to the man Jesus who was known by that name in the flesh, and secondly to the "more excellent name," above expatiated on, in virtue of which he "hath passed through the heavens." The conclusion follows that it is the human Jesus, with his humanity, who, being also the Son of God, has so "passed through." There may possibly (as some think) be an intention of contrasting him with Joshua (Ihsouv , ver. 8), who won the entrance into the typical rest. But it is not necessary to suppose this; vers. 8 and 14 are at too great a distance from each other to suggest a connection of thought between them; and besides Ihsoun occurred similarly at the end of Heb_3:1, before any mention of Joshua. The epithet megan after arcierea distinguishes Christ from all other high priests. (cf. Heb_13:20, Tona twn probatwn togan) The high priest of the Law passed through the veil to the earthly symbol of the eternal glory; the "great High Priest" has passed through the heavens to the eternal glory itself. As to omologiav , cf. on Heb_3:1. In consideration of having such a High Priest, who, as is expressed in what follows, can both sympathize and succor, the readers are exhorted to "hold fast," not only their inward faith, but their "confession" of it before men. A besetting danger of the Hebrew Christians was that of shrinking from a full and open confession under the influence of gainsaying or persecution.

Vers. 14-16. Christ"s sympathy and help.

This passage is one of the great signposts of the Epistle. In Heb 1:, Heb_1:2. the writer has discussed the superiority of Christ as a King to angels; and in Heb 3 Heb 4 his superiority as a Prophet to Moses. He now proceeds to discourse more at length of his superiority as a Priest to Aaron.

I A TWOFOLD STATEMENT OF DOCTRINE. This double statement concerns the cardinal truth of the Savior"s priesthood.

1. Its outer aspect. (Ver. 14.) Fallen, sinful man needs a priest to act for him before God, and the world has sought for one long and earnestly. The Jewish religion embodied an elaborate priesthood; and its types have at length been stereotyped under the Christian dispensation. Every believer is now a priest unto God; and Jesus Christ is the Arch-Priest of the Church. The author here encourages the Hebrew converts to steadfastness, by reminding them of the reality and majesty of Christ"s priesthood. He is "a great High Priest the Archetype and Antitype of the Jewish pontiff. His majesty appears when we consider:

(1) Where he is. He "hath passed through the heavens." Aaron went once a year through the blue veil into the sanctum sanctorum of the tabernacle; but our High Priest, after offering up himself as an expiatory sacrifice in the outer court of this world, has passed through the blue curtain of the sky into the heaven of heaven. He sits officially at the right hand of God, wearing both the priestly miter and the kingly diadem.

(2) Who he is. "Jesus, the Son of God." His greatness is personal, as well as official. He is a real man, bearing the human name, Jesus; but he is at the same time the true God, the possessor of a Divine and eternal sonship.

2. Its inner aspect. (Ver. 15.) This verse opens up before us the secret workings of the Redeemer"s heart. It speaks of his priestly sympathy. Sympathy is a great power in human life. It bulks so largely that an eminent Scottish thinker, Adam Smith, makes it the basis of his whole system of morals. Now, says the apostle, the Savior"s unparalleled greatness does not by any means render him incapable of sympathy. Although he has passed through the heavens, "heaven lies about us," and thus he is very near us. Although he left the world nineteen hundred years ago, he is yet" with us always." Although he is the Son of God, he has a human soul a soul intensely human which underwent a complete curriculum of trial, and graduated to its glory through suffering. Although he was "without sin," his earthly life was a life of constant temptation, as well as of constant and culminating sorrow because of sin. So he is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities our infirmities of health, of temper, of devotion, of resolution, of service. He knows experimentally the precise force of every evil suggestion which may try us. As the Head of the Church, he is its great Nerve-center; and he that toucheth any one of his people "toucheth the apple of his eye.

