Chapter 10 continues with the sacrifice of Christ. Before we look at the text in more detail Ellingworth gives us an outline up to verse 18.
Note that Ellingworth says of this passage that, ‘The entire passage is a summary of the central teachings of the epistle Page (488). The passage has been broken down as follows by various scholars:
“v1-4 The importance of the law.
V5-10 The willingness of Christ.
V11-14 Two kinds of priest.
V15-18 The confirmation of scripture. “(The Epistle to the Hebrews; A commentary on the Greek text; page 488 of Ellingworth)
Let us now begin by reading up to verse 18:
One Sacrifice of Christ Is Sufficient
1 For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? 3 But in those sacrifices, there is a reminder of sins year by year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says,
“SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED,
BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME;
6 IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE.
7 “THEN I SAID, ‘BEHOLD, I HAVE COME
(IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME)
TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.’”
8 After saying above, “SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS AND WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, NOR HAVE YOU TAKEN PLEASURE in them” (which are offered according to the Law), 9 then He said, “BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second. 10 By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; 12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, 13 waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. 14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. 15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying,
16 “THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM
AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD:
I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART,
AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM,”
He then says,
17 “AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS
I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE.”
18 Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. Hebrews 10:1-18
Verse 1: 1 For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near.
When one read this verse, it is easy to miss a very important point and it cannot be seen in the English translation. The two key words are shadow and ‘form of things.’ Basically ‘shadow’ and ‘image’. Apollos uses shadow in two places. This verse and chapter 8:5:
5 who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, “SEE,” He says, “THAT YOU MAKE all things ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN WHICH WAS SHOWN YOU ON THE MOUNTAIN.” Hebrews 8:5
The question that arises is what is the relationship between the shadow and the image? John Calvin explains the difference here by saying that the painting has two parts. The first part is the pencil, and the second part is when the paint is added to make the picture even more beautiful. The pencil mark is still there and is still important although it is no longer visible. (Calvin’s New Testament Commentaries; Hebrews 1 & 2 peter: Eerdmans; page 132). There is a relationship between the sacrifice of Christ and the yearly sacrifices. Only the work of Christ can perfect the believer and take away sins. The Mosaic sacrifices were only a shadow, but they were still important in that they pointed beyond themselves to the true ‘form of things’. Verse 2 continues to explain what verse 1 just said. Verse 3 spells it out:
“3 But in those sacrifices, there is a reminder of sins year by year.” NASB
This is quite a hard pill to swallow; ‘a reminder of sins. A reminder means that a person continually needs to go through the same sacrificial process again and again.
Verses 2-4
“2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? 3 But in those sacrifices, there is a reminder of sins year by year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” NASB
In these verses the original worshippers under the Old Covenant still had guilty consciences even after the ritual of sacrifice. He concludes that the blood of animals has limitations as far as conscience is concerned.
Reflection
Over the centuries there have been people who have wanted to throw the Old Testament away such as Marcion. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcionism) This is a categorical mistake because Christ came not to abandon but to fulfil the law and the Prophets. The Old Testament will always be important. A shadow still has an object that belongs to it. In the light of what we have said we are truly blessed that Christ died for us so that we too in Christ can enter heaven itself too.
Concerning the idea of the conscience in one of our verses. Christians are not supposed to run away from the Law. IN Christ it has been fulfilled. I now quote some work from my other blog on Bavincks Reformed Ethics:
“Herman Bavinck will not agree with any of this, and he shows us through Holy Scripture how we ought to perceive the moral natural law and indeed God has to be the foundation. It is God who has spoken and as he says the Church is called to be different to the nations. Let us look at Bavincks Scripture contents.
“(Exod. 20:2). The moral law is acknowledged throughout the whole Bible as God’s law, even by Jesus himself, who explicitly speaks of biblical commandments as God’s commands and words (Matt. 15:4). Therefore, the law cannot be undone, only fulfilled (Matt. 5:17; cf. Rom. 7:23, 27; 8:2).41‘” (page 221):
2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. Exodus 20:2
4 For God said, ‘HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,’ and, ‘HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.’ Matthew 15:4
17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfil. Matthew 5:17
23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. Romans 7:23-25
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. Romans 8:2 (All these verses have been drawn from Olive Tree Bible software)
Bavinck puts this whole discussion in context:
“When modern thinkers posit an evolutionary origin for biblical law and deny its divine source, they need to be Challenged, as Harless has done: “The law of God in Israel is not the product of a development-process in the people of Israel in which they had gradually become conscious to themselves of what is right and good in the relation, whether of man to man, or man to God. On the contrary, God testifies His will in gradual revelation, in opposition to the spirit predominating amongst the people.” (Page 221)
For Christians the above statement from Bavinck is very important. God is in control and man thinks he is in control. Bavinck is not saying that reason is completely bad. However, as Barth and Bavinck would say faith seeking understanding. This is how we ought to live. The man of faith puts his reasons at the feet of Jesus and then he is able to understand the greater picture and not someone looking for something in the pitch black of a storm.
Bavinck finishes the ‘Author section’ by saying:
“All the relationships between people and God and among his subjects are regulated.43 The source of knowledge of the moral law, therefore, cannot be only our conscience and reason—although they are very valuable—but Holy Scripture in its entirety. This means not only the Pentateuch but also the prophets and the New Testament. The Decalogue is only the summa of the law; the Old and New Testaments are the explanation and commentary.” (From page 222)
Reflection
God created the law, conscience and the world. Scripture explains to us the facts and as faithful believers we live by these truths. Those who try to abstract God from the Good (ethics) have to find another base (foundation) and it is generally some form of evolutionary idea that sees things getting better. We have seen pure reason run into all sorts of problems. Theology must always use the appropriate tools to come to appropriate conclusions. We are also dealing with the facts in a scientific way just as much as any scientist this is why Theology is known as the Queen of the sciences. I don’t believe in using philosophy as a grammar of theology because then the grammar takes over. It was a good thing that John Calvin dumped Aristotle out of his Institutes. Let us put Christ first in our live and live by faith. Ultimately this is the true seat of happiness in the presence of God by the Holy Spirit.” From https://hasan-godtalk.blogspot.com/
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August 8, 2021 at 7:19 pm |
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