Hebrews 11
The heroes of faith
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- A verse number shows the Bible’s exact words.
- An underlined word shows what it means.
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What does it say?
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The whole letter, in shortThe main points of the whole letter, in a few sentences.
Hebrews 11 begins, "Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see." Then it lists people who lived by faith: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham who went without knowing where he was going, Sarah, Moses, Rahab, and many more, some who shut lions' mouths and some who suffered and died. They all trusted God's promises before seeing them. Surrounded by this great cloud of witnesses, we run our race with our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.
Where it is in the Bible: Hebrews 11:1 to 12:2
All the sections at a glanceA map of the letter, with the verses for each section.
Map of the Letter
| Section | Verses | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What Faith Is | 11:1-3 | Trusting what we can't yet see |
| 2. Before the Flood | 11:4-7 | Abel, Enoch, and Noah |
| 3. Abraham and Sarah | 11:8-19 | Looking for a city God built |
| 4. Isaac to Moses | 11:20-28 | Faith passed down through families |
| 5. Through the Sea and Beyond | 11:29-40 | Many more, and some who suffered |
| 6. Fix Your Eyes on Jesus | 12:1-2 | Run the race, looking at him |
Before You Read
Who wrote it. No one knows for sure. The letter doesn't name its author. Early Christians guessed Paul, Barnabas, Apollos, and others.
Who it was for. Jewish Christians who were tired and under pressure. Some were thinking of giving up on Jesus (10:32-36).
What this chapter is. A roll call of people who trusted God, from Abel to the prophets. Some people call it the "Hall of Faith." Each one trusted God's promises before they could see them come true.
How to read it. Listen for the two words that start almost every line: "By faith."
Section by Section
Section 1 of 6What Faith Is
"Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see" (11:1).
Assurance means being sure. Faith trusts God's promises before they happen.
By faith we understand that God made the universe by his word.
Section 2 of 6Before the Flood
By faith Abel gave God a better offering than his brother Cain.
By faith Enoch was taken up by God without dying.
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him" (11:6).
By faith Noah built an ark before there was any sign of rain.
Section 3 of 6Abraham and Sarah
"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, without knowing where he was going" (11:8).
He lived in tents, a stranger in the land God promised.
"For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God" (11:10).
By faith Sarah had a child when she was far too old. God gave them descendants as many as the stars.
They all died still waiting. They saw God's promises from far away and welcomed them.
They were longing "for a better country, a heavenly one" (11:16).
"Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them" (11:16).
By faith Abraham offered Isaac, trusting that God could raise the dead.
Section 4 of 6Isaac to Moses
By faith Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph blessed their children and looked ahead to what God would do.
By faith Moses's parents hid their baby from the king.
By faith Moses chose to suffer with God's people instead of living as a prince of Egypt.
He left Egypt unafraid, "because he saw Him who is invisible" (11:27).
By faith he kept the first Passover.
Section 5 of 6Through the Sea and Beyond
By faith the people walked through the Red Sea. By faith the walls of Jericho fell. By faith Rahab welcomed the spies.
"And what more shall I say? Time will not allow me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets" (11:32).
Through faith some shut the mouths of lions and escaped fire.
Others were mocked, chained, and killed. They had nothing, and still they trusted. "The world was not worthy of them" (11:38).
None of them saw the full promise come true. God had something better planned, so that they would be made complete together with us.
Section 6 of 6Fix Your Eyes on Jesus
Now the writer turns to us.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us" (12:1).
All those people of faith are like a crowd in the stands, cheering us on.
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith" (12:2).
He endured the cross for the joy ahead of him, and now sits at God's right hand.
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "The assurance of what we hope for" (11:1) | Faith is being sure of God's promises. |
| "Without knowing where he was going" (11:8) | Faith follows God even without a map. |
| "Whose architect and builder is God" (11:10) | Our real home is the one God builds. |
| "Strangers and exiles on the earth" (11:13) | This world isn't our final home. |
| "God is not ashamed to be called their God" (11:16) | God is proud to claim his people. |
| "A great cloud of witnesses" (12:1) | The faithful before us cheer us on. |
| "The author and perfecter of our faith" (12:2) | Jesus starts our faith and finishes it. |
Back Then
Every name in this chapter comes from the Old Testament. The first readers would have known all their stories.
Running races were popular in Greek and Roman games. Runners stripped off anything heavy so nothing slowed them down.
Some of the people listed had big failures. Abraham lied, Moses killed a man, Samson broke his vows, David committed adultery. God counted them faithful anyway.
Literal Reader Alert
Is faith believing without any reason? No. Faith trusts God because of who he is and what he has done. It's about trusting a person, not guessing in the dark.
If I have enough faith, will I escape every trouble? Some people of faith shut lions' mouths. Others were killed. Faith doesn't promise an easy life. It holds on to God's promise.
Are those people really watching us? The "cloud of witnesses" is a picture. Their lives witness to God's faithfulness and encourage us.
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Abraham | Unsure where he was going | He went without knowing (11:8) |
| Moses | Unafraid | He saw Him who is invisible (11:27) |
| Many believers | Longing | They wanted a better country (11:16) |
| Believers today | Tired | We have a race to run (12:1) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
Which person of faith do you feel like? Tap one.
Abraham, not knowing where I'm going
Faith follows God even without a map.
Sarah, waiting a long time
God is faithful to his promises.
Someone still waiting
Many died in faith before seeing the promise.
A tired runner
Fix your eyes on Jesus. He finishes your faith.
You Might Have Heard
"Faith means never having doubts."
What's true: Faith is being sure of God's promises.
What the passage is mainly about: The people in this chapter weren't perfect, and many never saw the promise come true. Faith isn't how strong we feel. It's who we trust: Jesus, "the author and perfecter of our faith" (12:2).
Where Jesus is: At the finish line. He ran the race, endured the cross, and now sits at God's right hand.
Good News
You are not running alone.
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith" (12:2).
Jesus started your faith, and he will finish it. A whole crowd of faithful people has gone before you.
Faith is being sure of what God promises. People of faith trusted God before they could see his promises, and Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, leads us home.
Big Idea
Faith is the assurance of what we hope for. The people of faith trusted God's promises before they saw them, and we run our race with our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.
If this letter brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
Luther described faith as "a living, daring confidence in God's grace," so sure of God that a believer would stake their life on it a thousand times.
In Church
Many churches follow the Revised Common Lectionary. In Year C, it reads Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 and Hebrews 11:29 to 12:2 on two Sundays in August (Lectionary 19 and 20).
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.
How did that feel?
Using this at church
Read in church on
- Lectionary 19 Year CSecond reading, Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
- Lectionary 20 Year CSecond reading, Hebrews 11:29—12:2
For a newsletter or sermon notes
Hebrews 11, explained in plain words. Abel, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, and more: all trusted God before they could see his promises. About 10 minutes. https://freescripture.org/stories/hebrews-11/
Lines for the next eight Sundays, on Digital Lutheran Church