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Exaltation of Christ as the single Priestly King, the antitype of Melchisedec
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FIRST SECTION
TRANSITION TO THIS DISCUSSION BY MEANS OF CENSURE, WARNING, CONSOLATION, AND EXHORTATION
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I
The readers are still deficient at the time in the right understanding of this typical relation
Heb_5:11-14.
[Heb_5:11.— ðåñὶ ïὖ , concerning whom, referring to Christ, not Melchisedek; or, better, concerning which matter, viz.: Christ’s Melchisedek priesthood.— ἡìῖí ὁ ëüãïò ðïëὺò êáὶ äõóåñìçíåõôüò , our discourse is extended and hard to be clearly expounded or set forth.— ãåãüíáôå ye have become, not, are. The difference is important, as marking a lapse from a better spiritual state.
Heb_5:12.— Ὀöåßëïíôåò åἶíáé , being bound, or under obligation to be=while ye ought to be— äéá ôὸí ÷ñüíïí , on account of the time, better than Eng. ver., viz.: “for the time,” which is awkward, if not obscure.— ðÜëéí ÷ñåßáí , ye again have need: the ðÜëéí clearly belongs to ἔ÷åôå , not to the following äéäÜóêåéí . For ôéíÜ or ôßíá , viz.: “of some one’s teaching you the first principles,” or “of our teaching you what are the first principles,” see exegetical notes.— Êáὶ ïὐ óôåñåᾶò , êáὶ is omitted by B.2 C. 17, Vulg., Copt., Orig., and by Sin.
Heb_5:13— ἄðåéñïò ëüãïõ äéê ., inexperienced, unskilled in respect of a discourse or doctrine of righteousness, so that he is unable as a íÞðéïò to enter into and comprehend it.
Heb_5:14.— êéὰ ôὴí ἔîéí , on account of habit.— ãåãõìíáóìÝíá , disciplined, trained, exercised.— áἰóèçôÞñéá , organs of perception, senses.— äéÜêñéóéò , discrimination.—K].
Heb_5:12-14. For when, on account of the time, ye ought, etc.—Instead of becoming capable of teaching, the readers have become in need of learning; and, indeed, to the extent that they have fallen back to that infantile age which requires milk, and have thus fallen into the danger of losing entirely their power of spiritual discrimination. In vv.13 and 14, the author expands the figurative mode of expression which he had employed at the close of Heb_5:12, and at the same time justifies its import. He has the readers in his eye, but the expressions are entirely general. The generality, however, affects only the form. As a matter of fact, the condition of the readers is directly included and characterized. Every one who receives his allotted food in the form of milk, that is, finds himself in the condition of a suckling, is inexperienced, not merely in Christianity (Lün.), or in the specific doctrine of justification by faith (Bl., Thol., Ebr.), or in the doctrine which leads to righteousness (Riehm, De W.), or in righteous, i.e, right-teaching discourse (Del.), so that the capacity of speaking in regard to spiritual things, according to the law and pattern of truth, would be wanting, but in the ëüãïò äéêáéïóýíçò of every kind. This has its ground in the nature of a íÞðéïò (Deu_4:39; Isa_7:16; Jon_4:11). Solid nourishment, on the contrary, corresponds to the nature and the wants of the mature, who possess organs of perception ( áἰóèçôÞñéá ) for the distinguishing of what is wholesome and what is pernicious, and these, indeed, as disciplined äéὰ ôὴí ἐîéí . Ἔîéò is the habitus, holding, or state acquired by exercise, in its permanent character or result, as skill, readiness, capacity. It is doubtful whether we are to accentuate ôßíá or ôéíÜ . The latter was preferred among the ancients only by Œc., then by Luth. and Calv.; more recently by Böhme, Bl., Ebr., Lün., Bisp., Alford, etc. But the grammatical construction does not demand this reading; rather the active construction [as of äéäÜóêåéí =that one teach you] apart from the doubtful reading, 1Th_4:9, is frequent also in the classics (Win. p. 303, Madvig. Synt. § 148–50), and the connection rather favors the other form; for the readers are not sunk to such ignorance that somebody would be required to instruct them again, like catechumens, in the very first elements of Christianity; they have rather but an imperfect and dulled apprehension, so that they do not sufficiently distinguish what are essential and incidental matters, what is fundamental, and what is secondary and derived; and they have fallen into danger of forgetting and denying the essential distinction between Christianity and Judaism.
