Last night we had a lot of fun… It was good to be together with all of you. Let’s jump right in… We were continuing in our series 19.12 and we were looking at how our commitment to Christ calls us to be committed to others!
Here’s last night’s question…
I read Hebrews 12:12 to be speaking to us to strengthen ourselves, not others- right before it talks about being disciplined and not growing weary, – what part leads you to think that it is speaking about strengthening others?
You are correct in saying that it applies to yourself. However, there is a much broader principle that applies beyond just yourself. The New Bible Commentary says this about vs. 12
“The call to strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees recalls the image of an athletic contest. It is a challenge to abandon fear and despair and not become exhausted in the race of faith (cf. Is. 35:3–4). The quotation from Pr. 4:26 (‘Make level paths for your feet’) is a warning about following the way that God has provided, not swerving to the right or left. It is particularly important to help those who are spiritually lame to keep to the right pathway, so that they may not be tripped up and permanently disabled, but rather healed. In other words, Christians have a responsibility to care for one another and to encourage one another not to fall by the wayside. The practical implications of all this are revealed in the following section.”
Hope this helps…
~Peter