II A TWOFOLD ENFORCEMENT OF DUTY. The double exhortation corresponds to the two aspects of the doctrine respectively. The apostle exhorts to:

1. Steadfast confessions. (Ver. 14.) The early Hebrew Christians found it very difficult openly to confess Christ; for their unbelieving countrymen treated all who did so as renegades from Israel, and apostates from Israel"s God. But fidelity to the truth was necessary then, and it is equally necessary now. Every believer is bound publicly to confess Christ. He must do so for Christ"s sake, for his own sake, and for the sake of his fellow men.

2. Constant supplication. (Ver. 16.) To the universe at large God"s throne is a throne of majesty; to sinners, it is a throne of judgment; to believers, the presence of Christ at God"s right hand makes it a "throne of grace." And the thought of our High Priest"s tender sympathy should fill us with holy confidence to go daily and hourly into the Divine presence for the supplies which we need. What a joy to know that we have a Friend at court, and that he is our Sovereign"s Son! As often as we look up to his open, loving face, we may use all "liberty of speech" in asking pardoning mercy for the past and helping grace for the future.

A summons to steadfastness. "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, etc.

I THE DUTY TO WHICH WE ARE SUMMONED. "Let us hold fast our confession," i.e. of the Christian faith.

1. Danger of renouncing this confession is implied. We have already pointed out that these Hebrew Christians were in considerable peril in this respect. (f1) This danger arises

(1) from opposition from without; or

(2) from subtle solicitation, which is more to be dreaded than opposition; or

(3) from negligence on our part.

2. Effort to retain this compression is enjoined. "Let us hold fast our confession." This includes:

(1) Perseverance in the Christian faith; a resolute cleaving to Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.

(2) Perseverance in the Christian fellowship; association with Christian people; frequenting Christian assemblies.

(3) Perseverance in the Christian practice; the continued embodiment of Christ"s precepts in the life and conduct. This demands effort; e.g. watching, praying, believing, working.

II THE MOTIVE BY WHICH WE ARE STRENGTHENED. These Hebrew Christians were encouraged to hold fast their confession because they had in Jesus Christ a perfect High Priest. The preeminence of his priesthood is adduced as a motive to their perseverance, and to ours.

1. He is pre-eminent in his office. "A great High Priest." As Alford expounds, the "one archetypal High Priest One above all.

2. He is pre-eminent in his access. "Who hath passed through the heavens." The Jewish high priest passed behind the veil into the most holy place; but the great High Priest has passed through "the planetary heavens, the heavens of the fixed stars and the angels," unto the very presence and throne of God. "He is gone," says Ebrard, "into the dwelling-place in space of the absolute, finished, absolutely undisturbed revelation of the Father." And he is there as our Representative, and as our Forerunner. This implies the perfection of his work upon earth. (cf. Heb_1:3 Heb_9:12, Heb_9:24-26)

3. He is pre-eminent in his Person. "Jesus the Son of God." Jesus, the gracious and sympathetic Savior of men. "The Son of God," supreme in dignity, authority, and power. Here, then, is a motive to strengthen us to "hold fast our confession." Our great High Priest is perfect; he knows our difficulties and temptations; he sympathizes with us; he succors us; he is now in the presence of God on our behalf; "he ever liveth to make intercession for us," Let his sympathy and help inspire us to fidelity and perseverance. W.J.

Vers. 14-16. Steadfastness.

I THERE IS HERE ENCOURAGEMENT TO STEADFASTNESS FROM THE DIGNITY AND SPHERE OF OUR LORD"S MINISTRY. He is called the great High Priest, who stands in exalted contrast to Aaron and all his successors in the important duty of representing the people before God and representing God to the people. This greatness will appear in the arguments and discussions which follow, in which the holiness of his life, the value of his sacrifice, and the influence of his intercession will be explained and proved. He has passed into the heavens, and has left the material and earthly tabernacle behind him for the immediate and glorious presence of God, at whose right hand he sits and waits till all his enemies are made his footstool. If he persevered through trial and innumerable sorrows until he could cry, "It is finished," and reach the unrivalled exaltation of his heavenly priesthood, in the exercise of which he is not ashamed of his brethren, let us hold fast our profession of him in the world below. If the synagogue and Sanhedrim are against you, so might the thought be stated Remember that the glory of your High Priest, and his love to you, claims and justifies your avowal of his cause and your attachment to his Name.

