Hebrews, Chapter 4, verses 1-13

¹ The rest of Christians is attained by faith, ¹² The power of God's word

¹Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

²For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

³For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

⁴For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.

⁵And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.

⁶Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:

⁷Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

⁸For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.

⁹There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

¹⁰For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

¹¹Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

¹²For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

¹³Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Read more:Hebrews, Chapter 4

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4:2 But the word which they heard did not profit them - So far from it, that it increased their damnation. It is then only when it is mixed with faith, that it exerts its saving power.

4:3 For we only that have believed enter into the rest - The proposition is, There remains a rest for us. This is proved, Heb 4:3-11, thus: That psalm mentions a rest:yet it does not mean,

God's rest from creating; for this was long before the time of Moses. Therefore in his time another rest was expected, of which they who then heard fell short Nor is it,
The rest which Israel obtained through Joshua; for the Psalmist wrote after him. Therefore it is,
The eternal rest in heaven.

As he said - Clearly showing that there is a farther rest thanthat which followed the finishing of the creation.Though the works were finished - Before: whence it is plain, God did not speak of resting from them.

4:4 For, long after he had rested from his works, he speaks again. Gen 2:2.

4:5 In this psalm, of a rest yet to come.

4:7 After so long a time - It was above four hundred years from the time of Moses and Joshua to David. As it was said before - St. Paul here refers to the text he had just cited.

4:8 The rest - All the rest which God had promised.

4:9 Therefore - Since he still speaks of another day, there must remain a farther, even an eternal, rest for the people of God.

4:10 For they do not yet so rest. Therefore a fuller rest remains for them.

4:11 Lest any one should fall - Into perdition.

4:12 For the word of God - Preached, Heb 4:2, and armed with threatenings, Heb 4:3.Is living and powerful - Attended with the power of the living God, and conveying either life or death to the hearers. Sharper than any two - edged sword - Penetrating the heart more than this does the body. Piercing - Quite through, and laying open. The soul and spirit, joints and marrow - The inmost recesses of the mind, which the apostle beautifully and strongly expresses by this heap of figurative words. And is a discerner - Not only of the thoughts, but also of the intentions.

4:13 In his sight - It is God whose word is thus "powerful:" it is God in whose sight every creature is manifest; and of this his word, working on the conscience, gives the fullest conviction. But all things are naked and opened - Plainly alluding to the sacrifices under the law which were first flayed, and then (as the Greek word literally means) cleft asunder through the neck and backbone; so that everything both without and within was exposed to open view.

Mark, Chapter 10, verses 2-12

¹ Christ disputeth with the Pharisees touching divorcement

²And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.

³And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?

⁴And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.

⁵And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.

⁶But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

⁷For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;

⁸And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.

⁹What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

¹⁰And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.

¹¹And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.

¹²And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.


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Orthodox readings for 4 January 2022

Hebrews, Chapter 4, verses 1-13

Mark, Chapter 10, verses 2-12