Hebrews 10:1–10

Verse 1. The law having a shadow [1] of the good things to come. The apostle continues till the 19th verse to shew the insufficiency of the former law, as to the redemption and salvation of mankind. By the good things to come, some understand heaven itself, and the happiness of the elect there, of which the law was but a shadow, whereas we have a much more perfect image and knowledge of heaven in the new law, than they who were under the former law. Others by good things to come, understand the blessings of interior graces, with a remission of our sins in the sight of God, and true sanctification, of which all the sacrifices and sacraments of the old law, without faith in Christ, were but a shadow: and now in the new law we have an express image of them, that is we have these blessings themselves. Witham.

Verse 2. Then they would have [2] ceased to be offered. That is, if they could have made the worshippers perfect; to wit, in such a manner as the one sacrifice of Christ, who was the Lamb of God that took away the sins of the world, by making a full reparation to the divine justice for the sin of Adam, and of all his offspring. For we must take notice that he compares the sacrifice of Christ, which wrought a general redemption, with the sacrifices of the former law, which could never make any sufficient atonement to the majesty of God offended by sin, and which, by the decree of heaven, were to cease as soon as Christ’s sacrifice of a general redemption was made: for then the worshippers would be so cleansed from sin, that they would stand in need of no more, but that the merits and satisfactions of Christ, their Redeemer, should be applied to them according to the order of God’s providence; that is, by faith in Christ, by his sacraments, by a true repentance, and the practice of virtue and good works. Witham.—If they had been of themselves perfect to all the intents of redemption and remission, as Christ’s death is, there would have been no occasion of so often repeating them; as there is no occasion for Christ’s dying any more for our sins. Challoner.

Verse 3–4. But in them a remembrance of sins is made every year. For it is impossible that with the blood of oxen and goats sins should be taken way. The sacrifices of the former law, even that great sacrifice on the day of expiation, when victims were offered for the ignorances or sins of the priests, and of all the people, were only types and figures of Christ’s sacrifice upon the cross, it was impossible that they themselves should take away sins, like that one oblation of Christ, though in them was made a remembrance of sins, and of the same sins for which so many victims had been offered. Witham.

Verse 3–4. But in them a remembrance of sins is made every year. For it is impossible that with the blood of oxen and goats sins should be taken way. The sacrifices of the former law, even that great sacrifice on the day of expiation, when victims were offered for the ignorances or sins of the priests, and of all the people, were only types and figures of Christ’s sacrifice upon the cross, it was impossible that they themselves should take away sins, like that one oblation of Christ, though in them was made a remembrance of sins, and of the same sins for which so many victims had been offered. Witham.

Verse 5–9. Therefore, Christ as it were, coming into the world, he saith, by the psalmist, (Psalms 39:7. 8) Sacrifice and oblation thou didst not desire, and so forth That is, such sacrifices as were offered in the former law, they could not please thee, appease thy anger, nor make a sufficient reparation for sin.—But a [2] body thou hast fitted to me. Thou didst decree I should be made man, to suffer and die upon a cross to redeem mankind. And I as willingly undertook the work of man’s redemption.—Behold I come: in the head of the book it is written of me. [3] That is, in the volumes of the Scriptures.—He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. [4] That is, he taketh away what I first mentioned, the imperfect sacrifices of the law of Moses, that to them might succeed the sacrifice of Christ. Witham.

Verse 5–9. Therefore, Christ as it were, coming into the world, he saith, by the psalmist, (Psalms 39:7. 8) Sacrifice and oblation thou didst not desire, and so forth That is, such sacrifices as were offered in the former law, they could not please thee, appease thy anger, nor make a sufficient reparation for sin.—But a [2] body thou hast fitted to me. Thou didst decree I should be made man, to suffer and die upon a cross to redeem mankind. And I as willingly undertook the work of man’s redemption.—Behold I come: in the head of the book it is written of me. [3] That is, in the volumes of the Scriptures.—He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. [4] That is, he taketh away what I first mentioned, the imperfect sacrifices of the law of Moses, that to them might succeed the sacrifice of Christ. Witham.

Verse 5–9. Therefore, Christ as it were, coming into the world, he saith, by the psalmist, (Psalms 39:7. 8) Sacrifice and oblation thou didst not desire, and so forth That is, such sacrifices as were offered in the former law, they could not please thee, appease thy anger, nor make a sufficient reparation for sin.—But a [2] body thou hast fitted to me. Thou didst decree I should be made man, to suffer and die upon a cross to redeem mankind. And I as willingly undertook the work of man’s redemption.—Behold I come: in the head of the book it is written of me. [3] That is, in the volumes of the Scriptures.—He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. [4] That is, he taketh away what I first mentioned, the imperfect sacrifices of the law of Moses, that to them might succeed the sacrifice of Christ. Witham.

Verse 5–9. Therefore, Christ as it were, coming into the world, he saith, by the psalmist, (Psalms 39:7. 8) Sacrifice and oblation thou didst not desire, and so forth That is, such sacrifices as were offered in the former law, they could not please thee, appease thy anger, nor make a sufficient reparation for sin.—But a [2] body thou hast fitted to me. Thou didst decree I should be made man, to suffer and die upon a cross to redeem mankind. And I as willingly undertook the work of man’s redemption.—Behold I come: in the head of the book it is written of me. [3] That is, in the volumes of the Scriptures.—He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. [4] That is, he taketh away what I first mentioned, the imperfect sacrifices of the law of Moses, that to them might succeed the sacrifice of Christ. Witham.

Verse 5–9. Therefore, Christ as it were, coming into the world, he saith, by the psalmist, (Psalms 39:7. 8) Sacrifice and oblation thou didst not desire, and so forth That is, such sacrifices as were offered in the former law, they could not please thee, appease thy anger, nor make a sufficient reparation for sin.—But a [2] body thou hast fitted to me. Thou didst decree I should be made man, to suffer and die upon a cross to redeem mankind. And I as willingly undertook the work of man’s redemption.—Behold I come: in the head of the book it is written of me. [3] That is, in the volumes of the Scriptures.—He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. [4] That is, he taketh away what I first mentioned, the imperfect sacrifices of the law of Moses, that to them might succeed the sacrifice of Christ. Witham.

Verse 10. The source and primary cause of our sanctification is the will of God, who so loved the world as to give us his only Son; the meritorious cause of our sanctification is the voluntary oblation of Jesus Christ, sacrificed for us upon the cross. Methodists shamefully misrepresent the tenets of Catholics, as if we excluded Christ from the work of our salvation, or hoped to be saved not by the merits of Christ, but by our own.