Hebrews 12
12
God Our Father.#Christian life is to be inspired not only by the Old Testament men and women of faith (Heb 12:1) but above all by Jesus. As the architect of Christian faith, he had himself to endure the cross before receiving the glory of his triumph (Heb 12:2). Reflection on his sufferings should give his followers courage to continue the struggle, if necessary even to the shedding of blood (Heb 12:3–4). Christians should regard their own sufferings as the affectionate correction of the Lord, who loves them as a father loves his children. 1Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us#That clings to us: the meaning is uncertain, since the Greek word euperistatos, translated cling, occurs only here. The papyrus P46 and one minuscule read euperispastos, “easily distracting,” which also makes good sense. and persevere in running the race that lies before us 2while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.#2:10; Ps 110:1; Phil 2:6–8. 3Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart. 4In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood. 5You have also forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons:
“My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord#Prv 3:11–12 / Dt 8:5; 1 Cor 11:32.
or lose heart when reproved by him;
6for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines;
he scourges every son he acknowledges.”
7Endure your trials as “discipline”; God treats you as sons. For what “son” is there whom his father does not discipline?#Prv 13:24; Sir 30:1. 8If you are without discipline, in which all have shared, you are not sons but bastards. 9Besides this, we have had our earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not [then] submit all the more to the Father of spirits and live?#Nm 16:22; 27:16 LXX. 10They disciplined us for a short time as seemed right to them, but he does so for our benefit, in order that we may share his holiness. 11At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.#2 Cor 4:17; Phil 1:11; Jas 3:18.
12So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees.#Is 35:3; Sir 25:23; Jb 4:3–4. 13Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed.#Prv 4:26 LXX.
Penalties of Disobedience. 14#Rom 12:18; 14:19. Strive for peace with everyone, and for that holiness without which no one will see the Lord. 15#Esau serves as an example in two ways: his profane attitude illustrates the danger of apostasy, and his inability to secure a blessing afterward illustrates the impossibility of repenting after falling away (see Heb 6:4–6). See to it that no one be deprived of the grace of God, that no bitter root spring up and cause trouble, through which many may become defiled,#Dt 29:18 (17 LXX). 16that no one be an immoral or profane person like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.#Gn 25:33. 17For you know that later, when he wanted to inherit his father’s blessing, he was rejected because he found no opportunity to change his mind, even though he sought the blessing with tears.#Gn 27:34–38.
18#As a final appeal for adherence to Christian teaching, the two covenants, of Moses and of Christ, are compared. The Mosaic covenant, the author argues, is shown to have originated in fear of God and threats of divine punishment (Heb 12:18–21). The covenant in Christ gives us direct access to God (Heb 12:22), makes us members of the Christian community, God’s children, a sanctified people (Heb 12:23), who have Jesus as mediator to speak for us (Heb 12:24). Not to heed the voice of the risen Christ is a graver sin than the rejection of the word of Moses (Heb 12:25–26). Though Christians fall away, God’s kingdom in Christ will remain and his justice will punish those guilty of deserting it (Heb 12:28–29). You have not approached that which could be touched#This remarkably beautiful passage contrasts two great assemblies of people: that of the Israelites gathered at Mount Sinai for the sealing of the old covenant and the promulgation of the Mosaic law, and that of the followers of Jesus gathered at Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, the assembly of the new covenant. This latter scene, marked by the presence of countless angels and of Jesus with his redeeming blood, is reminiscent of the celestial liturgies of the Book of Revelation.#Ex 19:12–14; Dt 4:11; 5:22–23. and a blazing fire and gloomy darkness and storm 19and a trumpet blast and a voice speaking words such that those who heard begged that no message be further addressed to them,#Ex 19:16, 19; 20:18–19. 20for they could not bear to hear the command: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.”#Ex 19:12–13. 21Indeed, so fearful was the spectacle that Moses said, “I am terrified and trembling.”#Dt 9:19. 22No, you have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and countless angels in festal gathering,#Gal 4:26; Rev 21:2. 23and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven,#The assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven: this expression may refer to the angels of Heb 12:22, or to the heroes of the Old Testament (see Heb 11), or to the entire assembly of the new covenant. and God the judge of all, and the spirits of the just made perfect,#Lk 10:20; Rev 5:11. 24and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and the sprinkled blood that speaks more eloquently#Speaks more eloquently: the blood of Abel, the first human blood to be shed, is contrasted with that of Jesus. Abel’s blood cried out from the earth for vengeance, but the blood of Jesus has opened the way for everyone, providing cleansing and access to God (Heb 10:19). than that of Abel.#7:22; 8:6; 9:15 / 11:4; Gn 4:10.
