Hebrews Chapter 10/Commentary

Hebrews Chapter 10

10:1 “For the Law”: Here the author calls the First Covenant, “the Law” (9:1,4).

This verse makes it clear that the First Covenant that has become obsolete (8:13) is the Law of Moses. “Since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things”: The term “shadow” means “sketch, outline” (Hebrews 8:5; Colossians 2:17). “Foreshadowing” (Arndt p. 755). “Rude outline” (Vincent p. 495). “The Law foreshadowed the blessings that were to come” (Gspd); “though was able to foreshadow the better system which was coming” (TCNT). The “good things to come” include the redemption of Jesus Christ and the New Covenant era (Hebrews 8:6). The Law did foreshadow such things and even spoke of these coming blessings in the Gospel (Acts 3:24-26; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Isaiah 2:2-4; 9:1ff; 11:1ff). “Not the very form of things”: “And did not possess the reality itself of those blessings” (Wms). “Thus the contrast is between the Law as containing in its sacrificial system only the barest outline of the spiritual truths involved. It was not (nor could it be) the exact replica of what God would do about sin, for no animal nor any other finite creature could convey adequately all that God would do in His program of redemption” (Kent p. 184). Therefore, the Law and its entire sacrificial system could never become a substitute for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ—thus we see the folly of wanting to return to something that was a mere outline or shadow.

In this chapter the Holy Spirit will note the complete inadequacy of the Mosaic sacrificial system.  Shown by their sheer repetition: 10:1-4  Shown by direct Scriptural statement: 10:5-9  Shown by replacement of the former system: 10:9-10 10:1 “Can never by the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near” 1

This is proof of the last statement that the Law never brought the “very form” of things, which is the remission of sins. Every year the same sacrifices were repeated, specifically on the annual Day of Atonement. The phrase “make perfect” in the context is defined as the removal of the consciousness of sin (10:2; 9:9; 7:11,25), that is, such sacrifices could never truly cleanse the worshipper.

“Those who draw near” are worshippers, the faithful. Note, animal sacrifices could not even remove the sins of the obedient and faithful, those who earnestly sought favor with God! 10:2 “Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered?” “An effective thing does not need to be done again; the very fact of the repetition of these sacrifices is the final proof that they are not purifying men’s souls” (Barclay p. 113). “No amount of repetition could transform the shadow into reality” (Reese p. 168).

Now someone might argue that such people need another sacrifice because they probably had sinned since last year, yet this is not the point. If a sacrifice is truly effective in cleansing sin, then it only needs to be offered once and all sins committed after that offering can be forgiven upon confession and repentance, because the effectiveness of that offering is still valid. But the fact that sacrifices had to be offered annually, or yet every time sin occurred, was proof that such offerings were not effective in providing a permanent remedy.

10:2 “Having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins?”

Compare with 9:9. Even though the Old Testament worshipper did what God commanded and offered the prescribed sacrifice, he went home still with an awareness that something more than animal sacrifice was needed. The term “once” is in the perfect tense, denoting a past complete action with present continuing results. “The point is that in the life of the Jewish worshiper, there never was this ‘once’ when they were cleansed” (Reese p. 168). Contrast this with the sacrifice of Jesus, which never needs to be offered again. When sin occurs for the Christian, one returns to the same sacrifice in repentance, confession and prayer (1 John 2:1-2). The one sacrifice of Christ remains effective for forgiving sin, but the sacrifices in the Old Testament became ineffective each time a person sinned, with each sin a new sacrifice had to be offered. The next verse will further clarify this “consciousness of sins” and this failure to perfect the worshipper.

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10:3 “But in those sacrifices”: The sacrifices offered under the Law (10:1). “There is a reminder of sins year by year”: The phrase “year by year” appears to refer to the Day of Atonement. Not only did the usual or daily sacrifices fail to remove sin, but even the sacrifices on the Day of Atonement! “Reminder”: “Annual reminder of sins” (Phi); “A fresh remembrance of sins” (Amp). “Our writer goes further—he says that all they are is a reminder of sin. So far from purifying a man, they remind him that he is not purified and that his sins still stand between him and God” (Barclay p. 113). The Law contained daily sacrifices (Exodus 29:38-46); weekly sacrifices (Numbers 28:9-10); monthly sacrifices (28:11-15), and yearly at each of the three great festivals (Leviticus 23), and offerings as the need arose (Numbers 15:27-28; Leviticus 4:3,14,23,28). Nevertheless there was a Day of Atonement, which in effect simply reminded the Jewish people (those who were honest and perceptive) that all the other sacrifices during the year, had not effectively remove their sins (Leviticus 16:20-22). The ritual on the Day of Atonement was performed after atonement had been supposedly made (16:1516; 20-22). The offerings on the Day of Atonement were made for the same sins for which sin offerings had already been offered earlier in the year. “It should not take a man long to get the idea that the earlier sin offerings did not take away sin, for if they did, what need was there for another offering on the day of atonement?” (Reese p. 168). Therefore, the Old Testament system never gave the faithful an assurance of final or permanent forgiveness. “Subsequent sins required further sacrifices, and the passing of another year necessitates the cycle to begin again” (Kent p. 185).

