Hebrews Chapter Ten
1. For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
For the Law, being a shadow of the coming good, not the very substance of things, every year by the same sacrifices that they are offering continually, [is] never able to make perfect those who are coming to [it] (literal).
The Law, in this case, is the Law of Moses, and is called a shadow of what was coming. A shadow is caused by the obstruction of light; although it might provide a dark, two-dimensional image of the size and shape of what has interrupted the light, it cannot provide any details, and it is very unlike its cause. Therefore, the Law of Moses was an obscure, darkened and completely inadequate picture of what was ahead. “So the Law became our child-leader to Christ, so that we are justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24, literal).1 The shadow (the Mosaic Law) never brought justification (Romans 3:20); all that it provided was a temporary covering for sin, and the hope of Someone better – and even this came only by faith in the God Who promised to Abraham a day of greater light, when all of the families of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:3). Jesus condemned the Pharisees for attending to the minute details of the Law of Moses, while they neglected the more important elements: justice, mercy and faith (Matthew 23:23) – yes, faith was essential for the temporary atonement, made by the high priest, to become that of the individual Israelite! The temporary covering for sin that was available by faith through the sacrifices and priesthood of the OC, is but a dark and distorted shadow of the eternal cleansing and justification that is available through faith in Christ!
Indeed, the Law of Moses made no one complete, or perfect, something that the writer has already made clear (Hebrews 7:12). “And from all things you were not able to be justified by the Law of Moses; in this One, everyone who is believing, is being justified (Acts 13:39, literal).2 Believing is in the active voice, this is something that we must be doing in order to be justified, which is in the passive voice, identifying this as being God’s work in the one who is believing. Believing (pisteuo) is the active element of faith (pistis), something that is much more evident when we look at the Greek words.3 This is why Biblical believing is so much more than a simple mental agreement; it involves careful examination to determine the truth of a matter (in this case, what Jesus has done for us), and Jesus instructed us to make counting the cost of following Him a part of this examination (so that we do not begin with Him, and then fall away). After such a careful investigation, when we have become convinced of the truth of the Gospel, we now have the basis for faith, a firm conviction of the truth of this matter. With such a sure faith in the Lord Jesus comes justification before God: that place of no condemnation (Romans 8:1); this is something that the Law of Moses could not accomplish, being a mere shadow of the One Who was coming.
2. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
For otherwise would they [the sacrifices] not have ceased to be offered, because those who are worshipping, having once for all been made clean, no longer have a consciousness of sins? (literal).4
The writer now appeals to an argument of logic: if the OC sacrifices had actually made those who sacrificed (the worshippers) free from sin, then wouldn’t they have stopped sacrificing? The answer is, “Of course they would have!” Again, this is a reminder that the OC could not bring a permanent cleansing from sin – it was but the shadow of the One Who was coming.
3. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
But in them [the sacrifices] [is] a reminder every year of sins (literal).5
This is drawing attention specifically to the sacrifices that were made once each year on the Day of Atonement. Rather than resulting in a full cleansing from sin, the solemn rituals of this day were an annual reminder that sins had still not been atoned for completely; all of the sacrifices that were made throughout the year, and even the blood sprinkled within the Holy of Holies by the high priest, never brought an end to the need for shed blood to cover the sins of the people. The Lord established the Day of Atonement for Israel in order to remind them that the Promised Redeemer from sin was still coming; it was Israel’s role to place their faith in the One Who had promised, and trust Him to bring that full redemption in His perfect time. In the meantime, for all of Israel, their personal covering for sin was available through faith in Jehovah, just the same as it was for Adam and Eve. The faith of the OT saints was in the assurance that God would deal with sin just as He had promised; for their part, this required identification with the sacrifices that they were required to make – including those carried out by the high priest on the Day of Atonement. God’s standard was the shed blood of an innocent animal, without blemish, but it was the individual’s faith in the Lord that permitted that blood to provide even this temporary covering for sin. The Lord declared this truth through Habbakuk: “… a righteous man by his faithfulness shall live” (Habbakuk 2:4);6 faithfulness to the Lord only comes through obedience to Him. As the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, His desire was that they should become a holy people and a kingdom of priests unto the world, but this was premised upon: “if ye will obey my voice” (Exodus 19:5-6). It is through our obedience to the Lord that we express our faith in Him; it has always been that way.
Israel proved the necessity of faith: “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full [weary, filled to being sick] of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats” (Isaiah 1:11).7 Israel was following the sacrificial requirements as God had given them in the Law of Moses, but only in form; the blood flowed, but it brought no covering for their sins (not even a temporary cleansing) – faith in the Lord was missing! The Lord’s solution for Israel for this problem was this: “16. Wash you, make you clean [pure]; put away [turn aside from] the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; 17. Learn to do well [diligently]; seek judgment [justice], relieve the oppressed [literally: set the ruthless right], judge [defend] the fatherless, plead for the widow” (Isaiah 1:16-17).8 Israel had become careless, and turned away from God unto evil – perhaps assuming that their many sacrifices made everything okay. Learn to do well is an interesting phrase, which means to practice, or exercise, to do diligently, or thoroughly;9 the problem was that the children of Israel had become lazy, and no longer identified with the sacrificed animals as being the means of covering their sin – it seems that they embraced evil, and placed their faith in the rituals instead of in Jehovah Who provided this way so that they could receive cleansing from sin. In other words, doing what the Lord has prescribed in one area (obedience), does not cover for disobedience in another; the Lord’s message for Israel is that it was their disobedience that rendered their sacrifices nauseating in His sight.
Israel needed to learn the truth that works without faith is nauseating to the Lord (Hebrews 11:6), and that, of equal importance, faith without works is dead (James 2:26). Israel failed to keep faith as the integral part of their sacrificial service to the Lord; we, too frequently, fail to express our faith in the Lord through obedience to Him. Faith and obedience must be held together in order to be pleasing to the Lord, and this was true for the OC and is equally true under the New!
4. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
For the blood of bulls and goats [is] not able to take sins away (literal).10
We have looked at this verse several times through our study of this book. This is the essence of why all of the OC sacrifices (including those on the Day of Atonement) were unable to provide a permanent cleansing from sins. Not able is from the Greek adunatov, meaning that it is impossible!11 Because it was impossible for the shed blood of animals to bring a removal of sins, the sacrifices had to be continuous – all that they could do was to provide a temporary cleansing from sin, through faith!
5. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: 6. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. 7. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
5. Wherefore He, entering into the world, said: “A sacrifice and an offering You did not desire, but a body was prepared for Me; 6. whole burnt offerings to take sin away You did not approve”; 7. Then I said, “Behold, (in the roll of the Book it has been written of Me) I come to do Your will, God (literal).12
The writer provides a context for the words of the Psalmist, and ascribes them to Christ as He came into this world. The quote is from Psalm 40:6-8 – “6. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: [whole] burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required [requested]. 7. Then said I, Lo, I come [came]: in the volume [roll] of the book it is written of [prescribed to] me, 8. I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within [in the midst of ] my heart.”13
The quote begins with a declaration that God did not desire sacrifice and offering; earlier we noted that by the time of the prophet Isaiah, Israel had lost all understanding of the spiritual aspect to the prescribed traditions of the priests and sacrifices – it had become an outward show of piety. As Jesus came into the world, He did not come to perpetuate the Mosaic traditions; they did not provide a full cleansing from sin, nor was there any hope that they could do so.
For the next phrase we have some differences. The KJV of Psalm 40:6 reads: mine ears hast thou opened; the Septuagint (LXX) shows: and ears Thou prepared for Me; the writer states: but a body was prepared for Me; whereas the Hebrew reads: ears hast Thou dug for me, or mine ears thou hast digged out.14 The Hebrew is described as a figurative expression for the ears being opened – a way to convey the ability to hear and the need to obey.15 No one knows how the Hebrew for ears became the Greek for body; nevertheless, both the Hebrew and Greek, within the context, present a willing obedience to the Lord: heard by open ears and acted upon by the body that God has provided. Jesus, Himself, declared: “For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say [doctrine, or content], and what I should speak [the expression of that doctrine]” (John 12:49).16 It is not that Jesus could have taught anything that was wrong (because He is God), but it shows the dependence of the Son of Man upon His heavenly Father – an example for us to follow. Jesus came to fulfill the redemptive plan that was in place before the worlds were made: “[Christ, our Redeemer] Who verily was foreordained [known] before the foundation of the world …” (1 Peter 1:20).17 Jesus, as the eternal Word, was not only a participant in the formulation of the redemptive plan in eternity past, but it was determined that He would become the Son of Man in order to pay the full price for sin (something that the blood of animals could never do).
In keeping with the prepared plan of making redemption from sin available for all of humanity, Jesus came with the full knowledge that the sacrifices and offerings of the OC were not what was needed to take sin away. This is something that the writer has been using every opportunity to emphasize: Hebrews 7:11 (if perfection came by the Levitical priesthood, then there would be no need for a priest after Melchizedek); 7:19 (the Law made nothing perfect); 9:9 (could not make him that did the service perfect); 10:1 (the Law … can never … make the comers thereunto perfect). By quoting from Psalm 40, the writer demonstrates that it was prophetic knowledge that the OC was not adequate in bringing a complete cleansing from sin; for his Hebrew audience, this is an important point to make.
Let’s consider one final difference between the writer and Psalm 40: the literal in Hebrews: “in the roll of the Book it has been written of Me”; the Psalm (from the Hebrew): “in the roll of the book prescribed to me.” The writer shows this as being parenthetical, undoubtedly because his focus is on I come to do Thy will. The writer follows the LXX, and this tells us that OT Scriptures have writings about Christ, His coming, and what He would accomplish on earth. The first glimpse is in Genesis 3:15, where it is promised that a Seed of the woman would come to deal with Satan and the sin that he brought into the world through deception. Throughout the OT, small details were revealed, particularly by the prophets, which served to provide information on the mission of the coming Messiah. Beyond that, when Jesus comes to establish His Millennial kingdom, He is called The Word of God (Revelation 19:13); therefore, all of the Scriptures work together to provide us with a picture of our Redeemer. Truly, it can be said that the Scriptures are written of the Lord: first, of His coming, then, all that He accomplished during His time on earth, and finally, what lies ahead for humanity.
In the same vein, the OT contains many passages that are often quite descriptive of the Messiah and the work that He would do; as Jesus came, it was necessary for Him to fulfill what was said of Him. Matthew, in his writing, noted that Jesus frequently spoke of the OT Scriptures being fulfilled by what was taking place at that moment (my brief investigation revealed about 15 times; e.g., Matthew 1:22, cp. Isaiah 7:14). It is generally accepted that Matthew wrote primarily for an audience with a Jewish heritage. We know that many of the Jews had great difficulty leaving their Jewish traditions behind when they came to Christ in faith (Acts 15:1, 5); Paul’s letter to the Galatians was highly corrective of their acceptance of Jewish teachings that sought to drag them into OC traditions. Therefore, it would be very important for Matthew to establish Jesus as the Promised One to those who were prone to compromising the message of the Gospel, and what better way than to illustrate the fulfillment of OT prophecy throughout the Lord’s ministry. In a very real sense, the OT bears a definitive outline of the life that the Messiah would have when He came – it was “pre-scribed” to Him, i.e., determined in advance.18
The over-arching principle is that Jesus came to earth for the purpose of doing the will of the Father, which was to fulfill the plan that the Father, the Word, and the Spirit had established in eternity past. As Jesus knew the manner of death that He was about to endure in order to pay for sin, He took a moment to commune with His Father: “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (John 17:4). His ministry was completed, all that remained was His payment for the sins of humanity – His work as our High Priest according to the pattern of Melchizedek.
8. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9. Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
8. Earlier He is saying that a sacrifice and an offering for sin and whole burnt offerings, He did not desire, neither was He pleased with whatever was brought according to the Law; 9. Then He said, “Behold! God, I am come to do Your will” – He abolishes the first in order that the second will be established (literal).19
The writer again makes reference to the words of the Psalmist that the Lord had no desire for sacrifices, and that He was not pleased with the offerings according to the Law. Even though the Lord gave the Law of Moses to Israel for them to obey, their obedience to the Law never brought Him full satisfaction because the problem of sin remained. The obedience of those who kept the Law in faith did bring Him pleasure, because of the expression of their faith in Him. It is these who are the OT saints, those who entered Paradise after their death – they could not come into the presence of the Lord because their sins had not yet been paid in full.
The writer contrasts the Lord’s lack of enthusiasm for the keeping of the Law with the words that He ascribes to Christ: “God, I am come to do Your will.” We recognize that Christ kept the Mosaic Law without fault, but, beyond that, His mission on earth was to accomplish the will of God as it pertained to humanity’s sin problem. Jesus was well aware of His purpose for coming to earth in the body of flesh. After He raised Lazarus from the dead, He taught this truth: “Except [unless] a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” (John 12:24).20 Then He followed that with: “Now My soul has been troubled, and what should I say: ‘Father, save Me from this hour?’ Yet for this I did come unto this hour” (John 12:27, literal).21 Jesus was well aware of the plan for redemption from sin; although His flesh (the Son of Man) shuddered at what He was about to bear, He also knew that this was the reason that He had come to earth. The will of God, as it pertained to redemption from sin, was about to be done on earth, even as it had been formulated in eternity past.
The writer now draws it all together: He abolishes the first in order that the second will be established. The first is identified as being the OC of sacrifices carried out by the Levitical priests; the first is abolished by the Lord so that the second (the will of God) will be established. Paul wrote of this: “14. For He [Christ] is our peace Who did make both [the Jew and the Gentile] one, and the wall of division He did tear down, 15. by His flesh He did abolish the enmity, the Law of commandments in the ordinances, so that, in Himself, the two [the Jew and the Gentile] He did create into one new man, making peace, 16. And to reconcile both [the Jew and the Gentile] in one Body to God through the cross, having slain the enmity in Himself (Ephesians 2:14-16, literal).22 Paul identifies two things that the Lord removed: the wall of division and the Law of commandments in the ordinances (also called the enmity). These are two descriptions of the OC. Although the Lord’s stated desire for Israel was that they would become a holy people and priests to the surrounding world (Exodus 16:9) – that never took place. Rather than becoming a means of reaching the world with the hope of redemption, the Law of Moses became the instrument by which they isolated themselves from the world; it became a wall of division that led them to despise the Gentiles. The Law of Moses, God’s covenant with Israel, contained many commands and regulations that impacted their daily living; in fact, the OC rendered all of them as being guilty before God – it was enmity because it condemned them all. This is the first that Jesus abolished (from the Greek katargeo, to render inactive); the OC was rendered inactive by the introduction of the NC. Jesus did not simply remove the OC, rather He replaced the OC with the NC, thereby bringing the OC to an end (Hebrews 8:13).
It is this truth that the writer desires his audience to understand in fullness; the OC is gone, having been replaced by the NC. There was no time of transition where both covenants were partially effective; when Jesus died, the veil of the temple was split from the top to the bottom – the OC was ended in an instant, and the NC had begun. There really was no basis for confusion regarding the OC; the confusion was introduced by the Jews who placed their faith in Christ and then endeavored to make some of the OC practices essential to their new faith (Acts 15:1, 5). This was the error that became prevalent in the region of Galatia, and Paul wrote to them and left no doubt as to what they were doing. The people of Galatia had come out of idolatry: “… you were enslaved to those which are, by nature, not gods” (Galatians 4:8b, literal). What is evident is that before they had placed their faith in Christ, they had been pagans and slaves to their idolatrous traditions. After reminding them of their pagan background, Paul goes on with this: “But now, having come to know God (that is, more surely, you became known by God) how is it that you are turning back to the feeble and worthless elementary teachings to which you desire anew to become enslaved again?” (Galatians 4:9, literal).23 Consider carefully how Paul phrases this question to them; they had come out of paganism, and now they were being enticed by some Jews to believe that they needed to add some OC, Jewish traditions to their faith in order to be truly saved. After coming to know the Lord, Paul’s question is: why are you turning back to be enslaved by the worthless teachings all over again? Paul, in effect, likens the mixing of OC traditions into the Gospel to turning again to paganism.
Think about it. The Gospel is God’s message of redemption through the Lord Jesus Christ, and it is for everyone – Jew and Gentile alike. To contaminate this Message with something that the Lord has declared to be obsolete is to upend the Gospel and turn it into a form of paganism. As Paul began his letter to the Galatian Christians, he noted this: “As we have said before, and now I am telling you again, if anyone is preaching a gospel contrary to what you did receive [from me], he is cursed” (Galatians 1:9, literal).24 Contrary is from a Greek word (para) that means to be alongside of; when speaking of the Gospel, as here, the message may appear to be very similar, or may even include the full Gospel message, but with something added. The latter was the case with the Galatians, and the Jews before them; they accepted the Gospel truth, but then sought to add to it some of the OC practices. Paul made it very clear to the Galatians that anyone who makes a change to the Gospel of God is cursed (anathema) – delivered over to the wrath of God.25
The Message of God’s truth in the Lord Jesus carries spiritual life; that Message, with anything added to it, no longer bears that life. In other words, the Gospel plus anything, or with anything removed, is the same as paganism – lifeless. In reality, the Gospel message that is either missing something or has something added, is actually much more dangerous than paganism. Most people who have even a cursory understanding of the Bible will be able to identify paganism. However, when they face a Gospel that has been changed in some way, they are much less likely to identify the problem and so are much more susceptible to accepting the error. The safeguard against falling for such error is to accept that the Gospel cannot be compromised in any way, and then spend much time in the Scriptures becoming intimately familiar with God’s Message to us.
