Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Hebrews 7:23

And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:

23. many priests ] Lit., “And they truly have been constituted priests many in number.”

they were not suffered to continue by reason of death ] The vacancies caused in their number by the ravages of death required to be constantly replenished (Num 20:28; Eze 22:20; Eze 22:30).

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

And they truly – Under the Jewish dispensation. The object of this verse and the following is, to state one more reason of the excellence of the priesthood of Christ. It is, that owing to the frailty of human nature, and the shortness of life, the office of priest there was continually changing. But here there was no such change. Christ, being exalted to the heavens to live forever there, has now an unchangeable priesthood, and everything in regard to his office is permanent.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 23. And they truly were many priests] Under the Mosaic law it was necessary there should be a succession of priests, because, being mortal, they were not suffered to continue always by reason of death.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

And they truly were many priests: this further demonstrates the excellency of Christs priesthood above the Aaronical for its singularity and self-sufficiency; whereas theirs was, for the multiplicity of it, weak, vanishing, and mortal, like themselves. They had multitude of priests together under the high priest, to manage the service, and above seventy high priests, beside their sagans, such as were to officiate for them if at any time they were legally disabled from the institution of the Aaronical order, to the destruction of the temple, and were made according to the law successively.

Because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death; death cut them off one after another; they were all mortal, and could not abide, neither in their priesthood or life, Exo 28:43. Death transmitted that priesthood from one unto another, till the priesthood itself, by the succession of a better, was abolished, and did expire; so frail, passing, and imperfect were both their persons and office.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

23. Another proof ofsuperiority; the Levitical priests were many, as death caused theneed of continually new ones being appointed in succession. Christdies not, and so hath a priesthood which passes not from one toanother.

wereGreek, “aremade.”

manyone after another;opposed to His “unchangeable (that does not pass from oneto another) priesthood” (Heb7:24).

not suffered tocontinueGreek, “hindered from permanentlycontinuing,” namely, in the priesthood.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

And they truly were many priests,…. There were many common priests at a time; and though there was but one high priest at a time, yet there were many of them in a line of succession from Aaron down to the apostle’s time. The Jews say u, that under the first temple eighteen high priests ministered, and under the second temple more than three hundred: this shows the imperfection of this priesthood, since it was in many hands; no one continuing and being sufficient to execute it; but Christ is the one and only high priest; there is no other, nor is there any need of any other: the reason why there were so many under the law was,

because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death; death has a power to forbid a long continuance in this world, and no man does continue long here: death puts a stop to men’s works, and to the exercise of their several callings; no office, even the most sacred, exempts from it; no, not the office of high priests: these were but men, sinful men, and so died; and their discontinuance by reason of death shows the imperfection of their priesthood: there was another reason besides this which the apostle gives, why the high priests were so many, and especially about this time; and that is, the office was bought for money, and men that would give most were put into it: hence there were frequent changes; the Jews themselves say, they changed every twelve months w.

u T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 9. 1. Piske Tosephot Zebachim, Art. 72. w T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 8. 2.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Many in number (). Comparative predicate adjective, “more than one,” in succession, not simultaneously.

Because they are hindered ( ). Articular infinitive (present passive) with and the accusative case, “because of the being hindered.”

By death (). Instrumental case.

From continuing (). Present active infinitive of the compound (remain beside) as in Php 1:25 and in the ablative case.

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

Were many priests [ ] . Comp. ver. 21 for the construction. Rend. have been made priests many in number.

Because they were not suffered to continue [ ] . Rend. because they are hindered from continuing. Paramenein “to abide by their ministration.”

Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament

1) “And they truly were many priests,” (kai hoi men pleiones eisin gegonotes heireis) “And they, on the one hand, are having become many priests; But Christ was greater than all of them. They had always been first to offer sacrifices for their own sins, then for the masses of people; but Jesus had no inherent sin or deed of personal sin for which he had to sacrifice, Lev 4:3; Lev 9:7; Lev 16:6; Lev 16:17; Heb 7:27; Heb 9:7.

2) “Because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death,” (dia to thanato koluesthai paramenein) On account of being prevented by death from continuing,” in their priesthood, Exo 29:29-30; Lev 16:30-33; Num 20:28.

Death limited, cut short, the duration or tenure of all earthly priests. But it did not cause the everlasting tenure of our Lord’s priesthood to be broken or to cease. This is why he is the High Priest of a better testament, Heb 8:6; 2Co 3:6; 2Co 3:8-9; Rev 1:18.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

23. And they truly, etc. He had already touched on this comparison; but as the subject deserved more attention, he unfolds it more fully, though the point discussed is different from what it was before; for then he concluded that the ancient priesthood was to come to an end because they who exercised it were mortal; but now he simply shows that Christ remains perpetually a priest. This he does by an argument taken from things unequal; the ancient priests were many, for death put an end to their priesthood; but there is no death to prevent Christ from discharging his office. Then he alone is a perpetual priest. Thus a different cause produces different effects.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES

Heb. 7:24. Continueth ever.A firm assertion of the present living priesthood of Christ. Unchangeable.R.V. margin, hath a priesthood that doth not pass to another. Vulgate, sempiternum. Stuart, without succession. Moulton, Since His life is indissoluble, none can trespass on His right and invade His priesthood.

Heb. 7:25. Save.To be understood here as embracing the various services to men that are represented in the work of the high priest. Uttermost.Or consummate end. Completely deal with even their highest, most spiritual needs. Judaism could not save to the uttermost, because its range was confined to ceremonial offences. Make intercession.Lit. to interpose on their behalf who employ him as their High Priest.

Heb. 7:26. Became us.Was necessary for us, who are conscious of these higher, spiritual needs. That which is precisely befitting may be spoken of as necessary. Holy.Internal. Harmless.External. One who does no evil. Undefiled.This is the opposite to the unclean of Judaism. Free from ceremonial charge. Separate from sinners.Diverse from them; unlike them; having no sort of fellowship with them. Made higher than the heavens.Exalted above the heavens. Compare Heb. 1:3. For this idea of Christs exaltation in acknowledgment of the perfect fulfilment of His mission, see Php. 2:9; Col. 1:8; Heb. 2:9; Heb. 8:1; Rev. 5:12; Mat. 25:31.

Heb. 7:27. Daily.The high priest officiated every day, as well as on the Day of Atonement (Heb. 6:19-20; Num. 28:3-4). His own sins.See the order of ceremonies on the Day of Atonement. Offered up Himself.Surrendered Himself in life and death obedience; this was the one sacrifice.

Heb. 7:28. Infirmity.Here moral infirmity, which involved the need of their offering sacrifices for themselves. Since the law.And therefore a later and fuller manifestation of the will of God. Consecrated.As High Priest for a perpetual service to sinful men. Stuart renders, the Son, who is for ever exalted to glory. R.V. reads, a Son perfected for evermore. Whose unchangeable, untransmissible, ever-living priesthood is our ground of hope.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.Heb. 7:23-28

Our Priestly Saviour.The main purpose of this epistle is the exaltation of the person, the offices, and the work of the Lord Jesus, by comparing, and in some ways contrasting, Him with the most honoured persons associated with the older history and dispensationwith angels, with the patriarch Abraham, with Moses, with the high priest. The text stands nearly at the height of the comparisons of the person and office, and introduces the comparison of His work.

I. The nature of Christs office.He is the living Intercessor. It is anxiously set before us that our Lord actually holds present office. The idea that His work was completed while He was here on earth is only true when it is precisely and carefully stated, and with due qualifications. The work of Christ is both present and past. The past explains the efficiency of the present; the present guarantees the acceptableness of the past. The present work is essentially the same, but not formally, or to outward seeming, the same that He carried through in the past: He is in the office, and does the precise work now for which the earth experience has fitted Him. It is therefore better for us to say of Christ, not He has redeemed, but He can redeem, and does. Describe the office of intercessor, as illustrated in Moses, in the Jewish high priest, and in the Scripture figure of the Angel of the covenant. Observe that the work of our Lords present office is stated in the passage to be, not only mediating for Christians in the supplying of Christian needs, but also an actual present saving of men. Save to the uttermost all coming to God by Him. Christ is set now in the office of dispenser of the salvation that He has won for men. Man, as a moral being, is to be saved, not by a salvation, but by a Saviour, through the agency of a salvation. The familiar words, Simply to thy cross I cling, are a poetical figure, which, stated in a plain, prosaic way, would be, Simply to Thyself I cling. In unfolding our Redeemers particular office as priestly Saviour, show

1. Its sphere. Heaven as the symbol of the spiritual. The souls of men. The presence of the eternal Father.
2. Show its work. Saving, in the large and comprehensive sense of effecting all deliverances from all moral evils, and from all their consequences.
3. And show the ways in which He has won the fitness, and the ability, to be this living Saviour. Therefore God also hath highly exalted Him.
(1) By the faithful execution of a particular work entrusted to Him, He has proved Himself worthy of a higher trust. According to His own principle, embodied in the parables of the talents and the pounds.
(2) By the intimacy, variety, and completeness of His human experience, He has become precisely fitted for the sympathetic application of the saving power.

II. The extent of the power which belongs to Christs present office.To the uttermost. This expression comprehends

1. Power to meet the precise case of every one. And salvation is not quite the same thing for every man. It must be adapted to individuality.
2. Power to completely satisfy the needs of each one. Here Christs power is contrasted with that of Jewish high priests, who could not touch soul-sin. The infinite ability of Christ is our encouragement in the committal of our entire saving and sanctifying to Him.

III. The persons for whom especially the power is exercised.Does the expression of Heb. 7:25 mean everybody? And if not, what are its suggested limitations? Those who come into the saving power are those

1. Who spiritually turn towards God. There must be some opening of the soul to God.
2. Those who, in thus turning, seek the help of Christ. To these, and under these conditions, He becomes an all-sufficient and almighty Saviour. Or we may say, that the condition of getting the exercise of this saving power is, that a man fully trusts his case to Christ. But nobody ever does that until he has ceased to feel that he can very well manage it himself. These considerations reaffirm the two essential things in every coming to God through Christpenitence and faith. Reimpress the important truth, that the intercession of our Divine Lord is founded on His voluntary offering of Himself without spot to God.

SUGGESTIVE NOTES AND SERMON SKETCHES

Heb. 7:22. Christ as Surety of a Covenant.Dr. Moultons note on the word covenant may be found specially helpful: This is the first occurrence in this epistle of a very interesting word (), which hereafter will occupy an important place in the argument. Throughout the Greek translation of the Old Testament it is used to represent a Hebrew word which is (more than two hundred times) rightly rendered covenant in our version; and, like the Hebrew word, it is applied both to mutual agreements between man and man, and to covenants or engagements into which God enters in regard to man. In classical writers commonly denotes a testament; and hence in the old Latin translation of the Scriptures testamentum became the common rendering of the word. As, however, this rendering is very often found where it is impossible to think of such a meaning as will (e.g. in Psa. 83:5, where no one will suppose the psalmist to say that the enemies of God have arranged a testament against Him), it is plain that the Latin testamentum was used with an extended meaning, answering to the wide application of the Greek word. St. Pauls designation of the Jewish Scriptures as the old covenant (2Co. 3:14) thus became familiarly known as the Old Testament. Here only is Jesus spoken of as a Surety, elsewhere as Mediator (chaps. Heb. 8:6, Heb. 9:15, Heb. 12:24). As through the Son of man the covenant becomes established, so in Him it remains secure; the words addressed by God to Him as Priest and King contain the pledge of its validity and permanence. means sponsor, pledge, surety. In a covenant each party may be represented by some one who will guarantee their good faith. The case is conceivable in which the same person may guarantee the good faith of both parties; and then such a person would stand as a living pledge of the fulfilment of the terms of the covenant on both sides. That conceivable thing is actually realised in the case of Jesus Christ, and in relation to the new Christian covenant. He stands for God, and pledges His good faith. He stands for man, and pledges his good faith. And so long as Jesus lives we have the assurance that God will keep His word; and God has the assurance that we will keep ours. Christ pledges us both.

Heb. 7:23-28. Uttermost Salvation.We are taught here

I. The perfection of Christs priesthood.He is lifted above all other priests

1. By the immortality of His nature (Heb. 7:24). He only hath immortality.

2. By the perfection of His character (Heb. 7:26). Glorious in holiness.

3. By the efficacy of His sacrifice (Heb. 7:27). So rich and prevalent that offering of the cross.

II. The consequent perfection of Christs saving power (Heb. 7:25).Christ is able to save in every way, in all respects, unto the uttermost, so that every want and need, in all its breadth and depth, is utterly done away.

1. His salvation extends to the worst. Such is the greatness of Christs sympathy and power, that He reaches down to the lowest, and can lift the lowest to heights of purity and glory.

2. His salvation comprehends all. In this sense He saves to the uttermost. Philanthropists usually select some particular class of sinners or sufferers as their sphere of beneficenceone cares for the slave, another for the prisoner, a third for the orphan; but Christ is the Saviour of all men. There is a Rabbinical legend to the effect that, when the law was given at Sinai, all the yet unborn souls of the Jewish nation were assembled to hear it. Certainly, when Christ died on Calvary, He saw around Him the spirits of all flesh, and bare in His body the iniquities of them all.

3. His salvation is complete. Uttermost signifies completeness; it forms an antithesis here to Heb. 7:19, where it is stated the law made nothing perfect. Christ shall fully restore our nature to purity, to beauty, to joy. There is such a thing as being saved from fire, and yet the nerves to be shattered, and the flesh scarred; such a thing as being saved from shipwreck, and yet to stand bleeding and beggared on the shore; such a thing as being saved in the day of battle, and yet to have lost a limb. Not with such a salvation does Christ save His people.

4. His saving power continues undiminished by lapse of time. The power of Christ is as fresh and full to-day as it ever was; so it will continue to the latest age.

5. His salvation confers eternal security and joy. He ever liveth to continue the fellowship between His saints and God So all-comprehending is the salvation of Jesus Christ, He saves from deepest depths, to ends of the earth, to end of time: He saves thoroughly; He saves with the power of an endless life.

III. The subjects of Christs saving grace.Them that come unto God by Him, come penitently, come boldly, come now.W. L. Watkinson.

Heb. 7:24. No Change in Christs Priestly Relations conceivable.If the relations were material and temporal, change in them would be quite possible, and might indeed reasonably be expected. Those relations are spiritual and eternal, and they are therefore permanent and unchangeable. Or we may say, that the priestly relations of Christ do not concern the merely accidental conditions of men, but the essential and universal conditions; and so the adaptations of His priestly ministry can never pass or change. The thought of the writer may not, however, be so comprehensive and so philosophical as this. The point immediately before him is the limited time in which a Mosaic high priest served his office, and the unlimited time that Christ, as our spiritual High Priest, serves His. This was suggested by the prominent fact concerning Melchizedek, that there was no fixed beginning to his office, and no fixed termination. If an office is put into the hands of a succession of men, it is manifestly entrusted to a variety of men; and many men have many ways. The methods of carrying out the duties of the office must, of necessity, vary. Each man will put his own impress upon it. But if an office could be held by one person throughout all generations, and that one person had the power of precisely adapting his principles and his methods to each generation, he would virtually hold an unchangeable office. And that is precisely what we are to understand concerning Christ. He is the one and only spiritual High Priest of humanity. There was no time, since humanity has existed, in which He was not its High Priest. He was spiritual High Priest when there were formal high priests according to the law. And there will be no time, while humanity exists, in which He will not be High Priest. If we do but grip the idea that He is spiritual High Priest to spiritual humanityand that alone is humanitywe shall easily see that change in the principles and methods of His priesthood cannot be, for the very simple reason that the conditions and needs of spiritual humanityof the souls which men arenever do change, and so there can be no call for any change to meet their new needs.

Heb. 7:25. The Eternal Saviour.Happily we are not dependent on this or any other single passage of Scripture for our belief in the doctrine that Christs power to save is practically unlimited. We are not certain that the word rendered to the uttermost has more than a temporal significance. Probably it has. But if the text does not positively affirm, it supports and suggests the truth, left beyond all doubt elsewhere, that the power of Christ to save

I. Is unconditioned by the character of the case.However complicated or aggravated that may be, no fear or doubt need be entertained for a moment. Men may, and they sometimes do, think that their sin is unpardonable, or that their true manhood cannot be restored, that no human or Divine power can raise and renew them. But Scripture and experience alike prove that they are wrong. There is no depth of iniquity to which man can descend from which the power of Christ cannot lift him up. There are no crimes against heaven and earth which the mercy of God in Jesus Christ will not cover. He saves to the uttermost.

II. Extends through the whole of our human life.We may have to change priests or pastors, and we may be troubled by the fact. We have not to change one Saviour for another. The thought is too familiar to affect us, but it is a very precious truth, that all our life through we have to do with an unchanging Lord and Friend. It means

1. That Christ is ours through all the successive periods of our life, each one of which has its own dangers and difficulties, and demands special grace and power. Of Him do we all receive grace upon grace, one kindness after another, varying according to the stage we have reached, and to the peculiar need of the passing hour (see Joh. 1:16).

2. That in any great sorrow or emergency that may overtake us we are sure to have our Divine Friend to whom we can resort, and on whose sympathy and succour we can rely.
3. That in the great, continuous work of spiritual culture we may count on His help. We are in some serious danger of supposing that there are faults in our character, and blemishes in our behaviour, which are irremovable, and must be accepted as an inevitable detraction from our worth and influence. But by what right do we accept these as permanent and incurable? With an ever-living Saviour, a helpful High Priest, ever living to make intercession, able to save His people to the uttermost from all their sin and shortcoming, we ought to be striving for and expecting a full deliverance, a complete salvation, through sanctity of spirit and excellency of life. We have no leave to settle down into a complacent tolerance of any evil thing in temper or in spirit, in speech or in conduct.

