2 And, truly, the good news came to us, even as it did to them; but the hearing of the word did them no good, because they were not united in faith with the true hearers.
And for this cause we still give praise to God, that, when the word came to your ears through us, you took it, not as the word of man, but, as it truly is, the word of God, which has living power in you who have faith.
So that as it is clear that some have to go in, and that the first hearers of the good news were not able to go in because they went against God's orders,
So that they all may be judged, who had no faith in what is true, but took pleasure in evil. But it is right for us to give praise to God at all times for you, brothers, loved by the Lord, because it was the purpose of God from the first that you might have salvation, being made holy by the Spirit and by faith in what is true:
And it was made clear to those prophets that they were God's servants not for themselves but for you, to give you word of the things which have now come to your ears from the preachers of the good news through the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven; things which even angels have a desire to see.
And without faith it is not possible to be well-pleasing to him, for it is necessary for anyone who comes to God to have the belief that God is, and that he is a rewarder of all those who make a serious search for him.
And to whom did he make an oath that they might not come into his rest? was it not to those who went against his orders? So we see that they were not able to go in because they had no belief.
To you, first, God sent his servant, blessing you by turning every one of you from his sins.
Because our good news came to you, not in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Spirit, so that you were completely certain of it; even as you saw what our behaviour to you was like from our love to you.
And the holy Writings, seeing before the event that God would give the Gentiles righteousness by faith, gave the good news before to Abraham, saying, In you will all the nations have a blessing.
And if I give all my goods to the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it is of no profit to me.
It is true that circumcision is of use if you keep the law, but if you go against the law it is as if you had it not.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Hebrews 4
Commentary on Hebrews 4 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 4
The apostle, having in the foregoing chapter set forth the sin and punishment of the ancient Jews, proceeds in this,
Hbr 4:1-10
Here,
Hbr 4:11-16
In this latter part of the chapter the apostle concludes, first, with a serious repeated exhortation, and then with proper and powerful motives.