Hebrews 10:26-39

 

This is the fourth warning in this book.

 

10:24-25
Abandoning the Christian congregation may be symptoms of a bigger problem. 
This person may be rejecting the church because they have ultimately rejected Christ.

 

10:26

This is the same author who wrote:

  1. 10:10 – “we have been made holy” in the perfect tense
  2. 10:14 – “he has made perfect” in the perfect tense
  3. 2:17-18 – “merciful and faithful high priest . . . he is able to help those who are being tempted”
  4. 4:15-16 – “we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses . . . Let us approach the throne of grace with confidence.”
  5. 5:2 – “He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray since he himself is subject to weakness.”

 

“We deliberately keep on sinning”

“We” places the author in position to receive this warning as well as the readers.

 

“Deliberately” means “willingly, voluntarily, deliberately, intentionally”.  It is the first word in the Greek sentence.

 

“Sinning” is “’amartanontwn” or “hamartanontwn” is the present active participle of “hamartano” which means “to sin”.  The genitive absolute is used to express a condition. It is in the perfect which means this is an ongoing condition.

 

 

In the early church (Hermes 140 AD) sins after baptism could be confessed once and after that no more.  Tertullian said this was the thin edge of a dangerous wedge and said no confession after baptism.  Others took Hermes cue and said there should be periodic confessions made and penance paid.  And with that we are back into the OT ritual cycle.

 

 

Mark 3:29 – eternal sin,
1 John 2:18-21 – their going showed they never belonged to us

Christians who sin may be restored:

Galatians 6:1

1 John 2:1-2


No where does the New Testament separate accidental sins with intentional sins.
No where do we find examples of individuals who came back to Christ after confessing an accidental sin compared with individual Christians who lost their salvation because of intentional sinning.


The OT forbids forgiveness for intentional sins: Numbers 15:30 (15:22)

 

 

“after having received the knowledge of the truth” – is speaking about having heard of Jesus as the sacrifice and the high priest but sinning against this truth.

 

“no sacrifice for sin is left” if you reject salvation in Jesus Christ. 

Where is the Jewish person who rejects Christ going to go?

 

10:27

With sin but no sacrifice other than the one rejected there remains nothing in the future but judgment.

 

10:29

Deuteronomy 17:2-7 – stoned to death

Hebrews 2:1-3 – message spoken by angels was punished how much more if we reject this message.

 

  1. Trampled the son of God underfoot
  2. treated the blood of the new covenant as unholy (blood that sanctified them)
  3. insulted the Spirit of grace

 

10:30

God will judge his people.

From Moses song in Deut. 32:35

From Moses song in Deut. 32:36 and Psalm 135:14 – his people

 

10:31

Isaiah 33:14 – who can dwell with God?

 

10:32

The author again returns with a word of encouragement for his readers as he has done in the previous 3 warning sections

 

The author is headed towards: