H.B.— Please explain “if we sin willfully” (Heb. 10:26). The sin referred to is not a mere stumble, but a course of conduct persistently pursued. The apostle is speaking of those who after knowing the truth of the sacrifice of Christ deliberately renounce it, and he is addressing particularly those among the Jews who professed faith in the Lord Jesus. “Sinning willfully “is an allusion to what is called “presumptuous” sin in the Old Testament. In such cases the offender was cut off without mercy (Num. 15:30, 31; Deut. 17:2-6). These cases were in contrast with “sins of ignorance,” for which sacrifice was provided and the transgressors forgiven (Lev. 4; Num. 15:27-29). On this score the Lord prayed for the Jews, “Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Peter alludes to this ignorance in Acts 3:17, and Saul of Tarsus was an example of a Jew who sinned ignorantly, but was forgiven (1 Tim. 1:13). Here the apostle contemplates any who abandon the sacrifice of Christ after receiving the full knowledge of the truth. He solemnly affirms, as he did before (verse 18) that no other sacrifice is or can be offered for sins. Judgment only awaits such apostates. Here we have those who despise the sacrifice of Christ, and in Hebrews 6, those who despise the presence of the Holy Ghost on earth (see B.M.M., vol. 1, p. 158). It must be borne in mind that it is to willful renunciation of Christ’s sacrifice that verse 29 refers so solemnly.
W.C.— Did the Lord appear to the disciples generally, or only to the ten apostles, on the occasion referred to in John 20:19-23? The same appearance is recorded in Mark 16:14 and Luke 24:33-36; and from the latter passage we gather that others were present besides the apostles— “the eleven and them that were with them.” “The eleven” is the term used for the apostolic band, though only ten of them were actually present. In the same way, “the twelve” is used in reference to this occasion (1 Cor. 15:5). The ten present represented the whole company, and therefore received the Lord’s commission (John 20:21-23).
W.T.— Was the place where the saints came together called the church (1 Cor. 11:18, 22)? In scriptural language the word “church” is never used for a place or a building, but for the assembly of saints meeting together in one place, whether a house or a city. Please explain 1 Corinthians 11:27. The text is, “Whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.” The apostle is referring to the levity of the Corinthian assembly when partaking of the Lord’s supper. Instead of the Lord’s supper, it had become their own supper. They ate and drank with no more thought of the solemn character of the feast than if they were at their own tables at home (verse 21, 22). This the apostle calls eating the bread and drinking the cup unworthily, and he states solemnly that such are guilty as to, or in respect of, the body and blood of the Lord. The bread and wine are figures of truths of the most affecting and solemn import, — the bread, of the Lord’s body given for us, and the wine, of His shed blood. Forgetfulness of this constituted the apostle’s charge of eating “unworthily,” and was the cause of judicial chastening among them, some having died, and some being weak and sickly (verse 30). “He that eateth and drinketh worthily, eateth and drinketh damnation [judgment] to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.” There is no ground to suppose that the apostle is speaking of unworthy persons, such as the unconverted or backsliders. On the contrary, he refers to the saints partaking in an unworthy manner. It is an admonition that every believer does well to take to heart. See also B.M.M., vol. 2, page 190.
E.H.B.— Please explain the difference between “sins,” “iniquity,” and “transgression.” We suppose our correspondent alludes to Psalms 32:1, 2, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.” Each term has reference to the operation of man’s own will in opposition to God’s. “Transgression” specially applied to Israel, as it means the violation of a known command. They had the law but disobeyed it (Rom. 2:27). “Where no law is, there is no transgression” (Rom. 4:15). “Sin” is the evil principle in the heart, that loves to do wrong (Rom. 7:8, 9, 11, 17, 20). “Sins” are the fruit proceeding from this root of evil. “Iniquity” includes injustice and perversion of the truth, committed against man as well as God. Thus the selling of Joseph as a slave by his brethren is owned by Judah as “iniquity” (Gen. 44:16). It may be pointed out that in 1 John 3:4, “Sin is the transgression of the law” is more correctly translated, as in the R.V., “Sin is lawlessness.” There are many varying terms in scripture denoting the multitudinous forms that evil takes; but it is an immense blessing to know that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from every sin, whatever form it may assume (1 John 1:7).