Hebrews 10:28Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

"Without mercy," he says. There was no indulgence there, no mercy, although it was the Law of Moses, which prescribed many things. What does "on the testimony of two or three witnesses" mean? When, he says, two or three people testified, the guilty were at once subjected to punishment. If in the Old Covenant such a punishment was appointed when someone rejected the Law of Moses, how much more here? Therefore he says: "Of how much worse punishment, do you think, 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?" (Heb 10:29).

"If anyone has rejected the Law of Moses." From the lesser matter he proves the justice of the future punishment, so that his word may be more credible. He calls it the Law of Moses because Moses enacted many things. "On the testimony of two or three witnesses, he dies without mercy" (Deut 17:6). The connection of the argument is this: if anyone rejected the Law of Moses, then, when two or three witnesses were present, he died without mercy. That is, if two or three witnesses declared that he had violated the Law.

For if those who transgressed the weak Law of Moses, which was a type of the Law of Christ, were put to death without any mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses, and no place was given for repentance,

If one who transgresses the Law of Moses is convicted and handed over to death, then see how many deaths are deserved by the one who dishonors the very God of Moses, treats the precious Blood as common, and mocks the very grace of the Spirit. Again, in the form of exhortation, the Apostle showed the difference. The one is the Son, the other a servant. Those sacrifices were irrational victims, but this one is rational and all-holy. Against the Law he set not another law, but the "Blood" and the "Spirit," because through them salvation is given to us. The Apostle confirms the threat by testimonies from Scripture.

"Anyone who has rejected the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses" (Deut 17:6). If someone rejected the Law of Moses before two or three witnesses, who confirmed by their testimony that he truly had rejected the Law and proved the guilt of the one who rejected it, he was subjected to death without any mercy. If one who rejects a law inscribed by a servant is punished so severely, without indulgence or pity, since Moses also enacted many things on his own authority, how much more severely will one be punished who has despised the Law of the Master?

When the law punished without mercy those who sinned inexcusably, grace came down and by baptism put to death the mortal and passionate life. At once, as by some miracle, it regenerated another life through rebirth and commanded that bodily passions be weakened, or rather put to death, by a valiant life.

But those who sinned and did not repent it punished more severely than the law itself and threatened them with punishments. Those counted worthy of so great a gift, raised to royal dignity, and made partakers of divine Mysteries and gifts, yet afterward yielding to negligence, deserve greater punishment.

"Anyone who has rejected the Law of Moses." How the Law regarded transgressions against it is shown very well by this. One who sinned unintentionally, through ignorance, received remission of sin by offering the ordinary sacrifice for sin. But if anyone committed sin "with a high hand," in Russian, "with a bold hand," then, as one who had angered God by blasphemy against Him, he had to be cut off by death (Num 15:27-31).

The Apostle explains this thought further by referring to the Mosaic law. For idolatry, that is, for renunciation of the covenant with God, the law in fact appointed the death penalty (Deut 17:2-7), provided that two or three Israelites testified to this renunciation.

If now a man falls away from the faith, he treats the Son of God as something unnecessary and of no significance. This is καταπατεῖν, cf. Mt 5:13; 7:6. If a man regards Christ's blood as the blood of an ordinary man, κοινόν, and mocks, ἐνυβρίσας, the Spirit Who gave him grace, what punishment will overtake him!