Heb 12:2

“Let us look not toward human beings for the perfection of our faith. In fact, among them one is good for something, but the other is not. Rather let us look into "Jesus Christ, the pioneer of faith," who was made our leader and "the perfecter" of our faith, because he began from the Jordan the fight against the enemy, then continued it in the desert, and finished it in Jerusalem through the cross, which was erected by the persecutors on Golgotha.”

“We preach not one coming of Christ but a second as well, far more glorious than the first. The first gave us a spectacle of his patience; the second will bring with it the crown of the kingdom of God. In general all things are twofold in our Lord Jesus Christ. His birth is twofold, one of God before the ages and one of a virgin in the consummation of the ages. His descent is twofold, one lowly, "like the rain upon the fleece," and a second, his manifest coming, which is yet to be. In his first coming he was wrapped in swaddling clothes in the manger; in his second he will be "robed in light as with a cloak." In his first coming he "endured the cross, despising the shame"; in his second he will come in glory, attended by a host of angels. We do not rest, therefore, in his first coming, but we look also for his second. Just as we said of his first coming, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord," so we shall repeat the same at his second.”

“A fire that lies in wood hidden below the surface is often unobserved by the senses of those who see or even touch it but is manifest when it blazes up. So too, at his death (which he brought about at his will, who separated his soul from his body; who said to his own Father, "Into your hands I commit my spirit"; who, as he says, "had power to lay it down and had power to take it again"24) he—who, because he is the lord of glory, despised that which is shame among men—having concealed, as it were, the flame of his life in his bodily nature, by the dispensation of his death, kindled and inflamed it once more by the power of his own Godhead, fostering into life that which had been brought to death. Having infused with the infinity of his divine power that humble firstfruits of our nature, he made it also to be that which he himself was—making the servile form to be Lord, and the human born of Mary to be Christ, and him who was crucified through weakness to be life and power, and making all that is piously conceived to be in God the Word to be also in that which the Word assumed. Thus these attributes no longer seem to be in either nature by way of division, but the perishable nature, being, by its commixture with the divine, made anew in conformity with the nature that overwhelms it, participates in the power of the Godhead, as if one were to say that mixture makes a drop of vinegar mingled in the deep to be sea, by reason that the natural quality of this liquid does not continue in the infinity of that which overwhelms it. This is our doctrine.”

“In the next place as the sum and substance of his exhortation, which he puts both first and last, even Christ. "Looking" (he says) "unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith"; The very thing which Christ Himself also continually said to His disciples, "If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub, how much more them of His household?" (Matt. x. 25.) And again, "The disciple is not above his Master, nor the servant above his Lord." (Matt. x. 24.) "Looking" (he says), that is, that we may learn to run. For as in all arts and games, we impress the art upon our mind by looking to our masters, receiving certain rules through our sight, so here also, if we wish to run, and to learn to run well, let us look to Christ, even to Jesus "the author and finisher of our faith." What is this? He has put the Faith within us. For He said to His disciples, "Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you" (John xv. 16); and Paul too says, "But then shall I know, even as also I have been known." (1 Cor. xiii. 12.) He put the Beginning into us, He will also put on the End. "Who," he says, "for the joy that was set before Him, endured the Cross, despising the shame." That is, it was in His power not to suffer at all, if He so willed. For "He did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth" (1 Pet. ii. 22); as He also says in the Gospels, "The Prince of the world cometh and hath nothing in Me." (John xiv. 30.) It lay then in His power, if so He willed, not to come to the Cross. For, "I have power," He says, "to lay down My life; and I have power to take it again." (John x. 18.) If then He who was under no necessity of being crucified, was crucified for our sake, how much more is it right that we should endure all things nobly! "Who for the joy that was set before Him" (he says) "endured the cross, despising the shame." But what is, "Despising the shame"? He chose, he means, that ignominious death. For suppose that He died. Why should He also die ignominiously? For no other reason, but to teach us to make no account of glory from men. Therefore though under no obligation He chose it, teaching us to be bold against it, and to set it at nought. Why did he say not "pain," but "shame"? Because it was not with pain that He bore these things. What then is the end? "He is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Seest thou the prize which Paul also says in an epistle, "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus Christ every knee should bow." (Phil. ii. 9, 10.) He speaks in respect to the flesh. Well then, even if there were no prize, the example would suffice to persuade us to accept all such things. But now prizes also are set before us, and these no common ones, but great and unspeakable.”

“Our being born again by water and the Spirit is not a recompense for any merit but is freely given. And if faith has led us to the bath of regeneration, we ought not for that reason to think that we have first given something, so that our saving regeneration might be given us in return. For that one has made us believe in Christ who made for us the Christ in whom we believe. That one made in humans the beginning and the completion of their faith in Jesus who made the human Jesus "the author and finisher of the faith," for this is what he is called, as you know, in the Epistle to the Hebrews.”

