Hebrews 10:15 kjv
Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
Hebrews 10:15 nkjv
But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before,
Hebrews 10:15 niv
The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:
Hebrews 10:15 esv
And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,
Hebrews 10:15 nlt
And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says,
Hebrews 10 15 Cross References
Verse | Text | Reference |
---|---|---|
Jer 31:31-34 | "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant... I will put my law within them... I will forgive their iniquity..." | The New Covenant prophesied; foundational text for Heb. |
Heb 8:8-12 | "For he finds fault with them when he says: 'Behold, the days are coming... I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel...'" | Full quotation of Jer 31, clarifying the New Covenant. |
Heb 9:12 | "...nor through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption." | Christ's single, effective sacrifice contrasted with old. |
Heb 9:14 | "...how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience..." | Spirit's role in Christ's perfect self-offering. |
Heb 10:10 | "By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." | Emphasis on the 'once for all' nature of Christ's offering. |
Heb 10:12 | "But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God..." | Christ's completed work and exalted status. |
Heb 10:14 | "For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified." | Christ's offering provides perpetual perfection. |
Heb 10:18 | "Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin." | Logical conclusion: no need for further sacrifices. |
Rom 8:16 | "The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God..." | Spirit's internal witness to believers. |
1 John 5:6 | "This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies..." | The Spirit's testimony concerning Christ. |
John 14:26 | "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." | Spirit as teacher and remembrancer of Christ's words. |
John 15:26 | "But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me." | Spirit's direct testimony about Jesus. |
John 16:13 | "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak..." | Spirit's guidance into all truth, including biblical truth. |
Acts 5:32 | "And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.” | Spirit's corporate witness to Christ's resurrection. |
2 Pet 1:21 | "For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." | Scripture is Spirit-breathed, thus His testimony. |
2 Tim 3:16 | "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness..." | Inspiration and authority of Scripture. |
Luke 22:20 | "And in the same way he took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.'" | Jesus Himself institutes the New Covenant at the Last Supper. |
2 Cor 3:6 | "...who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." | Spirit as the life-giving essence of the New Covenant. |
Ezek 36:26-27 | "And I will give you a new heart... and I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes..." | Old Testament prophecy of Spirit's indwelling for obedience. |
Heb 12:24 | "...to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel." | Jesus as the mediator of this new and superior covenant. |
Hebrews 10 verses
Hebrews 10 15 Meaning
Hebrews 10:15 states that the Holy Spirit himself bears witness to the truth of what has been discussed – namely, the New Covenant and the permanent efficacy of Christ's single sacrifice for the remission of sins. The verse acts as a profound divine attestation, asserting that the very Spirit of God confirms the complete and final nature of the salvation procured by Christ, rendering all prior systems and repeated sacrifices obsolete. The following verses (Heb 10:16-17) present the specific content of this Spirit-attested truth, quoting from Jeremiah 31, emphasizing the promise of God's law being written on hearts and sins being remembered no more.
Hebrews 10 15 Context
Hebrews chapter 10 continues the author's detailed exposition of Christ's priestly superiority and the definitive nature of His single sacrifice over the repeated and inadequate animal sacrifices of the Old Covenant. The preceding verses (10:1-14) strongly argue that the Law, with its annual sin offerings, was a mere shadow of the good things to come, unable to truly cleanse the conscience or make worshipers perfect. Christ's single offering, however, did perfect those who are being sanctified (10:14) and provided a final remission of sins. Verse 15 serves as a divine authentication for these radical claims. It introduces a prophetic testimony, beginning in verse 16, which quotes Jeremiah 31:33-34. This quotation, a hallmark of the New Covenant promises, highlights two critical aspects: the internalizing of God's law ("I will put my laws into their hearts") and the definitive forgiveness of sins ("their sins and lawless deeds I will remember no more"). By attributing this ancient prophecy as a contemporary testimony of the Holy Spirit, the author provides irrefutable evidence from the Jewish scriptures themselves that God intended for a "new" and "better" way, rendering the old system obsolete and ineffective for salvation. The historical context involves Jewish believers potentially contemplating a return to temple rituals, and the book of Hebrews firmly establishes the finality of Christ's work to counter such temptations, emphasizing divine truth by Spirit's witness.
