Thomas Aquinas Commentary Hebrews 10:32-39

"But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were enlightened, ye endured a great conflict of sufferings; partly, being made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, becoming partakers with them that were so used. For ye both had compassion on them that were in bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of you possessions, knowing that ye have for yourselves a better possession and an abiding one. Cast not away therefore your boldness, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, having done the will of God, ye may receive the promise. For yet a very little while, He that cometh shall come, and shall not tarry. But my righteous one shall live by faith: And if he shrink back, my soul hath no pleasure in him. But we are not of them that shrink back unto perdition; but of them that have faith unto the saving of the soul." — Hebrews 10:32-39 (ASV)

After exhorting them with sobering reasons to cling to Christ by faith, hope, and love, the Apostle now offers pleasant reasons, like a good physician who applies soothing lotions after making an incision. For among all forms of encouragement, praise is what best stimulates a person to persevere in a good work they have started. Praised virtue gains great momentum, and glory is a powerful stimulus. In this regard, he does two things:

1. He recalls the good things they had done. In this, he does three things:
   1. He recalls in a general way the tribulations they suffered for the faith.
   2. He describes the kinds of tribulations (see verse 33).
   3. He explains these in detail (see verse 34).
2. He urges them to finish what still remains (see verse 35).

Therefore, because past success stimulates a person to do better—just as misfortune, on the contrary, leads to despair—the Apostle recalls their past good deeds. He tells them to recall the former days, that is, the first days of their conversion. This is like when the Lord says, “I have remembered you” (Jeremiah 2:2), meaning the good you accomplished. In those days, you were enlightened by faith, which both illuminates and cleanses the soul: “Purifying their hearts by faith” (Acts 15:9); “Arise, be enlightened, O Jerusalem” (Isaiah 60:1).

This enlightenment is accomplished by faith in Christ: “That Christ may dwell in your hearts” (Ephesians 3:17); “To enlighten them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death” (Luke 1:79). For the first light of the soul is faith.

You endured a great struggle with sufferings, battling against the severe affliction inflicted on you by those who persecuted Christ in you. As the Lord said, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4)—“me,” that is, in my members. As Augustine says in a sermon on this text, “While the members were on earth, the head cried from heaven.” Scripture says, “She gave him strong conflict, that he might overcome” , and “I have fought a good fight” (2 Timothy 4:7).

As recorded in Acts 8, a great persecution arose against the Church after Stephen’s death. Paul writes, “For you, brethren, are become followers of the Churches of God which are in Judea; for you also have suffered the same things from your own countrymen, even as they have from the Jews” (1 Thessalonians 2:14). Therefore, since you began to endure from the very beginning, it would be reprehensible to give up now.

Next, when the Apostle says that on the one hand you were made a gazingstock by abuse and affliction, he shows what these afflictions were. A person suffers in two ways: in oneself by enduring affliction, and with someone else by taking pity on another’s affliction. They suffered in both ways. Regarding the first, he says that with respect to yourselves, you were made a gazingstock, which is deeply distressing for a wise person. While it is not a serious matter if a fool is mocked, even with great derision, for a wise person it is a heavy burden. Furthermore, to be troubled and mocked by one’s persecutor is extremely distressing. He shows how great their affliction was, because they were made a gazingstock—meaning that no one took pity on them, but instead people rejoiced in their sufferings and reproaches: “The reproaches of them that reproached you are fallen upon me” (Psalms 69:9); “Many are the tribulations of the just” (Psalms 34:19). As Paul also says, “We are made a spectacle to the world,” for derision; “and to angels,” for congratulation; “and to men” who use their reason, for imitation (1 Corinthians 4:9).

Regarding the second way of suffering, he says that on the other hand, you became partners of those who were so treated—that is, of those who suffered such things. This you did through compassion and by providing aid: “Communicating to the necessities of the saints” (Romans 12:13).

