Warning Against Apostasy (Hebrews 10:26-39)

Dire Consequences for Rejecting Christ

“For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries” (Hebrews 10:26-27, NKJV).

Reaffirming earlier admonitions (2:1-3; 3:12; 6:4-8), here the warning is even more severe:

o   Condition: “If we keep on sinning” [hamartanóntōn – present act. participle] – not occasional but ongoing, continual, persistent, habitual.

o   Qualifier: “willfully” – not inadvertent or in ignorance or in a moment of weakness (cf. 5:2; 9:7); intentional, deliberate, presumptuous, defiant, rebellious (cf. 3:12; 6:4-6).

o   Timing: “after receiving the full knowledge [epígnōsis] of the truth” – speaking to enlightened (cf. v. 32) Christians (cf. v. 29 [“sanctified”]; 2 Pet. 2:20-21).¹

o   Resulting loss: “there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins” (cf. 5:8-9; 7:27; 9:12-15, 24-28; 10:10) – God cannot and will not forgive unrepentant sin (cf. 6:6; Luke 13:3, 5).

o   Resulting consequence: “but some fearful expectation and a fury [zēlos] of fire which will consume the adversaries” – eternal damnation (cf. 12:29; 2 Thess. 1:6-9; Rev. 20:15).

“Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews 10:28-29).

Rejecting the Law of Moses (cf. Deut. 17:2-7) resulted in harsh penalties; much greater punishment awaits those who reject the superior way of Christ. With greater knowledge and blessings comes greater responsibility (cf. 2:1-4; 12:25). Turning your back on Christ is equivalent to:

o   Trampling the Son of God underfoot – disrespect, contempt, disdain (cf. 6:6; Matt. 5:13; Luke 8:5).

o   Counting the blood (cf. 9:14-22; 13:20) of the covenant (by which he was sanctified, vv. 10, 14; 2:11; 13:12) a common [koinós]² thing (cf. 1 Cor. 11:27-29) – disregard its sacred value.

o   Insulting (outrage) the S/spirit of grace:³ the Holy Spirit who makes God’s grace accessible (cf. Eph.4:30; Matt. 12:31),⁴ or the spirit (intent, disposition) of grace⁵ (cf. Eph. 1:6-7; 2:5-8; 6:24).      

“For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. And again, ‘The Lord will judge His people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:30-31).

This is a quote from Deuteronomy 32:35, 36 (cf. Psa. 135:14) to illustrate the severe judgment of God. To the faithful child of God, it is a comforting thought to “fall into the hands of the living God” (cf. 2 Sam. 24:14). To the rebellious apostate, it is a terrifying prospect (cf. v. 27; 4:1; Ro. 2:3-11; 11:22; 12:19; 2 Cor. 5:11). 

Remember the Past to Press On to the Future

“But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven” (Hebrews 10:32-34).

“But recall/remember⁶ the former days …” This indicates that the initial addressees had been Christians for some time (cf. 5:12-14). “After you were illuminated/enlightened” (cf. v. 26; John 8:12), early in their Christian experience. “You endured much struggle of sufferings ...” If Hebrews is directed to Jewish Christians in Rome, this could be a reference to Claudius’ edict of AD 49 (cf. Acts 18:2), or perhaps (less likely) to Nero’s persecution that began in AD 64.⁷ They were made a public spectacle (cf. 1 Cor. 4:9) through reproaches and tribulations. “They were held up to public scorn, taunted and jeered at, and even physically kicked about and abused” (N. Lightfoot, Jesus Christ Today 196).

They had become companions of/sharers with [koinōnos] (cf. Phil. 1:7) those who were so treated. “For indeed in the bonds⁸ you suffered together” (cf. 11:36; 13:3, 23); visited and took care of fellow-Christians who had been imprisoned (cf. 6:10; Matt. 25:36, 39, 43, 44), “joyfully accepted the plundering/seizure of your goods/property” (cf. Jas. 1:1-3; 1 Pet. 4:12-13; Acts 5:41; Rom. 5:3-4). What enabled them to endure: “knowing that you yourselves have a better and an enduring/abiding possession”⁹ (cf. 6:18-19; Matt. 5:11-12; 6:20).

“Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: ‘For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.’ But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul” (Hebrews 10:35-39).

