Hebrews 10:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Why were they continually treated with the same sacrifices? If they had been free from all sins, sacrifices would not have been offered daily. Yet it had been appointed to offer them for the whole people continually, both evening and day. Thus what they performed was an accusation of sins, not the loosing of sins. It was a proof of weakness, not a sign of power. Since the first sacrifice had no effect, a second was offered. Since that one also did not help, a third was offered. Thus this itself served as a rebuke for sins. Therefore the offering of sacrifices was a rebuke for sins, and their continual offering was a rebuke for weakness.

The sacrifices, he says, produce nothing other than a remembrance of sins, that is, a reproof. They do not provide forgiveness of sins. By always being offered, they show that the sins of the people remain unforgiven.

For if sins had been forgiven, what need would there have been for sacrifices? By saying “there is remembrance,” he let you understand that the sacrifices were performed not only for later sins, but also for former sins, plainly because they had not been remitted.

For every year, as it is said, the blood of calves was offered for the people. Therefore, since the sins were the same, the sacrifice offered was also the same.

The Apostle showed both the weakness and the benefit of the Law. Although it cannot take away sins, it condemns them, instills fear, and compels men to flee to grace.

But the yearly sacrifices, says the Apostle, did not cease. Through them a remembrance of sins is made every year, since the high priest recalls the sins of the people before God.

The frequent remembrance of them indicates that they are never cleansed. For a medicine is powerful when, after being used once, it attains its purpose. By contrast, frequent use of a medicine exposes its weakness.

So also sacrifice, on the one hand, reproves sins, and on the other hand, by its constant performance, proves its own powerlessness.

For this reason the law commanded sacrifices to be performed continually. By firmly remembering their sins, men would desire perfect liberation from them, and when it came, would willingly hasten to it.

Meanwhile, in the Old Testament sacrifices “there is a remembrance of sins every year.” This, in fact, was their moral significance for their own time.

What confirms this sin-reminding significance of the Old Testament sacrifices, as indicated by the Apostle? The rites which accompanied the sacrifices and directly pointed to their character as reminders.

Thus, whenever the high priest offered sacrifice on the great Day of Atonement, he laid his hands on the head of the sacrificial animal and confessed over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their sins (Lev 16:21).

Yet now we see the complete opposite. These sacrifices only keep reminding man that his sins have not been forgiven, although he has already offered sacrifices to God many times.