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‘styled’). Comp. 1 Macc. 14:40; 2 Macc. 4:7; 10:9; 14:37; 1 Clem. 10, 17. Philo, de migr. Abr. § 24 (2:19 M.) path;r me;n tw'n o{lwn oJ mevso", o}" ejn tai'" iJerai'" grafai'" kurivw/ ojnovmati kalei'tai oJ [Wn, aiJ de; parj eJkavtera presbuvtatai kai; ejgguvtatai tou' o[nto" dunavmei", w|n hJ me;n poihtikh; hJ dj au\ basilikh; prosagoreuvetai : kai; hJ me;n poihtikh; qeov" ... hJ de; basilikh; kuvrio" ...

ii. Progress in patient effort (Hebrews 5:11-6:20)

The general view which has been given of the Divine High-priest, of His office and of His qualifications, of His power of sympathy and of His direct appointment by God, leads naturally to a consideration of the obligations which this revelation imposes upon those to whom it is made. The highest truth is not to be mastered at once, nor without serious and continuous effort. It can only be grasped in virtue of a corresponding growth in those to whom it is addressed. There is always, in the case of those who have learnt somewhat, the danger of resting in their attainment, which is a fatal relapse. Yet we are encouraged by past experience to hold our hope firmly; and the promise of God remains sure beyond the possibility of failure.

These general thoughts are unfolded in four sections. (1) The mention of Melchizedek calls up the difficulties connected with his priesthood which the Hebrews were not prepared to meet. They had become stationary and therefore had lost the power of receiving higher teaching (Heb. 5:11-14). (2) Such a condition illustrates the paramount duty of Christian progress, and the perils of relapse (6:1-8). (3) At the same time the frank recognition of danger does not exclude the consolation of hope (Heb. 6:9-12). And (4) though God requires patience from men, His promise can never fail (5:13-20).

It is of deep interest to observe that here for the second time the writer pauses when the subject of Christ's priestly work rises before him. He announced this subject in 2:17, and directly turned aside from it to enforce the lessons of Israel's failure. He returned to the subject in 4:14, and, after a fuller exposition of its outlines, he now again interrupts his argument to insist on the strenuous labour which believers must undertake that they may rightly enter into it.

Chrysostom says justly: o{ra gou'n aujto;n sunecw'" wjdivnonta to;n peri; tou' ajrcierevw" eijsagagei'n lovgon kai; ajei; ajnaballovmenon ... ejpei; ou\n tosautavki" ejxekrouvsqh/, wJsanei; ajpologouvmenov" fhsin hJ aijtiva parj uJma'" .

(1) Stationariness in religious life and its consequences (Hebrews 5:11-14)

The life of faith is like the natural life. It has appropriate support in its different stages. Healthy growth enables us to appropriate that which we could not have received at an earlier stage. But this general law carries with it grave consequences. ( a ) The period of first discipleship may be misused, as by the Hebrews, so that we remain still mere ‘babes’ when it is past (5:11,
12). And so (
b ) when the time comes for maturer instruction we may be unprepared to apprehend it (5:13, 14).

11 Of whom (which) we have many things to say and hard of interpretation since ye are become dull in your hearing. 12 For when ye ought to be teachers by reason of the time, ye again have need that some one


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