10:4 “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins”: This is not just a statement; rather this statement had already been proven and established by the practices commanded in the Old Testament. Note, even though such sacrifices could not remove sin, they were still commanded as types of the sacrifice of Christ and God still expected the people to offer them until the New Covenant arrived. “This judgment was timely, for to forsake Christ in order to return to a system of worship that had outlived its usefulness, would amount to a rejection of the only real sacrifice in favor of the blood of beasts which could never take away the sin of man” (Wilson p. 119).

10:5 “Therefore”: “Animal sacrifices were also shown to be inadequate by direct Scriptural statement. A portion of Psalm 40 is cited and interpreted typologically 3

of Christ. It is shown that the Christian attitude toward animal sacrifices is not a radical concept but had Old Testament roots” (Kent pp. 186-187). “When He comes into the world”: That is, when Jesus came to this world to become flesh (John 1:14). “He says”: Here we have a record of something that Jesus said to the Father before He came to this world. “The author sees a prophetic anticipation of the whole earthly course of Christ in the words uttered by David in Psalm 40:6-8” (Wilson p. 120). “Sacrifice and offering”: “Sacrifice” often speaks of animal sacrifices, while “offering” often denoted grain, meal, and drink offerings. “In the words of the Psalmist, Jesus is saying He recognizes that such sacrifices as the Old Testament commanded did not satisfy the mind of God as far as forgiveness is concerned” (Reese p. 169).

10:5 “Thou has not desired”: Yet did not God command them in the Old Testament? Why then does it say that God did not desire them and took no pleasure in them? At this point liberal theologians have used this language to support their theory of the evolutionary development of Biblical doctrine. That is, Moses instituted sacrifice but centuries later as men evolved to a higher knowledge came to realize that there was something better than sacrifice. Hence, it is argued that Jesus improved on the work of the prophets, Paul improved on what Jesus taught, and we can improve upon what Paul taught. Note, the verse does not say that God did not command or require them. God did not desire them in the sense that they never completely removed sin, yet He instituted them as well as the rest of the Law to lead man to see his need of a final sacrifice (Galatians 3:19ff). God did take pleasure in them as a “type”, but never as the final answer for sin.

There are other passages in the Old Testament where God expresses His displeasure over the sacrifices His people were offering (Isaiah 1:11; Jeremiah 6:20; Hosea 6:6; Amos 5:21-22; 1 Samuel 15:22-23), yet in such contexts the displeasure is over sacrifices being offered from false motives and by hypocritical people.

10:5 “But a body Thou has prepared for Me”: The body that the Father prepared for Jesus was the human body in which He was incarnated (John 1:14). In that body Jesus could make the kind of sacrifice that God would desire if sins were to be forgiven. This body given to Jesus is then given back to the Father has a living sacrifice. Notice the contrast between Jesus’ voluntary submission to the will of 4

God and the forced non-rational offering of the bodies of animals. The Hebrew text of Psalm 40 reads “ears Thou hast digged out for Me”. The Septuagint version says, “a body you prepared for me”. The Holy Spirit’s selection here demonstrates that the Septuagint was accurate at this point and that it had interpreted the Hebrew idiom (“ears digged out”) correctly. The idea is that God had shaped the ears of the writer (as well as his entire body) and had made them responsive to His will. God has prepared the body of the writer so that he might perform God’s will, ears and all. Or, in other words, attentive hearing to the will of God brings with it the conformity of the entire body as well.

10:6 This is a repetition of the thought in 10:5. God was pleased with such sacrifices in so far that they were in obedience to His commands, but they did not please Him as effective in forgiving sins.

10:7 “Then I said”: This is what Jesus said as He came into this world. “Behold I have come (In the roll of the book it is written of Me)”: “There is nothing of irresponsibility or adventure in Christ’s life and death. It is all obedience, and therefore it is all revelation” (Wilson pp. 120-121). “The expression ‘roll’ literally means ‘little head’ and apparently had reference to the little knob on the end of the stick around which the scroll of Scripture was wound. By metonymy the term stands for the scroll itself” (Reese p. 170). The idea seems to be that the Scriptures foretold the coming of Jesus, which they did. There are some 300 prophecies in the Old Testament that point to the coming of the Messiah and His work. “To do Thy will, O God”: “Atonement is not something contrived, as it were, behind the Father’s back; it is the Father’s way of making it possible for the sinful to have fellowship with Him” (Wilson p. 121). Jesus’ attitude toward Scripture was that it was His obligation to fulfill it—is this our attitude? Jesus viewed it as His obligation to fulfill and keep everything in the Scriptures that applied to Him and that doing this was God’s will.

10:8 “After saying above, ‘Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Thou hast not desired, nor hast Thou taken pleasure in them’ (which are offered according to the Law)” “These words of the Messiah therefore show that God’s dissatisfaction with the sacrifices which were offered according to the Law pointed forward to their replacement” (Wilson p. 121). Even when such sacrifices are offered in strict 5

accordance to the Law, they still did not remove sin. As a result the Law or the covenant revealed at Sinai must not be regarded as God’s final provision for man.

10:9 “then He said, ‘Behold, I have come to do Thy will’”: Now the writer calls attention to the second significant phrase in Psalm 40. For Jesus doing the Father’s will including dying for the sins of mankind. Jesus knew that the sacrifices commanded in the Old Testament were not adequate to atone for sin, and He knew that something else must take their place. “So He volunteered to intervene personally and give Himself as the sin offering” (Reese p. 171). See John 1:29.

