Hebrews, Deuteronomy, and Exclusion in the Early Church

Hebrews contains passages that warn against apostasy. Apostates are
depicted as outsiders whose expected fate should caution insiders not
to follow in their wake. This contribution analyses the socio-rhetorical
function of these warning passages, especially the use of Deuteronomy
in Hebrews 10, and, to trace early receptions of these passages, subse-
quently turns to a number of patristic authors, arguing that stricter and
more lenient interpretations existed already in the early church. A brief
analysis from the perspective of social identity theory underlines the
initial presumption that rather than being legal rules, they are spiritual
warnings, functioning rhetorically to keep the ranks of the believers closed.