Hebrews 10:35 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.

NIV: So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.

NASB: Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.

CSB: So don’t throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.

NLT: So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you!

KJV: Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.

NKJV: Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.

The fundamental message of the book of Hebrews is summarized in verses 35 and 36. Everything else said in this letter is meant to strengthen a Christian's confidence that Jesus Christ is, in fact, the ultimate means of our salvation. Even in the face of persecution and doubt, we have every reason to trust in God and His promises (Hebrews 10:19–20). Those to whom these words are written have, in fact, already survived some level of persecution (Hebrews 10:32). Since the gospel they hold to is so obviously true (Hebrews 10:23), and so incredibly valuable (Hebrews 10:14), and since the consequences of rejecting it are so dire (Hebrews 10:26–29), they ought to "hold fast" to their faith in the face of difficult times.

This confidence is rooted in the truth of the gospel. Hebrews contains extensive evidence that the Old Testament predicted the coming of Christ, as the fulfillment of God's plan for our salvation (Hebrews 8:7–13). At the same time, God has provided examples to warn us about what happens when we fall into doubt and disobedience, such as Israel's suffering in the wilderness (Hebrews 3:12–19). The reward of steadfast faith, then, is not only about gaining something positive; it's also about avoiding the consequences of sin.

Hebrews 10:26–39 contains the letter's most dire warning against apostasy. This passage should be understood in the same context as earlier references to Israel's punishment in the wilderness (Hebrews 3:12–19) and the dangers of a shallow faith (Hebrews 6:1–8). The concern here is not a loss of salvation, but of God's punishment on those who willingly rebel against His will. Since the new covenant is superior to the old covenant, we can expect those who ''profane'' the new covenant to suffer greater consequences for disobedience. This is followed by a word of encouragement and reassurance to those who have already survived hardship and persecution.

God's own words, found in the Old Testament Scriptures, declare His intention to replace the old covenant with a new covenant. Jesus fulfills all of these prophecies, and all of the symbolism found in the system of priests, the tabernacle, and animal sacrifices. Knowing that Jesus Christ is, undoubtedly, God's remedy for our sin, we should be encouraged in holding on to our faith in the face of persecution. However, that same confidence means dire spiritual consequences for those who know Christ's salvation, but choose to act in defiance of His will.

Chapter 10 completes the long, detailed explanation of why the new covenant is superior to the old covenant. Starting in chapter 7, the writer gave various arguments and Scriptures to support this idea. The theme of these points is that God had always intended to send Jesus, as the real fulfillment of the old covenant's symbolism. The second half of this chapter transitions into more practical ideas, including an extremely dire warning about the dangers of apostasy.

The book of Hebrews is meant to challenge, encourage, and empower Christian believers. According to this letter, Jesus Christ is superior to all other prophets and all other claims to truth. Since God has given us Christ, we ought to listen to what He says and not move backwards. The consequences of ignoring God are dire. Hebrews is important for drawing on many portions of the Old Testament in making a case that Christ is the ultimate and perfect expression of God's plan for mankind. This book presents some tough ideas about the Christian faith, a fact the author makes specific note of.