“The trouble started with their ‘forsaking the assembling together”
Download discussion questions: Hebrews 10:18-39
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I encourage you to look at the passage in Hebrews before you read this Blog entry. What do you see in the text yourself? What questions come to your mind? How would you interpret what the writer says? After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.
Putting It Together
Our discussion this week drew together passages from the last three weeks. The richness and theological density of this section was far too much to tackle in its entirety in one week. Earlier, we spent a week on each of the three clear logical divisions. The pastor moved from confident hope to alarming harshness to joyful reminder. Now it was time to put those seemingly disparate pieces together.
Our discussion started with a comment about the “therefore” near the beginning of the passage (v. 19). A member of our group noted that the opening “therefore” clearly ties the present passage to what the pastor has just said. The beginning of chapter 10 confirms that the “therefore” pointed back to absolute assurance as the basis for the current passage. That context, along with the rest of the first nine chapters of Hebrews, is critical for correctly interpreting this passage.
As someone pointed out, this passage seems to begin the conclusion of the pastor’s sermon, “a major turning point in the unfolding structure of the sermon.”[1]
It is important to recognize both the unity and the transitional character of this section. There is no hard break between the full sufficiency of Christ described in 4:14-10:18 and the life of faith and endurance exemplified by the people of God throughout history, as narrated in 11:1-12:29. The pastor forges the closest bond between the two. He passionately desires his hearers to take their place as part of God’s faithful people through appropriating the high-priestly work of Christ (12:1-3).[2]
This section certainly sums up themes that have been repeated throughout Hebrews.
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- Drawing near to God
- Holding fast to beliefs
- Helping each other draw near and hold fast
The stern warning of v. 26-31 follows immediately after these confident exhortations. One person observed that the warning expressed the consequences of ignoring those exhortations. “The trouble started with their ‘forsaking the assembling together.’” The danger of “sinning willfully” (v. 36) became a possibility for those not committed to “drawing near” and “holding fast.”
Someone noted that the same word for sinning “willfully” is used elsewhere in a positive sense. The Apostle Peter’s instructions to elders are for “exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily” (1 Peter 5:2). Serving “voluntarily” (or “willfully,” ἑκουσίως, hekousiōs) is seen as an experience that is “enjoyed, a privilege, something to cherish” according to our discussion. Treating sin in that way is one reaction to the gospel, a response of (in the words of another member), “Meh, it’s not a big deal.” One person mentioned similar self-focused independence in the lyrics of a Billy Joel song:
I don’t care what you say anymore, this is my life
Go ahead with your own life, leave me alone[3]
That attitude easily leads to compromise in order to avoid suffering or even to eliminate discomfort. The effect is to disregard or even disdain what God in Christ has done through the Spirit (v. 29). That response of indifference or even contempt for the gospel is the object of God’s wrath in v. 26-31.
On the other hand, the pastor exhorts those genuine believers to “remember the former days” (v. 32) when their endurance demonstrated their faith. Their earlier experiences were certainly not pleasant (“sufferings…reproaches…tribulations…seizure of your property”), and yet they had endured, even joyfully (v. 34). The pastor’s ultimate reminder was the anticipation that enabled that endurance: “knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one.” The congregation of the Hebrews needed to remember that better and lasting possession. The pastor wanted that anticipation to renew their confident endurance in the face of new and increasing testing.
The reminder was (and is) needed because, as a person commented, “It’s hard to stick with what we know.” We need the stimulation to love and good deeds (v. 24) from others, reminding us what we have to look forward to. We need those reassurances that “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18). Without a supportive community, the desire to draw near to God and the firm grip on the confession of faith can be overshadowed by the present difficulties.
But What About My Sin?
The comfort of this passage is powerful, but another aspect can also be very difficult for some believers. Someone commented that this passage highlights the need for careful inductive study. Isolating passages easily results in eisegesis (reading beliefs into the text) instead of exegesis (forming beliefs out of the text).
The warning section (v. 26-31) about “sinning willfully” has too often been misunderstood and even used intentionally to browbeat believers over sin. The immediate context of the passage is the contrast between the rejection of the gospel (v. 26-31) and the joyful, endurance-giving acceptance of the gospel (v. 32-39). The entire argument of the sermon to the Hebrews confirms the same emphasis.
Our discussion turned to the damage done when the “sinning willfully” passage, taken out of context, is applied to believers. Some of us have had (or are currently having) conversations with believers struggling with uncertainty and lack of confidence: “How could God forgive me for ______?” Some of us have struggled (or continue to struggle) with that same desperation. Or perhaps the issue is a continuing struggle with sin. What if a battle has been ongoing for years? As someone commented, sometimes we get “stuck” at a place. We seem unable to move past a particular temptation. After repeatedly giving in to sin, “Why would God take me back?”
How do we respond in light of the broader context of the passage?
One thing that our group began with years ago was the conviction that the answer is not simply to quote Bible verses. The relationship with the person is the priority. SoulCare is essential to understand where God might be working in the person’s life. (If you have not done so already, I encourage you to follow that link to some of the previous discussions about SoulCare.)
Much of our continuing discussion expressed the application of SoulCare. How do we respond to others who struggle with forgiveness? (REMINDER: This is not a list of interrogation questions. Rather, these comments represent the questions we are asking ourselves and asking the Holy Spirit during a conversation.)
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- Why is the person struggling?
- Does the person understand the gospel?
- Has the person seen the gospel applying to them?
- Why are they “stuck”?
- How could the focus be moved off of the sin and onto the work God has done?
- ….
The list could continue, but there is a danger. Lists of questions can distort SoulCare. A Spirit-led relational encounter can begin to sound a lot like a methodology or a list of steps to success or a handbook for disciple-making. Then the danger shifts. Rather than using verses like Hebrews 10 to induce guilt in others, we may believe that sharing a better understanding of the passage is all that is needed to help another person deal with guilt or shame. We become “fixers.”
Rather, SoulCare begins when we recognize we are completely out of our depth.
Let me suggest an important principle. When you have even a glimmer of a compelling vision for what could be as you engage in SoulCare, you will realize that you are inadequate to make it happen. What I want to say to you is inadequacy is not an obstacle; it is an opportunity. Inadequacy is not something which gets in the way; it is rather something that provides an opportunity for the Spirit to flow through you. Feeling profoundly inadequate – hear me carefully – is the only legitimate way to feel when you are involved in SoulCare. SoulCare can happen when one person feels safe enough to share openly with another person who feels profoundly inadequate.[4]
We only learn SoulCare by relating to others. And relating when we don’t have (or don’t think we have) all the answers is risky. Only as we are willing to take the risk of revealing our inadequacy can we provide a safe environment for genuine community.
As much as we desire to dig deeply into God’s word together, our group is committed to SoulCare – for one another and for anyone God brings into our path. Scripture provides the firm foundation. Building on that foundation, SoulCare provides the framework for spiritual formation. Both the foundation and the framework are essential for relationships that draw near, hold fast, and stimulate to love and good deeds.
[1] William L. Lane, Hebrews 9-13, Word Biblical Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1991), 280.
[2] Gareth Lee Cockerill, The Epistle to the Hebrews, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2012), 460-461.
[3] https://www.google.com/search?q=billy+joel+it%27s+my+life+lyrics (emphasis added).
[4] https://dpz73qkr83w0p.cloudfront.net/en_US/transcripts/CC201-04.pdf , page 9.