[Alford, ingeniously enough, perhaps, but, I think, with very slight ground of probability, defends ôéíÜ , some one, as containing a sort of subtle irony, as if the readers were ignorant of that which any one was competent to explain. Moll argues against this reading on the ground that the readers had not sunk to that degree of ignorance, that they required to be instructed over again like catechumens in the elementary principles of Christianity. Delitzsch regards the ôéíÜ , thus accentuated, as simply feeble. This objection need not, indeed, be pressed, and this rendering gives us, perhaps, the easier construction. The other, viz., that preferred by Del., Moll, De Wette, is more difficult, but more forcible: “need of [one’s] teaching you what are the first principles,” etc. In this case we might expect äéäÜóêåóèáé , being taught, but the harshness of the form would be a sufficient reason for the author’s avoiding it, and preferring the not unallowable active. With this reading, again it is doubtful whether we are to explain ôßíá as= ðïῖá , of what sort, which it easily may be, or whether, with Moll, we are to regard the writer as declaring that the readers have sunk into a state of incompetency to discern between capital and incidental, between fundamental and secondary truths, and thus render it simply what, which I prefer.—K.].
The ëüãÀá are not the words of the Old Testament, or of the prophets (Peirce, Steng., Dav. Schultz, etc.), but the declarations of the Christian revelation, whose fundamental elements constitute the basis of instruction, and at the same time contain its rudimentary principles. The idea of rudiments contained in ôὰ óôïé÷åῖá , is heightened by the addition of ôῆò ἀñ÷ῆò (Calv., Lün.).
2. Among these things to be communicated, there are found those which, on account of the variety of relation in which they stand, or on account of the depth of the thoughts which they express, are hard to be made clear, and can only with pains be brought within our apprehension. This difficulty is, in certain matters, heightened by the condition of the learners, and that even to the degree that the continuous development of the thoughts is obliged to be interrupted.
3. This state of things, however, does not exempt him who is called to make the communication from the duty of seeking in other ways points of contact by which he may promote their fellowship, and may act directly on those who may lag behind. In the place of doctrinal instruction, comes the anxious practical appeal, which awakens the conscience, discloses the inner ground of their sluggishness, and penetrates to the very roots of their spiritual life. The ethical element in teaching has its own intrinsic efficacy.
4. Among those who are left behind are found, along with those of feeble endowments and of imperfect spiritual development, also those who have gone back. These latter can all the less dispense with special moral and religious culture, in that their backslidings have reference not merely to knowledge, but even in this respect have their ground in a decline of spiritual life, and precisely for this reason generate and diffuse not merely defective views and fragmentary knowledge, but a confused conception and a perilous dimness of vision regarding even the fundamental principles of Christian truth.
5. For this reason there is needed by the teacher the gift of the discerning of spirits (1Co_12:10), wisdom even in withholding instruction, and the art of rightly dividing the word (1Ti_1:7; 2Ti_2:2). For this he must himself persevere in the practice and discipline of constant learning and prayer (Jam_1:5); that he may not only use law and Gospel seasonably and in due order, but may also understand how to furnish milk to the children and solid food to the mature (1Co_3:2).
