Hebrews 10:14 kjv
For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Hebrews 10:14 nkjv
For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
Hebrews 10:14 niv
For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
Hebrews 10:14 esv
For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
Hebrews 10:14 nlt
For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.
Hebrews 10 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Heb 9:12 | He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. | Christ's single, effective sacrifice. |
| Heb 9:26 | ...He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. | Finality of Christ's sacrifice. |
| Heb 9:28 | so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time... | One offering for sins. |
| Heb 10:10 | And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. | Direct parallel: Sanctified by Christ's one offering. |
| Heb 7:27 | 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... | Christ's single perfect sacrifice vs. repeated ones. |
| 1 Pet 3:18 | For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God... | Christ's once-for-all suffering. |
| Rom 6:10 | For the death he died he died to sin once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. | Christ's definitive victory over sin. |
| Heb 7:19 | (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. | The Law's inability to perfect. |
| Heb 9:9 | ...gifts and sacrifices that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper... | Old Covenant's inability to cleanse conscience. |
| Heb 10:1 | For since the law has but a shadow... it can never, by the same sacrifices... make perfect those who draw near. | Law cannot perfect due to repetition. |
| Col 2:10 | and you have been perfected in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. | Believers' completeness in Christ. |
| John 19:30 | When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. | Christ's completed work of redemption. |
| Rom 5:1 | Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. | Perfection in legal standing (justification). |
| Heb 12:23 | ...and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect. | Saints brought to completion by God. |
| Heb 2:11 | For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source... | Christ the sanctifier and believers the sanctified. |
| Heb 13:12 | So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. | Sanctification through Christ's blood. |
| 1 Cor 1:2 | To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name... | Believers are positionally sanctified in Christ. |
| 1 Cor 1:30 | And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption... | Christ as believers' source of sanctification. |
| 1 Cor 6:11 | And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. | Definitive past act of sanctification. |
| 2 Thess 2:13 | But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification... | Sanctification as God's work for salvation. |
| 1 Pet 1:2 | ...according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood... | Spirit's role in sanctification for obedience. |
| John 17:17 | Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. | Progressive sanctification through the Word. |
| Eph 5:26 | ...that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word... | Ongoing sanctification of the Church. |
| Phil 1:6 | And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. | God's continuing work of completion. |
| Heb 4:16 | Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. | Confident access to God enabled by Christ. |
| Heb 10:19-22 | Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus... let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith... | Boldness to approach God, consequence of perfection. |
| Jer 31:33-34 | For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them... they shall all know me... | Basis of the New Covenant's internal transformation. |
Hebrews 10 verses
Hebrews 10 14 Meaning
Hebrews 10:14 states that through Christ's singular, definitive sacrifice, He has permanently and positionally made complete all those whom God has set apart for Himself. This verse underscores the radical superiority and effectiveness of the New Covenant initiated by Jesus, in contrast to the Old Covenant's temporary and repeated sacrifices. It speaks to a completed work by God, through Christ, for His elect, securing their perfect standing before Him while acknowledging the ongoing process of holiness in their lives.
Hebrews 10 14 Context
Hebrews chapter 10 continues the author's extensive argument on the superiority of Christ's once-for-all sacrifice over the repetitive, ineffective sacrifices of the Old Covenant Levitical system. Chapters 8 and 9 establish Jesus as the perfect High Priest of a superior New Covenant. This immediate passage (Heb 10:1-18) specifically contrasts the Law's animal sacrifices, which could never truly take away sins or perfect the worshiper's conscience (Heb 10:1-4), with Christ's willing obedience and perfect offering of His own body (Heb 10:5-10). The repetitive nature of the Levitical offerings proved their inability to truly perfect; conversely, Christ's single offering definitively accomplished God's saving purpose (Heb 10:11-12). Verse 14, therefore, serves as a triumphant summary of Christ's work, emphasizing its completeness, permanence, and redemptive power for God's chosen people, paving the way for the author's exhortation to persevere in faith and draw near to God with confidence (Heb 10:19-25).