III. Will continue through all generations.Many systems have had a brief day of power and have passed away. They have had adventitious or spasmodic advantages, and have done great things for a little while. Then testing time has come, and they have waned and disappeared. Jesus Christ has not lost one jot or tittle of His power to save and heal. Where His truth has been corrupted it has been enfeebled, as we can well understand it must be; but where it has been cleansed of its accretions, and has been presented in its purity, it has proved the power of God unto salvation. This it is proving now. At home and abroad it is found to be the one sovereign power that transforms the base, that uplifts the degraded, that arouses the sluggish, that calls the worldly to the service of God, that makes the selfish to be concerned for the welfare of their kind, that comforts the sorrowful, that cheers the lonely, that gives peace in strife, and hope in death. It shows no signs of age, no symptoms of decay. There is nothing ready to supply its place. Eighteen centuries of physical research and philosophic inquiry have not provided any substitute for Christian truth. It is Christ alone who can speak to us with authority upon God, upon sin, upon human life, upon the future; it is He alone that can give rest to heavy-laden souls. Christ is proving to be the eternal Saviour to whom mankind in every age can turn with trustful and thankful heart. To whom, if not to Him, shall we go? He only has the words of eternal life on His lips, and the gift of eternal life in His hand. But if we would find we must seek. It is they who draw near to God through Him that are saved. We must

1. Gladly and gratefully receive the great truth of Gods Fatherhood as taught by Jesus Christ.
2. Confidently approach our heavenly Father through His mediation.
3. Eagerly accept the grace of God unto eternal life for His sake.Selected.

Salvation to the Uttermost.The writer is dealing with that continuous work of saving which was the ministry entrusted to the old Jewish priests, and is, in the highest senses, the ministry entrusted to our great High Priest. It needs to be well kept in mind, that the old priests did not merely do one great saving work for the people, they stood in constant saving relations with them. Every year, nay, every day, they were executing some saving ministry for them; and the very essence of their saving work consisted in thisthey were the mediums through whom any one who wanted to come to God with a petition, or an act of devotion, found access to Him, and acceptance with Him. To express the work of the old priests in the language of this text, they were able, in limited measures, to save those who came to God through them, seeing that they were the appointed persons for making intercession. When this is clearly seen, the contrast between the limitations of the old priestly ministries, and the perfections of the ministries of Jesus, our great High Priest, comes to view with a singular and surprising force. Wherefore also He is able to save to the uttermost them that draw near unto God through Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. Wherefore is the usual term for introducing the conclusion of an argument. And it is necessary to understand what the writer has been presenting, from which he draws this conclusion. He is writing to professing Christians about themselves. He knows the perils and temptations to which they are exposed, but he has every confidence in the sincerity and earnestness of their Christian life. He wants to help them to enter fully into all their Christian privileges. In this part of his epistle he is trying to show these Christian Jews that Christ, in His sublime spiritual work, as High Priest of the new and spiritual dispensation, must be in every respect superior to the old temporal high priests of the old formal and typical dispensation. In the verses immediately preceding this text the argument is brought to one point. These old Jewish priests were necessarily insufficient, because they could not continue in their office by reason of death. The vacancies caused in their number by the ravages of death required to be constantly replenished. They cannot be thought of as altogether efficient when they entered on their office. They gained efficiency by practice and experience. But as they could not continue by reason of death, their practised efficiency could only reach a certain point, and then it was broken off. The dying priest could not transmit his efficiency to the new priest who took his office; the new man had to gain his efficiency in precisely the same way, and then to die as soon as he had gained it. But see how this affected the people, who sought the priests sympathy and help in their drawing near to God. They would get to know and love the priest; they would find one especially sympathetic and helpful, in dealing with their weaknesses and difficulties. But he would die, and they would feel quite at sea with the new man, who would surely be of another temperament, and would surely adopt new methods. It would be a long time before they would quite fit to the new man and the new regime. I think it was in the Catholic Cathedral at Arundel that this came home to me with singular power. On one side of the nave there are recesses, partitioned off, with the partitions pierced by small grated windows. These are the confessional chambers, where souls confidentially seek the aid of a priest in securing their access to God, and confirming their relations with Him. Outside each recess is a card, with the name of the priest who could be consulted there. On one of the cards had been put the word dead; and I thought of the poor souls who had found him their spiritual helper coming to seek him in vain, and broken-heartedly trying to get another priest to understand and sympathise with them, as their old, and perhaps life-long, friend had done. It brought up vividly the insufficiency of the old priesthood, by reason of its limitations. It helped to the realisation of the infinite and unchangeable efficiency of our great High Priest, who is our Priest in the power of an endless life. Christ continueth ever, and His priesthood continues with Him. He gains an efficiency of service to us which never breaks off, is never interrupted, and never stops. Of this we may be absolutely assured: we shall never be shifted off to another priest; we shall never be compelled to try and fit ourselves to another. He abideth our Priest continually, here and now, yonder and by-and-by. We need never think of our life under any conditions in which we shall not have Jesus as our Priest. We get full trust in Him, and that trust never will be broken off. See then why the Levitical priesthood, and every other human priesthood, must be considered as far inferior to that of Jesus. As men in a frail and dying state are constituted priests, the consequence is, that the priesthood is liable to continual change, and must necessarily pass from the hands of one to another, in a short time. Not so in the case of Christ, who, being exalted above the heavens, and constituted High Priest in the temple not made with hands, hath an immutable priesthood, subject to no succession. Christs endless life involves the continuity of His office, and this involves His ability to save His saved ones to the uttermost. Consider

I. Christs continuous work of saving the saved.Scripture does not speak of a mans salvation as a thing completed at a given time, or in any single act. It is a Divine process in souls which has a beginning, but is of no value unless it is continued. Scripture speaks of full salvation, of salvation in advance, ready to be revealed. The term saving covers all that God does in the spiritual recovery and culture of men. It is true that we are saved. It is more true that we are being saved, that we are put into Christs power for saving, and that He is now doing that saving work. When is a man saved? When the whole work of grace entrusted to the ministry of the great High Priest is fully wrought out in him. Then, and not till then. It is the hope of our life, it is the inspiration of all high endeavour, that we saved ones are being saved. And does not this way of stating truth come close home to us? Is not this just what we feel can alone satisfy us? We cannot be satisfied with that salvation which began our relations with Christ. In our best moments we want to know thisIs He following up His saving work? In a Christmas sermon by George Macdonald, the continued saving work that Jesus has to do in us is suggested in His inimitable way. It is as if God spoke to each of us according to our need. My son, My daughter, you are growing old and cunning; you must grow a child again, with My Son, this blessed birth-time. You are growing old and selfish; you must become a child. You are growing old and careful; you must become a child. You are growing old and distrustful; you must become a child. You are growing old, and petty, and weak, and foolish; you must become a childMy child, like the baby there, that strong sunrise of faith, and hope, and love, lying in his mothers arms in the stable. What is that but saying in a poetic way that Christs continuous work is saving the saved. In the text, however, the comprehensive word save is put into one particular relation, but it is the all-inclusive relation. Christ is saving us by helping us to come to God, to draw near to God, to keep in right and close relations with God, and to bring all our ever-varying and ever-multiplied needs and wants to Him. All the saving work will go on, if only we keep constantly coming boldly to the throne of the heavenly grace. Our Priest keeps up the relations, is our constant medium; and so we go on towards the full salvation.

II. The ground of His ability to save the saved.It rests upon this, He ever liveth. He has the power which belongs to an endless and indissoluble life. He is a priest for ever. There can be no question of His power to carry through what He has undertaken. Mans work never can be guaranteed as complete. Death comes to men at all times, and stops their work; and whenever he comes, he compels a man to cry out and say, My purposes are broken off. The symbol of mans incomplete life undertakings is the broken pillar over the graves in the cemetery. Christs work can be absolutely guaranteed as complete, for death can never arrest Him, can never pluck His priesthood away, and give it to another. It continues to the very uttermost of human need. It is unchangeable, since it keeps ever in the same all-wise, all-loving, and all-sympathetic hands. The ground of Christs ability to save the saved is that experience of the needs of the saved which He gained by His own life among men. He can be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God. It is that trust of the high-priestly office which God has made to Him, as the recognition of His infinite acceptableness and efficiency. AbleHis ability is Divinely recognised in His trust. But what we need more especially to see is, that the adequate impression of His ability is made upon our hearts by the assurance that He ever liveth. If death cannot touch Him, then we know that nothing else can. If death cannot put limits on His priesthood, nothing else can. The ability is unchangeable. He will never be other to us than we have proved Him to be, and He can save us to our uttermost.

III. The method of His work in saving the saved.To make intercession for them. Sometimes we see that work as what the living Lord Jesus does, by His Spirit, in His people; and then we call it His sanctifying work. But here the writer dwells on another method in which the saving work is carried out. He secures the supply of all the need which the saved ones ever recognise, and want to carry to God, seeking its supply. No matter when or where, or for what, the saved one wants to draw near to God, to come to the throne of the heavenly grace, there is his High Priest, ready to take his prayer, to present it perfumed with the ever-acceptable incense of His own merit, and to guarantee him answers of blessing and of peace. He ever liveth to make intercession for us; and by that method of helping us He is ever carrying out His work of saving the saved. Our relations with God are never broken; our communications with God, our communications from God, are never stopped, and we are sure they never will be stopped, for our High Priest, our Intercessor, is there, and always will be there.

IV. The limit of His efficiency in saving the saved.Unto the uttermost. It is not possible even to suggest all the difficulties and anxieties and distresses into which Christs people may get; they never get into any which put them beyond the high-priestly power of Christ. We may have proved His power to strange and exceeding limits, but we have never gone beyond Him, and we never shall. He can save His saved ones to the uttermost. Think again of the poor souls that in their thousand-fold distresses go seeking the sympathy and help of some human priest. What a wealth of woe has been poured into the ears of father-confessors through all the long ages! But how often, oh how painfully often, the priest is helpless, agonisingly helpless! The suppliant goes utterly beyond him with his great cry for help. No saved one ever yet got beyond the great High Priest with the cry of his need. He has always been able to save the saved ones to the uttermost. And He always will be: for He ever lives. What He was yesterday, He is to-day, and He will be for ever; and never shall the hour come round when we may not draw near with our burdened hearts, and find Him therethere readythere as He has ever been: able to save unto the uttermost all that would draw near unto God, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.

A Living Saviour, therefore a Complete Salvation.The saint learns that salvation must be continuous, that he can no more keep than redeem himself, and that he needs a Saviour, not for once, but for always, not in the first stages of redemption only, but every step of the wayin a word, what we have in the text, One who is able to save to the uttermost. And this His ability is because He ever liveth to make intercession. Salvation will be to us what it might be in proportion as we look for it, not to the cross, but to Him who, once crucified, is now livingliving for evermore, to continue in heaven the work begun on earth.

I. The text reveals our Lord as living to save.The Atonement does not include the whole work of salvation. As Saviour Christ never rests. He ascended to carry on His work to further developments.

1. Nothing less than this reaches the perfection of grace.
2. Without this His work on earth were unavailing.
3. Only this explains our continued spiritual enrichment.

II. The method by which our Lord carries on His saving work in heaven is that of ceaseless intercession.

1. This intercession is for those that come unto God by Him.
2. It secures for them everything they ask.
3. And it includes all possible good.

III. This intercession enables Him to save to the uttermost.

1. To the uttermost depth of depravity.
2. To the uttermost limit of time.
3. To the uttermost measure of perfection.Charles New.

Heb. 7:26. Christ as Separate from the World.With us of to-day it is the commendation of Jesus that He is so profoundly humbled, identified so affectingly with our human state. But the power He had with the men of His time moved in exactly the opposite direction, being the impression He made of His remoteness and separateness from men, when He was, in fact, only a man as they supposed, under all human conditions. The contrast, however, between their position and ours is not so complete as may at first seem to us, for that which makes their impression makes, after all, a good part of ours. The present subject isThe separateness of Jesus from men; the immense power it had, and must ever have, on their feeling and character. Christ was not separated as being at all withdrawn, but only that, in drawing Himself most closely to them, He was felt by them never as being on their level of life and character, but as being parted from them by an immense chasm of distance. His disciples had no definite ideas as to His being a higher nature incarnate. His miracles, and the expectation of Messiah, may have had something to do with their impressions. But there was nothing that should separate Him specially from mankind as being a more than humanly superlative character.

I. Notice how the persons most remote and opposite, even they that finally conspired His death, were impressed or affected by Him.Spite of their treatment of Him, we can easily see that there is growing up, in their minds, a most peculiar awe of His person. And it appears to be excited more by His manners and doctrine, and a certain indescribable originality and sanctity in both, than by anything else. The public mind became gradually saturated with a kind of awe of His person, as if He might be some higher, finer nature come into the world. It grew until it became a general superstition. The problem with the officials was, not how to arrest any common man, or sinner of mankind, but a superior, mysterious, fearful One, and there wanted, as they imagined, some kind of magic to do it. They took up thus an impression that, if they could suborn one of His followers, it would break the spell of His power, and they could proceed safely. Pilate was profoundly impressed with the sense of something superior, more wise, or holy, or sacred, than he had seen before. The centurion, in presence of the cross, exclaimed, Truly this was the Son of God!

II. Notice how the disciples were impressed or affected by the manner and spirit of Jesus.The remarkable thing is, that He took possession of them strangely, even at the very first, and yet they appear to be more and more impressed with the distance between Him and themselves, the longer they know Him, and the more intimate and familiar their acquaintance with Him. Of this St. Peter affords a striking example. This, in part, is their blessing; for, as they are humbled by it, so they are raised by it, feel the birth of new affinities, rise to higher thoughts, and are wakened to a conscious struggle after God.

III. What is the solution of this profound impression of separateness made by Christ on the world?His miracles and the repute of His Messiahship do not wholly account for it. It may be said that He produced this impression artificially, by means of certain scenes and observances designed to widen out the distance between Him and the race. Were the really astounding assumptions put forth by Christ designed as declarations or assertions of a superhuman order in His natural person? Certainly He is challenging, in such utterances, honours and prerogatives that are not human. At the same time, if He had not before separated Himself heaven-wide from men, by His character, and produced, in that manner, a sense of some wonderful mystery in Him, He would have been utterly scouted and hooted out of the world for His preposterous assumptions. Indeed, the minds of His disciples were so much occupied with the impressions they felt, under the realities of His character, that they scarcely attended to the strange assumptions of His words, and did not even seem to have taken their meaning till after His death. The impression of Christs separation was made, not by scenes, nor by words of assertion, nor by anything designed for that purpose, but it grew out of His life and characterHis unworldliness, holiness, purity, truth, love; the dignity of His feeling, the transcendent wisdom and grace of His conduct. He was manifestly one that stood apart from the world in His profoundest human sympathy with it. He rose up out of humanity, or the human level, into Deity and the separate order of uncreated life, by the mere force of His manner and character, and achieved, as man, the sense of a Divine excellence before His personal order as the Son of God was conceived. And so it finally became established in mens feelings, as it stood in His last prayer, that there was some inexplicable oneness where His inmost life and spirit merged in the Divine and became identical. How great a thing it is that such a Being has come into our world and lived in it! What is meant by holiness, and what especially is its power, or the law of its power? It is the sense of a separated quality in one who lives on a footing of intimacy and oneness with God. It means being drawn apart, or exalted, by being consecrated to God and filled with inspiration from God. This is holinessthe condition of a man when he is separated visibly from the world, and raised above it by a Divine participation. Christianity is a regenerative power upon the world only as it comes into the world in a separated characteras a revelation or sacred importation of holiness. In this lies the efficacy of Christs mission, that He brings to men what is not in them, what is opposite to themthe separated glory, the holiness of God. We want a salvation which means a grace brought into the world that is not of it. So Christ will not be a popular Saviour. His profound singularity, as a Being superior to sin and to all human conventionalities, would offend men, and drive them quite away. There is no greater mistake, as regards the true manner of impression on the world, than that we impress it by being homogeneous with it. It is not the being popular that makes one a help to religion,no holy man was ever a truly popular character. There is no just mode of life, no true holiness, or fruit of holy living, if we do not carry the conviction, by our self-denial, our sobriety in the matter of show, and our withholding from all that indicates our being under the world, that we are in a life separated to God. And there is most profound philosophy in thisCome out from among them, and be ye separate.Horace Bushnell, D.D.

The Divine Charm of Christs Character.Holy, harmless [guileless, R.V.], undefiled, separate [separated, R.V.] from sinners.

1. The Christ whom the Jews expected was one whose works should be greatby no means one in whom there should be a humanly superlative character.

2. The separation of Christ from sinners was not one which came out of words of assertion, but one which grew out of His character and His life.
3. We have had among us a Visitor, living out in the moulds of human character, conduct, and feeling the perfections of God. Who, after this, can ever think it a low and common thing
(1) to fill these human spheres;
(2) walk these ranges of human life; and
(3) do these common-place, every-day, human duties?After Bushnell.

