Journal: Journal of Ministry and Theology
Volume: JMAT 05:1 (Spring 2001)
Article: The Warnings Of Hebrews Three And Four
Author: Rodney J. Decker

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The Warnings Of Hebrews Three And Four

Rodney J. Decker

Associate Professor Of New Testament
Baptist Bible Seminary, Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania

Introduction

The warnings of Hebrews have constituted a notoriously difficult exegetical quandary for exegetes. No matter whether one approaches them from a Calvinistic or Arminian perspective, difficulties abound. For the Calvinist, perseverance of the saints seems incompatible with the potential for genuinely regenerated persons to lose that grace. Yet the Arminian finds matters no easier, for although he grants the potential of loss of regeneration, he must then struggle with those passages in Hebrews that suggest that one who so apostatizes cannot ever be saved again—a discomfiting thought to any conscientious Arminian!

This paper cannot pretend to resolve all the exegetical quagmires in such matters. Instead it intends to address the major exegetical issues of Hebrews three and four and establish a framework for considering related questions. There are numerous questions that arise in these chapters. A select group of these will be considered after first summarizing the structure of the passage.1

Analysis Of The Argument Of Hebrews 3:1-4:14

This analysis assumes the overall macro-structure of Vanhoye, Lane, and Guthrie, which, though not all identical, share a high

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degree of similarity.2 In particular, 2:17–18 is viewed as an “announcement” section that introduces the major themes that will follow. Thus the reference to Jesus as faithful high priest strikes the note for the next section. His faithfulness is addressed in 3:1–4:16, and his high priestly work is the focus of 4:14–10:39 (4:14–16 is an overlapping section).

The passage 3:1–4:16 is structured internally by a series of seven paraenetic statements: three imperatives followed by four hortatory subjunctives. The mood shift from imperative to subjunctive suggests that the primary concerns of the author are to be found in the first section with the second making application and extension of the same themes.