The Letter to the Hebrews:
An Explanation of the Mechanism
of Our Salvation
Lesson 16 God Had Foreseen Something Better
the Letter to the Hebrews 11:32–40
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)*
New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)*
Catechism of the Catholic Church
ex libris (in our library)
Tami Palladino’s visual-meditation journal
cross references in the Letter to the Hebrews
next lesson: The Pioneer & Perfecter of Our Faith
This material coordinates with Lesson 16 on pages 56–59 in The Letter to the Hebrews: An Explanation of the Mechanism of Our Salvation.
“In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard for his godly fear. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and being made perfect he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.”—the Letter to the Hebrews 5:7–10
welcome to our in-depth study of the Letter to the Hebrews
We invite you to check out the sample first lesson and video from this 18-lesson 
Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study. Our online study pages link to free 
lesson videos and cross references in the biblical text, and include illustrations and prayers based on Scripture in each lesson. The Letter to the Hebrews: An Explanation of the Mechanism of Our Salvation has been granted an imprimatur. This study currently is being expanded; the content will be available in a new printed study at a later date. Please contact us if you’re interested in purchasing a digital copy of the existing study.
open with prayer
It’s always wise to begin any Bible study with prayer, whether reading the Scriptures alone or meeting with others in a discussion study group. You can pray using your own words or use one of the opening prayers on our website. We especially like the following:
Lord Jesus, you promised to send your Holy Spirit
to teach us all things.
As we read and study your word today,
allow it to touch our hearts and change our lives. Amen.
a scriptural bridge & how we inherit something better
The Letter to the Hebrews can serve as a bridge to connect events in the the Old and New Testaments. 
It makes little difference whether readers are starting from an Old Testament point of view, as was the case for the author’s initial audience, or whether they’re reading the Letter to the Hebrews from the perspective of a Christian familiar with the New Testament—the position of most participants in this Catholic Bible study. Don’t miss Turning to God’s Word co-founder Tami Palladino’s illustrated reflections on the Scripture passages that form the basis of The Letter to the Hebrews: An Explanation of the Mechanism of Our Salvation. Click on the illustration (left) to enlarge it, and check out Tami’s visual-meditation journal to see all of her drawings and read her reflections. Her illustrations for this lesson, “God Had Foreseen Something Better,” are on pages 64 through 67 of her journal.
every lesson has a free video (05:04)
Don’t forget—each lesson of The Letter to the Hebrews: An Explanation of the Mechanism of Our Salvation 
has a related video. In these short presentations, Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps reads the biblical text for the lesson and comments about it. You can watch the videos as part of your preparation for group discussion or to catch up if you have to miss a discussion. Some groups watch the videos together prior to their discussions. Because the videos are on YouTube, you can access them wherever and whenever it’s convenient—and they’re free. This study and its 
videos are undergoing revision to incorporate additional material. The original content will be included in a different printed study. The original 18 lessons pertaining to the Letter to the Hebrews currently are available digitally.
different audiences
The author of the Letter to the Hebrews assumes that members of his audience are familiar with all of the heroes of faith whose stories appear in the Old Testament. At Turning to God’s Word, we don’t make the same assumption about what the people participating in our Bible studies already know. Many of you may indeed be knowledgeable about the Old Testament, but we’re aware that a number of you probably aren’t familiar with the likes of Gideon, Barak, and Jephthah. Any mention of these biblical figures can be lost on readers who don’t have some background in the Old Testament. It’s for this reason that Lesson 16 contains a relatively large number of references to other books of the Bible.
Even without chasing down the pertinent Old Testament readings, it’s apparent to present-day readers of the Letter to the Hebrews that ancient biblical faith led to some dramatic religious actions. The reaction of readers who encounter these Old Testament accounts often is one of surprise.
kill—you could look it up in our archives
The Letter to the Hebrews stresses one difference between the worlds of the Old and New Testaments. Do you know what it is? To learn how the words “kill” and “destroy” differ, read Lost in Translation, an online column in which Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps helps readers connect with ideas expressed in the original languages of the Scriptures. New Lost in Translation entries are posted on Mondays, and past entries are archived on our website. Contact us if you’d like to receive Lost in Translation by email every week.
read the Catechism—an overlooked resource
The Catechism of the Catholic Church often is overlooked as a resource for Bible study. To learn what the Church teaches are the enormous consequences of Christian faith, read the sidebar “Implications of Faith” on page 57 in The Letter to the Hebrews: An Explanation of the Mechanism of Our Salvation, which refers to paragraph 222 in the Catechism and summarizes paragraphs 223 through 227.
222 Believing in God, the only One, and loving him with all our being has enormous consequences for our whole life.
223 It means coming to know God’s greatness and majesty: “Behold, God is great, and we know him not.” Therefore, we must “serve God first”.
