Albert Barnes Commentary Hebrews 12

Chapter Twelve

Analysis of the Chapter

The apostle, having illustrated the nature and power of faith in the previous chapter, proceeds in this to exhort those to whom he wrote to apply the same principles to their own case, and to urge them to manifest the same steady confidence in God and perseverance in their holy walk. For this purpose, he refers to the following arguments or considerations:

1. He represents the ancient worthies who had so faithfully persevered, and so gloriously triumphed, as witnesses of their struggle in the Christian race, and as cheering them on to victory (Hebrews 12:1).

2. He appeals to the example of the Saviour (Hebrews 12:2–4). This was a more illustrious instance than any of those which had been referred to, and is not mentioned with theirs, but is presented as deserving separate and special consideration. The circumstances in his case which are all encouragement to perseverance in the Christian conflict are these:

   1. He endured the cross and is now exalted to the right hand of God.

   2. He bore the contradiction of sinners against himself, as those to whom Paul wrote were called to do.

   3. He went beyond them in his trials and temptations, beyond anything which they could have reason to fear—for he had “resisted unto blood, striving against sin.”

3. He encourages them by showing that their trials would result in their own good, and particularly that the hand of a Father was in them (Hebrews 12:6–13). Particularly, he urges:

   1. That God addressed those who suffered as his sons, and called on them not to receive with improper feeling the chastening of the Lord (Hebrews 12:5);

   2. That it was a general principle that the Lord chastened those whom he loved—and the fact that we received chastening was to be regarded as evidence that we are under his paternal care, and that he has not forsaken us (Hebrews 12:6–8);

   3. That they had been subject to the correction of earthly fathers and had learned to be submissive, and that there was much higher reason for submitting to God (Hebrews 12:9–10);

   4. And that however painful chastisement might be at present, yet it would ultimately produce important benefits (Hebrews 12:11). By these considerations, he encourages them to bear their trials with patience and to assume new courage in their efforts to live a Christian life (Hebrews 12:12–13).

4. He exhorts them to perseverance and fidelity by the fact that if they should become negligent and renounce their confidence in God, it would be impossible to retrieve what was lost (Hebrews 12:14–17). In illustrating this, he appeals to the case of Esau. For a trifling consideration, when in distress, he parted with an invaluable blessing. When it was gone, it was impossible to recover it. No consideration could induce a change, though he sought it earnestly with tears. So it would be with Christians if, under the power of temptation, they should renounce their religion and go back to their former state.

5. He urges them to perseverance by the nature of the dispensation under which they were, as compared with the one under which they had formerly been—the Jewish (Hebrews 12:18–29). Under the former, everything was suited to alarm and terrify the soul (Hebrews 12:18–29). The new dispensation was of a different character. It was adapted to encourage and to win the heart. The real Mount Zion—the city of the living God—the New Jerusalem—the company of the angels—the church of the firstborn—the Judge of all—the great Mediator—to which they had come under the new dispensation, all these were suited to encourage the fainting heart and to win the affections of the soul (Hebrews 12:22–24). Yet, in proportion to the sacredness and tenderness of these considerations, and to the light and privileges which they now enjoyed, would be their guilt if they should renounce their religion—for under this dispensation, as under the old, God was a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:25–29).

Wherefore. In view of what has been said in the previous chapter.

Seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses. The apostle represents those to whom he had referred in the previous chapter as looking on to witness the efforts which Christians make and the manner in which they live. There is an allusion here, doubtless, to the ancient games.

A great multitude of spectators usually occupied the circular seats in the amphitheatre, from which they could easily behold the combatants (See Barnes on 1 Corinthians 9:24 and following). In like manner, the apostle represents Christians as encompassed with the multitude of worthies to whom he had referred in the previous chapter. It cannot be fairly inferred from this that he means to say that all those ancient worthies were actually looking at the conduct of Christians and saw their conflicts. It is a figurative representation, such as is common, and means that we ought to act as if they were in sight and cheered us on. How far the spirits of the just who have departed from this world are permitted to behold what is done on earth—if at all—is not revealed in the Scriptures. The phrase “a cloud of witnesses” means many witnesses, or a number so great that they seem to be a cloud. The comparison of a multitude of persons to a cloud is common in the classic writers. See Homer’s Iliad iv. 274, xxiii. 133; Statius, i. 340, and other instances adduced in Wetstein, in the passage cited. (Compare to Barnes on 1 Thessalonians 4:17).

