Perseverance through Participation

Hebrews 10:25

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one

another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Although we do not know with any certainty the identity of the author of the book of

Hebrews, we are aware of some facts about him from what he has written. We can say with a

high degree of confidence that the author was Jewish, for the knowledge of all things Jewish he

displays is impeccable. He converses with ease concerning Jewish rites and ceremonies, Jewish

history, and Jewish culture. It is also quite likely that his primary audience were Jewish

Christians because he references the Old Testament with ease, acknowledging his audience’s

insight to his allusions. The point of this hortatory letter is to prevent these Jewish Christians, by

his affirmation of the superiority of Christ and His covenant of grace over the old covenant of

law, from reverting back to Judaism or a Judaized Christianity. He exhorts them to persevere in

their faith.

The author discusses in detail how that Christ is a superior High Priest (Hebrews 8:1-

10:18). Then the directives he gives are based on the fact that we “have confidence to enter the

Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus” (10:19) and we “have a great priest over the house of

God” (10:21). The writer gives five enjoinders, all beginning with “let us”: “. . . let us draw

near to God. . . . . Let us hold unswervingly to … hope . . . let us consider how we may spur one

another on . . . . Let us not give up meeting together . . . let us encourage one another (10:22-

25).” Verse 25 contains two of these commands, and is an important verse for Christians to

consider.
 Both injunctions in this verse deal with the right and purpose of Christian assembly in

light of the fact that we have such a High Priest. The first is that we do not give up the gathering

together of ourselves as believers. This word translated “meeting together” has the idea of

“gathering together in one place.” It is only used here and in 2 Thessalonians 2:1. It is used in

extra-biblical sources of a religious assembly. That the assembling of a local body believers is in

view here seems to be without question. As Jewish Christians, they would understand the

importance of meeting together, and this word is a double compound word the basis of which is

the word for “synagogue.”

The word translated “give up” is a strong word, containing the idea of “to totally

abandon” or “to utterly forsake.” It is the same word by used Jesus on the cross concerning the

abandonment of the Father (Matthew 27:46), and by Paul concerning Demas deserting him for

the world (1 Timothy 4:10) and of being forsaken by all when he made his first defense as a

prisoner (1 Timothy 4:16). The author here is concerned because some of his readers are already

in this habit of abandoning their assembly with other Christians, which appears to be one of the

reasons they are so confused and considering leaving the faith.

The purpose of such an assembly is for encouragement or exhortation. The word here

has the idea of “pleas . . . made in order to produce a certain response or avoid a course of

action" (Expository Dictionary of Bible Words). It is the root word for the title given by Jesus to

the Holy Spirit, the “Counselor” or “Comforter” (John 14:16). When gathered together as a

body of believers, the writer instructs his audience to assist one another by encouraging and

exhorting one another to do right and avoid wrong.

The phrase that his readers were seeing “the Day” approach is also added as an urgent

reminder of the coming of the Lord. The phrase “the Day” or “the Day of the Lord” is used
frequently by New Testament writers referring to the coming of the Lord. For them, every day

was a reminder that Jesus had foretold His second coming, and this should not escape the minds

of Christians. Since Jesus gave no exact time frame for that coming, it was fresh in their minds

constantly as a possibility.

Of course, this verse is as true today as it was in the first century. We also have Jesus as

our High Priest, and our assembling together is a reflection of His work in our lives individually

and corporately. We should, no less, consider the sacredness and usefulness of such an assembly

in helping us to persevere in our faith, and to esteem it as an institution of fellowship and

encouragement. Knowing that these commands were give nearly two thousand years ago and

that Jesus has not returned yet puts in our hearts a desire to be found faithful as well as an

urgency to proclaim His Word. In considering the alternative, perseverance is preferable!

Lanny Carpenter