Do not cast/throw away—opposite of “hold fast” (v. 23; 3:6, 14)—your confidence,¹⁰ which has great reward. For you have need of endurance (cf. v. 23; 2:1; 3:14; 4:11; 6:11) in order that having done the will of God you may obtain the promise [epaggelía]”¹¹ – salvation is conditional (cf. Acts 14:22).

Quote from Habakkuk 2:3, 4 (LXX; cf. Isa. 26:20). Although a number of commentators apply this to the imminent return of Christ, the Habakkuk text was written about 600 years before Christ’s first advent, and Hebrews was written almost two millennia ago. Christ has still not returned. NT writers affirm that the time of the Lord’s second coming is unknown (e.g., Matt. 24:36, 42; 25:13; Mark 13:32; 1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Pet. 3:10). Considering the context of Hebrews, this more likely applies to the Lord’s coming in judgment against Jerusalem in AD 70 (cf. 8:13; Matt. 24:1-34).¹² The admonition is to not retreat but to maintain saving faith: “But we are … of those who písteōs [have faith] to the saving of the soul.”

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ N. Lightfoot describes this state of affairs, “… a deliberate rejection of truth after truth has once been received, an extinguishing of light that has already shone in the heart, a conscious preference for the dark…. a state of sin” (Jesus Christ Today 193-94). 

     ² Unclean, profane, unholy, defiled (cf. Mark 7:2; Acts 10:14, 28; 11:8; Rom. 14:14).

     ³ Contrast the Law of Moses, “without mercy” (v. 28), with NT grace (cf. John 1:17). 

     ⁴ Every time the word pneũma (‘spirit’) is used in Hebrews for the Spirit of God, it is qualified with the adjective hágios (‘holy’) (2:4; 3:7; 6:4; 9:8; 10:15) except 9:14, which may indicate that in 9:14 the thought is Christ’s own eternal spirit. Other uses of pneũma in Hebrews include references to angels (1:7, 14) and to the human spirit (4:12; 12:9, 23).

     ⁵ Cf. Rom. 1:4 (“spirit of holiness”); 2 Cor. 4:13 (“of faith”); Eph. 1:17 (“of wisdom and revelation”); 1 Cor. 4:21; Gal. 6:1; 1 Pet. 3:4 (“of gentleness”).

     ⁶ Anamimnēskō = remind, remember (1 Cor. 4:17; 2 Cor. 7:15; 2 Tim. 1:6); cf. anámnēsis = memory, reminder (10:3); also mnēmoneúō = to remember, recall (Jn. 15:20; 16:4; Acts 20:31, 35; Eph. 2:11; 1 Thess. 2:9; Rev. 2:5; 3:5); mnēmē = memory, remembrance (2 Pet. 1:15); cf. 2 Pet. 1:9; Heb. 12:5.

     ⁷ Those who argue for a Palestine destination apply this reference to the persecutions in Acts 8:1 ff.; 12:1-3; etc. However, the fact that the readers had “not yet resisted to bloodshed” (Heb. 12:4) seems to argue against this application (cf. Acts 9:21; 12:2; 26:10).

     ⁸ The statement according to the UBS/NA text is tois desmíois sunepathēsate, “you showed sympathy to the prisoners” (NAS; cf. ESV, NIV, N/RSV); the Byzantine Majority Text reads tois desmois mou sunepathēsate, “you had compassion on me in my chains” (NKJ). The former appears to be the better reading (see B. Metzger, Textual Commentary 2nd ed. 600-601).

     ⁹ The Byzantine Majority Text adds en ouranois (“in heaven”).

     ¹⁰ “Confidence describes that bold attitude toward God, that firm assurance with which one approaches the throne of grace (4:16) and enters into the sanctuary (10:19), a confident outlook based on the sacrifice of Christ. For the Christian it involves also the unashamed confession of his faith, and as such is to be held on to (3:6) and not cast away as worthless” (N. Lightfoot, Jesus Christ Today 197). On the word parrēsía (3:6; 4:16; 10:19, 35); cf. Acts 4:13, 29, 31; 28:31; 2 Cor. 7:4; Eph. 3:12; 6:19; Phil. 1:20; 1 Tim. 3:13; 1 John 2:28; 3:21; 4:17; 5:14.

     ¹¹ Noun (fourteen times): 4:1; 6:12, 15, 17; 7:6; 8:6; 9:15; 10:36; 11:9, 13, 17, 33, 39; cf. verb epaggéllō (four times): 6:13; 10:23; 11:11; 12:26.

     ¹² Compare Isa. 13:5; 19:1; Matt. 10:23; 16:28.

