Have you ever known a person who turned his or her back on Christ and the church and simply walked away? Perhaps you have struggled to maintain your own Christian commitment in the face of disillusionment, spiritual confusion, loss of perspective, or outright persecution. The book of Hebrews points us to Christ. It provides light to help struggling Christians see Jesus clearly and stand firm. S…
1Temamos, pues, no sea que permaneciendo aún la promesa de entrar en su reposo, alguno de vosotros parezca no haberlo alcanzado.
2Porque también a nosotros se nos ha anunciado la buena nueva como a ellos; pero no les aprovechó el oír la palabra, por no ir acompañada de fe en los que la oyeron.
3Pero los que hemos creído entramos en el reposo, de la manera que dijo: Por tanto, juré en mi ira, No entrarán en mi reposo; aunque las obras suyas estaban acabadas desde la fundación del mundo.
4Porque en cierto lugar dijo así del séptimo día: Y reposó Dios de todas sus obras en el séptimo día.
5Y otra vez aquí: No entrarán en mi reposo.
6Por lo tanto, puesto que falta que algunos entren en él, y aquellos a quienes primero se les anunció la buena nueva no entraron por causa de desobediencia,
7otra vez determina un día: Hoy, diciendo después de tanto tiempo, por medio de David, como se dijo: Si oyereis hoy su voz, No endurezcáis vuestros corazones.
8Porque si Josué les hubiera dado el reposo, no hablaría después de otro día.
9Por tanto, queda un reposo para el pueblo de Dios.
10Porque el que ha entrado en su reposo, también ha reposado de sus obras, como Dios de las suyas.
11Procuremos, pues, entrar en aquel reposo, para que ninguno caiga en semejante ejemplo de desobediencia.
12Porque la palabra de Dios es viva y eficaz, y más cortante que toda espada de dos filos; y penetra hasta partir el alma y el espíritu, las coyunturas y los tuétanos, y discierne los pensamientos y las intenciones del corazón.
13Y no hay cosa creada que no sea manifiesta en su presencia; antes bien todas las cosas están desnudas y abiertas a los ojos de aquel a quien tenemos que dar cuenta.
14Por tanto, teniendo un gran sumo sacerdote que traspasó los cielos, Jesús el Hijo de Dios, retengamos nuestra profesión.
15Porque no tenemos un sumo sacerdote que no pueda compadecerse de nuestras debilidades, sino uno que fue tentado en todo según nuestra semejanza, pero sin pecado.
16Acerquémonos, pues, confiadamente al trono de la gracia, para alcanzar misericordia y hallar gracia para el oportuno socorro.
TYNDALE OPEN STUDY NOTES
I
Versículo 1
I. 4:1-2 The author transitions to the promise that the faithful will enter God’s rest and exhorts h…
4:1-2 The author transitions to the promise that the faithful will enter God’s rest and exhorts his listeners to take this promise seriously. Hearing is not enough: It must be combined with faith.
4:1 To fear God means to experience an appropriate reverence, even awe, for God and his will. It would be the worst of tragedies to fail to experience what God has promised.
II
Versículo 2
II. 4:2 This good news is the message of salvation (2:3-4). • they didn’t share the faith of those wh…
4:2 This good news is the message of salvation (2:3-4). • they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God: Some manuscripts read they didn’t combine what they heard with faith. In either case, the hearers were deficient in faith, distrusting God’s word of promise.
III
Versículo 3
III. 4:3 People who believe the Good News are the true heirs of God’s rest, the salvation that God off…
4:3 People who believe the Good News are the true heirs of God’s rest, the salvation that God offers through Christ’s sacrifice. • God said: The quotation of Ps 95:11 reminds the reader that the unbelieving rebels in the wilderness would never enter God’s place of rest (cp. Heb 11:8, 10, 14-16; 12:22-24). • since he made the world: God’s rest means much more than physical entry into Canaan (see study note on 4:4).
IV
Versículo 4
IV. 4:4 This verse quotes Gen 2:2 to demonstrate that the promised rest was established when God rest…
4:4 This verse quotes Gen 2:2 to demonstrate that the promised rest was established when God rested at creation.
V
Versículo 5
V. 4:5 This quotation of Ps 95:11 reiterates the point made in Heb 4:3.
4:5 This quotation of Ps 95:11 reiterates the point made in Heb 4:3.
VI
Versículo 6
VI. 4:6 So God’s rest is there: Building on the discussion in 4:3-5, the author is about to argue tha…
4:6 So God’s rest is there: Building on the discussion in 4:3-5, the author is about to argue that the promised rest is still available (4:7-10). But those who wandered in the wilderness, even though they heard the good news that the Promised Land was open to them, failed to enter because they disobeyed God (see Num 14:1-25; Deut 1:19-46; Ps 106).
