希伯來書講道集 第 16 章

'And for this cause He is the Mediator of a new covenant, that, a death having taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, they that have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.'

'For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be brought in the death of him that made it;'

'for a covenant is of force where there has been death, seeing it never has force while he that made it lives.'

'Whereupon neither has the first covenant been dedicated without blood.'

It was likely that many of those more feebly disposed, and especially from the fact that Christ had died,

would disbelieve His promises.

Paul therefore, overthrowing such a suspicion out of abundance, sets down this illustration, taking it from common usage.

What kind, then, is this? 'Nay, for this very reason you ought to be confident,' he says.

Why? Because it is not while those who make them live, but when they have died, that then covenants are of force and receive their validity.

Wherefore also he thus begins, saying, 'And for this cause,' he says,

'He is the Mediator of a new covenant.'

The covenant is made in view of the last day, the day of death.

And such is the nature of a covenant: it has some as heirs, and some as disinherited.

So also here, concerning the heirs Christ says:

'I will that where I am, these also may be.'

And again, concerning those disinherited, hear Him saying:

'I pray not for all, but for those who believe on Me through their word.'

Again, the covenant has some things belonging to him that makes it, and some belonging to those who receive it;

so that some things they are to receive, and some things they are to do.

For after promising countless things, He also requires the things that are on their part, saying:

'A new commandment I give unto you.'

Again, the covenant must have witnesses;

And hear Him again, saying:

I am the One who bears witness concerning Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness concerning Me.

He will bear witness concerning Me — speaking of the Paraclete;

And He sent forth the twelve apostles, saying:

Testify solemnly before God.

And for this reason he says: He is the mediator of a new covenant.

What is a mediator? The mediator is no longer the master of the matter of which he is mediator; rather, the matter is one thing, and the mediator is another.

For instance, one becomes the mediator of a marriage — not the bridegroom, but the one who assists him who is about to be wed.

So indeed here too the Son became mediator between the Father and us.

The Father was unwilling to grant us this inheritance, but was angry with us and displeased, as toward those who had become estranged.

Therefore He became mediator between us and Himself, and persuaded Him.

And see how He became a mediator: He carried words to and fro, conveying to us the things from the Father, and adding thereto His own death.

We had given offence, we deserved to die; He died on our behalf, and made us worthy of the covenant.

For this very reason the covenant is also sure, since it was not thereafter made for the unworthy.

For in the beginning, He made covenant as a Father with sons;

but since we had become unworthy, there was need no longer of a covenant, but of punishment.

Why then, he says, do you take great pride in the Law? For it brought us into such great sin that we could never have been saved,

unless our Master had died on our behalf, the Law would have availed nothing.

And he confirms this no longer merely from common custom, but also from the things that came to pass in the Old Testament.

But, someone says, there was no one there who had died;

how then was that covenant sure? By the same means, he says.

How? For there too was blood, just as here there is blood.

And if it was not the blood of Christ, do not marvel;

wherefore he also says: Whence not even the first was inaugurated apart from blood.

What does 'was inaugurated' mean? It became sure, it was ratified.

'Whence' — that is, for this reason, he says — there had to be a token both of the covenant and of death.

For to what end, tell me, was the book of the covenant sprinkled? For, he says, when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, taking the blood of the calves with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, he sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying:

This is the blood of the covenant which God has enjoined upon you.

For what reason then, tell me, is the book of the covenant sprinkled, and the people also? Surely because that blood and the other things were a certain type of the precious blood being prefigured from above.

And why, moreover, with hyssop? Because, being dense and soft, it was retentive of the blood.

And what of the water? This too as characterizing the cleansing through water.

And the wool? This too was employed, so that the blood might be held fast.

Here he shows that it is one and the same, both blood and water;

for His baptism is a symbol of His very Passion.

And the tabernacle likewise, and all the vessels of the ministry, he sprinkled with the blood.

All things are cleansed according to the Law, and apart from the shedding of blood there is no remission.

