CONTEXT IS KEY in
Understanding the Scriptures
No more sacrifice/forgiveness for sinning wilfully ?
The Bible is unique in that it contains the message of Christ. It is holy, sacred and set apart to show us Christ. To understand the scriptures, it is very important to read in context. Context is surroundings, circumstances, environments, backgrounds or settings that determine, specify, or clarify the meaning of an event or other occurrence. It is the text in which a word or passage appears and which helps ascertain its meaning. The context of a text include the surrounding words /paragraphs of the text. It can also include the background information or events that result in the text. Context also include the history and general knowledge of the writer and receiver of a text.
You can’t use a verse out of context to say what you like. You take the meaning of the verse instead of interpreting your meaning into the verse .
Hebrews
10: 26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins
Does God forgive sins ?
Does God forgive sins committed wilfully ?
What does Hebrews 10: 26 means by there is no more sacrifice for sins if we sin wilfully?
First and foremost, what does it mean to sin? To sin means to miss the mark or to err. Sin is against someone or something. There must be a path erred from or an expectation missed . Hebrews 10 didn’t say no more forgiveness but no more sacrifice. And note that the wilful sin is against the knowledge of truth that one receives. So what is this wilful sin? Is this in anyway talking about actions of sin or unbelief in the knowledge of truth. Let’s look at the context of Hebrews 10.
Hebrews 10
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.
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?
Hebrews 10 from verse 1 discusses the sacrifice of Jesus and its superiority over sacrifices under the law. Therefore, verse 26 is not the first time sacrifice is mentioned. Hebrews 10:1 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. We see here that the law and its sacrifices cannot make one perfect. In verse 3, we see that these sacrifices brings the remembrance of sins daily . Verse 10 to 15 shows us that the sacrifices of Jesus is a once and for all sacrifice for sins. It is the eternal and only solution for the sin problem of mankind .
10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
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;
13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
These verses clearly show that the work of Jesus is superior to all the shadows we see under the law. Jesus by one offering has perfected and sanctified all that put faith in the sacrifice. So far, we have seen that the payment of sins is in the sacrifice of Jesus . Let’s look at verse 26 to 29 again. Please again and observe without preconceived notions .
Hebrews 10
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.
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?
If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth , there is no more sacrifice of sin. The sacrifice of sin discussed in the chapter is what Jesus has done in paying for our sins. So what is the sinning wilfully? It is sinning against the sacrifice of Jesus . Verse 27 and 28 referenced the punishment that is given to a man that disobeys Moses laws. PAY ATTENTION TO VERSE 29. It explains what sin is talking about. The sin is to despise the spirit of grace, to count unholy the blood of Jesus . It has to do with THE REJECTION of the sacrifice of Jesus which is meant for the sins of men. Anyone that does not believe in what Jesus has done, there is no more sacrifice of sins for the person .THIS IS THE SINNING wilfully in Hebrews 10:26. We cannot impose our meaning to the context of Hebrews 10. The sinning wilfully is not talking of actions of sin but rejection of the sacrifice of Jesus for sin. The same sacrifice is meant for sinful actions. SINCERELY, ask yourself which sin is not wilful? Before you lie or commit any other action of sin, is your will not involved? No contradictions in the Bible . If Hebrews 10:26 meant that when one wilfully commits sin, he cannot be forgiven , it would have contradicted many other verses even in the same Hebrews 10 and other places in the Bible that explains that the sacrifice of Jesus is the ground for our forgiveness and acceptance before God. Many persons use Hebrews 10:26 to imply that the man in Christ can go to hell because of actions of sin. This is not true . It will contradict many other verses (like John 3:15-16, John 5: 26) that state that when a man believes in Jesus, he is saved from hell and condemnation. No contradictions in the Bible . We stick with the context of what is written.
Does THIS MEAN that God has pleasure in actions of sin? Far be it from God. We ought to be careful to maintain good works because of our righteous nature in Christ. (for more on this, see part 1 of this series).
So far, we have seen the role of context in interpreting Bible texts. The Bible contains one single truth which is Christ and Him crucified. We shouldn’t add our meaning to the Bible text. We shouldn’t have preconceived meanings and look for Bible verses to support them.
Don’t forget NO CONTRADICTIONS in the Bible. It is a book centered on revealing the truth in Christ. In the subsequent parts of this series, we will look at other seemingly contradictory verses in the epistles .
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