View Hebrews 6 in the note window.
Now the Spirit will not stop at this point with Christians, but will go on
to that full revelation of His glory which belongs to them that are of full
age and indeed forms us for that state.
We easily perceive that the inspired writer tries to make the Hebrews feel
that he was ;acing them on higher and more excellent ground, by connecting
them with a heavenly and invisible Christ; and that Judaism kept them back
in the position of children. This moreover characterises the whole epistle.
Nevertheless we shall find two things here: on the one hand, the elements
and the character of doctrine that belonged to infancy, to "the beginning
of the word of Christ," in contrast with the strength and heavenly savour
that accompanied the Christian revelation; and, on the other hand, what the
revelation of Christ Himself is in connection with this last spiritual and
Christian system.
But the epistle distinguishes between this system and the doctrine of the
Person of Christ, even looked at as man [see note #12], although the present
position of Christ gives its character to the Christian
system. The distinction is made-not that the condition of souls does not
depend on the measure of the revelation of Christ and of the position He
has taken, but-because the doctrine of His Person and glory goes much
farther than the present state of our relationship with God.
The things spoken of in chapter 6:1,2 had their place, because the Messiah
was then yet to come: all was in a state of infancy. The things spoken of
in verses 4,5 are the privileges that Christians enjoyed in virtue of the
work and the glorification of the Messiah. But they are not in themselves
the 'perfection" mentioned in verse 1, and which relates rather to the
knowledge of the Person of Christ Himself. The privileges in question were
the effect of the glorious position of His Person in heaven.
It is important to attend to this, in order to understand these passages.
In the infancy spoken of in verses 1, 2, the obscurity of the revelations
of the Messiah, announced at most by promises and prophecies, left
worshipers under the yoke of ceremonies and figures, although in possession
of some fundamental truths. His exaltation made way for the power of the
Holy Ghost here below: and on this the responsibility of souls which had
tasted it depended.
The doctrine of the Person and the glory of Jesus forms the subject of
revelation in the epistle, and was the means of deliverance for the Jews
from the whole system which had been such a heavy burden on their hearts;
it should prevent their forsaking the state described in verses 4 and 5, in
order to return into the weakness and (Christ having come) the carnal state
of verse 1 and 2.
The epistle then does not desire to establish again the true but elementary
doctrines which belonged to the times when Christ was not manifested, but
to go forward to the full revelation of His glory and position according to
the counsels of God revealed in the word.
The Holy Ghost would not go back again to these former things, because new
things had been brought in in connection with the heavenly glory of the
Messiah, namely, Christianity characterised by the power of the Holy Ghost.
But if any one who had been brought under that power, who had known it,
should afterwards abandon it, he could not be renewed again to repentance.
The former things of Judaism must be, and were, left behind by that into
which he had entered. Christians could not deal with souls by them; and, as
for the new things, he had given them up. All God's means had been employed
for him and had produced nothing.
Such a one-of his own will-crucified for himself the Son of God. Associated
with the people who had done so, he had acknowledged the sin which his
people had committed, and owned Jesus to be the Messiah. But now he
committed the crime, [see note #13] knowingly and of his own will.
The judgment, the resurrection of the dead, repentance from dead works, had
been taught. Under that order of things the nation had crucified their
Messiah. Now power had come; which testified of the glorification of the
crucified Messiah, the Son of God, in heaven; and which by miracles
destroyed (at least in detail) the power of the enemy who was still
reigning over the world. These miracles were a partial anticipation of the
full and glorious deliverance which should take place in the world to come,
when the triumphant Messiah, the Son of God, should entirely destroy all
the power of the enemy. Hence they are called the "powers of the world to
come."
The power of the Holy Ghost, the miracles wrought in the bosom of
Christianity, were testimonies that the power which was to accomplish that
deliverance-although still hidden in heaven-existed nevertheless in the
glorious Person of the Son of God. The power did not yet accomplish the
deliverance of this world oppressed by Satan, because another thing was
being done meanwhile. The light of God was shining, the good word of grace
was being preached, the heavenly gift (a better thing than the deliverance
of the world) was being tasted; and the sensible power of the Holy Ghost
made itself known, while waiting for the return in glory of the Messiah to
bind Satan, and thus accomplish the deliverance of the world under His
dominion.
Speaking generally, the power of the Holy Ghost, the consequence of the
Messiah's being glorified above, was exercised on earth as a present
manifestation and anticipation of the great deliverance to come. The
revelation of grace, the good word of God, was preached; and the Christian
lived in the sphere where these things displayed themselves, and was
subjected to the influence exercised in it. This made itself to be felt by
those who were brought in among Christians. Even where there was no
spiritual life, these influences were felt.
