Hebrews 11 and 12 are there to prepare a group of people who were going to be persecuted, whose faith was going to be tested. The point of the two chapters is to discuss the reality that despite victory, faith leads to testing but that is part of discipleship. This is a team sport and encouraging and helping others is key.
Rahab welcomed the spies in peace (Heb 11:31) an act of faith. Gideon, Barak, Samson all get a mention in Heb 11:32 along with Jephthah, David and Samuel. The listing and order may be based on some early Greek versions of 1 Sam 12:11 and certainly some Jewish literature elevated these individuals to special heroic status[1]
Whatever the background to their inclusion over other ancients…there are specific lessons and examples we can take from the various individuals.
- Rahab – shows the power of making choices and new beginnings. Forget about the past, it doesn’t define or limit us instead we press toward the mark of the high calling of Jesus. Despite our scars, our choices are what define us as part of the family of God.
- Deborah & Jael & Barak. Not defined or limited by culture. God worked through faithful people despite these things. Each of the three played their part in working with God. We need some Col 3:14 the bond of perfection – love to hold us together with all our differences. Ironically in Heb 11 only Barak is mentioned, in the same way that only the male witnesses to the resurrection are mentioned in 1 Cor 15. For some 3,000 years Deborah has been downplayed and God’s selection of a faithful leader ignored – we can all work to ensure this situation changes
- Gideon was the least mighty courageous warrior in the land. Yet God sees our potential not our limitations. Gideon had doubts and hangups, but God had patience. God provided evidence for Gideon, just as he does with others. Doubts are hard to carry and the way we interact with each other makes a difference. Having a faith crisis doesn’t mean the end of our faith but with love and patience it can be a development of our faith.
- Samson is a touching character. While he carried the gates of Gaza perhaps he couldn’t carry the weight of expectation. While he led the nation for 20 years, like so many of us his eyes led him astray. Despite selling out his vow and suffering immensely his hair started to regrow, his connection to God recommenced while in prison. He thought he was lost and that dying with the Philistines was an appropriate end for his life. God disagreed. I think Samson will get one mighty surprise come resurrection finding himself back with Mum in his tribal lands.
The point of Hebrews 11 is not a celebration of the heros of faith. It’s not a biblical equivalent of the “team of the century”, not some hall of fame exercise to identify the best players of all time. The point, what the writer wants us to get into our heads is that the list of faithful is not complete. These people are mentioned to inspire the next generation of faithful because the list is growing.
What is faith?
Firstly what is faith? Heb 11:1 is often given as a definition of sorts:
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see
Hebrews 11:1
This can lead to a defining of faith as essentially the same as belief. And while the meaning definitely overlaps a fair bit, but there is more. We can under-emphasise another aspect of the meaning of the Greek word pistus (translated faith) – the meaning of loyalty.
Matthew Bates is one scholar who has written a fair but on this and I would recommend his book Salvation by Allegiance Alone: Rethinking Faith, Works, and the Gospel of Jesus the King. Bates gives some specific contemporaneous examples (1 Maccabees and Josephus’ writing) of this Greek word pistus being used with the meaning of loyalty, specifically in a political context.
First Maccabees, was written about 150 years before Jesus’s death, and contains a letter from King Demetrius. He is concerned that his rival, Alexander, may have beat him to the punch in forging an alliance with the Jewish people. King Demetrius, in seeking to persuade the Jews to his cause, writes:
King Demetrius to the nation of the Jews, greetings. Since you have kept your agreement with us and have continued your friendship with us, and have not sided with our enemies, we have heard of it and rejoiced. Now continue still to keep faith [pistis] with us, and we will repay you with good for what you do for us.
1 Macc. 10:25–27 NRSV
Here Demetrius is asking the Jews to continue showing pistis—that is, loyalty or allegiance—to him rather than to his rival, promising a reward for the allegiance. Just a few lines later King Demetrius further promises that some Jews will be put in positions demanding loyalty (pistis) as administrative leaders in the royal government.
