Hebrews vi.
Notes & Commentary:
Ver. 1-2. Wherefore leaving the word, &c. This is to be taken as connected with what he had said in the last chapter, (ver. 12.) of the elements, or rudiments of Christian faith, concerning which, though some seemed not sufficiently instructed, yet he thinks it here enough to name them, and pass them over: to wit, 1. Penance, or the dispositions of a sincere repentance. 2. Faith, when they are come to the years of being instructed. 3. The doctrine of baptisms, which he expresseth in the plural number, either because all the faithful must be baptized once, if we speak of Christian baptism; or he means that persons ought to know they cannot receive Christ’s baptism over again. Or, in fine, he means that the baptisms used by the Jews, which they so frequently repeated, could not make them justified. 4. The doctrine of imposition of hands, by which is commonly expounded that which was given in the sacrament of confirmation. 5. Of the resurrection of the dead. 6. Of the judgment, by which God would judge all mankind. Of these things he supposeth them already instructed. (Witham) — We see here the order in which the apostles taught the Christian doctrine to the catechumens: 1. They excited them to sorrow for their sins. 2. They required of them acts of faith in God and his Son Jesus Christ. 3. They explained the nature of Christ’s baptism, its virtue, and difference from the baptism of John the Baptist and others. 4. After baptism, they laid their hands on them, that they might receive the strengthening grace of the Holy Ghost in confirmation; and finally, they excited them to perseverance, by the hope of a glorious resurrection, and of eternal life, and by setting before their eyes eternal damnation as the consequence of apostacy.
Ver. 3. And this we will do, meaning what he said in the first verse, that his design was to proceed to things more perfect, which, after some admonitions, he comes to in the next chapter, when he speaks of the priesthood of Christ. (Witham)
Ver. 4. &c. For it is impossible,[1] &c. This is an obscure place, differently expounded, which shows how rash it is for the ignorant to pretend to understand the holy Scriptures. Many understand these words, it is impossible, &c. of the sacrament of penance, or of returning to God by a profitable repentance, especially after such heinous sins as an apostacy from the true faith. But then we must take the word impossible, to imply no more than a thing that is very hard to be done, or that seldom happens, as when it is said, (Matthew xix. 26.) that it is impossible for rich men to be saved: and (Luke xvii. 1.) it is impossible that scandals should not come. For it is certain that it is never impossible for the greatest sinners to repent by the assistance which God offers them, who has also left the power to his ministers to forgive in his name the greatest sins. But others (whose interpretation seems preferable) expound this of baptism, which can only be given once. The words here in the text very much favour this exposition, when it is said, who were once enlightened. For baptism in the first ages was called the sacrament of illumination. See St. Denis de cęlesti Hierar. chap. iv.; St. Gregory of Nazianzus; &c. The following words also agree with baptism, when they are said to have been made partakers of the Holy Ghost; to have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come; all which signify the interior graces, the miraculous gifts, and power of working miracles, which they who were baptized frequently received in those days. — They cannot be renewed again unto penance. That is, they cannot be renewed again by baptism, which is also called a renovation. (Titus iii. 5.) Their sins may indeed be forgiven them in the sacrament of penance, but this is not a renovation like that in baptism, in which both the guilt, and all pain due to past sins, is remitted; whereas in the sacrament of penance, though the guilt, and the eternal punishments due to sins be remitted, yet many times, temporal punishments, to be undergone either in this world or the next, still remain due to such as have been great sinners, to them who by relapsing into the same sins, have crucified again to themselves the Son of God, making a mockery of him; i.e. who, insensible of the favours received, have ungratefully renewed sin; to take away which Christ suffered, was mocked, crucified, &c. (Witham) — Macknight observes that Beza, without any authority from ancient manuscripts hath inserted in his version Si, If they shall fall away, that this text might not appear to contradict the Calvinistic doctrine of the assurance of salvation. The English translators have followed Beza. The biblical student will be glad to find Dr. Wells, in his elegant edition of the New Testament, frequently restoring and preferring those readings which agree with the Latin Vulgate. The same just tribute is paid to the Vulgate by Walton, Mills, Gerard, Griesbach, Harwood, and others. Indeed the Vulgate has been declared authentic in a general council, and probably expresses more of the true reading of the original or autograph, than any Greek edition that is now to be found, and certainly much more than modern versions, which are stained more or less by the preconceived sentiments of the translators. — For the earth that drinketh in the rain, &c. He bringeth this comparison, to give them a horror of abusing God’s graces and favours, and of making themselves guilty of hell fire. (Witham)
