返回Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
Heb. 9:1. And the first covenant had ordinances of divine service
Having proved from the side of the priest, the priesthood, and the covenant that the first covenant had to come to an end, the apostle now proves this also from the side of the very arrangement of the tabernacle. There were three divisions in it: one was the outer court, intended for everyone in general, both Jews and Greeks; then followed a veil, beyond which the priests entered, performing the daily services. This division was called the Holy Place. These divisions were a figure of the Old Testament, for there everything was performed with sacrifices. But the Holy of Holies was a figure of our mystery. For, he says, "the first," that is, the Old Testament, "had ordinances," that is, symbols or regulations, but "had" at that time, whereas now it has them no longer, for it has ceased.
Heb. 9:1. And an earthly sanctuary.
He calls it "worldly" because it was permitted to enter it, and in one and the same building the place was known where the Jews, Nazirites, proselytes, and Greeks stood. Since it was accessible even to the Gentiles, he calls it "worldly" (κοσμικόν – secular).
Heb. 9:2. For a tabernacle was prepared, the first, in which were the lampstand, and the table, and the showbread (cf. Ex. 10:22–25), and which is called the Holy Place.
He calls this one "first," namely, in relation to the Holy of Holies, which was in the middle. Before it stood the bronze altar, the altar for burnt offerings, set under the open sky. Then, if one lifted the veil, or rather, the covering (Ex. 40:19), it appeared as the middle section, in which were the lampstand, and the table, and the showbread.
Heb. 9:3. Behind the second veil was the tabernacle called the Holy of Holies.
Do you see that there was a first veil, which Scripture calls a curtain, since it was rolled up and drawn together — this veil separated the court, into which everyone in general entered and upon which they offered sacrifices on the bronze altar, from the tabernacle, which was accessible to the priests who performed the daily services. Furthermore, once you passed through this veil, there was yet another veil, and beyond it the tabernacle called the Holy of Holies, into which no one else entered except the high priest alone, and even he only once a year. Throughout, he calls everything a tabernacle, because God dwells in it.
Heb. 9:4. having a golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold,
The Ark of the Covenant is called so because it contained the tablets bearing the law (Exod. 40:20).
Heb. 9:4. Where were the golden vessel containing the manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant,
All these things served as memorials of Jewish ingratitude. "The golden pot of manna" — in remembrance of the fact that, while being miraculously fed by it, they murmured (Exod. 16:3–10), and so that their descendants might remember both God's benevolence and their own bitterness. "Aaron's rod" — in remembrance of the rebellion that occurred against him (Num. 17). "The tablets of the covenant" — in memory of the fact that they shattered the first ones by their idolatry. You may ask how it is that in the Book of Kings it is written that there was nothing else in the ark except the tablets, yet the apostle now asserts that the golden pot and Aaron's rod were also placed in it? Since he had been educated in the best manner by Gamaliel (Acts 22:3) in Judaism, he probably derived this from tradition; for even now the Pharisaical Jews agree that this was so. However, not from the beginning, but at the time of Jeremiah, when it was necessary to hide the ark, then, they say, these things were probably also placed in the ark.
Heb. 9:5. And above it
That is, above the ark.
Heb. 9:5. Cherubim of glory, (cf. Exod. 25:18–20)
Glorious, or subject to God; but having served for His glory. And he sets this forth deliberately with the purpose of showing the superiority of that which is ours.
Heb. 9:5. Overshadowing the mercy seat;
He called the "mercy seat" the lid of the ark, as you will learn more precisely about this from Scripture itself, and, being led astray by the words of some, do not think that this is something else. Of course, by this he pointed to Christ, Who became the propitiation for our sins. He sealed everything that was in the Old Testament and confirmed it.
Heb. 9:5. "about which there is no need now to speak in detail."
Here he shows that all of this was not only visible, but also served as a sign of something else, the explanation of which requires too much time.
Heb. 9:6. Now when these things were thus prepared, the priests always enter the first tabernacle, performing the divine services;
Though this was so, he says, the Jews did not participate in it, since the veil held them back. This was preserved for us, for whom it was a foreshadowing.
Heb. 9:7. But into the second, only the high priest entered once a year,
Do you see the very prototypes, already set forth here? Lest they say: the sacrifice of Christ was offered once, how then did it sanctify all? He shows that this was so from ancient times, for even the most holy and awesome sacrifice in the Old Testament was offered by the high priest once.
Heb. 9:7. not without blood,
After having called the cross a sacrifice—both without fire and without wood, and not offered repeatedly—he shows that the Old Testament sacrifice was also of this kind, for it was offered once with blood. Some have asked how it is that in the book of Exodus it is written that he should burn incense upon the golden altar, which was evidently located in the Holy of Holies: "Aaron shall burn on it compound fragrant incense early in the morning"; "On it Aaron shall burn fragrant incense; every morning, when he tends the lamps, he shall burn it" (Exod. 30:7–8), so that every day the high priest entered the Holy of Holies twice in order to burn incense upon that place where the golden altar was located. So how does the apostle say here that this high priest entered once a year? And they resolve it by saying that once a year the high priest entered with blood, but with incense—twice a day. However, you should know that they doubted needlessly and out of ignorance: it was not in the golden censer that Aaron burned incense twice a day, but upon the golden altar, and the latter was located not in the Holy of Holies but in the middle tabernacle, where the lampstand and the table also were; whereas with the golden censer he entered the Holy of Holies truly once a year. For the censer is one thing, and the altar is another. I have pointed out this difficulty so that the reader of these words, having heard the objection raised by others, might not be led astray into thinking that it is sound.
Heb. 9:7. which he offers for himself and for the sins of ignorance of the people.
And again: "for himself." The lawful high priest, he says, offered sacrifice for himself. But Christ not for Himself, for He had no part with sinners. In every respect there is a complete difference between the one and the other. He said "for sins of ignorance," and not for transgressions, in order thereby to bring into greater fear both the ancient Jews and all people, and to humble their pride. For even if you did not sin willingly, you sinned unwillingly and through ignorance, and no one is free from this. Some maintained that he said this to show here as well the difference between the sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifices of the law. Under the law, sacrifices pardoned transgressions committed in ignorance; but the sacrifice of Christ pardons even deliberate sins.
