AI-generated summary
Central Claim: True spiritual growth and holiness come through God's corrective chastening, not through human effort or self-mortification. Christ's joyful endurance of the cross (vv. 2-3) establishes the paradigm: believers must accept divine correction as evidence of sonship, not punishment.
Biblical Basis: The passage emphasizes Christ as "author and finisher of faith" who completed redemptive work, now seated at God's right hand as mediator. This foundation justifies exhorting persecuted Hebrew Christians to endure chastening (vv. 5-11), distinguishing God's corrective love from parental discipline motivated by pleasure.
Yeshuan Perspective: McCraney argues this reflects *fulfilled eschatology*—Christ's mediatorial work is complete, and believers live in the present reality of his spiritual reign. The discussion on subjective faith emphasizes that doctrine and faith preferences are personal (like ice cream flavors), yet faith remains inseparable from responsible individual choice before God. The passage contradicts both Catholic self-flagellation and the notion that holiness requires painful external mortification; rather, holiness emerges through inner submission to God's corrective guidance, making chastening evidence of genuine sonship.
Open Transcript
I don't get the Bible. I'm here. I'm
Delaney.
>> I'm Dad.
>> This is Ava, my girl. And her bejorn's
holding her um for this episode. So,
thanks for watching. We're in Hebrews
chapter 12.
>> It's a fantastic chapter.
>> Oh,
>> it is jam-packed with meaning, but you
have to really think as you read through
it. But I think we're going to have fun.
>> Oh, wow. Okay.
Uh I it feels like every chapter has
been like that up until now, but okay.
Wherefore, seeing we are also compassed
about with so great a cloud of
witnesses.
>> Okay, stop.
>> Okay,
>> that's referring back to chapter 11 and
all of those people who walk by faith.
That's the cloud of witnesses he's
talking about.
>> Okay.
>> Okay.
>> Let us lay Do does everyone think that?
I always have to
>> figure out which one is
>> just remember there were no paragraphs
or chapters or verses.
>> Yeah.
>> So it's just one continuous letter.
>> Okay.
>> Yeah.
>> Um let us lay aside every weight
and the sin which does 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, despised the shame,
and is set down at the right hand of the
throne of God.
>> A beautiful depiction of him being the
author and finisher. There's nothing we
do with it.
>> Yeah. It's like
so clear.
>> Mhm.
>> And that's to the Jews that he's saying
that they who if anyone had something to
do, it was them.
>> It was them. Yeah.
>> I mean, I don't think we can overstate
how it's just him.
>> Just that's the faith
>> who for joy that was set before him
endured the cross despite the shame. Um
that's also really Yeah. He said,
"Beautiful." That
he did that with joy.
>> Mhm.
>> And that we should go with patience
rather than
>> sin like focusing on sin like you said
because he finished it.
>> And is set this always gets me, but he's
this says he is currently set at the
right hand of God. He was then he was he
had ascended up to his right hand and
was waiting to come out of that place
>> not on and then he takes the throne
later.
>> Well that's my opinion
>> that is not thought of by anybody. I
think that
>> okay that um
that always gets
>> yeah mismatched
>> but until this time he was the mediator
>> and he was the mediator between his
brethren and God
>> until he came out and then there's no
more until remember he'll do this until
and then there's no more mediation
needed God is all in all and that's the
world that I think we live in today
>> okay
>> that's why what we were talking about
earlier with faith
>> I I I as I was driving, we I just took
my wife to the airport and as I was
thinking about our conversation,
>> to argue faith is like to argue the best
flavor of ice cream.
>> Mhm.
>> To argue doctrine.
>> I mean, everybody has their flavor and
you can't force somebody to like another
one.
>> Well, do you distinguish fa That's true
of doctrine. Yeah. I also think it's
true of faith,
but to distinguish them like faith
is in a doctrine kind of, wouldn't you
say? I would.
>> So that's why it's the faith. They're
synonymous when you Yeah.
>> talk about it. Okay.
