BOOK 58 OF 66 · GENERAL EPISTLES · KING JAMES BIBLE

Hebrews 10

Hebrews book home•Chapter 10 of 13•39 verses

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Hebrews 10 Overview

Hebrews declares that the law’s sacrifices were shadows that could never make worshipers perfect, because repeated offerings continually remembered sins. Christ came to do God’s will, offered His body once for all, and by one offering perfected forever those who are sanctified. Believers therefore have boldness to enter the holiest, must hold fast and encourage one another, and are warned strongly against despising the Son’s sacrifice.

HebrewsBook

10Chapter

39Verses

General EpistlesDivision

Before you read Hebrews 10

Coming from

Hebrews compares the first covenant’s earthly sanctuary and repeated priestly service with Christ’s entrance into the greater heavenly tabernacle by His own blood. Animal blood provided ceremonial cleansing, but Christ’s blood purges the conscience. He appears once in the end of the world to put away sin by His sacrifice and will appear a second time unto salvation for those who look for Him.

In this chapter

Leads into

Hebrews defines faith as the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen, then surveys Old Testament believers from Abel to the prophets. By faith they acted on God’s word, endured suffering, obtained promises, and sometimes died without receiving earthly fulfillment. Their hope reached beyond immediate circumstances to a better country and resurrection.

Key understandingExplore deeper

Verses 10 and 14 are among the letter’s strongest security statements: sanctified by Christ’s once-for-all offering and ‘perfected for ever.’

The warning in verses 26–31 addresses willful repudiation of the only effective sacrifice. It must be interpreted in harmony with the completed, permanent efficacy just stated.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Christ’s one sacrifice is sufficient

Repeated animal offerings are replaced by the once-for-all body of Christ.

Believers have confident access to God

His blood opens the way into the holiest.

Christian assembly and exhortation matter

Believers should provoke one another to love and good works as the day approaches.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Psalm 40:6–8

Hebrews applies the psalm to Christ coming to do God’s will.

Jeremiah 31:33–34

The new covenant promise is quoted again.

Hebrews 6:19–20

Earlier hope is an anchor entering within the veil through Jesus.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Do not turn the willful-sin warning into a contradiction of ‘perfected for ever’

Both statements belong to the same chapter and must be held together.

Do not use assembly language as though church attendance itself earns salvation

Gathering serves perseverance, love, exhortation, and good works among believers.

Do not imagine another sacrifice remains after rejecting Christ’s

The point is precisely that no alternative sacrifice for sins exists.

Read Hebrews 10 watching for…

Shadow versus reality.

The repeated word ‘once.’

Verse 14’s ‘perfected for ever.’

Boldness to enter the holiest.

The warning against despising the Son of God.

Chapter outline5 sections

1-10The law’s repeated sacrifices cannot perfect worshippers, but Christ comes to do God’s will and offers his body once 11-18Christ’s one sacrifice perfects the sanctified, and the Holy Ghost witnesses that sins are remembered no more 19-25Believers may draw near with full assurance, hold fast, and exhort one another 26-31A fearful warning is given against wilful sin and despising the Son of God 32-39The readers are reminded of former endurance and urged not to cast away confidence but to live by faith

For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.

But in those sacrifices there 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.

Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.

Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;

Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. 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.

And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:

But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,

This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,

By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

And having an high priest over the house of God;

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:

Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;

Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.

For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.

Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.

For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

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Hebrews 10:9

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