“He takes away the first in order to establish the second”: The “first” in the context is clearly the “first” covenant (Hebrews 8:13; 9:1,15). This first covenant is also called “the Law” (10:1,8). It is the Law that commanded the system of animal sacrifices. When Jesus came into this world He came to remove the first system and establish the second covenant by the sacrifice of Himself. Therefore, as Paul stated, the Law. and the entire system that it included, was nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14-16).

10:10 “By this will”: The “will” under consideration is Jesus’ obedience to the will of God in coming to this world and dying for our sins. Through this act of submission He was obedient to God’s will. “We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all”: This stands in sharp contrast to the offerings of animals that could never remove sins (10:4). Once again we see the once for all nature of Jesus’ sacrifice (9:12,26). The term “sanctified” here means that those who have obeyed Jesus Christ have truly been forgiven of their sins and thus set apart from sin and dedicated to God. Please note that this verse is not teaching that once a person becomes a Christian they never sin again (1 John 2:1-2) or that our salvation has removed once for all every desire to sin.

Rather, the Christian is truly forgiven, although such forgiveness in the future is conditioned upon how the believer responds to the teaching of Scripture and their own shortcomings (2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 John 1:8-10).

Reese notes that what distinguishes Christianity from all other religions is this one great happening that brings salvation through the centuries and never needs to be repeated. The way into heaven (10:19) is now open; free access to God is available through Jesus Christ. In view of what Christ has done, the readers are encouraged to accept their privileges and to fulfill their duties. What was once only available to the Jewish high priest and that once a year, (that is entrance into 6

the holy of holies through the veil), is now available in a greater reality to every Christian. And yet such drawing near to God is not without certain requirements on our part, including the obligation of public worship (10:25).

10:11 “And every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins” Offerings under the Law were performed daily as the priests took their turns throughout the year. The same sacrifices were offered both morning and evening.

In addition, the priest ministered, that is performed religious duties, as they helped the worshippers who came bringing their sin and trespass offerings. Yet none of this was effective with respect to removing sin.

10:12 “but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God” Note the huge contrast. The priests under the Law continue to offer sacrifices that cannot remove sin, Jesus is seated after offering only one sacrifice that does remove sin, and will remove sin for all time. Jesus offered just one sacrifice—and sat down!” “Such a magnificent offering, so well done, and so acceptable. It is good for all time!” (Reese p. 173). “Standing, of course, was the normal posture of the priest as he carried out his various liturgical duties. To our author, however, it pointed up the fact that the priest’s work of offering sacrifices was never really finished. There were no chairs in the tabernacle. With Christ came a radical change” (Kent pp. 191-192). “Christ’s heavenly enthronement bears witness to the eternal validity of that one historic sacrifice by which He made reconciliation for iniquity and brought in everlasting righteousness (Daniel 9:24)” (Wilson p.

122).

10:13 “waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet” “Verse 4 of the same Psalm has been used extensively to prove Christ’s priesthood after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 5:6,10, 20; 7:11,15,17,21)” (Kent p. 192).

The reason the Holy Spirit cites this verse is to prove there is no more sacrificial work for Christ to perform. “The next thing on the heavenly agenda is not another Calvary, but the subjugation of all the enemies of Christ” (Reese p. 173).

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According to 1 Corinthians 15:26, the last enemy that will be destroyed is death and this will happen at the last day at the resurrection of all the dead. “The image in the term footstool had its origin in the custom of conquerors who put their feet on the necks of their enemies, as a symbol that the enemies were thoroughly defeated” (Reese p. 173). “The author’s intention in thus completing the substance of Psalm 110:1 is probably to warn the readers ‘not to let themselves be numbered among the enemies of the exalted Christ, but rather to be reckoned as His friends and companions by preserving their fidelity to the end’ (F.F. Bruce) “ (Wilson pp. 122-123).

10:14 “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified” 10:14 “For”: “This verse gives the reason why He is said to be able to sit down and wait” (Reese p. 173). The point is made once more that Jesus’ offering was sufficient for all time. The “perfection” under consideration is the complete removal of sin and the ability to bring men to God. The fundamental idea in the word perfected is to bring to completion, to accomplish fully, to reach the goal.

Those who are sanctified are those who have come into contact with the blood of Christ (Hebrews 10:29), that is, Christians (1 Corinthians 1:2). The word “sanctified” in this verse is in the present tense. In order to remain sanctified, the believer must continue to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 7:1) and confess sins that are committed (1 John 1:8-10).

10:14 “For all time”: Jesus’ sacrifice has perpetual validity. When the Christian sins after being saved, he or she can repent and confess and appeal to the same sacrifice for remission of sin (1 John 1:8-10).

10:15 “And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying” Verses 15-18 call attention to the Holy Spirit’s testimony in the Old Testament Scriptures. Even the Old Testament looked forward and anticipated such a sacrifice. “The writer of Hebrews insists that the Holy Spirit is the author of Scripture” (Reese p. 174).

