Hebrews 10:26-31: A Simple Verse by Verse Explanation

By Frank Tyler

Introduction

Few passages of Scripture are used as often as Hebrews 10:26-31 to undermine the certainty of Jesus’ promise of eternal life. As His children we know the certainty of eternal life, because Jesus promises in His Word that those who believe in Him as the Christ, the Son of God have everlasting life or life in His name (John 5:24; 6:47; 10:28-29; 11:25-27; 20:30-31). [1] Those who take Jesus at His Word have exactly what He promises—everlasting life! Unfortunately, some think—surely this is too good to believe… afterall how about the believer who renounces his faith in Christ publicly? Therefore, we must ask, does Hebrews 10:26-31 teach that a believer can engage in apostasy and lose the gift of everlasting life? Or, does this passage teach that born-again, eternally secure, believers may forsake Christian fellowship and endure the extreme temporal consequences God reserves for His adversaries?

Audience, Place and Time

The author of Hebrews addresses born-again Jewish believers living in the Israel just prior to the 70 AD judgment. The believers may well live in Judea or even in the immediate environs of Jerusalem. Clearly, their circumstances tempt them to return to the sacrificial practices of the temple and fellowship with unbelieving friends and family to the detriment of their fellowship in Christ.

Immediate Context

Hebrews 10:26 begins with a For, in effect saying, “because of the things I have just written you in verses 18-25,” Now, where there is remission of thes e… washed with pure water. The immediate context, Hebrews 10:18-25, defines concepts and terms with in the passage in question, Hebrews 10:26-31.

Verse 10:18

Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin .

There is a remission of these refers back to Jesus’ High Priestly sacrifice on the cross: But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God (Hebrews 10:12). For this reason there is no longer an offering for sin . Jesus has once for all paid for the sins of the entire world (Hebrews 7:27; 9:12; 10:10 and Romans 6:10). The sacrificial system of the Mosaic Covenant is no more. This is good news both in 10:18 and eight verses later in 10:26.

Verses 10:19-21

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God,

The writer of Hebrews views himself and his audience, us, as born-again brethren, who do not offer sacrifices according to the Mosaic Law in order to draw near to God, but who, instead enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way . Having offered Himself on the cross once for all (Again, Hebrews 7:27; 9:12; 10:10), Jesus remains our High Priest over the house of God . By way of contrast, the temple high priest, who continues offering animal sacrifices according to the Mosaic Law, overtly denies the efficacy of Jesus’ priesthood and sacrifice.

Verses 10:22-25

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. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Based upon Jesus’ High Priestly service the author exhorts his audience: 1) let us draw near… 2) Let us hold fast… and 3) let us consider . Through the use of the 1 ^st person plural pronoun, us, the author sees himself as a shepherd leading his flock. These three exhortations state positively what the author summarizes negatively: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. The Day approaching is the day of temporal judgment against that generation of Israel guilty of rejecting and crucifying Jesus. Fellowship in Christ ought to mirror the three positive exhortations to draw near , hold fast and consider one another. [2]

Willfully Forsaking Fellowship

Instead of drawing near, holding fast and considering one another, these Jewish believers foolishly risk forsaking fellowship in Christ.

Verse 10:26

For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

Within the immediate context to sin willfully is to forsake Christian fellowship for temple fellowship after the readers have received the knowledge of the truth (verses 18-21) now restated in verse 26, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins. The truth was good news in verses 18-21 and remains so in verse 26; however, denying this truth through willful sin reaps consequences—even for born again believers.

Verses 10:27-31

but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The LORD will judge His people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

A certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignationwill soon devour Israel as Rome utterly destroys Jerusalem in 70 AD. Again, Jesus prophesied this coming destruction (Matthew 23:34-24:2 Luke 13:34-35; 19:41-44; Mark 13:1-2). The author of Hebrews desires his audience to understand the severity of this coming judgment: If willful sin required death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses, how much worse punishment awaits those Jews of that generation who persist in their unbelief and rejection of Jesus? Many years before on the day of Pentecost the Apostle Peter preached: let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ… Be saved from this perverse generation (Acts 2:36 and 40). If early in his apostolic ministry Peter acknowledged the ignorance of the people and leadership of Israel in persecuting Jesus (Acts 3:17), surely several decades later no apostle would consider the people and leadership of the nation ignorant. Indeed, 70 AD looms large for the adversaries. Temple worship will not save them, nor will the sacrificial system of Moses sanctify them in the coming day of judgment.

Three things identify these particularadversaries: 1) From the early days of Jesus’ ministry, to His crucifixion, to the continued persecution of the body of Christ (Acts), unbelieving Jews trampled the Son of God underfoot ;2) The sacrifices of the Mosaic Covenant specifically point to Jesus’ once for all sacrifice on the cross, but sadly these adversaries had long since counted the blood of the covenant(Mosaic) by which he (the Jew)was sanctified a common thing; [3] and3) For 30 to 40 years after Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection believers shared the good news, while the Holy Spirit brought conviction of the truth, but the Jews of this particular generation insulted the Spirit of grace by rejecting the offer of personal salvation to the Jew first and also denying the days of refreshing offered by the Lord (Acts 3:19). Against these particular adversaries Jesus had prophesied a specific judgment (Again, Matthew 23:34-24:2 Luke 13:34-35; 19:41-44; Mark 13:1-2) now taking shape as Rome gathered to destroy Israel in 70 AD: Vengeance is Mine, I will repay… The Lord will judge His people !

