Hebrews 12
12
1Let us also therefore, having so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, laying aside every weight, and sin which so easily entangles us, run with endurance the race that lies before us, 2looking stedfastly on Jesus the leader and completer of faith: who, in view of the joy lying before him, endured the cross, having despised the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3For consider well him who endured so great contradiction from sinners against himself, that ye be not weary, fainting in your minds.
4Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, wrestling against sin. 5And ye have quite forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when reproved by him; 6for whom the Lord loves he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives. 7Ye endure for chastening, God conducts himself towards you as towards sons; for who is the son that the father chastens not? 8But if ye are without chastening, of which all have been made partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9Moreover we have had the fathers of our flesh as chasteners, and we reverenced them; shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live? 10For they indeed chastened for a few days, as seemed good to them; but he for profit, in order to the partaking of his holiness. 11But no chastening at the time seems to be matter of joy, but of grief; but afterwards yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those exercised by it. 12Wherefore lift up the hands that hang down, and the failing knees; 13and make straight paths for your feet, that that which is lame be not turned aside; but that rather it may be healed. 14Pursue peace with all, and holiness, without which no one shall see the Lord: 15watching lest there be any one who lacks the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and many be defiled by it; 16lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one meal sold his birthright; 17for ye know that also afterwards, desiring to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, (for he found no place for repentance) although he sought it earnestly with tears.
18For ye have not come to the mount that might be touched and was all on fire, and to obscurity, and darkness, and tempest, 19and trumpet's sound, and voice of words; which they that heard, excusing themselves, declined the word being addressed to them any more: 20(for they were not able to bear what was enjoined: And if a beast should touch the mountain, it shall be stoned; 21and, so fearful was the sight, Moses said, I am exceedingly afraid and full of trembling;) 22but ye have come to mount Zion; and to the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem; and to myriads of angels, 23the universal gathering; and to the assembly of the firstborn who are registered in heaven; and to God, judge of all; and to the spirits of just men made perfect; 24and to Jesus, mediator of a new covenant; and to the blood of sprinkling, speaking better than Abel. 25See that ye refuse not him that speaks. For if those did not escape who had refused him who uttered the oracles on earth, much more we who turn away from him who does so from heaven: 26whose voice then shook the earth; but now he has promised, saying, Yet once will I shake not only the earth, but also the heaven. 27But this Yet once, signifies the removing of what is shaken, as being made, that what is not shaken may remain. 28Wherefore let us, receiving a kingdom not to be shaken, have grace, by which let us serve God acceptably with reverence and fear. 29For also our God is a consuming fire.
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Hebrews 12: DARBY
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
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