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10:16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws upon their heart, and upon their mind I will write them, He then says” These verses are taken from Jeremiah 31:31ff. As the writer did in verses 8 and 9, he here divides a quotation into two parts in order to call attention to the second part. When this verse was quoted in chapter 8 it was used to prove that God intended to replace the first covenant with a new covenant. Now the writer uses the same verses to prove that the new covenant would bring with it real and lasting forgiveness. “Since they were to be completely remitted, the implication in that verse in Jeremiah was that there is no further need of continual and repeated sacrifice” (Reese p. 174).

10:17 “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more” “Now we see how those who are sanctified are ‘perfected forever’. God remembers their sins no more” (Reese p. 175).

10:18 “Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin” “The argument is that since sins are no longer remembered, there is no need for further sacrifices” (Kent p. 194). “Thus where there is the full remission of sins, no possibility of any further offering for sin remains” (Wilson p. 124). Note that the language of Jeremiah 31:34 also inferred that sins were not being absolutely forgiven under the first covenant and that something else was needed. Carefully note that when God said, “I will remember their sins no more”, this does not mean that all the physical consequences of sin are removed. “The superiority of the Son of God’s priestly ministry has now been demonstrated (Hebrews 8:1ff).

What follows is a word of warning or encouragement to live their daily lives in the light of this great truth about Jesus’ superior ministry” (Reese p. 175). “The logic should have been compelling to every reader. First century recipients of this letter, particularly those Jewish Christians who were toying with the notion of returning to Judaism, should recognize the foolishness of such a step. Since Christ’s offering secured complete remission of sin, no further need exists for Levitical sacrifices or any other kind. The argument is no less relevant to modern readers. When a large segment of Christendom regularly reoffers the sacrifice of 9

Christ in the Mass, it is obvious that the forthright implications of this verse need to be more clearly understood and proclaimed” (Kent p. 195).

The writer’s point is that Jesus came and instituted the new covenant with His blood. This sacrifice enabled one to be completely forgiven and thus made the first covenant obsolete, is exactly what the prophets had predicted.

Exhortation: Use this New Access to God 10:19 “Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus” The word “confidence” has been noted in 3:6 and 4:16. Christians can approach God with confidence knowing that our sins have been completely forgiven and therefore we can draw near to Him. The holy place in this verse refers to heaven, the place where God dwells (9:24). “The author addresses his readers as ‘brethren’ to remind them of those privileges which are inseparable from their profession of faith in Christ” (Wilson p. 124). Note what practical Christianity does —it enables one to approach God! Please note that only Christians have come into contact with this blood, outside of Christ, no one can draw near to God (Acts 4:12). On a side note, the blood of Christ is connected with the remission of sins (Matthew 26:28), while baptism is also connected with the remission of sins (Acts 2:38); therefore, in baptism one comes into contact with the benefits of this blood. Do we make good use of our forgiveness? Do we draw near to God often?

What are we doing presently with our salvation?

10:20 “by a new and living way”: The term “new” means “fresh” or “recent”.

“When Hebrews was written, less than a generation after Calvary and within the lifetime of many of the original readers, the sacrifice of Jesus was still recent” (Reese p. 176). This “new” way was also superior, for it is “living”. This word reminds us that Jesus arose from the dead, and is seated at the right hand of God, ever living to make intercession for those who draw near (7:25). “ Living also reminds us that the way is forever available—it is perpetual and constant, like a fountain that always flows” (Reese p. 176). “Not the lifeless way through the Law offering of blood of dead victims” (Wilson p. 124). “Living” because the living and life-giving Savior is the way (John 14:6).

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10:20 “Which He inaugurated for us”: The term “inaugurated” means “to initiate, consecrate, to sanction”. This way was inaugurated when Jesus died on the cross (Hebrews 9:15-17). “Through the veil, that is, His flesh”: “Once more, the writer of Hebrews uses Old Testament symbolism to explain New Covenant truths. As entrance into the Holy of Holies could only be gained by passing through the second veil (Hebrews 9:3), so for us entrance into God’s presence could only be gained by Christ” (Reese p. 176). “As there was no way into the inner sanctuary of the tabernacle except through the veil, so the flesh of Jesus affords the only means of access to the heavenly sanctuary. ‘No man cometh to the Father but by Me’ (John 14:6)” (Wilson p. 125). “His flesh”: That is, not only His life here in the flesh, but the sacrifice in which His body was nailed to the cross. Please note that Jesus’ flesh does serve as a barrier or veil. All who reject Jesus, all who reject this entrance are barred from God’s presence! (John 3:36). Once again, the Holy Spirit is very emphatic. Jesus is the only way into God’s presence.

10:21 “and since we have a great priest over the house of God” Not only did such a sacrifice enable us to be forgiven, but we also continue to have access to the services of such an incomparable priest. The “greatness” of Jesus’ priesthood has already been established in the early chapters. The “house of God” is an expression that refers to the church (1 Timothy 3:15; Hebrews 3:6).

Compare “over the house of God” with Ephesians 1:22-23 and 5:23ff. This also serves as a warning about going back to the ministrations of a discarded priesthood. “Christ could not be a high priest unless the former priests were divested of their office. He means therefore that all those things that Christ changed at His coming are to be let go. He sets Him over the whole house of God so that whoever wishes to have a place in the church must submit to Christ and choose Him and no other as his leader and ruler” (Wilson p. 125). “Believers not only have the benefits of a matchless sacrifice, but they also have the services of an incomparable priest” (Kent p. 199).

