There has been much question and inaccurate information of late about the nature of unpardonable sin that I felt it needs to be explained from a scholars Scriptural standpoint and not the TV preachers point of view.
Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum for those who dont know is a Hebrew scholar and Christian writer of many books on prophecy and history from the expert perspective only available to someone with a Jewish background.
Originally from Dr. A Fruchenbaums website at www.ariel.org
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]INTRODUCTION[/FONT]
A study on the five warnings of the Book of Hebrews is important for two reasons. The first reason is that these are the passages which people generally use to teach that one can lose ones salvation. Second, these passages are usually interpreted from a modern, Gentile perspective, even by those who believe in eternal security. But a proper understanding of these Scriptures requires viewing them from the Jewish perspective of the first century.
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]THE PURPOSE OF THE BOOK OF HEBREWS[/FONT]
The Book of Hebrews was written to a body of Jewish believers in the Land of Israel, believers who were seriously considering going back into Judaism because of the severe persecution they were facing. They thought that they could temporarily give up their salvation and go back into Judaism until the persecution subsided. Then, they could accept the Messiah all over again, and their new salvation would erase the sin of the previous apostasy. That was the option they thought they had. Therefore, the writer of Hebrews wanted to write to them and tell them that they do not have the option they think they have: they do not have the option of giving up their salvation; going back into Judaism; and being saved again later.
They do have one of two options. The first is to go back into Judaism, an option that would not mean the loss of their salvation but rather, the loss of their physical life. Often in Gentile thinking, the assumption is that the word "save" or "salvation" only refers to spiritual salvation. Frequently however, in Jewish writings, it has to do with physical salvation, and that is the way these passages in the Book of Hebrews need to be understood. As seen when the five warnings are given, each is correlated with physical judgment and physical death in the Old Testament. Hence, these Jewish believers did not have the option of giving up their salvation and being able to be saved again later. They did have the option to go back into Judaism, but that would mean that they would suffer the judgment of A.D. 70the judgment for the Unpardonable Sin and suffer in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. They would lose their physical lives.
Their second option was to make the break from Judaism once and for all complete, and press on to spiritual maturity. The writer wants to encourage them to press on to spiritual maturity and so, he shows how the Messiah is superior to three main pillars of Judaism: angels, Moses, and the Levitical System. To go back to Judaism is to go back to something inferior, because that which they have in the Messiah is so much more superior. He basically follows a logical development, a logical argument; however, five times he deviates from his topic to give a warning based upon what he has just said. Space will only allow a discussion of four of these warnings.
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]THE FIRST WARNING - Hebrews 2:1-4[/FONT]
The first of the five warnings of Hebrews is a parenthetical warning on the danger of drifting away. Verse 1 starts with the word Therefore, a logical connective. He is building on what he had just said in chapter 1. His point in chapter 1 is that Yeshua (Jesus) is superior to angels. Therefore¾ for that very reason¾ we must pay close attention to what he is about to say. Why? lest [they] drift away from it; drift away like a boat that is untied from its mooring will drift out to sea. The Greek word means: "to flow beside or past; to slip off; to slip under; to slip into the wind; to disappear from memory." The emphasis is: that which they have learned, they must not let flow away, to disappear from memory or slip away. His point is that revelation, through the mediation of the Son, carries far more solemn obligations for the recipients than revelation which was mediated through angels or men. God used men to give revelation and God used angels to give revelation. In light of the fact that Yeshua is superior to angels, they must give more earnest heed to what He has revealed.
Then, in verses 2-3a, he points out the impossibility of escaping. This gives the reason why they must pay very close attention. In Greek, it is a first class condition which assumes a fulfilled condition, not merely a possibility: if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast. Did the revelation that came through angels prove steadfast? It certainly did, and sin received its just punishment. But the punishment he is talking about is physical punishment. The word just recompense, or "just punishment" does not refer to the loss of salvation but to the loss of temporal blessings in the form of divine discipline. There are some clear examples in the Old Testament: in Leviticus 10, Nadab and Abihu sinned, and they were stricken dead; in Numbers 16, Korah, Dathan and Abiram rebelled and they were stricken dead; in Joshua 7, Achan disobeyed, and he was stricken dead. The punishment of the Law was not loss of salvation; the punishment of the Law was physical death. If that were true under the Law, how much more is it true of revelation given by the Son!
He concludes in verses 3b-4 "How can anyone escape if they neglect a salvation mediated through the Son?" The phrase: how shall we escape implies that there is no escape possible from a just recompense of reward. It will mean discipline in this life (Hebrews 12:5-11), and it will certainly mean physical death in the coming judgment. The point is that salvation is in their possession, but they are neglecting it or becoming indifferent to it. By neglecting their salvation, believers may put themselves into a position requiring divine discipline. Therefore, the warning is that they must give heed to revelation given by the Son, because He is superior to angels.
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]THE SECOND WARNING - Hebrews 3:7-4:13[/FONT]
The background to the passage:
The background to what the author is writing about here is in Numbers 13-14; the sin at the Oasis of Kadesh-Barnea. It was here that two of the spies said they could take the Land, while ten said they could not possibly take the Land. The result was a massive rebellion against the authority of Moses and Aaron, who nearly lost their lives in a mob-scene until God intervened. At that point, God entered into a specific judgment against the generation that came out of Egypt. The judgment was that all those who came out of Egypt would continue wandering in the wilderness until forty years had passed. During those forty years, all that came out of Egypt would die, except for the two good spies and those under the age of twenty. Therefore, the "Exodus Generation" lost the privilege of entering the Land. It would be the next generation, the "Wilderness Generation," that would be allowed to enter into the Land under Joshua. The judgment meant that the Exodus Generation was now subject to divine judgment; but the judgment is physical¾ not spiritual in the loss of salvation. In fact, Numbers 14:20 does say that the people repented; it even goes on to say that God forgave the sin. It did not affect anyones individual salvation, but the physical consequences of their sin did need to be paid. Once a point of no return is reached, no matter how much repenting one does thereafter, the fact of coming physical judgment cannot be changed. And that is what happened in this case. Even Moses had to die outside the Land because of a specific sin he committed, though this did not affect his individual salvation. Here again, the correlation is: In the Old Testament, the issue is physical death and loss of temporal blessings, but not the loss of salvation.
In Hebrews 3:1-6, the writer pointed out that Jesus the Messiah, is superior to Moses. The massive rebellion occurred under the ever-faithful Moses. Now, One greater than Moses has been here. Will there be another massive rebellion by the Jewish believers?
The admonition against disobedience (Hebrews 3:7-19):
The author begins in Hebrews 3:7-19, with a strong admonition against disobedience, starting with the Old Testament lesson of verses 7-11, which is based upon the sin of Kadesh-Barnea and based upon the Son being greater than Moses. Again he uses the word Wherefore: in light of the fact that Yeshua is greater than Moses, do not apostatize through disobedience. The Exodus Generation failed to enter into the rest of the Promise Land. God sentenced them to physical death outside the Land. The Promised Land is not a type of Heaven, but a type of rest. The point is that a redeemed people may lose blessings, the enjoyment of which were based upon continuous faith. Although they were forgiven for the sin of unbelief, they suffered the physical consequences of unbelief and forfeited the rest that they could have enjoyed in the Promised Land. The judgment was a physical judgment, a physical death. Here again, the issue is not eternal salvation, but rather, that disobedience may result in temporal, physical judgment and the loss of future rewards.
Having dealt with the Old Testament lesson, he now gives the application of the lesson in verses 12-15. Believers ought to beware because they are responsible for their own conduct. They are warned against developing an evil heart of unbelief and parting from the living God as did the Exodus Generation. The sin is deceitful because it tricks them into thinking this is the best way out of their present situation of being persecuted for the faith.
Then, in verses 16-19, he gives the interpretation of the lesson by asking three questions. The first question (v. 16): "Who were the provokers?" The answer: The very people God rescued provoked Him. The very ones who had been delivered from bondage and started out for the Promised Land by faith were the ones who missed the life and Land of rest and because of unbelief. The second question (v. 17): "Who is it that sinned?" Answer: Those who died. But, again, this was physical death. They sinned and suffered its physical consequences. The punishment was physical death because not all who died were spiritually lost. The third question (v. 18): "To whom did He say they would not enter into rest?" Answer: The Exodus Generation. In verse 19, he draws his conclusion:
they could not reach the rest they started out for by faith because of unbelief. The rest is that of the Promised Land. Rebellion meant the loss of promised blessings. Notice that Israel did not lose its status as a redeemed people; they were still the redeemed, chosen people of God. But they did lose the blessing of the Promised Land, and a life of peace and rest in the Land.
The application to the generation of the Book of Hebrews is that they are in a very similar danger. It had been forty years since the Crucifixion, or close to it. Forty years in the wilderness meant that many died. It is nearly forty years now, will many die in the A.D. 70 destruction? They will, if they go back into Judaism just to escape persecution.