>> Yeah. Um
>> and we can't help it that a babe in
Christ is going to prefer vanilla
>> versus a mature Christian likes maple
syrup ice cream. And a Muslim likes
whatever walnut. I mean,
>> yeah. And that's why
I feel like that's why we can really
confidently say there argue for a
spiritual return of Christ
>> because
this condition which has always been the
case is like
>> so obvious today like everyone knows
this now where before it wasn't
>> it was like powers like the Catholic
Church who had ownership of material and
stuff that others didn't didn't know.
>> Yeah.
>> That obvious condition.
>> Yeah.
>> So,
>> and you'd think we'd wake up in the face
of that obvious condition with everybody
screaming and yelling about who's right
with God.
>> And in the advent of the internet, what
does it get you?
>> Nowhere.
>> Gets us nowhere.
>> But faith in the God we trust in,
responsible before him for our own
choices, whether we sought it or not,
whether we listen to other people or
not. And all that is up to you.
>> She agrees.
>> She The lift of the head confirms you
doing all right.
>> Mhm.
>> All right.
>> It's okay.
It's okay. It's okay.
>> Thank you all for letting her be a part.
>> It's okay. Oh, that zipper is right
under her chin. What do you think?
>> So for consider him.
>> Thank you.
Thank you.
>> Okay. Verse three. For consider him that
endured such contradiction of sinners
against himself,
lest ye be wearied and faint in your
minds.
Uh ye have ye have not uh yet resisted
unto blood, striving against sin,
and ye have forgotten the exhortation
which speaketh unto you as unto
children. My son, despise thou not thou
the chastening of the Lord, nor faint
when thou art rebuked of him. For whom
the Lord loves, he chastens and scourges
every son whom he receives.
Wait, can we go over this?
>> Yeah.
>> You good?
>> Mhm.
>> For consider him that endures such a
contradiction of sinners against
himself.
>> That was Christ who joyfully took the
cross.
>> What is it? What does it mean
contradiction of sinners?
>> That they were doing in things that was
contradictory to him completely.
>> Oh, okay. Endured that contradiction. I
got it.
uh against himself. Yet, lest you be
worried and faint in your minds,
remember Christ, if you're worried and
faint, you have not resisted unto blood,
>> striving against your life.
>> Okay?
>> And you've forgotten the exhortation
which speaks unto you as children, my
son. So that you've forgotten in the
past, my son. Despise not the chastening
of the Lord, nor faint when you are
rebuked of him. For whom the Lord loves,
he chast. Okay.
>> Yeah.
>> And he scourges every son whom he
receives.
>> And that's is such an important thing
for people to remember today is that
while the faithless
tend to go about in this life without
any kind of um chastisement from God.
They seem to have everything they want.
>> They seem to be able to do what they
want. and Christians are burdened under
it. It's the chasing of the Lord that is
correcting us.
>> Yeah.
>> For a better uh inheritance that comes
later. H
um
and this is in the context of the
previous
chapter
anyway that they're so the the Jews the
Hebrews that he's talking to
must be facing chastening
>> Yeah.
>> for him to be writing this to them.
>> Yeah. Because in chapter 11, he went
through and talked about how they were
sauna under and they were this happened
to them and this happened to them. And
so this is a continuation of that
thought
>> when you are being tried because they
were that's what they were under great
tribulation, death, punishment. So he's
telling them, yeah, especially against
of the Jews, their own people were doing
it to him.
>> Yeah. This is kind of internal evidence,
too. like there's no suffering of being
a Christian right now. I guess some in
other countries are right now. But
>> um if you endure chastening, God deals
with you as with his sons.
For what son is he whom the father
chastens not?
But if you be without chastisement,
whereof all are partakers, then you are
bastards and not sons. Oh my gosh.
pretty straightforward.
>> Yeah, that's like couldn't be more
clear.
Furthermore, we have fathers of our
flesh which corrected us and we gave
them reverence. Shall we not much rather
be in subjection unto fathers of spirits
and live?
>> Wow. Unto the father of spirits. Sorry.
