Hebrews 10:25

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. ASSEMBLING OF OURSELVES TOGETHER, [ episunagoogeen (G1997)] - is only found here and 2 Thessalonians 2:1 (the gathering together of the elect to Christ at His coming, Matthew 24:31). The assembling of ourselves for Christian communion is an earnest of our being gathered together to Him at His appearing. Union is strength: continual assemblings beget and foster love, and give opportunities for 'provoking to good works,' by "exhorting one another" ...

25._Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, etc. _This confirms the view that has been given. The composition of the Greek word ought to be noticed; for ἐπὶ signifies an addition; then ἐπισυναγωγὴ, assembling together, means a congregation increased by additions. The wall of partition having been pulled down, God was then gathering those as his children who had been aliens from the Church; so the Gentiles were a new and unwonted addition to the Church. This the Jews regarded as a reproach to them, so that many made a secession from the Church, thinking that such a mixture afforded them a just excuse; nor could they be easily induced to surrender their own right; and further, they considered the right of adoption as peculiar, and as belonging exclusively to themselves. The Apostle, therefore, warns them, lest this equality should provoke them to forsake the Church

19-25 The apostle having closed the first part of the epistle, the doctrine is applied to practical purposes. As believers had an open way to the presence of God, it became them to use this privilege. The way and means by which Christians enjoy such privileges, is by the blood of Jesus, by the merit of that blood which he offered up as an atoning sacrifice. The agreement of infinite holiness with pardoning mercy, was not clearly understood till the human nature of Christ, the Son of God, was wounded and bruised for our sins. Our way to heaven is by a crucified Saviour; his death is to us the way of life, and to those who believe this, he will be precious. They must draw near to God; it would be contempt of Christ, still to keep at a distance. Their bodies were to be washed with pure water, alluding to the cleansings directed under the law: thus the use of water in baptism, was to remind...

Verse 25. _NOT FORSAKING THE ASSEMBLING OF OURSELVES_] επισυναγωγην εαυτων. Whether this means _public_ or _private_ worship is hard to say; but as the word is but once more used in the New Testament, (2 Thessalonians 2:1,) and there means the _gathering together_ of the redeemed of the Lord at the day of judgment, it is as likely that it means here _private_ religious meetings, for the purpose of mutual exhortation: and this sense appears the more natural here, because it is evident that the Church was now in a state of persecution, and therefore their meetings were most probably held in _private_. For fear of persecution, it seems as if some had deserted these meetings, καθως εθος τισιν, _as the custom of certain persons is_. They had given up these strengthening and instructive means, and the others were in danger of following their examp...

NOT FORSAKING THE ASSEMBLING OF OURSELVES TOGETHER - That is, for purposes of public worship. Some expositors have understood the word rendered here as “assembling” - ἐπισυναγωγὴν episunagōgēn - as meaning “the society of Christians,” or the church; and they have supposed that the object of the apostle here is, to exhort them. not to apostatize from the church. The arguments for this opinion may be seen at length in Kuinoel, in loc. But the more obvious interpretation is what is commonly adopted, that it refers to public worship. The Greek word (the noun) is used nowhere else in the New Testament, except in 2 Thessalonians 2:1, where it is rendered “gathering together.” The verb is used in Matthew 23:37;...

EXPOSITION HEBREWS 10:1 CONCLUDING SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT WITH RESPECT TO CHRIST'S ETERNAL PRIESTHOOD. HEBREWS 10:1 FOR THE LAW, HAVING A SHADOW OF THE GOOD THINGS TO COME, AND NOT THE VERY IMAGE OF THE THINGS, CAN NEVER WITH THE SAME SACRIFICES YEAR BY YEAR, WHICH THEY OFFER CONTINUALLY, MAKE THE COMERS THEREUNTO PERFECT. The Law is said here to exhibit a _shadow _(σκιὰν)_ _of _the good things to come _(τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν), viz. of the "good things" of which Christ is come as "High Priest" ...

NOT FORSAKING THE ASSEMBLING OF OURSELVES TOGETHER,.... Or the episynagogue of one another; which word is used to distinguish Christian assemblies from Jewish synagogues, and to denote the coalition of Jews and Gentiles in one church state, and to express the saints' gathering together to Christ; see 2 Thessalonians 2:1 and their act of meeting together in some one place to attend his worship, word, and ordinances. Now to "forsake" such assembling, signifies a great infrequency in attending with the saints, a rambling from place to place, and takes in an entire apostasy. It is the duty of saints to assemble together for public worship, on the account of God, who has appointed it, who approves of it, and whose glory is concerned in it; and on the account of the saints themselves, that they may be delighted, refreshed, comforted, instructed, edified, and perfected; and on account o

Hebrews 10:1. _For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect._ This refers to the old ceremonial law, under which the Jews lived so long. They always had to go on, year after year, offering the same kind of sacrifices, because the work of atonement was never done perfectly; men were not cleansed or saved by it, so the process had to be constantly repeated. Hebrews 10:2. _For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins._ There would have been no need to bring another lamb to be offered if the one which was presented had put away si

CHAPTER 10 _ 1. The all-sufficiency of the one offering (Hebrews 10:1)_ 2. Exhortations (Hebrews 10:19) 3. Warning (Hebrews 10:26) 4. Encouragements (Hebrews 10:32) Hebrews 10:1 The precious truth the apostle has unfolded in the preceding Chapter s concerning Christ, His one offering He made, His own blood by which He entered once for all into the holy place the one all sufficient sacrifice, which has an eternal value and can never be repeated, is now still more practically applied. This one off

The exhortation opens with a few verses of general appeal, which sum up the results of the foregoing discussion. A free access to God's presence has been given us through the offering of Christ, who has inaugurated a way hitherto unknown, and depending not on mechanical ordinances but on His own living person. He inaugurated this way by breaking through the limitations of His earthly life as through a curtain. A new turn is here given to the analogy of the High Priest passing into the holy of holies. The earthly existence of Jesus is conceived as a curtain, which divided Him for a time from the perfect fellowship with God, and which was parted by His death. As we have a new way, so we have also a new and greater High Priest to represent us as the community of God (Hebrews 10:21). Let us therefore have done with all doubt and misgiving, and make our approach to God with that inward purity...