It is in the Epistle to the Hebrews, however, that the relation between Christ's redemption and the sacrificial ritual of the OT is most fully wrought out. The writer of the Epistle evidently proceeds upon the view which regards the Levitical sacrifices as having a propitiatory value through the vicarious shedding of the blood (922 and passim) — the victim ' bearing the sins ' of the transgressor, and atoning for them by its death. Yet he is as clearly conscious of the typical and shadowy character of the sacrificial system (IQi), and of its inability to effect a real redemption. He lays it down as a self-evident principle that ' it is im- possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins' (10*). The inadequacy of the OT sacrifices is seen in their number and their con- tinual repetition (101-3) . while the imperfection in the reconciliation wrought by them was signified by the barriers still intei-posed to complete ap- proach to God (9'^i"). But now, once for all (fiTra?), Christ has offered the perfect sacrifice which the Law could not provide, and has obtained ' eternal redemption' for us (9'i- 2<;). He is at once high priest and victim, for the sacrifice He offers is the sacrifice of Himself (926). It is a true sacrifice foi sins He offers. He is a high priest to make propitia
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tion for the sins of the people (eis to IXdcTKecrOaL Tas afxaprlas rod \aov, Heb. idiom, 2^'^). He was ' once offered to bear the sins of many ' (9'^^) ; He has 'offered one sacrifice for sins for ever' (lO^'^). It was appointed unto men once to die (9'^"); and Christ has died once for men. His sacrifice avails for ' the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant,' sins which the sacrifices of the law could not remove (9i^). To the question, Wherein lay the superior virtue of this sacrifice of Christ as contrasted with the typical sacrifices ? the writer of the Epistle would answer, in the Divine dignity of the Offerer (the 'Son,' 11-3 etc.), in the true humanity He has assumed {2'^*-^^), in the perfect sympathy and love with which He identifies Himself with His brethren (Himself being tempted and having suffered, 2io- i'- i" 4i«6 726-28)^ above all in the obedient will in the offering itself. His sacrifice had in it this ethical element of surrender to God. The principal passage here is 10^9. It is not meant in this passage that the simple doing of the will of God is itself the sacrifice, or takes the place of it ; but it is the ethical quality of the sacrifice ; it is the fact that it is an act of holy, intelligent obedience which gives the sacrifice its value : ' by the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all' (IQi'). The sacrifice of Jesus, the Epistle teaches, at once redeems and consecrates.
5. Reasonableness of the Biblical doctrine. — The reasonableness of the Biblical doctrine of redemp- tion, peculiarly, of the NT connexion of redemption with the suffering and death of Jesus as a sacrifice for sins, can be rightly appreciated only in the light of the Bible's own presuppositions on the character of God, on the infinite demerit of sin, on the necessity of a vindication of the righteousness of God in the forgiveness of sin, on the peculiar relation of Christ to God and man, qualifying Him to make atonement for sin, and effect a perfect reconciliation between God and humanity. More definitely, among the presuppositions of the doc- trine are to be noted the following: — (1) The Biblical doctrine of the righttmisness of God. By righteousness is meant that in God which grounds the moral order of the world, and pledges Him to uphold that order. While, in its connexion with mercy, righteousness is frequently represented as a saving, redeeming attribute, it cannot be merged wholly, as some {e.g. Ritschl) would have it, in either love or Fatherhood. There is an essential 'right' for God as well as for men, and righteous- ness is that attribute of His character which leads Him to establish, uphold, and vindicate that right in all His dealings and relations with moral beings. — (2) The Biblical recognition of the organic constitution of mankind. Humanity has a unity as a 'race' (cf. Ac 17^6), a corporate life and re- sponsibilities, a ' solidarity,' in virtue of which ' none of us liveth to himself, and none dieth to himself (Ro 14"). There is personal responsibility, but there is also a measure of responsibility which every one is called to assume for others. Good acts do not end with the doer, but their benefits overflow to others. Similarly the penalties of transgression are never confined to the trans- gressor, but overflow on all connected with him, and on society. One illustration of this principle is seen in heredity. As, however, through this principle it is possible for one to injure others, and for the penalties of evil-doing to be entailed on the innocent, so it is possible for one to act and suffer for the benefit and redemption of others. Scripture doctrine knows nothing of pure individu- alism. One is blessed in another ; one is helped by the intercession of another ; one would willingly, if he could, atone — sometimes, in a relative way,