经文研读
Hebrews 4:14-16 — The Great High Priest and the Throne of Grace
Jesus is the great high priest who has passed through the heavens, able to sympathize with our weaknesses, so believers may boldly approach the throne of grace for mercy and timely help.
经文
- 14.我 們 既 然 有 一 位 已 經 升 入 高 天 尊 榮 的 大 祭 司 ， 就 是 神 的 兒 子 耶 穌 ， 便 當 持 定 所 承 認 的 道 。Having then a great high priest, who hath passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
- 15.因 我 們 的 大 祭 司 並 非 不 能 體 恤 我 們 的 軟 弱 。 他 也 曾 凡 事 受 過 試 探 ， 與 我 們 一 樣 ， 只 是 他 沒 有 犯 罪 。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.
- 16.所 以 ， 我 們 只 管 坦 然 無 懼 的 來 到 施 恩 的 寶 座 前 ， 為 要 得 憐 恤 ， 蒙 恩 惠 ， 作 隨 時 的 幫 助 。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.
这段经文的意思
Verse 14 draws a conclusion (「Having then」) from the preceding warnings about unbelief and the penetrating word of God. Because every creature is naked before God's eyes, the hearer needs more than warning — a representative before God. That representative is named with three coordinates: he is great, he has passed through the heavens (not merely entered a sanctuary on earth), and he is Jesus, the Son of God. The response demanded from believers is to hold fast the confession — the same act of faith-acknowledgment that the disobedient generation in the wilderness failed to sustain.
Verse 15 clarifies what kind of high priest Jesus is. He is not distant or untouchable; he can be 「touched with the feeling of our infirmities.」 The Greek idea behind this phrase is that he shares the experience of human weakness. Yet the comparison has a limit: he was 「tempted like as we are」 in all points, yet 「without sin.」 His solidarity with sufferers is real, but his sinlessness is maintained as the distinguishing boundary. This verse is the theological hinge that makes the following exhortation possible.
Verse 16 draws the practical consequence: 「let us therefore draw near with boldness.」 The location is 「the throne of grace,」 language that fuses the imagery of a king ruling from a throne with that of a mercy-seat. Believers approach not in fear of judgment but with openness, to receive two things — mercy (for past failure) and grace (for present and future need). The phrase 「in time of need」 points to seasons of pressing difficulty; help is not deferred until a later existence but given now.
背景
Hebrews 4:1-13 sets up the problem the high priest passage solves. The writer warns that a promised Sabbath-rest still lies ahead, that the wilderness generation failed to enter because of disobedience, and that 「To-day」 is still being offered through the preached word. The word of God is described as living, active, sharper than any two-edged sword, able to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart — and all creatures are naked before his eyes. In such a setting, where divine scrutiny is total, the hearer cannot rely on a human priest who is also beset by weakness. A superior priest is required, and 4:14-16 introduces him.
The passage stands at the hinge between the doctrinal section on Christ's superiority (which continues into chapter 7) and the practical exhortations that follow (beginning at 4:14 and expanding through the next chapters). The exhortations flow directly from the doctrine: because the Son has passed through the heavens and sympathizes with the tempted, the community is to hold fast its confession and approach the throne of grace.
常见问题
Why is Jesus called a high priest when he is not from the priestly tribe of Levi?
Hebrews addresses this in later chapters by presenting Jesus as a priest after the order of Melchizedek, not Levi. The present passage only states his high-priestly role and his having passed through the heavens; the comparison with Melchizedek is developed in Hebrews 7.
In what sense was Jesus tempted if he was without sin?
Verse 15 affirms two things together: he was tempted in all points like us, and yet without sin. The text presents real solicitation without yielding; the boundary of sinlessness is explicitly maintained. How that is possible belongs to the deeper christological argument the letter pursues.
What does the throne of grace mean?
The phrase fuses royal imagery (a ruling throne) with cultic imagery (the mercy-seat over the ark). The result is a place where sovereign power and forgiving welcome meet. Believers are invited to approach it with boldness to receive mercy and grace in time of need.