The Eternal Spirit

The writer of Hebrews centers his focus on Jesus’ superior priesthood by emphasizing His superior sacrifice in chapters 9 and 10. It is amazing to think that all the animal sacrifices over many centuries were only a picture of a single sacrifice to come. A move from lesser to greater is used as the writer describes the sacrifices of the Levitical priesthood and then moves to the all-sufficient, once for all, sacrifice of Jesus, our High Priest.

Much can be written concerning Jesus’ amazing sacrifice but I would like to focus on one verse, Hebrews 9:14, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. The writer's how much more moves the reader to the priority of that wondrous sacrifice of Jesus. In this verse, I want to examine one phrase, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, specifically, the eternal Spirit.

There is much debate concerning the meaning of eternal Spirit. Some believe it is speaking of the Holy Spirit. It would show the working of the Father, Son and Spirit in the sacrifice of Jesus. Consider the comments of two respected theologians.

• William Newell, It is beyond measure blessed that we find here all three Persons of

the Godhead occupied in our salvation! First, it is God to Whom the atoning

sacrifice for our sin is to be made; second, it is Christ Who offers Himself to this end;

third, it is through the eternal Spirit that He offered Himself without blemish.

• William L. Lane, The formulation does not occur elsewhere in the NT or early

Christian literature, but it may be understood as a designation for the Holy Spirit.

Others believe it refers to Jesus’ eternal spirit. Consider the responses of the following Godly men.

• Charles Spurgeon, The Spirit of Christ was an eternal spirit, for it was the Godhead.

There was conjoined with His deity the natural life of a perfect man, but the eternal

spirit was His highest self. His Godhead willed that He should die, and concurred in

the death of the manhood, so that by the eternal spirit He offered Himself.

• Charles Ryrie, If this refers to Christ’s eternal spirit, then it is not a reference to the

divine nature offering up the human nature, but to the entire person offering up

Himself by the action of the highest spirit-power within Him. His own divine spirit

was involved in the offering of the God-man.

• Marvin Vincent, The offering was the offering of Christ’s deepest self—his inmost

personality. Therein consists the attraction of the cross; not to the shedding of

blood, but to Christ himself.

I strongly lean toward the latter view since who He is determines what He can do. Jesus is the only (past, present, future) theanthropic person, one person with two natures, divine and human. He submitted the use of His divine attributes to the discretion of the Father while Jesus was on earth. The Gospels reveal His dual natures on numerous occasions.

Especially, I think of the cross when Jesus cried out, Mark 15:34, . . . My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? That was a powerful cry from the depth of Jesus’ humanity. A few moments later, Mark 15:37-38, And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Here, I can imagine the force of His deity declaring His job was fully completed as His authoritative command ripped the temple veil in two. His sacrifice alone gives direct access to God for now and into eternity.

Of course, I do not want to belittle the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Yet, the focus of Hebrews is on the superiority of Jesus Christ Who is our superior High Priest and Sacrifice. Our atonement is superior because of Who Jesus is as noted by Marvin Vincent, Atonement is eternal in virtue of the eternal spirit of Christ through which he offered himself to God. Charles Hodge writes of the infinitely superior dignity of his person. Also, Louis Berkhof, The priestly work of Christ is most clearly represented in the Epistle to the Hebrews, where the Mediator is described as our only real, eternal, and perfect High Priest, appointed by God, who takes our place vicariously, and by His self-sacrifice obtains a real and perfect redemption.

What a High Priest, what a Sacrifice, what a Savior! I am humbled to call Him my Lord. I encourage you to join the study of Hebrews under the Books of the Bible tab. It is worth the effort.