属天的祭司

以上所说的要点是:我们有这样的一位大祭司,已经坐在诸天之上至尊者的宝座右边, 他是圣所和真会幕的服事者。这会幕是主所搭建的,不是人所搭建的。 每一位大祭司受委任,都是为了献上礼物和祭物;故此,这一位也必须有所献上。 既然如此,如果他在地上,就不会做祭司,因为地上已经有照着律法献祭物的祭司[a] 那些祭司所事奉的,是天上事物的模型和影子,就如摩西将要完成会幕的时候,得了神的指示,说:“你要注意,一切都要按照在山上指示你的样式去造。”[b] 但如今,耶稣得了更尊贵的服事工作,就像他也是更美好之约的中保那样;这约建立在各样更美好的应许之上。

完美的新约

原来,如果那第一个约[c]是无可指责的,就没有寻求第二个约的必要了, 因为神[d]指责说:

“看哪,时候就要到了!
主说,我要与以色列
犹大家订立新约。
这约[e]不像从前我拉着他们祖先的手,
在领他们出埃及地的日子里
与他们所立的约。
因为他们没有持守我的约,
我就不理他们——这是主说的。
10 主又说,在那些日子以后,
我要与以色列家订立这样的约:
我要把我的法则放在他们的意念中,
刻在他们的心上;
我将要做他们的神,
他们将要做我的子民。
11 他们绝不需要教导各自的同胞[f]、各自的兄弟,说:
‘你要认识主’——
因为他们所有的人,
从卑微的到尊贵的,
都将认识我;
12 又因为我要宽恕他们的不义,
绝不再想起他们的罪孽[g]。”[h]

13 当神[i]说到“新约[j]”,就已经把第一个当做旧的;而那渐渐变旧、渐渐变老的,很快就要消逝了。

Footnotes

  1. 希伯来书 8:4 有古抄本没有“祭司”。
  2. 希伯来书 8:5 《出埃及记》25:40。
  3. 希伯来书 8:7 约——辅助词语。
  4. 希伯来书 8:8 神——原文直译“他”。
  5. 希伯来书 8:9 这约——辅助词语。
  6. 希伯来书 8:11 同胞——有古抄本作“邻人”。
  7. 希伯来书 8:12 有古抄本附“和他们的罪恶”。
  8. 希伯来书 8:12 《耶利米书》31:31-34。
  9. 希伯来书 8:13 神——原文直译“他”。
  10. 希伯来书 8:13 约——辅助词语。

耶稣是更美的约的中保

我们所讲论的重点,就是我们有这样的一位大祭司,他已经坐在众天之上至尊者的宝座右边, 在至圣所和真会幕里供职;这真会幕是主支搭的,不是人支搭的。 所有大祭司都是为了献礼物和祭品而设立的,所以这位大祭司,也必须有所献上的。 如果他在地上,就不会作祭司,因为已经有按照律法献礼物的祭司了。 这些祭司所供奉的职事,不过是天上的事物的副本和影像,就如摩西将要造会幕的时候, 神曾经警告他说:“你要留心,各样物件,都要照着在山上指示你的样式去作。” 但是现在耶稣得了更尊贵的职分,正好象他是更美的约的中保,这约是凭着更美的应许立的。 如果头一个约没有缺点,就没有寻求另一个约的必要了。 可是 神指责他们,说:

“看哪,主说,日子要到了,

我要与以色列家

和犹大家订立新约。

这新约不像从前我拉他们祖先的手,

领他们出埃及的日子与他们所立的约。

因为他们没有遵守我的约,

我就不理会他们。这是主说的。

10 主说:‘因为在那些日子以后,

我要与以色列家所立的约是这样:

我要把我的律法放在他们的心思里面,

写在他们的心上。

我要作他们的 神,

他们要作我的子民。

11 他们各人必不用教导自己的邻居,

和自己的同胞,说:

你要认识主。

因为所有的人,从最小到最大的,

都必认识我。

12 我也要宽恕他们的不义,

决不再记着他们的罪恶。’”

13  神既然说到新的约,就是把前约当作旧的了;那变成陈旧衰老的,就快要消逝了。

Na, ko te tino tenei o enei korero: He tohunga pera to tatou, kua noho ki matau o te torona o te Nui i nga rangi;

He minita mo te wahi tapu, mo te tapenakara pono, tona kaiwhakaara nei ko te Ariki, ehara i te tangata.