The protection of the exclusive Message of God from any compromise is there under the NC, but it was also there under the OC. God’s message to Israel was this: “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you” (Deuteronomy 4:2). The religious Jews of Jesus’ day had failed on this count, for Jesus told them very plainly: “Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition” (Mark 7:9). Jesus went on to cite an example of how they were doing this: God’s command is to honor thy father and mother, yet these ruling Jews had a tradition of designating their wealth as Corban, a gift to God, so that they were then unable to be of any help to their father and mother, thereby making God’s Word of no effect by their tradition (Mark 7:10-13); this practise permitted them to enjoy their wealth without having to share it with anyone else. To them, Jesus quoted from Isaiah: “This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Mark 7:6b; cp. Isaiah 29:13). God will not tolerate having His Word compromised; very plainly stated to Israel of old, reiterated to the religious Jews of Jesus’ day, and firmly taught to the Galatians for our edification.
10. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
We, who have been sanctified by that will [the will of God], are so [sanctified] through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all (literal).26
The writer has just made it clear that Jesus came to do the will of God, and He did so by purchasing freedom from sin for humanity. By so doing, He ended the OC practices and ushered the NC in by His blood – the will of God accomplished! If we are in Christ by faith, then we have been sanctified, or made holy, in accordance with God’s will, and that holiness comes through the one-time sacrifice that Jesus made for sin. Jesus shed His blood and died in order to establish the NC; the purpose for the fulfillment of God’s will in this manner was to not only pay the price for sin, but to make His holiness available to all who come to Him through Christ. “And being freed from sin, you are enslaved to righteousness” (Romans 6:18, literal); we are saved from something (sin), as well as being saved to something (the righteousness of God). Both freed and enslaved are in the passive voice – these are things that are done for us by the Lord; it is His work in us. In the same way, without Christ we cannot be sanctified (made holy); of ourselves, we have no holiness, nor can we attain it on our own – another evidence that Christ died for sinners: “But God demonstrates His love to us, because of our being yet sinful, Christ did die on our behalf (Romans 5:8, literal).27 It was because humanity had no hope of ever breaking free of sin that Christ came, died and rose again, thereby conquering both sin and death! The will of God was accomplished: our sanctification is now possible through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
After thousands of years of sacrifices being made to provide a temporary covering for sin, Jesus ended it all by offering Himself as the Sacrifice – a single payment for sin. The writer has stated plainly that it is impossible for the blood of animals to remove sins; all that they could do was provide a covering for sin, but the sin was never taken away. The Word became flesh (John 1:14) so that, as the Son of Man, God was able to make the necessary sacrifice to remove sin. It was the shed blood of the sinless Man that paid the price for sin completely; the blood of the perfect God-Man brought a full cleansing from sin to humanity. A living faith in the work of the Lord Jesus will bring that cleansing to the individual; a living faith is founded upon a continuous belief in the Lord and accompanied by obedience to His commands. The Lord paid the price for sin, and so He is the only Way to the Father and the glories of heaven – a Way that has been defined in Scripture, and is not open to negotiation.
11. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
11. And, indeed, every priest stood daily ministering and offering the same sacrifices many times, which were never able to take sins away; 12. But He, Who did offer one sacrifice for sins forever, did sit down to the right of God (literal).
The posture of the priests as they went about their tabernacle responsibilities, was always upright; no provision was made for them to sit in the service areas of the tabernacle. It was important that they remain vigilant as they performed their required activities; failure to follow the prescribed procedure often came with the promise of death (e.g., they had to wash before they ministered at the altar, Exodus 30:20-21). It was essential for the priests to very carefully follow the detailed routines in their service in the tabernacle, yet, despite their meticulous care to adhere to the Lord’s requirements, none of this was ever able to remove sin completely – the sacrifices and offerings had to be repeated over and over again.
By contrast, the Lord Jesus made one sacrifice for sins, and then entered heaven to sit to the right of His Father (Mark 16:19) – His redemptive work was complete. The eternal plan had been executed, and humanity could now avail themselves of a complete cleansing from sin. Again, we must remind ourselves that faith in the Lord Jesus is the key that will open this door, but only a continuous perseverance in the Lord will enable us to navigate the restricted Way that leads to life with the Lord. We certainly do not walk the Way in our own strength, but unless our commitment to the Lord is greater than the obstacles and trials that we will face, we will not finish the journey.
Jesus taught the parable of the soils to explain this truth. He said that sometimes the Seed (His Word) will fall upon a rocky soil and germination takes place very quickly, but, because there is little workable soil, as soon as the heat comes, it withers and dies (Luke 8:6, 13). The Seed produced life, but the rocky soil did not permit the growth of strong and healthy roots; temptation came (it could be a trial or a test), and the life perished. We understand that faith brought life, but that faith was unable to stand against the trials that came its way. The Seed that fell upon weedy soil grew and showed good growth; faith brought life, and that life began to gain some maturity. However, the weeds also grew and surrounded the grain, so that the grain was unable to get the needed nutrients and sunlight to flourish: the weeds choked the grain to death (Luke 8:7, 14). Faith brought life and growth, and the promise of maturity, but the world, offering pleasures and riches along with the stress of meeting its expectations, came crowding in. Alas, the faith was not sufficiently focused on its Source of strength, and it fell to the immediate gratification that the world offered. As we consider this parable of Jesus, we often miss what He said about the good soil and the harvest that it produced: it “is bearing fruit in perseverance” (Luke 8:15) – the harvest came, not because there were no trials or worldly pressures to conform, but because of perseverance! We must walk the pathway to Life with a strong commitment, and with our eyes focused on the Lord Jesus, the Author of our redemption (Hebrews 12:1-2). “If anyone is coming to Me and is not hating his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, and even his own soul also, he is not able to be My disciple” (Luke 14:26, literal).28 No, this is not a violation of the Fifth Commandment to honor our father and mother; what Jesus is saying is that we must hold a greater love for Him than for our family. In other words, if it should come to choosing whether to favor our family or the Lord, then, Jesus says, we must choose Him! The Way to life is narrow (Matthew 7:14), and this defines one of those restrictions by which we must live.
Jesus brought the possibility of redemption from sin to humanity; He completed what had been determined before time, and then entered heaven as the Son of Man in order to sit with His Father. It is noted that He sat to the right of the Father; in Scripture, the right side is favored above the left and considered to be the place of honor.29 The Hebrew word yamiyn can mean the right, right side, right hand, or south;30 the Greek dexios is very similar, specifying the right, with side, hand, etc. frequently being supplied in translation. In the ceremony of consecrating Aaron and his sons to the priesthood, blood was placed upon their right ear, the thumb of their right hand, and big toe of their right foot (Exodus 29:20). The Psalmist frequently spoke of the benefits afforded by the Lord’s right hand: “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11). Jesus entered heaven to sit in that place of honor.
13. From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
Henceforth He is waiting until His enemies are made a footstool for His feet (literal).31
This is a reference to Psalm 110:1, but not a quote: “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” We first dealt with this in Hebrews 1:13, where the writer clarifies that these words were not spoken to angels but to the Christ.
In the previous verse, the writer placed Jesus to the right of the Father in heaven, and now notes that Jesus is waiting until the time when His enemies will become His footstool. The footstool is used as a picture of the complete control that Jesus will have over His enemies; but until that day, He is waiting in heaven with the Father. The Psalmist adds that Christ will rule in the midst of His enemies out of Jerusalem, or Zion (Psalm 110:2), which provides a setting for the time when His enemies will become His footstool.
When the seventh seal of Revelation is opened by Jesus, we are told that there is silence in heaven about the space of half an hour (Revelation 8:1). This is the time of the harvest, when Jesus comes in the clouds (but not to the earth), and all of His angels harvest the saints in their glorified bodies, and, while still in the clouds, He receives them to be with Himself forever. This is a significant part of what takes place while Jesus is waiting until His enemies will come under His complete control (His footstool). The significance of this harvest (often called the rapture) is that it comes just before the vials of God’s wrath are emptied onto the earth; the promise that we have is that Jesus has delivered us from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10).
After the saints of the Lord have been harvested from the earth, the only people remaining are those who are not His. As in the days of Noah, when those who were outside of the ark were subject to the watery wrath of God, so now those who are not caught up to be with Him will face God’s wrath being poured out upon the earth (Matthew 24:37-39). Also like unto the time of Noah, no one who remains on the earth after the rapture will be saved; for those who are left behind, there is no salvation – their destruction is sure!
At the end of the time of God’s wrath, the Antichrist and the False Prophet will gather the ten kings of the earth and their armies in defiance of the Lord Jesus; despite the devastating events of the time of wrath, they are prepared to fight against God (there is no repentance; after the final vial of wrath, the people of the earth blasphemed God, [Revelation 16:21]). It is at this moment, when God’s wrath against the world is ended, that Jesus will descend to the earth with the armies of heaven, defeat the armies of the Antichrist that are gathered against Him, and establish His Millennial reign. Therefore, when Jesus begins His reign over the earth from Jerusalem, truly, it will be in the midst of His enemies, and He will rule them with a rod of iron (Revelation 19:15): His enemies have become His footstool.
Even though Jesus is now with the Father in heaven, what is taking place on earth is being closely monitored, and when the Father declares that the time of the harvest is come, then the seventh seal will be opened, the rapture will take place, the events of the wrath of God will follow in quick succession, and then His time of waiting for His enemies to become His footstool, is over.
14. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
For by one offering He made perfect forever those who are sanctified (literal).32
In one concise statement, the writer summarizes the work of the Lord Jesus, our Savior and High Priest. By one offering for sin, He has made perfect forever all of those who are sanctified. What does it mean to be sanctified, and who are the sanctified? The word used is from the Greek hagiazo, which means to make holy, or to consecrate, and includes the concept of being set apart.33 Jehovah is the ultimate expression of holiness; the seraphim that Isaiah saw proclaimed His holiness (Isaiah 6:3), and the living creatures of Revelation proclaim His holiness continuously (Revelation 4:8).
We must be careful to understand what is being said, particularly in our day of a pervasive acceptance of once-saved-always-saved (which, you will recall, the writer has already thoroughly debunked). Those who have been made perfect (perfect tense, indicative mood: a completed action with continuing results, and a statement of fact) are those who are sanctified (a present tense participle with a definite article, passive voice: this form of a participle makes it function as a noun, and it is God’s work in us).34 This is something that is accomplished through the offering that Jesus made. He made one cleansing offering for sin, and, as we place our faith in Him, we are brought out of sin into Him. In the eyes of God, we are now perfect because we are in Christ; through that same faith, we are numbered among those who are sanctified – consecrated to God. Paul wrote of this to the Ephesians: “3. Blessed [is] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Who did bless us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ, 4. even as He did choose us in Him before the beginning of the world, for us to be holy and without fault in the presence of Him, in love 5. He did predetermine us to adoption through Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of His will” (Ephesians 1:3-5, literal).35 Consider this carefully, it has been God’s determination that we are to be blessed in Christ, and that we are chosen in Him – the critical factor here is that we must be in Christ! If we are in Christ, then we are holy and without fault before God, and we have been adopted by Him. As we take this back to our text, we can understand that being perfect and sanctified is made possible by the offering made by the Lord Jesus, but it is only a reality as long as we are in Him. In the illustration of the Vine and branches, Jesus said, “Remain in Me, and I in you” (John 15:4, literal);36 remain is in the imperative mood (it is a command), and active voice, which means that we must remain in Him, and if we remain in Him, then He will continue in us. This places the responsibility for remaining in Him upon us; so how do we remain in Him?
When we place our faith in the Lord Jesus, the Spirit of God comes to abide within us (Romans 8:9), and, along with His presence, we have learned that God places His Law of Ten Commandments into our minds and writes them upon our hearts (Hebrews 8:10). Jesus taught that the Spirit would come, intending to stay with us forever (John 14:16), and that He would guide us into all truth (John 16:13). From this we know that when Jesus said that we must remain in Him, He did not leave us without resources to ensure that we are able to do so.
Jesus said this: “If ye are loving Me, then ye must obey My commandments” (John 14:15, literal).37 It would be safe to say that those who are abiding in Him are also loving Him; here we have something to which we must give our attention to ensure that we are loving Him, and are in Him. John provided us with a further explanation on this: “The one who is obeying His Word, truly, in this [obedience] the love of God has been made perfect, in this [obedience] we are understanding that we are in Him” (1 John 2:5, literal).38 How do we remain in Christ? By living in obedience to His commands! Again, the Spirit is abiding within all of those who remain in Christ, and His commands have been placed in our minds and hearts – what more could we possibly need to live in obedience to His commands? Ah, yes! We need to be committed to walking faithfully (obediently) with Him, having a greater love for Him than for anything, or anyone, else in this world (Luke 14:26). As we place our faith in the Lord Jesus, we are perfect before God and consecrated to Him; we remain in that place that He has made for us by our obedience to Him. It is really very kind of Him to counsel us to count the cost of following Him before we commit to doing so (Luke 14:28-30), lest, having begun, we fall away and are destroyed; yet, today, we hear almost nothing of this.
15. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, 16. This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17. And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
15. But even the Holy Spirit is bearing witness to us; for, after what has been said before, 16. “this is the covenant that I will make with them after those days,” says the Lord, “I am placing My Law upon their hearts and on their minds I will write them, 17. And of their sins and iniquities, I will no longer remember” (literal).39
The writer does not quote verbatim from Jeremiah 31:33-34, but shows the essentials as a reminder that the Lord promised to make a covenant that is very different from the OC that was in place at the time of Jeremiah. He also underscores the significance of this Scripture by noting that it is the Holy Spirit Who proclaimed this truth through Jeremiah. What is noticeably absent is the phrase “with the house of Israel,” which has been replaced by “with them.” Jesus proclaimed the coming of the NC to His disciples, who were of “the house of Israel,” but, as He left them, He commissioned them to teach His truth to all nations, or all peoples (ta ethna, the Gentiles),40 teaching them to obey everything that I commanded you (Matthew 28:20, literal).41 For his Hebrew audience, the writer is guided to exclude the reference to Israel in order to remind them that the Gospel is for everyone, not just the Jews. The early Jewish Christians had great difficulty getting beyond their cultural borders; Jesus told the apostles to take the Message to all peoples, but there was an unwillingness to do so: they were forced to recognize the work of the Lord among the Samaritans through Philip’s teaching (Acts 8:5, 14-17), and Peter was compelled to extend the Message to the despised Gentiles when the Lord sent him to Cornelius (Acts 10:44-45). It was the great persecution against the new Christians, which was led by Saul, that sent most of the Jewish Christians out of Jerusalem, and they proclaimed the Gospel wherever they went (Acts 8:4); however, the apostles, whom Jesus had specifically charged to teach the Gentiles, stayed in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1). The writer is subtly reminding his readers of some of Jesus’ final words to His disciples: “Go … and teach all nations …” (Matthew 28:19) – a global commission that was specifically directed away from Israel.
After those days shows that what follows is taking place after the OC has been ended in Christ. The Lord did not place His Law upon the hearts and minds of those under the OC, nor did He cease to remember their sins. The writer has clarified that the Day of Atonement served to be an annual reminder of sins that were not taken away (Hebrews 10:3), and so, after those days came the NC with the penalty for sins paid in full.
The writer has just made the point that it is through Christ’s one offering that those who are sanctified have been made perfect; we clarified that this is applicable only to those who are in Him. In the same way, it is only those who are in Christ who have the Law of God placed upon their hearts and minds, and whose sins will never be remembered again. However, as the writer has also made very clear, being in Christ is not something that is written in stone; it is very possible to begin a journey with Christ only to fall away from Him by being deceived or distracted. “Beware, brethren, that there never be in anyone of you a wicked heart of unbelief, to become apostate from the God Who is living” (Hebrews 3:12, literal).42 Just a little earlier, these brethren were called holy, and so we know that these are those who are in Christ; they are not just fellow Jews, but have been made holy through faith in Christ. Nevertheless, they are warned against permitting unbelief to enter into their hearts; what does unbelief look like? Belief, the conviction of the truth of a matter that is arrived at after careful examination, is the basis of faith, and faith, as we have seen, must be expressed through obedience. Therefore, we can easily perceive that unbelief will be expressed through disobedience, whether it is deliberate, rationalized, or by deception, it matters not. “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him” (Titus 1:16); with their words they claim to be Christians, but their actions are not in obedience to the Lord: they profess belief, but live in unbelief.
Notice that the warning issued against unbelief entering the heart is linked to becoming apostate from the Lord. Apostasy requires a change of heart – from belief to unbelief (hence the warning); therefore, we understand that someone who has never believed cannot be labelled as an apostate simply because they go from pretending to believe to a demonstrated unbelief. The warning is issued to those who are in Christ, who will face the pressure of trials, and the allure of the world, and then they turn away from Him – that is an apostate! The writer has also clarified that for such as these, there is no hope of being restored to Christ, because that would be to crucify Him again, and shows contempt for His one offering for sin (Hebrews 6:4-6). We must count the cost before committing to follow the Lord; prayers offered for salvation in an emotionally charged atmosphere are not appropriate, nor are the use of pressure tactics (emotional blackmail) proper. Typically, neither of these situations permit an appropriate evaluation of the Gospel message, nor is the cost of following the Lord ever mentioned.
