The Pulpit Commentary — Hebrews — Section 241

Col. i. 14; 1 Pet. i. 19, "his blood ; " cf. o.leo not much e.uthority in its favour, and is, infra, ver. 14. As to how the e.vo.iling besides, much more likely to have been power of the e.tonement is to be understood, substituted than the other.) What, then, is more will be so.id under the verses tho.t meant by "the eternal Spirit," through follow. which Christ offered himself spotless? Ver. 13.-For if the blood of goo.ta e.nd There are three notable texts in which the bulls, e.nd the e.shes of e.n heifer sprinkling Spirit in Christ is opposed to the flesh : those the.t he.ve been defiled (,wcom,ip.{vous, Rom. i. 3, Toii -y,vop.,vou i1< ,11repi,a-ros Aatllo of. Me.tt. xv. 11, etc. ; Acts xxi. 28 ), se.ncti- ,ca-ra. o-&.p1<a' -roii bp,o-8,v-ros uloii 0,oi, iv Buv&.,, .., fieth to the purifying (litere.lly, unto the ,ca:rc\ nveVµa Cl:yicotTiivr,s, '~ civctO"TciO"EC&JS VfKpWv: purity, 1«z8ap&-r11-ra) of the fiesh, In e.ddition 1 Tim iii. 16, 'E4'aveptfi811 iv o-ap1<l, i6e1ta.1w811 to the sin offerings of the Do.y of Atonement, Iv wve6µ.a-r,: 1 Pet. iii. 18, 0ava.-rw8els p.~v mention is here me.de of the red heifer, o-ap1tl, (w.,.,,.01178,ls 6~ -r,i wve6p.an In all these whose e.shes were to be mixed with water passages the Spirit is that Di vine element for the purifice.tion of such e.s he.d been of life in Christ, distinct from the human ceremonio.lly defiled by conte.ct with dead nature which he assumed of the seed of bodies (for e.ccount of which see Numb. xix.). David, in virtue of which he rose from the They are classed together because both were dead. In us men, too, according to St. Paul, genera.I sin offerings for the whole congre- there is the wve6µ.a, as well e.s 11&p! and gation, representin11: the idea. of continue.I ,i,ux-/J (sometimes 1tve6µ.a and o-&p~ alone are e.nd une.voidable defilement notwithsta.nding spoken of)-the higher principle of life e.11 the daily sacrifices; the difference between within us, in virtue of which we can have them being that the ashes were reserved communion with God and be influenced by for use in known cases of constantly recur- his Holy Spirit. Any act of acceptable self- ring defilement, the sin offerings on the Day oblation that we might be capable of would of Atonement were for genera.I sin e.nd de- be done through the spirit that is in ns, to filement, known or unknown. But neither, which the flesh is snbdned. Corresponding in themselves, could from their very nature to this in Christ was "the eternal Spirit "-a e.vail for more than outwo.rd ceremonial truly Divine spiritual Personality, conjoined cleansing-" the purity of the flesh." This, with his assumed humanity. Through this however, they did e.vail for; e.nd, if so, what he overcame death, it being imposaible that must the cleansing power of Christ's offering he should be holden of it; through this, too, be? Its deeper efficacy shall e.ppee.r from he offered himself a willing sacrifice, sub- consideration of what it we.s. mitting to the full penalty of human sin Ver. 14.-How muoh more shall the blood in obtdience to the Father's will. Thus is of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit prominently brought to view the spiritual offered himself without spot to God, purify aspect of the atonement. Its especial virtne your (al. our) oonsoienoe from dead works is said to lie, not in the mere suffering or the to serve the living God 1 As in vers. 11, 12 mere physical blood-shedding and death Christ's entrance was contrasted with that upon the cross, but in its being a voluntary of the high priest, so here is the sacrifice a.et of perfect obedience on the part of him itself, in virtue of which he entered, simile.rly who was the Representative of m"n. and in contrasted. The points of contrast to which whom "the etl'rnal Spirit" triumphed over attention is drawn a.re these: (1) It was the the weakness of humanity. The agony in the blood, not of beasts the.t perish, but of Christ garden (seo under ver. 7, etc.) is illustrative himself-the Christ, the Hope of Israel, of this view of the virtue of the atonement. whose Divine prerogatives have been set There we perceive "the eternal Spirit" in forth in the preceding che.pters. (2) He the Saviour completely victorious o_ver offered himself. His offering was a voluntary natural human shrinking. 'l'he same view self-oblation, not the blood-shedding of appears in the reference to Ps. :d. in eh. x., passive victims. (3) His offering was really where" Lo, I come to do thy will, 0 God" "spotless" (ll.p.wp.os) in the sense of sinless expresses the essential principle of the -the only sense that can satisfy Divine e.ve.iling sacrifice (see below on eh. x. 5, eto.). justice-symbolized only by the absence of Hence follows what is said next of the effect material blemish in the ancient sacrifices, of such o. sacrifice e.s this was-to purify, not (4) Ancl this he clid "through the eternal the flesh, but the conscien~e ( o-uv••~110':"), Spirit." 'fhis expression, which comes first meaning " man's inner consciousness with in order, Las an important bearing on the regard to God ancl our relation_s. to him. It meaning of the whole passage, and calls for belon"'ed essentially to the spmtual sphere especial consideration. Be it observed, first, of things, and in that sph?re (as was not thllt the words are " the eternal Spirit," not the case with the old ea.cnfices) mwt be, "the Holy Spirit.'' It is not the usual and is felt to be, its availing power. It designation of the Third Person of the Holy was, in fact, just such a sacrifice e.a man's Trinity. (The rea<liug ll')'1ou for alwv!ou has conscience, if enlightened, feels to be due to  232 THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. [oH, IX, 1-28,