Hebrews 3:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.

NIV: But Christ is faithful as the Son over God's house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.

NASB: but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold firmly to our confidence and the boast of our hope.

CSB: But Christ was faithful as a Son over his household. And we are that household if we hold on to our confidence and the hope in which we boast.

NLT: But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.

KJV: But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

NKJV: but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.

The author of Hebrews is pointing out that Jesus is a greater, higher example to follow than even Moses. While Moses was a faithful servant in God's house, who foretold many things, Jesus is the Son in God's house, and the Creator, and the One who fulfilled those things (Hebrews 3:3–5). This ties in to the end of chapter 2, where the author points to Jesus as our ultimate example. The importance of following Jesus, even above Moses, is crucial for the audience this letter addresses: Jewish Christians of the first century.

The context of this letter also helps to explain the next point made in Hebrews. These believers are suffering under pressure and persecution. There is intense pressure, both from the world and the Jewish community, for these men and women to "fall back" into Judaism rather than pursue Christ. This verse points out that the blessings and victory we are promised in Christ are meant for those who "hold fast."

The terminology shifts from discussing a "house" as a building to a "house" as a collection of people: the family. Being able to function as part of God's "family" is a question of conditions, just as a priest or other Israelite's fellowship with God was conditional. Their status as a part of the nation of Israel, like our salvation, is not at stake. But there are consequences when we fall out of fellowship with God.

In the next verse, this will be illustrated with the example of Israel's wandering in the desert. That passage begins the second warning of Hebrews, running through the middle of chapter 4.

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.