Permit me to return to a matter with which we have already dealt; I do so because of the condition of most Evangelicals today – those who profess to know God! The prevalent belief today among most professing Christians, from popular preachers to lazy laymen, is that a prayer for salvation in Christ makes the glories of heaven a surety. One writer on this subject made this observation: “Eternal security is inherited at salvation through grace …”;43 he then goes on to talk about our confidence, or the lack thereof, that is our experience. I would agree that eternal security comes at the moment that the salvation of Christ is ours, but salvation does not come when they think that it does, and therein is a significant part of their problem in this matter. Jesus said, “But the one who endures unto the end, this is the one who will be saved” (Matthew 24:13, literal).44 Notice that salvation is obtained at the end, not at the moment that a prayer for salvation is uttered. Before that end, there is a lifetime of enduring that must take place (remaining faithful in the face of tribulation, persecution, etc.). Jesus counselled to count the cost of being His disciple, yet today’s Evangelicals hold tenaciously to the concept of a free ride to heaven after as little as a guided prayer for salvation! Such a fallacy is not taught in Scripture! Those who have swallowed the lie of once-saved-always-saved, have fallen for one of the most destructive ploys of the devil – it contains an element of truth, but it is dreadfully misapplied so as to deceive. Everyone assumes that eternal salvation is secure at the moment that a prayer of faith is uttered – that is unbiblical! To sincerely believe that you are destined for heaven when nothing in your life hints of obedience to the Lord, is the ultimate in deceptions. To further compound this delusion, since they believe that they’re saved and going to heaven, there is no motivation to check the Scriptures to be sure that they’re right – there is no desire to seek for the truth; such a faith is found in the words of men, and not in the Word of God! This is where most Evangelicals are: destined for destruction, even while they dream of heavenly bliss.
18. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
And where forgiveness of these [is], [there is] no longer an offering for sin (literal).45
These refers to the sins and iniquities, from the previous verse, which will no longer be remembered. Where forgiveness of sins has been applied, it is only logical that there would be no further offering made for them. The OC was centered on the Levitical priests and their work with the sacrifices and offerings of the people, all in order to provide a temporary covering for sin. Jesus made one offering for sin, and forgiveness of sins became available to all of humanity – no further offering is needed!
19. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20. By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
19. Therefore, brethren, we have confidence in coming into the holy places through the blood of Jesus, 20. Which new and living way He did open for us through the veil, that is, His flesh (literal).46
The holy places of the tabernacle could only be accessed by the priests, and the Holiest of all, only by the high priest on the Day of Atonement; the common people were not permitted beyond the curtain on the east side of the holy place. However, through the blood of Jesus, a way has been opened for us to come into the very presence of God: by faith, we are in Christ, the Spirit of God is within us, and the Law of God is in our hearts and minds. Our confidence in this comes from the Lord Jesus, not from anything that we could do; He is our Intercessor and Mediator with the Father. The high priest would intercede with Jehovah once each year on the Day of Atonement; Jesus is ever in the presence of the Father and is continually interceding with Him on our behalf (Romans 8:34).
The writer draws a comparison between the veil that stood before the Holiest and the flesh of the Son of Man. Within the tabernacle, the veil hid the presence of God from the ministering priests, and yet there was only one way into His presence: the high priest, on the Day of Atonement, would enter through the veil to make atonement for sin. Jesus, as our Mediator, stands between man and God; there is only one Way into the presence of God, and that is through Jesus. “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6); Jesus is that restricted Way that leads to life (Matthew 7:14). When the veil of the temple was torn into two (Mark 15:37-38), that demonstrated that the way into the presence of the Lord was now opened for everyone through the sacrifice that Jesus had just made.
This Way is called new and living. New is from the Greek prosphaton, which literally means freshly killed, and, within this context, it identifies a way that did not exist before.47 As we have seen, the OT prophets spoke of this new way, but it did not come into being until Jesus shed His blood upon the cross for the sins of humanity.
This new way also brings life – it is a living way. You will recall that we have learned that the OC Law was given until the promised Seed would come (Galatians 3:19), and the writer has ensured that we know that the Law of Moses made no one perfect (Hebrews 7:19). Moreover, in his correction of the Galatians, Paul wrote: “Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law” (Galatians 3:21); nothing in the Law of Moses was able to give life, rather, it brought condemnation, guilt and a strong sense of being sinful before a holy God. However, the sacrifice that Jesus made not only paid the price for sin (through His shed blood) but also brought life because of His resurrection. Jesus declared that He is the Way and the Life (John 14:6), and He also took the time to explain what this meant. “Enter through the narrow gate … because the gate [is] narrow, and restricted the way that is leading to life, and there are few who are finding it” (Matthew 7:13-14, literal). Jesus is the Narrow Gate through which life can be found, and He is the only Way that is leading to life; He commands us to enter, but cautions that the gate is narrow and the way is restricted. Jesus, as the Way, was new and living as He established the NC; yes, the NC is for everyone equally, but it is very specific as to how it can be entered and what must be done in order to remain on it. We have just noted how specific the Law of Moses was regarding the procedures that the priests were to follow – so very precise that any deviation could bring death to the priest (Exodus 30:20). The Way to Life under the NC is just as precisely laid out, and the Scriptures provide us with a full explanation of how this life is to be lived – any deviation from God’s Word will result in a failure to find this life in Christ. John was very forthright on this matter, and we must take heed: “And in this we are coming to know that we have understood Him [Christ], if His commandments we are obeying; the one who is saying, ‘I have understood Him,’ and His commandments he is not obeying, is a liar, and the truth is not in this one” (1 John 2:3-4, literal).48 Unless we are living in obedience to the Lord, we cannot ever claim to know Him, and certainly not that we love Him (John 14:15).
It is in Christ that we are made a part of His NC: indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9), a member of His ekklesia (1 Corinthians 1:2), His Laws placed in our hearts and minds (Hebrews 10:16), adopted as children of God (Ephesians 1:5), and anticipate His coming to claim His own. This is all new – opened unto us by Christ through His sacrifice. Beyond that, we have no condemnation before God since we are in Him (Romans 8:1), He is our advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1), and, even though He has promised us tribulation in this world (John 16:33), He will keep us from the wrath of God that is coming (1 Thessalonians 1:10). Truly, the blessings of God are many, but we must persevere in faithful obedience to Him, lest we permit unbelief to rob us of all that we have in Him!
21. And having an high priest over the house of God; 22. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
21. And [having] a great Priest over the household of God, 22. May we approach with a true heart, in certainty of commitment: the hearts having been purified from an evil conscience, and the body having been washed with pure water (literal).49
This builds upon the new and living way that has been established through the blood of Christ; a way that stands in sharp contrast to the OC, which has been described as a mere shadow of the new way (Hebrews 10:1). Under the NC, we not only have confidence to enter into the holy place in Christ, but He is our great Priest forever, following the order of Melchizedek and not Aaron. His one sacrifice paid for sin and ended thousands of years of sacrifices that were never able to remove sin. Not only that, but He has been made “the head of the body, the church (ekklesia) …” (Colossians 1:18a); this is the same body (ekklesia) that He said that He would build (Matthew 16:18; build is in the indicative mood, it is a statement of fact). He is declared to be the Head of the ekklesia, which is His Body (Ephesians 1:23), and we are assured that if we are faithfully in Him (Ephesians 1:1), then we are accounted as being members of His Body (Ephesians 5:30).
Let’s take a moment to tie this together with the household of God or the house of God. Solomon received very specific instructions on how he was to build the house of God (2 Chronicles 3:3a), i.e., the temple, which was called the place where God could dwell (1 Kings 8:13); however, the tabernacle was also referred to as the house of God (Judges 20:18). We have already noted that under the NC the Spirit of God comes to abide in those who are in Christ; under the OC, the people of Israel could not approach God, and His presence was hidden away in the innermost chamber of the tabernacle. Paul explained it to the Corinthians: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16); we who are in Christ have that innermost chamber of the temple within us: the Spirit of God is dwelling there, and the Laws of God have been written upon our hearts and minds (even as the tables of God’s Law were kept in the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies). We are the house of God, but, of even greater significance, we are of the household of God, the Body of Christ, the ekklesia comprised of those who are in Him. These latter all express that we have a personal relationship with the Priest Who is the Head of this ekklesia, the Lord Jesus Christ!
Next comes some guidelines as to how we should come before our Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ; approach is in the subjunctive mood, which makes this a possibility, but not a certainty. In essence, we have a decision to make, and, as is always the case, how we choose has a direct impact on what follows. Our first choice is that we must come with a true heart.
Jesus quoted from Isaiah regarding the people of His time: “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me” (Matthew 15:8; cp. Isaiah 29:13). The Lord identified Israel as a people who paid Him lip-service according to the commands of men, rather than following His commands with all of their hearts; they had a façade of reverence for the Lord, but their hearts belonged to their personal goals and achievements. The people were following the dictates of their religious leaders who taught a religion that served them well – the people were subject to their interpretation of the Law of Moses, and that served to establish their positions of authority. Within the terms of modern Evangelicalism, they taught a theology that permitted them to retain their following and the adulation of the people. The words that are used will always contain an element of truth and sufficient logic to pacify the minds of most; the people follow the teachings of men and, since their minds are at rest, there is no motivation to search the Scriptures in order to discover God’s truth. Jesus’ word to the religious leaders was this: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment [justice], mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone” (Matthew 23:23).50 For us, today, John’s words are very applicable: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but examine the spirits, whether it is from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1, literal).51 We might wonder at John’s whether it is from God, which is a singular phrase in the midst of plural spirits. Two things come from this: 1) although there are many spirits, we must examine them individually, and 2) if the spirits are from God, then they will have one message, without contradiction. It is clear that we hold a responsibility to test all things according to God’s Word, which means that we must make the time to get to know the Scriptures.
A true heart means that we are following the Lord and His commands, and not being distracted by man-made theologies, no matter how eloquent the preacher. “17. Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid [turn away] them. 18. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly [desire]; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple [unsuspecting]” (Romans 16:17-18).52 We must be alert and ready to examine everything that comes our way, so that we will retain a true heart before the Lord.
Our second choice is to approach our Priest with certainty of commitment, or as the KJV shows: full assurance of faith. Although it could be argued that these two phrases are the same, I think that the former holds a little less ambiguity. We’ve just read John’s words that many false prophets are in the world today, and each of these will promote a faith that may contain some elements of truth, but will still be false. Biblical faith is the product of a careful evaluation of the Gospel message: it is found to be true to God’s Word, and, after counting the cost, we embrace it as our foundation for life – we have committed to following the Lord on that restricted pathway to life (Luke 14:33; John 14:6; Matthew 7:13-14). Therefore, we have a certainty that there are no doubts as to our commitment; there is a determination to follow the Lord regardless of the tribulations and persecutions that will come our way.
The writer then identifies two things that must take place in order to have that true heart and certainty of commitment. Heart is used figuratively of the eternal soul, and includes the mind; it is that inner being where contemplation takes place, evaluation, reasoning, and the will to act – the heart is who we are. In this case, the heart has been purified from an evil conscience; the conscience being the seat of choosing between right and wrong. Purified is in the perfect tense and passive voice:53 it is a past completed action with evident ongoing results, and it has been done by the Lord – we cannot do this on our own. When we place our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Spirit of God comes to abide within; this is the ultimate purification of our hearts, and He will guide us into all truth (John 16:13), to the exclusion of all evil, which has no part in the truth of God.
The second prerequisite is a body that has been washed with pure water. Washed, like purified, is in the perfect tense and passive voice.54 We just looked at 1 Corinthians 6:19 that identifies our body as the temple of the Holy Ghost, which means that the Holy Spirit is present and has cleansed all evil from the heart. In like manner, our body has been washed: what we do has been cleansed by the presence of the Spirit of God, as long as we are living under His guidance. Indeed, “if anyone [is] in Christ, [he is] a new creation; the old perished, lo, all things became new” (2 Corinthians 5:17, literal):55 a new heart that is expressed through a new man (Ephesians 4:24), a body that has been purified by the Spirit of God; the old heart and body have been replaced by the work of Christ in us.
A true heart and certainty of commitment are to characterize our state of abiding in Christ, for we know that unless we remain in Him, we are destined for ruin (John 15:6). It is only as we are in Christ that we are without condemnation before God (Romans 8:1), and we live out the righteousness of the Law of God under the guidance of the Spirit of God (Romans 8:4).
23. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
May we hold fast an unwavering confession of hope, because faithful [is] He Who did promise (literal).56
Confession has its roots in the Greek verb homologeo, which means to speak (lego) the same thing (homos), or to agree with.57 Our Hope is the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 1:1), Who is described by the writer as a better Hope than the OC (Hebrews 7:19). Our confession, then, is our agreement with the words and work of the Lord Jesus, and we are to hold fast to this acknowledgement without wavering. Once again, we see the need for a strong perseverance in our commitment to live according to His guidance; it is to be unwavering (without bending, leaning or declining), no wandering to the right or left, and no hesitation in our walk with Him; we must simply hold a steady focus on the One Who has opened the Way to life (Hebrews 12:1-2).58 It is only as we hold fast (unwaveringly) to our Hope unto the end that we will be a part of His family (Hebrews 3:6).
Hold fast is in the subjunctive mood – a possibility but not a certainty; i.e., it is our decision. The reason that we should determine to hold fast is due to the faithfulness of the Lord Jesus Who will establish you and protect from evil (2 Thessalonians 3:3, literal).59 “You remain in Me, and I in you; even as the branch is not able to bear fruit out of itself, unless it remains in the vine, thus not even you, unless you remain in Me” (John 15:4, literal).60 It is as we remain in Christ, under the guidance of the Spirit of God, that the righteousness of the Law of God will be expressed through us (Romans 8:4), and the fruit of the Spirit will be seen in us (Galatians 5:22-23). The summary is this: “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27); this hope is based upon the predetermination of God that those who are in Christ are His adopted children (Ephesians 1:5). It all comes back to the reality of what it means to be in Christ, and the necessity of remaining in Him; it is only as we are in Christ that God showers us with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3). Jesus declared: “For in this manner did God love humanity, in that He did give His only begotten Son so that everyone who is believing in Him will not be destroyed but is having everlasting life” (John 3:16, literal).61 A presently active belief in the Lord Jesus Christ (which must include obedience, else there is no belief ) will ensure the presence of everlasting life; such a belief is an indication of abiding in Him. John elaborated on this: “11. And this is the record [marturia, testimony], that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (1 John 5:11-12).62 If we are abiding in the Lord Jesus, then God’s provision of eternal life is ours, not because we uttered a prayer for salvation, but because we are in Christ.
The promises of God are sure and He is faithful; we must determine that our words and deeds will be in accordance with the Lord in all things. As we do so, we confess that the Lord is our Hope, and we are not swayed by the world around us; through the study of the Scriptures, we have an eternal hope in view, and, by the Spirit of God, we live with that as our guide.
24. And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
And may we carefully consider one another for the stimulation of love and good deeds (literal).63
This is another suggestion (it’s not a command) that is a possibility, if we choose to follow it. Carefully consider (or, consider) is from the Greek katanoeo, which identifies an intensive discernment of another person;64 this is not a casual acknowledgement, but a close observation in order to really see the other. However, this is in no way to be construed as being a critical evaluation.
Stimulation, or provoke, is from a strong word in the Greek; although encourage is often a suggested translation, it lacks the passion that is an essential element of this word, which can be used in either a positive (as here) or negative setting. Consider Acts 15:39 where Paul and Barnabas disagreed over taking Mark with them again: “And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other …”; the sharp contention is our word in Greek used in a negative sense. We can feel the passion in their disagreement, and it is that sort of emotion that needs to be a part of the positive use of this word in our text.
In our case, the purpose is to incite love and good deeds within the other person, whom we have taken the time to understand. Love is from the Greek agape, which is a self-sacrificing love that is an act of the will, and not an emotional response to favorable circumstances. This is the first listed aspect of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), and, in truth, it must be from the Lord in order to flourish as it should. Although its Source is God, clearly we can be involved in inciting this love in those who are in our lives.
As Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, he expressed his desire for them this way: “And may the Lord cause you to increase and become rich in love toward one another and unto all, even as we also to you” (1 Thessalonians 3:12, literal).65 Increase and become rich are in the optative mood, and they, thereby, express Paul’s hope for the people – what he would like to see in them. It is the Lord Who must work in their hearts in order to instill (cause) the motivation that will lead to an increase in their love (agape);66 yet, as an encouragement to them in this matter, Paul adds that it is this increased and rich love that they (Paul, Silvanus, and Timotheus – 1 Thessalonians 1:1) have for them. Such an increase in love must come from the Lord, but, as we note here, the Thessalonians have an example in the writers of this letter; in truth, we can never motivate anyone beyond what we, ourselves, will do. In order to stimulate others to a greater expression of godly love, we must be able to model it.
In this regard, the good deeds are not unlike the love: unless we are living in obedience to the Lord’s commands (good deeds), we cannot expect anyone else to be concerned about such a life. However, as it has been made so abundantly clear in our study so far, we cannot profess to be in Christ unless we are living in obedience to Him.
Good deeds (or, works), in this case, comes from the Greek kalos ergon.67 We find the same English phrase in: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10); however, the Greek in this case, is agathos ergon.68 We have both agathos and kalos translated as good; the difference is subtle, but worthy of a moment’s attention. Agathos is considered to be the older of the two Greek words, and identifies something that comes from the inner constitution of a person or thing, and that which is morally right and pleasing to God; kalos, on the other hand, leans more toward the visible, and what is excellent, beautiful, or brings delight to the eyes and heart. The overlap between these two words comes in the area where kalos, at least within the spiritual realm, flows out of a heart that is right with God – agathos is a big-picture good; kalos is more specific.69 Clearly, our English has a problem differentiating between these two, and this becomes very evident when both words appear in the same verse: “Even so every good [agathon] tree bringeth forth good [kalous] fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit” (Matthew 7:17); comparing some 30 translations, most showed good for the tree (three used healthy and one sound), and all used good for the fruit.70 The tree, as the source, is agathos; the fruit that it produces is kalos: a general good (tree), and a specific good (fruit).