Heb. 9:8. By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the sanctuary is not yet opened, as long as the former tabernacle still stands.
Finally, he begins to consider more loftily the matters concerning the tabernacles, and says that since the Holy of Holies, as an image of heaven, was inaccessible to the other priests, while the first tabernacle, that is, the first one located directly beyond the bronze altar, was always accessible to them, being a symbol of the legal service, this symbolically indicated that as long as this tabernacle stands, that is, as long as the law remains in force and the legal services are performed according to the law, the way of the saints, that is, entry into heaven, is inaccessible to those who perform such services. For them it was not only not open, but also closed, and this way was prepared for the One High Priest Christ alone.
Heb. 9:9. It is a figure for the present time, in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered, which cannot make the one who offers them perfect in conscience,
What he said above, the apostle now affirms, namely, that the tabernacle into which the priests always entered was a parable, that is, a figure and shadow of the present time according to the law, the time before the coming of Christ: during this time such sacrifices are offered, and ones so weak, that they cannot "in conscience," that is, according to the inner man, make perfect those who offer them. They cleansed bodily defilements, but not sins of the soul. They could not cleanse either adultery, or murder, or sacrilege.
Heb. 9:10. which stood only in meats and drinks, and various washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed until the time of reformation.
They, he says, were established only for the people of that time and are connected with instructions concerning foods and drinks. Eat this, but do not eat that. Why did he say "drinks"? For the law said nothing about distinctions in drinks. He says this either concerning the priest, that he must not drink wine when he intends to enter the sanctuary; or concerning those who had made vows, that is, promises of abstinence from wine, such as the Nazirites; or he said this simply with the aim of devaluing and diminishing these ordinances. The washings were various. If someone touched a dead body or a leper, and if someone suffered from a discharge of seed, he would wash and thus appeared to be cleansed. Carnal ordinances are precisely fleshly commandments, purifying the flesh and carnally justifying those who were considered unclean according to the flesh. However, they were not established permanently, but "until the time of reformation," that is, until the coming of Christ, who was to set all things right and introduce true and spiritual worship. And since the law was a heavy yoke, it was probably for this reason that he said "imposed." As it is also written in Acts: "Now therefore why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?" (Acts 15:10).
Heb. 9:11. But Christ, the High Priest of the good things to come, having come
The Old Testament worship, he says, did not lead to heaven. But Christ, "having come," entered once into the Holy Place, for that is where the thought is directed. He did not say "having become" a high priest, but "a High Priest... having come," that is, having come for this very purpose. He did not first come and then, when it happened so, become a High Priest; rather, the goal of His coming to earth was the high priesthood. He did not say a High Priest of sacrificial offerings, but "of good things to come"; since language is powerless to represent everything precisely, he simply and indefinitely called "good things" what has been done for us. He called these good things "to come" as if in relation to the time of the law. For just as he called that time the present, so he calls Christ's time the coming, as if in comparison with it, or also in comparison with the mysteries that are to be revealed to us in the age to come.
Heb. 9:11. with a greater and more perfect tabernacle,
Here he means the flesh; it is the greater tabernacle, because in it dwells both God the Word and the entire power of the Spirit. For "God does not give the Spirit by measure" (John 3:34). Being the most perfect tabernacle, it also accomplishes greater things.
Heb. 9:11. not made with hands, that is, not of such construction,
Here heretics attack, saying that the body is heavenly and ethereal. However, if the apostle considered His body "heavenly and ethereal," how could he have said that it was "not of this construction"? For heaven is not excluded from the number of created things. So what do his words mean? On the one hand, that the Old Testament tabernacle was constructed by the hands of the craftsman Bezalel and his coworkers (Ex. 31:2–6), while the tabernacle of God the Word was formed by the Spirit. This is why he said that it was "not of this construction," that is, not from these created things, but that it is spiritual and divine. For none of the created things has in itself God the Word by nature; but that one was united with Him by nature. Thus, in material the Lord's body was like ours and of one substance with us, as formed from the pure blood of the Most Holy Virgin; but in the manner of union, it is above us, because by nature it was united with God the Word. Since the materials for the Old Testament tabernacle were wood and skins, gold and silver, bronze and certain fabrics, the apostle, turning his gaze to these things, said that that tabernacle was "not of this construction," such as was needed for the Old Testament tabernacle. In general, he speaks comparatively and shows the superiority of Christ. He calls the Lord's body both a tabernacle, as here, by virtue of the fact that the Only-Begotten dwelt in it, and a veil, because it concealed the Divinity. He also calls heaven by these same names: a tabernacle, because the High Priest is there; a veil (Heb. 10:20), because the saints are sheltered by it.
Heb. 9:12. and not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own Blood,
Behold, everything has changed, and to the same degree as the Blood of the Lord surpasses the blood of animals with which the high priest of the law entered.
Heb. 9:12. once entered into the sanctuary
That is, to heaven.
Heb. 9:12. and obtained eternal redemption.
Not a temporary purification, like those, but an eternal liberation of souls from sins. Or, that having entered once, through one entrance He accomplished for us an eternal benefit. Pay attention also to the expression "obtained." This expression is used as though the matter occurred beyond expectation, for the liberation was doubtful for us; but He obtained it.
Heb. 9:13. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, (cf. Lev. 16, Num. 19.)
Since, perhaps, it seemed incredible to many that through a single sacrifice and the blood of one, eternal redemption is granted, he confirms this and shows its plausibility on the basis of the Jews' own belief. If, he says, you believe that by being sprinkled with the blood of goats, and also with ashes mixed with water, for the ashes were kept for purification, then how shall the Blood of Christ not cleanse souls? Notice his wisdom. He did not say that the blood of goats cleansed, but sanctified; not to glorify the law, but to accomplish what he desires. For if, as you believe, the blood of goats gave sanctification, then you ought much more to believe that the Blood of Christ grants sanctification. And that he said this not in order to exalt the belief of the Jews, see how he added: "so that the body might be clean." For the sanctification was for the cleansing not of souls, but of flesh.
Heb. 9:14. how much more shall the Blood of Christ, Who through the Holy Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God,
Not some high priest offered Christ as a sacrifice, but He Himself offered Himself, and not by means of fire, like heifers, but by the eternal Spirit, which is why He also made eternal both the grace and the redemption. And "without blemish," that is, without sin. For in the Old Testament as well it was required that the heifer be without blemish.