II ENCOURAGEMENT FLOWS FROM THE SYMPATHY OF THE HIGH PRIEST. The inspired writer returns to the question which he had passingly noticed before, and alludes to the career of temptation through which the Redeemer fought his way to the glory which awaited him. He was tried by the loneliness of his spirit, for none could completely understand him. He was tempted by Pharisees and Sadducees. He was tempted by the ingratitude of men. He was specially tempted by Satan, who strove to turn him aside from his work, and stain the Lamb of God, who was to take away the sin of the world. Some of his temptations were beyond the reach of merely human experience, for his sorrows and burdens were such that it may be said, "of the people there was none with him;" "he trod the wine-press alone." He passed through all his trials without one act which was unworthy of his Divine character, and came out of the furnace of temptation without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. This qualifies him to sympathize with his afflicted followers. Angels and archangels can from their special experience offer no such help to struggling believers. Sympathy divides our sorrows and heightens our joys; and that which our Lord affords is quick in its movements and efficient in its influence. He showed this truth to Saul on the way to Damascus, and told him that in persecuting his disciples he was actually persecuting their glorified Master. If, therefore, the synagogue should despise and ill treat them, let them turn to him who in all their afflictions is afflicted, and whose grace can support them. Sympathy should inspire them with Divine confidence and hope. He knows what sore temptations mean, For he has felt the same.

III ENCOURAGEMENT FROM FREE ACCESS TO THE THRONE OF GRACE. There is a precious compass and variety of thought in this appeal to Christian experience. There is the throne, which is the image of power, where Jehovah sits in glory, and all angels, all creation, all providence with its wide range and marvelous machinery, all the agencies of the Church and the gift of the Divine Spirit, are under his guidance. It is the throne of grace, and stands in contrast to the awfulness of Sinai, and the solitary chamber of the holy of holies, into which the high priest entered once a year. The throne is radiant with the Divine light, and love; for "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all" and "God is love," and is exalted that he may be gracious unto us. The writer invites believers to come with boldness, and probably suggests a contrast to the ancient service of the high priest on the Day of Atonement, and the spirit of bondage in which many of the Jewish people were held. The Christian state is one of liberty and filial love. God sends forth "the Spirit of his Son, crying, Abba, Father." Since Christ is our High Priest, and the throne is one of grace, we may have access by one Spirit unto the Father, and speak to him with the reverential confidence, which he invites and will justify by affording spiritual help. This help we need in the form of mercy to pardon the faults and mistakes of our life, and to regain the waste of spiritual strength in the warfare and collisions of life. He will give grace in cheering proofs of his favor, and in maintaining our fidelity to his cause amid the strain of temptation and the examples of failure in those who once ran well and have been hindered. "He will give grace and glory, and no good thing will be withhold from them that walk uprightly. B.

Our great High Priest passed into the heavens.

I THE COMPARISON IMPLIED Ch. 9. helps us here. There the writer speaks of two tabernacles the first outside the veil, the second within. Into the second the high priest went alone once a year. There, away from the sight of the people, before the ark of the covenant containing the tables of our Law, he transacted solemn business with God on behalf of his fellow-Israelites. And not only so, this high priest was acknowledged by the whole people. They believed, or professed to believe, that he was a necessary medium of communication between God and them. And so he was for the time, and long continued so. The bulk of the Hebrew people at the time this Epistle was written had a profound regard, though also a superstitious and servile one, for the person of the high priest. There might be in the regard very little of intelligence, and very doubtful advantage; but still, there it was, a real acknowledgment, quite enough out of which to make a striking illustration of him who is the real great High Priest Jesus, the Son of God. He also has passed through and gone behind a veil, the veil that separates the seen from the unseen. What a thought of the unseen, that it is God"s true holy of holies! Doubtless there is a special reference here to the day of ascension, when Jesus rose from the midst of his disciples, and a cloud received him out of their sight.

