hebrews as an instructional appendix to romans 249
the adverb occurs in the shorter form ἅπαξ in Heb 6:4; 9:7, 26, 27, 28; 10:2;
cf. 12:26, 27. all of these passages are related to the theme of which it is a
hallmark trait. the compound form ἐφάπαξ occurs elsewhere in the new
testament only in rom 6:10 and 1 cor 15:6. as in rom 6:10, all three occur-
rences in Hebrews (7:27; 9:12; and 10:10)17 follow, rather than precede, the
word with which the adverb is connected.18 the abbreviated form is found
in the new testament in 2 cor 11:25, phil 4:16, 1 thess 2:18, 1 pet 3:18, and
Jude 3, 5. only the contexts of First peter and Jude 5 are comparable to
Hebrews.
new testament occurrences of the compound are of two types. In 1 cor
15:6, ἐφάπαξ refers to a one-time appearance by Jesus:
then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time (ἐφάπαξ),
most of whom are still alive although some have died (ἔπειτα ὤφθη ἐπάνω
πεντακοσίοις ἀδελφοῖς ἐφάπαξ, ἐξ ὧν οἱ πλείονες μένουσιν ἕως ἄρτι, τινὲς δὲ
ἐκοιμήθησαν).19
In contrast, ἐφάπαξ in rom 6:10 refers not to a one-time appearance of
Jesus, but as in Hebrews, to Jesus’ singular death:
the death he died, he died to sin, once and for all; but the life he lives, he
lives to God (ὅ γὰρ ἀπέθανεν, τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἀπέθανεν ἐφάπαξ. ὅ δὲ ζῇ, ζῇ τῷ θεῷ).
although Heb 9:26–28 uses only the abbreviated form ἅπαξ, thematic
proximity of these three verses to rom 6:10 is apparent:
For then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of
the world. but as it is, he has appeared once at the end of the age to remove
sin by the sacrifice of himself. and just as it is appointed for mortals to
die once, and after that the judgment, so christ, having been offered once
to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to
save those who are eagerly waiting for him.20
17 ἐφάπαξ in Heb 10:10 has special emphasis as the last word in the sentence.
18 although used in the same sense as ἐφάπαξ, ἅπαξ in Heb 6:4; 9:26, 27, 28; 10:2; 12:26,
27 (cf. 9:7) occurs before the verb. see b. F. westcott, The Epistle to the Hebrews (london:
macmillan, 1892; repr., Grand rapids: eerdmans, 1980), 197.
19 the adverb’s placement after the verb in this passage also is to be noted.
20 ἐπεὶ ἔδει αὐτὸν πολλάκις παθεῖν ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου. νυνὶ δὲ ἅπαξ ἐπὶ συντελεία τῶν
αἰώνων εἰς ἀθέτησιν [τῆς] ἁμαρτίας διὰ τῆς θυσίας αὐτοῦ πεφανέρωται. καὶ καθ’ ὅσον ἀπόκειται
τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἅπαξ ἀποθανεῖν, μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο κρίσις, οὕτως καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἅπαξ προσενεχθεὶς εἰς
τὸ πολλῶν ἀνενεγκεῖν ἁμαρτίας ἐκ δευτέρου χωρὶς ἁμαρτίας ὀφθήσεται τοῖς αὐτὸν ἀπεκδεχομένοις
εἰς σωτηρίαν. christ’s one time “appearance” to sacrifice himself in this passage may suggest
that the author sought to combine rom 6:10 and 1 cor 15:6 although the verbs of appear-
ance in Hebrews and corinthians differ: ὤφθη (1 cor 15:6), πεφανέρωται (Heb 7:26).