Hebrews 10:29 & 2 Peter 2:1 by John MacArthur

[Sean]

I wanted to post this before but I forgot to. Then I heard John MacArthur talking about Calvinism/Arminianism again so I tried to remember what he said this time. First, he stated how some people are in opposition to his Reformed views when he travels. They bring up many passages to show the problems with a Reformed perspective and John even mentioned many of these passages, reading them out loud. Then, instead of exegesis, he just says that if these verses really meant what the Arminian thinks they mean then the bible would be contradicting itself. So at least we see it not an exegetical problem but a theological problem. Anyway, what I wanted to do here was just to post the explanations given by John MacArthur for these two passages:

Heb 10:28 Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

John MacArthur says that to understand this passage, you need to capitalize one letter, to better understand who was sanctified. So he says it should read:

Hebrews 10:28 Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which He was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

Problem solved.

Next:

2 Peter 2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.

John MacArthur says that in this case Peter is telling a joke. You see, the false prophets just "think" the Lord bought them. Again, problem solved.

Just wondering what your thoughts are on his view of these two passages. I think you can guess mine.

[Homer]

Sean,

Does MacArthur believe Jesus was not sanctified until He went to the cross? I was thinking He was sanctified previously:

John 10:36 (New King James Version)

36. do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?

And good old Peter, always good for a laugh!

[Troy]

Sean,

I believe you will find this article very informative.

[RickC]

Sean (Hello, Bro!) wrote:
Just wondering what your thoughts are on his view of these two passages. I think you can guess mine.

Sean:
MacArthur's "very weak" in both cases, imo.

The Greek in v. 29 reads "by which he was made holy" - with the "he" being the one who has trampled Christ under their feet - after having been made holy and/or sanctified unto God.
(Source for the Greek: NET Bible, a Calvinist translation)....

I seldom talk about this stuff any more, leave alone debate it.
I have asked Calvinists questions, knowing in advance I most likely won't agree with them.
I don't contest what they say, as I'm looking for "common ground" with them - and am finding some:
His name is Jesus.

Hi Homer! and Troy! (good link, Bro)!
Take care, folks!