Heb. 9:14. Will cleanse our conscience from dead works,
Although there he said "sanctifies," he added "that the body may be clean"; but here by the expression "will cleanse" he directly showed the superiority. For he adds that it will cleanse "the conscience," that is, the inner man, which was not the case there. True, there too the one who touched a dead body was cleansed after the offering of sacrifice; but here the cleansing is "from dead works," which truly can defile and turn one away from God.
Heb. 9:14. For the service of the living and true God!
From this, one who partakes in dead works does not serve the living and true God, but deifies the works he has chosen. Thus, the glutton deifies the belly; thus, the covetous man is an idolater. Therefore, works of this kind are dead not only because they are foreign to eternal life, but also because at the very time of their commission they are abominable and false, since they deceive us, and although they seem pleasant, in reality they are not.
Heb. 9:15. And because of this He is the mediator of a new covenant,
Obviously, the death of Christ troubled many of the weaker ones: if He died, they say, then how will He give what He promised? Now Paul, removing this trouble, shows that it is precisely because He died that His testament is firm, for one does not speak of a testament of the living. For this reason, he says, for the sake of cleansing us, He died, and in His testament He left us the forgiveness of sins and the partaking of paternal blessings, having become the Mediator between the Father and us. The Father did not want to leave us an inheritance; He was angry with us, as with sons who had departed from Him and become strangers. Therefore Christ became the Mediator and entreated Him. In what way? That which we should have undergone, for we were the ones who should have died — He Himself took upon Himself for us and made us worthy of the testament, and the testament was again confirmed by the death of the Son, since this testament bestowed an inheritance upon the unworthy. For a testament also considers some as heirs: hear the testament of Christ: "I desire that where I am, they also may be with Me" (Jn. 17:24); — and others as disinherited: "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word" (Jn. 17:20). A testament has witnesses: "The Father who sent Me bears witness of Me" (Jn. 8:18) and: "The Comforter... will bear witness of Me,... and you also will bear witness" (Jn. 15:26–27).
Heb. 9:15. So that by means of His death, which occurred for the redemption from the transgressions committed under the first covenant,
Do you see that the death of Christ was for our redemption? Therefore, how can you think that it is weak, when it is so mighty that it healed even the transgressions that were under the law? So why do you turn to the law, which was so weak that it was unable to correct the transgressions within it? Not because it was bad, but because it was weak.
Heb. 9:15. those called to the eternal inheritance received what was promised.
If the death of Christ had not freed us from the sins by which we had armed the Father against ourselves, how would we have received the heavenly inheritance? The expression "called" signifies that in the beginning God was disposed toward us as a Father toward sons, and we were called to the inheritance, but afterward, through sins, we ourselves made ourselves unworthy of that inheritance.
Heb. 9:16. For where a testament is, there must of necessity be the death of the testator,
Heb. 9:17. For a testament is of force after men are dead:
So let not the death of Christ trouble you: for if He had not died, He would not have established the covenant, so that we might be heirs. For it is beyond doubt that a covenant takes effect after death, and we would have been entirely unworthy of the inheritance, since the enmity would not have been destroyed.
Heb. 9:17. It has no force while the testator is alive.
Read and understand this in the form of a question.
Heb. 9:18. Wherefore neither was the first covenant dedicated without blood. (Cf. Exod. 24:5)
What he said, he proved not only by general custom, but also by the events of the Old Testament, which was even more convincing to the Hebrews. "Wherefore," he says, that is, since it is necessary for death to precede a covenant, therefore the first covenant "was not dedicated without blood." Blood is a symbol of death. But there it was the blood of a lamb, for the Old Testament was a figure; here, however, when the truth shone forth, the Son of God died for us in the flesh. What then does "was dedicated" mean? That is, it became valid. For in no other way would it have received the beginning of its operation, had the shedding of blood not preceded it.
Heb. 9:19. For when Moses had spoken every commandment according to the law to all the people. (Ex. 24:7)
"According to the law," that is, as God ordained by law that His commandments should be proclaimed aloud to all the people; or "all the commandments according to the law," that is, what was established by law.
Heb. 9:19. Took the blood of calves and goats with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people. (Cf. Exod. 24:8)
Why then were the books and the people sprinkled? Either because from ancient times the Precious Blood was prefigured, with which we and our hearts are sprinkled — for hearts are books, as he also said above: "I will put My laws into their minds" (Heb. 8:10). Water is a symbol of baptism. Here blood and water are taken, perhaps to signify that from the side of the Lord flowed blood and water; perhaps also because baptism, of which water is the symbol, proclaims the death of the Lord, the sign of which is blood. Hyssop was used as a binding substance on account of its density, and wool served the same purpose. Or since Christ is the Lamb, therefore the wool is also "scarlet," so that by its color too it might bear the image of blood.
Heb. 9:20. Saying: This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded for you. (Cf. Exod. 24:8)
But Christ says: "this is My Blood of the New Testament... for the remission of sins" (Matt. 26:28). There it is neither a new testament, nor a remission of sins. Therefore, do you see that he called the blood a testament? So that it is necessary to understand death wherever a testament is spoken of.
Heb. 9:21. Likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of worship. (Cf. Ex. 40:9–11; Lev. 8:30)
And this was a foreshadowing: for the tabernacle is us, according to the following words: "I will dwell in them, and walk in them" (2 Cor. 6:16). We are also "vessels in the great house of God," some golden, others silver (2 Tim. 2:20). Thus, we were sprinkled with the true Blood of Christ and sanctified, having been baptized into His death.
Heb. 9:22. And almost all things according to the law are cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
Why did he add: "at all"? Because there was neither perfect cleansing nor perfect remission of sins. For how is this possible, when sins were not remitted?
Heb. 9:23. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these,
He calls "heavenly" the things that pertain to us, that which concerns the Church. It was said above in what sense the Church is heaven. Therefore, the things used among the Jews were images and foreshadowings of our sacred rites; for this reason they were also purified with the blood of goats and the ashes of a heifer, and other equally insignificant things.