Why did he say 'almost'? Why did he restrict it? Because those things were not a perfect cleansing, nor a perfect remission, but half-complete and in a very small measure;

This, he says, is the blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you unto the remission of sins.

Where then did the book cleanse their minds? They themselves therefore were the books of the new covenant.

And where are the vessels of the ministry? They themselves are these.

And where is the tabernacle? Again, they themselves are it;

For I will dwell in them, and walk about among them, He says.

But here He did not sprinkle with scarlet wool or with hyssop;

why so? Because the cleansing was not bodily, but spiritual, and the blood was spiritual.

How so? For it flowed not from the body of irrational beasts, but from a body fashioned by the Spirit.

With this blood not Moses, but Christ has sprinkled us, through the word that was spoken: This is the blood of the new covenant unto the remission of sins.

This word, dipped in the blood in place of hyssop, sprinkles all around upon all.

And there indeed the body was cleansed outwardly;

for the cleansing was bodily;

but here, since the cleansing is spiritual, it enters into the soul, and cleanses it, not being merely sprinkled around, but welling up as a fountain within our souls.

Those who have been initiated understand the things spoken.

And in the case of those of old, He sprinkled the very surface, and again the one who was sprinkled washed it off;

for surely he did not go about forever stained with blood;

but in the case of the soul it is not so; rather, the blood is mingled with the very substance itself, making it strong and pure, and leading it to that unspeakable beauty itself.

He shows now, moreover, that death is the cause not only of confirmation, but also of cleansing.

For since death seemed to be a defiling thing, and especially death by the cross, he says that it cleansed — and cleansed a precious cleansing, and unto greater things;

for this reason the sacrifices came beforehand, on account of this blood;

for this reason there were lambs, for this reason all things came to be.

It was necessary therefore that the copies of the things in the heavens should be cleansed with these,

but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

And how are they copies of the things in the heavens? And what does he now call the things in the heavens? Is it heaven? Or the angels? None of these, but our own things.

So then our own things are in the heavens and are heavenly, even though they are performed on earth.

Since the angels too are on earth, yet are called heavenly;

and the Cherubim appeared upon the earth, yet are heavenly.

And why do I say 'appeared'? Nay rather, they abide upon the earth, as indeed in Paradise.

But nothing prevented this;

for even so it is heavenly.

And our commonwealth is in the heavens, even though we conduct our citizenship here.

That is, the philosophy that is among us, those who have been called yonder.

With better sacrifices than these.

That which is better is better than some good thing;

therefore the patterns also, the copies of the things in the heavens, have become good.

For neither would the copies be evil, since in that case those very things also, of which they are copies, would be evil.

If then we are heavenly, and have obtained such a nature as this, let us tremble with awe;

for it is possible, even now, for one who so wills not to be upon the earth.

For to be on the earth, or not to be, is a matter of manner and of deliberate choice.

God is said to be in heaven;

why so? Not as being confined by place—far be it!—nor as leaving the earth destitute of His presence, but by His relation and by His intimacy with the angels.

If then we too are near to God, we are in heaven.

For what care I for heaven, when I behold the Lord of heaven, when I myself become heaven? For 'We will come,' He says, 'I and My Father, and will make Our abode with him.'

Let us then make our soul a heaven.

The heaven is bright by its nature;

for not even in winter does it become dark;

for it does not itself change its appearance, but the clouds running together cover it over.

We too have a Sun of righteousness.

I said, It is possible to become like heaven;

and I see that it is possible even to become better than heaven.

How? When we have the Lord of the sun.

The heaven is on every side pure and unstained;

it is not altered either in winter or in night;

let us then not suffer this either, neither in tribulations nor in the wiles of the devil, but let us remain unstained and pure.

The heaven is lofty, and far removed from the earth;

let us also do this: let us remove ourselves from the earth, and let us be lifted up to that height.

And whither shall we remove ourselves from the earth? When we set our imagination on the things of heaven.

The heaven is higher than both rains and storms, and is overtaken by nothing;

this too we shall be able to attain, if we are willing.

It seems to suffer, yet it does not in fact suffer;

let us then not suffer either, even though we seem to suffer.

