Thomas Aquinas Commentary Hebrews 7:20-28

"And inasmuch as [it is] not without the taking of an oath (for they indeed have been made priests without an oath; but he with an oath by him that saith of him, The Lord sware and will not repent himself, Thou art a priest for ever); by so much also hath Jesus become the surety of a better covenant. And they indeed have been made priests many in number, because that by death they are hindered from continuing: but he, because he abideth for ever, hath his priesthood unchangeable. Wherefore also he is able to save to the uttermost them that draw near unto God through him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such a high priest became us, holy, guileless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who needeth not daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for the [sins] of the people: for this he did once for all, when he offered up himself. For the law appointeth men high priests, having infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was after the law, [appointeth] a Son, perfected for evermore." — Hebrews 7:20-28 (ASV)

Having proved by the authority of the Psalmist that the priesthood of Christ is superior to the Levitical and replaces it, the Apostle now proves the same thing by two other arguments: first, from the fact that he says, “The Lord has sworn”; and secondly, that he says, “You are a priest” (Hebrews 7:21, 17).

Regarding the first point, he forms the following argument: That which is instituted without an oath is less valid than that which is instituted with an oath. The priesthood of Christ was instituted with an oath, as is clear from the words, the Lord has sworn. The priesthood of Aaron, however, was not, as is clear from Exodus 28:1: Take to you also Aaron, and so on. Regarding the major premise, the Apostle says it was not without an oath. Those who formerly became priests took their office without an oath, but this one was appointed with an oath. All this is written to prove that the priesthood of Christ is more secure, because, as has been stated, every promise made in the Old Testament with an oath is a sign of God’s unchangeable plan.

Therefore, because the promise about Christ was made with an oath through David and to Abraham, Christ is called their son in a special way (Matthew 1:1). That oath signifies the eternity of Christ’s power: His power is an everlasting power (Daniel 7:14); And of his kingdom there will be no end (Luke 1:33).

This makes Jesus the surety of a better covenant, because His priesthood is more secure, which is evident because it was established with an oath. Therefore, it is necessary that something better and more secure be obtained by it. It should be noted that a priest is a mediator between God and the people: I was the mediator and stood between the Lord and you (Deuteronomy 5:5). A priest should bring God and the people to concord. This was accomplished, so to speak, by a pact dealing with temporal goods, in which affection was fixed on carnal things. In contrast, it says in Psalm 73:25: For what have I in heaven? and besides you what do I desire upon earth?

Consequently, it was fitting that another priest should come to be a surety—that is, a guarantor—of a better testament and a better pact, because it is concerned with spiritual and eternal goods. This priest is Jesus: I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers (Jeremiah 31:31); Do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 4:17).

Then, when he says, the former priests were many in number, he uses another clause from the authoritative text: You are a priest forever. In this regard, he does two things: first, he shows why the phrase forever is used; secondly, from this he shows that Christ’s priesthood has greater efficacy than the priesthood of the Old Testament (Hebrews 7:25).

He shows that Christ is the true priest because the others were prevented by death from continuing in office, for all must die. Thus, when Aaron died, Eleazar succeeded him, as is clear from Numbers 20:28, and so on. As we notice in natural things, which are signs of spiritual things, incorruptible things are not multiplied within the same species; for this reason, there is only one sun. So in the spiritual things of the Old Testament, which was imperfect, the priests were multiplied. This was a sign that the priesthood was corruptible, because incorruptible things are not multiplied in the same species.

But the priest who is Christ is immortal, for He remains forever as the eternal Word of the Father, from whose eternity, eternity is conferred upon His body, because Christ rising from the dead, dies now no more (Romans 6:9). Therefore, because He continues forever, He holds His priesthood permanently. Christ alone, therefore, is the true priest; others are His ministers: Let a man so account of us as the ministers of Christ (1 Corinthians 4:1).

Then, in Hebrews 7:25, he shows His efficacy. In this regard, he does two things: first, he shows His efficacy; secondly, he shows the manner of His efficacy (Hebrews 7:25b).

His efficacy lies in the fact that a cause is more potent than its effect; therefore, a temporal cause cannot produce an eternal effect. But Christ’s priesthood is eternal, while the Levitical was not, as has been proved. Therefore, Christ is able to save for all time. This could not be done unless He had divine power: Israel is saved in the Lord with an eternal salvation (Isaiah 45:17).