Heb. 9:23. The very heavenly itself
The meaning is that what belongs to the Church belongs to us.
Heb. 9:23. "better sacrifices than these."
Since our things are better than those of the Jews, and better by as much as heaven is better than earth — and indeed, earthly blessings were promised to them, while our inheritance is heaven — then, in all fairness, our sacred rites are worthy of a better and more magnificent sacrifice, the Blood of the Son of God, which cleanses us more perfectly. Thus, the death of Christ occurred not only for the establishment of the covenant, but also for the accomplishment of true purification, the purification of the soul. He reminds of the benefits of death because to many it seemed dishonorable, and especially death on the cross.
Heb. 9:24. For Christ has not entered into the holy place made with hands, which is a figure of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us,
The Jews greatly prided themselves on their temple, for nowhere on earth was there such a temple either in beauty or in magnificence. Since the Jews were captivated by material things, God commanded that it be constructed in the most magnificent manner. Therefore people came to it even from the ends of the earth (Acts 2:5–10). What then does Paul do? Just as he dealt with the sacrifices and overthrew them by setting against them the death of Christ, so here too, by setting heaven against the temple, he shows the difference. The other high priests entered "into a sanctuary made with hands," which was "a copy of the true one," that is, it was a figure of heaven. For it was the "true" sanctuary. But Christ entered into heaven itself, although He fills all things and is present everywhere; yet Paul says this with regard to His human nature. He shows the difference not only for this reason, but also to demonstrate that our High Priest is closer to God. For the Old Testament high priests saw God through symbols, but Christ beholds God Himself, having appeared "before the face of God." And this is said according to His condescension, according to His human nature. What does "for us" mean? He entered, he says, with a sacrifice able to propitiate the Father, and also to reconcile us with the angels, for they too were hostile toward us as enemies of their Lord. Therefore He now appears "for us"; "now" indicates that He entered as a High Priest, for He entered for the sake of our reconciliation.
Heb. 9:25. Not in order to offer Himself repeatedly,
But He did not enter heaven now in order to enter again a second time, offering Himself.
Heb. 9:25. As the high priest enters the sanctuary every year.
Notice the superiority of Christ. The former — "every year," Christ — once.
Heb. 9:25. with another's blood;
And in this is the superiority. That one — "with the blood of others," of calves and goats, but Christ — with His own.
Heb. 9:26. otherwise He would have had to suffer many times since the beginning of the world;
For, he says, if it were necessary for Him to offer sacrifices many times, then it would have been necessary for Him to die many times as well, by virtue of the fact that He had to offer His own Blood.
Heb. 9:26. He, however, once, at the end of the ages, appeared for the destruction of sin by His sacrifice.
Here he also reveals a certain mystery of why He appeared "at the end of the ages," after a multitude of sins. For if His death had occurred at the beginning, when sin was not yet so widespread, then no one would have believed, and a second time He was not obliged to die; consequently, everything would have seemed useless. But now, after there had been a multitude of transgressions over the course of time, God rightly appeared at the end of the ages, so that by "His sacrifice," that is, by His bodily death, He might destroy, that is, overthrow and render powerless, sin. He expressed this same thing in another place as well: "where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more" (Rom. 5:20). In what way, then, was sin rendered powerless? In that those who committed it were pardoned without punishment. For the power of sin consists precisely in bringing down punishment. This very question was also posed by Gregory of Nyssa in his Catechetical Oration; and in his homily on the feast of the Nativity of Christ he speaks about this same thing: why did the Son become incarnate at the end of the ages? And he answers: because just as the best physicians, when a feverish heat is still slowly burning within the body and intensifying due to the causes producing the illness, do not offer the patient any help in the form of nourishment but wait for the time when the disease reaches the highest degree of its development, so also with regard to us. The Physician of souls waited until the entire disease of impiety was fully revealed, so as to leave nothing hidden unhealed, since a physician heals only what is manifest. You will learn more fully what this divine man says if you wish to read his actual works.
Heb. 9:27. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after that the judgment,
Now he also states the reason why Christ died "once": namely because, he says, He appeared as the redemption of a single death. For it is appointed unto men "once to die." Therefore He also died "once" for all. What then? Do we not die now? We do die, but we are not subject to death as before, and are not subject because of the hope of the resurrection, the source of which is Christ who died for us, and such a death is not death but a falling asleep. Therefore, since death held dominion over all of us, He also died in order to set us free. Or now the apostle wishes to show not that Christ paid for us by the death which we were to undergo as punishment, but the following: since Christ, being God, was at the same time truly man, just as men die "once" and after that comes judgment, so He also died "once." Listen to what follows next.
Heb. 9:28. So also Christ, having once offered Himself as a sacrifice,
Though He is the High Priest, He is also the offering and the sacrifice.
Heb. 9:28. To bear the sins of many,
As at the Liturgy we bring up sins and say: voluntarily and involuntarily we have sinned, forgive — that is, we first recall our sins, and then ask for forgiveness — so He Himself also said to the Father: "for their sakes I sanctify Myself" (John 17:19). Or: He bore the sins, that is, He took them away from the people and brought them to the Father, so that He might remit them. Why then did He say "of many" and not of all? Because not all believed. His death was sufficient for the perdition of all, and insofar as it depended on Him, He died for all. But He did not bear the sins of all, because they themselves did not desire it. Therefore they made the death of the Son of God useless for themselves, which is truly a matter of horror. So explains Saint John Chrysostom. I found in his writings, on the following passage in the Gospel: "and to give His life as a ransom for many" (Matt. 20:28), a note explaining this expression: "'many' is used instead of 'all,' for 'all' are indeed 'many.'"
Heb. 9:28. He will appear a second time, not for the cleansing of sin, but for those who await Him unto salvation.
He died, he says, having taken up our sins and brought them to the Father, so that He might blot them out, for which reason He also died. For to Him Who knew no sin, the Father imputed sin, since He, Christ, took upon Himself our nature. "He will appear a second time," no longer bearing sins upon Himself and having no need of a second death on account of them, but as Judge "for those who await Him for salvation," that is, for those who believe in Him and await His coming: evidently, also for those who live worthily of salvation. Of course, He will come not only for salvation, but also for the punishment of unbelievers and sinners, but the apostle spoke only of the joyful part.