25See that you do not reject the one who speaks. For if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much more in our case if we turn away from the one who warns from heaven.#Ex 20:19. 26His voice shook the earth at that time, but now he has promised, “I will once more shake not only earth but heaven.”#Ex 19:18; Jgs 5:4–5; Ps 68:9; Hg 2:6. 27That phrase, “once more,” points to [the] removal of shaken, created things, so that what is unshaken may remain.#Is 66:22; Mt 24:35; Mk 13:31; Lk 21:33. 28Therefore, we who are receiving the unshakable kingdom should have gratitude, with which we should offer worship pleasing to God in reverence and awe.#Dn 7:14, 18 / Rom 1:9. 29For our God is a consuming fire.#Dt 4:24; Is 33:14.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Hebrews 12
12
1Therefore, we also having so great a cloud of witnesses set around us, every weight having put off, and the closely besetting sin, through endurance may we run the contest that is set before us,
2looking to the author and perfecter of faith — Jesus, who, over-against the joy set before him — did endure a cross, shame having despised, on the right hand also of the throne of God did sit down;
3for consider again him who endured such gainsaying from the sinners to himself, that ye may not be wearied in your souls — being faint.
4Not yet unto blood did ye resist — with the sin striving;
5and ye have forgotten the exhortation that doth speak fully with you as with sons, ‘My son, be not despising chastening of the Lord, nor be faint, being reproved by Him,
6for whom the Lord doth love He doth chasten, and He scourgeth every son whom He receiveth;’
7if chastening ye endure, as to sons God beareth Himself to you, for who is a son whom a father doth not chasten?
8and if ye are apart from chastening, of which all have become partakers, then bastards are ye, and not sons.
9Then, indeed, fathers of our flesh we have had, chastising [us], and we were reverencing [them]; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of the spirits, and live?
10for they, indeed, for a few days, according to what seemed good to them, were chastening, but He for profit, to be partakers of His separation;
11and all chastening for the present, indeed, doth not seem to be of joy, but of sorrow, yet afterward the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those exercised through it — it doth yield.
12Wherefore, the hanging-down hands and the loosened knees set ye up;
13and straight paths make for your feet, that that which is lame may not be turned aside, but rather be healed;
14peace pursue with all, and the separation, apart from which no one shall see the Lord,
15looking diligently over lest any one be failing of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up may give trouble, and through this many may be defiled;
16lest any one be a fornicator, or a profane person, as Esau, who in exchange for one morsel of food did sell his birthright,
17for ye know that also afterwards, wishing to inherit the blessing, he was disapproved of, for a place of reformation he found not, though with tears having sought it.
18For ye came not near to the mount touched and scorched with fire, and to blackness, and darkness, and tempest,
19and a sound of a trumpet, and a voice of sayings, which those having heard did entreat that a word might not be added to them,
20for they were not bearing that which is commanded, ‘And if a beast may touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or with an arrow shot through,’
21and, (so terrible was the sight,) Moses said, ‘I am fearful exceedingly, and trembling.’
22But, ye came to Mount Zion, and to a city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of messengers,
23to the company and assembly of the first-born in heaven enrolled, and to God the judge of all, and to spirits of righteous men made perfect,
24and to a mediator of a new covenant — Jesus, and to blood of sprinkling, speaking better things than that of Abel!
25See, may ye not refuse him who is speaking, for if those did not escape who refused him who upon earth was divinely speaking — much less we who do turn away from him who [speaketh] from heaven,
26whose voice the earth shook then, and now hath he promised, saying, ‘Yet once — I shake not only the earth, but also the heaven;’
27and this — ‘Yet once’ — doth make evident the removal of the things shaken, as of things having been made, that the things not shaken may remain;
28wherefore, a kingdom that cannot be shaken receiving, may we have grace, through which we may serve God well-pleasingly, with reverence and religious fear;
29for also our God [is] a consuming fire.
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