Hebrews 10 15 Word analysis
- The Holy Spirit (τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον, to Pneuma to Hagion): This refers to the third Person of the Holy Trinity. The article "the" emphasizes the specific, well-known divine agent. His active involvement here underlines the divine origin and authority of the New Covenant truths presented in the preceding verses. The Spirit is God, and thus His witness is ultimate and unquestionable. This divine agent connects ancient prophecy with present reality, validating God's historical promises for contemporary believers.
- also (καὶ αὐτὸς, kai autos): The
kai autos
phrase ("he himself also" or "even he") intensifies the statement, emphasizing that the Holy Spirit, a divine and independent witness, is directly involved in testifying. It suggests that if humanity's greatest high priest, Jesus, offers such a sacrifice, and if the divine word (prophecy) declares it, then the Holy Spirit adds His distinct, personal, and internal confirmation. - testifies (μαρτυρεῖ, martyrei): The verb is in the present tense, indicating an ongoing and continuous act of witnessing. It's not a past event, but a current reality for the audience. The term implies giving evidence or proof, often in a legal or authoritative sense. The Spirit provides divine evidence that the truths about the New Covenant are God's will and are truly enacted. His testimony is infallible and perfectly aligned with God's written Word.
- to us (πρὸς ἡμᾶς, pros hēmas): This indicates a direct, personal, and effective testimony towards the readers. It's not just a general divine statement, but one aimed specifically at the recipients of the letter, comforting and confirming their faith in Christ's work. The Spirit not only inspired the original prophecy but now actively illuminates its truth to the hearts of believers.
- about this (περὶ τούτων, peri toutōn): This phrase refers to the preceding theological argument regarding the superiority of Christ's sacrifice, its definitive nature, and its provision for perfect and final cleansing from sins. The Spirit's testimony concerns the completeness of Christ's redemptive work, ensuring there is no remaining guilt or need for further sacrifices.
- For He says (λέγει, legei): This verb means "says" or "states." It introduces a direct quotation. The
gar
(for) connects the Spirit's testimony directly to the following verses (Heb 10:16-17), which are a clear quotation of Jeremiah 31:33-34. The author attributes this ancient prophetic word to the active "speaking" of the Holy Spirit now. This signifies the Spirit's enduring presence in and active affirmation of Scripture. It also underscores the inspired nature of Old Testament prophecy as the voice of the Spirit, which continues to resonate and bear truth for God's people.
Hebrews 10 15 Bonus section
The linkage of Old Testament prophecy to the present activity of the Holy Spirit (referring to "He says" as the present action of the Spirit speaking through Scripture) is a significant hermeneutical principle highlighted in Hebrews. It underscores the organic unity of divine revelation across testaments, where God’s plan unfolds progressively, yet coherently. The "now" (present tense martyrei
and legei
) of the Holy Spirit's testimony ensures that ancient prophecies are not just historical relics but living, active words applicable to the faith and lives of believers today. The writer to the Hebrews constantly shows how the Spirit continues to speak through what has been spoken in the Scriptures. This demonstrates the Bible's ongoing divine authority and efficacy, always illuminated and applied by the Holy Spirit.
Hebrews 10 15 Commentary
Hebrews 10:15 is a pivotal verse, serving as a powerful divine endorsement for the author's central argument regarding the finality and superiority of Christ's sacrifice and the New Covenant. The "testimony" of the Holy Spirit here is multifaceted. Firstly, it points to the divine inspiration of the Old Testament prophets (like Jeremiah), whose words were Spirit-breathed (2 Pet 1:21) and thus constitute the Spirit's ancient witness to God's redemptive plan. Secondly, it suggests the Holy Spirit's present, internal confirmation of these truths within the hearts of believers (Rom 8:16; 1 Jn 5:6), illuminating and applying the word. This internal witness provides assurance and confidence to the audience.
The implication is profound: if God Himself, through His Spirit, testified beforehand that He would make a new covenant – one characterized by internal laws and forgotten sins – then the believers must wholeheartedly embrace Christ, the mediator of this new covenant. To revert to the Old Covenant's shadows, which the Spirit Himself revealed would be replaced, would be to reject a divine testimony. This verse functions as an unshakeable ground of certainty for the believers. It is not mere human reasoning or argument; it is God, the Holy Spirit, declaring the truth.
Practically, this verse reminds believers that the security and peace found in Christ's work are not based on human feeling or striving, but on a divine, immutable testimony. When doubts arise about the completeness of forgiveness or the sufficiency of Christ, we can recall that the Holy Spirit himself bears witness to the truth of God's 'no more memory of sins' (Heb 10:17). This provides profound comfort and solid ground for faith and perseverance.