(continued ...)
Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum for those who dont know is a Hebrew scholar and Christian writer of many books on prophecy and history from the expert perspective only available to someone with a Jewish background.
Originally from Dr. A Fruchenbaums website at www.ariel.org
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]INTRODUCTION[/FONT]
A study on the five warnings of the Book of Hebrews is important for two reasons. The first reason is that these are the passages which people generally use to teach that one can lose ones salvation. Second, these passages are usually interpreted from a modern, Gentile perspective, even by those who believe in eternal security. But a proper understanding of these Scriptures requires viewing them from the Jewish perspective of the first century.
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]THE PURPOSE OF THE BOOK OF HEBREWS[/FONT]
The Book of Hebrews was written to a body of Jewish believers in the Land of Israel, believers who were seriously considering going back into Judaism because of the severe persecution they were facing. They thought that they could temporarily give up their salvation and go back into Judaism until the persecution subsided. Then, they could accept the Messiah all over again, and their new salvation would erase the sin of the previous apostasy. That was the option they thought they had. Therefore, the writer of Hebrews wanted to write to them and tell them that they do not have the option they think they have: they do not have the option of giving up their salvation; going back into Judaism; and being saved again later.
They do have one of two options. The first is to go back into Judaism, an option that would not mean the loss of their salvation but rather, the loss of their physical life. Often in Gentile thinking, the assumption is that the word "save" or "salvation" only refers to spiritual salvation. Frequently however, in Jewish writings, it has to do with physical salvation, and that is the way these passages in the Book of Hebrews need to be understood. As seen when the five warnings are given, each is correlated with physical judgment and physical death in the Old Testament. Hence, these Jewish believers did not have the option of giving up their salvation and being able to be saved again later. They did have the option to go back into Judaism, but that would mean that they would suffer the judgment of A.D. 70the judgment for the Unpardonable Sin and suffer in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. They would lose their physical lives.
Their second option was to make the break from Judaism once and for all complete, and press on to spiritual maturity. The writer wants to encourage them to press on to spiritual maturity and so, he shows how the Messiah is superior to three main pillars of Judaism: angels, Moses, and the Levitical System. To go back to Judaism is to go back to something inferior, because that which they have in the Messiah is so much more superior. He basically follows a logical development, a logical argument; however, five times he deviates from his topic to give a warning based upon what he has just said. Space will only allow a discussion of four of these warnings.
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]THE FIRST WARNING - Hebrews 2:1-4[/FONT]
The first of the five warnings of Hebrews is a parenthetical warning on the danger of drifting away. Verse 1 starts with the word Therefore, a logical connective. He is building on what he had just said in chapter 1. His point in chapter 1 is that Yeshua (Jesus) is superior to angels. Therefore¾ for that very reason¾ we must pay close attention to what he is about to say. Why? lest [they] drift away from it; drift away like a boat that is untied from its mooring will drift out to sea. The Greek word means: "to flow beside or past; to slip off; to slip under; to slip into the wind; to disappear from memory." The emphasis is: that which they have learned, they must not let flow away, to disappear from memory or slip away. His point is that revelation, through the mediation of the Son, carries far more solemn obligations for the recipients than revelation which was mediated through angels or men. God used men to give revelation and God used angels to give revelation. In light of the fact that Yeshua is superior to angels, they must give more earnest heed to what He has revealed.
Then, in verses 2-3a, he points out the impossibility of escaping. This gives the reason why they must pay very close attention. In Greek, it is a first class condition which assumes a fulfilled condition, not merely a possibility: if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast. Did the revelation that came through angels prove steadfast? It certainly did, and sin received its just punishment. But the punishment he is talking about is physical punishment. The word just recompense, or "just punishment" does not refer to the loss of salvation but to the loss of temporal blessings in the form of divine discipline. There are some clear examples in the Old Testament: in Leviticus 10, Nadab and Abihu sinned, and they were stricken dead; in Numbers 16, Korah, Dathan and Abiram rebelled and they were stricken dead; in Joshua 7, Achan disobeyed, and he was stricken dead. The punishment of the Law was not loss of salvation; the punishment of the Law was physical death. If that were true under the Law, how much more is it true of revelation given by the Son!