>> Yeah, that's interesting. The father of
spirits because uh
>> yeah,
>> he's the father of all spirits and we
forget that. We think he's only the
father of Jews or believers. He's the
father of all spirits.
>> Yeah.
>> Huh.
For they verily for a few days
chasened us after their own pleasure.
But he for our profit that we might be
partakers of his holiness. So, he's
saying that our parents beat us with
pleasure,
but God does it for our profit.
>> I love that line.
>> That is funny. And that's that goes
against
the common criticisms of God that he
chasens us for his pleasure.
>> Yeah.
>> Like that's
>> Yeah.
>> not the thing.
>> No, it's always for us.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah. That's a loving God.
>> Yeah.
that we might be partakers of his
holiness.
So that's how you achieve holiness is
through chastening.
>> Yeah. Because you submit to it, you get
through it and then you come out the
other side bearing more fruit of
righteousness.
>> And it's through the process of
difficulty that he does that. And anyone
who hasn't experienced it will. M
>> because if you're his, he will cut you
back off things that you're going wrong
in
>> and it's not fun.
>> I see.
>> Yeah.
>> Holy. Yeah. Like getting rid of
I see
>> the dross.
>> So there's probably a manipulation of
this concept by Christianity.
>> Oh, sure. to say I'm trying to think of
what the wrong
uh application of this would be.
>> It seems to be in my uh experience is
that it's when parents will say, "I'm
doing this cuz I love you."
>> Yeah.
>> And they beat the living hell out of the
kid or something,
>> right?
>> Or they do something horrible thinking
that they're God.
How about doctrinally
in terms of holiness and purity and
chastening like you know purging
yourself of sins to be holy.
>> Yeah. Self flagagillation you know and
stuff.
>> It's funny you say that. I'm just
reading about St. Jerome. He used to
beat himself with rocks.
>> Wow. And the Catholic Church who
considered him a heretic said said if
you didn't have that rock we would never
have allowed you into the church meaning
what that rock kept you born in line
then we would just terrible self
flagagillation
>> so you're right there are people who
think that they have to mortify the
deeds of their flesh
>> with pain and infliction and suffering
and that's what happened to Christ on
the cross so we don't have to do that
it's inner. It's not outer,
>> you know.
>> And there's probably a
misappropriation
of people saying you can achieve
holiness
without
chastening.
>> That's probably something
>> probably. I don't know how you do it
because we're human and we make mistakes
and if our father doesn't chasen us and
correct us in our spiritual error, how
will you ever know? How will you ever
>> Yeah. Like that I think that's probably
the biggest one is the conception that
we can be holy without making mistakes
like that. Like
>> it's clear that holiness comes from
chastening which comes from mistake
making.
>> Yes. like
like you can't be
working toward holiness without the
mistakes,
>> right? And so to pursue perfection is a
mistake,
>> right,
>> of your own flesh, which is why religion
is antithetical to what God does in us.
>> When I came to know him in 97, I said,
I'm never going to let a church
discipline me again.
>> I'm never going to go to a man and
confess my sins. I'm going to take my
sin to God directly. And if he helps me
and fixes it, then I know it was of him.
And he did many things, but not all.
>> And I'm wait. I just wait because he's
the one who will do it and he'll take it
from me. Just like Paul said it, take
this thorn from my side three times. And
he says, "My grace is sufficient. If
he's paid for the sin, I don't have to
worry about my faults."
>> And this is the liberty that we seek for
people to understand. And we had those
kids last week who were saying, "Yeah,
you got to go to God and ask for
forgiveness." And that's what caused
Luther to say, "I I I don't know. I
can't do it.
>> I keep trying and I can't do it." And it
led to the Protestant Reformation.
>> You know, the Catholic Church was
saying, "Go into confession and confess
it. It doesn't work." So, that's the
whole
>> principle. And this little one, I wish
we could get a focus in on her face. She
is just an angel.
Um
she is an angel. Um
yeah.
