266
bi. 3,13, et ἁμαρτίαν, δι᾿ ὑπομονῆς τρέχωμεν τὸν προκείμενον ἡμῖν ἀγῶνα" 2.
ii. το, et Vili. I; Luc. xxiv. 26, 46; Acts iii.
31; Phil
- - Ld - ~ Ὁ ἀφορῶντες εἰς τὸν τῆς πίστεως ἀρχηγὸν καὶ τελειωτὴν᾽ ᾿Ιησοῦν, ὃς Ἂς fol ~ A ἀντὶ τῆς προκειμένης αὐτῷ χαρᾶς, ὑπέμεινε σταυρὸν, αἰσχύνης κατα- 15,etv. φρονήσας, ἐν δεξιᾷ τε τοῦ θρόνου τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐκάθισεν.
4. ἀναλογί-
ll. ~ A ii.'8, etc.; 7000 γὰρ τὸν τοιαύτην ὑπομεμενηκότα ὑπὸ τῶν ἀμαρτωλῶν εἰς
1 Peter i.
οὐ Cor. x: 15:
1κεκαθικεν in SADEKLP.
αὐτὸν 2 ἀντιλογίαν, ἵνα μὴ κάμητε ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν ἐκλυόμενοι. 4. “οὔπω μέχρις αἵματος ἀντικατέστητε πρὸς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν
2 εις εαντον AP Vulg.; εἰς εαυτους ΠΕ". [‘* Looks like the conceit which some reader wrote upon his margin’’ (Davidson).]
trial. This let us run, not waiting fora pleasanter, easier course, but accepting that which is appointed and recognising the difficulties as constituent parts of the race. Success depends on the condition attached ἀφορῶντες - - - Ἰησοῦν, fixing our gaze on Him who sets us the example (ἀρχηγὸν) of faith, and exhibits it in its perfect form (τελειωτής), who leads us in faith and in whom faith finds its perfect embodiment. ἀρχηγός pro- perly means one to whom anything owes its origin (cf. ii. το), but here it rather indicates one who takes the lead or sets the example most worth following. Jesus is the ἀρχηγὸς τῆς πίστεως because he is its τελειωτής. In Him alone do we see absolute dependence on God, implicit trust, what it is, what it costs, and what it results in. (Hence the human name Ἰησοῦν.) On Him therefore must the gaze be fixed if the runner is to endure, for in Him the reasonableness, the beauty, and the reward of a life of faith are seen. Faith manifested itself in Jesus, especially in His endurance of the cross in virtue of His faith in the result- ing joy beyond. ὃς ἀντὶ τῆς προκειμένης αὐτῷ χαρᾶς ... ἀντί here as in νετ. 16 denotes the price paid, or reward offered, ‘‘in consideration of”. .There ες: a joy set before Jesus, which nerved Him to endure. This joy was the sitting in the place of achieved victory and power, not a selfish joy, but the con- sciousness of salvation wrought for men, of power won which he could use in their interests. This hope or confident expec- tation so animated Him that He endured the utmost of human suffering and shame. The shame is mentioned aic- χύνης καταφρονήσας, because His despising οὔ ἢ manifests a mind fixed on the glory that was to follow and filled with it.
Ver.3. ἀναλογίσασθε yap. . .. The ‘reason for fixing the gaze on Jesus is
given. That reason being found in the τοιαύτην. This so great contumely and opposition endured by Jesus the Hebrews are to consider, “το bring into analogy, think of by comparing” with their own and so renew their hopeful endurance. τὸν ... ἀντιλογίαν, “Him who has endured at the hands of sinners such contradiction against Himself.” The desire on the part of several interpreters to put a stronger meaning into ἀντιλογία —although quite unsupported by usage— reveals a feeling that verbal abuse or contradiction was a much less severe trial than such as are enumerated in chap. xi. But not only was it this
ἀντιλογία which brought Christ to the
cross and formed the αἰσχύνη of it, but it was the repudiation of His claims throughout His life which formed the chief element in His trial. It was pre- dicted (Luke ii. 34) that He would be a σημεῖον ἀντιλεγόμενον, full of signific- ance misinterpreted, full of God rejected. It was precisely this general rejection and contempt from which the Hebrews were themselves suffering. They were finding how hard it was to maintain a solitary faith contradicted and scorned by public sentiment. Think then, says this writer, of Him who has endured at the hands of sinners so much more pain- ful contradiction ‘‘ against Himself”. ivapy κάµητε... “that ye wax not weary, fainting in your souls”. ψυχαῖς may be construed either with κάμητε or with ἐκλυόμενοι ; better with the latter. [Polybius, xx. 4, 7, speaking of the demoralisation of the Boeotians says that giving themselves up to eating and drinking, οὐ μόνον τοῖς σώμασιν ἐξελύθησαν ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῖς ψυχαῖς.] νεγσ.4. Οὔπω μέχρις αἵματος. . . “Νοε yet unto blood have ye re- sisted in your contest with sin.” Bengel says: “a cursu venit ad pugilatum”. Cf. τ Cor. ix. 24-27. But this is doubtful.