Thomas Aquinas Commentary Hebrews 4:14-16

"Having then a great high priest, who hath passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin. Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help [us] in time of need." — Hebrews 4:14-16 (ASV)

Having exhorted them to hasten to enter God’s rest, and having cited Christ’s greatness according to His divine nature as an encouragement, the Apostle now does the same regarding His human nature. He does three things:

1. He states His dignity.
2. He shows His compassion (Hebrews 4:15).
3. He urges us to have confidence in Him (Hebrews 4:16).

He says, therefore: We have said that we can speak to Him, who is the living Word, the true judge, and the high priest. This is because we have a great high priest, as it is written, You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek (Psalms 110:4). He is not just a high priest, but a great one: and the Lord showed me Jesus the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord (Zechariah 3:1). He is called great because He is not a high priest of temporal goods only, but of goods to come: but Christ being come a high priest of the good things to come (Hebrews 9:11).

Now, two things pertained to a great high priest. The first was his office, namely, to enter the Holy of Holies once a year with blood. This befits Christ in a special way, for the earthly high priest enters with blood into a figurative Holy of Holies, but Christ, through His own blood, entered into the heavenly Holy of Holies. Hence, the Apostle says, who has passed through the heavens, meaning He entered by His own power. The second thing is that the high priest had to be from a certain tribe, namely, from the line of Aaron. But this also belongs to Christ, who is of a nobler origin; hence, He is called the Son of God: This is my beloved Son (Matthew 3:17); You are my son; this day have I begotten you (Psalms 2:7).

Therefore, because we have this high priest, let us hold fast our confession. This means we should cling to it with all our heart, because, as it says in Romans 10:10, With the heart we believe unto justice; but with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. Christ, the greatest high priest, demands this confession: Everyone that shall confess me before men, I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven (Matthew 10:32). The Apostle says, our confession. This can be understood in two ways. First, the confession mentioned here is a confession of faith. Faith is the source of hope. Just as Abraham begot Isaac, so faith begets hope—not as a habit, but in its ordering toward the act of hoping. For no one can or should hope for anything he cannot obtain. The fact that we can obtain eternal things is due to our faith.

Then, when the Apostle says, For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our infirmities, he shows that there is mercy and compassion in Christ, lest anyone suppose that He can only act according to what His justice requires. It should be noted here that Christ does not merely have the power to show compassion, but is most ready to do so, because He has experienced our wretchedness. As God, He knew this from all eternity by simple knowledge, as it is written: The Lord has compassion on them that fear him: for he knows our frame (Psalms 103:13–14).

Hence, he adds, but was in all points tempted as we are. There are three kinds of temptation. The first is from the flesh, namely, when the flesh lusts against the spirit, as it says in Galatians 5:17. This always involves sin, because, as Augustine says, it is a sin for the flesh to lust against the spirit. This temptation was not in Christ; hence, the Apostle says, yet without sin, meaning without the slightest movement of sin. As it is written: Who did not sin, neither was guile found in His mouth (1 Peter 2:22). Therefore, He is called the Lamb of God.

The second kind of temptation is to be enticed by prosperity or terrified by adversity. Christ was tempted in these ways. He was enticed by prosperity, for whatever pertains to prosperity in this life relates to either the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, or the pride of life (1 John 2:16). The devil tempted Him with the first of these, gluttony (which is the mother of lust), when he said, If you are the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread (Matthew 4:3). He also tempted Him with vainglory, saying, All these things will I give you, if falling down you will adore me (Matthew 4:9). When all the temptations were over, the devil left him for a time (Luke 4:13). Furthermore, He was tempted by adversity: by the snares laid by the Pharisees, who wished to trap Him in His speech; by insults, such as, You that destroy the temple of God and in three days rebuild it, save your own self (Matthew 27:40); and by scourges and torments. Therefore, though He was without sin, He has been tempted in every way as we are.

The phrase as we are can be explained in two ways. First, it can designate a final cause. That is to say, He was tempted in order to give us an example of how to handle temptation: Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps (1 Peter 2:21). Second, it can denote a consequence. That is to say, He was tempted so that He might be like us in all things, except sin. For if He had existed without temptations, He would not have experienced them, and thus could not have compassion. But if He had sinned, He would not have been able to help us, but would have needed help Himself.

Then, when he says, Let us go therefore with confidence to the throne of grace, he urges us to have confidence in Him. It is as if to say: Since He can have compassion, let us approach with confidence, as it is written: Behold, God is my savior; I will deal confidently and will not fear (Isaiah 12:2). Let us go, I say, to the throne. A king’s seat is called a throne, and Christ is king: The king will reign and he will be wise (Jeremiah 23:5).

This throne has a twofold state. One is the throne of justice in the future: You have sat on the throne, who judge justice (Psalms 9:5). This will occur in the future: When I shall take a time, I will judge justice (Psalms 75:2). The other is the throne of grace, which is meant here. Hence, he adds, of grace, which exists in the present, the time of mercy: and he shall bring out the chief stone, and shall give equal grace to the grace thereof (Zechariah 4:7). By the grace of Christ we are freed from all misery, because we are freed from sin, which makes people wretched. Hence, he says, that we may obtain mercy.

Furthermore, by the grace of Christ we are aided in doing good. Hence he says, and find grace to help in time of need. This grace is found, as it was said to Mary, You have found grace with God (Luke 1:30), and it is a help for doing good: My help is from the Lord (Psalms 121:2). This help comes through grace: I have labored more abundantly than all they (1 Corinthians 15:10). This help must come at a seasonable time; hence, he says, in time of need. As it is written: There is a time and opportunity for every business (Ecclesiastes 8:6). This seasonable time is the present, which is the time of mercy.