FOR BY ONE OFFERING HE HAS PERFECTED FOR ALL TIME: mia gar prosphora teteleioken (3SRAI) eis to dienekes: (He 10:1; 7:19,25; 9:10,14)

Perfected (5048) (teleioo [word study] related to teleios [word study] from telos = an end, a purpose, an aim, a goal, consummate soundness, idea of being whole) means to accomplish or bring to an end or to the intended goal (telos). It means to be complete, mature, fully developed, full grown, brought to its end, finished, wanting nothing necessary to completeness or in good working order. It does not mean simply to terminate something but to carry it out to the full finish which is picked up in the translation "perfected". Teleioo signifies the attainment of consummate soundness and includes the idea of being made whole. Interestingly the Gnostics used teleios of one fully initiated into their mysteries and that may have been why Paul used teleios in this epistle.

The perfect tense here in Hebrews 10:14 speaks of the permanence of this perfection and thus refers to past tense salvation or positional sanctification. Believers are forever perfect in Christ which is how God now see them.

In He 12:2 (note) Jesus is designated as "the author and perfecter of faith" where perfecter is teleiotes, the Completer, the One Who reached the goal so as to win the prize so to speak.

Wuest has this note on the NT word group (telos, teleioo, teleios, teleiosis, teleiotes)...

Teleios the adjective, and teleioo the verb. The adjective is used in the papyri, of heirs being of age, of women who have attained maturity, of full-grown cocks, of acacia trees in good condition, of a complete lampstand, of something in good working order or condition. To summarize; the meaning of the adjective includes the ideas of full-growth, maturity, workability, soundness, and completeness. The verb refers to the act of bringing the person or thing to any one of the aforementioned conditions. When applied to a Christian, the word refers to one that is spiritually mature, complete, well-rounded in his Christian character.

Richards commenting on the word group (telos, teleioo, teleios, teleiosis, teleiotes) writes that

These words emphasize wholeness and completeness. In the biological sense they mean "mature," or "full grown": the person, animal, or plant achieved the potential inherent in its nature. The perfect is the thing or person that is complete, in which nothing that belongs to its essence has been left out. It is perfect because every potential it possesses has been realized. (Richards, L O: Expository Dictionary of Bible Words: Regency)

Telioo is used 19 times of 24 total NT uses in Hebrews, often in the sense of to make perfect or fully cleanse from sin in contrast to ceremonial (Levitical) cleansing. The writer is emphasizing the importance of perfection... (which should cause any Jew who is contemplating the worth of Christ and the New Covenant to realize his utter hopelessness to every attain perfection under the Old Covenant).

Hebrews 2:10 (note) For it was fitting for Him, for Whom are all things, and through Whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings (What sufferings? Certainly one would consider His temptation by Satan in the barren wilderness [see Mt 4:1-11, Lk 4:1, 2, 3ff, Mk 1:12, 13] and Gethsemane [Mt 26:36,44, Lk 22:39,44][in agony He was praying very fervently]). (Comment: This does not imply any moral imperfection in the Lord Jesus, but speaks of the consummation of the human experience of suffering the death of the Cross, through which He must pass if He is to become the Author or Captain of our salvation.)

Hebrews 5:9 (note) And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,

Hebrews 7:19 (note) (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. (Comment: This means to carry through completely, to make complete, to finish, bring to an end. The old covenant could bring nothing to conclusion. The Mosaic economy could reveal sin but it could never remove sin, and so it had to be removed. It gave no security. It gave no peace. A man never had a clean conscience.)

Hebrews 7:28 (note) For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever.

Hebrews 9:9 (note) which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience,

Hebrews 10:1 (note) For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never by the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near. (Contrast with Jesus in Hebrews 5:9 above.  The idea in Hebrews 10:1 is that the ceremonial law could not actually save the believer. Its work was always short of completeness.)

Hebrews 10:14 (note) For by one offering He has perfected  for all time those who are sanctified. (Comment: Wuest writes "Here, the completeness of the state of salvation of the believer is in view. Everything essential to the salvation of the individual is included in the gift of salvation which the sinner receives by faith in Messiah’s sacrifice. The words “for ever” here are to be construed with “perfected.” It is a permanent state of completeness in salvation to which reference is made. The words “them that are sanctified” are descriptive of the believer. He is one set apart for God) (ibid)

Hebrews 11:40 (note) because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

Hebrews 12:23 (note) (But you have come...) 23 to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect,

In sum the fundamental idea of telioo is the bringing of a person or thing to the goal fixed by God.

