‏ Hebrews 4:14-16

Summary for Heb 4:14-16: 4:14-16  ^a These key verses conclude the exhortation begun at 3:1  ^b and introduce the lengthy treatment of Jesus’ role as High Priest (4:14–10:25  ^c). 4:14  ^d This verse effectively summarizes the whole message and challenge of Hebrews; the high priesthood of Jesus the Son of God is the basis for endurance in the Christian faith.

• a great High Priest: Israel’s high priest was the main leader in the worship of God and the primary mediator between God and the people (see Exod 31:10  ^e; Lev 4:3  ^f; 2 Kgs 12:10  ^g; 2 Chr 26:20  ^h).

• who has entered heaven: The earthly high priests entered God’s presence in the Most Holy Place once a year on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:1-25  ⁱ). By contrast, Jesus, our High Priest, has entered God’s presence in heaven, and there he remains (Heb 7:26  ^j; 9:11-12  ^k, 23-26  ^l).

• let us hold firmly: An enduring commitment to active belief in and allegiance to Jesus (see also Col 2:19  ^m; 2 Thes 2:15  ⁿ; Rev 2:13  ^o, 25  ^p; 3:11  ^q).
4:15  ^r Our High Priest understands our weaknesses, our human pull toward sin, because he faced all of the same testings we do. He was tempted with all the essential aspects of sin, such as lust, greed, unforgiveness, and dishonesty. This makes him compassionate as our High Priest (5:2  ^s).

• yet he did not sin: Jesus is unlike the earthly high priests, who had to make offerings for their own sins before they could make offerings for the people (5:3  ^t; 7:26-28  ^u; see also 1 Pet 2:22-23  ^v).
4:16  ^w The verb translated let us come could be translated to indicate ongoing action: let us continually come.

• As our compassionate High Priest, Jesus has opened the way for people to enter God’s presence boldly (see 6:19-20  ^x; 10:19-23  ^y), where we can obtain his mercy and grace to help us when we need it most.

‏ Hebrews 5

Summary for Heb 5:1-10: 5:1-10  ^z This section addresses the appointment of the Son of God as a superior High Priest. The focal text is Ps 110:4  ^aa, which reveals God’s oath that the Son would be a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. 5:1  ^ab Every high priest: This phrase introduces requirements for high priests in general.

• a man: The high priest was one of the people, so Jesus had to become human (see 2:17-18  ^ac).

• A second requirement for high priests was that they would represent other people by offering sacrifices on their behalf (7:25-28  ^ad). Only the high priest could offer the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement (Exod 29  ^ae; Lev 16:1-25  ^af).
5:2  ^ag A high priest was able to deal gently with those who sin because he himself was subject to the same weaknesses, i.e., he was sinful (5:3  ^ah; cp. 4:15  ^ai).
5:3  ^aj On the Day of Atonement the high priest was required to offer sacrifices for himself and his household prior to offering sacrifices for the people (Lev 16:11  ^ak).
5:4  ^al The role of high priest is by God’s appointment rather than human enlistment (see Exod 28:1  ^am; Lev 8:1-12  ^an; Num 16:1-26  ^ao).
Summary for Heb 5:5-6: 5:5-6  ^ap The author brings Pss 2:7  ^aq and 110:4  ^ar together based on shared language—both passages have God speaking to his Son. The exalted Son, who came to earth as a human (Heb 1–2  ^as), is the one God has appointed to a unique high priesthood.
Summary for Heb 5:7-10: 5:7-10  ^at Jesus’ suffering was a foundation for his superior priesthood. The Son’s humiliation and suffering preceded his exaltation (2:9  ^au; Phil 2:5-11  ^av). 5:7  ^aw The phrase with a loud cry and tears is probably an allusion to Christ’s suffering in the Garden (see Matt 26:36-46  ^ax; Mark 14:32-42  ^ay; Luke 22:40-46  ^az). God heard his prayers in the sense of affirming his righteousness and suitability for his role as high priest. Jesus’ faithful devotion is being presented as an example for the readers (cp. Heb 12:2-3  ^ba).
5:8  ^bb he learned obedience from the things he suffered: Jesus was not disobedient before his suffering, but he walked his path of human experience—all the way to his death on the cross—in complete submission to the Father’s will. We are expected to travel the same path (12:1-11  ^bc).
5:9  ^bd God qualified him as a perfect High Priest: As used in Hebrews, perfect means “complete” or “mature” (see 2:10  ^be; 5:14  ^bf; 7:11  ^bg; 9:9-11  ^bh). Jesus, through his sufferings, was qualified to be the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him.

• High Priest is not in the Greek text, but it is implied.

• As the Son obeyed the Father (5:8  ^bi), submitting completely to the Father’s will, so those who come to him for salvation must obey him.
5:10  ^bj a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek: See 7:1-28  ^bk.
Summary for Heb 5:11-6:20: 5:11–6:20  ^bl After beginning to discuss Jesus’ appointment as High Priest (5:1-10  ^bm), the author confronts his audience with a series of exhortations (5:11–6:20  ^bn). Such a shift in a sermon or discourse was meant to focus the hearers’ attention.
Summary for Heb 5:11-6:3: 5:11–6:3  ^bo This exhortation deals with the recipients’ spiritual lethargy. 5:11  ^bp spiritually dull: The Greek term means “sluggish, dimwitted, negligent, lazy.”
5:12  ^bq Their lack of spiritual vitality was especially shocking since they had been believers so long: They ought to have been spiritual leaders who were teaching others from their wealth of knowledge and Christian experience.

• the basic things: The most rudimentary aspects of the Christian faith (see 6:1-3  ^br).

• The imagery of milk and solid food (or meat) was used to distinguish basic from advanced education, and immature from mature students.
5:14  ^bs Being able to recognize the difference between right and wrong is a defining characteristic of spiritual maturity.

