Category: Hebrews

God’s Final Word in His Son

1 God, having spoken to the fathers long ago in [the voices and writings of] the prophets in many separate revelations [each of which set forth a portion of the truth], and in many ways,

2 has in these last days spoken [with finality] to us in [the person of One who is by His character and nature] His Son [namely Jesus], whom He appointed heirandlawful owner of all things, through whom also He created the universe [that is, the universe as a space-time-matter continuum].

3 The Son is the radianceandonly expression of the glory of [our awesome] God [reflecting God’sShekinah glory, the Light-being, the brilliant light of the divine], and the exact representationandperfect imprint of His [Father’s] essence, and upholdingandmaintainingandpropelling all things [the entire physical and spiritual universe] by His powerful word [carrying the universe along to its predetermined goal]. When He [Himself and no other] had [by offering Himself on the cross as a sacrifice for sin] accomplished purification from sinsandestablished our freedom from guilt, He sat down [revealing His completed work] at the right hand of the Majesty on high [revealing His Divine authority],

4 having become as much superior to angels, since He has inherited a more excellentandgloriousname than they [that is, Son—the name above all names].

5 For to which of the angels did the Father ever say,

“You areMySon,

TodayIhave begotten(fathered) You[established You as a Son, with kingly dignity]”?

And again [did He ever say to the angels],

“Ishall be aFather toHim

AndHe shall be aSon toMe”?

6 And when He again brings the firstborn [highest-ranking Son] into the world, He says,

“And all the angels ofGod are to worshipHim.”

7 And concerning the angels He says,

“Who makesHis angels winds,

AndHis ministering servants flames of fire[to do His bidding].”

8 But about the Son [the Father says to Him],

“Your throne,O God,is forever and ever,

And thescepter of[absolute]righteousness is the scepter ofHis kingdom.

9 You have loved righteousness[integrity, virtue, uprightness in purpose]and have hated lawlessness[injustice, sin].

ThereforeGod, YourGod, Has anointedYou

With the oil of gladness aboveYour companions.”

10 And,

“You, Lord,laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,

And the heavens are the works ofYour hands;

11 They will perish,butYou remain[forever and ever];

And they will all wear out like a garment,

12 And like a robeYou will roll them up;

Like a garment they will be changed.

ButYou are the same[forever],

AndYour years will never end.”

13 But to which of the angels has the Father ever said,

“Sit atMy right hand[together with me in royal dignity],

UntilImake your enemies

Afootstool for your feet[in triumphant conquest]”?

14 Are not all the angels ministering spirits sent out [by God] to serve (accompany, protect) those who will inherit salvation? [Of course they are!]

Give Heed

1 For this reason [that is, because of God’s final revelation in His Son Jesus and because of Jesus’ superiority to the angels] we must pay much closer attention than ever to the things that we have heard, so that we do not [in any way] drift away from truth.

2 For if the message giventhrough angels [the Law given to Moses] was authenticandunalterable, and every violation and disobedient act received an appropriate penalty,

3 how will we escape [the penalty] if we ignore such a great salvation [the gospel, the new covenant]? For it was spoken at first by the Lord, and it was confirmed to usandproved authentic by those whopersonallyheard [Him speak],

4 [and besides this evidence] God also testifying with them [confirming the message of salvation], both by signs and wonders and by various miracles [carried out by Jesus and the apostles] and by [granting to believers the] gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.

Earth Subject to Man

5 It was not to angels that God subjected the [inhabited] world of the future [when Christ reigns], about which we are speaking.

6 But one has [solemnly] testified somewhere [in Scripture], saying,

“What is man,thatYou are mindful of him,

Or the son of man,thatYou graciously care for him?

7 You have made him for a little while lower[in status]than the angels;

You have crowned him with glory and honor,

And set him over the works ofYour hands;

8 You have put all things in subjection under his feet[confirming his supremacy].”

Now in putting all things in subjection to man, He left nothing outside his control. But at present we do not yet see all things subjected to him.

Jesus Briefly Humbled

9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while [by taking on the limitations of humanity], crowned with glory and honor because of His suffering of death, so that by the grace of God [extended to sinners] He might experience death for [the sins of] everyone.

10 For it was fitting for God [that is, an act worthy of His divine nature] that He, for whose sake are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, should make theauthorandfounder of their salvation perfect through suffering [bringing to maturity the human experience necessary for Him to be perfectly equipped for His office as High Priest].

