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NASB | Hebrews 10:19 ¶ Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Hebrews 10:19 ¶ Therefore, believers, since we have confidence and full freedom to enter the Holy Place [the place where God dwells] by [means of] the blood of Jesus, |
Subject: Holy of Holies |
Bible Note: Dear Doc. Thank you for your response. I suppose that we will have to agree to disagree.:-))) I do not consider that I am at all confused as to the imperative portion of Hebrew 10.22. If we are to 'be drawing near with a true heart and full assurance of faith' I cannot see 1) how that can posibly be said to be true of all Christians regardless 2) That that can mean any other than our checking the state of our hearts to ensure that we are approaching with a true heart and with our faith attuned. That is my view of the text. Furthermore the cultic reference to the sprinkling (rhantizo) connects it with the water of purification which was intended to be continual in its application to deal with day by day uncleanness. In my view that is precisely what 1 John 1.7-10 also teaches and what is meant here. Christ's perfect work has provided not only our being 'perfected in Him for ever' (Hebrews 10.14) but also a daily means of cleansing. We can compare the exhortation here with 2 Corinthians 7.1 which also speaks of a similar cleansing although there of spirit and body, which parallels heart and body here. You would not I presume make the confession of our faith a once for all event or the stirring up to love and good works. Then why the drawing near? My knowledge of Greek and my experience and awareness tells me that very often the tenses of the verbs say exactly what an expositor wants them to mean. While not as fluid as Hebrew (which as you know has no past tense) Greek tenses vary widely in their use and meaning. One moment, for example, the commentator is stressing that the aorist means a once for all event, and two verses later it is a 'timeless aorist' or a second aorist. The aorist is thus a fluid tense. And similar fluidity applies to other tenses. Of course Christ's blood allows us permanent entrance with confidence into the heavenly Holy of Holies, and nothing further is required. But are you really suggesting that we should therefore come into His presence unprepared? 'If I am regarding iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me.' Jesus Himself said that if we approach the altar and remember that someone has something against us, we must leave our gift at the altar and go and be reconciled to that someone, and then come and offer the gift (Matthew 5.23-24). If that is not timeless, what is? I am not adding to or detracting from the completed work of Christ, nor am I confusing justification with sanctification. Indeed in Hebrews sanctification is often the equivalent of justification (e.g. Hebrews 13.12). There is no doctrine of justification as such in Hebrews. He speaks rather of a once for all perfecting (Hebrews 10.14) or sanctification (Hebrews 13.12) and a continuing sanctification. Compare also 'you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus' (1 Corinthians 1.2; 6.11) which demonstrates that Paul also speaks of a once for all sanctification. That is why we are 'saints'. I agree wholeheartedly with the words of your last paragraph and I would add also 'positional sanctification'. But I fail to see how it affects our interpretaion of verse 22. Verses 19-20 yes, but not verse 22. Surely pressing forward in our sanctification (Hebrews 10.14) does require that we constantly test whether our hearts are true and our faith is 'full'? Because the door is always open it does not mean that I can go in without wiping my feet (Psalm 15). 'He who is bathed need not but to wash his feet'. In Christ |