SEV Biblia, Chapter 8:6
¶ Mas ahora tanto mejor ministerio es el suyo, cuanto de un mejor testamento es Mediador, el cual es hecho de mejores promesas.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Hebrew 8:6
Verse 6. Now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry] His office of priesthood is more excellent than the Levitical, because the covenant is better, and established on better promises: the old covenant referred to earthly things; the new covenant, to heavenly. The old covenant had promises of secular good; the new covenant, of spiritual and eternal blessings. As far as Christianity is preferable to Judaism, as far as Christ is preferable to Moses, as far as spiritual blessings are preferable to earthly blessings, and as far as the enjoyment of God throughout eternity is preferable to the communication of earthly good during time; so far does the new covenant exceed the old.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 6. But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry , etc..] Christ has a ministry, he is the minister of the sanctuary, ( Hebrews 8:2) he has obtained this ministry of his Father; he was called unto it and engaged in it by him; and he has now obtained it; for though he was called to it from eternity, it was in time he came an high priest of good things, to come; and his ministry is a more excellent one than that of the priests, who offered gifts according to the law and served to the example and shadow of heavenly things; as abundantly appears from the preceding chapter, and from this, as well, as from what follows: by how much also he is the Mediator of a better covenant ; the covenant of grace, as administered under the Gospel dispensation; which is not only better than the covenant of works, that being conditional, this absolute; that stood on the foot of works, this on the foot of grace, and is established in Christ; that being broken and made void, this continues; and not only better than the covenant of the Levitical priesthood, which was but a typical one, and is now ceased, but also than the covenant of grace, as administered under the legal dispensation; being better than that, as to the manner of its manifestation, which is more full and clear; and as to the extent of its administration, reaching to Gentiles as well as Jews; and as to the ratification of it by the blood of Christ, called from thence the blood of the everlasting covenant; and as to the promises of it, here said to be better: which was established upon better promises ; which are not now delivered out as before, under the figure of earthly and temporal things; nor under a condition to be performed nor confined to a particular people and nation; and which are attended with a greater measure of the Spirit, to open and apply them; and are all secured in Christ Jesus, and confirmed by his blood: and now of this covenant Christ is the Mediator; a mediator is of more persons than one, and of these at variance; and he is a middle person between both; and his business is to bring both parties together, and make peace between them: the two parties in this case are God and man, set at a distance from each other by the sin of man, whereby man is become enmity to God; Christ is the Mediator between God and man, a middle person between both, being both God and man, the daysman, who lays his hands on both; who brings men to God that were afar off, and makes peace for them by the blood of his cross, and satisfies the justice of God, which he has done by the sacrifice of himself; and now appears in the presence of God for them, and intercedes for them, and applies the blessings of the covenant to them by his Spirit, and keeps and preserves them safe to his everlasting kingdom; and for this office he is every way fit, and in this he excels the Levitical priests, and has a ministry superior to theirs, since he is such a Mediator, and a Mediator of such a covenant, Ver. 7. For if that first covenant had been faultless , etc..] Not the covenant of works; that was made in paradise, this on Mount Sinai; that was made with Adam and his posterity, this with the Jews only; that had no mediator, this had one, Moses; that was not dedicated with blood, this was; that had no forgiveness of sin in it, this had; under that saints are not, but they were under this; to be under that was no privilege, but to be under this it was, as to the Israelites, who on this account were preferable to all other nations: nor is the pure covenant of grace as administered under the Gospel, meant; for though that was first made, yet is the second in administration; that includes the elect of God among the Gentiles, this only the Jews; that is made only with them, and is made known to them whom God calls by his grace in time, this was made with good and bad; that was of pure grace, this required works in order to life and the enjoyment of its blessings; that is an