Hebrews 12:9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

For this very reason the Apostle says, “Furthermore, if we had our fathers according to the flesh as chasteners and respected them, shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?”

Again he derives encouragement from their own sufferings, which they themselves had endured. As he said there, “Remember your former days,” so here he says, “God deals with you as with sons.” You cannot say that you are unable to bear it. Besides, “the Lord chastens whom He loves.”

If children obey fleshly parents, how will you not obey the heavenly Father? “Furthermore,” he says, “if we had our fathers according to the flesh as chasteners and respected them, shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?”

He says “Father of spirits,” meaning either spiritual gifts, or prayers, or the incorporeal Powers. If with such a disposition of spirit we die, then we shall also receive life.

On the basis of their own circumstances, he again shows that it is necessary to endure. When our fathers according to the flesh chastened us, we did not dare withdraw. Though put to shame, we patiently endured whatever they imposed on us. How much more must we do so now, when God chastens us.

Notice that he did not say, “How much more shall we endure,” but, “We must be subject.” He shows that not enduring afflictions is the act of an adversary and enemy of God.

“To the Father of spirits” means either of gifts, or of the incorporeal powers, or, most suitably, the Father of souls. For in contrast to fleshly fathers, he called Him spiritual.

He added, “and live,” in order to show that the one who does not obey does not live. For he is outside God, who is life.

But if, because of chastening by our fathers, we feared them, how much more should we remain in obedience through the instruction of spiritual fathers, that we may live?

If we accept the chastening imposed by fathers according to the flesh, shall we not love the chastening imposed by the spiritual Father? The Apostle called the spiritual Father "the Father of spirits," as the source of spiritual gifts, with which He also gave us the dignity of adoption. Then he shows the difference in chastening.

The expression “shall we not much more,” and the words that follow, must be read as a question, while the preceding words are to be read as a positive statement. The word “furthermore,” in Greek εῖτα, in Slavonic “to these things,” is conclusive and is used instead of “therefore.”

We had fleshly parents, the Apostle says, who are parents only of our flesh and not of our soul, as our chasteners, and we respected them. Shall we not much more submit to God, the chastening Father of souls, from whom we have the soul, and shall we not live a blessed and eternal life?

God is called “Father of spirits” both as the giver of spiritual gifts and as the creator of the angels. Here the difference is not only in persons, but also in the very nature of the matter. Indeed.

For fathers are not able to educate us completely so as to make us perfect, but God, when He educates, always makes perfect. Either the father's death or the child's coming of age brings the education to an end.

“Let us be subject to the Father of spirits,” as one of His sons obeyed Him, whom we are escorting to Him, “and we shall live” (Heb 12:9), as for him also we pray and hope for “the crown of life.”

“Be subject to the Father of spirits,” you also, whom perhaps this very event sets upon a new path of temptation. The paths of “temptation” come one out of another. Yet the “crowns of life” will likewise not fail, if we patiently walk to the end of temptation.

Besides the awareness that afflictions are sent upon us by our all-loving Father, God, the thought that through these sufferings our Father wishes to make us holy should also move us to firmness in suffering.

The strictness in upbringing that we saw toward ourselves from our parents had as its result the establishment in us of fear and respect for them, ένετρεπόμεθα. But the strictness of the heavenly Father grants us eternal life, ζήαομεν.

The fathers who gave us corruptible flesh acted in the matter of our upbringing according to their own judgment. This, of course, could depend on various influences. Moreover, they governed us only during the brief period of our childhood.

By contrast, the heavenly Father cares exclusively for our true benefit, for our salvation, and He does not limit the time of our upbringing.