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A Call to Persevere
Hebrews 10:19 to 39 urges believers to keep coming to God, keep holding to hope, and keep encouraging each other. The passage joins strong confidence in Jesus with a serious warning and a call to endure.
Understanding the passage
The setting of these words
This part of Hebrews is written as teaching and exhortation. It says believers have boldness to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus and have a great priest over God’s house. From that basis, the writer calls them to draw near, hold fast, and persevere under pressure.
Hebrews 10:19–39Main takeaway
Because Jesus has opened the way to God, believers are called to approach him sincerely, hold firmly to hope, encourage one another, and endure in faith.
Follow the letter’s teaching
01A new and living way to GodThe passage begins with confidence. Believers have boldness to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus.
Explanation
The passage begins with confidence. Believers have boldness to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus. Jesus has dedicated a new and living way through the veil, and he is a great priest over God’s house. Because of this, they are told to draw near with true hearts and full faith.
02Hold hope and meet to encourage one anotherThe writer then gives shared responsibilities. They must hold fast the confession of hope without wavering because the one who promised is faithful.
Explanation
The writer then gives shared responsibilities. They must hold fast the confession of hope without wavering because the one who promised is faithful. They are also to think carefully about how to stir one another up to love and good works, not giving up meeting together, but encouraging one another as the Day approaches.
03A serious warning against rejecting what they knowThe tone becomes urgent. If someone sins wilfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, the passage says no further sacrifice for sins remains, but fearful judgement.
Explanation
The tone becomes urgent. If someone sins wilfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, the passage says no further sacrifice for sins remains, but fearful judgement. The warning compares this with disregarding Moses’ law, then describes the greater seriousness of treating the Son of God, his blood, and the Spirit of grace with contempt.
04Remember earlier endurance and keep goingFinally, the writer reminds them of their earlier endurance after being enlightened. They faced reproaches, oppressions, shared in others’ suffering, and accepted the plundering of possessions because they knew of a better and enduring possession in the heavens.
Explanation
Finally, the writer reminds them of their earlier endurance after being enlightened. They faced reproaches, oppressions, shared in others’ suffering, and accepted the plundering of possessions because they knew of a better and enduring possession in the heavens. So they must not throw away their boldness, but endure, live by faith, and not shrink back.
Questions to explore
01What reasons does this passage give for drawing near to God with a true heart?
Look for the basis named before the command: the blood of Jesus, the new and living way, and the great priest over God’s house.
02How should believers help each other according to this passage?
Notice the practical actions in the text: consider one another, provoke love and good works, keep assembling, and exhort one another.
03What past experiences does the writer ask them to remember, and how do those memories support the call to endure?
Trace the list of sufferings and responses, then connect it with the commands not to throw away boldness and to have endurance.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Hebrews 10:19–39
19Having therefore, brothers, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus,
20by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh,
21and having a great priest over God’s house,
22let’s draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and having our body washed with pure water,
23let’s hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering; for he who promised is faithful.
24Let’s consider how to provoke one another to love and good works,
25not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
26For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins,
27but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which will devour the adversaries.
28A man who disregards Moses’ law dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses.
29How much worse punishment do you think he will be judged worthy of who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?
30For we know him who said, “Vengeance belongs to me. I will repay,” says the Lord. Again, “The Lord will judge his people.”
31It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32But remember the former days, in which, after you were enlightened, you endured a great struggle with sufferings:
33partly, being exposed to both reproaches and oppressions, and partly, becoming partakers with those who were treated so.
34For you both had compassion on me in my chains and joyfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an enduring one in the heavens.
35Therefore don’t throw away your boldness, which has a great reward.
36For you need endurance so that, having done the will of God, you may receive the promise.
37“In a very little while, he who comes will come and will not wait.
38But the righteous one will live by faith. If he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”
39But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the saving of the soul.