Related Posts: Heb 10:19-25, Perseverance of the Saints?

 

Image credit: https://www.mdlab.org/wooden-brown-judge-gavel-on-the-table-copy-space-banner-background/

Jesus Christ is Superior to Aaron as God’s High Priest (Hebrews 4:14–10:18): Part 2 of 7

Need for Spiritual Maturation

Jesus is High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, “... of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:11-14, NKJV).

The Christian community to whom Hebrews was written should have been much further along in their spiritual development than they currently were. “We” (plural authors?)¹ have much to say about the Melchizedek order of priest.² But it is hard to explain (cf. Mark 4:33; John 16:12; 2 Pet. 3:16), especially to the spiritually immature and “dull of hearing” (cf. Matt. 13:15). “Dullness of hearing is a metaphor for mental sluggishness and spiritual apathy” (N. Lightfoot, Jesus Christ Today 112).

For by this time “you ought to be teachers.” Every Christian is expected to be a teacher in some sense: (a) by example (Matt. 5:13-16; Rom. 16:19; 1 Tim. 3:7; 4:12, 15; 5:25; 1 Pet. 2:11-12); (b) open confession of faith (Matt. 10:32; Heb. 4:14; 10:23); (c) defense of one’s faith (1 Pet. 3:15; Jude 3); (d) evangelistically fulfilling the “ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:17-21; cf. Matt. 28:18-20); and (e) some will go on to develop and utilize God-given teaching talent (Rom. 12:7; Eph. 4:11).

Instead, these readers needed to be re-taught the first/elementary principles of God’s word. Spiritual “milk” is for spiritual infants (5:12c-13; 1 Cor. 3:1-2; 14:20; cf. 1 Pet. 2:2), while spiritual “meat” or “solid food” is for the mature in faith (5:12c-14; 1 Cor. 2:6; 3:1-2; 14:20; Eph. 4:13-14). Unfamiliarity with God’s word leaves one spiritually weak and vulnerable. Conversely, regular use and practice of God’s word exercises and trains the senses so the mature Christian can make wise, responsible choices (cf. Phil. 1:9-10; 1 Thess. 5:21).

Admonition and Warning: the Danger of Not Progressing

“Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits” (Hebrews 6:1-3).

Moving on to “perfection” or “maturity” (cf. 2 Pet. 1:1-12; 3:17-18) requires progressing beyond the elementary teachings of Christ. The phrase tón tēs archēs tou Christou logon is literally “the word of the beginning of the Christ.” Rather than the objective genitive alluding to teachings “about Christ” (NASB, NIV, NRSV), the expression is better understood in the subjective genitive sense of teachings from Christ (and his inspired agents), i.e., Christ’s doctrine or the body of Christian teaching (cf. John 8:31-32, 51; 14:21, 23; 15:10, 14; 1 John 2:3-5; 2 John 9). The most basic of these teachings are listed in three sets of pairs: (1) repentance and faith; (2) baptisms and laying on of hands; (3) resurrection and eternal judgment.

The first of these is “repentance from dead works” (9:14; Acts 2:38; 3:19, 26; 26:17-20). Biblically understood, this involves at least four fundamental components: (a) godly sorrow due to sin (2 Cor. 7:9-10), (b) turning from sinful ways (Acts 3:19, 26), (c) turning to God and his ways (Acts 26:18-20), and (d) observable reformation of life (Acts 26:20).

Next is “faith toward God” (11:6; 12:2). Rather than the proverbial “blind leap in the dark,” genuine faith is built on assurance and conviction (11:1), without which God cannot be pleased (11:6). Biblical faith is neither inactive nor unresponsive nor divorced from obedience (11:8; cf. Jas. 2:14-26).

Teaching of baptísmōn concerns “baptisms” (N/KJV, NIV, NRSV), “washings” (NASB), “ablutions” (RSV) (cf. 9:10). At least seven “baptisms” are mentioned in the NT: of Moses (1 Cor. 10:1-2), of suffering (Mark 10:38-39), of fire (Matt. 3:11), Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5), for the dead (1 Cor. 15:29), John’s (Acts 18:25), and into Christ’s death, burial and resurrection (Rom. 6:3-5). The word “baptism” simply means immersion, and each of these baptisms was intended for a particular purpose and for specific individuals. The “doctrine of baptisms” could be the teaching about any or all of these. 

