Глава XII

An exhortation to endure suffering following the example of the Captain of the faith (1–3). Benefits of Divine Punishments (4–11). An exhortation to cheerfulness, peace with all, and holiness (12–17). New Testament instead of Old (18–24). Exhortation to obedience to God (25–29). Hebrews 12:1. Therefore we, having such a cloud of witnesses around us, let us lay aside every burden and the sin that besets us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Just as a cloud with its shadow protects those who are scorched by the burning rays, so the remembrance of the saints restores and strengthens the soul dejected by disasters. He did not say: hanging over us, but: “enveloping us,” which means more and shows that, encircling us, this cloud of witnesses makes us safer... (Zlat.). - “Every burden.” What kind of “stuff”? That is, sleep, negligence, low thoughts, everything human (Zlat.). – “The sin that bedevils us” τηνευπερίστατον αμαρτίαν, more precisely, the glory: “conveniently circumstantial sin,” that is, either conveniently mastering us, or conveniently conquered; the latter is better, since we can, if we want, easily overcome sin (3lat.). - “Let us pass with patience” (“with patience we will pass”). He did not say: we will fight... but what is easiest in the field is what he shows. He also did not say: let us strengthen the current, but: let us be patient in the same current, let us not weaken (Zlat.). Hebrews 12:2. looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Then he introduces the main consolation that he offers both before and after - Christ... “looking”, he says, that is, in order for us to learn exploits, let us look at Christ (Golden). - “Instead of the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross...”, i.e. He could not have suffered if He had wanted, because He “did not commit iniquity; If He, having no need to be crucified, was crucified for us, then isn’t it all the more just for us to endure everything courageously? (Zlat.). - “Despising shame...” “Let Him die: but why a shameful death? For nothing else than to teach us to value human glory at nothing” (Zlat.). - “He sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God...” Do you notice the victorious reward? Paul says the same thing in another letter (Phil. 2:9-10). He says this about Christ according to the flesh” (Zlat.). Hebrews 12:3. Think about Him who endured such reproach from sinners, so that you do not grow weary and weakened in your souls. The apostle rightly added this, because if the sufferings of our neighbors encourage us, then what consolation will not the sufferings of the Master give us? (Zlat.). Hebrews 12:4. You have not yet fought to the point of blood, struggling against sin, The meaning of these words is as follows: you have not yet suffered death, you have only lost property and glory, you have only suffered exile; Christ shed His blood for you, but you did not shed it for yourselves; He stood for the truth even to death, struggling for you, and you have not yet been exposed to dangers that threaten death (Golden). - “Striving against sin” Here the apostle shows that sin also attacks strongly and is also armed (Golden). Hebrews 12:5. and have forgotten the consolation that is offered to you as sons: my son! do not neglect the punishment of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. “They forgot consolation,” that is, they gave up, weakened (Zlat.). "Which is offered to you as sons." Having presented the consolation from works, now the apostle now adds consolation from the sayings, from the testimony given: “Do not lose heart,” he says, “when He convicts you”... So, this is the work of God; and it brings a lot of consolation when we are convinced that what happened could have happened through the action of God, through His permission (Zlat.). Hebrews 12:6. For the Lord punishes whomever he loves; he beats every son whom he receives. You cannot, he says, say that there is any righteous person who did not endure sorrows, and although it seems so to us, we do not know of other sorrows. Therefore, every righteous person must go through the path of tribulation. If it is impossible otherwise, then it follows that all those who entered life walked the narrow path (Zlat.). Hebrews 12:7. If you suffer punishment, then God treats you as sons. For is there any son whom his father does not punish? If God punishes us, then it is for correction, and not for torture, not for torment, not for suffering. See how the apostle, by the very thing for which they considered themselves abandoned, inspires them with confidence that they are not abandoned, and seems to be saying: enduring such calamities, do you already think that God has abandoned you and hates you? No, if you had not suffered, then you should have been wary of this, because if “He beats every