SEV Biblia, Chapter 12:2
puestos los ojos en el Autor y Consumador de la fe, Jess, el cual, habindole sido propuesto gozo, sufri el madero, menospreciando la vergenza, y fue sentado a la diestra de Dios.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Hebrew 12:2
Verse 2. Looking unto Jesus] aforwntev? Looking off and on, or from and to; looking off or from the world and all secular concerns to Jesus and all the spiritual and heavenly things connected with him. This is still an allusion to the Grecian games: those who ran were to keep their eyes fixed on the mark of the prize; they must keep the goal in view. The exhortation implies, 1. That they should place all their hope and confidence in Christ, as their sole helper in this race of faith. 2. That they should consider him their leader in this contest and imitate his example. The author and finisher of-faith] archgov, translated here author, signifies, in general, captain or leader, or the first inventor of a thing; see chap. ii. 10. But the reference seems to be here to the brabeuv, or judge in the games, whose business it was to admit the contenders, and to give the prize to the conqueror. Jesus is here represented as this officer; every Christian is a contender in this race of life, and for eternal life. The heavenly course is begun under Jesus; and under him it is completed. He is the finisher, by awarding the prize to them that are faithful unto death.
Thus he is the author or the judge under whom, and by whose permission and direction, according to the rules of the heavenly race, they are permitted to enter the lists, and commence the race, and he is the finisher, teleiwthv, the perfecter, by awarding and giving the prize which consummates the combatants at the end of the race.
Who, for the joy that was set before him] The joy of fulfilling the will of the Father, Psa. xl. 6-8, &c., in tasting death for every man; and having endured the cross and despised the shame of this ignominious death, He is set down at the right hand of God, ever appearing in the presence of God for us, and continuing his exhibition of himself as our Sacrifice, and his intercession as our Mediator. See the notes on "chap. x. 5", &c. There are different other explanations given of this clause, but I think that here offered is the most natural. It never can, in any sense, be said of Jesus that he endured the cross, &c., in the prospect of gaining an everlasting glory; when he had the fullness of that glory with the Father before the world began; John xvii. 5.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 2. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith , etc..] Not with bodily eyes, for at present he is not to be looked upon in this manner, but with the eye of the understanding, or with the eye of faith; for faith is a seeing of the Son; it is a spiritual sight of Christ, which is at first but glimmering, afterwards it increases, and is of a soul humbling nature; it is marvellous and surprising; it transforms into the image of Christ, and fills with joy unspeakable, and full of glory: a believer should be always looking to Christ, and off of every object, as the word here used signifies. Christ is to be looked unto as Jesus, a Saviour, who being appointed and sent by God to be a Saviour, came, and is become the author of eternal salvation; and to him only should we look for it: he is able and willing to save; he is a suitable, complete, and only Saviour; and whoever look to him by faith shall be saved; and he is to be considered, and looked unto, as the author and finisher of faith: he is the author or efficient cause of it; all men are by nature without it; it is not in the power of man to believe of himself; it is a work of omnipotence; it is an instance of the exceeding greatness of the power of God; and it is the operation of Christ, by his Spirit; and the increase of it is from him, ( Luke 17:5) and he is the finisher of it; he gives himself, and the blessings of his grace, to his people, to maintain and strengthen it; he prays for it, that it fail not; he carries on the work of faith, and will perform it with power; and brings to, and gives that which is the end of it, eternal life, or the salvation of the soul. Who for the joy that was set before him ; the word anti , rendered for; sometimes signifies, in the room, or stead of, as in ( Matthew 2:22 20:28) and is so rendered here in the Syriac and Arabic versions; and then the sense is, that Christ instead of being in the bosom of the Father, came into this world; instead of being in the form of God, he appeared in the form of a servant; instead of the glory which he had with his Father from eternity, he suffered shame and disgrace; instead of living a joyful and comfortable life on earth, he suffered a shameful and an accursed death; and instead of the temporal joy and glory the Jews proposed to him, he endured the shame and pain of the cross: sometimes it signifies the end for which a thing is, as in ( Ephesians 5:31) and may intend that, for the sake of which Christ underwent so much disgrace, and such sufferings; namely, for the sake of having a spiritual seed, a numerous offspring with him in heaven, who are his joy, and crown of rejoicing; for the sake of the salvation of all the elect, on which his heart was set; and for the glorifying of the divine perfections, which was no small delight and pleasure to him.
And to this agrees the Chaldee paraphrase of ( Psalm 21:1). O Lord, in thy power shall the King Messiah ydjy , rejoice, and in thy redemption how greatly will he exult!
