Subject: Suffering and God's providence |
Bible Note: Hi Mark “Lightning”. These responses are made too quick for me! I can agree with what your differentiation between "persecution” and “discipline." Sometimes, they may intersect. The book, "the Heavenly Man," is a good example of that intersection. I thought I gave a response regarding Hebrews 12 that was pertinent but I can’t find it; must have done it in another galaxy. Anyway…the context of Hebrews 12 seems to be, in particular, persecution; and with that in mind, the discipline has to do with the arrangement of the Christian life in conformity to Jesus’ response to the “struggle against sin” (v.3). The believers are called to “endure” the persecution and, in this respect are they commanded to “endure hardship as discipline”; that is, to use the persecution as a means of conforming oneself into the character and conduct of Jesus Christ. V.10 is giving us an analogy of this discipline but if we take it too far, it could seem like it is discipline for wrongdoing, which I do not think is the case here. It is discipline imposed because the believer’s trust God and are obedient to him. |