son he accepts,” then the unbeaten one may not be a son. But how, you say, don’t evil people suffer? Of course they suffer - how could it be otherwise? - but he did not say: everyone who is beaten is a son, but: every son is beaten. Therefore you cannot say: there are many evil people who are beaten, for example: murderers, robbers, sorcerers, grave diggers. They are punished for their own crimes; they are not beaten like sons, but punished like villains; and you are like sons (Zlat.). Hebrews 12:8. If you remain without punishment, which is common to everyone, then you are illegitimate children, not sons. Just as in families, fathers do not take care of illegitimate children... so in the present case. Therefore, if it is common for illegitimate children not to be punished, then one should rejoice at punishment as a sign of true kinship (Zlat.). Hebrews 12:9. Moreover, if we, being punished by our carnal parents, were afraid of them, then should we not much more submit to the Father of spirits in order to live? Hebrews 12:10. They punished us arbitrarily for a few days; and He is for our benefit, so that we may share in His holiness. Again, he borrows encouragement from their own suffering, which they themselves endured... If children obey their carnal parents, then how can they not obey their Heavenly Father? Moreover, here the difference is not only in this and not only in persons, but also in the very motives and actions. It is not for the same motive that He and they (God and carnal parents) punish... The latter often do this for their own pleasure and not always with benefit in mind, but this cannot be said here, since God does this not for any of his own reasons, but for you, solely for your benefit..., not in order to receive anything from us, but to give us... so that we become capable of accepting His benefits (Zlat.). – “To have a share in His holiness” - so that we become worthy of Him, if possible. He makes sure that you accept, and uses all measures to give you..., therefore, punishment is useful, because it brings holiness. And of course it is. After all, if it destroys laziness, vicious desires, attachment to worldly objects, if it concentrates the soul, if it disposes it to despise everything here - and this is where sorrow comes from - then isn’t it holy, doesn’t it attract the grace of the Spirit? (Zlat.). Hebrews 12:11. Any punishment at the present time seems not to be joy, but sadness; but afterwards he brings to those who are taught the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Those who take bitter medicines first experience an unpleasant feeling, and then feel the benefits. Such is virtue, such is vice: in the latter one experiences first pleasure, and then sorrow; in the first there is first sorrow, and then pleasure. And, however, both are unequal; It is not at all the same thing to experience sorrow first and then pleasure, or to experience pleasure first and sorrow afterwards. Why? Because in the latter case, the expectation of future sorrow reduces the present pleasure, and in the first, the expectation of the upcoming pleasure greatly weakens the present sorrow, so that sometimes even no pleasure is felt there, and no sorrow here. However, not only in this respect is there a difference, but also in another - namely, that they are unequal in terms of duration of time, but one is less, while others are much more... From here Paul borrows consolation... Are you grieving? - he says. This is understandable: this is always punishment, this is where it begins... it does not seem to be joy (hence, it is not really)... for this reason, after that “to those who have been taught through him,” that is, to those who have endured and suffered for a long time, “delivers the peaceful fruit of righteousness,” glory: “the fruits are peaceful” (καρπόν ειρηνικόν), thus expressing their great multitude (Zlat.). Hebrews 12:12. So strengthen your drooping hands and weak knees. Hebrews 12:13. and walk straight with your feet, so that what is lame may not be turned aside, but rather be made straight. He speaks as if to walkers, fighters and warriors. Do you see how he arms them, how he excites them... If punishment comes from love and kindness leads to a good end - as he proved with deeds, words, and everything - then why are you weakening? Only the desperate do this, not supported by hope for the future. Walk, he says, straight, so that the limping person no longer becomes crooked, but returns to its previous state... You see that it depends on us to be completely healed... (Zlat.). Hebrews 12:14. Try to have peace with everyone and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. What he spoke about above (Heb. 10:25), he expresses the same here. In temptations, nothing makes us more easily overcome and easily grasped than division. And here is proof of this: scatter a detachment of warriors in battle, and it will not be difficult for the enemy to take and tie them up... (Zlat.). - “Peace with all...”, therefore, with those who do evil (Rom. 12:18)... because nothing shames those who do evil so much as if we courageously endure the insults inflicted and do not take revenge either in word or in deed (Zlat.). Hebrews 12:15. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness arise and cause harm, and lest many become defiled by it; “Do you see,” says Chrysostom, how the Apostle everywhere commands everyone to contribute to the common salvation? (Heb 3:13). Do not, he says, leave everything to the teachers, do not entrust everything to the leaders; and you can edify one another... (1 Thess. 5:11, 4:18) You can, if you want, do more for each other than we can; you communicate with each other more often, you know your affairs better than us, you see mutual shortcomings, you have more frankness, love and sociability; and this is not unimportant for learning, but it provides great and beneficial conveniences.” - “So that no one loses the grace of God.” The apostle calls the grace of God future blessings, the gospel faith, a virtuous life: all this is from the grace of God (Zlat.). - “So that any root of bitterness ...”, etc. This is said in Deuteronomy (Deut. 29:18), and the expression itself is figuratively borrowed from the example of plants. If there is such a “root of sorrow,” that is, one that brings harm, then do not allow it to sprout, but pull it out so that it does not bear the fruits characteristic of it, so that it does not infect and defile others... Rightly he calls sin bitter; indeed, there is nothing so bitter as sin. Those who, after bad deeds, are remorseful and experience great bitterness know this... The property of bitterness is to be harmful. And he put it perfectly: “the root of sorrow,” he did not say: bitter, but: “sorrow.” A bitter root can bear sweet fruits, but the root is the source and basis of sorrow - “when it cannot bear sweet fruit, everything in it is bitter, there is nothing sweet, everything is tasteless, everything is unpleasant, everything is filled with hatred and disgust” (Zlat.). - “So that many are not defiled by it...”, i.e., so that this does not happen, excommunicate depraved people from you (Zlat.). Hebrews 12:16. So that there may not be any fornicator or wicked man among you, who, like Esau, would give up his birthright for one meal. Let no one, like Esau, be a “corrupter,” that is, a glutton, intemperate, devoted to the world, despising spiritual blessings... who gave away the honor given by God out of his own carelessness, and for little pleasure lost the greatest honor and glory (Zlat.). Hebrews 12:17. For you know that after this he, desiring to inherit the blessing, was rejected; I could not change my father’s thoughts, although I asked him to do so with tears. "What does it mean? Does he really reject repentance? No. But how does he say “you will not find room for repentance”? (μετανοίας γαρ τόπον αύκ εύρεν). If he condemned himself, if he cried a lot, then why “will you not find a place of repentance”? Because it was not a consequence of repentance. Just as Cain’s sadness was not the result of repentance, which he proved by murder, so here the words (of Esau) were not the result of repentance, which he later also proved by murder: and with his intention he killed Jacob. “Let the days of my father’s mourning draw near,” he said, “so that he might kill Jacob my brother” (Gen. 27:41). Therefore, tears could not convey repentance to him. And he didn’t just say: “repentance,” but: “even if you have sought repentance with tears, you will not find a place.” Why? Because he did not repent properly” (Zlat.). “You will not find,” he says, “repentance,” either because you have sinned more than can be made up for by repentance, or because you have not brought worthy repentance; therefore, there are sins that exceed repentance. Therefore, let us not allow an unhealed fall; while we are only limping, it is easy to improve; and when we are completely upset, then what will happen to us? He addresses this to those who have not yet fallen, holds them back with fear and says that the fallen cannot receive consolation. And to the fallen, so that they do not give in to despair, he instills the opposite” (Zlat.). Hebrews 12:18. You have not approached a mountain that is palpable and blazing with fire, or darkness and gloom and storm, Hebrews 12:19. not to the sound of the trumpet and the voice of verbs, which those who heard asked that the word should no longer be continued to them, Hebrews 12:20. for they could not endure what was commanded: if an animal touches the mountain, it will be stoned (or struck with an arrow); Hebrews 12:21. and this vision was so terrible that Moses said: “I am in fear and trembling.” Wed. Ex 20:18–19, 19:12–13, 16, 18. The fear of Moses (v. 21) is not mentioned by him when describing these events. Obviously, the apostle here used some kind of tradition, on which the first martyr Stephen was probably based, who also mentioned the fear of Moses in his speech (Acts 7:32). Some basis for this tradition can be seen in Deuteronomy 9:19, where Moses says: “I was afraid of the anger and wrath with which the Lord was angry with you and wanted to destroy you ...” (which happened after the breaking of the tablets). Hebrews 12:22. But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem and ten thousand angels, Hebrews 12:23. to the triumphant council and church of the firstborn, written in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, Hebrews 12:24. and to the Mediator of the new covenant, Jesus, and to the sprinkled Blood, which speaks better than Abel. “Do you see how many arguments he used to prove the superiority of the New Testament over the Old? Instead of earthly Jerusalem - heavenly; instead of Moses - Jesus; instead of the people - all the Angels..., all the hosts of the faithful... So, do not grieve, he says: you will be with them” (Zlat.). Some, making comparisons, humiliate everything that was then in order to more elevate the present; but I consider both marvelous, but at the same time I prove that ours is much more excellent and amazing. It is doubly large; as glorious and most important, and at the same time as more accessible and brief... They were not worthy of what we... They saw darkness and clouds, heard a voice. But you also heard the voice of God, only not through a cloud, but through the flesh of Christ, and yet you were not embarrassed or afraid, but stood and talked with the Intercessor... Then Moses was afraid, but now no one is. Then the people stood below, and we were not below, but above heaven, near God Himself, like His sons, and not like Moses; there was a desert, and here a city, and darkness of Angels... They did not approach, but stood in the distance, just like Moses; and you started (Zlat.). - “The sprinkling of blood, which speaks better than Abel” (cf. Heb. 11:4; Gen. 4:10). “The blood of Abel is still glorified even now, although not in the same way as Christ’s, because this blood cleansed everyone and emits a more glorious and important voice, the more the deeds themselves testify to it” (Zlat.). If blood speaks, then even more so is the Slain One Himself alive. And listen to what she says: “and the Spirit makes intercession with groanings that cannot be uttered” (Rom. 8:26). How does he speak: by entering into a pure soul, elevating it and encouraging it to speak (Zlat.). Hebrews 12:25. See that you do not turn away from the speaker. If those who did not listen to Him who spoke on earth did not escape punishment, then much less will we escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, Hebrews 12:26. Whose voice then shook the earth, and Who now made this promise: Once again I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens. If they did not escape punishment by not obeying the one who commanded on earth, then how can we not obey the one who commanded from heaven? The Apostle speaks of the difference not of persons, but of gifts (Zlat.). Hebrews 12:27. The words “once again” signify the change of what is shaken as if it were created, so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Everything will be changed and arranged for the better from above; this is expressed here in the words given. Why are you grieving, suffering in a temporary world, suffering in misery in a fleeting world? If there were uncertainty in the future fate of the world, then he who awaits the end should grieve. - “So that it may remain,” he says, “unshakable.” What is unshakable? Future (Zlat.). Hebrews 12:28. Therefore, we, having received a kingdom that cannot be shaken, will keep grace, whereby we will serve God acceptably, with reverence and fear, “Let us keep grace” - έχωμεν χάριν - yes imams grace, that is, we will thank God, we will be strong. We must not only not grumble in present disasters, but also give God the greatest gratitude for them for the sake of future blessings (Zlat.). It is impossible to serve God pleasingly without giving Him gratitude for everything - both for temptations and for consolations. - “With reverence and fear,” that is, we will not say anything impudent, nothing shameless, but we will arrange ourselves in such a way as to earn respect (Zlat.). Hebrews 12:29. because our God is a consuming fire. As above the apostle called God the Judge of all, that is, not only of the Jews, or the faithful, but of the entire universe, so here he calls Him “a consuming fire,” instilling saving fear in those who, even in new grace, do not cease to need it. You might be interested in: