"Do Not Forsake Gathering!"
Hebrews 10:24-25
Written: March 2026
Understanding seemingly contradictory Scriptures!
If someone says you have wronged them, as they quote the eye for eye and tooth for tooth Bible law, do you have to accept they are justified in doing to you what they consider compensatory harm? They would justify themselves using these scriptures:
Exodus 21:12 GW . . ."Whoever strikes someone and kills him must be put to death."
Leviticus 24:19-20 LITV . . .If anyone injures his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him, (20) fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him.
or... would you
educate them with Jesus's words:
Matthew 5:38-39 CEV . . .You know that you have been taught, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." [
Exod 21:24 ;
Lev 24:20 ;
Deut 19:21] (39) But I tell you not to try to get even with a person who has done something to you. When someone slaps your right cheek, turn and let that person slap your other cheek.
How can you reconcile the above seemingly opposing scriptures? If you can't, it probably means you don't really know Jesus Christ at all! (
Luke 13:23-28) The Bible is absolute Truth beginning to end! But, you need to understand who was being spoken to and when. The Law Code including "eye for eye" was given through Moses to the Jewish Nation
[which Law included the Ten Commandments] about 3500 years ago. The Jews, as a nation, were then being used by God to produce the long before promised Messiah:
Jesus Christ. (
Gen 3:15;
Gen 22:15-18) The Law was a tutor leading the Jews to Christ, (
Gal 3:24-29 of 19-29) who came to us with the ability and training to teach us what his Father wanted us to know. (
John 18:37;
John 5:19-24;
John 8:26-30) Now that he has arrived, we listen to The Christ rather than the Law Code; which was used to help produce him. Jesus's new law of love didn't negate the value of the Law Code.
The Law had protected the ancient Jewish nation so they could be clean enough in God's eyes to provide the woman who would give birth to God's son! The point: To understand what God wanted us to know when he recorded any Bible verse, we need to know who He was addressing and how those scriptures fit into the overall view of God's 6000 year long creation and revelation of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. (
Rev 21:1-4) So...
Why is Hebrews chapter 10 verses 24 and 25 important? Why should we consider how it applies to us in our day! Understanding those verses is important because they are used as a trap by every single vile church or religious sect trying to enslave minds and hearts. (John 8:31-32) Religionists each and all want to convince you they are God's chosen people and will almost always show you Heb 10:24-25 as they warn you should not forsake gathering with "them" to be pleasing to God. That actually does demonstrate a huge and important failing and difference between real Christians and apostate Religionists: All true Christians are identified by directing you to read the four short Gospel recordings of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, where Jesus words and actions are recorded in parallel accounts. The rest of the Bible is also important, of course, as it exists in support of the Christ!
(Gal 3:23-25) Reading the Gospels is how we in modern times sit at Jesus's feet and gain the joy of becoming his friends and part of his family... (Mark 3:31-35; Gal 3:23-29) Very important for YOU to understand from this: It is not possible to join some sect of men to gain friendship with Christ. (John 15:11-16)
Potential Trap: I do know from personal experience, any church you have even the least bit of faith in, or hope for, can use those verses from Hebrews to help enslave you, and then, to keep you enslaved! To avoid being duped, we all just need to realize who Paul was talking to when he wrote the Book of Hebrews, and when. That is the only way to know God's meaning in the letter He inspired Paul to write to the Hebrews, and how it applies to the rest of us 2000 years later, during these troublesome last days. (2 Tim 3:14-17) Everyone today, Jew or Gentile, must have abandoned the ten commandments and the rest of the Law Code in favor of obedience to Jesus Christ. (Gal 5:4; Mat 17:5) We have to understand the different sections of the one same perfect message of Truth God recorded in the Bible, can have different applications at different times, based on where we live in the stream of time the Bible records. God's ancient servants [the Jews] were instructed and required to obey their ancient Jewish Law Code; including its "eye for eye"...
Christians, however, are required to obey Jesus Christ, which is the fulfillment of the purpose of the old Law Code! High Priest Christ's (Heb 5:4-10; Heb 2:14-18) Law of Love [changing hearts] supersedes and or fulfills the Mosaic Law of commands. (John 13:34-35; Heb 8:6-13; Gal 6:2; Heb 7:12; Heb 12:22-24; Mat 28:18-20; Gal 5:4)
Purpose of the Book of Hebrews: So then, to help us better understand what these verses from Hebrews mean for us in our day, we ask: When and to whom was the letter of Hebrews written? It was about 2000 years ago, when Judaism was being replaced/fulfilled by Jesus Christ through his then new Christian movement. The Jewish form or worship, which had for 1500 years been the only proper way to worship יהוה, the one true God, was being replace or upgraded to Christianity. (John 4:16-26) The Apostle Paul was a former Jew (Acts 23:6; Philippians 3:4-9) whom Jesus Christ had personally converted to Christianity; (Acts 9:1-22) making Paul the 13th Apostle. (Mark 3:13-14; Rom 1:1) In this Bible Book of Hebrews, Paul was writing to the Christians in that area who had, like him, converted from Judaism. He was writing those Hebrew Christians in about 61 CE, nearly 30 years after Christ was martyred. That was also the time when the Hebrew Christians former holy city of Jerusalem was about to be destroyed by the Roman legions, some 5 years after Paul's letter [Jerusalem's destruction in 66 CE]. Even though they had abandoned Judaism and become Christians, many of those Hebrews lived in and around Jerusalem, so her destruction would be shocking as well as something they would have to survive through. In addition to facing Jerusalem's destruction, the Christian congregations were persecuted by the Jews just like Jesus had been. So, Paul told them not to forsake gathering together to support and encourage each other. The Hebrews were being persecuted by the zealous Jews and facing the destruction of what they had known from birth as the True God's only approved way of life. So, they certainly needed Paul's letter!