Bates provides another example in the same place from Josephus where the idea is to turn from your past and be loyal to a new ruler.[2]
Another angle on the meaning of the word is this idea of something believable that you can trust in. Something dependable. It was used in the sense in the relationships between patrons and clients, a relationship or cultural reality the NT writers use to describe our relationship with God (refer to deSilva’s Honor, patronage, kingship and purity: unlocking New Testament Culture)[3].
So faith is a loyal belief and trust in God – even when the going gets tough.
As bro David Levin writes in Legalism and Faith
Faith isn’t faith unless it involves that element of the unknown. We must go beyond the comfort zone into that scary area called “out of control” or “uncertainty.“[4]
In all the examples of Hebrews 11 there are people enduring uncertainty but maintaining loyalty to God that didn’t shake.
The purpose of Hebrews 11 is our inclusion
The context of the chapter determines it’s purpose and to wildy simplify it goes like this.
Jewish converts were wondering whether they should turn back to Judaism. The writer demonstrates that Jesus is just better. He took all the good bits of the OT without the limitations. He is like the completed dream home v the architectural drawings. Why go backwards? Why would you downgrade? However there was a problem coming – persecution and trial was on its way. And they need to be inoculated against the coming pressure – hence
But we are not among those who shrink back and thus perish, but are among those who have faith and preserve their souls
Hebrews 10:39
So here in Heb 11 is a collection of people who didn’t pull back who stayed the course. It is not because they are perfect or different to you or I. Rather they were loyal to God and when uncertainty came they stepped up and trusted God would come through.
They are not a collection of unattainable superstars. The writer of Hebrews wants his readers to get there. To be inspired by these examples and emulate them. To see aspects of their own struggle in these people – made heros by faith rather than being heros of faith.
Are we perfect? No. But like the characters of Heb 11 we are perfectable!
The first part of Heb11 is a catalogue of faith leading to success in the most part. Of you might not have got the promises Abraham & Sarah but faith brought you a miracle baby. You did the Exodus, you took the land, you conquered kingdoms, got what was promised, saw the dead raised to life, beat fire, lions, armies of aliens (unfortunately modern translations say foreign armies which is no-where near as exciting as armies of aliens!). Yes these people dealt with uncertainty and heartache but the wins! So many wins for the faithful.
But the end of the chapter takes a dark, gritty turn.
But others…
Hebrews 11:35
But others. Others were tortured, mocked, flogged, murdered in cruel inventive ways and generally lived horribly deprived lives until the time they were brutally killed. Can you imagine the first time this was read? You are hanging onto faith. You are worried that things are going to spiral out of control – there ware some dark murmurings of threats and fear is growing. The first half of the chapter you would be like ‘beauty- God will save us’. Then this turn at v35. That would sucked the fun out the room.
Faith is no airbag for life.
There are two groups in Hebrews 11. The first is that the faithful who got something still did NOT get the ultimate reward. Fair enough – still good though!
But the second is the point relevant to most of us.
The first half were the exceptions not the rule. Even in the lives of these individuals these moments are rare. Take Daniel. Thrown in the lions den and the lions call a stop work meeting to complain about having to eat vegetarians. Shut the mouths of lions sounds fantastic but he was in all probability a eunuch consistent with normal practice and the prophecy of Isa 39:7given to Hezekiah and definitely was a prisoner of war, torn from the familiar into the uncertain and strange culture of the Babylonians. He saw miracles yes but he also endured awful trauma.
The old prosperity gospel sounds so good – and there are quotes which in splendid isolation can sound like it is real too. Even the popular fridge magnet quote from Jeremiah
For I know what I have planned for you,’ says the Lord. ‘I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope
Jeremiah 29:11
The fridge magnet Christianity reading misses the important context that the plan involved bringing the Babylonians down to firstly sack and destroy the place, to rape and pillage and drag survivors off in chains to Babylon for 70 years…
The comments in Hebrews about torture in v35 onwards appear to be influenced by the recent Jewish history of the Maccabees – fair enough if you want to inspire Jewish readers. The reference appears to be specifically to 2 Maccv6:18-7:42 the story of Eleazar and the story of the woman and her seven sons. Both stories are brutal. In one the 90 year old Eleazar refuses to eat swine’s flesh or even pretend to eat it (a suggestion from his so called friends), resulting in him being tortured and killed. Then one by one 7 brothers are murdered in more and more extreme ways, each pointing to the hope of resurrection while their mother supports their faith.
