1Lovbogens regler om syndofre er kun et ufuldstændigt billede på det langt bedre syndoffer, der senere skulle foretages. De præster, der år for år bringer de samme ofre, opnår derfor aldrig fuld tilgivelse. 2Hvis de var blevet renset for deres synd én gang for alle, så ville de ikke længere være sig deres synd bevidst, og så ville de ikke fortsætte med at bringe ofre år efter år. 3Men nu er de årlige ofre en stadig påmindelse om synd og skyld. 4Blod fra tyre og bukke kan nemlig umuligt udslette menneskers synder.
5Derfor sagde Kristus ved sin indtræden i denne verden:
„Det er ikke slagtofre og afgrødeofre, du ønsker,
men du har givet mig et legeme.
6Brændofre og syndofre har du ikke behag i.
7Da sagde jeg: Se, jeg er parat!
Der står skrevet om mig i bogrullen,
og jeg er kommet for at gøre din vilje, Gud.”10,5-7 Sl. 40,7-9 efter LXX. Den hebraiske tekst i Sl. 40,7 siger: „du har givet mig ører”. Det græske ord for „legeme” ligner ordet for „ører” og er sandsynligvis en fejl, som har sneget sig ind i nogle kopier af den græske oversættelse af GT.
8Han sagde altså først: „Det er ikke slagtofre, afgrødeofre, brændofre og syndofre du ønsker, og du har ikke behag i dem.” Alle de ofre bliver ellers bragt efter lovbogens påbud og forskrifter. 9Derefter sagde han: „Se, jeg er kommet for at gøre din vilje.” Han ophæver således den første ordning for at etablere en ny. 10Det er altså efter Guds vilje, at vi nu er blevet forsonet med ham og renset for skyld, ved at Jesus Kristus ofrede sit eget legeme én gang for alle.
11Alle præsterne fortsætter dag efter dag med at bringe de samme ofre, der dog aldrig kan forsone os med Gud og udslette vores skyld. 12Men efter at Kristus havde bragt ét eneste endegyldigt syndoffer, satte han sig på tronen ved Guds højre hånd. 13Og nu venter han på, at hans fjender skal blive besejret. 14Gennem det ene offer har han for altid gjort alle, som hører ham til, fuldkomne i Guds øjne.
15Også Helligånden fortæller os om det i den førnævnte profeti. For efter at have sagt: 16„Den ny pagt, som jeg vil oprette med dem engang i fremtiden, bygger på følgende løfte: Jeg vil lægge mine love i deres sind og skrive dem på deres hjerter,” 17fortsætter han med at sige: „Jeg vil slette deres synder fra min hukommelse.”
18Når al synd nu én gang for alle er blevet tilgivet, er der jo ikke længere brug for syndofre.
En åben dør ind til Guds nærvær
19Fordi Jesus ofrede sig selv for os, kære venner, kan vi nu uden frygt bevæge os helt ind i det allerhelligste rum, hvor Guds strålende nærvær er. 20Det er noget helt nyt, at vi har direkte adgang til Gud i det allerhelligste rum inde bag forhænget, og Jesus er selv den levende vej, som fører derind. 21Da vi nu som Guds folk har en så fantastisk ypperstepræst, 22så lad os med oprigtigt hjerte og i troens faste overbevisning gå ind i Guds nærvær. Vi har jo fået en ren samvittighed, efter at vi er blevet bestænkede med Jesu blod, og efter at vi er blevet renset med rent vand.
Advarsel mod frafald
23Lad os urokkeligt holde fast ved det håb om evigt liv, vi er kommet til tro på. Gud er nemlig trofast og holder, hvad han har lovet! 24Lad os tage os af hinanden og opmuntre hinanden til at vise kærlighed og gøre godt. 25Lad os ikke forlade det kristne fællesskab, som nogle har for skik, men opmuntre hinanden til ikke at falde fra—især nu, hvor vi kan se, at tiden for hans genkomst nærmer sig.
26For hvis nogle på trods af at være nået til fuld forståelse af sandheden alligevel med fuldt overlæg lever i synd, findes der ikke noget andet offer, som kan rense dem for synden. 27De må leve med en frygtelig forventning om Guds dom og den flammende ild, som vil fortære alle, der sætter sig op imod Gud. 28De, der under den gamle pagt satte sig op imod Guds lov, blev uden barmhjertighed dræbt, hvis der var to eller tre vidner til deres synd. 29Hvor meget strengere straf venter da ikke dem, som tramper på Guds Søn, som ringeagter den tilgivelse, de selv har modtaget ved Jesu blod, og som viser foragt for nådens Ånd. 30Vi kender jo ham, der sagde: „Det er mit ansvar at straffe dem.” Han sagde også: „Herren vil dømme sit folk.”10,30 To citater fra 5.Mos. 32,35-36 (LXX). 31Det er frygteligt at komme under den levende Guds dom.
