'The Father of spirits' - Hebrews 12:9

[charity]

'Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh
which corrected us,
and we gave them reverence:
shall we not much rather be in subjection
unto the Father of spirits,
and live? '
(Heb 12:9)

Hello there,

I have had to reconsider my understanding of the words, 'the Father of spirits', for I thought that it referred to God as 'the Father' of spirits, or the 'author' of spirits, being the Creator of all things. However, I was not taking into consideration the context. Now I realise that it is the spirit of one who is born from above which is being referred to.

Our earthly parents (who gave birth to us) discipline our earthly bodies which have a limited life-span, and will ultimately die; and we give them the subjection due to them. Should we not therefore be in subjection to the Father of our spirits, which have an eternal life expectation.

Praise God!

In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[VictoryinJesus]

'Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh
which corrected us,
and we gave them reverence:
shall we not much rather be in subjection
unto the Father of spirits,
and live? '
(Heb 12:9)

Hello there,

I have had to reconsider my understanding of the words, 'the Father of spirits', for I thought that it referred to God as 'the Father' of spirits, or the 'author' of spirits, being the Creator of all things. However, I was not taking into consideration the context. Now I realise that it is the spirit of one who is born from above which is being referred to.

Our earthly parents (who gave birth to us) discipline our earthly bodies which have a limited life-span, and will ultimately die; and we give them the subjection due to them. Should we not therefore be in subjection to the Father of our spirits, which have an eternal life expectation.

Praise God!

In Christ Jesus
Chris

Agree. Interesting topic. Numbers 16:20-22 says: O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh...as the Creator. “And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, [21] Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. [22] And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?”

Maybe Father there in the verse you referenced is important. Do we see Him as a judge, or do we see Him as our Father?

 

[Enoch111]

I have had to reconsider my understanding of the words, 'the Father of spirits', for I thought that it referred to God as 'the Father' of spirits, or the 'author' of spirits, being the Creator of all things.

You had the correct understanding of this phrase before you decided to think differently. *The Father of Spirits* is none other than God Himself, and the entire context from Hebrews 12:1-13 is about the chastening or chastisement of God. Please note:

...My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord...
...For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth...
...If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons...

So what are verses 9 and 10 saying?

We were corrected and punished by our natural fathers, yet we gave them their due respect. How much more reverence and subjection should we offer to God who chastens us (and who is here called *the Father of spirits*, since He is concerned about our spirits)? After all, our natural fathers may have had a selfish reason for correcting us. But God chastens His children for a higher reason -- that we might be partakers of his holiness.

 

[Enoch111]

Do we see Him as a judge, or do we see Him as our Father?

Both.

 

[FHII]

It is curious wording and I know the chapter well! I have thougjt much about it and I always come back to somethimg simple: our parents out of love chastened us. They punished and corrected us. They did it so we would learn. That's all good and all... But God also does that. Our parents did it so we would know how to act on earth and how to prosper on earth. God does that too, but tells us how to act in the spirit so we will prosper in that which is to come.

 

[charity]

@VictoryinJesus
@Enoch111
@FH11

Thank you.

In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[ScottA]

'Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh
which corrected us,
and we gave them reverence:
shall we not much rather be in subjection
unto the Father of spirits,
and live? '
(Heb 12:9)

Hello there,

I have had to reconsider my understanding of the words, 'the Father of spirits', for I thought that it referred to God as 'the Father' of spirits, or the 'author' of spirits, being the Creator of all things. However, I was not taking into consideration the context. Now I realise that it is the spirit of one who is born from above which is being referred to.

Our earthly parents (who gave birth to us) discipline our earthly bodies which have a limited life-span, and will ultimately die; and we give them the subjection due to them. Should we not therefore be in subjection to the Father of our spirits, which have an eternal life expectation.

Praise God!

In Christ Jesus
Chris

I am not sure why you are questioning or reconsidering the context - God is spirit, and our Father in heaven.

I can only imagine that some consider God to be the father of some evolved and glorified physical body (the teachings of men), rather than of the same spiritual body that He has always had. Are you just now realizing that God as He is, is perfect already and that there can be no evolution to something conceived out of human understanding and fleshly lust?

God is spirit. God is perfect.

 

[VictoryinJesus]

Both.

Yes. Of course.

Galatians 4:6-7
[6] And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. [7] Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

 

[farouk]

Yes. Of course.

Galatians 4:6-7
[6] And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. [7] Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Romans 8 says something very similar also...

 

[charity]

@ScottA
@Jane_Doe22
@farouk
@Nancy
@Acolyte
@101G

Thank you, too.

In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[charity]

@Enoch111
@FH11
@ScottA
@farouk
@VictoryinJesus

Agree. Interesting topic. Numbers 16:20-22 says: O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh...as the Creator. “And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, [21] Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. [22] And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?”
Maybe Father there in the verse you referenced is important. Do we see Him as a judge, or do we see Him as our Father?

Hello there, @VictoryinJesus,

I believe that the use of the word, 'Father', is important in this context: because of the illustration of parent and child; for the believer is born from above, and has been given a sonship spirit, whereby he can say, 'Abba, Father'. This is the privelage afforded the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.

In the verses from Numbers 16:20-22 that you quoted, God is called, 'the God of the spirits of ALL flesh', but it is 'the redeemed', and not 'all flesh' that are referred to in Hebrews 12:9: to them God is 'the Father of (our) spirits' ('our spirits' being intended in the text). Only the redeemed have a sonship spirit, only they can call God, 'Father'.

God's chastening has an eternal benefit for all such.

Praise His Name!

In Christ Jesus
Chris