From this we know that the works in our text will be an encouragement to our fellow Christians and, most importantly, pleasing to the Lord. For those who are in Christ, this excludes everything that is not Biblically accurate and approved by the Spirit of God. “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend” (Proverbs 27:17). In essence, the good works for which God has created us in Christ are really no different from the good deeds (works) that we are to passionately encourage (or stimulate) in others; the latter specific works will flow from what God has prepared for us in Christ.
25. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Not abandoning the meeting together of ourselves as [is] the habit of some, but exhorting, and so much more as you see the day approaching (literal).71
This is a verse that has been abused by many preachers to shame their congregants into being more faithful in their attendance at all of the scheduled church meetings. However, not abandoning is not a command; it simply provides a setting (meeting together) where we are able to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.
It seems that there were some who made it their habit to no longer meet together with those who were in Christ. John made a very interesting observation regarding this: “they went out from among us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, then they would have remained with us, but, [they went out] in order to be shown that not all are of us” (1 John 2:19, literal).72 They, within this verse, is referring specifically to the many antichrists who were already active at the time of John; notice that they went out from among us – these antichrists mingled with those who were in Christ, but they could not remain there because they were of a different spirit. John identifies the antichrists as being those who deny that Jesus is the Christ, that He is the Son of God (1 John 2:22), and that He came in the flesh (2 John 7). All of these are important factors that relate to the Lord Jesus being qualified to pay the price for sin for all of humanity. It is not that these antichrists were blatant followers of Satan, rather, they held to a form of the Gospel that robbed Christ of being God come in the flesh – their gospel was without Biblical support and without the life that comes through Christ. John was not identifying the Jews who denied that Jesus was their Messiah (the Christ), but, rather, the Gnostics who made a distinction between the physical world (evil) and the spiritual (good): Jesus, being of the flesh (evil), and Christ, of the spirit (good). The Gnostics believed that everyone had a “divine spark” within them, and it was through a secret enlightenment that this spark could be freed in order to return to divine light after death.73 The Gnostics faced great opposition from those who were truly in Christ, and so they typically left, or were forced to leave, the Christian gatherings.
We might think that that was ancient scepticism, and that we no longer hear of such things. The very popular Evangelical writer and preacher, Max Lucado, made this statement in his book, Cure for the Common Life: “You have one. A divine spark.”74 He very helpfully included a footnote that provides the source for this concept: a Jewish philosopher and writer by the name of Martin Buber. He quotes Buber: “The world is an irradiation [illumination] of God, but as it is endowed with an independence of existence and striving, it is apt, always and everywhere, to form a crust around itself. Thus, a divine spark lives in every thing and being, but each such spark is enclosed by an isolating shell. Only man can liberate it and re-join it with the Origin: by holding holy converse with the thing and using it in a holy manner, that is, so that his intention in doing so remains directed towards God’s transcendence. Thus the divine immanence [the god within] emerges from the exile of the ‘shells’” (italics in the original; bold added).75 Buber emphasizes that “in man, in every man, is a force divine.”76 Therefore, when Max Lucado accepts and promotes the concept of a divine spark, his understanding is that everyone born into this world bears within them a spark of divinity – this is not to be confused with man as a spiritual being, created in the image of God. Lucado sees everyone having a little bit of God within (a spark); in reality, this is a “spark,” or a flame, of ancient Gnosticism that has found its place within modern Evangelicalism. Unfortunately, Lucado continues to remain popular today, and faces no opposition from the majority of Evangelicals – unlike the time of the Apostle John.
Harold J. Ockenga
Returning to our text, we understand that even at the time of the writing of this book, error was prolific, and the writer saw the benefit that came from meeting together as those who are in Christ. The value came through gathering for the purpose of exhorting one another. Herein is the failure of the preachers who use this verse to generate guilt within their people for not being more regular in their meeting attendance: they do not include any exhortation in their teaching. They want to see good attendance in order to bolster their personal ratings, but they do not understand the Biblical Truth sufficiently to exhort their people to godliness. It is through careful, Biblical exhortation to godly living that there will be those who will depart because the message is uncomfortable for them. In keeping with John’s observation, they will leave because they are not in Christ (they are not of us), and actually bear the spirit of Antichrist: they may use some of the right words, but their hearts do not belong to the Lord.
This is deemed to be increasingly important as you see the day approaching. The obvious question is: what day? Just a little earlier, the writer made this observation: “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27); the day, in this case, is the day of our death when our eternal destiny is secured. It is important for us to be challenged to live in Him so that when we arrive at that day, we are ready. However, our text speaks of a day that is approaching, or drawing near, which would suggest that it is more significant than our passing from this life.
One day when Jesus left the temple area with His disciples, they drew His attention to the magnificent structure; His response was that everything that they were beholding in great admiration would be completely destroyed so that there would not be left one stone upon another (Matthew 24:2). Pondering this revelation as they walked to the Mount of Olives, His disciples quickly changed their focus and asked, “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3). Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple, and His disciples’ queries went to when that will take place, what will be the sign of Your coming, and the end of the world – three very different events. The destruction of the temple (and all of Jerusalem) took place in 70 AD, we are still awaiting the Lord’s coming, and the end of world will follow the millennial reign of the Lord. Of these three questions, it is the middle one that became the dominant one among the early Christians: when is the Lord returning?
The Thessalonians had been persuaded that Jesus had already come and that they had missed it; Paul assured them that He had not yet come, and, that before He came for His own, there would be a great falling away and the Antichrist (the son of perdition) would be revealed (2 Thessalonians 2:2-3). These are two of the signs that will precede that day – a very significant day that is approaching. Jesus likened the time when He would come, to the days of Noah (Matthew 24:36-37) – a time when the wickedness of humanity had reached such a depth that the Lord determined to purge the earth and start over with Noah and his family (Genesis 6:7-8). As we consider the world today, a frequent question that comes to mind is: could the world of Noah’s day have been any worse than it is today? For this reason, we can see the day of His return quickly approaching, and ponder the events that Paul named: a falling away and the Antichrist revealed. The second of these is very specific, and, clearly, it has not taken place yet. The falling away (from the Greek apostasia) refers to a time of apostasy, when those who are in Christ will abandon the restricted way (Matthew 7:14) for something that requires less of them – they will turn away from the Truth unto lies (2 Timothy 4:4).
This is deemed to be increasingly important as you see the day approaching. The obvious question is: what day? Just a little earlier, the writer made this observation: “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27); the day, in this case, is the day of our death when our eternal destiny is secured. It is important for us to be challenged to live in Him so that when we arrive at that day, we are ready. However, our text speaks of a day that is approaching, or drawing near, which would suggest that it is more significant than our passing from this life.
One day when Jesus left the temple area with His disciples, they drew His attention to the magnificent structure; His response was that everything that they were beholding in great admiration would be completely destroyed so that there would not be left one stone upon another (Matthew 24:2). Pondering this revelation as they walked to the Mount of Olives, His disciples quickly changed their focus and asked, “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3). Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple, and His disciples’ queries went to when that will take place, what will be the sign of Your coming, and the end of the world – three very different events. The destruction of the temple (and all of Jerusalem) took place in 70 AD, we are still awaiting the Lord’s coming, and the end of world will follow the millennial reign of the Lord. Of these three questions, it is the middle one that became the dominant one among the early Christians: when is the Lord returning?
The Thessalonians had been persuaded that Jesus had already come and that they had missed it; Paul assured them that He had not yet come, and, that before He came for His own, there would be a great falling away and the Antichrist (the son of perdition) would be revealed (2 Thessalonians 2:2-3). These are two of the signs that will precede that day – a very significant day that is approaching. Jesus likened the time when He would come, to the days of Noah (Matthew 24:36-37) – a time when the wickedness of humanity had reached such a depth that the Lord determined to purge the earth and start over with Noah and his family (Genesis 6:7-8). As we consider the world today, a frequent question that comes to mind is: could the world of Noah’s day have been any worse than it is today? For this reason, we can see the day of His return quickly approaching, and ponder the events that Paul named: a falling away and the Antichrist revealed. The second of these is very specific, and, clearly, it has not taken place yet. The falling away (from the Greek apostasia) refers to a time of apostasy, when those who are in Christ will abandon the restricted way (Matthew 7:14) for something that requires less of them – they will turn away from the Truth unto lies (2 Timothy 4:4).
It is impossible to determine how many professing Christians in the early 20th century were truly in Christ; however, this was a time when many Christians began to take a stand against the modern philosophies that were infiltrating the churches. These people came to be known as fundamentalists, those who opposed the modernists and liberals. However, this was not simply a two-party fracturing of the “Christian” movement; from about 1,600 denominations in 1900, this mushroomed to more than 45,000 by 2015 because anyone could separate for any reason and form their own unique group.77 Early on, those who identified as being Evangelicals were largely aligned with the fundamentalists, but that very quickly changed. Harold Ockenga, the father of what was initially called neo-evangelicalism, sought to embark on a new pathway that fell somewhere between fundamentalism and liberalism; he rejected the fundamentalists’ separation from all things liberal, and, instead, opted to engage the liberals in theological debate while, at the same time, seeing the need to re-evaluate such “theological problems” as creation, the antiquity of man, and the universality of the flood.78 Meanwhile, Billy Graham’s crusades were meeting with great “success,” and he desired a magazine that would represent this new approach. His desire was to “plant the evangelical flag in the middle of the road, taking a conservative theological position but a definite liberal approach to social problems. It would combine the best in liberalism and the best in fundamentalism without compromising theologically.”79 The vision of Ockenga and Graham found great traction within the burgeoning Evangelical community (Fuller Seminary was the first to teach this theology, Graham preached it far and wide, and Christianity Today carried its message in print), but, alas, the authority of the Bible as God’s Word was the loser in all of this compromise.
Graham thought that he could bring together the best of the liberals and fundamentalists without undermining the truth of the Scriptures; the rapid spiritual decline of the Evangelical community within one generation was proof that this was a fallacy. The generation of Graham had, for the most part, at least heard the truth of God’s Word, but quickly turned their backs on it in favor of a gospel that was built upon compromise and filled with worldliness. This massive slide into neo-evangelicalism was, in my opinion, the falling away (the apostasy) that Paul said would take place before the return of the Lord. The next generation heard nothing of the truth – what had begun as neo-evangelicalism was now ordinary, mainstream Evangelicalism. In our many years in this movement, my wife and I never heard anything about this history of apostasy; all of the compromised teachings and associations were accepted as being normal, and never questioned.
Our text emphasizes the need for Biblical exhortation, and particularly as we see the day of Christ’s return approaching. Jesus assured us that we will not know the day or the hour of His return (only His Father knows the precise timing), and then He likens the time of His return to the days of Noah (Matthew 24:36-37). Although we cannot know the day or hour, we must be alert to the signs of our times so that we are able to discern the season of His coming. Paul said that the son of perdition (the Antichrist) will be revealed before the Lord’s return – today, we are carefully watching the globalist movement that is becoming increasingly bold in its expression of its far-reaching agenda. Indeed, we can see the day approaching.
26. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27. But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
26. No more sacrifice for sins continues to exist for our intentional sinning after a full knowledge of the truth [has been] received, 27. but only a terrible expectation of condemnation and fury of fire that is about to be devouring the adversaries [of God] (literal).80
The writer now presents a very specific situation, and carefully expresses its solemnity and serious consequences. This involves someone who has received a full knowledge of the truth. Received (labein) means to take hold of, or to accept; therefore, this is someone who has laid hold of a precise and correct understanding of the truth:81 since Jesus is the Truth, such a person is in Christ! It is not possible to hold such a full and correct knowledge of Christ without being in Him.
However, this person, who is in Christ, comes to have a problem: they are willingly sinning; the present tense identifies this as being a continuous action, and the active voice confirms that the action is carried out by this one who has been in Christ. This is neither a moment of failure, nor is it an unintentional sinful act: it is deliberate, intentional sin! We might wonder how this could be possible, yet Jesus warned: “For false christs and false prophets will appear, and will present great miracles and wonders so as to, if possible, deceive even the chosen [those who are in Christ]” (Matthew 24:24, literal).82 The question is not whether the chosen can be deceived (the KJV translators suggest that it is not possible, which is misleading), but whether the miracles and wonders performed will be sufficient to even deceive some of those who are in Christ. We must not forget Jesus’ parable of the soils: the Seed that fell into the weedy soil grew (there was life), but it ended by being overtaken by the weeds that choked it out (Luke 8:14); the pressures and temptations of this world can destroy the saving faith of some whose commitment is not greater than what the world offers them. The one whose faith has been choked is no longer living in obedience to the Lord: he is willfully and continuously sinning. Paul issued this warning to which we must give careful heed: “So then, he who is thinking to stand firmly, beware, lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12, literal).83 Even the Apostle Paul testified that he lived carefully, lest he should fail: “26. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27. But I keep under [strictly control] my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway [disqualified]” (1 Corinthians 9:26-27).84 It is very possible for someone who is in Christ to depart from the faith into sin (Hebrews 3:12): such a one is called an apostate.
Reminiscent of Hebrews 6:4-6, the writer declares that for someone who has turned away from Christ to a life of sin, there is no more sacrifice for sins. The Greek verb for continues to exist (remaineth) is in the indicative mood: this is a statement of fact85 – there is no sacrifice available for apostasy. In other words, it is not possible to restore this person into the grace of God; this is someone who has turned away from being in the Truth, and has gone after lies (2 Timothy 4:4) – this is an apostate! Despite the best efforts of men like John MacArthur to deny this reality by perverting the definition of apostasy,86 the Scriptures are clear; this truth may not fit with his theology, but Jesus taught this truth in the parable of the soils, Peter understood it (2 Peter 2:18-21), and the writer of Hebrews has made it very evident on more than one occasion.
However, the writer goes on to explain the destiny of the apostate: condemnation by the Lord, and a fury of fire that will devour, or eat up, all those who are contrary to God. “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15). The Lake of Fire will devour them, but they will not be burnt up by the flames (this does not teach annihilation); to these, the Lord will proclaim: “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41b) – this is a place of everlasting (unending) punishment (Matthew 25:46).87 The Lake of Fire, although prepared specifically for Satan and his demons, will be the everlasting habitation of those who are not in Christ: both the heathen and the apostate!
28. He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29. Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
28. Anyone who did reject the Law of Moses, on the basis of two or three witnesses, he died without mercy; 29. How much more severe punishment, do you suppose he is worthy, who treats with disdain the Son of God and considers the blood of the [New] Covenant unclean, by which he was made holy, and the Spirit of grace he did insult (literal).88
The writer points to the justice of the Law of Moses: “At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death” (Deuteronomy 17:6). The word of one person was not sufficient to inflict the death penalty, but with two or three witnesses, death was a certainty. Such justice was to be applied quickly and consistently, and this was under the Law of Moses, which was ended through the sacrifice, death and resurrection of Christ.
The crimes that the writer is addressing are three, and he considers the punishment for these crimes to be far more significant than a rejection of something within the Law of Moses. The first crime is that this person treats the Son of God with disdain. Disdain is from the Greek word katapateo, which literally means to trample underfoot, but figuratively means to treat with contempt, or to despise.89 The Son of God speaks of the eternal God becoming flesh for the purpose of providing humanity with a permanent cleansing from sin (the plan made by God from eternity, 1 Peter 1:18-20); this is something that the Law of Moses could never accomplish (Hebrews 10:1). Such contempt for the Son of God is far greater than any violation of the Mosaic Law: He made everlasting cleansing from sin available for all people, the OC could only provide a temporary covering for sin.
The second crime that he identifies is that of regarding the blood that was shed by Jesus, the Son of God, as being unclean, or unholy. It was the blood that Jesus shed that makes cleansing from sin available for all of humanity – the perfect Lamb of God Who came to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29). Jesus, Son of Man and Son of God, was the Sacrifice that paid the price for the sins of all of humanity; it is His blood that removes the stain of sin, yet this is someone who no longer recognizes its cleansing power. Yes, I said no longer recognizes, because the writer tells us that this person had been, at one time, made holy by this very blood. This is someone who has been in Christ, and has become apostate.
The third crime is that this individual has insulted, or mocked, the Spirit of God.90 Remember that when someone places his faith in the Lord, the Spirit of God comes to abide within him (1 Corinthians 3:16) in order to guide him into all truth (John 16:13). Jesus taught that humanity in general is not able to receive the Spirit because they are unable to see Him, or come to know Him; whereas, in this case, His disciples knew the Spirit because He was dwelling with them (in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ), and would soon be in them (John 14:17). From this we must conclude that the one who insults, or mocks, the Spirit of God is not someone from the world at large, but, rather, one who has known the Spirit – i.e., someone who has been in Christ. The world has no understanding of the Spirit of God; since they cannot see Him, they ignore Him. Jesus explained: “And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this present age, nor in the coming [age]” (Matthew 12:32, literal).91 The Son of Man (Jesus) is a historical figure, and, consequently, the world has to deal with Him in some manner, and, in most cases, they will severely downplay His significance, but that is forgivable. However, such a crime against the Holy Spirit cannot be forgiven, because it can only come from someone who has known the Spirit.
Now we must link what the writer has just disclosed to the earlier verse that spoke of the one who is intentionally sinning after they have received a full knowledge of the Truth (v. 26). Such a person has despised the Son of God, has considered the blood of Christ to be nothing special, and has insulted, or mocked, the Spirit of God. Having accepted a full knowledge of the Truth, he has placed his faith in Christ, has been made holy through His shed blood, and has been indwelt by the Spirit of God – all of these are a part of the full knowledge that was received. However, he is now apostate; he has cast aside his knowledge of the Holy and has entered fully into a life of sin. First of all, he expresses a contempt for the Son of God Who paid the price for his sins; as a matter of fact, he no longer considers his sin to be of any consequence at all, hence he is intentionally sinning. He then demonstrates his total disregard for the blood of Christ that was shed to bring cleansing from sin; even though he was, at one time, made holy by this very blood, that has now been rejected in favor of a life of sin. Finally, he shows insult to the Holy Spirit – the One Who had come as the Mark of a new life, and is now banished forever.
The writer has carefully outlined a case against the one who is apostate, and who can only anticipate the condemning justice of God to fall upon him. In our study, we have taken the time to learn what it means to be in Christ, and what is required of us in order to remain in Him: namely, faithful obedience (1 John 2:3-5). Therefore, based upon what we have learned of what it means to be in Christ, we must also understand that someone who is an apostate may not always appear to be against all things that are godly; as a matter of fact, too frequently he will appear to be a typical Evangelical: still acknowledging God, attending church, talking about spiritual things, and even praying. However, faithful obedience to the Lord is no longer present; perhaps the Truth became too restrictive, and “Christian” philosophy permitted a much broader acceptance of divergent teachings and heretics. We must remain spiritually alert (1 Peter 5:8), test every spirit as to its Biblical attitude (1 John 4:1), and avoid those whose message does not agree completely with God’s Word (Romans 16:17). “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12).
30. For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
30. For we know Him Who did say, “Vengeance [is] by Me, I will repay,” says the Lord, and again: “the Lord will judge His people.” 31. [It is] terrible to fall into the hands of the living God (literal).92
The writer quotes from two OT passages: Deuteronomy 32:35a and 36a. He uses the first to bolster his warning that the one who sins continually is destined for the Lord’s vengeance that He will exact against sin. We are told that, at the end of time, the Lord will cast death and Hades into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:14); the reward, or just compensation, for sin is death (Romans 6:23), therefore, since death is banished to the Lake of Fire, that can only mean that there will be no more sinning – this is not difficult to envision since the old heaven and earth (the scene of sin) are gone (Revelation 20:11). The Lake of Fire is called the second death (Revelation 20:14); the first death came through Adam’s disobedience to the Lord’s command to not eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17, 3:6): there was an immediate spiritual death, followed by the physical – death was both spiritual and physical. Jesus declared: “And have no fear because of those who are killing the body but the soul they are not able to kill; but, rather, have fear for the One [God] Who is able to ruin both soul and body in Gehenna [the Lake of Fire, or the second death]” (Matthew 10:28, literal).93 The second death involves both the physical and spiritual (just like the first death), and is also referred to as being the place of everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46) – a punishment that has no end, and is applied to both the bodies and souls of the unrighteous. This is the Lord’s vengeance against sin: the Lake of Fire is for everyone who is abiding in sin (Revelation 20:15), and, of course, for the devil and his demons (Matthew 25:41).
The second quote, the Lord will judge His people, is interesting. The Greek word for judge is from krino, which carries the basic meaning, to separate, or distinguish.94 The Hebrew word for judge, in this case, is from diyn, which primarily means to govern, or to rule; therefore, the Hebrew text says that the Lord will rule His people, whereas the LXX uses krino (judge) for this word, and the writer of Hebrews has followed the LXX.95 Based upon this, it is safe to say that krino can mean to govern, or rule (particularly in this case), and so the understanding is that the Lord will have authority over His people – not too surprising, really. Solomon made this astute observation: “My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction” (Proverbs 3:11). If we are among the Lord’s people (in Christ), then we must expect to receive His correction, and be ready and willing to learn from it.
Within the context of this passage, the one who is now intentionally sinning, undoubtedly, would have received the Lord’s correction early into his downward slide. However, if the chastening was resented, rather than accepted as a learning experience, then repentance (a change of behavior) would not have resulted. Without repentance, the next step away from the Lord is made that much easier. Consider for a moment Psalm 1:1 – “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” Notice the gradual progression away from the Lord: from walking (contact is brief), to standing (stopping to converse), and finally sitting (as one with them). For the man who is in Christ, the Lord’s prodding would have been there beginning with walking in the wisdom of the ungodly – going unheeded, his life quickly fell to the world’s pressures and pleasures.
We just learned that the one who is apostate can only expect a terrible condemnation and punishment from the Lord. The writer now provides a summary statement for this passage: for the apostate, it is, indeed, terrible to fall into the hands of the living God. Fall is an appropriately expressive word: the apostate at one time knew and lived for the Lord, but he has now plummeted from a place of experiencing the grace of God, to a hopeless expectation of receiving His terrible punishment! For the child of God, His hand is much different: “5. … God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time…” (1 Peter 5:5b-6). If we are in Christ, then we are among those whom the Lord has adopted as His children (Ephesians 1:5); “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27b). “16. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). As the children of God, this is the glory and exaltation to which we look forward.
32. But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; 33. Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.
32. And remember the former days in which, being enlightened, ye did endure a great struggle of sufferings: 33. ye were exposed publicly not only to insults and afflictions, but ye also became companions with those who have been treated in this way (literal).96
The writer now calls upon his audience to remember the days when they first accepted the Truth. Enlightened (from photizo) is the same word that is used in Hebrews 6:4, where we noted that it means to have a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus;97 in both cases, it is in the passive mood, indicating that this enlightenment comes from the Lord. In our text, the memory is guided specifically to the great sufferings that were endured, not generally speaking, but because of their acceptance of the light of the Gospel. Sufferings (from pathema) has been used earlier when speaking of Jesus: His purpose in coming was for the suffering of death (Hebrews 2:9), and, as our Redeemer, He was made complete through sufferings (Hebrews 2:10). Peter expressed what our attitude is to be in the midst of such a life: “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings [pathema] …” (1 Peter 4:13a).98 Christ, as the Son of Man, endured much as He fulfilled the eternal plan to pay the price for the sins of humanity. He also made it clear that we, as His followers, would not escape: “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved … The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord … If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?” (Matthew 10:22, 24-25). In other words, Jesus is stating that it is because we bear His name that we will receive the same treatment that He did. Since the disciple is not superior to his Master, then why would we, as His disciples, expect to live without any sufferings? Yet far too often, this is exactly what we expect.
What can we learn by comparing suffering (pathema) and tribulation (thlipsis)? Pathema is frequently defined as misfortune, or, in the course of life, that which befalls someone.99 Thlipsis, on the other hand, is literally a pressure, or a pressing together, and is used metaphorically to speak of the oppression, affliction, and distress that is brought about by external circumstances.100 Pathema may be regarded as the difficulties of life, which can be multiplied by being in Christ; thlipsis is a much more intense distress that is not a normal part of life, and it, too, can be greatly intensified by being in Christ. However, when the NT writers speak of the sufferings that Christ endured at the cross, the Greek word that is primarily used is pascho, which is literally what one experiences, and originally it could be applied as either a positive or negative. By the time of the NT Scriptures, it was primarily thought of as a negative, and was even extended to include death.
The writer identifies that his audience had endured a time of great sufferings, with the underlying thought that it was as a result of being in Christ (enlightened). They were publicly insulted (oneidimois, to reproach, or regard with contempt) and afflicted (thlipsesin [the link to thlipsis is evident], oppressed, distressed),101 and they even went so far as to be identified with those who continually bore such public disgrace. If they, themselves, were not the targets of such public abuse, then they would stand with those who did endure such torment. The reality of reproach and distress was an essential part of Paul’s ministry to new Christians; as Paul and Barnabas returned to the Christian assemblies that they had very recently established, their purpose was evident: “confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue [persevere] in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation [thlipsis] enter into the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).102 Notice the last reason: they ensured that the new believers understood very clearly that tribulation (thlipsis; oppression, distress, and affliction) was to thought of as a normal part of living for the Lord. Therefore, pathema would be considered as an immaterial part of our lives, whereas thlipsis, which is far more significant, has been promised to us: “… in the world ye shall have tribulation …” (John 16:33).
34. For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
For ye even did have sympathy [for me] with these, my bonds, and ye did willingly receive, with joy, the plundering of your possessions, knowing within yourselves [that you] have a better and abiding possession in the heavens (literal).103
This follows the writer’s request that they recall the struggles that they endured when they first came to faith in the Lord Jesus. They had sympathy for the writer as he was imprisoned for the sake of the Gospel; they were ready companions with him in his sufferings, to the extent that they willingly accepted the plundering of their own property because they identified with him, and fell victim to the same authority. They suffered loss because they joined themselves to him, yet they accepted such treatment with joy, and they could do so because of their heavenly focus.
This text provides a small glimpse into the persecution against the early Christians that continued to escalate toward the end of the first century AD (and even more so later on). The first Christians, since they were primarily Jews, were often assumed to be a sect of Judaism; however, it soon became apparent that they were different from both the Jews and the Romans. Paul tells us of the physical trials that he went through; these included: “Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods …” (2 Corinthians 11:24-25a). Thirty-nine stripes was the accepted punishment as determined by the Jewish judges for someone found guilty under Jewish Law (Deuteronomy 25:2-3); the punishment was not to exceed forty lashes, and could be less if it was determined that the victim was not able to bear the full count.104 Undoubtedly, these would have been administered because Paul taught the fulfillment of the Law of Moses in Jesus Christ, and would have been deemed guilty of this punishment by the Jewish authorities.
Graham thought that he could bring together the best of the liberals and fundamentalists without undermining the truth of the Scriptures; the rapid spiritual decline of the Evangelical community within one generation was proof that this was a fallacy. The generation of Graham had, for the most part, at least heard the truth of God’s Word, but quickly turned their backs on it in favor of a gospel that was built upon compromise and filled with worldliness. This massive slide into neo-evangelicalism was, in my opinion, the falling away (the apostasy) that Paul said would take place before the return of the Lord. The next generation heard nothing of the truth – what had begun as neo-evangelicalism was now ordinary, mainstream Evangelicalism. In our many years in this movement, my wife and I never heard anything about this history of apostasy; all of the compromised teachings and associations were accepted as being normal, and never questioned.
Our text emphasizes the need for Biblical exhortation, and particularly as we see the day of Christ’s return approaching. Jesus assured us that we will not know the day or the hour of His return (only His Father knows the precise timing), and then He likens the time of His return to the days of Noah (Matthew 24:36-37). Although we cannot know the day or hour, we must be alert to the signs of our times so that we are able to discern the season of His coming. Paul said that the son of perdition (the Antichrist) will be revealed before the Lord’s return – today, we are carefully watching the globalist movement that is becoming increasingly bold in its expression of its far-reaching agenda. Indeed, we can see the day approaching.
26. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27. But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
26. No more sacrifice for sins continues to exist for our intentional sinning after a full knowledge of the truth [has been] received, 27. but only a terrible expectation of condemnation and fury of fire that is about to be devouring the adversaries [of God] (literal).80
The writer now presents a very specific situation, and carefully expresses its solemnity and serious consequences. This involves someone who has received a full knowledge of the truth. Received (labein) means to take hold of, or to accept; therefore, this is someone who has laid hold of a precise and correct understanding of the truth:81 since Jesus is the Truth, such a person is in Christ! It is not possible to hold such a full and correct knowledge of Christ without being in Him.
However, this person, who is in Christ, comes to have a problem: they are willingly sinning; the present tense identifies this as being a continuous action, and the active voice confirms that the action is carried out by this one who has been in Christ. This is neither a moment of failure, nor is it an unintentional sinful act: it is deliberate, intentional sin! We might wonder how this could be possible, yet Jesus warned: “For false christs and false prophets will appear, and will present great miracles and wonders so as to, if possible, deceive even the chosen [those who are in Christ]” (Matthew 24:24, literal).82 The question is not whether the chosen can be deceived (the KJV translators suggest that it is not possible, which is misleading), but whether the miracles and wonders performed will be sufficient to even deceive some of those who are in Christ. We must not forget Jesus’ parable of the soils: the Seed that fell into the weedy soil grew (there was life), but it ended by being overtaken by the weeds that choked it out (Luke 8:14); the pressures and temptations of this world can destroy the saving faith of some whose commitment is not greater than what the world offers them. The one whose faith has been choked is no longer living in obedience to the Lord: he is willfully and continuously sinning. Paul issued this warning to which we must give careful heed: “So then, he who is thinking to stand firmly, beware, lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12, literal).83 Even the Apostle Paul testified that he lived carefully, lest he should fail: “26. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27. But I keep under [strictly control] my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway [disqualified]” (1 Corinthians 9:26-27).84 It is very possible for someone who is in Christ to depart from the faith into sin (Hebrews 3:12): such a one is called an apostate.
Reminiscent of Hebrews 6:4-6, the writer declares that for someone who has turned away from Christ to a life of sin, there is no more sacrifice for sins. The Greek verb for continues to exist (remaineth) is in the indicative mood: this is a statement of fact85 – there is no sacrifice available for apostasy. In other words, it is not possible to restore this person into the grace of God; this is someone who has turned away from being in the Truth, and has gone after lies (2 Timothy 4:4) – this is an apostate! Despite the best efforts of men like John MacArthur to deny this reality by perverting the definition of apostasy,86 the Scriptures are clear; this truth may not fit with his theology, but Jesus taught this truth in the parable of the soils, Peter understood it (2 Peter 2:18-21), and the writer of Hebrews has made it very evident on more than one occasion.
However, the writer goes on to explain the destiny of the apostate: condemnation by the Lord, and a fury of fire that will devour, or eat up, all those who are contrary to God. “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15). The Lake of Fire will devour them, but they will not be burnt up by the flames (this does not teach annihilation); to these, the Lord will proclaim: “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41b) – this is a place of everlasting (unending) punishment (Matthew 25:46).87 The Lake of Fire, although prepared specifically for Satan and his demons, will be the everlasting habitation of those who are not in Christ: both the heathen and the apostate!
28. He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29. Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
28. Anyone who did reject the Law of Moses, on the basis of two or three witnesses, he died without mercy; 29. How much more severe punishment, do you suppose he is worthy, who treats with disdain the Son of God and considers the blood of the [New] Covenant unclean, by which he was made holy, and the Spirit of grace he did insult (literal).88
The writer points to the justice of the Law of Moses: “At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death” (Deuteronomy 17:6). The word of one person was not sufficient to inflict the death penalty, but with two or three witnesses, death was a certainty. Such justice was to be applied quickly and consistently, and this was under the Law of Moses, which was ended through the sacrifice, death and resurrection of Christ.
The crimes that the writer is addressing are three, and he considers the punishment for these crimes to be far more significant than a rejection of something within the Law of Moses. The first crime is that this person treats the Son of God with disdain. Disdain is from the Greek word katapateo, which literally means to trample underfoot, but figuratively means to treat with contempt, or to despise.89 The Son of God speaks of the eternal God becoming flesh for the purpose of providing humanity with a permanent cleansing from sin (the plan made by God from eternity, 1 Peter 1:18-20); this is something that the Law of Moses could never accomplish (Hebrews 10:1). Such contempt for the Son of God is far greater than any violation of the Mosaic Law: He made everlasting cleansing from sin available for all people, the OC could only provide a temporary covering for sin.
The second crime that he identifies is that of regarding the blood that was shed by Jesus, the Son of God, as being unclean, or unholy. It was the blood that Jesus shed that makes cleansing from sin available for all of humanity – the perfect Lamb of God Who came to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29). Jesus, Son of Man and Son of God, was the Sacrifice that paid the price for the sins of all of humanity; it is His blood that removes the stain of sin, yet this is someone who no longer recognizes its cleansing power. Yes, I said no longer recognizes, because the writer tells us that this person had been, at one time, made holy by this very blood. This is someone who has been in Christ, and has become apostate.
The third crime is that this individual has insulted, or mocked, the Spirit of God.90 Remember that when someone places his faith in the Lord, the Spirit of God comes to abide within him (1 Corinthians 3:16) in order to guide him into all truth (John 16:13). Jesus taught that humanity in general is not able to receive the Spirit because they are unable to see Him, or come to know Him; whereas, in this case, His disciples knew the Spirit because He was dwelling with them (in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ), and would soon be in them (John 14:17). From this we must conclude that the one who insults, or mocks, the Spirit of God is not someone from the world at large, but, rather, one who has known the Spirit – i.e., someone who has been in Christ. The world has no understanding of the Spirit of God; since they cannot see Him, they ignore Him. Jesus explained: “And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this present age, nor in the coming [age]” (Matthew 12:32, literal).91 The Son of Man (Jesus) is a historical figure, and, consequently, the world has to deal with Him in some manner, and, in most cases, they will severely downplay His significance, but that is forgivable. However, such a crime against the Holy Spirit cannot be forgiven, because it can only come from someone who has known the Spirit.
Now we must link what the writer has just disclosed to the earlier verse that spoke of the one who is intentionally sinning after they have received a full knowledge of the Truth (v. 26). Such a person has despised the Son of God, has considered the blood of Christ to be nothing special, and has insulted, or mocked, the Spirit of God. Having accepted a full knowledge of the Truth, he has placed his faith in Christ, has been made holy through His shed blood, and has been indwelt by the Spirit of God – all of these are a part of the full knowledge that was received. However, he is now apostate; he has cast aside his knowledge of the Holy and has entered fully into a life of sin. First of all, he expresses a contempt for the Son of God Who paid the price for his sins; as a matter of fact, he no longer considers his sin to be of any consequence at all, hence he is intentionally sinning. He then demonstrates his total disregard for the blood of Christ that was shed to bring cleansing from sin; even though he was, at one time, made holy by this very blood, that has now been rejected in favor of a life of sin. Finally, he shows insult to the Holy Spirit – the One Who had come as the Mark of a new life, and is now banished forever.
The writer has carefully outlined a case against the one who is apostate, and who can only anticipate the condemning justice of God to fall upon him. In our study, we have taken the time to learn what it means to be in Christ, and what is required of us in order to remain in Him: namely, faithful obedience (1 John 2:3-5). Therefore, based upon what we have learned of what it means to be in Christ, we must also understand that someone who is an apostate may not always appear to be against all things that are godly; as a matter of fact, too frequently he will appear to be a typical Evangelical: still acknowledging God, attending church, talking about spiritual things, and even praying. However, faithful obedience to the Lord is no longer present; perhaps the Truth became too restrictive, and “Christian” philosophy permitted a much broader acceptance of divergent teachings and heretics. We must remain spiritually alert (1 Peter 5:8), test every spirit as to its Biblical attitude (1 John 4:1), and avoid those whose message does not agree completely with God’s Word (Romans 16:17). “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12).
30. For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
30. For we know Him Who did say, “Vengeance [is] by Me, I will repay,” says the Lord, and again: “the Lord will judge His people.” 31. [It is] terrible to fall into the hands of the living God (literal).92
The writer quotes from two OT passages: Deuteronomy 32:35a and 36a. He uses the first to bolster his warning that the one who sins continually is destined for the Lord’s vengeance that He will exact against sin. We are told that, at the end of time, the Lord will cast death and Hades into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:14); the reward, or just compensation, for sin is death (Romans 6:23), therefore, since death is banished to the Lake of Fire, that can only mean that there will be no more sinning – this is not difficult to envision since the old heaven and earth (the scene of sin) are gone (Revelation 20:11). The Lake of Fire is called the second death (Revelation 20:14); the first death came through Adam’s disobedience to the Lord’s command to not eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17, 3:6): there was an immediate spiritual death, followed by the physical – death was both spiritual and physical. Jesus declared: “And have no fear because of those who are killing the body but the soul they are not able to kill; but, rather, have fear for the One [God] Who is able to ruin both soul and body in Gehenna [the Lake of Fire, or the second death]” (Matthew 10:28, literal).93 The second death involves both the physical and spiritual (just like the first death), and is also referred to as being the place of everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46) – a punishment that has no end, and is applied to both the bodies and souls of the unrighteous. This is the Lord’s vengeance against sin: the Lake of Fire is for everyone who is abiding in sin (Revelation 20:15), and, of course, for the devil and his demons (Matthew 25:41).
The second quote, the Lord will judge His people, is interesting. The Greek word for judge is from krino, which carries the basic meaning, to separate, or distinguish.94 The Hebrew word for judge, in this case, is from diyn, which primarily means to govern, or to rule; therefore, the Hebrew text says that the Lord will rule His people, whereas the LXX uses krino (judge) for this word, and the writer of Hebrews has followed the LXX.95 Based upon this, it is safe to say that krino can mean to govern, or rule (particularly in this case), and so the understanding is that the Lord will have authority over His people – not too surprising, really. Solomon made this astute observation: “My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction” (Proverbs 3:11). If we are among the Lord’s people (in Christ), then we must expect to receive His correction, and be ready and willing to learn from it.
Within the context of this passage, the one who is now intentionally sinning, undoubtedly, would have received the Lord’s correction early into his downward slide. However, if the chastening was resented, rather than accepted as a learning experience, then repentance (a change of behavior) would not have resulted. Without repentance, the next step away from the Lord is made that much easier. Consider for a moment Psalm 1:1 – “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” Notice the gradual progression away from the Lord: from walking (contact is brief), to standing (stopping to converse), and finally sitting (as one with them). For the man who is in Christ, the Lord’s prodding would have been there beginning with walking in the wisdom of the ungodly – going unheeded, his life quickly fell to the world’s pressures and pleasures.
We just learned that the one who is apostate can only expect a terrible condemnation and punishment from the Lord. The writer now provides a summary statement for this passage: for the apostate, it is, indeed, terrible to fall into the hands of the living God. Fall is an appropriately expressive word: the apostate at one time knew and lived for the Lord, but he has now plummeted from a place of experiencing the grace of God, to a hopeless expectation of receiving His terrible punishment! For the child of God, His hand is much different: “5. … God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time…” (1 Peter 5:5b-6). If we are in Christ, then we are among those whom the Lord has adopted as His children (Ephesians 1:5); “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27b). “16. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). As the children of God, this is the glory and exaltation to which we look forward.
32. But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; 33. Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.
32. And remember the former days in which, being enlightened, ye did endure a great struggle of sufferings: 33. ye were exposed publicly not only to insults and afflictions, but ye also became companions with those who have been treated in this way (literal).96
The writer now calls upon his audience to remember the days when they first accepted the Truth. Enlightened (from photizo) is the same word that is used in Hebrews 6:4, where we noted that it means to have a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus;97 in both cases, it is in the passive mood, indicating that this enlightenment comes from the Lord. In our text, the memory is guided specifically to the great sufferings that were endured, not generally speaking, but because of their acceptance of the light of the Gospel. Sufferings (from pathema) has been used earlier when speaking of Jesus: His purpose in coming was for the suffering of death (Hebrews 2:9), and, as our Redeemer, He was made complete through sufferings (Hebrews 2:10). Peter expressed what our attitude is to be in the midst of such a life: “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings [pathema] …” (1 Peter 4:13a).98 Christ, as the Son of Man, endured much as He fulfilled the eternal plan to pay the price for the sins of humanity. He also made it clear that we, as His followers, would not escape: “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved … The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord … If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?” (Matthew 10:22, 24-25). In other words, Jesus is stating that it is because we bear His name that we will receive the same treatment that He did. Since the disciple is not superior to his Master, then why would we, as His disciples, expect to live without any sufferings? Yet far too often, this is exactly what we expect.
What can we learn by comparing suffering (pathema) and tribulation (thlipsis)? Pathema is frequently defined as misfortune, or, in the course of life, that which befalls someone.99 Thlipsis, on the other hand, is literally a pressure, or a pressing together, and is used metaphorically to speak of the oppression, affliction, and distress that is brought about by external circumstances.100 Pathema may be regarded as the difficulties of life, which can be multiplied by being in Christ; thlipsis is a much more intense distress that is not a normal part of life, and it, too, can be greatly intensified by being in Christ. However, when the NT writers speak of the sufferings that Christ endured at the cross, the Greek word that is primarily used is pascho, which is literally what one experiences, and originally it could be applied as either a positive or negative. By the time of the NT Scriptures, it was primarily thought of as a negative, and was even extended to include death.
The writer identifies that his audience had endured a time of great sufferings, with the underlying thought that it was as a result of being in Christ (enlightened). They were publicly insulted (oneidimois, to reproach, or regard with contempt) and afflicted (thlipsesin [the link to thlipsis is evident], oppressed, distressed),101 and they even went so far as to be identified with those who continually bore such public disgrace. If they, themselves, were not the targets of such public abuse, then they would stand with those who did endure such torment. The reality of reproach and distress was an essential part of Paul’s ministry to new Christians; as Paul and Barnabas returned to the Christian assemblies that they had very recently established, their purpose was evident: “confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue [persevere] in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation [thlipsis] enter into the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).102 Notice the last reason: they ensured that the new believers understood very clearly that tribulation (thlipsis; oppression, distress, and affliction) was to thought of as a normal part of living for the Lord. Therefore, pathema would be considered as an immaterial part of our lives, whereas thlipsis, which is far more significant, has been promised to us: “… in the world ye shall have tribulation …” (John 16:33).
34. For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
For ye even did have sympathy [for me] with these, my bonds, and ye did willingly receive, with joy, the plundering of your possessions, knowing within yourselves [that you] have a better and abiding possession in the heavens (literal).103
This follows the writer’s request that they recall the struggles that they endured when they first came to faith in the Lord Jesus. They had sympathy for the writer as he was imprisoned for the sake of the Gospel; they were ready companions with him in his sufferings, to the extent that they willingly accepted the plundering of their own property because they identified with him, and fell victim to the same authority. They suffered loss because they joined themselves to him, yet they accepted such treatment with joy, and they could do so because of their heavenly focus.
This text provides a small glimpse into the persecution against the early Christians that continued to escalate toward the end of the first century AD (and even more so later on). The first Christians, since they were primarily Jews, were often assumed to be a sect of Judaism; however, it soon became apparent that they were different from both the Jews and the Romans. Paul tells us of the physical trials that he went through; these included: “Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods …” (2 Corinthians 11:24-25a). Thirty-nine stripes was the accepted punishment as determined by the Jewish judges for someone found guilty under Jewish Law (Deuteronomy 25:2-3); the punishment was not to exceed forty lashes, and could be less if it was determined that the victim was not able to bear the full count.104 Undoubtedly, these would have been administered because Paul taught the fulfillment of the Law of Moses in Jesus Christ, and would have been deemed guilty of this punishment by the Jewish authorities.
Roman Fasces
Rods, on the other hand, are part of a Roman tradition. A number of elm or birch rods about five feet in length, were bound together, and a single-bladed axe was often included in the bundle, which was called a fasces. This was carried before magistrates as symbolic of their authority to inflict both corporal punishment (the rods) and executions (the axe).105 Rome was very polytheistic, and mixed into this was emperor worship; anything was acceptable as long as it did not infringe upon the emperor’s divinity and the peace of society. In Acts 16:16-23, we have the account of Paul and Silas being beaten because they were perceived to be outsiders who were disrupting someone’s industry. Typically, such beatings were reserved for non-citizens, but, in this case, the question was not even asked, which is why the magistrates were so fearful when they found out that Paul and Silas were Romans (Acts 16:38-39). They were beaten on the premise that they taught what was unlawful for Romans, when the reality was that Paul had freed a young girl from a demon, and those who used this girl as a means of divination had lost their source of income. It is safe to say that each time that Paul was beaten with rods, it was because of his teaching the truth of the Gospel within a very pagan society.
As the writer faced imprisonment, those to whom he is writing stood with him and, as a result, they also faced tribulations. Yet they were willing to confront such trials because they did not regard this world as being their permanent dwelling. “16.The Spirit, Himself, is bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17. And if children, then also heirs; truly, heirs of God, and fellow-heirs of Christ; if, after all, we are suffering with [Him], then we also will be glorified with [Him] (Romans 8:16-17, literal).106 This encapsulates the motive for these who were willing to suffer loss in this life because of their commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ: suffering now, glory after. Thus was the testimony of Paul: “Yet even more I regard all things to be loss because of the surpassing greatness of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for Whose sake I did suffer the loss of all things, even regarding them to be rubbish in order to gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8, literal).107 Christ must hold the pre-eminence! During His ministry on earth, Jesus taught this as well, yet it is something that is missing from today’s preaching: “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). As John beheld the New Heaven and Earth, he heard the Lord say: “The one who is overcoming will inherit all things, and God will I be to him, and a son he will be to Me” (Revelation 21:7, literal).108 We must retain a heavenly perspective as we make our way through this life of difficulties.
35. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
Do not discard, then, your confidence that has great reward (literal).109
What is this confidence? We looked at this word earlier: “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end” (Hebrews 3:14). The Greek word is parrhesia, which we noted is comprised of all and to speak, and literally means a freedom to speak openly.110 It is often translated as boldness, which carries an inappropriate element of arrogance, or self-assurance. When we place our faith in Christ and accept His payment for sin as our own, we are drawn into Him, His Spirit enters our hearts, and His Laws are written upon our minds and placed within our hearts (Hebrews 10:16-17). We are now fully equipped to remain steadfast in Him (Ephesians 6:11); the confidence (parrhesia) that is ours in Christ, comes to us through our faith in Him. He has given us every reason to believe that He desires the best for us as we live in faithful obedience to Him. Our confidence is this: in Christ, we have been equipped for this life, and we have been adopted by God as His children who will abide with Him forever (Ephesians 1:5). Our confidence rests completely in Christ, and absolutely not in ourselves; there is no place for boldness, but we do have a real hope because our assurance rests in Him Who is faithful (Hebrews 10:23).
Following a significant passage on becoming apostate, this is another warning to hold fast to what we have in Christ. He is the reason for our confidence, which will only remain as long as we are in Him. Once again, faithful obedience is how we remain as a branch that is growing in the Vine; “9. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10. If ye keep [obey] my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love” (John 15:9-10).111 If we abide in Christ’s love, then we are in Him; we remain in His love (and in Him) by living in obedience to His commands! As we come to Christ in faith, He places His Laws (His Ten Commandments) within us: His Spirit and His requirements are there for us! The concept is not that difficult, but faithful obedience to Him will cost us, which is why Jesus declared: “… whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33).
As we hold onto our confidence in Christ, we also hold hope in Him: not only for this life, but for a glorious eternity with Him. We are warned not to throw our hope in Him away, because great is the reward for remaining faithful to Him. “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12) – another warning against losing the eternal hope that is only in Christ.
36. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
For ye have a need for endurance, in order that ye, having done the will of God, will receive the promise (literal).
This is a reiteration of what we have just considered, except that the writer has added the need for endurance. We have seen the great importance of living in faithful obedience to the commands of the Lord – this is His will concerning how we live. Jesus said, “If ye are loving Me, then My commandments ye must obey” (John 14:15, literal);112 if we compare this with John 15:10, we come to see the whole picture. If we love the Lord, and, because of our love, we live in obedience to Him, then we are abiding in His love; faithful obedience is our expression of love for the Lord, and it ensures that we remain in His love. Jesus also said that it is the one who remains faithful to Him unto the end who will be saved (Matthew 24:13). He used the Greek word hupomeno (endure, remain faithful), which is the same as patience (endurance) in our text (where it is a verb). We must exercise perseverance in our faithful obedience to the Lord, because, as Jesus said, it is the one who endures unto the end who will be saved. Once again, we are reminded that our salvation is yet future, and the Spirit of God is present with us to guide us to that end. However, we need to keep in mind that the Spirit is only our Guide, and He will never force us to endure; He is willing and able to guide us, but that will only happen if we are prepared to be so guided. It is only after we have lived in faithfulness to the Lord unto the end that we will receive the promise of eternal glory with Him!
37. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
For in a very little while, He Who is coming, will come, and will not delay (literal).113
After pointing out the need for endurance, the writer now speaks of Jesus Who is the One Who promised to return (He Who is coming) so that we will be with Him (John 14:3), yet, within this context, he describes it as being a very little while. These are two concepts that do not generally go together: endurance and a very little while.
We noted before that the burning question among the early Christians was this: when will the Lord return for us? As they came to face a rising persecution from both the Jews and the Romans, the intensity of this question increased. It was on this front that there was a growing need for a faithful perseverance in their faith in Christ; in truth, many of them faced intense tribulation – oppression, distress and affliction. However, the writer here says that in a very little while, the Lord will come. As we consider these words after the passing of almost twenty centuries, we might well wonder about their accuracy.
As the writer faced imprisonment, those to whom he is writing stood with him and, as a result, they also faced tribulations. Yet they were willing to confront such trials because they did not regard this world as being their permanent dwelling. “16.The Spirit, Himself, is bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17. And if children, then also heirs; truly, heirs of God, and fellow-heirs of Christ; if, after all, we are suffering with [Him], then we also will be glorified with [Him] (Romans 8:16-17, literal).106 This encapsulates the motive for these who were willing to suffer loss in this life because of their commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ: suffering now, glory after. Thus was the testimony of Paul: “Yet even more I regard all things to be loss because of the surpassing greatness of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for Whose sake I did suffer the loss of all things, even regarding them to be rubbish in order to gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8, literal).107 Christ must hold the pre-eminence! During His ministry on earth, Jesus taught this as well, yet it is something that is missing from today’s preaching: “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). As John beheld the New Heaven and Earth, he heard the Lord say: “The one who is overcoming will inherit all things, and God will I be to him, and a son he will be to Me” (Revelation 21:7, literal).108 We must retain a heavenly perspective as we make our way through this life of difficulties.
35. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
Do not discard, then, your confidence that has great reward (literal).109
What is this confidence? We looked at this word earlier: “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end” (Hebrews 3:14). The Greek word is parrhesia, which we noted is comprised of all and to speak, and literally means a freedom to speak openly.110 It is often translated as boldness, which carries an inappropriate element of arrogance, or self-assurance. When we place our faith in Christ and accept His payment for sin as our own, we are drawn into Him, His Spirit enters our hearts, and His Laws are written upon our minds and placed within our hearts (Hebrews 10:16-17). We are now fully equipped to remain steadfast in Him (Ephesians 6:11); the confidence (parrhesia) that is ours in Christ, comes to us through our faith in Him. He has given us every reason to believe that He desires the best for us as we live in faithful obedience to Him. Our confidence is this: in Christ, we have been equipped for this life, and we have been adopted by God as His children who will abide with Him forever (Ephesians 1:5). Our confidence rests completely in Christ, and absolutely not in ourselves; there is no place for boldness, but we do have a real hope because our assurance rests in Him Who is faithful (Hebrews 10:23).
Following a significant passage on becoming apostate, this is another warning to hold fast to what we have in Christ. He is the reason for our confidence, which will only remain as long as we are in Him. Once again, faithful obedience is how we remain as a branch that is growing in the Vine; “9. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10. If ye keep [obey] my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love” (John 15:9-10).111 If we abide in Christ’s love, then we are in Him; we remain in His love (and in Him) by living in obedience to His commands! As we come to Christ in faith, He places His Laws (His Ten Commandments) within us: His Spirit and His requirements are there for us! The concept is not that difficult, but faithful obedience to Him will cost us, which is why Jesus declared: “… whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33).
