John writes > In Hebrews 10.16ff, there is a presumption by Divine revelation -- that sin is only forgiven in the offering of sacrifice. We do not catch the importance of this fact. ONLY IN THE OFFERING OF A SACRIFICE IS THERE TO BE FORGIVENESS. That is why sacrifice has been with us from the beginning, post-garden. When Jeremiah predicts that "....I will remember their sins no more," he was, in fact, speaking of the sacrifice that was offered once and for all time: "For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified" (10:14). Confession does not secure forgiveness. Prayer does not. Repentance does not --------------- these are presented to us in scripture as substitutes for sacrificial offering. "Now where there is forgiveness of these things (full and completed), there is no longer any offering for us" (10:18).
John, this is really good. I don't know if I would call confession, prayer, and repentance "substitutes" for sacrificial offering, but I certainly understand what you are attempting to convey. I notice something in your use of Heb 10.14 that may even strengthen your case. The word for "He has perfected" (teteleioken) is a perfect active indicative 3rd person singular, a verb which describes a completed aspect*; but the word for "those who are sanctified" (hagiazomenous) is a present passive participle, the voice of which is not reflected in the translation you are using. Hence this verse should probably read something like "by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified." Now think of this: the "forgiveness" of verse 18 is as definite and complete as the "one offering" of verse 14 (as you have stated -- thus the cessation of sacrificial offerings), and this because that one offering is Jesus Christ, he who has perfected forever those who are in the process of being sanctified.
Here's the point, John (and I know you agree with this), forgiveness does not ebb and flow depending upon where we are in the process of sanctification. Prayer, confession, and repentance, while important, speak not to whether we are forgiven, but rather to the quality and beauty of our relationship with the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit; your words speak to fellowship, in other words, and not to justification. Moreover, sanctification, while yet unfinished, is also as definite as the one offering of Christ Jesus, and this because in him we have been perfected (and I read this as much more than a legal imputation or declaration; i.e., even though there is an already-but-not-yet at play here, it is nonetheless an ontological fact: in Christ we have been perfected). And because we are in Christ -- and this is the exciting part: -- our sanctification is as if it were perfected; said another way, its end is as definite and absolute as it would be if it were finished even as we speak. And so, the passive voice of the participial phrase "those who are being sanctified" is therefore crucial in our understanding of this: we participate or fellowship in our sanctification, but we do not produce it; we are being sanctified by a sovereign act of God. He is the active agent; hence its outcome is certain. Paul says it like this: "For I am confident of this very thing, that he who began [this] good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus" (Phi 1.6). We will be sanctified, and this is for sure, because it is God who sanctifies us.
Now, does that produce hope and assurance, or what?
Bill
* In Greek grammar, "aspect" indicates what type of action a verb describes. A verb which occurs in the "perfect aspect" indicates an action that was brought to its full completion but has effects carrying on into the present (See Mounce, 119-120). If I need to explain further I will (not that you will need it, but maybe others will).
Actually, this is great and presents needed and addition info on my research. It is truly facinating how God used the Greek language to get his point across, isn't it? Don't stop with this kind of info.
JD
