And church of the first-born which are written in heaven (xal éxxrAnola mpwroréKxwy amroyeypapymevev ev ovpavots ).
554 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. ([Cu. XI.
This forms a distinct clause; ‘and to the church,” ete. For éxxrnola assembly or church, see on Matt. xvi. 18; 1 Th. i. 1. The “myriads” embrace not only angels, but redeemed men, enrolled as citizens of the heavenly commonwealth, and enti- tled to the rights and privileges of first-born sons. Ipwr0- roxos first-born is applied mostly to Christ inN.T. See Rom. viii. 29; Col. i. 15, 18; Heb. i. 6; Apoe.1. 5. Comp. Heb. xi. 28, and L. ii. 7. Properly applied to Christians by virtue of their union with Christ, “the first-born of all cre- ation,” “the first-born from the dead,” as sharing his sonship and heirship. See Rom. viii. 14-17, 29. The word also points to Christians as the true Israel of God. The analogy is suggested with the first-born of Israel, to whom peculiar sanctity attached, and whose consecration to himself God enjoined (Ex. xiii. 1, 11-16); and with the further appli- cation of the term first-born to Israel as a people, Ex. iv. 22. The way was thus prepared for its application to the Mes- siah. There seems, moreover, to be a clear reference to the case of Esau (ver. 16). Esau was the first-born of the twin sons of Isaac (Gen. xxv. 25). He sold his birthright (apwro- roxia), and thus forfeited the privilege of the first-born. The assembly to which Christian believers are introduced is com- posed of those who have not thus parted with their birthright, but have retained the privileges of the first-born. The phrase “church of the first-born” includes all who have possessed and retained their heavenly birthright, living or dead, of both dispensations: the whole Israel of God, although it is quite likely that the Christian church may have been most promin- ent in the writer’s thought.
Which are written in heaven (azroyeypaupévav év odpar- ots). *“Amoypddev, only here and L. ii. 1, 8, 5, means to write off or copy; to enter in a register the names, property, and income of men. Hence, amoypady an enrolment. See on L. ii. 1,2. Here, inscribed as members of the heavenly com- monwealth ; citizens of heaven; Philip. iv. 3; Apoe. iii. 5; xiii. 8,etc. See for the image, Ex. xxxii. 32; Ps. lxix. 28; Isa. iv. 3; Dan. xii. 1; L. x. 20.
Cx. XII. THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 555
To God the judge of all (xpity 6e@ mavtwv). Rend. “a judge who is God of all.” ~ Comp. Dan. vii. 9ff. God of all his first-born, of those whom he chastens, of all who are in filial relations with him under both covenants, and who, therefore, need not fear to draw near to him as judge.
Spirits of just men made perfect (wvevuact Sicalwv TeTed- ecwpévov). The departed spirits of the righteous of both dispensations, who have completed their course after having undergone their earthly discipline. Notice again the idea of Terelwors, not attained under the old covenant, but only through the work of Christ, the benefits of which the disem- bodied saints of the O. T. share with departed Christian believers. Comp. ch. xi. 40.
24. The mediator of the new covenant (days véas pecitn). See ch. vii. 22; viii. 6, 8, 9,10; ix. 15. For coven- ant, see on ch. ix. 6 ff. For the new covenant, rend. a new covenant. Nea new, only here applied to the covenant in N. T. The word elsewhere is catvyn. For the distinction, see on Matt. xxvi. 29. It is better not to press the dis- tinction, since véos, in certain cases, clearly has the sense of quality rather than of time, as 1 Cor. v. 7; Col. iii. 10, and probably here, where to confine the sense to recent would seem to limit it unduly. In the light of all that the writer has said respecting the better quality of the Christian coven- ant, superseding the old, outworn, insufficient covenant, he may naturally be supposed to have had in mind something besides its mere recentness. Moreover, all through the con- trast from ver. 18, the thought of earlier and later is not once touched, but only that of inferior and better; repellency and invitation; terrors and delights; fear and confidence. Note that the privilege of approaching the Mediator in person is emphasised.