A note on ἐφάπαξ: Once for all!

I preached this past Sunday on Hebrews 10:1-10. I became a bit overwhelmed as I came to the close of the message with the fact that Jesus died for me “once for all” (10:10). Perhaps it is because in Sunday School I am teaching through Leviticus and for several month now in Hebrews, the point has been made over and over that the daily sacrifices of bulls and goats just are insufficient to cleanse the conscience of the worshipper. What was needed was a perfect sacrifice, one that could be offered one time to deal with all sin. Such a sacrifice is found in Jesus.

The adverb ἐφάπαξ is only used 5 times in the NT and not at all in the LXX. What is interesting is all 5 uses surround the work of Christ in one form or another. Four of the uses (Rom 6:10; Hebrews 7:27; 9:12; and 10:10) refer to the offering of Christ’s life for sin and 1 Cor 15:6 uses the term to refer to the post-ressurrection appearance of Christ to his disciples (“at one time”).

I just wanted to highlight this little used adverb. Christ died for sinners: once for all.



Categories: ἐφάπαξ, Christ, Hebrews

1 reply

  1. Thanks for this. I wish our pastor would preach on Leviticus too 🙂 That’s neat that you could teach through Hebrews also and see how more and more how Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, once and for all. Great little adverb!

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