everlasting covenant, this is done away; and the one is manifestly distinguished from the other in this chapter: but the covenant here designed is the covenant of grace, as administered under the legal dispensation, and which was a typical one; the people with whom it was made were typical of the true Israel of God; the blessings promised in it were shadows of good things to come; the works it required were typical of Christ's obedience to the law, in the room and stead of his people, by which he fulfilled it; the sacrifices on which it was established were types of the sacrifice and death of Christ; the mediator of it. Moses, was a type of Christ, the Mediator of the new covenant; and it was confirmed by the blood of beasts, which was typical of the blood of Christ: this covenant was not faultless, but was faulty or blameworthy; not that there was anything sinful and criminal in it, but it was deficient; there was a weakness in it; its sacrifices could not make men perfect, nor take away sin; there wanted a larger supply of the grace of the Spirit to write the law of God upon the heart, and to enable men to keep it; there was not in it so full a revelation of the mind and will of God, and of his love and grace, as has since been made; nor did it exhibit a free and full pardon for all sins, unclogged of every condition; the persons that were under it were faulty; hence it follows, that God found fault with them, they could not answer the requirements and end of it: had it been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second ; the covenant of grace unveiled in the Gospel dispensation, called the better testament, the better covenant, and the new covenant; in order to, introduce which, the first was removed, that this might succeed it; just as because there was no perfection by the Levitical priesthood, it became necessary that another priest should arise, of another order.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-6 - The substance, or summary, of what had been declared was, tha Christians had such a High Priest as they needed. He took upon himsel human nature, appeared on earth, and there gave himself as a sacrific to God for the sins of his people. We must not dare to approach God, or to present any thing to him, but in and through Christ, depending upo his merits and mediation; for we are accepted only in the Beloved. I all obedience and worship, we should keep close to God's word, which is the only and perfect standard. Christ is the substance and end of the law of righteousness. But the covenant here referred to, was that mad with Israel as a nation, securing temporal benefits to them. The promises of all spiritual blessings, and of eternal life, revealed in the gospel, and made sure through Christ, are of infinitely greate value. Let us bless God that we have a High Priest that suits ou helpless condition.
Greek Textus Receptus
νυνι 3570 δε 1161 διαφορωτερας 1313 τετευχεν 5177 5758 λειτουργιας 3009 οσω 3745 και 2532 κρειττονος 2909 εστιν 2076 5748 διαθηκης 1242 μεσιτης 3316 ητις 3748 επι 1909 κρειττοσιν 2909 επαγγελιαις 1860 νενομοθετηται 3549 5769
Vincent's NT Word Studies
6. But now (nun de). Nunis logical: as the case now stands. The statement of ver. 4 is taken up. "If he were on earth he could not be a priest," etc., but now, since Christ is a priest, and must have a sanctuary and an offering, he has a more excellent ministry.
He hath obtained a more excellent ministry (diaforwterav tetucen leitourgiav). The ministry of the heavenly sanctuary.
He is the mediator of a better covenant (kreittonov estin diaqhkhv mesithv). For mesithv mediator, see on Gal. iii. 19. Both here and in the following chapter, the ideas of the sanctuary and the covenant are closely united. God's covenant was embodied in the sanctuary. The ark was "the ark of the covenant"; the tables of the law were "the tables of the covenant." The essence of a covenant is the establishment of a relationship. The sanctuary was the meeting-place of God and man. The ritual of sacrifice adjusted the sinner's relation to a holy God. All the furniture and all the ordinances of the tabernacle assumed the covenant between God and his people. Thus the two ideas belong together. The minister of the Levitical sanctuary was the mediator of the old covenant. A new covenant implies a new ministry, a better covenant implies a better ministry. Christ's priesthood implies a sanctuary. The new sanctuary implies a new covenant. This covenant is a better covenant because it Was established upon better promises (epi kreittosin epaggeliaiv nenomoqethtai). For established rend. enacted. Nomoqetein to enact a law, only here and ch. vii. 11. A few times in LXX: Nomoqesia enacting, only Rom. ix. 4 nomoqethv lawgiver, only Jas. iv. 12. The better covenant was enacted as truly as was the law. See ver. 10. The new covenant was a new law - the perfect law, the law of liberty, Jas. i. 25.