II HOW WE ARE TO PROFIT BY THIS COMPARISON. The comparison the parallel was easy enough to these Hebrew Christians. It referred them to traditions and a ritual with which they were familiar from childhood. They saw high priests continually. But we know nothing of a priest, an altar, a sacrifice. We do not hear the lowing of oxen and the bleating of sheep whose lives are to be taken away in the acceptable worship of God. We could not bring ourselves to think that such things could be of any use. Not at all doubting that they once served a purpose, we know that the purpose exists no longer. Believing that they were once somehow necessary, that is all we can say. Our experience gives us nothing whereby we may understand the necessity. Thus the question comes How are we, who have never had anything to do with such a priest as Aaron, or any of his posterity, to get good out of this exhortation? What sort of notion are we to represent to our minds when we are told to hold fast our profession in a great High Priest passed into the heavens, when, as a matter of experience, we have never had anything to do with priests at all? It would be a great mistake to say that we are to trouble ourselves no more about the priestly idea. Though we cannot make the forms of the old Jewish priesthood a living thing to us, still we can surely do something to get at the idea which lies behind all priesthood. We are often misled by confounding priesthood with priestcraft. The indignation of every honest heart cannot be too strong against the abomination, priestcraft. But why an abomination? Just because it is the degradation of a good thing. Priesthood is simply the office and function of the man who is set apart to act on behalf of his fellow-men in their relations to God. And looking at what is to be found in the Old Testament with respect to the priestly office, we find there was no chance for priestcraft. The true priest had to be an honest, patient man, faithful in little things, exact in minute observances, full of self-denial, and constantly attentive to the requests of all the people. The very Scriptures which exalt priesthood denounce priestcraft. Priesthood is the means whereby men are governed and blessed spiritually; priestcraft the means whereby they are spiritually crushed, and their consciences made slaves to another man"s will. Priestcraft is only to be got rid of by giving the true priesthood its full force. Allowing ourselves to drift into the idea that priesthood is obsolete, we shall never get rid of priestcraft; since error only dies out as truth is planted by its side, drawing away from the roots of error all that nourished them. The priesthood in ancient Israel, with all its mere outward rites, with all its defects and lapses, did a great service. It prepared the way for the great High Priest of our acknowledgment. And, after all, priesthood is only the name; it is the thing we have to look at. Jesus is he who answers the questions no one on earth can answer; renders the services no one on earth can render; we therefore call him great High Priest. Pretenders may come in, and by their doings make the name of priest hateful; but the work of the true Priest is none the less real. And the exhortation is that we should avail ourselves of that work to the very fullest extent. Then all the good things coming to us by nature will be crowned by this best thing coming through grace. Men have helped us according to their opportunity loving, self-denying parents, skilful instructors, watchful and wise-hearted friends, great men who have revealed themselves in books, making us feel what a noble thing it is to be partakers of human nature; and then Jesus of Nazareth comes in at last, Priest of the most high God, abiding for ever, and undertaking to satisfy our deepest wants out of the immeasurable fullness of God. Y.

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

Having therefore a great high priest - Great indeed, being the eternal Son of God, that is passed through the heavens - As the Jewish high priest passed through the veil into the holy of holies, carrying with him the blood of the sacrifices, on the yearly day of atonement; so our great high priest went once for all through the visible heavens, with the virtue of his own blood, into the immediate presence God.

