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The reference to Baptism in the last clause furnishes a direct transition. The confession then publicly and gladly made must be firmly held:

10:23. katevcwmen th;n oJmol. ] Let us hold fast the confession of our hope that it waver not. Compare Heb. 4:14 kratw'men th'" oJmologiva" .

For katevcein see Heb. 3:6, 14. For oJmologiva see Heb. 3:1; 4:14. The word was used specially of the confession at Baptism: e[qo" gevgonen ejk touvtou [the Lord's questions to St Peter] trei'" oJmologiva" ajpaitei'sqai tou;" mevllonta" baptisqh'nai (Ammon. Cat. in Joh. xxi.). wJmologhvsamen o{te ta;" sunqhvka" th'" pivstew" ejpoiouvmeqa eij" ajnavstasin nekrw'n pisteuvein kai; eij" zwh;n aijwvnion (Theophlct.). The illustrations given by Suicer (Thes. s. v. ajpotavssomai ) are worthy of study.

The phrase ‘confession of hope’ is remarkable. The Apostle substitutes for the more general word ‘faith,’ that word which gives distinctness to special objects of faith to be realised in the future. Hope gives a definite shape to the absolute confidence of Faith. Faith reposes completely in the love of God: Hope vividly anticipates that God will fulfil His promises in a particular way.

The conception of Hope naturally occupies a prominent place in an Epistle directed to meet despondency.

Heb. 3:6 ou| oi\kov" ejsmen hJmei'" eja;n th;n parrhsivan kai; to; kauvchma th'" ejlpivdo" mevcri tevlou" bebaivan katavscwmen .

6:11 ejpiqumou'men ...... ejndeivknusqai spoudh;n pro;" th;n plhroforivan th'"
ejlpivdo" a[cri tevlou"
.

6:18, 19 oiJ katafugovnte" krath'sai th'" prokeimevnh" ejlpivdo" h}n ... e[comen ... ajsfalh' te kai; bebaivan, kai; eijsercomevnhn eij" to; ejswvteron tou' katapetavsmato" .

7:19 kreivttono" ejlpivdo", dij h|" ejggivzomen tw'/ qew'/ . The hope in each case appears to be fixed upon the realisation of a complete divine fellowship under new conditions, as it was laid down by the schoolmen: proprium ac principale spei objectum est ipsa aeterna beatitudo (Th. Aq. Sum. Th. 2.2 qu. 17, art. 2). To this the Christian looks forward with a vivid anticipation. In it he sees the assurance of the transfiguration of the conditions of earthly being (1 John 3:2, 3). The resurrection of Christ is the pledge of its fulfilment (1 Pet. 1:3, 21). Hence ‘Christ Jesus’ Himself is ‘our hope’ (1 Tim. 1:1; Col. 1:27).

In the presence of such a hope the visible glories of the Temple fade away. Those who can realise it will feel no loss when they are withdrawn.

Comp. Acts 2:26 (LXX.); 23:6; 24:15; 2 Cor. 3:12; Rom. 5:2; 8:20 ff.; Col. 1:5.

jElpiv" is not found in the Gospels. The translation ‘faith’ in A. V. is an innovation: ‘hope’ is found in the earlier versions (Tynd. Cov. GB. Gen. Bps. Rh.).
ajklinh' ] Vulg. indeclinabilem , O.L. inpraevaricabilem, so that it waver not: or, according to the image, so that it remain erect and firm. The word is not found elsewhere in N. T. Comp. Luc. Dem. Enc. § 32 (p. 514) Dhmosqevnhn uJperhgavmhn ... ajklinh' th;n yuch;n ejpj ojrqh'" ejn aJpavsai" fulavttonta trikumivai" th'" tuvch" kai; pro;" mhde;n tw'n deinw'n ejndidovnta .

For the form of the sentence see Heb. 5:14; 7:24. pisto;" ga;r oJ ejpagg. ] The fidelity of God is not only the sure ground of our confidence but (as men speak) it challenges our fidelity. Compare 1 Cor.


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