J. Dwight Pentecost

with devotional notes

by Ken Durham

Grand Rapids, MI 49501

Faith That Endures: A Practical Commentary on the Book of Hebrews by J. Dwight Pentecost; devotional notes by Ken Durham

© 1992, 2000 by J. Dwight Pentecost

Revised Edition

Previously published as A Faith That Endures: The Book of Hebrews Applied to the Real Issues of Life.

Published by Kregel Publications, a division of Kregel, Inc., P.O. Box 2607, Grand Rapids, MI 49501. For more information about Kregel Publications, visit our web site: www.kregel.com

Scripture quotations are taken from The New King James Version. ©1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without written permission of the publisher, except for brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Pentecost, J. Dwight

Faith that endures: a practical commentary on the book of Hebrews / by J. Dwight Pentecost.

p. cm.

Originally published: Grand Rapids, MI: Discovery House Publishers, 1992.

1. Bible. N.T. Hebrews—Commentaries. I. Title.

ISBN 0-8254-3460-2

Contents

Preface

Outline

Introduction

1. Jesus Christ Is Superior to the Angels

Hebrews 1:1—2:18

2. Jesus Christ Is Superior to Moses

Hebrews 3:1—4:13

3. Jesus Christ Is Superior to Aaron

Hebrews 4:14—10:18

4. Jesus Christ’s Superiority Applied

Hebrews 10:19—13:25

Preface

The path of the godly person has never been easy. It is a way beset with trials, tests, difficulties, and opposition. Saints in the Old Testament found this to be true. Old Testament believers such as Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joseph, Joshua, David, Jeremiah, and Daniel all were called on to suffer for the sake of righteousness. The Lord Himself warned, “In the world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33). He promised that those who belong to Him would experience the same opposition and rejection that He Himself endured (John 15:18–25). The book of Acts records the first fulfillment of the Lord’s warning in the lives of His witnesses; as long as believers are in this world, we also may experience such suffering.

It becomes evident from a study of the epistle to the Hebrews that the recipients of this “word of exhortation” (Heb. 13:22) were undergoing serious testing. The author recognizes that this is not only the common lot of believers, but also that it is inescapable as long as we are in this world. Consequently, those who were suffering needed help to cope with these experiences; that help is what the author sought to give through this letter.

While it might have been expected that the writer would rebuke them for their fears and for the weakness of their faith, he instead exhorts his readers to patiently endure in the ...