Beginning
What faith really means
11 What then is faith? It is what gives assurance to our hopes; it is what gives us conviction about things we can’t see. 2 It is what the men and women of old were famous for. 3 It is by faith that we understand that the worlds were formed by God’s word; in other words, that the visible world was made from the invisible.
4 It was by faith that Abel offered a better sacrifice to God than Cain. That earned him the testimony that he was in the right, since God himself bore witness in relation to his gifts. Through faith, he still speaks, even though he’s dead. 5 It was by faith that Enoch was taken up so that he wouldn’t see death; nobody could find him, because God took him up. Before he was taken up, you see, it had been said of him that “he had pleased God.” 6 And without faith it’s impossible to please God; for those who come to worship God must believe that he really does exist, and that he rewards those who seek him.
Faith and the future: Noah, Abraham, Sarah
7 It was by faith that Noah, who had been warned by God about things that were not yet seen, took the warning seriously and built an ark to save his household. He thus put the rest of the world in the wrong, and became heir to the righteous standing which accords with faith.
8 It was by faith that Abraham, when God called him, obeyed and went out to a place where he was to receive an inheritance. Off he went, not knowing where he was going. 9 It was by faith that he stayed in the promised land as a stranger, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who were joint heirs of the same promise. 10 He was looking ahead, you see, to the city which has foundations, the city of which God is the designer and builder.
11 It was by faith that Sarah herself, who was barren, received the ability to conceive a child even when long past the right age, since she considered that God, who had promised, was trustworthy. 12 Thus it came about that from one man, and him more or less dead, there was born a family as many as the stars of heaven in number, as uncountable as the sand on the seashore.
Faith that looks beyond death
13 All these people died in faith. They hadn’t received the promise, but they had seen it from far off, and had greeted it, and had recognized that they were strangers and wanderers in the land. 14 People who say that sort of thing, you see, make it clear that they are looking for a homeland. 15 Had they been thinking of the place from which they had set out, they would have had plenty of opportunity to go back to it. 16 But as it was they were longing for a better place, a heavenly one. That’s why God is not ashamed to be called “their God,” since he has prepared a city for them.
17 It was by faith that Abraham, when he was put to the test, offered up Isaac; yes, Abraham, who had received the promise, was in the very act of offering up his only son, 18 the one about whom it had been said that “In Isaac shall your family be named.” 19 He reckoned that God was capable of raising him even from the dead; and, in one sense, he did indeed receive him back from there.
20 It was by faith in the things that were to come that Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau. 21 It was by faith that, when Jacob was dying, he blessed the two sons of Joseph, and “worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.” 22 It was by faith that, when Joseph was coming to the end, he spoke about the exodus of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his own bones.
Faith and the future: Moses and the exodus
23 It was by faith that, when Moses was born, he was hidden for three months by his parents. They saw that the child was beautiful, and they weren’t afraid of the king’s orders. 24 It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 preferring to suffer hardship along with God’s people rather than enjoying the short-term pleasures of sin. 26 He reckoned that reproach suffered for the Messiah was worth more than all the treasures of Egypt; he was looking ahead to the reward.
27 It was by faith that he left Egypt, without fear of Pharaoh’s anger; he kept the invisible one constantly before his eyes. 28 It was by faith that he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn wouldn’t touch them. 29 It was by faith that they crossed the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground, while the Egyptians, when they tried to do the same, were drowned. 30 It was by faith that the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. 31 It was by faith that the prostitute Rahab was not destroyed along with those who didn’t believe; she had welcomed the spies in peace.
Faith and the future: the great crowd
32 What more can I say, then? I’ve run out of time to tell you about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets. 33 It was through faith that they overcame kingdoms, put justice into practice, received promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were strong where they had been weak, became powerful in battle, and sent foreign armies packing. 35 Women received their dead by resurrection; others were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might receive a better resurrection. 36 Others again experienced painful derision and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment; 37 they were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were put to the sword, they went about in sheepskins or goat-hides, they were destitute, they were persecuted, they were ill-treated— 38 the world didn’t deserve them!—and they wandered in deserts and mountains, in caves and holes in the ground.
39 All these people gained a reputation for their faith; but they didn’t receive the promise. 40 God was providing something better for us, so that they wouldn’t reach perfection without our doing so as well.
Looking to Jesus
12 What about us, then? We have such a great cloud of witnesses all around us! What we must do is this: we must put aside each heavy weight, and the sin which gets in the way so easily. We must run the race that lies in front of us, and we must run it patiently. 2 We must look ahead, to Jesus. He is the one who carved out the path for faith, and he’s the one who brought it to completion.
He knew that there was joy spread out and waiting for him. That’s why he endured the cross, making light of its shame, and has now taken his seat at the right hand of God’s throne. 3 He put up with enormous opposition from sinners. Weigh up in your minds just how severe it was; then you won’t find yourselves getting weary and worn out.
Christian suffering is God’s discipline
4 You have been struggling against sin, but your resistance hasn’t yet cost you any blood. 5 And perhaps you have forgotten the word of exhortation which speaks to you as God’s children:
My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s rebuke,
or grow weary when he takes issue with you;
6 for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves,
and chastises every child he welcomes.