10:22 “Let us”: This is language of choice and free will. Each of the phrases that follow uses a present tense verb, indicating continual encouragement. “Draw near”: (Hebrews 4:14-16). To God’s throne of grace. “With a sincere heart”: A sincere heart is one that is true God. One cannot draw near to God all the while desiring a return to the first covenant. Here is an exhortation to be honest with 11

God and His truth. “There should be no wavering, no longing looks back at the old system” (Reese p. 177). Remember, God requires truth in the inward parts (Psalm 51:6), and hates all hypocrisy, deceit, and falsehood (John 4:24). Are we “sincere”? Do we draw near to God all the while secretly longing for something from the old life? Are we being honest with God? 10:22 “In full assurance of faith”: A half-hearted faith will not save (Hebrews 11:6). This has reference to the firm and settled conviction that Jesus is the only way. Please note that such a full assurance is impossible without preaching and accepting the right doctrine. “Proper understanding of the doctrinal truths explained earlier in the epistle should cause the objective grounds for confidence there set forth to be transformed into a firm assurance of faith” (Kent p. 200).

“Having our heats sprinkled clean from an evil conscience”: The right to draw near is the result of certain conditions. First, one must come into contact with the blood of Christ for that is the only thing that can cleanse the conscience (Hebrews 9:14). “And our bodies washed with pure water”: The conscience is cleansed at the point of forgiveness, while water baptism stands between the believer in Christ and such forgiveness (Mark 16:16; 2:38). Notice how the writer combines the requirements of faith and baptism, just as Jesus did. “Pure” water does not refer to some special kind of water, that is fresh or running as opposed to another source, and neither does it mean that something special is in the water. It is “pure” water because submission to water baptism stands between a person and being cleansed from sin; it is the means by which one comes into contact with the blood of Christ (Romans 6:3-5).

10:23 “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering”: In Hebrews 6:19-20, Jesus is the basis of our hope. He is the means of our access to the Father. If we quit confessing Him, we have no hope! The above verse means “being faithful until death”. The expression without wavering indicates they are to be “unswerving in their confession” (Reese p. 179). “Perseverance is the hall mark of a genuine interest in Christ, the hope of salvations always withers when the frank confession of it wavers” (Wilson p. 127).

10:23 “For He who promised is faithful”: We should be unwavering in our hope that Jesus is the only way to heaven—for God is unwavering in such a position!

God has never disappointed those who trust in Him (1 Corinthians 1:9; 10:13; 1 Thess. 5:24; Hebrews 11:11).

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Encourage One Another 10:24 “and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds” “The readers will be more apt to confess their hope courageously and unhesitatingly if they are encouraged constantly by their brothers and sisters in Christ” (Reese p. 179).

10:24 “How”: Involved in this stimulating others is taking into account the circumstances and strength or weaknesses of a brother or sister. “Christians cannot be selfish, caring merely for their own interests. There is a mutual activity expected of those who are part of the family of God, wherein they encourage one another. It is not just the elders, it is every brother and sister who is to encourage and stimulate one another” (Reese p. 179). See 1 Thess. 5:12,14. “To stimulate”: This is a strong word that means to arouse, to excite, to call into action, to stimulate to action. “There may have been far too much stirring up of the congregation to anger and evil actions. What was needed was for them to stir up their brethren toward a greater love” (Kent p. 202). “One another”: This is the duty of every Christian. Are we each doing our part to encourage our brethren?

“To love”: That is, love God and each other (John 13:34-35; 1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

“And good deeds”: God does expect His people to be involved in good works (Ephesians 2:10; Hebrews 6:10).

10:25 “Not”: “The means of carrying out this injunction is stated negatively and then positively” (Kent p. 202). “Forsaking our own assembling together”: That is, no one is stirred up to love and good deeds when Christians do not assemble with their brethren. The term forsaking means to abandon or desert.

 “The New Testament knows nothing of a solitary Christianity” (Wilson p.

128).  An oft-raised question is, “Does the above verse refer to a complete abandonment of assembling (the member who simply does not come any more at all)? Can or does this verse refer to those who hit and miss and are lazy in their attendance?” I would argue that this verse does have an application to the person who is slothful in assembling, for they are not encouraging their brethren (10:24), and they are sinning (10:26). The very 13

fact that the writer can still admonish Christians to stop this practice infers that some who were doing this had not yet completely abandoned Christ nor the assembly—for they were still around to get and read this letter. The tense of the phrase “not forsaking” is the prohibition to stop an act already going on, that is, “stop forsaking the assembling”. To miss one service from apathy is to abandon or forsake that particular assembling together. In addition, it does not make any sense that this verse only applies to the person who has completely quit. Can one attend only once a year and still not be in violation of this verse? If I only attended once a month (due to unfaithfulness), I would still be guilty of failing to encourage my brethren (10:24), I would still be guilty of sin in neglecting the Lord’s Supper and other commands, and such apathy would have become a “habit”.  “It is interesting to note that the emphasis here is not what a believer gets from the assembly, but rather what he can contribute to the assembly. A man who attends the public worship only for what he can get, and whose attendance becomes more and more spasmodic because he thinks he is getting nothing from attending, has not yet grasped the significance of this oft-memorized passage from Hebrews!” (Reese p. 180).  Assembling together is “organized religion”.  Various writers speculate concerning why the assembly was being forsaken by these believers: 1. Fear of persecution. 2. Self-confidence that they were good enough without attending services. 3. Some may have had disdain for the assembly as compared with the earthly glory of the temple and its services. 4. Spiritual slackness.