Heb. 7:27. One Sacrifice suffices.Once for all, when He offered up Himself. That sacrifice suffices for two good reasons:

1. It is the real thing, to which all the pictorial, illustrative, and typical sacrifices pointed.
2. It is so altogether satisfactory, that there cannot possibly ever be any call to have it repeated. Why should it be? The supreme question, in regard to any sacrifice, is thisIs it acceptable to God? Will He make it a basis on which to accept us? If it is acceptable to Him, if He does accept us on the ground of it, what more has to be said? Who has any right to complain? On what ground can any other sacrifice be asked for? And that is precisely what we claim to be the fact concerning the sublime self-sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, concerning the offering of Himself. God is infinitely satisfied with it: He is willing to accept us on the ground of it. And there is nothing more to be said, and nothing more can be required. God requires no other sacrifice; He has accepted this, and makes no other demand. We cannot possibly require any other sacrifice, for we have gained all the acceptance that we can ever want on the ground of this. By one offering Christ has gained all-sufficient power to save unto the uttermost: He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

ILLUSTRATIONS TO CHAPTER 7

Heb. 7:25. He redeemed me!The tears of a slave girl just going to be put up for sale drew the attention of a gentleman as he passed through the auction mart of a Southern slave state. The other slaves of the same group, standing in a line for sale like herself, did not seem to care about it, while each knock of the hammer made her shake. The kind man stopped to ask why she alone wept, and was told that the others were used to such things, and might be glad of a change from the hard, harsh homes they came from, but that she had been brought up with much care by a good owner, and she was terrified to think who might buy her. Her price? the stranger asked. He thought a little when he heard the great ransom, but paid it down. Yet no joy came to the poor slaves face when he told her she was free. She had been born a slave, and knew not what freedom meant. Her tears fell fast on the signed parchment, which her deliverer brought to prove it to her. She only looked at him with fear. At last he got ready to go his way, and as he told her what she must do when he was gone, it began to dawn on her what freedom was. With the first breath she said, I will follow him! I will serve him all my days! and to every reason against it she only cried, He redeemed me! He redeemed me! He redeemed me! When strangers used to visit that masters house, and noticed, as all did, the loving, constant service of the glad-hearted girl, and asked her why she was so eager with unbidden service night by night and day by day, she had but one answer, and she loved to give itHe redeemed me! He redeemed me! He redeemed me! And so, said the servant of Christ, who spent a night on his journey in a Highland glen, and told this story in a meeting where every heart was thrilled, let it be with you. Serve Jesus as sinners bought back with blood; and when men take notice of the way you serve Him, the joy that is in your looks, the love that is in your tone, the freedom of your service, have one answer to giveHe redeemed me!

Intercession.A child, saith Ambrose, that is willing to present his father with a posy goes into the garden, and there gathers some flowers and some weeds together; but coming to his mother, she picks out the weeds, and binds the flowers, and so it is presented to the father. Thus, when we have put up our prayers, Christ comes and picks away the weeds, the sin of our prayers, and presents nothing but flowers to His Father, which are a sweet-smelling savour.Thomas Watson.

Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell

C.

He is an unchangeable priest. Heb. 7:23-25.

Text

Heb. 7:23-25

Heb. 7:23 And they indeed have been made priests many in number, because that by death they are hindered from continuing: Heb. 7:24 but He, because He abideth forever, hath His priesthood unchangeable. Heb. 7:25 Wherefore also He is able to save to the uttermost them that draw near unto God through Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Paraphrase

Heb. 7:23 Besides, Jesus our High Priest is more powerful than the Levitical high priests in this respect, that they indeed are many priests, because they are hindered by death from continuing;

Heb. 7:24 But He, because He liveth forever in the body, (see Heb. 7:25, note), hath a priesthood which shall never pass from Him to any other person on account of incapacity.

Heb. 7:25 On which account He is even forever able to save all who approach to God through His mediation; always living an High Priest (Heb. 7:8; Heb. 7:24.) to make affectionate intercession with God for them.

And they indeed have been made priests many in number, because that by death they are hindered from continuing

The old law had to have many priests because they were subject to death, and successors had to be trained. The new covenant has one eternal Priest since He is not subject to death.

but He, because He abideth forever, hath His priesthood unchangeable

With early priests you might have a sympathetic priest today, and a different one tomorrow. Christ is the same always, perfection always. What a consolation this is !

Wherefore also He is able to save to the uttermost

Christ is able to save, without doubt.

a.

We have One Who is able; all others are unable.

b.

Uttermost means to the extreme, completely.

This is a contrast to the feebleness of the old covenant.

a.

No sinner is too deep in sin to be gone.

b.

No condition of man is too far away for God through Christ to save.

them that draw near unto God

This job is never done. We must always draw near. 1Co. 9:26. Christianity is a growth; we keep on drawing near. Php. 3:14.

Study Questions

1251.

What is the purpose of pointing out the many priests of the old system?

1252.

How is Christs priesthood superior in relationship to time?

1253.

What value is there in having Christ as an eternal priest?

1254.

If Christ was perfect on earth, what consolation have we about Him now?

1255.

What assurance do we have that His priesthood will be changeless?

1256.

What is Christ able to do?

1257.

How does the ability of Christ compare to that of the false saviors of men?

1258.

Unto the uttermost has what significance?

1259.

Is the idea of uttermost in contrast to the feebleness of the Jewish covenant?

1260.

Where does salvation take placehere or hereafter?

1261.

What qualification is there to salvation?

1262.

How about the people who never draw nigh?

1263.

Do we ever actually get so close to God that we do not need to keep drawing near? Cf. 1Co. 9:26.

Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

(23) Were many priests.Rather, have been made priests many (i.e., in large numbers), because by death they were prevented from continuing. (Comp. Heb. 7:8, where the thought is somewhat similar.)

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

23-28. Point sixth. An undying priest and priesthood, able to save to the uttermost, is just suitable for us sinners.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

23. Many priests by death Poor mortals, alas! can send a line of life through centuries only by a succession of living and dying men.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

‘And they indeed have been made priests many in number, because that by death they are hindered from continuing, but he, because he abides for ever, has his priesthood unchangeable.’

Again the point is drawn out that the levitical priests were numerous and constantly changing because death prevented them from continuing. There was constant fluctuation. But He on the other hand continues on permanently. He abides for ever. Therefore His priesthood is unchanging, and there can thus be no argument about the superiority of the new priesthood and the new covenant, for they are eternal.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Another feature of Christ’s priesthood is its eternal continuance:

v. 23. And they truly were many priests because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death;

v. 24. but this Man, because He continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.

v. 25. Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.

This is a point in which the superiority of Christ is very evident. Christ not only brought us back again into the right relation with God, but He permanently insured to us this near fellowship with God: And they indeed have been made priests many in number, because of their being prevented by death from remaining, but He through His remaining forever has His priesthood inviolable. It was a definite and unchangeable handicap of the men that held the office of priests in the Old Testament: they were mortal, subject to death, they could not remain in life, and therefore also in office, beyond the span of life allotted to them by God. The ones that died were continually being replaced by young men, and there was a continual change in personnel. But Christ, the everlasting Son of God, Psa 110:4; Dan 7:14; Joh 12:34, holds His office of High Priest throughout eternity. It will never he transferred, no other person will ever step into it. He is the sole and perpetual occupant of this singular office, giving place to no successor. And therefore it follows: Whence He is also able even to save to the uttermost those who through Him approach to God, forever living to make intercession for them. Because Christ holds His office of High Priest in this unique and absolute manner, therefore the salvation earned by Him is complete in every detail, not lacking in any single item. Every person in the wide world that turns to Christ for salvation, puts his faith in Him as his Mediator, has Him as the Way, as the certain Approach to God. No need of priests and sacrifices and ceremonies and special festivals, for He is our Mediator forever; He has opened the way to the eternal love of the Father. This is so certain because Christ lives forever, and His function in His office of High Priest at the present time is to be our Advocate with the Father, to make intercession for us, Rom 8:34; 1Jn 2:1-2. As Christ’s life on earth was spent in the interest of men, so He continues to spend Himself in our behalf. The entire fullness of His present life is devoted to the end of insuring everlasting salvation to men. And we have another reason for acknowledging the superiority of Christ’s office over that of the Old Testament priests.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

Heb 7:23-24 And they truly were many priests, And as to those priests, there were many of them established successively, because death prevented their continuance; Heb 7:24. But he, eternal as he is, hath a priesthood, which cannot be transferred to others. By means of his continuance for ever, our High-priest exerciseth an unchangeable priesthood.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Heb 7:23 . ] parallel to the , Heb 7:20 .

] and they on the one hand have as several (or as a plurality ) become priests, i.e. of Levitical priests there is a multiplicity. Attention is not here called to the peculiarity that many priests always existed contemporaneously the one with the other (so Erasmus, Paraphr. , Braun, Delitzsch), or that “the Levitical priesthood was not given to one , but to a lineage” (Hofmann). That which is meant is as is evident from the immediately following , and from Heb 7:24 the successive plurality, in that one dies after another, and consequently the one succeeds the other. For the author in thus speaking has before his mind the high priests , since it is just with these that Christ is placed in parallel. Comp. Heb 7:26 ff., al.

] because (wrongly de Wette: “by the fact that”) they are (wrongly de Wette and Bisping: “were”) prevented by death from continuing .

] not: (so Oecumenius, who is followed by Grotius, Seb. Schmidt, Storr, Kuinoel, Klee, Stein, Bloom-field, Delitzsch, Riehm, Lehrbegr. des Hebrerbr . pp. 459, 437; Alford, Maier, Kurtz, Hofmann, Woerner, and others). It denotes, as is clear from the corresponding , Heb 7:24 , to continue in life . Comp. also Phi 1:25 , and Meyer ad loc .

Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary

Heb 7:23-25 . Third point of superiority of the priesthood of Christ over the Levitical priesthood . The Levitical priests die one after the other; Christ’s priesthood, on the other hand, is, since He ever lives, an unchangeable and intransitory one. The author consequently lays special stress upon that point of superiority to which already, Heb 7:16 f. (comp. Heb 7:8 ), he had pointed.

Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary

IV
Christ lives forever, and can therefore, in His unchangeable Priesthood, forever intercede in the presence of God on behalf of the redeemed

Heb 7:23-25

23And they truly[indeed] were many priests [have more than one been made priests], because they were13 not suffered to continue by reason of death[on account of their 24being hindered by death from continuing]: But this man [he], because he continueth 25forever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore [whence also] he is able also [om. also] to save to the uttermost [completely, unto perfection, ] them that come unto God by him, seeing that he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

[Heb 7:23. , and they indeed=and while, they , etc., have in larger numbers, as more than one, become priests . , on account of their being hindered by death, etc. If the finite verb is used it should be in the present, not were not suffered.

Heb 7:24., , but he, not, but this man , hath his priesthood, not to be passed by, hence superceded; or, perhaps, better (with reference to the active , go aside from, transgress, violate, , transgression, violation) not to be transgressed or transcended, inviolate.

Heb 7:25. , whence also. , unto completion, completely, , always living.K.].

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL

Heb 7:23. And they indeed, as more than one, etc.The connection shows that this plurality of the priesthood is not to be conceived as simultaneous (Erasm. in Paraphr., Braun, Del. [but Del, only partiallyK.]), but successive. The idea of Del. that the language points back to the act of inauguration and consecration at Exo 28:29, where Aaron is not for himself alone chosen and consecrated, but in connection with his sons, and that it is the multiplicity of the priests that insures the continuance of the priesthood, is at once without proof, and obscures the antithesis. So also of the interpretation of , favored by Del. of continuance in the priesthood (c, Grot., and others). It is not with the priests in general, but with the high-priest, that Christ is placed in contrast; and to corresponds the following . [But by no means necessarily in the same signification. I think Grot., Del., etc., are clearly right. To make and identical in meaning makes an intolerable platitude: they are hindered by death from remaining in life! But the change of reference is both suggested by the change in the verbs ( and ) and gives to each an appropriate and beautiful force: They are hindered by death from abiding in their priesthood; He on account of His abiding forever in life, hath His priesthood unchangeable. The necessity of giving to both verbs the same reference is only apparent. The real contrast is against itK.].

Heb 7:24. Unchangeable. belongs to the later Greek, and with Theodor., c., Theoph., Erasm., is by most taken actively=not passing over to another, whence Este and Justiniani explain that the priests of the Catholic Church are not successors, but vicarii et ministri Christi. More accordant with usage is the Passive construction, not to be passed beyond or overstepped, hence inviolable, unchangeable.

Heb 7:25. To the uttermost, completely, to the consummation. is erroneously referred by the Peshito, Vulg., Chrys., Luth., Calv., Schlicht., Grot., etc., to time. , whence also, shows that the declaration in this clause is to be regarded as the consequence, and indeed the natural consequence, of the statement of the clause just previous. [This seems hardly decisive against the reference of the adverbial clause to time; yet in the connection we can scarcely doubt that the reference is not to His saving always, or forever, but to His saving completely, those who come to God through Him. The perpetuity of His priesthood enables Him to carry through the salvation which He has commencedK.].

DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL

1. A further prerogative of the New Covenant lies in the unchangeableness of the Priesthood, attached to one and the same person, and by Him carried out in the most perfect manner forever. The ground of this lies in the fact that Christ tasted death indeed, but has also forever overcome it; and that to both these alike, to His sufferings and His victory, as He originally undertook and accomplished them on our behalf, so also in heaven He gives on our behalf perpetual validity and efficacy.

2. The eternally unchanging, high-priestly, and royal sway of the glorified Son of Man, is the cause of our perfect salvation, in that, by means of this, we, reconciled, draw near to God, and are kept in perpetual fellowship of life with God.

3. The Priesthood of Jesus Christ does not commence with His ministry in heaven. There rather, He, the eternally Living One, as antitype of the priestly-king, Melchisedek, gives entire completeness and efficacy (Rom 8:34) to the sacrifice which, as antitype of the Aaronic high-priest, He offered in His death upon the cross, by the sacrifice of Himself.

HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL

Salvation and blessedness are the grand aim of the Priesthood of Jesus Christ.The Priesthood of Christ is not less efficacious than it is permanent and comprehensive.Nearness to God is possible only through the Son, but through Him is ultimately enjoyed in blissful perfection,Wherein lies, on the one hand, the indispensableness, on the other, the imperishableness of the Priesthood of Christ?In what consists, on what rests, and by what means is effected, the complete deliverance of men through Jesus Christ?Christ has in His Priesthood no successor, since He lives forever, and no substitute, because He Himself exercises His office perfectly and all-sufficiently.

Starke:The exalted Jesus prays actually before the throne of His Heavenly Father, on behalf of men, in a way that is pleasing to Him, so long as the kingdom of grace continues, since He can still bring man to salvation.True members of Christ evince their spiritual priesthood toward others, in the fact that they pray for them zealously, although not with the meritorious supplication with which Christ pleads for us, yet still acceptably, and in a manner that is productive of blessing.Priest, Bishop, and Prelate, all are nothing. Christ is the true Archbishop and Chief Shepherd, to whom all things minister, and through whom all are nurtured and live, physically, spiritually and eternally.

Rieger:The death of Jesus Christ was no hinderance to the continuance of His Priestly office and employment, rather was itself a part of it. That Christ lives forever, is not only a prerogative of this Living Person Himself, but is also a blessing for us. Many circumstances that contribute to my happiness may change, but this capital circumstance changes not: He ever lives and makes intercession for us. Who would ever reach the destined goal, were there not such a priestly office and intercession ever exercised on our behalf in the Sanctuary of God?

Heubner:Drawing near to God implies not merely coming to Him in prayer, but obtaining His grace on earth, and His heavenly kingdom hereafter.Christ is not merely an intercessor on behalf of those who are to be made subjects of grace, but also on behalf of those already converted, in their state of moral weakness and infirmity.All human dignities, institutions, schools, perish; the dignity and office of Christ are imperishable.

Hahn:In heaven we are more regarded and cared for than we believe, and in the heart of the Father and of the Son there is much that is taking place on our behalf.

Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange

23 And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:

Ver. 23. By reason of death ] Neither their holiness nor learning could privilege them from death’s impartial stroke. Non te tua plurima Pantheu, labentem texit pietas. All our learning also is soon refuted with one black theta, which understanding us not, snappeth us unrespectively without distinction, and putteth at once a period to our reading and to our being.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

23 25 .] Further proof still of the superiority of Christ’s priesthood, in that the Levitical priests were continually removed by death: Christ is undying and abiding . This point was slightly touched before in Heb 7:8 , and again in Heb 7:16 f.: in the first place, it was to shew the abiding nature of the superiority of the priesthood its endurance in Melchisedek, and in Christ, Melchisedek’s antitype, as contrasted with dying men who here receive tithes. In the second, it was to bring out the difference between the ordinances which constituted the two priesthoods: the one, the law of a carnal commandment, the other, the power of an endless life. Here, the personal contrast is dwelt on: the many , which change: the ONE, who abides.

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

23 .] And they indeed (the of Heb 7:20 ; i. e. the Levitical priests) are appointed (on , see above, Heb 7:20 . is interposed to give it the secondary emphasis) priests in numbers (the chief emphasis is on , as contrasted with . below. The alternative rendering given as possible in Bleek, “they indeed are many, who have been made priests,” is hardly probable, seeing that thus the article would more naturally precede ), on account of their being by death hindered from continuing (in life? or, in their priesthood? The latter is taken by c., Grot., Seb. Schmidt, Erncsti, Wahl and Bretschneider, Kuinoel, al. And this is the more probable. The verb is a vox media, and may be applied to any sort of endurance treated of in the context (so in the examples cited from Herod. i. 30, , and Artemidor. ii. 27, . ): which clearly here treats of abiding in the priesthood: besides which, it would be somewhat tautological to say that they were hindered by death from continuing in life. The other view is taken by Raphel, Wolf, Bengel, Michaelis, Schulz, De Wette, Lnemann; not seeing, says Delitzsch, was das fur eine narrische platte Rede ist ),

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

Heb 7:23-25 . Another ground of the perfectness of the new priesthood is found in the continued life of the priest, who ever lives to make intercession and can therefore save completely, whereas the Levitical priests were compelled by death to give place to others.

