<- Previous   First   Next ->

16:16, 20, 33; Ezek. 43:20, 22, 26; 45:18, 20 ( to; a{gion, to; qusiasthvrion, to;n oi\kon ), and Dan. 9:24 ( ajdikiva" ); Ps. 64:4 (65:4) ( ajsebeiva" ): Ecclus. 3:30
(
aJmartiva" ).

The essential conception is that of altering that in the character of an object which necessarily excludes the action of the grace of God, so that God, being what He is, cannot (as we speak) look on it with favour. The ‘propitiation’ acts on that which alienates God and not on God whose love is unchanged throughout.

So Chrysostom expresses the thought here: i{na prosenevgkh/ qusivan dunamevnhn hJma'" kaqarivsai, dia; tou'to gevgonen a[nqrwpo" ; and OEcumenius: dia; tou'to gevgonen ( a[nqrwpo" ) eij" to; ejxilewvsasqai hJma'" kai; kaqarivsai tw'n aJmartiw'n hJmw'n . And Primasius: misertus est [generis humani] sicut fidelis pontifex, reconcilians nos Deo Patri, et reconciliando purgans.

The present infin. iJlavskesqai must be noticed. The one (eternal) act of Christ (Heb. 10:12-14) is here regarded in its continuous present application to men (comp. Heb. 5:1, 2).
ta;" aJm. tou' laou' ] the sins of the people , of all who under the new dispensation occupy the position of Israel. The ‘seed of Abraham’ now receives its fuller title. Comp. Matt. 1:21; Luke 2:10; and Heb. 4:9; 13:12; (8:10; 10:30; 11:25). For the original use of the word for the old ‘people’ see 5:3; 7:5, 11, 27; 9:7, 19.

The use of the phrase suggests the thought of the privileges of the Jew, and at the same time indicates that that which was before limited has now become universal, the privilege of faith and not of descent.

18. Christ's High-priestly work, which has been considered in the last clause of v. 17 in relation to God, is now considered in relation to man. In this respect the efficacy of His High-priesthood, of His mercy and faithfulness, is shewn in the power of its application to suffering men. Propitiation must not only be made for them but also applied to them. He who propitiates must enter into the experience of the sinner to support him in temptation. And this Christ can do; for wherein He Himself hath suffered...He is able to
succour
...He removes the barrier of sin which checks the outflow of God's love to the sinner, and at once brings help to the tempted (contrast iJlavskesqai, bohqh'sai ) by restoring in them the full sense of filial dependence. The whole work of our High-priest depends for its efficacy ( gavr ) on the perfect sympathy of Christ with humanity and his perfect human experience.
ejn w|/ gavr ] O. L. in quo enim ipse expertus passus est. The ejn w|/ may be resolved either into ejn touvtw/ o{ti whereas (Rom. 8:3?), or into ejn touvtw/ o{ wherein (Rom. 14:22; comp. Heb. 2:8; Gal. 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:10; 1 Pet. 2:12). The latter construction is the simpler and more natural (Vulg. in eo enim in quo passus est ipse et tentatus ).

Taking this construction therefore we have two main interpretations:

. ‘For Himself having been tempted in that which He hath suffered...’

(So Vigilius: in eo enim quo passus est ille tentatus est.)

. ‘For in that in which He hath suffered being tempted...’

According to the first view the


<- Previous   First   Next ->