Thou like a fury takest us out of this present life, but the King of the world shall raise us up, who have died for his laws, unto everlasting life
2 Mac 7:9
It is good, being put to death by men, to look for hope from God to be raised up again by him: as for thee, thou shalt have no resurrection to life
2 Mac 7:14
After 6 of her 7 boys are killed we get this comment about the mother’s actions through the episode:
she exhorted every one of them in her own language, filled with courageous spirits; and stirring up her womanish thoughts with a manly stomach, she said unto them, 22 I cannot tell how ye came into my womb: for I neither gave you breath nor life, neither was it I that formed the members of every one of you; 23 But doubtless the Creator of the world, who formed the generation of man, and found out the beginning of all things, will also of his own mercy give you breath and life again, as ye now regard not your own selves for his laws’ sake
2 Macc 7:21-23
As Lane points out
The example of the Maccabean martyrs demonstrates the ability of faith to sustain a resilient spirit even while being subjected to dehumanizing abuse. Faith proves to be the source of endurance in suffering and of moral courage in the face of death.[5]
The list goes on referencing the traditional death of Isaiah and the prophets generally. The conclusion on these – so many of whom suffered terribly is in v39
And these all were commended for their faith, yet they did not receive what was promised
Hebrews 11:39
These were all faithful. They demonstrate the resilience – that true allegiance which faith requires. Yet none of them received the reward. They might have had incredible victories. Or perhaps they had terrible trials. But none of them received the true object of their hope. So the writer brings us all in with v40
For God had provided something better for us, so that they would be made perfect together with us
Hebrews 11:40
The better thing is Christ. Hebrews has already pointed out that Jesus is better than Moses, Aaron, Joshua, the Law – everything. And because Christ has appeared now God plans to make these old faithfuls perfect/healed/saved WITH US.
The point is we can make it
The point of Heb 11 isn’t the faithful wins but rather the ALL the faithful are still waiting to be rewarded AND the faithful endurers who complete the list in the chapter are most like our experience. In the context of his sermon/letter the normal situation – faithful suffering – is the one he wants us to remember.
Now how do we get through?
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God
Hebrews 12:1-2
The list of faithful men and women from old is complete but their story is not. Because you and I are not there yet. They form a cloud of witnesses says the writer. This isn’t necessarily suggesting Abraham and Samson and reposing on some fluffy white water vapour looking down at us (you would need a particularly heavy-duty cloud for Samson). Rather the word is used in the sense of a crowd in classic Greek.
[νέφος (literally ‘cloud’), as used in He 12:1 in the sense of ‘a large group’ or ‘a crowd,’ there is evidence for this usage even in Classical Greek[6]
And what are they witnessing? The possibility/probability of success:
they bore witness or testimony to God’s sovereign grace and faithfulness. Think of the term “witness” as meaning “testifier” or “example.” The stress is not on the idea that they observe us, but rather that we look to them and studiously observe them as exemplary individuals who set the pace for endurance in faith. As Hugh Montefiore states, “This great cloud of witnesses are not merely onlookers of the present contest, but they have given their own witness of faith by their own past lives (cf. 11:39), some even to the point of death, martus here is approaching its later sense of martyr.”
The central truth stated here, therefore, is that these Old Testament heroes of faith are testifiers (witnesses) to God’s care and providence[7]
The point is they have demonstrated faith and you know they will receive the reward. You know God will reward Abraham and Sarah. You know the story is not over for Rahab or Samson. You know Daniel isn’t done. Therefore we should be encouraged to keep faith too. Not only can we be inspired by their example, we are also certain there is a reward coming. If God is not done with David then he is not done with me. If God can turn around Samson’s life he can turn around mine. Other runners have finished – demonstrating that you too can finish. They are witnesses in the sense that they are examples of success.
But, we have to run
We need to make decisions. And those decisions can hurt.