11 Both Jesus who sanctifies and those who are sanctified [that is, spiritually transformed, made holy, and set apart for God’s purpose] are all from oneFather;for this reason He is not ashamed to call thembrothers and sisters,

12 saying,

“Iwill declareYour(the Father’s)name toMy brethren(believers),

In the midst of the congregationIwill singYour praise.”

13 And again [He says],

“My trustandconfident hope will be placed inHim.”

And again,

“HereIam, Iand the children whomGod has givenMe.”

14 Therefore, since [these His] children share in flesh and blood [the physical nature of mankind], He Himself in a similar manner also shared in the same [physical nature, but without sin], so that through [experiencing] death He might make powerless (ineffective, impotent) him who had the power of death—that is, the devil—

15 and [that He] might free all those who through [the haunting] fear of death were held in slavery throughout their lives.

16 For, as we all know, He (Christ) does not take hold of [the fallen] angels [to give them a helping hand], but He does take hold of [the fallen] descendants of Abraham [extending to them His hand of deliverance].

17 Therefore,it was essential thatHe had to be made like His brothers (mankind) in every respect, so that He might [by experience] become a merciful and faithful High Priest in things related to God, to make atonement (propitiation) for the people’s sins [thereby wiping away the sin, satisfying divine justice, and providing a way of reconciliation between God and mankind].

18 Because He Himself [in His humanity] has suffered in being tempted, He is able to helpandprovide immediate assistance to those who are being temptedandexposed to suffering.

Jesus Our High Priest

1 Therefore,holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, [thoughtfully and attentively] consider the Apostle and High Priest whom we confessed [as ours when we accepted Him as Savior], namely,Jesus;

2 He was faithful to Him who appointed Him [Apostle and High Priest], as Moses also wasfaithfulin all God’s house.

3 Yet Jesus has been considered worthy of much greater gloryandhonor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has more honor than the house.

4 For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.

5 Now Moses was faithful in [the administration of] all God’s house, [but only] as aministeringservant, [his ministry serving] as a testimony of the things which were to be spoken afterward [the revelation to come in Christ];

6 but Christ is faithful as a Son over His [Father’s] house. And we are His house if we hold fast our confidence and sense of triumph in our hope [in Christ].

7 Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says,

“Today if you hearHis voice,

8 Do not harden your hearts as[your fathers did]in the rebellion[of Israel atMeribah],

On the day of testing in the wilderness,

9 Where your fathers triedMe by testing[My forbearance and tolerance],

And sawMy works for forty years

[And found I stood their test].

10 ThereforeIwas angered with this generation,

AndIsaid, ‘They always go astray in their heart,

And they did not knowMy ways[nor become progressively better and more intimately acquainted with them]’;

11 SoIswore[an oath]inMy wrath,

‘They shall not enterMy rest[the promised land].’ ”

The Peril of Unbelief

12 Take care, brothers and sisters, that there not be in any one of you a wicked, unbelievingheart [which refuses to trust and rely on the Lord, a heart] that turns away from the living God.

13 But continually encourage one another every day, as long as it is called “Today” [and there is an opportunity], so that none of you will be hardened [into settled rebellion] by the deceitfulness of sin [its cleverness, delusive glamour, and sophistication].

14 For we [believers] have become partakers of Christ [sharing in all that the Messiah has for us], if only we hold firm our newborn confidence [which originally led us to Him] until the end,

15 while it is said,

“Today[while there is still opportunity]if you hearHis voice,

Do not harden your heart,as when they provokedMe[in the rebellion in the desert at Meribah].”

16 For who were they who heard and yet provokedHim[with rebellious acts]? Was it not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses?

17 And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose dead bodies were scattered in the desert?

18 And to whom did He swear [an oath] that they would not enter His rest, but to those who disobeyed [those who would not listen to His word]?

19 So we see that they were not able to enter [into His rest—the promised land] because of unbeliefandan unwillingness to trust in God.

The Believer’s Rest

1 Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still remainsandis freely offered today, let us fear, in case any one of you may seem to come short of reaching itorthink he has come too late.

2 For indeed we have had the good news [of salvation] preached to us, just as the Israelites also [when the good news of the promised land came to them]; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because it was not united with faith [in God] by those who heard.

