Hebrews 9
11So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. 12With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. 13Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. 14Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. 15That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant. 16Now when someone leaves a will, it is necessary to prove that the person who made it is dead. 17The will goes into effect only after the person’s death. While the person who made it is still alive, the will cannot be put into effect. 18That is why even the first covenant was put into effect with the blood of an animal. 19For after Moses had read each of God’s commandments to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, and sprinkled both the book of God’s law and all the people, using hyssop branches and scarlet wool. 20Then he said, “This blood confirms the covenant God has made with you.” 21And in the same way, he sprinkled blood on the Tabernacle and on everything used for worship. 22In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. 23That is why the Tabernacle and everything in it, which were copies of things in heaven, had to be purified by the blood of animals. But the real things in heaven had to be purified with far better sacrifices than the blood of animals. 24For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf. 25And he did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. 26If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice. 27And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, 28so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.
Hebrews 9:11-28
Hebrews 10
1The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. 2If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared. 3But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. 4For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer. 6You were not pleased with burnt offerings or other offerings for sin. 7Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God—as is written about me in the Scriptures.’” 8First, Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” (though they are required by the law of Moses). 9Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. 10For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. 11Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. 12But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honour at God’s right hand. 13There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. 14For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy. 15And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says, 16“This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the LORD: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” 17Then he says, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.” 18And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.
Hebrews 10:1-18
Now it’s time to give {a} title{s} to this long passage. In order to make sense of it, you have to decide where the sections break into paragraphs and what binds it together. I trust you noticed in the last block that by shifting the section breaks one verse here and there, the whole block came into focus a lot better. This long block of text from Hebrews 9:11 to 10:18 is divided differently across the versions. A number of the versions just keep the whole section in one block of text and give it one title. It is time for you to decide how you would divide the block and what titles you would give to it. You have to admit that the titles given to the pericope in your Bible influence you as to what each section is about. However, the titles can just as easily lead you astray. Time for you to make some decisions for yourself.
The astute ones of you know when Ian colours the Gem icon in yellow it marks a do-it-yourself-section or includes work for you to do. Literally it is time to get your hands dirty. I guess with this section it is time to get a little blood on your hands. You have the option of skipping this one and waiting until I divide the passage into sections for you. Do you trust me that much? Or you can adopt the attitude: it’s time for me to try one of these exercises. Your choice.
Here are some examples of this type of exercise that I have given my readers in the Gems before:-
- Gem 1451 – Dividing the rest of Acts into Sense Units
- Gem 1452 – The Curious Connection and the Sadducees Jealousy
- Gem 1955 – Connecting Phil 2:12-18 with the Letter as a Whole
- Gem 1956 – It’s All About Having The Same Attitude (Phil 2:12-30)
- Gem 2054 – Crossing Chapter Boundaries – Time to Divide and Label the Text (Heb 3:1-5:14)
- Gem 2055 – My Subdivisions and Titles for Heb 3:1-5:14
Always remember that striving and struggling precede success, even in the dictionary.
Ian
The more you get out of your comfort zone, the more opportunities you will find.
Rick Godwin
Passion and devotion grow when you begin to understand the big picture or understand how to understand.
Ian
Sometimes the completion of a task is beyond the capability of the person you were when you started, you’ve got to keep growing to finish it.
Paul Scanlon