‏ Hebrews 6

Summary for Heb 6:1-3: 6:1-3  ^bt In light of the hearers’ immaturity (5:11-14  ^bu), the author urges them to move beyond basic teachings. The six basic teachings here were all foundational elements of Jewish instruction. The author might be challenging them to move beyond these basic teachings to further understanding about the person of Christ, which he elaborates in 7:1–10:25  ^bv. 6:1  ^bw Let us go on: Or Let us be carried on, suggesting that God initiates growth to maturity (Phil 2:12-13  ^bx) and that it is an ongoing process.

• Repenting and faith are the basic commitments that initiate a person to the new covenant and constitute the basic posture of a Christian’s life (see Acts 20:21  ^by).
6:2  ^bz The term baptisms (or washings) is plural, so it must mean more than just Christian baptism. Instruction about various washings was prevalent in first-century Judaism (see Matt 15:2  ^ca; Mark 7:3  ^cb). The author might also have in mind the cleansing rituals of the Old Testament (cp. Heb 9:13  ^cc; 10:22  ^cd).

• The laying on of hands was associated with healing (Mark 5:22-23  ^ce; Luke 13:13  ^cf), ritual blessing (Matt 19:13  ^cg, 15  ^ch), reception of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:17  ^ci; 9:17  ^cj; 19:6  ^ck), and acknowledgement of a person’s ministry (Acts 6:6  ^cl; 13:3  ^cm).

• resurrection of the dead: See thematic note for The Resurrection of the Dead at end of chapter.

• eternal judgment: See Rev 20:11-15  ^cn.
6:3  ^co The author is implicitly exhorting his readers to maturity, not only in their understanding but in everything (cp. 4:11  ^cp; 5:14  ^cq; 10:23-39  ^cr; 12:1-13  ^cs).
Summary for Heb 6:4-8: 6:4-8  ^ct This passage, one of the most difficult in the New Testament, gives a harsh warning about those who have left the Christian faith. Those who have fallen away from Christ and the church are like those who fell in the wilderness (3:15-19  ^cu): The lack of faith shown in such apostasy results in devastating judgment (cp. 10:26-31  ^cv). 6:4  ^cw In Greek, the word impossible begins the sentence for emphasis—it absolutely cannot happen (see also 6:18  ^cx; 10:4  ^cy; 11:6  ^cz).

• They were once enlightened when they “first learned about Christ” (see 10:32  ^da and corresponding study note).

• The good things of heaven might allude to the manna given from heaven (Exod 16:4  ^db, 15  ^dc; Ps 78:24  ^dd) as an image of spiritual blessings.
6:5  ^de tasted the goodness of the word of God: These people had heard the word of God preached (2:3-4  ^df; 4:1-2  ^dg) and had seen its effects.

• the power of the age to come: They had witnessed signs and wonders when they heard the Good News (2:4  ^dh; cp. Exod 7:3-4  ^di; Deut 7:19  ^dj; Pss 66:3  ^dk; 77:15-20  ^dl; 78:9-16  ^dm; 1 Cor 10:1-13  ^dn).
6:6  ^do then turn (or fall) away: The image is reminiscent of the wilderness wanderers who turned away from obeying God and fell in the desert (3:17  ^dp; 4:11  ^dq; Num 14:1-4  ^dr, 29-30  ^ds).

• to bring such people back to repentance: They had repented before, but had no fruit from their repentance (Heb 6:7-8  ^dt). When people turn their back on Christ and his superior sacrifice, it is impossible for them to find any other means of repentance.

• Rejecting the Son of God constitutes nailing him to the cross once again. Crucifixion was the ultimate instrument of rejection and humiliation in the Greco-Roman world and brought public shame. Those who turned away from Christ had in effect joined those who stood before the cross shouting insults, insisting that Jesus was not really the Messiah and Son of God but was instead worthy of shame (see Matt 27:39-44  ^du).
Summary for Heb 6:7-8: 6:7-8  ^dv ground: Good, productive land is an image of blessing, contrasted with the curse of unproductive land that bears thorns and thistles. To burn such a field is an image of judgment (2 Sam 23:4-7  ^dw; Isa 10:17  ^dx; 33:12  ^dy; Ezek 19:12-13  ^dz; Matt 3:10  ^ea).
Summary for Heb 6:9-12: 6:9-12  ^eb Having confronted his readers with a stern warning (6:4-8  ^ec), the author now softens that warning by greeting them as dear friends, expressing confidence in them, and giving them further encouragement. 6:9  ^ed We are confident: Skilled speakers and writers express confidence in those they address to motivate them (cp. Rom 15:14  ^ee).

• The author is confident that his hearers’ lives give evidence of a true relationship with God, including salvation. In the New Testament, salvation primarily refers to Christ’s work on the cross (Heb 5:9-10  ^ef; see also study note on 2:3); Hebrews places emphasis on the consummation of salvation at the end of the age (9:28  ^eg).
6:10  ^eh He will not forget how hard you have worked: In showing that they love God and his people, their works bear witness to their true relationship with God (Rom 2:6-7  ^ei; 1 Cor 3:13-15  ^ej; Jas 2:14-20  ^ek). God remembers (Exod 2:24  ^el; 1 Chr 16:15  ^em; Ps 106:45  ^en) and acknowledges those who are truly his.
6:11  ^eo keep on loving others (literally show the same eager commitment): Love of other believers is a hallmark of genuine Christian faith (Jas 2:15-16  ^ep; 1 Jn 3:16-20  ^eq). Through diligence and focused commitment, they can make their hope in Christ absolutely certain. Assurance of salvation comes through perseverance.
6:12  ^er A focused commitment (6:10-11  ^es) is the antidote to being spiritually dull (5:11-12  ^et). By loving God and others, we follow the example of great people of the faith. The author puts a great deal of emphasis on both faith and endurance as normal requirements for God’s people (see 11:4-38  ^eu).
Summary for Heb 6:13-20: 6:13-20  ^ev This passage focuses on the reliability of God’s faithfulness to his promises. The theme of God’s oath is developed with an illustration (6:13-15  ^ew), followed by a general principle (6:16  ^ex), followed by the main point: God has sworn a significant oath (6:17-18  ^ey), which gives us hope because it shows that Jesus is our permanent High Priest (6:19-20  ^ez).
Summary for Heb 6:13-14: 6:13-14  ^fa Abraham was the premier exemplar of faith: He continued to believe that God would give him a son, then was willing to sacrifice that son in obedience to God (11:17-19  ^fb; Gen 15:1-5  ^fc; 22:1-14  ^fd). In response to Abraham’s faith, God took an oath, assuring Abraham that he would bless him and multiply his descendants.
6:15  ^fe what God had promised: Through Isaac, God made Abraham into a great nation (Exod 1:7  ^ff).
6:16  ^fg It is a general principle in human relationships that when people take an oath, the oath is binding. If in human contexts oaths give assurance that something is true, an oath from God ought to inspire much greater confidence (6:17-19  ^fh).

