1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honour beside God’s throne. 3Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. 4After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin. 5And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the LORD’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. 6For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” 7As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? 8If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. 9Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever? 10For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. 11No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. 12So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. 13Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong. 14Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. 15Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. 16Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. 17You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears. 18You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai. 19For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. 20They staggered back under God’s command: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” 21Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, “I am terrified and trembling.” 22No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. 23You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. 24You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel. 25Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! 26When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.” 27This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain. 28Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. 29For our God is a devouring fire.
Hebrews 12:1-29
- Did the title I gave to the previous Gem lead you astray?
- Did anyone feel like challenging me and complaining for giving you the last exercise or challenge?
The translations are spread out in a continuum from the “joiners” who make this one block to the “splitters” who divide it into six parts. I have talked to you before about dividing the text. I have given you the terms “splitters” and “joiners”. Just type into the “Search this website” slot at the top of each page <text division> or <splitters> and <joiners> and you will have a wealth of examples selected from past Gems to help you understand the concept. It is a good thing to do to look at how you would divide the next chapter when we are on the verge of crossing chapter boundaries. We need to take into account how the new chapter relates to the previous one. We are prone to let the titles given to pericope in the Bible influence us in the way we think about the whole.
In all honesty I didn’t set out to deceive you. I was simply doing what I learned to do from Dr Basil Brown, my Greek Prof. I do what I learned to do from him; to take the time to take in the big picture and see how the next chapter fits with the previous one. Learn to look at the new block of text and determine the relationship between that and the passages before and after it. Hebrews Chapter 12 is a classic example of where the whole chapter it linked to what went before it. Were you put off by the title I gave to the previous Gem – Moving On From The Examples of Faith? Was the author of Hebrews moving on from the examples of faith? You would have to respond with a resounding “No!” to that question. Not at all! Do you see that it all goes together?
I know this next comment will annoy some of you, but at the risk of losing some Gem readers, take the time to read the block of text which is Hebrews 12 again as I have given it to you in this Gem and in the previous one. Keep it together and read it as one uninterrupted block of text. Do you see how it all fits together? There is a natural flow of the text from what the writer has said from Hebrews 10:19 onward. At the risk of boring you still further, try reading Hebrews 10:19 through to the end of this current chapter – i.e. Hebrews 10:19 – 12:29. Do you see what I mean? Do you see that the title I have given this Gem – Keeping It Together has two meanings? Tell me what you think the two meanings are or wait until the next Gem for me to tell you.
This time around for Hebrews 12 I am going to do just that – I am going to keep it together – the block of text that is. I am refusing to divide it in sections. Rather than be accused of being a “splitter”, I am going to be a “joiner” and maintain the sense of what the writer is doing from Hebrews 10:19 to 12:29. I am sure you see that the opening words of Hebrews 12 demand us to keep in mind the Examples of Faith. Who are those who make up the ‘huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith’? In fact at this point I am going to switch translations and inform you that the word behind this section is actually “cloud” [νέφος nephos]. Doesn’t it conjure up images of heavenly hosts, clouds of saints watching on from heaven as you run this race of faith? I think it is supposed to do exactly that. The writer hasn’t moved on from the examples of faith and he doesn’t want you to either. Bring them along with you.
Who are those who are in this huge cloud of witnesses? None other than all those who ran the race by faith in the pages of the Bible . But the author is not just referring to the nineteen names he mentioned in the list, I think he expected us to think of all the others who come to mind. The ones we have run this race with, the others who come to mind. Not only those others, but also “the ones we are not to neglect meeting with in order to encourage one another and all the more as we see the day drawing near.” You know where I am getting that from, don’t you? Hebrews 10:24-25. What day is referred to? The Day of the LORD, when Jesus will return or when you will be caught up together with Him and all the saints form part of that great cloud of witnesses. Do you see how this image is snowballing?
- I think I have said enough at this point and it is time for me bring this Gem to a close.
- Why don’t you now go back and read Hebrews 10:19 to Hebrews 12:29 through as one block?
- I think it might make a whole lot more sense to you when you do that.
- Take the time out to encourage me by telling me the insights you have picked up on as you did what I suggested.
- I think you are getting the point and maybe now you don’t need me to answer the question I posed about the double meaning of the title of this Gem.
A word of advice from me: stop and ask God to allow you to see wondrous things in HIs Word. You will be amazed at the connections He shows you.
Ian
If you read or study the Bible in depth and It doesn’t leave you in awe and wonder then you haven’t studied the Bible.
Ian
As I have told participants in Deeper Bible over and over, I want to infect you with the Bible virus to the point where you become addicted to the treasures you can find in the Word of God.
Ian
The human race crave the experience of awe and wonder; there is no reality more breathtaking than God’s Word and Jesus Christ, the Word fleshed out.
Ian
‘you have come to the assembly of God’s first born children, whose names are written in heaven.’ Hebrews 12:23
Ian this follows on from verse 22 where it talks of Mt Zion is this the Garden of Eden or am I way off track?
‘This means all creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakeable things will remain.’ Hebrews 12:27
Ian does this mean everybody, and everything will be shaken and removed just like every knee will bow!
The idea here is that those who come to Mt Zion, the Assembly of the First Born will be way more than the idea of the Garden of Eden reconstituted. It will the assembly of the saints from all of the ages. So the fullness of the Saints of God gathered in the Life of the Age to Come. Huge. The consummation of the kingdom of all those who bow the knee in the sense of relating to Paul’s image in Philippians.