Exposition of Hebrews 6-10, Exegesis of chapter 9 · Exegesis of verse 22 – Exegesis of verse 23
VER. XXII.
And almost all things are by the Law purged with blood; And without shedding of Blood is no Remission.
There are two Parts of this Verse; or there is a double Assertion in it. (1) That almost all things are by the Law purged with Blood. (2) That without shedding of Blood is no Remission.
In the first of these there is considerable the Assertion it self, and the Limitation of it.
1. The Assertion it self is, that by the Law all things were purged with Blood; foreign, foreign.according unto the Law; the Rule, the Commands, the Institution of it; In that way of worship, Faith and Obedience, which the People were obliged unto by the Law. According unto the Law, there was a Necessity of the Blood of Sacrifices for the purging of Sin, and making of Attonement. This he inferres and concludes from what he had said before, concerning the Dedication of the Covenant, and the Purification of the Tabernacle with all the Vessels of its Ministry. And from hence he designs to prove the Necessity of the Death of Christ, and the Efficacy of his Blood for the purging of Sin, whereof those legal things were Types and Representations. Of these legal Purifications, or purgings by Blood, we have treated already.
2. The Limitation of this Assertion is in the word foreign, almost. Some few Purifications foreign.there were under the Law that were not by Blood. Such, as some judge, was that by the Ashes of an Heifer mingled with water; whereof we have treated on ver. 13. But I am not certain that this may be esteemed a Purification without Blood. For the Heifer whose Ashes were used in it was first slain, and its blood poured out. Afterwards the blood as well as the flesh was burnt and reduced unto Ashes. Wherefore that way of Purification cannot be said to be without blood. And it was a Type of the Purifying efficacy of the blood of Christ, who offered himself an whole Burnt-offering unto God, through the fire of the Eternal Spirit. But there were two sorts of Purifications under the Law, wherein blood was neither formally nor virtually applyed or used. The one was by Fire in things that would endure it; Numb. 31. 23. And the Apostle speaks of things as well as Persons, as the word foreign declares. The other was by water, whereof there were many Instances. See Exod. 19. 10. Levit. 16. 26, 28. chap. 22. 6, 7.foreign.
All other Representations were foreign, in Blood; foreign for foreign, by the Offering and Sprinkling of Blood.foreign.
From the consideration of the Purifications mentioned, the Apostle adds the Limitation of Almost. For the conceit of some of the Antients, that foreign is as much as ferè, and is to be joyned with purged, were almost purged, that is, they were so only ineffectually, is most improper. For it is contrary to the natural construction of the words, and the direct intention of the Apostle.
Only we may observe, that the Purifications which were by fire and water, were of such things as had no immediate Influence into the Worship of God, or in such cases as wherein the Worship of God was not immediately concerned; nor of such things wherewith Conscience was defiled. They were only of external Pollutions, by things in their own nature Indifferent; and had nothing of Sin in them. And the Sacred Institutions which were not concerning the immediate Worship of God, nor things which in themselves did defile the Consciences of Men, were as hedges and fences about those which really did so. They served to warn Men not to come near those things which had a real defilement in themselves. See Matth. 15. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. Thus almost all things, that is, absolutely all, which had any inward real Moral defilement, were purged with Blood, and directed unto the purging efficacy of the Blood of Christ. And we may observe, that
1. There was a great variety of legal Purifications. For as all of them together could not absolutely purge Sin, but only direct unto what would do so; so none of them by themselves could fully represent that one Sacrifice by blood, whereby all sin was to be purged; therefore were they multiplyed.
2. This variety argues that in our selves we are ready to be Polluted on all occasions. Sin cleaveth unto all that we do, and is ready to defile us even in our best Duties.
3. This variety of Institutions was a great part of the Bondage-state of the Church under the Old Testament; a Yoke that they were not able to bear. For it was almost an insuperable Difficulty to attain an Assurance that they had observed them all in a due manner; the Penalties of their Neglect being very severe. Besides, the outward Observation of them was both burdensome and chargeable. It is the Glory of the Gospel that we are directed to make our Address by Faith on all occasions unto that one Sacrifice by the Blood of Christ, which cleanseth us from all our sins. Howbeit many that are called Christians, being ignorant of the Mystery thereof, do again betake themselves unto other ways for the Purification of Sin, which are multiplied in the Church of Rome.
4. The great Mystery wherein God instructed the Church from the Foundation of the World, especially by and under legal Institutions, was that all purging of Sin was to be by blood. This was that which by all Sacrifices from the Beginning, and all Legal Institutions, he declared unto Mankind. Blood is the only means of Purging and Attonement. This is the Language of the whole Law. All was to manifest, that the washing and purging of the Church from Sin, was to be looked for from the blood of Christ alone.
The second Assertion of the Apostle is, that without shedding of blood there is no Remission. Some would have these words to contain an Application of what is spoken before, unto the blood of Christ. But it is manifest that the Apostle yet continues in his Account of things under the Law, and enters on the Application of them not before the next verse. Wherefore these words, foreign, according to the Law, or by vertue of its Institutions, are here to be repeated. By the Law without shedding of blood, that is, in Sacrifice, there was no Remission. Yet, though that Season be particularly intended, the Axiom is universally true, and applicable unto the New Covenant; Even under it, without shedding of blood is no Remission.
