Hebrews 10:32-39: A Warm Encouragement
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Introduction
Introduction
Scripture
Scripture
32 But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34 For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. 35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. 37 For,
“Yet a little while,
and the coming one will come and will not delay;
38 but my righteous one shall live by faith,
and if he shrinks back,
my soul has no pleasure in him.”
39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
Outline
Outline
Hebrews 1-2 - Jesus is Greater Than the Angels
Hebrews 1-2 - Jesus is Greater Than the Angels
Hebrews 1:1-4 - God has Spoken
Hebrews 1:5-14 - The Son is Superior to the Angels
Hebrews 2:1-4 - A Warning
Hebrews 2:5-9 - Lowliness to Crowning Glory
Hebrews 2:10-18 - Jesus has Delivered His Brothers
Hebrews 3:1-4:13 - Jesus is a Greater Rest
Hebrews 3:1-4:13 - Jesus is a Greater Rest
Hebrews 3:1-6 - Jesus is Worthy of More Glory Than Moses
Hebrews 3:7-19 - Disobedience After the Exodus
Hebrews 4:1-13 - A Sabbath Rest for God’s People
Hebrews 4:14-7:26 - Jesus is Greater than Melchizedek
Hebrews 4:14-7:26 - Jesus is Greater than Melchizedek
Hebrews 4:14-16 - Jesus is the Great High Priest
Hebrews 5:1-10 - Jesus is the High Priest After the Order of Melchizedek
Hebrews 5:11-6:20 - Warning and Exhortation
Hebrews 5:11-14 - Failure to Mature
Hebrews 6:1-8 - Pursue Maturity
Hebrews 6:9-12 - Loving Motivation
Hebrews 6:13-20 - The Promise of God’s Word and God’s Oath
Hebrews 7:1-10 - The Greatness of Melchizedek
Hebrews 7:11-19 - Jesus’ Priesthood is Needed
Hebrews 7:20-28 - Jesus Guarantees a Better Covenant
Hebrews 8:1-10:18 - Jesus is the Greater Covenant
Hebrews 8:1-10:18 - Jesus is the Greater Covenant
Hebrews 8:1-6 - Jesus Mediates a Better Covenant
Hebrews 8:7-13 - The Promise of the New Covenant
Hebrews 9:1-10 - The Earthly Tabernacle Points to What Would Come
Hebrews 9:11-14 - Christ is The Mercy Seat
Hebrews 9:15-22 - Blood is Necessary for Forgiveness
Hebrews 9:23-28 - Christ’s Sacrifice Permanently Removes Sin
Hebrews 10:1-10 - Christ’s Sacrifice Replaces the Law
Hebrews 10:11-18 - Christ's Sacrifice Fully Forgives Sin
Hebrews 10:19-12:29 - Assurance of Faith
Hebrews 10:19-12:29 - Assurance of Faith
Hebrews 10:19-25 - Because of Christ's Sacrifice Let us...
Hebrews 10:26-31 - A Warning Against Apostasy
Hebrews 10:32-39 - A Warm Encouragement
Hebrews 10:32-34 - The Former Days
Hebrews 10:35-38 - Receiving the Promise
Hebrews 10:39 - Confident of Perseverance
Purpose of Book
Purpose of Book
Christ, who has accomplished salvation through His atoning sacrifice, is greater than all things; therefore, persevere in true faith and encourage others to do likewise
Christ, who has accomplished salvation through His atoning sacrifice, is greater than all things; therefore, persevere in true faith and encourage others to do likewise
Main Point
Main Point
The author offers a warm encouragement after giving a vivid warning. He tells them to look to their past as assurance of salvation and continue in true faith.
The author offers a warm encouragement after giving a vivid warning. He tells them to look to their past as assurance of salvation and continue in true faith.
In Context
In Context
Hebrews 10:19-39 - Discourse Unit
Hebrews 10:19-39 - Discourse Unit
Hebrews 10:19-25 - Summary of Hebrews 4:14-10:18 & the 3 exhortations (2 dealing with God and 1 dealing with Christ-followers)
Hebrews 10:26-31 - Warning against abandoning Christ and His church
Hebrews 10:32-39 - Encouragement of the past and assurance of true faith in the present/future
Hebrews 10:32-34 - The Former Days
Hebrews 10:32-34 - The Former Days
32 But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34 For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.
But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened,
But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened,
But
Transitions from warning the congregation to encouraging them
Recall
Imperative
The evidence that they will heed the warning is rooted in their past
They WILL stand the test of persecution and will not suffer eschatological judgment
After you were enlightened
Passive
Thus God is the one who enlightened their hearts to the Gospel
Singular event where they had become Christians
Only used 3x in this sense
15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.
