Hebrews 12:1-2
Lay aside every weight and run with endurance the race set before us, looking to Jesus.
Therefore let us also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
What Hebrews 12:1-2 means
After a chapter listing people who lived by faith, the writer turns them into a crowd of witnesses around a track. The image is a distance race, not a sprint — endurance is the named requirement.
Two things get laid aside: sin, and also ‘every weight’ — things not wrong in themselves but which slow you down. And the eyes are fixed on Jesus rather than on the running. Memorising both verses keeps the instruction and its focus together.
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Questions about Hebrews 12:1-2
What does Hebrews 12:1-2 mean?
It urges believers to strip off sin and anything that hinders, and to run their race with endurance while keeping their eyes fixed on Jesus, who founded and perfects their faith.
Who is the ‘cloud of witnesses’?
The people of faith described in Hebrews 11 — those who trusted God before us, pictured as spectators surrounding the track we are still running.