Recalling Former Days

As we noted earlier, the writer of Hebrews uses the 1 ^st person plural pronoun we in verse 26 to include himself among his flock as opposed to “them guys over there,” the adversaries (verse 10:27). [4] While God judges Christians at the Bema Seat (1 Corinthians 3:1-15; 2 Corinthians 5:9-11) and unbelievers at the Great White Throne (Revelation 20:11-15), the particular judgment here is an utterly devastating temporal judgment in fulfillment of Jesus’ prophesy against Israel and more specifically the Jewish leadership and people of that generation who crucified the Son of God. Of this judgment Josephus writes: “…in my opinion, the misfortunes of all nations since the world began fall short of those of the Jews” ( J.W. 1.1.1,4). In marked contrast, death by stoning (for willful sin according to the Mosaic Covenant) would seem a welcome relief.

If the devastation reserved for the adversaries remains certain, equally certain the author of Hebrews does not threaten his flock, but instead encourages them by recalling the former days… for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods . Again, you and me equals “us,” the writer of Hebrews and his flock—not “them other guys,” the adversaries. Judgment came; the prophecy was fulfilled; and the adversaries perished under the brutal heel of Rome: The author of Hebrews envisions neither his flock, nor future generations of born-again believers as the adversaries. [5]

Verses 10:32-34

But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.

Few thoughts encourage Christians as much as reflecting on their better and enduring possession … in heaven. Moreover, the reminder of the former days, in which they sacrificed through their fellowship with the author by sharing in his reproaches and tribulations(of the adversaries ), suggests the overarching theme of Hebrews not to drift away (Hebrews 2:1).

Confidence with Great Reward

In light of the coming judgment of 70 AD, why forsake their fellowship in Christ, which so pleases the Lord and garners such great reward, for the empty sacrifices of temple worship and fellowship with the adversaries ? Should they endure in their fellowship in Christ unto eternal reward or join themselves to the adversaries and experience firsthand the horrific temporal judgment of 70 AD? The author of Hebrews exhorts his flock to cling to fellowship in the body of Christ and endure unto eternal reward.

Verses 10:35-39

Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.

For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:

“For yet a little while,

And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.

Now the just shall live by faith;

But if anyone draws back,

My soul has no pleasure in him.”

But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.

Once again casting away your confidence and drawing back to perdition recalls the grand overarching theme of Hebrews:

Verses 2:1-4

Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? (Underlining added)

The author answers this initial thematic question in chapter 12.

Verses 12:25-26

See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven .” (Underlining added)

Drawing back, casting away, drifting way, turning way, and lastly refusing Him, all of these pose a profound question relevant only to the born-again believer. (You and I cannot draw back from where we have never been; we cannot cast away what we have never had; we cannot drift or turn away from where we have never been; and we cannot refuse Him whom we have never known.) How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? The author’s emphatic answer is that if we neglect Our Lord’s so great salvation, we cannot escape.

The author of Hebrews intends his flock to escape the devastating temporal judgment of 70 AD by enduring in their fellowship in Christ; we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul . The Greek word translated soul, yuchvß, could refer to a person (Acts 2:43; Romans 13:1) as well “the immaterial part of man held in common with animals (Matt. 10:28; Romans 2:9)”. [6] To draw back to perdition (by returning to temple worship and fellowship with unbelieving Jewish friends and family) subjects these 1 ^st century Jewish believers to the temporal judgment of 70 AD; instead, as believers, they must continue believing in Christ for the deliverance of their person and psychological or “immaterial” being through Jesus’ provision of fellowship in the body.

Conclusion and Application

Hebrews 10:26-31 never teaches that believers lose their eternal salvation by committing willful sin (apostasy). You and I draw a threefold conclusion:

1) The message of Hebrews 10:26-31 specifically addresses Jewish believers tempted to forsake fellowship in Christ in favor of temple sacrifice and fellowship with unbelieving Jews.

2) The temporal judgment of 70 AD fulfils Christ’s prophecy (Luke 19:42-44) against the leaders and people of that generation of Israel who crucified the Son of God.

3) The good news of Hebrews 10:18-25 remains good news in verse 10:26 also:there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.Moreover, this shared truth ought to inform both the author of Hebrews and his flock not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, but to endure in Christ, lest they too enter into the temporal judgment God reserves for His adversaries.

This seemingly troublesome passage fits perfectly within the grand overarching theme of the book of Hebrews.

The author and his flock must not drift away. For… how shall we escape (the temporal judgment of 70 AD) if we neglect so great a salvation (fellowship in Christ). Roughly 2000 years after the fulfillment of Christ’s prophecy in 70 AD, this passage remains applicable: As God’s children, we must not forsake fellowship in the body of Christ, both with God and our fellow brothers and sisters, lest we needlessly and foolishly come under the temporal judgments of God—even unto physical death.

Copyright © Frank Tyler 2023