Chapter three verses one through seven: In verse one the Apostle Paul identifies the Hebrews as converts to Christianity. Here he calls them “holy brethren” who have the same “heavenly calling” and same “High Priest.” He then reemphasizes this fact in 4:14 where he notes that “we”–including himself–have a great High Priest–Jesus Christ. Like Paul, these Israelites were converts to true Christianity.

In verses 2-4 Paul compares Jesus to Moses, noting that both men were true to their God within their respective families. Recall that Jesus’ family members did not believe He was who He said He was. Even Mary had doubts. His biological family wanted Him to take His message elsewhere. He had become an embarrassment to them. They, along with His friends, believed that He had lost His mind. See Who Are My Brethren? Moses’ wife prevented him from circumcising his sons against the command of God. In spite of these pressures, which can become extreme when the family is involved, both Jesus and Moses stayed true to the Lord and obeyed Him.

In 3:5 the apostle makes a powerful statement which is often rejected because it does not agree with  church consensus which is that if one says the prescribed words and completes the prescribed ritual, one is at that moment “saved” and “born again”–beliefs that are nowhere found in God’s Word. What God does say through Paul is that the true church is “Christ’s house”–His truly converted, obedient brethren–IF they hold fast to the HOPE of salvation until the end of their lives or until His return. In 1 John 2:6 and 3:3 we are told that in order to be saved upon Christ’s arrival we must live (in hope) as He lived while on earth as a man, and that in order to do this we must continually purify ourselves so that we can be as pure as was He. This would be much easier if those around us also embraced the Lord by obeying His Word. But this is not the case. In reality, Truth-seeking, Truth-believing, Truth-obeying saints are persecuted by the religious people around them whose rejection and resistance they must endure. Only those who, due to obedience to God, receive negative reactions from the church community and bear up under them will be rewarded with eternal life. Jesus Himself said the same thing in Matthew 10:22 where He tells us that only those who maintain their hope while enduring such hatred and ostracism “… until the END shall be (then) saved.” See Persecution and Hope and Salvation. It is for this reason that God-seekers are warned to count the cost before embracing the Biblical God and His Son. And it is for this reason that “few” choose to search for and “find” and “strive to enter” the strait gate and walk the narrow way that leads to eternal life (Mat. 7:13,14). L.J.