Hebrews 7:27 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.

NIV: Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.

NASB: who has no daily need, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because He did this once for all time when He offered up Himself.

CSB: He doesn’t need to offer sacrifices every day, as high priests do—first for their own sins, then for those of the people. He did this once for all time when he offered himself.

NLT: Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins.

KJV: Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

NKJV: who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

This verse, like all portions of Scripture, needs to be read in context to be understood correctly. No sentence in the Bible is meant to be interpreted like a fortune cookie: shallowly and alone. A key mistake here, where some readers stumble, is the phrase "his own sins." This verse is in reference to Jesus, as part of an explanation as to why His priesthood is superior to that of the Old Covenant. Various points have been made so far, such as the fact that Jesus has eternal life, while human priests are mortal (Hebrews 7:16, 23), and that Christ's priesthood is guaranteed with an oath (Hebrews 7:17, 21), while the Levitical priests inherited their titles (Hebrews 7:20).

Here, the point being made is a continuation of verse 26. There, the author of Hebrews points out that it makes sense for God to install a "holy, innocent, unstained" high priest. The point here, then is that Jesus does not need to do what human priests do: to offer sacrifice for their own sins, and then sacrifice for the sins of the people. Jesus does not offer sacrifices for His own sins because He has no sins of which to be absolved (2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15).

This verse also emphasizes the once-for-all, eternal, perfect nature of Jesus' sacrifice. This is another way in which He is the true fulfillment of God's plan of salvation. Where human efforts will fall short (Hebrews 7:18–19; Romans 3:20), and animal sacrifices will not be enough (Hebrews 9:11–14), Jesus' death on the cross "utterly" saves us from our sins (Hebrews 7:25).

Hebrews 7:11–28 expands on prior arguments related to the priesthood of Jesus Christ. Here, the author shows how the priesthood of Jesus is superior to that of the Old Testament Law. This uses the figure of Melchizedek as a model. Christ's priesthood is sinless, perfect, unending, and decreed as such by God. The Levitical priesthood was temporary, flawed, imperfect, and could not last forever. This better promise, in Christ, is tied into the confidence we have as believers.

When Abraham met with Melchizedek in the Old Testament, he honored him with tithes. This shows that Abraham recognized Melchizedek's superiority. Since the Old Covenant was flawed—based on limited priests and limited sacrifices—it is inferior to the priesthood of Melchizedek, which is unending. Jesus Christ fulfills God's promise to establish a priest ''forever'' in a way which perfectly meets our needs.

Chapters 5 and 6 detoured from the main theme in order to present a warning about faithlessness and apostasy. Chapter 7 returns to the topic of Melchizedek, who represents a mysterious but important moment in Old Testament history. Here, the author will show how Melchizedek was superior to Abraham, and that Melchizedek's priesthood is superior to the priesthood of Aaron. This leads into the next chapters, which show how Jesus Christ perfectly fulfills our salvation in ways which the Old Covenant cannot.

The book of Hebrews is meant to challenge, encourage, and empower Christian believers. According to this letter, Jesus Christ is superior to all other prophets and all other claims to truth. Since God has given us Christ, we ought to listen to what He says and not move backwards. The consequences of ignoring God are dire. Hebrews is important for drawing on many portions of the Old Testament in making a case that Christ is the ultimate and perfect expression of God's plan for mankind. This book presents some tough ideas about the Christian faith, a fact the author makes specific note of.