Then, when he says, “for you had compassion on the prisoners” [or, on them that were in bands], he explains what he had just said. First, regarding the second point, he explains how they showed compassion. Among the Jews, many were “in bands” (imprisoned), as it says in Acts 8:3 that Paul “made havoc in the Church, committing men and women to prison.” Christ says, “I was in prison and you visited me” (Matthew 25:36). Second, regarding the first point, he says, “and the plundering of your property”—for helping those in prison—“you took with joy.” This is in keeping with other scriptures: “Count it all joy, when you shall fall into diverse temptations” (James 1:2); “The Apostles went from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were accounted worthy to suffer reproach for the name of Jesus” (Acts 5:41).

But with what kind of joy? Should tribulations be loved? It certainly seems not, for Augustine says, “You are commanded to bear them, not love them.” I answer that tribulations are not loved for their own sake, but for the sake of something else. This is how these believers loved them. Thus, the Apostle continues, “since you knew that you had a better and abiding possession.”

This refers to other, more important riches, which are called “better” and are actually increased by the loss of worldly wealth. For temporal riches are empty, consisting of things that are beneath humanity. Spiritual riches, however, consist in God—namely, in the enjoyment of God: “Riches of salvation, wisdom and love; the fear of the Lord is his treasure” (Isaiah 33:6). Furthermore, spiritual riches last, because worldly riches perish on their own and can be taken away, but these cannot: “Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth, where the rust and moth consume, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19–20).

Then, in verse 35, he shows what remains for them to do, which is to retain the confidence they have gained from their good works. In this regard, he does three things:

1. He gives an admonition.
2. He explains how to follow the admonition (see verse 36).
3. He proves his point with a scriptural authority (see verse 37).

He says, therefore: Since you have done so many good things in the first days of your conversion, you should have great confidence in God. “Do not, therefore, throw away your confidence,” which you will lose if you stop doing good, for it “has a great reward.” As Jesus said, “Be glad and rejoice for your reward is very great in heaven” (Matthew 5:12), and as God promised, “I am your protector and your reward exceeding great” (Genesis 15:1).

The way to keep this confidence is through patience. Hence, he says, “for you have need of patience.” Just as meekness moderates anger, so patience places a limit on sadness, preventing it from exceeding the bounds of reason. Sadness is caused either by evils inflicted or by good things being delayed: “Hope that is deferred, afflicts the soul” (Proverbs 13:12). When patience deals with the first cause, it is properly called patience; when it deals with the second, it is called long-suffering. Here, however, patience stands for both: not only for enduring evil, but also for long-suffering in the face of delayed good. Therefore, he says that patience is necessary for us in both respects: “The patient man is better than the valiant” (Proverbs 16:32); “In your patience you shall possess your souls” (Luke 21:19); “Patience has a perfect work” (James 1:4).

Why is patience necessary? “That you may do the will of God and receive the promise.” This means fulfilling God’s will by obeying His commandments, which are the signs of His will. Thus, by doing the “signified” will of God (a way the term is sometimes used in Scripture), you will receive the promise—that is, the things promised, which are given to those who work: “Call the workers and give them their hire” (Matthew 20:8). As it is written, “In your patience you shall possess your souls” (Luke 21:19); “He that perseveres unto the end, he shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13); and “I will suddenly speak against a nation and against a kingdom, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy it. If that nation against which I have spoken shall repent of their evil, I also will repent of the evil I have thought to do to them. And I will suddenly speak of a nation and of a kingdom, to build up and plant it” (Jeremiah 18:7–8).

Next, in verse 37, he cites a scriptural authority to prove what he has said. In this, he does two things:

1. He states the authority.
2. He applies it to his argument (see verse 39).

Regarding the first point, stating the authority, he does three things:

1. He suggests how near the reward is.
2. He describes the condition for receiving the reward (see verse 38).
3. He mentions the danger of losing the reward (see verse 38b).

It should be noted that this authority seems to be from Habakkuk 2, yet the first words are taken from Haggai 2. The Apostle probably did this because both prophets were speaking about the same coming. For Habakkuk 2:3 says, “As yet the vision is far off,” while Haggai 2:7 says, “Yet one little while.” Therefore, he uses the words of one as if they were the words of the other. A better explanation is that because the Apostle is speaking of his own time—after the incarnation and resurrection, from which less time remains until the judgment than remained in the prophet’s time—he prefers to use Haggai’s words at the beginning. Yet the two authorities agree in the end. Alternatively, one could say that he is speaking as if for himself, and his words should be received with no less authority than the prophets’.