• someone greater than themselves: Cp. 6:13  ^fi.
Summary for Heb 6:17-18: 6:17-18  ^fj God also bound himself with an oath: See 7:20-22  ^fk. God’s oath makes it clear that he would never change his mind . . . because it is impossible for God to lie (see Ps 110:4  ^fl).

• We have fled to him for refuge, like those in the Old Testament era who killed someone accidentally (Num 35:9-34  ^fm; Deut 4:41-43  ^fn); Christ is like a city of refuge, where believers escape God’s wrath. Christ’s followers, therefore, have great confidence.
Summary for Heb 6:19-20: 6:19-20  ^fo Christian hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. In the first century, an anchor was an image of stability and safety.

• through the curtain: A curtain separated the outer room of the sanctuary, into which only priests could go, from the inner room, the Most Holy Place (Exod 25:10-40  ^fp). Only the high priest could go into the Most Holy Place, and only once per year on the Day of Atonement (Exod 29  ^fq; Lev 16:1-25  ^fr). Because of Jesus’ extraordinary high priesthood, he has already gone in there for us into the presence of God as our eternal High Priest, and he leads us in with him (Heb 10:19-23  ^fs).

• the order of Melchizedek: This phrase introduces the discussion in 7:1-28  ^ft.

Thematic note: The Resurrection of the Dead
Jesus spoke of a future resurrection of all people—either to eternal life or to judgment (Mark 12:26-27  ^fu; John 5:28-29  ^fv; 6:39-40  ^fw, 44  ^fx, 54  ^fy; 11:25-26  ^fz; cp. Luke 20:34-36  ^ga). When Christ returns, all his people will be resurrected to be with him forever (1 Thes 4:13-18  ^gb; cp. 2 Cor 5:1-10  ^gc).
This strong hope characterized the outlook of the early Christians. They were able to endure their suffering because their eyes were fixed on what lay beyond this life (2 Cor 4:16-18  ^gd; cp. Heb 12:2  ^ge). They expected Jesus to return and resurrect their bodies, and they looked forward to living with him forever (1 Pet 1:3-6  ^gf, 23  ^gg). Their faith was based on the foundation of Jesus’ own bodily resurrection (1 Cor 15:12-20  ^gh; Acts 4:33  ^gi; see also 2 Cor 4:14  ^gj).
Resurrection bodies will be fundamentally different from the bodies we experience in this life, with all of their limitations and failings. These renewed bodies will be glorious, strong, immortal, and spiritual, like Christ’s own resurrection body (1 Cor 15:35-58  ^gk).
Because they are already joined to Christ, believers actually begin to experience resurrection existence here and now. They have already been “raised” with Christ; they have already been given “resurrection life” (Rom 6:4-11  ^gl; 8:10-11  ^gm; Col 2:12  ^gn). As a result, their lives are now centered in the spiritual realities of heaven rather than in worldly things (Col 3:1-4  ^go). Believers can experience the transforming power of that new life here and now, the new life of the Spirit that frees them from the power of sin and death (Rom 8:1-4  ^gp). In all the difficulties they face, their trust is not in themselves but in the resurrection power of God (2 Cor 1:9  ^gq).


Passages for Further Study
Job 19:25-27  ^gr; Pss 16:10  ^gs; 49:15  ^gt; Dan 12:2-3  ^gu; Matt 16:21  ^gv; 28:1-10  ^gw; Mark 12:18-27  ^gx; John 3:13-16  ^gy; 5:25-30  ^gz; 6:39-40  ^ha; 11:21-27  ^hb; Acts 2:23-24  ^hc; 3:14-15  ^hd; 4:33  ^he; 10:39-41  ^hf; 17:2-3  ^hg; 24:15  ^hh; 26:22-23  ^hi; Rom 1:4  ^hj; 4:25  ^hk; 6:4-11  ^hl; 8:10-11  ^hm; 1 Cor 15:12-58  ^hn; 2 Cor 1:8-9  ^ho; 4:13-18  ^hp; 5:1-10  ^hq; Eph 1:19-20  ^hr; Col 2:12  ^hs; 3:1-4  ^ht; 1 Thes 4:13-18  ^hu; 1 Pet 1:3-6  ^hv, 23  ^hw; Rev 20:11-15  ^hx; 21:1-7  ^hy; 22:1-6  ^hz

‏ Hebrews 7

Summary for Heb 7:1-28: 7:1-28  ^ia Hebrews 7  ^ib develops the main topic introduced in 5:1-10  ^ic: Jesus’ appointment as a high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Summary for Heb 7:1-10: 7:1-10  ^id This section proclaims the superiority of Melchizedek’s priesthood over that of the Levites, based primarily on Gen 14:17-20  ^ie. 7:1  ^if king of ... Salem: See Gen 14:18  ^ig and corresponding study note.

