Post 23 of Study: Hebrews 3

 Chapter 3 holds one of the five warning passages, the second. It is in 7-15. The major question is, does this passage apply to us, Gentiles in modernity? (or post modernity, although I think we live in a mixed world in terms of those two worldviews)  Yes and No is my toothless answer.

The audience at that time was in a unique historical and cultural position. It is possible they were living just prior to the destruction of the temple (although it is not mentioned outwardly) in 70 A.D. I have in the last year of study realized that the destruction of the temple was a pivotal event, one we must take into account in the early church. 

There is a distinct difference between the books written before and those written after the destruction of the temple, and the subjugation of the Jews under Titus. It started the separation between Christians and Jews, for one, even though many of the Christians were of Jewish background; they had had to make a choice, because prior to the 70 AD date, persecution of the church by Jews was increasing, and rebellion of the Jews against Rome was increasing. The 66 AD date when James, Jesus' brother and leader of the Jerusalem church, was stoned, speaks to this. 

So I suggest anyone who really wants to understand the New Testament study that part of Roman/Jewish history, and this will help with an appreciation of what the Jewish readers of this were facing. It is also likely they were second generation believers (their parents had converted) and they had to embrace the faith fully as their own. Needless to say, this audience exists today.

The words "partakers" and "tasted" in later warning passages have made students wonder if these people were fringe believers, hangers on without real faith, or if they were since believers being tempted to apostatize in a difficult time. It could be both. The overall message, I think, is "Don't be stagnant or stationary or presumptive in your faith journey, because such stagnation puts you in a perilous situation. Just like the Israelites had to step into the water, had to keep following Moses, who is less important than Christ, you have to keep walking in faith. Stopping (stopping the resting in faith) is dangerous." 

We are encouraged to hold firm until the end. We do not know when that end will be. As far as we are concerned, it's tomorrow, if tomorrow is given to us. We don't do well to think of 95 years of life, but of the next steps. Yes, from a human standpoint we don't act like fools and spend all our money or avoid planning; we are to be like ants preparing for winter. 

But from a God-centered viewpoint, the end may be tomorrow and today is the day to attend to. "but exhort one another daily, while it is called 'Today,' lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." (And from a human financial standpoint, if we plan for the future, we plan for tomorrow as well.)