Up to this point, the book of Hebrews has given extensive evidence proving that Jesus Christ, and the new covenant He brought about, is God's ultimate plan for mankind's salvation. Chapter 10 provided an additional warning about the danger of falling away from this truth. Chapter 11 begins by clarifying the meaning of the word 'faith', primarily by listing examples of Old Testament figures who exemplify it. The ultimate application of this knowledge should be a motivation to 'hold fast' to the gospel, despite hardships. That encouragement is a major theme of chapter 12 (BibleRef).