These individuals have come to saving faith - they are Christ followers
The list following details the gospel transformation that occured in their lives as a result of repentance
You endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated.
You endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated.
You endured a hard struggle with sufferings
They endured despite the persecution they faced
Endured
② to maintain a belief or course of action in the face of opposition
They’ve endured previously so they can look back and see they can continue
Struggle
Athletic contest leading to a great reward
Need for discipline in the face of persecution/suffering
Sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction
Publicly exposed
Expose to ridicule or make them a public spectacle
Reproach
act of disparagement that results in disgrace
Most likely verbal
Affliction
trouble that inflicts distress
Physical
And sometimes being partners with those so treated
Partners
① one who takes part in someth. with someone
This is an active support
For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property,
For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property,
You had compassion on those in prison
The church showed sympathy to those who were in prison
There was a corporate identification with those who were put in prison due to faith
Those identifying with prisons could have also been penalized themselves
26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
You joyfully accepted the plundering of your property
Joyfully accepted
11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Plundering of your property
It was common in the first century for folks to have their property seized if they were disfavored by authorities
Since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.
Since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.
Better possession and an abiding one
An eschatological possession
Again remember the context of Hebrews 10:19-39 regarding eschatological language
They can abandon their material possessions because a greater, heavenly reward awaits - in the presence of God in the heavenly country/city
16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.
Notice the suffering that occured
Personal - Exposed to suffering, reproach, and affliction (vs. 32-33)
Congregational - Partners with others who suffered in that manner (vs. 33)
Congregational - Compassion on those in prison (vs. 34)
Personal - Plundering of property (vs. 34)
Hebrews 10:35-38 - Receiving the Promise
Hebrews 10:35-38 - Receiving the Promise
35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. 37 For,
“Yet a little while,
and the coming one will come and will not delay;
38 but my righteous one shall live by faith,
and if he shrinks back,
my soul has no pleasure in him.”
Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.
Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.
Therefore
Do not throw away your confidence
Throw away
They still have the confidence, but some may be tempted to discard the confidence they have
Abandon due to persecution
Confidence
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
The confidence they have is rooted in the person of Jesus Christ!
Which has a great reward
The great reward is being in the presence of God in the heavenly city they were promised in vs. 34
For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.
For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.
You have need of endurance
Looking back at the persecution in the previous verses
Simultaneously setting the stage for what the author will write in the future
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
Perseverance is required to attain the final reward
So that when you have done the will of God
Doing the will of God precedes receiving the reward - eschatological in nature
You may receive what is promised
The eschatological promise of the heavenly country/city
For,
For,
“Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”
“Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”
20 Come, my people, enter your chambers,
and shut your doors behind you;
hide yourselves for a little while
until the fury has passed by.
21 For behold, the Lord is coming out from his place
to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity,
and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it,
and will no more cover its slain.
The Lord rules over the names and will punish the wicked on the Day of the Lord (Christ’s Second Coming) and within the context also mentions resurrection (Isa 26:19)
3 Because there is still a vision for the time,
and he will appear at an end, and not in vain;
if he is late, wait for him,
because one coming will be present, and he will not tarry.
4 If he draws back, my life does not find pleasure in it,
but the righteous one will live by my faith.
The original prophecy here is the destruction of the Israelites by the Chaldaeans, but there appears to be a double fulfillment regarding the Second Coming of Christ
The main point of these two passages being merged together - The righteous one continues to live by faith, but the wicked shrinks back from doing God’s will
The author understands that the church lives in the tension of the “now, but not yet” reality
The Messiah (the coming one) is the coming one who will institute the fullness of his kingdom
Hebrews 10:39 - Confident of Perseverance
Hebrews 10:39 - Confident of Perseverance
39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
Destroyed
Eternal judgment
Application
Application
The confidence we have in salvation is rooted in the person and work of Jesus
The confidence we have in salvation is rooted in the person and work of Jesus
Persevere in true faith knowing that the heavenly city we hope for is far greater than anything we have on earth
Persevere in true faith knowing that the heavenly city we hope for is far greater than anything we have on earth
Main Point
Main Point
The author offers a warm encouragement after giving a vivid warning. He tells them to look to their past as assurance of salvation and continue in true faith.
The author offers a warm encouragement after giving a vivid warning. He tells them to look to their past as assurance of salvation and continue in true faith.