VII
Versículo 7
VII. 4:7 So God set another time . . . and that time is today: The logic here is that David wrote Ps 9…
4:7 So God set another time . . . and that time is today: The logic here is that David wrote Ps 95 much later than the wilderness debacle, so God’s rest cannot be limited to that earlier generation. The words already quoted are from Ps 95:7-8; these words encourage us not to harden our hearts when hearing God’s voice so that we might enter the rest that the people in the wilderness were denied. This opportunity is available today (see Heb 3:13).
VIII
Versículo 8
VIII. 4:8 Joshua is the same name as Jesus (Greek Iēsous, Hebrew Yehoshua‘). It is normally translated …
4:8 Joshua is the same name as Jesus (Greek Iēsous, Hebrew Yehoshua‘). It is normally translated Joshua in the Old Testament and Jesus in the New Testament (see also study note on Exod 17:9). The author is making a word play on Jesus’ and Joshua’s shared name. Joshua did lead God’s people into the Promised Land (Josh 3–4), but God had more in mind when he promised his people rest. God’s ultimate rest is provided by Jesus (Heb 3:13-14; 4:3, 9-11, 14-16).
IX
Versículo 9
IX. 4:9 a special rest: Jesus’ sacrifice functioned as a Day of Atonement sacrifice (5:1-3; 9:13-22; …
4:9 a special rest: Jesus’ sacrifice functioned as a Day of Atonement sacrifice (5:1-3; 9:13-22; see Lev 23:26-28, 32). Through Christ’s sacrifice, God’s promised rest for his people is available.
X
Versículo 10
X. 4:10 have rested from their labors: See Exod 20:8-11. • just as God did: Gen 2:2.
4:10 have rested from their labors: See Exod 20:8-11. • just as God did: Gen 2:2.
XI
Versículo 11
XI. 4:11 let us do our best to enter: Failure to respond to the Good News with active obedience to Go…
4:11 let us do our best to enter: Failure to respond to the Good News with active obedience to God’s voice (4:1-2) will have an outcome analogous to the outcome for the wilderness wanderers: we will fall. • us . . . we . . . we: Obedience is not simply a personal matter; God’s people have a communal responsibility for obedience and should support each other in that endeavor (cp. 3:13; 10:25; 12:15).
XII
Versículo 12
XII. 4:12-13 Echoing the call to hear God’s voice (3:7, 15; 4:7; quoted from Ps 95:7), the author give…
4:12-13 Echoing the call to hear God’s voice (3:7, 15; 4:7; quoted from Ps 95:7), the author gives a beautiful epigram on the power and penetration of God’s word. • alive and powerful: God’s word is an active, effective force. The word that created and governs the cosmos (Heb 1:2-3) can deal powerfully with people. • the sharpest two-edged sword: God’s word is able to penetrate the darkest recesses of people’s lives, exposing their innermost thoughts and desires (cp. Eph 6:17; Rev 1:16; 2:12, 16; 19:15).
XIII
Versículo 13
XIII. 4:13 To be naked and exposed speaks figuratively of being vulnerable, helpless, or unprotected. T…
4:13 To be naked and exposed speaks figuratively of being vulnerable, helpless, or unprotected. The guilty are not able to hide from God’s penetrating word of judgment (cp. Rev 3:17).
XIV
Versículo 14
XIV. 4:14-16 These key verses conclude the exhortation begun at 3:1 and introduce the lengthy treatmen…
4:14-16 These key verses conclude the exhortation begun at 3:1 and introduce the lengthy treatment of Jesus’ role as High Priest (4:14–10:25).
4:14 This verse effectively summarizes the whole message and challenge of Hebrews; the high priesthood of Jesus the Son of God is the basis for endurance in the Christian faith. • a great High Priest: Israel’s high priest was the main leader in the worship of God and the primary mediator between God and the people (see Exod 31:10; Lev 4:3; 2 Kgs 12:10; 2 Chr 26:20). • who has entered heaven: The earthly high priests entered God’s presence in the Most Holy Place once a year on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:1-25). By contrast, Jesus, our High Priest, has entered God’s presence in heaven, and there he remains (Heb 7:26; 9:11-12, 23-26). • let us hold firmly: An enduring commitment to active belief in and allegiance to Jesus (see also Col 2:19; 2 Thes 2:15; Rev 2:13, 25; 3:11).
XV
Versículo 15
XV. 4:15 Our High Priest understands our weaknesses, our human pull toward sin, because he faced all …
4:15 Our High Priest understands our weaknesses, our human pull toward sin, because he faced all of the same testings we do. He was tempted with all the essential aspects of sin, such as lust, greed, unforgiveness, and dishonesty. This makes him compassionate as our High Priest (5:2). • yet he did not sin: Jesus is unlike the earthly high priests, who had to make offerings for their own sins before they could make offerings for the people (5:3; 7:26-28; see also 1 Pet 2:22-23).
