The epistle to the Hebrews 9:11-28

Hebrews

9:11-28

The Argument Proper

1. The sufficiency of Christ's atonement, 7:1-10:25

iii] The ministry of Jesus our great high priest, 8:1-10:18

d) Christ's eternal redemption

Argument

In the passage before us, the Rhetor examines all three elements of a priestly atoning ministry, a sacrifice offered before God, offered in a particular place, and in line with a God ordained agreement, namely the covenant. The focus now moves to Jesus' high-priestly ministry. "Jesus enters the heavenly Most Holy place by means of his own sacrifice, securing for believers ultimate cleansing from sin and eternal redemption", Moo.

Issues

i] Context: See 8:1-6. The development of the argument over 9:11-28 is somewhat complex. This has led to little agreement on how the passage unfolds. Some commentators divide it into 2 parts, eg., v11-14 and 15 to 28, and others into 3 parts, eg., v11-14, 15-22, and 23-28. Moo argues that the Rhetor develops a single argument, namely, "Christ has appeared at the turn of the ages as our high priest who, entering the heavenly Most Holy Place (the presence of God), offers a definitive sacrifice that deals decisively with the human sin problem", Moo. The unit is packaged with the statement that Christ has appeared as a "high priest of the good things that have come", v11 (v11-14), "at the culmination of the ages", v26 (v23-28), ie., the whole argument sits within an eschatological frame.

ii] Background: A general introduction; See 1:1-4. As already noted, the Rhetor's argument sits well with a Semitic believer well versed in the liturgical rites of the temple and synagogue, but is obtuse, at best, to the Western mind. The Western mind gets Paul's argument for the complete effectiveness of Christ's atonement, less so for the Rhetor's argument. Both men argue for the same truth, but the East / West, "oil and water", divide seems to apply. Mind you, as Count Zinzendorf once noted, the English mind does have its own problems - the notion of the all-encompassing grace of God seems far too simple to be true.

iii] Structure: Christ's eternal redemption:

Eternal redemption through Christ, v11-15;

Christ went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle;

by his own blood;

thus obtaining eternal redemption.

ei, "if the blood of goats ....... sanctify ...;

posw/ mallon, "how much more the blood of Christ ..

Conclusion, v15;

Therefore, Christ is the mediator of a new covenant.

A covenant agreement and the spilling of blood, v16-28;

Illustration: Will making, v16-17;

The necessity to prove death.

How this applies to the old covenant, v18-22;

not put into effect without blood / death.

How this applies to the new covenant, v23-28;

Christ did away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.

iv] Interpretation:

In 9:1-10 the Rhetor describes the earthly sanctuary, the tabernacle and its furnishings, and this along with the function of the high priest. He then notes its limitations - "the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshipper", v9. None-the-less, it remained in service "until the time of the new order", v10. Now, in v11-14, the Rhetor describes the new order, he describes the perfection of "the greater and more perfect tabernacle" and of the "eternal redemption" made possibly through the sacrifice of Christ.

What we have in Christ is not a fallible high priest, able to do little more than ritually cleanse the sinner (ritually cleanse the outward body for fellowship within Israel's cult, but do nothing for the stains of sin within for fellowship with the living God). In Christ we have a high priest who is able to obtain on our behalf a cleansing in his blood from the sins that lead to death, and thus gain for us eternal redemption, and in so doing inaugurate a new covenant, v15. The Rhetor will move on to expand on the connection between death and covenant, first in the process of will-making, v16-17, examined in relation to the old covenant, v18-23, and the new covenant, v24-28.

The Rhetor goes on to make the point that the first covenant was not inaugurated without death (a kind of theses statement), v18. He then goes on to explain how this eventuated in an examination of Exodus 24:1-8, of the shedding of blood for cleansing during the inauguration of the first covenant.

The sacrificial system operative in old Israel was a necessary model for the time, but it was nothing more than an image of a heavenly reality that required a far more effective sacrifice, namely, the one performed by Christ. A better sacrifice was required for "the heavenly things." The Rhetor makes three points with regard to these "better sacrifices" of the new covenant: First, The sanctuary that Christ enters is the true one found in heaven and exists in God's presence, v24; Second, Christ's sacrifice is superior in that it is a once-only sacrifice, v25-26; Third, Christ's sacrifice brings salvation rather than judgment, v27-28.

Christ secured "eternal redemption" "through / by means of (dia + gen.) his own blood", v12.

The Rhetor continues to draw on the Day of Atonement rituals of old Israel, referring to the blood of sacrificed animals sprinkled on the Mercy-seat in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle, a rite undertaken to atone for the sins of the high priest and the people. Jesus enters the heavenly tabernacle by his own blood (not with his own blood). Yet, what function is our author attributing to the blood.

The more conservative commentators take the imagery of blood as a reference to Christ's "sacrificial death", Bruce, with the sense that "Christ's death on the cross is the final sacrifice that puts away sin", Morris. So, this reference to blood is forensic in nature, a payment for sin, the offering of a substitute, an act of propitiation in the sense of making amends (rather than mollifying), an act of redemption in the sense of the payment of a price for release / freedom, and it was performed "once for all", never to be repeated.

This theological perspective of the cross is counted by those who argue that blood is used here in the sense of an image of life, the life-giving that Christ offers to lost humanity, or simply reconciliation, the restoration of a life-giving relationship with God, an act that effects an at-one-ment. Others have even argued that "blood" is simply being used here as an image of death.

What are the ta epourania, "the heavenly things", which require cleansing?

The tabernacle ("man-made sanctuary", v24, cf.8:5), God's earthly dwelling place, is an earthly copy of the "heavenly things" - a spiritual reality. God's spiritual dwelling place is best understood as the body of Christ, the people of God. This people assembles both here on earth as the church, and in heaven as the great crowd beyond numbering, gathered with Christ before the throne of God. The people of God is the dwelling place of God, and we are the ones who must be cleansed.

