Hebrews 12:1-29
At the end of “chapter 11” we read: .39And all (of them) having been witnessed-of by means of the belief did not bring-to-themselves the promise of God, .40having observed-towards some stronger-thing concerning us, in order that they may not be made-complete without us.
Now we continue:
Hebrews 12:1 and 2:
12:1For-therefore also we, having so-much a cloud of witnesses lying-around us, having put-away every projection and the circumstantial sin from-ourselves, by means of patient-endurance let us run the contest lying-before us, .2seeing into the author and completer of the belief – Jesus – who, in-the-place-of the joy lying-before him, patiently-endured the cross, having despised shame, and sat-down in (the) right-side of the throne of God.
Following on consequently, also emphatically we – since we presently have this much of a degree (such a definite amount) of a cloud of witnesses lying in position about us (referring to the throng of people written about in Hebrews 11:2 and 4-39 relative to the belief that God made known; those people are still dead but their witness is surrounding us; since this cloud of witnesses is encompassing us) –
- after we have put (placed, set) away from ourselves
- every projection (all/every bulging mass thrusting itself out and forcing its bulk into a prominent position before us, which would affect our behavior adversely if left in its position in front of us blocking our progress)
- and the circumstantial sin (the sin that stands itself in a good/well position around us from its viewpoint, endeavoring to distract us, to pull us out ‘off of the race course’ to follow its false advantage and thereby exercise its influencing control over us in our behavior),
- then by means of patient-endurance (through bearing-up, holding, enduring and remaining upwards relative-to God and the things of God under any obstacles)…
…let us run the contest lying-before us (the usage of “let us” is a polite command or a very strong suggestion advising us to do what Paul writes – let us hasten, hurry, quickly-move during the contest that is presently laid ahead of us, set in position in-front-of us at the present time)…
- [The word "contest" refers to being in a place of contest where there are two opposing parties conflicting against each other in order to be the one to gain the prize at the end of the contest. The usage of athletic terminology draws attention to holy-people and the truth of being together moving in the direction of the same objective, being on the same team in the same contest, not a different contest or on a different team. In the amphitheatre, the runners would put/take off most, if not all, of their clothes so that not even their clothing could hinder them in their race.]
…seeing into (looking away-from where we are now, from what is happening at this moment, so as to perceive with our eyes and understand the object of sight in our mind’s thoughts, looking away from the ‘starting line’ of the race with our attention focused and directed into)…
- the author (the source, cause, chief, first one, the beginner, the one who set the rule)
- and completer (the one who ultimately arrived at the state of completeness which God intends, the one who reached God's intended fulfilling ending-issue, which is not the ending of a departed state but its completion, the perfecter)
- of the belief (pertaining to the information that God made known to him to have confidence-in, to believe, to have faith-in, to trust with assured certainty and surety)
… – Jesus (Jesus is the author and completer of the belief) – …
- who,
- in-the-place-of the joy lying-before him (in-exchange-for, in-opposition-to, instead of the rejoicing that is now lying ahead of him, the joy that is laid or set in position in-front-of him at the present time),
- patiently-endured the cross (during a past time he held-out, bore-up, stayed or remained upright relative to God and the things of God while he was under all that was involved regarding the complete sacrifice of himself on the cross; Jesus was crucified on a stake, as the trunk of a tree or a single log of wood stuck upright into a hole in the ground, and he patiently endured it),
- after he despised shame (he thought down-on or against what is shameful from God’s viewpoint; "shame" refers to what is shameful and causes the feeling or emotion of disgrace and guilt bringing reproach after recognizing and being sorry for one's own performance of an improper, ignominious or dishonorable deed from God's point of view – Jesus was treated shamefully by others and there was great shame in being hung on a cross as a criminal; yes, Jesus was the object of shame, but he did not behave himself shamefully no matter what was going on around him, instead, he despised it; Jesus continued to do what God told him to do even though he was receiving the consequences of mankind’s sins against God),
- and then he sat-down in the right-side (he sat within the sphere of action of and is continuing at the right-hand side, which gives him the authority, power, honor, blessing, grace, approval, and excellence, being an extension of the power, etc, of the One Whose side he is at; [some Greek texts have the perfect tense for the verb “sat-down” showing that he sat and he is still sitting down in the right-side])
- of the throne (the high seat designated for a king and so it would include all the regal authority associated with that position)
God made the Lord Jesus Christ to sit-down at His right-hand side, on His throne, which was the ‘prize’ or compensation payment promised to him by God that he would receive when he would reach the ‘finish line’ of the race set by God for him to reach.
[Reference: Genesis 3:15; Psalm 110:1; Matthew chapter 27; Acts 3:15, 5:31; Romans 8:34; I Corinthians 9:24-27; II Corinthians 4:2; Ephesians 1:19-23, 4:22 and 25; Philippians 1:30, 2:8, 3:13, 14, 18, and 19; Colossians 1:27-29, 2:1, 3:1 and 8, 4:12; I Thessalonians 2:2; I Timothy 4:10, 6:11 and 12; II Timothy 4:7 and 8; Hebrews 1:3, 2:10, 4:16, 6:18-20; 8:1, 10:12 and 32-39, 11:1 and 2; Revelation 22:1 and 3. For a detailed explanation of mankind’s sin(s) against God, please refer to my study of Appendix to Romans – the fall of Adam.]
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Christ on
God's throne
