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The insufficiency of the Old Testament sacrifices to cleanse the sins of all mankind and their replacement with the one sacrifice of Christ (1-10). Abolition of sacrifices altogether in the New Testament (11–16). An exhortation to fidelity to one's confession and to virtue (19–25). A warning and reminder of the grievous wrath of God and the punishment for apostasy (26–31). Praise for past diligence and patience and encouragement for further progress in faith and virtue (32-39). Hebrews 10:1. The law, having a shadow of future benefits, and not the very image of things, with the same sacrifices constantly offered every year, can never make perfect those who come with them. Hebrews 10:2. Otherwise, they would stop offering them, because those who offer the sacrifice, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins. Hebrews 10:3. But the sacrifices remind us of our sins every year, Hebrews 10:4. for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. “Shadow..., and not the very image of things,” that is, not the very truth. “Just as in painting, while they are sketching a drawing, some kind of shadow is obtained, and when they put in paint and add colors, then an image is made - so it was with the law” (Zlat.). - “Not the very image of things,” i.e., sacrifice, remission of sins. As a shadow of only future blessings, the law was insufficient to achieve the most important goal of salvation - the cleansing of sins, which could not be accomplished either by sacrifices in general, or by the blood of bulls and goats sacrificed for sin. These sacrifices served only as a reminder of sin (vv. 1–4). “The multitude of sacrifices and the fact that they were offered continually shows that they never purified (those who offered)... If they were free from all sins, then the sacrifices would not have been offered daily, but it was determined that they should be offered for the whole people continually, both in the evening and during the day. Thus, what they did was an accusation of sins, and not a remission of sins, a reproof of weakness, and not a law of power... The offering of sacrifices was a reproof of sins, and the continuance of the offering was a reproof of weakness. But in the work of Christ, on the contrary: He brought once, and that is enough forever” (Zlat.). Hebrews 10:5. Therefore, Christ, entering the world, says: You did not desire sacrifices and offerings, but you prepared a body for Me. Hebrews 10:6. Burnt offerings and sin offerings are displeasing to You. Hebrews 10:7. Then I said: Behold, I come, as it is written about Me at the beginning of the book, to do Your will, O God. Having shown the insufficiency of the Old Testament sacrifices, the apostle now proves the final futility of their offering after the offering of the single sacrifice of Christ. The passage of Holy Scripture cited in support of this passage is borrowed from Ps.39:7-9, where David expresses the idea that, since God does not want any external sacrifices from him, the singer himself wants to bring to God another sacrifice: his fulfillment of the will of God and His Law, inscribed in the well-known sacred books and in the heart of the Psalmist. What exactly this fulfillment of God’s will consists of, the Psalmist definitely does not say; but it is only clear that he means - to do something positive, and not to refrain from something (as some thought - to fulfill the ban on building a church). Finally, by whom, and when, and where this will of God was declared, which the prophet wants to fulfill, is also indicated vaguely - “in the head of the book” (έν χεφαλίδι γραμματιχή, literally from Hebrew - in the book scroll), i.e. according to some, in the very first psalm of David himself, where the blessedness of the righteous, whose will is in the Law of the Lord, is glorified. The apostle applies the above passage of the Psalm of David in relation to Christ, Who came into the world to fulfill the will of God regarding the offering of another true sacrifice to God for humanity, abolishing the previous sacrifices that were displeasing to God. This fulfillment of the will of God by the Messiah - Christ consisted in His incarnation and dooming Himself to free suffering and death, being predetermined in the council of God immediately after the fall of the first people ("in the chapter of the book", which is narrated at the beginning of all books). Hebrews 10:8. Having said before that “neither sacrifices, nor offerings, nor burnt offerings, nor sacrifices for sin, which are offered according to the law, Thou didst not will nor was pleased,” Hebrews 10:9. then he added: “Behold, I come to do Your will, O God.” Cancels the first to establish the second. “It was not Christ who put an end to the sacrifices, but first they were abolished, and then He came... He waited until the sacrifices were exposed