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

The encouragement offered by our great High Priest:

v. 14. Seeing, then, that we have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

v. 15. For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

v. 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

The picture which the inspired writer had just drawn of the omniscience of God as revealed through His Word might well cause the average reader to quail in terror, feeling his own insignificance in the face of such divine perfection, his own sinfulness in the face of such divine holiness. But here is a comforting reassurance for all poor sinners: Since, then, we have a great High Priest, who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. The author never loses sight of the fact that Jesus the Savior is his great topic, Heb 1:2-3; Heb 2:17; Heb 3:1, and that the preaching of the Gospel of salvation is the only way of working faith. Of Jesus it is truly said that He passed through the heavens. For just as the high priest of the Old Testament passed through the forecourts and behind the veil to reach the Holy of Holies in the Temple, so Jesus passed through the heavens and appeared among eternal realities in the very throne-room of God. We know that this our High Priest is pleading for us the atonement made during His whole life and completed on Calvary’s hill, and that the Father cannot withstand the pleading of this Advocate. And what better and more cogent argument could be devised to keep us in the confession of His holy name, in our Christian profession, than this saving knowledge?

This encouragement is further confirmed: For we have not a High Priest unable to have sympathy with our weaknesses, but tempted in all things like us, without sin. This is one special point of human interest that tends to draw our hearts to this great High Priest. He was and is flesh of our flesh, true man. And during His earthly life He underwent the severest temptations that have ever come upon any man. It was not merely that the temptation came near Him without really assailing Him. It was rather so that His entire being, body and soul, was sometimes shaken to the very depths, as when He declared His soul to be exceeding sorrowful unto death, and when He found Himself forsaken of His heavenly Father, not to speak of the attacks of the devil which beset Him time and again. See Mat 4:1-11; Luk 4:1-13; Mat 16:21-23; Mat 27:45-46; Psa 22:2-21. So He can indeed be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, He can indeed have sympathy with our weaknesses; He knows what it means for weak flesh and blood to battle with dangerous enemies. Since, however, in His case He passed through all temptations without sin, He is able to be our High Priest and Advocate with the Father.

This fact should therefore serve as an inducement to us to place all our trust in Him with all cheerfulness: Let us, then, approach with confidence to the Throne of Grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace for help in time of need. Ordinarily no sinner would dare to come near to the holy and righteous God. Through the merit of Jesus, however, we are enabled to enter upon this act of worship, that of approaching the very throne of the great God Himself, with all cheerfulness and confidence. For it is not that we intend to urge any merit on our part in vindication of ourselves, but that we know we may obtain mercy, the free favor of God, that we shall find grace, God’s free love. In all hours of trial and affliction, then, when we feel so sorely in need of some comfort that cannot be challenged and doubted, we have this fact to rely upon, that our High Priest has perfected a full and complete reconciliation, and that God no longer is angry with us, but will accept us with all the kindness of a fatherly heart and give to us all that we need for the enjoyment of eternal bliss in His presence. Thus both the assurance of pardon and of divine assistance is ours, and we may go on through life in the cheerfulness of faith, knowing that the rest of the Lord awaits us at the end of the course, when He takes us home.

Summary

The sacred writer continues his warning against unbelief by showing that the promise of God is still in force, that there is still a rest remaining to the people of God; he points out the power of God’s Word, and shows that we may boldly approach the throne of God in reliance upon the mercy earned by our great High Priest.

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

Our apostle comes now to assert the priesthood of Christ, and to set forth the dignity and excellency of his office; from whence he encourages the believing Hebrews to perseverence and stedfastness in the profession of their faith in him.

Here note, 1. The eminency of the person, Jesus the Son of God; not by supernatural conception only, but by eternal generation also; this is the eminancy of that person who is superior to men and angels.

Note, 2. The excellency of his office, a priest, and high priest, a great high priest: not barely equal with Aaron, but superior to him, and infinitely above him, the universal supreme pontiff of heaven and earth, in comparison of whom all other priests, even the highest of them, were but shadows.

