Homilies on Hebrews 8

'For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; who can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way, for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity;'

'and by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.'

The blessed Paul wishes henceforth to show that this Covenant is far better than the old;

and he does this by laying the foundations of his reasonings from afar.

For since there was nothing bodily or of the nature of a spectacle—such as, no temple, no holy of holies, no priest arrayed in such elaborate apparel, no legal observances, but all things loftier and more perfect, and nothing of the bodily, the whole being in the spiritual—and since the spiritual did not draw on the weaker as the bodily did;

for this cause he sets in motion this whole discourse.

He makes his beginning from the priest first, and continually calls Him high priest, and from Him first he shows the difference.

For this reason he first defines what a priest is, and shows what qualities a priest has, and what are the tokens which mark the priesthood;

and inasmuch as it was urged against Him that He was not of noble birth, nor of a priestly tribe, nor a priest upon earth—and it was likely on this account that some should say, 'How then is this man a priest?'—the very thing which he did in the Epistle to the Romans, this he does now also.

For having taken up an incredible proposition—namely, that faith accomplishes this which neither the toil of the law nor the sweat of the citizen-life had power to do—and wishing to show that what seemed impossible has come to pass and been achieved, he had recourse to the patriarch, and referred the whole matter back to that time.

So then here also he opens up the other way of the priesthood, setting it forth from those things which preceded it.

And just as, in the matter of punishment, he brings forward not Gehenna alone, but also the things that befell the fathers;

first he establishes this from things present.

For it would have been fitting for the earthly things to be confirmed from the heavenly ones; but when the hearers are weak, the opposite occurs.

So then, for the time being he first sets down the things that are common, and then he shows wherein the one surpasses the other.

For superiority by way of comparison comes about in this way, when in some respects there is a sharing in common, but in others one part excels;

but if not, it is no longer a matter of comparison.

'For every high priest taken from among men.'

'Is appointed on behalf of men in the things pertaining to God.'

'That he may offer both gifts and sacrifices on behalf of the people.'

'Able to deal gently with the ignorant and the erring.'

'Since he himself also is beset with weakness, and by reason of it is bound, just as concerning the people, so also concerning himself, to offer for sins.'

Then he adds yet another point as well:

namely, that it comes about through another, and that he does not thrust himself forward.

'And no one takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron also was.'

Here again he remedies another matter, showing that Christ was sent from God.

This is what Christ said again and again when conversing with the Jews:

'He who sent me is greater than I,' and, 'I have not come of myself.'

Here too it seems to me that he is hinting at the Jewish priests, as being no true priests, who thrust themselves forward and corrupted the law of the priesthood.

'So also Christ glorified not himself to be made a high priest.'

Where then, one asks, was he ordained? For Aaron was ordained many times over: as in the case of the rod, and when the fire came down and destroyed those who thrust themselves upon the priesthood;

but here it was the very opposite: not only did they suffer no such thing, but they were even held in good repute.

Whence then does he prove it? From prophecy he shows this.

It has nothing perceptible to the senses, nothing visible.

For this reason he draws his proof from prophecy, from the things to come:

'But he who spoke to him,' he says, 'said, You are my Son, today I have begotten you.'

What has this to do with the Son? Yes, he says, this was spoken concerning the Son.

But what does such a thing contribute to the point in question? Very much indeed;

for it is a preparatory establishing of his being ordained by God.

Just as also in another place he says, 'You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.'

But to whom was this said? Who is he that is after the order of Melchizedek? No other than this one;

for all the others were under the law, all kept the Sabbath, all were circumcised;

one could not, he says, point to any other.

'Who in the days of his flesh, having offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears to him who was able to save him from death, and having been heard because of his godly reverence.'

'Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through the things which he suffered.'

Do you see that he does nothing else than set forth his tender care and the exceeding greatness of his love? For what does 'with strong crying' mean? Nowhere does the Gospel say this, neither that he wept while praying, nor that he uttered a cry.

