Are the Hebrew Epistles Doctrine to the Body of Christ?
The following passage from the apostle John’s first first epistle, which is part of what is commonly referred to as the Hebrew epistles, is quoted from the English Standard Version of the Bible:
“No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.” 1 John 3:6-10 ESV
The ESV is purported to be translated from Nestle’s 27th Greek New Testament. Here is how a transliteration of this passage from Nestle’s Greek reads (words and phrases in italics are my emphasis):
“Everyone in him remaining sins not; everyone sinning has not seen him nor has known him. Little children, no man let lead astray you; the one doing righteousness righteous is, as that one righteous is; the one doing sin of the devil is, because from the beginning the devil sins. For this was manifested the Son of God in order that he might undo the works of the devil. Everyone having been begotten of God sin not does, because seed of him in him remains; and he cannot sin, because of God he has been begotten.”
Notice in the italicized phrases that the word “practice,” which is inserted in the ESV version of this, doesn’t exist in the Greek. So why did the translators put it in there? Because they know, full well, that nobody they know, including themselves, is sinless, that is, “sins not…cannot sin.”
Here’s the correct rendering of this from the word of God (my emphasis):
In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. 1 John 3:6-10 (KJB)
Here’s the thing: There is nobody in the world, including anyone who has trusted Christ as their Savior, who “doth not sin,” because there is no one in the world today who is “begotten of God…born of God.”
This can only be applied to the “little children,” the children of Israel, who John, and James, and Peter, and the author of Hebrews ((ref. Heb. 8:8, James 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1; 2:9)) is addressing. These saints of God are supernaturally endowed with “the anointing,” ((1 John 2:27)) an “unction from the Holy One” ((2:20)) which writes the law on their hearts and minds. ((Heb. 8:10)) Thus, they will not transgress the law (sin), period! Not one jot or tittle of it. ((1 John 3:4; James 2:10))
This does not include anyone in the body of Christ. In the first place, we don’t have the law written on our hearts because we “are not under the law, but under grace” ((Romans 6:14)); works (of the law) and grace are mutually exclusive. ((Romans 11:6)) It’s an either or proposition; you can’t be under both.
So, are you saying that those people Peter, James and John are writing to are not under grace? Yes, that is exactly what I’m saying; they are under the law, and therefore, in order to keep the law, they must have it supernaturally written on their hearts and minds. But this is not so with the body of Christ. If you have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation, believing that he died for your sins (all of them, past, present and future), and was raised again the third day, “for your justification,” ((1 Cor. 15:1-4; Romans 4:250)) then you are saved, sealed and bound for heaven, and this cannot be altered by your behavior in the flesh. ((ref. 1 Cor. 3:10-15))
Also read: Keeping a Short Account with God; What must I do to be saved?;What is the Gospel?; Are Members of Christ’s Body Born Again, or Saved?; Why the King James (only); On Understanding Scripture; Is the Body of Christ one and the same as the New Covenant Church? License;Who Was the Author of the Letter to the Hebrews?
All Scripture references are taken from the word of God, the King James Bible.
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