"NOT ENOUGH" (An Article by Christian Henry) ~ 1/29/26

“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”

(Hebrews 10:4)

Hebrews was an epistle written to Jewish followers of Jesus, penned sometime before the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in 70 AD. As with the precise date of writing, the author is also unknown. The writing includes a lot of Pauline language, so many think it is from the Apostle Paul, but I disagree because in Paul’s writings, he usually identifies himself. Because the writer doesn’t, I don’t think it was Paul, but because of the style, I believe it had to be someone in that circle. I like the theory that it was written by Apollos, a former close confidant of Paul who had deep knowledge of the Old Testament and the rhetorical skill necessary to write the letter. Regardless of the author, he writes to encourage steadfast faith, warn against falling away, and demonstrate that Jesus is the only true path to God, offering a better, more permanent covenant and eternal salvation.

At the start of chapter ten, the writer declares God’s replacement of the old imperfect covenant with a better one. Jesus fulfills all the prophecies and symbolism found in the Old Testament systems of antiquated rituals. Knowing that Jesus Christ is God's remedy for our sin, we should be encouraged in holding on to our faith in the face of persecution. The New Covenant is far superior to the Old Covenant, based on sacrifices. God's own Word promised to replace the system centered on flawed earthly components that were symbols of the “real” remedy for sin, which is the one-time sacrifice of Jesus.

Verse four states a truth that the writer of Hebrews has been implying for several chapters now: the ceremonial sacrifices offered by Old Testament priests had to be repeated often. Logically, this means those sacrifices were not actually obtaining forgiveness for sins; they were only covering up those sins, temporarily delaying judgment. However, as I’ve said, this was a flawed system because if a sacrifice must be repeated to work, it wasn’t a good enough sacrifice.

There’s no mystery here. Sacrifices and ceremony (no matter how often repeated) will never remove sin. At the time, sacrifices were necessary, but they did not remove the necessity for another and a better offering. The Old Covenant was meant only to symbolize the New Covenant and to prepare humanity to accept the ministry of Christ. The very flaws which have been pointed out were, in fact, meant to draw humanity's awareness to our need for a single, perfect sacrifice. Things like animal sacrifices and other ordinances can sometimes soothe the troubled soul (because those people feel they’re doing their duty to God), but they can’t truly change the conscience. Ceremonial practices can only solve ceremonial problems (physical, external matters). They are simply not enough and will never be enough, especially when compared to our Saviour’s sacrifice. This is why God promised to establish a new covenant written on the hearts and minds of the people. On the cross, Jesus bought the only remedy we need that can cure the ailment of our sins. Without the shedding of our Savior’s blood, there can be no remission. The former things must fade away because they simply were not enough.