‘Striving
to Enter Rest’: An Exegesis of Hebrews 4:1-13
by John Drury
The
author of the epistle to the Hebrews instructs his readers to strive to enter
God’s “rest.” What is this “rest” of
which he speaks? And when is it
to be had? This paper will try to
uncover the nature of this rest, proposing that it is both a present reality
and a future goal. Also, we will show
how the timing of rest is inextricably linked to the exhortative purpose of the
passage.
Setting
the Stage
In
relationship to the author’s elaborate argumentation of the ascendancy of the
new covenant over the old, Hebrews 3:7-4:13 can be regarded as a sort of
parenthesis.[i] It is preceded by a brief section on the
supremacy of Jesus to Moses and is immediately followed by the opening phrase
of the long discussion of Jesus as the new and better High Priest. Despite its status as the longest of the
author’s “exhortation side-tracks,” this unit is nevertheless linked to the
overall flow of the epistle on both ends by the obvious relation of Moses
(3:1-6) to rest and the heavenly aspect of both rest and the heavens which
Christ the High Priest passed through (4:14).
Although
the unit forms a complete thought from start to finish, it can be easily
divided into halves. The shift takes
place in 4:1 as the author has finished his exposition of the exodus
generation’s failure to enter rest and begins his exhortation to the readers to
enter rest. The distinction is also
demonstrated in that the rest of which the author is speaking in chapter 4 is
different from the one in chapter 3.[ii] However, the author continues to draw
implications from the historical situation of the earthly rest as if the same
rules apply to both (v. 6). He uses the
historical rest typologically, but in a type to anti-type relationship.[iii]
Having
established 4:1 as a logical opening to the passage, the difficult task of
setting an end-limit on the passage remains.
The famous “word of God” section (4:12-13) concludes the whole unit, yet
appears to stand alone. Much of the
confusion of its relation to the preceding section is wiped away if the “word
of God” itself is not regarded as Scripture but rather God’s judgment. We will discuss in greater detail as to why
this so later, but for our purposes in setting the limits to the passage
something must be said. The judgment
language of 4:12-13 constitutes a final and stern warning to strengthen the
exhortation. It is an essential part of
the passage, for the author chooses not to end with a mere call to enter rest
but makes an appeal to the reader’s fear of God’s judgment in order to persuade
them unto obedience.
Establishing
the Text
Before
we speak any longer in regards to the meaning of the passage, there are three
key textual variants worthy of discussion.
The first is in v. 2, where the manuscripts differ on whether it is the
people or faith which were not mixed with the
message. In some manuscripts, the
participle is in the nominative case
(sugkekerasmenos),
implying that faith was not mixed with the message, as rendered by the
NIV. However, the more reliable
manuscripts attest to the accusative case (sugkekerasmenous), and therefore the best
understanding of the phrase is that the people were not mixed with
faith.[iv]
The
next significant variant in found in v. 3.
In some manuscripts, the stronger “therefore” (oun) is
found. However, the more reliable
manuscripts attest to the weaker “for” (gar).
This exchange is linked to the rather weakly attested subjunctive form
of the verb “to enter” (eisercomeqa).
So the best translation is “For we who have come to believe are
entering.”[v]
Also in v. 3, a significant amount of manuscripts attest to the
definitive article thn.
However, it is absent in crucial witnesses.
Attridge chooses the first reading,
considering the well-supported second to be either a mechanical error or an
exegetical alteration in light of the “rest” of chapter 4 being a different one
that the one in chapter 3.[vi] Although this is the more difficult reading,
it is not the shorter. Also, scribes may
just have easily added the definitive article out of respect for the “heavenly”
connotations of “rest.” Based on the
value of those crucial witnesses, we shall consider the article as having been
added. The final reading should
therefore be “entering a rest” or “entering rest.”
