Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks
Chapter 10
One Sacrifice Instead of Many. 1 [a]Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come,[b] and not the very image of them, it can never make perfect those who come to worship by the same sacrifices that they offer continually each year.(A) 2 Otherwise, would not the sacrifices have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, once cleansed, would no longer have had any consciousness of sins? 3 But in those sacrifices there is only a yearly remembrance of sins,(B) 4 for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats take away sins.(C) 5 For this reason, when he came into the world, he said:[c]
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,(D)
but a body you prepared for me;
6 holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight in.
7 Then I said, ‘As is written of me in the scroll,
Behold, I come to do your will, O God.’”
8 First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings,[d] you neither desired nor delighted in.” These are offered according to the law.(E) 9 Then he says, “Behold, I come to do your will.” He takes away the first to establish the second.(F) 10 By this “will,” we have been consecrated through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.(G)
11 [e]Every priest stands daily at his ministry, offering frequently those same sacrifices that can never take away sins.(H) 12 But this one offered one sacrifice for sins, and took his seat forever at the right hand of God;(I) 13 [f]now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool. 14 For by one offering he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated.(J) 15 [g]The holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying:
16 “This is the covenant I will establish with them after those days, says the Lord:
‘I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them upon their minds,’”(K)
17 he also says:[h]
“Their sins and their evildoing
I will remember no more.”(L)
18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin.
Recalling the Past.[i] 19 Therefore, brothers, since through the blood of Jesus we have confidence of entrance into the sanctuary(M) 20 [j]by the new and living way he opened for us through the veil,(N) that is, his flesh, 21 [k](O)and since we have “a great priest over the house of God,” 22 let us approach with a sincere heart and in absolute trust, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience[l] and our bodies washed in pure water.(P) 23 Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope, for he who made the promise is trustworthy.(Q) 24 We must consider how to rouse one another to love and good works. 25 We should not stay away from our assembly,[m] as is the custom of some, but encourage one another, and this all the more as you see the day drawing near.(R)
26 [n](S)If we sin deliberately after receiving knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains sacrifice for sins 27 but a fearful prospect of judgment and a flaming fire that is going to consume the adversaries.(T) 28 Anyone who rejects the law of Moses[o] is put to death without pity on the testimony of two or three witnesses.(U) 29 Do you not think that a much worse punishment is due the one who has contempt for the Son of God, considers unclean the covenant-blood by which he was consecrated, and insults the spirit of grace?(V) 30 We know the one who said:
“Vengeance is mine; I will repay,”
and again:
“The Lord will judge his people.”(W)
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.(X)
32 Remember the days past when, after you had been enlightened,[p] you endured a great contest of suffering.(Y) 33 At times you were publicly exposed to abuse and affliction; at other times you associated yourselves with those so treated.(Z) 34 You even joined in the sufferings of those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, knowing that you had a better and lasting possession.(AA) 35 Therefore, do not throw away your confidence; it will have great recompense.(AB) 36 You need endurance to do the will of God and receive what he has promised.(AC)
37 “For, after just a brief moment,[q]
he who is to come shall come;
he shall not delay.(AD)
38 But my just one shall live by faith,
and if he draws back I take no pleasure in him.”(AE)
39 We are not among those who draw back and perish, but among those who have faith and will possess life.
V. Examples, Discipline, Disobedience
Chapter 11[r]
Faith of the Ancients. 1 Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence[s] of things not seen.(AF) 2 Because of it the ancients were well attested. 3 (AG)By faith we understand that the universe was ordered by the word of God,[t] so that what is visible came into being through the invisible. 4 [u]By faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice greater than Cain’s. Through this he was attested to be righteous, God bearing witness to his gifts, and through this, though dead, he still speaks.(AH) 5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and “he was found no more because God had taken him.” Before he was taken up, he was attested to have pleased God.(AI) 6 [v]But without faith it is impossible to please him,(AJ) for anyone who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 7 By faith Noah, warned about what was not yet seen, with reverence built an ark for the salvation of his household. Through this he condemned the world and inherited the righteousness that comes through faith.(AK)
8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was to go.(AL) 9 By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise;(AM) 10 for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and maker is God.(AN) 11 By faith he received power to generate, even though he was past the normal age—and Sarah herself was sterile—for he thought that the one who had made the promise was trustworthy.(AO) 12 So it was that there came forth from one man, himself as good as dead, descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sands on the seashore.(AP)
13 All these died in faith. They did not receive what had been promised but saw it and greeted it from afar and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth,(AQ) 14 for those who speak thus show that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of the land from which they had come, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now they desire a better homeland, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.(AR)
17 By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was ready to offer his only son,(AS) 18 of whom it was said, “Through Isaac descendants shall bear your name.”(AT) 19 [w]He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead,(AU) and he received Isaac back as a symbol. 20 By faith regarding things still to come Isaac[x] blessed Jacob and Esau.(AV) 21 By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and “bowed in worship, leaning on the top of his staff.”(AW) 22 By faith Joseph, near the end of his life, spoke of the Exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his bones.(AX)
23 (AY)By faith Moses was hidden by his parents for three months after his birth, because they saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 24 [y]By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;(AZ) 25 he chose to be ill-treated along with the people of God rather than enjoy the fleeting pleasure of sin. 26 He considered the reproach of the Anointed greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the recompense. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s fury, for he persevered as if seeing the one who is invisible.(BA) 28 By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.(BB) 29 By faith they crossed the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted it they were drowned.(BC) 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell after being encircled for seven days.(BD) 31 By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish with the disobedient, for she had received the spies in peace.(BE)
32 What more shall I say? I have not time to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,(BF) 33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, did what was righteous, obtained the promises; they closed the mouths of lions,(BG) 34 put out raging fires, escaped the devouring sword; out of weakness they were made powerful, became strong in battle, and turned back foreign invaders.(BH) 35 Women received back their dead through resurrection. Some were tortured and would not accept deliverance, in order to obtain a better resurrection.(BI) 36 Others endured mockery, scourging, even chains and imprisonment.(BJ) 37 They were stoned, sawed in two, put to death at sword’s point; they went about in skins of sheep or goats, needy, afflicted, tormented.(BK) 38 The world was not worthy of them. They wandered about in deserts and on mountains, in caves and in crevices in the earth.(BL)
39 Yet all these, though approved because of their faith, did not receive what had been promised. 40 God had foreseen something better for us, so that without us they should not be made perfect.[z]
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.