vigour. Compare Heb. 6:11 pro;" th;n plhroforivan th'" ejlpivdo" . The sense of perfect selfsurrender must be completed by sure reliance on One Who is ready to help.
The three members of the Christian triad of earthly discipline are forcibly recognised in the familiar order of St Paul (1 Cor. 13:13) ejn plhroforiva/ pivstew", katevcwmen th;n oJmologivan ejlpivdo" (Heb. 10:23), eij" paroxusmo;n ajgavph" (v. 24).
For the possible origin of the Christian triad in a saying of the Lord (
jEpimelei'sqe pivstew" kai; ejlpivdo" dij w|n genna'tai hJ filovqeo" kai; filavnqrwpo" ajgavph, hJ th;n aijwvnion zwh;n parevcousa
Macar. Alex.
Hom.
xxxvii.; Migne,
P. G.
xxxiv. p. 749), compare Resch,
l.c.
179 ff.
rjerantismevnoi...lelousmevnoi
] There are also Divine blessings corresponding to human character. The heart is touched with the cleansing power of the Divine life: faith rests on the pledge of a historic fact. In each case there is a reference to Levitical ceremonies. So it is said that
we have our hearts
the seat of personal characterand not our outward persons and garments (Ex. 29:21; Lev. 8:30. Chrys.
ejkei'noi to; sw'ma ejrrantivzonto, hJmei'" de; th;n suneivdhsin
)
sprinkled
, that is with Christ's Blood and not with any water of purification, and so cleansed
from an evil conscience;
and
our body is bathed with pure water.
In the latter clause there is a reference both to the consecration of priests (Ex. 29:4), and to the bathing of the High-priest on the day of Atonement (Lev. 16:4). With these symbolic bathings the sacramental bathing of Christians is contrasted.
For rJantivzein see Heb. 9:13 note; Lev. 14:5 ff.; Num. 19:9 ff. Twice only is the sprinkling of men with blood noticed in the Levitical ritual, and in each case the symbolism is most expressive: Ex. 24:8 (Heb. 9:19); 29:21. For the construction rJantivzein ajpov compare 2 Cor. 11:3; Rom. 9:3; Luke 18:3. suneid. ponhr. ] The conscience takes its character from the actions of the man: Heb. 13:18 ( kalh;n sun. ); Acts 23:1 ( sun. ajgaqhv , and often); 1 Tim. 3:9; 2 Tim. 1:3 ( kaqara; sun. ). See also Acts 24:16 ( ajprovskopo" sun. ): and Heb. 9:9 Additional Note p. 293.
For the phrase and thought compare Barn.
Ep.
19.12
ouj proshvxei" ejpi; proseuch;n ejn suneidhvsei ponhra'/
.
Did.
§ xiv.
lelousm. to; sw'ma u{. k.
]
having our body bathed with pure water
(Vulg.
abluti corpus
...). For
louvesqai
see Eph. 5:26; Tit. 3:5; and especially John
13:10. For u{dwr kaqarovn see Num. 5:17 ( : yv`idoq] : yImà' ); Ezek. 36:25.
The two phrases appear to contain allusions to the Christian sacraments. That to the Eucharist is veiled: that to Baptism is unquestionable. In the one case the reference is primarily to the spiritual efficacy of the divine working, of which the Holy Eucharist is the appointed but not the sole means: in the other to the outward act, the decisive, sensible, rite in which the believer recognised the foundation of his assurance outside himself. The change in number from ta;" kardiva" to to; sw'ma is not to be overlooked.
Heb. 10:23-25. The exhortation to the use of the personal privilege of approach to God is followed by the charge to fulfil the social duties of believers. Christians are required to maintain the open confession of their hope (v. 23); to regard one another with a view to bringing the influence of example to bear upon the development of life (v. 24); and to use occasions of meeting together in the prospect of a near crisis (v. 25).