Firstly we have some cutting to do. Weight that slows us down and sin which can trip us up. While there is some debate, it appears two different impediments are being mentioned and must be addressed. An athlete must be discipled. This requires two things. Firstly focussed self-denial. If you want to win the medal you can’t be eating delicious crab linguine, or enjoying a inky black Barossa shiraz.
There are things which might be a hindrance to you but are not to me and vice versa. As Bruce notes:
There are many things which may be perfectly all right in their own way, but which hinder a competitor in the race of faith; they are “weights” which must be laid aside. It may well be that what is a hindrance to one entrant in this spiritual contest is not a hindrance to another; each must learn for himself what in his case is a weight or impediment.[8]
I don’t know and shouldn’t judge what might be a hindrance for you. But my silence shouldn’t encourage you to make silly mistakes as well. We know athletes are self-disciplined and they cut things out of their life. They go to bed early, they are focused on their diet and a host of habits. Why? Because being an effective runner means taking out the weights.
Some have suggested that the reference in Hebrews refers to the clinging onto traditional Judaism[9] And we might think of the potential for tradition to be holding us back we have to think broader in terms of what might be slowing our run – it’s too easy to point at tradition when that’s not really my problem as a way of refusing to really address my personal weights.
But it is not just weights – things that are fine for you but bad for me. There is also sin which like a piece of string will tangle us up so we fall over.
We are called a holy consecrated people. We are Nazirites, we should be holy people. We carry a transformation message which should be reflected in our lives. We have adopted the love and values of Jesus. It is unfashionable to talk much about sin and holiness nowadays. But it is a serious matter. Tough decisions have to be made, we need to be dedicated to following Jesus.
If you are not conscious of the sacrifices you are making, if you are not conscious of the weights you are discarding – perhaps – and I mean this to encourage not depress – perhaps we need to break out the figurative running shoes again? Rahab made a tough decision for a complete restart. It can be done.
A further element is running with endurance. I remember in October 1993 at a youth study weekend someone coming onto the stage to declare that Boris Yeltsin had dissolved the Russian parliament and used the military to install himself as leader. My now wife & I turned to each other and said well that’s it we will never have time to get married. 30 years later and here we are. I have no idea when Jesus will return. If you are a person who thinks current events are useful good, great, but personally they don’t do anything for me anymore. I suspect the instruction to watch is more about about watching our behaviour than reading newspapers. One of my friends said a while back we need to stop expecting Jesus any second and commit to the idea of being a Christadelphian till the day we die. You might argue the toss on that a little but I think there is some wisdom in it. How long we have to run is not the issue. We will keep running.
A focus on Jesus is essential to our run. In his role as High Priest Heb 4:15 pointed out Jesus can fully sympathise with our needs because he was tempted in every way. He and he alone has won the race and the prize. He knows all the circumstances into which we might fall and has already endured the worst life could throw at him. For Jesus a faithful life meant a suffering life and he endured, he is our example .
God’s fatherhood and discipline
It is one of the cruel tricks of life that chocolate cake is not a wise dietary choice but spinach is. Character formation is sadly much the same. It’s not all candles on coco, people singing loudly and out of tune. Our faith will be challenged, deconstructed and reconstructed. It will need retooling and that isn’t a bad thing, although spinach is probably a bad thing.
In Heb 11:5 the writer quotes from Prov 3:11-12 in v5-6 to point out God will discipline his children. There are three ways we can respond to tough times according to Hebrews 12v5-7
- We can scorn God in v5 (NET version). Blame God. Scorn him. Rage against the injustice of life, the life God gave us. We’ve probably seen people do that. I have certainly looked up and cried why with more than a small amount of anger, disappointment and fear.
- We can give up. Fold, throw in the towel and quit the race. OR
- We can learn.
We might do a lot of 1 and a bit of 2 but hopefully we get to number 3 with a bit of patience.
Eccl 7:2 says
It is better to go to a funeral than a feast. For death is the destiny of every person, and the living should take this to heart.
Eccl 7:2
And in the bigger scheme of things we know this is true. While (as Ecclesiastes notes) spending time enjoying life is a good thing, it is more profitable to keep things in perspective than always be feasting and lose sight of the realities of life. We can learn from the hard times.
