# Hebrews 10:28,29



## coxcorr (Mar 15, 2006)

Hebrews 10:28,29 (ESV)
Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? 

In John Macarthur's Bible study series he has this commentary on the statement "How much worse punishment;" "There will be degrees of punishment in hell. This is also clearly indicated in Matthew 11:22-24." Is this the 'standard' reformed thought on hell? Are there levels, degrees of heat, etc in hell? Your thoughts are greatly appreciated.

[Edited on 3-15-2006 by coxcorr]


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## JohnStevenson (Mar 20, 2006)

Hebrews 10:28,29 isn't speaking of degrees of punishment in heaven or hell, but is simply contrasting from the less to the greater between the earthly punishments of the Mosaic Law versus the eternal punishment of those who reject the Son of God.


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## Arch2k (Mar 20, 2006)

*Westminster larger catechism*

*Q150: Are all transgressions of the law of God equally heinous in themselves, and in the sight of God?
A150: All transgressions of the law of God are not equally heinous; but some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others.[1] * 

1. John 19:11; Ezek. 8:6, 13, 15; I John 5:16; Psa. 78:17, 32, 56

* Q151: What are those aggravations that make some sins more heinous than others? 
A151: Sins receive their aggravations, 
1. From the persons offending:[1] if they be of riper age,[2] greater experience or grace,[3] eminent for profession,[4] gifts,[5] place,[6] office,[7] guides to others,[8] and whose example is likely to be followed by others.[9]
2. From the parties offended:[10] if immediately against God,[11] his attributes,[12] and worship;[13] against Christ, and his grace;[14] the Holy Spirit,[15] his witness,[16] and workings;[17] against superiors, men of eminency,[18] and such as we stand especially related and engaged unto;[19] against any of the saints,[20] particularly weak brethren,[21] the souls of them, or any other,[22] and the common good of all or many.[23]

3. From the nature and quality of the offense:[24] if it be against the express letter of the law,[25] break many commandments, contain in it many sins:[26] if not only conceived in the heart, but breaks forth in words and actions,[27] scandalize others,[28] and admit of no reparation:[29] if against means,[30] mercies,[31] judgments,[32] light of nature,[33] conviction of conscience,[34] public or private admonition,[35] censures of the church,[36] civil punishments;[37] and our prayers, purposes, promises,[38] vows,[39] covenants,[40] and engagements to God or men:[41] if done deliberately,[42] wilfully,[43] presumptuously,[44] impudently,[45] boastingly,[46] maliciously,[47] frequently,[48] obstinately,[49] with delight,[50] continuance,[51] or relapsing after repentance.[52]

4. From circumstances of time [53] and place:[54] if on the Lord's day,[55] or other times of divine worship;[56] or immediately before [57] or after these,[58] or other helps to prevent or remedy such miscarriages:[59] if in public, or in the presence of others, who are thereby likely to be provoked or defiled.[60]
*
1. Jer. 2:8
2. Job 32:7, 9; Eccl. 4:13
3. I Kings 11:4, 9
4. II Sam. 12:14; I Cor. 5:1
5. James 4:17; Luke 12:47-48
6. Jer. 5:4-5
7. II Sam. 12:7-9; Ezek. 8:11-12
8. Rom. 2:17-24
9. Gal. 2:11-14
10. Matt. 21:38-39
11. I Sam. 2:25; Acts 5:4; Psa. 51:4
12. Rom. 2:4
13. Mal. 1:8, 14
14. Heb. 2:2-3; 12:25
15. Heb. 10:29; Matt. 12:31-32