Our cleansing for eternal habitation requires, not an outward washing away of cultic impurity, but an inward spiritual cleansing of the soul. Such a cleansing will require a superior sacrifice to achieve our purification. As the tabernacle needed to be cleansed so that God could manifest himself and dwell among his people, so too must the people of God today (the spiritual tabernacle) be cleansed in order to become "a habitation of God in the Spirit", Eph.2:22.

So, for the body of Christ to know and serve the living God, 1Pet,2:5, it must be cleansed by the perfect sacrifice of Christ, 1Pet.1:2, 19, 22. The Rhetor is not speaking of some ongoing cleansing for our day to day sins, rather a once and for all cleansing of all those who come to Christ.

Of course, it is possible to argue that heaven is in mind, although what needs cleansing in heaven? Morris suggests the "spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms", Eph.6:12, cf., Col.1:20. Interesting! If life is the training ground for eternity, what are we being trained for? Harp playing doesn't seem to be on the curriculum.

v] Homiletics: Freedom from Guilt

[illustration] The practice of confession is very strong in the Christian church. In confession we tell God all the things we have done wrong and ask him to forgive us. On the basis of the promise of scripture we believe that those who confess their sins are forgiven. So, the confession of sins is an ingrained aspect of Christian piety. We believe that we neglect confession at great risk.

The word "confession" in the New Testament is used in a number of ways. For example, it is often used of confessing our faith in Jesus Christ, Jn.9:22, Matt.8:29, or of our repentance in the face of the gospel, Lk.15:21, 18:13, 19:8 (cf. 1Jn.1:5-10 also best understood as repentance). Yet, what of the daily or weekly confession of our failings?

There is a small passage in James 5:16 which is often used to encourage us in daily confession. "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." This certainly emphasises confession, and it is often argued that God should be the focus of this confession. Yet, James is clearly dealing with offence caused within the fellowship of believers and refers to the serious consequences that follow. He is calling for a recognition of wrong behaviour, a willingness to admit that wrong to fellow church members and a willingness to turn from it. Note the parallels with Paul's words in first Corinthians 11:30. James' argument is that when we cause offence to our brothers and sisters, thus dividing the unity we have in Christ, the consequences are dramatic and so we need to do something about it.

It is good to remember our frailty and that "but by the grace of God ....", yet there is no value in constantly listing our failings before God, as if their declaration is a necessary first step in our approach to God. The truth is that all our sins, whether past, present and future, are dealt with by Christ. "Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people", Heb.9:28. Christ "appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself", Heb.9:26. There is no stain, blot, sin, evil.... which we might have committed last week which can in any way affect our standing in the sight of God. How good we are, or how compromised we are, has nothing whatsoever to do with our relationship with God. He accepts us as his sons and daughters forever, he hears and answers our prayers of faith, all on the basis of our resting on the faithfulness of Christ.

So, a time of confession that serves to remind us of our state of loss before God and of his grace of forgiveness in Christ, is good and proper; confession that is nothing more than a listing of daily failings, is little more than a good work devoid of God's grace in Christ.

Text - 9:11

Christ's eternal redemption, v11-28: i] Eternal redemption through Christ, v11-15. In Leviticus chapter 16, we are told of how, on the day of atonement, the high priest, after performing complicated sacrificial rites, moved through the tabernacle to arrive in the Holy of Holies before the presence of the Lord. The Rhetor takes up this image and points out that Christ, as a high priest who has saved his people through his own perfect sacrifice, has similarly arrived in the presence of the "Living God", having passed through the divine canopy, a heavenly tent not made with hands. Israel's high priest offered a series of animal sacrifices before entering the tabernacle's inner sanctuary and passing through to the Holy of Holies. Jesus, on the other hand, has offered his own blood-sacrifice; he gave himself up to the cross; Jesus' high priestly sacrificial work is complete.

a) Christ went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, v11-12. The main verb of this Greek sentence is eishlqen, "he entered", v12; "Christ, having become ........ entered only once into the [holy of] holies." Christ's high-priestly act was a once only affair in that it perfectly, once-and-for-all, obtained eternal redemption for God's covenant people.

de "but" - but/and. Lane argues that the conjunction correlates with men in v1, but such a separation is probably too great for an adversative comparative construction. More likely transitional, introducing the next step in the argument. None-the-less, an adversative "but" is found in many translations; "But now the time of reformation has arrived; what used to be the good things to come (ARV) are now the good things that have come", RSV, Bruce.

paragenomenoV (paraginomai) aor. part. "when [Christ] came" - [christ] having came, appeared [high priest]. The participle is adverbial, usually treated as temporal; "When Christ arrived on the scene", the heavenly scene that is, not the earthly / historical scene, although Kistemaker disagrees, arguing that the reference is to Christ's entire earthly ministry. On the other hand, the participle could simply be treated as attendant circumstance, expressing action accompanying the main verb "he entered", v12, "Christ appeared ......, and entered".

twn ... agaqwn adj. "of the good things" - of the good things. The genitive adjective serves as a substantive, adjectival, descriptive, source / agent, or verbal, objective, "a high priest concerned with the implementation of the good things"; "of the bliss that was to be", Moffatt. The "good things" are presumably the blessings of the covenant, cf., Ellingworth. Lane identifies them specifically as cleansing and access to God.

paragenomenoV (paraginomai) aor. part. "that are already here" - having come about. The participle is adjectival, attributive, limiting "the good things." The time frame is unclear, given the presence of a textual variant. Is it now, as NIV, or not yet, namely, "the good things which are to come", Barclay? Note NEB, "already in being", or footnote, "which were / are to be."

dia + gen. "went through" - through [the greater and more perfect]. With the genitive, this preposition may be taken either as instrumental, means or agent by which something is done (the tabernacle is the instrument by which Christ entered the heavenlies), or local, as an extension by which something or someone passes through an area or object (Christ arrived in the heavenlies by passing through the tabernacle). A local meaning seems best.

ou ceiropoihtou adj. "that is not man-made / that is not made with human hands" - [tent / tabernacle] not made with hands. As with "greater and more perfect", this descriptor simply elaborates on the the idea of a "better" covenant. The meaning of the tabernacle is often spiritualised to mean Christ's body, the church etc. Yet this tabernacle, "not made with hands", is the spiritual reality of the earthly tent where the priests performed Israel's cultic rites. As the high priest passed through this space to come into the holy of holies, so Christ has passed through the heavenly reality into the presence of the "Living God. So, the imagery employed is of a heavenly tent, a divine canopy under which God dwells.

