3:1 Wherefore, {1} holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the {a} Apostle and High Priest of our {b} profession, Christ Jesus;
(1) Having laid the foundation that is to say, declared and proved both the natures of one Christ, he gives him three offices, that is, the office of a Prophet, King and Priest, and concerning the office of teaching, and governing, compares him with Moses and Joshua from Heb 3:1-4:14, and with Aaron concerning the priesthood. He proposes that which he intends to speak of, with a grave exhortation, that all our faith may be directed towards Christ, as the only everlasting teacher, governor, and High Priest.
(a) The ambassador or messenger, as in Ro 15:8 he is called the minister of circumcision.
(b) Of the doctrine of the gospel which we profess.
3:1 Christ Superior to Moses
SUMMARY OF HEBREWS 3:
Our Apostle and High Priest. He Above Moses, As the Builder Is Above the House. Moses a Servant in the House; Christ the Son. Lessons Drawn from Israel Under Moses. How the Israelites Provoked God in the Wilderness. How He Refused Them Admission to the Rest. Unbelief Caused Their Fall.
Wherefore. Seeing Christ is so exalted as the first and second chapter show.
Holy brethren. Christians made holy by being purged of their sins.
Partakers of the heavenly calling. Called by a gospel which came from heaven and which will lead those who obey it, and thus become partakers, to heaven.
Consider the Apostle and High Priest. Christ. An apostle is one sent. Moses, in this sense, was an apostle. Christ was sent from heaven. The Twelve were sent out by Christ. He is not only Apostle, but High Priest; superior to both Moses and Aaron combined.
Of our profession, Jesus Christ. More correctly, Our confession, that is, of all confessors of Christ. The confession of Peter was the confession of primitive Christians (Mt 16:16).
3:1 The heavenly calling - God calls from heaven, and to heaven, by the gospel. Consider the Apostle - The messenger of God, who pleads the cause of God with us. And High Priest - Who pleads our cause with God. Both are contained in the one word Mediator. He compares Christ, as an Apostle, with Moses; as a Priest, with Aaron. Both these offices, which Moses and Aaron severally bore, he bears together, and far more eminently. Of our profession - The religion we profess.
3:1-6 Christ is to be considered as the Apostle of our profession, the Messenger sent by God to men, the great Revealer of that faith which we profess to hold, and of that hope which we profess to have. As Christ, the Messiah, anointed for the office both of Apostle and High Priest. As Jesus, our Saviour, our Healer, the great Physician of souls. Consider him thus. Consider what he is in himself, what he is to us, and what he will be to us hereafter and for ever. Close and serious thoughts of Christ bring us to know more of him. The Jews had a high opinion of the faithfulness of Moses, yet his faithfulness was but a type of Christ's. Christ was the Master of this house, of his church, his people, as well as their Maker. Moses was a faithful servant; Christ, as the eternal Son of God, is rightful Owner and Sovereign Ruler of the Church. There must not only be setting out well in the ways of Christ, but stedfastness and perseverance therein to the end. Every meditation on his person and his salvation, will suggest more wisdom, new motives to love, confidence, and obedience.
