“At times you were publicly exposed to abuse and afflictions, and at other times you came to share with others who were treated in that way. For in fact you shared the sufferings of those in prison, and you accepted the confiscation of your belongings with joy, because you knew that you certainly had a better and lasting possession” (Hebrews 10:33-34 ESV).
The author of Hebrews built the foundation for this passage in the previous verse when he spoke of the “…great conflict of sufferings” (AMP) his readers previously endured. Much like a prizefighter who absorbs the punishment inflicted by a powerful opponent, these Hebrew Christians suffered for their decision to follow Christ.
At a minimum, it’s likely that many of these Christians had been ostracized for their commitment to Christ. In the tightly knit Jewish communities of that era, that decision could have also resulted in economic hardship. So, in addition to the persecution mentioned in the passage quoted above, these members of the Jewish Christian community undoubtedly faced family banishment and social marginalization.
This brings to mind some other well-known Biblical personalities who endured periods of great suffering as they fulfilled God’s will for their lives. For instance…
- Job: Job suffered financial devastation along with the loss of his children, his personal possessions, and his physical health for no discernable reason.
- John the Baptist: John was beheaded for telling a political leader that it was wrong for him to engage in a sexual relationship with his sister-in-law (see Mark 6:17-29).
- The Apostle Peter: Peter is said to have been crucified upside down during the persecution of Christians under the Roman emperor Nero.
- Stephen the Martyr: This man was stoned to death for preaching about Christ (Acts 7:55-58).
- Paul the Apostle: Paul was shipwrecked, whipped, and thrown into prison on multiple occasions. Church tradition tells us that Paul was beheaded around A.D. 68.
We will meet many more faithful individuals in the following chapter of Hebrews. Nevertheless, we should be aware of the spiritual danger facing those who are not subject to these kinds of persecution. One source identifies those dangers for us…
“Having endured under persecution, they must not now let down in the hum-drum of every day activities. The normal routine of life, uninterrupted by persecution, is often the real test of genuineness of one’s Christian experience, for the very absence of trials and difficulties tends to promote spiritual drifting (2: 1), moral sluggishness and lethargy (5: 11), the slow imperceptible hardening of attitude (3: 13).” (1)
(1) New International Bible Commentary general editor G. C. D. Howley, consulting editors F. F. Bruce, H. L. Ellison. Copyright© 1979 by Pickering & Inglis Ltd [pg. 1526]