Perfection
AS ANNOUNCED IN LAST WEEK’S STUDY, I PLAN TO DIVIDE THE REMAINDER OF THE CHAPTER UP INTO THREE CONTEXTS FOR OUR STUDY: The Inadequacy of the Old Priesthood (7:11-19), and then The Superiority of the New Priesthood (7:20-28), and finally at the end of the chapter Christ and the Believer (7:25-28). AS YOU CAN SEE BY THIS WEEK’S TITLE, “OUR PERFECT PRIEST,” I’M GOING TO EXERCISE SOME AUTHORIAL FREEDOM IN CHOOSING THE TITLING OF WEEKLY STUDIES. I may title the weekly studies differently than planned. Some weeks, such as this week, the title may seem to be on a different subject than the overall schedule would suggest, but I believe you’ll have no problem following me because of these changeable but always relevant individual titles. I believe this flexible method will enable me to have the freedom necessary to do the important and complex subject matter the justice it so richly deserves. Sorry, if this comes across as confusing.
IF YOU HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THESE WEEKLY HEBREWS BLOGS, YOU WILL SURELY RECOGNIZE THE PURPOSEFUL REPETITION GOING ON IN CHAPTER 7. THE AUTHOR OF HEBREWS HAS BEEN METHODICALLY EXPLAINING THE PROFOUND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MELCHIZEDEKIAN PRIESTHOOD.
YOU WILL REMEMBER MELCHIZEDEK WAS AN ENIGMATIC OLD TESTAMENT PRIEST WHO IS AN ILLUMINATING TYPE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
OUR PASSAGE FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEK’S STUDY FROM HEBREWS 7 WILL BE VERSES 11-19…
NAS Hebrews 7:11-19 Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. For it is witnessed of Him, “Thou art a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.” For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
I REALLY DON’T KNOW AT THE MOMENT EXACTLY HOW MANY WEEK’S I’M TALKING ABOUT. IT ALL DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH READING I DO AND WHERE THAT READING TAKES ME THROUGHOUT THE WEEK. WE’LL START WITH VERSE 11 AND GO FROM THERE
“PERFECTION” WILL BE A PERSISTENTLY PRESENT SUBJECT IN THIS BLOG. PLEASE NOTICE THE SIGNIFICANT REPETITION OF THE KEY WORD (“PERFECTION”/“PERFECT”) AT THE BEGINNING AND END OF THE PASSAGE. THIS LITERARY FEATURE ACTS AS BOOKENDS AFFIRMING PERFECTION AS THE MAIN FOCUS OF THE PASSAGE.
LIKE MANY WORDS IN THE BIBLE, BOTH GREEK AND HEBREW, THEIR DEFINITIONS OFTEN ARE SIMILAR, IN MANY CASES VERY SIMILAR TO OUR ENGLISH UNDERSTANDINGS OF THEIR MEANINGS. BUT MANY TIMES, THEIR ORIGINAL LANGUAGE DEFINITIONS DIFFER FROM THEIR ENGLISH COUNTERPARTS AND SOMETIMES MARKEDLY SO. “PERFECTION” IS ONE OF THOSE WORDS.
TO REMIND YOU, THE ENGLISH WORD MEANS the condition, state, or quality of being free or as free as possible from all flaws or defects. “the satiny perfection of her skin.” Synonyms include flawlessness, excellence, superbness, sublimity, exquisiteness, perfectness, impeccability.
FACT: THE STUDY OF WORDS REVEALS THAT THE MEANING OF WORDS IS DETERMINED MORE BY THEIR CONTEXTS THAN BY THEIR DICTIONARY DEFINITIONS, IMPORTANT AND ACCURATE AS THOSE ARE.
THE GREEK WORD FOR “PERFECTION” (τελείωσις {te-lie-o-sis}) MORE OFTEN THAN NOT IN SCRIPTURE MEANS “COMPLETENESS,” AS MOST PROBABLY IT DOES IN OUR PASSAGE. I doubt if many people’s minds would naturally think first of completeness upon hearing the word perfection.
