Hebrews 6

Hebrews 6:3

Of which, if God see fit, I may have another season to instruct others catechistically that stand in need of it, (but at this time I shall not do it, but ascend to higher parts of Christian knowledge, the understanding of the figures and types of the Old Testament applicable to Christ under the gospel,) the danger being so great to them that do not understand them aright, and order themselves accordingly.

Hebrews 6:6

[a] fall away] What παραπεσόντας, falling away, here notes, may best be collected from the context: and that first from the antecedents, the illumination, and tasting the heavenly gift, and partaking of the Holy Ghost, and tasting the good word of God, and the powers of the future age; and, secondly, by the consequents, crucifying again, and putting to an open shame the Son of God. The former shews from whence it is that they are said to fall, and the latter how deep the fall is that is here spoken of. The former consists of several degrees; first, φωτισθέντας, those that have been enlightened. That certainly signifies baptism, which among the ancients was generally called φωτισμός, illumination. And this contained under it not only the acknowledgment of the truth, ch. x. 26, but further also the vow of baptism, that of forsaking all wicked ways, and adhering constantly to Christ to their lives’ end. Now all that were thus baptized, and thereby entered into the church, were received to absolution of all their sins past, admitted to be members of the church, and to enjoy the privileges of Christians, the mercies afforded men there, called the gift of God, John iv. 10. And they that have enjoyed the benefit and comfort of this for some time, may here fitly be expressed by γενσάμενοι τῆς δωρεᾶς τῆς ἐπουρανίου, that have tasted the heavenly gift: and that phrase being annexed to the φωτισθέντες, illuminate, with the conjunction τε, and, may fitly be resolved to belong to the same matter, as a fuller expression of the φωτισθέντες, enlightened, those that by being baptized have been admitted to these privileges of Christians, and have tasted, enjoyed them for some time. But then, as beside these of baptism and pardon of sin, there were other χαρίσματα, extraordinary powers and gifts in the church; so here, beside the mention of being enlightened, and tasting the heavenly gift, are added these other phrases, that seem to be set on purpose to denote those higher endowments: first, Μέτοχοι γενηθέντες Πνεύματος Ἁγίου, made partakers of the Holy Ghost, those which have the Holy Ghost, which descended on the apostles, Acts ii, communicated to them, for so had many believers at that time in the church of Judæa, (see note [d] on Acts ii, and note [c] on Acts vi:) and, secondly, καλὸν γενσάμενοι Θεοῦ ῥῆμα, δυνάμεις τε μέλλοντος αἰῶνος, having tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the future age; where, first, μέλλων αἰών, the future age, is the very phrase used in the Septuagint, Isa. ix. 6, for the state of Christianity, where Christ is called πατὴρ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος, the father of the future age, there being in the Jews’ account two ages, the one before, the other after the coming of the Messias, and the second in respect of the former called μέλλων, future, (and so οἰκουμένη μέλλονσα, the future world, ch. ii. 5, that after the coming of the Messias,) and אחרים, the after or later days, ἐσχάται ἡμέραι, often mentioned in the New Testament; secondly, δυνάμεις, powers, is the ordinary word to denote miracles, and so δυνάμεις μέλλοντος αἰῶνος will be either those miraculous powers, extraordinary gifts, which were bestowed on believers by the coming of the Holy Ghost upon them, for the confirming themselves, and converting of others, (and so were generally the consequents and effects as of the Holy Ghost descending on the apostles, so of their imposing hands on others, and their receiving the Holy Ghost; for of such we oft read, that they spake with tongues,

[b] renew them again unto repentance] What ἀνακαινίξειν signifies, may, I suppose, be best concluded by the notion of ἐγκαινίξειν, to dedicate, from whence we have ἐγκαίνια, the feast of the dedication of the altar, in the book of the Maccabees, mentioned in the Gospel. Agreeably when men, which by their creation after God’s image were dedicated to his service, had fallen away from him into idolatry or sin, the receiving them to baptism upon vow of new life was the ἀνακαινίξειν εἰς μετάνοιαν, dedicating them anew to repentance or new life. And accordingly to prepare them for baptism they used to confess their sins, and the catechist to lay hands on them, and pray for absolution; as it is said of Constantine, Ἐξομολογούμενος τῶν διὰ χειροθεσίας εὐχῶν ἠξιούτο, “He confessed and obtained the prayers by imposition of hands,” Euseb. de Vit. Const. I. 4. Consequently πάλιν ἀνακαινίξειν εἰς μετάνοιαν, again to renew to repentance, is to use some new course of dedicating and consecrating them anew, after some foul fall or wasting sin after baptism, and that was wont to be by penance and absolution. For μετάνοια, repentance, is sometimes taken for admission to pardon, or the whole proceeding of the church with the penitent in order to his absolution from the censures. So μετάνοιαν αἰτεῖν, to ask repentance, is to demand or beg admission to that course which should prepare them for absolution, Conc. Neocæs. Can. 52, and elsewhere frequently. And so in our sixteenth Article, the grant of repentance is put to explain that which had been before, in king Edward’s Articles, the place for penitents, and in the Augustan confession, absolutionem

Hebrews 6:7

[c] blessing] What εὐλογία, blessing, here signifies is somewhat uncertain, the word being capable of several acceptions. That which is most commodious to the matter in hand, and contrary to κατάρα, cursing, which follows, is, that it signify praise or approbation, by way of reward, the well done good and faithful servant, and the bliss attending it. And then, as any that doth his duty is said to be approved, and any that brings in fruit to be commended by God, (especially when it is considered that the similitude of the earth is here used to signify

Hebrews 6:9

But after all this, thus said to you by way of caution, I have more comfortable hopes of you, and persuade myself that you will have your parts in the great signal deliverance (see note [b] ch. ii.) that now the faithful are to look for, preparatory to their eternal bliss, and not the destruction that attends others.

[d] accompany salvation] That ἐχόμενος signifies adjoining, and that proportionably to the Septuagint, who render אחר, next after, by ἐχόμενα, hath been said note [b] on Mark i; and then so it must signify here, things that join near upon deliverance or salvation. The only difficulty will be, what notion belongs to σωτηρία, deliverance or salvation in this place. And that will most probably be the temporal deliverance here, preparative to the eternal rest hereafter, this being the interpretation of the promises, ver. 12, which by faith and endurance are possessed; whereas they that now for persecutions fall off, lose both their present and future reward, are destroyed here with the Jews the persecutors, and are lost eternally.

Hebrews 6:10

And the ground of my hope is, because you have been formerly so courageous in professing of Christ and so charitable to poor Christians, and are so still; which works of yours God is, according to his promise of mercy in the gospel, bound to reward with giving more grace, and not to forsake and leave such without all grace, as those which for their obstinacy in sin are accursed by him, ver. 8.

Hebrews 6:11

All the design of my present admonition and digression is, to stir up every one of you to the continuance of this diligence to the end, that you may ⁵ for whom, &i’ obs. κατάρας ἐγγύς. ⁶ partaketh of. ⁸ are near. ⁷ reprobate and near a curse, ἀδάκιμος καὶ HAMMOND, VOL. II. A 8

Hebrews 6:12

That you do not now, like faint-hearted persons, give over your course, but imitate and follow their pattern, who, by faith continuing and enduring through all afflictions, did at last enjoy their part in the promises made unto them. 13, 14. Such were those promises which were made by God to Abraham under oath, under the style of blessing and multiplying him, by which was meant God’s bringing his seed into Canaan, and all faithful Christians to the rest mentioned note [c] ch. iii.

Hebrews 6:15

And these promises being made under oath, were in themselves most sure, and being faithfully relied on and believed by Abraham, were, though not presently, yet in time, performed to him, that is, to his seed the Jews.

Hebrews 6:16

For as a man, when he would swear, always swears by the greatest person he knows, and an oath being taken by one of the contesting persons, one saying one thing, the other the contrary, sets an end to that affirming and denying, and confirms the judge to the believing of one party against the other (see note [e] 1 Tim. v.);

Hebrews 6:17

So God was pleased to swear by himself, having no greater to swear by, ver. 13, and by that means to ascertain those to whom his promises belong, that is, all constant Christians, of the performance of his promise concerning believers, the spiritual seed of Abraham;

Hebrews 6:18

That by promising first, which, when the condition is not neglected, is immutable, and then by adding an oath to it, he might give us security of enjoying what we hope for, of receiving the reward proposed to us:

Hebrews 6:19

This hope being that which keeps us from being tossed and shipwrecked with the billows of the world; as being able indeed to see through the afflictions and persecutions of this world, and see somewhat beyond them, days of rest and release here, and beyond that, eternal rest hereafter in heaven, meant

⁹ consummation of your hope, πληροφορίαν τῆς ἐλπίδος. ¹⁰ cowardly, sluggish, νωθροί.

¹¹ longanimity, μακροθυμίας. ¹² is to them the end of all contestation for establishment,

πάσης αὐτοῖς ἀντιλογίας πέρας εἰς βεβαίωσιν. ¹³ Wherefore, Ἐν ᾧ. ¹⁴ he interposed

by oath, ἐμεσίτευσεν δρκῳ. ¹⁵ we may have, ἔχωμεν.

Hebrews 6:20

[e] after the order] Κατὰ τάξιν, after the order, may here signify no more than sicut or quemadmodum, “even as” or “after the manner of:” for the words in the Psalmist are, על דברתי, which Aben Ezra explains by after the manner, or like as. Not that τάξιν should signify here as it would do being spoken of the Aaronical priest, for there it should signify a natural succession in that line from Aaron, observed among all the Levitical high priests; but only a similitude or agreement, in so many particulars nominated, with Melchisedek (see Cunæus De Rep. Heb.) particularly that of being a king and a priest together, which was so solemnly presignified of Christ by the prophets, and perhaps from thence taken into the heathen oracles, that about that time among the Romans the dignity of the pontificate was joined with the imperial, first by Augustus, and afterwards by the rest of the emperors. See Sueton. in August., and in Galba, c. 8, and in Claud. c. 22. And thereupon saith Tacitus An. l. 3. Nunc deum munere summum pontificem summum hominem esse, “Now by the gift of the gods the chief priest is the supreme man or emperor.”