Hebrews: Chapter 3

Below is but a small measure of revelation that my father had received from the Lord. I hope this will be a blessing to you. All that is written below are the words of my father.

April 28, 2021

In loving memory of my father
Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett
July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023

In this message, we continue to share with you a few gleanings from the Book of Hebrews. Let us turn to Hebrews, Chapter 3.

1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

Remember, there are no chapters in the original Greek manuscripts. To understand the "wherefore," we must go back to Hebrews 2:14-18. 

"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; ..."

I want to pause here for a few minutes and consider the phrase, "forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood." Every human being, including heathens, knows that we have flesh and blood. That is not what Paul is saying here. The word translated as "children" is not one of the two most commonly used Greek words to describe born-again believers in Christ.

This word, "children," is sometimes used of an infant just born, as in John 16:21. It speaks of immature Christians ... those who have been born again but are still on milk and have little discernment. Paul returns to this exhortation at the end of Hebrews, Chapter 5. We should also note that before Jesus came to earth as a man, He had no flesh and blood. God is a Spirit. He poured out his blood at Calvary. Therefor the risen Christ still has no blood. Back to Verse 15.

15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

We Christians can be in bondage for many reasons, all self-imposed by listening to the devil. Perhaps the greatest bondage we can be subject to is the fear of death. In reality that is because we do not fully trust the Lord and His word. We are greatly influenced by the natural realm ... that which we see with our natural eyes and hear with our natural ears. Back to Hebrews 2:16.

16 "For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted."

1 Corinthians 10:13-14, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry."

That verse seems to imply that submitting to temptation is part of or an example of idolatry. From the Columbia Encyclopedia, "idolatry" is reducing to the natural realm what is intended to be spiritual. Perhaps another way to say that is this ... idolatry is walking in man's ways instead of God's ways. Many years ago, the Holy Spirit seemed to quicken to me that the phrase "flee from idolatry" applies both to that which immediately precedes AND to what immediately follows those verses in 1 Corinthians 10. After listening to this message, please read 1 Corinthians Chapter 10 and see what precedes and what follows verses 13 and 14.

From Verse 1 of Hebrews 3, this chapter and this epistle is written to "holy brethren" over all of time. The word "holy" means separated from sin, from the world, and from death, and, more importantly, sacred, or consecrated unto God. It is not sufficient for us to be separated from that which is evil. We must be separated unto God. Paul said, in 

Romans 1:1, "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God." 

Jesus, Himself is the good news!

Of course, God is holy to the supreme degree. 

1 Peter 1:15-16, "But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."

The word "conversation" is best translated as "behavior." The true sign of someone being born again is a distinct positive change in their behavior, visible to the natural eyes of others. If there is no positive change in the life of someone, I would question whether they are really born again.

Now let us consider the phrase, "partakers of the heavenly calling. The word "partakers" here is an unfortunate translation. Hebrews 2:14 says the children are "partakers of flesh and blood." The word "partakers" in Hebrews 2:14 is a different word than the "partakers" in Hebrews 3:1. In Hebrews 2:14, "partakers" means "to share something in common." That word comes from the same root word as koinonia, which means communion, fellowship, participation, or partnership. What all humans share in common in the natural realm is that we were made from dust, and our present bodies consist of flesh, bone, and blood.

In contrast, the word in Hebrews 3:1 translated as "partakers" is an entirely different Greek word, which should more accurately be translated as "partners" or "sharers." In addition, from 

Hebrews 1:9, "Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." 

The word "fellows" is the same Greek word as what should be translated as partners, participants, or sharers in Hebrews 3:1.

In Luke 5:4-7, "Now when He had left speaking, He said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

And Simon answering said unto Him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.

And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. 

And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink." 

Of course, the major principle of that event is when we do what the Lord tells us to do, we get the results that the Lord wants. In addition, the word in Verse 7 translated as "partners" is the same Greek word translated, unfortunately, as "partakers" in Hebrews 3:1. That is another way to say that we must identify with the Lord Jesus in all respects.

Isaiah 42:8, "I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images." 

But the Lord will allow us to participate with His glory IF we abide in Him.

John 17:24, "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world."

That verse says that the only way we can behold the glory of the Lord is to be with Him in the realm of the Spirit.

Hebrews 2:10, "For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings."

We must emphasize that the Lord is bringing many sons to glory. All of our good works cannot bring us to His glory.