Do you see that it was a condescension? For it was not possible to say merely that he prayed, but that he did so even with strong crying.

'And having been heard,' he says, 'because of his godly reverence.'

'Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through the things which he suffered;'

'and having been made perfect, he became to all who obey him the author of eternal salvation, being addressed by God as high priest after the order of Melchizedek.'

Why also 'strong'? 'And having offered,' he says, 'with tears, and having been heard because of his godly reverence.'

Let the heretics be ashamed who set aside the flesh.

What do you say? The Son of God was heard because of his godly reverence? And what more could one say concerning the prophets? And what sort of sequence is it to say:

'Having been heard because of his godly reverence,' and then to add:

'Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through the things which he suffered'? Would anyone say these things about God? Who is so mad? What raving man would utter such words? 'Having been heard,' he says, 'because of his godly reverence, he learned obedience through the things which he suffered.'

What obedience did he learn? He who before this had obeyed unto death, as a son a father—how then did he learn it afterwards? (2)

Do you see that it is spoken concerning the flesh? Tell me then, did he beseech the Father in order to be saved from death, and was he for this reason exceedingly sorrowful, and said:

'If it be possible, let this pass from me—

this cup'? Yet nowhere did he beseech the Father concerning the resurrection; but on the contrary he himself declares, saying:

'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up;'

and, 'I have authority to lay down my life, and I have authority to take it up again;'

'no one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.'

What then is it? And for what reason did he beseech? Again he says:

'Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify him, and on the third day he will rise again.'

And he did not say, 'The Father will raise me up.'

How then did he beseech concerning this? But concerning what did he beseech? Concerning those who had believed in him.

And what he means is of this sort:

Since they did not yet hold the fitting opinion concerning him, he said that he was heard;

just as he himself, comforting the disciples, said:

'If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to my Father, for my Father is greater than I.'

But how did he not glorify himself, he who emptied himself, who delivered himself up? 'For he delivered himself up,' it says, 'for our sins;'

and again, 'Having given himself a ransom for us all.'

What then is it? Do you see that on account of the flesh he speaks lowly things concerning himself? So here too, although he was a Son, he was heard because of his godly reverence, it says.

For he wishes to show that it was his own achievement rather than the grace of God.

So great, he says, was his godly reverence, that on this very account God held him in honor.

'He learned to obey,' he says, 'God;'

here again he shows how great is the gain of sufferings.

'And having been made perfect,' he says, 'he became to all who obey him the author of salvation;'

and if he, being a Son, gained obedience from sufferings, how much more shall we.

Do you see how much he discourses concerning obedience, so as to persuade them? For they seem to me to be continually restive and not to follow closely what is being said;

for this he hinted at when he said:

'You have become dull of hearing.'

'From the things which he suffered,' he says, 'he continually learned to obey God.'

This, then, is perfection, and through this one must come to perfection.

For not only was He Himself saved, but this also became for others an abundance of salvation.

For having been made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation to those who obey Him.

Being addressed, he says, by God as high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

Concerning whom we have much to say, and hard to explain.

Being about to bring his discourse down to the difference of the priesthood, he first rebukes them, showing that even so great a condescension was milk, and that because they were infants he lingered longer in the lowly discourse concerning the flesh, and discourses as though about some righteous man.

And observe: he neither passed over the matter in silence altogether, nor did he speak it out plainly.

For the one thing he did in order to lift up their understanding, and to persuade them to be perfect, and not to be deprived of the great doctrines;

and the other, in order that he might not overwhelm their mind.

Concerning whom we have much to say, he says, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.

Since those men do not hear, for this reason the discourse is hard to explain.

For whenever one deals with men who do not follow along, nor understand what is said, he is not able to explain well to them.

But perhaps some one of you who stand here grows dizzy, and thinks the matter an affront, that on account of the Hebrews he himself was hindered from speaking the more perfect discourse.

Perhaps then even here, except for a few, I think there are many of such a sort, so that this may be said even of you.