Getting
the Logic
Having established the text as best as possible, it is necessary
for us to lay out the author’s basic argument. Unlike so much of the epistle, this passage
does not build upon itself point-by-point but rather sets forth a basic thesis
and defends it. The basic thesis of the
author is found in the first verse: “the promise of entering his rest still
stands.” The availability of God’s rest
is the only point the author wishes to substantiate. And he does this in order to exhort them: “be
careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.” So the passage is summed up in the opening
verse. The following verses only support
that rest still stands and encourage the readers to enter it.
The
passage contains two primary defenses for the continuation of the
rest-offer. The first is that God’s rest
has existed since the creation of the world, based on the author’s quoting of
Genesis 2:2. This argument starts at the
beginning of the passage and carries through to v. 5. The second, based on a quote from Psalm
95:11, is that God spoke of rest through David, yet such an offer would not
make sense if rest had already been attained when Joshua led the Israelites
into Canaan, so therefore there must be another rest of which God spoke. This argument flows from v. 6 (which is a
repetition of the main thesis) into the conclusion in v. 9-11.
Verse
11 in many ways repeats verse 1, and so may be regarded as an inclusio. This is
misleading, however, because a repetition of the main theme is also found in v.
6. In addition to this, an inclusio implies that the section is completed, which is
not the case. Although the argument of
the passage is independent from v. 12-13, the overall thrust as an exhortative
message is incomplete without this section.
The author finishes his defense of and call to rest with a stern
reminder of God’s powerful judgment.
This part contains its own small inclusio, as
it opens and closes with logos.
The
Timing of Rest: Now and Not Yet
Understanding
the basic logic of the passage, let us attempt to decipher the nature of the
rest of which it speaks. First of all,
which “rest” are we talking about? It
seems as though there are many present in the passage. This may appear true on the surface, but the
only one of importance to this particular passage is the eternal rest of
God. Although the rest which the
Israelites failed to enter is mentioned, it is now only used as an anti-type,
as we spoke of earlier. Also, Joshua is
said to not have given them rest, and yet he did give them earthly rest. Clearly the historical, earthly rest is no
longer a concern for our author. In
addition the rest of God at the beginning of creation is not to be thought of as different than the rest offered to His people, for it is
pivotal to the author’s argument that they are one and the same.[vii]
As
the rest of God can be seen as directly related to His own eternal state of
rest, the “heavenly” implications seem unavoidable. Yet the tense of v. 3 is quite clear: we who are
entering. This present tense use of
the verb stands alone against the ambiguous use of the aorist infinitive in v.
1, 6, and 11. This is the paradox faced
when trying to uncover the timing of this rest: is it something to be had in
the present or something to push onward toward but not receive until the end of
time?
It
seems as though we must accept that some sort of tension is at work in the
author’s eschatology. He times the
“reward” of service to God as both a present reality and a future goal. Much attention has been given to a similar
“now and not yet” tension in Pauline eschatology.[viii] Yet Paul never speaks of “rest,” which seems
to imply some sort of “place.” The
readers are not told to “take part” in rest--that would be easier to grasp in
such a “tensional” manner. The readers
are rather told to “enter” into rest--implying a sort of locale or place. It seems odd to be in a place yet not fully
in it at the same time.
One
aspect of the text which begins to marry these two poles of timing is the
continuous nature of the Greek present tense.
The author says in v. 3 that we “are entering” rest. Such a continuous flavor brings the present
and the future a little closer together.
This continuous flavor is also found in regards to the preaching of the
gospel (v. 2). The author uses a
periphrastic perfect, one of strongest forms in Greek which emphasize the
continuous nature of a verb. This sort
of continuous action paints the gospel offer of rest and the entering into rest
as happening both now and on into the future.
Now
that we better understand the subtleties of the verbs, what can we learn more
about our star noun, katapuasis.
It is found elsewhere in the New Testament only in Acts 7:4, and
literally means “rest.” The verb form katapauw is
found elsewhere only in Acts 14:18, wherein people are trying to “calm” or
“rest” the crowds. As these seem to add
little depth to our understanding of rest, maybe the author’s newly-coined term
sabbatismos will light up the dark room.
