Verse 14

For by one Offering he has perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

The Apostle, 1. Gives the great reason of this state of things with reference to the Lord Christ in the discharge of his office; namely, that he did not repeat his Offering, as the priests under the Law did theirs, every year, and every day; that he is sat down at the right hand of God, expecting his enemies to be made his footstool; wherein they had no share after their oblations: And this is, because by one Offering he has for ever perfected them that are sanctified. This being done, there is no need of any daily sacrifice, nothing that should detain the Lord Jesus out of the possession of his glory. So the particle, [illegible], for, infers a reason in these words, of all that was assigned before to him, in opposition to what was done by the priests of the Law; it was by one Offering.

2. What he did so effect, which rendered all future Offerings and Sacrifices impossible. He has perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

For the first, what he did, of the nature of the thing spoken of, was [illegible], by one Offering; as what the priests of old did, was also by offerings and sacrifices. The eminency of this Offering the Apostle had before declared, which here he refers to; it was not of bulls, or goats, but of himself, he offered himself to God; of his body; that is, his whole human nature. And this Offering as he had observed before, was only once offered; in the mention whereof, the Apostle includes all the opposition he had made before, between the Offering of Christ, and those of the priests, as to its worth and dignity.

3. That which is effected hereby, is, that he perfected for ever them that are sanctified; those on whom his work is effected, are thereby sanctified. They that are dedicated to God, those who are sanctified, or purged, by virtue of this sacrifice; to them all the other effects are confined. First to sanctify them, then to perfect them, was the design of Christ in offering of himself, which he purposed not for all men universally. So in the foundation of the church of Israel, they were first sanctified, and dedicated to God in, and by the sacrifices wherewith the Covenant was confirmed (Exodus 24), and afterwards were perfected, so far as their condition was capable thereof, in the prescription of laws and ordinances for their church-state and worship. The word here, [illegible], was used before. He has brought them into the most perfect and consummate church-state, and relation to God, as to all his worship, that the Church is capable of in this world. It is not an absolute, subjective, virtual, internal perfection of grace, that is intended; the word signifies not such a perfection, made perfect, nor is ever used to that purpose; nor is it the perfection of glory, for he treats of the present church-state of the Gospel in this world. But it is a state and condition of that grace, and those privileges which the Law, priests, and sacrifices could never bring them to. He has by his one Offering wrought and procured for them the complete pardon of sin, and peace before God thereon, that they should have no more need of the repetition of sacrifices; he has freed them from the yoke of carnal ordinances, and the bondage which they were kept in by them, prescribing to them a holy worship to be performed with boldness in the presence of God, by an entrance into the holy place; he has brought them into the last and best church-state, the highest and nearest relation to God that the Church is capable of in this world, or the glory of his wisdom and grace has assigned to it. And this he has done, [illegible], for ever, so as that there shall never be any alteration in that estate whereunto he has brought them, nor any addition of privilege or advantage be ever made to it.

(1.) There was a glorious efficacy in the one Offering of Christ.

(2.) The end of it must be effectually accomplished towards all, for whom it was offered; or else it is inferior to the legal sacrifices, for they attained their proper end.

(3.) The sanctification, and perfection of the Church, being that end designed in the death and sacrifice of Christ, all things necessary to that end must be included therein, that it be not frustrate.