Hebrews 12:1

DIVISION VII

(Hebrews 12:1-13:25)

CHRIST'S EXPECTATIONS OF BETTER SERVICE FROM US

This final division of Hebrews is a sustained exhortation designed to establish wavering Christians more firmly in faith. In preceding chapters, the Christ has already been exalted as the source of available power in believers, and his superiority over anything available to the ancient heroes of the Old Testament has been stressed repeatedly. This great privilege and power should result in a more faithful community of believers in the love and service of God.

VARIOUS EXHORTATIONS;

THE RACE OF LIFE;

THE CHASTENING OF BELIEVERS FOR THEIR CORRECTION;

A WARNING FROM EXAMPLE OF ESAU;

MOUNT ZION CONTRASTED WITH SINAI

Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. (Hebrews 12:1)

THE FIFTH EXHORTATION

Here begins the fifth and last of a series of grand exhortations in this epistle, all of them having a single purpose, which was to check the threatened defection of Christians back to Judaism. The author achieved a marvelous urgency in his words and argument. The great exhortations exhibit his purpose in writing; and of all the considerations called forth from their history and from their scriptures had only one design, namely, to keep them in the holy faith. The success of the inspired author is evident in the fact that for nearly two thousand years it has been practically impossible for Christians to be proselyted to Judaism; and yet that was the big problem confronted by the author of Hebrews. True, his readers had grown up in Judaism, or at least were of Jewish background and sentiments; but the judgment of history can only confirm the success of Hebrews in achieving its purpose.

The analogy brought forward in this exhortation is between a foot race, such as those seen in the great Olympic games, and the race of life. This type of comparison was used a number of times by Paul; and the appearance of that apostle's favorite metaphor in this epistle surely suggests his authorship of it.

A great cloud of witnesses has primary application to the imposing list of Old Testament heroes just detailed in the preceding chapter; and, in the metaphor of a great athletic contest before a vast throng in a coliseum, these witnesses correspond to the spectators; but there is much difference of opinion regarding the question of whether the inspired writer intends to say that the departed faithful actually see and know all that subsequent generations do, or if, on the other hand, it is only a figure of speech, such as Napoleon used when he told his army in Egypt, "Soldiers, forty centuries are looking down on your deeds today!"

Barnes said of this expression, "It is a figurative representation, such as is common, and means that we ought to act AS IF they were in sight."[1] Lenski also rejects the concept of the ancient worthies as spectators, saying, "The souls of the saints are at rest; they are no longer concerned about the trials that occur on earth."[2] Macknight wrote, "The apostle did not mean to insinuate that the saints in the other world know what we are doing in this."[3] Cargill went so far as to say, "The word `witness' never means spectator."[4] It is certain that Cargill's view is not sustained by passages like these: "Confess the good confession before many witnesses" (2 Timothy 6:12), where the witnesses of Timothy's confession were necessarily spectators, else they could not have been witnesses; and the same thing is true in this epistle (Hebrews 10:28) where the mention of "two or three witnesses" requires that they too be understood as spectators. The purpose here is not to list the opposite views of scholars but to show the uncertainty of the meaning. Alford, as quoted by Milligan, affirmed that "They who have entered into the heavenly rest are conscious of what passes among ourselves." Milligan approved that view, saying, "The spirits of the just made perfect are real witnesses of our conduct."[5] Westcott, Dummelow, and Bruce also find the meaning of "spectators" in the word, while admitting that it has other meanings as well. Perhaps the Holy Spirit has purposely used a word here that is not intended to be fully comprehended until God shall make all plain. On the question of whether the righteous dead know exactly what Christians in this age are doing, this verse, at best, could give only an intimation, and would have to be understood in the light of all else that the scriptures say on this subject. The conversation of Christ with Moses and Elijah (Luke 9:30) is enlightening on this point. The view most nearly corresponding to that of this writer is the one expressed by Westcott, who said:

At the same time it is impossible to exclude the thought of spectators in the amphitheater ... These champions of old occupy the place of spectators, but they are more than spectators. They are spectators who interpret to us the meaning of our struggle, and who bear testimony to the certainty of our success if we strive lawfully (2 Timothy 2:5).[6]

