Thomas Aquinas Commentary Hebrews 12:5-11

"and ye have forgotten the exhortation which reasoneth with you as with sons, My son, regard not lightly the chastening of the Lord, Nor faint when thou art reproved of him; For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, And scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. It is for chastening that ye endure; God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is there whom [his] father chasteneth not? But if ye are without chastening, whereof all have been made partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened [us] as seemed good to them; but he for [our] profit, that [we] may be partakers of his holiness. All chastening seemeth for the present to be not joyous but grievous; yet afterward it yieldeth peaceable fruit unto them that have been exercised thereby, [even the fruit] of righteousness." — Hebrews 12:5-11 (ASV)

Having exhorted them to endure evil patiently, according to the example of the ancient fathers and Christ, the Apostle now exhorts them to do the same on the authority of Scripture. In regard to this, he does three things:

1. He gives the authority.
2. He explains its meaning (verse 7).
3. He argues to his conclusion (verse 8).

He cites the authority, which is found in Proverbs 3:11 but in different words from our version. For we have: My son, reject not the correction of the Lord; and do not faint when you are chastised by him. For whom the Lord loves, he chastises; and as a father in the son he pleases himself. But because the Apostle quotes that authority for our consolation, he uses other words. So, he says, And have you forgotten the exhortation. It is as if to say: It is strange, for your comforts have given joy to my soul (Psalms 93:19); I will never forget your justifications (Psalms 118:94).

But he says, exhortation [consolation], that is, God consoling. He speaks emphatically: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation (2 Corinthians 1:3). He continues, which addresses you as sons. Therefore, if He chastises, He does not hate; His chastisement is directed to our good, because He speaks to us as to sons.

He gives the words of another saying: My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, as some do who hate discipline. He adds the reason, For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves. By this authority he forbids two things: hatred of discipline and impatience with it.

Concerning the first, he says, My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, as some do who hate discipline and of whom it says in Proverbs 9:8: Rebuke not a scorner, lest he hate you; and They have hated him that rebukes in the gate; and have abhorred him that speaks perfectly (Amos 5:10). Therefore, the Apostle says, Do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord. It is as if to say: God chastises you for discipline; do not regard it lightly [neglect], that is, do not despise it through negligence: He that rejects wisdom and discipline is unhappy .

Concerning the second, he says, Do not lose courage [be wearied] when you are punished by him. For some, even though they do not hate a harsh correction, bear it impatiently. Therefore, he says, Be not wearied, while you are rebuked [punished] by him. For a person is spiritually wearied when they are so sad that they faint: That you be not wearied, fainting in your mind (Hebrews 12:3); Be not grieved with her bonds .

Then when he says, For the Lord disciplines [chastises] whom he loves, he gives the reason. As the Philosopher says, the word “chastisement” is generally used in regard to children, for we call a person chaste whose concupiscence has been chastised. Similarly, a child is said to be chastised when he is well disciplined. For something prone to evil needs chastening, and concupiscence is such a thing, as is a child who follows his own impulses.

Therefore, one who chastises does so to keep them from evil. And because our senses and thoughts are prone to evil (Genesis 6:5), the Lord chastises us to draw us from evil: The Lord chastising has chastised me; but he has not delivered me over to death (Psalms 117:18); You have chastised me, and I was instructed as a young bullock unaccustomed to the yoke (Jeremiah 31:18). But He chastises not to punish but to save. So he says, He scourges every son whom he receives. Therefore, those who are not scourged are not numbered among his sons: They are in the labor of men; neither shall they be scourged like other men (Psalms 72:5). So, it is a sign, as it were, of eternal reprobation: My jealousy shall depart from you (Ezekiel 16:42). Nor is it strange if He scourges every son He adopts, because He did not spare His own Son: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things? (Luke 24:26).

Then (verse 7) he shows the meaning of the above scriptural quotation:

1. He explains the meaning of the admonition.
2. He explains the meaning of the reason.
3. He shows that the reason is fitting (verse 7c).

The Apostle’s advice was not to neglect the Lord’s discipline and not to become weary. He includes both in these words, for not to neglect and not to grow weary are nothing less than to persevere in discipline. So Job 6:10 says: This is my consolation that afflicting me with sorrow, he spare not; and Embrace discipline, lest at any time the Lord be angry (Psalms 2:12). He told us why we should not be negligent when he said, Whom the Lord loves he chastises; so, he says here: God is treating you as sons. It is as if to say: Persevere, because he deals with you as with His sons: You shall call me Father and shall not cease to walk after me (Jeremiah 3:19).

Then he shows that the reason is fitting when he says, What son is there whom his father does not discipline [correct]? For it is the father’s duty to correct his son: He that spares the rod hates his son; but he that loves him corrects him promptly (Proverbs 13:2); A horse not broken becomes stubborn; and a child left to himself will become headstrong . Therefore, correction is necessary, as a sting of the flesh was given to Paul, lest he fall (2 Corinthians 12:7).

Then (verse 8) he argues from what he has already said:

1. He concludes to something unwelcome.
2. He gives an example (verse 9).
3. He mentions the resulting usefulness (verse 11).

