Commentary on Hebrews and the Catholic Epistles John Calvin (continued)
HEBREWS: APPENDIX OF ADDITIONAL NOTATIONS
to finish, to perfect; and it depends on the context what that completion or perfection means. To perfect the sanctified or the expiated, or those atoned for, was completely to free them from the imputation of sin, to make them fully clear from guilt, or in other words, fully to take away their sins, which was never done by the sacrifices of the law, verse 11. This is the point here handled. Stuart gives the real meaning by the following free translation, --- ``By one offering, then, he hath fully accomplished for ever what was needed by those for whom expiation is (was) made.''
The perfecting ``for ever'' by one offering in this verse, proves that ``for ever,'' {εἰς} {τὸ} {διηνεκὲς}, in verse 12, is to be connected with the offering of one sacrifice, and not with the sitting on God's right hand; the verse may be thus rendered, ---
12. ``But he, having offered one sacrifice for sins for perpetuity, (or, according to Beza and Stuart, 'one perpetual sacrifice for sins,') sat down on the right hand of God, henceforth waiting until his enemies be made his footstool.''
Some copies have {αὐτὸς}; --- ``he;'' and some, {οὗτος}; --- ``this.'' If the latter be adopted, it ought not to be rendered ``this man,'' but ``this priest,'' such being the word used before. As one sacrifice is opposed to many sacrifices, so a perpetual sacrifice, that is, a sacrifice perpetually efficacious, is opposed to those sacrifices which were often made.
Appendix L2
APPENDIX L 2
Chapter 10:19 21. Of these verses the following rendering is offered, --- 19. ``Having then, brethren, liberty as to an entrance into the 20. holiest through the blood of Jesus, which he has consecrated for us, a way new and leading to life, through the
21. veil, that is, his flesh, --- and having a great priest over the house of God, let us approach,'' etc.
It is rather ``liberty'' or freedom than ``boldness,'' and so it is rendered by Beza, Doddridge, and Stuart. The Vulgate has ``confidence.'' The word for ``consecrated'' is literally ``initiated:'' Christ first opened the way, and opened it for his people. The ``way'' is in apposition with ``entrance.'' It was ``new,'' in contrast with the old under the Law, and living or ``leading to life:'' so {ζῶσαν} evidently means here. It has often a causative sense. The ``living bread'' in John 6:51, is said in verse 33 to be the bread that ``giveth life.'' So here the living way may be said to be that which leads to life.
There is a division of opinion as to the ``veil.'' Calvin, Doddridge, Stuart, and others, take the veil as a figurative expression for the human nature of Christ; and they ground their opinion on the following texts, John 1:14; 1 Timothy 3:16; Philippians 2:6. Others give this explanation, ``As the veil was removed for the entrance of the high priest, so Christ s body was removed by death, in order to open an entrance into heaven.'' But the easiest and the most natural way is