“For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.”
For then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world; but as it is, he has appeared once for all (ephapax) at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself — if Christ's death were merely another offering in the priestly sequence, he would need to die repeatedly throughout history (an absurdity that proves the point). Appeared once for all at the end of the ages indicates eschatological finality: Christ's appearing marks the consummation toward which all history has moved. Put away sin (periairesis hamartion) means complete removal, not mere covering.
Church Fathers on Hebrews 9:26
The Jews greatly prided themselves on the temple and the tabernacle. Wherefore they said, “The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord.” Jeremiah 7:4 For nowhere else in the earth was such a temple constructed as this, either for costliness, or beauty, or anything else. For God who ordained it, commanded that it should be made with great magnificence, because they also were more attracted and urged on by material things. For it had bricks of gold in…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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