INTEGRATIVE STUDY ON HEBREWS 10:26-39

Tao-jen Wang 王道仁 97003

Introduction

    There are some passages in Bible that are hard to comprehend or accept, and the warning message in Hebrews 10:26-39 is on of them.  Since I tend to be a  perfectionist, I often worried about this kind of warning, fearing that some day I would commit the unforgivable sin.  Sometimes I even worried that I have already committed this particular sin.  So I thank God that I have this chance to study this passage and may the Holy Spirit help me and guide me into the truth.

    In the following, I will first describe my background and how I interpret Bible, then I will do exegesis on Hebrews 10:26-39.  Then I will give my interpretation and theological reflection on this passage.  Lastly, I will describe how I would preach or teach this message.

My Personal background and how I interpret Bible

I was born in Taipei, Taiwan during the 1970’s and I go to the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan regularly.  I studied in both China Evangelical Seminary and Taiwan Theological College, so my theology have conservative roots, but is also exposed to a diverse range of thoughts. 

I think human knowledge had its limitation and knowing God, so Bible is our best foundation to build our theology.  I think Bible is inerrant in a sense and we can rely on Bible to know God and His plan for human, but I also agree that God may want us to interpret some passages in ways other than literally.  We should also be careful not to use this as an excuse to twist Bible to fit our own view.  When it comes to interpreting approaches, I think the author, the text and the reader are all very important, but the text’s approach gets the precedence because of its reliability. 

Exegesis

Background of Hebrews

Hebrews is a public letter according to 13:22, and was described there as a “word of exhortation.”[1]  The author was not mentioned in the letter so it is uncertain who wrote Hebrews,[2] but Timothy was mentioned as “brother” of the author in 13:23.  The date was also uncertain, but some speculated that it might be written before the destruction of Jerusalem.[3]  The recipient of the letter was not mentioned in the letter.  One would think they must be Jewish Christians due to the frequent mention of the Old Testament and Jewish rites.  But all Christians should be familiar with the Old Testament, so the recipients might be any Church.[4]  The purpose of Hebrews might be strengthening the faith of the recipients and encouraging them to be faithful.  The author clarified the identity of Christ and compared the old covenant and the new one to do this.[5]

Selecting the passage

Starting from 4:14, Christ is mentioned as the high priest, and detailed discussion of the order of Melchizedek and its contrast with Levitical priesthood starts from 7:1.  Then 9:1-10:18 discusses the contrast between the sacrifice of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary and the earthly worship of priests in the earthly sanctuary.  Then 10:19-25 is a passage of exhortation. And then 10:26-39 comes a great warning, which is in turn followed by models of the faithful in 11:1-40 and exhortation in 12:1-17.[6] 

Textual criticism

Though one early testimony î⁴⁶ support desmoi/j (prisoner) in 10:34, external and internal evidence support desmi,oij (prisoner) over desmoi/j (bond).[7] Fourth edition of the Greek New Testament by the United Bible Society rated evidence level of desmoi/j as B.[8]  And e`autou.j (oneself) in 10:34 is supported by internal and external evidence[9] and the evidence level by the United Bible Society was rated as A.[10]  These textual variants had little influence on interpretation.

My own literal translation of Hebrews 10:26-39

²⁶ For if we willingly sin after receiving the knowledge of truth, sacrifice of sins no longer remains, ²⁷ but some fearful expectation of judgment and zeal of fire about to eat the adversaries.  ²⁸ Anyone rejecting the law of Moses dies without compassion on two or three witnesses, ²⁹ how much worse you think the punishment will be deserving for the one who trampled the son of God, regarded the blood of covenant to be common, in which one was sanctified, and insulted the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know the one who said, “Vindication is of me, I will repay.”  And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”  ³¹ To fall into the hands of the living God is fearful.  ³² You should remember the former days, in which you endured many challenges of suffering after enlightened, ³³ sometimes being exposed publicly to reproaches and oppressions, sometimes having been companions of those who live as such.  ³⁴ For you even sympathized with the prisoners and received the plundering of your possessions with delight, knowing that you have for yourselves a better and lasting possession.  ³⁵ Therefore, do not throw away your courage, which has great reward.  ³⁶ For you have the need of perseverance, so that after doing the will of God you receive what was promised.  ³⁷ For still a little while the coming one will have come and will not delay.  ³⁸ My righteous will live out of faith, and if he withdraws, my soul is not pleased in him.  ³⁹ But we are not of withdrawing into destruction, but of faith into preserving of soul.

Grammatical observation

Word Order

~Ekousi,wj (willingly) is the first word of 10:26, which indicates this verse places certain emphasis on this word.  Likewise, fobera. (fearful) is the first word of 10:27, avqeth,saj (reject) is the first word of 10:28, fobero.n (fearful) is the first word of 10:31, and u`pomonh/j (perseverance) is the first word of 10:36.

Contrast and Comparison

There is a contrast of sacrifice of sins and fearful expectation of judgment and zeal of fire about to eat the adversaries in 10:26-27, a contrast of rejecting Moses and rejecting the son of God in 10:28-29, a contrast of the sanctifying blood of covenant being regarded as common in 10:29, a contrast of earthly possessions and a better and lasting possession in 10:34 and a contrast of withdrawing and keeping faith in 10:38-39.

Repetition and Parallelism

Repetition of fobero,j (fearful) can be noted in 10:27 and 10:31 respectively; repetition of o[son (as great as) in 10:37 is interesting and mikro.n o[son o[son seem to have assonance; the parallelism in 10:38 and 10:39 is also obvious. 

Change of Person

Ellingworth noted a change of person from “we” (10:26, 30) to “you” (10:29) and thinks that the warning is attenuated by this and the rhetorical question of 10:29.[11] Actually “we” is used in 10:10, 19, 22, 23, 30, 39 and “you” is used in 10:25, 29, 32, 34, 35, 36, so I do not think the change of person is very important.

Parsing Analysis

a`martano,ntwn (sinning) is a genitive absolute present participle, which correlates with the main verb avpolei,petai (leave) which is a present indicative.  But whether this verb emphasizes on continuity of sinning or it is simply stating a truth like avpoqnh,|skei (die) in 10:28 is uncertain.[12]  Ellingworth,[13] Fung,[14] Mitchell,[15] and Moffatt[16] all think the present tense here implies persistence or continuity, but I am not so sure.  And in 10:29 katapath,saj (trample), h`ghsa,menoj (regard) and evnubri,saj (insult) are all aorist participles, which represent their time is before the main verb avxiwqh,setai (consider deserving) which is a future indicative.  At least the participles in 10:29 do not emphasize on the continuity. 

In 10:29 h`gia,sqh (sanctify) is an aorist indicative, which might indicate that the person was sanctified by the blood before.  In 10:33 qeatrizo,menoi (be exposed publicly) is a present participle, but genhqe,ntej (become) is an aorist participle, which might indicate that the recipients first became companions to the oppressed and then became oppressed themselves.  An imperative VAnamimnh,|skesqe (remember) is noted in 10:32 and a prohibitive subjunctive avpoba,lhte (throw away) is noted in 10:35.  In 10:38 zh,setai (live) is a future indicative, which might mean that it is a future event.  In 10:38 the conditional clause is eva.n + subjunctive, which belongs to a third class condition according to Wallace,[17] which has a broad semantic range and can mean uncertainty of the future or only hypothetical possibility.  In 10:38 o` de. di,kaio,j mou evk pi,stewj zh,setai, evk pi,stewj seem more closely related to zh,setai than to o` di,kaio,j, which might indicate it means “my righteous will live out of faith” instead of “my righteous out of faith will live.”

Important connectives: there is a ga.r (for) in 10:26, which indicates that this passage is one of the reason of the exhortation in 10:22-25, a ga.r (for) in 10:30, which indicates that 10:30 is one of the reason of 10:29, a ga.r (for) in 10:34 indicating 10:34 is an explanation of 10:33, and a ga.r (for) in 10:36 indicating 10:34 is one of the reason of 10:35.  There is another ga.r (for) in 10:37 in a direct discourse, which might indicate 10:37 is one of the reason of 10:36.  There is a ou=n (therefore) in 10:35 indicating the exhortation in 10:35 is based on 10:26-34 or a even larger passage like 10:22-34. 

Key Word Analysis

~ekousi,wj (willingly) seem to be one of the key word in this passage.  This word only occur twice in the New Testament, and the other passage is 1 Peter 5:2 where it is used to describe willingly tending the flock of God.  It also occurs in Septuagint Exodus 36:2 which indicates voluntarily coming to work and Psalm 53:8 which indicates sacrifice willingly. 