16. Eph. 4:30
17. Heb. 6:4-6
18. Jude 1:8; Num. 12:8-9; Isa. 3:5
19. Prov. 30:17; II Cor. 12:15; Psa. 55:12-15
20. Zeph. 2:8, 10-11; Matt. 18:6; I Cor. 6:8; Rev. 17:6
21. I Cor. 8:11-12; Rom. 14:13, 15, 21
22. Ezek. 13:19; I Cor. 8:12; Rev. 18:12-13; Matt. 23:15
23. I Thess. 2:15-16; Josh. 22:20
24. Prov. 6:30-35
25. Ezra 9:10-12; I Kings 11:9-10
26. Col. 3:5; I Tim. 6:10; Prov. 5:8-12; 6:32-33; Josh. 7:21
27. James 1:14-15; Matt. 5:22; Micah 2:1
28. Matt. 18:7; Rom. 2:23-24
29. Deut 22:22, 28-29; Prov. 6:32-25
30. Matt. 11:21-24; John 15:22
31. Isa. 1:3; Deut. 32:6

32. Amos 4:8-11; Jer. 5:8
33. Rom. 1;26-27
34. Rom. 1:32; Dan. 5:22; Titus 3:10-11
35. Prov. 29:1
36. Titus 3:10; Matt. 18:17
37. Prov. 23:35, 27:22
38. Psa. 78:34-37; Jer. 2:20, 13:5-6, 20-21
39. Eccl. 5:4-6; Prov. 20:25
40. Lev. 26:25
41. Prov. 2:17; Ezek. 17:18-19
42. Psa. 36:4
43. Jer. 6:16
44. Num. 15:30; Exod. 21:14
45. Jer. 3:3; Prov. 7:13
46. Psa. 52:1
47. III John 1:10
48. Num. 14:22
49. Zech. 7:11-12
50. Prov. 2:14
51. Isa. 57:17
52. Jer. 34:8-11; II Peter 2:20-22
53. II Kings 5:26
54. Jer. 7:10; Isa. 26:10
55. Ezek. 23:37-39
56. Isa. 58:3-5; Num. 25:6-7

57. I Cor. 11:20-21
58. Jer. 7:8-10, 14-15; John 13:27, 30
59. Ezra 9:13-14
60. II Sam. 16:22; I Sam. 2:22-24


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## Contra_Mundum (Mar 20, 2006)

Matt 11:22-24 does indicate that some will experience "worse" punishment than others, although that "degree" is quite relative.

Heb. 10:28-29 does not appear to directly address degrees of punishment in hell, and Stevenson's answer is basically the correct one (in my view). 
And yet, as Jeff's post re. the Catechism points out, the text may obliquely inform us nevertheless that sins against the Holy Spirit are _aggravated_ sins (see prooftext at #15), and may for that reason be supposed to incur greater wrath.


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## kceaster (Mar 20, 2006)

I just read one of Edward's sermons yesterday and he seemed to think there were degrees in hell. Below is posted the selection:



> From "Many Mansions" delivered Dec. 25th, 1737
> 
> 2. Consider when you die, if you have no mansion in the house of God in heaven, you must have your place of abode in the habitation of devils. There is no middle place between them, and when you go hence, you must go to one or the other of these. Some have a mansion prepared for them in heaven from the foundation [of the world]; others are sent away as cursed into everlasting burnings prepared for the [devil and his angels]. Consider how miserable those must be that shall have their habitation with devils to all eternity. Devils are foul spirits; God´s great enemies. Their habitation is the blackness of darkness; a place of the utmost filthiness, abomination, darkness, disgrace and torment, O, how would you rather ten thousand times have no place of abode at all, have no being, than to have a place [with devils]!
> 
> 3. If you die unconverted, you will have the worse place in hell for having had a seat or place in God´s house in this world. As there are many mansions, places of different degrees of honor in heaven, so there are various abodes and places or degrees of torment and misery in hell; and those will have the worst place there that [dying unconverted, have had the best place in God´s house here]. Solomon speaks of a peculiarly awful sight that he had seen, that of a wicked man buried that had gone [from the place of the holy], Ecc. 8:10. Such as have had a seat in God´s house, have been in a sense exalted up to heaven, set on the gate of heaven, [if they die unconverted, shall be] cast down to hell.



He's arguing that because some places of heaven will be nearer God's throne than others; even the seats to Christ's right and left, so there must be degrees in hell; the most awful parts of which are prepared for those whose heinousness of sin was greater than others.

Read the whole sermon *here*.

In Christ,

KC


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