Hebrews 12:14-15
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no one shall see the Lord.
- There are many things characteristic of Christianity: but more than all, and better than all, Love towards one another, and Peace. Therefore Christ also says, My peace I give unto you. And again, By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you love one another. Therefore Paul too says, Follow peace with all men, and holiness, that is, purity, without which no man shall see the Lord.
Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God. As if they were traveling together on some long journey, in a large company, he says, Take heed that no man be left behind: I do not seek this only, that you should arrive yourselves, but also that you should look diligently after the others.
Lest any man (he says) fail of the grace of God. (He means the good things to come, the faith of the gospel, the best course of life: for they all are of the Grace of God.) Do not tell me, It is [but] one that perishes. Even for one Christ died. Have you no care for him for whom Christ died?
Looking diligently, he says, that is, searching carefully, considering, thoroughly ascertaining, as is done in the case of sick persons, and in all ways examining, thoroughly ascertaining. Lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you. This is found in Deuteronomy; and he derived it from the metaphor of plants. Lest any root of bitterness, he says; which he said also in another place when he writes, A little leaven leavens the whole lump. Not for his sake alone do I wish this, he means, but also on account of the harm arising therefrom. That is to say, even if there be a root of this kind, do not suffer any shoot to come up, but let it be cut off, that it may not bear its proper fruits, that so it may not defile and pollute the others also. For, he says, Lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you; and by it many be defiled.
And with good reason did he call sin bitter: for truly nothing is more bitter than sin, and they know it, who after they have committed it pine away under their conscience, who endure much bitterness. For being exceedingly bitter, it perverts the reasoning faculty itself. Such is the nature of what is bitter: it is unprofitable.
And well said he, root of bitterness. He said not, bitter, but of bitterness. For it is possible that a bitter root might bear sweet fruits; but it is not possible that a root and fountain and foundation of bitterness, should ever bear sweet fruit; for all is bitter, it has nothing sweet, all are bitter, all unpleasant, all full of hatred and abomination.
And by this (he says) many be defiled. That is, Cut off the lascivious persons.
Hebrews 12:16
- Lest there be any fornicator: or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
And wherein was Esau a fornicator? He does not say that Esau was a fornicator. Lest there be any fornicator, he says, then, follow after holiness: lest there be any, as Esau, profane: that is, gluttonous, without self-control, worldly, selling away things spiritual.
Who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright, who through his own slothfulness sold this honor which he had from God, and for a little pleasure, lost the greatest honor and glory. This was suitable to them. This [was the conduct] of an abominable, of an unclean person. So that not only is the fornicator unclean, but also the glutton, the slave of his belly. For he also is a slave of a different pleasure. He is forced to be overreaching, he is forced to be rapacious, to behave himself unseemly in ten thousand ways, being the slave of that passion, and oftentimes he blasphemes. So he accounted his birthright to be nothing worth. That is, providing for temporary refreshment, he went even to the [sacrifice of his] birthright. So henceforth the birthright belongs to us, not to the Jews. And at the same time also this is added to their calamity, that the first has become last, and the second, first: the one, for courageous endurance; the other last for indolence.
Hebrews 12:17
- For you know (he says) how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected. For he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. What now is this? Does he indeed exclude repentance? By no means. ‘But how, you say, was it that he found no place of repentance?’ For if he condemned himself, if he made a great wailing, why did he find no place of repentance? Because it was not really a case of repentance. For as the grief of Cain was not of repentance, and the murder proved it; so also in this case, his words were not those of repentance, and the murder afterwards proved it. For even he also in intention slew Jacob. For The days of mourning for my father, he said, are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob. Tears had not power to give him repentance. And [the Apostle] did not say by repentance simply, but even with tears, he found no place of repentance. Why now? Because he did not repent as he ought, for this is repentance; he repented not as it behooved him.