It is interesting and doubtless no mere coincidence that in the Septuagint (LXX) teleioo is translated numerous times as consecrated or consecration, especially speaking of consecration of the priests (cf Jesus our "great High Priest") (Ex 29:9, 29, 33, 35 Lv 4:5; 8:33; 16:32; 21:10; Nu 3:3). The LXX translators gave the verb teleioo a special sense of consecration to priestly service and this official concept stands behind the writer's use in this passage in Hebrews 5:9 (note). It signifies that Jesus has been fully equipped to come before God in priestly action.

All time (1336) (dienekes from dia = through + phéro = carry, bear) means carried through. It is used in the Greek idiomatic phrase "eis to dienekes" which means unlimited duration of time with particular focus upon the future, and therefore means always, forever, forever and ever, eternally, continually.

Under the LAW, the OLD COVENANT, it was MANY offerings, daily, time after time, year after year.

THE NIV GETS IT EXACTLY RIGHT, not the NASB. The NIV says,

"By one sacrifice he has made perfect forever THOSE WHO ARE BEING MADE HOLY."

"Are being made holy", that's exactly right. In the context of Hebrews "perfected" most likely refers to the fact that now we are fully cleansed from sin in contrast to the CEREMONIAL cleansing of the Old Covenant. The Law could make no one perfect (Heb 7:19, 7:11, 9:9, 10:1,2 cp Ro 8:3-4) and could never give the sinner a cleansed conscience, freeing him from consciousness of sins. What the Old could not do the New effected as shown to us by our Teacher the Holy Spirit in 10:16,17.

We are being brought to the full purpose (telos = goal) for which we were created...now in process but one day like Him for we shall see Him face to face (1Jn 3:2). Having this hope we make choices by which the Spirit purifies us daily from "glory to glory" (2Cor 3:18). (sanctified here is present tense and passive).

The passive voice indicates that this continual daily setting apart is BY GOD ("sanctifying work of the Spirit" 1Pe 1:2, 2Th 2:13, both primarily probably referring to "positional" sanctification but certainly not precluding His part in daily setting apart). But believer's do now have a responsibility to work out their salvation in fear and trembling (Php 2:12,13) as shown in 2Co7:1 (where the verb voice for cleanse is active subjunctive = possibility.)

Notice the recurrence one of the writer's favorite ideas - that of perfecting. [Heb 2:10; 5:9; 6:1; 7:11, 19, 28; 9:9; 10:1, 14; 11:40].

All time - unlimited duration of time = w particular focus upon the future; always, forever, forever and ever, eternally

THOSE WHO ARE SANCTIFIED: tous hagiazomenous (PPPMPA): (He 2:11; 6:13,14; 13:12; Acts 20:32; 26:13; Ro 15:16; 1Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 5:26; Jude 1:1)

Sanctified (37) (hagiazo [word study] form hagios [word study] = set apart ones in turn from a = privative + ge = the earth ~ because everything offered or consecrated to God was separated from all earthly use) means to set apart (or be set apart), to make holy, to consecrate (as of things set apart for sacred purposes).

Hagiazo - 29x in 26v - Matt. 6:9; 23:17, 19; Lk. 11:2; Jn. 10:36; 17:17, 19; Acts 20:32; 26:18; Rom. 15:16; 1 Co. 1:2; 6:11; 7:14; Eph. 5:26; 1 Thess. 5:23; 1 Tim. 4:5; 2 Tim. 2:21; Heb. 2:11; 9:13; 10:10, 14, 29; 13:12; 1 Pet. 3:15; Jude 1:1; Rev. 22:11 and is rendered in the NAS by -- hallowed(2), keep holy(1), sanctified(16), sanctifies(2), sanctify(7).

A sanctified person is one set apart from ordinary (profane, common, "vulgar" [originally meant "common"]) use to be God’s own possession, for His use, and enjoyment (cp 1Co 6:19, 20). The opposite of sanctification is profanation (the act of making profane - treating with abuse, irreverence and/or contempt).

Without going into great detail, it should be noted that there are four types of sanctification in Scripture: pre-conversion sanctification, positional sanctification (our initial salvation experience when we were justified by faith in Christ, representing a one time setting apart, eg Acts 26:18), practical sanctification (where believers live day by day, thus representing an ongoing event until the next stage of our salvation, cp 1Co 1:18), and perfect sanctification (or glorification, when we see Jesus we will be like Him, 1John 3:2, 3). (See also Three Tenses of Salvation). As you read Hebrews sanctification is used several times and the context should help determine which meaning is in view but sometimes only knowing the verb tense will aid this distinction.

Hagiazo means to render or acknowledge to be venerable or to hallow. It means to separate from things profane and dedicate to God, to consecrate and so render them inviolable. It means to purify or cleanse, either externally as in the Levitical system or to purify by expiation so that one is free from the guilt of sin. In general, Christians are called "holy ones" indicating that they are those who have been freed from the impurity of wickedness, having been brought near to God by grace through faith. This latter meaning is seen in Acts were Luke records Jesus' charge to Paul to go to the Gentiles...

