²⁶ For if we go on sinning wilfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. ²⁸ Anyone who has ignored the Law of Moses is put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ How much more severe punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as profane the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” ³¹ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God… ³⁶ For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised (Heb10;26-31&36).

Whoever said the bible was easy? The Protestant Reformers claimed it was “perspicuous” regarding essential doctrine – I no longer believe that, and Hebrews chapter 10 is a classic case. Those of my former ilk (Calvinist Evangelical) have difficulty explaining the above passage in the context of their doctrines of grace alone and perseverance of the saints in particular.

I will briefly comment on the phrases I have highlighted and attempt to reconcile this with rest of the chapter. We may not know who wrote Hebrews, but we do know that whoever  wrote vv1-25 also wrote vv26-31, yet the way the earlier section is often understood, they may appear to conflict.

The addressees

Firstly, to whom is this dire warning addressed? I am afraid (for many) there is no question but that it is addressed to Christians – those who have “received a knowledge of the truth”, i.e. they have laid hold ( λαβεῖν) of it. I have emphasized the verb as this does not refer to those who merely hear the gospel but to those who take it to their hearts and act upon it. Apart from which, mere hearers and rejectors cannot have “profaned the blood of the covenant by which (they) were sanctified” (v29) for they never where sanctified. Likewise v30, “The Lord will judge His people” – those who have never heard,  have not understood or rejected the gospel  are not in that category.

Which gospel?

It will have been less of an issue when this epistle was written, but in the above context we also have to ask “to which gospel are we referring?”. Having been an Evangelical for the first 28 years of my Christian life and then a Catholic for 25 years to date, I know there to be substantial and potentially soteriologically fatal differences in terms of what it means to be a Christian, both psychologically (in terms of what must be believed) and sacramentally.

Surely we all continue to sin?

Equally problematic for many is the writer’s reference in verse 26 to there being no further sacrifice for sins for those who continue wilfully to sin. As most commentaries I have read rightly suggest, “continuing wilfully to sin” is not referring to a Christian on occasions falling into temptation, yielding and thereby sinning. Even serious sins can be dealt with where there is genuine repentance. Apostatizing in this context is returning to a sinful way of life, that having been enlightened and consecrated by the Spirit, one knows to be displeasing to God. Applying other biblical terms it is wilfully to depart from the Light that is Christ’s Way, Truth and Life and returning to darkness and spiritual death. What further Sacrifice therefore remains, given that even the ultimate and Perfect Solution for sinfulness attained by Jesus Christ has been of no avail to such a person?

Resolving conflicts

In terms of the seeming conflict within chapter 10, it is necessary to reconcile the above warning with the  earlier section regarding Christ’s perfect and once-for-all sacrifice for sin. In particular verse 10: “By (Christ’s obedience to God’s will), we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all (time).” Also v17-18 regarding the promised new covenant: “ ‘(My people’s) sins and lawless acts I will remember no more’ – and where these have been forgiven there is no longer any sacrifice for sin”. Many (like myself in the past), epitomized by Martin Luther, believe that once one comes to put one’s faith in Christ as Saviour, then any sins committed in the future, i.e. as a Christian, will not be counted against the believer, even (said Luther on at least one occasion) should they repeatedly rape and murder. Admittedly, that was hyperbole on his part, but it indicates he has misunderstood not only the writer to the Hebrews but (as I spent a number of posts demonstrating), also his more favoured Apostle Paul. And it goes without saying, such sentiments can scarcely be reconciled with the teaching of Christ.

Reconciliation within Heb10 occurs when one understands “sinning wilfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth” (v26), to be referring to an overall way of life that utterly opposes the Way and Life that the disciples of Christ are intended to have. And as the same writer referred to earlier, it applies to those “who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have apostatized, (cannot be) restored again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame” (Heb6:3-6).

Implications good and bad

This surely puts paid to “guaranteed perseverance of the saints” and salvation being all of God and all of grace. Don’t misunderstood me, it is all thanks to Jesus Christ and His obedience to God’s wondrous plan of salvation for humanity – but those who in Jesus’s language “overcome” and in Paul’s terms “gain the prize” play their part in it. For as I have been showing in many earlier posts, this is as much Paul and Jesus’ teaching as it is the writer to the Hebrews.

Bad news and a salutary warning for some, but in accordance with expectations for those like myself who know our God to be not merely merciful to the few but fair and magnanimous towards all. And not least to those who through ignorance and for cultural reasons have never been enlightened to the truth of the gospel. That is anyway a matter of sovereign choice, restricted to those whom the Father has foreordained to draw to Christ so that they might be re-formed into His Son’s image and fitted for imminent glory (cf. Jn6:44; Rom8:29; Rev3:21😲).  So we “all have need of endurance such that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised”(last verse).

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