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

Heb 7:23 . , as above, Heb 7:20 , introducing a new element in the argument. , as in Heb 7:21 , the Levitical priests, “have been made priests many in number,” not many at one and the same time [Delitzsch], although that also is true, but many in succession, as is shown by the reason assigned “because of their being prevented by death from abiding” “in their office,” Peirce, as cumenius, . Others think that remaining in life is meant. Possibly is used instead of , because there is a latent comparison with the one continuing priest, or with those already priests; always more and more. He, on the contrary, , by reason of his abiding for ever “has his priesthood inviolable,” that is, no other person can step into it. The form of expression is similar to that used by Epiphanius of the Trinity, . The meaning of . is contested, some interpreters (Weiss, etc.) supposing that it signifies “indefeasible,” or “untransmitted” or “nontransferable”. Indeed, cumenius and Theophylact translate it by . But in every instance of its occurrence given by Stephanus and Wetstein it has a passive sense, as , , etc., ., and means unalterable or inviolable. This suits the present passage perfectly, and returns upon the thought of Heb 7:3 , that the new priest is sole and perpetual occupant of the office, giving place to no successor. , “whence,” i.e. , because of His having this absolute priesthood; His saving power depends upon His priesthood. He is able , “even to save to the uttermost,” not to be referred merely to time as in Vulgate “in perpetuum,” and Chrysostom, , . If referred to time, it might mean either ability to save the individual eternally, or to save future generations. Peirce joins it with , and renders “whence also he is perpetually able to save”. But the phrase uniformly means “completely,” “thoroughly,” as in Luk 13:11 of the woman, and in the examples cited by Wetstein. This, as Riehm shows (p. 613, note), includes the idea of perpetuity. The Levitical priests could not so save: no was achieved by them; but everything for which the priesthood existed, everything which is comprised in the great [Heb 2:3 ] and eternal [Heb 5:9 ] salvation, the deliverance [Heb 2:15 ] and glory [Heb 2:10 ] which belong to it, are achieved by Christ. The objects of this saving power are , “those who through Him approach God”; “through Him” no longer relying on the mediation of Levitical priests, but recognising Jesus as the “new and living way,” Heb 10:19-22 . This complete salvation Jesus can accomplish because , “ever living to intercede on their behalf”. The particular mode in which His eternal priesthood applies itself to those who through Him approach God is that He intercedes for them, thus effecting their real introduction to God’s presence and their acceptance by Him, and also the supply of all their need out of the Divine fulness. , “to meet by chance,” “to light upon,” takes as its second meaning, “to converse with” (followed by dative), hence “to entreat one to do something” (Plut., Pomp. , 55; Ages. , 25), and when followed by (Polyb., 4:76, 9) or by (Plut., Cato Maj. , 9) “to intercede”. (See Liddell and Scott.) It is not the word itself, but the preposition following, that gives the idea of intercession . The word with a different preposition can be used in the sense of appealing against , as in Rom 11:2 , . . . , see also 1Ma 11:25 . With it occurs in Rom 8:27 ; Rom 8:34 , and with in Act 25:24 . Christ, then, treats with God in our behalf; and He lives for this. As His life on earth was spent in the interests of men, so He continues to spend Himself in this same cause. He ever lives, and being “the same yesterday, to-day and for ever” (Heb 13:8 ) His present fulness of life is devoted to those ends which evoked His energies while on earth. He secures that the fulness of Divine resource shall be available for men. “All things are ours.” This intercession is not the same as the Atoning sacrifice and its presentation before God, which was accomplished once for all (Heb 9:26 , Heb 10:18 ); but it is based upon the sacrifice which is also to men the guarantee that His intercession is real, and comprehensive of all their needs. [ Cf. Sir Walter Raleigh’s Pilgrimage .]

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Heb 7:23-25

23The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, 24but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. 25Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Heb 7:23 This is another comparison between Jesus and OT priests. This one deals with their numbers and time in office.

Heb 7:24 This is a rabbinical conclusion based on Genesis 14, where Melchizedek’s lineage is not given, and Psalms 110, which is an allusion to Melchizedek and uses the term “forever” (cf. Psa 110:4 b).

Heb 7:25

NASB”to save forever”

NKJV”to save to the uttermost”

NRSV”for all time to save”

TEV”now and always, to save”

NJB”power to save. . .is absolute”

As the above English translations show, this term has several connotations. He is able to save completely, all, forever (cf. Heb 10:14) because He continues “forever” as a better priest. See special topic on assurance at Heb 3:14.

“those” This is a universal invitation! Whosoever will may come (cf. Joh 1:12; Rom 10:9-13; 1Ti 2:4; 2Pe 3:9).

“who draw near to God through Him” Jesus is God’s plan of redemption (cf. Joh 10:9; Joh 14:6). Whosoever will may come, but they must come through faith in Him and they must continue in faith (present participle).

“He always lives to make intercession for them” Jesus’ work did not end with the cross, but even today He still prays and pleads for believers (cf. Heb 9:24; Isa 53:12; Rom 8:34; 1Jn 2:1).

Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley

because. Greek. dia. App-104. Heb 7:2.

they were not, &c. = of their being hindered from continuing.

continue. Greek. parameno. See 1Co 16:6.

by reason of = by. App-104. Heb 7:2.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

23-25.] Further proof still of the superiority of Christs priesthood, in that the Levitical priests were continually removed by death: Christ is undying and abiding. This point was slightly touched before in Heb 7:8, and again in Heb 7:16 f.: in the first place, it was to shew the abiding nature of the superiority of the priesthood-its endurance in Melchisedek, and in Christ, Melchisedeks antitype, as contrasted with dying men who here receive tithes. In the second, it was to bring out the difference between the ordinances which constituted the two priesthoods: the one, the law of a carnal commandment, the other, the power of an endless life. Here, the personal contrast is dwelt on: the many, which change: the ONE, who abides.

Fuente: The Greek Testament

Heb 7:23. , many) one after another.-) to remain together on earth. The antithesis is , to remain absolutely in heaven, Heb 7:24.

Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament

Heb 7:23-25

THE FREQUENT CHANGES IN THE LEVITICAL

PRIESTHOOD OCCASIONED BY THE DEATH OF

THE HIGH PRIEST, CONTRASTED WITH THE

EVER-ENDURING AND UNCHANGEABLE

CHARACTER OF CHRISTS PRIESTHOOD

Heb 7:23-25

Heb 7:23 —And they truly were many priests,-The contrast made here by the Apostle, is not between Christ and all the Levitical priests, but, as we learn from the context, only between Christ and the high priests. In this sense the word priest (hiereus), is often used in the Holy Scriptures; as, for example, in Exo 29:30 Exo 31:10; Lev 1:7 Lev 4:3 Lev 4:5-7, etc. The title high priest occurs first in Lev 21:10. See note Heb 4:14. These high priests under the law were not permitted to continue long in office, because they were soon cut off by death. Thus, Joseph, surnamed Caiaphas, who served from A.D. 26 to A.D. 35, was the sixty-seventh in the line of Aaron, and Phannias, the last who wore the mitre, A.D. 70, was the eighty-first in order, showing that mortality was a prominent feature in the Levitical priesthood. See Calmets Dictionary of the Holy BibleArt. on the priesthood.

Heb 7:24 —But this man, because he continueth ever, etc.-Christ is not subject to death like the Levitical priests. He continues in life forever, and hence he has an unchangeable priesthood. This same point of contrast was slightly touched on by the Apostle in the eighth verse, and also in the sixteenth. But in the former instance, as Alford justly remarks, his object was to show the abiding nature of the superiority of the priesthood; its endurance in Melchisedec, and in Christ, Melchisedecs antitype, as contrasted with dying men who here receive tithes, and in the latter it was to bring out the differences between the ordinances which constituted the two priesthoods, the one, the law of a carnal commandment; the other the power of an endless life. Here, however, in the twenty-fourth verse, it is the personal contrast that is brought out and made prominent. The many change, but the one abides. And hence he has an unchangeable priesthood.

Heb 7:25 —Wherefore he is able also, etc.-The object of the Apostle in this verse is very nearly the same as in Rom 8:28-31; viz.: to give to the ransomed sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty strong assurance that if they continue faithful to the end of life, Christ will certainly save them from all the power and devices of their enemies. But here he does not embrace so wide a range of thought as he does in the eighth of Romans. There, he refers particularly to the decrees of God as indicating his benevolent designs and purposes with respect to all the faithful in Christ Jesus. But here, the ground of consolation is the fact that Christ ever lives to make intercession for those who come unto God by him. The Apostle assumes, of course, that in order to redeem man Christ became flesh and dwelt among us; that for this purpose he died and made an offering of his own blood for the sins of the world, and that to this end he has been invested with all authority in heaven and on the earth. All this is implied in the argument. But the main ground of encouragement in this paragraph is the consoling fact that Christ, having died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and having also by the offering of his own blood made an atonement for the sins of the world, now lives, and lives forever, to intercede for those who come unto God by him, and so to perfect their salvation.

The word intercede (eutunkano) is used here in a very comprehensive sense, to denote all that Christ is now doing for the justification, sanctification, and redemption of his people. Seated, as he is, on the right hand of the Father, and clothed with omnipotent power and authority, he is ever ready to plead for those who have been cleansed by his blood, ever ready to defend them against all the assaults of their enemies, and, in a word, ever ready to make all things work together for their good.

Commentary on Heb 7:23-25 by Donald E. Boatman

Heb 7:23 –And they indeed have been made priests many in number, because that by death they are hindered from continuing

The old law had to have many priests because they were subject to death, and successors had to be trained. The new covenant has one eternal Priest since He is not subject to death.

Heb 7:24-but He, because He abideth forever, hath His priesthood unchangeable

With early priests you might have a sympathetic priest today, and a different one tomorrow. Christ is the same always, perfection always. What a consolation this is !

Heb 7:25 –Wherefore also He is able to save to the uttermost

Christ is able to save, without doubt.

a. We have One Who is able; all others are unable.

b. Uttermost means to the extreme, completely.

This is a contrast to the feebleness of the old covenant.

a. No sinner is too deep in sin to be gone.

b. No condition of man is too far away for God through Christ to save.

Heb 7:25 –them that draw near unto God

This job is never done. We must always draw near. 1Co 9:26. Christianity is a growth; we keep on drawing near. Php 3:14.

Study Questions

1251. What is the purpose of pointing out the many priests of the old system?

1252. How is Christs priesthood superior in relationship to time?

1253. What value is there in having Christ as an eternal priest?

1254. If Christ was perfect on earth, what consolation have we about Him now?

1255. What assurance do we have that His priesthood will be changeless?

1256. What is Christ able to do?

1257. How does the ability of Christ compare to that of the false saviors of men?

1258. Unto the uttermost has what significance?

1259. Is the idea of uttermost in contrast to the feebleness of the Jewish covenant?

1260. Where does salvation take place-here or hereafter?

1261. What qualification is there to salvation?

1262. How about the people who never draw nigh?

1263. Do we ever actually get so close to God that we do not need to keep drawing near? Cf. 1Co 9:26.

Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary

, , , , .

. Vulg. Lat., et alii quidem plures faeti sunt sacerdotes, and many others truly were made priests; or, and others truly were made many priests. The Rhemists reduce it to this sense, and the other, indeed, were made priests being many; rendering byalii, instead of illi, which corrupts the sense, and takes off from the immediate respect unto the priests of the order of Aaron, intended by the apostle. Et illi quidem plures sunt facti sacerdotes, and they truly were many priests. So the Syr., and they were many priests; omitting the note of asseveration, , truly.

, were made: not only the event and matter of fact, but Gods institution is also intended.

. Vulg. Lat., idcirco quod morte prohiberentur permanere. Rhem., because that by death they were prohibited to continue. Ours, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death; quoniam per mortem non sinebantur permanere, which is the true meaning of the words. Syr., because they died, and were not left to continue.

, hic autem, at iste; but this man, , quod maneat in anternum, quoniam ipse in aeternum maneat, propterea quod in aeternum manet; all to the same purpose. Syr, because he standeth (or continueth ) for ever. , sempiternum, perpetuum habet sacerdotium. Syriac, , his priesthood passeth not away. , that may not be transgressed, and so not altered; as , a sacred law which none ought to transgress, which cannot in any thing be dispensed withal: and by consequence only, it is that which passeth not away, that priesthood ( ) which altereth not, which cannot be changed. . Syr., . , and he can quicken, or enliven, or give eternal life. . Syr., for ever, respecting duration of time; in perpetuum, Vulg. Lat. Others, perfecte, perfectly, completely. Ours, to the uttermost.

, aecedentes per semetipsum ad Deum. Rhemists, he is able to save for ever, going by himself unto God; strangely darkening the sense. For going seems to respect his own going to God, which the Vulg., aceedentes, will not bear, eos qui per ipsum accedunt ad Deum, those who by him draw nigh to God.

, semper vivens ad interpellandum pro nobis; always living to make intercession for us, instead of for them, . Syr., , causing to ascend, or offering prayers for them. [10]

[10] TRANSLATIONS. . A priesthood without succession. Stuart. Not transferable. Peils. Untransferable. Craik. Such as cannot pass to a successor. Ebrard. Giveth not his priesthood unto another. Conybeare and Howson. Halt das Priesterthum als ein nicht ubergehendes. De Wette. Tholuck prefers the passive signification: He has the priesthood which cannot be passed over, or changed; or, as Turner explains it, which is indestructible. ., says Ebrard, does not signify evermore, but to completeness; the precise antithesis to the words, verse 19, the law made nothing perfect. ED.

Heb 7:23-25. And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: but this [man], because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able to save them also to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

The apostle in these words proceedeth unto his last argument from the consideration of the priesthood of Christ, as typed and represented by that of Melchisedec. And his intention is still to prove the excellency of it above the Levitical, and of his person above theirs. And in particular, he makes it manifest that the bringing in of the better hope did perfect or consummate all things, which the law could not do.

That he hath in these verses a respect unto Melchisedec as a type of Christ, and what we are taught thereby, is evident from the matter treated of in them. He had observed, that, as to the description given of him in the Scripture, he abideth a priest continually, Heb 7:3; and that it is witnessed of him that he liveth, seeing it is nowhere mentioned that he died, Heb 7:8. And this is the last consideration of him which he improveth unto his purpose; and it is that which gives virtue and efficacy unto all the others that he had before insisted on. Set this aside, and all the others, whether advantages or excellencies, which he had discoursed of, would be as ineffectual unto the ends aimed at as the law itself. For what profit could it be unto the church, to have so excellent and glorious a priest for a season, and then immediately to be deprived of him, by the expiration of his office?

Moreover, as what the apostle affirms here of Christ hath respect unto what he had before observed concerning Melchisedec; so what he affirms of the Levitical priests depends on what he had before declared concerning them, namely, that they were all mortal, dying men, and no more, and who actually died in their successive generations, Heb 7:8.

The words, therefore, have three things in them in general:

1. The state and condition of the Levitical priests by reason of their mortality, Heb 7:23. This he observes, because he is not declaring the dignity of Christ and his priesthood absolutely, but with respect unto them; whose state, therefore, was the antithesis in the comparison.

2. The state and condition of the priesthood of Christ on the account of his glorious immortality, Heb 7:24.

3. The blessed effects and consequents of the priesthood of Christ, inasmuch as, by virtue of his immortality, he was a priest for ever, Heb 7:25.

In the FIRST (Heb 7:23) there is,

1. The introduction of his assertion and observation; , and they truly.

2. What he affirms of those priests; they were many.

3. Whence that came to pass; namely, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: which is not alleged only as the cause and reason of their being many, but also as a proof of their weakness and infirmity.

1. In the introduction of his assertion, there is a note of connection, and another of asseveration.

The first is the copulative conjunction, , and. A process unto a new argument, to the same purpose with those foregoing, is intended hereby. The former design is continued, and a new confirmation of it is added: for he resolved to omit nothing that was of moment and unto his purpose. There is, secondly, a vehemency in his assertion, or a note of asseveration; and they truly. He had used the same note before in the same manner, Heb 7:21;. where we omit the emphasis of it without cause. And in other places the same translators render this particle by truly, as they do here, Act 1:5. But he doth not so much assert a thing by it that was dubious, as positively declare that which was well known, and could no way be gainsaid by them with whom he had to do. And an argument pressed ex concessis is forcible. This is a known truth.

2. That which he affirms of them is, that they were many priests; or, there were many made priests; or, they who were made priests were many. The sense is the same. By the appointment of God himself there were many made priests, or executed the office of the priesthood. It is the high priests only, Aaron and his successors, of whom he speaks; and it is with respect unto their succession one to another that he affirms they were many. This both the reason of it which he subjoins, and what he afterwards adds concerning the priesthood of Christ, wherein there was no succession, do evidently declare; for there neither was nor could be, by the law, any more than one at a time. Perhaps, in the disorder and confusion of that church, there might be more that were so called and esteemed, as were Annas and Caiaphas; but that confusion he takes no notice of, but attends unto what always was, or ought to have been, according to the law.

By succession these high priests were many; for from Aaron, the first of them, unto Phinehas, who was destroyed with the temple, there were inclusively fourscore and three high priests. Of these, thirteen lived under the tabernacle, before the building of the temple by Solomon; eighteen under the first temple, unto its destruction by the Babylonians; and all the rest lived under the second temple, which yet stood no longer than the first. And the multiplication of high priests under the second temple the Jews look upon as a punishment, and token of Gods displeasure; for because of the sins of a nation, their rulers are many, and frequently changed.

Whatever advantages there may be in an orderly succession, yet is it absolutely an evidence of imperfection. And by the appointment of this order God signified an imperfection and mutability in that church-state. Succession, indeed, was a relief against death; but it was but a relief, and so supposed a want and weakness, Under the gospel it is not so, as we shall see afterwards. Observe, that,

Obs. 1. God will not fail to provide instruments for his work that he hath to accomplish. If many priests be needful, many the church shall have.