Om at have frimodighed og udholdenhed
32Tænk på den første tid, da I lige havde modtaget sandhedens lys. I holdt ud gennem forfølgelse og mange lidelser. 33Somme tider blev I offentligt gjort til grin og mishandlet, og andre gange stillede I jer solidarisk med dem, der oplevede den slags ting. 34I følte med dem, der blev kastet i fængsel, og I kunne med sindsro se på, at alle jeres ejendele blev taget fra jer, for I vidste, at noget bedre ventede jer i den kommende verden, hvor de vedvarende værdier findes.
35Hold fast på jeres frimodighed, for med den har I udsigt til en stor belønning. 36I har brug for udholdenhed for at kunne gøre Guds vilje og få det, som Gud har lovet jer. 37Der er ikke så lang tid tilbage. Skriften siger: „Han, som skal komme, vil komme, og han kommer ikke for sent. 38Den retskafne får livet ved sin tro. De, der vender sig væk fra mig, har jeg ikke behag i.”10,37-38 Hab. 2,3-4 (LXX).
39Men vi hører ikke til dem, der vender sig væk fra Gud og fortabes. Nej, vi hører til dem, der tror og får det evige liv.
Christ’s Sacrifice Is Once and for All Time
1The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming. It is not the real things themselves. The same sacrifices have to be offered over and over again. They must be offered year after year. That’s why the law can never make perfect those who come near to worship. 2If the law could, wouldn’t the sacrifices have stopped being offered? The worshipers would have been made “clean” once and for all time. They would not have felt guilty for their sins anymore. 3But those offerings remind people of their sins every year. 4It isn’t possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5So when Christ came into the world, he said,
“You didn’t want sacrifices and offerings.
Instead, you prepared a body for me.
6You weren’t pleased
with burnt offerings and sin offerings.
7Then I said, ‘Here I am. It is written about me in the book.
I have come to do what you want, my God.’ ” (Psalm 40:6–8)
8First Christ said, “You didn’t want sacrifices and offerings. You didn’t want burnt offerings and sin offerings. You weren’t pleased with them.” He said this even though they were offered in keeping with the law. 9Then he said, “Here I am. I have come to do what you want.” He did away with the shadow of the good things that were coming. He did it to put in place the good things themselves. 10We have been made holy by what God wanted. We have been made holy because Jesus Christ offered his body once and for all time.
11Day after day every priest stands and does his special duties. He offers the same sacrifices again and again. But they can never take away sins. 12Jesus our priest offered one sacrifice for sins for all time. Then he sat down at the right hand of God. 13And since that time, he waits for his enemies to be put under his control. 14By that one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
15The Holy Spirit also speaks to us about this. First he says,
16“This is the covenant I will make with them
after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts.
I will write my laws on their minds.” (Jeremiah 31:33)
17Then he adds,
“I will not remember their sins anymore.
I will not remember the evil things they have done.” (Jeremiah 31:34)
18Where these sins have been forgiven, an offering for sin is no longer necessary.
An Appeal and Warning to Remain Faithful
19Brothers and sisters, we are not afraid to enter the Most Holy Room. We enter boldly because of the blood of Jesus. 20His way is new because he lives. It has been opened for us through the curtain. I’m talking about his body. 21We also have a great priest over the house of God. 22So let us come near to God with a sincere heart. Let us come near boldly because of our faith. Our hearts have been sprinkled. Our minds have been cleansed from a sense of guilt. Our bodies have been washed with pure water. 23Let us hold firmly to the hope we claim to have. The God who promised is faithful. 24Let us consider how we can stir up one another to love. Let us help one another to do good works. 25And let us not give up meeting together. Some are in the habit of doing this. Instead, let us encourage one another with words of hope. Let us do this even more as you see Christ’s return approaching.
26What if we keep sinning on purpose? What if we do it even after we know the truth? Then there is no offering for our sins. 27All we can do is to wait in fear for God to judge. His blazing fire will burn up his enemies. 28Suppose someone did not obey the law of Moses. And suppose two or three witnesses made charges against them. That person would die without mercy. 29People who deserve even more punishment include those who have hated the Son of God. They include people who have said no to him. They include people who have treated as unholy the blood of the covenant that makes them holy. They also include people who have disrespected the Holy Spirit who brings God’s grace. Don’t you think people like this should be punished more than anyone else? 30We know the God who said, “I am the God who judges people. I will pay them back.” (Deuteronomy 32:35) Scripture also says, “The Lord will judge his people.” (Deuteronomy 32:36; Psalm 135:14) 31It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32Remember those earlier days after you received the light. You remained strong in a great battle that was full of suffering. 33Sometimes people spoke badly about you in front of others. Sometimes you were treated badly. At other times you stood side by side with people being treated like this. 34You suffered along with people in prison. When your property was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew that God had given you better and more lasting things. 35So don’t throw away your bold faith. It will bring you rich rewards.
36You need to be faithful. Then you will do what God wants. You will receive what he has promised.
37“In just a little while,
he who is coming will come.
He will not wait any longer.”
38And,
“The one who is right with God will live by faith.
And I am not pleased with
the one who pulls back.” (Habakkuk 2:3,4)
39But we don’t belong to the people who pull back and are destroyed. We belong to the people who believe and are saved.
