Victor Rhee, «Christology, Chiasm, And The Concept Of Faith In Hebrews 10:19-39», Vol. 16 (2003) 33-48
In recent years some scholars have proposed that, while Paul’s concept of
faith has Jesus as its object in a soteriological sense, Hebrews lacks the idea
of Jesus being the object of faith. However, a close examination of Hebrews
10:19-39 demonstrates that the author of Hebrews has Jesus as the object of
faith for believers, even if it is not expressed in terms of 'faith in Christ.
Christology, Chiasm, and the Concept of Faith in Hebrews 10:19-39 35
faith (10:19–25); (2) consequence of abandoning Christ (10:26–31); (3)
exhortation to persevere in faith (10:32–39). I will analyze each of these
passages with one question in mind: “Is the concept of faith in Hebrews
Christologically oriented?†or more specifically, “Is Jesus regarded as the
object (or content) of faith for believers?â€
2. Exhortations to Continue with Faith (10:19–25)
In this first major section the author of Hebrews uses three independent
sentences for the purpose of encouraging the readers to remain in faith.
The hortatory nature of this passage is indicated by the use of the sub-
junctive mood in each of the main verbs in these verses (Ï€ÏοσεÏχώμεθα
in vv. 19–22; κατÎχωμεν in v. 23; κατανοῶμεν in v. 24).6
A. Let Us Draw Near (10:19–22). In the first exhortation (10:19–22)
the author expresses faith in terms of drawing near (Ï€ÏοσÎÏχομαι) with
a true heart in assurance of faith. This point is evident from the gram-
matical construction of the passage, which may be illustrated as follows:
(1) Ἔχοντες οὖν, ἀδελφοί, παÏÏησίαν εἰς τὴν εἰσοδον τῶν á¼Î³á½·Ï‰Î½ á¼Î½ Ï„á¿·
αἱματι Ἰησοῦ, ἣν á¼Î½ÎµÎºÎ±á½·Î½Î¹ÏƒÎµÎ½ ἡμῖν á½Î´á½¸Î½ Ï€Ïόσφατον καὶ ζῶσαν διὰ τοῦ
καταπετάσματος, τοῦτ᾿ ἔστιν τῆς σαÏκὸς αá½Ï„οῦ (Therefore, brethren,
having confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new
and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, his
flesh (10:19–20),
(2) καὶ ἱεÏÎα μÎγαν á¼Ï€á½¶ τον οἶκον τοῦ θεοῦ (and [having] a great priest over
the house of God (10:21),
Ï€ÏοσεÏχώμεθα μετὰ ἀληθινῆς καÏδίας á¼Î½ πληÏοφοÏίᾳ πίστεως (let us draw
near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith) (10:22a) - Main clause
(3) ἱεÏαντισμÎνοι Ï„á½°Ï‚ καÏδίας ἀπὸ συνειδήσεως πονηÏᾶς (having the
hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience) (10:22b)
(4) καὶ λελουσμένοι τὸ σῶμα ὕδατι καθαÏá¿· (and having our bodies washed
with pure water) (10:22c).7
The subjunctive mood expresses the hortatory idea in the first person plural. See F.
6
Blass, F. Debrunner, and R. W. Funk, Grammar of the New Testament and Other Early
Christian Literature, trans. R.W. Funk (Chicago 1961) 183.
I have added my own translation of these verses to separate the main clause from the
7
dependent clauses and to emphasize the participles used by the author of Hebrews.
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