Hebrews 12
12
The Example of Jesus’ Suffering
1 Therefore, since#*Here “since” is supplied as a component of the participle (“have”) which is understood as causal we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, putting aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us#Literally “the easily ensnaring sin”, let us run with patient endurance the race that has been set before us, 2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the originator and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3For consider the one who endured such hostility by sinners against himself,#*The plural reflexive pronoun can still be translated as singular; see Louw-Nida 92.25 so that you will not grow weary in your souls and give up. 4You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your#*The words “shedding your” are not in the Greek text but are supplied for clarity blood as you#*Here “as” is supplied as a component of the temporal participle (“struggle”) struggle against sin. 5And have you completely forgotten the exhortation which instructs you as sons?
“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
or give up when you are corrected by him.
6For the Lord disciplines the one whom he loves,
and punishes every son whom he accepts.”#A quotation from Prov 3:11–12
7Endure it for discipline. God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there whom a father does not discipline? 8But if you are without discipline, in which all legitimate sons#*The phrase “legitimate sons” is not in the Greek text but is implied have become participants, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9Furthermore, we have had our earthly fathers#Literally “the flesh of our fathers” who disciplined us, and we respected them. Will we not much rather subject ourselves to the Father of spirits and live? 10For they disciplined us for a few days according to what seemed appropriate to them, but he does so for our benefit, in order that we can have a share in his holiness. 11Now all discipline seems for the moment not to be joyful but painful, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness for those who are trained by it.
A Serious Warning Against Refusing God
12Therefore strengthen your slackened hands and your weakened knees, 13and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame will not be dislocated, but rather be healed. 14Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. 15Take care that no one falls short of the grace of God; that no one growing up like a root of bitterness causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; 16that no one be a sexually immoral or totally worldly person like Esau, who for one meal traded his own birthright. 17For you know that also afterwards, when he#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal participle (“wanted”) wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, because he did not find an occasion for repentance, although he sought it with tears.
18For you have not come to something that can be touched, and to a burning fire, and to darkness, and to gloom, and to a whirlwind, 19and to the noise of a trumpet, and to the sound of words which those who heard begged that not another word be spoken to them. 20For they could not endure what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.”#A quotation from Exod 19:12–13 21And the spectacle was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am terrified and trembling.”#A quotation from Deut 9:19 22But you have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to tens of thousands of angels, to the festal gathering 23and assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous people made perfect, 24and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood#Literally “to the blood of sprinkling” that speaks better than Abel’s does.
25Watch out that you do not refuse the one who is speaking! For if those did not escape when they#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal participle (“refused”) refused the one who warned them on earth, much less will we escape,#*Here the verb “will … escape” is an understood repetition from the previous clause if we#*Here “if” is supplied as a component of the participle (“reject”) which is understood as conditional reject the one who warns from heaven, 26whose voice shook the earth at that time, but now he has promised, saying,
“Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also heaven.”#A quotation from Hag 2:6
27Now the phrase “yet once more” indicates the removal of what is shaken, namely, things that have been created, in order that the things that are not shaken may remain. 28Therefore, since we#*Here “since” is supplied as a component of the participle (“are receiving”) which is understood as causal are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be thankful, through which let us serve God acceptably, with awe and reverence. 29For indeed our God is a consuming fire.
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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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