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Most Christians break one of the biggest rules of Biblical interpretation: Basing all of your theology on a single verse of scripture.<\/em><\/p>\n That verse is Hebrews 9:22: \u201cIn fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood,\u00a0and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Many take this to mean that God\u2019s requirement for forgiveness is the shedding of blood. But, before we address that error, let\u2019s take a look at that assumption. Does the Scripture support this notion? Is it true that God won\u2019t forgive without the shedding of blood<\/a>?<\/p>\n Not exactly.<\/p>\n As my friend\u00a0Santo Calarco<\/a>\u00a0points out, there are seven examples from the OT where sins are forgiven WITHOUT the shedding of blood:<\/p>\n \u201cBlood not always required for forgiveness. Atonement and forgiveness could be granted on the basis of:<\/em><\/p>\n In addition, the Psalms largely portray God\u2019s forgiveness in the absence of sacrificial or atonement language. (See Psalm 32; 51; 103)<\/p>\n We also have a quite famous example in the OT where forgiveness was extended to the entire Nation of Israel based solely on prayer and repentance:<\/p>\n \u201cIf my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.\u201d (2 Chronicles 7:14)<\/em><\/p>\n So, sin offerings are not<\/em> required<\/a> to be blood sacrifices. We even have an example where the poor are allowed to offer a grain offering if they cannot afford an animal to sacrifice \u2013 and forgiveness is still granted, without the bloodshed.(See Leviticus 5:11-13)<\/p>\n Therefore, our default understanding of Hebrews 9:22 is seriously in question.<\/p>\n So, if it doesn\u2019t mean that God requires blood for the forgiveness of sins, then\u2026what does it mean?<\/p>\n Well, to begin with, Hebrews 9:22 is talking about what was required under the OT Law. In fact, the entire book of Hebrews is all about contrasting the Old Covenant Law with the \u201cbetter covenant\u201d of Love and Grace [the New Covenant].<\/p>\n Therefore, the author of Hebrews is in the process of contrasting \u201cwhat was wrong with the first covenant\u201d<\/a> [Heb. 8:7] with what we have now received under Christ. This point about what was necessary \u201cunder the Law\u201d is intended to be a critique, not an affirmation, of that system.<\/p>\n The Old Testament itself isn\u2019t univocal<\/a> on the question of blood sacrifice, by the way. Moses says it is required, but then Isaiah and Hosea and King David all disagree and say that such a thing never entered God\u2019s mind and that God does not delight in the blood of bulls and goats, and that what God cares about is the spiritual condition of the human heart. [See Psalm 50:8; Hosea 6:6; Psalm 51:16; Psalm 40:6\u20138; Isaiah 1:11\u201331; Jeremiah 7:21\u201323]<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n In fact, if we go back to Hebrews and read just one more chapter, we\u2019ll notice this:<\/p>\n \u201cFor\u00a0it\u00a0is\u00a0impossible\u00a0for\u00a0the\u00a0blood\u00a0of\u00a0bulls\u00a0and\u00a0goats\u00a0to\u00a0take\u00a0away\u00a0sins.\u00a0Consequently,\u00a0when\u00a0Christ\u00a0came\u00a0into\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n the\u00a0world,\u00a0he\u00a0said,\u00a0\u201cSacrifices\u00a0and\u00a0offerings\u00a0you\u00a0have\u00a0not\u00a0desired,\u00a0but\u00a0a\u00a0body\u00a0have\u00a0you\u00a0prepared\u00a0for\u00a0me;\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n in\u00a0burnt\u00a0offerings\u00a0and\u00a0sin\u00a0offerings\u00a0you\u00a0have\u00a0taken\u00a0no\u00a0pleasure.<\/em><\/p>\n When\u00a0he\u00a0said\u00a0above,\u00a0\u201cYou\u00a0have\u00a0neither\u00a0desired\u00a0nor\u00a0taken\u00a0pleasure\u00a0in\u00a0sacrifices\u00a0and\u00a0offerings\u00a0and\u00a0burnt\u00a0offerings\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n and\u00a0sin\u00a0offerings\u201d\u00a0(these\u00a0are\u00a0offered\u00a0according\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0law),\u00a0then\u00a0he\u00a0added,\u00a0\u201cBehold,\u00a0I\u00a0have\u00a0come\u00a0to\u00a0do\u00a0your\u00a0will.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n He\u00a0does\u00a0away\u00a0with\u00a0the\u00a0first\u00a0in\u00a0order\u00a0to\u00a0establish\u00a0the\u00a0second.\u00a0And\u00a0by\u00a0that\u00a0will\u00a0we\u00a0have\u00a0been\u00a0sanctified\u00a0through\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n the\u00a0offering\u00a0of\u00a0 the\u00a0body\u00a0of\u00a0Jesus\u00a0Christ\u00a0once\u00a0for\u00a0all.\u201d [Hebrews 10:4-10]<\/em><\/p>\n So, if we break that down we\u2019ll notice a few things:<\/p>\n *The blood sacrifices never took away anyone\u2019s sins<\/p>\n *Christ affirms that God did not<\/em> desire sacrifices and offerings<\/p>\n *God doesn\u2019t desire burnt or sin offerings at all [!]