3. The reason of this multiplication of priests, was because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death. They were mortal men, subject unto death, and they died. Death suffered them not to continue in the execution of their office. It forbade them so to do, in the name of the great sovereign Lord of life and death. And hereof an instance was given in Aaron, the first of them. God, to show the nature of this priesthood unto the people, and to manifest that the everlasting priest was not yet come, commanded Aaron to die in the sight of all the congregation, Num 20:25-29. So did they all afterwards, as other men, die in their several generations. They were all by death forbidden to continue. Death laid an injunction on them, one after another, from proceeding any farther in the administration of their office. It is not, surely, without some especial design that the apostle thus expresseth their dying, They were by death prohibited to continue.Wherefore he shows hereby,

(1.) The way whereby an end was put unto their personal administration; and that was by death.

(2.) That there was an imperfection in the administration of that office, which was so frequently interrupted.

(3.) That they were seized upon by death, whether they would or no; when, it may be, they would have earnestly desired to continue, and the people also would have rejoiced in it. Death came on them, neither desired nor expected, with his prohibition.

(4.) That when death came and seized on them, it kept them under its power, so that they could never more attend unto their office. But it was otherwise with the priest of the better covenant, as we shall see immediately. Observe,

Obs. 2. There is such a necessity for the continual administration of the sacerdotal office in behalf of the church, that the interruption of it by the death of the priests was an argument of the weakness of that priesthood.

The high priest is the sponsor and mediator of the covenant. Those of old were so typically, and by way of representation. Wherefore all covenant transactions between God and the church must be through him. He is to offer up all sacrifices, and therein represent all our prayers. And it is evident from thence what a ruin it would be unto the church to be without a high priest one moment. Who would venture a surprisal unto his own soul in such a condition? Could any man enjoy a moments peace, if he supposed that in his extremity the high priest might die? This now is provided against, as we shall see in the next verse.

Heb 7:24. But this [man], because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.

SECONDLY In opposition unto what was observed in the Levitical priests, the contrary is here affirmed of the Lord Christ. And the design of the apostle is still the same, namely, to evince, by all sorts of instances, his pre-eminence as a priest above them as such also.

1. The person spoken of is expressed by . The exceptive conjunction, , but, answereth unto , before used, and introduceth the other member of the antithesis; , hic, ille, iste; he of whom we speak, namely, Jesus, the surety of the new testament.We render it, this man, not improperly; he was the mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Nor doth the calling of him this man, exclude his divine nature; for he was truly a man, though God and man in one person.

And the things here ascribed unto him were wrought in and by the human nature, though he that wrought them was God also: But he, or this man, who was represented by Melchisedec, of whom we speak.

2. It is affirmed of this person, that he hath an unchangeable priesthood; the ground and reason whereof is assigned, namely, because he continueth ever: which must be first considered.

The sole reason here insisted on by the apostle why the Levitical priests were many, is because they were forbidden by death to continue. It is sufficient, therefore, on the contrary, to prove the perpetuity of the priesthood of Christ, that he abideth for ever. For he doth not absolutely hereby prove the perpetuity of the priesthood, but his perpetual, uninterrupted administration of it; .

This was the faith of the Jews concerning the Messiah, and his office. We have heard, say they, out of the law, , Joh 12:34; that Christ abideth for ever: whereon they could not understand what he told them about his being lifted up by death. And so the word , signifieth to abide, to continue in any state or condition, Joh 21:22-23. And this was that which principally he was typed in by Melchisedec; concerning whom there is no record as to the beginning of days or end of life, but, as unto the Scripture description of him, he is said to abide a priest for ever.

It may be said, in opposition hereunto, That the Lord Christ died also, and that no less truly and really than did Aaron, or any priest of his order; wherefore it will not hence follow that he had any more an uninterrupted priesthood than they had.

Some say the apostle here considers the priesthood of Christ only after his resurrection and ascension into heaven, after which he dieth no more, death hath no more power over him. And if we will believe the Socinians, then he first began to be a priest. This figment I have fully confuted elsewhere. And there is no ground in the context on which we may conjecture that the apostle intends the administration of his priesthood in heaven only, although he intends that also; for he speaks of his priesthood as typed by that of Melchisedec, which, as we have proved before, respected the whole of his office.

I say, therefore, that although Christ died, yet he was not forbidden by death to abide in his office, as they were. He died as a priest, they died from being priests. He died as a priest, because he was also to be a sacrifice; but he abode and continued not only vested with his office, but in the execution of it, in the state of death. Through the indissolubleness of his person, his soul and body still subsisting in the person of the Son of God, he was a capable subject of his office. And his being in the state of the dead belonged unto the administration of his office, no less than his death itself. So that from the first moment of his being a priest he abode so always, without interruption or intermission. This is the meaning of , he in his own person abideth. Nor doth the apostle say that he did not die, but only that he abideth always.

3. It followeth from hence that he hath an unchangeable priesthood; a priesthood subject to no change or alteration, that cannot pass away. But , is sacerdotium successivum, per successionem ab uno alteri traditum; such a priesthood as which, when one hath attained, it abideth not with him, but he delivereth it over unto another, as Aaron did his unto Eleazar his son, or it falls unto another by some right or law of succession; a priesthood that goes from hand to hand. , is a priesthood that doth not pass from one unto another. And this the apostle seems directly to intend, as is evident from the antithesis. The priests after the order of Aaron were many, and that by reason of death: wherefore it was necessary that their priesthood should pass from one to another by succession; so that when one received it, he that went before him ceased to be a priest. And so it was; either the predecessors were taken off by death, or on any other just occasion; as it was in the case of Abiathar, who was put from the priests office by Solomon, 1Ki 2:27. Howbeit our apostle mentions their going off by death only, because that was the ordinary way, and which was provided for in the law. With the Lord Christ it was otherwise. He received his priesthood from none. Although he had sundry types, yet he had no predecessor. And he hath none to succeed him, nor can have added or joined unto him in his office. The whole office of the priesthood of the covenant, and the entire administration of it, are confined unto his person. There are no more that follow him than went before him.

The expositors of the Roman church are greatly perplexed in the reconciling of this passage of the apostle unto the present priesthood of their church. And they may well be so, seeing they are undoubtedly irreconcilable. Some of them say that Peter succeeded unto Christ in his priesthood, as Eleazar did unto Aaron. So Ribera. Some of them deny that he hath any successor, properly so called. Successorem non habet, nec ita quisquam Catholicus loquitur, si bene et circumspecte loqui velit, saith Estius. But it is openly evident that some of them are not so circumspect as Estius would have them, but do plainly affirm that Peter was Christs successor. A Lapide, indeed, affirms that Peter did not succeed unto Christ as Eleazar did unto Aaron, because Eleazar had the priesthood in the same degree and dignity with Aaron, and so had not Peter with Christ; but yet that he had the same priesthood with him, a priesthood of the same kind, he doth not deny.

That which they generally fix upon is, that their priests have not another priesthood, nor offer another sacrifice, but are partakers of his priesthood, and minister under him; and so are not his successors, but his vicars: which, I think, is the worst composure of this difficulty they could have thought upon; for,

(1.) This is directly contrary unto the words and design of the apostle. For the reason he assigns why the priesthood of Christ doth not pass from him unto any other, is, because he abides himself for ever to discharge the office of it. Now this excludes all subordination and conjunction, all vicars as well as successors; unless we shall suppose, that although he doth thus abide, yet is he one way or other disenabled to discharge his office.

(2.) The successors of Aaron had no more another priesthood but what he had, than it is pretended that the Roman priests have no other priesthood but what Christ had. Nor did they offer any other sacrifice than what he offered; as these priests pretend to offer the same sacrifice that Christ did. So that still the case is the same between Aaron and his successors, and Christ and his substitutes.

(3.) They say that Christ may have substitutes in his office though he abide a priest still, and although the office still continue the same, unchangeable: so God, in the government of the world, makes use of judges and magistrates, yet is himself the supreme rector of all. But this pretense is vain also. For they do not substitute their priests unto him in that which he continueth to do himself, but in that which he doth not, which he did, indeed, and as a priest ought to have done, but now ceaseth to do for ever in his own person. For the principal act of the sacerdotal office of Christ consisted in his oblation, or his offering himself a sacrifice of a sweet- smelling savor unto God. This he did once, and ceased for ever from doing so any more. But these priests are assigned to offer him in sacrifice every day, as partakers of the same priesthood with him; which is indeed not to be his substitutes, but his successors; and to take his office out of his hands, as if he were dead, and could henceforth discharge it no more. For they do not appoint priests to intercede in his room, because they grant he continueth himself so to do; but to offer sacrifice in his stead, because he doth so no more. Wherefore, if that be an act of priesthood, and of their priesthood, as is pretended, it is unavoidable that his priesthood is passed from him unto them. Now this is a blasphemous imagination, and directly contrary both unto the words of the apostle and the whole design of his argument. Nay, it would lay the advantage on the other side. For the priests of the order of Aaron had that privilege, that none could take their office upon them, nor officiate in it, whilst they were alive; but although Christ abideth for ever, yet, according unto the sense of these men, and their practice thereon, he stands in need of others to officiate for him, and that in the principal part of his duty and office; for offer himself in sacrifice unto God he neither now doth nor can, seeing henceforth he dieth no more. This is the work of the mass-priests alone; who must, therefore, be honored as Christs successors, or be abhorred as his murderers, for the sacrifice of him must be by blood and death.

The argument of the apostle, as it is exclusive of this imagination, so it is cogent unto his purpose. For so he proceedeth: That priesthood which changeth not, but is always vested in the same person, and in him alone, is more excellent than that which was subject to change continually from one hand unto another. For that transmission of it from one unto another was an effect of weakness and imperfection. And the Jews grant that the frequency of their change under the second temple was a token of Gods displeasure. But thus it was with the priesthood of Christ, which never changeth; and that of Aaron, which was always in a transient succession. And the reasons he gives of this contrary state of these two priesthoods do greatly enforce the argument. For the first priesthood was so successive, because the priests themselves were obnoxious unto death, the sum and issue of all weaknesses and infirmities; but as to the Lord Christ, his priesthood is perpetual and unchangeable, because he abideth personally for ever, being made a priest according to the power of an endless life, which is the sum of all perfection that our nature is capable of. And we may observe,

Obs. 3. The perpetuity of the priesthood of Christ depends on his own perpetual life. He did not undertake any office for the church to lay it aside whilst he lives, until the whole design and work of it be accomplished. And therefore he tells his disciples, that because he liveth they shall live also, Joh 14:19; for whilst he lives he will take care of them. But this must be spoken unto on the next verse.

Obs. 4. The perpetuity of the priesthood of Christ, as unchangeably exercised in his own person, is a principal part of the glory of that office. His discharge of this office for the church in his own person, throughout all generations, is the glory of it.

1. Hereon depends the churchs preservation and stability. There is neither a ceasing nor any the least intermission of that care and providence, of that interposition with God on its behalf which are required thereunto. Our high priest is continually ready to appear and put in for us on all occasions. And his abiding for ever manifests the continuance of the same care and love for us that he ever had. The same love wherewith, as our high priest, he laid down his life for us, doth still continue in him. And every one may with the same confidence go unto him with all their concerns, as poor, diseased, and distempered persons went unto him when he was upon earth; when he never showed greater displeasure than unto those who forbade any to come unto him, whatever their pretences were.

2. Hereon depend the union and communion of the church with itself in all successive generations. For whereas he is their head and high priest, in whom they all center as unto their union and communion, and hath all their graces and duties in his hand, to present them unto God, they have a relation unto each other, and a concernment in one another. We that are alive in this generation have communion with all those that died in the faith before us; as shall be declared, if God will, on Heb 12:22-24. And they were concerned in us, as we are also in the generations that are to come. For all the prayers of the church from first to last are lodged in the hand of the same high priest, who abides for ever; and he returns the prayers of one generation unto another. We enjoy the fruits of the prayers, obedience, and blood of those that went before us; and if we are faithful in our generation, serving the will of God, those shall enjoy the fruits of ours who shall come after us. Our joint interest in this our abiding priest gives a line of communication unto all believers, in all generations. And,

3. The consolation of the church also depends hereon. Do we meet with troubles, trials, difficulties, temptations, and distresses? hath not the church done so in former ages? What do we think of those days wherein prisons, tortures, swords, and flames, were the portion of the church all the world over? But did any of them miscarry? was any one true believer lost for ever? and did not the whole church prove victorious in the end? Did not Satan rage and the world gnash their teeth to see themselves conquered and their power broken, by the faith, patience, and suffering, of them whom they hated and despised? And was it by their own wisdom and courage that they were so preserved? did they overcome merely by their own blood? or were they delivered by their own power? No; but all their preservation and success, their deliverance and eternal salvation, depended merely on the care and power of their merciful high priest. It was through his blood, the blood of the Lamb, or the efficacy of his sacrifice, that they overcame their adversaries, Rev 12:11. By the same blood were their robes washed, and made white, Rev 7:14. From thence had they their righteousness in all their sufferings. And by him had the church its triumphant issue out of all its trials. Now, is he not the same that he ever was, vested with the same office? and hath he not the same qualifications of love, compassion, care, and power, for the discharge of it, as he always had? Whence, then, can any just cause of despondence in any trials or temptations arise? We have the same high priest to take care of us, to assist and help us, as they had, who were all of them finally victorious.

4. This gives perpetual efficacy unto his sacrifice, etc.

Obs. 5. The addition of sacrificing priests, as vicars of, or substitutes unto Christ in the discharge of his office, destroys his priesthood as to the principal eminency of it above that of the Levitical priesthood.

Heb 7:25. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

THIRDLY, In this verse the apostle brings his whole preceding mysterious discourse unto an issue, in the application of it unto the faith and comfort of the church. It was not his design merely to open mysterious truths in the notion of them; nor only to prove the glory and pre-eminence of the gospel church-state above that of the same church under Mosaical institutions, on the account of the priesthood of Christ: but his principal design was, to demonstrate the spiritual and eternal advantages of all true believers by these things. The sum of what he intends he proposeth in this verse, and afterwards enlargeth on unto the end of the chapter. What believers ought to seek in, and what they may expect from this blessed, glorious priesthood, is that which he now undertakes to declare. In like manner, on all occasions he manifests that the end of God, in the whole mystery of his grace by Jesus Christ, and institutions of the gospel, is the salvation of his elect, unto the praise of the glory of his grace.

There are in the words,

1. The illative conjunction, or note of inference, wherefore.

2. An ascription of power unto this high priest; he is able.

3. The end of that power, or the effect of it; it is to save: which is further described,

(1.) By the extent of it; it is unto the uttermost:

(2.) The especial object of it; those that come to God by him.

4. The reasons of the whole: which are,

(1.) His perpetual life:

(2.) His perpetual work; he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

First, The note of inference, , is frequently made use of by our apostle in this argumentative discourse, as Heb 2:17; Heb 3:1; Heb 8:3; Heb 9:18; Heb 11:19, and in this place; ideo, quapropter. Nor is it anywhere else in the New Testament used for the introduction of a conclusion or inference from premises in a way of argument. And the causality which here it includes may respect the whole foregoing discourse, as asserting that which necessarily follows thereon: or it may have respect only unto the ensuing clause in this verse; as if the apostle had only intended in particular, that the Lord Christ is able to save to the uttermost, because he ever liveth. But he rather seems to make an inference from the whole foregoing discourse, and the close of the verse is only an addition of the way and manner how the Lord Christ accomplisheth what is ascribed unto him by virtue of his office: Being such an high priest as we have evidenced him to be, made by an oath, and abiding for ever, he is able to save.

Obs. 6. Considerations of the person and offices of Christ ought to be improved unto the strengthening of the faith, and increase of the consolation of the church. So they are here by the apostle. After the great and ample declaration that he had made of the excellency of his priestly office with respect unto his person, he applies all that he had spoken unto the encouragement of the faith and hope of them that endeavor to go to God by him. And all those who explode such considerations, and such improvements of them, are no otherwise to be looked on but as persons utterly ignorant both of Christ and faith in him.

Secondly, That which is inferred to be in this priest, is power and ability. , He is able; he can. This is the second time the apostle ascribeth power or ability unto this priest. See Heb 2:18, and the exposition thereof. And it is not an ability of nature, but of office, that is intended. An ability of nature in Christ he had proved sufficiently in the first chapter of the epistle, and that accompanied with supreme power, or authority over all; but whereas, as our mediator, he hath undertaken such offices for us, he is, as such, able to do no more than he is so by virtue of them, or in the discharge of those offices. If, therefore, there be any thing needful for us, which, although it may be supposed within the compass of the divine power of the Son of God, is yet not to be effected in a way of office; that, as our mediator, he is not able for. Hence doth our apostle press his ability not absolutely, but as the high priest of the church. As, if a man who is mighty in wealth, riches, and power, be also made a judge, it is one thing what he can do by his might and power, another what he is able for and can do as a judge; and he who hath to deal with him as a judge, is to consider only what he is able for in the discharge of that office. And he doth this partly to evince his preeminence above the high priests of the law. For by reason of their personal infirmities, and the limited nature of their office, they were really unable to effect many things which the church stood in need of from those that discharged that office, supposing them the only way of our approach unto God. Were they never so ready, willing, diligent, and watchful, yet they were not able to do all that was necessary for the church. Being themselves sinful men, made priests by the law of a carnal commandment, and subject unto death, they had no ability to effect in the church what is expected from the priestly office. But the Lord Christ, our high priest, being free from all these imperfections, as he is a priest, he is able. But principally he insists upon it to encourage and confirm the faith of the church in him with respect unto this office. Wherefore, having by many demonstrations assured us of his love and compassion, Hebrews 2 and Hebrews 5, there remains nothing but to satisfy us also of his power and ability And this he hath now evinced, from the nature and dignity of his office, as vested in his person. This is the ability here intended; not an absolute divine power, inherent in the person of Christ, but a moral power, a jus, a right; and what can be effected in the just discharge of this office. And hereon,

Obs. 7. The consideration of the office-power of Christ is of great use unto the faith of the church. To this end we may observe,

1. That the foundation of all the benefits which are received by Christ, that is, of the spiritual and eternal salvation of the church, is laid in his condescending to undertake the office of a mediator between God and man. And as this was the greatest effect of divine wisdom and grace, so it is the first cause, the root and spring, of all spiritual blessings unto us. This the whole Scripture beareth testimony unto, Heb 10:7; 1Jn 3:16. This is the fundamental article of faith evangelical. And the want of laying this foundation aright, as it occasioneth many to apostatize from the gospel unto a natural religion, so it weakeneth and disordereth the faith of many believers. But this is the first ground of all friendship between God and man.