“That is, if we desire to learn the feat of endurance, let us look to Christ, just as those learning crafts look to their teachers, as He Himself also said: "Learn from Me" (Matt. 11:29), and again: "If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more those of his household"; and: "A disciple is not above his teacher" (Matt. 10:24–25). What then do the words "the author and perfecter" mean? That is, He Himself implanted faith in us from the beginning: for "You did not choose Me," He says, "but I chose you" (John 15:16); and He Himself also perfects it, so that you may possess the most perfect faith. "Who, instead of the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame." For it was possible for Him not to suffer and not to die: being sinless, He was not subject to death, as He Himself says: "the prince of this world comes, and has nothing in Me" (John 14:30). Therefore, if He had not willed it, He would not have been crucified, as He Himself also said: "I have power to lay down (My life)" (John 10:17–18). Yet "He endured the cross," that is, not simply death, but a shameful one, and despised the disgrace of such a death. He did not say "despised sorrow," for He bore it without sorrow. "And sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Do you see the end of patience, where it leads, which he also said in another place: "therefore God also highly exalted Him" (Phil. 2:9), speaking with respect to the flesh. So then, He is able to repay you also for the afflictions endured for His sake. For the throne at the right hand shows His equality with the Father.”

“662. – Then (v. 2) he gives the example of Christ and does two things: first, he shows why Christ's passion should be taken as an example and what should be considered in it; secondly, he shows the fruit of that consideration (v. 3). 663. – For it says in Eph (2:8): 'By grace you are saved through faith.' But Christ is the author of faith. Therefore, if you wish to be saved you must look to His example. Hence, he says, Looking on Jesus in His sufferings. This was signified by the brazen serpent lifted up as a sign, so that all who looked upon it were cured (Num. 21:8); 'As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believes in him may not perish; but may have life everlasting' (Jn. 3:14). Therefore, if you wish to be saved, look on the face of your Christ. 664. – For He is the author [pioneer] of faith in two ways: first, by teaching it by word: 'He has spoken to us by His Son' (Heb. 1:2); 'The only begotten, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him' (Jn. 1:18); secondly, by impressing it on the heart: 'Unto you it is given for Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him' (Phil 1:29). Likewise, He is the finisher [perfecter] of our faith in two ways: in one way by confirming it through miracles: 'If you do not believe me, believe the works' (Jn. 10:32); and by rewarding faith. For since faith is imperfect knowledge, its reward consists in perfectly understanding it: 'I will love him and will manifest myself to him' (Jn. 14:21). This was signified by Zechariah (4:9) where it says: 'The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of his house,' namely, the Church, whose foundation is faith, 'and his hands shall finish it.' For the hands of Christ, Who descended from Zerubbabel, founded the Church and will finish the faith in glory: 'We see now through a glass in a dark manner, but then face to face' (1 Cor. 13:12); 'Contemplation is the reward of faith, by which reward our hearts are cleansed through faith,' as is says in Acts (15:9): 'purifying their hearts by faith.' (Augustine, On the Trinity, c. 10). 665. – For three things should be considered in the passion of Christ: first, what He despised; secondly, what He endured; thirdly, what he merited. As to the first he says, who for the joy set before him endured the cross. That joy was earthly joy, for which He was sought by the crowd, when they wished to make Him king; but He scorned it by fleeing into the mountain (Jn. 6:15); 'Laughter I counter error, and to mirth I said: Why are you vainly deceived?' (Ec 2:2). Or having set before him the joy of eternal life as a reward, he endured the cross. This is the second thing He endured, namely, the cross: 'He humbled himself, being made obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross' (Phil 2:8). In this is shown the bitterness of His torment, because His hands and feet were nailed to the cross; and the shame and ignominy of His death, because this was the most shameful of deaths: 'Let us condemn him to a most shameful death' (Wis. 2:20). In regard to the third, namely, what He merited was to sit at the right hand of the Father; hence, he says, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. For the exaltation of Christ's humanity was the reward of His passion: 'He sits on the right hand of the majesty on high' (Heb. 1:3).”

“Looking unto--literally, "Looking from afar" (see on Heb 11:26); fixing the eyes upon Jesus seated on the throne of God. author--"Prince-leader." The same Greek is translated, "Captain (of salvation)," Heb 2:10; "Prince (of life)," Act 3:15. Going before us as the Originator of our faith, and the Leader whose matchless example we are to follow always. In this He is distinguished from all those examples of faith in Heb. 11:2-40. (Compare Co1 11:1). On His "faith" compare Heb 2:13; Heb 3:12. Believers have ever looked to Him (Heb 11:26; Heb 13:8). finisher--Greek, "Perfecter," referring to Heb 11:40. of our faith--rather as Greek, "of the faith," including both His faith (as exhibited in what follows) and our faith. He fulfilled the ideal of faith Himself, and so, both as a vicarious offering and an example, He is the object of our faith. for the joy . . . set before him--namely, of presently after sitting down at the right hand of the throne of God; including besides His own personal joy, the joy of sitting there as a Prince and Saviour, to give repentance and remission of sins. The coming joy disarmed of its sting the present pain. cross . . . shame--the great stumbling-block to the Hebrews. "Despised," that is, disregarded.”