According to Kittel, its related word include e`kou,sioj (voluntary) and e`kw,n (willing) and its opposite avkousi,wj (unwillingly) and a;kwn (unwilling).[18]  e`kou,sioj (voluntary) occur once in Philemon 1:14 (voluntary freeing Onesimus) and in Septuagint Leviticus 7:16 (freewill offering), 23:38 (freewill offering), Numbers 15:3 (freewill offering), 29:39 (freewill offering), Deuteronomy 12:6 (freewill offering), Ezra 1:4 (freewill offering), 1:6 (freewill offering), 3:5 (freewill offering), 8:28 (freewill offering), Nehemiah 5:8 (redeemed our brothers voluntarily), Psalm 67:10 (God will set apart gracious rain), 118:108 (willing offering of mouth) and Proverbs 27:6 (voluntary kisses of the enemy cannot be trusted).  

e`kw,n (willing) occur in Romans 8:20 (the creation subjected to futility not willingly) and 1 Corinthians 9:17 (preach the gospel voluntarily) and in Septuagint Exodus 21:13 (killing people unintentionally) and Job 36:19 (turn down the petition willingly).  avkousi,wj (unwillingly) occur in Septuagint Leviticus 4:2 (sin unintentionally), 4:13 (sin unintentionally), 4:22 (sin unintentionally), 4:27 (sin unintentionally); Numbers 15:24 (sin unintentionally), 15:27 (sin unintentionally), 15:28 (sin unintentionally), 15:29 (sin unintentionally), 35:11 (kill unintentionally), 35:15 (kill unintentionally); Deuteronomy 19:4 (kill unintentionally), Joshua 20:3 (kill unintentionally), 20:9 (kill unintentionally); Job 31:33 (sin unintentionally).  These occurrences mostly indicate sinning and killing unintentionally.  a;kwn (unwilling) occur in 1 Corinthians 9:17 (preach the gospel not voluntarily) and Septuagint Job 14:17 (unintentional sin).  Ellingworth notes that e`kousiasmo,j (free-will offering) in Septuagint Ezra 7:16 and e`kousia,zomai (to be willing) in Septuagint Judges 5:2 are also related to this word.  Ellingworth thinks the meaning of ~ekousi,wj (willingly) here is more “willfully” than “not under compulsion” due to the Old Testament references.[19]

In Chinese, the translation “故意” in 10:26 means willingly or knowingly, where “故意犯罪” (willingly sinning) is often interpreted as sinning while knowing it is wrong.  This could create confusion since every Christian sometimes sins knowingly.  This confusion is also reinforced by 15:27 and the idiom “明知故犯” which means exactly sinning while knowing it is wrong.  So Chinese readers might interpret the meaning of ~ekousi,wj (willingly) different than Hebrews intends to.

In summary, this word basically means voluntarily, willingly and intentionally without compulsion. 

Progression of idea

Firstly warning against sinning willingly is given, then contrast with the law of Moses and quotation of the Old Testament are made to strengthen the warning.  Then the example of the recipients themselves is mentioned to give them more confidence and is followed by an exhortation to keep courage and perseverance.  Great reward and the soon coming are used to strengthen the exhortation.  Then another quotation of the Old Testament strengthens both the warning and the exhortation.  Lastly, confidence in the recipient is expressed.

Interpretation and Theological Reflection

Willingly Sinning

What does ~ekousi,wj a`martano,ntwn (willingly sinning) actually mean here? In 9:7 the high priest offers sacrifices for sins committed unintentionally, which might be the opposite of sinning willingly in 10:26.  And in Numbers 15:22-31, sins are divided as sinning unintentionally and defiantly, which is blaspheming the Lord and the one who sins should be cut off from the people of God.  Additionally in Numbers 35:16-34 one who murders not unintentionally is not permitted to flee to the city of refuge.  On the other hand, in Leviticus 6:1-7 deceiving and swearing falsely which one might tend to classify as intentional sins can still be forgiven and in 2 Samuel 12:13 David who committed murder intentionally was forgiven.  So there seem to exist a gray zone between sinning willingly and unintentionally. 

Ellingworth mentions that Philo believed that deliberate sins could be forgiven on the Day of Atonement.  He also pointed out that in Jewish tradition sins committed through foolishness or under the pressure of fear are also counted as sins of ignorance.  And he agrees with Michel that in a Christian sense there can only be a willful sin after becoming Christians since all sins before are counted as sins of ignorance.[20]  These findings also support there is a gray zone between sinning willingly and unintentionally.

Does ~ekousi,wj a`martano,ntwn (willingly sinning) include yielding to temptations? The Chinese translation of willingly sinning mentioned above is the main cause of this question.  Actually the meaning of ~ekousi,wj (willingly) already seems to exclude yielding to temptation, which is often against one’s will.  And in 4:14-16 Christ can sympathize with our weakness when we are tempted.  And in Romans 7:7-26, yielding to temptations seem to be classified as sinning unwillingly.  So yielding to temptations is not classified as willingly sinning.

