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year permanently or without repetition." Heb. 10: 14 gives us the key. The one offering
of Christ "perfects for ever," whereas Heb. 10: 1 declares the annual offerings under the
law could not "perfect for ever." This rendering of course necessitates a revision of the
sentence. The order of the Greek words is given in the following.
"Every year by the same sacrifices which they offer for ever never is able those
drawing near to make perfect."
The meaning is that the law being merely a shadow, by the annual sacrifices which
they offer, it could not make those who draw near perfect for ever, whereas the one
offering of Christ can and does. This is the insistent message of this passage.
Regarding 10: 12 the teaching is that He offered one sacrifice for sins for ever--never
to be repeated. The idea sometimes given, "for ever sat down," is not the meaning of the
passage.
We may now be better prepared to consider the structure of the section 10: 1-18. In the
large view it is divided between the Law and the New Covenant.
A1 | 1-9. The Law.--Shadow.
A2 | 9-18. The New Covenant.--Real.
Taking the passage a little more in detail we get the following:--
A | 1.
a | The yearly offerings.
b | Are not able to perfect for ever.
c | Those who draw nigh.
B | 2-4.
d | Argument.--Cessation of offerings.
e | Argument.--Remembrance of sins.
C | 5-10.
f | The prepared body.
g | No pleasure in sacrifices.
h | I come to do Thy Will.
i | The FIRST taken away.
i | The SECOND established.
h | By the which will.
g | Sanctified through one offering.
f | The body of Jesus Christ.
C | 11-13. f | The priest standing.
g | The repeated sacrifice.
h | Never take away sins.
g | Christ's one sacrifice.
h | For sins.
f | He sat down.
A | 14. a | By one offering.
b | Perfected for ever.
c | Them that are sanctified.
B | 15-18.
e | Argument.--No remembrance of sins.
d | Argument.--Cessation of offerings.