Starke:—In the knowledge of salvation and of Divine things, we must increase daily, each according to his capacity.—The difficulty of some things in Scripture lies not in the things themselves, but properly in the hearer or reader (2Pe_3:16).—Preachers must sometimes address their hearers even sternly, in order that they may be aroused in their state of ignorance, and out of their sluggishness.—The peculiarity and duty of men in Christ is that they teach and advance others, not only in respect of knowledge, by words, but also in practice, by their edifying example.—Oh! how many children of God continue like children under age in the very rudiments of spiritual life.—Children, so soon as they are capable of learning, must be brought to the blessed knowledge of the Gospel; the more advanced they are in years, so much the more should they be advanced also in knowledge; otherwise their age becomes a reproach to them.—Search, and inquire: what is still wanting to me? Thou wilt find that thou art still deficient in many things. Go on; make progress during thy life in learning and discipline, 1Th_4:1; 1Th_4:10.—Since disciplined spiritual senses are demanded for the discrimination of good and evil, and these are found only with the regenerate, no unconverted man can make the true spiritual distinction between good and evil, although, according to his literal knowledge, he may speak very fluently regarding it.
Rieger:—The more spiritual a thing is in its nature, with the more difficulty does it find an entrance, so long as the unspiritual and ungodly nature which has so deeply penetrated our being, still so greatly preponderates.—He who does not cause every thing to take effect with himself for his strengthening and growth in the inner man, but overloads himself in many things merely with fragmentary knowledge, will at last so entangle himself that he will no longer know anything as he ought to know it.—Milk itself may be gradually transformed into stronger food.—The chief confusion arises from the fact that every one so easily exaggerates that which meets his fancy, and is so sluggish toward that which is fitted to introduce him into the true middle path.
Hahn:—Great truths demand also a certain spiritual age and disciplined senses.—If one does not correctly understand a thing, let him first seek the fault in himself, and administer proper self-rebuke.
Heubner:—the riches of Christianity are inexhaustible; the progress of the learners frequently falls short of our expectation.—The Bible Christianity gives various spiritual nourishment. In the contemplation of Christian knowledge there are different stages of maturity, different powers and susceptibilities. We must strive for the highest reach of Christian maturity and power.
Steinhofer:—If we have trodden the paths of conversion, and, from a general knowledge, have known and apprehended the salvation of Jesus for our fainting soul, and have thus been taught to hold Jesus dearer than all things else, then it becomes preëminently important for daily growth in spiritual life, for a more thorough grounding in our fellowship with Jesus, for daily food for the spirit, that we search more closely and more profoundly into the knowledge of Jesus.
Fricke:—What we have apprehended in faith must be thought through, and lived through, by each one in his own way. Thus we become strong.
Footnotes:
Heb_5:4.—The Art. ὁ before êáëïýìåíïò , is to be erased after Sin. A. B. C.* D. E. K., 23, 37, 44.
Heb_5:4.—Instead of êáèÜðåñ , we are to read, with Sin. A. B. D.*, êáèþóðåñ .
Heb_5:4.—The Art. ὁ before Ἀáñþí , is to be expunged after Sin. A. B. C. D. E. K. L.
Heb_5:9.—According to Sin. A. B. C. D. E., 17, 37, the order of the words is as follows: ðᾶóéí ôïῖò ὑðáêïýïõóéí áὐôῷ .
[It seems to me (with De Wette) that a reference of the language to the sufferings and exclamations of Jesus on the cross, would here be inconsistent with the purpose of the writer. He is pointing out how our Lord had learned “obedience by prayers and supplications to Him who was able to save Him from death.” The “obedience” naturally has reference to that which was the object of His crying and supplication, and this is clearly intimated by the expression, “to Him who was able to save Him from death.” The natural implication of this language is, that He prayed to be saved from death. Yet the request was refused Him, and He exercised obedience in submitting resignedly to the will of His Father, and going in obedience to that will to the cross. Thus the prayer of Gethsemane: “If possible, let this cup pass from me,” with the accompanying submission of the whole matter to the will of His Father, and the subsequent obedience in going to the cross, are here clearly portrayed, while “the strong crying,” which is unmentioned in the Gospel, is here added as a natural, and we may add, almost necessary adjunct of the scene; for we could scarcely conceive those agonizing prayers and the bloody sweat, as unaccompanied by the loud outcry here mentioned; and altogether the prayer, the cry, the Sweat, are probably parts of the evangelical tradition regarding that critical scene in the life of our Lord. The death scene on the cross took place when the Son had substantially obeyed; the crisis was over, and Jesus had already accepted His destiny.—K.].