There were also ritual “washings” (baptismōn) among the pagans and Jews, and the idea here may be that of teaching the distinction between these and the baptism practiced by Christians, although in the context of Hebrews the Jewish ritual washings would seem to be more relevant (cf. 9:10; Mark 7:4). When Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesus church, there was only one valid baptism for penitent believers (Eph. 4:5): the baptism of the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19), a burial and resurrection in water (Col. 2:12; Acts 8:35 ff.), for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38), which places one into the community of the saved (Acts 2:41, 47; Gal. 3:27; etc.).

The “laying on of hands” had multiple purposes during the NT period: (a) customary sign recognizing and appointing persons for ministry (Acts 13:3; 1 Tim. 4:14; 5:22; cf. Acts 6:6; Num. 27:18-19, 23); (b) healing (Mark 5:23; 6:5; 16:18; Acts 28:8); (c) imparting miraculous power of the Holy Spirit by the apostles (Acts 6:5-8; 8:14-20; 19:6; 2 Tim. 1:6); (d) blessing (Matt. 19:13-15; cf. Mark 10:13; Luke 18:15).

Teaching about the “resurrection of the dead” (Acts 2:23-32; 3:14-15; 10:40; 1 Cor. 15:1-4, 12-20) was not accepted by everyone (Matt. 22:23; Acts 23:8; 1 Cor. 15:12). Jesus was the “firstborn” [protoktokos – ‘preeminent’] from the dead (Col. 1:18; Acts 13:34; 1 Cor. 15:1-4). Coinciding with Christ’s return (1 Thess. 4:16), the future resurrection pertains to everyone who has died, whether good or evil (John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15).

The “eternal judgment” (Acts 10:42; 17:30-31; 24:25) points to an appointed day in the future (Acts 17:31; Heb. 9:27) when God judges the world through Christ (Acts 10:42; 17:31) with everlasting rewards and punishments (Matt. 25:46). The word of Christ is the standard of judgment (John 12:48), and all are destined to stand before his judgment seat (2 Cor. 5:10).

“And this”—moving on to maturity—“we will do”—assuredly—“if God permits”—providentially according to his purpose (cf. Acts 18:21; 21:14; Rom. 1:10; 1 Cor. 4:19; 16:7; Jas. 4:13-15).

The Possibility of Apostasy and the Point of No Return

“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned” (Hebrews 6:4-8).

It is possible for a child of God to fall from grace (cf. 3:12-13; 4:1; 10:35-38; 12:15, 25; 2 Pet. 2:20-22). It is possible for an unfaithful child of God to repent and be restored to faithfulness (cf. Acts 8:21-22; Gal. 6:1; Jas. 5:19-20). It is also possible for someone to become so hardened in sin that it is impossible to renew the defiantly rebellious one again to repentance (cf. 3:12; Matt. 7:6; John 8:42-47; 2 Thess. 2:9-12; 1 Cor. 1:18). The ASV reads, “… it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance, seeing [n. ‘the while’] they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame” (v. 6). For this type of person, who callously disregards what the Lord has done, Jesus’s death is worthless.

Using agricultural imagery (vv. 7-8), those who accept God’s gracious provisions and are fruitful in his service are blessed, whereas those who defiantly reject his goodness and gracious offerings through Christ are unfruitful and destined for condemnation (cf. Matt. 7:16-20; John 15:1-8). Let us learn from these admonitions and continue growing in our knowledge and faith.

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ See K. L. Moore, “Plural Authorship of Hebrews (Part 2),” Moore Perspective (20 July 2016), <Link>.

     ² NASB text and footnote: “him,” “Him,” or “this”? The phrase peri hou (neuter or masculine?) may be interpreted (a) generally, “about which matter,” (b) specifically, about the subject of Christ as high priest, (c) about Christ generally, (d) about Christ as high priest like Melchizedek, or (e) about Melchizedek (see P. Ellingworth, Hebrews 299). 