COMMENTING ON VERSE 11, KENT SAYS, “PERFECTION (τελείωσις {te-lie-o-sis}) IS USED IN THE SENSE OF COMPLETENESS. In this context it refers to the making of men acceptable to God, which was the function of the priesthood. Something may be termed perfect or complete when it fulfills the purpose for which it was designed. Priesthood is designed to establish relations between God and sinful men. Yet the Levitical priesthood could accomplish this only within limits. It made possible an atonement which needed to be repeated. It could not provide complete expiation (for, as our author explains in 10:13, the sacrifices then would not have needed repetition). The condition (if) is assumed to be true for the sake of argument, but then the impossibility is shown.”
NAS Hebrews 10:13 waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet.
ANOTHER GOOD POSSIBILTY FOR THE BEST SELECTION OF A TRANSLATION FOR (τελείωσις {te-lie-o-sis}) IN HEBREWS 7 IS “FULFILLMENT,” AS IN FULFILLMENT OF A PURPOSE.
DEFINING THE GREEK WORD “PERFECTION” AS “COMPLETENESS” AND “FULFILLMENT” GIVES THE TRUE SENSE OF “PERFECT” IN ITS CONTEXTUAL UNDERSTANDING IN HEBREWS; BOTH ARE GOOD, ACCURATE WORDS.
THE LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD AND THE MOSAIC LAW. A debated point in the discussion has to do with the exact relationship between the Levitical priesthood and the Mosaic Law (sometimes the word “law” when it refers to the Mosaic Law is capitalized, other times it is not. I, for one, believe it is helpful in overall clarification and avoidance of possible confusion to capitalize it). “IT IS DISPUTED WHETHER THE AUTHOR ACTUALLY ARGUES THAT THE LAW IS BASED ON THE PRIESTHOOD. The words ‘upon it’ may indicate that the law was ‘about’ the Levitical priesthood. Still the author is most likely saying that the law is based on the priesthood. SUCH A STATEMENT SEEMS STRANGE SINCE THE LAW INSTITUTED THE PRIESTHOOD, BUT AS COCKERILL SAYS, ‘ALTHOUGH THE LAW GIVEN AT SINAI ESTABLISHED THE PRIESTHOOD, LIVING UNDER THE LAW WAS BASED ON AND DEPENDENT UPON ITS PERPETUAL FUNCTIONING. BEFORE THE ADVENT OF CHRIST GOD’S PEOPLE COULD NOT LIVE UNDER THE LAW WITHOUT THE PRIESTHOOD AS A MEANS OF APPROACHING GOD THROUGH ATONEMENT.’” – Schreiner
“VERSES 11-19 ARE CLOSELY TIED TO THE PRECEDING ARGUMENT. All of our English translations begin with temporal adverbs and subordinate conjunctions (little connecting words) which tell us that our passage is tied tightly to the previous verses of chapter 7: examples – Now if – NAS, ESV; So if – NET; If then – Holman; Therefore if – NKJ. The author is obviously drawing an inference from his blessing of Abraham and receiving tithes from him and his perpetual priesthood, and since a priest like Melchizedek is prophesied (Ps 110:4), PERFECTION will clearly not be achieved through the Levitical priesthood. THE WORD ‘PERFECTION’ (τελείωσις {te-lie-o-sis}) refers here to eschatological (future) perfection.” – Schreiner
“PERFECTION IS A MATTER OF HUMAN TRANSFORMATION RATHER THAN CULTIC TRANSFORMATION. (I have found the word cultic, in the positive sense, to be persistently and annoyingly used by most authors in an ambiguous manner. I would guess it is being used here in Lane’s footnote from Johnson to mean religious or spiritual. – TAR) IT COMBINES ELEMENTS OF MATURITY AND MORAL GROWTH. Negatively, perfection means abandoning or overcoming sin (Heb 9:27; 10:4) and cleansing the conscience (9:9). Positively, it means a process of sanctification (9:13; 10:10, 14) – ENTERING INTO A STATE OF HOLINESS – through an opening to God’s power and presence through faithful obedience (5:7-10; 12:1-2).” – Lane
“IN HEBREWS THE CONCEPT OF PERFECTION IS BROAD, INCLUDING THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS ETHICAL RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND THE RULE HUMAN BEINGS WERE TO EXERCISE OVER THE UNIVERSE AS PRIEST-KINGS.