 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified (describes the initial setting apart at the time of salvation) by faith in Me.' (Acts 26:18)

Hagiazo is in the present tense, passive voice which signifies that believer are being [passive voice = outside force = by the Spirit's power, not our power, cp Jesus in He 2:11-note] continually sanctified (Practical sanctification) this day by day (moment by moment) outworking of those who are in Christ positionally (positional sanctification - see 1Th 4:3-note) And so the writer is describing a process in contrast to He 10:10 which describes our position in Christ. (He 10:14-note)

Passive voice = this process of progressively being set apart from the world & to God is coming from an outside Source (Jesus in Heb 2:11-note).

John Piper explains that...

What this means is that you can know that you stand perfect in the eyes of your heavenly Father if you are moving away from your present imperfection toward more and more holiness by faith in his future grace. Let me say that again, because it is full of encouragement for imperfect sinners like us, and full of motivation for holiness. This verse means that you can have assurance that you stand perfected and completed in the eyes of your heavenly Father not because you are perfect now, but precisely because you are not perfect now but are "being sanctified", "being made holy", that, by faith in God's promises, you are moving away from your lingering imperfection toward more and more holiness. (See Hebrews 10:32, 33, 34, 35; 11:24, 25, 26 etc. for examples of how faith in future grace sanctifies.) (See John Piper's entire message "Perfected for All Time by a Single Offering")

KJV Bible Commentary notes that here in Hebrews 10 where we see the verb sanctify (here and Hebrews 10:10) used twice the writer is describing...

the twofold nature of salvation (see Three Tenses of Salvation). The believer possesses a positional, judicial standing of righteousness and, second, a remaining need for practical, progressive holiness. Three factors within this verse make perfected absolute, suggesting the eternal security of the believer. The word itself (Greek teleioo from telos = goal) involves completion, the bringing of something to its end. Second, the use of the Greek perfect tense (have been sanctified -- He 10:10-note) suggests that the perfection has been accomplished and its effects are continuing. Third, the modifier, forever, expresses security for the believer.

The need, however, of a progressive sanctification is expressed by the word sanctified. The use of the present participle implies the thought of a sanctification that is continuing, rather than completed. There is an initial, or positional, sanctification involved in regeneration (1Cor 1:2; 6:1). Equally, there is a progressive sanctification by which the Holy Spirit continually maintains and strengthens the holiness imparted in regeneration (Ro 6:19-note; 2Cor 7:1-note; 1Th 4:3-note). Finally, there exists for the people of God an ultimate or completed sanctification whereby we will be freed from even the very presence of sin within our lives (1Th 5:23-note). Even though the believer’s sanctification is still in progress, yet because of Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice, he stands eternally secure and perfect because of Christ’s righteousness (2Cor 5:21). (Dobson, E G, Charles Feinberg, E Hindson, Woodrow Kroll, H L. Wilmington: KJV Bible Commentary: Nelson or Logos) (Bolding added)

Oswald Chambers writes on The Impartial Power of God

We trample the blood of the Son of God underfoot if we think we are forgiven because we are sorry for our sins. The only reason for the forgiveness of our sins by God, and the infinite depth of His promise to forget them, is the death of Jesus Christ. Our repentance is merely the result of our personal realization of the atonement by the Cross of Christ, which He has provided for us. ". . . Christ Jesus . . . became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption . . ." ( 1Co 1:30 ). Once we realize that Christ has become all this for us, the limitless joy of God begins in us. And wherever the joy of God is not present, the death sentence is still in effect.

No matter who or what we are, God restores us to right standing with Himself only by means of the death of Jesus Christ. God does this, not because Jesus pleads with Him to do so but because He died. It cannot be earned, just accepted. All the pleading for salvation which deliberately ignores the Cross of Christ is useless. It is knocking at a door other than the one which Jesus has already opened. We protest by saying, "But I don’t want to come that way. It is too humiliating to be received as a sinner." God’s response, through Peter, is, ". . . there is no other name . . . by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). What at first appears to be heartlessness on God’s part is actually the true expression of His heart. There is unlimited entrance His way. "In Him we have redemption through His blood . . ." ( Ephesians 1:7-note). To identify with the death of Jesus Christ means that we must die to everything that was never a part of Him.

God is just in saving bad people only as He makes them good. Our Lord does not pretend we are all right when we are all wrong. The atonement by the Cross of Christ is the propitiation God uses to make unholy people holy.  (My Utmost for His Highest)

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Andrew Murray...