by themselves, and then He already came... Here the apostle does not at all blame those who offered, showing that God does not accept the sacrifices not for their vices (as he said in another place), but because the insufficiency of the deed itself was finally revealed and it was discovered that it has no power and is no longer timely” (Zlat.). – “Abolishes the first in order to establish the second...” – “the second” - in contrast to the many sacrifices - was established by the one-time sacrifice of Jesus Christ; however, the main idea here is not what is first and what is second, but what the will of God desires and what it does not desire. Hebrews 10:10. It is by this will that we are sanctified by the one-time offering of the body of Jesus Christ. “Here the apostle proves in another way that it is not sacrifices that purify people, but the will of God. So, is it really not the will of God to offer sacrifices? But is it surprising that now God’s will is not for this, if in the beginning it was not His will? “Who,” he says, “is this delicacy at your hands (Isaiah 1:12)?” Why did He Himself institute sacrifices? By condescension" (Zlat.). Hebrews 10:11. And every priest stands in ministry every day, and repeatedly makes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. Neither the most constant (daily) sacrifices, nor their variety, with the presence of legal sacrifices, can ever destroy sin. And this, one might say, the most terrible assertion for readers of the Old Testament institutions is almost not substantiated by anything. Obviously, it is presented as generally known, tested by everyone. Seeing the constant experience of the futility of sacrifices, the Jews must have lost hope of salvation through sacrifices. The sacrifice of Christ is of a completely different nature and power (Heb. 10:12–18). Having completed it once, He sat down at the right hand of God, the consequence of which is the forgiveness of sins and the needlessness of new sacrifices. To certify this (besides the testimony of the Spirit of God), the Messiah’s subjugation of all His enemies is pointed out (Ps. 2:8; cf. Heb. 1:13) and the spiritual transformation of the believers, about which Jeremiah prophesied (Jer. 30:21–24; cf. Heb. 8:10–12). Hebrews 10:12. He, having offered one sacrifice for sins, sat down forever at the right hand of God, Sitting at the right hand of God is the opposite of standing. Standing is characteristic of an employee; therefore, sitting is characteristic of the One Who is served. Hebrews 10:13. waiting then until His enemies are made His footstool. This insertion about the subjugation of all His enemies to Christ is necessary as a contrast to the thoughts about the suffering of Jesus Christ, which so confused many, especially among the Jews, of whom, even during the life of Jesus Christ, many could not reconcile themselves with the thought of an ignoble origin, and even more so about the suffering of the Messiah (cf. Heb 2:8; 1 Cor 15:25). Hebrews 10:14. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. Continuation of the thought of Hebrews 10:10 and Hebrews 10:12. Hebrews 10:15. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this; for it is said: Hebrews 10:16. This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their hearts, and write them on their minds, Hebrews 10:17. and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. Hebrews 10:18. And where there is forgiveness of sins, there is no need for an offering for them. “Having said that sacrifices are no longer offered, having confirmed this from Scripture and not from Scripture, presenting the prophetic saying: you did not desire sacrifices and offerings, now he says that God has already forgiven sins” (Zlat.). “He forgave sins when he gave the (new) Covenant; and He gave this Covenant for the sacrifice (of Christ). If He forgave sins for this one sacrifice, then there is no need for another” (ibid.). Hebrews 10:19. Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter into the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus Christ, in a new and living way, The Apostle exhorts us to follow Christ into the heavenly Holy of Holies along the path laid out by Him. - “Having boldness.” “Why – “boldness”? Because of the remission of sins. Just as shame comes from sins, so from the forgiveness of all of them comes boldness; and not only from this, but also because we have become joint heirs of Christ and have been made worthy of such His love” (Zlat.). - “Enter into the sanctuary.” By this entry we mean entrance into heaven and access to spiritual secrets. - “In a new and living way.” “Well he said: “a new and living path”: the first path was the path of death, leading to hell, and this one was the path of life; he did not say: life, but called it “living”, expressing that it remains so constantly” (Zlat.). Hebrews 10:20. which He again