“Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;”
My Notes
What Does Hebrews 3:1 Mean?
The writer of Hebrews issues a command to focused attention: wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.
Wherefore — connecting to the preceding argument (2:10-18): Christ became like his brethren in all things to be a merciful and faithful high priest. Because of this, the readers are called to consider him.
Holy brethren — the readers are addressed with two designations simultaneously: holy (hagioi — set apart, consecrated) and brethren (adelphoi — siblings, family members). They are both sacred and familial — set apart by God and related to each other. The combination elevates and includes: you are holy, and you are family.
Partakers (metochoi — sharers, participants, partners) of the heavenly calling (klesis epouraniou) — the calling is heavenly — originating from heaven, aimed at heaven, characterized by heaven. The readers participate in this calling — they are not observers but partners in it. The heavenly calling is what defines them: they have been summoned by heaven and are heading toward heaven.
Consider (katanoeo — to observe carefully, to fix the mind upon, to contemplate with sustained attention) — the command is intense. Katanoeo means more than glance at. It means to study, to concentrate on, to examine with deliberate, sustained mental focus. The opposite of casual familiarity. The call is to focused, intentional contemplation of Christ.
The Apostle (apostolos — one sent, the authorized representative) and High Priest (archiereus — the chief priest, the mediator between God and humanity) of our profession (homologia — confession, the declared faith) — Christ holds two titles: Apostle and High Priest. As Apostle, he is God's representative to humanity — the one sent from God to us. As High Priest, he is humanity's representative to God — the one who stands before God on our behalf. The two titles cover both directions of mediation: God to man (Apostle) and man to God (High Priest).
Christ Jesus — the names combine: Christ (Messiah — the anointed one of God) and Jesus (the human name — Savior). The person to be considered is both the divine anointed and the human Savior. Both natures. One person. Worthy of the most sustained contemplation a human mind can offer.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does 'consider' (katanoeo — sustained, focused contemplation) demand that casual familiarity with Christ does not?
- 2.How do the two titles — Apostle (God to you) and High Priest (you to God) — describe the complete mediation Christ provides?
- 3.What does being called 'holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling' establish about your identity before the command is given?
- 4.What currently has the sustained attention of your mind — and what would it look like to redirect that focus to considering Christ?
Devotional
Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus. Consider. Not glance at. Not casually acknowledge. Consider — fix your mind on, study with sustained attention, contemplate with the full focus of your mental energy. The command is to stare at Christ — not quickly but carefully. Not once but continuously. The word demands the kind of attention you give to the most important thing in your life.
The Apostle. The one sent from God to you. God's authorized representative — carrying the Father's message, bearing the Father's authority, embodying everything God wanted to communicate to humanity. The Apostle came from heaven to earth. The direction is toward you.
And High Priest. The one who stands before God on your behalf. Your representative in the throne room — carrying your needs, bearing your sins, interceding with the authority of his own sacrifice. The High Priest goes from earth to heaven. The direction is toward God.
Two titles. Two directions. One person. Christ is both the Apostle (God reaching toward you) and the High Priest (you reaching toward God). Every dimension of the relationship is covered. God's communication to you and your access to God — both flow through the same person.
Holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling. That is who you are — holy and family, sharing in a calling that originated in heaven and aims at heaven. And the command to people with that identity is: consider Christ. Fix your attention on the one who represents God to you and you to God. The considering is not a one-time event. It is a lifestyle — the sustained, focused, deliberate contemplation of the person who holds everything together.
What are you considering? What has your sustained attention? What occupies the focused energy of your mind? The command redirects it all: consider Christ Jesus. The Apostle and High Priest. The one worth every ounce of contemplation your mind can generate.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Wherefore, holy brethren,.... The apostle calls the Hebrews "brethren", not because they were of the same natural stock…
Wherefore - That is, since Christ sustains such a character as has been stated in the previous chapter; since he is so…
Holy brethren - Persons consecrated to God, as the word literally implies, and called, in consequence, to be holy in…
In these verses we have the application of the doctrine laid down in the close of the last chapter concerning the…
Wherefore The same word (ὅθεν) as in Heb 2:17, where see the note. It is an inference from the grandeur of Christ's…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture