As "Father of spirits," He is both the Originator and the Providential, Gracious Sustainer of animal and spiritual life. The same is true in 2 Maccabees 3:24 where He is called "the sovereign of spirits and all authority" [ho tôn pneumatôn kai pasês exousias dunastês] when an apparition of a dreadful horseman appears. Hebrews 12:16-24 The Glorious Company . What warnings are these! In the same way is it not right and good that they should be chastened by God and submit to Him as ‘the Father of spirits’, for this will result in true spiritual life. Start well. So while it might in LXX (but not necessarily) have been seen as referring to Him as the One Who is over both angels and men, the Hebrew appears to clarify the situation and say that it means ‘God of the spirits for all flesh’ and that it therefore rather signifies fleshly men as they are in their deepest inner being, the spirits put within men, or ‘the God of all life’ including all living creation to which He has given ‘spirits’, the spirit of life. Two reasons for such subjection are suggested in our text. See Hebrews 2:5. spirits. God "scourgeth every son whom He receiveth." The argument in this verse is derived from the difference in the spirit and design with which we are corrected by God and by an earthly parent. * 1Now [even] the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary. the Son or God the Father? This shows the English words related to the source biblical texts along with brief definitions. We must vindicate God. Such is often the case with the text regarding the “Father of spirits” in Hebrews chapter 12. Is it not enough to be told that the Scriptures teach us to expect chastisements, and exhort us not to despise them? "Shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits?" The writer has been impressed by the fact, both in his study of the Word and his observation of fellow-Christians, that, as a general rule, God uses the rod very little and very lightly upon the babes and younger members of His family, but that He employs it more frequently and severely on mature Christians. πατέρας μὲν τῆς σαρκὸς ἡμῶν εἴχομεν τοὺς παιδεύοντας, shall we not much rather be in subjection, πατέρα δὲ πνευμάτων ἢ τῶν χαρισμάτων ἢ τῶν ἀσωμάτων δυνάμεων, πρὸς γὰρ ἀντιδιαστολὴν τῶν σαρκικῶν πατέρων εἶπε τὸν πνευματικόν, πατέρα γὰρ πνευμάτων τὸν πνευματικὸν πατέρα κέκληκεν, ἐκείνων δὲ ἡμῖν δέδωκε τὸ τῆς υἱοθεσίας ἀξίωμα. ", "I know, O Lord, that Thy judgments are right, and that Thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me", "Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before Thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all Thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day. However, when we add meaning to verses that is not explicitly inferred, we often come to incorrect ideas that are not otherwise supported by the Bible, or which even contradict other parts of the Bible. “Our spiritual Father uses more love and gentleness than our human fathers, and he will not give us more than we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13).”. A.F.V First, because the One with whom we have to do is our Father. Wesley's Hebrews 12:9 Bible Commentary 12:9 And we reverenced them - We neither despised nor fainted under their correction. The apostle Paul did not, like so many of our moderns, hurry through a subject and dismiss an unpleasant theme with a brief sentence or two. The same is true of different forms of sinning. Manifold are our obligations to comport ourselves becomingly when God is pleased to scourge us, and many and varied are the motives and arguments which the Spirit, through the apostle, here presents to us for this end. Hebrews 11:17-29 The Champions of Faith. Dear friend, instead of saying, "The days of my usefulness are over," rather reason, The night cometh when no man can work; therefore I must make the most of my opportunities while it is yet called day. The eagle is also the high-soaring bird, building its nest on the mountain summit. The first, man shares in common with all vegetable nature, being the vis formativa, the formative energy, the organizing principle, the plastic power which forms the body according to its type; which is simply the divine agency, as cause of causes, acting under form of finite causations and successions. They are tempted to be unduly occupied with their increasing infirmities; but is it not written "the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities"! Some regard ‘by’ or ‘through’ in Hebrews 9:11 as local; but the use of the same preposition in Hebrews 9:12 in the instrumental sense is against this view. See 1 Corinthians 4:14. be in subjection. Thus God's chastenings increase in severity and frequency! He then, in the first place, makes this difference between God and men, that they are the fathers of the flesh, but he of the spirit; and on this difference he enlarges by comparing the flesh with the spirit. Hebrews 11:30-35 By Faith They Overcame. See below) chastised us (imperf. But this is only possible as we see the hand of God in them. But in connection with the immaterial part of our beings, God is the immediate and alone Creator of them. The human is often capricious, the divine always right. The paragraph follows 12:1-3 without any intervening conjunction. Pink's Commentary on John and Hebrews, E.M. Zerr's Commentary on Selected Books of the New Testament, Haldane's Exposition on the Epistle to the Romans and Hebrews. is unexpected, and is inserted to balance [on this verb see Anz. —Here appears a clear distinction between the origin of our, , or bodies, in the course of nature from our parents, and the origin of our spirits, above nature, from God. And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. . "Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence." This is a term modern Christians are used to associating with the church, meaning literally, the called out ones. And physiology seems to show that the human embryo passes through these three stages. Hebrews 12 / Hebrews 12:9 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. Hebrews 12:9 Translation & Meaning. One would think sufficient had been said in the previous verses to make us be submissive under and thankful for the tender discipline of our God. It is but right and meet that children should honor their parents by being in complete subjection to them: not to do so is to ignore their relationship, despise their authority, and slight their love. 9. By saying, and live, he points out the cause or the end, for the conjunction “and” is to be rendered that, — “that we may live.” Now we are reminded by this word live, that there is nothing more ruinous to us than to refuse to surrender ourselves in obedience to God. Sometimes we react to problems with a spirit of rebellion rather than a spirit of understanding and growth.) Undoubtedly it is the case that the older we get, the more need there is to heed this "furthermore" which prefaces the call of our being in subjection to the Father of spirits. [⇑ See verse text ⇑] The general pattern of biblical faith is to trust our future to God, despite not having perfect knowledge of what will happen next (Hebrews 11:1). And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. Drill is associated with learning something repetitively—over and over again till we get it. With a fresh phase of the argument is introduced. Burning coals in the Bible also symbolize judgment (Psalm 140:10) and spiritual purification (Isaiah 6:6; Leviticus 16:12). It is not losing all, but coming short we are to fear. . May He not do as He wills with His own?" The worst sin of Moses was committed not at the beginning but at the end of the wilderness journey. Hebrews 12:9-11 10For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. God is compared often to fire (Deuteronomy 4:24; Hebrews 12:9) and is described in terms that relate to fire’s heat, brightness, … The thought is that only by subjection to the Father of our spirit can we have life. Compare all. The particular title of God found in our text calls for a brief comment. He is that hissing serpent of old, who was responsible for the fall of a man, and often appears as an angel of light - but he is the evil author of deceit and deception - the father of … It is the duty of children to give the reverence of obedience unto the just commands of their parents, and the reverence of submission to their correction when disobedient. O quarrel not against Jehovah: be clay in the hands of the Potter: take Christ's yoke upon you, and learn of Him who was "meek and lowly in heart.". Answer Save. ", "Shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits? [⇑ See verse text ⇑] In this passage, the writer explains why Christians should embrace the idea of being "disciplined" by God. Hebrews 12:9. But in the Hebrew text it reads as ‘the God of the spirits to/for all flesh’. Next comes the animal soul, a sensibility of the five senses to external objects, with powers of association, and impulses to action in accordance with the forces of impressions. What does Hebrews 11:12 mean? -Hebrews 12:1 . This is what the Psalmist did: "I know, O Lord, that Thy judgments are right, and that Thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me" ( Psalm 119:75). 9.Furthermore—The parallelism of the divine Fatherhood with the human tells infinitely for the former, and for the rightness of the chastisement. What does Hebrews 12:1 mean? Hebrews 12:5, 6. Then how much more should we readily submit unto the latter. It was after a life of walking with God, and building the ark, that Noah disgraced himself. I.S.V. For your encouragement let it be stated that the most active worker in a church of which the editor was pastor was seventy-seven years old when he went there, and during his stay of three and a half years she did more for the Lord, and was a greater stimulus to him, than any other member of that church. Even so, we should never cease to honor them. . David did not fall into his great sin till he had reached the prime of life. The time may come when it is no longer necessary or right for us to obey our parents. Lot did not transgress most grossly till he was an old man. In the verse which is now to be before us a further reason is given showing the need of the Christian's duty to meekly bear God's chastenings. Follow the buttons in the right-hand column for detailed definitions and verses that use the same root words. God is a Spirit, and the Creator of spirits like Himself; men are but flesh, and the progenitors of flesh (John 3:6). We can first compare how the phrase "God of the spirits, even of (or ‘and of’) all flesh" [theos tôn pneumatôn kai pasês sarkos] occurs in LXX in Numbers 16:22; Numbers 27:16. 2. And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my Song of Solomon, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: How much more now may this Benjamite do it? Barnes's Hebrews 12:9 Bible Commentary Furthermore - As an additional consideration to induce us to receive chastisement with submission. The human spirit is created, the vegetable and animal elements in man are born. Ecclesiastes 1:12, Ecclesiastes 1:7. They honoured their fathers because they recognised the love that lay behind the chastening, and they submitted to them. It behooves each servant of God to study the methods of the apostles, and seek wisdom and grace to emulate their practice; only thus will they preserve the balance of Truth, and be delivered from "handling the Word deceitfully" ( 2 Corinthians 4:2). Hebrews 12:9 Parallel Commentaries. Often there is more grumbling and complaining among the aged pilgrims than the younger ones: it is true their nerves can stand less, but God's grace is sufficient for worn-out nerves. How much more ought we to be in subjection unto our heavenly Father: there is nothing tyrannical about Him: His commandments are not grievous: He has only our good at heart. Hebrews 12:9 New International Version (NIV) 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. Is it not sufficient to be assured that these chastisements proceed from the very heart of our Father, being appointed and regulated by His love? 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