tout estin "that is to say" - that is. Explanatory.

thV ktisewV gen. "[this] creation" - [not of this] creation. The genitive is adjectival, descriptive, idiomatic / source; "That is to say, it is not part of the created world at all", Barclay.

v12

This verse is very important in Adventism, of Christ entering a real / literal heavenly sanctuary in 1844 and commencing his atoning ministry prior to his return. The very basis of Adventism rests on a literal, rather than figurative, take of the heavenly sanctuary. See the writings of W.G Johnson as he wrestles with the issue for the Adventist cause.

oude "he did [not] enter" - he entered, [neither]. " Main verb of the Gk., sentence, v11-12. When Christ passed through the heavenly tabernacle, he did not enter ..."

di (dia) + gen. "by means of" - through [blood of goats and bulls]. Instrumental, expressing means. Christ did not pass through the tent having offered an inferior blood-sacrifice. The Rhetor generalises the atonement blood-sacrifice which actually consisted of one bull, two rams and one he-goat. The genitives "of goats and bulls", as with "of his own", is adjectival, possessive, identifying the possession of a derivative characteristic.

de "but" - but/and [he entered once only into the holy of holies]. Used here as an adversative in a counterpoint construction, "not ....., but ...".

dia + gen. "by" - through, by means of. Again instrumental, "by means of", but possibly agency, "with".

tou idiou gen. "his own [blood]" - [the blood] of one's own. The genitive is adjectival, possessive, as above. Again, the imagery is of the high priestly sacrificial offerings which enable him to move into the tabernacle's inner sanctuary. Christ's move is sanctioned by offering a sacrifice which is "his own blood." How Christ actually offered his blood in the heavenly throne-room is much debated, but surely we have a figurative truth here, not a literal truth.

euJramenoV (euJriskw) mid. part. "having obtained" - having secured. The participle is adverbial, possibly temporal, "when / after he obtained", or consecutive, expressing result "and so as a result obtained", or final, expressing purpose, "in order to obtain". Presumably the action of "obtaining" is subsequent to the action of "entering", but it is debated, and produces different translations; the NIV opts for subsequent action, so NRSV, ESV, Lane, .... "Obtain" in the middle is common in classical use - Christ's sacrifice obtains for us ....

aiwnian lutrwsin "eternal redemption" - eternal redemption. Accusative object of the participle "having secured". Christ's sacrifice obtains an eternal purchase out of slavery, unlike that of the earthly atonement sacrifice which achieves only limited results and must be repeated. "He took his own blood and obtained eternal salvation for us", TEV.

v13

b) The effectiveness of Christ's sacrifice is compared with the limitations of the sacrifices offered by the earthly high priests, v13-14. The old sacrificial system, with its shedding of blood, ashing, sprinkling of blood, or sprinkling of the water of purification, had only a limited effect. The sacrificial system could only deal with cultic impurity caused by the inadvertent breaking of the law, ie., ritual cleansing (the Rhetor does use the verb aJagiazw,"sanctify", but only "for the purity of the flesh"). So, for example, a sacrifice could purify a person where they had come into contact with a corpse. The Levitical system could make a person "outwardly clean", but was quite unable to deal with the stain of a sin wilfully committed.

gar "-" - for. More reason than cause, here introducing an explanation of v11-12; "For if the blood of goats and bulls ....", Moffatt.

ei "-" - if. Introducing a conditional clause 1st. class where the condition is assumed to be true for argument's sake, "if, as is the case, for argument's sake, ..... how much more then ....." The apodosis is found in v14.

damalewV (iV ewV) gen. "[the ashes] of a heifer" - [the blood of goats and bulls and ashes] of a heifer. The genitive is adjectival, possessive, as for "blood of goats", v12, "the ashes pertaining to a heifer". Referring to the sin offering where the sacrifice of a red heifer's ashes are sprinkled on the outside of the tabernacle and added to the water of ritual purification, Num.19:4ff. This was possibly a high priestly duty, although not part of the day of atonement rituals. Probably the writer assumes the ritual is a high priestly duty and therefore includes it.

rJantizousa (rJantizw) pres. part. "sprinkled" - sprinkling. The participle is usually treated as adverbial, probably best taken as temporal, "but if ....., as it sprinkles those who are stained", Berkeley, but possibly instrumental, expressing means, "by sprinkling". It may also be treated as adjectival, attributive, so Lane. The participle is feminine in agreement with "ashes", but "blood" would be included in the purifying, even possibly intended. Neither are actually sprinkled on people, but they do function to outwardly cleanse the people. The Rhetor is speaking figuratively - the details are unimportant since the effectiveness of the ritual is limited.

touV kekoinwmenouV (koinow) perf. part. "those who are ceremonially unclean" - the ones having been common, unclean. The participle serves as a substantive, accusative object of the participle "sprinkling"; "those who have suffered defilement", Cassirer.

aJgiazei (aJgiazw) pres. "sanctify" - sanctifies, makes holy. The verb is used here in the sense of the removal of cultic impurity. It is limited in that it is a "cleansing of the flesh" eg., the removal of cultic impurity caused by contact with a corpse, Num.19:11-23. The sanctification provided by Christ is of a totally different order in that it is of the inward being. "So, physically purifies those who have become ritually unclean (so) that they are rendered fit to enter God's presence in worship", Barclay.

proV + acc. "so that" - toward. Here expressing purpose / end view; "for the purification of the flesh", ESV.

thV sarkoV (x koV) gen. "outwardly [clean]" - [the purification] of the flesh. The genitive is adjectival limiting "purification", possibly verbal, objective, but attributive, as NIV, seems better; "so that they are physically purified" = limited to being "considered clean" for the "worship of God", CEV.