revealed to us through the veil, that is, His flesh, “Which (way) He opened again” - Greek: ήν ενεκαίνισεν, - more precisely glorious: “he renewed it”, i.e. which He arranged and which He Himself first passed through; renewal is called the beginning of use. - “Through the veil, that is, His Flesh...” This Flesh first paved the way, which, as the apostle says, He renewed and along which He Himself deigned to walk. The flesh is rightly called a veil, because when it ascended, then the heavenly things were revealed” (Zlat.). Hebrews 10:21. and having a great priest over the house of God, Hebrews 10:22. let us approach with a sincere heart, with full faith, having cleansed our hearts from an evil conscience by sprinkling, and having washed our bodies with clean water, “Let’s get started...” Who says “let’s get started”? “Whoever is holy by faith, by spiritual service” (Zlat.). - “With a sincere heart, with full faith”, “because there is nothing visible here: the priest, the sacrifice, and the altar are invisible” (Zlat.). – “By sprinkling, having cleansed our hearts from an evil conscience...” “Here the apostle proves that not only faith is required, but also a virtuous life, and not recognizing anything bad in oneself. Those who do not behave quite like this are not allowed into the holy place, because it is holy and the holy of holies; therefore, none of the unclean is included here. They washed the body, and we washed the conscience; We still need to wash ourselves now, but this time with virtue” (Zlat.). - “Having washed the body with clean water.” “Here we speak of the baptismal font, which cleanses not the body, but the soul” (Zlat.). “Speaks of water, either making one clean, or not having blood” (ibid.). Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold fast the confession of hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. "He who promised is faithful." "What? That you need to leave (from this life) and enter the Kingdom (Heavenly). Therefore, do not research, do not demand proof: our (subjects) require faith” (Zlat.). Hebrews 10:24. Let us be attentive to each other, encouraging each other to love and good deeds. “Just as iron sharpens iron, so communication with each other increases love. If a stone, hitting a stone, emits fire, then how much more so the soul, communicating with the soul? (Zlat.). “What does it mean: “to encourage love”? To love and be loved more and more. He also adds: “and good deeds” so that they are imbued with competition... Whoever is virtuous, we will imitate him, we will look at him in order to love and be loved; and from love come good deeds” (Zlat.). Hebrews 10:25. Let us not forsake meeting ourselves together, as is the custom of some; but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see that day approaching. “What does it mean: “not forsaking the assembling of himself”? He means that from meeting and mutual fellowship comes great power (Matt. 18:20; John 17:11; Acts 4:32)… love abounds from it; the increase of love is necessarily followed by deeds according to God...” (Zlat.). - “As is the custom among some.” Here the apostle offers not only an admonition, but also a reproach, with a prohibition. - “The approach of that day...” In the original of this passage there is no word “it” and, apparently, there should not be, since here we mean in general the onset of a bright time for Christians - their morally bright state and their complete triumph on the great day of glory of the Church of Christ (cf. Heb. 8:8; Rom. 13:12; 1 Cor. 3:13; 1 Thess. 5:4-8). However, if we take into account Hebrews 10:27, then we can say that here, too, we should partly understand “that day” - for some it is bright and joyful, and for others it is terrible and disastrous. Hebrews 10:26. For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, “There remains no more sacrifice for sins...” - that is, there is no second sacrifice, no second cross. “That is why he spoke repeatedly about the sacrifice that it is one and only, in order to show not only that it is different from the Jewish ones, but also to protect the listeners so that they would not expect another sacrifice according to the Jewish law” (Zlat.). Hebrews 10:27. but a certain terrible expectation of judgment and the fury of fire ready to devour opponents. The apostle interrupts his hitherto calm reasoning with a menacing indication of the Last Judgment of God and the fire of Gehenna, comparing this formidable consequence of betrayal of the New Testament with the also formidable one for betrayal of the Old, but in such a way that it shows greater responsibility for betrayal of the New, and a more formidable punishment for this, and, so to speak, its conformity and justice. Hebrews 10:28. If he who rejects the law of Moses, in the presence of two or three witnesses, is punished without mercy with death, “Without mercy...” “There was no leniency there, no mercy, although it was the law of Moses... is it not much more so here?” (Zlat.). Hebrews 10:29. then how severe a punishment do you think will be guilty of the one who tramples on the Son of God and does not consider sacred the Blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and insults the Spirit of grace? “Who tramples the Son of God…” “How does anyone trample the Son of God? If, while communing with Him in the mysteries, he commits sins, then tell me, is he not trampling on Him? Doesn't he despise Him? Just as we regard people who are trampled upon as nothing, so those who sin regard Christ as nothing, and that is why they sin...” (Zlat.). – “He does not consider the Blood of the Covenant sacred...” – Greek. χαί το αίμα τής διαθήκης κοινόν – ηγησάμενος ... – slav. more precisely: “and the blood of the covenant is considered unclean...”, that is, considering it unclean, or not at all better than anything else” (Zlat.). - “He offends the Spirit of grace...”, because he who does not accept the benefit offends the benefactor. How severe a punishment will such a person be subject to? The Apostle does not indicate directly, but he makes it clear to everyone, showing the difference between rejecting the law of Moses and trampling on the Blood of Christ. Hebrews 10:30. We know the One who said: Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord. And one more thing: The Lord will judge His people. “I have vengeance, I will repay!” According to Chrysostom’s interpretation, this is said about enemies who do evil, and not about those who suffer evil. At the same time, it is further shown how much more terrible it is to fall into the hands of the living God than of people, as was the case when the law of Moses was violated. Hebrews 10:31. It's scary to fall into the hands of the living God! “We fall,” he says, into the hands of the Lord, and not into the hands of people. If you do not repent, you will fall into the hands of God. This is scary, otherwise falling into the hands of people means nothing” (Zlat.). Hebrews 10:32. Remember your former days, when you, having been enlightened, endured the great feat of suffering, The apostle turns in further verses with praise to the readers for their recent good state, seeing in it the basis for the same in the future, while maintaining hope and patience (Heb. 10: 32-36). “Exhortation from business means a lot. Anyone who starts a business should continue in order to be successful. He seems to be saying this: when you were still joining, when you were only students, and then you showed such zeal, such courage; and now even more so. Whoever offers such an admonition acts very powerfully by his own example. And look: he didn’t just say: “you have endured great deeds,” but with the addition: “many.” And he did not say: temptation, but: “feat,” this expression means approval and the greatest praise. Then he goes into detail, spreading his speech and expressing many praises” (Zlat.). Hebrews 10:33. sometimes, amid reproach and sorrow, serving as a spectacle for others, sometimes taking part in others who were in the same state; Hebrews 10:34. for you also had compassion for my bonds and accepted the plunder of your property with joy, knowing that you have in heaven a better and lasting property. “Knowing that you have in heaven something better and lasting.” An obvious allusion to the Lord's word on this matter is Matthew 6:20. Hebrews 10:35. So do not abandon your hope, for which there is a great reward. Hebrews 10:36. You need patience so that, having fulfilled the will of God, you will receive what is promised; “If you know that you have the best things in heaven, then look for nothing here; you need patience, and not multiplication of exploits, in order to remain the same, so as not to lose what is given to you; you don’t need anything else except to stand as you stand, so that, having reached the end, you can receive what was promised... You need only one thing: to endure the delay (in fulfilling what you promised), and not to struggle again” (Zlat.). Hebrews 10:37. for a little while, a very little, and the Coming One will come and will not tarry. Wed. Hab.2:3–4. “So that they don’t say: when will he come? - he encourages them with the words of Scripture... If then they said: “little or little, the one who comes will come and will not cut down”, then it is obvious that now He is even closer. Thus, there will be a considerable reward for waiting” (Zlat.). “The admonition is strong when someone proves that those who have accomplished everything can lose everything because of a little weakness” (Zlat.). Hebrews 10:38. The righteous will live by faith; but if anyone hesitates, My soul has no pleasure in him. Hebrews 10:39. We are not one of those wavering to destruction, but we stand in faith for the salvation of our souls. You might be interested in: