Answer
Well, it's obvious that these Jewish believers are tired, they're weary, they're persecuted so much relevance for Christians all over the world and throughout the history of the church but they were tired and they were wavering in their faith. And so, they had had their homes ransacked. There had been no persecution to the point of martyrdom yet, but it seemed like it might be on the horizon. And so, there was a lot of challenge to their faith, a lot of reason for them to throw in the towel and go back to their old ways. And the author writes to them encouraging them to stay true to the new covenant that they've come to believe in in Jesus.
Answer by Dr. K. Erik Thoennes
Dr. Erik Thoennes is Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at Talbot School of Theology