In the immediate context of ~Ekousi,wj a`martano,ntwn (willingly sinning), it is described as trampling the son of God, regarding the blood of covenant to be common and insulting the Spirit of grace in 10:29.  There is a possibility that this is related to blaspheming the Holy Spirit in Mathew 12:22-37 and Mark 3:20-35, which is about regarding the work of the Holy Spirit as the work of Satan, and in Luke 12:1-12, which is about denying the Lord.  This can also be related to the mortal sins mentioned in 1 John 5:16-18, which might mean sinning continually and habitually and cannot be committed by those born of God.  Fung disagrees with these connections, since he thinks the passage in Hebrews is about apostasy and passages about blaspheming the Holy Spirit are not.  And he thinks that it is uncertain what are mortal sins.[21]

And in the following context of ~Ekousi,wj a`martano,ntwn (willingly sinning), the recipients are encouraged to keep their courage and faith in 10:35 and 10:38.  And in 6:1-9 warning against falling seem similar to this passage.  And models of the faithful are shown in 11:1-40 which are also followed by an exhortation to perseverance.  So ~Ekousi,wj a`martano,ntwn (willingly sinning) here might also indicate committing apostasy willingly.  But we should keep in mind that Peter denied the Lord three times after following Jesus, so there are still some ambiguity here. 

Calvin,[22] Chen,[23] Ellingworth,[24] Long,[25] and Pfitzner[26] all support that willingly sinning mean exactly rejecting Jesus or apostasy.  Moffatt thinks that this apostasy consists of combining mystery-cult with Christianity, not regarding Christianity as full and final revelation and withdrawing from church.[27]  Fung even thinks that apostasy under threatening or persecution still classified as willingly sinning.[28]  I agree that willingly sinning here refer to willing apostasy, but I do not think we should say that all apostasy, willing or not, cannot be forgiven from this passage.

In contrast, Gleason thinks willingly sinning is a deliberate act of covenant unfaithfulness, which is not repudiation of Christ. [29]  He also thinks the judgments mentioned in 10:27, 29, 31 are referring to physical death only.[30]  I do not find this view convincing since 10:26 mentions the sacrifice of sin no longer remains.  This refers to the sacrifice of Christ in 10:12, which indicates willingly sinning is about eternal judgment, not physical judgment. 

And Mitchell is uncertain what willingly sinning consists of.  Mitchell thinks not believing the atonement of Christ is enough and repetition of purification rituals willfully and persistently might be what Hebrews is talking about.[31]

I think ~Ekousi,wj a`martano,ntwn (willingly sinning) means willingly sinning against God, which do not include yielding to temptation and might or might not indicate continual sinning.  And the context here suggests it emphasizes on apostasy.  After clarifying the meaning of willingly sinning, we must remember this passage is a warning, which is written to prevent sinning and not to prevent repenting.  As we can see, there is some ambiguity concerning the definition of willingly sinning, which makes it hard to be certain whether a sinner has already committed such sin and can no longer be forgiven.  And God often changes His mind if one repents, like what happened to the people in Nineveh and King Manasseh.  So if one sins, one should always repent and seek God. 

Love or Fear

This passage might seem fearful to people and one might portray God as a angry judge.  But actually the warning of this passage is based on the grace God has given to Christians: since the grace of the sacrifice of Christ is so great, we should not sin willingly and abuse it.  So one must first understand how great the new covenant is to grasp the true meaning of the warning.  If one neglect the grace and only focus on this warning, God will become more fearsome than loving, which is the opposite of what Bible says in Psalm 30:5 and Roman 5:15.

Perseverance or Uncertainty

This passage mentions a possibility of not being forgiven after one receives the knowledge of truth (10:26).  And the one mentioned was also sanctified by the blood of covenant (10:29), will be judged as God’s people (10:30) and is also enlightened (10:32).  Does this mean there is uncertainty whether Christians can keep their faith? Receiving the knowledge of truth and being enlightened do not necessarily refer to Christians and “God’s people” also include Jews who disbelieve, which might also include fake Christians.  Being sanctified is used to refer to Christians in 2:11, 10:10, 14 and 13:12, but is also used to refer to outward sanctification in 9:13.  Though it is still possible that the one sanctified is not a Christian, but since the sanctification in 10:29 is by the blood of covenant, it is more likely for the one to be a Christian. 

