It is not without bearing upon the theme of Heb. 12: that the word "exercise" is

gumnazo. The word actually means "to be naked", because in the Greek sports the

competitors were stripped. So we have gumnos translated "naked" in Matt. 25: 36;

II Cor. 5: 3; Heb. 4: 13 and other places. Coming, as it does, after the exhortation to

"lay aside every weight and the easily-entangling sin, and run with patience the race set

before us", this word gumnazo is very apt.

Seeing then that chastening, though unpleasant, is fruitful, we are exhorted to: "Lift

up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your

feet, lest that which is lame be dislocated; but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with

all men" (Heb. 12: 12-14). In other words, we are not to seek martyrdom, we are not to

pose as sufferers, we are not to pick the roughest tracks and run the thorniest way. Rather

are we to gird up the loins and hope to the end; make the place for our feet as level as we

can, not aggravate the lame ankle, but rather get it well, that we may finish our course

with joy. Further, we are to follow peace with all men. Our discipline will sometimes

come through the permitted oppression of man, and when it does we must bow before the

Father's good pleasure. On the other hand we should not go out of our way to irritate our

fellows or ask for trouble, but as far as in us lies, we are to make for peace.

Another line of exhortation is discovered here by observing a parallel with

Phil. 3: 19, where the believer is urged to mark those who so walk that their end is

perdition. So here, those who were running the race are told to make a firm track so that

others not so strong or fleet of foot would be encouraged to continue.

This will cause us to run up against the elements of the world and the tradition of men,

and will probably provide all the chastisement that we can endure, but without it, we are

warned that "no man shall see the Lord".

The two words that should be emphasized in the while passage under consideration

are "endure", and "exercise":--