THE SANCTIFIED PERFECTED FOR EVER
Hebrews 10:14

THIS verse is in reality the conclusion of the doctrinal part of the Epistle. The four following verses are simply the citation of the words of the new covenant to confirm its teaching with the witness of the Holy Spirit. The writer having, in the context, expounded the nature of Christ's sacrifice, as showing what the way into the Holiest is, sums up his proof of its worth and efficacy in the words: By one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. We find here five of the most important words that occur in the Epistle.

Sanctified. That looks back to the great purpose of Christ's coming, as we had it in Hebrews 2. Sanctified is cleansed from sin, taken out of the sphere and power of the world and sin, and brought to live in the sphere and power of God's holiness in the Holiest of All. It looks back, too, to Hebrews 2:10: In which will we are sanctified by the offering of the body of Christ.

He hath perfected them that are sanctified. It not only says that He has finished and completed for them all they need. The word points back to what was said of His own being made perfect. All He became was for us. In His one sacrifice He was not only perfected Himself, but He perfected us; He took us into the fellowship of His own perfectness, implanted His own perfect life in us, and gave His perfected human nature to us what we were to put on, and to live in.

For ever. He hath perfected us once for all and for ever. His perfection is ours; our whole life is prepared for us, to be received out of His hand.

By sacrifice. The death, the blood, the sacrifice of Christ, is the power by which we have been alike sanctified and perfected. It is the way which He opened up, in which He leads us with Himself into what He is and does as the One who is perfected for evermore, and the Holiest of All.

By one sacrifice. One because there is none other needed, either by others or Himself; one divine, and therefore sufficient and for ever.

The chief thought of the passage is: He hath for ever perfected them that are being sanctified. The words in Hebrews 10:10, In which will we have been sanctified, speak of our sanctification as an accomplished fact: we are saints, holy in Christ, in virtue of our real union with Him, and His holy life planted in the centre of our being. Here we are spoken of as being sanctified. There is a process by which our new life in Christ has to master and to perfect holiness through our whole outer being. But the progressive sanctification has its rest and its assurance in the ONCE and FOR EVER of Christ's work. He hath perfected for ever them that are being sanctified.

In Hebrews 9:9-10. I we read that the sacrifices could never, as touching the conscience, make the worshipper perfect, never make perfect them that draw nigh, so that they have no more conscience of sins. Our conscience is that which defines what our consciousness of ourselves before God should be: Christ makes the worshipper perfect, as touching the conscience, so that there is no more conscience of sins. He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. At the close of the chapter on Christ's priesthood we read of Himself (Hebrews 7:28): He is a High Priest, a Son, perfected for evermore. Here at the close of the unfolding of His work, it is said of His saints: He hath perfected them for ever. The perfection in both cases is one and the same. The sanctification and the perfection of the believer are prepared as a new nature in Christ,, to be appropriated in the daily life of faith. To know this is the secret of power.

And wherein His perfection consists we know too. (See in Hebrews 2:10 and 5:9.) A Leader in the way of glory, God made Him perfect through suffering; perfected in Him that humility and meekness and patience which mark Him as the Lamb, which are what God asks of man, and are man's only fitness for dwelling with God. Having offered up prayer, and having been heard for His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by what He suffered, and was made perfect. His godly fear, His waiting on God in the absolute surrender of His will, His submitting to learn obedience, His spirit of self-sacrifice, even unto death,--it was by this that as man He was perfected, it was in this He perfected human nature, and perfected His people too. In His death He accomplished a threefold work. He perfected Himself, His own human nature and character. He perfected our redemption, perfectly putting away sin from the place it had in heaven (Hebrews 9:23), and in our hearts. He perfected us, taking us up into His own perfection, and making us partakers of that perfect human nature, which in suffering and obedience, in the body prepared for Him, and the will of God done in it, He had wrought out for us. Christ Himself is our perfection; in Him it is complete; abiding in Him continually is perfection.

Let us press on to perfection, was the call with which we were led into the higher-life teaching of the Epistle. Here is our goal. Christ, by one offering, hath perfected us for ever. We know Him as the Priest for ever, the Minister of the new sanctuary, and the Mediator of the new covenant, who by His blood entered into the Holiest; there He lives for ever, in the power of an endless life, to impart to us and maintain within us His perfect life. It is the walk in this path of perfection, which as our Leader He opened up in doing the will of God, which is the new and living way into the Holiest.

1. The work of Christ is a perfect and perfected work. Everything is finished and complete for ever. And we have just by faith to behold and enter in, and seek and rejoice, and receive out of His fulness grace for grace. Let every difficulty you feel in understanding or claiming the different blessings set before you, or in connecting them, find its solution in the one thought--Christ has perfected us for ever; trust Him, cling to Him, He will do all.