Hebrews Chapter 3
Hebrews 3:1 (NKJV):
“Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus.”
“Therefore…”
This draws a direct connection to all of chapter 2. Because Jesus partook of flesh and blood, destroyed the devil, delivered those in bondage, made propitiation, and is now our merciful and faithful High Priest—therefore, we must respond. The writer is urging us to draw practical encouragement and obligation from Christ’s work. This word transitions us from deep theology to deliberate action. The theology of Christ's humiliation and priesthood (chapter 2) demands reverent reflection and deeper commitment in chapter 3.
“Holy brethren…”
This is a profoundly intimate designation. These believers—discouraged, tempted to draw back, and wavering in faith—are still called holy and brethren. The term “holy” (hagios) doesn’t mean sinless, but “set apart,” sanctified unto God. They are made holy not by their performance but by their union with Christ (cf. Hebrews 2:11). “Brethren” ties back to 2:11 as well, where Jesus is “not ashamed to call them brethren.” The use of “brethren” reinforces shared humanity, covenant solidarity, and familial intimacy with the Son of God. Though weak, they are not cast off; they are exhorted on the basis of shared relationship.
“Partakers of the heavenly calling…”
This is a profound phrase and rich with both theological and eschatological meaning. The word “partakers” (metochoi) implies partnership, participation, and mutual inheritance. This “heavenly calling” is God’s summons from heaven to heaven—originating in divine grace and terminating in divine glory. It is the same “heavenly calling” spoken of in Philippians 3:14: “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
From the PDF notes: believers are “partners in His heavenly calling.” We are not merely individuals saved from sin—we are participants in a shared destiny, led by Christ into glory (Hebrews 2:10). In a world that opposes truth, our heavenly calling anchors us to something beyond the temporal. This identity is what sustains faith in the midst of trial.
“Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus.”
This is the imperative—consider. The Greek word (katanoēsate) means more than glance or think briefly. It carries the force of “contemplate attentively,” “fix your mind upon,” or “focus deeply to learn.” It’s used similarly in Luke 12:24—“Consider the ravens”—as a call to thoughtful meditation on spiritual realities. This isn’t casual attention; it’s determined, theological reflection. The Hebrew Christians were faltering because their eyes had shifted from Christ. The remedy isn’t motivational slogans—it’s a serious, sustained gaze at Jesus in all His office and glory.
The command to “consider” echoes Hebrews 12:2: “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” In both passages, fixing our gaze upon Christ is the path to endurance, clarity, and strength. The discouraged need doctrine, not distraction.
“The Apostle…”
This is the only time in the New Testament Jesus is explicitly called an apostle (apostolos), which literally means “sent one” or “envoy.” Jesus is the ultimate apostle, sent from God with divine authority (cf. John 3:17; 5:36–38). As Hebrews 1:1–2 already established, He is the final and superior Messenger. Just as Moses was sent to deliver Israel from Egypt, Christ was sent to deliver us from sin and death. But Christ’s mission is greater—He didn’t just lead a physical exodus, He inaugurated an eternal covenant through His own blood.
The PDF points out that as apostle, Christ is the Father's ambassador—the One sent to declare God's message and nature with finality. He is not a messenger; He is the Message. He doesn't merely speak for God—He is the Word of God (John 1:1).
“…and High Priest…”
If “apostle” speaks of representing God to man, “high priest” speaks of representing man to God. This double role is unique to Jesus. In the old covenant, no one held both offices. Moses was the apostle; Aaron was the priest. But Jesus is both—the perfect Prophet, Priest, and King. This prepares the way for chapters 4–10, where Jesus’ high priesthood will be unpacked in detail.
The priest's role was to intercede, offer sacrifices, and mediate access to God. Jesus, as our High Priest, not only offers a better sacrifice—He is the sacrifice. He lives forever to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25), and because He was tempted and suffered, He is compassionate and merciful (Hebrews 2:17–18).
“Of our confession…”
Confession (homologia) means “to say the same thing.” In this context, it refers to our agreed-upon testimony of faith in Christ as Lord, Savior, Mediator, and God. Romans 10:9 uses the same word: “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus…” Confession involves doctrinal agreement, verbal testimony, and life alignment.
To confess Christ is not only to believe inwardly but to speak and live consistently with His supremacy. Apostasy begins when confession wavers. This is why Hebrews 10:23 exhorts: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”
Doctrinal Summary and Application:
Because Jesus is our High Priest, we are “holy brethren.” Our identity flows from His priestly work, not our performance.
Because Jesus is our Apostle, we are “partakers of a heavenly calling.” Our mission flows from His commission.
Because Jesus is our confession, we must fix our thoughts on Him daily and intentionally. Drifting is the result of distraction; strength comes from steady, serious meditation on Christ.
These truths were meant to encourage believers in the midst of suffering, temptation, and the pull of old religious systems. When faith feels weak and circumstances are discouraging, the remedy is not found in feelings—it’s found in considering Christ.
Hebrews 3:2 (NKJV):
“Who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house.”
This verse begins with a commendation. Jesus is said to be “faithful to Him who appointed Him,” meaning the Son was completely obedient to the Father in every aspect of His earthly mission. The word faithful (pistos) speaks of consistency, trustworthiness, and total reliability. Jesus' faithfulness is the model for our own perseverance. Just as He was faithful in suffering, temptation, and in fulfilling His priestly role (Hebrews 2:17–18), we are to remain faithful to Him.
This faithfulness is then compared to that of Moses: “as Moses also was faithful in all His house.” This phrase is drawn from Numbers 12:7, where God said, “My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My house.” Moses was, in fact, one of the most faithful figures in the Old Testament. He endured decades of rejection, led a rebellious people, and consistently interceded for them even when they rebelled against him. He was faithful in the house, meaning within the people of God, the covenant community.
So the comparison begins not with a contrast but with a parallel: both Jesus and Moses were faithful. This respectful introduction is intentional—it avoids alienating the Jewish audience who held Moses in high regard. However, the argument will now transition to why Jesus deserves even greater glory.
Hebrews 3:3a (NKJV):
“For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses…”
Jesus is described as having been “counted worthy of more glory.” The verb here (ēxiōtai) means to be deemed fit or deserving of honor and exaltation. The comparison is not merely quantitative—Jesus doesn’t just have more glory, He has greater glory by nature and position. Moses was a faithful servant in the house of God, but Jesus is the builder and Son over that house.
The PDF commentary rightly notes Moses’ historical glory. In Exodus 34:29–35, his face shone after encountering God on Mount Sinai. In Numbers 12:6–8, God personally defended Moses against the slander of Miriam and Aaron. In Numbers 16, the sons of Korah were judged for challenging Moses’ authority. Moses had weighty authority and profound intimacy with God. And yet, despite all this, he was still a member of God’s house—not its maker.
Hebrews 3:3b–4 (NKJV):
“Inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God.”
This introduces the architectural analogy. Moses was a part of God’s house—the covenant people of Israel. But Jesus is the builder. The distinction between house and builder is essential. A structure, no matter how magnificent, is never greater than the one who designed and constructed it.
The writer drives the point home with a general maxim: “Every house is built by someone.” A house doesn’t appear out of nothing—it requires design, labor, and oversight. Then comes the clinching statement: “He who built all things is God.” This not only affirms Christ’s superiority but His deity. The author subtly reaffirms what was already established in Hebrews 1:2—that through Jesus, God “made the worlds.” This again places Jesus not among the created, but as Creator—the divine Architect behind all things, including the house Moses served in.
Hebrews 3:5–6a (NKJV):
“And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant,
for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward,
but Christ as a Son over His own house…”
Here the roles are sharply contrasted. Moses was faithful as a servant (therapōn), a unique word emphasizing his honorable role—but still a servant. His work was preparatory, “for a testimony” of future things. Moses laid foundations—law, types, the tabernacle system—all of which pointed forward to Christ (cf. Luke 24:27, John 5:46). His faithfulness served a prophetic purpose, not a final one.
