Christ's Eternal Redemption through One Offering

The concept of Christ's eternal redemption through one offering is rooted in the biblical understanding of sacrifice and redemption. The author of Hebrews writes, "By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" ^[1]. This statement underscores the significance of Christ's singular sacrifice.

The biblical concept of sacrifice is multifaceted, involving various types of offerings such as burnt offerings, sin offerings, and peace offerings ^{[2, 3]}. These sacrifices were instituted to acknowledge sin, express gratitude, and maintain a right relationship with God. The Old Testament sacrificial system required repeated offerings, as seen in the daily, weekly, and annual sacrifices ^[4].

In contrast, Christ's sacrifice is portrayed as a once-for-all offering. The writer of Hebrews emphasizes that Christ "offered one sacrifice for sins for ever" (Hebrews 10:12), and that "by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified" ^[5]. This highlights the definitive and eternal nature of Christ's redemption.

The efficacy of Christ's sacrifice is understood to be rooted in its being a perfect and complete offering. According to John Chrysostom, "the sacrifice is one... He is our High Priest, who offered the sacrifice that cleanses us" ^[6]. This understanding is echoed in Reformed theology, where John Gill notes that Christ's "one offering" is the basis for the perfection of those who are sanctified ^[7].

The eternal aspect of Christ's redemption is also linked to God's eternal foreordination of Christ's sacrifice. As Jamieson, Fausset & Brown comment on 1 Peter 1:20, God's foreordination of Christ's redeeming sacrifice underscores the significance of Christ's work ^[8].

The uniqueness of Christ's sacrifice is further emphasized by its contrast with the repeated sacrifices under the Old Covenant. The writer of Hebrews argues that if Christ were to offer himself repeatedly, "He must often have suffered since the foundation of the world" (Hebrews 9:26) ^[11]. Instead, Christ's once-for-all sacrifice has achieved eternal redemption.

The understanding of Christ's eternal redemption through one offering has been a cornerstone of Christian theology across various traditions. While the specifics of how this redemption is understood and applied may vary, the core conviction remains that Christ's sacrifice is a singular and definitive event ^{[5, 6, 7]}.

The implications of this doctrine are far-reaching. As noted in Hebrews 10:14, Christ's one offering has "perfected for ever them that are sanctified". This perfection is not a human achievement but a divine work, rooted in Christ's sacrifice. The eternal nature of Christ's redemption thus provides a foundation for Christian assurance and confidence in their standing before God.

The historical development of this doctrine is closely tied to the early Christian understanding of Christ's sacrifice as a fulfillment of Old Testament sacrificial practices. The writer of Hebrews draws extensively on these practices to explain the significance of Christ's offering ^{[1, 9, 10]}.