There are two comings of the Lord, corresponding to two judgments: one is general, at the end of the world in the general judgment; the other is particular, after each person’s death. Regarding both, he says, “for yet a little while.” In terms of the length of time, this is true for both. Regarding the first coming, although the time seems long from our human perspective, it is brief compared to eternity: “For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday, which is past” (Psalms 90:4); “Behold, I come quickly” (Revelation 22:12).

As for the particular coming, which is at death and about which John 14:3 says, “I shall come again and take you to myself,” it does not make much difference whether the time is short or long, because in the judgment each person will be as they are when they die. Therefore, we should strive to appear good at death, because of the saying, “Where I find you, there I will judge you.” He says, “a little while,” because tribulations are not of long duration. For if they are overwhelming, they are necessarily brief; if they are slight, they may not end quickly. This is why Paul writes, “That which is at present momentary and light of our tribulation works for us above measure exceedingly an eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17). Therefore, the coming one shall come quickly and will not tarry, either in death or in the judgment: “Behold the judge stands before the door” (James 5:9).

The Apostle indicates who will be rewarded when he says, “But my righteous [just] man lives by faith.” This same text is found in Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11. The reward is paid only to the just: “The salvation of the just is from the Lord” (Psalms 37:39). But justice is of two kinds: one according to human judgment, and the other according to divine judgment. Of the first, it is written, “not knowing the justice of God, and seeking to establish their own” (Romans 10:3). Of the second, “They were both just before the Lord” (Luke 1:6). God requires the second kind of justice; hence, He says, “my just man”—that is, one whose justice is aligned with Me, who is just to Me and for Me.

The means by which a person is justified is faith: “The justice of God by faith of Jesus Christ” (Romans 3:22). The reason is that a person is just because he is oriented toward God, and the means by which a person is first oriented toward God is faith. Therefore, he says, “My just man lives by faith.” As it is written, “He that comes to God must believe” (Hebrews 11:6). Not only is justice by faith, but the one justified also lives by faith. For just as the body lives by the soul, so the soul lives by God. Therefore, just as the body lives by that through which the soul is first united to it, so the soul lives by that through which God is first united to it. This is faith, because it is the first thing in the spiritual life: “If you will not believe, you shall not continue” (Isaiah 7:9), just as a house does not remain if its foundation is destroyed. Paul says, “And that I live now in the flesh: I live in the faith of the Son of God” (Galatians 2:20). But faith not formed by love is dead; therefore, it does not give life to the soul without love: “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren” (1 John 3:14). Alternatively, “my just man lives by faith” means that he is considered just by Me and has the life of glory without actual suffering, if the opportunity to suffer is not given.

Then, when he says, “but if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him,” he shows the danger hanging over a person who does not continue in the justice of faith. Since it lies within the power of the believer to destroy or save himself, he says, “but if he shrinks back”—that is, from faith and from justice—“my soul has no pleasure in him.” Our version of Habakkuk 2:4 has, “His soul shall not be right in himself,” but the sense is the same. Jerome says that wherever the Hebrew differs from the Septuagint, the Apostle uses what he learned from Gamaliel, at whose feet he learned the Law. Therefore, “my soul,” meaning my will, “has no pleasure in him.” Because the will of God should be the rule of our actions, a person who does not align with God’s will does not have a soul that is right.

Finally, when he says, “but we are not of those that shrink back and are destroyed,” he applies this to his argument. It is as if to say: This is what will happen to those who withdraw from the faith, but we are not children of withdrawal that leads to destruction. A person is said to be a “son” of whatever rules him. Thus, a person is called a son of death when that which causes his rejection by God rules him: “These are they who separate themselves, sensual men, having not the Spirit” (Jude 1:19). This withdrawal leads to the destruction of the soul: “You have destroyed all them that are disloyal to you” (Psalms 73:27); “And the way of the wicked shall perish” (Psalms 1:6). But we are of those who have faith—reborn in Christ—and save their souls. For a person who keeps God’s commandments saves his soul: “If you will enter into life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:17). As Paul says, “We are not of the night, or of darkness” (1 Thessalonians 5:5). Therefore, let us not fall away from the faith.