• also a priest of God Most High: Unlike the Hebrew kings, Melchizedek combined the offices of king and priest, thus foreshadowing the Messiah.

• winning a great battle against the kings: See Gen 14:1-17  ^ih.
7:2  ⁱⁱ Abraham was giving a tenth to the Lord by giving it to Melchizedek, his priest. This act anticipates the giving of tithes under the law (Lev 27:30  ^ij, 32  ^ik) and becomes a key point in the author’s argument (Heb 7:4  ^il).

• Melchi- (Hebrew melek) means king.

• -zedek (Hebrew tsedeq) means justice or righteousness.

• Salem (Hebrew shalom) means peace. It was common for rabbis to bring out the theological significance of a biblical figure’s name by making associations between the name and other Hebrew terms.
7:3  ^im That we have no record of Melchizedek’s father or mother or any of his ancestors is significant in light of the ancestral requirement upon which the Levitical priesthood was based. He appears from nowhere—it is as though there is no beginning or end to his life. The author is interpreting Gen 14:17-20  ⁱⁿ in light of Ps 110:4  ^io, which also understands Melchizedek as representing an eternal priesthood.

• He remains a priest forever: This contrasts with a Levite, whose priesthood ended when he died (Heb 7:8  ^ip, 23  ^iq).

• resembling the Son of God: Melchizedek was not an Old Testament appearance of Jesus. Rather, his priesthood and that of Jesus had characteristics in common, in light of Ps 110:4  ^ir.
7:4  ^is The point of this section (7:1-10  ^it) is to have the readers consider . . . how great this Melchizedek was by comparing him to the descendants of Levi. Melchizedek was so great that Abraham gave him a tenth of the spoils of battle (Gen 14:20  ^iu).
Summary for Heb 7:5-6: 7:5-6a  ^iv Collecting the tithe was a requirement and an honor for the priests under the law of Moses (Num 18:21-32  ^iw).

• from the rest of the people of Israel: The reference is to the people of Israel as a whole.

• Although Melchizedek was not a descendant of Levi, he collected a tenth from Abraham, the ancestor of the Levites. This demonstrates Melchizedek’s eminence over both Abraham and his descendants, including the priests (Heb 7:8-10  ^ix).
Summary for Heb 7:6-7: 7:6b-7  ^iy Melchizedek placed a blessing upon Abraham: Gen 14:19-20  ^iz; this is an example of the kind of blessing that a superior would give a subordinate—e.g., a father would bless his son, and a priest would bless his people (Gen 49:1-28  ^ja; Num 6:22-27  ^jb). The power to give a blessing demonstrates that Melchizedek is greater than Abraham.
7:8  ^jc Melchizedek’s “immortality” (7:3  ^jd) is one aspect of his superiority to the Levites: The Levites are men who die, but Melchizedek lives on.
Summary for Heb 7:9-10: 7:9-10  ^je we might even say: The author recognizes that what he is about to say, that the Levites . . . paid a tithe to Melchizedek, is not literally true, since Levi wasn’t born yet. Abraham represented all his descendants in paying his tithe to Melchizedek. Levi was united with Abraham because the seed from which he came was in Abraham’s body. All the people issuing from Abraham were one with him. Thus, his act could be considered their act.
Summary for Heb 7:11-28: 7:11-28  ^jf Having argued for Melchizedek’s superiority to the Levites (7:1-10  ^jg), the author now argues that Jesus, our high priest like Melchizedek, is also superior to the Levitical priests of the old covenant. 7:11  ^jh Perfection in Hebrews does not mean flawless, but reaching a desired goal (see study note on 5:9). The priesthood under the old covenant could not achieve all that God intended for a covenant relationship with his people. That is why God needed to establish a different priesthood.
7:12  ^ji According to the law given to Moses, the appointed priests were descendants of Aaron (Exod 28:41-43  ^jj; 29:9  ^jk). The priesthood is changed because Jesus is now the High Priest. Thus, God himself had changed the law concerning priests.
Summary for Heb 7:13-14: 7:13-14  ^jl Jesus belongs to a different tribe: Under the old covenant, priests came from the tribe of Levi, whereas Jesus was from the tribe of Judah.
Summary for Heb 7:15-17: 7:15-17  ^jm This change of how God appoints priests (7:11-14  ^jn) has been made very clear by the appointment of Jesus as a different priest. He, like Melchizedek, is a priest forever: Jesus’ resurrection from the dead shows that he has the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. Because his priesthood in the order of Melchizedek is superior to that of the Levites (7:1-10  ^jo), he supersedes them as priest.
7:18  ^jp The old requirement about the priesthood was membership in the family of Aaron (see Exod 28:41-43  ^jq).

• set aside: See Heb 7:15-17  ^jr.

• because it was weak and useless: As explained in the verses that follow (7:19-28  ^js).
Summary for Heb 7:19-28: 7:19-28  ^jt The weakness of the priesthood under the old covenant is highlighted in that those priests died (thus discontinuing their office) and were themselves sinful. In contrast, Jesus, the new High Priest, never sinned and conquered death, making him a more effective and permanent High Priest. 7:19  ^ju the law never made anything perfect: The law never accomplished what God planned to accomplish through the superior high priesthood of Jesus—namely, completely removing sin and guaranteeing eternal salvation. This gives believers confidence in a better hope in relationship with God. We can draw near to God without fearing condemnation.
Summary for Heb 7:20-21: 7:20-21  ^jv This new system refers to God’s way of appointing a priest.

• God’s solemn oath is expressed in the quote from Ps 110:4  ^jw.
7:22  ^jx Legally, the one who guarantees (literally the guarantee or the guarantor) refers to the person who bears the risk of another person’s investment or debt. Because of God’s oath, Jesus’ priesthood is unassailable, so our covenant relationship with God is secure. Having Jesus as the guarantor makes the new covenant better.
Summary for Heb 7:23-24: 7:23-24  ^jy Of necessity, the old covenant had a succession of many priests because each of them died. In contrast, Jesus’ priesthood lasts forever (literally is permanent): This term refers to something that cannot be changed, such as the sun’s daily trek through the sky or the constant turning of the seasons.
7:25  ^jz able, once and forever, to save: Since Jesus lives forever, the salvation he brings also lasts forever. To draw near to an eternal God, we need an eternal priest.