As we hold onto our confidence in Christ, we also hold hope in Him: not only for this life, but for a glorious eternity with Him. We are warned not to throw our hope in Him away, because great is the reward for remaining faithful to Him. “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12) – another warning against losing the eternal hope that is only in Christ.
36. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
For ye have a need for endurance, in order that ye, having done the will of God, will receive the promise (literal).
This is a reiteration of what we have just considered, except that the writer has added the need for endurance. We have seen the great importance of living in faithful obedience to the commands of the Lord – this is His will concerning how we live. Jesus said, “If ye are loving Me, then My commandments ye must obey” (John 14:15, literal);112 if we compare this with John 15:10, we come to see the whole picture. If we love the Lord, and, because of our love, we live in obedience to Him, then we are abiding in His love; faithful obedience is our expression of love for the Lord, and it ensures that we remain in His love. Jesus also said that it is the one who remains faithful to Him unto the end who will be saved (Matthew 24:13). He used the Greek word hupomeno (endure, remain faithful), which is the same as patience (endurance) in our text (where it is a verb). We must exercise perseverance in our faithful obedience to the Lord, because, as Jesus said, it is the one who endures unto the end who will be saved. Once again, we are reminded that our salvation is yet future, and the Spirit of God is present with us to guide us to that end. However, we need to keep in mind that the Spirit is only our Guide, and He will never force us to endure; He is willing and able to guide us, but that will only happen if we are prepared to be so guided. It is only after we have lived in faithfulness to the Lord unto the end that we will receive the promise of eternal glory with Him!
37. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
For in a very little while, He Who is coming, will come, and will not delay (literal).113
After pointing out the need for endurance, the writer now speaks of Jesus Who is the One Who promised to return (He Who is coming) so that we will be with Him (John 14:3), yet, within this context, he describes it as being a very little while. These are two concepts that do not generally go together: endurance and a very little while.
We noted before that the burning question among the early Christians was this: when will the Lord return for us? As they came to face a rising persecution from both the Jews and the Romans, the intensity of this question increased. It was on this front that there was a growing need for a faithful perseverance in their faith in Christ; in truth, many of them faced intense tribulation – oppression, distress and affliction. However, the writer here says that in a very little while, the Lord will come. As we consider these words after the passing of almost twenty centuries, we might well wonder about their accuracy.
David Cloud
Among Evangelicals today is the teaching that the Lord could return at any moment to harvest those who are His from this earth – this is called the imminent return of the Lord, meaning that the rapture could take place at any moment! This verse might seem to lend credence to this doctrine (in a very little while); let’s take a moment to consider this matter. A strong proponent of this teaching is the self-acclaimed fundamentalist, David Cloud; he states: “Christ, Paul, James, and Peter taught that the return of Christ is imminent and is to be expected at any time (Mat. 24:44; Phil. 4:5; Jam. 5:8-9; 1 Pet. 4:7).”114 Imminent is defined as that which is impending, threatening, or about to happen.115 In Matthew 24:44, Jesus said: “Because of this [He had just used the illustration of the unknown arrival of a thief], ye also must be prepared, since the Son of Man is coming at an hour that ye think not” (literal).116 In other words, Jesus says that His coming will take place at a moment of time when it is least expected: we will not know the hour of His return. However, that does not make His coming imminent, it simply makes it certain that we cannot know precisely when it will take place. In reality, our deaths could be considered to be much more imminent than His return; yet most teachers today (Cloud included) consider this to be an essential part of their end-time theology.
“Let your gentleness be known unto all men; the Lord [is] near” (Philippians 4:5, literal).117 The context for this is not dealing with the Lord’s return (which is a consideration of time), but how we are to live with one another. Therefore, to say that the phrase, the Lord [is] near, pertains to His coming is a stretch. It would be far more appropriate to say that it is a reminder that the Lord is ever present with us, and so we must live with care, knowing that He is aware of our conduct.
James 5:8-9 – “And ye must be patient and strengthen your hearts because the presence of the Lord has come; do not complain against one another, brethren, so that ye are not condemned: behold, the Judge is standing before the door” (literal).118 James has just taken some time to address the rich who have gained their wealth by exploiting others, and has warned them of what they can anticipate; in the previous verse, he turns to those who are the victims of the rich, and charges them to wait patiently for the coming of the Lord Who will harvest His own when the time is right.119 The difficulty comes with the phrase, the presence of the Lord has come, and Cloud’s approach to understanding it. Here is how he comes to this phrase: “My final biblical authority is the King James Bible itself. I do not correct the King James Bible and I do not support any corrections of it. I do not believe it needs to be fixed. I have never corrected the King James Bible with the Greek or the Hebrew … I believe therefore that the King James Bible is the inspired Word of God.”120 His justification for taking this view is ill-founded,121 and, in my opinion, is a basis for avoiding the study (from spoudazo, to make every effort) of 2 Timothy 2:15 (and a whole lot of work!);122 however, since he never checks the original languages, then he would not recognize the intensity of the Greek that is behind our bland English word study.
Returning to the phrase under consideration (the presence of the Lord has come), we now understand that Cloud and many like him take the KJV “the coming of the Lord draweth nigh” as an infallible translation that accurately represents the Greek from which it comes. The Greek word translated as coming, or presence, is parousia, which, firstly, means presence, or to be present, and then coming.123 Draweth nigh, or has come, is from eggizo, which typically means to draw near, come near, or approach.124 However, the Greek word (eggizo), in this case, is in the perfect tense, which means that it is describing a completed past action that has continuing results.125 To say that the coming of the Lord has already taken place is not true (and even Cloud would agree); this is what the Thessalonians had been told, and Paul assured them that it was not the case (2 Thessalonians 2:2-3). James, after denouncing those who were rich, then turns to the brethren and assures them that the presence of the Lord has come: the Lord is present with them, His Spirit is in them, and so they have all that they need in order to bear the oppression of the rich. There is nothing in this verse to indicate that he is considering the coming of the Lord; as already noted, James referred to that in the previous verse: “Now, brethren, wait for the coming of the Lord; see, the farmer expects the precious fruit of the earth; he is patient for it until he should receive rain – the early and late” (James 5:7, literal).126 After exposing the rich, James’ advice is to wait for the Lord’s return when all matters will be set straight; he then illustrates this from the life of the farmer who waits patiently for the time of the harvest. Using the illustration, he then encourages the brethren to be patient, like the farmer, because the Lord is present with them, and He is standing at the door, ready to judge. This is how ready the Judge is: “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Once again, there is nothing here to support the imminence of the Lord’s return.
1 Peter 4:7 – “The end of all things has come. Be of sound mind, then, and self-controlled in prayers” (literal).127 To use this as proof that Peter taught the imminent return of the Lord, is a forced fit, to say the least. The context has to do with living according to God’s desire, and not in keeping with the world. The writer of Hebrews referred to the end of the world (Hebrews 9:26), by which he meant the close of the OC in favor of the NC. Through His sacrifice, Jesus forever established the end of all things; Satan has been defeated, saving faith has been made available to all of humanity, and those who are in Christ anticipate an eternity with Him – the time when Christ will draw all things together is a surety! Has come is in the perfect tense in Greek: a completed past action (Christ’s sacrifice) with ongoing consequences (He is with us in this life, and we will be with Him in the next); this is very significant to enable us to live this life as He desires!
Before we leave this subject, there is one other thing of which we must remind ourselves, and it is something that we have already considered in our study. To the Thessalonians, Paul said: “Do not let anyone, in any way, deceive you completely [that Christ has already come]; unless first should come a rebellion and the man of sin be revealed – the son of perdition” (2 Thessalonians 2:3, literal). Paul states clearly that Christ will not return unless an apostasy comes first and the Antichrist be revealed. These precursors to His coming remove the concept of imminence, yet it still leaves very much intact that we cannot know the day or the hour of His coming (Matthew 24:36). However, Jesus told us to be alert and to watch for the signs that would herald the time of His coming: “25. And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26. Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:25-28). Many signs will precede His coming: a falling away from the faith, the Antichrist will become known, and signs in the sun, moon and stars – that does not speak of imminence!
Since we have taken the time to understand that the imminent return of the Lord is not Biblically defensible, as we return to our text, we know that in a very little while cannot introduce an element of imminence to the Lord’s coming. The God with Whom we have to do is eternal; the universe that He created is bound by time, which is why He can look at His creation and know the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). From the perspective of eternity, the passage of time is always small. The Psalmist touched on this reality: “For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night” (Psalm 90:4); he caught something that hints at the essence of what he is trying to express. To Jehovah, a thousand years are like yesterday when it is gone; we remember yesterday and all of the activities that it held, a memory that can be brought up in an instant and just as quickly forgotten. To the Lord, a thousand years is just that fleeting. The Psalmist also likens a thousand years to a watch in the night; the Hebrews divided the night into three, so this is a period of about four hours. To the Lord, four hours is likened to a thousand years; a time that the average Hebrew would spend sleeping and be completely unaware of its passing. The Psalmist is only scratching the surface on trying to express just how inconsequential time is to the One Who looks on from the perspective of eternity.
We look at the time that has passed since the writer penned the words of our text (almost 2,000 years), and we must realize that, for our eternal God, it is just the beginning of a very little while. It is within this context that we bring the concepts of endurance and a very little while together; we, who are caught in the restrictions of time, must faithfully persevere as we look forward to the Lord’s coming in a very little while. We must hold an eternal perspective as we await the time of His coming, and, during this time, we must remain faithfully obedient to Him in order to be ready when that day comes; the Lord’s view from eternity is so much different. The assurance that the Lord has given us is this: if we remain in Christ, then, when we pass from this life, we will be with Him forever, whether that is through death (2 Corinthians 5:8) or the Lord’s coming (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
The writer goes on to provide the assurance that He will come and that He will not delay. In both cases, the Greek is in the indicative mood: these are statements of fact. Jesus said, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:36). The moment of His coming cannot be known – it is the Father Who will determine when it is time for the Son to come for His own; however, as we have seen, there will be signs that will let us know that His coming is near. Moreover, because it is under the Father’s control, His coming will not be delayed – it will take place at the time that has been appointed by the Father.
38. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
And the righteous, by faith, will have life, and if he should draw back, then My soul will not delight in him (literal).128
To understand this in its fullness, it needs to be kept within the context of the previous verse that told us, with assurance, that the Lord is coming without delay, and we must persevere in this life. It is understood that when the Lord comes, that He will harvest the earth of everyone who is His (both living and dead) so that they can be with Him forever. Several times we have touched on what it takes to remain in Him in this life: faithful obedience (John 14:15; 1 John 3:24).
Consider the first phrase of our verse: the righteous, by faith, will have life. Will have is the verb, and it is in the future tense (the life is still coming), middle voice (this is something that we do for our own benefit; it is similar to the active voice, except that the righteous, in this case, are also recipients of the action taken), and indicative mood (it is a statement of fact).129 We must be careful to correctly understand who the righteous are. The Psalmist tells us that Jehovah is righteous (Psalm 116:5); Jesus, as the Son of God and our Advocate, is also called righteous (1 John 2:1). We know that, left to his own devices, man is not righteous (Romans 3:10). However, something that we must not overlook is that what may appear to be righteousness to us, is not so before God; Jesus addressed the scribes and Pharisees on this very matter: “Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity” (Matthew 23:28). Righteousness can be a façade that is worn in an effort to gain the favor of others, and, even though it might deceive some, it is totally transparent before God. As we noted, the Lord is truly righteous: “If ye have known that He is righteous, then ye know that everyone who is doing righteousness has been born of Him” (1 John 2:29, literal).130 Doing righteousness is not the façade of the scribes and Pharisees, but that which comes from living in Christ, with His Spirit abiding within to guide us in His way of righteousness. Therefore, we understand that the righteous (which, in our text, identifies only those who are in Christ) will one day have life because of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is faith in the Lord that is key – not just any faith will do!
The writer goes on to speak to an issue that has been a re-occurring theme throughout his letter: not everyone will remain faithful to the Lord. If he should draw back is applied to the righteous. Draw back is from the Greek hupostello, which means to withdraw from a commitment because of fear; it is in the middle voice, which we have learned is similar to the active voice, except that the subject is also the recipient of the action taken.131 Therefore, it is clear that the righteous, who is destined for life, draws away from his commitment to the Lord because of his fear of what he is facing. To this one, the Lord will not extend His approval. I am reminded of the Seed that fell into the weedy soil; the Seed grew and flourished until the pressures of this life became too great, and then it died (Luke 8:14) – fear can be one of life’s stresses that can result in apostasy. The apostate has lost the Lord’s approval, and now awaits His just condemnation (Hebrews 10:27); despite the efforts of many theologians, the Scriptures do teach apostasy – falling away from the Lord.
39. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
But we are not of timidity to complete ruin; rather, of faith unto the saving of the soul (literal).
The writer made a comment earlier that fits very well here: “But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak” (Hebrews 6:9). After carefully explaining the irreversible end of those who are apostate (Hebrews 6:4-6), he injected an element of optimism that those who were reading his letter would not fail in this manner. Once again, he has come through a significant teaching on apostasy, and follows it with a note of confidence.
Timidity is from an interesting Greek word: hupostole, which strictly refers to lowering the sails, and so means to give up, or to lose one’s endurance.132 The essence is that there is insufficient commitment to remain faithful and obedient to the Lord unto the end (Matthew 24:13). The trials and tribulations that came, generated sufficient fear to cause the one who was righteous to withdraw, or give up – i.e., become apostate from the Lord (Hebrews 3:12). The result of such a lowering of the sails is eternal ruin; salvation comes only to those who remain faithful to the Lord unto the end, despite the tribulations of life! “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (Mark 13:13); the one who will be saved must faithfully endure unto the end.
The writer declares that we (he is including himself with his audience) are those who will not withdraw to eternal destruction, but will stand strong in the faith of the Lord to our salvation. What should be very evident by now is that the apostasy of the righteous is very possible, and that our commitment to the Lord must remain steadfast in order for us to receive the Lord’s salvation after this life. “If My commandments ye do obey, then ye will abide in My love …” (John 15:10a); the concept is not difficult to understand, but it requires a strong commitment to the Lord Who bought us out of sin.
“Let your gentleness be known unto all men; the Lord [is] near” (Philippians 4:5, literal).117 The context for this is not dealing with the Lord’s return (which is a consideration of time), but how we are to live with one another. Therefore, to say that the phrase, the Lord [is] near, pertains to His coming is a stretch. It would be far more appropriate to say that it is a reminder that the Lord is ever present with us, and so we must live with care, knowing that He is aware of our conduct.
James 5:8-9 – “And ye must be patient and strengthen your hearts because the presence of the Lord has come; do not complain against one another, brethren, so that ye are not condemned: behold, the Judge is standing before the door” (literal).118 James has just taken some time to address the rich who have gained their wealth by exploiting others, and has warned them of what they can anticipate; in the previous verse, he turns to those who are the victims of the rich, and charges them to wait patiently for the coming of the Lord Who will harvest His own when the time is right.119 The difficulty comes with the phrase, the presence of the Lord has come, and Cloud’s approach to understanding it. Here is how he comes to this phrase: “My final biblical authority is the King James Bible itself. I do not correct the King James Bible and I do not support any corrections of it. I do not believe it needs to be fixed. I have never corrected the King James Bible with the Greek or the Hebrew … I believe therefore that the King James Bible is the inspired Word of God.”120 His justification for taking this view is ill-founded,121 and, in my opinion, is a basis for avoiding the study (from spoudazo, to make every effort) of 2 Timothy 2:15 (and a whole lot of work!);122 however, since he never checks the original languages, then he would not recognize the intensity of the Greek that is behind our bland English word study.
Returning to the phrase under consideration (the presence of the Lord has come), we now understand that Cloud and many like him take the KJV “the coming of the Lord draweth nigh” as an infallible translation that accurately represents the Greek from which it comes. The Greek word translated as coming, or presence, is parousia, which, firstly, means presence, or to be present, and then coming.123 Draweth nigh, or has come, is from eggizo, which typically means to draw near, come near, or approach.124 However, the Greek word (eggizo), in this case, is in the perfect tense, which means that it is describing a completed past action that has continuing results.125 To say that the coming of the Lord has already taken place is not true (and even Cloud would agree); this is what the Thessalonians had been told, and Paul assured them that it was not the case (2 Thessalonians 2:2-3). James, after denouncing those who were rich, then turns to the brethren and assures them that the presence of the Lord has come: the Lord is present with them, His Spirit is in them, and so they have all that they need in order to bear the oppression of the rich. There is nothing in this verse to indicate that he is considering the coming of the Lord; as already noted, James referred to that in the previous verse: “Now, brethren, wait for the coming of the Lord; see, the farmer expects the precious fruit of the earth; he is patient for it until he should receive rain – the early and late” (James 5:7, literal).126 After exposing the rich, James’ advice is to wait for the Lord’s return when all matters will be set straight; he then illustrates this from the life of the farmer who waits patiently for the time of the harvest. Using the illustration, he then encourages the brethren to be patient, like the farmer, because the Lord is present with them, and He is standing at the door, ready to judge. This is how ready the Judge is: “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Once again, there is nothing here to support the imminence of the Lord’s return.