3 For we who believe [that is, we who personally trust and confidently rely on God] enter that rest [so we have His inner peace now because we are confident in our salvation, and assured of His power], just as He has said,

“AsIswore[an oath]inMy wrath,

They shall not enterMy rest,”

[this He said] although His works werecompleted from the foundation of the world [waiting for all who would believe].

4 For somewhere [in Scripture] He has said this about the seventh day: “AndGod rested on the seventh day from allHis works”;

5 and again in this, “They shall not enterMy rest.”

6 Therefore, since the promise remains for some to enter His rest, and those who formerly had the good news preached to them failed to [grasp it and did not] enter because of [their unbelief evidenced by] disobedience,

7 He again sets a definite day, [a new] “Today,” [providing another opportunity to enter that rest by] saying through David after so long a time, just as has been said before [in the words already quoted],

“Today if you hearHis voice,

Do not harden your hearts.”

8 [This mention of a rest was not a reference to their entering into Canaan.] For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not speak about another day [of opportunity] after that.

9 So there remains a [full and complete] Sabbath rest for the people of God.

10 For the one who has once entered His rest has also rested from [the weariness and pain of] his [human] labors, just as God rested from [those labors uniquely] His own.

11 Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves], so that no one will fall byfollowingthe same example of disobedience [as those who died in the wilderness].

12 For the word of God is living and activeandfull of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edgedsword, penetrating as far as the division of thesoul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposingandjudging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart.

13 And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are openandexposed, and revealed to the eyes of Him with whom we have to give account.

14 Inasmuch then as we [believers] have a great High Priest who has [already ascended and] passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession [of faith and cling tenaciously to our absolute trust in Him as Savior].

15 For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathizeandunderstand our weaknessesandtemptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect aswe are, yetwithout [committing any] sin.

16 Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidenceandwithout fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].

The Perfect High Priest

1 For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed [to act] on behalf of men in things relating to God, so that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.

2 He is able to deal gently with thespirituallyignorant and misguided, since he is also subject tohumanweakness;

3 and because of this [human weakness] he is required to offersacrificesfor sins, for himself as well as for the people.

4 And besides, one does not appropriate for himself the honor [of being high priest], but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.

5 So too Christ did not glorify Himself so as to be made a high priest, but He [was exalted and appointed by the One] who said to Him,

“You areMySon,

TodayIhave begotten(fathered) You[declared Your authority and rule over the nations]”;

6 just as He also says in another place,

“You are a priest[appointed]forever

According to the order ofMelchizedek.”

7 In the days of His earthly life, Jesus offered up both [specific] petitions and [urgent] supplications [for that which He needed] with fervent crying and tears to the One who was [always] able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission toward God [His sinlessness and His unfailing determination to do the Father’s will].

8 Although He was a Son [who had never been disobedient to the Father], He learned [active, special] obedience through what He suffered.

9 And having been made perfect [uniquely equipped and prepared as Savior and retaining His integrity amid opposition], He became the source of eternal salvation [an eternal inheritance] to all those who obey Him,

10 being designated by God as High Priest according to the order ofMelchizedek.

11 Concerning this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dullandsluggish in [your spiritual] hearinganddisinclined to listen.

12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers [because of the time you have had to learn these truths], you actually need someone to teach you again the elementary principles of God’s word [from the beginning], and you have come to becontinuallyin need of milk, not solid food.

13 For everyone who lives on milk is [doctrinally inexperienced and] unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is aspiritualinfant.

14 But solid food is for the [spiritually] mature, whose senses are trained by practice to distinguish between what is morally good andwhat isevil.

The Peril of Falling Away

1 Therefore let us get past the elementary stage in the teachings about the Christ, advancing on to maturityandperfectionandspiritual completeness, [doing this] without laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,

2 of teaching about washings (ritual purifications), the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. [These are all important matters in which you should have been proficient long ago.]

3 And we will do this [that is, proceed to maturity], if God permits.

4 For [it is impossible to restore to repentance] those who have once been enlightened [spiritually] and who havetastedandconsciously experienced the heavenly gift and have shared in the Holy Spirit,

5 and have tastedandconsciously experienced the good word of God and the powers of the age (world) to come,

6 and then have fallen away—it is impossible to bring them back again to repentance, since they again nail the Son of God on the cross [for as far as they are concerned, they are treating the death of Christ as if they were not saved by it], and are holding Him up again to public disgrace.

