KLHRON . SWTHR . ] C OMPARE H EB . 6:12 (A DDITIONAL N OTE ); 12:17; (1 P ET . 3:9). S EE ALSO M ATT . 19:29 ( ETERNAL LIFE ); L UKE 10:25; 18:18; M ATT . 25:34; 1 C OR . 6:9 F .; G AL . 5:21 ( THE KINGDOM ); 1 C OR . 15:50 ( INCORRUPTION ).
S ALVATION , LIKE ETERNAL LIFE , IS AT ONCE PRESENT AND FUTURE : H EB . 5:9; 9:28.
SWTHRIVAN ] S ALVATION IS CONTEMPLATED IN ITS ESSENTIAL CHARACTER , AND NOT IN THE CONCRETE FORM OF THE EXPECTED AND PROMISED S ALVATION ( H SWTHRIVA A CTS 4:12; J OHN 4:22).
P
RIMASIUS REFERS THE WORDS TO THE BELIEF
(
AS THE DOCTORS SAY
)
THAT TO EACH OF THE FAITHFUL A GUARDIAN ANGEL IS ASSIGNED
FROM HIS BIRTH OR RATHER FROM HIS BAPTISM
.
A
DDITIONAL
N
OTE ON
H
EBREWS
1:3. T
HE TEACHING UPON
S
IN IN THE
E
PISTLE
.
T HERE IS NO DIRECT STATEMENT IN THE E PISTLE AS TO THE ORIGIN OF SIN OR THE UNIVERSAL SINFULNESS OF MEN . I T IS HOWEVER IMPLIED THAT ALL MEN ARE SINNERS . T HIS THOUGHT LIES IN THE DESCRIPTION OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE H IGH - PRIEST WHO IS FITTED TO SATISFY OUR NEEDS ( HMIN EPREPEN ). H E IS
SEPARATED FROM SINNERS (7:26 KECWRISMEVNO " TWN AMARTWLWN ), WHERE THE DEFINITE PHRASE OI AMARTWLOIV APPEARS TO DESCRIBE A BODY COMMENSURATE WITH HUMANITY . T HE SAME IDEA IS EXPRESSED STILL MORE FORCIBLY IN 4:15, IF THE INTERPRETATION GIVEN IN THE NOTE UPON THE PASSAGE IS CORRECT . F OR WHILE THE FACT OF SIN IS FOR US A FRUITFUL SOURCE OF TEMPTATION IT IS LAID DOWN THAT , WHEN C HRIST WAS IN ALL OTHER POINTS TEMPTED AS WE ARE , THIS ONE FEATURE MUST NECESSARILY BE EXCEPTED ( PEPEIRASMEVNON KATA PAVNTA KAQJ OMOIOVTHTA CWRI ;" AMARTIVA " ). T HE COMMON INTERPRETATION ALSO SUGGESTS , THOUGH LESS DISTINCTLY , THE UNIQUENESS OF C HRIST ' S SINLESSNESS .
S IN THEN IS TREATED AS UNIVERSAL , AND MEN ARE HELD JUSTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CONSEQUENCES . T HEY ARE CONSCIOUS OF SINS (10:2 SUNEIVDHSIN ECEIN AMARTIWN ), AS HINDERING THEM FROM ATTAINING THEIR TRUE DESTINY . I N THEMSELVES THEY ARE , SO TO SPEAK , CLOTHED IN WEAKNESS (5:2 PERIVKEITAI AJSQEVNEIAN : COMP . 7:28 ECONTA " AJSQEVNEIAN ) WHICH IS SHEWN IN MANY FORMS (4:15 TAI '" AJSQENEIVAI " ). T HEY GO ASTRAY AND ARE IGNORANT (5:2). T HEIR WORKS AS THEY STAND ALONE ARE DEAD WORKS (6:1; 9:14 NEKRA ERGA ).
M EANWHILE THROUGH FEAR OF DEATH WHICH IS ASSUMED TO BE THE END OF SIN THEY ARE ALL THEIR LIFETIME SUBJECT TO BONDAGE (2:15). A ND PROBABLY THE REFERENCE TO THE DEVIL , WHO HATH THE POWER OF DEATH (2:14 TON TO KRAVTO " ECONTA TOU QANAVTOU ), POINTS TO THE PRIMAL TEMPTATION AND FALL OF MAN .
T
HE WRITER OF THE
E
PISTLE
,
AS THE OTHER APOSTOLIC WRITERS
,
DISTINGUISHES CLEARLY BETWEEN
SIN
,
THE PRINCIPLE
,
AND
SINS
,
THE SPECIFIC ACTS IN WHICH THE PRINCIPLE IS EMBODIED AND MANIFESTED
. T
HE PASSAGES WHICH DEAL WITH THESE TWO CONCEPTIONS MUST BE NOTICED SEPARATELY
(
COMP
. 9:26
NOTE
).
1. S IN ( H AMARTIVA , AMARTIVA ). T HE RITUAL OF THE O.T. RECOGNISED SIN NO LESS THAN SINS . T HERE WERE SACRIFICES FOR ( IN THE MATTER OF ) SIN (10:6, 8; 13:11 PERI AMARTIVA " ). T HE BURDEN OF SINS AND INIQUITIES MADE SUCH A GENERAL SACRIFICE NECESSARY . B UT WHERE REMISSION OF THESE IS , THERE IS NO MORE OFFERING