But, after having been the subject of this influence of the presence of the
Holy Ghost, after having tasted the revelation thus made of the goodness of
God, and experienced the proofs of His power, if any one then forsook
Christ, there remained no other means for restoring the soul, for leading
it to repentance. The heavenly treasures were already expended: he had
given them up as worthless; he had rejected the full revelation of grace
and power, after having known it. What means could now be used? To return
to Judaism, and the first principles of the doctrine of Christ in it, when
the truth had been revealed, was impossible: and the new light had been
known and rejected. In a case like this there was only the flesh; there was
no new life. Thorns and briars were being produced as before. There was no
real change in the man's state.
When once we have understood that this passage is a comparison of the power
of the spiritual system with Judaism, and that it speaks of giving up the
former, after having known it, its difficulty disappears. The possession of
life is not supposed, nor is that question touched. The passage speaks, not
of life, but of the Holy Ghost as a power present in Christianity. To
"taste the good word" is to have understood how precious that word is; and
not the having been quickened by its means. [see note #14]
Hence in speaking to the Jewish Christians he hopes better things and
things which accompany salvation, so that these things could be there and
yet no salvation. Fruit there could not be. That supposes life.
The apostle does not however apply what he says to the Hebrew Christians:
for, however low their state might be, there had been fruits, proofs of
life, which in itself no mere power is; and he continues his discourse by
giving them encouragement, and motives for perseverance.
It will be observed, then, that this passage is a comparison between that
which was possessed before and after Christ was glorified-the state and
privileges of professors, at these two periods, without any question as to
personal conversion. When the power of the Holy Ghost was present, and
there was the full revelation of grace, if any forsook the assembly, fell
away from Christ, and turned back again, there was no means of renewing
them to repentance. The inspired writer therefore would not again lay the
foundation of former things with regard to Christ-things already grown
old-but would go on, for the profit of those who remained steadfast in the
faith.
We may also remark how the epistle, in speaking of Christian privileges,
does not lose sight of the future earthly state, the glory and the
privileges of the millennial world. The miracles are the miracles of the
world to come; they belong to that period. The deliverance and the
destruction of Satan's power should then be complete; those miracles were
deliverances, samples of that power. We saw this point brought into notice
(chap. 2:5) at the beginning of the doctrine of the epistle; and in chapter
4 the rest of God left vague in its character, in order to embrace both the
heavenly part and the earthly part of our Lord's millennial reign. Here the
present power of the Holy Ghost characterises the ways of God,
Christianity; but the miracles are a foretaste of the coming age, in which
the whole world will be blessed.
In the encouragements that it gives them, the epistle already calls to mind
the principles by which the father of the faithful and of the Jewish nation
had walked, and the way in which God had strengthened him in his faith.
Abraham had to rest on promises, without possessing that which was
promised; and this, with regard to rest and glory, was the state in which
the Hebrew Christians then were. But at the same time, in order to give
full assurance to the heart, God had confirmed His word by an oath, in
order that they who build upon this hope of promised glory might have
strong and satisfying consolation. And this assurance has received a still
greater confirmation. It entered into that within the veil, it found its
sanction in the sanctuary itself, whither a forerunner had entered, giving
not only a word, and oath, but a personal guarantee for the fulfillment of
these promises, and the sanctuary of God as a refuge for the heart; thus
giving, for those who had spiritual understanding, a heavenly character to
the hope which they cherished; while shewing, by the character of Him who
had entered into heaven, the certain fulfillment of all the Old Testament
promises, in connection with a heavenly Mediator, who, by His position,
assured that fulfillment; establishing the earthly blessing upon the firm
foundation of heaven itself, and giving at the same time a higher and more
excellent character to that blessing by uniting it to heaven, and making it
flow from thence.
We have thus the double character of blessing which this book again
presents to our mind, in connection with the Person of the Messiah, and the
whole linked by faith with Jesus.
Jesus has entered into heaven as a Forerunner. He is there. We belong to
that heaven. He is there as High Priest. During the present time therefore
His priesthood has a heavenly character; nevertheless He is priest,
personally, after the order of Melchizedec. It sets aside then the whole
Aaronic order, though the priesthood be exercised now after the analogy of
Aaron's but, by its nature points out in the future a royalty which is not
yet manifested. Now the very fact that this future royalty was connected
with the Person of Him who was seated at the right hand of the Majesty on
high, according to Psalm 110 fixed the attention of the Hebrew Christian,
when tempted to turn back, on Him who was in the heavens, and made him
understand the priesthood which the Lord is now exercising; it delivered
him from Judaism, and strengthened him in the heavenly character of the
Christianity which he had embraced.