Related Posts: Hebrews 4:14–5:10, Heb 6:9-18

 

Image credit: https://www.todaysparent.com/baby/how-i-finally-got-my-baby-to-take-a-bottle/

The Man of Lawlessness (Part 1 of 3): Identification

     The return of Christ, the great apostasy, the man of lawlessness, and the strong delusion are all spoken of in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12. What does it all mean? The late British scholar William Neil regarded this text as “one of the most difficult passages in all the epistles …”¹ Dr. Todd D. Still comments, “This passage is perhaps the most perplexing (and peculiar) in the Pauline letter corpus, laden as it is with interpretive conundrums.”²

Preliminary considerations

     Before this text says anything to me (or to anyone else in the 21st century), it has already spoken to those to whom it was originally addressed. If my interpretation of it has little or no relevance for the mid-first-century Thessalonian church, I have probably missed the point. Much of this information had already been communicated to these believers (2 Thess. 1:10; 2:5-6), so Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy could take for granted that certain details would already be known without having to be repeated. Therefore, we should not try to force precision of meaning that is not there, and avoid unnecessary speculation. It goes without saying that whatever conclusions are drawn must be in harmony with everything else revealed in the biblical record.

False Reports About the Day of the Lord

     “But we are asking you, brothers, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him, for you not to be quickly shaken in mind, nor to be troubled on account of a spirit, or on account of a word, or on account of a letter, as if from us, as if the day of the Lord has come” (2 Thess. 2:1-2).³ The return of Christ is a prominent theme in both 1 and 2 Thessalonians.⁴ By the time the second letter was written, previous teaching appears to have been misconstrued, and Paul and his companions are wondering about where the misinformation came from. Apparently there was an element in the church espousing some form of realized eschatology (cf. 2 Tim. 2:17-18), but the Thessalonian Christians had been taught a future eschatology. The day of the Lord is to be sudden and unexpected (1 Thess. 5:1-6), so for anyone to say it is already here is perplexing and disconcerting.

     “No one should deceive you in any way, because [it will not be] unless the apostasy come first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction” (2 Thess. 2:3). Speaking of ἡ ἀποστασία — “the apostasy” (CSB, NASB), “the rebellion” (ESV, ISV, NIV), “the falling away” (ASV, NKJV) — suggests that the Thessalonians have already been informed about it, thus no further explanation is needed or given. The expression refers to “a departure from truth previously accepted … involves the breaking of a professed relationship with God.”⁵ This apostasy is to occur sometime between the time of writing and the return of Christ.

     If it were important enough for Paul to have repeatedly spoken [ἔλεγον – imperfect active indicative] of these things (2 Thess. 2:5), surely the same teachings were provided to other congregations (cp. 1 Thess. 5:27; 1 Cor. 4:17; 7:17; 11:16; 14:33). About five years later, the apostle reminds the Ephesian church leaders of what he had invested three years, night and day with tears, constantly warning about, viz., “… grievous wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock, and from your own selves men will arise speaking corrupt things to drag away the disciples after them” (Acts 20:27-31). In view of the fact that similar warnings are issued throughout the NT, the same occasion – a major falling away from the faith – must be in view (cf. Matt. 7:13-23; 13:15; 25:31-46; Rom. 16:17-18; Eph. 4:14; 1 Tim. 4:1-4; 2 Pet. 2:1-2, 18-22; Jude 4; 1 John 4:1; Rev. 2:5; 3:16).

     The apostasy will have “come” in conjunction with “the man of lawlessness” who is to be “revealed.”⁶ This enigmatic figure is also called “the son of destruction,” the same description applied to Judas Iscariot in John 17:12, indicative of a comparable fate, demeanor, or destructive behavior. In the ancient East the word “son” was often used to describe one’s character, disposition, nature, or conduct.⁷ The noun ἀπώλεια [“destruction”] refers either to the “destruction” or “waste” one causes, or to the “destruction,” “annihilation,” or “ruin” one experiences (BAGD 103), and it is possible that both nuances are intended here.

Identifying the Man of Lawlessness

     A number of commentators focus attention almost exclusively on an actual, historical person believed to be a recognizable leader of a great rebellion against God. However, any consensus on the identity of this mysterious character remains hopelessly aloof. Proposals have included Nero, Domitian, Genseric the Vandal, Mohammed, Pope John XII, Martin Luther, Napoleon, Hitler, Mussolini, ad infinitum. But identifying this figure as a single person in the events of history is untenable, since the man of lawlessness is to be present at the end of the world (v. 8) and his work had already started at the time of writing (v. 7). Among the more popular suggestions of modern exegetes are (a) the Antichrist, who attempts to destroy the work of Christ in the last days; (b) Satan; (c) the Roman emperor; (d) the Jewish high priest; (e) militant Jewish zealots; (f) the Roman Catholic papacy; (g) evil personified.

