What is the "house" in Hebrews 3:6?
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Hebrews 3:6
But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
CONFIDENCE
FIRM HOPE
SALVATION
bro these promises are not for Jews alone, and the endurance is steadfast belief in God's faithfulness, in His finished work
Hebrews 3:19
So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
It does not depend on works but on belief, and faith is not given only to the Jew but all who are made sons of Abraham are made so in this way, by the ver same, singular gospel which went out to the whole world bringing salvation.
Let me ask you, if a believer does not hold fast with confidence to the end, then what? Are you saying they lose their salvation?
In this passage, what happens to the believer who does not hold fast to the end? See Chapter 6.
what are you talking about?
about what happens to a Jewish believer?
or to a Gentile believer?
how many Christs are there? how many salvations?
I’m not talking about multiple salvations. You stated that the Hebrews passage was to saved people, Jews and Gentiles. I’m asking if that’s true, then what happens to the saved person who does not hold fast to the end, endure to the end? There’s an “if” in the passage.
6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,
8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.
10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.
11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)
12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
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Catholics are not permitted to be confident.
"If anyone says that he will for certain, with an absolute and infallible
certainty, have that great gift of perseverance even to the end, unless he
shall have learned this by a special revelation, let him be anathema."
(Council of Trent Session 6, Chapter 16, Canon 16)
* That rule affects roughly 1,239,909,000 people representing something
like 49% of the world's Christians. Data: 2020 World Almanac and Book Of Facts
_
Catholics are not permitted to be confident.
"If anyone says that he will for certain, with an absolute and infallible
certainty, have that great gift of perseverance even to the end, unless he
shall have learned this by a special revelation, let him be anathema."
(Council of Trent Session 6, Chapter 16, Canon 16)
* That rule affects roughly 1,239,909,000 people representing something
like 49% of the world's Christians. Data: 2020 World Almanac and Book Of Facts
_
.
The Greek word translated "hope" in that verse is the same word translated
hope in Rom 12:12, Eph 2:12, Eph 4:4, and 1Pet 3:15, etc.
This particular variety of hope isn't crossing one's fingers while in the back of
their mind dreading the worst. Instead: it speaks of knowing in advance
what to expect in the future, viz: anticipation; roughly defined as confidently
looking forward to something and fully expecting to obtain it.
Well; quite a few of the Christians with whom I've dialogued over the years
haven't known for proof-positive what's in store for them when they pass on.
In other words; they are afflicted with a sort of hope-privation; and
consequently it has been impossible for them to rejoice in hope even for now,
let alone firm unto the end.
_
The Greek word translated "hope" in that verse is the same word translated
hope in Rom 12:12, Eph 2:12, Eph 4:4, and 1Pet 3:15, etc.
This particular variety of hope isn't crossing one's fingers while in the back of
their mind dreading the worst. Instead: it speaks of knowing in advance
what to expect in the future, viz: anticipation; roughly defined as confidently
looking forward to something and fully expecting to obtain it.
Well; quite a few of the Christians with whom I've dialogued over the years
haven't known for proof-positive what's in store for them when they pass on.
In other words; they are afflicted with a sort of hope-privation; and
consequently it has been impossible for them to rejoice in hope even for now,
let alone firm unto the end.
_
I have a problem seeing it as the church because of the "if" clause. The clause is contrasted with:
Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. I'm thinking the house might be service-related as opposed to salvation-related somehow.
Yes, however, the passage has an “if”. If we hold fast the hope firm to the end we are part of the house. The question at hand is who is the audience?
.
Jesus' house is very extensive. Seeing as he is God's principal heir then I
think we can safely assume that God has transferred all that pertains to
Himself to His son in a sort of living will somewhat similar in scope to Gen
24:34-36 where it says:
"I am Abraham's servant. The Lord has blessed my master abundantly, and
he has become wealthy. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold,
menservants and maidservants, and camels and donkeys. My master's wife
Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and he has given him everything
he owns."
Christians are in Christ's house sort of like the menservants and
maidservants in Abraham's house, viz: they are not the sum total of his
house: just a portion of it.
_
Jesus' house is very extensive. Seeing as he is God's principal heir then I
think we can safely assume that God has transferred all that pertains to
Himself to His son in a sort of living will somewhat similar in scope to Gen
24:34-36 where it says:
"I am Abraham's servant. The Lord has blessed my master abundantly, and
he has become wealthy. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold,
menservants and maidservants, and camels and donkeys. My master's wife
Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and he has given him everything
he owns."
Christians are in Christ's house sort of like the menservants and
maidservants in Abraham's house, viz: they are not the sum total of his
house: just a portion of it.
_
Actually these Scriptures (below) confirm that the Church (consisting of the redeemed of the Lord) is the spiritual "building" or "house" or "temple" of God where each member is a "living stone": What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's... Ye also, as lively [living] stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (1 Cor 6:19,20; 1 Pet 2:5)
These verses put a tremendous responsibility on every Christian, since God is expecting spiritual sacrifices (including self-sacrifice) from those who are a spiritual house.
Also the Bible uses three metaphors for the Church. It is (a) the Body, (b) the Bride, and (c) the Building of Christ. We do not see the spiritual dimension in this life, but it will all come together eventually.