2. Having undertaken that office, all the actings of it for us and towards us, or towards God in our behalf, are circumscribed and limited by that office. We have no ground of faith to expect any thing from him or by him but what belongs unto the office that he hath undertaken. Neither are we, in our addresses unto him and expectations from him, to consider him absolutely as God, the eternal Son of God only, but as the mediator between God and man. We can look for no more from a king but what he can justly do as a king, nor from any other person in office; no more are we to look for from Christ himself.

3. This office of Christ in general, as the mediator and sponsor of the new covenant, is distinguished into three especial offices, of a king, a prophet, and a priest. Whatever, therefore, we receive from Christ, or by him, we do it as he acts in that threefold capacity, or in one of those offices, a king, a priest, or a prophet. Whatever he hath done for us, or continueth to do, whatever he doth over us, for us, or towards us, he doth it in and under one of these capacities; for unto them may all his office-relation unto us be reduced. And the kindness of all those other relations wherein he stands unto us, as of a shepherd, the bishop of our souls, of an husband, of a brother, a friend, he puts forth and exerciseth in the acts and actings of these offices.

4. All these offices, whether vested jointly in any one other person, or severally and distinctly in several persons, as they were under the old testament, could never extend their acts and effects unto all the occasions and necessities of the church. The business of our apostle, in this chapter, is to prove that the office of the priesthood as vested in Aaron and his successors made nothing perfect, did not consummate the church-state, nor could effect its salvation. The kingly office, as it was typically managed by David and others, was remote from answering that rule and safety which the church stood in need of. Neither did nor could any one prophet, no, nor yet all the prophets together, reveal and declare the whole counsel of God. But, 5. These offices as they were in Christ did perfectly answer, and yet do, all that belongs to the redemption, sanctification, protection, and salvation, of the church. And this they do on two accounts:

(1.) Because they were committed unto him in a more full, ample, and unlimited manner, than either they were or could be unto others, on purpose that they might answer all the ends of Gods grace towards the church. So, as he was made a king, not this or that degree or enlargement of power was committed unto him, but all power in heaven and in earth, over all the creation of God, in all things, spiritual, temporal, and eternal. See our description and delineation of this power, on Heb 1:2-3. As a prophet, he did not receive this or that particular revelation from God, but all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge were laid up in him, and he knew the whole mind and counsel of God, as coming forth from his divine bosom. And as unto his sacerdotal office, we are now engaged in an inquiry into its especial nature, as differing from, and exalted above, whatever was committed unto any of the sons of men under that name.

(2.) The principal reason of the all-sufficiency of the office-power and ability of Christ is taken from his own person, which alone was capable of a trust of such a power, and able to execute it unto all the ends of it. He alone, who was God and man in one person, was capable of being such a king, priest, and prophet, as was able to save the church unto the uttermost.

Wherefore, in the consideration of this office-power of Christ, wherein all our salvation doth depend, we have two things to attend unto:

(1.) His person who bears these offices, and who alone is fit and able so to do; and,

(2.) The especial nature of the office as committed unto him. On these grounds he was able to do infinitely more as a priest than all the priests of the order of Aaron could do. So the apostle expresseth it in the next words.

Thirdly, He is able to save; , even to save, to save also; not for this or that particular end, but absolutely, even to save. The general sense of this word is limited and determined in the use and application of it throughout the Scripture. Not any temporal deliverances, but that which is supernatural, spiritual, and eternal, is intended thereby. And,

1. The notion of the word includeth in it a supposition of some evil or danger that we are delivered from. This is sin, with its consequents of misery, in the curse of the law and the wrath to come. Wherefore it is said of Christ, that he saves his people from their sins, Mat 1:21; from the curse, Gal 3:13; and from the wrath to come, 1Th 1:10. In these things all that is or can be evil unto our nature, here or unto eternity, are included.

2. The bringing of us into an estate of present grace and right unto future blessedness, with the enjoyment of it in its appointed season, is intended in it; for although this be not included in the first notion of the word, yet it belongs unto the nature of the thing intended.

This salvation, called therefore greatand eternal salvation, doth not merely respect the evil we are delivered from, but the contrary good also, in the present favor and future enjoyment of God. And concerning this salvation two things are to be considered:

1. That there is power and ability required unto this work: he is able to save. It was no easy thing to take away sin, to subdue Satan, to fulfill the law, to make peace with God, to procure pardon, to purchase grace and glory, with all other things great and glorious, that belong unto this salvation. And it is the great concernment of faith well to fix this principle, that he who hath undertaken this work is able to accomplish it, and that by the means he hath designed to use, and the way wherein he will proceed. We are apt to pass this over without any inquiry into it, and to take it for granted that God is able to do whatever he pleaseth; but it is not of the absolute power of God whereof we speak, but of the power of God, or of Christ, put forth in such a peculiar way. And the want of faith herein is the first and most proper part of unbelief. Wherefore, as God engageth his omnipotency, or all-sufficiency, as the foundation of all his covenant actings towards us, Gen 17:1; so he often pleadeth the same power to assure us of the accomplishment of his promises, Isa 40:28-29. And it is expressly asserted as the principal ground of faith, Rom 4:21; Rom 11:23; 1Co 10:13; Eph 3:20; 2Ti 1:12; Jud 1:24; and often in this epistle.

2. It is here supposed that the discharge of Christs priestly office is the way designed to save us by, or to effect this great work of salvation. No other way or means is appointed of God unto this end. Here we must look for it, or go without it. Wherefore the inquiry is necessary, whether, in the discharge of this office, and within the bounds and limits of it, he be able to save us with this salvation. For indeed many are like those sons of Belial who said of Saul, when God had anointed him king, How shall this man save us? and despised him, 1Sa 10:27. They understand not how Christ is able to save them by his priesthood; and therefore, under various pretences, they trust to themselves, and despise him. All false religion is but a choice of other things for men to place their trust in, with a neglect of Christ. And all superstition grows on the same root, in all effects or instances of it, be they great or small. Wherefore I say, we are to consider whether this office, and the acts of it, be suited and meet for the effecting of all things that belong to this salvation. For if we find them not so, we cannot believe that he is a priest able to save us. But they evidence themselves to be otherwise, unless our minds are darkened by the power of unbelief; as we shall see in the particulars afterwards insisted on by our apostle. And we are here taught, that,

Obs. 8. It is good to secure this first ground of evangelical faith, that the Lord Christ, as vested with his offices, and in the exercise of them, is able to save us.

Salvation is that which all sinners, who have fallen under any convictions, do seek after. And it is from God they look for it. He alone, they know, can save them; and unless he do so, they cannot be saved. And that he can do so, they seem for a while to make no question, although they greatly doubt whether he will or no. Here, under these general apprehensions of the power of God, they cannot long abide, but must proceed to inquire into the way whereby he will save them, if ever they be saved. And this the whole Scripture testifieth to be no otherwise but by Jesus Christ. For there is no salvation in any other; neither is there any other name under heaven given among men, whereby they must be saved, Act 4:12. When their thoughts are thus limited unto Christ alone, their next inquiry is, How shall this man save us? And hereon are they directed unto his offices, especially his priesthood, whereby he undertakes to deliver them from the guilt of their sins, and to bring them into favor with God. Is it not therefore highly incumbent on them to satisfy themselves herein, that Christ is able to save them in the exercise of this office? for if he be not, there is no salvation to be obtained. And when men are come thus far, as that they will not question in general but that the Lord Christ, in the discharge of his sacerdotal office, is able to save sinners in general, yet unbelief will keep them off from acquiescing in this power of his, as so limited, for their own salvation. As Naaman had thoughts in general that Elisha could cure men of their leprosy, yet he would not believe that he could cure them in the way and by the means he prescribed. He thought he would have taken another course with him, more suited unto his apprehensions, as a means for his recovery. Hereon he turns away in a rage; which if he had not by good advice been recalled from, he had lived and died under the plague of his leprosy, 2Ki 5:10-14. When persons are reduced to look for salvation only by Christ, and do apprehend in general that he can save sinners, yet ofttimes, when they come to inquire into the way and manner of it, by the exercise of his priestly office, they cannot close with it. Away they turn again into themselves; from which if they are not recovered, they must die in their sins. Unless, therefore, we do well and distinctly fix this foundation of faith, that Christ as a priest is able to save us, or is able to do so in the discharge of his sacerdotal office, we shall never make one firm step in our progress. To this end we must consider, That the Lord Christ as mediator, and in the discharge of his office, is the power of God, and the wisdom of God. So saith our apostle, Christ crucified is, to them that believe, the power of God, and the wisdom of God, 1Co 1:23-24. His death is both an effect of divine power and wisdom; and thereby do they exert their efficacy unto the utmost, for the attaining of the end designed in it. Wherefore we are to look unto this priesthood of Christ, as that which divine wisdom hath appointed as the only way and means whereby we may be saved. And if there be any defect therein, if Christ, in the discharge of it, be not able to save us, notwithstanding the difficulties which unto us seem insuperable, it must be charged on divine wisdom, as that which was wanting in the contrivance of a due means unto its end. And so it is done by the world; for the apostle testifieth that this wisdom of God is looked on and esteemed by men as mere foolishness. The way proposed in it, to save sinners by the cross of Christ, is accounted as folly by all unbelievers, whatever else they pretend as the reason of their unbelief. But this faith is to fix upon; namely, that although we yet see not how it may be done, nor have the experience of it in our own souls, yet this being the way which infinite wisdom hath fixed on, there is no defect in it, but Christ by it is able to save us. For the very first notion which we have of wisdom as divine and infinite, is, that we are to acquiesce in its contrivances and determinations, though we cannot comprehend the reasons or ways of them. Besides, the Lord Christ is herein also the power of God. God in him and by him puts forth his omnipotent power for the accomplishing of the effect and end aimed at. Wherefore, although we are not to look for our salvation from the power of God absolutely considered, yet are we to look for it from the same omnipotency as acting itself in and by Jesus Christ. This is the way whereby infinite wisdom hath chosen to act omnipotent power; and into them is faith herein to be resolved.

1. He is able to save also . The word may have a double sense; for it may respect the perfection of the work, or its duration: and so it is variously rendered; to the uttermost, that is, completely; or evermore, that is, always or for ever. So the Syriac translation carries it.

Take the word in the first sense, and the meaning is, that he will not effect or work out this or that part of our salvation, do one thing or another that belongs unto it, and leave what remains unto ourselves or others; but he is our Rock, and his work is perfect. Whatever belongs unto our entire, complete salvation, he is able to effect it. The general notion of the most that are called Christians lies directly against this truth. In the latter sense two things may be intended:

(1.) That after an entrance is made into this work, and men begin to be made partakers of deliverance thereby, there may great oppositions be made against it, in temptations, trials, sins, and death, before it be brought unto perfection; but our Lord Christ, as our faithful high priest, fainteth not in his work, but is able to carry us through all these difficulties, and will do so, until it be finished for ever in heaven.

(2.) That this salvation is durable, perpetual, eternal, Isa 45:17. Salvare in aeternum; to procure salutem aeternam. But favores sunt ampliandi, and there is nothing hinders but that we may take the words in such a comprehensive sense as to include the meaning of both these interpretations. He is able to save completely as to all parts, fully as to all causes, and for ever in duration. And we may observe,

Obs. 9. Whatever hinderances and difficulties lie in the way of the salvation of believers, whatever oppositions do rise against it, the Lord Christ is able, by virtue of his sacerdotal office, and in the exercise of it, to carry the work through them all unto eternal perfection.

In the assertion of the ability of Christ in this matter, there is a supposition of a work whereunto great power and efficacy is required; and whereas it is emphatically affirmed, that he is able to save unto the uttermost, it is supposed that great oppositions and difficulties do lie in the way of its accomplishment. But these things are commonly spoken unto by our practical divines, and I shall not therefore insist upon them.

2. The whole is further declared by instancing in those who are to be saved, or made partakers of this salvation. He is able to save to the uttermost, but yet all are not to be saved by him; yea, they are but few that are so. Of the most it may be said, They will not come unto him that they may have life. Wherefore those whom he is thus able to save, and doth save accordingly, are all those, and only those, who come unto God by him.

To come to God hath a double sense in the Scripture; for it is sometimes expressive of faith, sometimes of worship.

(1.) To come to God, is to believe. Faith or believing is a coming to God. So Christ calling us unto faith in him, calleth us to come unto him, Mat 11:28. And unbelief is a refusal to come to him, Ye will not come unto me, that ye may have life. Faith in God through him, is coming to the Father by him, Joh 14:6; so to come to God by Christ, is through him to believe in God, 1Pe 1:21.

(2.) Our access unto God in his worship, is our coming unto him. So is it most frequently expressed in the Old Testament, Drawing nigh unto God. And the expression is taken from the approach that was made unto the tabernacle in and with all holy services. Worship is an approximation unto God, Psa 78:28, . So our apostle calls those who worshipped God in the ordinances of the law, , Heb 10:1, the comers, the worshippers; not those that come to the worship, but those who by that worship come to God. In answer hereunto, our evangelical worship is , an access, an approximation, a drawing nigh or coming to God, Eph 2:18; Heb 10:22. The latter sense is principally here intended; for the discourse of the apostle is concerning the state of the church under the new testament, with the advantage of it above that of old, by its relation unto the priesthood of Christ. They came of old to God with their worship by the high priest of the law; but those high priests could not save them in any sense. But the high priest of the new testament can save to the uttermost all gospel worshippers, all that come to God by him. But the former sense of the word is also included and supposed herein. They that come unto God by Christ, are such as, believing in him, do give up themselves in holy obedience to worship God in and by him.

So is the way expressed of this coming unto God, that is, by him as a high priest; as it is at large explained by the apostle, Heb 10:19-22.

Now, to come unto God by Jesus Christ in all holy worship, so as thereon to be interested in his saving power as the high priest of the church, is so to come,

(1.) In obedience unto his authority, as to the way and manner of it;

(2.) With affiance in his mediation, as to the acceptance of it;

(3.) With faith in his person, as the foundation of it.

(1.) It is to come in obedience unto his authority, and that on a double account:

[1.] Of the way of coming. It is not by legal institutions, it is not by our own inventions; it is only by his appointment, Mat 28:20. To come to God any other way, gives us no interest in the care or saving power of Christ, Joh 15:7-8.

[2.] Of that especial respect which we have in our souls and consciences unto his sovereign rule over us.

(2.) With affiance in his mediation. And therein faith hath respect unto two things:

[1.] The sacrifice he hath offered, the atonement and reconciliation he hath made for us, whereon our whole liberty of access unto God doth depend, Heb 10:19-22.

[2.] To his intercession, whereby he procures actual acceptance for our persons and our duties, Heb 4:16; 1Jn 2:1.

(3.) The foundation of the whole is faith in his person as vested with his holy office, and in the discharge of it. It is so to believe in him, as to believe that he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him. This is the ground whereon, in our holy worship we assemble in his name, Mat 18:20; and make all our supplications unto God in his name, Joh 16:26; that is, by an exercise of faith and trust in him,that by and through him we shall be accepted with God. And we may hence observe,

Obs. 10. The salvation of all sincere gospel worshippers is secured by the actings of the Lord Christ in the discharge of his priestly office.

Obs. 11. Attendance unto the service, the worship of God in the gospel, is required to interest us in the saving care and power of our high priest. Men deceive themselves, who look to be saved by him, but take no care to come to God in holy worship by him. Nor is it an easy or common thing so to do. All men pretend unto divine worship, some one way, some another, and in words they interpose the name of Christ therein; but really to come to God by him is a matter of another import. Two things are indispensably required thereunto:

(1.) That the principle of saving faith be antecedent unto it;

(2.) That the exercise of faith be concomitant with it. Unless we are true believers, our worship will not be accepted; and unless we are in the exercise of faith on God through Christ in the performance of it, it gives no glory to him, it brings no ad vantage unto ourselves.

Obs. 12. Those who endeavor to come unto God any other way but by Christ, as by saints and angels, may do well to consider whether they have any such office in heaven as by virtue whereof they are able to save them to the uttermost. That this is done by those of the Roman church, cannot with any modesty be denied; yea, it is avowed by them. For when they are charged with the wickedness of their doctrine and practice in this matter, evacuating the mediation of Christ, they reply, that they admit of no mediators of reconciliation with God, but only of intercession. Be it so. Ability to save to the utmost is here ascribed unto our high priest upon the account of his intercession. A respect unto his oblation, whereby he made reconciliation, is included; but it is the efficacy of his intercession that is expressly regarded: for being reconciled by his death, we shall be saved by his life, Rom 5:10. He, therefore, alone is the mediator of intercession, who is able, by virtue of his office, to save us to the utmost, through that intercession of his.

Those by whom they choose to go to God are able to save them, or they are not. If they are not, is it not the greatest folly and madness imaginable, whilst we seek after salvation, to set Him aside on any occasion, in any one instance, who can save us to the utmost, and betake ourselves unto them who cannot save us at all? If they are able to save us in any sense, it is either by virtue of some office and office-power that they are invested withal in heaven, (as ministers are, in the discharge of their office, said to save them that hear them, 1Ti 4:16; that is, ministerially and instrumentally,) or without any such office. If they can do so without any office, they can do more than Jesus Christ can do; for he is able to do it by virtue of his office only. And if it might have been otherwise, what need was there that Christ should undertake and discharge this office of the priesthood, and that our apostle should so labor to prove the excellency of this his office, only to satisfy us that he is able to save them that come to God by him? If they do it by virtue of any office committed to them, let it be named what it is. Are they priests in heaven for ever after the order of Melchisedec? Dishonor enough is done unto Christ, by making any sacrificing priests on the earth, as they do in their mass; but to make interceding priests in heaven also, is the highest reproach unto him. Or are they the kings or prophets of the church? or under what name or title is this power intrusted with them? Such imaginations are most foreign from true Christian religion. A holy, painful minister on the earth can do much more towards the saving of the souls of men, than any saint or angel in heaven. For the work of doing it ministerially, by the dispensation of the word, is committed unto them in the way of office; but office in the church beareth none in heaven, but only Jesus Christ.

And what is the reason why men should so readily close with other means, other mediators of intercession, to go to God by them? For when they pray to saints, although they should only pray unto them to intercede for them, as some of them pretend, (however openly and manifestly against their express and avowed practice,) yet do they go to God by them. For to speak of any religious prayer, and yet not to look on it in general as a going or coming to God, is a fond and senseless imagination. Wherefore, whenever they pray to saints, as most of them do more than to Jesus Christ, their design is to go to God by them. But what is it that should induce them hereunto? Our Lord Christ hath told us that he is the way; and that no man cometh unto the Father but by him, Joh 14:6. What reason can any man give why he should not believe him, but, although he hath said that no man cometh unto the Father but by him, should yet attempt to go another way? Have others more power in these things than he, so as it is advisable on that account to make our application unto them? Where is it said of any saints or angels, or all of them together, that they are able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by them? or where is any one word spoken of their power or interest in heaven unto that purpose? But it will be said, That we may be relieved and saved, we stand not in need of power only, but of love, pity, and compassion: and although the saints have less ability than Christ, yet they may have more of love and compassion for us. For some of them, it may be, were our kindred, or progenitors, or countrymen, or such as may have an especial kindness for us: especially the blessed Virgin, and other female saints, are, by their natural constitution as well as their grace,(who would not think so?) mightily inclined unto pity and compassion.And indeed they are marvellous things which some of them tell us concerning the blessed Virgin in this case, and her condescension in the pursuit of her love and pity. But yet this imagination is the highest pitch of folly and ingratitude. Certainly nothing can more stir up the indignation of God, than to have any creatures in heaven or earth, or all together, equalled in love and compassion to Jesus Christ. He that doth not know that there is an unparalleled eminency of these in him, who is not in some measure instructed in the cause and effect of them, knows no more of the gospel than a Jew. There is more love, pity, and compassion, in Christ Jesus, towards every poor sinner that comes unto God by him, than all the saints in heaven are able to comprehend. And if kindred or alliance may be of consideration in this matter, he is more nearly related unto us than father or mother, or wife or children, or all together; we being not only bone of his bones, and flesh of his flesh, but so joined to him as to be one spirit with him. But it will yet be said, That it is on none of these considerations that men choose to go unto God by other mediators of intercession; only whereas the Lord Christ is so great, and so gloriously exalted at the right hand of the Majesty on high, they dare not always presumptuously intrude into his glorious presence; and therefore they make use of the saints, who are more cognate unto us, and not clothed with such terrible majesty. And in going unto God by the friends of Christ, they please him as well as if they went immediately by himself.

Ans. (1.) He is an unbeliever, unto whom the glorious exaltation of the Lord Christ is a discouragement from going unto him, or by him unto God on the throne of grace. For all the glory, power, and majesty of Christ in heaven, are proposed unto believers, to encourage them to come unto him, and to put their trust in him. But this is the talk of men who, whatever devotion they pretend unto, indeed know nothing really of what it is to pray, to believe, to trust in Christ, or by him to draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace. See Heb 4:14-16.

(2.) All the glory, power, and majesty of Jesus Christ, as exalted in heaven as our mediator, are but means effectually to exert and exercise his love and compassion towards us: He liveth for ever to make intercession for us. But we proceed.

Fourthly, The close of this verse gives us the special reasons and confirmation of all the efficacy that the apostle hath assigned unto the priesthood of Christ: , Always living to make intercession for them. And three things must be considered in these words:

1. The state and condition of Christ as a high priest: he liveth always, or for ever.

2. What he doth as a high priest in that state and condition: he maketh intercession for us.

3. The connection of these things, their mutual regard, or the relation of the work of Christ unto his state and condition; the one is the end of the other: he liveth for ever to make intercession for us.

First, As to his state and condition, he liveth for ever. He is always living. The Lord Christ, in his divine person, hath a threefold life in heaven. The one he lives in himself; the other for himself ; and the last for us.

1. The eternal life of God in his divine nature. This he liveth in himself: As the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given unto the Son to have life in himself, Joh 5:26. He hath given it him by eternal generation, in a communication unto him of all the divine properties. And he that hath life in himself, a life independent on any other, he is the living one, the living God. No creature can have life in himself; for in God we live, and move, and have our being. He is hereby Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and end of all, Rev 1:11; because he is , the living one, verse 18. And this life of Christ is the foundation of the efficacy of all his mediatory actings, namely, that he was, in his own divine person, the living God, Act 20:28; 1Co 2:8; 1Jn 3:16. But this is not the immediate cause of his mediatory effects, nor is it here intended.

2. There is a life which he liveth for himself; namely, a life of inconceivable glory in his human nature, He led a mortal life in this world, a life obnoxious unto misery and death, and died accordingly. This life is now changed into that of immortal, eternal glory. Henceforth he dieth no more, death hath no more power over him. And not only so, but this life of his is unto him the cause of, and is attended with, all that ineffable glory which he now enjoys in heaven. This life he lives for himself; it is his reward, the glory and honor that he is crowned withal All the endowments, all the enjoyments, and the whole eternal exaltation of the human nature in the person of Christ, belong unto this life of glory. And the glorious exaltation of that individual human nature which the Son of God assumed, far above all principalities and powers, and every name that is named, in this world, or the world to come, is the principal part of the design of infinite wisdom in the work of the new creation. But neither is this life here intended.

3. The Lord Christ lives a mediatory life in heaven, a life for us. So saith our apostle, he was made a priest after the power of an endless life; whereof we have treated before. He lives as king, prophet, and priest, of the church. So he describes himself, Rev 1:18, I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore; and have the keys of hell and of death. As he died for us, so he liveth for us; and is intrusted with all power over the churchs adversaries, for its good. As he died for us, so he liveth for us in heaven; and therefore he tells us, that because he liveth we shall live also, Joh 14:19. Now this life differeth not essentially from that life of glory in the human nature which he liveth for himself in heaven; only it denoteth one especial end of it, and that only for a season. The Lord Christ will have the life in himself, the divine life, unto all eternity; and so also will he have the life of glory in the human nature; but he shall cease to live this mediatory life for us when the work of his mediation is accomplished, 1Co 15:28; but he shall lead this life always for us, until the whole work committed unto him be accomplished, and shall lead it as a life of glory in himself unto eternity.

Obs. 13. It is a matter of strong consolation unto the church, that Christ lives in heaven for us.

It is a spring of unspeakable joy unto all true believers, that he lives a life of immortality and glory in and for himself in heaven. Who can call to mind all the miseries which he underwent in this world, all the reproach and scorn that was cast upon him by his enemies of all sorts, all the wrath that the whole world is yet filled withal against him, and not be refreshed, rejoiced, transported, with a spiritual view by faith of all that majesty and glory which he is now in the eternal possession of? So was it with Stephen, Act 7:56, And therefore, in all the appearances and representations which he hath made of himself since his ascension into heaven, he hath manifested his present glory, Act 26:13; Rev 1:13-18. And the due consideration hereof cannot but be a matter of unspeakable refreshment unto all that love him in sincerity.

Secondly, But herein lieth the life of the churchs consolation, that he continues to live a mediatory life in heaven for us also. It is not, I fear, so considered nor so improved as it ought to be. That Christ died for us, all who own the gospel profess in words; though some so explain their faith, or rather their infidelity, as to deny its proper use, and to evacuate its proper ends. That so he lived for us here in this world, as that his life was some way or other unto our advantage, at least thus far, that he could not have died if he had not lived before, all men will grant, even those by whom the principal end of this life, namely, to fulfill the law for us, is peremptorily denied; but that Christ now lives a life of glory in heaven, that most men think is for himself alone. But the text speaks to the contrary: He liveth for ever to make intercession for us. Neither is this the only end of his present mediatory life in heaven, though this only be here expressed. Should I undertake to show the ends of the present mediatory life of Christ for the church, it would be too great and long a decursion from the text. However, the whole of the work of this life of his may be reduced into these three heads:

1. His immediate actings towards the church itself, which respects his prophetical office.

2. His actings for the church in the world, by virtue and power of his kingly office.

3. His actings with God the Father in their behalf, in the discharge of his sacerdotal office.

1. The first consisteth in his sending and giving the Holy Ghost unto the church. He lives for ever to send the Holy Spirit unto his disciples. Without this constant effect of the present mediatory life of Christ the being of the church would fail, it could not subsist one moment. For hereon depends,

(1.) All saving light to understand the word of God, or spiritual things in a spiritual manner; wherein he continueth the exercise of his prophetical office:

(2.) All habitual grace, whereby the souls of the elect are quickened and regenerated:

(3.) All supplies of actual grace; which the whole church hath from him every moment, and without which it could yield no obedience unto God:

(4.) All spiritual gifts, the sole foundation and means of the churchs edification, and without which it can have no real benefit by any gospel ordinances or administrations:

(5.) All comfort and all consolation, which in all variety of occurrences the church doth stand in need of: which things I have elsewhere spoken unto at large.

2. His actings by virtue of his mediatory life for the church in the world are also various; wherein he exerciseth his kingly power, that power which is given unto him as he is head over all things unto the church, Eph 1:22. Hence is the whole preservation of the church in this world by glorious effects of divine wisdom and power. Hence doth proceed the present controls that are given unto its adversaries. And hence will proceed their future destruction; for he must reign until all his enemies be made his footstool. In the exercise of this life, wherein the keys of hell and of death are committed unto him, doth he put forth his mighty power over the world, Satan, death, the grave, and hell, for the eternal security and salvation of the church. Did he not live this life for us in heaven, neither the whole church nor any one member of it could be preserved one moment from utter ruin. But hereby are all their adversaries continually disappointed.

3. By virtue of this life he acts with God on the behalf of the church. And the only way whereby he doth this, in the discharge of his priestly office, is expressed here in the text, He liveth for ever to make intercession for them. Now this expression containing the whole of what the Lord Christ, as the high priest of the church, doth now with God for them, and whereon the certainty of our salvation doth depend, it must with some diligence be inquired into.

Expositors, especially those of the Roman church, inquire with many disputes into the external form of the intercession of Christ, as namely, whether it be oral and vocal, or no. And they produce many testimonies out of the ancients upon the one side and the other. And great weight is laid by some on the difference and determination of it. For whereas Ribera grants that the dispute is more about words and the manner of expression, than the matter itself; Tena affirms that what he says is most false. And it is evident that the testimonies produced by themselves out of the ancients, as Chrysostom, Theophylact, Ambrose, Austin, and so to Rupertus and Thomas, are expressly contradictory to one another. Now, although our principal concernment lieth in the internal form and efficacy of the intercession of our high priest, rather than in the outward manner of it, yet, so far as that also is revealed, we may inquire into it. And we shall find that the true stating of it tends unto the encouragement and establishment of our faith. And the things ensuing may be observed unto this purpose:

(1.) The Socinian figment about the nature of the intercession of Christ is of no consideration; for, by a strange violence offered unto the nature of things, and the signification of words, they contend that this intercession is nothing but the power of Christ to communicate actually all good things, the whole effect of his mediation, unto believers. That Christ hath such a power is no way questioned; but that this power in the exercise of it is his intercession, is a most fond imagination. That which casts them on this absurd conception of things, is their hatred of the priestly office of Christ, as exercised towards God on our behalf. But I have elsewhere sufficiently disputed against this fiction.

(2.) The intercession of Christ was under the old testament typed out three ways:

[1.] By the living fire that was continually on the altar. Herewith were all sacrifices to be kindled and burned; which thence were called , firings. But this principally typified his prayers; when he offered himself unto God through the eternal Spirit; which he did with strong cries and supplications, or intercessions, Heb 5:7. Hereby, and the actings of the eternal Spirit therein, he kindled and fired in himself a sacrifice to God of a sweet-smelling savor, Eph 5:2.

[2.] By the , or daily sacrifice of morning and evening for the whole people. See the institution of it, Exo 29:38-42. For although that sacrifice had in it the nature of an expiatory oblation, because it was by blood, yet the principal end of it was to make continual application of the great, solemn, annual expiation, unto the consciences of the people.

[3.] By the incense that was burned in the sanctuary. And this was of two sorts:

1st. That wherewith the high priest entered once a-year into the most holy place, on the day of expiation. For he might not enter in, yea, he was to die if he did, unless in his entrance he filled the place and covered the ark and mercy-seat with a cloud of incense, Lev 16:12-13; which incense was to be fired with burning coals from the altar of burnt-offerings. So did our high priest: he filled heaven at his entrance with the sweet savor of his intercession, kindled with the coals of that eternal Fire wherewith he offered himself unto God.

2dly. The incense that was burned every day in the sanctuary by the priests in their courses. This represented prayer, Psa 141:2; and was always accompanied with it, Luk 1:9-10. This also was a type of the continual efficacy of the intercession of Christ, Rev 8:4. But the former was the most solemn representation of it. In that anniversary sacrifice, whereof we must treat afterwards at large, there was atonement made for all the sins and transgressions of the people, Lev 16:21. And it was consummated by carrying some of the blood, as a representation of it, into the most holy place, sprinkling it before the ark of the covenant and the mercy-seat. This was done but once in the year. To keep this in remembrance, and to make application of the benefits of it unto the consciences of the worshippers, the daily sacrifice was appointed. So doth the intercession of Christ make continual application of his great sacrifice and atonement, whence it derives its efficacy. And as the fire on the altar kindled all the renewed sacrifices, which were to be repeated and multiplied, because of their weakness and imperfection; so doth the intercession of Christ make effectual the one perfect sacrifice which he offered once for all, in the various applications of it unto the consciences of believers, Heb 10:2.

(3.) The actual intercession of Christ in heaven, as the second act of his sacerdotal office, is a fundamental article of our faith, and a principal foundation of the churchs consolation. So is it asserted to be, 1Jn 2:1-2. And it is expressed by our apostle as that whereby the death of Christ is made effectual unto us, Rom 8:34; for it compriseth the whole care and all the actings of Christ, as our high priest, with God in the behalf of the church. This, therefore, is the immediate spring of all gracious communications unto us. For hereby doth he act his own care, love, and compassion; and from thence do we receive all mercy, all supplies of grace and consolation needful unto our duties, temptations, and trials. Hereon depends all our encouragement to make our application unto God, to come with boldness of faith unto the throne of grace, Heb 4:15-16; Heb 10:21-22. Wherefore, whatever apprehensions we may attain of the manner of it, the thing itself is the center of our faith, hope, and consolation.

(4.) It is no way unworthy or unbecoming the human nature of Christ, in its glorious exaltation, to pray unto God. It was in and by the human nature that the Lord Christ exercised and executed all the duties of his offices whilst he was on earth; and he continueth to discharge what remains of them in the same nature still. And however that nature be glorified, it is the same essentially that it was when he was in this world. To ascribe another kind of nature unto him, under pretense of a more divine glory, is to deny his being, and to substitute a fancy of our own in his room. So, then, the human nature of Christ, however exalted and glorified, is human nature still, subsisting in dependence on God and subjection unto him. Hence God gives him new revelations now, in his glorified condition, Rev 1:1. With respect hereunto he acted of old as the angel of the covenant, with express prayers for the church, Zec 1:12-13. So the command given him to intercede by the way of petition, request, or prayer, Psa 2:8, Ask of me, respects his state of exaltation at the right hand of God, when he was declared to be the Son of God with power, by the resurrection from the dead, Psa 2:7-8; Rom 1:4. And the incense which he offereth with the prayers of the saints, Rev 8:3-4, is no other but his own intercession, whereby their prayers are made acceptable unto God.

(5.) This praying of Christ at present is no other but such as may become him who sits at the right hand of the Majesty on high. There must, therefore, needs be a great difference, as to the outward manner, between his present intercession in heaven and his praying whilst he was on the earth, especially at some seasons. For being encompassed here with temptations and difficulties, he cast himself at the feet of God, with strong cries, tears, and supplications, Heb 5:7. This would not become his present glorious state; nor is he liable or exposed unto any of the causes or occasions of that kind of treating with God. And yet at another time whilst he was in this world, he gave us the best estimate and representation of his present intercession that we are able to comprehend. And this was in his prayer recorded John 17. For therein his confidence in God, his union in and with him, the declaration of his will and desires, are all expressed in such a manner as to give us the best understanding of his present intercession. For a created nature can rise no higher, to express an interest in God, with a oneness of mind and will, than is therein declared. And as the prayers with cries and tears, when he offered himself unto God, were peculiarly typed by the fire on the altar; so was this solemn prayer represented by that cloud of incense wherewith the high priest covered the ark and the mercy-seat at his entrance into the most holy place. In the virtue of this holy cloud of incense did he enter the holy place not made with hands. Or we may apprehend its relation unto the types in this order: His prayer, John 17, was the preparation of the sweet spices whereof the incense was made and compounded, Exo 30:34. His sufferings that ensued thereon were as the breaking and bruising of those spices; wherein all his graces had their most fervent exercise, as spices yield their strongest savor under their bruising. At his entrance into the holy place this incense was fired with coals from the altar; that is, the efficacy of his oblation, wherein he had offered himself unto God through the eternal Spirit, rendered his prayer as incense covering the ark and mercy-seat, that is, procuring the fruits of the atonement made before God.

