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We are held under obligation to this by the nature of the New Covenant
Heb_12:18-24
[Heb_12:18.— øçëáöùìÝíù , scil., ὄñåé , to a mountain that is felt of, handled, palpable to touch=material and earthly.— êáὶ êåêáõìÝíῳ ðõñß , and to kindled, hence, burning fire, better than burning with fire.
Heb_12:19.— ðáñçôÞóáíôï , etc., begged off against any further word being said to them; ðáñáéôåῖóèáé , to beg off for oneself, to deprecate, not= áἰôåῖóèáé ðáñÜ ôéíïò (as Alf.), but ðáñÜ , with force of aside from, against.
Heb_12:20.— ïὐê ἔöåñïí ôὸ äéáóôåëëüìåíïí , they did not bear that which commanded=the command.
Heb_12:21.— êáß — ïὕôùò . So, perhaps, it is better to punctuate, carrying êáß over to ôὸ öáíôáæ ., as otherwise a ὅôé , or ὥò with öáíôáæ ., could hardly be dispensed with.
Heb_12:22-23.— ìõñéÜóéí ἄããÝë . ðáíçãýñåé êáὶ ἐêêëçóßá . The Eng. ver., an innumerable company of angels and the general assembly and church, etc., is rendered impossible by the absence of the conjunction before ðáíçã . while again to connect ðáíçã . with ἐêêëçóßá without the êáß , involves an unaccountable departure from the general structure of the passage, in which all the other principal members are connected by êáß . It remains then either to take ìõñéÜóéí as a collective term distributed into the ðáíÞãõñéò of angels, and the ἐêêëçóßá of the first-born, or to take ìõñéÜóéí as belonging only to the clause ἀããÝëùí ðáíçãýñåé in which case again it is a question whether we are to read, “to myriads, a festal company of angels,” or, “to myriads of angels, a festal company.” In regard to the first construction, ìõñéÜóéí is justly remarked by Moll to be naturally suggestive, from Old Testament associations, of angels, and it seems better so to restrict it. Thus restricted again, if ìõñéÜóéí governs ἀããÝë . the noun ðáíçã . comes in as a dragging and halting apposition. With Moll, I prefer, therefore, “to myriads,” via., a festal host of angels. If (with Alf., etc.) ìõñéÜóéô covered both ðáíçã . and ἐêêëçó ., so elegant a writer would hardly have omitted ôå after ἀããÝëùí .— ðáíÞãõñéò , not merely a general assembly, but, a festal gathering, a joyful and jubilant host.— ἐêêëçó . ðñùôï ., perhaps better rendered by the indefinite art., “a congregation of first-born ones,” suggested by the case of Esau, who had to lose his birthright in order that Jacob might obtain it.— ἀðïãåã . ἐí ïὐñ , registered., enrolled, whose citizenship is in heaven.— êáὶ êñéôῆ èåῷ ðÜíôùí , and to God the judge of all, so E. V., etc., and still Alf., while among others Be Wette, Bleek, Lün., Del. and Moll construct: “and as judge to the God of all,” which certainly has the order of the words, and I think the sentiment in its favor.
Heb_12:24.— äéáè . íåᾶò , of a new covenant.— êñåῖôôïí ëáëïῦíôé , speaking better, or, more mightily.— ðáñὰ ôὸí Áâåë , in comparison with Abel.—K.].
Heb_12:21. And—so fearful, etc.—The proper punctuation originated with Beza. Previously, êáὶ ïὕôùò were always taken together. Heb_12:21 is a heightening of the idea of 8–20; but the êáἱ is not=also, or even (Carpz., Boehm., and others). This interpretation is inconsistent with its position in the clause. The words here ascribed to Moses are not found in the Scripture account of the giving of the Law. According to Calov, the author drew from immediate inspiration. According to Erasm., Beza, Schlicht., and others, from tradition. Recent commentators more correctly refer the words to Deu_9:19, where Moses expresses his fear of the wrath of God, after the defection of the people in worshipping the golden calf, by the words êáὶ ἔêöïâüò åἰìé . Stephen, at Act_7:32, in recounting the appearance of God in the burning bush, represents Moses as ἔíôñïìïò ãåíüìåíïò , which words, also, are not found at Exo_3:6.
Heb_12:22. To Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the Heavenly Jerusalem.—With Mount Sinai, the representative of the legislation of the Old Covenant (Gal_4:24), is contrasted Mt. Zion as the city of the fulfilled Messianic promises (Psa_48:3; Psa_50:2; Psa_78:68; Psa_110:2; Psa_132:13; Isa_2:2; Mic_4:1; Joe_3:5; Oba_1:17; Rev_4:1), and as the true dwelling-place of God (Micah 14:3; Isa_26:21; Eze_3:12). So also the Heavenly Jerusalem, which (Gal_4:26) is also mentioned as Mother of the redeemed and truly free children of God, is contrasted with the earthly Jerusalem, the city of the great King (Mat_5:35), as the city in which the living God, who is also its Founder and Architect (Heb_11:10; Heb_11:16), has not so much His dwelling-place as His people. That the contrast of the earthly and the heavenly is here arranged according to the sacred number seven (Beng., Del., Kluge), is not indicated in the text.
