And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
Hebrews 11:36 describes faithful servants of God in every age enduring cruel ridicule, whipping, chains and prison rather than give up truth or live in disobedience and sin. It was fulfilled when prophets sent to call Israel back to God and warn against unfaithfulness were rejected, denounced for exposing sin, and subjected to mocking, beating, stoning, bonds, imprisonment and death while God looked on with long patience. It was fulfilled again when Christians under pagan Rome were stripped, driven from homes and slain without mercy, when believers under papal persecution endured the rack and stake rather than abandon faith, and when Reformers and later English dissenters faced derision, torture, fire, prison and banishment for conscience sake. Those who suffered were not spared persecution but were sustained and strengthened by Christ, and sustained by hope they counted the greatest earthly suffering as small beside the eternal reward awaiting them in heaven. Their afflictions did not defeat the truth but helped spread the knowledge of God by bringing it into public discussion and making clear the contrast between Satan's work in persecution and God's work in truth.
History of Faithful Suffering
Hebrews 11:36 describes how throughout the whole Jewish economy God at his appointed time sent prophets and messengers to receive his portion from his husbandmen and to warn against unfaithfulness and misuse of what belonged to him. Those sent to call the people back to God were rejected and denounced for exposing the sins of those in authority, and were subjected to cruel mockings and scourgings and to bonds and imprisonment, as part of beating, stoning, killing, and other afflictions. Though convicted of their unrighteous course, the people would not yield but grew more stubborn and hated reproof, and through their leaders instigated persecution and death against the holy prophets sent with messages from God. God looked on with patience and forbearance for centuries, while Israel's refusal to be reproved, slighting of warnings, and clinging still closer to sin brought punishment in captivity to a heathen nation.
The verse was fulfilled by faithful witnesses in Judah under Manasseh, when those who spoke against evil aroused the anger of the king and his associates. Isaiah, after serving as God's messenger for over half a century, was among the first to fall, and others endured cruel mockery and beatings, as well as scourging, bonds, imprisonment, and other persecution for their testimony to truth and righteousness. The verse was literally fulfilled in the first centuries when pagan Rome tried to destroy Christianity, with the powers of earth and hell arrayed against Christ in the person of his followers. Paganism so opposed the gospel because it foresaw that if the gospel triumphed its temples and altars would be swept away. Christians were stripped of possessions and driven from homes and endured cruel mockings and scourgings and bonds and imprisonment, with great numbers from every social class, noble and slave, rich and poor, learned and ignorant alike, sealing their testimony with blood and being slain without mercy.
The verse was fulfilled when faithful Christians endured cruel mockery, physical abuse, and imprisonment because they would not abandon their faith under persecution by the popes, priests, and their agents. Those sufferings included the rack, the stake, and other tortures. The verse was fulfilled in the Reformation, when believers faced derision, hatred, slander, persecution, and even death rather than renounce faith. Ecclesiastical and civil authorities seeking to crush truth inflicted torture, fire, and sword, with thousands sealing their faith with blood.
The verse was fulfilled by faithful dissenters in England after Protestantism became the national religion, when persecution diminished but did not stop and obedience to God still brought mockery, beating, chains, and jail. In the seventeenth century thousands of pastors were expelled, all were required to accept the doctrines and forms of the established church, and those who met to worship according to conscience were fined, imprisoned, and banished. They were forced to gather in dark alleys, obscure garrets, and woods at midnight, with jails crowded, families broken up, and many banished to foreign lands, yet God was with his people and persecution could not silence their testimony. Many driven across the ocean to America laid there the foundations of civil and religious liberty. The verse describes religious persecution when religious intolerance triumphs, in which dissenters from the popular faith suffer for religious principle by being mocked, whipped, bound, imprisoned, robbed of goods, and tortured as in the dark ages, and the same spirit and actions are repeated in present prosecutions for working on Sunday.
Faith Enduring and Witnessing
Hebrews 11:36 belongs to the chapter on faith, which turns the mind from discouraging visible things to unseen things and to the hope of a heavenly country and city. It belongs to the record of faithful people and the great cloud of witnesses whose fidelity to God made them examples before the world. From age to age the heroes of faith are brought conspicuously before the world, and their light reaches those in darkness and leads others to glorify God. Their experience provides instruction to believers and shows that the faith of God's servants of old can work in believers now through hearts of faith. These ancient worthies were commended for firm principles, and later Christians could exemplify the same faithfulness, as Joseph Bates did while exposed to the evils of seafaring life.
