Help with Hebrews 10:26

Hello TS,

IMO, the passages you have questions with are also connected/related to Heb 6:4-6. This is a post that may shed some light for you:

http://www.baptistboard.com/showthread.php?p=1523704#post1523704

 

The book of Hebrews is addressed to Jewish "professors of Christ" that are being tempted to go back to the O.T. Law (probably to avoid persecution as Christians)

The context of the passage is that Jesus Christ (and His once for all sacrafice) has replaced the O.T. sacrifices.

This "new and living way" (v.20) is obtained by faith and steadfast confidence in the promise of eternal life found in Jesus Christ, rather than continually offering of sacrifices, year by year.

Since the O.T. Law, with its sacrifices, has forever been replaced by this "new and living way" of faith in Jesus Christ and His once for all sacrifice, there is no turning back.... literally, there is no more sacrifices for sin.

So, if you reject the sacrifice of Jesus, you have done far worse than rejecting the Law of Moses, you have rejected the Son of God Himself, and can expect certain judgement.

peace to youraying:

 

TS, I really think canadyjd answered your question here:

...and as I tryed to bring out in the post I referenced, the book of Hebrews was written to 'that generation', the very generation that was guilty of the juducial murder of Christ and the persecution of His Church, the very generation on whom 'the wrath that is to come', came. You don't see the great 'sin', and great wrath one incur for doing such a thing? 'To trample underfoot the Son of God and put Him to open shame' in returning, i.e. siding with, casting your lot with, that very generation that killed Him?

 

'deliberately keep on sinning'

My ASV reads 'if we sin wilfully'; to me that's exactly the same.

I believe 'the immediate audience', that very first [Jewish] Church of Christ, was being sternly warned of the consequences of rejecting Christ, and returning to the weak and beggarly elements of the law.

And I remind you, it wasn't only the Jews that had a problem with this; returning to the law was the very first heresy of the early Church:

1 O foolish Galatians, who did bewitch you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly set forth crucified?
2 This only would I learn from you. Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now perfected in the flesh?

Take special note of this one:

10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them.

..and this one:

13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law,..... Gal 3

The implication is clear; to leave Christ and return to the law was to be cursed!

9 but now that ye have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how turn ye back again to the weak and beggarly rudiments, whereunto ye desire to be in bondage over again? Gal 4

 

That is pretty close to what I believe the passage is saying in context.

They are deliberately sinning by offering sacrifices according to the O.T. Law, since they have already been taught the O.T. Law and its sacrifices have been replaced by the once for all sacrifice of Jesus.

The offering of those sacrifices for sin is a rejection of Jesus and His sacrifice.

peace to youraying:

 

I'm sorry, I left out a vital word; I meant to say,'My ASV reads 'if we sin wilfully'; to me that's NOT exactly the same.

 

It has no effect on etertnal security. Knowledge is not Salvation. Paul said the Jews have Zeal but no submission to the righteousness of God. Knowledge is nothing with out submission to it.
Rom 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Jhon wrote;
1Jn 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.


How is this even possible? I once asked. I still sin yet I belong to God. We serve God and agree to His Law with our spirit. The flesh will always be carnal until it is regenerated also. You know there is no man with out sin but there are souls who agree with God's Law and serve God with there hearts. Salvation never depended on our keeping the Law. It depends on our submission to Jesus Christ. It's His righteousness we wear not our own.
MB

 

What sin have any of us ever commited that wasn't willingly commited?
MB

 

TS's version (I don't know which) reads: 'deliberately keep on sinning''

My ASV reads: 'if we sin wilfully'; the two versions are giving a different rendering to me. That's what I meant.

Concerning your question, consider this supplication from David:

Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me: Then shall I be upright, And I shall be clear from great transgression. Ps 19:13

I believe this passage in Numbers is on the same topic:

Ye shall have one law for him that doeth aught unwittingly, for him that is home-born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them. But the soul that doeth aught with a high hand, whether he be home-born or a sojourner, the same blasphemeth Jehovah; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Because he hath despised the word of Jehovah, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him. Nu 15:29-31


I believe the judicial murder of Christ was indeed a sin with 'a high hand', and that's what those Hebrews were in danger of committing by returning to Judaism, IMO.

I don't know about you, but I've committed my share of both willful and non willful sins. But I pray as David, that they not have dominion over me.

 

I'm just jumping in here for a quick moment but would like, later, to address the Greek as asked by the OP.