Myriads, etc.—By the term “myriads,” we are involuntarily reminded of angels (Deu_33:2; Dan_7:10; Judges 14). It is therefore very natural to regard angels also here as exclusively meant, and to take the term not as a collective conception, distributing itself into the two parts of a festal assemblage of angels, and the congregation of the first-born (as with Beng., Bl., De W., Ebr., Del., etc.). It is, indeed, in my judgment, most natural to conceive the angelic hosts “as a festal company” (Son_7:1), yet, as in apposition with ‘myriads;’ to which there is then subjoined the mention of the Christian church. For inasmuch as the term “myriads” does not of necessity, under all circumstances, denote angels, Num_10:36, it would be almost indispensable to add some specializing clause. Should we, on the contrary, connect ἀããÝëùí not with ðáíçãýñåé (Seb. Schmidt, Griesb., Knapp, etc.), but with ìõñéÜóéí (Bez., Calov, Storr, Thol., Lün., etc.), we must, in that case, either take ðáíçã . as in opposition with ìõñéÜóéí , which would be dragging and heavy, or connect it with the following, giving it quite another reference. Thol. makes, alongside of the ‘myriads of angels,’ a ‘festal company’ of glorified saints, who are already celebrating the Sabbath of the people of God (Num_4:19), and the community of Christians still walking upon the earth. To these latter the ἐêêëçóßá ðñùôïôüêùí certainly has reference, inasmuch as they are said to be “registered or enrolled in heaven;” because by the introduction of their names into the book of life, they are registered as citizens of the kingdom of heaven, with an assured prospect of the heavenly inheritance, (Dan_12:1; Luk_10:20; Php_4:3; Rev_3:5; Rev_13:8; Rev_20:15); and they are called “First-born,” not in reference to the time of their conversion, whether understood of Apostles (Primas., Grot.), or of the earliest Jewish and Gentile believers (Schlicht., Bl., Ebr., etc.), or of those who have been glorified by martyrdom (De W.); but in reference to their dignity as “first-fruits of the creatures of God” ( ἀðáñ÷ὴ ôῶí êôéóìÜôùí ôïῦ èåïῦ ), Jam_1:18, Rev_14:4; 2Th_2:13 (Böhm., Thol., etc.). [May there not be a reference in the term ðñùôüôïêïò , here to the case of Esau, a little above alluded to, who sold his birth-right, ðñùôïôüêéá , and whose selling or parting with it was indispensable to its passing over to Jacob? In earthly families and relationships there can be but one first-born; the prerogative is restricted by the nature of the case. But in the family of God they are all ‘first-born.’ The congregation of ancient Israel was made up in but a small proportion of those who held this honor; but the spiritual church of the New Testament is a “community or congregation of First-born ones”—they are all first-born. This need not exclude the reference to the import of the term as given by the author.—K.]. The term ἀðïãåãñ . forbids our referring the “first-born,” either to those already dwelling in heaven, or to angels, as the oldest inhabitants of heaven (Nöss., Storr, etc.), or to the patriarchs and saints of the Old Testament (Calv., Beng., Lün., etc.), or to the glorified first fruits of Christianity (De W.); for the sealing borne by the 144,000, as their characteristic mark on the heavenly Zion (Rev_14:1), and which had been already impressed upon them on the earth (Heb_7:3), is an entirely different thing from the registering of their names in the list of the citizens of the kingdom of heaven. But it is very questionable whether we are authorized to refer ðáíçã . to the festal company of the glorified, as such a reference is in no way exegetically involved in the text. It were much more natural in such a coördination of ðáíçãýñåé and ἐêêëçóßᾳ in reference to the ðñùôüôïêïé , not, indeed, to adopt the view of Lün., that the collective community of the first-born are characterized partly as a festal and exulting assemblage ( ðáíçã .); partly as bound in an inward unity ( ἐêêëçó ), but rather that of Hofmann, who finds in it the united and kindred designations of the church, partly as a religious and worshiping, partly as a political organization. But there is absolutely no ground apparent for this double representation; on the contrary, the absence in this case of the connecting particle êáß between the two principal members would be entirely inexplicable.
Heb_12:23. As Judge, to the God of all, etc.—[So Moll with many, instead of “to God, the Judge of all”]. We need absolutely assume no inversion (with the old translators and interpreters). The subject is the prerogatives of the Christian revelation; hence in regard to the Judge before whom the first-born, who are enrolled for the kingdom of heaven, i.e., Christians, are yet to appear, the comforting declaration is made that He is the God of all; i.e., stands in a positive religious relation to all the members of this community. This explanation is suggested by the context, and is entirely satisfactory. It makes also a natural connection with what follows. To take ðÜíôùí as neuter, thus designating the Judge who protects His people by His judgment, in His omnipotence as God over all beings and things (Del.) is totally unnecessary, and, in fact, would require ἐðß with ðÜíôùí . It is equally erroneous to find in the passage a reference to the narrow and bigoted conceptions of the Jews (Bl., De W., Lün.).
Spirits of the just made perfect.—By virtue of their religious communion with God the Christians, while yet living, stand in the same political fellowship to which the departed spirits of the righteous belong, not barely those of the Old Covenant (Schlicht., Bl., De W., Ebr., etc.), nor merely those of the New (Grot., Beng., Storr, Lün., etc.), but of both (Böhme, Thol., Bisp., Del., Riehm, Alf.). They are called ôåôåëåéùìÝíïé , not because they have completed their earthly life (Calv., Limb., Böhme, etc.), and not in the sense of ôÝëåéïé , perfect ones (Theophyl., Luth., etc.), but because Christ has brought them to the goal of perfection. For although they have not yet experienced the resurrection, and that ultimate perfection ( ôåëåßùóéò ) which is common to all the believers of the Old and the New Testament, still awaits them (Heb_11:40), yet Christ who descended and ascended, Eph_4:10, has already opened to them the gates of the realm of death (Rev_1:18). Even before the resurrection they have been permitted to enjoy the presence of the Lord (Php_1:23; compare Joh_14:2).
Heb_12:24. Jesus, mediator of a new covenant.—The writer selects the personal historical name of the Mediator, because by the death of the Incarnate One upon the cross, that covenant was effected which (Heb_8:8; Heb_8:13; Heb_9:15) was called êáéíÞ , as being new in its quality (fœdus novum), but is here called íåÜ which Böhme, Kuin., and others here without ground regard as identical in meaning, but which rather characterizes this covenant as recent, as new in time and fraught with youthful vigor.
2. Christians, on the contrary, are the true people of God, endowed with a citizenship in heaven, and with all the means of grace on earth, so that in their pilgrimage below, they are not merely blest with heavenly goods, but are transformed into the heavenly character, (Eph_2:6), and have their citizenship ( ðïëßôåõìá ) in heaven (Php_3:20), with whose inhabitants they now already, as belonging to the kingdom of God, have fellowship, and their approach to which, as members of the New Covenant, is rendered possible by the blood of its Mediator, which brings them who are sprinkled with it into a gracious relation to the Judge, and which, as the blood of the Righteous One, who, in the power of an indestructible life, stands completely and forever in our stead, powerfully surpasses the cry of Abel for vengeance, who, murdered in his innocence, is not forgotten of God (Heb_11:4).
3. The mention of the “spirits of the just made perfect,” argues decisively alike against the assumption of a sleep of the souls of the departed, and against the doctrine of a purgatory.
Starke:—The glory of the New Covenant pledges all who live in it to the greater sanctity.—The law of the Most High is no child’s play; it commands and threatens. If we are unable to fulfil it, we must still fear in holy reverence, and seek protection with Him who has fulfilled it on our behalf.—Here on earth believers are really blessed and they pass in their blessed state of grace from one degree of blessedness to another.—See, we are to be citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem, associates with Christ, with the holy angels and the elect.—By faith, Christ dwells in our hearts; we have Him and enjoy Him; but in heaven we shall properly see Him, possess Him, and be satisfied.
Hahn:—We are, as it were, so loaded down with grace, that it were the greatest ingratitude and insensibility if this did not spur us on.—The fact that a part of His people are still in a distant land, and some are already at home, is matter of no account with the Lord Jesus, and occasions Him no concern; for, in His own time, He will bring us all thither.—We have, in the Spirit, perpetual access on high, and perpetual enjoyment from on high.
Heubner:—The Church of Christ on earth is a nursery for the Church of Christ in heaven.—The Christian alone has the hope of a blessed communion with all saints.
Tholuck:—The greater the grace which is evinced toward us, the heavier our responsibility, if we refuse to heed it.
Appuhn:—The children of God on earth and the children of God in heaven, are intimately united.
Hedinger:—Grace, not wrath, is to quicken our obedience.—The fairer the city, the more cheerful and glad the service of its citizens.
Footnotes:
Heb_12:18.—Instead of êáὶ óêüôῳ read, after Sin. A. C. D., 17, 31, 39, the more rare and elegant ôῷ æüöῳ . The former comes from Deu_4:11; Deu_5:22, and is added in Sin. by the corrector.
[Heb_12:20.—The clause ἤ âïëßäé êáôáôïî . of the Rec. (but inserted after êáὶ ïὕôùò , Heb_12:21), is as deficient in authority as it is injurious to the rhetoric of the passage, and is rejected as an interpolation by all the best editors.—K.].
Heb_12:24.—Instead of êñåßôôïíá , the uncials uniformly, and the minusc. generally read êñåῖôôïí .