• Jesus will intercede or appeal to God for us as our High Priest of the new covenant, and his intercession is never-ending (see 9:11-28  ^ka; 10:21-22  ^kb; Rom 8:31-34  ^kc).
Summary for Heb 7:26-27: 7:26-27  ^kd Jesus is unstained by sin and set apart from sinners (cp. 4:15  ^ke), which makes him superior to the priests of the old covenant, who had to deal with their own sins as well as those of the people (see also 5:1-3  ^kf).

• has been given the highest place of honor in heaven: This is an affirmation of his uniqueness as High Priest (cp. 2:9  ^kg; 5:9  ^kh; Phil 2:5-11  ^ki).

• once for all: This does not mean once for all people but rather once, never to be repeated.
7:28  ^kj This verse echoes 5:1-3  ^kk and sums up the entire discussion of Christ’s appointment as High Priest (5:1-10  ^kl; 7:1-28  ^km).

• Limited by human weakness refers primarily to human sinfulness and mortality (5:2-3  ^kn; 7:18  ^ko, 23-27  ^kp).

• God appointed his Son with an oath: See Ps 110:4  ^kq, the key Old Testament passage behind Heb 7:11-28  ^kr.

• perfect ... forever: The words High Priest are not in the Greek text but are implied in the context.

• In Hebrews, the term perfect means complete or mature (see 2:10  ^ks; 5:9  ^kt; 7:11  ^ku; 9:9-11  ^kv); the Son, through his sacrificial death and resurrection, has become completely qualified to serve as our eternal High Priest, and his priesthood lasts forever.

‏ Hebrews 8

Summary for Heb 8:1-10:18: 8:1–10:18  ^kw This passage on Jesus’ superior offering argues that his ministry as the heavenly High Priest is superior to that of earthly priests.
Summary for Heb 8:1-2: 8:1-2  ^kx The first two verses of ch 8  ^ky transition from the discussion just completed and anticipate the discussion to come.

• Here is the main point: The author is referring back to the appointment of Jesus as a superior High Priest (5:1-10  ^kz; 7:1-28  ^la).

• he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle (or tent; also in 8:5  ^lb): This anticipates the theme of Jesus’ superior offering that is covered in the rest of this section (8:3–10:18  ^lc). Unlike the Levitical priests who served in an earthly tent or building, Jesus’ sacrifice is superior because he serves in the true place of worship, the very presence of God in heaven (8:5  ^ld; 9:11  ^le, 24  ^lf; 10:12  ^lg).
8:3  ^lh every high priest is required to offer gifts and sacrifices: Making offerings is a general requirement of priests, so Jesus also had to offer a sacrifice.

• This verse reiterates what is stated in the first verse of the previous discussion (5:1  ^li), indicating another major movement in the book.
8:4  ^lj If he were here on earth: Under the old order Jesus would not even be a priest, as previously discussed (see 7:13-14  ^lk). But Jesus is in heaven, which makes his priestly service distinct from and superior to that of the priests of the old covenant (8:5  ^ll; 9:11  ^lm, 24  ^ln; 10:12  ^lo).
8:5  ^lp a copy, a shadow: The earthly place of worship was an imitation that pointed to the real one in heaven. That is why God warned Moses to make it according to the pattern (see Exod 25:40  ^lq; 26:30  ^lr; cp. Acts 7:44  ^ls). Judaism and early Christianity both spoke of a heavenly Temple within a heavenly Jerusalem, which would come down to earth at the end of the age (see Rev 21:2  ^lt). Hebrews suggests that this heavenly place of worship was shown to Moses so he would know how to build the earthly Tabernacle. It is the heavenly Temple, however, in which Jesus ministers as High Priest.
8:6  ^lu the one who mediates: A mediator works with two parties to bring them to agreement. Christ’s work of sacrifice established the covenant relationship between people and God.

• a far better covenant with God: See thematic note for The New Covenant at end of chapter. This covenant is better because it is based on better promises (see 8:7-13  ^lv).
Summary for Heb 8:7-13: 8:7-13  ^lw The author quotes Jer 31:31-34  ^lx, an Old Testament prophecy concerning the new covenant that includes a number of striking promises. Establishing the superiority of the new covenant lays a foundation for the argument in Heb 9:1–10:18  ^ly that the Son’s offering under the new covenant was superior to the offerings of the old covenant. 8:7  ^lz The first covenant, made at Sinai, was not faultless. It was not the end of God’s plan, because it didn’t solve human weaknesses (see 7:11-28  ^ma; 8:9  ^mb).
8:8  ^mc found fault with the people: Because the people were unable to keep the terms of the old covenant (see study note on 8:7), God made a new covenant.
8:9  ^md God made a covenant with their ancestors at Sinai (Exod 19:1-8  ^me; 24:7-8  ^mf; 34:27-28  ^mg; Deut 4:13  ^mh).

• I took them by the hand: In rescuing his people from the land of Egypt, God led them as a parent might lead a child that could not fend for itself (see Exod 12–14  ^mi).

• They did not remain faithful: See Heb 3:7-19  ^mj; Num 14:1-38  ^mk; Deut 9  ^ml; Ps 106  ^mm.