Lay aside every weight is the order for all who would win in the Christian race. There are two classes of impediments to be avoided by the successful contender in the race of life, the first of these being "weights," as mentioned here. This class of hindrance includes just about everything that can get in the way, or impede the Christian contender's progress. Things not bad at all in themselves, but which, in the last analysis, hinder the work of the child of God must all be cast aside. Just as the runner in a race travels as lightly as possible, the Christians must avoid being weighted down with all kinds of worldly duties and commitments. What do Christians do with their time? There is the vacation cottage, the fraternal lodge, the club, the political party, the yacht, the alumni organization, the board of directors, the governing committee, the bridge club, the country club, the volunteer group, the P.T.A., the board of elections, the chamber of commerce, and a list of associations for almost any conceivable purpose, many of them no doubt worthy - but whatever one's views about any or all such things, one fact is certain, no man can do all that and be a good Christian too! Far too many children of the King allow their time, talent, and money to be preempted by secondary things, things that must be recognized as "weights," when understood in the light of their effect on dedication to Christ and his cause on earth.

And the sin which doth so easily beset us is the second class of hindrance the Christian contender must avoid. It refers to conduct inherently unrighteous, which is always a mortal enemy of faith. Nowhere else in the New Testament is the word equivalent to "easily besetting" to be found; and various views of what is meant by the expression have been advanced. The word from which such a modifier of "sin" comes is akin to the word "circumstance." As Bristol noted, "The Latin translation is `circumstans', denoting something that surrounds."[7] Adam Clarke observed this and defined the besetting sin accordingly, thus, "The well-circumstanced sin; that which has everything in its favor, time, and place, and opportunity."[8] If a paraphrase may be ventured, perhaps it means, "Lay aside the sin that is always so conveniently close to us."

Run with patience the race that is set before us. Cargill described the race Christians must run as "Neither a saunter nor a stroll, but a race, a difficult struggle"; he also said, "The word for `race' is [@agona] from which we get `agony.' The race of life is an agonizing, grueling course and requires Christian endurance if one is to win."[9] "Patience," then, is not merely sitting down and waiting until something happens. It means endurance and the power of perseverance, including the ability to finish what is begun. This metaphor of the race of life was especially dear to Paul who found a place for it in the last letter he ever wrote, saying, "I have finished the course, etc." (2 Timothy 4:7). Other Pauline passages involving use of this metaphor are 1 Corinthians 9:24ff; Galatians 2:2; Philippians 2:16; and 2 Timothy 2:5.

THE CHRISTIAN RACE

The metaphor comparing the Christian life to a race has the following Biblically supported analogies: (1) The contender must be legally enrolled in a contest in order to win: the Christian must contend lawfully by belonging to the church and accepting full obligations of Christian service (2 Timothy 2:5). (2) Some win and some do not (1 Corinthians 9:24). (3) For the contender in an athletic contest, discipline is an absolute prerequisite of success; the Christian runner, too, must lay aside every weight and the ever-convenient sin in order to win (Hebrews 12:1). (4) A host of spectators watch a race in the coliseum; the spirits of the just behold the efforts of the Christian contender (Hebrews 12:1). (5) Patience is required of both the athletic contestant and the Christian, endurance being necessary to win in both cases. (6) The winner is rewarded, the earthly contender with a perishable reward, the Christian with an eternal reward (1 Corinthians 9:25). (7) The analogy becomes a contrast in the matter of how many may win. In the earthly contest, only one receives the prize; but in the heavenly contest, every man may do so, since his victory does not depend upon any relationship between his achievement and the achievement of his fellow contestant. If he runs well, he may win; if all run well, all may win! How much better to run in such a contest where all may win.

[1] Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1963), Hebrews, p. 292.

[2] R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of the Epistle to the Hebrews and the Epistle of James (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Publishing House, 1938), p. 424;

[3] James Macknight, Apostolic Epistles (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1960), p. 568.

[4] Robert L. Cargill, Understanding the Book of Hebrews (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1967), p. 115.

[5] R. Milligan, New Testament Commentary (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1962), Vol. 9, p. 341.

[6] Brooke Foss Westcott, The Epistle to the Hebrews (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1965), p. 391.

[7] Lyle O. Bristol, Hebrews, A Commentary (Valley Forge, Pennsylvania: The Judson Press, 1967), p. 157.

[8] Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: Carlton and Porter, 1829), Vol. 6, p. 776.

[9] Robert L. Cargill, op. cit., p. 114.