e Hebrew Christians. Now
practically for the first time in the Epistle the writer addresses
himself to the difficulties and discouragements of a state of conflict.
In the earlier chapters he exhorted his readers to hold fast their own
individual confession of Christ. In the later portions he exhorted them
to quicken the faith of their brethren in the Church assemblies. But his
account of the worthies of the Old Testament in the previous chapter has
revealed a special adaptedness in faith to meet the actual condition of
his readers. We gather from the tenor of the passage that the Church had
to contend against evil men. Who they were we do not know. They were
"the sinners." Our author is claiming for the Christian Church the right
to speak of the men outside in the language used by Jews concerning the
heathen; and it is not at all unlikely that the unbelieving Jews
themselves are here meant. His readers had to endure the gainsaying of
sinners, who poured contempt on Christianity, as they had also covered
Christ Himself with shame. The Church might have to resist unto blood in
striving against the encompassing sin. Peace is to be sought and
followed after with all men, but not to the injury of that
sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord.[330] The true
people of God must go forth unto Jesus without the camp of Judaism,
bearing His reproach.[331]

This is an advance in the thought. Our author does not exhort his
readers individually to steadfastness, nor the Church collectively to
mutual oversight. He has before his eyes the conflict of the Church
against wicked men, whether in sheep's clothing or without the fold. The
purport of the passage may be thus stated: Faith as a hope of the future
is a faith to endure in the present conflict against men. The reverse of
this is equally true and important: that faith as a strength to endure
the gainsaying of men is the faith that presses on toward the goal unto
the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

The connecting link between these two representations of faith is to be
found in the illustration with which the chapter opens. A race implies
both a hope and a contest.

The hope of faith is simple and well understood. It has been made
abundantly clear in the Epistle. It is to obtain the fulfilment of the
promise made to Abraham and renewed to other believers time after time
under the old covenant. "For we who believe do enter into God's
rest."[332] "T