“For the writer of Hebrews, the definition of a true Christian is one who manifests ‘a life-long allegiance to Christ,’” (from the Zondervan Bible Commentary note on Hebrews 10:32-36 in Bible Gateway Plus). The implication is that it is possible to fall away from Christ and his covenant with his believers (see Hebrews 10:26, Romans 11:22, John 15:5).
Not a comforting idea, but one that the author of Hebrews hopes will strengthen the recipients of his letter. The remedy to the reproaches and persecutions that assail the Christian is endurance. “Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will” (10:36).
Endurance is often associated with feats of athleticism. When I was in school, my gym teachers and coaches usually had posters of someone sweaty doing something strenuous on a mountaintop at sunset below the word ENDURANCE in block letters. If you search the word ‘endurance’ in your web browser, most of what you’ll see are images of runners or cyclists in arid terrain (also generally at sunset for some reason).
Perhaps the author of Hebrews has a similar image in mind, considering that he writes two chapters later about “the race marked out for us” (12:1). The Greeks and the Romans were both, after all, known for their love of athletic contests. Runners would often train with added weight to condition themselves for a coming race, and Greek thinkers were known to use athletic training as a metaphor for moral discipline (see note from the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible in Bible Gateway Plus), which image hasn’t really lost any of its relevance in today’s cultures. Apart from the spandex and Nike footwear, a person from the earliest Christian movement might even see these stock photos as something familiar to them.
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On July 20, 1969 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon. Prior to taking their first steps on the lunar surface, Col. Aldrin celebrated communion to honor God who had made their journey possible. After returning to Earth he noted that the first liquid poured on the moon, and the first food ever eaten there, were the bread and wine of communion.
Each one of the more than six million species of animals in the world is a masterpiece of divine biological design, engineering, and artistry.
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