Jesus, by contrast, is not a servant in the house but a Son over it. The preposition change from “in” to “over” is theologically massive. The Son owns, rules, and presides over the house because it belongs to Him. This again signals divine prerogative and sovereign authority.
Hebrews 3:6b (NKJV):
“…whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.”
This shifts the metaphor from house as structure to house as people. Echoing 1 Peter 2:5—“you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house”—the point is that we, the redeemed, are the dwelling place of Christ. We are His household, if we hold fast our confidence.
The conditional clause—“if we hold fast…”—introduces the exhortational tone of Hebrews. Salvation is not secured by works, but perseverance is the evidence of genuine faith. The word “confidence” (parrēsia) means boldness, open speech, and assurance. The “rejoicing of the hope” (kauchēma tēs elpidos) refers to the joyous boast and certainty we have in our future with Christ.
This verse doesn’t teach that salvation can be lost, but that true members of Christ’s household are those who endure, not those who begin well and abandon the faith. As Philippians 1:6 reminds us, “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it.”
Theological Summary:
Jesus is faithful just as Moses was—but His faithfulness surpasses Moses in nature and scope.
Moses was a servant; Jesus is a Son. Moses testified to future realities; Jesus fulfilled them.
Moses belonged to the house; Jesus built it. The Creator always receives more honor than the creation.
We are the house of Christ, not through initial belief only, but through perseverance—a perseverance empowered by His faithfulness, not ours alone.
This comparison is not an attack on Moses, but a call to perspective. As the PDF commentary emphasizes, the original audience was tempted to look backward to the Mosaic system. The writer of Hebrews urges them—and us—to look forward and upward, fixing our gaze on the greater Prophet, the greater Deliverer, the Son over the house.
Hebrews 3:7–11 (NKJV):
“Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:
‘Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
In the day of trial in the wilderness,
Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me,
And saw My works forty years.
Therefore I was angry with that generation,
And said, “They always go astray in their heart,
And they have not known My ways.”
So I swore in My wrath,
“They shall not enter My rest.”’”
“Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says…”
The warning begins with a vital declaration about Scripture’s authorship. The Psalm quoted is attributed—not to David or anonymous scribes—but directly to the Holy Spirit. This affirms the inspiration of the Old Testament (cf. 2 Peter 1:21). Notice the present tense: “says,” not “said.” The Spirit still speaks through the written Word. Scripture is not simply a record of what God has said—it is the living voice of God (cf. Hebrews 4:12). This is important for the original audience, tempted to look back to the law. The Holy Spirit Himself is testifying now through this Psalm.
“Today, if you will hear His voice…”
This is the urgency of the Spirit’s call. The focus on “Today” (sēmeron) is echoed three times in this section (vv. 7, 13, 15). It emphasizes immediacy. The day of decision is not tomorrow, nor in some abstract past—it is always now. As the PDF commentary notes, “The Holy Spirit never prompts us to get right with God tomorrow.” “Today” marks the moment of spiritual opportunity. Delayed obedience is disobedience. Procrastination with God is not neutral—it is rebellion disguised as passivity.
Spurgeon observed: “He waits to execute His favorite office of Comforter… but He cannot comfort an ungodly soul.” The Spirit comes not only to confront sin, but to offer healing—if He is received today.
“Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion…”
The Greek word for harden (sklērynēte) refers to the deliberate rejection of God’s voice. It recalls the Exodus generation’s pattern of grumbling, resisting, and rebelling—especially at Meribah and Massah (Exodus 17:1–7; Numbers 20:1–13). There, Israel tested God by demanding water and questioning His presence: “Is the Lord among us or not?” They saw God’s mighty works, yet still doubted His care.
This pattern of testing God (“your fathers tested Me”) is not inquisitive searching—it is willful disobedience. In verse 9, the verbs tested (peirazō) and tried (dokimazō) are judicial terms: Israel was putting God on trial, flipping the roles of Judge and defendant. Despite witnessing His power “for forty years,” they responded with obstinate unbelief.