Hebrews 10 14 Word analysis
For: (
gar) - A connective particle, indicating a logical explanation or reason for the preceding statements, especially those about the definitive nature of Christ's sacrifice. It reinforces why no further offerings are needed.by one offering: (
mia prosphora) - "One" emphasizes singularity and uniqueness.Prosphorameans an "act of offering, presentation, sacrifice." This stands in direct contrast to the countless animal sacrifices of the Old Covenant which were always "many" and repeated. It highlights the unparalleled efficacy of Christ's singular self-offering.he hath perfected: (
teteleioken) -Teleioomeans "to bring to an end, complete, finish, perfect, bring to fulfillment." The Greek perfect tense indicates a completed action in the past with ongoing, permanent results into the present and future. It signifies that the work is utterly finished and requires no supplementation. This perfection refers to a complete and permanent legal and positional cleansing before God, where the worshiper no longer needs further purification from sins in their conscience to approach Him. It does not mean they instantly achieve moral perfection in daily living.for ever: (
eis to dienekes) - This phrase means "throughout the whole period of time; forever; for all time; continuously." It underscores the eternal efficacy and lasting impact of Christ's offering. The result of the "perfection" is not temporary or in need of renewal, but eternally secured.them that are sanctified: (
tous hagiazomenous) - This is a crucial phrase.Hagiazomenousis the present passive participle ofhagiazo, meaning "to make holy, consecrate, sanctify, set apart."- Present tense: "being sanctified" or "in the process of being sanctified." This points to the ongoing work of God in the believer, their progressive spiritual growth in holiness, not a state they achieve instantly or perfectly on their own.
- Passive voice: Indicates that they are being sanctified, not sanctifying themselves. This is a work initiated and accomplished by God through Christ and the Holy Spirit.
- "Them that are sanctified" refers to those whom God has chosen, called, and set apart as His own, marking them as holy in His sight by Christ's blood (definitive sanctification), and whom He continues to progressively conform to Christ's image (progressive sanctification). It refers to the company of the elect, the redeemed.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "For by one offering he hath perfected": The single, final sacrifice of Christ is the sufficient means by which God brings His chosen ones to a state of completed relationship and acceptance. There is nothing lacking in Christ's atonement.
- "perfected for ever": This emphasizes the permanence and finality of the accomplished work. The perfect cleansing and acceptance before God is an eternal reality, never to be undone or repeated. This speaks to the believer's secure standing in Christ.
- "them that are sanctified": This defines the beneficiaries of this eternal perfection. It describes those who are set apart by God, indicating both their initial setting apart by His grace and their ongoing process of becoming more like Christ in practical holiness. It beautifully encapsulates both definitive and progressive aspects of sanctification. This is not perfection based on human effort, but on divine consecration.
Hebrews 10 14 Bonus section
The perfection spoken of in Heb 10:14 is primarily a forensic or legal perfection, referring to the believer's standing before God. Because Christ's offering cleanses the conscience (as mentioned in Heb 9:14), those who are truly in Him are perfectly cleansed and declared righteous in God's eyes. They are granted access to God with boldness, free from the lingering guilt and burden of sin. This "perfection" stands in stark contrast to the repetitive sacrifices of the Old Testament that could never achieve such an inner cleansing and full access (Heb 10:1-4). This concept forms the basis for the Christian's confidence in prayer and approach to God (Heb 4:16; 10:19-22). The "being sanctified" aspect points to the Spirit's ongoing work, where God sets apart and dedicates a person for Himself (positional sanctification at conversion) and then works to conform them to the image of His Son (progressive sanctification throughout life). Therefore, this verse holds both an assuring declarative truth and a compelling call to ongoing obedience in light of such grace.
Hebrews 10 14 Commentary
Hebrews 10:14 serves as the theological pinnacle of the author's argument regarding Christ's ultimate sacrifice. It asserts that Jesus, through His single, voluntary, and perfect offering on the cross, completely fulfilled all that the Old Covenant sacrifices dimly foreshadowed but could never accomplish. The "perfection" wrought by Christ is a positional one; believers are made entirely complete in their standing before God, having their sins permanently dealt with, granting them a clean conscience and access into His presence. This means they are no longer viewed as defiled or needing further atoning sacrifices. The phrase "for ever" reinforces the absolute finality and eternal efficacy of this work. Crucially, this eternal perfection is for "them that are sanctified"—referring to those whom God has chosen and set apart as His holy people. This signifies a work that has both definitive (past, positional setting apart) and progressive (ongoing, experiential making holy) aspects. The perfect legal standing given by Christ's sacrifice enables and empowers the continuous work of the Holy Spirit to transform believers into actual likeness of Christ, a process that continues until glorification. It's a foundational truth assuring believers of their security and full acceptance based solely on Christ's completed work, inspiring them to press on in the pursuit of practical holiness out of gratitude.