7 For soil that drinks the rain which often falls on it and produces crops useful to those for whose benefit it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God;

8 but if it persistently produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.

Better Things for You

9 But, beloved, even though we speak to you in this way,we are convinced of better things concerning you, and of things that accompany salvation.

10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown for His name in ministering to [the needs of] the saints (God’s people), as you do.

11 And we desire for each one of you to show the same diligence [all the way through] so as to realizeandenjoy the full assurance of hope until the end,

12 so that you will not be [spiritually] sluggish, but [will instead be] imitators of those who through faith [lean on God with absolute trust and confidence in Him and in His power] and by patient endurance [even when suffering] are [now] inheriting the promises.

13 For when God made the promise to Abraham, He swore [an oath] by Himself, since He had no one greater by whom to swear,

14 saying, “Iwill surely bless you andIwill surely multiply you.”

15 And so, having patiently waited, he realized the promise [in the miraculous birth of Isaac, as a pledge of what was to come from God].

16 Indeed men swear [an oath] byone greaterthan themselves,and with them [in all disputes] the oathservesas confirmation [of what has been said] and is an end of the dispute.

17 In the same way God, in His desire to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable nature of His purpose, intervenedandguaranteed it with an oath,

18 so that by two unchangeable things [His promise and His oath] in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled [to Him] for refuge would have strong encouragementandindwelling strength to hold tightly to the hope set before us.

19 This hope [this confident assurance] we have as an anchor of the soul [it cannot slip and it cannot break down under whatever pressure bears upon it]—a safe and steadfast hope that enters within the veil [of the heavenly temple, that most Holy Place in which the very presence of God dwells],

20 where Jesus has entered [in advance] as a forerunner for us, having become a High Priest forever according to the order ofMelchizedek.

Melchizedek’s Priesthood Like Christ’s

1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham as he returned from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,

2 and Abraham gave him a tenth of all [the spoil]. He is, first of all, by the translationof his name,king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, which means king of peace.

3 Without [any record of] father or mother, nor ancestral line, without [any record of] beginning of days (birth) nor ending of life (death), but having been made like the Son of God, he remains a priest without interruptionandwithout successor.

4 Now pauseandconsider how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the spoils.

5 It is true that those descendants of Levi who are charged with the priestly office are commanded in the Law to collect tithes from the people—which means, from their kinsmen—though these have descended from Abraham.

6 But this person [Melchizedek] who is not from their Levitical ancestry received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who possessed the promises [of God].

7 Yet it is beyond all dispute that the lesser person isalwaysblessed by the greater one.

8 Furthermore, here [in the Levitical priesthood] tithes are received by men who are subject to death; but in that case [concerning Melchizedek],they are receivedby one of whom it is testified that helives on [perpetually].

9 A person might even say that Levi [the father of the priestly tribe] himself, who received tithes, paid tithes through Abraham [the father of all Israel and of all who believe],

10 for Levi was still in the loins (unborn) of his forefather [Abraham] when Melchizedek met him (Abraham).

11 Now if perfection [a perfect fellowship between God and the worshiper] had been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people were given the Law) what further need was there for anotheranddifferent kind of priest to arise, one in the manner of Melchizedek, rather than one appointed to the order of Aaron?

12 For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is of necessity a change of the law [concerning the priesthood] as well.

13 For the One of whom these things are said belonged [not to the priestly line of Levi but] to another tribe, from which no one has officiatedorserved at the altar.

14 For it is evident that our Lord descended from [the tribe of] Judah, and Moses mentioned nothing about priests in connection with that tribe.

15 And this becomes even more evident if another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek,

16 who has becomea priest,not on the basis of aphysicalandlegal requirement in the Law [concerning his ancestry as a descendant of Levi], but on the basis of the power of an indestructibleandendless life.

17 For it is attested [by God] of Him,

“You(Christ)are aPriest forever

According to the order ofMelchizedek.”

18 For, on the one hand, a former commandment is cancelled because of its weakness and uselessness [because of its inability to justify the sinner before God]

19 (for the Law never made anything perfect); while on the other hand a better hope is introduced through which we nowcontinuallydraw near to God.