10:25 “As is the habit of some”: Not every believer was guilty of this, but some were. “But encouraging one another”: No one is encouraged if we are not present at the assemblies. Certainly the Hebrew writer knew that Christians can encourage each other outside the assembly and during the week, but the Holy Spirit here reveals that the assembly is a very important occasion and time for encouragement. God certainly does not view public worship as an optional matter for Christians. One function of public worship is the edification of all who come together (1 Corinthians 14:26ff). “For one who is genuinely involved in assisting others usually has little time to indulge his fears or nurse resentments which might cause him to forsake the fellowship of the saints” (Kent p. 203).

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10:25 “And all the more”: The encouragement was to become more spirited and intense as the “day” drew near. “As you see the day drawing near”: Some feel that this “day” is the final day, the Second Coming of Christ. When the Day of Judgment arrives, who wants to explain to Jesus why they had quit attending? Yet we already know that the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night (1 Thess.

5:1-3), so it is hard to explain how Christians could “see” this day drawing near.

Others feel that this “day” refers to the first day of the week. “Each week, as the day of worship comes nearer, Christians were to encourage one another to be present at the assembly” (Reese p. 181). Another view is that this “day” refers to the destruction of Jerusalem, which did arrive with signs to be observed (Matthew 24). “How disappointing and spiritually devastating it would be to go back to the Jewish religion, only to have the temple and the sacrifices abruptly ended” (Reese p. 181).

10:26 “For”: This section is connected with verses 10:24-25. Any “willful” sinning will condemn us. “Abandoning the Christian congregation may be symptomatic of a far more serious condition” (Kent p. 203). There is a severe warning here, apostasy will follow lukewarmness. “If we go on sinning willfully”: Even after one is saved, one can choose to reject such salvation. The verse says that a Christian can sin—and deliberately at that. In this context, to purposely absent oneself from the assembly is a willful sin. “After we receive the knowledge of the truth”: That is after we become a Christian (1 Timothy 2:4). These are people who know the truth, “enlightened” individuals (Hebrews 6:4). The past tense verb indicates the conversion to Christianity here in view was a thing of the past. Note that becoming a Christian is linked with knowing the truth, for it is through the truth that one knows what to believe and what to do to be saved (Romans 10:17).

Therefore, the truth (God’s word) must be understandable to all, for if none can really understand the Bible then none can be saved. “Truth” stands for the content of Christianity as the absolute truth. The people in question, then, know what God has done in Christ; their acquaintance with Christian teaching is more than superficial” (Reese p. 182).

10:26 “There no longer remains a sacrifice for sins”: The Christian who continues to sin willfully is in effect rejecting the sacrifice of Christ—so what sacrifice is left to help him with his sin problem? This means that to sin willfully after becoming a Christian, is to do something like forsaking the assembly is to reject Christ and view His sacrifice as worthless (Hebrews 6:4-6). Note Christians do sin and these sins can be forgiven if they repent and pray to God (1 John 1:8-10), but the 15

Christian who persists in any sin is rejecting Christ (Matthew 18:15-17). Such a verse reveals that the benefit of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is not automatic. The Christian who persists in sin is not automatically cleansed by Jesus’ blood rather, they have cut themselves off from salvation.

10:27 “but a certain”: God is not going to change His mind and save the unfaithful Christian, nor is God going to set aside His laws and pardon the apostate, for what awaits the unfaithful is “certain” (2 Thess. 1:7-9; Matthew 25:41). “The word ‘certain’ indicates a punishment of indefinable magnitude— something that is inexpressible, inconceivable---the most dreadful conception comes infinitely short of the more dreadful reality” (Wilson p. 129). “Terrifying expectation of judgment”: The Holy Spirit knows that hell is “terrifying”.

Compare this view of hell with what is taught so often in the religious world. Is non-existence terrifying? Is a momentary suffering terrifying? A lesson on hell should frighten us! “And fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries”: God’s judgment upon the wicked is often depicted as involving fire (2 Thess. 1:79). The term “fury” can be translated “fierceness of fire” or “fiery indignation”, while a literal translation might be “jealousy of fire”, that is, fire that is anxious to receive this one about to be cast into it; a fire that reaches out to engulf. In the context, God’s adversary includes the Christian who stops meeting with other Christians! This is the destiny that awaits everyone who opposes God. “One who abandons the Christian religion does not thereby become neutral in his relationship with God—he becomes an adversary!” (Reese p. 183).

10:28 “Anyone”: God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34-35). We cannot foolishly or naively think that God will not punish us if we become unfaithful. Yet how many unfaithful Christians argue that God “understands” why they are not faithful? “Who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two of three witnesses” Compare with Deuteronomy 17:2-7. We cannot set aside or ignore any law from God, including the requirement to meet with Christians. This is an argument from the lesser to the greater (see Hebrews 2:1-3). If it was a serious matter to disregard a command under the Law of Moses, how much more serious to ignore a command under the New Covenant.