Many of us are parents and those of you who aren’t are still part of at least one village that is around the raising of a child. We can all relate to the words about parents doing their best – but God is a whole lot better parent.
We had our first child when I was 24. And then we discovered the secret every parent knows. You really have very little idea and have to make it up as you go. Disciplining a child is hard work. You have to control your emotions, you have to see the big picture you have to love them when they are particularly unlovable. And you act in their best interest even though they definitely don’t see it that way. We know that discipline happens when we as parents are at our best. When we are prepared to invest in the growth of this little monster rather than throwing some biscuits on the floor, locking the door and running away. True discipline, discipline that seeks the growth of the child, means you are showing love, a lot of love. When my kids were growing up I would aways tell them I wanted them to be better than me. Now of course they remind me what a low bar that was.
Deborah lived by faith not by sight. She saw the armies below her and the coming conflict but actually she saw the contest as belonging to God. He would do the fighting. Living by faith and not by sight for us just might be seeing the pain not as evidence God has abandoned us but rather that he wants to improve us.
Heb 12:11 says
all discipline seems painful at the time, not joyful. But later it produces the fruit of peace and righteousness for those trained by it.
Hebrews 12:11
Which is truly about the worst thing you could say to someone during a tough time. It’s almost the modern script for Job’s three friends.
But the first audience here receiving the letter is not yet enduring the tough trials. Things are about to get tough so this is the pre-race warm up, the warning and what to expect. When we aren’t under fire is when we have to get ourselves ready. A little like the 10 young women in the parable of the bridegroom who didn’t have a watch. Now is the time to get the stores of oil prepared in case we need them. Practice the bushfire emergency plan when it is raining and fire is still a long way from reality.
In Australia we know the bushfires can lead to regeneration, even if that is the last imaginable possibility when the flames are ruthlessly consuming everything. I remember driving through areas in the Adelaide hills after the Dec 2019 bushfires and the concern was that the intensity of heat had killed all microbial life in the soil as well as the above ground devastation. And yet 4 years later driving through the hills everything looks healthy. Sure there are clearly scars but it has regenerated. It is not the same as it was, clearly. The trees are younger and the undergrowth is different. There are still visible scars, the char marks on old trees that somehow survived. But there is life. Different life.
Which sounds easy. But it is not.
As a teenager I visited the Washington Holocaust Museum. Even as a teen boy the thing that crushed me of all the exhibits were the words and the poems alongside many horrific exhibits. One in particular on the wall above a display of shoes taken from victims of the gas chambers reads:
We are the shoes we are the last witnesses
We are the shoes from grandchildren and grandfathers
From Prague, Paris and Amsterdam
And because we are only made up of fabric and leather
And not of blood and flesh each of us avoided the hellfire
I have not heard the answer to pain and suffering. I’ve certainly seen plenty of people try to answer the question. I know the right thing to do is say ‘look here is the answer’ and we all feel better and everything seems rosy until empirically later on half of you discover what I said is nonsense. It seems to me that this suggests the first principles, the shared facts and beliefs we have as we come to the problem of evil are themselves insufficient to the task. But I think the answer Job got was the best available. ‘Things are more complex than you can imagine Job’.
Somethings we know for sure. God and his son care and feel the pain of their family. The father paid an enormous price to redeem us. Psa 56:8 David sees God like a parent catching the child’s tears. For every bit we want the kingdom I think fair to say they want it more.
Maybe a commitment to love, a commitment to free will and a self-managing system creates costs in suffering which God in his infinite wisdom knows are inevitable and even necessary. Science only recently has discovered that chance, stress and competition (resulting in death) are necessary ingredients to create a beautiful world. No I’m not talking about evolution. No controversy here. For example many of you might be familiar with the impact of reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone national parks in the US. The result of predators killing things was healthier forests, meadows, water ways, beaver populations, fish populations, song birds and even the grazing elk herds the wolves preyed on. Death and suffering brought about significant ecological improvement.[10]
I struggle to understand and be consistent in my view on the extent of God’s operation in our lives and the world at large let alone answer the problem of evil. Sometimes I pray for direct intervention, much as the believers throughout the Biblical period. But then other times I wonder whether God’s plan isn’t much more high-level allowing time and chance such as they are to operate while He advances his actual plan to bring about his kingdom rather than protect me from cancer, financial misadventure or the consequences of my own foolish choices. Sometimes I pray both ways in the same prayer.
