Hebrews 12:1-2

Faith’s Perspective

Hebrews 12:1–2 (NKJV)

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance 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 has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Charles Spurgeon

Now, I hold no man’s faith to be sure faith unless he knows what he believes.

Charles Spurgeon

Faith in the storm is true faith! Faith in a calm may be, or may not be, genuine faith.

Our perspective on God’s character relates directly to our response to sin.

Steven Runge

I. Our View of the Race (1)

Hebrews 12:1 NKJV

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

THEREFORE WE ALSO

Wuest’s Word Studies in the Greek New Testament III. Exegesis of the Letter

The “wherefore” (toigaroun (τοιγαρουν)) reaching back and gathering together all the heroes of 11:4–40, their faith, and their exploits, is an emphatic particle, strongly affirming the facts on which the following exhortation is based.

Elders

Abel

Enoch

Noah

Abraham

Sarah

Isaac

Jacob

Joseph

Moses parents

Moses

Children of Israel

Rahab

Gideon

Barak

Samson

Jephthah

David

Samuel

The prophets

It connects specifically with Hebrews 11:39–40

Hebrews 11:39–40 NKJV

And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

SINCE WE ARE SURROUNDED BY SO GREAT A CLOUD OF WITNESSES

An Exegetical Summary of Hebrews (12:1)

a. τοσοῦτος: ‘so great’, ‘such a great’, ‘such a large’, ‘such a huge’, ‘this large’ [TEV], ‘this great’. The phrase τοσοῦτον ἔχοντες … νέφος μαρτύρων ‘having so great a cloud of witnesses’ is translated ‘with all these witnesses to faith … in a great cloud’ [TNT], ‘with so many witnesses in a great cloud’ [NJB]. This word is emphatic by word order and the emphasis is upon quality [WBC].

b. νέφος: ‘cloud’, ‘host’, ‘crowd’, ‘large crowd’ [LN]. It is emphatic by word order [ICC]. It emphasizes the great number of persons involved, densely compact [My, Wst].

An Exegetical Summary of Hebrews (12:1)

What is meant by μαρτύρων ‘witnesses’?

1. It refers to persons whose lives have been witnesses to the faith and whose faith was witnessed to by Scripture [EGT]. It does not mean ‘spectators’ who look down upon runners since the witnesses are in heaven and no longer concerned with earthly affairs [Lns]; rather, the runners are to look at these witnesses.

2. It refers to persons who have been witnesses for the faith and who also witness the lives of present believers. It refers both to the great multitude and to the fact that they are looking on from heaven above [Alf, Lg]. They have a unified witness and are approved by God [WBC].

3. It refers to persons who are spectators; the witnesses are like a crowd in a stadium watching the runners [NIGTC].

LET US LAY ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT

An Exegetical Summary of Hebrews (12:1)

‘to lay aside’, ‘to put away’ [LN, Lns], ‘to remove’ [LN], ‘to get rid of’, ‘to rid oneself of’ [BAGD; TEV], ‘to throw off’, ‘to strip off’ [NLT].

An Exegetical Summary of Hebrews (12:1)

ὄγκος (LN 13.149) (BAGD p. 553): ‘impediment’ [BAGD, LN], ‘hindrance’ [LN], ‘thing that hinders’ [NIV], ‘encumbrance’, ‘weight’, ‘excess weight’ [WBC], ‘weight that slows down’ [NLT], ‘thing that slows down’ [CEV], ‘thing that weighs us down’ [NJB], ‘thing that gets in the way’ [TEV]. It is emphatic by word order. This word literally refers to a person’s excess weight [Alf, Blm], unnecessary clothing [Blm, HNTC], and here figuratively to any impeding disposition [Blm], to anything that would hinder. It includes things that are not sinful in themselves, anything superfluous [ICC]. This word refers to clinging to external Judaism [My]. It includes sin, it means sin [NIGTC]. It is clarified by the following καὶ τὴν εὐπερίστατον ἁμαρτίαν ‘the easily ensnaring sin’ and is nearly synonymous with ἁμαρτίαν ‘sin’ [ICC, TH].

AND THE SIN WHICH SO EASILY ENSNARES US

An Exegetical Summary of Hebrews (12:1)

εὐπερίστατος: ‘easily ensnaring, obstructing, constricting’ [BAGD], ‘clinging’ [TNT], ‘easily hampering’ [Lns], ‘controlling tightly’ [LN], ‘which controls so tightly’ [LN], ‘which clings’ [NAB], ‘which readily clings’ [HNTC], ‘that clings so closely’ [NJB, NRSV], ‘which holds on so tightly’ [TEV], ‘that just won’t let go’ [CEV], ‘that so easily hinders progress’ [NLT], ‘which so easily entangles’ [NASB], ‘that so easily entangles’ [Mil; NIV], ‘which so readily ensnares’ [NIC], ‘that all too readily restricts’ [REB], ‘which does so easily beset’ [KJV]. It means ‘which easily surrounds’ as a garment, which winds around and hinders [Blm, NCBC], clinging closely [Hwt, ICC].

An Exegetical Summary of Hebrews (12:1)

QUESTION—What is meant by the definite article τήν ‘the’ in the phrase τὴν εὐπερίστατον ἁμαρτίαν ‘the easily ensnaring sin’?

1. It is generic, referring to sin in general [ICC, Lns, My, NIC, TNTC, WBC, Wst], to the characteristic tendency of all sin to cling tenaciously [EGT].

2. It is definite [Blm, EBC, HNTC, Mil; all versions except NAB, TNT]: the sin that easily ensnares us.

The Lexham Textual Notes on the Bible Hebrews 12:1

Instead of “ensnares,” the earliest available manuscript has “distracts.” In the Greek, these words are very similar, with the weight of the manuscript evidence favoring “ensnares.” The difference is slight. In both cases, the sin is in danger of preventing the race from being run.

LET US RUN

An Exegetical Summary of Hebrews 12:1

QUESTION—What relationship is indicated by the present subjunctive verb τρέχωμεν ‘let us run’?

It implies both effort and the possibility of success or failure, and continuing action [NIGTC]. By using the first person plural the author includes himself [Lns, NIGTC].

Contest; it implies struggle

WITH ENDURANCE

An Exegetical Summary of Hebrews (12:1)

ὑπομονή: ‘patience’ [BAGD; KJV], ‘fortitude’ [BAGD], ‘endurance’, ‘steadfast endurance’ [NIC], ‘perseverance’, ‘resolution’ [REB], ‘firm resolution’ [TNT], ‘determination’ [TEV]. This noun is also translated as a verb: ‘to persevere’ [NAB], ‘to be determined’ [CEV].

THE RACE

Any contest or struggle; race, tough course

THAT IS SET BEFORE US

lie before so as to be in clear view, set before

II. Our View of Christ (2)

Hebrews 12:2 NKJV

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 has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

LOOKING UNTO JESUS

To look to something without having one’s attention diverted; determine to see

THE AUTHOR

As one who causes something to begin, originator, founder, initiator; one who goes first on the path, leader

AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH

A person who brings something to completion without defect or blemish; perfecter, finisher

WHO FOR THE JOY THAT WAS SET BEFORE HIM

The emotion of great happiness and pleasure, joy, gladness, delight

ENDURED THE CROSS

Endure, to face and withstand with courage

DESPISING THE SHAME

Despising, to look down on with contempt

Shame, unworthiness meriting public disgrace and dishonor, embarrassment, humiliation

AND HAS SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE THRONE OF GOD