Let us lay aside every weight. The word rendered weight—ogkon—means that which is crooked or hooked, and from there anything that is attached or suspended by a hook—that is, by its whole weight, and hence means weight. (See Passow.) It does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament. The word is often used in classic writers in the sense of swelling, tumour, or pride.

Its usual meaning is that of weight or burden; and there is an allusion here, doubtless, to the runners in the games, who were careful not to encumber themselves with anything that was heavy. Hence, their clothes were so made as not to impede their running, and they were careful in their training not to overburden themselves with food, and in every way to remove what would be an impediment or hindrance.

As applied to the racers, it does not mean that they began to run with anything like a burden and then threw it away—as persons sometimes aid their jumping by taking a stone in their hands to acquire increased momentum—but that they were careful not to allow anything that would be a weight or an encumbrance.

As applied to Christians, it means that they should remove all that would obstruct their progress in the Christian course. Thus, it is fair to apply it to whatever would be an impediment in our efforts to win the crown of life. It is not the same thing in all persons.

In one it may be pride; in another, vanity; in another, worldliness; in another, a violent and almost ungovernable temper; in another, a corrupt imagination; in another, a heavy, leaden, insensible heart; in another, some improper and unholy attachment. Whatever it may be, we are exhorted to lay it aside; and this general direction may be applied to anything which prevents our making the highest possible attainment in the divine life.

Some persons would make much more progress if they would throw away many of their personal ornaments; some if they would disencumber themselves of the heavy weight of gold they are endeavoring to carry with them. So some very light objects, in themselves considered, become material encumbrances. Even a feather or a ring—such may be the fondness for these toys—may become such a weight that they will never make much progress towards the prize.

And the sin which doth so easily beset us. The word which is here rendered “easily beset”—euperistaton—does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament. It properly means “standing well around,” and so denotes that which is near, at hand, or readily occurring. So Chrysostom explains it. Passow defines it as meaning “easy to encircle.” Tyndale renders it, “the sin that hangeth on us.” Theodoret and others explain the word as if derived from peristasiv—peristasis—a word which sometimes means affliction or peril—and hence regard it as denoting that which is full of peril, or the sin which so easily subjects one to calamity.

Bloomfield supposes, in accordance with the opinion of Grotius, Crellius, Kypke, Kuinoel, and others, that it means “the sin which especially winds around us and hinders our course,” with allusion to the long Oriental garments. According to this, the meaning would be that as a runner would be careful not to encumber himself with a garment that would be likely to wind around his legs in running and hinder him, so it should be with the Christian, who especially ought to lay aside everything which resembles this, that is, all sin which must impede his course.

The former of these interpretations, however, is most commonly adopted and best agrees with the established sense of the word. It will then mean that we are to lay aside every encumbrance, particularly or especially—for so the word Kai, “and,” should be rendered here—the sins to which we are most exposed. Such sins are appropriately called “easily-besetting sins.” They are those to which we are particularly liable. They are such sins as the following:

1. Those to which we are particularly exposed by our natural temperament or disposition. In some this is pride; in others, indolence, gaiety, levity, avarice, ambition, or sensuality.

2. Those in which we freely indulged before we became Christians. They will be likely to return with power, and we are far more likely, from the laws of association, to fall into them than into any other. Thus, a man who has been intemperate is in special danger from that quarter; a man who has been an infidel is in special danger of skepticism; one who has been avaricious, proud, gay, or ambitious, is in special danger, even after conversion, of again committing these sins.