Note, 3. His relation to us, We have him; that is, special interest in him, making profession of obedience to him; and he is passed into the heavens, to open heaven to us, and to make intercession with the Father for us. This entrance of Christ’s into heaven, was shadowed forth by the high priest’s entrance into the holy of holies here on earth.

Note, 4. Our obligation to him, Let us hold fast our profession; that is, the profession of our faith in him, without wavering, with constancy and perseverance.

Learn hence, 1. That great oppostion, ever has been and always will be made unto the stedfastness of believers in their holy profession. The apostle’s exhortation plainly supposes opposition.

Learn, 2. That it is our duty, in the midst of all opposition, to hold fast our holy profession, without either apostatizing in the whole, or declining in parts of it. The glory of God is in the highest manner concerned in it, and assured destruction attends the omission of it, and that in a peculiar, terrible, and dreadful manner, Heb 10:29.

Learn, 3. That believers have great encouragement unto, and assistance in the stedfastness and constancy of their holy profession, by and from the priesthood of Jesus Christ: for as he is our High Priest, he knows our temptations, pities us under them, affords us actual help and relief against them, he interceding with the Father, that our faith may not fail, and that we may be kept the almighty power of God, through faith unto salvation.

Learn, 4. That Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, was the Son of God; and the necessity of his being so, did thus appear;

1. Before the entrance of sin there was no need of the office of priesthood between God and man: For every one was then in his own name to go to God with his worship, which would have been accepted according to the law of creation.

2. Sin being entered into the world, there was no more worship to be performed immediately unto God; two cannot walk or converse together, except they be agreed.

3. That the worship of God might be again restored in and to the world, it was indispensibly necessary that some one should interpose between sinners and the holy God; for should sinners approach him immediately in their own names he would be unto them a consuming fire.

4. No creature could undertake the office of being a priest for the church of God, which now consisteth all of sinners: neither the nature of the office, which was to interpose between God and sinners, nor the quality of the work, which is to make atonement for sin, would admit of it.

5. Jesus Christ therefore undertaking to be a Priest for sinners, it was necessary, he should be what he was, the very Son of God: which denotes he divine person and nature, and that our great High Priest was essentially and truly God: Seeing we have a great High Priest, even Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our profession,

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

14–16. Seeing then that we have a great high priest. As has been shown Our high priest now makes intercession in the true Holy of Holies.

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.

who has passed through the heavens

"who has entered where God is"

Son of God

This is an important title for Jesus. (See: Translating Son and Father)

let us firmly hold to our beliefs

Belief and trust are spoken of as if they were objects that a person could grasp firmly. AT: "let us continue to believe confidently in him" (See: Metaphor)

we do not have a high priest who cannot feel sympathy ... Instead, we have

This double negative means that, in fact, Jesus does feel sympathy with people. AT: "we have a high priest who can feel sympathy ... Indeed, we have" (See: Double Negatives)

who has in all ways been tempted as we are

This can be stated in active form. AT: "who has endured temptation in every way that we have" or "whom the devil has tempted in every way that he tempts us" (See: Active or Passive)

he is without sin

"he did not sin"

to the throne of grace

"to God's throne, where there is grace." Here "throne" refers to God ruling as king. AT: "to where our gracious God is sitting on his throne" (See: Metonymy)

we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need

Here "mercy" and "grace" are spoken of as if they were objects that can be given or can be found. AT: "God may be merciful and gracious and help us in time of need" (See: Metaphor)

translationWords

high priest

heaven

Jesus

Son of God

believe

tempt

sin

confidence

throne

grace

receive

mercy

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

14–16. EXHORTATION FOUNDED ON CHRIST’S HIGH PRIESTHOOD

14. Ἔχοντες οὖν ἀρχιερέα μέγαν. These verses refer back to Heb 2:17, Heb 3:1, and form the transition to the long proof and illustration of Christ’s superiority to the Levitic Priesthood which occupies the Epistle to Heb 10:18. The writer here reverts to his central thought, to which he has already twice alluded (Heb 2:17, Heb 3:1). He had proved that Christ is superior to Angels the ministers, and to Moses the servant of the old Dispensation, and (quite incidentally) to Joshua. He has now to prove that He is like Aaron in all that made Aaron’s priesthood precious, but infinitely superior to him and his successors, and a pledge to us of the grace by which the true rest can be obtained. Christ is not only a High Priest, but “a great High Priest,” an expression also found in Philo (Opp. I. 654).