The manner of His efficacy is that He goes to God by Himself. The author describes this manner from three standpoints: the excellence of His power, of His nature, and of His piety.

The excellence of His power is shown in that He goes by Himself. On the other hand, one who goes to another is distant from him, but Christ is not distant from God. I answer that in these words the Apostle reveals the two natures: the human, according to which it is fitting for Him to come to God, because in it He is distant from God (though He does not go from a state of guilt to a state of grace, but goes by the intellect’s contemplation, by love, and by the attainment of glory); and the divine nature, by the fact that He says He goes to God by Himself. For if He were merely a man, He could not go by Himself: No one can come to me, unless the Father who sent me draw him (John 6:44). Therefore, when the Apostle says that He comes by Himself, he is demonstrating His power: Walking in the greatness of his strength (Isaiah 63:1). He comes, therefore, as man, but by Himself as God.

He shows the excellence of His nature when he says, always living; for otherwise His priesthood would come to an end: I was dead and behold I am living forever and ever (Revelation 1:18).

He shows the excellence of His piety when he says, to make intercession for them. For although He is so powerful and so exalted, He is also pious, for He makes intercession for us: We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the just (1 John 2:1). He intercedes for us, first, by presenting His human nature, which He assumed for us; secondly, by the desire of His most holy soul for our salvation, with which He intercedes for us. Another version has, “coming by Him,” which then identifies those whom He saves as the ones who come to God by faith in Him: Being justified, therefore, by faith, let us have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom also we have access by faith into this grace (Romans 5:1).

Then, when he says, for it was fitting that we have such a high priest, he shows the excellence of Christ’s priesthood from Christ’s own excellence. In this regard, he does two things: first, he shows that the perfections required for the priesthood of the Old Law were fulfilled in Him; secondly, that He has no imperfections (Hebrews 7:27).

So he sets down four qualities in Him that were required for the priesthood of the Law:

1. He is holy: They offer the burnt offerings of the Lord and the bread of their God, and therefore they shall be holy (Leviticus 21:6). Christ possessed this quality perfectly. For holiness implies purity consecrated to God: Therefore, also the Holy which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35); That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20); The saint of saints will be anointed (Daniel 9:24).
2. He is innocent. Properly speaking, innocence is purity toward one’s neighbor: The innocent in hands, and clean of heart: who has not taken his soul in vain, nor sworn deceitfully to his neighbor (Psalms 24:4). The Law required this: Let them keep my precepts that they may not fall into sin (Leviticus 22:9). Christ was completely innocent, being one who did not sin: I have walked in my innocence (Psalms 26:11).
3. He is unstained in regard to himself: Whosoever of your seed in their generations has any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God (Leviticus 21:17). Of Christ it is said in a figure: It shall be a lamb without blemish (Exodus 12:5).
4. He is separated from sinners: He shall not mingle the stock of his kindred with the common people of his nation (Leviticus 21:15). Christ was perfectly separated from sinners: Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly nor stood in the way of sinners (Psalms 1:1). This is true, of course, in regard to a similar way of life—His life is not like other men’s ()—but not in regard to His dealings with others, because He conversed with men for their conversion: Why does your master eat with sinners? (Matthew 9:11). He was separated to such a degree that He was made higher than the heavens, that is, exalted above the heavens: He sits on the right hand of the majesty on high (Hebrews 1:3).

Therefore, He is a sufficiently competent priest.

Then, when he says, He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins, he removes from Christ anything that was imperfect in the priesthood of the Law. What was imperfect was that the priest needed sacrifices of atonement: He shall offer the calf for himself; and the goat for the people (Leviticus 16:11). Therefore, he prayed for himself, and not only once but frequently.

The reason for this is that the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests: A weak man and of a short time . But the word of the oath established the Son, who had none of these imperfections but was completely perfect, and who is, after the Law, a priest who continues forever. For He did not offer for His own sins but for ours: He was wounded for our iniquities (Isaiah 53:5). Nor did He offer for us frequently, but only once: Christ died for our sins (1 Peter 3:18). His one offering is enough to take away the sins of the entire human race.