3. Sins to which we are exposed by our profession, by our relations to others, or by our situation in life. Those whose condition will entitle them to associate with what are regarded as the more elevated classes of society are in special danger of indulging in the methods of living and of amusement that are common among them; those who are prospered in the world are in danger of losing the simplicity and spirituality of their religion; those who hold a civil office are in danger of becoming mere politicians and of losing the very form and substance of piety.

4. Sins to which we are exposed from some peculiar weakness in our character. On some points, we may be in no danger. We may be constitutionally so firm as not to be especially liable to certain forms of sin. But every man has one or more weak points in his character, and it is there that he is particularly exposed.

   A bow may be in the main very strong. All along its length, there may be no danger of its giving way—save at one place where it has been made too thin, or where the material was defective—and if it ever breaks, it will of course be at that point.

   That is the point, therefore, which needs to be guarded and strengthened. So in reference to character. There is always some weak point which needs especially to be guarded, and our principal danger is there. Self-knowledge, so necessary in leading a holy life, consists much in searching out those weak points of character where we are most exposed; and our progress in the Christian course will be determined much by the fidelity with which we guard and strengthen them.

And let us run with patience the race that is set before us. The word rendered “patience” rather means in this place perseverance. We are to run the race without allowing ourselves to be hindered by any obstructions, and without giving up or fainting in the way. Encouraged by the example of the multitudes who have run the same race before us, and who are now looking out upon us from heaven where they dwell, we are to persevere as they did to the end.

Looking unto Jesus. As a further inducement to do this, the apostle exhorts us to look to the Savior. We are to look to His holy life; to His patience and perseverance in trials; to what He endured in order to obtain the crown; and to His final success and triumph.

The author and finisher of our faith. The word "our" is not in the original here and obscures the sense. The meaning is, He is the first and the last as an example of faith, or of confidence in God—occupying in this, as in all other things, the preeminence, and being the most complete model that can be placed before us.

The apostle had not enumerated Him among those who had been distinguished for their faith, but he now refers to Him as above them all, as a case that deserved to stand by itself. It is probable that there is a continuance here of the allusion to the Grecian games which the apostle had begun in the previous verse.

The word "author"—archēgon (marginal reading: beginner)—means, properly, the source, or cause of anything; or one who makes a beginning. It is rendered in Acts 3:16 and Acts 5:31, prince; in Hebrews 2:10, captain; and in the passage before us, author. It does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament. The phrase, "the beginner of faith," or "the leader on of faith," would express the idea.

He is at the head of all those who have provided an example of confidence in God, for He was Himself the most illustrious instance of it. The expression, then, does not properly mean that He produces faith in us, or that we believe because He causes us to believe—whatever may be the truth about that—but that He stands at the head as the most eminent example that can be referred to on the subject of faith.

We are exhorted to look to Him, as if at the Grecian games there was one who stood before the racer who had previously carried away every palm of victory; who had always been triumphant, and with whom there was no one who could be compared. The word finisher—teleiōtēn—corresponds in meaning with the word author.

It means that He is the completer as well as the beginner; the last as well as the first. As there has been no one until now who could be compared with Him, so there will be no one in the future. Compare Revelation 1:8, 11: "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, the first and the last." The word does not mean that He was the "finisher" of faith in the sense that He makes our faith complete, or perfects it—whatever may be true about that—but that He occupies this elevated position of being beyond comparison above all others.

Alike in the commencement and the close, in the beginning of faith and in its ending, He stands preeminent. To this illustrious model we should look—as a racer would on one who had been always so successful that he surpassed all competitors and rivals. If this is the meaning, then it is not properly explained, as it commonly is (see Bloomfield and Stuart, in loc.), by saying that the word here is synonymous with rewarder, and refers to the brabeutēs—or the distributor of the prize. Compare the notes on Colossians 3:15.

There is no instance where the word is used in this sense in the New Testament (compare Passow), nor would such an interpretation present so beautiful and appropriate a thought as the one suggested above.