• so I turned my back on them: The covenant warned that if the people turned away, God would turn away from them (see Deut 28:15-68  ^mn; 30:11-20  ^mo; 1 Kgs 8:22-53  ^mp; 2 Chr 6:12-42  ^mq).
8:10  ^mr Under the old covenant, the people were commanded to take the words of the law to heart (Deut 32:46  ^ms), and the kings of Israel and Judah were judged on whether or not they followed the law of God wholeheartedly (2 Kgs 10:31  ^mt; 2 Chr 31:21  ^mu). A difference in the new covenant is that God’s laws would be in people’s minds and on their hearts. People would have renewed hearts and minds, with God’s law as an intrinsic, internal motivation.
8:11  ^mv All those in the new covenant know the Lord; intimate personal relationship with the Lord is in the very nature of the new covenant.
8:12  ^mw A final characteristic of the new covenant is that God would forgive their wickedness and never again remember their sins. The blood of Jesus cleanses his people completely from sin (9:13-15  ^mx; 10:14-18  ^my, 22  ^mz; 1 Jn 1:7  ^na).
8:13  ^nb The word new in “new” covenant emphasizes that, once God had enacted this covenant, the Sinai covenant was considered old or obsolete and was thus out of date. Its time of usefulness was over and its termination was imminent.

Thematic note: The New Covenant
The key affirmation of the Sinai covenant was, “I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God” (Exod 6:7  ^nc; see Jer 31:33  ^nd). The relationship between God and his people envisioned in the Sinai covenant was surrounded by laws chiseled in stone and a priestly class in charge of all religious institutions and activities.
The new covenant would differ from the old in one primary way: It would no longer be external to the worshipers, but would now be written on their hearts (Jer 31:33  ^ne). The great liability of the old covenant was that it lacked the power to enable people to do what it commanded (see Rom 8:3  ^nf). The new covenant would be internalized through the power of the Holy Spirit (Ezek 36:24-27  ^ng). Thus, it would become possible for people everywhere (not just a select few) to fulfill God’s covenant plan for life as summed up in the two “Great Commandments” (Matt 22:35-40  ^nh): “You must love the Lord your God” (Deut 6:5  ⁿⁱ) and “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev 19:18  ^nj). The new covenant would achieve the goal that the old one pointed to but could not reach: creating new persons and a new community. The goal is a deep transformation of sinners, beginning with forgiveness of sins and culminating in a holiness exemplified by good works (Eph 1:4  ^nk; 2:8-10  ^nl).
Jeremiah 30–33  ^nm stands out in its optimistic view of Israel’s future. The high point of this section (31:31-34  ⁿⁿ) is the announcement that the Lord God will form a new covenant with his people. This passage in Jeremiah points toward Jesus of Nazareth, whose death would seal this new covenant. Jesus applied the new covenant to himself when he instituted the communion ritual (Matt 26:28  ^no; Mark 14:24  ^np; Luke 22:20  ^nq; see also 1 Cor 11:25  ^nr; 2 Cor 3:6  ^ns). Jesus’ death made him the mediator of the covenant for whoever believes in him (Heb 8:8-12  ^nt; ch 9  ^nu). Christians commemorate that reality each time they participate in Communion. According to the New Testament, all believers in Jesus Christ will know him directly by the activity of the Holy Spirit, whose indwelling has been made possible through the sacrifice of Christ. They will know him personally and experience him powerfully, as only a few did in Old Testament times.


Passages for Further Study
Isa 11:1-9  ^nv; 54:13-15  ^nw; Jer 31:31-34  ^nx; Ezek 37:24-28  ^ny; Matt 26:27-28  ^nz; Luke 22:20  ^oa; Rom 11:25-36  ^ob; 1 Cor 11:23-26  ^oc; 2 Cor 3:6-18  ^od; Heb 8:8–9:28  ^oe

‏ Hebrews 9

Summary for Heb 9:1-10:18: 9:1–10:18  ^of This section argues that Christ’s death, the sacrifice in the new covenant, is superior to the sacrifices in the old covenant. In 9:1-10  ^og, the author describes aspects of worship under the regulations of the old covenant (see Exod 28–29  ^oh; Lev 1–10  ^oi; 16:1–17:16  ^oj). In Heb 9:11–10:18  ^ok, these regulations are contrasted with Christ’s superior offering.
Summary for Heb 9:1-5: 9:1-5  ^ol These verses describe the Tabernacle, Israel’s place of worship before the Temple was constructed.
9:2  ^om Israel’s Tabernacle was a tent with two rooms (see Exod 25–31  ^on; 35:1–40:38  ^oo).

• a lampstand: Exod 25:31-40  ^op; 26:35  ^oq.

• a table: Exod 25:23-30  ^or.

• The priests went into the Holy Place daily in their ritual duties (Heb 9:6  ^os; see Exod 28:43  ^ot; Num 28:3-8  ^ou).
9:3  ^ov At the back of the first room of the Tabernacle was a curtain that separated the first room from the second room called the Most Holy Place (Exod 26:31-33  ^ow). This curtain was a sacred barrier: Only the high priest could go behind it into the Most Holy Place, and only once a year on the Day of Atonement (Heb 9:7  ^ox; see Exod 30:6  ^oy, 10  ^oz; Lev 16:2-34  ^pa; 23:27-32  ^pb).
9:4  ^pc The gold incense altar probably stood just outside the inner curtain (Exod 30:1-10  ^pd); its location is ambiguous at points in the Old Testament, but it was closely associated with the Most Holy Place (Exod 30:6  ^pe; Lev 16:13  ^pf; 1 Kgs 6:22  ^pg).

• Since it represented the presence of God, the Ark of the Covenant was the most important item in the Tabernacle (see Exod 25:10-22  ^ph).

• The gold jar containing manna was a reminder of God’s provision in the wilderness (Exod 16:32-34  ^pi).

• Aaron’s staff that sprouted leaves (see Num 17:1-11  ^pj) was a reminder not to rebel against God’s chosen leaders (Num 17:10  ^pk; cp. Heb 13:17  ^pl).