v14

The Rhetor goes on to underline the superior nature of Christ's sacrifice. Christ's blood-sacrifice involved, not just the shedding of his physical blood, but the giving up of his whole spiritual being. Also, his offering was morally blameless - it was a perfect sacrifice. The consequence of Christ's sacrifice, for those in a relationship with him, involves spiritual cleansing, an inward cleansing of the soul, a washing away of the stain of sin rather than outward ritual impurity. As a result of this cleansing, believers begin to live a Christlike life, ie., grace makes us gracious (as opposed to law which stirs up our natural sinfulness to rebellion).

posw/ dat. pro. "how much [more]" - by how much more then. This pronoun, a dative of degree or difference, with the comparative of mala, serves either as an exclamation, or the introduction of a rhetorical question. The phrase "how much more then" introduces the apodosis of the conditional clause commenced in v13 - here the positive side of the comparison.

tou Cristou (oV) gen. "of Christ" - [the blood (= sacrifice)] of christ. The genitive is adjectival, possessive, "pertaining to", as for "the blood of goats", v12. Given that "sacrifice" is a verbal noun, it may be treated as verbal, subjective, "the sacrifice enacted by Christ."

dia "through" - [who] through, by means of. Instrumental use of the preposition / agency. Lane suggests that the relative pronoun o}V, "who", introduces the reason for the effective nature of Christ "blood" = sacrifice.

pneumatoV (a atoV) "the [eternal] Spirit" - [eternal] spirit. The NIV opts for the involvement of the Holy Spirit in Christ's sacrifice by capitalising the word "Spirit". This trinitarian understanding (ie., the involvement of the Holy Spirit, along with the Father, in Christ's sacrifice) of the passage has strong support, cf., Morris, Koester, Ellingworth, ... On the other hand, it is possible that our author is making the point that Jesus' sacrifice was not, in substance, just fleshly, as was the sacrifice of the animals. Christ's eternal spiritual being, his divine nature, his whole spiritual self, was sacrificed on the cross, not just his fleshly body. In this sense, his sacrifice was superior, cf., Attridge, Cockerill, p398 .... It is worth noting that the term "eternal" is never used of the Holy Spirit, although that doesn't mean it is an improper descriptor to apply to the Holy Spirit.

eJauton pro. "himself" - himself. The position of this reflexive pronoun before the verb is emphatic. Unlike the cultic sacrifices, Jesus the high priest doesn't offer animal sacrifices; he offers himself.

amwmon (oV) "unblemished" - [offered himself] spotless, blameless. The reference is clearly to the sacrificial animal being without physical blemish. In Christ's case, "unblemished" doesn't quite fit. Christ is morally "blameless" and the word is usually given this meaning when referring to Christ in the New Testament, eg., Eph.1:4, 5:27... "He offered himself as the perfect sacrifice", Phillips.

tw/ qew/ (oV) dat. "to God" - to god. Dative of indirect object / interest, advantage.

kaqariei (kaqarizw) fut. "will .... cleanse" - will cleanse [the = our conscience]. "The future tense expresses certainty because its fulfilment is expected", Kistemaker, or possibly just gnomic. Is the Rhetor suggesting that as well as cleansing us from sin, Christ's sacrifice cleanses the conscience, cleanses the inner voice, cleanses the facility to distinguish between right and wrong? It is true that those who walk by the Spirit put to death the misdeeds of the flesh (although imperfectly) - believers are strengthened by the Spirit in their Christian walk. With Christ beside us we see sin for what it is and are better able to stand against temptation. Yet, the Rhetor is more likely focusing on the inward and spiritual purification from sin that comes through Christ's sacrifice, as compared to the mere outward purification rendered by cultic animal sacrifices.

hJmwn "our [conscience]" - of us. Variant "your".

apo + gen. "from" - Expressing separation; "away from."

nekrwn gen. adj. "[acts] that lead to death" - dead [works]. These are the works which separate us from God, ie., they are unable to give life. Possibly works which are the product of inward spiritual defilement rather than works that are the product of the renewing Spirit of Christ.

eiV to + inf. "so that [we may serve]" - for [to give service to]. This construction usually introduces a purpose clause, "in order that", often expressed as a hypothetical result, "so that", as NIV. The word "serve" is, at times, used of performing cultic rituals (eg., 8:5), although not in the sense of adoration, but in the sense of doing, serving, performing religious duties. So, a meaning like "worship" is inappropriate. Those who are freed from the curse of death find themselves freed to be compassionate as He is compassionate. "So that we turn our backs on actions without any life in them and instead give ourselves up to the service of God", Cassirer.

zwnti (zaw) dat. pres. part. "living" - [the god] living. The participle is adjectival, attributive, limiting "God", dative after the infinitive "to give service to". Usually treated as definite. The God we serve is living; he is not an inanimate idol.

v15

c) The mediator of the new covenant, v15. Given the "how much more" valuable Jesus high-priestly offering is, dia touto, "therefore", through his death he is the mediator of a new covenant where its promises are realised for Abraham's children (ie., children of faith) past, present and future, namely apolutrwsiV, "redemption", a setting free by means of a price paid for sinners in captivity to sin and death. This concluding statement sums up the Rhetor's argument, namely that Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that he achieves this through his atoning death (a setting free by the payment of a price), and that as a result, the children of faith "receive the promised eternal inheritance".

kai "-" - and. The use a a coordinating kai likely indicates that this verse is part of the paragraph commenced by de in v11, with v16-28 the next major paragraph. This issue is a matter of some debate.

dia touto "For this reason" - because of this. This causal construction usually takes an inferential sense.

diaqhkhV (h) gen. "[new] covenant" - [he is a mediator (qualitative)] of a [new] covenant. The genitive is adjectival, usually treated as verbal, objective, ie., Jesus mediates a new covenant. "New covenant" is emphatic by position (forward placement).

oJpwV + subj. "that" - in order that [the ones having been called may receive]. This construction serves to introduce a final clause expressing purpose.

oiJ keklhmenoi (kalew) perf. mid. part. "those who are called" - the ones having been called. The participle serves as a substantive, subject of the subjunctive verb "may receive".