Who for the joy that was set before Him. That is, who in view of all the honor which He would have at the right hand of God, and the happiness which He would experience from the consciousness that He had redeemed a world, was willing to bear the sorrows connected with the atonement.

Endured the cross. Endured patiently the ignominy and pain connected with the suffering of death on the cross.

Despising the shame. Disregarding the ignominy of such a mode of death. It is difficult for us now to realize the force of the expression, "enduring the shame of the cross," as it was understood in the time of the Savior and the apostles. The views of the world have changed, and it is now difficult to divest the "cross" of the associations of honor and glory which the word suggests, so as to appreciate the ideas which encompassed it then.

There is a degree of dishonor which we attach to the guillotine, but the ignominy of a death on the cross was greater than that; there is disgrace attached to the block, but the ignominy of the cross was greater than that; there is a much deeper infamy attached to the gallows, but the ignominy of the cross was greater than that.

And that word—the cross—which when now proclaimed in the ears of the refined, the intelligent, and even the gay, excites an idea of honor in the ears of the people of Athens, of Corinth, and of Rome, excited deeper disgust than the word gallows does with us, for it was regarded as the appropriate punishment of the most infamous of mankind.

We can now scarcely appreciate these feelings, and of course the declaration that Jesus "endured the cross, despising the shame," does not make the impression on our minds regarding the nature of His sufferings, and the value of His example, which it should do. When we now think of the "cross," it is not of the multitude of slaves, robbers, thieves, and rebels who have died on it, but of the one great victim whose death has ennobled even this instrument of torture and encircled it with a halo of glory.

We have been accustomed to read of it as an imperial standard in war in the days of Constantine, and as the banner under which armies have marched to conquest; it is intermingled with the sweetest poetry; it is a sacred thing in the most magnificent cathedrals; it adorns the altar and is even an object of adoration; it is in the most elegant engravings; it is worn by beauty and piety as an ornament near the heart; it is associated with all that is pure in love, great in self-sacrifice, and holy in religion.

To see the true force of the expression here, therefore, it is necessary to divest ourselves of these ideas of glory which encircle the "cross," and to place ourselves in the times and lands in which, when the most infamous of mankind were stretched upon it, it was regarded for such men as an appropriate mode of punishment. That infamy Jesus was willing to bear; and the strength of His confidence in God, His love for man, and the depth of His humiliation were shown in the readiness and firmness with which He went forward to such a death.

And is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Exalted to the highest place of dignity and honor in the universe (see the notes on Mark 6:19 and Ephesians 1:20 and following). The sentiment here is, "Imitate the example of the great Author of our religion. He, in view of the honor and joy before Him, endured the most severe sufferings to which the human frame can be subjected, and the form of death which is regarded as the most shameful. So, amidst all the severe trials to which you are exposed on account of religion, patiently endure all—for the glorious rewards, the happiness, and the triumph of heaven are before you."

For consider him. Attentively reflect on his example, that you may be able to bear your trials in a proper manner.

That endured such contradiction of sinners. Such opposition. The reference is to the Jews of the time of the Saviour, who opposed his plans, perverted his sayings, and ridiculed his claims. Yet, regardless of their opposition, he persevered in the course which he had marked out, and went patiently forward in the execution of his plans. The idea is, that we are to pursue the path of duty, and follow the dictates of conscience, let the world say what they will about it. In doing this, we cannot find a better example than the Saviour. No opposition of sinners ever turned him from the way which he regarded as right; no ridicule ever caused him to abandon any of his plans; no argument, or expression of scorn, ever caused him for a moment to deviate from his course.

Lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. The meaning is, that there is great danger of being disheartened and wearied out by the opposition which you meet with. But with the bright example of one who was never disheartened, and who never became weary in doing the will of God, you may persevere. The best means of leading a faithful Christian life, amidst the opposition which we may encounter, is to keep the eye steadily fixed on the Saviour.

