things created)
duvnaitj a]n ajxioprepevstero" euJreqh'nai qew'/ plh;n yuch'" teleiva" kekaqarmevnh"
...; (
de sobr.
§ 13; 1.402 M.);
spouvdason ou\n, w\ yuchv, qeou' oi\ko" genevsqai, iJero;n a{gion
...(
de somn.
i. § 23; 1.643 M.);...
to;n tw'n o{lwn nou'n, to;n qeovn, oi\kon e[cein fhsi; to;n eJautou' lovgon
(
de migr. Abr.
§ i.;
1.437 M.). Heb. 10:22. These privileges of Christians are to be used. They must personally exercise their right of access to God. And this they must do in sincerity and faith, even as they have received the fulness of divine blessing in preparation for the fulfilment of their priestly work.
The connexion of the clauses in vv. 22-24 is uncertain. It is possible to begin each main sentence with the verb: prosercwvmeqa ... katevcwmen ... kai; katanow'men ; or to regard the kaiv as giving the new beginning: prosercwvmeqa ... kai;lelousmevnoi ... katevcwmen ... kai; katanow'men ...; or to make the break after pivstew" . The last arrangement may be dismissed at once. In favour of the second, it may be urged that it gives a natural succession of conditions; internal and external, both personal and social: and further that the separation of Baptism ( lel. to; sw'ma ) from the confession naturally included in it is harsh; while the accumulation of fresh thoughts by kaiv is in the style of the writer ( let us come to God...; and having our body bathed...let us hold fast...; and let us consider ...).
But on the other hand it seems most likely that the writer would complete the description of the conditions of personal approach, corresponding with the priestly preparations in the Levitical code, and then pass on to the social obligations of Christians. So that on the whole it seems best to make the break at the end of v. 22 ( let us come to God...bathed with pure water. Let us hold fast... And let us consider ...).
The fourfold characterisation of worshippers in v. 22 ((1) meta; ajlhqinh'" kardiva" , (2) ejn plhroforiva/ pivstew" , (3) rjerantismevnoi , (4) lelousmevnoi ) deals with what they are and with what they have received, with their disposition and with their divine endowment. In themselves there is required sincerity and faith; in regard to the gift of God, the participation in the spiritual reality and in the outward sacramental sign of cleansing. prosercwvmeqa ] The word in this sense of the approach of the worshipper to God is found in the N. T. only in this Epistle and in 1 Pet. 2:4. The usage is not unfrequent in the LXX. Comp. Heb. 4:16 note.
This approach is characterised by two personal qualities, real devotion and ripe faith.
meta; ajlhqinh'" kardiva"
]
with a true heart
Vulg.
cum vero
(O. L.
certo
v.
puro
)
corde
a heart which fulfils the ideal office of the heart, the seat of the individual character, towards Goda heart which expresses completely the devotion of the whole person to God. There is no divided allegiance: no reserve of feeling.
The phrase ajlhqinh; kardiva is found in Is. 38:3 (LXX.) ejporeuvqhn
ejnwvpiovn sou meta; ajlhqeiva" ejn ajlhqinh'/ kardiva/ ( : l+ev; bl¢ ' B] , a whole heart ).
Test. xii Patr. Dan § 5 ajgapa'te ... ajllhvlou" ejn ajlhqinh'/ kardiva/ .
For
ajlhqinov"
see Heb. 8:2; 9:24. (Deut. 25:15; Is. 65:2 A.). Comp. Heb. 8:2 note. For
kardiva
see Additional Note on ch. 4.
ejn plhrof. pivst.
]
in fulness of faith
, Vulg.
in plenitudine
(O. L.
confirmatione
al.
satisfactione
)
fidei
, in faith which has reached its mature