You Can't Just Read a Verse or Two - 24 & 25

Keeping things in context

This is a little longer post, but it makes an important point! So read for one extra minute.

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An easy way to become confused about a writer’s meaning is to take only a small portion of what he wrote and try to make sense of it. Like, instead of reading the entire letter to the Colossians, we read only a paragraph; or instead of a paragraph, we read only two sentences.

Consider this sentence from Hebrews 10:26-27.

26For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.

What does the writer mean? Taken by itself, it sounds like a Christian could lose his salvation and become an adversary of God’s, if he continues to sin once he knows the truth. And as God’s adversary he will have to face the fury of fire. And so some Christians have taught people that they could lose their salvation if they “willingly” sin, aka. “continue to sin in an unrepentant way.” Does that seem possible based upon the sentence? Perhaps.

However, you have not read this sentence in its full context. And once you do, you will figure out that it doesn’t mean that at all.

The letter to Hebrews is, after all, a letter to Hebrew people who have heard of Jesus and His Gospel and began to believe yet were doubting and became tempted to reject the New Covenant and return to their previous life under the old one – taught to them by the chief priests, Scribes, Pharisees and the like.

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In context, therefore, “the knowledge of the truth” of the good news is being rejected by some Hebrew people. And when a person rejects the gospel of Jesus he rejects Jesus’ work. In essence, the young Hebrew man or woman who turns back to their previous religious upbringing, is simultaneously turning away from their Messiah, the only Savior. Their old religion is still without God’s ultimate remedy for forgiveness of sins. In other words, if the Hebrew “convert” goes back to his former manner of life in Judaism, he will be left with no forgiveness, only the fury of fire. That sounds completely different from the interpretation proposed by some that a Christian can lose his salvation by unrepentant sin.¹

The point is: the more we keep the whole letter in our minds, the better. Every word is found in a sentence. Sentences are found in paragraphs. Paragraphs are found in a special order determined by the writer when he composed his letter, or book.

We have to HEAR what the writer is writing when we read. Add to that, if the writer has written other letters or books, then we must consider how the one we are currently reading fits in with those.

1. An excellent commentary on the Book of Hebrews was written by John Brown (1784-1858). It is from the Geneva Series of Commentaries published by Banner of Truth.