224 It means living in thanksgiving: if God is the only One, everything we are and have comes from him: “What have you that you did not receive?” “What shall I render to the LORD for all his bounty to me?”
225 It means knowing the unity and true dignity of all men: everyone is made in the image and likeness of God.
226 It means making good use of created things: faith in God, the only One, leads us to use everything that is not God only insofar as it brings us closer to him, and to detach ourselves from it insofar as it turns us away from him:
My Lord and my God, take from me everything that distances me from you.
My Lord and my God, give me everything that brings me closer to you.
My Lord and my God, detach me from myself to give my all to you.
227 It means trusting God in every circumstance, even in adversity. A prayer of St. Teresa of Jesus wonderfully expresses this trust:
Let nothing trouble you / Let nothing frighten you
Everything passes / God never changes
Patience / Obtains all
Whoever has God / Wants for nothing
God alone is enough.
questions & answers
Participants in our Bible studies frequently ask what answer we’re looking for in connection with some of the questions in which we ask for people to consider what they think might be behind particular events. The truth is, those questions aren’t intended to learn whether participants agree with us. Our goal isn’t to teach participants in Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible studies to repeat something that we consider to the be “right” answer.
Any answer is fine as long as people avoid contradicting Church teaching, other passages in the Scriptures, or standard understanding of biblical languages. We don’t question the wisdom of the choices made by the human author of any book in the Bible, which is the inspired word of God, after all. The Church permits us to speculate about what was going through the human author’s mind when he was writing and decided, for example, not to dwell on David as much as he dwells on Moses. It can’t be because David is unimportant, so something else must be behind that decision.
We already have at least an idea about what we think in connection with such questions. Our goal isn’t to find out if you’ve reached the same conclusion as we have. Our goal is to help you to come to your own point of view. It’s been our experience that the Scriptures speak most clearly to us when they inspire questions. It’s when we’re considering questions that God is able to touch our minds and hearts. For that to happen, however, it’s necessary that we keep our hearts and minds open.
Q&A—another question about a question
A couple of people have asked for some guidance about how to approach Question 10 of this lesson.
Q: What answer do you have in mind for Question 10?
A: [Here’s the question for the benefit of those who don’t have access to the study book. Question 10 (Read the Letter to the Hebrews 11:36–38; the insturction for Question 8 still applies). The Letter to the Hebrews 11:4–31 includes specific information about the faith-filled lives of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Esau, Joseph, Moses, and Rahab. This immediately is followed by the Letter to the Hebrews 11:32, in which Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets are lumped together in this single verse. What might explain why the author chose to divide these heroes of faith in this manner? What distinguishes the faith shown by those in the first group from the faith shown by those in the second?]
While what we think isn’t the absolute or only answer, we did see some interesting things in the biblical text based on determining a distinction between the first and second named groups of faith personalities. In looking at a time sequence, a break between the two comes right after God’s people enter the Promised Land.
There seems to be a dividing point that can be viewed in terms of time but also in terms of space. The first group is tasked with entering the land of Canaan, and everything they do in the Scriptures pertains to that. This occurs at a particular time in history, and it involves a particular geographic area. The second group already is in the land of Canaan, so they’re moving toward a different type of Promised Land. This occurs at a later time in history, and it involves different spatial considerations.
This is an interpretation totally in accord with the rest of the Letter to the Hebrews. If the old idea of a Promised Land was good, the new Promised Land is even better. The faith heroes in this part of the Letter to the Hebrews are doing things that build toward Christianity. This includes martyrdom, which is noticeably absent in the early books of the Old Testament but is well accepted in the history of early Christianity.
the best Catholic commentary about Scripture
To find out more about how Church teaching is supported by Scripture passages in The Letter to the Hebrews: An Explanation of the Mechanism of Our Salvation, check out the Index of Citations in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Links to the primary Scripture passages in the lesson (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition [RSVCE*]) and relevant paragraphs in the Catechism are provided here. Not every passage in the biblical text for this study is referenced in a Catechism paragraph, however.
the Letter to the Hebrews 11:39—paragraph 147
the Letter to the Hebrews 11:40—paragraph 147
to learn more, read more Scripture
If you’re having difficulty with a particular passage of Scripture, it can be helpful to read the relevant 
cross references—but looking these up can take time. To make that easier, we’ve compiled the cross references from the Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE)—the translation that we reprint in our study books. That list can be found at the top of every online study page, and it includes links to cross references in the primary biblical text for The Letter to the Hebrews: An Explanation of the Mechanism of Our Salvation.
don’t forget about our indexes & extra online material
If you’re trying to locate information about a passage in Scripture, you can look it up in the index in the online sample lesson. If you want to revisit a particular commentary, you can look that up by title in the topics index. If you want to learn more about another book of the Bible for which there’s a Turning to God’s Word study, you can read the online commentaries and watch any accompanying videos by going to the online study directories. Finally, if you have a question or would like to make a comment about any of our studies, you can use one of the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” buttons to email our authors.
ex libris—Church documents & books about religious topics
You can find links to magisterial documents referred to in Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible studies 
at ex libris—magisterial documents. This page includes a listing of significant recent encyclicals as well as a number of historical Church documents. Recommended books related to Scripture study can be found at ex libris—main bookshelf.
wondering how to pronounce some of these words?