Calvin,[32] and Chen[33] think those willingly sinning are not real Christians and argue for the perseverance of saints.  Fanning agrees with them and thinks this passage is only describing the outward phenomena of them.[34] but Cockerill,[35] Fung,[36] and Osborne[37] think they once are Christians and argue against the perseverance of saints.  Due to the reasons described above, I think they are more likely to be Christians, but this does not necessarily contradict perseverance of saints. 

As mentioned previously, Gleason argues that the judgment is only physical so Christians sinning willingly can still be saved.[38]  Though I disagree with Gleason, this is also a possible explanation.

I think since in 10:39 those who receive the warning are also believed to persevere and keep one’s faith.  So it is also possible that 10:26-39 is a warning against hypothetical willingly sinning and it would not happen in real world, which in turn shows that this warning is effective.  So we cannot be certain from this passage whether a Christian will persevere or not. 

Preaching and Teaching

Application

How great is the new covenant and the sacrifice of Christ?

One must first understand the greatness of the new covenant and the sacrifice of Christ to understand this passage.  The sacrifice is once for all, can really take away sin, cleanse our conscience to be free of consciousness of sin and offered by Christ Himself in the heavenly sanctuary.  After we understand this, we can then know why we should not abuse such grace and sin willingly.  And we should not forget the love and grace of God is always greater than His wrath.

Do Not Sin Willingly

We as Christians, especially as would-be pastors, should take heed to the warning against sinning willingly.  We should not abuse the grace of God. 

The reward of our perseverance is soon and great so we should keep our faith

After just a little while, if we keep our courage and faith, we will receive great reward and a better possession.  We will enter God’s rest and receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken.  Though I am not completely certain of what those actually are, but I know our God is faithful.

Our own experience can be our strength

The experience of the recipients themselves are mentioned to strengthen their faith.  Sometimes when we are depressed, our own experience and example can speak to us and encourage us.  This is like our old self testifying to our present self.  This is a good way to for Christians to help themselves.

Always Repent After Sinning

Though this passage talks about sinning willingly is unforgivable, this passage is for preventing sinning, not for preventing repenting.  No one except God can be certain that one already committed the unforgivable sin or not, and repenting might also be the evidence that one did not sin willingly.  So one should always repent and seek God after sinning. 

God Want Us To Be Careful But Have Confidence

This warning message want Christians to be careful, but does not want Christians to worry if they will be saved or not.  In 10:39 we can see Hebrews believes that they will be saved, and this grace in turn makes the warning more effective: once we know how great the grace of God is, we will not want to fall away from it. 

Sermon Example: A Fearful Warning

This is a “four page sermon” prepared for our class on homiletics.

Preface

Brothers and sisters, we all know that in the Bible there are some passages that are hard to understand.  When we preach or lead a Bible study group, we often hope we will not encounter these passages since some of them we ourselves cannot give a satisfactory explanation.  The passage today is one of these: it is a passage which arouses fear and anxiety.  Let us read it together:

Christians Then Had Danger of Sinning Willfully

“For if we willfully persist in sin after having received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has violated the law of Moses dies without mercy ‘on the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by those who have spurned the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant by which they were sanctified, and outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know the one who said, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay.’ And again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:26-31, NRSV) 

The scripture here says that when one sins willfully, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.  This is a severe and fearful warning, because if one sins willfully, one cannot be forgiven by God.  But what does it mean by “sin willfully?” Does it mean sinning while knowing it is wrong? When one falls to temptation and sins, is it counted as sinning willfully?

Actually this “willfully,” in Greek it means not under compulsion, voluntarily and willfully.  So this is not talking about falling to temptation and sinning; actually Hebrews discusses temptation at another passage in chapter four: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16) 

So sinning willfully is sinning voluntarily and willfully, and it cannot be forgiven.  But what kind of sin is it talking about? Let us continue to read the scripture:

“But recall those earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to abuse and persecution, and sometimes being partners with those so treated.  For you had compassion for those who were in prison, and you cheerfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you yourselves possessed something better and more lasting.  Do not, therefore, abandon that confidence of yours; it brings a great reward.  For you need endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.  For yet
     "in a very little while,
         the one who is coming will come and will not delay;
    but my righteous one will live by faith.
         My soul takes no pleasure in anyone who shrinks back."” (Hebrews 10:32-38)

So we can see that the Christians then faced great persecution and their faith faced great challenges.  If they held fast to their faith, they might be insulted, abused and persecuted and they might lose their possession and even their life.  Actually in Hebrews there are many warning passages concerning apostasy, which want to encourage Christians to persevere in faith and do not give up.  So “sinning willfully” here might be referring to falling away from faith voluntarily and willfully.  If Christians apostatized as such, they could no longer be forgiven.

