Once For All - Hebrews 10

I am really struggling with what Paul is talking about in chapter 10 because there are so many concepts and ideas mentioned so briefly that I can’t keep up. Even the IM and the article written about this chapter don’t have tons of coverage for it, so I’m going to do my best but this might end up being more of an overview than an analysis. 10:1-18 - The best way to explain chapter 10 comes from the IM which says, “The Epistle to the Hebrews repeatedly emphasizes the difference between sacrifice under the law of Moses, which had to be offered over and over again, and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which was made ‘once for all.’” I guess kind of like taking the sacrament every week, the purpose of annual animal sacrifices “is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” Part of the importance is the frequency with which is it done so the people (and us) keep the atonement at the forefront of our minds. But practically speaking, there is no logical way that blood sacrifices of animals can grant salvation to mankind. Verse 9 makes an interesting statement saying, “He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” It doesn’t say, “get rid of the first” or “destroy the first” or “pretend that the first never happened,” it says that the Man who gave the first law, took it back so that it could be replaced by the second. The first one had fulfilled its purpose, which was to prepare the people of the coming Messiah, which had mixed results, but it was no longer needed. That the Law of Moses could have fulfilled its purpose among the Jews is evidenced by the success of the Nephites in the Americas. With current prophets and revelation, the Nephites were able to keep the law of Moses and use it to look forward to the coming Messiah. It does beg the question though, if Jesus had not arrived in a cloud of glory and instead had been born among the Nephites and lived his mortal life there instead of Palestine, I wonder just how much different the situation would have been. But I guess Jesus himself answers that when he says something like, “if any other people had seen me do the things you’ve seen me do, they would have accepted me as their Savior,” or something like that. After Jesus “had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, (he) sat down on the right hand of God.” Part of the “second” law established by Jesus is that he will “put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them.” This implies a much more personal approach to the commandments. Obviously, there are still the “love God and your neighbor,” but those are so ambiguous that becoming perfected through following those commandments is going to take a lot of hand holding and personal guidance from the Savior. And that’s one of the differences between the “first” and the “second” laws, the individual nature of the relationship. When these “laws” are put into our hearts and minds, we will be forgiven and God will “remember no more” our “sins and iniquities.” And because of this forgiveness, “there is not more offering for sin.” 10:19-25 - Paul draws on lots of Jewish imagery to paint a picture of Jesus as the ultimate high priest, and because of his sacrifice we can with “boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.” The IM has an excellent break down of the symbolism here saying, “Having established the image of Jesus Christ as High Priest entering into the Holy of Holies, or the presence of God, to intercede for us through His blood, Paul then exhorted his readers to follow Christ into God’s presence ‘by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh.’ Just as the veil of the ancient tabernacle or temple provided access to the Holy of Holies, in Paul’s metaphor, the flesh of Jesus Christ, offered as a sacrifice for sin and raised to resurrected glory, enables us to enter into God’s presence. In each case, this was the only means provided to enter.” Believing that Christ, as our high priest, opened to us the possibility of being in the presence of God, Paul urges the Jewish Christian converts, and by extension, us, to “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.” Obedience to Jesus Christ is how we can have our “hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” The word “sprinkled” here means “purified,” so this is how our hearts become purified. Paul urges them to “hold fast” to their faith and to be considerate of each other so that we “love and to good works.” We are to assemble together and exhort each other, which to me means to encourage each other to remain faithful, and teach each other the doctrine of the kingdom. 10:26-31 - There’s a bit here about the sons of perdition, and this concept being brought up like every 4 minutes makes me wonder why the people were so interested in this topic. It makes me wonder if it was truly about those who deny the gospel after having a perfect knowledge of it, or if it’s more psychology, letting people know that there are severe consequences for purposefully and consciously bringing the commandments. 10:32-29 – Instead of turning from Christianity back to Judaism or instead of denying the true God, Paul urges them to “call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions.” It’s hard to understand sometimes why bad things happen to good people, or why God allows his people to suffer. But if our problems went away when we accepted the gospel, then everyone would do it as a life improvement plan, not because they believed it or anything like that. Life is going to be hard for everyone. It might be even harder for those who believe and follow Jesus Christ, but if we continue to do “the will of God” with “patience” we are assured to “receive the promise.”