Ko nga tohunga nui katoa hoki, he mea whakarite hei tapae atu i nga whakahere, i nga patunga tapu: na konei hoki i tika ai kia whai mea ano tenei tohunga nui hei tapaenga atu mana.

Me i runga hoki ia i te whenua kahore ona tohungatanga; tenei hoki nga tohunga hei tapae i nga whakahere i runga i ta te ture.

Ko ta ratou mahi he ritenga, he atarangi no nga mea i te rangi, he pera ano me te mea i tohutohungia ki a Mohi, i a ia meake hanga i te tapenakara: i mea hoki ia, Kia mahara kia hanga e koe nga mea katoa kia rite ki te tauira i whakakitea ki a ko e i runga i te maunga.

Tena ko tenei he nui ke te mahi minita kua riro nei i a ia, he pai rawa hoki te kawenata ko tona takawaenga nei ko ia, he pai rawa hoki nga kupu whakaari, i whakatakotoria ai taua kawenata.

Mehemea hoki kihai i whai he taua kawenata o mua, e kore e rapua he wahi mo te tuarua.

I a ia hoki e whakahe ana, i mea ia ki a ratou, Nana, tenei ake ko nga ra, e ai ta te Ariki, e whakaritea ai e ahau he kawenata hou ki te whare o Iharaira, ki te whare ano hoki o Hura:

E kore e rite ki te kawenata i whakaritea e ahau ki o ratou matua, i arahi mai ai i a ratou i te whenua o Ihipa; kihai nei hoki ratou i u ki taku kawenata, a kore ake oku whakaaro ki a ratou, e ai ta te Ariki.

10 Ko te kawenata hoki tenei e whakarite ai ahau ki te whare o Iharaira i muri iho i aua ra, e ai ta te Ariki; ka hoatu e ahau aku ture ki o ratou hinengaro, ka tuhituhia ano hoki ki o ratou ngakau: ko ahau hei Atua mo ratou, ko ratou hoki hei iwi maku:

11 E kore ano hoki ratou e whakaako i tona hoa, i tona hoa, i tona teina, i tona tuakana, e mea, Kia matau koe ki te Ariki: e matau katoa hoki ratou ki ahau, te nohinohi o ratou, te nui ano hoki o ratou.

12 Ka mahi tohu hoki ahau ki o ratou kino, e kore ano hoki e maharatia e ahau o ratou hara a mua ake nei.

13 I a ia i mea, he kawenata hou, kua whakatawhitotia e ia te mea tuatahi. Na, ko te mea kua tawhitotia, kua koroheketia, ka tata te memeha.

Jesus Is Our High Priest

Here is the point of what we are saying: We have a high priest who sits on the right side of God’s throne in heaven. Our high priest serves in the Most Holy Place, the true place of worship that was made by God, not by humans.

Every high priest has the work of offering gifts and sacrifices to God. So our high priest must also offer something to God. If our high priest were now living on earth, he would not be a priest, because there are already priests here who follow the law by offering gifts to God. The work they do as priests is only a copy and a shadow of what is in heaven. This is why God warned Moses when he was ready to build the Holy Tent: “Be very careful to make everything by the plan I showed you on the mountain.”[a] But the priestly work that has been given to Jesus is much greater than the work that was given to the other priests. In the same way, the new agreement that Jesus brought from God to his people is much greater than the old one. And the new agreement is based on promises of better things.

If there had been nothing wrong with the first agreement,[b] there would have been no need for a second agreement. But God found something wrong with his people. He says:[c]

“Look, the time is coming, says the Lord,
    when I will make a new agreement
with the people of Israel
    and the people of Judah.
It will not be like the agreement
    I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
    to bring them out of Egypt.
But they broke that agreement,
    and I turned away from them, says the Lord.
10 This is the agreement I will make
    with the people of Israel at that time, says the Lord.
I will put my teachings in their minds
    and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.
11 People will no longer have to teach their neighbors and relatives
    to know the Lord,
because all people will know me,
    from the least to the most important.
12 I will forgive them for the wicked things they did,
    and I will not remember their sins anymore.” Jeremiah 31:31–34

13 God called this a new agreement, so he has made the first agreement old. And anything that is old and worn out is ready to disappear.

Footnotes

  1. 8:5 “Be . . . mountain.” Quotation from Exodus 25:40.
  2. 8:7 first agreement The contract God gave the Jewish people when he gave them the Law of Moses.
  3. 8:8 But . . . says Some Greek copies read “But God found something wrong and says to his people.”