Hebrews 10:1-4
The sacrifices of the law inadequate.... [ Continue Reading ]
The sacrifices of the law inadequate.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Finality of Christ's one sacrifice_. The law merely presents a shadow of the essential spiritual blessings and does not perfect those who seek God through it. Its sacrifices therefore must be continually repeated and the consciousness of sins is annually revived, for animal blood cannot take sins a... [ Continue Reading ]
Σκιὰν γὰρ ἔχων … The γὰρ intimates that we have here a further explanation of the finality of Christ's one sacrifice (Hebrews 9:28) and therefore of its superiority to the sacrifices of the law. The explanation consists in this that the law had only “a shadow of the good things that were to be, not... [ Continue Reading ]
The adequacy of Christ's sacrifice as fulfilling God's will. διὸ “wherefore,” “such being the ineffectiveness of the sacrifices of the law and the condition of conscience of those under them,” “when He that is ὁ Χριστός Hebrews 9:28 to whom alone εἰσερχόμ. is applicable comes into the world,” referr... [ Continue Reading ]
The significance of the quotation is now explained. “He takes the first away, that he may establish the second.” He declares the incompetence of the O.T. sacrifices to satisfy the will of God, in order that he may make room for that sacrifice which is permanently to satisfy God. Ἀνώτερον, “Higher up... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐν ᾧ θελήματι … “in which will,” that is, in the will which Christ came to do (Hebrews 10:9), “we have been made fit for God's presence and fellowship by means of the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all”. The will of God which the O.T. sacrifices could not accomplish was the “sanctific... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ introduces a new aspect of the finality of Christ's sacrifice, to wit, that “whereas every priest stands daily ministering and often offering the same sacrifices, inasmuch as they are such as never can take sins away this man having offered one sacrifice for sins for ever sat down on God's right... [ Continue Reading ]
That Christ's one sacrifice has accomplished its end of bringing men to God is illustrated by His sitting down at God's right hand.... [ Continue Reading ]
μαρτυρεῖ δὲ ἡμῖν … “And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us,” that is, that the one offering of the Son is final, for under the new covenant there is no further remembrance of sins. ἡμῖν is more naturally construed as a dativus commodi than as the object of μαρτυρεῖ. μετὰ γὰρ τὸ εἰρηκέναι. “For... [ Continue Reading ]
Proof from Scripture that the one sacrifice of Christ, the mediator of the new covenant is final.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ἔχοντες οὖν, ἀδελφοί.… “Having then, brethren, confidence for the entrance into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, a way which He inaugurated for us fresh and living, through the veil, that is, His flesh.” For the form of the sentence _cf._ Hebrews 4:14. παρρησίαν εἰς τὴν εἴσοδον, _cf._ Hebrews 3:6... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ ἱερέα μέγαν. The opened way into the holiest is not the only advantage possessed by the Christian, he has also “a great priest,” _cf._ Hebrews 4:14 ἔρχοντες οὖν ἀρχιερέα μέγαν … προσερχώμεθα. Philo (_Leg. ad Gai._, p. 1035) calls the High Priest ὁ μἐγας ἱερεύς, and so Leviticus 21:10; Numbers 35... [ Continue Reading ]
Being thus secure of an acceptable entrance προσερχώμεθα, “let us keep approaching,” that is, to God (Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 11:6); a semi-technical term. μετὰ ἀληθινῆς καρδίας, “with a true heart” (_cf._ Isaiah 38:3), not with a merely bodily approach as if all were external and symbolic, but with t... [ Continue Reading ]
A second branch of the exhortation is given in the words κατέχωμεν τὴν ὁμολογίαν … “Let us hold fast and unbending the confession of our hope,” as in Hebrews 3:6. _Cf._ also Hebrews 6:11. For as yet in this life the fulness of blessing which comes of fellowship with God is not experienced, the perfe... [ Continue Reading ]
To the exhortation to faith and hope he adds an exhortation to love: καὶ κατανοῶμεν ἀλλήλους, “and let us consider one another,” taking into account and weighing our neighbour's circumstances and especially his risks, but this with a view not to exasperating criticism but εἰς παροξυσμὸν ἀγάπης, “wit... [ Continue Reading ]
Ἑκουσίως γὰρ ἁμαρτανόντων ἡμῶν.… “For if we go on sinning wilfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no more remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain dreadful waiting for judgment and a fury of fire which is to devour the adversaries.” γὰρ, introducing an additional reason for the... [ Continue Reading ]
Dreadful result of falling from faith.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀθετήσας τις νόμον.… “Any one who has set aside Moses' law dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses,” in accordance with the law laid down in Deuteronomy 17:6 regarding apostasy; although capital punishment was not restricted to this sin. For ἀθετεῖν _cf._ 1 Thessalonians 4:8; an... [ Continue Reading ]
πόσῳ δοκεῖτε χείρονος.… “Of how much sorer punishment, think ye, will he be counted worthy, who, etc.” The argument of Hebrews 2:1-4 and Hebrews 12:25. By the parenthetically interjected δοκεῖτε he appeals to their own sense of proportion and fitness; although the judgment alluded to in ἀξιωθήσεται... [ Continue Reading ]
οἴδαμεν γὰρ τὸν εἰπόντα.… “For we know Him who said, vengeance is mine, I will repay.” The certainty of the punishment spoken of is based upon the righteousness of God. “We know who it is that said”; it is the living God (Hebrews 10:31). The quotation is from Deuteronomy 32:35 not as in the LXX but... [ Continue Reading ]
As in the parallel passage in chap. 6, the writer at Hebrews 10:9 suddenly turns from the presentation of the terrifying aspect of apostasy to make appeal to more generous motives, so here he now encourages them to perseverance by reminding them of their praiseworthy past. As Vaughan remarks, the th... [ Continue Reading ]
μὴ ἀποβάλητε οὖν τὴν παρρησίαν … “Cast not away, then, your confidence, for it has great recompense of reward”. The exhortation begun in Hebrews 10:19 is resumed, with now the added force springing from their remembrance of what they have already endured and from their consciousness of a great posse... [ Continue Reading ]