Sources

King James Version “[KJV] Hebrews 10:10 — By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Offerings — To be made to God alone -- Ex 22:20; Jdj 13:16. Antiquity of -- Ge 4:3,4. Different kinds of Burnt. -- Le 1:3-17; Ps 66:15. Sin. -- Le 4:3-35; 6:25; 10:17. Trespass. -- Le 5:16-19; 6:6; 7:1. Peace. -- Le 3:1-17; 7:11. Heave. -- Ex 29:27,28; 7:14; Nu 15:19. Wave. -- Ex 29:26; Le 7:30. Meat. -- Le 2:1-16; Nu 15:4. Drink. -- Ge 35:14; Ex 29:40; Nu 15:5. Thank. -- Le 7:12; 22:29; Ps 50:14. Free-will. -- Le 23:38; De 16:10; 23:23. Incense. -- Ex 30:8; Mal 1:11; Lu 1:9. First-fruits. -- Ex 22:29; De 18:4. Tithe. -- Le 27:30; Nu 18:21; De 14:22. Gifts. -- Ex 35:”
Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Thank Offering, Or Peace Offering — the properly eucharistic offering among the Jews, in its theory resembling the meat offering and therefore indicating that the offerer was already reconciled to and in covenant with God. Its ceremonial is described in (Leviticus 3:1) ... The peace offerings, unlike other sacrifices, were not ordained to be offered in fixed and regular course. The only constantly-recurring peace offering appears to have been that of the two firstling lambs at Pentecost. (Leviticus 23:19) The general principle of the peace offering seems to have been ”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Sin-offering — (Heb. hattath), the law of, is given in detail in Lev. 4-6:13; 9:7-11, 22-24; 12:6-8; 15:2, 14, 25-30; 14:19, 31; Num. 6:10-14. On the day of Atonement it was made with special solemnity (Lev. 16:5, 11, 15). The blood was then carried into the holy of holies and sprinkled on the mercy-seat. Sin-offerings were also presented at the five annual festivals (Num. 28, 29), and on the occasion of the consecration of the priests (Ex. 29:10-14, 36). As each individual, even the most private member of the congregation, as well as the congregation at large, and t”
Hebrews (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Hebrews 10:12: this man--emphatic (Heb 3:3). for ever--joined in English Version with "offered one sacrifice"; offered one sacrifice, the efficacy of which endures for ever; literally. "continuously," (compare Heb 10:14). "The offering of Christ, once for all made, will continue the one and only oblation for ever; no other will supersede it" [BENGEL]. The mass, which professes to be the frequent repetition of one and the same sacrifice of Christ's body, is hence disproved. For not only is Christ's body one, but also His offering is one, and that inseparable from ”
CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on John & Hebrews: sacrifice is one. And yet by this reasoning, since the offering is made in many places, are there many Christs? but Christ is one everywhere, being complete here and complete there also, one Body. As then while offered in many places, He is one body and not many bodies; so also [He is] one sacrifice. He is our High Priest, who offered the sacrifice that cleanses us. That we offer now also, which was then offered, which cannot be exhausted. This is done in remembrance of what was then done. For (saith He) “do this in remembrance of Me.” ( Luke xxii. ”
Hebrews (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Hebrews 10:14: For by one offering,.... The same as before; himself, body and soul; this is a reason why he is set down, and will continue so for ever, and why he expects his enemies to be made his footstool; because by one sacrifice for sin, which he has once offered, he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified; that is, who are sanctified by God the Father, Jde 1:1 or, who are set apart by him in eternal election, from the rest of the world, for his own use, service, and glory, to a state of grace and holiness here, and happiness hereafter; for this is not to be unders”
1 Peter (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Peter 1:20: God's eternal foreordination of Christ's redeeming sacrifice, and completion of it in these last times for us, are an additional obligation on us to our maintaining a holy walk, considering how great things have been thus done for us. Peter's language in the history corresponds with this here: an undesigned coincidence and mark of genuineness. Redemption was no afterthought, or remedy of an unforeseen evil, devised at the time of its arising. God's foreordaining of the Redeemer refutes the slander that, on the Christian theory, there is a period of fo”
Hebrews (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Hebrews 9:28: Christ--Greek, "THE Christ"; the representative MAN; representing all men, as the first Adam did. once offered--not "often," Heb 9:25; just as "men," of whom He is the representative Head, are appointed by God once to die. He did not need to die again and again for each individual, or each successive generation of men, for He represents all men of every age, and therefore needed to die but once for all, so as to exhaust the penalty of death incurred by all. He was offered by the Father, His own "eternal Spirit" (Heb 9:14) concurring; as Abraham spar”
Hebrews (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Hebrews 10:10: By--Greek, "In." So "in," and "through," occur in the same sentence, Pe1 1:22, "Ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit." Also, Pe1 1:5, in the Greek. The "in (fulfilment of) which will" (compare the use of in, Eph 1:6, "wherein [in which grace] He hath made us accepted, in the Beloved"), expresses the originating cause; "THROUGH the offering . . . of Christ," the instrumental or mediatory cause. The whole work of redemption flows from "the will" of God the Father, as the First Cause, who decreed redemption from before the”
Hebrews (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Hebrews 9:26: then--in that case. must . . . have suffered--rather as Greek, "It would have been necessary for Him often to suffer." In order to "offer" (Heb 9:25), or present Himself often before God in the heavenly holiest place, like the legal high priests making fresh renewals of this high priestly function. He would have had, and would have often to suffer. His oblation of Himself before God was once for all (that is, the bringing in of His blood into the heavenly Holy of Holies), and therefore the preliminary suffering was once for all. since the foundati”

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