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Having therefore, brothers, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus,
Verse 19. Having therefore, brethren, a confidence. Here begins as it were the second part of this epistle, in which the apostle exhorts the Hebrews to the practice of Christian virtues, to a firm hope, and confidence of entering with Christ into the holy of holies; that is into heaven. Witham.
by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh,
Verse 20. A new and living way; that is, having a new way, which he hath traced out and opened for us, by entering himself first into heaven, through the veil, that is through his flesh, or by taking upon him, our flesh or human nature. He speaks with an allusion and comparison with the high priest of the former law, who to enter into the sanctuary, was to pass through the veil of separation. He compares Christ’s flesh or body to this veil, inasmuch as Christ entered into the sanctuary of heaven by his sufferings in the flesh, and by the death of his body on the cross; or, inasmuch as the divinity of Christ was hidden from us by the veil of his human nature, as the sanctuary was hidden from the people by its veils. Witham.
and having a great priest over God’s house,
Verse 21. And a high priest; that is and having a great priest, to wit, Christ, over the house of God, that is, over the Church, or over all the faithful, both in the Church militant on earth and in the Church triumphant in heaven. Witham.
let’s draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and having our body washed with pure water,
Verse 22. Let us draw near with a full and firm faith, our hearts being cleansed and sprinkled from sin. He again alludes to that ceremony, by which the high priest of the Jews on the feast, called of expiation, sprinkled the people with the blood of the victim offered. Witham.—Εν πληροφορια πιστεως. The Prot. version gives erroneously, in full assurance of faith. See Ward’s Errata.
let’s hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering; for he who promised is faithful.
Let’s consider how to provoke one another to love and good works,
not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Verse 25. Not forsaking our assembly. [6] Saint John Chrysostom understands the assemblies of Christians, where they met to celebrate the divine mysteries. Others expound it of not leaving the faith and communion of the Catholic Church by turning apostates: this is confirmed by the following words: for if we sin wilfully, … there is now left no sacrifice for sins. The Novatian heretics understood no pardon for sins after baptism. Saint John Chrysostom and others understood no second baptism, wherewith to be cleansed in the same manner as before; but the most probable interpretation, and most agreeable to the text and doctrine of Saint Paul, seems to be, that now remained no sacrifice for sins, that is no other sacrifice but that of Christ, which the apostate renouncing, by quitting and abandoning his faith, thereby cuts himself off from the very groundwork and foundation of salvation, as long as he continues in his apostacy. So that nothing remains for him but a dreadful expectation [7] of God’s just and severe judgments. Witham.