I think God is focused on end game, salvation, and that is more complicated than I know.
We may interpret events one way or another in our life. And maybe we are right. But maybe not. I don’t know. I’m open to the possibility but I fear the empirical data points the other way.
Whatever the answer – and maybe it is far simpler than I suspect – there is a simple reality acknowledge in Heb 12:11
all discipline seems painful at the time, not joyful.
Hebrews 12:11
It stinks. It hurts. It is unreasonable, random and unjust. But. But later it produces the fruit of peace and righteousness for those trained by it.
We do need to be very careful though in what we say – and please understand I’m disclaiming my own suspicions here too. We don’t know who is at the table with us and I have been in conversations in other places where variances in opinion led to unexpected pain.
And that IS the point, how we treat others and talk to them about suffering really really matters. We don’t know the full story of everyone at the table.
Enduring together
The takeaway from Heb 11/12 isn’t about suffering though, the writer wants us to get that goes beyond this. Heb 12:12-13 says
Therefore, [ie here’s the point of everything just mentioned] therefore strengthen your listless hands and your weak knees,
Hebrews 12:12-13
This is a quotation from Isaiah 35:3-10
Strengthen the hands that have gone limp, steady the knees that shake! Tell those who panic, “Be strong! Do not fear! Look, your God comes to avenge! With divine retribution he comes to deliver you.”
Isa 35:3-4
Isaiah goes on to describe a whole raft of blessings. The blind will see, the deaf hear and lame leap etc. Water will flow in the desert everywhere, everything will be green and beautiful. Those rescued from slavery will come, God’s redeemed people to come up to Zion with shouting, singing and endless joy. Suffering and grief will vanish.
I suspect this passage is based on the history of 2 Chron 28 when the Syrians aided the northern 10 tribes take 200,000 captives from Judah up to Samaria but at the urging of the prophet Oded the Samaritans instead cared for the Judahites and returned them on donkeys to Jericho to recover until their families could pick them up (and yes surely that has to be part of the parable of the good Samaritan context!). Isaiah paints a similar picture of the refugees in his time coming to Jerusalem for safety from the new northern threat of Assyria in the time of King Hezekiah and the passage screams to be understood as part of the blessings of Jesus kingdom.
Salvation is a joint exercise. What are we to do in the race? Help. Hold up the weak hands the shaky knees. The endurance run of faith is a team event. Encourage each other.
I have done a few public sporting events. It’s an awesome feeling to run together – even when you are with a gazillion strangers you feel energized by the group participation – by the shared goal and experience. And spectators cheering you on. Some have already finished, some are yet to run, complete strangers shouting out “go you” and cheering. Encouraged by completely random people you hear chariots of fire playing in your head and you just glide effortlessly with great form for another 100 meters. It’s powerful.
How much more powerful when the encouragement comes from our teammates? If a total stranger can genuinely encourage me what can a fellow runner do? I don’t know if right now you are Deborah advancing down the mountain or you are Samson playing games with Delilah. Thankfully you don’t know If I’m making a Rahab like choice or I’m plagued by doubts and fears like Gideon. But either way where-ever you are and I am right now a word of encouragement is a powerful contribution.
There is a lovely culture in my meeting of thanking people for their service, whatever that is. I was surprised by it but people would always come and say thank you for the music or a reading whatever. That’s awesome but it is only part of it. We need to personally be a cheer squad in your ecclesia. Funny thing is when you cheer for others it helps you too. Apparently there is science that demonstrates cheering on other runners makes you a better runner.
If you take one single thing home from the material I’ve shared please take this. Encourage each other. Deliberately make an effort to encourage. If strangers randomly shouting ‘hurrah keep going’ can make a difference imagine what difference you can make to your siblings. You don’t need to carry the gates of Gath. Just hold your hand out to your sibling and speak the peace of Christ to them.