διεληλυθότα τοὺς οὐρανούς, “who hath passed through the heavens”—the heavens being here the lower heavens, regarded as a curtain which separates us from the presence of God. Christ has passed not only into but above the heavens (Heb 7:26). “Transiit, non modo intravit, caelos.”—Bengel.

Ἰησοῦν τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ. The title combines His earthly and human name with His Divine dignity, and thus describes the two natures which make His Priesthood eternally necessary.

τῆς ὁμολογίας. “Our confession,” as in Heb 3:1. κρατεῖν with the gen. implies to grasp firm hold of a thing. The gen. is partitive; with the accus. it means “to be master of.”

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.

14-16.] Hortatory conclusion of this second course of comparison (see summary at ch. 3:1); taking up again by anticipation that which is now to be followed out in detail, viz. the High Priesthood of Jesus. This point is regarded by many (e. g. Bl., De W., Lünem., Thol., Hofm.,—Schrb. ii. 1. 44,—after Beza, who says: “Hinc potius oportuerat novam sectionem aperiri”) as the opening of the new portion of the Epistle: but on account of its hortatory and collective character, I prefer regarding it, with Ebrard, as the conclusion of the preceding: being of course at the same time transitional, as the close connexion of ch. 5:1 with our ver. 15 shews. It is much in the manner of the Writer, to anticipate, by frequently dropped hints, and by asserting that, which he intends very soon to demonstrate.

14.] Having therefore (οὖν refers rather to the whole exhortation than to the ἔχοντες: see Delitzsch) a great High Priest (the fact of this being Christ’s office is as yet assumed: see above ch. 2:17; 3:1; and Philo cited in note there:—but now with more points of contact with what has been already said; e. g. ver. 10, where the εἰσελθὼν εἰς τ. κατάπαυσιν αὐτοῦ has close connexion with the High Priest entering within the veil. μέγαν, as in ch. 13:20, τὸν ποιμένα τῶν προβάτων τὸν μέγαν: answering very much to the use of ἀληθινός, in St. John,—ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή,—ἦν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινόν:—one archetypal High Priest,—one above all) passed through (not “into,” as E. V., Calvin, al.: see below) the heavens (as the earthly high priest passed through the veil into the holiest place, so the great High Priest through the heavens to God’s throne (on this, and its bearing on the Lutheran doctrine of Christ’s ubiquity, see Bleek, Tholuck, and Delitzsch in loc.): cf. ch. 9:11: with reference also to ver. 10, the entering of Jesus into His rest. In this fact, His greatness is substantiated. On οὐρανούς, plur., see on ch. 1:10. “Per cœlos intelliguntur omnes cœli, qui inter nos et Deum sunt interjecti: nempe et tota aeris regio, quæ etiam cœlum in scriptura vocatur, et cœli in quibus sunt sol, luna, cæteræque stellæ ac mundi luminaria, quibus omnibus Christus sublimior est factus, infra 7:26: Eph 4:10. Post hos omnes est cœlum illud, in quo Deus habitat, immortalitatis domicilium, quod ingressus est pontifex noster, non supergressus.” Schlichting. Thl. gives another expansion of the reference of this clause which may also have been intended: οὐ τοιοῦτος οἷος Μωυσῆς· ἐκεῖνος μὲν γὰρ οὔτε αὐτὸς εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὴν κατάπαυσιν, οὔτε τὸν λαὸν εἰσήγαγεν· οὗτος δὲ διεληλυθὼς τοὺς οὐρανοὺς συνεδριάζει τῷ πατρί, κ. δύναται ἡμῖν τὴν εἰς οὐρανοὺς εἴσοδον δοῦναι, καὶ τῆς ἐν ἐπαγγελίαις καταπαύσεως κληρονόμους ποιῆσαι), Jesus the Son of God (certainly not so named in this connexion without an allusion to the Ἰησοῦς above mentioned. We cannot conceive that even a careful ordinary writer would have used the same name of two different persons, so designating the second of them, without intention. At the same time, there is no reason for supposing that such an allusion exhausts the sense of the weighty addition. It brings out the majesty of our High Priest, and justifies at the same time the preceding clause, leading the mind to supply ‘to God, whose Son He is.’ Besides which, it adds infinite weight to the exhortation which follows), let us hold fast (not as Tittmann, al., “lay hold of:” it is the opposite to παραπίπτειν, ch. 6:6; παραρυῆναι, 2:1. On the genitive, see reff. In ch. 6:18, the aor. gives the sense ‘lay hold of’) the confession (viz. of our Christian faith: not merely of Christ’s ascension, nor merely of Christ as our High Priest: cf. ch. 3:1 and not, and ch. 10:23, which gives more the subjective side, here necessarily to be understood also. See also ch. 3:6.

