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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Heb_9:11-14
11But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Heb_9:11 "But when Christ appeared as high priest" When did this occur:
1. before creation (cf. Rev_13:8)
2. at Calvary (cf. Heb_9:12)
3. after ascension to the Father's right hand (entered sanctuary in heaven, cf. Heb_9:24-25)
Did Jesus offer Himself twice? If so, why the emphasis on "once for all?" Possibly He offered Himself as sacrifice on Calvary, but acted as high priest after His ascension or it may be simply (1) theological imagery or (2) inspired rabbinical mysticism.
▣ "of the good things to come" The ancient Greek manuscripts vary: (1) "things to come" in à , A (NASB, NKJV, NJB) and (2) "things already here" in P46, B, D* (RSV, NEB, TEV, NIV).
▣ "not made with hands" Some see this as a reference to believers' resurrected physical bodies (cf. 2Co_5:1) and Jesus' body (cf. Mar_14:58). However, the context seems to refer to the heavenly temple (cf. Heb_8:2; Heb_9:24).
Heb_9:12 "not through the blood of goats and calves" The goats were for the people's sin (cf. Lev_16:11) and the calves were for the high priests' sin (cf. Lev_16:11). The sacrificial system of the OT (cf. Leviticus 1-7) was God's gracious provision of allowing (as a foreshadowing of Christ's death) an unblemished animal to pay the death penalty for human sin (cf. Lev_17:11).
▣ "but through His own blood" The Greek preposition "dia" can mean (1)"through" (NASB, NIV) or (2) "with" (NKJV, NRSV, NJB).
▣ "the holy place" Here this implies "the Holy of Holies" of the heavenly tabernacle.
▣ "once for all" This is an often-repeated emphasis (cf. Heb_7:27; Heb_9:28; Heb_10:10). It emphasizes Christ's complete and finished sacrifice. See full note at Heb_7:27.
Heb_9:12
NASB, NKJV,
NRSV "having obtained eternal redemption"
TEV "obtained eternal salvation"
NJB "having won an eternal redemption"
This is an aorist middle participle, which denotes a completed act emphasizing the subject's participation and interest. The word "eternal" may relate to (1) its quality, "life of the new age" or (2) its quantity, "life without end." With the warnings in Hebrews so poignant, possibly #1 fits best. See Special Topic: Eternal at Heb_6:2.
▣ "redemption" This word refers to the ransom paid by a close relative for someone's release. This is the OT "go'el" (cf. Ruth 4; Isa_43:1; Isa_44:22-23; Isa_48:20; Isa. 12:9; Isa_63:9; Hos_13:14).
Heb_9:13 "if" This is a first class conditional sentence which is assumed to be true. God accepted the Mosaic sacrificial system as a means of covering sin until Christ!
▣ "ashes of a heifer" The red heifer's ashes were used for ceremonial cleansing (cf. Numbers 19).
▣ "sprinkling" This was part of the Mosaic ritual involving liquids (blood or ashes of the red heifer mixed with water). It was a way of transferring holiness or cleansing power. Robert B. Girdlestone in his Synonyms of The Old Testament has an interesting comment.
"The sprinklings (shantismoi) specially referred to in the Epistle to the Hebrews are of two kinds—that which was performed with the ashes of a red heifer on persons who had contracted certain defilement (Heb_9:13), and that which was performed with blood on the people and the Book in making the old covenant; also on the tabernacle and various vessels connected with the sacred service (Heb_9:19; Heb_9:21). The substance of which these are the shadows is the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus, which speaketh better things than that of Abel (Heb_12:24)" (p. 152).
Heb_9:14 "how much more" Comparing the covenants is the theme of the book (cf. Heb_2:1-3; Heb_3:3; Heb_8:6; Heb_10:28-29).
▣ "who through the eternal Spirit" This is either Christ's pre-existent spirit or the Holy Spirit.
The United Bible Societies' A Handbook on The Letter to the Hebrews by Ellingworth and Nida, lists several reasons why it probably should be a small "s" when the majority of modern translations (NASB, NKJV, NRSV, TEV, NJB, NIV) have a capital.
1. there is no definite article
2. the author often speaks of "the Holy Spirit" and addresses Him by this full title
3. this phrase may be parallel to "the power of an indestructible life" in Heb_7:16 (p. 196).
In his commentary on Hebrews in the New International Commentary Series, F. F. Bruce makes an interesting comment that the concept of Spirit is an allusion to the sections of Isaiah containing the "servant Songs" (chapters 40-54). In this section, Gen_42:1 says "I have put my Spirit upon him" (p. 205). In a book like Hebrews, which uses the OT so freely, this makes good sense.
▣ "offered Himself" This is Christ's voluntary act (cf. Joh_10:17-18; 2Co_5:21; Php_2:8, Isa_52:13 to Isa_53:12). See hyperlink at Heb_2:17.
▣ "without blemish" See Special Topic at Heb_7:26.
▣ "from dead works" This same phrase appears in Heb_6:1 as referring to OT rituals and procedures as a means of gaining salvation. The true means is the finished substitutionary atonement of the Lamb of God (cf. Joh_1:29; 1Jn_3:5). I really appreciate M. R. Vincent's comment in his Word Studies in the New Testament, which relates dead works to self-righteous legalism:
"It changes the character of works by purging them of the element of death. This element belongs not only to works which are acknowledged as sinful and are committed by sinful men, but to works which go under the name of religious, yet are performed in a merely legal spirit. None the less, because it is pre-eminently the religion of faith, does Christianity apply the severest and most radical of tests to works. Professor Bruce truthfully says that 'the severest test of Christ's power to redeem is his ability to loose the bonds springing out of a legal religion, by which many are bound who have escaped the dominion of gross, sinful habits'" (pp. 1139-1140).
▣ "to serve the living God" Notice that believers are saved to serve (cf. Romans 6). Salvation is a freedom from the tyranny of sin, to lordship of God! Salvation is not a product (a pre-purchased ticket to heaven or a fire insurance policy), but a relationship of faith, obedience and service. All believers are gifted for ministry (cf. Eph_4:11-12) and service to the body of Christ (cf. 1Co_12:7; 1Co_12:12).
The adjective "living" is a play on the OT covenant name for deity, YHWH, which is from the root of the verb "to be." YHWH is the ever-living, only-living One!
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