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10:28 “Without mercy”: God’s grace did not automatically cover willful sins in the Old Testament. No mercy was extended because the person had rejected God and God cannot extend mercy to the person who refuses to repent. “There was no delay in executing the sentence” (Reese p. 183). Consider this verse when people argue that God is far more merciful than what the Bible reveals. Note that God did not have the apostate coddled, rather he was to be punished.

10:29 “How much severer punishment”: There is a far worse punishment than physical death. “Calvinistic interpreters, who must attempt to defend the doctrine of unconditional eternal security, find themselves in a peculiar difficulty here.

They must explain the ‘more severe punishment’ as something other than loss of salvation, or punishment in hell, or give up their cherished doctrine” (Reese p.

184). “Do you think”: This is a good verse to see if we are in tune with God. If we have a problem with hell, then there is something wrong in our thinking. If we have a problem with hell then such means we do not think too much of Jesus’ sacrifice. The following is the true nature of unfaithfulness. “He will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God”: “To trample underfoot is a strong expression for contempt or disdain” (Reese p. 184). It denotes contempt of the most flagrant kind. Some think this expression means to “treat as dirt”. There are people who think that the church emphasizes attendance too much—in view of these verses where forsaking the assembly is equated with treating Jesus with contempt, maybe we do not emphasize it enough! To trample underfoot is not merely rejection, it is contempt.

10:29 “And has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant”: This is the blood of Christ that brought the New Covenant (Hebrews 9:15ff). “Counting Christ’s blood as common is to take the position that His death was no more efficacious than that of any other man” (Kent p. 206). “The covenant for which He was the sacrifice does not interest me. ‘His death did not do anything for me!’ is the thinking of the man who rejects Jesus” (Reese p. 184). “By which he was sanctified”: The blood of Christ sanctifies or sets one apart for salvation (Matthew 26:28; Acts 20:28; Revelation 1:5-6). At this point those who believe in once-saved-always-saved attempt to argue that this people are not saved and that the blood of Christ had only externally sanctified them. Yet how can one be externally sanctified? In the context, the people who are sanctified are Christians (10:22-26). Compare also with Hebrews 10:10,14. Others have tried to argue that the “he” in the above verse is Jesus and not the sinner. Yet Jesus did not 17

need to be sanctified by His own blood. Others argue that the author is simply stating what would happen if believers departed from God and yet they argue that this could never happen, yet why would God issue such a warning if Christians could never fall away, and the text actually says that some Christians here were involved in willful sin (10:25 “as is the habit of some”).

10:29 “And has insulted the Spirit of grace”: The word translated “insulted”, denotes personal hostility, and an arrogance that tries to inflict wanton injury, and insolent self-assertion. The Holy Spirit is called the “Spirit of grace” because one of His tasks to is reveal to men that grace is found in Jesus Christ. To reject what is revealed in the Bible is to personally reject the work of the Holy Spirit. Please note that any negative criticism against the Bible is a direct attack upon the integrity, wisdom, truthfulness and ability of the Holy Spirit.

10:30 “For we know Him”: “The thought is that God who spoke these words through Moses was no stranger to these readers. They not only possessed the Scripture which revealed Him, but had seen countless evidences in history which demonstrated His absolute justice” (Kent p. 208). The apostate cannot claim ignorance. “Who said”: Even though Moses wrote the following words, God was the true author. “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay”: (Deuteronomy 32:25). The statement, “I will repay” reveals that the “severer punishment” mentioned is exactly what a person deserves for rejecting Christ. “In its original setting in the Song of Moses, these words about vengeance and requital are spoken to apostates in Israel who had sacrificed to demons and rejected the true God (Deuteronomy 32:17)” (Reese p. 185). Remember, these Christians were tempted to return to Judaism, but to turn away from Christ, even if one held on to his Judaism, was to turn away from the living God. “The Lord will judge His people”: (Deuteronomy 32:36; Psalm 135:14). God’s impartial judgment demands that unfaithfulness be punished even when it exists among His own people. Yes, the people here are being warned as God’s people.

10:31 “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God” To “fall into the hands of” is to come under that person’s authority and to be incapable of any resistance. “The dumb idols of the heathen could neither help nor punish their self-deceived devotees, but because Israel’s God lives, He has the power to fulfill every promise and to make His threatened judgments a frightful 18

reality” (Wilson p. 131). People in our culture need to be reminded that God continues to live and will fulfill every threat and promise revealed in the Scriptures.

10:32 “But remember the former days, when after being enlightened”: The people here being warned are Christians and they have been Christians for some time (Hebrews 5:11). The term “enlightened” ties in with the thought previously mentioned about coming to a knowledge of the truth (10:26). The word “but” does not mean that the threats in 10:26-31 are idle, can never happen, or do not apply to them, rather, it means in the light of such threats we need to remain faithful! “You endured a great conflict of sufferings”: These sufferings are then detailed in 10:33-34. The writer can exhort these Christians because in the past they had been severely tested, yet had endured, indicating they could endure again. “Persecution back then did not cause them to think about quitting church.

Why should they let persecution now be such a temptation?” (Reese p. 187). We do find Christians in Palestine suffering in the early chapters of Acts (7:1; 8:4; 12:13).

