Hebrews 10:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In the preceding passage, the Apostle proved that sacrifices are useless for perfect cleansing. They were only a type, and were very insufficient. An objection might therefore arise for him: if they are types, why did they not cease when the truth was received? Why did they not come to an end, but are still offered by the Jews?

Here he resolves this by showing that they are no longer offered as types, and that God does not accept them. Again he proves this, not from the New Testament, but from the prophets. From antiquity he brings the strongest testimony that the sacrifices have ceased and ended. He also shows that the Jews offer them wholly in vain, always resisting the Holy Spirit.

Paul himself explains the words of David. You will ask: what then? Were the sacrifices according to the law not according to the will of God?

They were indeed according to the will of God, but the meaning of will is twofold.

Someone desires something above all else, as Paul says, “I wish that all men were as I myself am” (1 Cor 7:7), that is, unmarried.

Someone also desires by condescension, as the same Paul says, “I desire that the younger widows marry” (1 Tim 5:14). This is a condescending will.

In order that they might not rage against Christ, he also condescended. So God did not originally desire fat and blood. But when He saw that the Hebrews, in offering sacrifices to idols, were strongly attached to these sacrifices, He allowed them to offer sacrifice in His honor.

But in the words, “I go to do Thy will,” He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. For by that very Gospel which abolished the offering of sacrifices, He willed to sanctify us through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, accomplished once for all.

“Therefore, when He enters the world, He says: Sacrifice and offering Thou hast not desired, but a body hast Thou prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Thou hast likewise had no pleasure. Then I said: Behold, I come. In the scroll of the book it is written of Me, to do Thy will, O God” (Ps 39:7-9).

Blessed Paul interprets this saying of the Master Christ (Heb 10:5-9), and most justly. For He is the firstfruits of our nature.

It is fitting for Him first to say what is required of us, and in Himself to prefigure what must be accomplished by us.

Thus He first approached baptism, showing us the grace of baptism. Thus He washed the feet of the disciples, setting before us the archetype of humility.

He takes away, that is, abolishes what concerned sacrifices, offerings, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin. For the Son said to the Father, "Sacrifice and offering Thou didst not desire, and in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Thou hadst no pleasure, that He might establish the second." This refers to the offering of His body as a sacrifice.

Indeed, since those things were only types and a shadow, while this is the truth, when the truth appeared they ceased as superfluous and already useless. Concerning this He had already spoken through the prophet Isaiah, saying to the Jews, "Who has required these things at your hands?" (Is 1:12).

How does the Apostle prove the abolition of the Old Covenant sacrifices by the prophetic sayings of the Psalm (Ps 39:7, 8)? “Whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin have become displeasing to Thee,” says the Messiah through the mouth of David. Here, according to the Apostle, is the abolition of sacrifices. “A body for My personal sacrifice Thou hast prepared for Me... and behold, I come, according to the word of Scripture, to do Thy will, O God.” Here is the establishment of the New Covenant. “He abolishes the first,” the Apostle adds on his own part, that is, He abolishes the sacrifices, “in order to establish the second,” that is, in order to determine the decree concerning the sacrifice of the Cross (Heb 10:9).

These words of Christ have great significance. Here Christ expressed His resolve to offer to God His body, or His whole life, His whole being. By this He showed that He would destroy or abolish the offering of sacrifices and replace them with His own sacrifice of perfect obedience to God.

Since the will of God required precisely this sacrifice, Christ fulfilled this will of God perfectly on behalf of all people. After this, we all received sanctification and cleansing from sins. For this, the single offering of Christ's body as a sacrifice to God was entirely sufficient.