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Heb 12:23. Καὶ ἐκκλησίᾳ πρωτοτόκων ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἀπογεγραμμένων, and to the church of the first-born that are written in heaven) The sons of GOD, of the ages that preceded the first coming of Christ, and the believing Israelites, come under the denomination of the first-born; Exo 4:22; Jer 31:9; Eph 1:12; especially the patriarchs, Mat 8:11, and those who first attended Him who rose as the First-born from the dead, Mat 27:53, as well as also the rest, so to say, of the ordinary flock. The church or assembly consists of these, as the general assembly consists of the angels.[81] The first-born in the time of Moses were written (in a roll), Num 3:40; but these, of whom the apostle speaks, are written in heaven, because they are citizens of the heavenly city: comp. ἀπογράφεσθαι, to be enrolled (written in a roll), Luk 2:1. Hence it is plain, that it does not follow on this account that they themselves are not in heaven, because they are written in heaven. They are, however, also written [as well as being actually in heaven], that their names may be at some future period publicly read over: Rev 20:12; Rev 21:27. The antithesis, made perfect, is a sweet antithesis to these first-born; for the van of the host of the blessed is led by the one, the rear is brought up (is closed) by the other. Finally, it is remarkable that these first-born in the Gradation are more nearly connected with the mention of GOD, than the angels; comp. Jam 1:18.-καὶ κριτῇ Θεῷ πάντων, and to God the Judge of all) He is the GOD of all, Eph 4:6 : your Judge, favourable to you, opposed to His enemies.-καὶ πνεύμασι δικαίων τετελειωμένων, and to the spirits of just men made perfect) In this last place, the apostle enumerates the things which more gently affect and refresh the eyes of travellers, dazzled with the splendour of the economy of God, and which are derived from the economy of Christ. The spirits, souls in the separate state, 1Pe 3:19. The three young men [Ananias, Azarias, Misael], in their song, exclaim: “O ye spirits and souls of the righteous, bless ye the Lord.” The just made perfect are New Testament believers, who enjoy, after their death, the full benefit of the perfection which was consummated by the death of Christ, and of the righteousness derived from it: comp. ch. Heb 11:40, note. The number of these was still imperfect; and for this reason also they have been separated from the ten thousands, and therefore from the first-born. Why the first-born, and the spirits of just men made perfect, are separated in the description, will be evident from the train of thought which will be presently unfolded. While Paul himself is alive, he declares that he is not perfect, Php 3:12 : for the verb, τετέλεκα, has one reference, 2Ti 4:7; the verb, ΤΕΛΕΙΟῦΜΑΙ, has another. The former refers to the office, the latter to the person. ΤΕΛΕΙΟῦΜΑΙ does not apply so long as a man has yet even one step before him, although now (at this point) he may make no more progress in his internal perfection. Christ Himself was ΤΕΛΕΙΩΘΕἸς, made perfect, at death: Heb 5:9. In the 2d to Timothy, Paul congratulates himself on having finished his course. In the Epistle to the Philippians, he urges them to engage with alacrity in the race; and with that object before him, he makes himself one who is yet far from the goal: comp. Heb 3:14, note.
[81] Or else, For there is a church or assembly of them, as there is a general assembly of angels.-ED.