Page 15 | Understanding God’s Word Ministry

Warning #4 (of 5): Hebrews 10:26-31• The intensity of the 4th warning is greater than all previous: willful sin; fiery judgment; sorer punishment.• Reference to end time events: Judgment Seat of Christ, Kingdom, etc. (Subjects at the forefront of the Epistle)• Author includes himself: “We…”26] For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, “For...”: Anticipating the apostasy just warned of; a conditional, circumstantial participle in the present tense: a continuing action. The writer is not dealing with one simple, isolated act of sin but a specific sin habitually committed. It is not a sin committed out of ignorance or weakness but is a sin planned out, determined, and committed with forethought.Context: turning away from knowledge: In this context, the sin is to willfully and permanently return to Judaism. In the Greek text, the word wilfully comes before if we sin and is in the emphatic position. “...knowledge of the truth”: The readers already have the knowledge: evpi,gnwsij epignosis: precise and correct knowledge. After reading this letter, the readers will have full knowledge of the truth, of the issues involved, of the circumstances involved, and of the results of their actions. If they insist upon going back willfully after reading this letter, it will show the enormity and severity of their defection. To turn back is a slap in the face of God!“...no more sacrifice for sins”: Since Jesus was rejected, they have no other sacrifice for their sins. He was their final sacrifice. This result is based on the Old Testament principle that there were no sacrifices for certain sins including adultery, murder, and blasphemy: For these kinds of sins, the people could not offer a sacrifice (Num 15:29-31); instead, they were subject to the penalty of physical death

~C. Missler

Aug 1, 2023

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Understanding God’s Word Ministry

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