The Curse of the Law was, that he that sinned should die; But whereas there is no man that liveth and sinneth not, God had provided that there should be a Testification of the Remission of Sins, and that the Curse of the Law should not be immediately executed on all that sinned. This he did by allowing the People to make Attonement for their sins by blood, that is, the blood of Sacrifices; Levit. 17. 11. For hereby God signified his Will and Pleasure in two things, (1) That by this blood there should be a Political Remission granted unto sinners, that they should not die under the sentence of the Law, as it was the Rule of the Government of the Nation. And in this sense, for such sins as were not Politically to be spared, no Sacrifice was allowed. (2) That real Spiritual Forgiveness, and gracious Acceptance with himself, was to be obtained alone by that which was signified by this blood, which was the Sacrifice of Christ himself.
And whereas the sins of the People were of various kinds, there were particular Sacrifices instituted to answer that variety. This variety of Sacrifices with respect unto the various sorts or kinds of sins, for which they were to make Attonement, I have elsewhere discussed and explained. Their Institution and Order is recorded, Levit. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. And if any Person neglected that especial Sacrifice which was appointed to make Attonement for his especial Sin, he was left under the sentence of the Law, Politically and Spiritually, there was no Remission. Yea also, there might be, there were sins that could not be reduced directly unto any of those for whose Remission sacrifices were directed in particular. Wherefore God graciously provided against the Distress or Ruine of the Church on either of these Accounts. For whether the People had fallen under the neglect of any of those especial ways of Attonement, or had contracted the Guilt of such sins, as they knew not how to reduce unto any sort of them that were to be expiated, he had gratiously prepared the great Anniversary Sacrifice, wherein publick Attonement was made for all the Sins, Trangressions and Iniquities of the whole People, of what sort soever they were; Levit. 16. 21. But in the whole of his Ordinances he established the Rule, that without shedding of blood was no Remission.
There seems to be an Exception in the case of him who was so poor that he could not provide the meanest offering of blood for a Sin-offering. For he was allowed by the Law to offer the Tenth part of an Ephah of fine flower for his Sin, and it was forgiven him. Levit. 5. 11, 12, 13. Wherefore the word foreign, almost, may be here again repeated, because of this single case. But the Apostle hath respect unto the general Rule of the Law. And this exception was not an ordinary Constitution, but depended on the Impossibility of the thing it self, whereunto it made a gracious Condescension. And this Necessity oft-times of it self without any Constitution suspends a positive Law, and gives a Dispensation unto the infringers of it. So was it in the case of David, when he eat of the Shew-bread in his hunger; and as to works of Mercy on the Sabbath day, which Instances are given by our Saviour himself. Wherefore the particular exception on this consideration did rather strengthen then invalidate the general Rule of the Law. Besides the nearest approach was made unto it that might be. For fine flower is the best of the bread, whereby Mans Life is sustained; and in the Offering of it, the Offerer testified that by his sin he had forfeited his own Life and all whereby it was sustained, which was the meaning of the Offering of Blood.
The Expositors of the Roman Church do here greatly perplex themselves, to secure the Sacrifice of their Mass, from this destroying sentence of the Apostle. For a Sacrifice they would have it to be, and that for the Remission of the sins of the living and the dead. Yet they say it is an unbloody Sacrifice. For if there be any blood shed in it, it is the Blood of Christ, and then he is Crucified by them afresh every day; as indeed in some sense he is, though they cannot shed his Blood. If it be unbloody, the Rule of the Apostle is, that it is no way available for the Remission of duplicate page duplicate page sins. Those that are sober have no way to deliver themselves, but by denying the Mass to be a proper Sacrifice for the Remission of Sins, which is done expresly by Estius upon the place. But this is contrary unto the direct assertions contained in the Mass it self, and razeth the very Foundation of it.
Now if God gave them so much Light under the Old Testament, as that they should know, believe, and profess, that without shedding of Blood is no Remission, how great is the Darkness of Men under the New Testament, who look, seek, or endeavour any other way after the pardon of sin, but only by the Blood of Christ.
2. This is the great Demonstration of the Demerit of sin, of the Holiness, Righteousness, and Grace of God. For such was the Nature and Demerit of Sin, such was the Righteousness of God with respect unto it, that without shedding of Blood it could not be pardoned. They are strangers unto the one and the other, who please themselves with other imaginations. And what Blood must this be? That the Blood of Bulls and Goats should take away Sin, was utterly impossible, as our Apostle declares. It must be the Blood of the Son of God; Rom. 3 24, 25. Act. 20. 28. And herein were glorified both the Love and Grace of God, in that he spared not his only Son, but gave him up to be a bloody Sacrifice in his Death for us all.
VER. XXIII.
In the following Verses unto the End of the Chapter, the Apostle makes an Application of all that he had discoursed concerning the Services and Sacrifices of the Tabernacle, with their use and efficacy on the one hand; and the Sacrifice of Christ, its nature, use and efficacy on the other, unto his present Argument. Now this was to demonstrate the Excellency, Dignity and Vertue of the Priesthood of Christ, and the Sacrifice of himself that he offered thereby, as he was the Mediator of the New Covenant. And he doth it in the way of Comparison, as unto what there was of Similitude between them; and of opposition, as unto what was singular in the Person and Priesthood of Christ, wherein they had no share; declaring on both accounts the incomparable Excellency of him and his Sacrifice, above the Priests of the Law and theirs. And hereon he concludes his whole Discourse with an Elegant comparison and opposition between the Law and the Gospel, wherein he comprizeth in few words the substance of them both, as unto their effects on the Souls of men.
That wherein in general there was a Similitude in these things, is expressed, Verse 23.
foreign.
There is no Difference of Importance in the Translation of these words by any Interpreters of Reputation, and singly they have been all of them before spoken unto. Only the Syriack renders foreign by foreign Similitudes, not unaptly.