So the so what you're saying is that the
flaws or mistakes
are purposeful and then not just
purposeful but won't will be used both
when they're being taken away and when
they're left behind. That's right. Like
in both the the function of God working
with people is through weakness.
>> That's right.
>> And it's either through the not taking
away of it or through the taking away of
it. Both and both are chasening and
painful.
>> Because when he doesn't take it away, it
leads to brokenness before him.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah. And and if anybody who has the
spirit of Christ in them, when they make
a mistake, a sin or whatever, they
always break before God. But taking it
away is the process of having to face it
also. Like both are having to face it.
It seems.
>> Yeah. I've had uh people say that when I
came to Jesus, I stopped smoking that
day.
>> I said, "Well, good for you." I mean,
that's great to have that happen.
>> I'm not saying that doesn't happen, but
often times you got to work through the
stuff over and over and over again.
Taproot problems we all bear.
>> Yeah. like that probably wasn't a
taproot problem if you didn't have to
work through it like
>> you know
>> tap you know I don't know okay so
uh now no chastening for the present
seems to be joyous
but grievous
nevertheless afterward it yields the
peaceable fruit of righteousness unto
them which are exercised thereby.
>> Get it? So, you're being exercised.
You're being trained by God's chastening
>> and he he keeps unfolding it upon you
and you grow by when you're exercised by
it.
>> Yeah.
But and so another mislication of this
would be someone looking at people in
pain and saying God's doing this for
your benefit.
>> Yeah.
>> That's an cuz that's not true either.
Like for some to be like the children
starving in Africa
uh argument of atheists like why would
there be a God that allows that?
Christians would say he does that on
purpose.
>> Yeah. No, we can't. That's not It's
individual and only the individual can
know what's happening and why and
proclaim it.
>> I don't think someone else can say uh
this is happening to you because God's
chasening you.
>> And also, it's not
God isn't inflicting weaknesses and
problems on people.
>> No. The chastening is not the
infliction,
which is not what God does. Chastening
is the either removal or the allowing.
Like that's the function that God works
through.
>> Yeah. And it's a chastening that comes
through the spirit, not the flesh.
>> Because your spirit is brokenhearted,
mourning, contrite.
>> Yeah.
>> Right. It It's inward. It's not Everyone
thinks, "Oh, you're sick. Well, God's
trying." Yeah. No, no, no. That's just
this life. That's this world.
>> Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Wherefore like or like
if you like lose your job or something.
>> Yeah. Something like that.
>> It's not. Okay. Wherefore lift up the
hands which hang down and the feeble
knees and make straight paths for your
feet, lest that which is lame be turned
out of the way, but let it rather be
healed.
pretty philosophical there.
>> Do you want to discuss it?
>> Do you have something to say?
>> Follow peace with all men
and holiness
without which no man shall see the Lord.
>> Follow peace with all men. Mhm.
>> That's in a day when peace was that's to
the Christians of that age and it is
should be the the name today.
>> Like if it was for them, it's especially
for us type of thing. What um
and holiness. Oh, she's
>> making noises.
>> Holiness without which no man shall see
the Lord. 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.
>> That's really important because in the
chastening of God inwardly when your
spirit is being broken,
>> a spirit of bitterness can overcome you.
I talked about that when we did that.
>> Yeah. And you can become embedded
against God and his chasing you and you
become impatient with him.
>> And so he's counseling against that end
result
>> that root of bitterness.
>> I want to see what he says about that.
Lest any root of bitterness springing up
trouble you thereby be lest there be any
fornicator or profane person as Esau
who for one morsel of meat sold his
birthright.
Wow.
For you 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.
>> That's telling the story of Esau and
Jacob and how he sold his birthight for
food
>> and was too like hasty more or less. So
he's saying be patient and don't get
angry
>> for you are not come unto um
>> now here we get into the good
theological
>> Oh good well we should we're wrapping up
this episode. Should we move on to the
next one? Okay, watch the next one and
it will be the good part of Hebrews.
>> Thank you.
>> Okay, thanks all. Thank you. Yeah, it
was. Thank you. to pay.