Heb. 9:1. And the first covenant had ordinances of divine service
Having proved from the side of the priest, the priesthood, and the covenant that the first covenant had to come to an end, the apostle now proves this also from the side of the very arrangement of the tabernacle. There were three divisions in it: one was the outer court, intended for everyone in general, both Jews and Greeks; then followed a veil, beyond which the priests entered, performing the daily services. This division was called the Holy Place. These divisions were a figure of the Old Testament, for there everything was performed with sacrifices. But the Holy of Holies was a figure of our mystery. For, he says, "the first," that is, the Old Testament, "had ordinances," that is, symbols or regulations, but "had" at that time, whereas now it has them no longer, for it has ceased.
Heb. 9:1. And an earthly sanctuary.
He calls it "worldly" because it was permitted to enter it, and in one and the same building the place was known where the Jews, Nazirites, proselytes, and Greeks stood. Since it was accessible even to the Gentiles, he calls it "worldly" (κοσμικόν – secular).
Heb. 9:2. For a tabernacle was prepared, the first, in which were the lampstand, and the table, and the showbread (cf. Ex. 10:22–25), and which is called the Holy Place.
He calls this one "first," namely, in relation to the Holy of Holies, which was in the middle. Before it stood the bronze altar, the altar for burnt offerings, set under the open sky. Then, if one lifted the veil, or rather, the covering (Ex. 40:19), it appeared as the middle section, in which were the lampstand, and the table, and the showbread.
Heb. 9:3. Behind the second veil was the tabernacle called the Holy of Holies.
Do you see that there was a first veil, which Scripture calls a curtain, since it was rolled up and drawn together — this veil separated the court, into which everyone in general entered and upon which they offered sacrifices on the bronze altar, from the tabernacle, which was accessible to the priests who performed the daily services. Furthermore, once you passed through this veil, there was yet another veil, and beyond it the tabernacle called the Holy of Holies, into which no one else entered except the high priest alone, and even he only once a year. Throughout, he calls everything a tabernacle, because God dwells in it.
Heb. 9:4. having a golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold,
The Ark of the Covenant is called so because it contained the tablets bearing the law (Exod. 40:20).
Heb. 9:4. Where were the golden vessel containing the manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant,
All these things served as memorials of Jewish ingratitude. "The golden pot of manna" — in remembrance of the fact that, while being miraculously fed by it, they murmured (Exod. 16:3–10), and so that their descendants might remember both God's benevolence and their own bitterness. "Aaron's rod" — in remembrance of the rebellion that occurred against him (Num. 17). "The tablets of the covenant" — in memory of the fact that they shattered the first ones by their idolatry. You may ask how it is that in the Book of Kings it is written that there was nothing else in the ark except the tablets, yet the apostle now asserts that the golden pot and Aaron's rod were also placed in it? Since he had been educated in the best manner by Gamaliel (Acts 22:3) in Judaism, he probably derived this from tradition; for even now the Pharisaical Jews agree that this was so. However, not from the beginning, but at the time of Jeremiah, when it was necessary to hide the ark, then, they say, these things were probably also placed in the ark.
Heb. 9:5. And above it
That is, above the ark.
Heb. 9:5. Cherubim of glory, (cf. Exod. 25:18–20)
Glorious, or subject to God; but having served for His glory. And he sets this forth deliberately with the purpose of showing the superiority of that which is ours.
Heb. 9:5. Overshadowing the mercy seat;
He called the "mercy seat" the lid of the ark, as you will learn more precisely about this from Scripture itself, and, being led astray by the words of some, do not think that this is something else. Of course, by this he pointed to Christ, Who became the propitiation for our sins. He sealed everything that was in the Old Testament and confirmed it.
Heb. 9:5. "about which there is no need now to speak in detail."
Here he shows that all of this was not only visible, but also served as a sign of something else, the explanation of which requires too much time.
Heb. 9:6. Now when these things were thus prepared, the priests always enter the first tabernacle, performing the divine services;
Though this was so, he says, the Jews did not participate in it, since the veil held them back. This was preserved for us, for whom it was a foreshadowing.
Heb. 9:7. But into the second, only the high priest entered once a year,
Do you see the very prototypes, already set forth here? Lest they say: the sacrifice of Christ was offered once, how then did it sanctify all? He shows that this was so from ancient times, for even the most holy and awesome sacrifice in the Old Testament was offered by the high priest once.
Heb. 9:7. not without blood,
After having called the cross a sacrifice—both without fire and without wood, and not offered repeatedly—he shows that the Old Testament sacrifice was also of this kind, for it was offered once with blood. Some have asked how it is that in the book of Exodus it is written that he should burn incense upon the golden altar, which was evidently located in the Holy of Holies: "Aaron shall burn on it compound fragrant incense early in the morning"; "On it Aaron shall burn fragrant incense; every morning, when he tends the lamps, he shall burn it" (Exod. 30:7–8), so that every day the high priest entered the Holy of Holies twice in order to burn incense upon that place where the golden altar was located. So how does the apostle say here that this high priest entered once a year? And they resolve it by saying that once a year the high priest entered with blood, but with incense—twice a day. However, you should know that they doubted needlessly and out of ignorance: it was not in the golden censer that Aaron burned incense twice a day, but upon the golden altar, and the latter was located not in the Holy of Holies but in the middle tabernacle, where the lampstand and the table also were; whereas with the golden censer he entered the Holy of Holies truly once a year. For the censer is one thing, and the altar is another. I have pointed out this difficulty so that the reader of these words, having heard the objection raised by others, might not be led astray into thinking that it is sound.
Heb. 9:7. which he offers for himself and for the sins of ignorance of the people.
And again: "for himself." The lawful high priest, he says, offered sacrifice for himself. But Christ not for Himself, for He had no part with sinners. In every respect there is a complete difference between the one and the other. He said "for sins of ignorance," and not for transgressions, in order thereby to bring into greater fear both the ancient Jews and all people, and to humble their pride. For even if you did not sin willingly, you sinned unwillingly and through ignorance, and no one is free from this. Some maintained that he said this to show here as well the difference between the sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifices of the law. Under the law, sacrifices pardoned transgressions committed in ignorance; but the sacrifice of Christ pardons even deliberate sins.
