Hebrews 9:26

26. then--in that case. must ... have suffered--rather as Greek, "It would have been necessary for Him often to suffer." In order to "offer" (He 9:25), or present Himself often before God in the heavenly holiest place, like the legal high priests making fresh renewals of this high priestly function. He would have had, and would have often to suffer. His oblation of Himself before God was once for all (that is, the bringing in of His blood into the heavenly Holy of Holies), and therefore the preliminary suffering was once for all. since the foundation of the world--The continued sins of men, from their first creation, would entail a continual suffering on earth, and consequent oblation of His blood in the heavenly holiest place, since the foundation of the world, if the one oblation "in the fulness of time" were not sufficient. Philo [The Creation of the World, p. 637], shows that the high priest of the Hebrews offered sacrifices for the whole human race. "If there had been greater efficacy in the repetition of the oblation, Christ necessarily would not have been so long promised, but would have been sent immediately after the foundation of the world to suffer, and offer Himself at successive periods" [Grotius]. now--as the case is, once--for all; without need of renewal. Rome's fiction of an UNBLOODY sacrifice in the mass, contradicts her assertion that the blood of Christ is present in the wine; and also confutes her assertion that the mass is propitiatory; for, if unbloody, it cannot be propitiatory; for without shedding of blood there is no remission (He 9:22). Moreover, the expression "once" for all here, and in He 9:28, and He 10:10, 12, proves the falsity of her view that there is a continually repeated offering of Christ in the Eucharist or mass. The offering of Christ was a thing once done that it might be thought of for ever (compare Note, see on He 10:12). in the end of the world--Greek, "at the consummation of the ages"; the winding up of all the previous ages from the foundation of the world; to be followed by a new age (He 1:1, 2). The last age, beyond which no further age is to be expected before Christ's speedy second coming, which is the complement of the first coming; literally, "the ends of the ages"; Mt 28:20 is literally, "the consummation of the age," or world (singular; not as here, plural, ages). Compare "the fulness of times," Ep 1:10. appeared--Greek, "been manifested" on earth (1Ti 3:16; 1Pe 1:20). English Version has confounded three distinct Greek verbs, by translating all alike, He 9:24, 26, 28, "appear." But, in He 9:24, it is "to present Himself," namely, before God in the heavenly sanctuary; in He 9:26, "been manifested" on earth: in He 9:28, "shall be seen" by all, and especially believers. put away--abolish; doing away sin's power as well by delivering men from its guilt and penalty, so that it should be powerless to condemn men, as also from its yoke, so that they shall at last sin no more. sin--singular number; all the sins of men of every age are regarded as one mass laid on Christ. He hath not only droned for all actual sins, but destroyed sin itself. Joh 1:29, "Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin (not merely the sins: singular, not plural) of the world." by the sacrifice of himself--Greek, "by (through) His own sacrifice"; not by "blood of others" (He 9:25). Alford loses this contrast in translating, "by His sacrifice."

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Verse 26. For then must he often have suffered. That is, if his blood had no more efficacy than that which the Jewish high priest offered, and which was so often repeated, it would have been necessary that Christ should have often died.

But now once. Once for all; once in the sense that it is not to be repeated again--απαξ.

In the end of the world. In the last dispensation or economy; that under which the affairs of the world will be wound up. See the phrase fully explained Heb 1:2; Acts 2:17; 1Cor 10:11, Isa 2:2.

Hath he appeared. He has been manifested in human form.

To put away sin.

(1.) To remove the punishment due to sin, or to provide a way of pardon; and

(2.) to remove the stain of sin from the soul. Heb 9:2.

By the sacrifice of himself. Heb 1:3; Heb 2:14; Heb 7:27.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Verse 26 For then must he often have suffered - In the counsel of God, Christ was considered the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, Rev 13:8, so that all believers before his advent were equally interested in his sacrificial death with those who have lived since his coming. Humanly speaking, the virtue of the annual atonement could not last long, and must be repeated; Christ's sacrifice is ever the same; his life's blood is still considered as in the act of being continually poured out. See Rev 5:6. The end of the world - The conclusion of the Jewish dispensation, the Christian dispensation being that which shall continue till the end of time. To put away sin - Εις αθετησιν ἁμαρτιας· To abolish the sin-offerings; i.e. to put an end to the Mosaic economy by his one offering of himself. It is certain that, after Christ had offered himself, the typical sin-offerings of the law ceased; and this was expressly foretold by the Prophet Daniel, Dan 9:24. Some think that the expression should be applied to the putting away the guilt, power, and being of sin from the souls of believers.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain