Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
v 9 - "An expression of confidence, though the writer speaks of several things that accompany salvation. I.e., fruit in the Christian life." (Ryrie)
vs 11-15 - "Be diligent in the Christian life, just as OT saints — particularly Abraham — were, knowing that what has been promised will be fulfilled (cf. chap. 11)" (Ryrie)
we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end - "That is, that they might continue their deeds of kindness so that they might enjoy the fullness of their hope right through this course as believers. The word 'spoude' signifies strenuous endeavor, or diligent exertion. 'Plerophoria,' 'fullness,' is, lit., full carrying. Applied to hope it conveys the thought of a firm unwavering expectation of the fulfillment of the promises of God. For 'unto the end,' cp. 3:6, 14." (Vine)
that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises - 'Nothros,' 'sluggish,' is the same word as is rendered 'dull' in 5:11. Faith and patience are antidotes to sluggishness. Unbelief and lack of endurance are the cause of it. It is possible to be sluggish either in hearing (5:11) or acting. Faith and patience, 'things that accompany salvation,' enable the believer so to inherit God's promises that he enters into the realization of them as if they were being fulfilled, knowing that full possession of them will be his portion hereafter, according to God's pledged Word. Promises are not merited but inherited." (Vine)
"Like Mary of Nazareth these Hebrews were willing to believe in a Messiah Who was about to sit on the Throne of David and establish the millennium. But just as the sword of (4:12) had to pierce her heart revealing its sinfulness and bringing her as a sinner to the cross for eternal salvation, so these Hebrew believers needed a like experience; for it alone issues in true conversion.
"These are they who are addressed (vs. 9 and 10). They had advanced to 'the better things' even the things 'nigh to salvation' (Greek). 'Nigh to salvation' contrasts with 'nigh unto cursing' (v. 8). These Hebrews had tasted the good things of the Baptist's ministry (vs. 1 and 2) and of the Pentecostal era (vs. 4 and 5) and had gone on to the better things of perfection in Christ (v. 1). Their action (v. 10) proved this, and it was sure of Divine recognition. The possible reference here is to the money which they gave the Apostle Paul for the poor saints at Jerusalem (Rom. 15:26, 2 Cor. 8:1, and 9:2)." (Williams)
"We need to remind ourselves again of the historical background and analysis of the book, and the purpose of the author in writing. He was writing to the visible professing Church made up of saved and unsaved. There is no greeting to the saints like we find in most of the epistles. The concern of the writer is with those of his unsaved Jewish readers who under stress of persecution were in danger of renouncing their professed faith in Messiah and returning to the abrogated sacrifices of the First Testament. These he repeatedly warns against this act, and repeatedly exhorts to go on to faith in the New Testament sacrifice, Messiah. The fact that he urges them on to faith, shows that they merely made a profession and were not saved. After issuing this solemn warning in 5:11-6:8, he addresses the saved among his readers and uses them as an example to urge the unsaved onto the act of faith." (Wuest)
"Seven times in the book of Revelation the Lord Jesus Christ speaks to first century churches about works which should accompany their testimony of salvation in their hope of the kingdom...
"Ministering to the saints is oft mentioned in First John as well as in the Lord's earthly ministry to Israel. The promises were made to Israel and not the Body of Christ (Romans 15:8; Ephesians 2:12). And the name at issue in the passage is that of Israel's Messiah." (McLean)
No comments:
Post a Comment