And make it simple to run. Make it easy. The final verse we will touch v 13
and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but be healed.
Hebrews 12:13
Yes it comes from Prov 4:23-27 which sets out a whole raft of decisions we can and should make. Guard your heart, look after it. Watch your speech. Look straight ahead.
Encourage without judgement
All the world is mad apart from thee and me, and thou art a little mad
Robert Owen
Robert Owen’s comment is now often amended to use the word “mad” instead of the original “queer” to respect the shifting meaning of English words over the centuries. Jesus’ people shouldn’t be limiting that encouragement and care.
All humans are inclined to define the other as less than ideal and to be more sympathetic to the ingroup versus the outgroup. It is not unusual to find instances where those who receive the least sympathy are close but not quite our tribe. For example we heap more scorn on the opposition footy team supporters than on people who follow tennis – because they are close to us but not quite us and we have to amplify those differences to validate or preserve our identity especially in the context of competition.
This should not be our way. Defining anyone as mad or a little mad is not the Jesus way.
Am I more gracious and accepting of Christians in other denominations than people in my own faith tradition? Are you?
For me that’s a tough question because the answer is probably yes. I mean some (a small minority) of them hurt me but the reality is that even among that small group most of them were only acting as they thought they had to. And in any case the process helped me in the deconstruction and reconstruction phases of my faith. Of course it was expensive and painful. My life was incinerated and my beloved was badly hurt. But did God bring both of us to a better understanding of him? Yes. Do we feel spiritually healthier for the fire? Yes also there are scars. So am I being fair in my attitudes? No.
We need to slap Col3:14, the superglue of love, the bond of perfection around – particularly when we all go through the reconstruction of faith and have variances of opinion. We all need to manage this.
Conclusion
The stories of faithful men and women of the past matter. They were
Written for our instruction, so that through endurance and through encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope
Romans 15:4
In their lives we can see themes and ideas which perhaps resonate with us, particularly when we meet these stories on their own terms without our expectations and needs.
They are part of God’s plan, part of God’s people and God demonstrated how he could work with them.
We might not be Abraham and Sarah’s literal children. We might not trace our ancestry to Judah, or Dan or Levi. But as Peter wrote to his Gentile audience
{God} has bestowed on us his precious and most magnificent promises, so that by means of what was promised you may become partakers of the divine nature
2 Peter 1:4
We have a stake. The future of the people in Hebrews 11, the winners and the sufferers, is certain. And in Jesus we belong with them with the same confident hope that our God will perfect us with them through the love and grace which is in Jesus.
Now may the God of peace who by the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus Christ, equip you with every good thing to do his will, working in us what is pleasing before him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever. Amen
Hebrews 13:20-21
by Daniel Edgecombe
[1] William L. Lane, Hebrews 9–13, vol. 47B, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1991), 383
[2] Bates, M. W. (2017). Salvation by Allegiance Alone: Rethinking Faith, Works, and the Gospel of Jesus the King (pp. 3–5). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic: A division of Baker Publishing Group.]
[3] deSilva, D. A. (2012). Honor, patronage, kinship & purity: unlocking new testament culture (p. 115). Westmont, IL: InterVarsity Press.
[4] Levin, D. (2000). Legalism and Faith The Christadelphian Tidings (p. 124)
[5] William L. Lane, Hebrews 9–13, vol. 47B, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1991), 388–389.
[6] Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition.). New York: United Bible Societies.
[7] Frederic R. Howe, “The Challenge for Spiritual Vision: An Exegesis of Hebrews 12:1–3,” Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society Volume 13 13, no. 24 (2000): 26–27.
[8] F. F. Bruce, The Epistle to the Hebrews, Rev. ed., The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990), 335–336.
[9] J. Harold Greenlee, An Exegetical Summary of Hebrews, 2nd ed. (Dallas, TX: SIL International, 2008), 484.
[10] https://www.yellowstonepark.com/things-to-do/wildlife/wolf-reintroduction-changes-ecosystem/
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