Service pointed to. a{pax ] The absolute oneness of Christ's offering has been touched upon before, Heb. 9:12; 7:27. In proportion as this truth was felt, the weakness of the Levitical offerings, shewn by their repetition, became evident.
It is assumed that the repetition of Christ's suffering in the future is inconceivable.
ejpi; sunteleiva/ tw'n aij.
]
at the close of the ages
, of a long and complex course of finite development. The exact phrase is not found elsewhere in the
N.T.
Compare Matt. 13:39 suntevleia aijw'no" : vv. 40, 49 ejn th'/ sunt. tou' aijw'no" : 24:3 hJ sh; parousiva kai; sunt. tou' aij. : 28:20 e{w" th'" sunt. tou' aij. For ejpi; (as distinguished from ejn ) see Heb. 9:10, 15 notes; Phil. 1:3.
Similar phrases occur in the Greek translations of Daniel: Dan. 9:7
sunt. kairw'n
; 12:13
sunt. hJmerw'n
.
jEpi;sunteleiva/ tw'n aijwvnwn
has a somewhat different meaning from
ejpj ejscavtou tw'n hJm. touvtwn
(Heb. 1:2). This latter phrase describes the last period of the present age (see note); while
ejpi; sunteleiva/ tw'n aij
. marks a point of termination of a series (so to speak) of preparatory ages. The Death of the Lord, including His Resurrection and Ascension, is essentially the beginning of a new development in the life of man and in the life of the world. It was needful, as we speak, that the natural development of man should have had fullest scope before Christ came.
Dia; tiv ejpi; sunteleiva/ tw'n aijwvnwn ; Chrysostom asks, and answers meta; ta; polla; aJmarthvmata : eij me;n ou\n para; th;n ajrch;n ejgevnonto ( leg. ejgevneto ) ei\ta oujdei;" ejpivsteusen, h\n a]n to; th'" oijkonomiva" ajnovnhton .
The word suntevleia occurs in the N.T. only in the passages which have been quoted. It occurs frequently in the LXX. A characteristic use is found in Ex. 23:16 eJorth; sunteleiva" (of ingathering). As distinguished from tevlo" , the end as one definite fact, suntevleia expresses a consummation, an end involving many parts. Compare suntelei'n Luke 4:2; Acts 21:27; Heb. 8:8; Luke 4:13.
The plural aijw'ne" occurs again in the Epistle; 13:8, 21; and, in a different connexion, 1:2 (note); 11:3.
In each case it preserves its full meaning. The whole discipline and growth of creation in time is made up of manifold periods of discipline, each having its proper unity and completeness. Per saecula debemus intellegere omnia quae facta sunt in tempore (Primas.
ad
c. 1.2).
eij" ajqevthsin th'" aJmart.
] This thought goes beyond the redemption from transgressions (Heb. 9:15). It is literally for the disannulling of sin (7:18
ajqevthsi" proag. ejnt.
). Sin is vanquished, shewn in its weakness, set at naught (Mark 7:9; Gal. 3:15).
The comment of Theodoret deserves notice: pantelw'" th'" aJmartiva" katevluse th;n ijscu;n ajqanasivan hJmi'n uJposcovmeno" : ejnoclei'n ga;r au{th toi'" ajqanavtoi" ouj duvnatai swvmasi .
The use of the singular th'" aJmartiva" brings out this general, abstract conception (comp. Heb. 10:18 prosfora; peri; aJmartiva" ). Elsewhere in the Epistle the work of Christ is regarded in its action on the many actual sins in which sin shews itself. Comp. p. 32.