He concludes in verses 3b-4 "How can anyone escape if they neglect a salvation mediated through the Son?" The phrase: how shall we escape implies that there is no escape possible from a just recompense of reward. It will mean discipline in this life (Hebrews 12:5-11), and it will certainly mean physical death in the coming judgment. The point is that salvation is in their possession, but they are neglecting it or becoming indifferent to it. By neglecting their salvation, believers may put themselves into a position requiring divine discipline. Therefore, the warning is that they must give heed to revelation given by the Son, because He is superior to angels.
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]THE SECOND WARNING - Hebrews 3:7-4:13[/FONT]
The background to the passage:
The background to what the author is writing about here is in Numbers 13-14; the sin at the Oasis of Kadesh-Barnea. It was here that two of the spies said they could take the Land, while ten said they could not possibly take the Land. The result was a massive rebellion against the authority of Moses and Aaron, who nearly lost their lives in a mob-scene until God intervened. At that point, God entered into a specific judgment against the generation that came out of Egypt. The judgment was that all those who came out of Egypt would continue wandering in the wilderness until forty years had passed. During those forty years, all that came out of Egypt would die, except for the two good spies and those under the age of twenty. Therefore, the "Exodus Generation" lost the privilege of entering the Land. It would be the next generation, the "Wilderness Generation," that would be allowed to enter into the Land under Joshua. The judgment meant that the Exodus Generation was now subject to divine judgment; but the judgment is physical¾ not spiritual in the loss of salvation. In fact, Numbers 14:20 does say that the people repented; it even goes on to say that God forgave the sin. It did not affect anyones individual salvation, but the physical consequences of their sin did need to be paid. Once a point of no return is reached, no matter how much repenting one does thereafter, the fact of coming physical judgment cannot be changed. And that is what happened in this case. Even Moses had to die outside the Land because of a specific sin he committed, though this did not affect his individual salvation. Here again, the correlation is: In the Old Testament, the issue is physical death and loss of temporal blessings, but not the loss of salvation.
In Hebrews 3:1-6, the writer pointed out that Jesus the Messiah, is superior to Moses. The massive rebellion occurred under the ever-faithful Moses. Now, One greater than Moses has been here. Will there be another massive rebellion by the Jewish believers?
The admonition against disobedience (Hebrews 3:7-19):
The author begins in Hebrews 3:7-19, with a strong admonition against disobedience, starting with the Old Testament lesson of verses 7-11, which is based upon the sin of Kadesh-Barnea and based upon the Son being greater than Moses. Again he uses the word Wherefore: in light of the fact that Yeshua is greater than Moses, do not apostatize through disobedience. The Exodus Generation failed to enter into the rest of the Promise Land. God sentenced them to physical death outside the Land. The Promised Land is not a type of Heaven, but a type of rest. The point is that a redeemed people may lose blessings, the enjoyment of which were based upon continuous faith. Although they were forgiven for the sin of unbelief, they suffered the physical consequences of unbelief and forfeited the rest that they could have enjoyed in the Promised Land. The judgment was a physical judgment, a physical death. Here again, the issue is not eternal salvation, but rather, that disobedience may result in temporal, physical judgment and the loss of future rewards.
Having dealt with the Old Testament lesson, he now gives the application of the lesson in verses 12-15. Believers ought to beware because they are responsible for their own conduct. They are warned against developing an evil heart of unbelief and parting from the living God as did the Exodus Generation. The sin is deceitful because it tricks them into thinking this is the best way out of their present situation of being persecuted for the faith.
Then, in verses 16-19, he gives the interpretation of the lesson by asking three questions. The first question (v. 16): "Who were the provokers?" The answer: The very people God rescued provoked Him. The very ones who had been delivered from bondage and started out for the Promised Land by faith were the ones who missed the life and Land of rest and because of unbelief. The second question (v. 17): "Who is it that sinned?" Answer: Those who died. But, again, this was physical death. They sinned and suffered its physical consequences. The punishment was physical death because not all who died were spiritually lost. The third question (v. 18): "To whom did He say they would not enter into rest?" Answer: The Exodus Generation. In verse 19, he draws his conclusion:
they could not reach the rest they started out for by faith because of unbelief. The rest is that of the Promised Land. Rebellion meant the loss of promised blessings. Notice that Israel did not lose its status as a redeemed people; they were still the redeemed, chosen people of God. But they did lose the blessing of the Promised Land, and a life of peace and rest in the Land.
The application to the generation of the Book of Hebrews is that they are in a very similar danger. It had been forty years since the Crucifixion, or close to it. Forty years in the wilderness meant that many died. It is nearly forty years now, will many die in the A.D. 70 destruction? They will, if they go back into Judaism just to escape persecution.
(continued ...)