     I propose that instead of a specific person, “the man of lawlessness” is a representative figure epitomizing false religion. This would include anyone who happens to be leading such a movement, but the application is broader. It cannot be limited to just one individual or a single heretical group but is a personification of false religion in general.⁸

     When, for example, Paul affirms that scripture is profitable for “the man of God” (2 Tim. 3:17), is he speaking of only one person, or is he referring, in a representative way, to all people of God who benefit from scripture? Jesus said, “the good man out of his good treasure produces good things, and the evil man out of his evil treasure produces evil things” (Matt. 12:35; Luke 6:45). Does this mean there is only one “good man” and only one “evil man,” or do these figures characterize everyone in each category? When Paul speaks of “the blessedness of the man to whom God accounts righteousness apart from works” (Rom. 4:6), which man? See also Isa. 55:7; Matt. 4:4; 15:11; 18:7b; 21:28-32; Luke 4:4; John 2:25; Rom. 10:5; 14:20; 1 Cor. 2:14-15; Gal. 3:12; Eph. 4:13, 22, 24; Col. 3:9; Jas. 1:6-7.

     Any movement (or false teaching or false teacher) influencing and contributing to Christians being drawn away from the true faith is “the man of lawlessness.” This would apply to the Roman Imperial Cult (inclusive of emperor worship, cf. Rev. 13), Anti-Christian Judaism (cf. Heb. 10), Gnosticism (cf. 2 John 7), Islam, Roman Catholicism, denominationalism, various other world religions and cults, secularism, et al. Since “the man of lawlessness” is to be present at the time of the Lord’s return (v. 8), and his work (the great apostasy) was already starting in the first century (vv. 3, 7), false religion personified is a viable interpretation.

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ William Neil, The Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1950): 155.

     ² Todd D. Still, “Eschatology in the Thessalonian Letters,” RevExp 96 (1999): 200.

     ³ Unless otherwise noted, scripture quotations are the author’s own translation. The Byzantine Majority Text reads “the day of Christ” in v. 2, while the NA²⁸/UBS⁵ text reads “the day of the Lord.”

     ⁴ 1 Thess. 1:10; 2:19; 3:13; 4:15, 17; 5:2, 4, 10, 23; 2 Thess. 1:7-10.

     ⁵ C. C. Ryrie, “Apostasy in the Church,” BibSac 121:481 (1964): 154-62.

     ⁶ The aorist tense of “come” [ἔλθῃ] and “revealed” [ἀποκαλυφθῇ] “represents an activity as a total action, in its entirety without dwelling on its internal details” (K. L. McKay, “Aspect” 203-204). The text does not affirm that each occurs at the same moment in time. The two are certainly interrelated and overlap, irrespective of historical positioning. The Byzantine Majority Text reads ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῆς ἁμαρτίας (“the man of sin”), while the NA²⁸/UBS⁵ text reads ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῆς ἀνομίας (“the man of lawlessness”). In favor of the latter reading, L. Morris reasons that because of Paul’s infrequent use of ἀνομία, copyists would be less likely to change the more common ἁμαρτία [“sin”] to ἀνομία [“lawlessness”] than vice versa (Thessalonians 219 n. 22). B. M. Metzger reasons further that γὰρ … ἀνομίας in v. 7 “seems to presuppose ἀνομίας here” (Textual Commentary [2nd ed.] 567).

     ⁷ For example, “sons of Belial” (Judg. 19:22; 1 Sam. 2:12), “sons of might” (Psa. 29:1; 89:6), “son of wickedness” (Psa. 89:22), “sons of the sorceress” (Isa. 57:3), “sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17), “sons of this world” (Luke 16:8), “sons of light” (John 12:36; Eph. 5:8; 1 Thess. 5:5), and “son of encouragement” (Acts 4:36).

     ⁸ Personification is a common rhetorical device. N.B., e.g., wisdom (Prov. 1:20; 3:13-15; 9:1), the land (Joel 1:10), the nation of Israel (Jer. 31:4, 18), NT Christians (2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 4:13), riches (Matt. 6:24), sin (John 8:24; Rom. 6:16), death (Rev. 6:8), et al.

Related Posts: Man of Lawlessness Part 2, Part 3

Image credit: http://cdn.playbuzz.com/cdn/d41c0768-95bb-4521-b5ff-7803fd740a6f/5c54183a-c0e7-4422-8af5-ad4d144a9ce5.jpg

What About the Calvinistic Doctrine of “Perseverance of the Saints”?