“IF ESCHATOLOGICAL PERFECTION COULD BE REALIZED UNDER THE LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD, THERE WOULD BE NO NEED TO DESIGNATE THE ARRIVAL OF ANOTHER PRIESTHOOD, A MELCHIZEDEKIAN ONE. Another priesthood would be superfluous if the Levitical priesthood could bring about the new creation and bring human beings to the heavenly city. So it is clear that the Levitical priesthood is inadequate; it doesn’t truly and finally forgive sins and provide access to God. It doesn’t transform human beings so they become righteous. It doesn’t restore the rule human beings lost when Adam sinned. Instead THE LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD HAD AN INTERIM CHARACTER AND NATURE SO THAT IT ADUMBRATED AND PREPARED THE WAY FOR A BETTER PRIESTHOOD, A MELCHIZEDEKIAN ONE.” – Schreiner
THE FOLLOWING CONCLUDING SUMMARY IS, I ADMIT, LONGING THAN I WOULD HAVE LIKED BUT I FOUND IT SO GOOD, ON POINT, AND COMPREHENSIVE THAT I ASK YOU TO BEAR WITH ME. THINK OF ANYTHING THAT STRIKES YOU AS REPETITIOUS AS VALUABLE EMPHASIS. The Bible, when both thematically and grammatically is closely viewed, may be seen as repetitious. As I have said numerous times in these blogs, I would humbly argue that this is a wonderful feature that should be thankfully recognized…
“IT WAS ON THE BASIS OF THE LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD THAT ISRAEL RECEIVED THE MOSAIC LAW. It is common to think of this in the opposite way: that the priesthood existed on the basis of the Mosaic legislation. Nevertheless a JEWISH writer well versed in the knowledge of his people’s history could easily have thought along these lines. In the basic relationship of Israel and Yahweh, the priesthood stood at the heart. Both Moses and Aaron were chosen by God before the law was given. It was on the basis of the priestly function which God wanted performed that He issued the law at Sinai, giving the regulations for its operation.
“NOW IF EVERYTHING GOD REQUIRED BY WAY OF MAKING MEN ACCEPTABLE TO HIM COULD BE PROVIDED BY THE LEVITICAL SYSTEM, THEN WHY WAS MESSIAH NOT A LEVITICAL PRIEST? One might be disposed to argue that since the Levitical priesthood came later than Melchizedek, God must have intended it as the permanent replacement. Yet it is clear from the Old Testament that God Himself said that Messiah would be a priest after the order of Melchizedek…
NAS Psalm 110:4 The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind, “Thou art a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”
“INCIDENTALLY, THERE IS SUPPORT HERE FOR THE VIEW THAT THE ORIGINAL READERS MUST HAVE BEEN JEWISH AND NOT GENTILE. F. F. Bruce points out that Gentile converts would have been largely unaffected by this argument, for in their pagan state they had never supposed that PERFECTION was through the Levitical priesthood; and after they had become Christians, they would never have been encouraged to think this way. JEWISH CHRISTIANS, however, would find the argument here very much relevant to their background and possibly a problem in their present thinking.” – Kent
FINALLY, FROM MACARTHUR: “THE POINT OF HEBREWS 7:11 IS MADE CLEAR. IF THE LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD COULD HAVE BROUGHT THIS PERFECTION – WHICH IS ACCESS TO GOD, OR SALVATION – WHY WOULD GOD HAVE PRODUCED ANOTHER PRIESTHOOD?”
“WHAT THE OLD ECONOMY COULD NOT DO, CHRIST DID.
“THE OLD PRIESTHOOD HAD ITS PLACE IN GOD’S PLAN. BUT IT WAS INFERIOR AND INEFFECTIVE. IT ONLY PICTURED PERFECTION.
“SIMILARLY, THE LAW HAD ITS PLACE IN GOD’S PLAN. IT REPRESENTED GOD’S TRUTH AND RIGHTEOUSNESS. IT DEMANDED PERFECTION. FOR ON THE BASIS OF IT [THAT IS, PERFECTION] THE PEOPLE RECEIVED THE LAW. BUT NEITHER THE SACRIFICE THAT PICTURED IT NOR THE LAW THAT DEMANDED IT COULD PROVIDE PERFECTION.
“PERFECTION IS PROVIDED ONLY IN JESUS CHRIST.”
– Professor Thomas A. Rohm
