The chapter and verse divisions we find in our bibles are an invaluable organizational tool, but it is a worthwhile exercise to occasionally ignore them when reading through an epistle to try and get a sense of the structure of the argument the author is building. Certain chapters have been abstracted to the point that you may be forgiven for thinking the Apostle Paul, in writing to Corinth, decided to take a break from his teaching on spiritual gifts to expound on love for a while. We have another example of this in the latter part of the Letter to the Hebrews. Chapter 11 is aptly called by many editors “Heroes of Faith,” for it defines faith, then illustrates it by the lives of those figures with whom first century Hebrew Christians would have been familiar. However, one should not overlook how it fits in with the grand theme of the book, namely: do not backslide.

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