Faithful followers of Jesus and servants of God in every age endure trial of cruel mockings and scourgings to maintain the purity of truth rather than give up truth, renounce religion, or live in disobedience and sin. Prophets sent to bear decided testimony against satanic workings and ministers sent to do a special work and give a special message are assailed and imprisoned. Under deceptive satanic influence men invent all manner of cruelties to make them yield their faith, yet they value truth more than life, willingly suffer hunger, thirst, torture and death, their faith is tested and purified, and many die under the persecution they suffer. Those who endured mockings, scourgings, bonds and imprisonment breasted evils and difficulties and in the Lord's name braced themselves successfully against opposing forces of evil, sustained and strengthened and held by his hand because Christ's love constrained them and they trusted the strength and grace he gave. Christ experienced suffering in his humanity and ministers to those who suffer for truth as their friend as they conscientiously follow God's way, and he will punish those who lead them from that way or cause them distress.
People who trusted God were not spared persecution but endured it, and though counted unworthy of life in this world, with some going into dens and caves, they are enrolled in heaven as God's sons, worthy of the highest honor, with eternal glory awaiting them. Sustained by hope and faith, they counted these sufferings as small beside the recompense of the reward, since eternal life was so valuable that even the greatest earthly suffering seemed slight in comparison. The afflictions do not defeat the truth but help spread knowledge of God, bring truth into public discussion, awaken people who might otherwise remain indifferent, and extend the truth farther, making clear the contrast between Satan's work in persecution and fanaticism and God's work in the truth. God's servants have always suffered reproach and God's work moves forward amid persecution, imprisonments, scourgings and death, with the outward character of persecution changing with the times but the principle and spirit behind it never changing.
Cruel mockings, scourgings, bonds and imprisonment have always followed those faithful in the discharge of duty, and reproach and falsehood still follow them, testing the foundation on which reputation rests. Things that seem most grievous prove the greatest blessing, a righteous character blackened by slander preserves its virtue whether trampled in the mire or exalted, constancy in serving God with no wrong action to give enemies ground to condemn holy faith is the only safe way to settle evil reports, time reveals whether reports were true or poisoned shafts of malice and revenge, lying tongues bring curses on the slanderers when arguments fail, and God finally vindicates the right, honors the guiltless and hides them from the strife of tongues. The verse describes faithful builders of God's temple during centuries of fierce persecution after the establishment of the Christian church, who counted the work dearer than life itself and carried it forward in the face of imprisonment, torture and death while the enemy of righteousness tried to stop them. Their exile, imprisonment, hunger, cold and torture, and their readiness to face martyrdom while rejoicing to suffer for Christ who was crucified for them, give comfort and encouragement to God's people facing a future time of unprecedented trouble and show that courage, faith and trust in God are built through years of faithful endurance.
Hebrews 11:36 describes faithful servants of God in every age enduring cruel ridicule, whipping, chains and prison rather than give up truth or live in disobedience and sin. It was fulfilled when prophets sent to call Israel back to God and warn against unfaithfulness were rejected, denounced for exposing sin, and subjected to mocking, beating, stoning, bonds, imprisonment and death while God looked on with long patience. It was fulfilled again when Christians under pagan Rome were stripped, driven from homes and slain without mercy, when believers under papal persecution endured the rack and stake rather than abandon faith, and when Reformers and later English dissenters faced derision, torture, fire, prison and banishment for conscience sake. Those who suffered were not spared persecution but were sustained and strengthened by Christ, and sustained by hope they counted the greatest earthly suffering as small beside the eternal reward awaiting them in heaven. Their afflictions did not defeat the truth but helped spread the knowledge of God by bringing it into public discussion and making clear the contrast between Satan's work in persecution and God's work in truth.
History of Faithful Suffering
Hebrews 11:36 describes how throughout the whole Jewish economy God at his appointed time sent prophets and messengers to receive his portion from his husbandmen and to warn against unfaithfulness and misuse of what belonged to him. Those sent to call the people back to God were rejected and denounced for exposing the sins of those in authority, and were subjected to cruel mockings and scourgings and to bonds and imprisonment, as part of beating, stoning, killing, and other afflictions. Though convicted of their unrighteous course, the people would not yield but grew more stubborn and hated reproof, and through their leaders instigated persecution and death against the holy prophets sent with messages from God. God looked on with patience and forbearance for centuries, while Israel's refusal to be reproved, slighting of warnings, and clinging still closer to sin brought punishment in captivity to a heathen nation.
The verse was fulfilled by faithful witnesses in Judah under Manasseh, when those who spoke against evil aroused the anger of the king and his associates. Isaiah, after serving as God's messenger for over half a century, was among the first to fall, and others endured cruel mockery and beatings, as well as scourging, bonds, imprisonment, and other persecution for their testimony to truth and righteousness. The verse was literally fulfilled in the first centuries when pagan Rome tried to destroy Christianity, with the powers of earth and hell arrayed against Christ in the person of his followers. Paganism so opposed the gospel because it foresaw that if the gospel triumphed its temples and altars would be swept away. Christians were stripped of possessions and driven from homes and endured cruel mockings and scourgings and bonds and imprisonment, with great numbers from every social class, noble and slave, rich and poor, learned and ignorant alike, sealing their testimony with blood and being slain without mercy.
The verse was fulfilled when faithful Christians endured cruel mockery, physical abuse, and imprisonment because they would not abandon their faith under persecution by the popes, priests, and their agents. Those sufferings included the rack, the stake, and other tortures. The verse was fulfilled in the Reformation, when believers faced derision, hatred, slander, persecution, and even death rather than renounce faith. Ecclesiastical and civil authorities seeking to crush truth inflicted torture, fire, and sword, with thousands sealing their faith with blood.
The verse was fulfilled by faithful dissenters in England after Protestantism became the national religion, when persecution diminished but did not stop and obedience to God still brought mockery, beating, chains, and jail. In the seventeenth century thousands of pastors were expelled, all were required to accept the doctrines and forms of the established church, and those who met to worship according to conscience were fined, imprisoned, and banished. They were forced to gather in dark alleys, obscure garrets, and woods at midnight, with jails crowded, families broken up, and many banished to foreign lands, yet God was with his people and persecution could not silence their testimony. Many driven across the ocean to America laid there the foundations of civil and religious liberty. The verse describes religious persecution when religious intolerance triumphs, in which dissenters from the popular faith suffer for religious principle by being mocked, whipped, bound, imprisoned, robbed of goods, and tortured as in the dark ages, and the same spirit and actions are repeated in present prosecutions for working on Sunday.
Faith Enduring and Witnessing
Hebrews 11:36 belongs to the chapter on faith, which turns the mind from discouraging visible things to unseen things and to the hope of a heavenly country and city. It belongs to the record of faithful people and the great cloud of witnesses whose fidelity to God made them examples before the world. From age to age the heroes of faith are brought conspicuously before the world, and their light reaches those in darkness and leads others to glorify God. Their experience provides instruction to believers and shows that the faith of God's servants of old can work in believers now through hearts of faith. These ancient worthies were commended for firm principles, and later Christians could exemplify the same faithfulness, as Joseph Bates did while exposed to the evils of seafaring life.
Faithful followers of Jesus and servants of God in every age endure trial of cruel mockings and scourgings to maintain the purity of truth rather than give up truth, renounce religion, or live in disobedience and sin. Prophets sent to bear decided testimony against satanic workings and ministers sent to do a special work and give a special message are assailed and imprisoned. Under deceptive satanic influence men invent all manner of cruelties to make them yield their faith, yet they value truth more than life, willingly suffer hunger, thirst, torture and death, their faith is tested and purified, and many die under the persecution they suffer. Those who endured mockings, scourgings, bonds and imprisonment breasted evils and difficulties and in the Lord's name braced themselves successfully against opposing forces of evil, sustained and strengthened and held by his hand because Christ's love constrained them and they trusted the strength and grace he gave. Christ experienced suffering in his humanity and ministers to those who suffer for truth as their friend as they conscientiously follow God's way, and he will punish those who lead them from that way or cause them distress.
People who trusted God were not spared persecution but endured it, and though counted unworthy of life in this world, with some going into dens and caves, they are enrolled in heaven as God's sons, worthy of the highest honor, with eternal glory awaiting them. Sustained by hope and faith, they counted these sufferings as small beside the recompense of the reward, since eternal life was so valuable that even the greatest earthly suffering seemed slight in comparison. The afflictions do not defeat the truth but help spread knowledge of God, bring truth into public discussion, awaken people who might otherwise remain indifferent, and extend the truth farther, making clear the contrast between Satan's work in persecution and fanaticism and God's work in the truth. God's servants have always suffered reproach and God's work moves forward amid persecution, imprisonments, scourgings and death, with the outward character of persecution changing with the times but the principle and spirit behind it never changing.
Cruel mockings, scourgings, bonds and imprisonment have always followed those faithful in the discharge of duty, and reproach and falsehood still follow them, testing the foundation on which reputation rests. Things that seem most grievous prove the greatest blessing, a righteous character blackened by slander preserves its virtue whether trampled in the mire or exalted, constancy in serving God with no wrong action to give enemies ground to condemn holy faith is the only safe way to settle evil reports, time reveals whether reports were true or poisoned shafts of malice and revenge, lying tongues bring curses on the slanderers when arguments fail, and God finally vindicates the right, honors the guiltless and hides them from the strife of tongues. The verse describes faithful builders of God's temple during centuries of fierce persecution after the establishment of the Christian church, who counted the work dearer than life itself and carried it forward in the face of imprisonment, torture and death while the enemy of righteousness tried to stop them. Their exile, imprisonment, hunger, cold and torture, and their readiness to face martyrdom while rejoicing to suffer for Christ who was crucified for them, give comfort and encouragement to God's people facing a future time of unprecedented trouble and show that courage, faith and trust in God are built through years of faithful endurance.