Hebrews 12:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

There are two kinds of consolation which, at first sight, seem opposed to each other, yet greatly strengthen one another. The Apostle presents both here.

One consists in saying that certain people have suffered much. The soul becomes calm when it finds many companions in its sufferings. The Apostle presented this above when he said, “Remember the former days, when, after you were enlightened, you endured a great struggle of sufferings” (Heb 10:32).

The other consists in saying, “You have suffered little.” By such words we are encouraged, awakened, and made readier to endure everything. The first calms the exhausted soul and gives it rest. The second rouses it from sloth and carelessness, and turns it away from pride.

You have not yet resisted to the point of blood. There are two kinds of consolation, opposed to one another. One is when someone says to another, “You have suffered much; remember this.” The other is when they say, “You have not yet endured anything great.”

The first encourages a weary soul that has many witnesses to its suffering. The second humbles a soul that is about to exalt itself, and it awakens one that is careless.

Paul now uses both kinds toward the Hebrews. Earlier he said that they had endured a great struggle of sufferings (Heb 10:32), and he persuaded them to imitate themselves. Now, by contrast, he shows that they have not yet done anything worthy of praise, lest they become proud.

When the times had thus been established and predestined, power was also permitted to the demons. They were allowed to wage barbarous hostility against the city of God, stirring up against it the men over whom they rule. They not only received sacrifices from those who offered them and demanded them from those who wished to give them. They also extorted them by force, through persecution, from those unwilling to give. Yet this power proved not only not dangerous to the Church, but even beneficial, completing the number of the martyrs (cf. Rev 6:11). They are citizens of the city of God all the more glorious and honorable, the more courageously, even to blood, they resist the sin of dishonor.

Although you have had persecutions until now, you have not yet been killed. Although you have contended in a lesser contest, until now you have not yet striven against sin to the point of blood. He said this because they were devoted to the world and the law, were being circumcised, and still continued to fulfill the prescriptions of the law. He brings them a proverb as an example from the Wisdom of Solomon, saying, "My son, do not despise the instruction of the Lord, and do not grow faint, for whom the Lord loves, He chastens" (Prov 3:11-12).

This is not contrary to what was said before. There the Apostle testified of them that they received the plundering of their possessions with joy and bravely endured reproaches for piety (Heb 10:33-34). Here he reproves them as growing weak. He fittingly said, "You have not yet resisted to blood, striving against sin," showing by comparison what they lack in relation to those who "were stoned, were sawn in two, and died by the murder of the sword." Then, after recalling an exhortation taken from Proverbs (Prov 3:11-12), the Apostle added:

“You have not yet stood to the point of blood.” There are two kinds of consolation. The first is when we testify to someone about his great suffering. The second is when we say that he has endured nothing extraordinary.

The first manner of consolation encourages the suffering soul, since it has many witnesses to its sufferings. The second restrains a soul capable of becoming proud of its sufferings, and supports a weak soul in endurance.

Thus, having used the first kind of consolation above, he now uses the other and says: you have not yet resisted sufferings to the point of death. Your loss was limited to deprivation of property, dishonor, and persecution. But Christ shed His precious Blood for us.

All the more, we must not grow faint under the action of the various calamities of our life. God sends these calamities to us as a loving Father, for our strengthening in the good. The Apostle speaks with amazement that the readers have not yet endured the extreme calamity, and yet have already managed to forget the encouraging words of Holy Scripture (Prov 3:11-12). From the words of Scripture, the readers should have drawn the conclusion that those who are not chastened by God are not acknowledged by Him as sons.