Tag: Faith

Hebrews 11 – Faith makes perfect (study)

by on Oct.12, 2008, under Bible Study

Warm Up

  1. How do you respond to ‘heroes’? Are you inspired? Or are there some that you love to hate?
  2. How would you describe ‘faith’?

Bible Study

Read Hebrews 11. There are 9 people specifically commended for their faith by name:

  • Abel (see Gen. 4:1-15);
  • Enoch (Gen. 5:21);
  • Noah (Gen. 6:9 – 7:24);
  • Abraham (Gen. 12:1-5; 15:1-6; 22:1-18);
  • Isaac (Gen. 27:27-29);
  • Jacob (Gen. 48:1:, 8-22);
  • Joseph (Gen 50:24-25);
  • Moses (Ex. 1:16, 22; 2:1-15; Ex. 12:21-23); and
  • Rahab (Josh. 2; 6:22-25).

Take a couple of minutes to look up any you are not familiar with. Pick two or three of these and answer the following questions:

  1. How did faith play a part in their life?
  2. Who or what did they trust in? How did this affect the way they acted? How does this compare to any other people mentioned in their story?
  3. Pick one of the events described in their life. How might it have turned out differently without faith?

The author of Hebrews makes a point of the fact that ‘all these people were still living by faith when they died’ (v. 13; see also vv. 39-40).

  1. Why is this important? (see especially v. 40)
  2. What is the ‘something better’ of v. 40? In what way is it better?

The word translated ‘perfect’ in verse 40 means something like ‘complete’ or ‘fulfilled according to its purpose’. You may wish to check this out in other places where it is used in Hebrews e.g. 2:10; 5:9; 7:19, 28; 9:9 (translated as ‘clear’ in the NIV, but it is the same Greek word); 10:1, 14; and 12:23.

  1. How then was the faith of Abel, Enoch, Noah, etc. imperfect?
  2. How does Christ make them – and us – perfect?

Discussion

  1. In what ways can you identify with the people mentioned in Hebrews 11? How are you different?
  2. What does ‘faith’ mean for you personally? How does faith in Jesus change the way you think, speak, act and live? How should it?
  3. How is God calling you to trust him today? Take some time to pray, either by yourself or as a group, about these things. Pray as specifically as you can – so instead of praying that you will trust God in your studies or in your relationships, pray for his help in next week’s exam or for the healing of relationship with your boss etc.
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