Chapter 3 opens with an invitation to consider this _Apostle_ and _High
Priest_ of our profession, faithful in all things to Him that appointed
Him—far exceeding Moses in glory—for Moses was faithful as a servant;
Christ as a son over His own house (vers. 1–6).
Chapter 5 says, “Every _high priest_ taken from among men _is ordained
for men in things pertaining to God_, that he may offer both gifts and
_sacrifices for sin_” (ver. 1), that no man takes this honour unto
himself, but he that is called of God as was Aaron. So Christ glorified
not Himself, to be made a high priest; but He that said unto Him, “Thou
art My Son, to-day have I begotten Thee!” and again, “Thou art a Priest
for ever after the order of Melchisedec” (vers. 4, 5, 6).
Further on, after setting forth, in the seventh chapter, the surpassing
excellence of the High Priesthood of Christ in comparison with that of
Aaron, and marking how exactly such a High Priest was adapted to our
every need, “holy, harmless, undefined, separate from sinners, and made
higher than the heavens” (c. vii. 26), the Apostle sums up his argument
in the eighth chapter: “Now of the things which we have spoken this is
the sum, We _have_ such a High Priest, who is set on the right hand of
the throne of the Majesty in the heavens—a Minister of the sanctuary and
of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched and not man (Heb. viii. 1,
2). And inasmuch as every high priest _is ordained to offer_ both gifts
and sacrifices, it is _of necessity that this man have somewhat to
offer_” (Heb. viii. 3).
Jesus was proved to be our High Priest by offering up His own body for
our sins, which is stated in the most explicit terms. “But Christ being
come, a High Priest of good things to come; . . . neither by the blood of
goats and calves, but _by His own blood_ He entered in once into the holy
place, having obtained eternal redemption (for us)” (Heb. ix. 11, 12).
“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit
_offered Himself without spot to God_, _purge_ your conscience from dead
works to serve the living God?” (Heb. ix. 14). (See also ver. 15.)
“Nor yet that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest entereth
into the holy place every year with blood of others; for then must He
often have suffered since the foundation of the world; but now once in
the end of the world hath He appeared to PUT AWAY SIN _by the_ SACRIFICE
_of Himself_” (Heb. ix. 25, 26).
“So Christ was once _offered to bear the sins_ of many,” _i.e._, of all
that look to Him for salvation (Heb. ix. 28).
“By the which will we are sanctified through the _offering of the_ BODY
_of_ Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb. x. 10).
“For by one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified”
(Heb. x. 14).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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