Hebrews 7

It was not made priest without the taking of an oath; former priests were made without one. Wesley: the greater solemnity wherewith he was made priest further proves the superior excellency of his priesthood.

The contrast is between an oath and no oath. Arminian readers hear God's sworn word as the firmness of Christ's order—excellent, new, firm, perpetual. The Levitical appointment lacked this solemnity; Melchizedek's priest has it. Hear the contrast; the oath is already better-covenant material.

Calvin: another argument why the Law should give place to the Gospel—God set Christ's priesthood above Aaron's by oath. When he appointed the ancient priests he introduced no oath; of Christ it is said, the Lord swore, for the sake of honoring him.

Former priests without oath; this one with oath. Divine oath confers higher honor and stabilizes the office that will surety a better covenant. The old order yields not by accident but by sworn superiority.

Made a priest with an oath: "The Lord swore and will not change his mind, You are a priest forever.'" Wesley: hence also it appears that his is an unchangeable priesthood.

Both traditions agree that the priesthood is sworn forever and cannot be revoked. God will not repent of this priesthood—unchangeable basis for the surety of a better covenant and for saving those who come. The forever-priest stands by oath.

Calvin returns to the Psalmist so we may know more honor through God's oath was given to Christ than to any others. The Lord swore and will not repent—forever attaches to an oath-bound Son, not to dying Aaronides.

God's sworn determination underwrites the permanent priesthood that secures salvation. Will not change his mind is covenant firmness, not open-theist uncertainty. The office cannot fail because the oath cannot fail.

This makes Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. Wesley: of so much better a covenant—unchangeable, eternal—was Jesus made a surety, or mediator. The word means covenant or testament; Paul takes it sometimes one way, sometimes the other, sometimes both.

Better covenant, Jesus as surety/mediator. Soft fork only in emphasis: Wesley stresses the covenant's unchangeable, eternal character and Jesus as surety-mediator for those who come; Calvin stresses that a priest is surety of a covenant and therefore this oath-made priest establishes a far more excellent covenant. Both refuse a fragile Christ. Keep ch. 8's new-covenant text in view as the better promises unfold.

Calvin: we must bear in mind that a priest is made that he may be the surety of a covenant. The Apostle hence concludes that the covenant God has made by Christ with us is far more excellent than the old covenant of which Moses was the interpreter.

Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. Priesthood and covenant rise together; the oath elevates the surety, and the surety elevates the covenant. Better is not a slogan—it is enacted on better promises (8:6). The guarantor cannot die out of office.

Former priests were many, prevented by death from continuing. Wesley: they were many priests—one after another.

Arminians hear the weakness of the old order in every funeral of a high priest. Continuance failed; succession filled gaps. The next verse's forever-priest is the answer.

Calvin: he unfolds more fully what he touched before—the ancient priests were many, for death put an end to their priesthood. Different cause, different effects: mortality produced a plurality of priests.

The old office was structurally temporary. Plurality is not strength; it is the symptom of death. Only a priest who does not die can finish what Levi's line kept restarting.

Because he lives forever, his priesthood is unchangeable. Wesley: he continueth for ever—in life and in his priesthood. That passeth not away to any successor.

Permanent priesthood by endless life. No successor means the same priest who offered once still intercedes. Able Savior; better than Levi. The forever of the oath is now the forever of continuance.

Calvin: there is no death to prevent Christ from discharging his office; then he alone is a perpetual priest. The argument is from unequal things—many dying priests versus one who continues forever.

Common ground: permanent because he continues forever. The office does not pass; therefore the salvation attached to that office does not hang on a chain of mortal mediators. Perpetual priesthood is already the logic of v. 25's uttermost salvation.

Consequently he is also able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, seeing that he lives forever to make intercession for them. Wesley: save to the uttermost—from all the guilt, power, root, and consequence of sin. Them who come—by faith. To God through him—as their priest. He ever lives and intercedes. He died once; he intercedes perpetually.

Ability is unto the uttermost for those who come by living faith. Coming is not a dead label; it is drawing near through him now. Shared with Reformed: once-for-all death, perpetual intercession, holy priest. The fork is how "those who draw near" and the security of that salvation are framed—faith's living approach versus effectual salvation of those the priest infallibly keeps.

Calvin: this is the fruit of an eternal priesthood—our salvation, if we gather it by faith as we ought. He is also able to save fully those who approach God through him. Where death or change is, you seek salvation in vain. Christ lives for us, not for himself; his life, kingdom, and glory are destined for our salvation. He ever lives to intercede—priestly work; it was for this he rose. All his is ours.

Perpetual priesthood secures the salvation of those who draw near through him; intercession is priestly work that does not fail. Always lives to intercede; once-for-all offering stands behind the ability. Effectual complete salvation, not a fragile maybe.

It was fitting we should have such a high priest was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Wesley: such an high priest suited us—unholy, mischievous, defiled sinners: a blessed paradox! Holy with respect to God; harmless with respect to men; undefiled with any sin in himself; separated from sinners as well as free from sin; made, even in his human nature, higher than the heavens.

On this both agree: the fitting priest is sinless and exalted. Wesley’s tradition hears suitability for sinners—holy priest for unholy people—without dragging Melchizedek into a camp fight. The character of the priest grounds the uttermost salvation of v. 25.

Calvin: these qualifications—just, harmless, pure—are required in a priest and belong to Christ alone. Separate from sinners includes the rest: Aaron had only small measure; Christ alone is free from every sin. He is not separate because he repels us, but because he has this excellency above us. No one can unite us to God but he who reaches to God—exalted above the heavens.

Held in common: holy, innocent, unstained, separated, exalted. Only this priest can pacify God and support our prayers; prayers not supported by his intercession are rejected. Fittingness is necessity of office, not mere aesthetic.

No need to offer daily, first for his own sins then for the people's; he did this once for all when he offered up himself. Wesley: needeth not to offer sacrifices daily—that is, on every yearly day of expiation; for he offered once for all; not for his own sins, for he offered himself without spot to God.

Shared central claim for both camps: once-for-all self-offering. Able Savior; better than Levi's repeated rounds. The once matches the perpetual intercession—he died once; he intercedes perpetually. Do not re-sacrifice what he finished.

Calvin: two defects of the ancient priesthood—the high priest offered for his own sins, so how pacify God for others? and they offered various sacrifices daily, so no expiation while purgation is repeated. Christ needed no sacrifice for himself, being without spot; his sacrifice alone is sufficient to the end of the world, for he offered himself.

Once for all, himself, no daily round for his own sin. Repetition proved weakness; once-for-all proves perfection of the offering. The permanent priest offered a permanent sacrifice. This shared once-for-all stands under any contrast on intercession in v. 25.

The law appoints men in their weakness; the later oath appoints a Son made perfect forever. Wesley: the law maketh men high priests that have infirmity—weak, mortal, and sinful. The oath since the law—in David's time—maketh the Son, who is consecrated for ever: now free from sin and death, from natural and moral infirmity, remaineth a priest for ever.

Shared close: weak men by law; perfected Son by oath. What comes through is consecration forever as the firm, perpetual priesthood of the chapter's sum. Better priest than Levi; once-for-all able Savior. The oath outranks the earlier law.

Calvin: from the defects of men he concludes the weakness of the priesthood. The law makes no priests sufficient to the work; the defect is remedied by the word of the oath—Christ not of the common order of men, but the Son of God, subject to no defect, endowed with highest perfection. The oath was posterior to the law, showing God designed a better priesthood.

What succeeds in God's institutions advances or abolishes the temporary. The Son made perfect forever is the answer to Aaron's infirmity—and the bridge into chapter 8's better covenant.