shame" as Phil. 3: 19), and in God's good time enter into that better thing, by that better

resurrection, to enjoy that better and enduring substance in heaven and the heavenly city.

We are bid to "consider" Him Who endured such contradiction of sinners against

Himself, lest we be weary and faint. Analogia, from which "consider" is taken, is

translated "proportion" and "consider", and here implies the act of weighing and

balancing one thing with another. It would mean considering the pros and cons of

gaining the whole world and losing one's own soul. It would mean estimating aright the

actions of Esau (Heb. 12: 16) and Moses (11: 24-26), for just as loss now means the

gaining of the soul in that day according to Matt. 16:, so does it according to Heb. 10: 39.

We are now brought face to face with another cause of stumbling, "the contradiction

of sinners", producing weariness. Earlier we had the entangling nature of "sin", now the

"contradiction of sinners". Antilogia is translated "strife" in Heb. 6: 16; "contradiction"

(7: 7; 12: 3) and "gainsaying" of Korah (Jude 11).

This last reference bears rather pointedly upon the teaching of Hebrews concerning

the One Priest. The four occurrences of antilego in Acts (13: 45, 45 & 28: 19, 22)

give further light upon the special "contradiction" that the Hebrews would be likely to

meet. Each occurrence has to do with Jewish opposition to the ministry of Paul. The

occurrences are confined to the beginning and the end of his Acts ministry. The only

other reference before Acts 28: speaks of Israel as "a disobedient and gainsaying

people" (Rom. 10: 21).

Perhaps it is hardly necessary to explain to our readers that "contradiction" is

connected, too, with our own blessed calling--contradiction from those, who, like

gainsaying Israel, "have a zeal of God but not according to knowledge". Let us not be

weary and faint, even though undoubted men of God call us hard names, thinking they

are serving God. This careful and proportionate consideration of what Christ endured

will enable us to take up our cross, for none of us suffer anything comparable with the

sufferings of Christ.

"Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin."--When we see that the

"striving" here includes the word agon--race, we realize that the figure of the context is

still maintained.

Let us before closing, "consider Him", the great Prince-Leader and Perfect of faith,

and see how He embraces all the qualities exhibited in Heb. 11: