Bible verse wall art
Hebrews 6: hope as an anchor of the soul
Hebrews 6 begins with one of the sternest warnings in the New Testament and ends with one of its most reassuring images. The turn between them explains why an anchor became a Christian symbol.
Hebrews 6 print
Hebrews 6 · King James Version
19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast
From warning to reassurance
The letter to the Hebrews appears to have been written to believers who were tempted to drift back from their faith under pressure. In the first half of chapter 6 the author urges them to move beyond the first principles and warns, in verses 4 to 6, about those who have tasted the heavenly gift and then fall away. It is a passage Christians have debated for centuries.
Then the tone changes. The writer is persuaded of better things for his readers, reminds them that God is not unrighteous to forget their work and love, and urges them not to be slothful but to follow those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
God's promise and God's oath
The example is Abraham. When God made his promise, he swore by himself, because he could swear by no one greater, and Abraham, after patiently enduring, obtained the promise. The author notes that people swear by something greater to end a dispute, and that God went further than he needed to, confirming his word with an oath. By these two unchangeable things, promise and oath, those who have fled for refuge have strong encouragement.
What does Hebrews 6:19 mean?
Verse 19 is the line on our print: “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast.” An anchor does not stop the wind or calm the sea. It holds the ship in place while the storm goes on. Christian hope, in this picture, is fixed not on circumstances but on God's word.
The verse goes on to say that this hope enters into that within the veil, the inner room of the temple where only the high priest could go. Jesus has entered there as a forerunner for us, a high priest forever after the order of Melchisedec, which becomes the theme of chapter 7. The anchor is not sunk in sand but in heaven itself.
The anchor as a Christian symbol
Anchors appear among the early Christian symbols carved and painted in the Roman catacombs, often beside fish, doves and the Good Shepherd, and the cross-bar of an anchor made it a discreet echo of the cross. Our Anchor of the Soul Linocut keeps that simple, bold style. It is Christian wall art at home in a coastal house, an office or the room of someone going through a long season of uncertainty, and a fitting confirmation or graduation gift.