"THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS"
Chapter Eleven
Having stressed the importance of faith for salvation (He 10:39), the
author defines faith (1-3) and then illustrates faith's role in the
lives of many Old Testament saints (4-40).
POINTS TO PONDER
- The meaning of faith for New Testament Christians
- The examples of faith in Old Testament believers
REVIEW QUESTIONS
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- What are the main points of this chapter?
- Faith defined He 11:1-3
- Faith exemplified He 11:4-40
- What is faith as defined in this chapter? (1)
- Confidence in what we hope for, assurance about what we do not see
(cf. NIV)
- What we do understand by faith concerning the worlds? (3)
- They were framed by the word of God, they were not made by things
visible
- List the names of Old Testament saints mentioned in this chapter
(4-32)
- Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses,
Israel, Rahab
- Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets
- What did these "heroes of faith" look forward to receiving? (13-16)
- The promises, especially regarding the heavenly country and city
prepared by God
- List some of the amazing things done by faith. (33-35)
- Subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises
- Stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire
- Escaped the edge of the sword, became valiant in battle, turned
armies to flight
- Women received their dead raised to life again
- List some of the things these people of faith endured. (35-38)
- Torture, mocking, scourging, chains of imprisonment
- Stoned, sawn in two, wandering destitute in mountains and caves,
afflicted, tormented
- What did these "heroes of faith" obtain? What did they not? Why?
(39-40)
- A good testimony
- The promise (i.e., the Messianic promise)
- That they might be made perfect together with us (i.e., salvation,
the heavenly city)
- From this chapter, what do we learn about faith and works?
- True faith leads to action, faith without works is dead (cf. Jam
2:14-26)