ฮีบรู 6:14 วิจารณ์

In this chapter the apostle proceeds to persuade the Hebrews to make a better proficiency in religion than they had done, as the best way to prevent apostasy, the dreadful nature and consequences of which sin he sets forth in a serious manner (Heb 6:1-8), and then expresses his good hopes concerning them, that they would persevere in faith and holiness, to which he exhorts them, and sets before them the great encouragement they had from God, both with respect to their duty and happiness (Heb 6:9 to the end).

INTRODUCTION TO HEBREWS 6 In this chapter the apostle exhorts the believing Hebrews not to rest in the rudiments of the Christian religion they had learned; and much less to lay them again in the foundation after the Jewish manner, of which he instances in six particulars; but to seek after a perfect knowledge of evangelic truths, which, under a divine permission, was his determination to do, Heb 6:1 which was the best method to prevent apostasy, he dissuades from; by giving the characters of apostates, showing how far they may go in the knowledge of divine things, and yet fall away; by asserting the impossibility of their repentance and recovery, with the reason of it, taken from the blackness of their crimes, Heb 6:4 and the difference between them, and true believers, he illustrates by two sorts of earth, the one takes in the rain that comes down from heaven, and brings forth herbs for the use of its dresser, and is blessed of God: such are true believers in Christ, Heb 6:7 the other bears thorns and briers, and is rejected and cursed, and in the issue burned; and to such earth the above apostates may be compared, Heb 6:8 but lest the believing Hebrews, such as were truly gracious among them, should conclude that this was their case, and that it was desperate; and lest they should think the apostle had an ill opinion of them, he declares he was otherwise persuaded of them, and hoped and believed they were interested in the things of salvation, Heb 6:9 the reasons of which persuasion are taken from the work of grace, which was wrought in them; from their laborious love they showed to the name of God, and to his people, and which they continued to show: and from the righteousness of God in not forgetting all this, Heb 6:10. And then he proceeds to exhort them to diligence in the exercise of grace, and discharge of duty, that so they might arrive to a full assurance of hope, Heb 6:11 and not to indulge slothfulness, but to be followers of the saints that were gone before them; whose character is, that through faith, and patience, they had inherited the promises, things the apostle would have those believers imitate them in, Heb 6:12 and particularly instances in Abraham, the father of this people, and of all believers; who having a promise from God, to which an oath was annexed, patiently waited for it, and obtained it, Heb 6:13 and having made mention of an oath, the apostle takes notice of the nature and use of one among men, Heb 6:16 and of the design of God in making use of one himself, which was to confirm his promise, and show its immutability to the heirs of it; and that by observing these two immutable things, which could never fail, they might have solid and abiding comfort: even all such, who, under a sense of danger, flee to Christ for refuge, who is the ground of hope proposed to them in the Gospel, to lay hold upon, Heb 6:17 and because of the firmness of the grace of hope, as it is conversant with Christ, and is cast on him, the good ground of it, it is compared to an anchor; and is said to be sure and steadfast, and to enter within the vail, where Christ is gone as a forerunner; and which is an encouragement to that grace to enter in after him; who is further described by his name Jesus, by his office as an high priest, and by the order of which he is, that of Melchizedek, Heb 6:19 which is mentioned, to lead on to what the apostle had to say concerning him, in the next chapter.

And so, after he had patiently endured,.... He waited long for a son, from whom the Messiah was to spring, after he had had the promise of one; and he endured many afflictions with patience, in his journeys from place to place, throughout his life to the end: he obtained the promise; he was greatly blessed in temporal things; he lived to see the son of the promise, and his sons; he saw the day of Christ by faith, and now inherits the heavenly glory, which is the thing chiefly designed.

Having boldly reflected on the faults of the Hebrews, and sufficiently alarmed them, he consoles them, first, by praises, and secondly (which also is the stronger ground), by the thought that they would certainly attain the object of their hope. Moreover he draws his consolation, not from things future, but again from the past, which indeed would the rather persuade them. For as in the case of punishment, he alarms them rather by those things future, so also in the case of the prizes set before them, he encourages them by these things past, showing herein God's way of dealing. And that is, not to bring in what has been promised immediately, but after a long time. And this He does, both to present the greatest proof of His power, and also to lead us to Faith, that they who are living in tribulation without having received the promises, or the rewards, may not faint under their troubles. And omitting all the rest, though he had many whom he might have mentioned, he brought forward Abraham both on account of the dignity of his person, and because this had occurred in a special way in his case. And yet at the end of the Epistle he says, that "all these, having seen the promises afar off, and having embraced them, received them not, that they without us should not be made perfect." "For when God made promise to Abraham" (he says) "because He could swear by no greater, He sware by Himself, saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise." How then does he say at the end of the Epistle that "he received not the promises," and here, that "after he had patiently endured he obtained the promise"? How did he not receive? How did he obtain? He is not speaking of the same things in this place and in the other, but makes the consolation twofold. God made promises to Abraham, and after a long space of time He gave the things spoken of in this place, but those others not yet. "And so after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise." Seest thou that the promise alone did not effect the whole, but the patient waiting as well? Here he alarms them, showing that oftentimes a promise is thwarted through faintheartedness. And this he had indeed shown through the instance of the Jewish people: for since they were faint-hearted, therefore they obtained not the promise. But now he shows the contrary by means of Abraham. Afterwards near the end of the Epistle he proves something more also: that even though they had patiently endured, they did not obtain; and yet not even so are they grieved.