In scripture, we see several different words used to characterize God's chosen people, such as a steward, a minister, or a servant. This speaks of a delegated authority where the owner or master tells His servant what to do and when. In any business, a "partner" is more than simply a hired employee. A hired employee does his job for 7 or 8 hours a day and then goes home, where he no longer has to think about his job. A "partner" of a business, on the other hand, is concerned about his job even when he goes home for the day. A "partner" is a co-owner of an organization. Likewise, all believers in Christ constitute a spiritual house ... a house of holy brethren. We are part of a joint family and we have a joint responsibility.

Romans 8:17-18, "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

Note again the IF in Verse 17. This is another of several different verses which clearly states that we must qualify to inherit the kingdom prepared for us from the foundation of the world (Matthew 25:34). Verse 17 clearly says that if we do not participate in His sufferings, then we cannot be glorified with Him. There is physical suffering, emotional and mental suffering, and spiritual suffering. Jesus experienced all three; so did Paul and many other saints. We are all unique but the Lord knows what each one of us need to bring us to glory. Anyone who teaches that the life of a Christian consists only of blessings and prosperity on earth and then heaven later ... is a false teacher. But the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. These several verses all say that we must identify with the Lord Jesus Christ in every way except one. Jesus is always our Head, the captain of our salvation.

John 15:14-15, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 

Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you."

Some folks like to quote Verse 15 without quoting Verse 14. Those verses say that Jesus calls us His friends IF we do whatsoever He commands us. That implies that we must hear His voice and understand what He tells us what to do and when; and then we must obey.

An interesting but important point ... I believe it is fair to say that the apostle Paul did whatsoever Jesus told him to do and therefor he qualified to be called a friend by Jesus. However, several times Paul calls himself a servant of God. He never called himself a friend of God. Moses was faithful in all his house (Hebrews 3:5) and Moses was called a friend of God (Exodus 33:11). Abraham was also called a friend of God (James 2:23). But neither Abraham nor Moses called themselves a friend of God. Therefore, I believe it is fair to say that Jesus can call us a friend (if we qualify), but we do not have the right to call Jesus our friend. He is our Head; He makes the decisions; He is the Captain of our salvation; He is our Apostle and High Priest. Even the natural brothers of Jesus called Him Lord. Personally, I could never call Jesus my "big brother" and I could never call God the Father as "Daddy."

Back to Hebrews, Chapter 3. Verses 2 through 6 are a contrast between Moses and Jesus. To the Jews, Moses was one of their most honored men. The author of Hebrews has previously proved that Jesus was superior to the prophets and superior to angels. Now he proceeds to prove that Jesus is superior to Moses. To the Jews, that was a very daunting task. Moses was the man with whom God had spoken face to face as a man speaks with his friend. Moses had been the direct recipient of the Ten Commandments, the very Law of God. The greatest thing in all the world for the Jew was the Law, and Moses and the Law were one and the same thing.

Furthermore, no one else in the New Testament ever called Jesus an apostle, but not just an apostle, but THE Apostle, where "the" makes something or someone unique. In addition, Jesus is the great High Priest. The Latin for priest is pontifex, which means a bridge-builder. The priest is a person who builds a bridge between man and God. Jesus is the perfect High Priest because He is perfectly man and perfectly God. Jesus is the one and only Person through whom man comes to God and God comes to man. Back to Hebrews, Chapter 3 and verse 2.


2 Who was faithful to Him that appointed Him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.

3 For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.

4 For every house is builded by some man; but He that built all things is God.

5 And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;

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.

The word "house" appears seven times in those five verses. A house can have a natural meaning as a building or a structure of some kind in which we people live. A house can also refer to a family of people. For example, Joshua said, in 

Joshua 24:15, "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." 

A third meaning is a spiritual house, the household of God. 

Ephesians 2:19, "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;"

Moses was only part of God's universe. He was a created man and he lived and worked in a created universe. He was part of the house and involved in the house, but Jesus is the creator of the house. Jesus was faithful "over" the house of which Moses was only a part. Moses did not create the law; he only mediated it. Moses did not create the house; he only served in it. Moses did not speak of himself; all that he ever said was only a pointer to the greater things that Jesus Christ would someday say. Moses was the servant, but Jesus was the Son. Moses knew a little about God; Jesus was and is God. The Church is God's house and all those who are born again are God's family. Jesus is in the process of building His house and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. That building of the one and only true Church will only stand indestructible when every stone in it is firm. The Church only stands firm when each living stone in it is rooted and grounded in the faith of Jesus Christ. If one stone is weak, the whole edifice is endangered.

