Heb 6:10, 10:32-34, 12:12-13 | JFB | STEP | 10. not unrighteous-- not unfaithful to His own gracious promise. Not that we have any inherent right to claim reward; for (1) a servant has no merit, as he only does that which is his bounden duty; (2) our best performances bear no proportion to what we leave undone; (3) all strength comes from God; but God has promised of His own grace to reward the good works of His people (already accepted through faith in Christ); it is His promise, not our merits, which would make it unrighteous were He not to reward His people's works. God will be no man's debtor. your work-- your whole Christian life of active obedience. labour of love-- The oldest manuscripts omit "labor of," which probably crept in from . As "love" occurs here, so "hope," , "faith," ; as in : the Pauline triad. By their love he sharpens their hope and faith. ye have showed-- (Compare ). toward his name-- Your acts of love to the saints were done for His name's sake. The distressed condition of the Palestinian Christians appears from the collection for them. Though receiving bounty from other churches, and therefore not able to minister much by pecuniary help, yet those somewhat better off could minister to the greatest sufferers in their Church in various other ways (compare ). Paul, as elsewhere, gives them the utmost credit for their graces, while delicately hinting the need of perseverance, a lack of which had probably somewhat begun to show itself.

‏ Hebrews 6:10

10. not unrighteous--not unfaithful to His own gracious promise. Not that we have any inherent right to claim reward; for (1) a servant has no merit, as he only does that which is his bounden duty; (2) our best performances bear no proportion to what we leave undone; (3) all strength comes from God; but God has promised of His own grace to reward the good works of His people (already accepted through faith in Christ); it is His promise, not our merits, which would make it unrighteous were He not to reward His people's works. God will be no man's debtor.

your work--your whole Christian life of active obedience.

labour of love--The oldest manuscripts omit "labor of," which probably crept in from 1Th 1:3. As "love" occurs here, so "hope," He 6:11, "faith," He 6:12; as in 1Co 13:13: the Pauline triad. By their love he sharpens their hope and faith.

ye have showed--(Compare He 10:32-34).

toward his name--Your acts of love to the saints were done for His name's sake. The distressed condition of the Palestinian Christians appears from the collection for them. Though receiving bounty from other churches, and therefore not able to minister much by pecuniary help, yet those somewhat better off could minister to the greatest sufferers in their Church in various other ways (compare 2Ti 1:18). Paul, as elsewhere, gives them the utmost credit for their graces, while delicately hinting the need of perseverance, a lack of which had probably somewhat begun to show itself.

‏ Hebrews 10:32-34

32. As previously he has warned them by the awful end of apostates, so here he stirs them up by the remembrance of their own former faith, patience, and self-sacrificing love. So Re 2:3, 4.

call to remembrance--habitually: so the present tense means.

illuminated--"enlightened": come to "the knowledge of the truth" (He 10:26) in connection with baptism (see on He 6:4). In spiritual baptism, Christ, who is "the Light," is put on. "On the one hand, we are not to sever the sign and the grace signified where the sacrifice truly answers its designs; on the other, the glass is not to be mistaken for the liquor, nor the sheath for the sword" [Bengel].

fight of--that is, consisting of afflictions.

33. The persecutions here referred to seem to have been endured by the Hebrew Christians at their first conversion, not only in Palestine, but also in Rome and elsewhere, the Jews in every city inciting the populace and the Roman authorities against Christians.

gazing-stock--as in a theater (so the Greek): often used as the place of punishment in the presence of the assembled multitudes. Ac 19:29; 1Co 4:9, "Made a theatrical spectacle to the world."

ye became--of your own accord: attesting your Christian sympathy with your suffering brethren.

companions of--sharers in affliction with.

34. ye had compassion on me in my bonds--The oldest manuscripts and versions omit "me," and read, "Ye both sympathized with those in bonds (answering to the last clause of He 10:33; compare He 13:3, 23; 6:10), and accepted (so the Greek is translated in He 11:35) with joy (Jas 1:2; joy in tribulations, as exercising faith and other graces, Ro 5:3; and the pledge of the coming glory, Mt 5:12) the plundering of your (own) goods (answering to the first clause of He 10:33)."

in yourselves--The oldest manuscripts omit "in": translate, "knowing that ye have for (or 'to') yourselves."

better--a heavenly (He 11:16).

enduring--not liable to spoiling.

substance--possession: peculiarly our own, if we will not cast away our birthright.

‏ Hebrews 12:12-13

12. He addresses them as runners in a race, and pugilists, and warriors [Chrysostom]. The "wherefore" is resumed from He 12:1.

lift up--In Is 35:3, from which Paul here quotes, it is, "Strengthen ye the weak hands." The hand is the symbol of one's strength. Alford translates, "Put straight again the relaxed hands." English Version expresses the sense well.

feeble--literally, "paralyzed"; a word used only by Luke, Paul's companion, in the New Testament. The exhortation has three parts: the first relates to ourselves, He 12:12, 13; the second, to others, He 12:14, "peace with all men"; the third, to God, "holiness, without which," &c. The first is referred to in He 12:15, "test any man fail of the grace of God"; the second in the words, "lest any root of bitterness," &c.; the third in He 12:16, "Lest there be any fornicator or profane person," &c. This threefold relation often occurs in Paul's Epistles. Compare Note, see on Tit 2:12, "soberly, righteously, and godly." The Greek active verb, not the middle or reflexive, requires the sense to be, Lift up not only your own hands and knees, but also those of your brethren (compare He 12:15; Is 35:4).

13. Quoted from Pr 4:26, Septuagint, "Make straight paths for thy feet."

straight--that is, leading by a straight road to joy and grace (He 12:1, 2, 15). Cease to "halt" between Judaism and Christianity [Bengel].

paths--literally, "wheel tracks." Let your walk be so firm and so unanimous in the right direction that a plain track and "highway" may be thereby established for those who accompany and follow you, to perceive and walk in (Is 35:8) [Alford].

that which is lame--those "weak in the faith" (Ro 14:1), having still Judaizing prejudices.

be turned out of the way--(Pr 4:27); and, so missing the way, lose the prize of "the race" (He 12:1).

rather he healed--Proper exercise of itself contributes to health; the habit of walking straight onward in the right way tends to healing.