Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves— The word επισυναγωγη, rendered assembling together, is used but once more in the New Testament, and there it signifies the gathering together unto Christ at the day of judgment, or our being gathered to him at that time; but here it seems rather to refer to public and private meetings or congregations of Christians. The apostleexhorts the Hebrews to frequent such voluntary assemblies; not to fail making the right use of them, by comforting one another under their afflictions, and encouraging one another to steadiness and perseverance; and to raise in each other the more alacrity and readiness in mutual good offices, as they saw the day approaching. They knew that the day of Christ's final judgment, being certainly future, came nearer and nearer; and from what Christ had said concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, as to happen during the lives of some who had been present with him, about thirty years before the dateof this epistle, (compare Matthew 16:28.) they might infer that that day was now near, though they were not able to calculate the exact time.

Continues after advertising
Continues after advertising