Heb. 9:8. By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the sanctuary is not yet opened, as long as the former tabernacle still stands.
Finally, he begins to consider more loftily the matters concerning the tabernacles, and says that since the Holy of Holies, as an image of heaven, was inaccessible to the other priests, while the first tabernacle, that is, the first one located directly beyond the bronze altar, was always accessible to them, being a symbol of the legal service, this symbolically indicated that as long as this tabernacle stands, that is, as long as the law remains in force and the legal services are performed according to the law, the way of the saints, that is, entry into heaven, is inaccessible to those who perform such services. For them it was not only not open, but also closed, and this way was prepared for the One High Priest Christ alone.
Heb. 9:9. It is a figure for the present time, in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered, which cannot make the one who offers them perfect in conscience,
What he said above, the apostle now affirms, namely, that the tabernacle into which the priests always entered was a parable, that is, a figure and shadow of the present time according to the law, the time before the coming of Christ: during this time such sacrifices are offered, and ones so weak, that they cannot "in conscience," that is, according to the inner man, make perfect those who offer them. They cleansed bodily defilements, but not sins of the soul. They could not cleanse either adultery, or murder, or sacrilege.
Heb. 9:10. which stood only in meats and drinks, and various washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed until the time of reformation.
They, he says, were established only for the people of that time and are connected with instructions concerning foods and drinks. Eat this, but do not eat that. Why did he say "drinks"? For the law said nothing about distinctions in drinks. He says this either concerning the priest, that he must not drink wine when he intends to enter the sanctuary; or concerning those who had made vows, that is, promises of abstinence from wine, such as the Nazirites; or he said this simply with the aim of devaluing and diminishing these ordinances. The washings were various. If someone touched a dead body or a leper, and if someone suffered from a discharge of seed, he would wash and thus appeared to be cleansed. Carnal ordinances are precisely fleshly commandments, purifying the flesh and carnally justifying those who were considered unclean according to the flesh. However, they were not established permanently, but "until the time of reformation," that is, until the coming of Christ, who was to set all things right and introduce true and spiritual worship. And since the law was a heavy yoke, it was probably for this reason that he said "imposed." As it is also written in Acts: "Now therefore why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?" (Acts 15:10).
Heb. 9:11. But Christ, the High Priest of the good things to come, having come
The Old Testament worship, he says, did not lead to heaven. But Christ, "having come," entered once into the Holy Place, for that is where the thought is directed. He did not say "having become" a high priest, but "a High Priest... having come," that is, having come for this very purpose. He did not first come and then, when it happened so, become a High Priest; rather, the goal of His coming to earth was the high priesthood. He did not say a High Priest of sacrificial offerings, but "of good things to come"; since language is powerless to represent everything precisely, he simply and indefinitely called "good things" what has been done for us. He called these good things "to come" as if in relation to the time of the law. For just as he called that time the present, so he calls Christ's time the coming, as if in comparison with it, or also in comparison with the mysteries that are to be revealed to us in the age to come.
Heb. 9:11. with a greater and more perfect tabernacle,
Here he means the flesh; it is the greater tabernacle, because in it dwells both God the Word and the entire power of the Spirit. For "God does not give the Spirit by measure" (John 3:34). Being the most perfect tabernacle, it also accomplishes greater things.
Heb. 9:11. not made with hands, that is, not of such construction,
Here heretics attack, saying that the body is heavenly and ethereal. However, if the apostle considered His body "heavenly and ethereal," how could he have said that it was "not of this construction"? For heaven is not excluded from the number of created things. So what do his words mean? On the one hand, that the Old Testament tabernacle was constructed by the hands of the craftsman Bezalel and his coworkers (Ex. 31:2–6), while the tabernacle of God the Word was formed by the Spirit. This is why he said that it was "not of this construction," that is, not from these created things, but that it is spiritual and divine. For none of the created things has in itself God the Word by nature; but that one was united with Him by nature. Thus, in material the Lord's body was like ours and of one substance with us, as formed from the pure blood of the Most Holy Virgin; but in the manner of union, it is above us, because by nature it was united with God the Word. Since the materials for the Old Testament tabernacle were wood and skins, gold and silver, bronze and certain fabrics, the apostle, turning his gaze to these things, said that that tabernacle was "not of this construction," such as was needed for the Old Testament tabernacle. In general, he speaks comparatively and shows the superiority of Christ. He calls the Lord's body both a tabernacle, as here, by virtue of the fact that the Only-Begotten dwelt in it, and a veil, because it concealed the Divinity. He also calls heaven by these same names: a tabernacle, because the High Priest is there; a veil (Heb. 10:20), because the saints are sheltered by it.
Heb. 9:12. and not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own Blood,
Behold, everything has changed, and to the same degree as the Blood of the Lord surpasses the blood of animals with which the high priest of the law entered.
Heb. 9:12. once entered into the sanctuary
That is, to heaven.
Heb. 9:12. and obtained eternal redemption.
Not a temporary purification, like those, but an eternal liberation of souls from sins. Or, that having entered once, through one entrance He accomplished for us an eternal benefit. Pay attention also to the expression "obtained." This expression is used as though the matter occurred beyond expectation, for the liberation was doubtful for us; but He obtained it.
Heb. 9:13. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, (cf. Lev. 16, Num. 19.)
Since, perhaps, it seemed incredible to many that through a single sacrifice and the blood of one, eternal redemption is granted, he confirms this and shows its plausibility on the basis of the Jews' own belief. If, he says, you believe that by being sprinkled with the blood of goats, and also with ashes mixed with water, for the ashes were kept for purification, then how shall the Blood of Christ not cleanse souls? Notice his wisdom. He did not say that the blood of goats cleansed, but sanctified; not to glorify the law, but to accomplish what he desires. For if, as you believe, the blood of goats gave sanctification, then you ought much more to believe that the Blood of Christ grants sanctification. And that he said this not in order to exalt the belief of the Jews, see how he added: "so that the body might be clean." For the sanctification was for the cleansing not of souls, but of flesh.
Heb. 9:14. how much more shall the Blood of Christ, Who through the Holy Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God,
Not some high priest offered Christ as a sacrifice, but He Himself offered Himself, and not by means of fire, like heifers, but by the eternal Spirit, which is why He also made eternal both the grace and the redemption. And "without blemish," that is, without sin. For in the Old Testament as well it was required that the heifer be without blemish.