thV ... klhronomiaV (a) gen. "[eternal] inheritance" - [may receive the promise] of the [eternal] inheritance. The genitive is adjectival, probably epexegetic, specifying "the promise", so Ellingworth, although Harris argues it is more likely verbal, objective, "the eternal inheritance promised to them", Cassirer.

genomenou (ginomai) gen. aor. part. "now that he has [died]" - [death] having happened. The genitive participle with its genitive subject "death" forms a genitive absolute construction, temporal, as NIV; "now that a death has occurred which redeems them from transgressions", Moffatt. Ellingworth suggests it is causal, "because", and Miller opts for instrumental, means.

eiV + acc. "as [a ransom to set them free]" - into [the freedom, deliverance, release / redemption, ransom]. The preposition here expresses purpose / end-view; "(in order) to bring liberation from sins committed under the former covenant", REB. Deliverance through the payment of a price is probably the intended sense of apolutrwsiV, as NIV, although this sense is much debated, with many commentators stressing liberation / forgiveness, as REB. The question is always, to whom is the price paid? Obviously not God, but possibly to the just demands of covenant law, ie., at the point when the just verdict is delivered, Jesus takes our place.

twn .. parabasewn (iV ewV) gen. "from the sins committed" - of the transgressions. The genitive is ablative, expressing separation, "away from".

epi + dat. "under" - upon [the first covenant]. Usually taken as local, "under", but temporal is possible, "while", "in the first covenant", Moffatt.

v16

ii] A covenant agreement and the spilling of blood, v16-28; The issue of a price paid, namely death, and its connection to a covenant agreement, is central to the Rhetor's argument. So, he now goes on to establish the necessity of death for the establishment of a covenant agreement. This is illustrated in v16-17 in connection with a will and death. It is noted as the basis of the first covenant - "it was not put in effect without blood", v18. This is explained with relation to the Levitical sacrificial rituals of the first covenant, v19-21, leading to the proposition in v22 that "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." In the next paragraph he will go on to explain how this applies to the new covenant, v23-28.

a) Illustration: Will making, v16-17. "A covenant requires the death of the one that establishes it", Grindheim. The noun diaqhkh, "covenant", in the ancient world referred to a solemn agreement made between the most powerful of nations, as well as the humblest of individuals. It was a legal document outlining rights and obligations between two parties, each party holding a copy of the document. The agreement of concern in Hebrews is the agreement between God and his people. In the Rhetor's time, such an agreement was commonly used to enable the disposition of property upon the death of the one who initiated the agreement. Such an agreement / covenant we call a will. They probably called it a testament, but whatever name we want to give it, for the Rhetor it serves to illustrate that such an agreement only comes into effect at death. When we compare the old covenant with the new, only the sacrifice of Christ was effective, v23-28; the sacrifices of the Levitical priesthood were ineffective, v18-22. So, the first covenant, although inaugurated in death / blood, was never realised because the death / blood offered of the day of atonement was never enough to cover the intentional sins of the people.

gar "-" - for. More reason than cause, introducing an explanation of the relationship between death and a covenant agreement.

o{pou "In the case of" - where [there is a covenant = will]. Local use of the conjunction, metaphorical.

feresqai (ferw) pres. inf. "to prove" - [death] to carry, bring = to establish [of the one having made a covenant is a necessity]. The infinitive forms a nominal phrase subject of the assumed verb to-be. The noun qanaton, "death", serves as the accusative subject of the infinitive.

tou diaqemenou (diatiqhmi) gen. aor. mid. part. "of the one who made it" - of the one having made a covenant = will. The participle serves as a substantive, the genitive being adjectival, usually treated as verbal, subjective, as NIV.

v17

gar "because" - for [upon (on the basis of) a corpse = at death it is sure = valid = in force]. A marker of logical development, explaining why it is necessary to prove the death of the person who drew up the agreement in the first place.

epei "-" - because [lest = it is not able (it is invalid)]. The causal conjunction introduces a causal clause.

o{te "while" - when. The temporal conjunction introduces a temporal clause, best treated as durative, "while", as NIV.

oJ diaqemenoV (diatiqhmi) aor. part. "the one who made it" - the one making (the testator) [lives]. The participle serves as a substantive, subject of the verb "to live".

v18

b) How this applies to the old covenant, v18-22. Death (the shedding of blood) similarly inaugurates (puts it into effect, v18) and seeks to realise the first covenant (achieve "forgiveness", v14, 22). The Rhetor amalgamates the blood offering of young bulls with the blood offerings associated with the day of atonement rituals. At inauguration, the sacrifice of young bulls served to remind Israel that death will follow if they fail to honour the agreement, and then in the following years, ongoing blood offerings sought to realise the benefits of the agreement, namely to purify for forgiveness. Yet, as already established in v11-14, this blood / death offering came up short and so failed to activate the covenant promises, v13. Now with the inauguration of the renewed covenant, Christ our high priest has made "a better sacrifice", so activating its promised blessings, v23-28.

o{qen "This is why" - therefore [the first covenant was not dedicated, inaugurated, put into effect]. Inferential, drawing a logical conclusion.

cwriV + gen. "without" - apart from [blood]. Expressing separation.

v19

The Rhetor references Exodus 24 for the inauguration of the covenant. The purifying elements added to the account have prompted endless debate. Grindheim suggests that the Rhetor is conflating the purifying undertaken by Moses with the purifying undertaken by the high priest - a mixing of inauguration and realisation.

lalhqeishV (lalew) aor. pas. part. "When [Moses] proclaimed" - [for every command] having been said [according to the law]. The genitive participle and its genitive subject "every command", forms a genitive absolute construction, probably temporal.

uJpo + gen. "-" - by [moses]. Instrumental, expressing agency.

tw/ law/ (oV) dat. "to [all] the people" - to [all] the people. Dative of indirect object.

labwn (lambanw) aor. part. "he took" - having taken [the blood of bulls and goats with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, he sprinkled both the scroll itself and all the people]. Usually treated as an attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "to sprinkle". The genitive "of calves" is possessive, identifying the possession of a derivative characteristic, "the blood pertaining to bulls". The te ... kai construction is coordinative, "both ... and". The pronoun "itself", outo, serves as an adjective intensifying the noun "scroll", Harris.

