Let’s read through the book of Hebrews one verse at a time in 2023. Every day explore a single verse and its cross references. AI-generated text draws the passages together. RSS feed.
About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.
These cross references all relate to the idea that it can be difficult for people to understand and accept spiritual truths. They show how Jesus and the apostles had to confront people's lack of understanding and willingness to accept the truth. They also emphasize that it is possible to twist and misinterpret the Scriptures, and that it is the responsibility of the reader to understand the context and meaning of the text.
| Passage | How It’s Related (AI-Generated) |
|---|---|
| Matthew 13:15: For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ | Both passages discuss how difficult it is for people to understand spiritual truths. Hebrews 5:11 speaks of how difficult it is to explain spiritual truths to those who have become dull of hearing. Matthew 13:15 explains why this is the case - because their hearts have grown dull and they have closed their eyes and ears to the truth. |
| Mark 8:21: And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?” | Both passages refer to the difficulty of understanding spiritual truth. In Hebrews 5:11, it is mentioned that it is hard to explain spiritual truth since the listeners have become dull of hearing. Mark 8:21 furthers this idea by showing Jesus' frustration with his disciples' lack of understanding. Jesus' question of "Do you not yet understand?" suggests that they should have been able to comprehend the spiritual truth he was teaching. |
| Luke 24:25: And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! | Both passages emphasize the importance of faith and belief. Hebrews 5:11 highlights the difficulty of explaining faith to those who are “dull of hearing” and slow to believe. Luke 24:25 further reinforces this point by calling out the foolishness of those who are slow to believe in the words of the prophets. |
| John 6:6: He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. | Both passages demonstrate the importance of testing. Hebrews 5:11 speaks of the need to test the faith of the listeners, as they have become dull of hearing. John 6:6 speaks of Jesus testing the faith of the people by asking them to feed the multitude with just a few loaves and fishes. This testing reveals the power of faith in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. |
| John 16:12: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. | Both passages emphasize the importance of understanding God's word. Hebrews 5:11 speaks of the difficulty of explaining God's word due to the difficulty of the hearers to understand it. John 16:12 further emphasizes this point by indicating that the hearers are not yet ready to understand the fullness of God's word. Both passages are a reminder of how important it is to continue to study and understand God's word. |
| Acts 28:27: For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ | Both passages address the same issue: a dullness of hearing. Hebrews 5:11 states that there is much to explain, but it is hard to do so because the people have become dull of hearing. In Acts 28:27, the people's hearts have grown dull and they have closed their eyes, so they cannot understand and be healed. The two passages are connected in that they both refer to the same problem and its consequences. |
| 2 Peter 3:16: as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. | Both passages discuss the difficulty of understanding the Scriptures. Hebrews 5:11 talks about the difficulty of explaining the Scriptures to those who have become dull of hearing, while 2 Peter 3:16 states that some of the things in the Scriptures are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable can twist them to their own destruction. |
Heavenly Father, we come before You today, humbly asking for Your help and understanding. We pray that You would open our eyes, ears, and hearts to Your truth and knowledge. We confess our dullness and slowness in learning, and ask You to help us to understand Your Word. Give us patience and perseverance to keep seeking Your truth, and help us to turn away from any false teachings or false interpretations of Your Word. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
This reading plan reads through a single verse each day, six days a week, paired with the most-popular cross references for the verse. AI-generated (and human-reviewed) text provides an opening thought and concluding prayer along with an explanation for how each cross reference relates to the verse. In 2023, this reading plan works through Hebrews one verse at a time. Every seventh day is a catchup day. Want more info? Try this blog post.
Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com.