20 And indeed it was not without the taking of an oath [that Christ was made priest]

21 (for thoseLeviteswho formerly became priests [received their office] without [its being confirmed by the taking of] an oath, but this One [was designated] with an oath through the One who said to Him,

“TheLord has sworn

And will not changeHis mindorregret it,

‘You(Christ)are aPriest forever’ ”).

22 And so [because of the oath’s greater strength and force] Jesus has become the certain guarantee of a better covenant [a more excellent and more advantageous agreement; one that will never be replaced or annulled].

23 The [former successive line of] priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were each prevented by death from continuing [perpetually in office];

24 but, on the other hand, Jesus holds His priesthood permanentlyandwithout change, because He lives on forever.

25 Therefore He is able also to save forever (completely, perfectly, for eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercedeandintervene on their behalf [with God].

26 It was fitting for us to have such a High Priest [perfectly adapted to our needs], holy, blameless, unstained [by sin], separated from sinners and exalted higher than the heavens;

27 who has no day by day need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices, first of all for his own [personal] sins and then for those of the people, because He [met all the requirements and] did this once for all when He offered up Himself [as a willing sacrifice].

28 For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak [frail, sinful, dying men], but the word of the oath [of God], which came after [the institution of] the Law,permanently appoints[as priest] a Sonwho has been made perfect forever.

A Better Ministry

1 Now the main point of what we have to sayis this:we have such a High Priest, [the Christ] who is seated [in the place of honor] at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty (God) in heaven,

2 a Minister (Officiating Priest) in the holy places and in the true tabernacle, which is erected not by man, but by the Lord.

3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is essential for this One also to have something to offer.

4 Now if He were [still living] on earth, He would not be a priest at all, for there are priests who offer the gifts [to God] in accordance with the Law.

5 They serve as a pattern and foreshadowing of [what has its true existence and reality in] the heavenly things (sanctuary). For when Moses was about to erect the tabernacle, he was warnedby God,saying, “See that you makeit all [exactly]according to the pattern which was shown to you on the mountain.”

6 But as it is, Christ has acquired a [priestly] ministry which is more excellent [than the old Levitical priestly ministry], for He is the Mediator (Arbiter) of a better covenant [uniting God and man], which has been enactedandrests on better promises.

A New Covenant

7 For if that firstcovenanthad been faultless, there would have been no occasion for a second oneoran attempt to institute another one [the new covenant].

8 However, God finds fault with them [showing its inadequacy] when He says,

“Behold,the days will come,says theLord,

WhenIwill makeandratify a new covenant

With the house ofIsrael and with the house ofJudah;

9 Not like the covenant thatImade with their fathers

On the day whenItook them by the hand

To lead them out of the land ofEgypt;

For they did not abide inMy covenant,

And soIwithdrewMy favoranddisregarded them,says theLord.

10 For this is the covenant thatIwill make with the house ofIsrael

After those days,says theLord:

Iwill imprintMy laws upon their minds[even upon their innermost thoughts and understanding],

And engrave them upon their hearts[effecting their regeneration].

AndIwill be theirGod,

And they shall beMy people.

11 And it will not be[necessary]for each one to teach his fellow citizen,

Or each one his brother,saying, ‘Know[by experience, have knowledge of]theLord,’

For all will know[Me by experience and have knowledge of] Me,

From the least to the greatest of them.

12 ForIwill be mercifulandgracious toward their wickedness,

AndIwill remember their sins no more.”

13 When God speaks of “A newcovenant,” He makes the first one obsolete. And whatever is becoming obsolete (out of use, annulled) and growing old is ready to disappear.

The Old and the New

1 Now even the firstcovenanthad regulations for divine worship and for the earthly sanctuary.

2 A tabernacle (sacred tent) was put up, the outer oneorfirst section, in which were the lampstand and the table with [its loaves of] the sacred showbread; this is called the Holy Place.

3 Behind the second veil there was another tabernacle [the inner one or second section] known as the Holy of Holies,

4 having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered entirely with gold. This contained a golden jar which held the manna, and the rod of Aaron that sprouted, and the [two stone] tablets of the covenant [inscribed with the Ten Commandments];

5 and above the ark were the [golden] cherubim of glory overshadowingthe mercy seat; but we cannot now go into detail about these things.

