Who is Hebrews 10:26-31 Directly Addressing?

Before Hebrews 10:26-31 is looked at, note what is said immediately afterwards.

Hebrews 10:32-35: “But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.”

Note also what had been said already in Hebrews chapter 3.

Hebrews 3:1: “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;”

The Christian brethren who are partakers of the heavenly calling in Christ are still being addressed in verse 12 of the same chapter.

Hebrews 3:12: “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.”

These Hebrews are addressed as those who had really believed in Jesus and begun well as His disciples. Anyone who disputes that has obviously not read Hebrews carefully or is blatantly lying. You cannot find anything in verses 2 to 11 of Hebrews 3 to demonstrate that those addressed in verse 12 are not those addressed in verse 1. Likewise, you cannot find anything between Hebrews 3:12 and Hebrews 10:26 to demonstrate that any group of people is ever being directly addressed besides those who are addressed in Hebrews 3:1.

Note also what is said immediately before Hebrews 10:26-31.

Hebrews 10:19-25: “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; 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 profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

Telling people to hold fast to an invalid profession of faith in Christ would be horrible counsel. Warning people about falling away from a dead faith would be deceitful and foolish. It is very misleading to warn people to hold onto and maintain something which they never really obtained to begin with.

Note on to Hebrews 10:26-31.

Hebrews 10:26-27: “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.”

Though the Hebrew Christians were in danger of blatantly denying that Jesus is the Messiah to appease the larger Jewish community, the warning given here is not limited to this.

Offering animal sacrifices at the Temple is not really the issue here either. Though the Gentiles had been released from keeping the Jewish ceremonies in Acts chapter 15 several years before the Temple was destroyed, the Jewish Christians had not been released from them at that time. Paul’s interaction with James in Acts chapter 21, and his subsequent actions, demonstrate that simply practicing the Jewish ceremonies was indeed appointed for Jewish Christians beyond Acts chapter 15 while the Second Temple stood. Hebrews was probably written before AD 70 while the Second Temple was still standing. Even if it was written after AD 70 when the Temple was destroyed, offering sacrifices at the Temple became impossible at that point anyways.

The word for in the Greek text for “knowledge” in Hebrews 10:26 is epignosis. It is a reference to relational familiarity rather than just head knowledge. It is used frequently in the New Testament to reference really receiving the knowledge of the true God. This cannot happen without acknowledging Him in all one’s ways by fearing Him and departing from what is evil in His eyes (see Proverbs 3:5-7).

The obvious meaning of Hebrews 10:26-27 is that those who turn their back on the true God after truly knowing Him in this way by sinning willfully forsake the forgiveness which they had obtained by the blood of Christ. They then have no other sacrifice for sins to turn to which can save them. They will rather be judged in fiery indignation with all of the Lord’s adversaries.

Sinning willfully is a reference to being hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. This had been established already in Hebrews 3:13.

The sacrifices through the Levitical Priesthood at the Temple, though prescribed by God Himself for a time, were never sufficient to atone for sin. They were rather always intended to point to the Lamb of God who made the ultimate atonement by His blood on the cross. Those who thought that the Temple sacrifices were sufficient to take away sins missed Christ. The faithful Christians who offered sacrifices at the Temple between Jesus’ resurrection and AD 70 understood these sacrifices to be significant because they pointed back to what Jesus had already accomplished by His death and resurrection.

Hebrews 10:28-29: “He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 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?”

As the Word of God made flesh, Jesus brought greater light than Moses. He did not bring contradictory light. Everything which Jesus and His Apostles taught in the New Testament is in line with the Law of Moses. It had already been reiterated in Hebrews that Moses faithfully served Jesus. The writer of Hebrews emphasizes here that the Christians under the New Covenant in the blood of Christ have greater accountability than the Israelites under the Old Covenant which the Lord established by Moses’ mediation. This means that Christians will face a more severe judgment if they are unfaithful. Yet amazingly, it is normal for those who preach in the name of Jesus to say the very opposite. Many even say that there are no obligations under the New Covenant and that the Christian could never do anything to bring punishment upon themselves from God. Hebrews 10:28-29 says plainly that they are lying.

Those who sin willfully after having received the knowledge of the truth and being under the grace of God practically regard the blood of Christ as an unholy thing and do despite unto the Spirit of grace. Jesus died, rose again, and gave His Holy Spirit to those who obey Him in order to lead them in His holy ways and give them power to walk in them. He upholds righteousness. He does not enable anyone to transgress. There is freewill after conversion to Christ as well as beforehand.

Hebrews 10:30-31: “For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Does it sound like the people being written to are being told not to fear God’s judgment and fiery indignation? Absolutely not. Yet that is what the unconditional eternal security preachers tell the Christians who listen to them.

Does it sound like the Hebrews being written to were never true converts with authentic faith in the real Jesus Christ? No way.

What is written in Hebrews 10:26-31 would be illogical nonsense if it were not directly written to people who had really obtained Jesus’ grace and been born-again through a living faith in Him.

The entire Bible’s counsel makes it clear that it is a fearful thing for anyone to fall into the hands of the living God. All of the true God’s enemies will face His judgment and fiery indignation. Understanding the direct audience of Hebrews 10:26-31 demonstrates the dire, ominous reality for mankind in general. Since those who have really known God’s grace can turn away from Him and be condemned as one of His enemies, this also reinforces the condemnation of those who never really forsake their enmity towards Him and obtain His grace in Jesus Christ.