Although it is without any earlier uses, it surely borrows from the
Jewish concept of the Sabbath. The
Sabbath to the Jews was often a reference to the coming age.[ix] The Jewish structuring of the epochs of time
was also thought of in terms of the Sabbath as the last age.[x] So the eschatological character of the use of
“rest” is apparent. Yet the Sabbath is still something which comes every week,
so the tension remains. As we can see, the
Jews had already grasped this two-sided nature of the age to come.
The
strong eschatological overtones of “rest” which we have discussed are nearly
undercut by the author’s persistent use of “Today.” The author takes it from his Psalm 95 quote
and associates it with the call to enter rest (v. 7). It gives a sense of the contemporary and of
urgency to the call.[xi] The noun Shmeron is found in Hebrews in 1:5, 5:5 and
13:8. It is used elsewhere to emphasize
the “right now” of today (Mk. 14:30; Lk. 4:21; 19:9;
Acts 20:26). Although it is used to
point to a specific point in time, “Today” is nevertheless is continuous, since
Today happens every day.[xii]
As
the unavoidable tension of the timing of rest is now clear, it can be seen as
falling in line with the “inaugurated eschatology” of the remainder of the
epistle. The readers are said to be
“receiving” a kingdom (12:28). They are
encouraged not just to anticipate but to participate. “Believers can experience a foretaste of the
eschatological salvation in their present fellowship with one another and with
God.”[xiii] It further shows that the early church truly
“conceived of itself as the eschatological congregation.”[xiv]
The
Purpose of Rest: Exhortation
Despite
the deep theological concepts imbedded in the authors of Hebrews’ discussion of
“rest,” the primary purpose of his entire exposition is to exhort the readers
to the kind of behavior which leads to rest.[xv] Conveniently, the “now and not yet” timing of
rest makes for a most air-tight exhortation.
Both of the abuses of a “wait until later” future-thinking and the worry
of “I have to be perfect right now” present-thinking can be eliminated. A more balanced ethical outlook can be called
for when the object or goal is to be experience both now and later.
Of
the exhortative items found in this passage the most significant is the “word
of God” section. Contrary to its common
usage, logos here does not refer to Holy Scripture.[xvi] This is only one of many meanings of logos, which
include literal words, word as a message or speech (Heb. 4:2), and word as
reason (Ac. 18:14). A common fourth
option is often forgotten for it is seldom translation as “word.” This is the legal and fiscal use, often
translated “account” or “sentence.” To
give an “account,” usually in a judicial setting, is found in Mt. 12:36, Lk. 16:2, Ac. 19:38, 40, Rom. 14:12, and 1 Pet. 4:5. Such a translation is also found in Heb.
13:17 as well as the last word of the passage in question (4:13). The settling of fiscal accounts by a ruler or
master is found in the parable of the unmerciful servant (Matt. 18:23) and the
parable of the talents (Matt. 25:19). A
similar, yet more specific use is found in Rom. 9:28, which refers to the
“sentence” which God declares for the world.
Such a use of logos in reference to judgment is also
found in Rev. 17:17. However, the most
poignant use of logos as God’s judgment is found in the
wisdom literature (Wisdom 18:15f), as God’s logos leaps from the heavens with a sword
to punish the wicked.[xvii]
It
is clear that the best translation of logos here would be God’s “judgment” or
“settling of accounts.” This is further
supported by the presence of logos at the end of the section, which is
translated properly by the NIV as “account.”
The opening and closing of this section of the passage with logos forms an inclusio and implies some form of relation of the two
terms. If logos in v. 13 is regarded as the giving
of an account to God, it certainly implies that such an account is given in
response to God’s logos in v. 12. The logos in
v. 12 is therefore not God’s Scriptures or his Reason, but His “setting of
accounts” or His “judgment.” And it is
this judgment which pierces to the heart of every intention. And it is to this judgment which everyone
must give an account. Such strong words
are paralleled by the author’s references to Ps. 95:11, where God judges the
exodus generation, barring them from rest.