16
Versículo 16
16. 4:16 The verb translated let us come could be translated to indicate ongoing action: let us conti…
4:16 The verb translated let us come could be translated to indicate ongoing action: let us continually come. • As our compassionate High Priest, Jesus has opened the way for people to enter God’s presence boldly (see 6:19-20; 10:19-23), where we can obtain his mercy and grace to help us when we need it most.
Nuevo Testamento
Hebrews — Capítulo 4
Have you ever known a person who turned his or her back on Christ and the church and simply walked away? Perhaps you have struggled to maintain your own Christian commitment in the face of disillusionment, spiritual confusion, loss of perspective, or outright persecution. The book of Hebrews points us to Christ. It provides light to help struggling Christians see Jesus clearly and stand firm. S…
Texto — Reina-Valera 1960
1Temamos, pues, no sea que permaneciendo aún la promesa de entrar en su reposo, alguno de vosotros parezca no haberlo alcanzado.
2Porque también a nosotros se nos ha anunciado la buena nueva como a ellos; pero no les aprovechó el oír la palabra, por no ir acompañada de fe en los que la oyeron.
3Pero los que hemos creído entramos en el reposo, de la manera que dijo: Por tanto, juré en mi ira, No entrarán en mi reposo; aunque las obras suyas estaban acabadas desde la fundación del mundo.
4Porque en cierto lugar dijo así del séptimo día: Y reposó Dios de todas sus obras en el séptimo día.
5Y otra vez aquí: No entrarán en mi reposo.
6Por lo tanto, puesto que falta que algunos entren en él, y aquellos a quienes primero se les anunció la buena nueva no entraron por causa de desobediencia,
7otra vez determina un día: Hoy, diciendo después de tanto tiempo, por medio de David, como se dijo: Si oyereis hoy su voz, No endurezcáis vuestros corazones.
8Porque si Josué les hubiera dado el reposo, no hablaría después de otro día.
9Por tanto, queda un reposo para el pueblo de Dios.
10Porque el que ha entrado en su reposo, también ha reposado de sus obras, como Dios de las suyas.
11Procuremos, pues, entrar en aquel reposo, para que ninguno caiga en semejante ejemplo de desobediencia.
12Porque la palabra de Dios es viva y eficaz, y más cortante que toda espada de dos filos; y penetra hasta partir el alma y el espíritu, las coyunturas y los tuétanos, y discierne los pensamientos y las intenciones del corazón.
13Y no hay cosa creada que no sea manifiesta en su presencia; antes bien todas las cosas están desnudas y abiertas a los ojos de aquel a quien tenemos que dar cuenta.
14Por tanto, teniendo un gran sumo sacerdote que traspasó los cielos, Jesús el Hijo de Dios, retengamos nuestra profesión.
15Porque no tenemos un sumo sacerdote que no pueda compadecerse de nuestras debilidades, sino uno que fue tentado en todo según nuestra semejanza, pero sin pecado.
16Acerquémonos, pues, confiadamente al trono de la gracia, para alcanzar misericordia y hallar gracia para el oportuno socorro.
TYNDALE OPEN STUDY NOTES
Versículo 1
I. 4:1-2 The author transitions to the promise that the faithful will enter God’s rest and exhorts h…
Versículo 2
II. 4:2 This good news is the message of salvation (2:3-4). • they didn’t share the faith of those wh…
Versículo 3
III. 4:3 People who believe the Good News are the true heirs of God’s rest, the salvation that God off…
Versículo 4
IV. 4:4 This verse quotes Gen 2:2 to demonstrate that the promised rest was established when God rest…
Versículo 5
V. 4:5 This quotation of Ps 95:11 reiterates the point made in Heb 4:3.
Versículo 6
VI. 4:6 So God’s rest is there: Building on the discussion in 4:3-5, the author is about to argue tha…
Versículo 7
VII. 4:7 So God set another time . . . and that time is today: The logic here is that David wrote Ps 9…
Versículo 8
VIII. 4:8 Joshua is the same name as Jesus (Greek Iēsous, Hebrew Yehoshua‘). It is normally translated …
Versículo 9
IX. 4:9 a special rest: Jesus’ sacrifice functioned as a Day of Atonement sacrifice (5:1-3; 9:13-22; …
Versículo 10
X. 4:10 have rested from their labors: See Exod 20:8-11. • just as God did: Gen 2:2.
Versículo 11
XI. 4:11 let us do our best to enter: Failure to respond to the Good News with active obedience to Go…
Versículo 12
XII. 4:12-13 Echoing the call to hear God’s voice (3:7, 15; 4:7; quoted from Ps 95:7), the author give…
Versículo 13
XIII. 4:13 To be naked and exposed speaks figuratively of being vulnerable, helpless, or unprotected. T…
Versículo 14
XIV. 4:14-16 These key verses conclude the exhortation begun at 3:1 and introduce the lengthy treatmen…
Versículo 15
XV. 4:15 Our High Priest understands our weaknesses, our human pull toward sin, because he faced all …
Versículo 16
16. 4:16 The verb translated let us come could be translated to indicate ongoing action: let us conti…