(6.) It must be granted that there is no need of the use of words in the immediate presence of God. God needs not our words whilst we are here on earth, as it were absent from him; for he is present with us, and all things are naked and open before him. But we need the use of them for many reasons, which I have elsewhere declared. But in the glorious presence of God, when we shall behold him as the Lord Christ doth, in the most eminent manner, face to face, it cannot be understood what need or use we can have of words to express ourselves unto God, in prayers or praises. And the souls of men, in their separate state and condition, can have no use of voice or words; yet are they said to cry and pray with a loud voice, because they do so virtually and effectually, Rev 6:9-10. However, I will not determine what outward transactions are necessary, unto the glory of God in this matter, before the angels and saints that are about his throne. For there is yet a church-state in heaven, wherein we have communion, Heb 12:22-24. What solemn outward, and, as it were, visible transactions of worship, are required thereunto, we know not. And, it may be, the representation of Gods throne, and his worship, Rev 4:5, wherein the Lamb in the midst of the throne hath the principal part, may not belong only unto what is done in the church here below. And somewhat yet there is which shall cease, and not be any more after the day of judgment, 1Co 15:26; 1Co 15:28.

(7.) It must be granted, that the virtue, efficacy, and prevalency of the intercession of the Lord Christ, depends upon and flows from his oblation and sacrifice. This we are plainly taught from the types of it of old. For the incense and carrying of blood into the holy place, after the expiatory sacrifice, the great type of his oblation of himself, did both of them receive their efficacy and had respect unto the sacrifice offered without. Besides, it is expressly said that the Lord Christ, by the one offering of himself, obtained for us eternal redemption, and for ever perfected them that are sanctified. Wherefore nothing remains for his intercession but the application of the fruits of his oblation unto all them for whom he offered himself in sacrifice, according as their conditions and occasions do require. Wherefore,

(8.) The safest conception and apprehension that we can have of the intercession of Christ, as to the manner of it, is his continual appearance for us in the presence of God, by virtue of his office as the high priest over the house of God, representing the efficacy of his oblation, accompanied with tender care, love, and desires for the welfare, supply, deliverance, and salvation of the church. Three things, therefore, concur hereunto:

[1.] The presentation of his person before the throne of God on our behalf, Heb 9:24. This renders it sacerdotal. His appearance in person forus is required thereunto.

[2.] The representation of his death, oblation, and sacrifice for us; which gives power, life, and efficacy unto his intercession. Thence he appears in the midst of the throne as a Lamb that had been slain, Rev 5:6. Both these are required to make his intercession sacerdotal. But,

[3.] Both these do not render it prayer or intercession; for intercession is prayer, 1Ti 2:1, Rom 8:26. Wherefore there is in it, moreover, a putting up, a requesting, and offering unto God, of his desires and will for the church, attended with care, love, and compassion, Zec 1:12.

Thus far, then, may we proceed:

(1.) It is a part of his sacerdotal office; he intercedes for us as the high priest over the house of God.

(2.) It is the first and principal way whereby he acts and exerciseth his love, compassion, and care towards the church.

(3.) That he hath respect therein unto every individual believer, and all their especial occasions: If any man sin, we have an advocate.

(4.) That there is in his intercession an effectual signification of his will and desire unto his Father; for it hath the nature of prayer in it, and by it he expresseth his dependence upon God.

(5.) That it respects the application of all the fruits, effects, and benefits, of his whole mediation unto the church; for this is the formal nature of it, that it is the way and means appointed of God, in the holy dispensation of himself and his grace unto mankind, whereby the continual application of all the benefits of the death of Christ, and all effects of the promises of the covenant, shall be communicated unto us, unto his praise and glory.

(6.) The efficacy of this intercession as it is sacerdotal depends wholly on the antecedent oblation and sacrifice of himself; which is therefore as it were represented unto God therein. This is evident from the nature and order of the typical institutions whereby it was prefigured, and whereunto by our apostle it is accommodated. But what belongs unto the manner of the transaction of these things in heaven I know not.

The third thing observed, was the connection of the two things mentioned, or their relation one unto another; namely, the perpetual life of Christ and his intercession: He liveth for ever to make intercession. His intercession is the end of his mediatory life; not absolutely, nor only, but principally. He lives to rule his church; he lives to subdue his enemies, for he must reign until they are all made his footstool; he lives to give the Holy Spirit in all his blessed effects unto believers. But because all these things proceed originally by an emanation of power and grace from God, and are given out into the hand of Christ upon his intercession, that may well be esteemed the principal end of his mediatory life. So he speaks expressly concerning that great fruit and effect of this life of him, in sending of the Spirit: I will pray the Father, I will intercede with him for it, and he shall send you another comforter, Joh 14:16. And the power which he exerts in the subduing and destruction of the enemies of his kingdom, is expressly promised unto him upon his intercession for it, Psa 2:8-9; for this intercession of Christ is the great ordinance of God for the exercise of his power towards, and the communication of his grace unto the church, unto his praise and glory. So doth our high priest live to make intercession for us. Many things we may from hence observe:

Obs. 14. So great and glorious is the work of saving believers unto the utmost, that it is necessary that the Lord Christ should lead a mediatory life in heaven, for the perfecting and accomplishment of it; He liveth for ever to make intercession for us. It is generally acknowledged that sinners could not be save, without the death of Christ; but that believers could not be saved without the life of Christ following it, is not so much considered. See Rom 5:10; Rom 8:34-35, etc. It is, it may be, thought by some, that when he had declared the name of God, and revealed the whole counsel of his will; when he had given us the great example of love and holiness in his life; when he had fulfilled all righteousness, redeemed us by his blood, and made atonement for our sins by the oblation of himself; confirming his truth and acceptation with God in all these things by his resurrection from the dead, wherein he was declared to be the Son of God with power; that he might have now left us to deal for ourselves, and to build our eternal safety on the foundation that he had laid. But, alas! when all this was done, if he had only ascended into his own glory, to enjoy his majesty, honor, and dominion, without continuing his life and office in our behalf, we had been left poor and helpless; so that both we and all our right unto a heavenly inheritance should have been made a prey unto every subtle and powerful adversary. He could, therefore, no otherwise comfort his disciples, when he was leaving this world, but by promising that he would not leave them orphans, Joh 14:18; that is, that he would still continue to act for them, to be their patron, and to exercise the office of a mediator and advocate with the Father for them. Without this he knew they must be orphans; that is, such as are not able to defend themselves from injuries, nor secure their own right unto their inheritance.

The sure foundations of our eternal salvation were laid in his death and resurrection So it is said, that when God laid the foundation of the earth, and placed the corner-stone thereof, the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy, Job 38:7. Although the foundations were only laid, yet that being done by infinite power and wisdom, which would infallibly accomplish and perfect the whole, it was a blessed cause of praise and ascribing glory to God. Yet were the continued actings of the same power required unto the perfection of it. The foundation of the new creation was laid gloriously in the death and resurrection of Christ, so as to be the matter of triumphant praises unto God. Such is the triumph thereon described, Col 2:15; 1Ti 3:16. And it may be observed, that as on the laying of the foundation of the earth, all the holy angels triumphed in the expression and demonstration of the infinite wisdom, power, and goodness of God, which they beheld; so in the foundation of the new creation, the apostate angels, who repined at it, and opposed it unto their power, were led captives, carried in triumph, and made the footstool of the glory of Christ. But all this joy and triumph is built on the security of the unchangeable love, care, and power of Jesus Christ, gloriously to accomplish the work which he had undertaken; for had he left it when he left the earth, it had never been finished; for great was that part of the work which yet remained to be perfected.

Neither could the remainder of this work be committed unto any other hand. He employeth others under him in his work, to act ministerially in his name and authority. So he useth the ministry of angels and men. But did not he himself continue to act in them, by them, with them, and without them, the whole work would fail and be disappointed. In one instance of the revelation of the will of God concerning the state of the church, by the opening of the book wherein it was recorded, there was none found worthy in heaven or earth to do it, but the Lamb that was slain, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, Rev 5:1-7. How much less is any creature able to accomplish all that remains for the saving of the church unto the utmost!

Who can express the opposition that continues to be made unto this work of completing the salvation of believers? What power is able to conflict and conquer the remaining strength of sin, the opposition of Satan and the world? How innumerable are the temptations which every individual believer is exposed unto, each of them in its own nature ruinous and pernicious!

God alone knoweth all things perfectly, in infinite wisdom, and as they are. He alone knows how great a work it is to save believers unto the utmost; what wisdom, what power, what grace and mercy, are requisite thereunto. He alone knows what is meet unto the way and manner of it, so as it may be perfected unto his own glory. His infinite wisdom alone hath found out and determined the glorious and mysterious ways of the emanation of divine power and grace unto this end. Upon all these grounds, unto all these purposes, hath he appointed the continual intercession of the Lord Christ in the most holy place. This he saw needful and expedient, unto the salvation of the church and his own glory. So will he exert his own almighty power unto those ends. The good Lord help me to believe and adore the mystery of it.

Obs. 15. The most glorious prospect that we can take into the things that are within the veil, into the remaining transactions of the work of our salvation in the most holy place, is in the representation that is made unto us of the intercession of Christ. Of old when Moses went into the tabernacle, all the people looked after him, until he entered in; and then the pillar of the cloud stood at the door of it, that none might see into the holy place, Exo 33:8-9. And when the Lord Christ was taken into heaven, the disciples looked after him, until a cloud interposed at the tabernacle door, and took him out of their sight, Act 1:9. And when the high priest was to enter into the tabernacle, to carry the blood of the sacrifice of expiation into the most holy place, no man, be he priest or not, was suffered to enter into or abide in the tabernacle, Lev 16:17. Our high priest is now likewise entered into the most holy place, within the second veil, where no eye can pierce unto him. Yet is he there as a high priest; which makes heaven itself to be a glorious temple, and a place as yet for the exercise of an instituted ordinance, such as the priesthood of Christ is. But who can look into, who can comprehend the glories of those heavenly administrations? Some have pretended a view into the orders and service of the whole choir of angels, but have given us only a report of their own imaginations. What is the glory of the throne of God, what the order and ministry of his saints and holy ones, what is the manner of the worship that is given unto Him that sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, the Scripture doth sparingly deliver, as knowing our disability, whilst we are clothed with flesh and inhabit tabernacles of clay, to comprehend aright such transcendent glories. The best and most steady view we can have of these things, is in the account which is given us of the intercession of Christ. For herein we see him by faith yet vested with the office of the priesthood, and continuing in the discharge of it This makes heaven a temple, as was said, and the seat of instituted worship, Rev 7:15. Hence, in his appearance unto John, he was clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle; both which were sacerdotal vestments, Rev 1:13. Herein is God continually glorified; hereby is the salvation of the church continually carried on and consummated. This is the work of heaven, which we may safely contemplate by faith.

Obs. 16. The intercession of Christ is the great evidence of the continuance of his love and care, his pity and compassion, towards his church. Had he only continued to rule the church as its king and lord, he had manifested his glorious power, his righteousness, and faithfulness. The scepter of his kingdom is a scepter of righteousness. But mercy and compassion, love and tenderness, are constantly ascribed unto him as our high priest. See Heb 4:15; Heb 5:1-2. So the great exercise of his sacerdotal office, in laying down his life for us, and expiating our sins by his blood, is still peculiarly ascribed unto his love, Gal 2:20; Eph 5:2; Rev 1:5. Wherefore these properties of love and compassion belong peculiarly unto the Lord Christ as our high priest. All men, who have any spiritual experience and understanding, will acknowledge how great the concernment of believers is in these things, and how all their consolation in this world depends upon them. He whose soul hath not been refreshed with a due apprehension of the unspeakable love, tenderness, and compassion of Jesus Christ, is a stranger unto the life of faith, and unto all true spiritual consolation.

But how shall we know that the Lord Christ is thus tender, low ing, and compassionate, that he continueth so to be; or what evidence or testimony have we of it? It is true he was eminently so when he was upon the earth in the days of his flesh, and when he laid down his life for us. We know not what change may be wrought in nature itself, by this investiture with glory; nor how inconsistent these affections are, which in us cannot be separated from some weakness and sorrow, with his present state and dignity. Nor can any solid satisfaction be received by curious contemplations of the nature of glorified affections. But herein we have an infallible demonstration of it, that he yet continueth in the exercise of that office with respect whereunto all these affections of love, pity, and compassion, are ascribed unto him. As our high priest, , he is able to suffer, to condole with, to have compassion on his poor tempted ones, Heb 4:15. All these affections doth he continually act and exercise in his intercession. From a sense it is of their wants and weaknesses, of their distresses and temptations, of their states and duties, accompanied with inexpressible love and compassion, that he continually intercedes for them. For he doth so, that their sins may be pardoned, their temptations subdued, their sorrows removed, their trials sanctified, and their persons saved; and doing this continually as a high priest, he is in the continual exercise of love, care, pity, and compassion.

Fuente: An Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews

were: Heb 7:8, 1Ch 6:3-14, Neh 12:10, Neh 12:11

Reciprocal: Gen 48:21 – Behold Exo 29:9 – consecrate Lev 6:22 – is anointed Num 20:26 – General Jos 1:2 – Moses Son 2:3 – my beloved Zec 1:5 – General 1Co 15:17 – ye are Heb 7:3 – a priest

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Heb 7:23. The first system was served by priests whose terms were terminated by death, which made it necessary for it to have many priests.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

Heb 7:23-25. A fourth argument for the superiority of Christs priesthood is that the priests under the law were continually removed by death, while Christ is undying. This argument has been touched upon before (Heb 7:8; Heb 7:16) in different connections. Here it is the personal contrast of the many who changed with the one who abides.

And they indeed have become and still are priests in great number, because they are being hindered by death from continuing (i.e in their priesthood, not in their life, which makes a poor tautological sense).

Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament

Now our apostle is come to his last argument, by which he proves the excellency of Christ’s priesthood above that of Aaron. The Levitical priests, he says, were many and mortal: their mortality was the cause of their multitude: they were cut off by death, and suceeded one another; but Christ is one and the same to his church, yesterday, today and for ever; he had no partner, has no successor, but executes an everlasting unchangeable priesthood in his own person.

Note here, 1. That the multiplication of priests, particularly of high priests under the legal dispensation, was a manifest evidence of the imperfection of it; from Aaron the first High Priest, unto Phineas the last, who was destroyed with the temple, are reckoned fourscore and three high priests, who succeeded one another: of these, thirteen are said to live under the tabernacle, eighteen under the first temple built by Solomon, and all the rest under the second temple: The ground of which multiplication of priests was this, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death.

Learn, 1. That the priesthood of Christ, as unchangeably exercised in his own person, is perpetual; and its perpetuity is a principal part of the glory of that office. He continueth for ever, having and unchangeable priesthood.

Question But did not Christ, our great High Priest, die as well as Aaron and other high priests?

Answer Yes, he died as a priest, they died from being priests; he died as a priest, because he was also to be a sacrifice.

The apostle doth not say, that he did not die, but that he always abideth: he abode a priest even in the state of death, and after his resurrection he became immortal, never to die more; he ever liveth, he dieth no more, death has no more dominion over him. See how he describes himself, I am he that liveth, and was dead: and behold I am alive for evermore; and have the keys of hell and death. Rev 1:18

Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament

Heb 7:23-25. And there were many priests One after another, because they were hindered by death from continuing in the perpetual execution of their office. But this man, because he continueth ever In life and in his office; hath an unchangeable priesthood One that passes not from one to another. Wherefore From whence it appears; that he is able to save to the uttermost From sin and its consequences, into the favour and image of God, and to preserve to eternal life, all that by faith and prayer come to God through him As their priest; seeing he ever liveth to make intercession That is, he lives and intercedes, in every circumstance of their respective lives, through all successive ages and generations. He died once, he intercedes perpetually. The nature of the apostles argument requires that by Christs always living we understand his always living in the body: for it is thus that he is a sympathizing High-Priest, who in his intercession pleads the merit of his death to procure the salvation of all who come unto God through him. Agreeably to this account of Christs intercession, the apostle (Heb 7:27) mentions the sacrifice of himself, which Christ offered as the foundation of his intercession. Now, as he offered that sacrifice in heaven, (Heb 8:2-3,) by presenting his crucified body there, and as he continually resides there in the body, some of the ancients were of opinion that his continual intercession consists in the continual presentation of his humanity before his Father, because it is a continual declaration of his earnest desire of the salvation of men, and of his having, in obedience to his Fathers will, made himself flesh, and suffered death to accomplish it. This opinion is confirmed by the manner in which the Jewish high-priest made intercession for the people on the day of atonement, and which was a type of Christs intercession in heaven. He made it not [merely or chiefly] by offering prayers for them in the most holy place, but by sprinkling the blood of the sacrifices on the mercy-seat, in token of their death. And as by that action he opened the earthly holy places to the prayers and worship of the Israelites during the ensuing year; so Jesus, by presenting his humanity continually before the presence of his Father, opens heaven to the prayers of his people in the present life, and to their persons after the resurrection. See Macknight.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Verse 23

And they; referring to the Levitical line.

Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament

7:23 {11} And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:

(11) Another argument for the same purpose. The Levitical priests (as mortal men) could not be everlasting, but Christ, as he is everlasting, so has he also an everlasting priesthood, making most effectual intercession for them who come to God by him.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

The mortality of the Levitical priests 7:23-25

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

The Levitical priests had to succeed one another because they kept dying, but Jesus Christ needs no successor because He will not die.

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)