The passage thus reveals that persistent unbelief—even in the presence of evidence—results in divine anger. God’s response was not impulsive: “I was angry with that generation…” The verb implies sustained grief and indignation. He condemned them with an oath: “They shall not enter My rest.” That generation died in the wilderness, never reaching the Promised Land. Psalm 95 and Hebrews apply this to spiritual rest—God’s salvation and communion.
Hebrews 3:12–15 (NKJV):
“Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;
but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,
while it is said:
‘Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.’”
“Beware, brethren…”
The tone shifts from narrative to warning. The verb blepete (“beware”) is a present imperative—keep watching, be on constant guard. This is not directed to outsiders but to “brethren,” covenant members. Apostasy doesn’t happen all at once; it is a process of neglect, then resistance, and finally departure.
The danger is an “evil heart of unbelief.” Unbelief is not intellectual uncertainty—it is moral rebellion. It reveals a heart that is “evil” (ponēras)—corrupt in motive—and leads to “departing” (aphistēnai) from the living God. This verb is used of apostasy and desertion (cf. 1 Timothy 4:1). Faith connects us to the living God; unbelief severs that connection. Thus, the greatest sin is not murder or theft—it is unbelief (John 3:18).
As the PDF emphasizes, “unbelief is not inability to understand, but unwillingness to trust.” Spurgeon adds: “Unbelief is the giving of God the lie.” To disbelieve God is to call Him a liar and to reject His very character.
“Exhort one another daily…”
God’s prescribed antidote for unbelief is daily encouragement. The Christian life is not meant to be lived in isolation. The Greek word for “exhort” (parakaleite) implies urging, encouraging, and comforting. Fellowship is not optional; it is life-preserving. As the commentary notes, this is not about criticizing one another—it is about stirring one another up to faith and perseverance (cf. Hebrews 10:24–25).
The phrase “while it is called ‘Today’” reinforces the immediacy of spiritual decisions. Every day presents the opportunity for either softening or hardening of heart. Sin’s most dangerous power is not in how it looks but in how it lies—“the deceitfulness of sin.” It promises joy but delivers despair. It masks consequences, relabels rebellion, and dulls conviction.
As one Puritan said, “Sin will keep you from the Bible, or the Bible will keep you from sin.” Hardness is rarely a dramatic rebellion—it’s a gradual calcification.
“For we have become partakers of Christ…”
The phrase “partakers of Christ” (metochoi tou Christou) means more than association—it means shared union, inheritance, and fellowship. We are united with Him in life, death, resurrection, intercession, and future glory. But this is conditioned by perseverance: “if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end.”
This is not salvation by endurance, but endurance as evidence of salvation. Those who are truly regenerate will persevere (cf. Philippians 1:6; 1 John 2:19). The “confidence” (parrēsias) refers to boldness and assurance of hope. This must not waver. As Jesus taught in the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:20–21), some receive the word with joy but fall away under pressure.
The repetition of Psalm 95 in verse 15 drives the point home: “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” Repetition signals urgency. When the Holy Spirit repeats Himself, we must not ignore it.
Doctrinal Application:
The voice of the Spirit is speaking through Scripture today. He calls us not just to hear, but to heed.
Hearing without obedience results in hardening. Israel saw miracles but still perished in unbelief.
Sin deceives, and that deception results in apathy, false assurance, and eventual apostasy.
Fellowship is essential—daily exhortation guards against deception. Christianity is corporate by design.
Perseverance proves partnership. True partakers in Christ hold fast their faith to the end.
Hebrews 3:16–19 (NKJV):
“For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses?
Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness?
And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey?
So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”
A. “For who, having heard, rebelled?”
This first question brings the lesson to its most pointed application: those who heard God's voice through Moses and still rebelled were the same people who began well. This isn’t about a group who never had exposure to God’s Word—they heard, they witnessed, and they still hardened their hearts.
The answer is clear: “Was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses?” This refers to the Exodus generation—the people who saw God defeat Pharaoh through ten supernatural plagues, walked through the Red Sea on dry ground (Exodus 14), ate manna in the wilderness (Exodus 16), drank water from the rock (Exodus 17), and saw Mount Sinai shake with the glory of God (Exodus 19). As the PDF rightly emphasizes, they had:
Great revelation
Great mercy
Great deliverance
And yet they rebelled
Despite having experienced saving grace, they did not respond with enduring faith.
