抄録
Conscience is a concept that played a significant role in the ethical thought of the Greco-Roman world. Within early Christianity, Paul was the first to adopt this concept in a deliberate and systematic way, and his usage exerted considerable influence on subsequent Christian discourse. For Paul, conscience is the inner awareness that regulates the
conduct of believers. It performs a reflective function, examining the moral quality of one’s past actions (Rom 2:15; 1 Cor 8:7, 10, 12; 10:25, 27 etc.).
The author of Hebrews is primarily concerned with the inner transformation brought about by Christ’s atoning blood. By invoking the imagery of the heavenly sanctuary, he emphasizes that Christ’s blood both atones for sin and purifies the hearts of believers (cf. Heb 9:14; 10:22). Drawing on the Old Testament’s sacrificial imagery of atonement and purification, he argues that the once-for-all redemption accomplished through Christ’s death and blood surpasses the temporary rituals of the earthly tabernacle in their enduring effectiveness (Heb 9:11–12, 21-22; 10:22). The argumentation of Hebrews is dialectical: the Old Testament’s representations of atonement and purification function as a negative mediation that enables a deeper understanding of the definitive atonement and purification achieved through Christ’s death and blood.
