仰望耶稣

12 既然有这么多见证人像云彩一般围绕着我们,我们就要放下一切重担,摆脱容易缠累我们的罪,以坚忍的心奔跑我们前面的赛程, 定睛仰望为我们的信心创始成终的耶稣。祂为了摆在前面的喜乐,就轻看羞辱,忍受了十字架的痛苦,如今已坐在上帝宝座的右边。 你们要思想忍受罪人如此顶撞的主,免得疲倦灰心。

爱的管教

其实你们与罪恶搏斗,还没有抵挡到流血的地步。 你们难道忘了那像劝勉儿子一样劝勉你们的话吗?“孩子啊,不可轻视主的管教,被祂责备的时候也不要灰心。 因为主管教祂所爱的人,责罚[a]祂收纳的儿子。”

你们要忍受管教,上帝对待你们如同对待自己的儿子。哪有儿子不受父亲管教的呢? 做子女的都会受管教,如果没人管教你们,那你们就是私生子,不是儿子。 再者,我们的生身父亲管教我们,我们尚且敬重他们,何况是万灵之父上帝管教我们,我们岂不更要顺服祂并得到生命吗? 10 我们的生身父亲是按自己以为好的标准暂时管教我们,但上帝是为了我们的益处而管教我们,使我们可以在祂的圣洁上有份。 11 被管教的滋味绝不好受,当时都很痛苦,但事后那些受过管教的人会收获公义和平安的果子。 12 所以,你们要举起下垂的手,挺直发酸的腿, 13 修直脚下的路,使瘸腿的人不致扭伤脚,反得痊愈。

切勿违背上帝

14 你们要尽力与大家和睦相处,并要追求圣洁的生活,因为不圣洁的人不能见主。 15 你们要谨慎,以免有人失去上帝的恩典,长出苦毒的根扰乱你们,玷污众人。 16 要小心,免得有人像以扫那样淫乱、不敬虔。他为了一时的口腹之欲,卖了自己长子的名分。 17 你们知道,他后来想要承受父亲对长子的祝福,却遭到拒绝,虽然声泪俱下,终无法使父亲回心转意。

18 你们并非来到那座摸得到、有火焰、乌云、黑暗、狂风、 19 号角声和说话声的西奈山,听见这些声音的人都哀求不要再向他们说话了。 20 因为他们承担不了所领受的命令:“即便是动物靠近这山,也要用石头打死它!” 21 那情景实在可怕,就连摩西也说:“我吓得发抖。”

22 但你们现在来到了锡安山,永活上帝的城邑,天上的耶路撒冷,欢聚着千万天使的地方。 23 这里有名字记录在天上的众长子的教会,有审判众人的上帝和已达到纯全的义人的灵魂, 24 还有新约的中保耶稣和祂所流的血。这血比亚伯的血发出更美的信息。

25 你们必须谨慎,切勿拒绝对你们说话的上帝。因为以色列人违背了在地上警戒他们的人,尚且逃脱不了惩罚,何况我们违背从天上警戒我们的上帝呢? 26 那时上帝的声音震动了大地,但现在祂应许说:“再一次,我不单要震动地,还要震动天。” 27 “再一次”这句话是指上帝要挪去可以被震动的受造之物,使不能被震动的可以长存。 28 那么,既然我们承受的是一个不能被震动的国度,就要感恩,用虔诚和敬畏的心事奉上帝,讨祂喜悦。 29 因为我们的上帝是烈火。

Footnotes

  1. 12:6 责罚”希腊文是“鞭打”之意。

Let Us Run with Eyes Fixed on Jesus[a]

Chapter 12

You Have Not Yet Resisted to the Point of Bloodshed. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,[b] let us throw off everything that weighs us down and the sins that so easily distract us and with perseverance run the race that lies ahead of us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, ignoring its shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Reflect on how he endured such great hostility from sinners so that you may not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

God Is Treating You as His Children.[c] You have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children:

“My son, do not scorn the discipline of the Lord
    or lose heart when you are punished by him.
For the Lord disciplines those whom he loves,
    and he chastises every son whom he acknowledges.”

Endure the trials you receive as a form of discipline. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there who is not disciplined by his father? If you have not received the discipline in which all share, then you are illegitimate and not true sons.

In addition, we have all received discipline from our earthly fathers, and we respected them. Should we not then be even more willing to submit to the Father of spirits and live? 10 They disciplined us for a short time as they thought best, but he does so for our benefit so that we may share his holiness.

11 At the time that discipline is received, it always seems painful rather than pleasant, but afterward it yields a harvest of peace and uprightness to those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore, strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that your weakened limbs may not be disabled but rather may be healed.

14 Seek Peace and Sanctification.[d] Seek peace with everyone, as well as the holiness without which no one will ever see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one is deprived of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness may spring up and cause trouble, resulting in the defilement of many.