“It is sobering to realize that those who began the journey of salvation did not finish it. It is not enough to start well in the faith; we must continue to the end.” (Hebrews Notes PDF, referencing v.16)
B. “Now with whom was He angry forty years?”
The forty-year wilderness journey was not God's design—it was the judgment for unbelief. Numbers 14:22–35 records the Lord’s decree after the spies brought back the evil report and Israel refused to enter the Promised Land. That generation, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, perished. The wilderness became a cemetery of unbelief.
“Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness?”
This gruesome language is intentional. The literal Greek reads “whose bodies fell”—emphasizing mass death and God’s holy wrath. Their outward sin was preceded by an inward failure to believe God’s promise. They doubted His power, His goodness, and His plan.
This correlates with Hebrews 2:3—“How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” They didn't reject God by golden calf worship alone—they refused to believe His word about the land He had promised.
C. “To whom did He swear they would not enter His rest?”
This is the heart of the matter. The rebellion of Numbers 13–14 ended with a divine oath: “They shall not enter My rest.” (cf. Psalm 95:11) God does not speak empty words. His swearing in wrath is the final expression of judgment. The “rest” here refers first to Canaan, the land of promise, but typologically it points to the spiritual rest of salvation, as Hebrews 4 will make clear.
The connection to obedience (“to those who did not obey”) could cause confusion—is the key disobedience or unbelief? Verse 19 resolves it.
D. “So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”
The chapter ends with a theological summary: it was not primarily disobedience that barred them—it was unbelief. The Greek (apistia) means more than doubt. It denotes active refusal to trust, to rely, to take God at His word.
From the PDF and notes:
“The disobedience mentioned in verse 18 is an outgrowth of the unbelief in verse 19.”
This distinction is critical. Sin is the fruit, unbelief is the root. Their idolatry, grumbling, and disobedience were all symptoms of a deeper spiritual disease: they didn’t trust God.
This parallels New Testament gospel calls: Jesus said, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent” (John 6:29). To disbelieve the gospel is the ultimate rebellion, the sin that prevents entry into eternal rest.
E. Application: Starting Isn’t Enough—You Must Persevere
1. Israel’s journey is a parable of spiritual life.
They were delivered by blood (Passover)
Baptized in the sea (1 Corinthians 10:1–2)
Fed with manna (God’s Word)
Guided by fire and cloud (God’s Spirit)
And yet they fell in the wilderness—because they didn’t continue in faith
This is the message of Hebrews: salvation is not a decision card—it’s a life of ongoing belief in Christ. The goal is not to escape Egypt only, but to enter Canaan, the rest of fellowship with God.
2. Persevering faith is the evidence of salvation.
“We have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end.” (Hebrews 3:14)
The idea is not sinless perfection, but sustained, living trust. The exodus generation saw, heard, and experienced, but did not continue in faith. The same danger faces nominal believers today.
3. C.S. Lewis insightfully exposes the long war of attrition.
As quoted from The Screwtape Letters, Satan’s best weapon is time—the slow, dull erosion of spiritual fervor through the weariness of life, the seduction of comfort, or the despair of unrelenting trial. The devil doesn’t always tempt with sin—he tempts with weariness, numbness, and settling.
F. The Final Warning
“They could not enter in…”
This is not an academic point. These people died outside the promise. The failure of faith had real, eternal consequences. The same warning applies today. If we shrink back in unbelief, if we cease clinging to Christ, we may discover that our profession was never saving faith at all (cf. Hebrews 10:39).
Theological and Devotional Summary
Unbelief is the great enemy—not ignorance, not weakness, not trial.
Israel had every privilege—and still fell.
Faith is not a flash in the pan—it is endurance.
Starting well is not enough—real faith perseveres to the end.
To hear God’s voice and not respond is to harden your heart—and hard hearts cannot enter rest.
The key to victory is not works—but daily trust in Christ.