v20

The Rhetor quotes from Ex.24:8 to make the point that it was necessary for blood to be spilt to inaugurate the covenant. Both its inauguration and realisation ("forgiveness") requires a cleansing tw/ aimatri, "with blood" (instrumental dative), v21.

legwn (legw) pres. part. "He said" - saying. Best classified as an attendant circumstance participle, expressing action accompanying the verb "to sprinkle", "he sprinkled ..... and said", but its primary function is to introduce direct speech.

thV diaqhkhV (h) gen. "of the covenant" - [this is the blood] of the covenant [which god commanded toward you]. The genitive is adjectival, descriptive, idiomatic; "the blood which is spilt to inaugurate the covenant".

v21

kai .... de "-" - and but/and. Coordinative and transitional, picking up on the list of items sprinkled with blood, v19.

oJmoiwV adv. "In the same way" - likewise, in like manner. Modal adverb expressing manner.

tw/ aiJmarti (a) dat. "with the blood" - [he sprinkled] in the blood. The dative is instrumental, expressing means; "by the blood" = "with blood".

thV leitourgiaV (a) gen. "its ceremonies" - [and all the objects = vessels, utensils] of the service, worship. The genitive is adjectival, attributive, "service utensils", Berkeley, or descriptive, idiomatic, "all the utensils which are used in the performance of the rituals". As Harris notes, BDF suggests purpose, "for the purpose of worship"

v22

The Rhetor now draws a conclusion from the argument so far on the relationship between a covenant agreement and the spilling of blood. As Leviticus 17:11 makes clear, atonement / the forgiveness of sins only comes about by the spilling of blood. To avoid the inevitable just consequence for sin, a debt of death must be paid - justice requires the curse upon the transgressor be borne.

kai "In fact" - and. An emphatic development of v21, "indeed, in fact".

kata acc. "[the law] requires" - according to [the law]. Expressing a standard, "in accord with, in conformity with".

scedon adv. "almost" - almost, nearly [all = everything]. The adverb functions as an adjective limiting the substantive adjective panta, "all = everything", "almost everything". There are only three uses of this adverb in the NT, all modifying a form of paV, "all". "Almost" applies to times of famine when Israelites could offer a tenth of an ephah (a bit over 3 litres) of flour as a sin offering. "Indeed, where the law is concerned, it might almost be said that there is nothing which is not cleansed by blood", Cassirer.

en + dat. "with [blood]" - [is purified] in [blood]. Instrumental, expressing means, "by blood".

kai "and" - and. It seems best to take this coordinating conjunction as epexegetic, such that v22b serves as a negative appositional restatement of v22a.

cwriV + gen. "without" - without [causing blood to flow]. Expressing separation, "apart from"; "No shedding of blood, no remission of sins", Phillips.

afesiV (iV ewV) "forgiveness" - [no there became = there is no] release = forgiveness. Predicate nominative. The legal sense of this noun dominates - used of release from an obligation, eg., marriage. So, here with the sense of release from one's legal obligations with respect to / under the law / covenant, so enabling divine forgiveness.

v23

c) How this applies to the new covenant, v23-28. Death through the shedding of blood purified the earthly tabernacle and its worshippers, but only in a limited way. The heavenly tabernacle and its worshippers require a far better sacrifice, and this is realised by a once-and-for-all offering "to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself". In simple terms, a heavenly purification needs a better priestly sacrifice.

This opening Greek sentence is somewhat testing. We have an interesting use of a men de construction with a nominal infinitival phrase serving as the subject of a verbal use of the noun anagkh, "it is necessary". So, we literally end up with "On the one hand, these copies of the heavenly thing to be cleansed is necessary, but on the other hand, the heavenly things themselves to be cleansed is necessary with better sacrifices than these". Cassirer breaks open the Gk. nicely: "Now while it was requisite that these things, which are in fact nothing more than copies of the heavenly thing, should be cleansed in the manner described, the heavenly things themselves had to be cleansed by virtue of a sacrifice of much greater value .

anagkh (h) "it was necessary" - [therefore, it is] necessary, a binding obligation. Normally dei would be used to express "it is necessary", but this noun is used for emphasis (also emphatic by position), with the verb to-be assumed. The introductory oun is probably not inferential, but transitional, serving to establish a logical connection.

men ...... de ".... but .." - on the one hand ....... but on the other. Adversative comparative construction, as above.

twn gen. "of the [heavenly] things" - [the examples, copies, patterns, sketches] of the things [in the heavens]. The genitive article serves as a nominalizer, turning the prepositional phrase "in the heavens", into a substantive, "the heavenly things", with the genitive being adjectival, attributive, limiting "copies", "heavenly sketches", which in the comparative construction contrasts the "heavenly originals." The uJpodeigmata, "copies", presumably refers to the earthly tabernacle, but possibly its purification rites.

kaqarizesqai (kaqarizw) pres. pas. inf. "to be purified" - to be purified. The infinitive forms a nominal phrase subject of the verbal construction "is necessary". The infinitive, and "is necessary", is assumed for the de apodosis.

toutoiV dat. pro. "with these sacrifices" - with these things [but on the other hand, the heavenly things themselves to be cleansed is necessary]. Instrumental dative, expressing means, "by better sacrifices". The "these things" refers back to the sacrificial elements listed in v19 and here referred to by the NIV. "These things / the sacrifices" served to purify "the sketches of the heavenly things", NRSV, ie., the tabernacle, the law, the holy vessels, the people, ......; "almost everything". With respect to the epourania, "heavenly things", it is likely that a literal sense is intended, namely the spiritual realm where atonement is realised, so Bruce. See David MacLeod, The Cleansing of the True Tabernacle, Bibliotheca Sacra, 1995, for all the options.

qusiaV (a) dat. "with [better] sacrifices" - in sacrifices [better]. The dative is instrumental, expressing means, "by better sacrifices". The comparative adjective "better" limits / modifies the noun.

para + acc. "than" - than [these]. Comparative use of the preposition, "in comparison to".