Did he then keep silence, or did he again take it up in what follows, and do the same thing as in the Epistle to the Romans? For there too, having first stopped the mouths of the objectors, and having said, Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? he then brings in the solution.

But I think that he neither kept altogether silent, nor spoke it out, in order that he might bring his hearers into longing.

For having made mention and said that certain great things were laid up in the

discourse, observe how: with commendation he administers the rebuke.

For this is ever the mark of Paul's wisdom, to mingle the harsh things with the kindly;

which he does also in the Epistle to the Galatians, saying, Ye were running well;

who hindered you? And, Did ye suffer so many things in vain? if it be indeed in vain;

and, I have confidence toward you in the Lord.

But we are persuaded better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation.

he neither strains them too tightly, nor lets them fall down slack.

For if the examples of others are sufficient to raise up the hearer, and to bring him into zeal;

when one has the example from himself, and exhorts himself to emulate himself, much more from this is the power of the teaching already brought in.

This then also he shows, and does not let them fall down as though utterly condemned, nor as though always being evil, but he says that they once became also good.

For indeed when, by reason of the time, ye ought to be teachers.

He shows here that they had believed a long time before;

and he shows that they ought also to be instructing others.

Observe at any rate how he is continually in travail to introduce the discourse concerning the high priest, and ever putting it off.

Having a great high priest who has passed through the heavens;

and passing over to say how great, he again says:

For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in the things pertaining to God;

So also Christ glorified not Himself to be made a high priest.

Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchizedek; again he puts it off, saying:

Who in the days of His flesh offered up prayers and supplications.

Since then he was so often driven back, he says, as though making a defence: The cause is with you.

Strange! how great the difference! though they ought to be teaching others, they are not even simply disciples, but the lowest disciples.

For indeed, by reason of the time, ye ought to be teachers, he says, yet again ye have need that some one teach you which are the rudiments of the beginning of the oracles of God.

Here by the rudiments of the beginning he means the humanity.

For just as in outward letters one must first learn the rudiments, so also in the divine oracles one must first be taught concerning the humanity.

Dost thou see what is the cause of his uttering lowly things? Thus also Paul did with the Athenians, discoursing with them and saying:

The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now He commands all men everywhere to repent, inasmuch as He has appointed a day in which He is about to judge the world in righteousness, by a man whom He has ordained, having given assurance to all men, in that He raised Him from the dead.

For this reason, if he says anything lofty, he says it briefly, but the lowly things are scattered throughout many parts of the Epistle.

And in this way too the lofty thing is shown;

for the exceedingly lowly does not allow such things to be suspected concerning the Godhead.

So also here, guarding what is safe, he attaches the lowly things to the humanity;

and the cause is, their not being able to hear the perfect things.

This he especially signified in the Epistle to the Corinthians, saying:

For where there is envy and strife and divisions among you, are ye not carnal? But mark me his great sagacity, how he ever adapts himself suitably to the passions that lie before him.

For there the weakness arose rather from ignorance, or rather from sins;

but here not from sins only, but also from the continual afflictions;

therefore also he used words able to receive the difference, there saying, Ye are carnal, but here:

Since the pain was greater, ye have become dull.

And those men were not able to bear it, inasmuch as they were carnal;

For to say, Since ye have become dull of hearing, was the mark of one showing that formerly they were sound, and were strong, glowing with eagerness, and he testifies that later they suffered this.

And ye have become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food.

And he ever calls the lowly discourse milk, both here and there.

Ye who ought to be, he says, teachers by reason of the time;

That very thing for which ye were most enfeebled, and became supine, for that very reason ye ought most of all to be strong, by reason of the time.

And he calls the lowly discourse milk because of the...

but this is contrary to those who are more perfect, and it is hurtful to linger in these things.

So that it was not fitting to bring in the things of the Law now, nor to make the comparison from these, that He is a high priest, and that He offered sacrifice, and prayed with crying and supplication.

Observe at any rate how these things stand as an obstacle to us;

but at that time it nourished those men, in no way standing as an obstacle to them.

So then the true food is the oracles of God, nourishing the soul.

