The present article continues the one entitled "Endure Your Sufferings as Discipline (Hebrews 12:1-13). We have posted a Sentence Flow of Hebrews 12 showing how vv. 18-29 should be treated separately from the preceding vv. 1-17.

After his summary retelling of the faith of the ancients, the author begins to exhort his listeners to Christian living. The imperatives in this section are Christological in nature with some sapiential flavor (parent-children relationship). The exhortation is suspended in vv. 18-29 -- a meditation on the status of the Christians who have approached the altar of God's mercies in Zion and not the mountain of Sinai1 -- and is continued in Hebrews 13:1-21.

Outline of Hebrews 12:1-13

Hebrews 12:1-13 can be outlined thus:

• Rid yourselves of every burden and sin(1)
• Persevere in running the race
  • Fix your gaze on Jesus (2-6)
• Endure your trials as discipline (7)
  • God is treating you as sons when he disciplines you
  • If you are not being disciplined, then you are bastards (8 )
  • Our parents disciplined us, so why not let ourselves be disciplined by God? (9-11)
• Strengthen your drooping hands and weak knees (12)
• Make straight paths for your feet (13)

1. 1. This section actually recalls Hebrews 10:19-23 which is evoked by the passage through the phrase "you have approached..."

Hebrews 10:5-10 is to be understand within the context formed by 10:1-18 in which the author argues for the excellence of Christ's self-immolation on the Cross. We have discussed 10:1-18 in this article. Within this argument, 10:4-14, is the central argument where the author shows that Christ enthroned at the right hand of the Father is the high priest whose sacrifice has ended all other sacrifices. The first part of this argument, 10:4-10 is the immediate context of our reading for the fourth Sunday of Advent C.

The theme for Advent's Rejoice Sunday (third Sunday of Advent) derives from Paul 4:4-7 with its repeated call to rejoice. The third Sunday of Advent is like the third watch of the night, when the cock crows announcing the nearness of dawn. "The Lord is near" (Phil 4:5) announces Paul, and tells the Philippians to show what they are to world, not to be anxious and to pray always. The Catechism uses vv. 6-7 in its explanation of the prayer of the Christian in these last days.

Phil. 1:3-11 is the Thanksgiving part of the letter to the Philippians, a feature that is normal in the letters of Paul. In the present letter, the Thanksgiving takes on a peculiar characteristic because of the community which is referred to in it. The community of Philippi is specially dear to Paul as can be seen in the whole letter. He calls them companions in the gospel and sharers in grace, and he longs for them with the affection of Christ. This is a community who has been helping Paul materially and has even sent donations to him while he was in prison (4:16).

1 Thess. 3:12-4:3 is a liturgical selection that straddles the two main parts of Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians. 3:11-13 is the prayer of intercession that concludes 1-3, while 4:1-3 begins the exhortatory part of the letter. The intercessory prayer begins with the petition that "God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" facilitate the return of Paul and his companions to the Thessalonians. It is followed by one that asks the Lord to make the Thessalonians more generous in loving one another and the rest of the world "as much as we love you." It ends with the petition that the Lord "confirm your hearts in holiness" so that they may be blameless at the coming of the Lord "with all his saints". 4:1-3 on the other hand is the introduction to a review of the moral teachings that the Thessalonians already learned from Paul while he was there with them. The appeal of Paul is that they progress in the kind of life that they are meant to live.

The liturgy for the 33rd Sunday of OT (B) offers for our consideration Hebrews 10:11-14.18. The selection should be understood within the context formed by 10:1-18 in which the author argues for the excellence of the once-for-all sacrifice offered by Christ on the Cross.

Outline of the Section

Hebrews 10:1-18 can be outlined as follows:

• 10:1-3 The law being a shadow of things to come, the sacrifices offered yearly cannot take away sins
• 10:4-10 The sacrifices according to the law are abolished in favor of the once-and-for-all sacrifice through obedience
  • 10:4 the blood of bulls and goats are ineffectual
  • 10:5-10 Christ's sacrifice of obedience
    • 5-7. Psalm 40:6-8 (LXX)
    • 8-10. Exegesis of Ps. 40:6-8
• 10:11-14. Christ enthroned replaces the priests who stand
• 10:15-18. The once-and-for-all-sacrifice is sufficient as the Spirit testifies
  • 10:15-16. Under the new covenant, the law will be written in hearts and minds
  • 10:17. Sins shall no longer be remembered
  • 10:18. Conclusion. No offering for sin where there is already forgiveness.

Hebrews 9:24-28 should be understood within the context formed by 8:1-9:28 which illustrates the superiority of Christ's priesthood in terms ot its worship, sanctuary and the covenant it mediates. The author does this through a chiastic structure as shown below:

Beginning Hebrews 5, the author warms up to his subject: Christ, our High Priest. He has had the occassion to review what his audience knew about Christ: that he is the Son of God (1:5-14) while at the same time also son of man (2:5-18). He first mentions the phrase "high priest" alluding to Christ in 2:17. He again refers to Christ as high priest in 3:1 as if it were already a datum of the faith. It is in 4:14-5:10 where he formally introduces the topic, after exhorting his audience to hold onto the faith. We have explained Hebrews 4:14-16 and its relationship to 5:7-10. We now turn to Hebrews 5:1-10.

After admonishing his addressees to faith and to strive to attain the rest of God, the author returns to his topic, a topic that he knows is quite new. He has hinted at the theme of his discussion in 2:17-18. In the context of those passages, he referred to the "leader of salvation" who was made "perfect through suffering" (2:10). In these passages he identifies what kind of leader he has in mind -- the high priest.