Hebrews 10:36 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.

NIV: You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

NASB: For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.

CSB: For you need endurance, so that after you have done God's will, you may receive what was promised.

NLT: Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

KJV: For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

NKJV: For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:

Verses 35 and 36 are a short-hand explanation of the entire book of Hebrews. The original audience of the letter is the population of persecuted Jewish Christians of the early church. The early chapters detailed how Jesus' humanity made Him the perfect candidate to be our Messiah (Hebrews 1—2). The writer then pointed to the suffering of Israel as an example of how God would respond to doubt and disobedience: with suffering and punishment, aimed at correcting our sinful attitudes (Hebrews 3—6). After this, Hebrews spent considerable time explaining how the new covenant in Christ is superior to the old covenant of animal sacrifices (Hebrews 7—10).

Knowing all of this, then, Christians ought to be extremely confident in our faith. This reason for confidence should give us encouragement and boldness, even in the face of persecution. At the same time, the profound assurance God offers us leaves no excuse when we choose to sin (Hebrews 10:26–29). In order to obtain all of the blessings God intends for us, spiritually, we need to be willing to do His will.

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.

Accessed 4/27/2024 1:08:38 PM