So the author of Hebrews sensed the danger of the Christians then.  Though they already became Christians, they were not yet mature.  He was worried that they might sin willfully, casually and happily.  He was even more worried that they might give up their faith voluntarily, so he gave them this fearful warning to tell them: never do this, or you cannot be forgiven.

We Have Danger of Sinning Willfully

When we read this passage, sometimes we might be worried of ourselves.  Though we already come to study in a seminary and are all serious Christians, will we sin willfully some day? Are pastors holy Christians or hypocrites? We might not sin before others, but would we sin when we are alone? Do we regard ourselves as spiritual when preaching or leading worship, but in reality have many sins in secret that we cannot overcome?  Actually every Christian might fall to temptation and sin sometimes, but will we one day become one who sin voluntarily and willfully, and even give up our faith and fall away from God?

Actually we should hear of many pastors who fall to temptation and sin.  Many pastors were tempted by money and used the money of God to satisfy their own lust.  Many were tempted by power and fight against each other in the church for a greater position.  Many were tempted by sex and committed adultery with lay-Christians, presbyters, other pastors’ wives and even prostitutes.  We should also hear of pastor Tang, who used Christians faith to seduce female Christians and was put into jail.  But he still continued doing this after being freed.  I also heard of a pastor who was a teacher of a seminary, but committed homicide later and was jailed.

These pastors might have sinned involuntarily and might have not given up their faith.  We do not know if they are forgiven or not.  But when we see these, we might be worried of ourselves.  Will we sin willfully and give up our faith one day? We all know that we should not sin, but we are so weak.  We all know that we should persist in faith, but sometimes we might find it hard to continue our faith.  We all know that what we should do, but we do not have the strength to do it.  When we read the fearful and terrible warning in the Bible, though we do not want to sin willfully, we might start to worry: will we commit such a sin? We might even worry that have we already committed such a sin? Is there no chance of forgiveness already?

Jesus Already Offered A Better Sacrifice for Sin for the Christians Then

Actually when the Christians then read this severe warning, they might also be worried.  But the Christians then read the whole Hebrews, not just this passage.  Let us read this passage more carefully and we will understand. 

“But recall those earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to abuse and persecution, and sometimes being partners with those so treated.  For you had compassion for those who were in prison, and you cheerfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you yourselves possessed something better and more lasting.  Do not, therefore, abandon that confidence of yours; it brings a great reward.  For you need endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.  For yet
     "in a very little while,
         the one who is coming will come and will not delay;
    but my righteous one will live by faith.
         My soul takes no pleasure in anyone who shrinks back."” (Hebrews 10:32-38)

This is what we just read.  The warning here is so severe because there is a comparison here: a comparison of the Law of Moses and the new covenant.  This new covenant is so good that it is given through the son of God, it can really sanctify people and it is accompanied by the grace of the Holy Spirit.  So if we repudiate this new covenant, it is more severe than breaking the law of Moses.  Actually Hebrews chapter 7 to 10 are all talking about how good this new covenant and sacrifice are.  Let us read these passages:

“accordingly Jesus has also become the guarantee of a better covenant.   Furthermore, the former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever.  Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:22-25)

“For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God!” (Hebrews 9:13-14)

“"This is the covenant that I will make with them
         after those days, says the Lord:
     I will put my laws in their hearts,
         and I will write them on their minds,"
he also adds,
     "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more."
Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.” (Hebrews 10:16-18)

As we can see, Jesus already offered a better sacrifice for sin for the Christians then, which can wash their conscience, deeds and all their sins once for all.  So when these Christians read this warning passage, they know the point of the warning: since the new covenant and sacrifice of Jesus are so good, they should not despise this sacrifice.  They should never sin willfully or give up their faith.  This is the warning in this passage.  Other than warning, this passage also gives a message of comfort which we still not yet read it.  Let us read it now:

“but my righteous one will live by faith.
         My soul takes no pleasure in anyone who shrinks back."
But we are not among those who shrink back and so are lost, but among those who have faith and so are saved.” (Hebrews 10:38-39)

So the author of Hebrews states here clearly that s/he believed these Christians were not those who will sin willfully.  S/he believed that they were those who had faith and would persevere.  As a result, the warning is not intended to make these Christians worry, and it is not intended to make Christians that sinned worry.  This warning is to help these Christians to be more careful and give them more strength to overcome sin.