1 Peter 4:7 – “The end of all things has come. Be of sound mind, then, and self-controlled in prayers” (literal).127 To use this as proof that Peter taught the imminent return of the Lord, is a forced fit, to say the least. The context has to do with living according to God’s desire, and not in keeping with the world. The writer of Hebrews referred to the end of the world (Hebrews 9:26), by which he meant the close of the OC in favor of the NC. Through His sacrifice, Jesus forever established the end of all things; Satan has been defeated, saving faith has been made available to all of humanity, and those who are in Christ anticipate an eternity with Him – the time when Christ will draw all things together is a surety! Has come is in the perfect tense in Greek: a completed past action (Christ’s sacrifice) with ongoing consequences (He is with us in this life, and we will be with Him in the next); this is very significant to enable us to live this life as He desires!
Before we leave this subject, there is one other thing of which we must remind ourselves, and it is something that we have already considered in our study. To the Thessalonians, Paul said: “Do not let anyone, in any way, deceive you completely [that Christ has already come]; unless first should come a rebellion and the man of sin be revealed – the son of perdition” (2 Thessalonians 2:3, literal). Paul states clearly that Christ will not return unless an apostasy comes first and the Antichrist be revealed. These precursors to His coming remove the concept of imminence, yet it still leaves very much intact that we cannot know the day or the hour of His coming (Matthew 24:36). However, Jesus told us to be alert and to watch for the signs that would herald the time of His coming: “25. And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26. Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:25-28). Many signs will precede His coming: a falling away from the faith, the Antichrist will become known, and signs in the sun, moon and stars – that does not speak of imminence!
Since we have taken the time to understand that the imminent return of the Lord is not Biblically defensible, as we return to our text, we know that in a very little while cannot introduce an element of imminence to the Lord’s coming. The God with Whom we have to do is eternal; the universe that He created is bound by time, which is why He can look at His creation and know the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). From the perspective of eternity, the passage of time is always small. The Psalmist touched on this reality: “For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night” (Psalm 90:4); he caught something that hints at the essence of what he is trying to express. To Jehovah, a thousand years are like yesterday when it is gone; we remember yesterday and all of the activities that it held, a memory that can be brought up in an instant and just as quickly forgotten. To the Lord, a thousand years is just that fleeting. The Psalmist also likens a thousand years to a watch in the night; the Hebrews divided the night into three, so this is a period of about four hours. To the Lord, four hours is likened to a thousand years; a time that the average Hebrew would spend sleeping and be completely unaware of its passing. The Psalmist is only scratching the surface on trying to express just how inconsequential time is to the One Who looks on from the perspective of eternity.
We look at the time that has passed since the writer penned the words of our text (almost 2,000 years), and we must realize that, for our eternal God, it is just the beginning of a very little while. It is within this context that we bring the concepts of endurance and a very little while together; we, who are caught in the restrictions of time, must faithfully persevere as we look forward to the Lord’s coming in a very little while. We must hold an eternal perspective as we await the time of His coming, and, during this time, we must remain faithfully obedient to Him in order to be ready when that day comes; the Lord’s view from eternity is so much different. The assurance that the Lord has given us is this: if we remain in Christ, then, when we pass from this life, we will be with Him forever, whether that is through death (2 Corinthians 5:8) or the Lord’s coming (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
The writer goes on to provide the assurance that He will come and that He will not delay. In both cases, the Greek is in the indicative mood: these are statements of fact. Jesus said, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:36). The moment of His coming cannot be known – it is the Father Who will determine when it is time for the Son to come for His own; however, as we have seen, there will be signs that will let us know that His coming is near. Moreover, because it is under the Father’s control, His coming will not be delayed – it will take place at the time that has been appointed by the Father.
38. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
And the righteous, by faith, will have life, and if he should draw back, then My soul will not delight in him (literal).128
To understand this in its fullness, it needs to be kept within the context of the previous verse that told us, with assurance, that the Lord is coming without delay, and we must persevere in this life. It is understood that when the Lord comes, that He will harvest the earth of everyone who is His (both living and dead) so that they can be with Him forever. Several times we have touched on what it takes to remain in Him in this life: faithful obedience (John 14:15; 1 John 3:24).
Consider the first phrase of our verse: the righteous, by faith, will have life. Will have is the verb, and it is in the future tense (the life is still coming), middle voice (this is something that we do for our own benefit; it is similar to the active voice, except that the righteous, in this case, are also recipients of the action taken), and indicative mood (it is a statement of fact).129 We must be careful to correctly understand who the righteous are. The Psalmist tells us that Jehovah is righteous (Psalm 116:5); Jesus, as the Son of God and our Advocate, is also called righteous (1 John 2:1). We know that, left to his own devices, man is not righteous (Romans 3:10). However, something that we must not overlook is that what may appear to be righteousness to us, is not so before God; Jesus addressed the scribes and Pharisees on this very matter: “Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity” (Matthew 23:28). Righteousness can be a façade that is worn in an effort to gain the favor of others, and, even though it might deceive some, it is totally transparent before God. As we noted, the Lord is truly righteous: “If ye have known that He is righteous, then ye know that everyone who is doing righteousness has been born of Him” (1 John 2:29, literal).130 Doing righteousness is not the façade of the scribes and Pharisees, but that which comes from living in Christ, with His Spirit abiding within to guide us in His way of righteousness. Therefore, we understand that the righteous (which, in our text, identifies only those who are in Christ) will one day have life because of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is faith in the Lord that is key – not just any faith will do!
The writer goes on to speak to an issue that has been a re-occurring theme throughout his letter: not everyone will remain faithful to the Lord. If he should draw back is applied to the righteous. Draw back is from the Greek hupostello, which means to withdraw from a commitment because of fear; it is in the middle voice, which we have learned is similar to the active voice, except that the subject is also the recipient of the action taken.131 Therefore, it is clear that the righteous, who is destined for life, draws away from his commitment to the Lord because of his fear of what he is facing. To this one, the Lord will not extend His approval. I am reminded of the Seed that fell into the weedy soil; the Seed grew and flourished until the pressures of this life became too great, and then it died (Luke 8:14) – fear can be one of life’s stresses that can result in apostasy. The apostate has lost the Lord’s approval, and now awaits His just condemnation (Hebrews 10:27); despite the efforts of many theologians, the Scriptures do teach apostasy – falling away from the Lord.
39. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
But we are not of timidity to complete ruin; rather, of faith unto the saving of the soul (literal).
The writer made a comment earlier that fits very well here: “But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak” (Hebrews 6:9). After carefully explaining the irreversible end of those who are apostate (Hebrews 6:4-6), he injected an element of optimism that those who were reading his letter would not fail in this manner. Once again, he has come through a significant teaching on apostasy, and follows it with a note of confidence.
Timidity is from an interesting Greek word: hupostole, which strictly refers to lowering the sails, and so means to give up, or to lose one’s endurance.132 The essence is that there is insufficient commitment to remain faithful and obedient to the Lord unto the end (Matthew 24:13). The trials and tribulations that came, generated sufficient fear to cause the one who was righteous to withdraw, or give up – i.e., become apostate from the Lord (Hebrews 3:12). The result of such a lowering of the sails is eternal ruin; salvation comes only to those who remain faithful to the Lord unto the end, despite the tribulations of life! “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (Mark 13:13); the one who will be saved must faithfully endure unto the end.
The writer declares that we (he is including himself with his audience) are those who will not withdraw to eternal destruction, but will stand strong in the faith of the Lord to our salvation. What should be very evident by now is that the apostasy of the righteous is very possible, and that our commitment to the Lord must remain steadfast in order for us to receive the Lord’s salvation after this life. “If My commandments ye do obey, then ye will abide in My love …” (John 15:10a); the concept is not difficult to understand, but it requires a strong commitment to the Lord Who bought us out of sin.
END NOTES:
1 Stephanus 1550 NT; Strong’s Online.
2 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
3 Strong’s Online.
4 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
5 Stephanus 1550 NT; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
6 BDB.
7 Ibid.
8 BDB; TWOT #863.
9 Ibid.
10 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
11 Gingrich Lexicon.
12 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
13 BDB; Gesenius’ Hebrew-English Lexicon.
14 Stephanus 1550 NT; Bibleworks 8 LXX; BDB; Gesenius’ Hebrew-English Lexicon.
15 BDB; Gesenius’ Hebrew-English Lexicon.
16 https://biblehub.com/commentaries/john/12-49.htm, (Meyer’s).
17 Gingrich Lexicon.
18 https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=prescribe.
19 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
20 Friberg Lexicon.
21 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
22 Ibid.
23 Ibid.
24 Ibid.
25 Friberg Lexicon.
26 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
27 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
28 Ibid.
29 https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/12757-right-and-left; Friberg Lexicon.
30 BDB.
31 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
32 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon; https://ia801508.us.archive.org/34/items/cligreek/Greek ii/U9/Ch 19 Present Participles.pdf.
33 Friberg Lexicon.
34 https://ia801508.us.archive.org/34/items/cligreek/Greek ii/U9/Ch 19 Present Participles.pdf.
35 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
36 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
37 Ibid.
38 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
39 Ibid.
40 Friberg Lexicon.
41 Stephanus 1550 NT; Gingrich Lexicon.
42 Ibid.
43 https://eternalsecurity.info/the-doctrine-of-eternal-security/.
44 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
45 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
46 Ibid.
47 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
48 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
49 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon.
50 Gingrich Lexicon.
51 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
52 Gingrich Lexicon; Friberg Lexicon.
53 Strong’s Online.
54 Ibid.
55 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
56 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Vine’s, “confess.”
57 Vine’s, “confess.”
58 Vine’s, “wavering”; Strong’s Dictionary; Mounce’s Greek-English Dictionary.
59 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
60 Ibid.
61 Ibid.
62 Strong’s Online.
63 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
64 Friberg Lexicon.
65 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
66 Strong’s Online.
67 Ibid.
68 Ibid.
69 https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/40780/what-is-the-difference-between-agathon-matthew-717-and-kalon-in-matthew-719.
70 https://www.biblestudytools.com/matthew/7-17-compare.html.
71 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
72 Ibid.
73 https://www.learnreligions.com/what-is-gnosticism-700683.
74 Max Lucado, Cure for the Common Life, p. 3.
75 Lucado, Cure, p. 215; this is quoted from Lucado’s footnote, but is also directly from Buber’s writings: http://www.maaber.org/issue_february09/spiritual_traditions1_e.htm.
76 http://www.maaber.org/issue_february09/spiritual_traditions1_e.htm
77 https://eppc.org/publication/world-christianity-by-the-numbers/.
78 Harold J. Ockenga in Foreword to Harold Lindsell, The Battle for the Bible.
79 George M. Marsden, Reforming Fundamentalism, p. 158.
80 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
81 Strong’s Online.
82 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
83 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
84 Friberg Lexicon.
85 Strong’s Online.
86 John MacArthur, The Truth War, p. 43.
87 Gingrich Lexicon.
88 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
89 Friberg Lexicon.
90 Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon.
91 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
92 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; https://www.drshirley.org/greek/grammar/g_pro-pers.pdf.
93 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
94 Friberg Lexicon.
95 Strong’s Online; Gesenius’ Hebrew Lexicon; Friberg Lexicon – this shows that “Hebraistically,” krino can mean to rule, or govern; perhaps because the LXX used it to translate a Hebrew word (diyn) that means rule/govern.
96 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
97 Strong’s Online.
98 Ibid.
99 Gingrich Lexicon; Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon.
100 Friberg Lexicon.
101 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
102 Strong’s Online.
103 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
104 https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/13354-scourging.
105 https://www.britannica.com/topic/fasces.
106 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
107 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
108 Ibid.
109 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; https://www.ntgreek.org/pdf/subjunctive_uses.pdf.
110 Strong’s Online.
111 Friberg Lexicon.
112 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
113 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
114 https://www.wayoflife.org/reports/hating_the_rapture.html.
115 https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/imminent; https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=imminent.
116 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; https://www.drshirley.org/greek/grammar/g_pro-intro.pdf.
117 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
118 Ibid.
119 Friberg Lexicon.
120 https://www.wayoflife.org/database/mypositiononkjv.html.
121 “I believe 2 Timothy 3:16-17 refers not only to the original giving of the Scriptures but to the fact that the copies and translations are inspired, as well, as long as they are accurate.” (Ibid). However, when Acts 12:4 includes “Easter” for the Greek pascha (which everywhere else is translated as Passover), it is clear that the KJV is not the “inspired Word of God”; God would never use the name of a pagan goddess to refer to the time of the Passover.
122 Gingrich Lexicon.
123 Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon; Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon.
124 Friberg Lexicon.
125 https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/verbs1.htm.
126 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
127 Ibid.
128 Ibid.
129 Strong’s Online.
130 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
131 Gingrich Lexicon.
132 Friberg Lexicon.
1 Stephanus 1550 NT; Strong’s Online.
2 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
3 Strong’s Online.
4 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
5 Stephanus 1550 NT; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
6 BDB.
7 Ibid.
8 BDB; TWOT #863.
9 Ibid.
10 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
11 Gingrich Lexicon.
12 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
13 BDB; Gesenius’ Hebrew-English Lexicon.
14 Stephanus 1550 NT; Bibleworks 8 LXX; BDB; Gesenius’ Hebrew-English Lexicon.
15 BDB; Gesenius’ Hebrew-English Lexicon.
16 https://biblehub.com/commentaries/john/12-49.htm, (Meyer’s).
17 Gingrich Lexicon.
18 https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=prescribe.
19 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
20 Friberg Lexicon.
21 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
22 Ibid.
23 Ibid.
24 Ibid.
25 Friberg Lexicon.
26 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
27 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
28 Ibid.
29 https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/12757-right-and-left; Friberg Lexicon.
30 BDB.
31 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
32 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon; https://ia801508.us.archive.org/34/items/cligreek/Greek ii/U9/Ch 19 Present Participles.pdf.
33 Friberg Lexicon.
34 https://ia801508.us.archive.org/34/items/cligreek/Greek ii/U9/Ch 19 Present Participles.pdf.
35 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
36 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
37 Ibid.
38 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
39 Ibid.
40 Friberg Lexicon.
41 Stephanus 1550 NT; Gingrich Lexicon.
42 Ibid.
43 https://eternalsecurity.info/the-doctrine-of-eternal-security/.
44 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
45 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
46 Ibid.
47 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
48 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
49 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon.
50 Gingrich Lexicon.
51 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
52 Gingrich Lexicon; Friberg Lexicon.
53 Strong’s Online.
54 Ibid.
55 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
56 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Vine’s, “confess.”
57 Vine’s, “confess.”
58 Vine’s, “wavering”; Strong’s Dictionary; Mounce’s Greek-English Dictionary.
59 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
60 Ibid.
61 Ibid.
62 Strong’s Online.
63 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
64 Friberg Lexicon.
65 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
66 Strong’s Online.
67 Ibid.
68 Ibid.
69 https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/40780/what-is-the-difference-between-agathon-matthew-717-and-kalon-in-matthew-719.
70 https://www.biblestudytools.com/matthew/7-17-compare.html.
71 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
72 Ibid.
73 https://www.learnreligions.com/what-is-gnosticism-700683.
74 Max Lucado, Cure for the Common Life, p. 3.
75 Lucado, Cure, p. 215; this is quoted from Lucado’s footnote, but is also directly from Buber’s writings: http://www.maaber.org/issue_february09/spiritual_traditions1_e.htm.
76 http://www.maaber.org/issue_february09/spiritual_traditions1_e.htm
77 https://eppc.org/publication/world-christianity-by-the-numbers/.
78 Harold J. Ockenga in Foreword to Harold Lindsell, The Battle for the Bible.
79 George M. Marsden, Reforming Fundamentalism, p. 158.
80 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
81 Strong’s Online.
82 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
83 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
84 Friberg Lexicon.
85 Strong’s Online.
86 John MacArthur, The Truth War, p. 43.
87 Gingrich Lexicon.
88 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
89 Friberg Lexicon.
90 Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon.
91 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
92 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; https://www.drshirley.org/greek/grammar/g_pro-pers.pdf.
93 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
94 Friberg Lexicon.
95 Strong’s Online; Gesenius’ Hebrew Lexicon; Friberg Lexicon – this shows that “Hebraistically,” krino can mean to rule, or govern; perhaps because the LXX used it to translate a Hebrew word (diyn) that means rule/govern.
96 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
97 Strong’s Online.
98 Ibid.
99 Gingrich Lexicon; Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon.
100 Friberg Lexicon.
101 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
102 Strong’s Online.
103 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
104 https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/13354-scourging.
105 https://www.britannica.com/topic/fasces.
106 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
107 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
108 Ibid.
109 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; https://www.ntgreek.org/pdf/subjunctive_uses.pdf.
110 Strong’s Online.
111 Friberg Lexicon.
112 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
113 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
114 https://www.wayoflife.org/reports/hating_the_rapture.html.
115 https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/imminent; https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=imminent.
116 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; https://www.drshirley.org/greek/grammar/g_pro-intro.pdf.
117 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
118 Ibid.
119 Friberg Lexicon.
120 https://www.wayoflife.org/database/mypositiononkjv.html.
121 “I believe 2 Timothy 3:16-17 refers not only to the original giving of the Scriptures but to the fact that the copies and translations are inspired, as well, as long as they are accurate.” (Ibid). However, when Acts 12:4 includes “Easter” for the Greek pascha (which everywhere else is translated as Passover), it is clear that the KJV is not the “inspired Word of God”; God would never use the name of a pagan goddess to refer to the time of the Passover.
122 Gingrich Lexicon.
123 Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon; Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon.
124 Friberg Lexicon.
125 https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/verbs1.htm.
126 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
127 Ibid.
128 Ibid.
129 Strong’s Online.
130 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
131 Gingrich Lexicon.
132 Friberg Lexicon.