• The stone tablets of the covenant held the Ten Commandments and were to remind the people of the terms by which they were to live out the covenant (Exod 25:16  ^pm; 31:18  ^pn; Deut 9:9–10:5  ^po).
9:5  ^pp The cherubim of divine glory were statues of angels formed into the Ark’s cover. This category of angels is especially associated with God’s glorious presence (Gen 3:24  ^pq; Pss 80:1  ^pr; 99:1  ^ps; Isa 37:16  ^pt). The Ark’s cover itself was the place of atonement, on which the blood from the Day of Atonement sacrifice was to be sprinkled (Lev 16:14-16  ^pu).

• But we cannot explain these things in detail now: The main focus of the discussion is the offering of sacrifices under the old covenant (Heb 9:6-10  ^pv).
Summary for Heb 9:6-8: 9:6-8  ^pw The worship practices in the Holy Place, the first room of the Tabernacle (9:2  ^px), were the duty of the priests, who kept the lamps lit and the sacred loaves of bread replenished (Exod 27:20-21  ^py; Lev 24:8  ^pz).
9:7  ^qa The yearly duty was carried out on the Day of Atonement, when the high priest offered sacrifices for the sins not covered by other sacrifices during the previous year (Lev 16:1-25  ^qb).
9:8  ^qc was not freely open: Free entrance into the presence of God was not available to all of the people under the old covenant system.

• The outer room of the Tabernacle, which served as a sacred barrier keeping the people from the presence of God in the Most Holy Place, was symbolic of the whole system. Under that system, people were kept out of God’s presence rather than led into it.
9:9  ^qd This is an illustration: The problem with the gifts and sacrifices of the old covenant is that they were not able to cleanse the consciences of the people—they could not remove people’s guilt before a holy God (cp. 9:14  ^qe; 10:2  ^qf, 22  ^qg; 13:18  ^qh).
9:10  ^qi The old system dealt only with physical regulations, and it could not deal with the condition of the heart (8:10  ^qj; 10:21-24  ^qk). Consequently, it was provisional, only intended to last until Christ could come and establish a better system (9:11–10:18  ^ql).
Summary for Heb 9:11-10:18: 9:11–10:18  ^qm The author now contrasts the old system (9:1-10  ^qn) with the superior sacrifice made by Christ as High Priest: The blood of Christ’s offering was his own blood, not the blood of animals (9:13-22  ^qo; cp. 9:7  ^qp); Christ’s offering was made in the heavenly Tabernacle, not the earthly one (9:23-24  ^qq; cp. 9:1-5  ^qr); and Christ’s offering, rather than being made continually, was made just one time (9:25–10:18  ^qs; cp. 7:27  ^qt; 9:6-7  ^qu). 9:11  ^qv Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things of the new covenant. He was appointed by God in accord with Ps 110:4  ^qw (Heb 5:1-10  ^qx; 7:1-28  ^qy) and offered a superior offering.

• that have come: Some manuscripts read that are about to come, either from the perspective of the old covenant era or looking forward to the culmination of God’s plan in the future.

• Christ’s sacrifice is superior because of where it was made: in that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven rather than the earthly Tabernacle (see 8:5  ^qz and corresponding study note).
9:12  ^ra Christ’s offering is superior because it was made with his own blood rather than the blood of goats and calves (e.g., cp. Lev 16:3-5  ^rb).

• Christ’s offering is superior because he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time. Unlike the sacrifices in the old covenant, which had to be made year after year (Heb 10:1  ^rc), Jesus’ sacrificial death only had to be made once and was decisive in securing our redemption forever.
9:13  ^rd The ashes of a heifer were used with water to cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity (see Num 19  ^re).
9:14  ^rf how much more: This is an argument from lesser to greater, a traditional Jewish rhetorical strategy; the logic is that if something is true in a lesser situation, it will be even more true in a greater situation (see also 2:1-4  ^rg; 12:25-29  ^rh). If the blood of animals had some effect in cleansing, the blood of Christ will be much more effective.

• will purify our consciences: Christ’s sacrifice, unlike the sacrifices of the old covenant, removes the paralyzing guilt that keeps us from God by decisively cleansing us from sinful deeds.
9:15  ^ri the one who mediates: This term refers to an arbiter in a difficult legal dispute or political disagreement. In the old covenant, Moses and the angels were understood as mediators between God and the people (Gal 3:19-20  ^rj). In the new covenant, Christ mediates the relationship between God and people by his sacrificial death (Heb 8:6  ^rk; 12:24  ^rl; Rom 6:23  ^rm; 1 Tim 2:5  ^rn; 1 Pet 3:18  ^ro) and ongoing intercession (Heb 7:25  ^rp).
Summary for Heb 9:16-22: 9:16-22  ^rq The author gives a general principle about the nature of wills or covenants (9:16-17  ^rr), which he then expounds in light of the inauguration of the first covenant (9:18-22  ^rs).
Summary for Heb 9:18-19: 9:18-19  ^rt was put into effect: Exod 24:3-8  ^ru records Moses’ inauguration of the old covenant with the blood of the sacrifice.

• Hebrews alone among ancient sources states that Moses sprinkled the book of God’s law (cp. Exod 24:6-8  ^rv).

• Hyssop branches have blue flowers and strongly aromatic leaves; they were used with sacrifices for cleansing (Exod 12:22  ^rw; Lev 14:4  ^rx; Num 19:6  ^ry, 18  ^rz).
9:20  ^sa “This blood confirms the covenant God has made with you” (Exod 24:8  ^sb): Jesus used similar language at the Lord’s Supper, referring to his own death (Matt 26:28  ^sc; Mark 14:24  ^sd; 1 Cor 11:25  ^se).
9:21  ^sf he sprinkled blood: See Exod 24:3-8  ^sg; Lev 16:14-19  ^sh.
9:22  ^si Many of the rituals of cleansing in the law of Moses involved the death of a sacrificial animal; blood was involved both in the rites of cleansing (see Exod 29:12  ^sj; 30:10  ^sk; Lev 4:6  ^sl, 17  ^sm; 16:14-19  ^sn; Num 19:4  ^so) and in making atonement (see Lev 16  ^sp). The shedding of Christ’s blood established the new covenant, providing permanent purification and complete forgiveness of sins (Heb 8:12  ^sq; 10:15-18  ^sr; Matt 26:28  ^ss; Eph 1:7  ^st).
9:23  ^su This verse argues from lesser to greater (see study note on 9:14). Just as heaven is greater than the earthly Tabernacle, so Christ’s sacrifice had to be . . . far better than the earthly sacrifices.

• That is why: See 9:16-22  ^sv; Lev 16:14-19  ^sw.

• copies of things in heaven: See study note on Heb 8:5.

• in heaven, had to be purified: Just as the Tabernacle had to be cleansed because of the sin of the Israelites (Lev 16:16-19  ^sx), the heavenly Tabernacle required that the uncleanness be removed from those who would enter heaven under the new covenant.
9:24  ^sy Under the new covenant, Christ did not offer his sacrifice in the earthly Tabernacle. Rather, he entered into the very presence of God in heaven to act on our behalf. His sacrifice makes him a much better mediator to bring us into a right relationship with God (2 Cor 5:19-21  ^sz).
Summary for Heb 9:25-26: 9:25-26  ^ta Under the old covenant, the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement had to be made again and again (Lev 16:29-34  ^tb). Christ’s superior sacrifice was made once for all time.
9:26  ^tc If that had been necessary: The author makes an argument using reductio ad absurdum (reduction to absurdity), logically showing that Christ’s one-time sacrifice must be permanently effective. Since Christ himself is the sacrifice as well as the high priest, if his offering were made every year as with the earthly high priests, he would have to die again and again. But of course this is absurd; so, clearly, Christ died once for all time . . . to remove sin.
Summary for Heb 9:27-28: 9:27-28  ^td Christ’s first coming was to take away the sins of many people. When he will come again, it will not be to deal with sins, since that has already been accomplished. Instead, he will bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him (see study note on Gal 5:5).

‏ Hebrews 10:1-18

10:1  ^te The old system under the law of Moses (literally The law), like the Tabernacle itself (8:5  ^tf), was only a shadow, a dim preview of a greater reality—namely, the good things that Christ inaugurated in the new covenant. Under the old covenant, sacrifices had to be repeated again and again because they were not able to cleanse worshipers permanently or in such a way that they could come into the presence of God perpetually.
10:2  ^tg The perpetual nature of the sacrifices demonstrates their inadequacy. If the sacrifices of the old covenant had offered true, lasting purity, they would have stopped.

• their feelings of guilt would have disappeared: Cp. 9:9  ^th, 14  ^ti; 10:22  ^tj; 13:18  ^tk.
10:3  ^tl Instead of removing guilt, the ongoing sacrifices actually reminded those who wished to come near to God, year after year, that they were guilty before God.
10:4  ^tm The blood of bulls and goats in the sacrifices of the old covenant offered a degree of cleansing (9:13  ^tn, 23  ^to), but that cleansing was limited in that it could not take away sins. It could not eradicate sin in a way that would offer permanent cleansing and peace with God (see Acts 10:36  ^tp; Rom 5:1  ^tq; 11:26-27  ^tr).
Summary for Heb 10:5-7: 10:5-7  ^ts These verses quote Ps 40:6-8  ^tt. Psalm 40  ^tu is a hymn of praise to God in which the psalmist confesses his desire to do God’s will. The author of Hebrews understands Christ to be the speaker. 10:5  ^tv But you have given me a body to offer: God had prepared the psalmist to be obedient, ready to do God’s will; Hebrews now applies this idea to Christ. For Hebrews, the preparation of a human body, specifically Christ’s body, shows that God would use it as a superior sacrifice.
Summary for Heb 10:8-10: 10:8-10  ^tw The author follows the flow of thought in the psalm with great precision.

• First, Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices ...”: The author of Hebrews understands this as God’s rejection of the old system of sacrifices.

• Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will”: The author of Hebrews takes this to be Christ’s willingness to be the supreme sacrifice for sins.

• The author of Hebrews concludes that because of Christ’s sacrifice, God has canceled the first covenant—God’s will, as shown by Ps 40:6-8  ^tx, was that Christ would die for sins as a sacrifice, and this only had to be done once for all time.
Summary for Heb 10:11-14: 10:11-14  ^ty Christ’s superior offering was decisive, in contrast with the sacrifices made by the priests of the old covenant. 10:11  ^tz the priest stands: See Deut 18:5  ^ua.

• day after day: E.g., 2 Chr 13:11  ^ub.
Summary for Heb 10:12-13: 10:12-13  ^uc Christ’s sacrifice contrasts with that of the earthly high priests in that he offered himself to God as a . . . sacrifice, rather than offering animal sacrifices.

• After the sacrifice was accomplished, he sat down in the place of honor (see Ps 110:1  ^ud). Instead of standing daily like the priests of the old covenant (Heb 10:11  ^ue), he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet (Ps 110:1  ^uf).
10:14  ^ug made perfect: See study notes on 7:11, 28.

• those who are being made holy: What the author has in mind is complete purification from sins.
Summary for Heb 10:15-17: 10:15-17  ^uh The author again quotes from Jer 31:33-34  ^ui (see Heb 8:7-12  ^uj) to support the statement in 10:14  ^uk, that Christ’s one offering under the new covenant has made worshipers perfect forever.

• God’s laws have now been placed in their hearts and on their minds. This has internalized the believer’s relationship with God.

• I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds: As the author has shown (9:11–10:14  ^ul), the superior sacrifice of Christ has made this new covenant reality possible.
10:18  ^um The logical conclusion when sins have been forgiven—that is, when sins have been taken away completely and permanently (10:1-4  ^un, 11  ^uo)—is that there is no need to offer any more sacrifices. Thus, the superior sacrifice of Christ has made the entire sacrificial system of the old covenant obsolete.