And also because of his own glory as Mediator, which was to follow his sufferings, and which includes his resurrection from the dead, his exaltation at the right hand of God, and the whole honour and glory Christ has in his human nature; (see Psalm 16:8-11) and with a view to all this, he endured the cross; which is to be taken not properly for that frame of wood, on which he was crucified; but, improperly, for all his sufferings, from his cradle to his cross; and particularly the tortures of the cross, being extended on it, and nailed unto it; and especially the death of the cross, which kind of death he endured to verify the predictions of it, ( Psalm 22:16 Zechariah 12:10) and to show that he was made a curse for his people; and this being a Roman punishment, shows that the sceptre was taken from Judah, and therefore the Messiah must be come; and that Christ suffered for the Gentiles, as well as Jews: and this death he endured with great courage and intrepidity, with much patience and constancy, and in obedience to the will of his Father: despising the shame; of the cross; for it was an ignominious death, as well as a painful one; and as he endured the pain of it with patience, he treated the shame of it with contempt; throughout the whole of his life, he despised the shame and reproach that was cast upon him; and so he did at the time of his apprehension, and when upon his trial, and at his death, under all the ignominious circumstances that attended it; which should teach us not to be ashamed of the reproach of Christ, but count it an honour to be worthy to suffer shame for his name. And is set down at the right hand of the throne of God ; Which is in heaven; and is expressive of the majesty and glory of God; and of the honour done to Christ in human nature, which is not granted to any of the angels: here Christ sits as God's fellow, as equal to him, as God, and as having done his work as man, and Mediator; and this may assure us, that when we have run out our race, we shall sit down too, with Christ upon his throne, and be at rest.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-11 - The persevering obedience of faith in Christ, was the race set befor the Hebrews, wherein they must either win the crown of glory, or have everlasting misery for their portion; and it is set before us. By the sin that does so easily beset us, understand that sin to which we ar most prone, or to which we are most exposed, from habit, age, or circumstances. This is a most important exhortation; for while a man' darling sin, be it what it will, remains unsubdued, it will hinder his from running the Christian race, as it takes from him every motive for running, and gives power to every discouragement. When weary and fain in their minds, let them recollect that the holy Jesus suffered, to save them from eternal misery. By stedfastly looking to Jesus, their thoughts would strengthen holy affections, and keep under their carna desires. Let us then frequently consider him. What are our littl trials to his agonies, or even to our deserts? What are they to the sufferings of many others? There is a proneness in believers to gro weary, and to faint under trials and afflictions; this is from the imperfection of grace and the remains of corruption. Christians shoul not faint under their trials. Though their enemies and persecutors ma be instruments to inflict sufferings, yet they are Divin chastisements; their heavenly Father has his hand in all, and his wis end to answer by all. They must not make light of afflictions, and be without feeling under them, for they are the hand and rod of God, an are his rebukes for sin. They must not despond and sink under trials nor fret and repine, but bear up with faith and patience. God may le others alone in their sins, but he will correct sin in his ow children. In this he acts as becomes a father. Our earthly parent sometimes may chasten us, to gratify their passion, rather than to reform our manners. But the Father of our souls never willingly grieve nor afflicts his children. It is always for our profit. Our whole lif here is a state of childhood, and imperfect as to spiritual things therefore we must submit to the discipline of such a state. When we come to a perfect state, we shall be fully reconciled to all God' chastisement of us now. God's correction is not condemnation; the chastening may be borne with patience, and greatly promote holiness Let us then learn to consider the afflictions brought on us by the malice of men, as corrections sent by our wise and gracious Father, for our spiritual good.
Greek Textus Receptus
αφορωντες 872 5723 εις 1519 τον 3588 της 3588 πιστεως 4102 αρχηγον 747 και 2532 τελειωτην 5051 ιησουν 2424 ος 3739 αντι 473 της 3588 προκειμενης 4295 5740 αυτω 846 χαρας 5479 υπεμεινεν 5278 5656 σταυρον 4716 αισχυνης 152 καταφρονησας 2706 5660 εν 1722 δεξια 1188 τε 5037 του 3588 θρονου 2362 του 3588 θεου 2316 εκαθισεν 2523 5656
Vincent's NT Word Studies
2. Looking (aforwntev). Only here and Philip. ii. 28. In LXX see 4 Macc. xvii. 10. Looking away from everything which may distract. Comp. Philip. iii. 13, 14, and ajpeblepen he had respect, lit. looked away, Heb. xi. 26. Wetstein cites Arrian, Epictet. ii. 19, xxix. eijv ton Qeon ajforwntev ejn panti mikrw kai megalw looking away unto God in everything small and great.
Jesus. Having presented a long catalogue of witnesses under the old covenant, he now presents Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and the supreme witness. See Apoc. i. 5; iii. 14; 1 Tim. vi. 13. The author and finisher of our faith (ton thv pistewv archgon kai teleiwthn). The A.V. is misleading, and narrows the scope of the passage. For author, rend. leader or captain, and see on ch. ii. 10. For finisher, rend. perfecter. For our faith, rend. faith or the faith. Not our Christian faith, but faith absolutely, as exhibited in the whole range of believers from Abel to Christ. Christ cannot be called the author or originator of faith, since the faith here treated existed and worked before Christ. Christ is the leader or captain of faith, in that he is the perfecter of faith. In himself he furnished the perfect development, the supreme example of faith, and in virtue of this he is the leader of the whole believing host in all time. Notice the recurrence of the favorite idea of perfecting. Comp. ch. ii. 10; v. 9; vi. 1; vii. 11, 19, 28; ix. 9; x. 1, 14; xi. 40. Teleiwthv perfecter, N.T.o , ?LXX, o Class.
For the joy that was set before him ( anti thv prokeimenhv autw carav). Anti in its usual sense, in exchange for. Prokeimenhv lying before, present. The joy was the full, divine beatitude of his preincarnate life in the bosom of the Father; the glory which he had with God before the world was. In exchange for this he accepted the cross and the blame. The contrast is designed between the struggle which, for the present, is alone set before the readers (ver. 1), and the joy which was already present to Christ. The heroic character of his faith appears in his renouncing a joy already in possession in exchange for shame and death. The passage thus falls in with Philip. ii. 6-8.
The cross (stauron). Comp. Philip. ii. 8. o LXX. Originally an upright stake or pale. Stauroun to drive down a stake; to crucify. Comp. the use of xulon wood or tree for the cross, Acts v. 30; x. 39; 1 Peter ii. 24. See on Luke xxiii. 31.
The shame (aiscunhv). Attendant upon a malefactor's death.
Is set down, etc. See ch: i. 3, 13; viii. 1; x. 12. Notice the tenses: endured, aorist, completed: hath sat down, perfect, he remains seated and reigning.
