Strong’s Greek 357 appears once, in Hebrews 12:3, at a pivotal point in the exhortation section of the epistle. The command, “Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:3), calls readers to engage in careful, reasoned reflection on the endurance of Jesus Christ. Positioned immediately after the “great cloud of witnesses” of Hebrews 11 and the directive to “fix our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2), the verb deepens the author’s pastoral strategy: the community is not merely to remember Christ but to weigh His endurance against their own trials.

Exhortation to Perseverance

Hebrews addresses believers who are tempted to flag under persecution and social ostracism. By instructing them to “consider” Jesus’ sufferings, the writer provides a concrete remedy for spiritual fatigue. The deliberate mental comparison implied by the verb distinguishes it from a fleeting thought; believers are to rehearse, calculate, and conclude that their struggles, however real, cannot overshadow the triumph of the cross. This reasoning fuels perseverance (Hebrews 12:1) and guards against apostasy (Hebrews 10:39).

Christological Focus

Hebrews consistently elevates the supremacy of Christ—greater than angels (Hebrews 1–2), Moses (Hebrews 3), Aaronic priests (Hebrews 4–10). The unique command in Hebrews 12:3 therefore clinches the argument: the Son’s voluntary suffering is the ultimate paradigm for faithfulness. Considering His endurance strengthens confidence in His high-priestly sympathy (Hebrews 4:15) and in His once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10). Thus the call to “consider” is inherently Christological, rooting ethical perseverance in doctrinal certainty.

Historical Background

Most scholars locate the original audience in the mid-first century, likely Jewish Christians in or near Rome facing intensified pressure after the Claudian expulsions and before the Neronian persecutions. The verb’s calculated nuance suits an audience familiar with synagogue instruction that prized deliberate reflection on Scripture. By borrowing cognitive vocabulary common to Hellenistic moral philosophy, the author bridges Jewish heritage and Greco-Roman intellectual culture, urging a disciplined examination of Jesus’ passion as the antidote to waning courage.

Pastoral and Discipleship Applications

• Spiritual endurance training: Leaders can guide believers to catalogue Christ’s trials—misunderstanding, betrayal, scourging, crucifixion—and contrast them with present hardships, reinforcing gratitude and steadfastness.
• Counseling suffering saints: Hebrews 12:3 offers a template for redirecting focus from self-pity to Christ-centered resilience.
• Corporate worship: Reading or preaching this verse before the Lord’s Supper invites the congregation to linger thoughtfully on the cost of redemption.
• Discipleship curricula: Assign journaling exercises that ask participants to “consider” daily how the Lord’s endurance informs responses to criticism, injustice, or persecution.

Intertextual Connections

• Isaiah 53. The Suffering Servant “was despised and rejected” (Isaiah 53:3), a prophetic echo fulfilled in the hostility Jesus endured.
• Psalm 22. The righteous sufferer’s lament foreshadows the Messiah’s dereliction, enriching the contemplation mandated in Hebrews 12:3.
• Romans 8:18. Paul’s reasoning that present sufferings are “not comparable with the glory that will be revealed” parallels the same evaluative process encouraged by the writer to the Hebrews.
• 1 Peter 2:21. Peter likewise exhorts believers to trace Christ’s example of suffering without retaliation, an application of the same principle.

Homiletical Illustrations

Early church fathers invoked Hebrews 12:3 when consoling martyrs. Polycarp reportedly cited the verse to believers facing execution, urging them to remember the flames that consumed Christ’s obedience long before Roman fires threatened His followers. In later centuries, Reformation preachers applied the command to believers enduring social exile, framing the Savior’s cross as the metric by which to measure all trials.

Doctrinal Safeguard

The verse preserves a balance between grace and effort: salvation rests on Christ’s finished work, yet perseverance involves disciplined thought. By grounding endurance in contemplation rather than sheer willpower, Hebrews 12:3 guards against legalism while preventing passivity.

Summary

Strong’s Greek 357 spotlights an intentional, comparative reflection on Christ’s sufferings that energizes weary believers. In one decisive imperative, the writer intertwines doctrine, devotion, and duty, assuring the faithful that thoughtful meditation on the crucified and risen Lord will uphold them “to the end” (Hebrews 3:14).