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—我们的大祭司

我们现在谈到的重点是:我们有这样一位大祭司,他坐在天堂里伟大的上帝的宝座的右边。 他在至圣处 [a],即真正的圣幕中担任祭司,这个圣幕是上帝建造的,而不是人建造的。

所有的大祭司都被指命去奉献礼品和祭物,所以,我们的大祭司也该有所奉献。 如果他在地上,他是当不上祭司的,因为已经有按照律法的规定祭献贡品的人了,那么他在地上甚至连个祭司都当不上, 但是,那些人所做的工作只是天堂事物的副本就像当时摩西要去建圣幕时受到了上帝警告的那样,他(上帝)说∶“你必须按照我在山上给你看的样式来建造一切。” [b] 然而,耶稣得到的祭司职位远超过他们所得到的,就像由他做中间人的契约比旧契约更加优越一样。

假如第一个契约无懈可击,那就不需要再有第二个契约取代它了。 不过,上帝发现了人们的错误,他说:

“主说,‘我与以色列人和犹大
人定立新誓约的日子就要到了。
这个誓约不同于我与他们的祖先们定立的誓约。
那时,我牵着他们的手带领他们离开了埃及的国土,
因为他们没有信守我的誓约,所以我离弃了他们。’
10 ‘这个誓约是在那之后,我将与以色列人订立的。
我要把我的律法装进他们的大脑,
写在他们的心上。
我将是他们的上帝;
他们将是我的子民。
11 一个人没有必要去教导他的同胞与兄弟说:
“去认识主”,
因为他们从最微不足道到最伟大的人都将知道我。
12 因为我将宽恕他们的过错,
也不再记他们的罪过。”

13 他称这个契约为“新约”,使第一个契约过时作废。任何逐渐衰老与过时的事物都即将消亡。

Footnotes

  1. 希 伯 來 書 8:2 至圣处: 上帝所居住的属灵的地方。也是受崇拜的地方。
  2. 希 伯 來 書 8:5 “你必须按照我在山上给你看的样式来建造一切。”《出埃及记》25:40。

Jesus Our High Priest

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

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. I say this because there are already priests here who follow the law by offering gifts to God. The work that these priests do is really only a copy and a shadow of what is in heaven. That is why God warned Moses when he was ready to build the Holy Tent: “Be sure to make everything exactly like the pattern I showed you on the mountain.”[d] But the work that has been given to Jesus is much greater than the work that was given to those 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 better promises.

If there was nothing wrong with the first agreement, then there would be no need for a second agreement. But God found something wrong with the people. He said,

“The time is coming, says the Lord,
    when I will give a new agreement
    to the people of Israel and to the people of Judah.
It will not be like the agreement
    that I gave to their fathers.
That is the agreement I gave when I took them by the hand
    and led them out of Egypt.
They did not continue following the agreement I gave them,
    and I turned away from them, says the Lord.
10 This is the new agreement I will give the people of Israel.
    I will give this agreement in the future, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their minds,
    and I will write my laws on their hearts.
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.
11 Never again will anyone have to teach their neighbors
    or their family to know the Lord.
    All people—the greatest and the least important—will know me.
12 And I will forgive the wrongs they have done,
    and I will not remember their sins.” (A)

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

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 8:1 right side The place of honor and authority (power).
  2. Hebrews 8:2 Most Holy Place Literally, “holies” for “holy of holies,” the spiritual place where God lives and is worshiped.
  3. Hebrews 8:2 place of worship Literally, “Tabernacle” or “tent.”
  4. Hebrews 8:5 Quote from Ex. 25:40.