Hebrews 7:18 Cross References - Twentieth_Century

¹⁸ On the one hand, we have the abolition of a previous regulation as being both inefficient and useless

³⁹ And that, in union with him, every one who believes in him is absolved from every sin from which under the Law of Moses you could not be absolved.

³¹ Do we, then, use this faith to abolish Law? Heaven forbid! No, we establish Law.

³ What Law could not do, in so far as our earthly nature weakened its action, God did, by sending his own Son, with a nature resembling our sinful nature, to atone for sin. He condemned sin in that earthly nature,

¹⁵ To take an illustration, Brothers, from daily life--No one sets aside even an agreement between two men, when once it has been confirmed, nor does he add conditions to it.

¹⁷ My point is this--An agreement already confirmed by God cannot be canceled by the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, so as to cause the promise to be set aside.

⁹ But now that you have found God--or, rather, have been found by him--how is it that you are turning back to that poor and feeble puerile teaching, to which yet once again you are wanting to become slaves?

²¹ Tell me, you who want to be still subject to Law--Why do not you listen to the Law?

⁸ for while the training of the body is of service in some respects, religion is of service in all, carrying with it, as it does, a promise of Life both here and hereafter.

¹¹ If, then, Perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood--and it was under this priesthood that the people received the Law--why was it still necessary that a priest of a different order should appear, a priest of the order of Melchizedek and not of the order of Aaron? ¹² With the change of the priesthood a change of the Law became a necessity.

¹⁹ (for the Law never brought anything to perfection); and, on the other hand, we have the introduction of a better hope, which enables us to draw near to God.

⁷ If that first Covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion for a second. ⁸ But, finding fault with the people, God says-- '"Behold, a time is coming," says the Lord, "when I will ratify a new Covenant with the People of Israel and with the People of Judah-- ⁹ Not such a Covenant as I made with their ancestors on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not abide by their Covenant with me, And therefore I disregarded them," says the Lord. ¹⁰ "This is the Covenant that I will make with the People of Israel After those days," says the Lord. "I will impress my laws on their minds, and will inscribe them on their hearts; And I will be their God, and they shall be my People. ¹¹ There shall be no need for every man to instruct his fellow-citizen, or for a man to say to his Brother 'Learn to know the Lord'; For every one will know me, From the lowest to the highest. ¹² For I will be merciful to their wrong-doings, And I will no longer remember their sins."' ¹³ By speaking of a 'new' Covenant, God at once renders the former Covenant obsolete; and whatever becomes obsolete and loses its force is virtually annulled.

⁹ For that was only a type, to continue down to the present time; and, in keeping with it, both gifts and sacrifices are offered, though incapable of satisfying the conscience of the worshiper; ¹⁰ the whole system being concerned only with food and drink and various ablutions--external ceremonials imposed until the coming of the New Order.

¹ The Law, though able to foreshadow the Better System which was coming, never had its actual substance. Its priests, with those sacrifices which they offer continuously year after year, can never make those who come to worship perfect. ² Otherwise, would not the offering of these sacrifices have been abandoned, as the worshipers, having been once purified, would have had their consciences clear from sins? ³ But, on the contrary, these sacrifices recall their sins to mind year after year. ⁴ For the blood of bulls and goats is powerless to remove sins. ⁵ That is why, when he was coming into the world, the Christ declared-- 'Sacrifice and offering thou dost not desire, but thou dost provide for me a body; ⁶ Thou dost take no pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin. ⁷ So I said, "See, I have come' (as is written of me in the pages of the Book), "To do thy will, O God."' ⁸ First come the words-- 'Thou dost not desire, nor dost thou take pleasure in, sacrifices, offerings, burnt offerings, and sacrifices for sin' (offerings regularly made under the Law), ⁹ and then there is added-- 'See, I have come to do thy will.' The former sacrifices are set aside to be replaced by the latter.

⁹ Do not let yourselves be carried away by the various novel forms of teaching. It is better to rely for spiritual strength upon the divine help, than upon regulations regarding food; for those whose lives are guided by such regulations have not found them of service.