Jesus Already Offered A Better Sacrifice for Sin for Us

Brothers and sisters, Jesus already offered a better sacrifice for sin for us.  This sacrifice for sin can wash our conscience, deeds and all our sins.  Jesus is a better high priest who can sympathize with our weakness, and he always lives to make intercession for us.  Our sins are forgiven completely and God no longer remembers our sins.  Even more than this, God also chose us to study in Taiwan Theological Seminary.  If God permits, we will become pastors in the future.  So we should not despise this sacrifice or the chance to study in Taiwan Theological Seminary.  When we serve in the church, especially when we becomes pastors in the future, we should never use this grace of God as an opportunity to sin.  We should follow Jesus with all our heart because of such an amazing grace of God.  In addition, God do not want us to be worried that if we have already committed sin willfully; this is not what this warning of God intends.  This warning of God is intended to help us overcome those great sins when we faces them. 

So we should not worry or feel anxious, because God want us to have assurance that we are not those who shrink back, but those who live by faith.  Since we are given such a great sacrifice for sin and such an amazing grace, we should face the challenges in the future carefully and with a gracious heart.  This passage is no longer a terrible and fearful warning, but a reminding with love.

Even if one day we commit great sin and even suspect that we sin willfully and give up our faith voluntarily, we should not give up when we repent.  We can never be sure if the sin we commit is exactly the unforgivable sin the Bible refers to.  And our repentance might already shows we do not sin willfully.  Even the apostle Peter denied the Lord three times.  Additionally, we should remember that the grace of God is much more than the judgment of God, and the judgment of God is often withdrawn when human repents.  God do not want evil-doers to perish, but hopes them will repent and be forgiven.  So no matter what sin we commit, we should always approach God with boldness when we repent and receive his mercy and grace. 

Conclusion

So every time when we sit at the Lord’s table, we should remember our Lord who loves us.  The sacrifice for sin he offered is great and amazing and can wash our conscience, deeds and all our sin.  God do not want us to feel guilty for our sins in the past, since in Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.  Since we receive such an amazing grace, we should never sin willfully and waste the grace of God.  This is the reminding of God with love, and through this reminding, God wants to give us strength to overcome the challenges of sin.

Conclusion

I thank God who gives me the chance to contemplate on this passage.  This passage seems to be a fearful warning passage, but is actually a reminding passage with love.  May God help us understand how great his new covenant is and help us not to sin willingly or apostatize. 

Reference

Aland, Barbara et al., Kurt Aland, Johannes Karavidopoulos, Carlo M. Martini, and Bruce M. Metzger, eds. The Greek New Testament. D-Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1994.

Barker, Kenneth L., eds. The NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995.

Calvin, John. Commentaries on the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews. Translated by John Owen. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1948.

Chen, Stephen C. T. (陳終道). Hebrews (希伯來書). Commentaries of the Epistles of the New Testament (新約書信讀經講義). Taipei: Campus.

Cockerill, Gareth Lee. “A Wesleyan Arminian View.” Pages 257-292 in Four Views on the Warning Passages in Hebrews. Edited by Herbert W. Bateman IV. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2007.

Ellingworth, Paul. The Epistle to the Hebrews: A Commentary on the Greek Text. The New International Greek Testament Commentary. Edited by I. Howard Marshall and W. Ward Gasque. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1993.

Fanning, Buist M. “A Classical Reformed View.” Pages 172-219 in Four Views on the Warning Passages in Hebrews. Edited by Herbert W. Bateman IV. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2007.

Fung, Ronald Y. K. (馮蔭坤). Hebrews (希伯來書). 2 vols. Tien Dao Bible Commetary (天道聖經註釋). Hong Kong: Tien Dao, 1995.

Gleason, Randall C. “A Moderate Reformed View.” Pages 336-377 in Four Views on the Warning Passages in Hebrews. Edited by Herbert W. Bateman IV. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2007.

Kittel, G. and G. Friedrich, eds. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Translated by G. W. Bromiley. 10 vols. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964-1967.

Metzger, Bruce M. A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament. 2nd ed. In Bibleworks 7.0 on DVD-ROM. 2007. Print ed.: D-stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1994.

Mitchell, Alan C. Hebrews. Vol. 13 of Sacra Pagina Series. Edited by Daniel J. Harrington. Collegeville: Liturgical, 2007.

Moffatt, James. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews. International Critical Commentary. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1924.

Osborne, Grant R. “A Classical Arminian View.” Pages 86-128 in Four Views on the Warning Passages in Hebrews. Edited by Herbert W. Bateman IV. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2007.

Pfitzner, Victor C. Hebrews. Abingdon New Testament Commentaries. Nashville: Abingdon, 1997.