\n<\/p> *Christ came to do God\u2019s will [and that will was NOT about blood, or sacrifices or sin offerings]\n<\/p> *The sacrifices, sin offerings, etc. were \u201coffered according to the OT law\u201d [the defective covenant]\n<\/p> *Christ did away with the first covenant [OT] in order to establish the \u201cbetter covenant\u201d [NT]\n<\/p> *When Christ submitted to the will of God, it was to fulfill the Law and the Prophets [thereby making them obsolete]\n<\/p> *Because of this, we are now sanctified \u201cthrough the offering of the body of Jesus Christ\u201d<\/p>\n Ok, now before you pounce on that last point, let\u2019s clarify a few things:<\/p>\n This ENTIRE passage is trying to affirm that God did NOT desire or require sin offerings. So, whatever this last point means, it does NOT mean that the \u201coffering of the body of Jesus Christ\u201d was about his blood being shed to cover our sins.<\/p>\n In fact, the passage doesn\u2019t suggest this at all.<\/p>\n What IS affirmed is that the obedience of Christ to the will of the Father is what fulfilled every requirement of the Law for us.<\/p>\n The \u201coffering of the body of Jesus Christ\u201d is expressed in his Incarnation and in his obedience to the Father\u2019s will [which, once again, was NOT about sin offerings or blood sacrifices].<\/p>\n At this point many will ask: \u201cBut, didn\u2019t Jesus need to die? Didn\u2019t Jesus come to die?\u201d<\/p>\n Well, embedded in the equation of the Incarnation is the fact that Christ gave up his immortality to take on mortality. [See Phil. 2:5-11]\n<\/p> Once Christ took on mortality, it was inevitable that his flesh would die \u2013 one way or the other.<\/p>\n Did God require that his death be at our hands? No.<\/p>\n Did God require that Christ would suffer? No.<\/p>\n But, did God know that we would inevitably treat his Son this way? Yes.<\/p>\n So, the manner of Christ\u2019s death was our decision. It was us who murdered the Son of God. We rejected the Christ. We nailed him to the cross.<\/p>\n God could foresee this would happen, but God certainly did not require<\/em> it or demand<\/em> it. [See Hebrews 10:4-10 again for reference]\n<\/p> The forgiveness of our sins wasn\u2019t tied to any virgin blood sacrifice. That\u2019s paganism.<\/p>\n The reality is that, once Christ took on mortality, it was inevitable that he would die and enter the grave. At this point, death would have been transformed from the inside out by the Resurrection power of Christ.<\/p>\n Christ came to abolish the law of sin and death. He conquered the grave. Death has no more power or sting.<\/p>\n Everyone is now, once and for all, set free from the power of death and sin.<\/p>\n This could have been accomplished whether Christ was accepted or rejected.<\/a><\/p>\n So, this \u201coffering of the body of Jesus Christ\u201d was more about his obedience to the Father\u2019s will and not at all about blood, sacrifice or offerings for our sins.<\/p>\n Remember:\u00a0\u201cGod was, in Christ, not counting our sins against us, but reconciling the World to Himself.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0[2 Cor. 5:19]<\/em><\/p>\n Jesus forgave without bloodshed<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Father forgives us without requiring any sacrifice for sins<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s time for us to abandon the ancient pagan ideas about a wrathful God who requires a virgin sacrifice before extending forgiveness to His children.<\/p>\n Jesus came to abolish that nonsense.<\/p>\n Some of us are still trying to wrap our minds around that one.<\/p>\n **<\/p>\n Need help going through your Spiritual Deconstruction?<\/strong>\u00a0Meet me at Square 1.<\/em>\u00a0This 90 Day Online Course is designed to help you go from Deconstruction to Reconstruction. Classes start Jan. 13, 2020. Half-Price seats are available until Christmas Day, 2019.\u00a0REGISTER TODAY><\/a><\/p>\n Want Keith to come speak at your church or in your home town?<\/strong>\u00a0Send an invitation\u00a0HERE<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
Keith Giles was formerly a licensed and ordained minister who walked away from organized church 11 years ago, to start a home fellowship that gave away 100% of the offering to the poor in the community.\u00a0<\/em>Today, He and his wife have returned to El Paso, TX after 25 years, as part of their next adventure. They hope to start a new house church very soon.<\/em><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\nKeith\u2019s new book, \u201cJesus Undefeated: Condemning the False Doctrine of Eternal Torment<\/em><\/a>\u201d is available now on Amazon.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\u00a0Can\u2019t get enough? Get great bonus content:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Patreon page<\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/div>\n