However, the Greek here isn't refering to 'sinning willfully' as a individual sin but is literally refering to a lifestyle of sin. A style of life that continues as it was or as it chooses irregardless of the teachings of Christ/scripture - for this time (NT time period). This is why it has been noted to 'continue sinning willfully' or 'deliberately continuing in sin'.

There are two main views on this passage and JD has spoken to one of them. However the same premise remains true in both views. No matter 'how' one wishes to interpret it here, the same fact remains - if the person continues in their own way, they have rejected the only True Way, and therefore living after a certain way that proclaims such. A good parallel of this is in Mat 7 and is commonly quoted here. Many shall come to me in that day saying "Lord Lord" .. Jesus states I never knew you. What is important to note here isn't JUST the "I never knew you" but also how Jesus declares this 'knowing' of them. - You who work iniquity - literally meaning - you who continue in lawlessness 0r better you who 'live' like there wasn't a law to live by.

It is the 'living' or more correctly stated the lifestyle of the person which declares whom they belong to. In essense scripture shows us a servant acts in accordance with His masters desires and a son lives according to the teachings of his Father.

 

Hi Allen
I realise what you are saying but, I have yet to meet the man who isn't living in sin. Whether or not it is openly or the lust with in his own mind. Try as I may I haven't been able to go very long at all with out offense. I have no one to blame but my own flesh. Christ also said there is no man with out sin. If this is true then we are all living in sin.

Generally I find in myself the sin I'm most likely to commit are the ones I've committed before. Which makes them Habitual, and living in sin. Sometimes I'm able to catch my own lust and cast it out but not every time. I've been fighting this war over the dominance of my own flesh for a very long time. I can't pretend that I have won it because this would just be another sin.

I can only say that I do not live under the Law but under Grace. I confess my sins and I know the Lord has to be tired of hearing my plea for forgiveness. I know I'm tired. I'm an old man you would think that some sort of perfection would be reached by now. I'm not the person I was when I was first saved. Yet I've a long ways to go to meet perfection.

MB

 

"Wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death?I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then I of myself with the mind, indeed, serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin."

Thanks MB.

 

"For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins," (Heb 10:26)

I think the "sin" is counting "the blood of the covenant...an unholy thing..." vs. 29

As to the "no more sacrifice" I believe the answer is tied up in vs. 18 "Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin."

In short: if you reject the blood of Jesus, you don't have any other options.:jesus:

 

Brethren,

May I give you my two cents worth? First, let's notice the immediate context of chapter ten and the overall context of sacrifices in this chapter.

In Hebrews 10:1-4 we have a general conclusion drawn about the whole sacrificial system under the Old Covenant - "never could take away sins" literally only figuratively or like a "shadow."

Second, we are then introduced to the primary sin sacrifice on the day of Atonement which Christ fulfilled (vv. 5-18).

Third, we have a transition from the one sacrifice given once a year but fulfilled in Christ once for all time unto the DAILY provisions for fellowship between God and His people in verses 19-25.

Besides the day of atonement or the Great sacrfice for sin once a year there were the daily sacrifices for sin that represent the walk of the believer and his daily fellowship (vv. 19-24). Fellowship is made public in faithfulness to the assembly and public worship (v. 25). However, the writer says this is not the "manner of some." In other words, there are some who are walking in willful disobedience to the commands of Christ in regard to the day He has set apart for public worship in the assembly.

If you go back in the Old Testament to where "willful" sin is introduced it is in the context of the man who willfully violated the Sabbath command. This Sabbath violater suffered physical death.

The point of the writer is that the daily sacrifice offered to provide daily cleansing is not accepted by God when the nature of the sin is willful. The response of God to willful sin is to reject the daily sacrifice and respond in divine chastening.

In other words, it will do you no good to ask the Lord to forgive you and cleanse you of your sins as a child of God if you do not mean it but rather continue in willful sin. God will not accept your offering up of the sacrifice of prayer for forgiveness. Instead, God will unleash chastening which is not taking your physical life, but putting you through a living hell on earth until you repent. Recall the experiences of David when he failed to repent and what anguish he went through in Psalms 32. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God and God will judge HIS PEOPLE.

The person who continues to offer up the prayer for forgiveness based upon the shed blood of Christ but continues willfully in that very sin does despite to the Spirit and tramples underneath his feet the blood of the convenant whereby he was sanctified.

Anyway that is my bias. I may be wrong but it is the way I presently view this text.