10:33 “Partly”: “Sometimes---at other times”. “By being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations”: Persecution had taken the form of personal insults, in which these Christians had been mocked and ridiculed by their neighbors, co-workers, and family members. They were an object of ridicule in the community and were subjected to all sorts of tribulations (pressures), some subtle and others not so subtle. “Public spectacle” does not mean that they were actually put on display in some amphitheater, although this did happen (Acts 19:29). The tense here is that they were continually the subject of taunts and ridicule and that this went on day after day. “And partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated”: This is a fascinating concept. God expects us to stand up when people are being mistreated. “To stand up and be counted in times of persecution was no easy thing” (Kent p. 210). Compare with 2 Timothy 1:16-18. These Christians had not been ashamed to defend those who were being ridiculed and to side with those who were being ridiculed for their faith. Do we remain quiet when Christians are being ridiculed for their faith?

10:34 “For you showed sympathy to the prisoners”: This is one very important way that these Christians had refused to abandon their brethren. They continued to visit and care for Christians imprisoned for their faith—even though such visits 19

would potentially bring suffering upon themselves. Compare with Matthew 25:36. Note, these Christians did not believe in a situational ethic that would allow them to lie about being a Christian in order to escape suffering. “Ancient penal systems did not provide food and clothing for the prisoners. Therefore, prisoners who had no means of their own were liable to starve unless their friends brought them food and whatever other form of help they required. “And accepted joyfully the seizure of your property”: This seizure may have come from mob action or an official action of the local authorities. Wow! How many of us would “joyfully accept” the seizure of our property? How many would seek to come up with some sort of ethic in which one could be a faithful Christian and yet hold on to their goods at the same time? “The abiding joy of one’s new life in Christ could not be extinguished by material losses” (Kent p. 211).

10:34 “Knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an abiding one” “By acquiring eternal life, they have secured themselves from ultimate loss, and this is far better than any temporal possession” (Kent p. 211). Compare with what Jesus taught in Matthew 5:11-12; 6:19-21. A joyful attitude even during difficult times is rooted in a faith in what Jesus taught. The right perspective can make all the difference in the world. “In heaven they shall have a better life, a better estate, better liberty, better society, better hearts, better work, every thing better” (Wilson p. 133).

10:35 “Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward” Even though they are encouraged (10:32-34), there remains the possibility of throwing away their eternal reward (10:26-31). Verses 26-31 is not merely some hypothetical situation, it is a real danger for these Christians. To “throw away” is the opposite of holding fast (3:6,14; 10:23), and carries with it the idea of “reckless rejection” of something very valuable (Reese p. 189). The previous verses noted that these Christians in the past had demonstrated tremendous confidence in Jesus Christ (10:34), and had stood up for Christ and other Christians in a bold and fearless manner. Yet they are in danger of losing those convictions, and in the process, losing everything of true value.

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10:36 “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised” “What was done in the past may be commendable, but Christians need more than a good past record” (Reese p. 189). We cannot rest or rely upon our past faithfulness, we need to endure and remain faithful all the way to the end. This endurance is linked with doing the will of God, that is, endurance is the same as faithfulness and obedience to what God has commanded (Matthew 7:21-23). Are we still doing the will of God? Or, are we resting on past accomplishments?

10:37 “For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay” This is a quotation from Isaiah 26:20. It seems that the writer selected this passage to emphasize the phrase, “in a very little while”. How foolish to throw away one’s confidence for a very short time and it cost them an eternal reward!

The time that God’s expects people to remain faithful is always a “little while” compared to eternity. Secondly, God had always come when He had promised judgment, whether those judgments are upon nations or the entire world at the end of time. God did not delay in the Old Testament and neither will God delay when it comes to the final judgment (2 Peter 3:9-10).

10:38 “But My righteous one shall live by faith”: Habakkuk 2:3-4. This quotation is also found in Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11. The stress here is on living by faith, the direct opposite of willfully sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth. “By faith” meant not only the initial act of faith but the continuing attitude of trust in God and obedience to His will. In the context, being righteous and living by faith includes assembling with Christians (10:24). “And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him”: The person who is warned about shrinking back is the same person who was designated as righteous in the previous clause. Hundreds of years before Jesus came, God warned His people about departing from the faith. God has no personal pleasure in the life of the unfaithful Christian. God does not understand such a person, nor does He make an exception for Him. 10:39 “But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction”: The specific destruction is mentioned in 10:27-31. The writer ends with a note of 21

encouragement as he did in Hebrews 6:9ff. This does not mean that the threats in this chapter are idle, are in no danger, or do not apply to them, rather to couch an exhortation in words of hope is a very strong way of wording that exhortation, because it makes the appeal exceedingly personal. The Holy Spirit has already noted that this can happened to any one of them (10:26). “Shrink back”: “It means to draw in or contract, as someone might furl a sail, or as a dog tucks in his tail, to avoid, or abstain from. It then is used of a person who has never completed anything he started, one who has stuck at nothing” (Reese p. 192).

“Destruction”: This word is commonly used in the New Testament for perishing in hell (Matthew 7:13; Romans 9:22; Philippians 1:28; 3:19). The usage of this word makes it clear that God is not merely threatening some earthly chastening of God’s people who are unfaithful, but the final destruction of apostates. In addition, from the context it is clear that this destruction is not annihilation.

10:39 “But of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul”: The entire 11th chapter will give one example after another of what this type of faith looks like. Clearly, the faith that results in final salvation is a faith that continues to obey God (10:36), including keeping commands such as assembling with the saints (10:24-25).

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