v24

The earthly sanctuary (tabernacle) was but a model of the spiritual sanctuary. Christ didn't enter the earthly model, but rather, he entered the spiritual reality; he entered the very throne-room of the living God to act on our behalf, having first made a perfect sacrifice for sin..

gar "for" - for. More reason than cause, possibly here to introduce a qualification; "after all, the sanctuary into which Christ made his entry .....", Cassirer.

aJgia adj. "sanctuary" - [christ did not enter into a man-made] holy of holies. Accusative object of the verb "to enter". Here the inner sanctuary of the tabernacle is most likely intended, the holy of holies. The Rhetor is making the point that Jesus never entered the Holy of Holies where, once a year, on the day of Atonement, the high priest was able to enter the sanctuary, having first offered sacrifices to cleanse all the fabric of the tabernacle, himself and the people. Jesus entered the real thing, the heavenly sanctuary. As already noted, there is some debate of what Jesus actually entered. At least we can say he entered his people and cleansed them and he entered heaven itself, the throne room of God. Christ, as the high priest, enters the Holy of Holies (God's throne room), having offered the perfect and complete sacrifice of himself.

antitupa (oV) acc. "that was only a copy" - copies, models / foreshadowing [of the true, real thing]. This accusative noun, with its adjectival modifier (verbal, subjective) twn alhqinwn, "of the true things" = "a foreshadowing [which is] shaped by the real thing", serves to make a comment about the accusative aJgia, "holies", usually treated as epexegetic, as NIV. Harris translated the phrase as a parenthesis. "A mere symbol of the real sanctuary", Barclay.

all (alla) "-" - but. Strong adversative standing in a counterpoint construction, "not ....., but ....".

emfanisqhnai (emfanizw) aor. pas. inf. + dat. "appear" - [christ entered into heaven itself now] to appear before. The infinitive is adverbial, final, introducing a purpose clause, "in order to appear." The aorist, being perfective, expresses the idea that "Christ' appearance is once for all and has lasting significance", Kistemaker. Of an appearance before God, in the sense of accessing his presence. Meanings such as "make clear" or "indicate" are not appropriate, although such meanings could indicate why Jesus comes into God's presence "for us". The Rhetor does not explain here why Christ appears for us, although he makes it clear that it is not to perform further sacrifices. The noun ouranon, "heaven", is being used of God's dwelling place, and nun, "now", is emphatic by position.

uJper + gen. "for [us]" - on behalf of [us]. Expressing representation and/or advantage; "on behalf of / for the sake of, for the benefit of."

tw/ proswpw/ (on) dat. "in [God's] presence" - the face [of god]. Dative of direct object after the en prefix infinitive "to appear before". The genitive tou qeou, "of God", is adjectival. Given that "face" is expressing the sense "presence", it expresses the possession of a derivative characteristic.

v25

Christ's sacrifice is a once-only perfect sacrifice, v25-26. The offering of the atonement sacrifice by the high priest, for the purification of the people of Israel, is but a model of a superior spiritual sacrifice for purification. Christ's sacrifice is the real one, not a token one which has to be offered year after year. Christ's sacrifice was a once-only offering of himself on his appearance at the end of the age to cancel and eliminate the effects of sin by the sacrifice of himself (the shedding of his own blood, unlike Aaron who shed the blood of animals).

oud "nor did he enter heaven" - but/and Christ did not enter. Serving to introduce a negative contrast with v24. The conjunction, oude = ou + de, "but/and not". "The Jewish High Priest goes into the Most Holy Place every year with the blood of an animal. But Christ did not go in to offer himself many times", TEV.

iJna + subj. "to [offer]" - that [he may offer himself]. Introducing a final clause expressing purpose, "in order to offer ....".

pollakiV adv. "again and again" - often, frequently. Adverb of frequency.

w{sper "the way" - as, like, just as [the high priest enters into the holy of holies = sanctuary]. Comparative, serving to introduce a comparative clause. Note that the verb eisercetai, "to enter", takes the present tense. Ellingworth argues that it is timeless, but Hughes argues that it expresses the present action of the Levitical priesthood, ie., the temple is still in operation.

kat eniauton "every year" - year by year, year after year. Taking the same sense as kaq hJmeran with the preposition indicating a distributive sense.

en "with [blood]" - in/on [blood]. Expressing association, "along with" as of a thing possessed, or attendant circumstance, "in connection with", or instrumental, expressing means, "by the blood". Harris thinks that an instrumental sense is unlikely; "bringing with him blood other than his own", Cassirer.

allotriw/ dat. adj. "that is not his own" - to another. The adjective modifies / limits "blood". Possibly with the sense "alien"; "blood that was not his own", Moffatt.

v26

epei "then / otherwise" - since. Causal conjunction introducing a causal clause which serves as the apodoses of a condensed elliptical conditional clause, with the assumed protasis reflecting the argument of v25. The conditional clause is possibly 2nd class, with an assumed, which is why edei "it was necessary" is imperf. ind. cf., Zerwick, but a real condition is more likely; "[If, as is the case,] Jesus did not enter the heavenly sanctuary again and again, since [then] it would have been necessary for him to suffer repeatedly throughout the course of history".

paqein (pascw) aor. inf. "to suffer" - [him] to suffer [frequently from creation of world was necessary]. The infinitive forms a nominal phrase subject of the impersonal verb edei "it was necessary". The accusative auton, "him", serves as the accusative subject of the infinitive. Variant "to die". For a complementary classification see prosecein 2:1.

apo + gen. "since" - from. Temporal use of the preposition, as NIV.

kosmou (oV) gen. "[the creation] of the world" - [creation] of world. The genitive is adjectival, possibly descriptive, idiomatic / temporal, "from when the world was created", or verbal, objective, ie., the genitive receives the action of the verbal noun "creation".

de "but" - but/and [now]. Here expressing a strong contrast to establish a counterpoint construction. The temporal adverb nuni, "now", is emphatic by position ("de usually follows the temp. adv. nuni in the NT", Harris).

peqanerwtai (fanerow) perf. pas. "he has appeared" - he has appeared. The perfect passive serves to express the thought that Christ was "previously hidden from view in heaven but after his incarnation [was] made visible on earth as a man among men", Thayer.

