“You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions” (Hebrews 10:34 NIV).
The penitentiaries of the New Testament era were not like the prisons that exist in many modern-day societies. A prison of that time did not typically serve as a place of incarceration as we understand it today. Instead, a first-century prison was generally used to confine an accused criminal before he was executed or put on trial.
These penal institutions were usually cold, damp, and dirty. In addition, there were no beds, toilets, showers, or meals offered in such prisons. This meant that prisoners who had no external means of support often faced starvation unless someone provided for their needs. The observations made by the following commentary provide us with some additional insight into these conditions as well as this passage from Hebrews 10:34…
“Prisoners who had no means of their own were liable to starve unless their friends brought them food and whatever other form of help they required; throughout the whole age of imperial persecution of the Church the visiting of their friends who were in prison was a regular, though dangerous, duty of Christian charity.” (1)
It was hazardous to be recognized as a known associate of a prisoner during that time. Therefore, these Hebrew Christians took a substantial risk in visiting those who had been incarcerated. According to Hebrews 10:34, some (or all) of those individuals paid for that decision with the confiscation of their possessions. As another commentary adds, “In the first-century AD Roman Empire, authorities sometimes seized the property of accused criminals, and people sometimes looted homes after homeowners were imprisoned (according to first-century AD writer Philo, Against Flaccus 10, 56).” (2)
In response to this expression of faith, our author encouraged these Hebrew Christians to maintain that attitude in light of their current situation. This offers a valuable lesson for today. Much like some members of this first-century audience, we may not require additional instruction in the things of God. Instead, we may simply need to be reminded to act on what we already know.
Thus, we can say that these individuals took Jesus’ teaching from the Sermon On The Mount seriously…
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).
(1) The New International Commentary On The New Testament – The Epistle To The Hebrews, F. F. Bruce, General Editor © Copyright 1964, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan [pg. 270]
(2) Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Heb 10:34). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.