And that the word is food, is plain from that passage:

For I will send them, He says, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the word of the Lord.

I gave you milk to drink, not meat.

He did not say, 'I fed you,' showing that such a thing is not solid food, but rather as with little children who are not yet able to be nourished with bread;

for such infants are not given drink, but their food serves them in place of drink.

And he did not say, 'You have need,' but 'You have become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food';

that is, 'You yourselves willed it; you yourselves brought yourselves down to this, to this state of need.'

'For everyone who partakes of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness.'

What is 'the word of righteousness'? Here he seems to me to hint also at manner of life;

which is also what Christ said: 'Unless your righteousness abound more than that of the Scribes and Pharisees.'

'Unskilled in the word of righteousness';

that is, being unskilled in the higher wisdom, he cannot receive a life that is lofty and exact.

Or he here calls Christ Himself 'righteousness,' and the sublime doctrine concerning Him.

That they had become sluggish, then, he said;

but from what cause, he did not go on to add, leaving them to know it themselves, and not wishing to make his word burdensome.

But in the case of the Galatians he both marveled and was perplexed;

which is far greater as a means of comfort;

as of one who would never have expected this to happen.

For this is what the being perplexed means.

Do you see that there is one kind of infancy, and another kind of perfection? Let us therefore become perfect with this perfection;

it is possible even for those who are children and young

to attain to that perfection;

for it belongs not to nature, but to virtue.

'But solid food is for the perfect, for those who by reason of habit have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.'

What then? Did those men not have their senses exercised, nor know what is good and evil? Now his discourse is not about manner of life, when he says, 'To discern good and evil';

for that is possible and easy for every man to know;

but he speaks of doctrines sound and lofty, and of those corrupt and base.

The little child does not know how to distinguish bad food from wholesome;

indeed, many a time it has even put dirt into its mouth, and taken in what is harmful, and does everything without discernment;

but the perfect man is not such.

Such are those who give heed to all men indiscriminately, and without discernment lend their ears to men of no repute.

And these he blames, as being carried about carelessly, and giving themselves now to these, now to those;

which also he hinted at toward the end, saying, 'Do not be carried away by various and strange doctrines.'

This is what 'to discern good and evil' means.

'For the throat tastes food, but the soul tests words.'

Let us therefore learn this too, and, if you hear that a man is neither Greek nor Jew, do not straightway think him a Christian, but examine all the rest as well;

since even the Manichaeans and all the heresies have put on this mask, in order thus to deceive the more simple;

but if we have the senses of the soul exercised to discern both good and evil, we shall be able to distinguish such men.

But how do our senses become exercised? From continual hearing, from experience of the Scriptures.

For when we set forth their error, and you hear it today and tomorrow, and you test it and find it not good, you have learned the whole, you have known the whole;

and even if today you do not grasp it, tomorrow you will grasp it.

'Of those,' he says, 'who have their senses exercised.'

Do you see that we must exercise our hearing by the divine readings, so as not to be startled by strange sounds? 'Exercised,' he says, 'unto discernment';

that is, to be experienced.

...a resurrection, while another expects nothing of the things to come; one speaks of a different God, another says that He had His beginning from Mary.

And observe at once how all fell away through want of measure, some by adding too much, others by taking away.

For example, the first of all heresies is that of Marcion;

that one brought in another God, who did not exist.

After that came the heresy of Sabellius, saying that the Son and the Father and the Spirit are one Person.

Then that of Marcellus and Photinus, which also maintained the same things.

Then that of Paul of Samosata, saying that He had His beginning from Mary.

But for this reason we received the faith in its simplicity, that we might not be compelled to go through countless heresies and be troubled, but that whatever anyone should attempt to add to that faith, or to take away from it, we should regard as spurious.

For just as those who give the measuring-rules do not compel men to busy themselves with countless measures, but bid them hold fast that one which has been given;

so also is it with the doctrines.

But no one is willing to give heed to the Scriptures;

for if we did give heed, we should not only not fall into deception ourselves, but should also deliver others who are deceived, and draw them out of dangers.

For the strong soldier is able not only to suffice for himself, but also to guard his comrade, and to free him from the enemies' harm.

But as it is, some do not even know that there are Scriptures;

and yet the Holy Spirit made so many provisions that they might be preserved.

And look from the beginning, that you may learn the ineffable love of God toward mankind.

He inspired the blessed Moses, He engraved the tablets, He kept him forty days upon the mountain, and again as many others, that He might give the Law.

And after this He sent the prophets, who suffered countless terrible things.

War came upon them, they slew all, they cut them down, the books were burned.

Again He inspired another wondrous man, Ezra I mean, to set them forth, and caused them to be pieced together from the remnants.

And after this He provided that they should be interpreted by the Seventy;

Christ came, He received them, the apostles scattered them among all men, Christ wrought signs and wonders.

What then? After so great an undertaking, the apostles also wrote, even as Paul said;

'And it was written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.'

'You err, not knowing the Scriptures.'

'Through the patience and the comfort of the Scriptures let us have hope.'

'All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable.'

'Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.'

'In His law he will meditate day and night.'

Let all your discourse be in the law of the Most High.

How sweet are your oracles to my throat (he did not say, 'To my hearing,' but, 'To my throat'), sweeter than honey and the honeycomb to my mouth!

And Moses says, You shall meditate upon them continually, when you rise up, when you sit down, and when you lie down.

For this reason Paul too, writing to Timothy, said:

Be occupied in them, meditate on these things.

And one might say countless things concerning them.

Yet, notwithstanding all this, there are some who do not even know that the Scriptures so much as exist.

It is for this very reason that nothing sound, nothing profitable, comes forth from us.

But if a man wishes to understand the matters of warfare, he must of necessity learn the laws of the soldiers;

and if anyone wishes to know the art of navigation, or of carpentry, or any other, he must of necessity learn the things pertaining to that craft;

but here one may see people doing nothing of the kind;

and this, though this knowledge stands in need of much watchfulness.

That this too is an art requiring instruction, hear the Prophet saying:

Come, children, hearken unto me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

So then, the fear of God truly stands in need of teaching.

Then he says, What man is he that desires life? He means the life that is there.

And again, Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking guile;

turn away from evil, and do good.

Do you know, then, which prophet, or historian, or apostle, or evangelist spoke these words? I think not, except for a few;

and even these same persons, in turn, if we bring forward a testimony from elsewhere, will experience the very same thing that you do.

For behold, I will state this very same saying, expressed in other words:

Wash yourselves, become clean, put away the evils from your souls from before my eyes; learn to do good, seek judgment; keep your tongue from evil, and do good; learn to do good.

Do you see that virtue stands in need of teaching? For this one says, I will teach you the fear of the Lord;

Do you know, then, where these things are laid down? I think not, except for a few.

And yet twice or even three times every week these things are read to you;

and the reader, going up, first states whose book it is—say, of such-and-such a prophet, or apostle, or evangelist—and then speaks what he speaks, so that these things may be clearer to you, and that you may know not only what is set down, but also the reason for what is written, and who it was that spoke these things.

But all is in vain, all to no purpose;

for all your earnestness has been poured out upon the things of this life, and of spiritual things there is no account whatever.

For this reason, not even those things turn out for you according to your wish, but there too are many difficulties.

Seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you;

and these things he said would be given by way of addition;

but we have reversed the order, and seek the earth, and the good things that are in the earth, as though those heavenly things were to be given to us by way of addition.

For this reason we have neither the one nor the other.

Let us therefore at length come to our senses, and become desirers of the good things to come;

for thus these present things also will follow.

For it is not possible that one who seeks the things of God should fail also to obtain the things of men;

this is the declaration of Truth itself, saying so.

Let us not, then, act otherwise, but let us cleave to the counsel of Christ, that we may not fall away from all.

And God is able to prick our hearts, and to make us better, in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom, to the Father together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, might, honor, and worship, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.