a{pax adv. "once for all" - once, once for all. Temporal in use here. This adverb of frequency stands out in the verse.

epi + dat. "at" - at [end]. Temporal use of the preposition.

twn aiwnwn (wn wnoV) gen. "of the ages" - of the ages. The genitive is adjectival, partitive. The phrase is similar to terms such as the "consummation of the age", "end of the times", "last days". We are presently in the end time. Christ has acted to deal with our state of rebellion and now stands with God the Father bringing all things into subjection to himself. The times have come to an end; the kingdom of God is upon us.

eiV + acc. "to [do away]" - to, toward [removal]. Here the preposition is adverbial, expressing purpose.

thV aJmartiaV (a) gen. "with sin" - of the sins. Genitive complement of the noun aqethsiV, "removal, annulment"; "in order to wipe out sin", Barclay.

dia + gen. "by" - through, by means of [the sacrifice]. Instrumental, agency; "through offering himself up in sacrifice", Cassirer.

aujtou gen. pro. "of himself" - of him. Often translated as if a reflective, "himself", the genitive being adjectival, verbal, subjective, "the sacrifice performed by himself", but better "his sacrifice", NAB, adjectival, possessive.

v27

Only Christ's sacrifice brings salvation, v27-28. The human condition is such that we all die once and then comes the judgment. Christ died once, facing judgment on our behalf - He bore the sins (judgement) of the many, Isa.53. So, Christ's perfect high-priestly sacrifice of his own life has purified the people of God. Like the times of old when the people of God waited expectantly for the high priest to come out from the sanctuary and thus the realisation of their right-standing in the sight of God, so too we wait expectantly for Jesus to appear and so realise for his people the salvation he has gained for us. In that day he will come, not to deal again with sin, but to bring the long-awaited blessings of eternal salvation.

kai "-" - and. Possibly just coordinative, "and", but given the logic of the Rhetor's argument, it could well be epexegetic; "Let me explain the point that I am making, just as it is reserved for all of us to finally die and face judgment, so too Christ. His death was a once only sacrifice that took care of our sins forever."

kaq o{son .... ou{twV "just as .... so" - Usually kaq o{son takes a causal sense, "in so much as", but here with ou{twV, "so, thus", (v28), it forms a comparative correlative construction, as NIV.

toiV anqrwpoiV (oV) dat. "man" - [it is necessary, inevitable, destined, ordained] to the man. Dative of interest, disadvantage, "for the man", the article makes the noun generic, so "mankind"; "it is the lot of every human being", Junkins.

apoqanein (apoqnhskw) aor. inf. "to die" - to die [once]. The infinitive can function as the subject of the impersonal use of the verb apokeimai, "to be necessary"; "to die once is necessary, inevitable, ordained, destined". It could also be taken as epexegetic specifying / explaining what is destined; "it is destined that a person die once and then ...." It could also be classified as complementary.

meta + acc. "after [that to face judgment]" - [but/and] after [this judgment]. Temporal use of the preposition. What is this judgment that follows death? The judgment following the resurrection of the dead is most likely intended, although Attridge suggests the Rhetor is alluding to the Greek notion of the soul's judgment immediately following death. Judgment is inevitable, to either acquit or condemn; "after that comes judgment", ESV - with the verb supplied.

v28

Like the two appearances of the high priest at the tabernacle, Jesus appears twice, first as the incarnate Christ who, in his life, death and resurrection, "takes aways the sins of many", second as the glorified Christ who, in his ascension and glorification, "brings salvation to those who are waiting for him."

[illustration] The actual sequence of events for Jesus appearing "a second time" is a matter of endless speculation, and the Rhetor chooses not to go there. Of course, like all commentators, I'm willing to have a stab at it! It is likely that this appearing is the appearing of the Son of Man before the Ancient of Days, an appearing of Jesus in the clouds of heaven with his resurrected saints, messengers - the angelic throng. From our perspective, this appearing is not yet (inaugurated), but from the divine perspective it is now (realised). Our God is not bound by his creation, and that includes time, 2Pet.3:8. We should be mightily encouraged when we remember that it is by grace we are saved through faith, and that as a consequence, Christ has raised us and seated us with him in the heavenly realms, Eph.2:4-10.

So, we already have our wings, but seeing them depends on your perspective - earthly or heavenly. Being a Dr. Who fan, for my set of wings I want a Tardis.

ouJtwV kai adv. "so" - thus, so, and. See kaq ou{son, v27; "in like manner also ......"

oJ CristoV (oV) "Christ" - the christ, messiah. Subject of the future verb "to appear". The article emphasises the messianic status of Jesus; "the Messiah".

prosenecqeiV (prosferw) aor. pas. part. "was sacrificed" - having been offered up. The participle is possibly adjectival, attributive, "thus Christ, who was offered up ....", but more likely adverbial, temporal, "so Christ, after being once sacrificed", Moffatt. The passive may be treated as a theological passive, ie., God is the agent, but it can also be treated reflectively, "Christ offered himself up."

eiV to ... anenegkein (anaferw) aor. inf. "to take away" - to bear, carry away [the sins of many]. This construction, the preposition eiV with an articular infinitive, serves to introduce a final clause expressing purpose; "in order to bear the sins of many."

ek deuterou "a second time" - [will appear] from a second time. A common temporal idiomatic construction expressing "for a second time." Note the verb "to appear" is passive, probably ingressive.

cwriV + gen. "not [to bear sin]" - without, apart from [sin]. Expressing separation. Not referring to Christ's sinlessness, but rather that his return will not have an atoning purpose; "he will appear a second time, this time not to deal with sin", Barclay.

eiV "but to bring [salvation]" - into [salvation]. Here the preposition expresses purpose. The prepositional phrase is emphatic by position at the end of the verse; "in order to bring salvation."

toiV ... apekdecomenoiV (apekdecomai) pres. part. "to those who are waiting" - to the ones awaiting. The participle serves as a substantive, dative of direct object.

Hebrews Introduction

Exegetical Commentaries

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