Corn. a-Lapide gives a beautiful paraphrase: “Agite Hebræi, persistite in fide Christi, ad requiem in cœlis properate: esto cœli longe a nobis absint, facile eos conscendemus et penetrabimus, duce Christo, qui eos penetravit, eosque nobis pervios fecit, dummodo confessionem, i. e. professionem, scilicet fidei et spei nostræ, constanter retineamus”).

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

Heb 2:17-18 is now resumed. This and the following verse more naturally form the conclusion of the preceding section than the introduction to the following one.

Great high priest (μέγαν)

Emphasizing Christ's priestly character to Jewish readers, as superior to that of the Levitical priests. He is holding up the ideal priesthood.

Passed into the heavens (διεληλυθότα τοὺς οὐρανούς)

Rend. “passed through the heavens.” Through, and up to the throne of God of which he wields the power, and is thus able to fulfill for his followers the divine promise of rest.

Jesus the Son of God

The name Jesus applied to the high priest is forcible as recalling the historical, human person, who was tempted like his brethren. We are thus prepared for what is said in Heb 4:15 concerning his sympathizing character.

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

14. ἔχοντες οὖν dpy....] Comp. x. 19; xii. 1. The words point back to ii. 17; iff. 1. The fear of final failure, the consciousness of weakness and partial failure, turn tho thoughts again to the Modiator.

Our High-priest, our Apostle, has done more than Aaron or Moses prefigured. He has enterod into the reat which Ho foreshewed, so that Ho can also bring His people into it. Ho is soated at the right hand of God. But moanwhilo man has his part to do; and as we strive to secure tho promised rest we must cling firmly to the confession in which lies the assurance of success.

The simple fact that we have a High-priest is stated first (Having therefore a High-priest), and then His character and position are described: Having therefore a Highpriest, great in His essential Nature (i. 1 ff.), and One Who hath passed through the heavens, and so come . before the very Presence of God. The ocpithet μέγας docs not go to complete the notion of High-priest, but charactorises his dignity. Comp. x. 21; (xiii. 20). Philo de somn. 1. ὃ 38 (1. p. 654 M.) ὁ μέγας ἀρχιερεὺς [τῆς Gpodroylas]; de Abr. ὃ 40 (ii. 34 M.) ὁ μέγας ἀρχιερεὺς τοῦ μεγίστον θεοῦ.

died. τ. ovp.] who hath passed

23 note; 1 Tim. vi. 12 f.

Tho writor ovorywhore insists on tho duty of the public confession of the faith The crisis claimed not siinply private conviction but a clear declaration of bolief openly in the faco of mon. Oomp. 1 John iv. 2 note.

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.