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3. THE PERFECTER.--Christ, as the great High Priest, has entered into the true
tabernacle, heaven itself, not with the blood of others, but with His own blood; this
sacrifice, the "very image" of which the Levitical sacrifices were but shadows, does bring
perfection to those who are sanctified. "For by one offering He hath perfected for ever
them that are sanctified" (10: 14). It will be remembered that James speaks of faith being
perfected. Hebrews speaks of it too. In chapter 12: 1, 2 we read:--
"Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with
patience the race set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith; Who
for the joy that was set before Him endured a cross, despising the shame, and is set down
at the right hand of the throne of God."
4. THE PERFECTING OF CHRIST.--Under this heading we approach the
profoundest aspect of this subject. To dare to contemplate perfection as possible for such
as we are by nature would be presumption indeed were it not for the Word of God that
directs us to that one offering as its basis. But this seems less difficult to comprehend
than the words of our heading, "the perfecting of Christ". Was He not the perfect One
from Bethlehem's manger to Calvary's cross? Can we speak of the possibility of His
perfecting without casting some doubt upon His original holiness? Our apprehensions,
though they be the outcome of loyalty to His name, are unfounded, because the perfecting
of Christ is Scriptural teaching. Possibly the meaning we attach to the idea of perfecting
may need some re-adjustment in the light of Scripture.
The first passage that speaks of the perfecting of Christ is 2: 10. There we read, "It
became Him. . . . to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings", the
portion of the verse omitted is necessary to the interpretation of the passage, as also is the
meaning and associations of the word rendered Captain; these will be considered in their
place in the exposition, at present we are but noticing the fact of the doctrine. An even
more impressive and forceful statement occurs in 5: 8, 9:--
"Thought being a Son, He learned by the things He suffered, obedience; and having
been perfected, He became, to all them that obey Him, author of a salvation aionian."
This statement is immediately followed by reference to the Lord's Melchisedec
priesthood. In 7: 28 this priesthood is again linked with the Lord as the perfect One:--
"For the law appoints men high-priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath,
which was since the law, appoints the Son Who unto the age hath been perfected."
This subject is the theme of the epistle, and we have brought the several references
together in this paper in order that its important bearing may be realized. The exposition
of each passage, however, must be deferred until we are able to consider the contexts.