7 You must be patient with discipline. God is dealing with you as his sons and daughters. What child is there that the parent doesn’t discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline (we’ve all had our fair share of it!), you are illegitimate, and not true children. 9 After all, we had earthly parents who disciplined us, and we respected them. Shouldn’t we much rather submit ourselves to the father of spirits, and live? 10 Our earthly parents disciplined us for a little while, as they judged best; but when he disciplines us it’s for our advantage. It is so that we may share his holiness. 11 No discipline seems to bring joy at the time, but only sorrow. Later, though, it produces fruit, the peaceful fruit of righteousness, for those who are trained by it.
Watch out for dangers!
12 So stop letting your hands go slack, and get some energy into your sagging knees! 13 Make straight paths for your feet. If you’re lame, make sure you get healed instead of being put out of joint. 14 Follow after peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one can see the Lord. 15 Take good care that nobody lacks God’s grace; don’t let any “root of bitterness spring up to cause trouble,” defiling many people. 16 No one must be immoral or worldly-minded, like Esau: he sold his birthright for a single meal! 17 You know, don’t you, that later on, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected. There was no way he could change either his mind or Isaac’s, even though he wept bitterly in trying to do so.
From Mount Sinai to Mount Zion
18 You haven’t come, after all, to something that can be touched—a blazing fire, darkness, gloom and whirlwind, 19 the sound of a trumpet and a voice speaking words which the hearers begged not to have to listen to anymore. 20 (They couldn’t bear the command that “if even a beast touches the mountain, it must be stoned.”) 21 The sight was so terrifying that even Moses said, “I’m trembling with fear.”
22 No: you have come to Mount Zion—to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to where thousands and thousands of angels are gathered for a festival; 23 to the assembly of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God the judge of all, to the spirits of righteous people who have been made perfect, 24 and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood which has better words to say than the blood of Abel.
The kingdom that cannot be shaken
25 Take care that you don’t refuse the one who is speaking. For if people didn’t escape when they rejected the one who gave them earthly warnings, how much more if we turn away from the one who speaks from heaven! 26 At that point, his voice shook the earth; but now he has issued a promise in the following words: “One more time I will shake not only the earth but heaven as well.” 27 The phrase “one more time” shows that the things that are to be shaken (that is, the created things) will be taken away, so that the things that cannot be shaken will remain.
28 Well, then: we are to receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken! This calls for gratitude! That’s how to offer God true and acceptable worship, reverently and with fear. 29 Our God, you see, is a devouring fire.
The practical life of God’s people
13 Let the family continue to care for one another. 2 Don’t forget to be hospitable; by that means, some people have entertained angels without realizing it. 3 Remember people in prison, as though you were in prison with them. When you think of people who are having a difficult time, remember that you too live in a frail body.
4 Let marriage be honored by everyone; let the marriage bed remain undefiled. God will judge those who misbehave sexually or commit adultery.
5 Keep your life free from love of money; be content with what you have. He himself has said, after all, “I will never, ever, leave you or forsake you.” 6 That’s why we can be cheerfully confident, and say, “The Lord is helping me; I’m not going to be afraid; what can anyone do to me?”
7 Remember your leaders, who spoke God’s word to you. Look carefully at how their lives reached their goal, and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus the Messiah is the same, yesterday, today and forever.
Outside the old city, seeking the new
9 Don’t let yourselves be carried off by strange teachings of whatever sort. The heart needs to be strengthened by grace, you see, not by rules about what to eat, which don’t do any good to those who observe them.
10 We have an altar from which those who minister in the Tabernacle are not allowed to eat. 11 For the bodies of the animals whose blood is taken into the sanctuary by the high priest as a sin-offering are burned outside the camp. 12 That’s why Jesus too suffered outside the gate, so that he might make the people holy with his own blood. 13 So, then, let’s go out to him, outside the camp, bearing his shame. 14 Here, you see, we have no city that lasts; we are looking for the one that is still to come.
15 Our part, then, is this: to bring, through him, a continual sacrifice of praise to God—that is, lips that confess his name, and do so fruitfully. 16 Don’t neglect to do good, and to let “fellowship” mean what it says. God really enjoys sacrifices of that kind!
The God of peace be with you
17 Obey your leaders; submit to them. They are keeping watch over your lives, you see, as people who will have to give account. Make sure they can do this with joy, not with a groan. That would be of no value to you.
18 Pray for us! Our conscience is clear; we are quite sure of it. We wish to act appropriately in everything. 19 I beg you especially to do this, so that I may quickly be restored to you.
20 May the God of peace, who led up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 make you complete in every good work so that you may do his will. May he perform, in you, whatever will be pleasing in his sight, through Jesus the Messiah. Glory be to him forever and ever, Amen!
22 I beg you, my dear family, bear with this word of exhortation; I’ve written to you quite briefly, after all. 23 You should know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he comes soon, I will see you and him at the same time.
24 Greet all your leaders, and all God’s people. Those from Italy send you greetings. 25 Grace be with you all.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.