Since there were many who inherited the promises by faith, he has for now passed over all the rest, leaving them for later, and recalls only Abraham, both because of the importance of his person, and especially because he both was deemed worthy of and received the promise. And by this he also shows that one must not give in to faintheartedness, but hope in God, Who customarily does not fulfill a promise quickly, but after a long time. And when did God "swear by Himself"? Either in the very words in which He says: "I have sworn by Myself." Or perhaps someone might say that in the word "truly" is contained God's oath by Himself; for "truly" means "in truth." This is nothing other than an affirmation of truth; but who can truth be other than God? So too the Lord in the Gospel, saying: "Truly, truly, I say to you" (e.g., John 6 and others), swears with this very same oath; He swears by Himself, just as the Father does, since He has no one higher by whom to swear. However, some have thought that the Son Himself was the one then conversing with Abraham; for Scripture says: "the Angel said to Abraham" (Gen. 18). But in no way, they say, could the Father be an Angel, but the Son is the Angel of great counsel.

315. – Then (v. 14) he shows the manner in which the promise was made. As if to say: Do not believe me, unless I bless you. A blessing refers to bestowing benefits: 'The blessing of the Lord makes men rich' (Pr. 10:22); I will multiply you, which pertains to numerous offspring. Both promises were made to Abraham, as is clear from Gen. (14 & 15). But he repeats the words, blessing, I will bless, in order to designate both temporal and spiritual goods, and the continuance of his blessing. Or, 'blessing I will bless' in the multitude of holy offspring, which is designated by the stars of heaven: 'Look up to heaven and number the stars if you can. And he said unto him: So shall your seed be' (Gen. 15:5). And multiplying, I will multiply in the number of evil and perverse children, which are designated by the sands of the seashore. Or I will bless you in the good things of grace and multiply you in the good things of glory: 'How great is the multitude of your sweetness, O Lord' (Ps. 30:20).

We must proceed from the first principles of the doctrine of Christ unto perfection, and not lay the foundation a second time, Heb 6:1-3. Those who were once enlightened, and have been made partakers of the Holy Ghost and the various blessings of the Gospel, if they apostatize from Christ, and finally reject him as their Savior, cannot be renewed again to repentance, Heb 6:4-6. The double similitude of the ground blessed of God, and bearing fruit; and of that ground which is cursed of God, and bears briers and thorns, Heb 6:7, Heb 6:8. The apostle's confidence in them, and his exhortation to diligence and perseverance, Heb 6:9-12. God's promise and oath to Abraham, by which the immutability of his counsel is shown, in order to excite our hope, Heb 6:13-18. Hope is the anchor of the soul, and enters within the veil, Heb 6:19, Heb 6:20.

Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee - I will continue to bless thee. Multiplying I will multiply thee - I will continue to increase thy posterity. In the most literal manner God continues to fulfill this promise; genuine Christians are Abraham's seed, and God is increasing their number daily. See the notes on Gen 22:12-18 (note); and Gen 23:1 (note).

WARNING AGAINST RETROGRADING, WHICH SOON LEADS TO APOSTASY; ENCOURAGEMENT TO STEADFASTNESS FROM GOD'S FAITHFULNESS TO HIS WORD AND OATH. (Heb 6:1-14) Therefore--Wherefore: seeing that ye ought not now to be still "babes" (Heb 5:11-14). leaving--getting further forward than the elementary "principles." "As in building a house one must never leave the foundation: yet to be always laboring in 'laying the foundation' would be ridiculous" [CALVIN]. the principles of the doctrine--Greek, "the word of the beginning," that is, the discussion of the "first principles of Christianity (Heb 5:12). let us go on--Greek, "let us be borne forward," or "bear ourselves forward"; implying active exertion: press on. Paul, in teaching, here classifies himself with the Hebrew readers, or (as they ought to be) learners, and says, Let us together press forward. perfection--the matured knowledge of those who are "of full age" (Heb 5:14) in Christian attainments. foundation of--that is, consisting in "repentance." repentance from dead works--namely, not springing from the vital principle of faith and love toward God, and so counted, like their doer, dead before God. This repentance from dead works is therefore paired with "faith toward God." The three pairs of truths enumerated are designedly such as JEWISH believers might in some degree have known from the Old Testament, but had been taught more clearly when they became Christians. This accounts for the omission of distinct specification of some essential first principle of Christian truth. Hence, too, he mentions "faith toward God," and not explicitly faith toward Christ (though of course included). Repentance and faith were the first principles taught under the Gospel.

multiplying . . . multiply--Hebraism for superabundantly multiply. thee--The increase of Abraham's seed is virtually an increase of himself. The argument here refers to Abraham himself as an example; therefore Paul quotes Gen 22:17, "thee," instead of "thy seed."