Others & Still Others

“Others...
Were tortured,
Not accepting deliverance,
That they might obtain a better resurrection.

Still others...
Experienced trials of mocking and scourging,
Yes, and of chains and imprisonment.
They were stoned,
They were sawn in two,
They were tempted,
They were slain with the sword.
They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins,
Being destitute, afflicted, tormented—
Of whom the world was not worthy.
They wandered in deserts and mountains,
In dens and caves of the earth.” [1]

“Others… still others” are the heroes of the faith whose names are not given in the Bible. These heroes of the faith wanted a better resurrection. They did not want their rewards on earth. They went through severe trials of the faith on behalf of the Word of the Lord. Their trials included physical pain, emotional pain, being misunderstood, maligned, and mistreated.

These “Others… still others” were a stumbling block to the world. The world wonders, “Why do you endure such treatment for a God that does not save you?” “Are you made in God's image? Look how marred and beaten you are!” “Yes,” the others… still others reply. “Our God became a man with an appearance that was marred more than any other man.” [2]

“Holy Spirit, please fill us with the love of God and neighbor so that we willingly endure trials of the faith for the sake of glory of Jesus Christ and for the sake of presenting the Gospel to lost souls.”

[1] Hebrews 11:35-38
[2] Isaiah 52:14