In regard to the first point, he gives this reason: All the saints who have pleased God passed through many tribulations, by which they were made sons of God. Therefore, one who does not persevere in discipline is not a son but a bastard, that is, born of adultery. From this reason he draws this conclusion: If you are left without discipline [chastisement], in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

All who would live godly lives in Christ will suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12); All that have pleased God passed through many tribulations, remaining faithful . Nor is it necessary that the saints always have outward tribulations, when they are afflicted inwardly by the wicked lives of perverse men: Lot dwelling among them that vexed the just soul from day to day with unjust works (2 Peter 2:8).

A son, properly speaking, is born of a legitimate father. Our mother is the Church, whose spouse is God Himself: I will espouse you to me in faith (Hosea 2:20). Therefore, those born of the spirit of the world or the devil are bastards: But draw near here, you sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and of the harlot (Isaiah 57:3). Therefore, it is clear that they are not truly sons unless they are born of a legitimate father.

Then (verse 9) he gives the second reason, drawn from our own experience with paternal correction. This proceeds according to the twofold difference between God the Father and the father of our flesh. The first difference is that a man begets a man as to the body, but not as to the soul, which is created and not transmitted: I have not given you a spirit and a soul . So, he says, We have had earthly fathers to discipline us, and as it is written, Have you children? Instruct them . And we respected them, as it is commanded, Honor your father and your mother (Exodus 20:12).

But God is our Father in a more excellent way, namely, as to the soul, which He creates: The spirit will return to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7). Furthermore, He makes the soul just by adopting us as sons: The Spirit gives testimony to our spirit that we are the sons of God (Romans 8:16). So, he says, shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits, that is, our souls, which are called spirits because they are not evolved from matter, and live? For the end of obedience is everlasting life: If anyone keep my word, he will not taste death forever (John 8:52); He became to all that obey him the cause of eternal salvation (Hebrews 5:9).

Secondly, there is a difference between human and divine correction. First, as to the end, the end of human correction is transitory, for it is directed to living well in this life, which lasts a few days. Secondly, as to the reason, a man corrects according to his will, which can be mistaken, yet we obey it. But this is not so in divine correction, for He instructs us in something useful for eternity, namely, to receive the holiness which He Himself is: Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; let him be your fear and let him be your dread. And he shall be a sanctification to you (Isaiah 8:13).

Therefore, he says, they disciplined us for a short time; and this is in regard to the first point. And at their pleasure, in regard to the second. But he disciplines us for our good, as it is written, I am the Lord who teaches you profitable things (Isaiah 48:17), and this is that we may share his holiness. Therefore, we should all the more accept his chastisement.

He continues: All discipline [chastisement] seems painful rather than pleasant; later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness [justice] to those who have been trained by it. This is the third reason, which is drawn from the benefit of the correction. Since chastisements are forms of medicine, the same judgment seems to be true of chastisement as of medicine. Just as medicine, when it is taken, is bitter and disgusting, yet its end is very sweet and desirable, so chastisement, although it is harder to endure, brings forth the best fruit.

It should be noted that chastisement, that is, discipline, is drawn from the word “to learn.” Children who are taught learn from the rod. Therefore, discipline is taken for science, as in the beginning of Posterior Analytics: “Every intellectual doctrine and discipline comes into existence from pre-existing knowledge,” which in Greek is called epistemon. But sometimes it is taken for correction, which in Greek is paideia.

He says, therefore: All chastisement, which is instruction by blows and annoyances, for the moment, indeed, seems painful rather than pleasant, because outwardly it brings sadness in enduring it, but inwardly it brings sweetness because of the end intended. So he says, seems and not “is”: As sad and always rejoicing (2 Corinthians 6:10); A woman, when in labor, is sorrowful; but when she has brought forth, she no longer remembers the anguish, for her joy (John 16:21); That which is at present momentary and light of our tribulation works for us above measure exceedingly an eternal weight of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17).

Therefore, he says, later it yields fruit, for fruit implies sweetness; so, fruition is delight in the end now achieved. Most peaceful, for fruit is had here with the disturbance of external inconveniences and internal trials; therefore, it is not most peaceful, as it will be there. In glory, indeed, there will be no inward gnawing of conscience, no inclination to sin, and no outward affliction. For according to Augustine, whatever you desire will be there; therefore, the fruit will be most peaceful. It will be peaceful in the tranquility of conscience, more peaceful in obtaining the first stole, and most peaceful in obtaining the second: My people shall sit in the beauty of peace, in the tabernacles of confidence and in wealthy rest (Isaiah 32:18); Her fruit is better than the chiefest and purest gold (Proverbs 3:14).

Therefore, it will yield the fruit of righteousness [justice], that is, which justice earns: To him that sows justice there is a faithful reward (Proverbs 11:30). Or of justice, that is, to lay hold of justice: Sow for yourselves in justice and reap in the mouth of mercy (Hosea 10:12); Going, they went and wept, sheaves (Psalms 125:6). But fruit is brought forth only to them that are exercised in it, that is, by discipline: Strong meat is for the perfect; for those who by custom have their senses exercised (Hebrews 5:14).