You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood, striving against sin. The general meaning of this passage is, "You have not yet been called, in your Christian struggles, to the highest kind of sufferings and sacrifices. Great as your trials may seem to have been, yet your faith has not yet been put to the severest test. And since this is so, you ought not to yield in the conflict with evil, but courageously resist it." In the language here used, there is undoubtedly a continuance of the allusion to the agonistic games—the strugglings and wrestlings for mastery there.

In those games, the boxers were accustomed to arm themselves for the fight with the caestus. This, at first, consisted of strong leather thongs wound around the hands, and extending only to the wrist, to give greater solidity to the fist. Afterwards these were made to extend to the elbow, and then to the shoulder; and, finally, they sewed pieces of lead or iron into them, that they might strike a heavier and more destructive blow.

The consequence was, that those who were engaged in the fight were often covered with blood, and that resistance "unto blood" showed a determined courage, and a purpose not to yield. But though the language here may be taken from this custom, the fact to which the apostle alludes, it seems to me, is the struggling of the Savior in the garden of Gethsemane, when His conflict was so severe, that great drops of blood fell down to the ground.

(Matthew 26:42 and following) It is, indeed, commonly understood to mean that they had not yet been called to shed their blood as martyrs in the cause of religion. See Stuart, Bloomfield, Doddridge, Clarke, Whitby, Kuinoel, etc. Indeed, I find in none of the commentators what seems to me to be the true sense of this passage, and what gives an exquisite beauty to it: the allusion to the sufferings of the Savior in the garden. The reasons which lead me to believe that there is such an allusion are briefly these:

1. The connection. The apostle is appealing to the example of the Savior, and urging Christians to persevere amid their trials by looking to Him. Nothing would be more natural, in this connection, than to refer to that dark night when, in the severest conflict with temptation which He ever encountered, He so signally showed His own firmness of purpose, the effects of resistance on His own bleeding body, and His signal victory, in the garden of Gethsemane.

2. The expression, "striving against sin," seems to demand the same interpretation. On the common interpretation, the allusion would be merely to their resisting persecution; but here the allusion is to some struggle in their minds against committing sin. The apostle exhorts them to strive courageously and perseveringly against sin in every form, and especially against the sin of apostasy.

   To encourage them, he refers them to the highest instance on record where there was a "striving against sin"—the struggle of the Redeemer in the garden with the great enemy, who there made his most violent assault, and where the resistance of the Redeemer was so great as to force the blood through His pores.

   What was the exact form of the temptation there, we are not informed. It may have been to induce Him to abandon His work even then, and to yield, in view of the severe sufferings of His approaching death on the cross. If there ever was a point where temptation would be powerful, it would be there.

   When a person is about to be put to death, how strong is the inducement to abandon their purpose, their plans, or their principles, if they may save their life! How many, of feeble virtue, have yielded just there!

   Consider further: the Redeemer was engaged in a work never before undertaken; He designed to make an atonement never before made; He was about to endure sorrows never before endured. On the decision of that moment depended the ascendency of sin or holiness on the earth, the triumph or the fall of Satan's kingdom, the success or the defeat of all the plans of the great adversary of God and humanity.

   Moreover, on such an occasion as this, the tempter would use all his power to crush the lonely and unprotected Man of Sorrows in the garden of Gethsemane. It is easy to imagine, then, what may have been the terror of that fearful conflict. What virtue it would require in Him to resist the concentrated energy of Satan's might, to induce Him even then to abandon His work!

   The apostle says of those to whom he wrote, that they had not yet reached that point .

3. This view furnishes a proper climax to the argument of the apostle for perseverance. It presents the Redeemer before the mind as the great Example; directs the mind to Him in various scenes of His life—as looking to the joy before Him—disregarding the ignominy of His sufferings—enduring the opposition of sinners—and then in the garden as engaged in a conflict with His great foe, and so resisting sin that, rather than yield, He endured that fearful mental struggle which was attended with such remarkable consequences.

This is the highest consideration which could be presented to the mind of a believer to keep him from yielding in the conflict with evil; and if we could keep Him in view, resisting even unto blood, rather than yield in the least degree, it would do more than all other things to restrain us from sin.