6 Now when these things have been prepared in this way, the priests continually enter the outer [or first section of the] tabernacle [that is, the Holy Place] performing [their ritual acts of] the divine worship,

7 but into the second [inner tabernacle, the Holy of Holies], only the high priestenters[and then only] once a year, and never without [bringing a sacrifice of] blood, which he offers [as a substitutionary atonement] for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance.

8 By this the Holy Spirit signifies that the way into the Holy Place [the true Holy of Holies and the presence of God] has not yet been disclosed as long as thefirstorouter tabernacle is still standing [that is, as long as the Levitical system of worship remains a recognized institution],

9 for this [first or outer tabernacle] is a symbol [that is, an archetype or paradigm] for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which are incapable of perfecting the conscienceandrenewing the [inner self of the] worshiper.

10 For they [the gifts, sacrifices, and ceremonies] deal only with [clean and unclean] food and drink and various ritual washings, [mere] external regulations for the body imposed [to help the worshipers] until the time of reformation [that is, the time of the new order when Christ will establish the reality of what these things foreshadow—a better covenant].

11 But when Christ appeared as a High Priest of the good things to come [that is, true spiritual worship],He enteredthrough the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not a part of this [material] creation.

12 He went once for all into the Holy Place [the Holy of Holies of heaven, into the presence of God], and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, having obtainedandsecured eternal redemption [that is, the salvation of all who personally believe in Him as Savior].

13 For if the sprinkling of [ceremonially] defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a [burnt] heifer is sufficient for the cleansing of the body,

14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal [Holy] Spiritwillinglyoffered Himself unblemished [that is, without moral or spiritual imperfection as a sacrifice] to God, cleanse your conscience from dead worksandlifeless observances to serve the ever living God?

15 For this reason He is the MediatorandNegotiator of a new covenant [that is, an entirely new agreement uniting God and man], so that those who have been called [by God] may receive [the fulfillment of] the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has taken place [as the payment] which redeems them from the sinscommittedunder theobsoletefirst covenant.

16 For where there is a willandtestament involved, the death of the one who made it must be established,

17 for a willandtestament takes effect [only] at death, since it is never in force as long as the one who made it is alive.

18 So even the firstcovenantwas not put in force without [the shedding of] blood.

19 For when every commandment in the Law had been read by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of the calves and goats [which had been sacrificed], together with water and scarlet wool and with a bunch of hyssop, and he sprinkled both the scroll itself and all the people,

20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant[that seals and ratifies the agreement]whichGod ordainedandcommanded[me to deliver to]you.”

21 And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the containersandsacred utensils of worship with the blood.

22 In fact under the Law almost everything is cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness [neither release from sin and its guilt, nor cancellation of the merited punishment].

23 Therefore it was necessary for the [earthly] copies of the heavenly things to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves required far better sacrifices than these.

24 For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but [He entered] into heaven itself, now to appear in the very presence of God on our behalf;

25 nor did He [enter into the heavenly sanctuary to] offer Himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.

26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer over and over since the foundation of the world; but now once for all at the consummation of the ages He has appearedandbeen publicly manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

27 And just as it is appointedanddestined for all men to die once and after this [comes certain] judgment,

28 so Christ, having been offered onceandonce for all to bear [as a burden]the sins of many, will appear a second time [when he returns to earth], not to deal with sin, but to bring salvation to those who are eagerlyandconfidently waiting for Him.

One Sacrifice of Christ Is Sufficient

1 For since the Law has only a shadow [just a pale representation] of the good things to come—not the very image of those things—it can never, by offering the same sacrifices continually year after year, makeperfect those who approach [its altars].

2 For if it were otherwise, would not these sacrifices have stopped being offered? For the worshipers, having once [for all time] been cleansed, would no longer have a consciousness of sin.

3 But [as it is] these [continual]sacrificesbring a fresh reminder of sins [to be atoned for] year after year,

4 for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

5 Therefore, when Christ enters into the world, He says,

“Sacrifice and offeringYou have not desired,

But[instead] You have prepared a body forMe[to offer];

6 In burnt offerings andsacrificesfor sinYou have taken no delight.

7 ThenIsaid, ‘Behold, Ihave come

To doYour will, O God—

[To fulfill]what is written ofMe in the scroll of the book.’ ”

8 After saying [in the citation] above, “You have neither desired,nor haveYou taken delight in sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings andsacrificesfor sin” (which are offered according to the Law)

9 then He said, “Behold, Ihave come to doYour will.” [And so] He does away with the first [covenant as a means of atoning for sin based on animal sacrifices] so that He may inaugurateandestablish the second [covenant by means of obedience].

