Hebrews 9:28 Commentary: Once for Sin, Again for Salvation

The writer of Hebrews addresses Jewish Christians who were tempted to abandon Christ and return to the sacrificial system of the Old Covenant. The entire chapter contrasts the repeated, ineffective sacrifices of the Day of Atonement with Christ's single, perfect offering. Hebrews 9:28 stands as the climactic conclusion: just as human beings die once and then face judgment, so Christ died once for sin, and then, like the high priest emerging from the Holy of Holies to bless the congregation, he will appear a second time for salvation.

In the Levitical system, sin offerings were brought year after year, and the high priest entered the Most Holy Place annually (Leviticus 16). That pattern involved bearing the iniquity of the congregation (Leviticus 10:17; Numbers 18:1, 23). Christ's once-for-all death fulfills and replaces that entire system. The phrase “to bear the sins of many” echoes Isaiah 53:11-12, where the Suffering Servant is described as bearing the iniquities of many and making intercession for transgressors. The first-century hearers would recognize that Christ is the ultimate Servant and High Priest combined.

The second coming described here draws on Old Testament expectation as well. Isaiah 25:9 announces a day when God's people will say, “Behold, this is our God! We have waited for him, and he will save us!” The verb ἀπεκδεχομένοις (eagerly waiting) is a strong compound term meaning to wait with intense, patient longing, a word used elsewhere for the eager expectation of creation (Romans 8:19, 23) and of believers awaiting Christ from heaven (Philippians 3:20; 1 Corinthians 1:7). The verse thus anchors Christian hope in both a past, completed event and a future, certain fulfillment.

The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Hebrews 9:28. The Greek text is stable across the major manuscript traditions, and the English translations agree closely in substance. The main differences among translations are interpretive (e.g., “without sin” vs. “apart from sin” vs. “without a sin-offering”) rather than textual.

Hebrews 9:28 has shaped Christian hope across centuries. Early church fathers like Chrysostom and Theodoret emphasized the contrast between Christ's two comings, the first in humility to bear sin, the second in glory to bring salvation. In the medieval period, the verse was used to affirm the sufficiency of Christ's one sacrifice against the repeated sacrifices of the Mass, a theme taken up by Reformation-era writers. The Geneva Bible notes and Calvin's commentary stress that sin is once for all dealt with, giving believers confidence. Wesley and Methodist tradition saw here the promise of entire sanctification and the final deliverance from sin's presence. In modern evangelicalism, the verse is a staple of assurances of salvation and a key text for eschatological teaching on the Second Coming, often linked with passages like Titus 2:13 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.

Three-point outline

1. Christ's once-for-all sacrifice for sin (v.28a): The participle προσενεχθεὶς (having been offered) is passive but may imply Christ offered himself (as the high priest; Calvin notes Theophylact's reading). He bore the sins of many, the many includes all who believe, as opposed to the one who died for them.
2. Christ's second appearing apart from sin (v.28b): He will appear a second time χωρὶς ἁμαρτίας. This means both without sin in himself (he will not be numbered with transgressors again) and without a sin-offering, because that work is already finished.
3. The eager waiting for final salvation (v.28c): The verb ἀπεκδεχομένοις suggests an active, longing posture. Salvation here is the full deliverance, from the presence of sin, from death, into glory. As Clarke says, “to deliver the bodies of believers from the empire of death, to reunite them to their purified souls, and bring both into his eternal glory.”

Five-point outline

1. The pattern: men die once, then judgment (v.27).
2. Christ follows this pattern but as a substitute: he died once for sin.
3. The purpose: “to bear the sins of many”, fully satisfying justice and removing guilt.
4. The result: at his second coming, sin is no longer the issue; he appears “apart from sin.”
5. The invitation: for those who eagerly wait, that appearing brings not terror but final salvation.

Illustration hooks

• One payment, not installment plans: A mortgage paid in full leaves no further payments due. Christ's one offering settled our debt; his return only delivers the title deed.
• Waiting at the airport: The flight is booked, the ticket paid, the departure gate set. Those who eagerly wait do not keep purchasing tickets, they scan the arrivals board and stand ready. Their waiting is expectant, not anxious.
• The surgeon and the recovery: The surgery that removes the cancer is a single, decisive event. The patient then waits, not for another surgery, but for the full restoration of health. Christ dealt with sin at the cross; he returns to complete our healing.

Questions your congregation is asking

• “If Christ already dealt with sin, why do I still struggle with it daily?”
• “What does it mean to ‘eagerly wait’ for Christ? Is that a feeling or an action?”
• “How can I be confident that my salvation is complete when I still face trials and death?”

This verse makes a bold promise: Christ has dealt with sin completely, and he will return to bring final salvation to those who wait for him. But what does that waiting look like in the middle of ordinary life, with its doubts, failures, and longings? As you discuss, notice the strong contrasts in the passage: once and second time, sin and salvation, the many and those who wait. Let the structure of the verse shape your conversation.

Discussion questions

1. Read Hebrews 9:24-28 together. How does the writer connect Christ's first coming (offered once) with his second coming (appearing for salvation)?
2. The phrase “to bear the sins of many” quotes Isaiah 53:12. What does this tell you about what Christ accomplished on the cross?
3. The Greek word for “without sin” (χωρὶς ἁμαρτίας) can mean “apart from a sin-offering” or “separate from sin.” Which meaning do you think fits the context best? Why?
4. Verse 28 says Christ will appear “to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” What does the verb ἀπεκδεχομένοις (eagerly waiting) suggest about the posture of believers? How would your daily life change if you lived with that kind of expectation?
5. If Christ's sacrifice once for all has already dealt with sin, what is the final salvation that his second coming brings? (Consider 1 Corinthians 15:51-54 or Philippians 3:20-21.)
6. The writer places the second coming in the context of “not to deal with sin.” How does that shape the way you understand future judgment? Compare verse 27 (“it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment”).
7. What practical steps could your group take this week to eagerly wait for Christ together, not as a passive feeling, but as an active hope?