Hebrews 10:19-39

D. The Danger of Willful Sinning (The Fourth Warning) 10:19-39

From this point on in the epistle the writer made application from the great truths concerning Jesus Christ that he had now finished explaining. He followed his exposition of Jesus Christ’s superior high priestly ministry (Hebrews 6:13 to Hebrews 10:18) with exhortation, another stern warning against apostatizing, and an encouragement to remain faithful to the Lord (Hebrews 10:19-39). (Even though chapter 11 is primarily exposition, it is full of application.) The Greek word parresia, which appears in Hebrews 10:19 ("confidence") and in Hebrews 10:35 ("confidence"), frames the section and forms an inclusio tying the thought together.

"With Hebrews 10:19-39 the great central division of the sermon (Hebrews 5:11 to Hebrews 10:39) is drawn to a conclusion. Viewed from the perspective of the homiletical and literary structure of Hebrews, this concluding exhortation is symmetrical with the preliminary exhortation found in Hebrews 5:11 to Hebrews 6:20 . . . . The great exposition of Christ as priest and sacrifice is thus framed by parallel parenetic units . . ." [Note: Lane, Hebrews 9-13, p. 279.]

This warning passage is in a sense central to all the hortatory passages in Hebrews. Lane entitled this warning passage "The Peril of Disloyalty to Christ." [Note: Ibid., p. 271.] It echoes former warnings (cf. Hebrews 2:1-4 and Hebrews 10:28-31; and Hebrews 6:4-8 and Hebrews 10:26-31) and repeats characteristic expressions (cf. Hebrews 3:6 b and Hebrews 10:23; and Hebrews 3:17 and Hebrews 10:26). Yet it also anticipates what is to come by introducing the triad of Christian virtues, which the writer developed in chapters 11-13 (cf. Hebrews 6:10-12). He spoke of faith in Hebrews 10:22 and developed it in chapter 11, hope in Hebrews 10:23 and developed it in Hebrews 12:1-13, and love in Hebrews 10:24 and developed it in Hebrews 12:14 to Hebrews 13:21.