How different His case from ours! How readily we yield to sin! We offer a faint and feeble resistance, and then surrender. We think it will be unknown; or that others do it; or that we may repent of it; or that we have no power to resist it; or that it is of little consequence, and our resolution gives way.

Not so the Redeemer. Rather than yield in any form to sin, He measured strength with the great adversary when alone with him in the darkness of the night, and gloriously triumphed! And so we would always triumph if we had the same settled purpose to resist sin in every form, even unto blood.

And you have forgotten the exhortation. This exhortation is found in Proverbs 3:11-12. The apostle's object in introducing it here is to show that afflictions were designed by God to produce some happy effects in the lives of his people, and that they ought, therefore, to bear them patiently.

In the previous verses, he directs them to the example of the Savior. In this verse and the following, for the same purpose, he directs their attention to the design of trials, showing that they are necessary for our welfare and are, in fact, proof of the paternal care of God.

This verse might be rendered as a question: "And have you forgotten?" etc. This way of rendering it will agree somewhat better with the apostle's design.

Which speaks to you. This may be regarded as addressed to you, or as invoking a principle as applicable to you as to others. He does not mean that when Solomon used the words he had particular reference to them, but that he used them with reference to the children of God, and they might therefore be applied to them. In this way we may regard the language of the Scriptures as addressed to us.

As to children. This means as if he were addressing children. The language is such as a father uses.

My son. It is possible that in these words Solomon may have intended to address a son literally, giving him paternal counsel; or he may have spoken as the head of the Jewish people, designing to address all the pious, to whom he sustained, as it were, the relation of a father. Or it is also possible that it may be regarded as the language of God himself addressing his children. Whichever supposition is adopted, the sense is substantially the same.

Do not despise the chastening of the Lord. Literally, this means, "Do not regard it as a small matter or as a trivial thing"—oligwrei. The Greek word used here does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament.

The word rendered here as chastening (paideia)—and also in Hebrews 12:6-8 and Hebrews 12:9, "corrected" (paideutav)—does not refer to affliction in general, but to that kind of affliction which is designed to correct us for our faults, or which is of the nature of discipline.

The verb properly relates to the training of a child—including instruction, counsel, discipline, and correction (see this use of the verb in Acts 7:22; 2 Timothy 2:25; Titus 2:12)—and then especially discipline or correction for faults: to correct, chastise, chasten (1 Corinthians 11:32; 2 Corinthians 6:9; Revelation 3:19).

This is the meaning here; and the idea is not that God will afflict his people in general, but that if they wander away, he will correct them for their faults.

He will bring calamity upon them as a punishment for their offences, and in order to bring them back to himself, he will not suffer them to wander away unrebuked and unchecked, but will mercifully reclaim them, though by great sufferings.

Afflictions have many purposes, or produce many happy effects. The one referred to here is that they are means of reclaiming the wandering and erring children of God, and are proofs of his paternal care and love (Compare to 2 Samuel 7:14; 2 Samuel 12:13–14; Psalms 89:31–34; Proverbs 3:11–12).

Afflictions, which are always sent by God, should not be regarded as small matters for the following reasons:

1. The fact that they are sent by God. Whatever he does is of importance and is worthy of the profound attention of men.
2. They are sent for some important purpose, and they should therefore be regarded with attentive concern. Men despise them when:
   1. They treat them with affected or real unconcern;
   2. When they fail to receive them as Divine admonitions and regard them as without any intelligent design; and
   3. When they receive them with expressions of contempt and speak of them and of the government of God with scorn.

It should be a matter of deep concern, when we are afflicted in any manner, not to treat the matter lightly, but to derive from our trials all the lessons which they are adapted to produce on the mind.

Nor faint, etc. Bear up patiently under them. This is the second duty. We are first to study their character and design; and, secondly, to bear up under them, however severe they may be and however long they may be continued. "Avoid the extremes of proud insensibility and entire dejection." Doddridge.