So
the final two verses are meant to strike fear into the readers, as they imagine
God’s wrath piercing right down to their true intentions so that any sin will
be found out. This sort of emotional
appeal is equally if not more effective than the rational argumentation of the
preceding eleven verses. The argument
itself is also peppered with “scare tactics,” as it speaks of God’s anger (v.
3) and the consequences of the exodus generation’s disobedience (v. 6). An effective exhortation convinces the mind
and pulls the heart strings.
Rest Today
In
all the talk of eschatology and exhortation, the gem which begins to surface is
that the Christian walk to the early church was overwhelmingly
process-oriented. The two tenses which
constantly resurface are the present and the future. Conspicuously absent is the past tense--the
time in which most of us have been taught to think of salvation. Certainly Christ’s work is once and for all,
as the epistle to the Hebrews makes ever so clear in chapters 9 and 10. But the duty of the Christian is to live in
the present, continuously entering God’s rest, yet waiting to enter it fully at
the end of time. It has been said that
“salvation in Hebrews has an eschatological character.”[xviii] This is certainly true of Christian salvation
in general as well. We may need to set
aside the false confidence of the “dated conversion” or “election of God” which
turns our eyes away from earthly responsibility. We are called to enter God’s rest--a calling
which requires all our efforts ... a calling which will consume all our time
... a calling which will take the remainder of our lives.
And
so we are sojourners--pushing onward to win the prize, as Paul would put
it. And it is not a mistake that the subject of these sentences are plural, for the pilgrimage is
corporate.[xix] The church is to follow the anti-type of the
exodus generation: we are to travel as one like them yet not stumble like
them. We are responsible for one
another, as our central verse pointed out: let us be careful that none of
you be found to have fallen short.
Let that be our goal--that not one would fall
away but that we all reach God’s rest.
After
recalling the story of Judas, St. Basil the Great once remarked, “Learn from
this, beloved, that the one who begins well isn’t perfect. It is the one who ends well whom God approves
of.”[xx] And such is our calling: to end well in His
rest.
Winter
2000
[i] A. T. Lincoln, “Sabbath, Rest, and Eschatology,” From Sabbath to Lord’s Day (D. A. Carson, ed. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1982) 206.
[ii] Since Joshua, who did grant the Israelites earthly rest, is said to have not given them rest (v. 8), chapter 4 is clearly speaking of a different rest than that of chapter 3.
[iii] H. W. Attridge “Let Us Strive to Enter That Rest: The Logic of Hebrews 4:1-11” Harvard Theological Review 73:1-2 (1980) 284.
[vii] This opposes S. D. Toussaint, “Eschatology of the Warning Passages in the Book of Hebrews,” Grace Theological Journal 3:1 (Spring 1982) 74, who sees a strong distinction between the two.
[viii] For an excellent study see Ben Witherington, III, “Transcending Imminence: The Gordian Knot of Pauline Eschatology,” Eschatology in Bible and Theology (Eds. Kent E. Brower and Mark W. Elliot; Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity, 1997) 171-186.
[ix] Brenda Colijn, “Let Us Approach: Soteriology in the Epistle tot he Hebrews” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 39:4 (December 1996) 578.
[xi] Herold Weis, “Sabbatismos in the Epistle to the Hebrews,” The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 58 (1996) 678.
[xv] A broad discussion of the linkage between exposition and exhortation in Hebrews can be found in Frank J. Matera, “Moral Exhortation: The Relation between Moral Exhortation and Doctrinal Exposition in the Letter to the Hebrews” Toronto Journal of Theology 10:2 (1994) 169-182.
[xvi] Many scholars insist that it does, for example Thomas Kem Oberholtzer, “The Kingdom Rest in Hebrews 3:1-4:13” Bibliotheca Sacra 145 (1998) 195.
[xx] Basil the Great as quoted in Day by Day with the Early Church Fathers (Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers, 1999) 6.
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