Hebrews 7:27

Who needed not daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for their own sins, and then for the sins of the people; for this he did once for all, when he offered up himself.

Some commentators see a difficulty in this verse because of its reference to the priest's daily offering for his own sins, whereas it appears that this was done only by the high priest on the day of atonement. Some have even dared to ascribe ignorance to the author of Hebrews; but as Lenski says,

These critics do not have much ground to stand on, for it can readily be observed that the writer says "once a year" (Hebrews 9:7), "year by year" (Hebrews 10:1); and that he knows Leviticus 16:2 ("not at all times"), and Leviticus 16:29, and also has "once a year" (Leviticus 16:34).[27]

It should be noted that this is a comparison between Christ who "daily" intercedes with us, coupled with the hypothetical implication that "if" he had been sinful, he would therefore have had to offer "daily" for his own sins and the sins of others; but, since he is not sinful, he "needeth not daily" to offer, etc. To have done so would have made him like those priests, which he is not. Another possible explanation of the meaning is that the daily sacrifices of the Levitical system was as much founded on the constant, daily sins of the Levites as it was on the sins of the people; and, in that view, every sacrifice, day by day, was made with a view to the sins of the Levites, and then for the sins of all the people as well. These were needed every day because the people sinned every day, the priests being no exception.

Those multiple daily sacrifices are here contrasted with the sacrifice offered by Christ, which was not for his sins but for the sins of others; and which was not offered repeatedly at daily, yearly, or other intervals, but "once for all," finally, and forever. Another difference is seen in the place of the offering, theirs being in an earthly temple, Christ's being in heaven itself. Significantly, Christ's blood was shed on earth but offered in heaven, thus fulfilling the type of the lamb's being slain in the outer court and his blood being offered within the holy of holies.

Once for all is the translation of the Greek word [@hapax] which means "once, without need or possibility of repetition." It means "once, finally." This word is of immense significance and is used in several key statements in the New Testament. (1) Christ has been manifested in human form once for all (Hebrews 9:26). (2) He suffered for man's sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, once for all (1 Peter 3:18). (3) Christ died once for all (Hebrews 9:28). (4) The faith was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 1:1:3). (5) Christ offered his blood in heaven once for all (Hebrews 9:12,26). (6) It is appointed unto man to die once for all (Hebrews 9:27). (7) Once for all God will shake the earth and the heavens, that is, remove them (Hebrews 12:27).

In the verse at hand, the finality and completeness of Christ's offering his blood in heaven for people is contrasted with the repeated daily sacrifices of the Levitical priests. The doctrinal import of this is extremely important, because here is the sure authority for rejecting any such things as a sacrifice of the mass, or the sacrifice of anything else that a human worshiper might have to offer. Not any gift that people have or might acquire could avail; nor can people offer the blood of Christ (what a presumption!), seeing that Christ himself has already done so "once for all," and that in a place where alone it could do any good, and where none can enter except Christ, that is, in heaven.