Volume 23 Issue 6
June 2026
How shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation
Jn 20:19
Among all the New Testament letters, we find Hebrews to be the most difficult to read and understand. And yet, it is regarded “an eloquent document, one of the best written works of early Christianity … a magnificent work, treasured for centuries in the life of the church and well worth our effort to read and study carefully” (The Collegeville Bible Commentary).
But Hebrews is not a letter. It is “a written homily to which the author has given an epistolary ending” (The New Jerome Biblical Commentary). And the author is not Paul. It is now clear to most Bible scholars that in style, vocabulary, and theology, Hebrews was not written by Paul. Other authors have been suggested including Barnabas, Apollos, and Aquila and Priscilla (Introduction: The Letter to the Hebrews, The New American Bible).
Adolf von Harnack (1851–1930), an eminent German theologian and church historian, famously proposed in 1900 that the biblical letter to the Hebrews was authored by Priscilla. More recently, Ruth Hoppin, author of the 2009 book Priscilla’s Letter: Finding the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, strongly argued for Priscilla’s authorship. But because Aquila and Priscilla always worked together as tentmakers, went together on missions with Paul, risked their lives together to save Paul, and together explained to Apollos the Way of God more accurately, we favor the joint authorship of Aquila and Priscilla.
The First Pastoral Warning
That said, we begin our series of reflections on Hebrews starting with the first of five pastoral warnings that the authors have embedded in this written homily.
1Therefore, we must attend all the more to what we have heard, so that we may not be carried away. 2For if the word announced through angels proved firm, and every transgression and disobedience received its just recompense, 3how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? Announced originally through the Lord, it was confirmed for us by those who had heard. 4God added his testimony by signs, wonders, various acts of power, and distribution of the gifts of the holy Spirit according to his will (Heb 2:1-4).
Therefore We Must Attend
The opening word“therefore” functions as a vital bridge between what is said in the first chapter – that Jesus is higher than the prophets, far superior to the angels, and the exact representation of God’s being – to the moral imperative that “we must attend all the more to what we have heard, so that we may not be carried away.”
The Danger of Drifting Away
The phrase “that we may not be carried away” (or “drift away”) spiritually evokes the image of a boat that has slipped its anchor, caught in unseen currents and quietly swept away from safety. It serves as a poignant reminder that spiritual ruin rarely begins with sudden or deliberate defiance. Instead, it is the silent, often unnoticed result of carelessness, apathy, and neglect.
Within our community, we have sadly witnessed some drift away from their foundational faith. Rather than remaining deeply rooted in Christ, their continued engagement is often driven by secondary motives: the comfort of social fellowship, the allure of human praise for their teachings, or the appeal of travel opportunities through pastoral missions.
A Greater Message, A Greater Responsibility
In the second verse, the authors employ a classic Jewish rabbinic argumentative framework of moving from light to heavy. If disobeying a law delivered by servants (angels) brought severe judgment, how much worse will the consequences be if we neglect a message spoken directly by the Master (Jesus)?
Our Faith Before Community Life
Prior to becoming part of the CFC community, our faith was merely nominal. We attended Sunday Mass and occasionally prayed the Rosary, yet we lacked a deeper understanding of the liturgy and the significance of the mysteries we recited. The Bible remained unread; we were unaware that four Gospels existed, let alone that three are considered synoptic or why they carry that name. Furthermore, our personal prayer life was limited to reciting traditional formulas like the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be, leaving us unfamiliar with the ACTSS method of prayer, incorporating into our personal conversation with God the elements of adoration, contrition, thanksgiving, supplication, Scripture meditation, and silence.
That was our old self and our former understanding of the Christian faith. Through our community, however, we have come to discover that authentic Christianity is fundamentally about a deeply personal relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Learning to Pray in the Spirit
But in the CFC community we learned how to pray led by the Holy Spirit. We give praise to God: I will proclaim your name to the assembly, in the community I will praise you (Ps 22:23). We clap our hands: All you people, clap your hands, shout to God with joyful cries (Ps 47:2). We raise our hands: Lift up your hands toward the sanctuary and bless the Lord (Ps 134:2). Let my prayer be incense before you, my uplifted hands an evening sacrifice (Ps 141:2). It is my wish, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands (1 Tm 2:8).
Signs, Wonders, and Spiritual Gifts
Within our community, we have witnessed how God continues to affirm His presence through signs, wonders, powerful deeds, and the distribution of spiritual gifts according to his will. We have seen barren couples blessed with their first child after participating in the Christian Life Program and being prayed over by their household. We celebrate a friend who, having survived two strokes, miraculously regained speech and mobility. We also marvel at a family who, having lost their home to severe storms and fire, secured prosperous employment and business success entirely through the ardent prayers of our community.
Why Take the Risk?
Thus, we wonder why some drift away and leave the community. But we can all truthfully testify that we have been transformed in this community through the power of the Holy Spirit. We know who we were before. And we know who we are now. We have met Christ in this community. We may also meet him in other communities or even if we do not join any other religious community. But why take the risk? For this reason, we ask: How shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation?
