Hebrews 12


STUDIES IN HEBREWS

© Rosemary Bardsley, 2002

STUDY ELEVEN: THEREFORE ...

A. 'Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses ...' (12:1)

Here the writer presses home his point. Here is the reason why he included his list of heroes of faith. He has reminded his readers:

The constant theme of the writer in all of this is: these people endured without obtaining the ultimate reality promised to them. The non-event of the promised reality did not make them give up their faith. As it is recorded in Hebrews 11:16: '... they were longing for a better country - a heavenly one.' And Moses: 'regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead for his reward' (11:26).

The whole of the letter so far has been a massive encouragement and exhortation not to give up, based on:

· the superior priesthood of Christ (4:14-5:10; 7:1-9:28).

Through all of this the writer repeatedly issues encouragements, exhortations and warnings to his readers, as we have seen in previous studies. They have the ultimate focus of faith - that focus which the old believers knew barely a whisper of, barely the shadow of, yet they believed and did not give up.

B. 'Therefore ... run with perseverance the race marked out for us'

Now, having told us all of this, having listed the heroes of faith, he says: 'therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses - don't you give up!

An interesting change in the sense of the verb has occurred in the translation process: Whereas in most English translations we have two exhortations or commands:

The picture is that of a race. All around we are surrounded by 'witnesses' who have already, in their day, run the race. Surrounded by these witnesses, these who have run the race to the end without giving up, and, having put aside every weight and every sin that surrounds us, we are commanded run with endurance the race set before us.

The New Testament makes it clear that the life of a follower of Jesus Christ involves dedication and commitment. Whereas all that we are and have in the Lord Jesus Christ is sheer gift, yet to persist in following him involves us in a great struggle, contest or battle. Consider:

All of these texts refer to our lives as Christians in terms of struggle, conflict or race. They indicate the necessity for effort and presence of opposition. They indicate the necessity for long-term commitment, and the presence of obstacles which have the potential to undermine commitment.

Our writer here says: [1] we are surrounded by all of these witnesses who have gone before us, so, putting aside every weight and the sin which surrounds us, let's run with perseverance the race laid out for us; and [2] looking away from everything else, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who because of the joy laid out before him, endured the cross, scorning its shame ... Consider him who endured such opposition of sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

 

Our next study focuses on Jesus Christ in his struggle against sin.