Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Hebrews 10:32

"But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were enlightened, ye endured a great conflict of sufferings;" — Hebrews 10:32 (ASV)

The author does not class his friends among those who go back on their Christian profession. He begins by inviting them to contemplate the days just after they had become Christians. The verb translated “received the light” (GK 5894) means the enlightenment the Gospel brought. This had resulted in some form of persecution that the readers had endured in the right spirit. There should be no going back on that kind of perseverance now. “Contest” (GK 124) is a word used of athletic competition. It became widely used of the Christian as a spiritual athlete and so points to the strenuous nature of Christian service. On this occasion, the athletic performance had been elicited by a period of suffering they had steadfastly endured.