- Having so great cloud of witnesses surrounding us
- Jesus, the leader and finished of faithfulness
- "Whom the Lord loves he disciplines, and every son whom he adopts he lashes."
- How does discipline interact with concepts of God "only ever intending good" for us? When do we know that something is discipline or reproof or lashes?
- I discipline my children; they do not perceive it as me intending good; but if I did not discipline, what sorts of people would they grow up to be?
- Is discipline from God consensual?
- There's also the human-divine interaction going on here; the audience of Hebrews is going through some sort of persecution; the author suggests that God will use to bring teaching or growth (the discipline). Therefore God redeems what others mean for harm; God will bring it together for good.
- God imposes discipline for our benefit so that we might "participate in his holiness."
- This of course resonates with the earlier idea of Jesus "learning obedience" by what he suffered. This suffering was not a sign of God's displeasure or wrath, but of God working through Jesus.
- "No discipline seems a joy in the present, bur rather something grievous; and yet afterward, for those who have been trained by it, it years a peaceful fruit of righteousness.*"
- Yes, this definitely seems like spiritual discipline language.