Heb. 9:14. Will cleanse our conscience from dead works,
Although there he said "sanctifies," he added "that the body may be clean"; but here by the expression "will cleanse" he directly showed the superiority. For he adds that it will cleanse "the conscience," that is, the inner man, which was not the case there. True, there too the one who touched a dead body was cleansed after the offering of sacrifice; but here the cleansing is "from dead works," which truly can defile and turn one away from God.
Heb. 9:14. For the service of the living and true God!
From this, one who partakes in dead works does not serve the living and true God, but deifies the works he has chosen. Thus, the glutton deifies the belly; thus, the covetous man is an idolater. Therefore, works of this kind are dead not only because they are foreign to eternal life, but also because at the very time of their commission they are abominable and false, since they deceive us, and although they seem pleasant, in reality they are not.
Heb. 9:15. And because of this He is the mediator of a new covenant,
Obviously, the death of Christ troubled many of the weaker ones: if He died, they say, then how will He give what He promised? Now Paul, removing this trouble, shows that it is precisely because He died that His testament is firm, for one does not speak of a testament of the living. For this reason, he says, for the sake of cleansing us, He died, and in His testament He left us the forgiveness of sins and the partaking of paternal blessings, having become the Mediator between the Father and us. The Father did not want to leave us an inheritance; He was angry with us, as with sons who had departed from Him and become strangers. Therefore Christ became the Mediator and entreated Him. In what way? That which we should have undergone, for we were the ones who should have died — He Himself took upon Himself for us and made us worthy of the testament, and the testament was again confirmed by the death of the Son, since this testament bestowed an inheritance upon the unworthy. For a testament also considers some as heirs: hear the testament of Christ: "I desire that where I am, they also may be with Me" (Jn. 17:24); — and others as disinherited: "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word" (Jn. 17:20). A testament has witnesses: "The Father who sent Me bears witness of Me" (Jn. 8:18) and: "The Comforter... will bear witness of Me,... and you also will bear witness" (Jn. 15:26–27).
Heb. 9:15. So that by means of His death, which occurred for the redemption from the transgressions committed under the first covenant,
Do you see that the death of Christ was for our redemption? Therefore, how can you think that it is weak, when it is so mighty that it healed even the transgressions that were under the law? So why do you turn to the law, which was so weak that it was unable to correct the transgressions within it? Not because it was bad, but because it was weak.
Heb. 9:15. those called to the eternal inheritance received what was promised.
If the death of Christ had not freed us from the sins by which we had armed the Father against ourselves, how would we have received the heavenly inheritance? The expression "called" signifies that in the beginning God was disposed toward us as a Father toward sons, and we were called to the inheritance, but afterward, through sins, we ourselves made ourselves unworthy of that inheritance.
Heb. 9:16. For where a testament is, there must of necessity be the death of the testator,
Heb. 9:17. For a testament is of force after men are dead:
So let not the death of Christ trouble you: for if He had not died, He would not have established the covenant, so that we might be heirs. For it is beyond doubt that a covenant takes effect after death, and we would have been entirely unworthy of the inheritance, since the enmity would not have been destroyed.
Heb. 9:17. It has no force while the testator is alive.
Read and understand this in the form of a question.
Heb. 9:18. Wherefore neither was the first covenant dedicated without blood. (Cf. Exod. 24:5)
What he said, he proved not only by general custom, but also by the events of the Old Testament, which was even more convincing to the Hebrews. "Wherefore," he says, that is, since it is necessary for death to precede a covenant, therefore the first covenant "was not dedicated without blood." Blood is a symbol of death. But there it was the blood of a lamb, for the Old Testament was a figure; here, however, when the truth shone forth, the Son of God died for us in the flesh. What then does "was dedicated" mean? That is, it became valid. For in no other way would it have received the beginning of its operation, had the shedding of blood not preceded it.
Heb. 9:19. For when Moses had spoken every commandment according to the law to all the people. (Ex. 24:7)
"According to the law," that is, as God ordained by law that His commandments should be proclaimed aloud to all the people; or "all the commandments according to the law," that is, what was established by law.
Heb. 9:19. Took the blood of calves and goats with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people. (Cf. Exod. 24:8)
Why then were the books and the people sprinkled? Either because from ancient times the Precious Blood was prefigured, with which we and our hearts are sprinkled — for hearts are books, as he also said above: "I will put My laws into their minds" (Heb. 8:10). Water is a symbol of baptism. Here blood and water are taken, perhaps to signify that from the side of the Lord flowed blood and water; perhaps also because baptism, of which water is the symbol, proclaims the death of the Lord, the sign of which is blood. Hyssop was used as a binding substance on account of its density, and wool served the same purpose. Or since Christ is the Lamb, therefore the wool is also "scarlet," so that by its color too it might bear the image of blood.
Heb. 9:20. Saying: This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded for you. (Cf. Exod. 24:8)
But Christ says: "this is My Blood of the New Testament... for the remission of sins" (Matt. 26:28). There it is neither a new testament, nor a remission of sins. Therefore, do you see that he called the blood a testament? So that it is necessary to understand death wherever a testament is spoken of.
Heb. 9:21. Likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of worship. (Cf. Ex. 40:9–11; Lev. 8:30)
And this was a foreshadowing: for the tabernacle is us, according to the following words: "I will dwell in them, and walk in them" (2 Cor. 6:16). We are also "vessels in the great house of God," some golden, others silver (2 Tim. 2:20). Thus, we were sprinkled with the true Blood of Christ and sanctified, having been baptized into His death.
Heb. 9:22. And almost all things according to the law are cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
Why did he add: "at all"? Because there was neither perfect cleansing nor perfect remission of sins. For how is this possible, when sins were not remitted?
Heb. 9:23. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these,
He calls "heavenly" the things that pertain to us, that which concerns the Church. It was said above in what sense the Church is heaven. Therefore, the things used among the Jews were images and foreshadowings of our sacred rites; for this reason they were also purified with the blood of goats and the ashes of a heifer, and other equally insignificant things.