The Doctrine Concisely Stated:¹

“You cannot lose your salvation. Because the Father has elected, the Son has redeemed, and the Holy Spirit has applied salvation, those thus saved are eternally secure. They are eternally secure in Christ. Some of the verses for this position are John 10:27-28 where Jesus said His sheep will never perish; John 6:47 where salvation is described as everlasting life; Romans 8:1 where it is said we have passed out of judgment; 1 Cor. 10:13 where God promises to never let us be tempted beyond what we can handle; and Phil. 1:6 where God is the one being faithful to perfect us until the day of Jesus' return” (Matt Slick, “What is Calvinism?,” The Calvinist Corner [2012], <https://carm.org/calvinism>).

A Biblical Response:

     Jesus’ “sheep” are those who listen to him and follow him (John 10:3, 4, 16, 27) = obedience. As long as this condition is met, “they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” (v. 28; cf. 8:12, 31, 51).² However, sheep can and do go astray (Matt. 18:12; 26:31; 1 Pet. 2:25), and when sheep stop listening to and following the Shepherd, they are vulnerable and lost (John 6:66, 70-71). See also 1 Thess. 3:5; Jas. 5:19-20. While the Lord provides adequate assistance (1 Cor. 10:13; Phil. 1:6; 4:19; Heb. 4:16; et al.), maintaining salvation also requires endurance and continued faithfulness (Matt. 24:13, 42, 44-51; cf. 1 Cor. 9:27; Heb. 3:14; 4:11; 6:11; 10:23, 36; 12:1-7).

     Paul pleads with the Romans, “Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died” (Rom. 14:15b). Contrary to the Calvinistic doctrines of limited atonement and perseverance of the saints, it is apparently possible for one "for whom Christ died" to suffer spiritual ruin (cf. 2:4-12).

     Among those “sanctified in Christ Jesus” at Corinth (1 Cor. 1:2) was a wayward Christian needing to be disciplined by the church, “that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord” (5:1-5, 11). Paul’s admonitions were to be heeded lest “the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died” (1 Cor. 8:11; cf. 2 Cor. 2:15). These Christians were saved by the gospel conditionally: “if you hold fast that word which I preached to you – unless you believed in vain” (1 Cor. 15:1-2; cf. 2 Cor. 6:1).

     The addressees of Paul’s letter to the Galatians are reminded: “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:26-27). Nevertheless, having been influenced by false teachers regarded as anathema [accursed of God], these “sons of God” were in the process of “turning away … from Him who called you in the grace of Christ” (1:6-9). In fact, the situation was so dire that if they continued on their current path, Paul contends: “you have become estranged [severed] from Christ … you have fallen from grace” (5:4). See also 1 Tim. 1:19; 4:1.

     Peter’s epistles are addressed to the “elect” of God (1 Pet. 1:2; 2 Pet. 3:1), wherein warnings are issued of “destructive heresies” leading to “destruction” (2 Pet. 2:1-3), involving those who “have forsaken the right way and gone astray” (v. 15). False teachers “allure … the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error” (v. 18). “For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them” (vv. 20-21).

     Perhaps more than any other writing in the New Testament, Hebrews affirms and warns against the possibility of apostasy (2:1-3; 3:12-13; 4:1; 6:4-8; 10:26-38; 12:15, 25). These warnings are directed to those in the process of drifting away from Christ and heading toward complete separation from God. Conversely, for those sincerely striving to live in accordance with the Lord’s directives, perhaps more than any other New Testament document Hebrews offers great reassurance (3:6, 14; 4:16; 6:11, 17-20; 7:19; 10:19-22, 39; 11:1; 12:1-3; 13:5-6).

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ True Calvinists prefer the descriptive expression “perseverance of the saints” rather than commonly misappropriated terminology like “eternal security” or “once saved always saved.” See Dewayne Bryant, “The Perseverance of the Saints,” in Gospel Advocate 151:6 (June 2009): 24-25. Wayne Grudem states the Calvinist perspective as follows: “all those who are truly born again will be kept by God’s power and will persevere as Christians until the end of their lives, and … only those who persevere until the end have been truly born again” (Systematic Theology 788).

     ² Scripture quotations are from the NKJV.

Related Posts: Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace

Related articles: Dave Miller, Flaws in Calvinism, Falling Away From Grace?

Image credit: http://www.canyonhillscommunitychurch.com/assets/images/made/assets/images/uploads/perseverance_415_300_f7f7f0_all_3.jpg