Post 26 of Study: Hebrews 3, finishing up

 Up to this point I have focused on the second part of the chapter, rather than the first. So let's start at the beginning. 

Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, ² who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house. ³ For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house. ⁴ For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. ⁵ And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, ⁶ 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 ^[a]firm to the end.

As mentioned before, one argument of Hebrews is that Christ was superior to all other persons and processes that people have used to approach God, especially the stalwarts of the Jewish faith, Moses and Abraham. It's the heir versus the servant metaphor, which we have seen in other writings (most notable the parable in Matthew about the rebellious tenant farmers killing the messengers and then killing the son of the landowner). The reference to "Apostle and High Priest" follows from chapter 2, although "apostle" may seem odd. We don't think of Jesus as an apostle, but it means "sent one." In this paragraph we see Jesus as Apostle and High Priest (human terms) and Son and Creator (theological ones).  

"Whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of the hope" (last four verses not in earliest manuscripts, not that I know a lot about that.)  And this brings in the thrust of the passage and the book, continuing one's faith journey despite the obstacles and not turning to unbelief, which is willful rejection of God's plan for us.