The following link is to a reading from the New International Version (NIV) Bible. To listen, click on the audio icon above the printed text. Although not taken from the translations used in our study materials, the NIV reading provides an audio guide to pronunciation of words in this lesson’s primary biblical text. A close online version of the translation of the Bible used in Catholic liturgy in the United States as well as an audio guide for daily Mass readings for the current month can be found on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
the Letter to the Hebrews 11:32–40 (NIV)
close with Bible-based prayer related to this lesson
Many of our Catholic study groups like to conclude their discussions with a prayer based on the scriptural focus of their lesson, and some participants include Scripture-specific prayer in their individual study. If you’re uncomfortable composing your own Bible-based prayers you can follow our four easy steps, or you can use the following prayer based on this lesson’s text from the Letter to the Hebrews.
God our Father, you inspired Old Testament heroes
to remain obedient to your will
through many difficult situations.
Help us to persevere in following their example
in order that we also might receive
the better thing that you have promised us
through your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Lesson 17 The Pioneer & Perfecter of Our Faith, the Letter to the Hebrews 12:1–29
Lesson 15 Abuse Suffered for the Christ, the Letter to the Hebrews 11:23–31
you also may like our free Lenten study of Jesus’ Passion (digital only)
Jesus’ Passion: The Story of Redemptive Suffering is a five-lesson Catholic Bible study offering an in-depth look at the biblical foundations of the movie The Passion of the Christ. This revised study, which has been granted an imprimatur, contains all of the original material of the 2004 edition as well as many new features in an improved, reader-friendly format. Click on the book’s cover to view the introduction. Free digital lessons of Jesus’ Passion: The Story of Redemptive Suffering are available on the website during Lent.
start a Turning to God’s Word Bible study
Thank you for your interest in The Letter to the Hebrews: An Explanation of the Mechanism of Our Salvation. 
Information about beginning a Turning to God’s Word Bible study can be found at start a Bible study. Tami, Matthew, and I are available to answer your questions and to offer support. Contact us if you’re interested in purchasing a digital version of this study, in starting another Turning to God study, or in having your study schedule listed with other TtGW study groups on our website. —Jennifer
*There are seven deuterocanonical books in the Old Testament—the Books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and First and Second Maccabees, as well as some passages in the Books of Esther and Daniel. Protestants usually refer to these works as “apocryphal,” a word that means “outside the (Protestant) canon” because they’re excluded from most Protestant Bibles. The word “deuterocanonical” means “second canon”; Catholics use that word to refer to any section of the Catholic Old Testament for which there are no extant, or existing, Hebrew manuscripts. All of the deuterocanonical books appear in the Septuagint, the earliest remaining versions of which date to the 1st century B.C. This Greek translation of the Old Testament was in common use by Jews at the time of Jesus. Learn more by reading How Do Catholic & Protestant Bibles Differ?
Turning to God’s Word printed Bible studies use the 2006 Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) translation for all Scripture references except those to the Psalms, which are taken from The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, prepared by the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey and published in 2020 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). All Scripture links for the online pages of The Letter to the Hebrews: An Explanation of the Mechanism of Our Salvation are to the 1966 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE) translation. The New International Version (NIV) audio recordings follow the same chapter and verse numbering as the RSV Catholic translations, but the NIV translation doesn’t include the deuterocanonical books and passages.
The 1966 RSVCE uses archaic pronouns and verb forms such as “thee,” “thou,” “didst” in the Psalms and in direct quotations attributed to God. The 2006 RSV2CE replaces these with more accessible English. The few significant translation changes in the RSV2CE include rendering almah as “virgin” in the Book of Isaiah 7:14 and restoring the term “begotten” in the Gospel According to John 3:16.
Numbering varies for some passages in this Bible study. Turning to God’s Word studies (print and digital) follow the numbering in the Revised Standard Version Catholic translations (RSV2CE and RSVCE). Discrepancies in the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) are noted in the Index of Scripture Citations in the study book and the online sample.
You can learn more about the Psalms by viewing a sample lesson from the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers. The second part of that study, Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline, is scheduled for publication in 2025. Some verse numbers may vary in different translations of the Psalms.