Hebrews 3:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession,

NIV: Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.

NASB: Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession: Jesus;

CSB: Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession.

NLT: And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are partners with those called to heaven, think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s messenger and High Priest.

KJV: Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

NKJV: Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus,

The book of Hebrews frequently uses the word "therefore" in order to connect various thoughts. In the previous chapters, the author has been explaining how Jesus Christ is superior to angels and is, in fact, fully human. As a completely human High Priest, Jesus can serve as our ultimate example. For the Jewish people, there was no greater example than Moses, but according to this section of Hebrews, Jesus is far greater. This verse makes a connection between Jesus' role as our ultimate example—the "founder of our salvation"—and His superiority to even Moses.

In the next verses, the author will point out that Moses was faithful, but was also a created servant of God. Jesus, on the other hand, is the Creator, and the Son of God. What Moses predicted, Christ fulfilled. Verses 1 and 2 are meant to be read as a single sentence.

Some may see the term "apostle" here as confusing. This is a title often given to the men who preached the gospel immediately after the ascension of Jesus. The term itself literally means, "one who is sent." In the context of this passage, that is a perfect description of Jesus. He is One sent from God to bring us good news. He is meant to be our example, and we are meant to do as He did (John 13:13–15; 20:21).

Another term often used in Hebrews is "brothers," which should be kept in mind. The book is explicitly written to those who have faith in Jesus Christ. In other words, these are admonitions for believers, and believers alone.

Hebrews 3:1–6 explains how Moses, while a powerful and faithful servant of God, is not the ultimate example for us to follow. Jesus is not a servant, but the Son of God. He is not the created thing, He is the Creator. He did not come to predict God's plan, He came to fulfill it. For these reasons, the Jewish Christians reading this letter should have every confidence in following Christ. This passage ends with a condition: that believers ''hold fast.'' This is not a reference to losing salvation; however, it does introduce the warning beginning in verse 7, which discusses what happens when a believer fails to trust in God.

Hebrews chapter 3 uses a reference to Israel's wandering in the desert from the story of the Exodus. In this incident, the nation of Israel came to the border of the Promised Land and then lost confidence in God. Rather than trusting Him, most of the people gave up hope. As a result, only a tiny remnant of the nation was allowed to enter into Canaan. This chapter explains that Jesus Christ is superior to Moses and all of Moses' accomplishments. Christians, therefore, need to encourage each other to fully trust in God, in order to see fulfillment of His promises.

In chapters 1 and 2, the author of Hebrews showed that Jesus was not an angel. In fact, Jesus' role as Messiah required Him to be fully human. Starting in chapter 3, the author will explain how Jesus is also superior to various Old Testament characters such as Moses. This will help to set the stage for later references to Christ's superiority. Part of the warning in this chapter extends into chapter 4. Namely, that Christians who doubt God's promises risk missing out on the victories He has in store for us.

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.