Hebrews 10:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

NIV: Then he adds: 'Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.'

NASB: 'AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL NO LONGER REMEMBER.'

CSB: and I will never again remembertheir sins and their lawless acts.

NLT: Then he says, 'I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.'

KJV: And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

NKJV: then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

This verse comes at the end of a long discussion where the writer of Hebrews often quotes the Old Testament. The reason for these quotations is to prove that God, all along, promised to send Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of His plan to resolve our sin. The Jewish Christians reading these words would have been especially swayed by appeals to their own Scriptures. One of the passages used was Jeremiah 31:31–34. There, God has directly said that He would form a "new covenant" with Israel, separate from the covenant given to Moses and administered by the Levitical priests (Hebrews 8:7–13). A key component of this new covenant would be its presence inside each individual person. Rather than being written on stone and dependent on repeated animal sacrifices, this new covenant would be "written" on the minds and hearts of men.

This verse quotes Jeremiah 31:34, referencing another important aspect of the new covenant. The old covenant required animal sacrifice over and over. This was not a permanent cure for sin; it was only a temporary reminder of sin and a symbol of God's ultimate plan. This new covenant, according to Jeremiah, would result in something the old covenant could not offer: actual forgiveness of sin. Jesus' single, once-for-all sacrifice for sin would actually cleanse man, from the inside, instead of merely covering his sin for a short while.

Hebrews 10:1–18 summarizes the writer's argument that the new covenant, in Jesus Christ, is superior to the old covenant, based on animal sacrifices. Using themes developed in earlier passages, this section points out that God's own Word promised to replace the system centered on the priests and the temple. Those flawed earthly components were symbols of the ''real'' remedy for sin, which is the one-time sacrifice of Jesus. Having completed this long, detailed discourse, the writer will move on to practical applications, including a very stern warning.

God's own words, found in the Old Testament Scriptures, declare His intention to replace the old covenant with a new covenant. Jesus fulfills all of these prophecies, and all of the symbolism found in the system of priests, the tabernacle, and animal sacrifices. Knowing that Jesus Christ is, undoubtedly, God's remedy for our sin, we should be encouraged in holding on to our faith in the face of persecution. However, that same confidence means dire spiritual consequences for those who know Christ's salvation, but choose to act in defiance of His will.

Chapter 10 completes the long, detailed explanation of why the new covenant is superior to the old covenant. Starting in chapter 7, the writer gave various arguments and Scriptures to support this idea. The theme of these points is that God had always intended to send Jesus, as the real fulfillment of the old covenant's symbolism. The second half of this chapter transitions into more practical ideas, including an extremely dire warning about the dangers of apostasy.

The book of Hebrews is meant to challenge, encourage, and empower Christian believers. According to this letter, Jesus Christ is superior to all other prophets and all other claims to truth. Since God has given us Christ, we ought to listen to what He says and not move backwards. The consequences of ignoring God are dire. Hebrews is important for drawing on many portions of the Old Testament in making a case that Christ is the ultimate and perfect expression of God's plan for mankind. This book presents some tough ideas about the Christian faith, a fact the author makes specific note of.