Hebrews 10:32-39
Key
words: Faith, Confidence, Endurance, Perseverance, Promises, Rewards,
Shrinking, Destruction,
10:32
“Remember those earlier days after you
had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the
face of suffering.”
“Remember” in the Greek is imperative and means “you remind
yourselves” or “you remember
“received the light” is the same Greek word as 6:4 “those who have once
been enlightened” and refers to the Holy Spirit revealing Jesus and plan of
salvation.
“great contest of suffering”
“stood your ground” or “endured” is
“hupemeinate”
Notice
of their high level of maturity at a young spiritual age. But with lack of faith comes lack of
confidence and they have returned to spiritual immaturity.
10:33
“Sometimes
you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood
side by side with those who were so treated.”
“Publicly exposed” is “theatrizomenoi”
·
The word does
not necessarily mean they were put on display in the amphitheater.
·
In Acts19:29 they
were.
Sometimes
they were attacked personally.
Other
times they were attacked because they stood with someone who was being
attacked.
10:34
“You sympathized with those in prison
and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that
you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.”
First
– example of standing by someone -
“sympathized with those in prison”
Second
– example of their own personal suffering – “confiscation of your property.”
These
believers had:
“sympathized” means to suffer together,
to suffer with someone
“those in prison”
“Joyfully”
“confiscation” – means seizing,
plundering. This word implies their
property had been seized by authorities or plundered by a mob.
“your property”
“because you knew”
“better and lasting possessions”
These
believers had to be depressed and cowardly.
10:35
“So do not throw away your confidence; it
will be richly rewarded.
Loss
of truth led to
Loss
of convictions led to
Loss
of confidence led to
Loss
of righteous action (deeds) led to
Loss
of eternal rewards
“Throw
away” is “apobalete” (“balw” means to throw) this word is the Aorist
Subjenctive used with the negative which makes it prohibitive which means this
action of throwing away their confidence has not happened yet and it should not
be allowed to arise.
(1
Timothy 4:14 “stop neglecting your gift”)
“Confidence”
is “parrhesia” means “boldness, confidence”
10:36
“You need to persevere so that when you have
done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”
“You
need perseverance” is the author diagnosis of their problem.
“persevere” is “hupomones” and means endurance, a willingness to
remain under adverse circumstances without compromise of defection”. Important from the Linguistic Key:
“It
is the spirit that can bear things not simply with resignation but with blazing
hope; it is not the spirit that sits statically enduring in one place, but the
spirit that bears all things because it knows that these things are leading to
a goal of glory.”
Similar
verses dealing with “hupomones” and
“promises” in Hebrews:
Some
promises were fulfilled others promises were held until eternity.
Key
is here – “When you have done the will
of God”
James
1:4 says these trials develops perseverance.
10:37-38
“For in just a very little while, ‘He
who is coming will come and will not delay.
But my righteous one will live by faith.
And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.’ ”
Free
quotation of Habakkuk 2:3-4 and opening from Isaiah 26:20
“In a little while” was used by Isaiah
to refer to Christ’s coming.
Point
here is: We need faith if confidence is
going to be maintained!
“shrinks back” means to draw oneself
back, to withdraw oneself, to shrink back.
10:39
“But we are not of those who shrink back and
are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.”
Literal
Greek:
“But
we
are not of withdrawal to destruction, but of faith to possession of soul”
“withdrawal” or “shrink back” means
“shrinking, timidity”
Here
it says “we do not belong to those who are timid” which is a reference to the
unsaved who shrank from the light of salvation.
“Destroyed” is “apoleian” and means
“destruction, ruin” and in the NT refers to eternal damnation as in: Mt. 7:13;
Rom. 9:22; Phil. 1:28; 3:19; 1 Tim. 6:9.
Judas and A.C. are called the “son of perdition” or “son of destruction”. The destruction here is not discipline from
the Father God, but eternal damnation from the eternal God and judge.
“Faith” or “believe” is the character of this writer and his
readers. They had belief to be
saved. Now the writer wants them to
continue in their faith with confidence and deeds.
“possession” is “peripoiesis” means “possession” and indicates
what one makes one’s own either by keeping or gaining.”
This
verse says: