Israel’s sacrificial system distinguished between blood offerings for atonement and grain, drink, or free-will gifts presented in worship. The latter anticipated fellowship with God after sin had been addressed. By the first century these gifts, still regulated by the Law, symbolized both gratitude and covenant loyalty. This background shapes every New Testament use of προσφορά, preparing the way for its ultimate fulfilment in Jesus Christ.

Occurrences in the New Testament

1. Temple offerings: Acts 21:26; Acts 24:17
2. Christ’s self-offering: Ephesians 5:2; Hebrews 10:5, 10, 14, 18
3. The Church as priestly offering: Romans 15:16
4. Comparative statement on obsolete offerings: Hebrews 10:8

Nine references cluster around two settings—Jerusalem Temple practice and the epistle to the Hebrews—highlighting the transition from shadow to substance.

Temple Life and Apostolic Integrity

In Acts 21:26 Paul “went to the temple, giving notice of the completion of the days of purification when the offering would be made for each of them”. Although free in Christ, the apostle honored Jewish custom to avoid needless offense, demonstrating that the gospel does not negate sincere worship yet frees it from legalistic necessity. Years later he recounts, “I returned to Jerusalem to bring my gifts to the poor and to present offerings” (Acts 24:17), showing that charitable giving and liturgical gifts could coexist as expressions of covenant faithfulness.

The Priestly Ministry of the Gospel

Romans 15:16 casts missionary service in priestly terms: Paul serves “so that the Gentiles might become an acceptable offering, sanctified by the Holy Spirit”. The object offered is not grain or incense but transformed people. Evangelism thus becomes liturgy, and the preacher functions as priest, presenting converts to God through the sanctifying work of the Spirit.

Christ the Fragrant and Final Offering

Ephesians 5:2 declares, “Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God”. Here προσφορά merges with the earlier “pleasing aroma” motif (Genesis 8:21; Leviticus 1:9), affirming that the cross satisfied the Father’s will and delighted His heart. Hebrews develops the theme:

• “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for Me” (Hebrews 10:5).
• “We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (10:10).
• “By a single offering He has made perfect for all time those who are being sanctified” (10:14).
• “Where these have been forgiven, there is no further offering for sin” (10:18).

Repeated Temple gifts could never remove sin permanently, but the Incarnate Son presented Himself once, achieving eternal redemption and rendering further ritual offerings unnecessary.

Theological Motifs

Substitution and Satisfaction: Christ’s προσφορά answers divine justice and fulfills divine love, accomplishing what animal or grain gifts could only foreshadow.

Consecration: Believers share in His consecration; Romans 12:1 urges them to “present” (παριστάναι) their bodies in parallel fashion, turning daily life into a living προσφορά.

Communion and Gratitude: Post-cross offerings shift from expiation to thanksgiving—good works (Hebrews 13:16), praise (13:15), and material generosity mirror Old Testament thank offerings without reintroducing legal bondage.

Historical and Pastoral Implications

1. Worship Services: The Lord’s Table commemorates the once-for-all προσφορά, guarding against any notion of repeated propitiation.
2. Stewardship: Financial gifts resemble Paul’s Jerusalem offerings, expressing unity and compassion across cultural lines.
3. Missions: Evangelistic labor presents nations to God, turning the Great Commission into priestly service.
4. Personal Holiness: Sanctification is grounded in Christ’s finished work, motivating rather than replacing disciplined obedience.

Related Terms

θυσία (sacrifice) often appears alongside προσφορά (Hebrews 10:8), underscoring both the diversity and the unity of sacrificial imagery. Burnt offerings and sin offerings pointed to atonement; free-will gifts expressed gratitude. In Christ, every facet converges.

Conclusion

Strong’s 4376 charts Scripture’s movement from symbolic gifts laid on Temple altars to the self-gift of the Son of God and, finally, to the living offerings of redeemed people. Its New Testament occurrences illuminate the completeness of Christ’s atonement, the priestly calling of gospel ministry, and the ongoing privilege of believers to express thankful devotion in every arena of life.