Note the conditional IF in Verse 6. We have a daughter who lives with her family in Norfolk, VA, a little more than a three-hour drive from us. Suppose our objective is to travel to see that daughter, and we make all of the necessary plans, and then we start our trip to Norfolk. But after driving for about one hour, something happens to our car or to myself or my wife, such that we can no longer complete the trip. Our motivation was good, our planning was good, but we never reached our objective.

Verses 7 through 12 are quoted from Psalm 95:7-11 and emphasize the need to hear His voice and what happens if we allow unbelief to creep in. Because Jesus is so supremely and uniquely great and superior to the prophets, the angels, and Moses, complete trust and obedience must be given to Him.


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:

The two phrases, the provocation and the day of temptation translate two words which in the Hebrew are place names ... the names Massah and Meribah. That is a reference to the events in Exodus 17:1-7 and Numbers 20:1-13. In Exodus 17, both names of Massah and Meribah are given. Massah means trial or temptation. Meribah means a place of strife or contention. The account in Numbers 20:1-13 refers to an event in Israel's history some thirty years later. This Meribah must be distinguished from Massah and Meribah In Exodus 17. It is located in southern Palestine and received its name from an incident rather similar to the one related in Exodus 17. Here, instead of speaking to the rock as the Lord had commanded him to do, Moses struck the rock and as a consequence forfeited the right to enter the Promised Land.

Back to verse 9 of Hebrews 3.


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.

Psalm 103:7, "He made known His ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel." 

Why did the Lord make known his ways to Moses but only His acts to the children of Israel? Two major reasons. First, and most important, because Moses was faithful in all his house; and second, because Moses asked the Lord to show him His ways.

Back to verse 11 of Hebrews 3.

11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)

The disobedience and lack of trust in the Lord disbarred Israel from ever enjoying the blessings of God that they could have enjoyed.

12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

As I have said before in several different messages, Verse 13 is a command from the Lord to all born again believers. However, when you listen to the pastor or any other minister during a church service, how many times do you hear exhortations? Who exhorted you today and who did you exhort today? What is the purpose of exhortations, of warnings, of chastisement at the hands of the Lord? that we might be made perfect in His sight ... that He might have sweet fellowship with us for an eternity.

Colossians 1:25-28, "Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;

Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints:

To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:"

Paul's objective was the same as our Lord's objective ... that every man may be presented perfect in Christ Jesus. As I have stated several times before, Verse 28 gives a priority order ... first is to preach Christ, which speaks of the resurrected Jesus. 

2 Corinthians 5:16-17, "Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we Him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 

Next in priority is to warn every man. Warn of what? A warning not to neglect so great salvation - a warning to hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end, as Verse 14 declares. The third priority is teaching every man in all wisdom. We charismatics have turned priority 3 into priority 1 ... teaching every man; but do we even teach every man in all wisdom?

14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;

We are made partakers of Christ if ... Again, the better translation is "we are made partners of Christ if ..." Note the word "made." This goes back to 

Genesis 1:26-28, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 

So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. 

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."

Before God could make man in His image, He had to create man. The "making" process in His chosen people still continues. We call that sanctification. Back to verse 15 in Hebrews 3.

15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

This Verse is basically a repeat of Verses 7 and 8. When any word is repeated twice in the same chapter, we should pay special attention to its importance. We want to emphasize the word, "today." While it is still today, while we still have time, we should give God the trust and obedience that He deserves. We must believe that what God says He can do, He will do, provided that we trust and obey Him and lean not on our own understanding.

God makes man an offer. Just as He offered the Israelites the blessings of the Promised Land, He offers to all men the blessings of a life which is far beyond the life that men can have without God. But to the offer of God there is a limit. That limit is the limit of our natural life on earth. We speak easily about "tomorrow," but for us tomorrow may never come.

James 4:13-15, "Go to now, ye that say, To day or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that." 

Back to Hebrews, Chapter 3 and verse 16. 

16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?

18 And to whom sware He that they should not enter into His rest, but to them that believed not?

What did they not believe? And what do we Christians today not believe?

19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Enter in to what? enter in to His rest ... enter into the Promised Land - the kingdom of God.

Matthew 17:14-21, 

14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to Him a certain man, kneeling down to Him, and saying,

15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.

16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.

17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.

18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

A similar event is recorded in Mark 9:14-29. 

In Mark 9:24, "And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." 

May that be our cry also. Lord, I believe; help thou my unbelief. Amen.