As to Paul's encouragement for the ancient Hebrew Christians not to forsake gathering together, what should we take his words to them to mean for us. Since our Lord could see the bigger picture, we should begin with noting what Jesus himself said about our gathering together in our end of days, days that somewhat parallel the destruction of ancient Jerusalem. We are similarly facing the destruction of what we have known as a way of life. Jesus said:
Matthew 7:15-23 GNB "Be on your guard against false prophets; they come to you looking like sheep on the outside, but on the inside they are really like wild wolves. (16) You will know them by what they do.
[Good fruit is directing people to listen to Christ for themselves, bad fruit is directing people to anyone else; (Mat 17:5) or just failing to direct them to listen to God's Son.]
Thorn bushes do not bear grapes, and briers do not bear figs. (17) A healthy tree bears good fruit, but a poor tree bears bad fruit. (18) A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a poor tree cannot bear good fruit. (19) And any tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown in the fire. (20) So then, you will know the false prophets by what they do. (21) "Not everyone who calls me 'Lord, Lord' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only those who do what my Father in heaven wants them to do.
(22)
When the Judgment Day comes, many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord! In your name we spoke God's message, by your name we drove out many demons and performed many miracles!' (23) Then I will say to them, 'I never knew you. Get away from me, you wicked people!'"
Matthew 24:23-28 MWT Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There he is!' do not believe it. (24) For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even those being chosen. (25) See, I have told you beforehand. (26) So, if they say to you, 'Look, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out. If they say, 'Look, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. (27) For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
[Like heat lightening that is not actually seen, but illuminates everything, Christ is present in the Gospels and illuminating everything on earth by his teachings.]
(28) Wherever the body is, (
John 6:53-58) there the eagles will gather.
[The remains or body or corpse of Christ is the body of his teachings, as preserved in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John]
Matthew 24:10-15 CEV
. . .Many will give up and will betray and hate each other. (11) Many false prophets will come and fool a lot of people. (12) Evil will spread and cause many people to stop loving others. (13) But if you keep on being faithful right to the end, you will be saved. (14)
When the good news about the kingdom has been preached all over the world and told to all nations, the end will come.
Clearly Jesus was warning us about a "lot" of people who would be encouraging us to join with them and not forsake their gathering... It seems they are sincere enough to try and convince or remind Christ of their integrity. Sadly, however, they have been followers of men. (Mat 15:7-9; Mark 7:6-9; Col 2:8) Remember: Religionists are Satan's often unknowing tools (Mat 3:7-10) and you are just a human. They only way you can avoid being misled by them is if you are not listening to them; and, YOU "ARE" listening to Christ. All true Christians know and share that simple truth!
Gathering Safely in our day: Don't misunderstand, the gathering with other Christians is still important, of course. How, though, in the light of these and the many other warnings by Christ about the need to be constantly on guard against false prophets, (Mat 23:1-15) can we gather with others of like faith? It's simple, really! We just need to be gathered with eagles!
All who would follow Christ must understand the membership roll of Christians is kept in heaven. (Luke 10:20) We can never judge who else is or is not on that heavenly scroll. But, we can identify that we are on it! How? By being gathered to feed at the body of Christ. What is Christ's body or his remains and how to we gather there? His body is, of course, his teachings. If you are reading the words of Christ over and over every day, to a familiarity and understanding of his words, thus becoming his friend, (John 15:11-16) that is feeding on his remains. You are gathered with Eagles! Who, though, knows who you are? Certainly no man or woman! You are known by Jesus, and then by his Father through your expression of faith in Christ, and by your own self, if your are wise! So... Those with true faith in Christ await our deliverance from this tribulation into paradise by God's war of Armageddon; forever destroying all the wicked. So, we gather with others hopefully of like faith when we discuss these Bible truths [Jesus's words] with them. (Mat 18:19-20) Our sincerity in Christ in any such assembly is our part in gathering with Eagles, and, along with other sincere Christians in the group, we have great power. (2 Cor 10:3-6) That frees you from gathering with some church or sect based on "their group doctrine" of faith; having to hope you're are not gathered in a nest of the false prophets Jesus warned against. You are not their judge, so how could you know who around you is sincere? Speaking with others about "your" faith, if it is in harmony with what Jesus taught, decides and preserves your life! (Mal 3:16-4:3)
So, the point is you really can't join any church or religious sect and think that is applying Heb 10:24-25, especially if they assure you it is! True Christians know better! You are a Christian based on your faith in what you personally know Jesus taught! That's all that defines you... In view of Jesus's words, then, how could you feel safe in giving your support to some huge sect of people, your approved membership and your calling yourself by their named sect giving public witness you attest to their asserted righteousness? (Luke 13:24-28) Best not! (Mat 18:18-20; Mal 3:16-4:3)
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