You have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
All Commentaries on Hebrews 12:4 Go To Hebrews 12
John Chrysostom
AD 407
There are two kinds of consolation, apparently opposed to one another, but yet contributing great strength each to the other; both of which he has here put forward. The one is when we say that persons have suffered much: for the soul is refreshed, when it has many witnesses of its own sufferings, and this he introduced above, saying, Call to mind the former days, in which after ye had been illuminated ye endured a great fight of afflictions. Hebrews 10:32 The other is when we say, You have suffered no great thing. The former, when [the soul] has been exhausted refreshes it, and makes it recover breath: the latter, when it has become indolent and supine, turns it again and pulls down pride. Thus that no pride may spring up in them from that testimony [to their sufferings], see what he does. You have not yet (he says) resisted unto blood, [striving] against sin. And he did not at once go on with what follows, but after having shown them all those who had stood unto blood, and then brought in the glory of Christ, His sufferings, he afterwards easily pursued his discourse. This he says also in writing to the Corinthians, There has no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man 1 Corinthians 10:13, that is, small. For this is enough to arouse and set right the soul, when it considers that it has not risen to the whole [trial], and encourages itself from what has already befallen it.
What he means is this: You have not yet submitted to death; your loss has extended to money, to reputation, to being driven from place to place. Christ however shed His blood for you, while you have not [done it] for yourselves. He contended for the Truth even unto death fighting for you; while you have not yet entered upon dangers that threaten death.
