Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 40:2 (Jun 1997)
Article: Christ’s Sacrifice As Apologetic: An Application Of Heb 10:1-18
Author: William David Spencer

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JETS 40:2 (June 1997) p. 189

Christ’s Sacrifice As Apologetic:
An Application Of Heb 10:1-18

William David Spencer*

Recently the Nor’easter, the newsletter for the northeast region of the Presbyterian Church (USA), issued the following warning:

Presbyteries in the Synod of the Northeast recently received a communication from the National Presbyterian Youth Ministry Council asking that congregations be alerted to the dangers posed by “new religious movements which prey on today’s youths.”
The communication was issued by the council in response to a letter received from a mother living in Boston whose teenage son twice has attempted suicide.
In writing to the council the mother reported that the family had found the young man had in his possession materials from an organization calling itself “The Church of Euthanasia.” The organization would appear to distribute satanic music and bumper stickers encouraging self-destruction as well as a newsletter.
“The youth council was very concerned and struggled how to respond,” reports Nancy Rodman, director of the resource center for Monmouth Presbytery and until recently a member of the Youth Council.
“The council decided to write to our own people to alert them that this so-called church is active and that we are concerned about what they are doing.” 1

Suicide attempts in Boston, immolations in Texas, poisonings and shootings in Guyana and Switzerland, satanic sacrifices in Greece—even the briefest perusal across the religious landscape of the late-twentieth century reveals much to be concerned about. Typically the cause of this concern is the self-destructive element within many post-Christian movements. Like the reputed Church of Euthanasia, pre-, sub- and post-Christian movements often issue a most disturbing requirement: what we might term capital commitment. The Church of Jesus Christ, seeking to respond to such a requirement, will find itself driven back for an apologetic to the bedrock confession embodied in such passages as Heb 10:1–18. Those foundational words, so liberating to the Jews and Gentiles of NT times, are applicable to combatting capital religious requirements today. Because Jesus Christ was sac-rificed, no one needs to give sacrifice or to be sacrificed. Loss of this truth provides an explanation for both the continuation of demands for sacrifice

* William Spencer is adjunct professor of theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, 130 Essex Street, South Hamilton, MA 01982.

JETS 40:2 (June 1997) p. 190

and the reintroduction of such requirements today. To examine this ...

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