And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. The universal hatred — hated by all — is the social consequence of the mission that chapter 5:11 already anticipated: blessed are those who are persecuted for my sake. The endurance to the end that leads to salvation is not the earning of salvation by persistence but the demonstration of genuine faith through the persistence that genuine faith produces. Hebrews 12:1–2 calls the disciples to run with endurance the race set before them, looking to Jesus. The end may be the end of the individual's trials or the end of the age; either way, endurance through the tribulation is the mark of those who belong to the kingdom.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

Publish a note on this verse