Ver. 9, &c. We trust better things of you, &c. That is, though I have admonished you in this manner, I hope the best, especially knowing how charitable many of you have been to your Christian brethren. (Witham) — Faith begins the work of salvation; good works from a principle of charity continue it; perseverance in virtue, and patience under afflictions complete it. To assert the contrary is not to derogate so much from the work of man, as from the grace of God, which is the cause and ground of all that is good in man. “Mark,” says St. Augustine, “that he to whom our Lord gave grace, hath our Lord, also his debtor. He found him a giver in the time of mercy: he that him his debtor in the time of judgment.” (In Psalm vi.) — It is certain God, who is not unjust, will reward these good works, if you continue in the same, to the accomplishing of hope even to the end.[2] for the obtaining the happiness you hope for. Be not therefore slothful, and negligent; it is by faith, patience, and perseverance, that you will inherit God’s promises. (Witham)
Ver. 13, &c. For God promising to Abraham, to bless all nations in his seed; i.e. by the coming of Christ, swore by himself, having no greater to swear by, &c. He shews them how certain they may be of eternal happiness, unless they be slothful. First, it is God himself, who hath promised to make them happy. Secondly, he promised it with an oath; and these are two unchangeable things in God, who cannot lie. And the oath was: unless blessing, I will bless thee, &c. The sense is, unless I give thee great blessings, let me not be esteemed the true God. By this God hath given the strongest consolation to us, who have fled from the imperfect works of the former law of Moses, by believing and hoping in Christ. This hope is as a sure and firm anchor of our souls, amidst all persecutions and dangers, which will make us enter in, even within the veil, as it were into that part of the temple called the holy of holies, which was a figure of heaven, into which Christ Jesus himself entered first, by his glorious ascension after his sufferings. He entered as our high priest, and to prepare us there a place. (Witham)
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[1] Ver. 4. Impossible, adunaton. See Cornelius a Lapide and Estius, who say of this exposition of baptism, Sic omnes Gręci, et Latinorum maxima pars. Baptism is often called, photisma. See St. Gregory of Nazianzus, orat. xxxix. in Sta Lumina.
[2] Ver. 11. Ad expletionem spei usque ad finem, pros ten pleorophorian. See the signification of this word, Luke i. 1.
Bible Text & Cross-references:
He warns them of the danger of falling by apostacy; and exhorts them to patience and perseverance.
1 Wherefore, leaving the word of the beginning of Christ, let us go on to things more perfect, not laying again the foundation of penance from dead works, and of faith towards God,
2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and the imposition of hands, and of the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
3 And this we will do, if God will permit.
4 *For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, have tasted also the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 Have moreover tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 And are fallen away, to be renewed again unto penance, crucifying again to themselves the Son of God, and making a mockery of him.
7 For the earth that drinketh in the rain which cometh often upon it, and bringeth forth herbs useful for them by whom it is tilled, receiveth blessing from God.
8 But that which bringeth forth thorns and briers, is rejected; and very near to a curse, whose end is to be burnt.
9 But my dearly beloved, we trust better things of you, and nearer to salvation: though we thus speak.
10 For God is not unjust, that he should forget your work, and the love which you have shewn in his name, you who have ministered, and do minister to the saints.
11 And we desire that every one of you shew forth the same carefulness to the accomplishing of hope unto the end:
12 That you become not slothful, but followers of them, who through faith and patience shall inherit the promises.
13 For God promising to Abraham, because he had no one greater by whom he might swear, swore by himself,
14 Saying: *Unless blessing, I will bless thee, and multiplying, I will multiply thee.
15 And so after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
16 For men swear by one greater than themselves; and an oath, for confirmation, is the end of all their controversy.
17 Wherein God, meaning more abundantly to shew to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, interposed an oath:
18 That by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have the strongest comfort, who have fled for refuge, to hold fast the hope set before us:
19 Which we have as an anchor of the soul, sure and firm, and which entereth even within the veil,
20 Where the forerunner, Jesus, is entered for us, made a high priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedech.
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*
4: Matthew xii. 45.; Hebrews x. 26.; 2 Peter ii. 20.
14: Genesis xxii. 16.