For just as in winter the many do not perceive its beauty, but suppose that it is changed, whereas those who love wisdom know that it has undergone no change;

so too in the case of ourselves in tribulations, the many suppose that we have been transformed together with them, and that the affliction has laid hold even of our very heart;

but those who are wise know that it has not touched us.

Let us then become heaven, let us ascend to that height, and so shall we see men differing in nothing from ants;

I do not speak of the poor only, nor of the rich, but even if one be a general, even if he be a king, we shall not there behold the king, nor the private man;

we shall not know what is gold, or what silver, or what a silken garment, or a purple one;

we shall see all things as flies, if we take our seat on that height;

there is no tumult there, no confusion, nor any clamour.

And how is it possible, says one, to be raised to that height while walking upon the earth? In word indeed I do not say this simply;

but if you will, I will show you in deed those who have attained to that height.

Who then are these? I mean those about Paul, who, being on the earth, dwelt in heaven.

And why do I say in heaven? They were higher than heaven, and than the other heaven, and ascended up to God Himself.

For 'Who shall separate us,' he says, 'from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or famine, or persecution, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?' And again, 'While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.'

Do you see that he did not even see the things here below? And that I may show you that he was higher than the heavens, hear him saying:

'For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of Christ.'

Do you see how his reasoning, having passed by all things, made him higher, not only than this creation, nor than these heavens, but also than any others if such there were? Did you behold the loftiness of his mind? Did you behold what the tentmaker became when he willed it—he who spent his whole life in the marketplace? For there is no hindrance, none at all, to our surpassing all men, if only we be willing.

For if we thus succeed in crafts that surpass the many, much more shall we succeed in that which requires no such toil.

For what, tell me, is harder than to walk along a stretched rope, as if upon level ground, and to walk aloft, and to put on and take off one's clothes as though sitting upon a couch? Does not the thing seem to us so terrible that we are not even willing to look at it, but are afraid, and tremble, even at the very sight? And what, tell me, is harder than to take a pole upon one's face, then to set a child aloft upon it and perform countless feats, and delight the spectators? And what is harder than to juggle with swords? And what, tell me, is more grievous than to search out the depth of the sea? And one might name countless other crafts.

But easier than all these is virtue, if we are willing, and the ascent to heaven;

for here it is necessary only to will, and all follows.

For it is not possible to say, I cannot;

for this is to accuse the Creator;

for if He made us incapable, and then lays His commands upon us, it is an accusation against Him.

How is it then, says one, that many cannot? Because they will not.

And whence comes it that they will not? From sloth;

so that, if they be willing, they will assuredly be able.

On this account Paul also says:

'I would that all men were even as I myself,' since he knew that all were able to be even as he was;

for he would not have said this, had it been impossible.

Tell me now, in all crafts, when we wish to become skilled in them, are we content with willing, or do we also lay our hands to the work? What I mean is this:

Someone wishes to become a pilot;

he does not say, I will, and rest content with that, but he also lays his hand to the work.

he does not say merely, I will, but he also lays his hand to the work.

Again, one wishes to go abroad, and he does not say, I will, but he also lays his hand to the work.

So then in all things it does not suffice merely to will, but it is necessary also to add the deed;

but when you wish to ascend to heaven, do you say merely, I will? How then, says one, did you say that to will suffices? To will, together with works—that which lays hold of the matter, that which toils.

For we have God working with us and cooperating with us;

let us only choose, let us only apply ourselves to the matter as to a work, let us only take thought, let us only cast it into our mind, and all follows.

But if we sleep, and snoring expect to enter into heaven, when shall we be able to lay hold of the inheritance of the heavens? Let us then be willing, I beseech you, let us be willing.

Why do we traffic in all things for the sake of the present life, which we shall leave behind tomorrow? Let us then choose the virtue which shall suffice us unto all eternity;

in which we shall continue for ever, and shall enjoy the eternal good things;

which may it be granted us all to attain, by the grace and lovingkindness [of our Lord Jesus Christ], and so forth.