16 Do not be like Esau, an immoral and worldly-minded person who sold his birthright for a single meal. 17 Afterward, as you know, when he sought to inherit the blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought it with tears, he found no possibility for repentance.

18 Listen to the One Who Is Speaking.[e] You have not come to something that can be touched: a blazing fire, or complete darkness, or gloom, or a storm, 19 or the sound of a trumpet, or a voice speaking words that made those who heard them beg that nothing more be said to them. 20 For they could not bear to hear the command that was given, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” 21 Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses cried out, “I am terrified and trembling.”

22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to myriads of angels in joyful gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn[f] whose names are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous who have been made perfect. 24 You have come to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant and to the sprinkled blood that speaks more powerfully than even the blood of Abel.

25 See that you do not reject the one who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they rejected the one who warned them on earth, how much more is this true of us if we turn away from the one who is from heaven? 26 At that time, his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but heaven as well.”

27 The words “once more” indicate the removal of what can be shaken—that is, all created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, offering to God a worship that is pleasing to him. 29 For our God is a consuming fire.

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 12:1 Christians have only one person on whom to keep their eyes as the object of faith and salvation: Christ (see Heb 11:26f; Acts 7:55f; Phil 3:8). They look to the Crucified Lord to understand how to behave at all times, and especially in difficulties and persecution.
  2. Hebrews 12:1 Surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses: the author may be thinking of an athletic contest in a large amphitheater wherein the heroes just mentioned are inspiring examples for us, urging us on to stand firm in the faith and even to martyrdom if need be.
  3. Hebrews 12:5 God treats us as his sons and daughters. And the trials that we must withstand in order to make progress in the faith is another sign of this point for us. Hence, we must take heart.
  4. Hebrews 12:14 Once again the author places their responsibilities before his hearers. They must not revert to the past by returning to Judaism. This would be tantamount to dishonoring the gift of salvation and perverting the atmosphere of the community.
  5. Hebrews 12:18 The author alludes to the Covenant of Sinai, which was a fascinating and terrifying spectacle in the history of Israel (see Ex 19–20; Deut 4:11; 9:19). The New Covenant is a celebration of peace and festivity. Israel’s way of life was only a figure for the conduct of the Church. Once people are gripped by the Covenant of grace, they cannot turn back toward an insufficient religion of yesteryear—that would be to show disdain for God. The Lord is “a consuming fire”: the image evokes all at once his holiness, his demands, his judgment to the very depths of a being, and his hold that burns one’s existence.
  6. Hebrews 12:23 Assembly of the firstborn: either all the elect or the angels as the first creatures.

The Race of Faith

12 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, (A)let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and (B)let us run (C)with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the [a]author and [b]finisher of our faith, (D)who for the joy that was set before Him (E)endured the cross, despising the shame, and (F)has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The Discipline of God(G)

(H)For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, (I)lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. (J)You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:

(K)“My son, do not despise the [c]chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For (L)whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives.”

(M)If[d] you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what (N)son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, (O)of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to (P)the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, (Q)that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no [e]chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields (R)the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Renew Your Spiritual Vitality(S)

12 Therefore (T)strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

14 (U)Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, (V)without which no one will see the Lord: 15 looking carefully lest anyone (W)fall short of the grace of God; lest any (X)root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; 16 lest there be any (Y)fornicator or [f]profane person like Esau, (Z)who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. 17 For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was (AA)rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.

The Glorious Company

18 For you have not come [g]to (AB)the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and [h]darkness and tempest, 19 and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it (AC)begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. 20 (For they could not endure what was commanded: (AD)“And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned [i]or shot with an arrow.” 21 And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, (AE)“I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.”)

22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, 23 to the [j]general assembly and church of (AF)the firstborn (AG)who are registered in heaven, to God (AH)the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men (AI)made perfect, 24 to Jesus (AJ)the Mediator of the new covenant, and to (AK)the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things (AL)than that of Abel.

Hear the Heavenly Voice

25 See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For (AM)if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, 26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, (AN)“Yet once more I [k]shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” 27 Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the (AO)removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.

28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we [l]may (AP)serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 29 For (AQ)our God is a consuming fire.

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 12:2 originator
  2. Hebrews 12:2 perfecter
  3. Hebrews 12:5 discipline
  4. Hebrews 12:7 NU, M It is for discipline that you endure; God
  5. Hebrews 12:11 discipline
  6. Hebrews 12:16 godless
  7. Hebrews 12:18 NU to that which
  8. Hebrews 12:18 NU gloom
  9. Hebrews 12:20 NU, M omit the rest of v. 20.
  10. Hebrews 12:23 festal gathering
  11. Hebrews 12:26 NU will shake
  12. Hebrews 12:28 M omits may

12 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us 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,

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;

13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.

17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

18 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,

19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:

20 (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:

21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)

22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:

26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.

27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

29 For our God is a consuming fire.