Heb. 9:23. The very heavenly itself
The meaning is that what belongs to the Church belongs to us.
Heb. 9:23. "better sacrifices than these."
Since our things are better than those of the Jews, and better by as much as heaven is better than earth — and indeed, earthly blessings were promised to them, while our inheritance is heaven — then, in all fairness, our sacred rites are worthy of a better and more magnificent sacrifice, the Blood of the Son of God, which cleanses us more perfectly. Thus, the death of Christ occurred not only for the establishment of the covenant, but also for the accomplishment of true purification, the purification of the soul. He reminds of the benefits of death because to many it seemed dishonorable, and especially death on the cross.
Heb. 9:24. For Christ has not entered into the holy place made with hands, which is a figure of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us,
The Jews greatly prided themselves on their temple, for nowhere on earth was there such a temple either in beauty or in magnificence. Since the Jews were captivated by material things, God commanded that it be constructed in the most magnificent manner. Therefore people came to it even from the ends of the earth (Acts 2:5–10). What then does Paul do? Just as he dealt with the sacrifices and overthrew them by setting against them the death of Christ, so here too, by setting heaven against the temple, he shows the difference. The other high priests entered "into a sanctuary made with hands," which was "a copy of the true one," that is, it was a figure of heaven. For it was the "true" sanctuary. But Christ entered into heaven itself, although He fills all things and is present everywhere; yet Paul says this with regard to His human nature. He shows the difference not only for this reason, but also to demonstrate that our High Priest is closer to God. For the Old Testament high priests saw God through symbols, but Christ beholds God Himself, having appeared "before the face of God." And this is said according to His condescension, according to His human nature. What does "for us" mean? He entered, he says, with a sacrifice able to propitiate the Father, and also to reconcile us with the angels, for they too were hostile toward us as enemies of their Lord. Therefore He now appears "for us"; "now" indicates that He entered as a High Priest, for He entered for the sake of our reconciliation.
Heb. 9:25. Not in order to offer Himself repeatedly,
But He did not enter heaven now in order to enter again a second time, offering Himself.
Heb. 9:25. As the high priest enters the sanctuary every year.
Notice the superiority of Christ. The former — "every year," Christ — once.
Heb. 9:25. with another's blood;
And in this is the superiority. That one — "with the blood of others," of calves and goats, but Christ — with His own.
Heb. 9:26. otherwise He would have had to suffer many times since the beginning of the world;
For, he says, if it were necessary for Him to offer sacrifices many times, then it would have been necessary for Him to die many times as well, by virtue of the fact that He had to offer His own Blood.
Heb. 9:26. He, however, once, at the end of the ages, appeared for the destruction of sin by His sacrifice.
Here he also reveals a certain mystery of why He appeared "at the end of the ages," after a multitude of sins. For if His death had occurred at the beginning, when sin was not yet so widespread, then no one would have believed, and a second time He was not obliged to die; consequently, everything would have seemed useless. But now, after there had been a multitude of transgressions over the course of time, God rightly appeared at the end of the ages, so that by "His sacrifice," that is, by His bodily death, He might destroy, that is, overthrow and render powerless, sin. He expressed this same thing in another place as well: "where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more" (Rom. 5:20). In what way, then, was sin rendered powerless? In that those who committed it were pardoned without punishment. For the power of sin consists precisely in bringing down punishment. This very question was also posed by Gregory of Nyssa in his Catechetical Oration; and in his homily on the feast of the Nativity of Christ he speaks about this same thing: why did the Son become incarnate at the end of the ages? And he answers: because just as the best physicians, when a feverish heat is still slowly burning within the body and intensifying due to the causes producing the illness, do not offer the patient any help in the form of nourishment but wait for the time when the disease reaches the highest degree of its development, so also with regard to us. The Physician of souls waited until the entire disease of impiety was fully revealed, so as to leave nothing hidden unhealed, since a physician heals only what is manifest. You will learn more fully what this divine man says if you wish to read his actual works.
Heb. 9:27. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after that the judgment,
Now he also states the reason why Christ died "once": namely because, he says, He appeared as the redemption of a single death. For it is appointed unto men "once to die." Therefore He also died "once" for all. What then? Do we not die now? We do die, but we are not subject to death as before, and are not subject because of the hope of the resurrection, the source of which is Christ who died for us, and such a death is not death but a falling asleep. Therefore, since death held dominion over all of us, He also died in order to set us free. Or now the apostle wishes to show not that Christ paid for us by the death which we were to undergo as punishment, but the following: since Christ, being God, was at the same time truly man, just as men die "once" and after that comes judgment, so He also died "once." Listen to what follows next.
Heb. 9:28. So also Christ, having once offered Himself as a sacrifice,
Though He is the High Priest, He is also the offering and the sacrifice.
Heb. 9:28. To bear the sins of many,
As at the Liturgy we bring up sins and say: voluntarily and involuntarily we have sinned, forgive — that is, we first recall our sins, and then ask for forgiveness — so He Himself also said to the Father: "for their sakes I sanctify Myself" (John 17:19). Or: He bore the sins, that is, He took them away from the people and brought them to the Father, so that He might remit them. Why then did He say "of many" and not of all? Because not all believed. His death was sufficient for the perdition of all, and insofar as it depended on Him, He died for all. But He did not bear the sins of all, because they themselves did not desire it. Therefore they made the death of the Son of God useless for themselves, which is truly a matter of horror. So explains Saint John Chrysostom. I found in his writings, on the following passage in the Gospel: "and to give His life as a ransom for many" (Matt. 20:28), a note explaining this expression: "'many' is used instead of 'all,' for 'all' are indeed 'many.'"
Heb. 9:28. He will appear a second time, not for the cleansing of sin, but for those who await Him unto salvation.
He died, he says, having taken up our sins and brought them to the Father, so that He might blot them out, for which reason He also died. For to Him Who knew no sin, the Father imputed sin, since He, Christ, took upon Himself our nature. "He will appear a second time," no longer bearing sins upon Himself and having no need of a second death on account of them, but as Judge "for those who await Him for salvation," that is, for those who believe in Him and await His coming: evidently, also for those who live worthily of salvation. Of course, He will come not only for salvation, but also for the punishment of unbelievers and sinners, but the apostle spoke only of the joyful part.