10 And in accordance with this will [of God] we [who believe in the message of salvation] have been sanctified [that is, set apart as holy for God and His purposes] through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) once for all.

11 Every priest stands [at his altar of service] ministering daily, offering the same sacrifices over and over, which are never ableto strip away sins [that envelop and cover us];

12 whereas Christ, having offered the one sacrifice [the all-sufficient sacrifice of Himself] for sins for all time,sat down[signifying the completion of atonement for sin]at the right hand ofGod[the position of honor],

13 waiting from that time onwarduntil his enemies are made a footstool forHis feet.

14 For by the one offering He has perfected foreverandcompletely cleansed those who are being sanctified [bringing each believer to spiritual completion and maturity].

15 And the Holy Spirit also adds His testimony to us [in confirmation of this]; for after having said,

16 “This is the covenant thatIwill make with them

After those days,says theLord:

Iwill imprintMy laws upon their heart,

And on their mindIwill inscribe them[producing an inward change],”

He then says,

17 “And their sins and their lawless acts

Iwill remember no more[no longer holding their sins against them].”

18 Now where there is [absolute] forgivenessandcomplete cancellation of the penalty of these things, there is no longer any offering [to be made to atone] for sin.

A New and Living Way

19 Therefore,believers, since we have confidenceandfull freedom to enter the Holy Place [the place where God dwells] by [means of] the blood of Jesus,

20 by this new and living way which He initiatedandopened for us through the veil [as in the Holy of Holies], that is, through His flesh,

21 and since we have a greatandwonderful Priest [Who rules] over the house of God,

22 let us approach [God] with a trueandsincere heart in unqualified assurance of faith, having had our hearts sprinkledcleanfrom an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

23 Let us seizeandhold tightly the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is reliableandtrustworthyandfaithful [to His word];

24 and let us consider [thoughtfully] how we may encourage one another to love and to do good deeds,

25 not forsaking our meeting together [as believers for worship and instruction], as is the habit of some, but encouragingone another;and all the more [faithfully] as you see the day [of Christ’s return] approaching.

Christ or Judgment

26 For if we go on willfullyanddeliberately sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice [to atone] for our sins [that is, no further offering to anticipate],

27 but a kind of awfulandterrifying expectation of [divine] judgment andthe fury of a fireandburning wrath which will consume the adversaries[those who put themselves in opposition to God].

28 Anyone who has ignoredandset aside the Law of Moses is put to death without mercy onthe testimony oftwo or three witnesses.

29 How much greater punishment do you think he will deserve who has rejectedandtrampled under foot the Son of God, and has considered uncleanandcommon the blood of the covenant thatsanctified him, and has insulted the Spirit of grace [who imparts the unmerited favor and blessing of God]?

30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance isMine[retribution and the deliverance of justice rest with Me], Iwill repay[the wrongdoer].” And again, “TheLord will judgeHis people.”

31 It is a fearfulandterrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God [incurring His judgment and wrath].

32 But remember the earlier days, when, after being [spiritually] enlightened, you [patiently] endured a great conflict of sufferings,

33 sometimes by being made a spectacle, publicly exposed to insults and distress, and sometimes by becoming companions with those who were so treated.

34 For you showed sympathyanddeep concern for those who were imprisoned, and you joyfully accepted the [unjust] seizure of your belongingsandthe confiscation of your property, conscious of the fact that you have a better possession and a lasting one [prepared for you in heaven].

35 Do not, therefore, fling away your [fearless] confidence, for it has a gloriousandgreat reward.

36 For you have need of patient endurance [to bear up under difficult circumstances without compromising], so that when you have carried out the will of God, you may receiveandenjoy to the full what is promised.

37 For yet in a very little while,

He who is coming will come,and will not delay.

38 ButMy righteous one[the one justified by faith]shall live by faith[respecting man’s relationship to God and trusting Him];

And if he draws back[shrinking in fear], My soul has no delight in him.

39 Butour way is not that of those who shrink back to destruction, but [we are] of those who believe [relying on God through faith in Jesus Christ, the Messiah]andby this confident faith preserve the soul.