He points to the perfection of love. For, he says, "let us consider one another," that is, let us look to see if there is someone virtuous, so as to imitate such a person, not in order to envy, but to find for ourselves greater encouragement to perform the very same good deeds that he has. This encouragement is a matter of love, not of envy. For, as iron sharpens iron, so also a soul, associating with another soul, stirs it up to the same thing, yet in love. Or also because you, in your dealings with one another, are kindled to love and to be loved.
Heb. 10:25. Let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together,
He knows that the common assembly gives birth to love, therefore he urges not to forsake the assembly and not to start divisions and unlawful gatherings, "for where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:20). The prayer of the Church even loosed Peter from his bonds and freed him from prison (Acts 12:5–10).
Heb. 10:25. "as is the custom of some;"
Here he makes a rebuke to those who separate themselves.
Heb. 10:25. But let us exhort one another,
That is, comforting one another and instructing one another, and teaching, and persuading. "A brother helps a brother and says: be strong!" (see Isa. 41:6).
Heb. 10:25. And all the more so, the more you see that day approaching.
Of the day of death. For as long as we, he says, have not yet departed from this world, why should we be separated from one another? This was a consolation for them, weary under the burden of trials, as he also says in another place: "The Lord is near; do not be anxious about anything" (Phil. 4:5–6).
Heb. 10:26. For if we, having received the knowledge of the truth, willfully sin,
From the most beneficial he convinced that we have boldness, that we have been deemed worthy of forgiveness; but now he frightens with the most sorrowful. See how condescending he is. "We sin willfully," he says: as if, should one sin unwillingly, there exists a certain moderate forgiveness. Note also: he did not say "we sinned," but "we sin," that is, we remain unrepentantly in sin. Thus, if we do not remain in sin but show repentance, there will be forgiveness. So where are those who say that repentance is rejected here? "Having received the knowledge of the truth" — he means either Christ or all the dogmas.
Heb. 10:26. There no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
He says this not in order to reject repentance, as some have devised, but he shows that there is no second baptism, and therefore there is no second death of Christ. He calls the death of Christ a sacrifice, as also in the subsequent words. For by one sacrifice He has perfected forever: our baptism represents the death of Christ. Therefore, just as that death is one, so also this baptism is one. So then, why do you sin so fearlessly, when there is no hope that you will effortlessly wash away your sins through baptism? Therefore, occupy yourself with good works instead.
Heb. 10:27. But a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a fury of fire, ready to devour the adversaries.
See how he, as it were, gave life to fire. Just as an irritated beast does not calm down until it seizes someone and, having devoured them, appeases its fury, so too that fire, as though inflamed with zeal against the transgressors of God's commandments and raging on account of them, always devours whomever it seizes. For he did not say "ready to eat," but "to devour," evidently, forever. By "adversaries" he means not only unbelievers, but also believers who nevertheless act contrary to God's commandments.
Heb. 10:28. If anyone who has rejected the law of Moses,
From the lesser he proves the justice of the future punishment, so that his word too would have more credibility. He calls the Law Mosaic because Moses established much of it.
Heb. 10:28. At the testimony of two or three witnesses, is punished by death without mercy, (Deut. 17:6)
The connection of the speech is as follows: if someone rejected the law of Moses, then in the presence of two or three witnesses "he is punished by death without mercy," that is, if it were declared by two or three witnesses that he had violated the law.
Heb. 10:29. then how much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who tramples the Son of God and does not regard as holy the Blood of the covenant,
He submits the matter to their own judgment, which is what we usually do regarding what is firmly acknowledged by all, turning the listeners into judges. What does "tramples" mean? That is, despises. Just as we count despised people as nothing, so too, counting Christ as nothing, we thus come to the point of sinning. "And does not regard as holy the Blood of the covenant," that is, considers it no better than everything else. "Of the covenant," because for its sake a covenant was established with us, granting us an inheritance of blessings, as we said above. This is said concerning the sacraments. For when we, partaking of the Most Pure Body and Blood, plunge the flesh that has received the Mysteries into the filth of bodily impurity, do we not thereby also trample the Son of God? The dust of the earth is not as unworthy of the Divine Body as impurity is. Make use of what has been said against the Nestorians as well. They, considering Christ a mere man, regard His Blood as defiled, in no way different from that of anyone else.
Heb. 10:29. which he was sanctified by,
Here he shows the insensibility and ingratitude, for, he says, it was fitting to regard with fear the sanctification of which one had been deemed worthy in the Blood.
Heb. 10:29. and insults the Spirit of grace?
For he who has unworthily managed the granted benefaction has insulted the Benefactor. Did He not make you a son of God? Yet you make yourself a slave of passions. Did He not come to dwell in you? Yet you introduce the devil into yourself. Is this not, then, an insult to the Spirit?