Wallace, Daniel B. Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament. In Bibleworks 7.0 on DVD-ROM. 2003. Corrected in 2007. Print ed.: Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996.

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[1] Mitchell has a good discussion on the genra of Hebrews mentions the possibility of letter, homily, exhortation and Midrash.  See Alan C. Mitchell, Hebrews, vol. 13 of Sacra Pagina Series, ed. Daniel J. Harrington (Collegeville: Liturgical, 2007), 13-17.

[2] There are a lot of speculations including Paul, Clement of Rome, Luke, Barnabas, Priscilla and Apollos.  See Ronald Y. K. Fung (馮蔭坤), Hebrews (希伯來書), 2 vols., Tien Dao Bible Commetary (天道聖經註釋) (Hong Kong: Tien Dao, 1995), 1:3-11.

[3] Kenneth L. Barker eds., The NIV Study Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995), 1856.

[4] Ellingworth discusses the possible recipient, but those are all speculations.  See Paul Ellingworth, The Epistle to the Hebrews: A Commentary on the Greek Text, The New International Greek Testament Commentary, eds. I. Howard Marshall and W. Ward Gasque (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1993), 21-27.

[5] Fung has some discussions on the purpose of Hebrews.  See Fung (馮蔭坤), Hebrews (希伯來書), 1:18-21.

[6] Most of the commentaries I read discuss 10:26-39 together or as two parts (10:26-31, 10:32-39).  I do not think how we define this is important as long as we are aware of the context of the passage.

[7] Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, 2nd ed., in Bibleworks 7.0 on DVD-ROM (D-stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1994), 600-601.

[8] Barbara Aland et al., eds., The Greek New Testament (D-Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1994), 762.

[9] Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (D-stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1994), 601.

[10] Barbara Aland et al., eds., The Greek New Testament (D-Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1994), 762.

[11] Ellingworth, The Epistle to the Hebrews, 530.

[12] Wallace discusses the time and aspect of a participle and points out that present participle often functions as present indicative, but not necessarily always indicates continuity.  See Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament, in Bibleworks 7.0 on DVD-ROM, 614-616.

[13] Ellingworth, The Epistle to the Hebrews, 530.

[14] Fung (馮蔭坤), Hebrews (希伯來書), 2:197.

[15] Mitchell, Hebrews, 219.

[16] James Moffatt, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews, ICC (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1924), 149.

[17] Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basic, DVD-ROM, 696.

[18] G. Kittel, “e`kw,n (a;kwn), e`kou,sioj,” TDNT, 2:469-470.

[19] Ellingworth, The Epistle to the Hebrews, 532.

[20] Ellingworth, The Epistle to the Hebrews, 531-532.

[21] Fung (馮蔭坤), Hebrews (希伯來書), 2:204-205.

[22] John Calvin, Commentaries on the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews, trans. John Owen (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1948), 243-244.

[23] Stephen C. T. Chen (陳終道), Hebrews (希伯來書), Commentaries of the Epistles of the New Testament (新約書信讀經講義) (Taipei: Campus), 240-241.

[24] Ellingworth, The Epistle to the Hebrews, 530.

[25] Thomas G. Long, Hebrews, Interpretation (Louisville: John Knox, 1997), 109.

[26] Victor C. Pfitzner, Hebrews, Abingdon New Testament Commentaries (Nashville: Abingdon, 1997), 146-147.

[27] Moffatt, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews, 148-149.

[28] Fung (馮蔭坤), Hebrews (希伯來書), 2:197-198.

[29] Randall C. Gleason, “A Moderate Reformed View,” in Four Views on the Warning Passages in Hebrews, ed. Herbert W. Bateman IV (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2007), 358-359.

[30] Gleason, “A Moderate Reformed View,” 363-367.

[31] Mitchell, Hebrews, 219-221.

[32] Calvin, Commentaries on the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews, 243.

[33] Stephen C. T. Chen (陳終道), Hebrews (希伯來書), 240-241.

[34] Buist M. Fanning, “A Classical Reformed View,” in Four Views on the Warning Passages in Hebrews, ed. Herbert W. Bateman IV (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2007), 217.

[35] Gareth Lee Cockerill, “A Wesleyan Arminian View,” in Four Views on the Warning Passages in Hebrews, ed. Herbert W. Bateman IV (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2007), 281.

[36] Fung (馮蔭坤), Hebrews (希伯來書), 2:203-204.

[37] Grant R. Osborne, “A Classical Arminian View,” in Four Views on the Warning Passages in Hebrews, ed. Herbert W. Bateman IV (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2007), 120.

[38] Gleason, “A Moderate Reformed View,” 363-367.