希伯來書講道集 第 17 章

For Christ has not entered into holy places made with hands, which are figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear before the face of God on our behalf;

nor yet that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters into the Holy of Holies every year with the blood of another;

for then must He often have suffered since the foundation of the world;

but now once, at the consummation of the ages, He has been manifested for the putting away of sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

The Jews greatly prided themselves upon the temple and the tabernacle.

For nowhere else on earth was such a temple built, neither for costliness, nor for beauty, nor for anything else whatever.

For God who ordained it commanded that it should be made with much magnificence, since those men also were drawn and attracted rather by things bodily.

For it had golden bricks in its walls;

and whoever wishes may learn this in the Second Book of Kingdoms and in Ezekiel, and how many talents of gold were then expended.

And the second building became more splendid, both for beauty and for all the rest.

And it was venerable not for this alone, but also because it was one, and because it drew all men by its beauty;

for from the ends of the earth they came thither, whether from Babylon or from Ethiopia.

And declaring this, Luke said in the Acts:

And there were dwelling there Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, both Judaea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene.

Those then who were in every part of the world came together thither, and great was the fame of the temple.

What then does Paul do? As in the case of the sacrifices, so also here he acts;

for as there he set the death of Christ against them, so also here he sets the whole heaven against the temple.

And he showed the difference not by this alone, but also by adding that the Priest was become nearer to God;

for 'to appear,' he says, 'before the face of God.'

So that not by heaven alone, but also by the entrance, he made the matter venerable.

For not simply, as here, through symbols, but there He sees God Himself.

Do you see that everywhere the lowly things are spoken because of His condescension? Why then do you further wonder if He intercedes, seeing that He sets Him forth as a high priest? 'Nor yet that He should offer Himself often,' he says, 'as the high priest enters into the holy places every year with' [the blood of another].

'For Christ,' he says, 'is not entered into holy places made with hands, which are figures of the true.'

Therefore those are the true things, but these are types;

for indeed the temple was so constructed, like the heaven of heaven.

What do you say? If He enter not into heaven, does He who is everywhere present, and fills all things, not appear? Do you see that all these things pertain to the flesh? 'And to appear,' he says, 'before the face of God for us.'

What is 'for us'? He ascended, he says, with a sacrifice which had power to propitiate the Father.

Wherefore, tell me? Was He then the enemy? The angels were enemies, He was not an enemy;

for that the angels were enemies, hear what he says.

'He made peace as to the things on earth, and the things in the heavens';

so that he well said that He also 'entered into heaven, now to appear before the face of God for us.'

Now He appears, but on our behalf.

'Nor yet that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters into the Holy of Holies every year with the blood of another.'

Do you see how many are the differences? For the 'often,' the 'once'; for the 'with the blood of another,' the 'with His own.'

He then is Himself both victim and priest.

'For then,' he says, 'must He often have suffered since the foundation of the world.'

Here he uncovers a certain doctrine, and says that if it were necessary to offer sacrifices often, it would have been necessary also to be crucified often.

'But now once, at the consummation of the ages.'

Why 'at the consummation of the ages'? After the many sins.

If then it had happened at the beginning, and afterwards no one had believed, the work of the dispensation would have been unprofitable;

for Christ ought not to die a second time, so that in this way also the thing which was earnestly sought might be accomplished;

but since afterwards the sins were many, He was with good reason then manifested.

'Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.'

'But now,' he says, 'once, at the consummation of the ages, He has been manifested for the putting away of sin by the sacrifice of Himself.'

'And inasmuch as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.'

Having shown that He ought not to die often, he now shows also why He died once;

because He became the ransom for one death.

'It was appointed,' he says, 'unto men once to die.'

This then, the 'He died once,' was on behalf of all men.

What then? Do we no longer die that death? We die indeed, but we do not remain in it;

for that is truly the tyranny of death and truly death, when it is no longer permitted to him that has died to return to life;

but when after dying one lives, and lives a better life, this is not death, but a falling asleep.

Since then death was about to hold all men fast, therefore He died, that He might deliver us.

'So Christ also, having been once offered.'

By whom offered? By Himself evidently.

Here he shows Him to be not only priest, but also offering and victim.

Then he adds the cause of the 'having been offered.'

'Having been once offered,' he says, 'to bear the sins of many.'

But why did he say 'of many,' and not 'of all'? Because not all believed.

For He died indeed for all, so as to save all, so far as pertained to Him;

for that death was a counterweight to the perdition of all;

yet He did not bear the sins of all, because they themselves were not willing.

But what is 'to bear sins'? Just as in the offering which we offer up, we bring forward also the sins, saying, 'Whether we have sinned willingly or unwillingly, forgive';

that is, we first make mention of them, and then we ask for the forgiveness;

so indeed it came to pass here also.

Where did Christ do this? Hear Him saying:

'And for their sakes I sanctify Myself.'

Behold, He bore the sins;

He took them away from men, and bore them up to the Father, not that He might determine anything against them, but that He might forgive them.

'A second time, apart from sin, He shall appear,' he says, 'to them that wait for Him, unto salvation.'

What does 'without sin' mean? It means that He does not come to bear sin, nor will He come a second time on account of sin, so as to die again.

For neither did He who once died, die as one owing a debt of death.

How shall He appear? To punish, he says.

But he did not say this; rather, the joyful word: 'Without sin shall He appear to those who', he says.

who eagerly await Him unto salvation.

so that they no longer have any need of sacrifice in order to be saved, but accomplish this from works.

'For the law,' he says, 'having a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things.'

That is, not the very truth itself.

For so long as one traces the colours around, as in a drawing, it is but a shadow;

but when one lays on the bloom of colour and applies the hues, then it becomes an image.

Such a thing also was the law.

'For the law,' he says, 'having a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things.'

That is, of the sacrifice, of the remission.

'With the same sacrifices which they offer continually can never make perfect those who draw near.'

'For then would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshippers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins;'

'but in those sacrifices there is a remembrance made of sins year by year.'

'For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.'

'Wherefore, when He comes into the world, He says:'

'Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me;'

'in whole burnt offerings and offerings for sin You had no pleasure.'

'Behold, I have come (in the volume of the book it is written of Me) to do Your will, O God.'

Having said above that 'Sacrifice and offering and whole burnt offerings and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor take pleasure in'—which are offered according to the law—

then he said, 'Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.'

He takes away the first, that He may establish the second.

Do you see again the surpassing excellence? This sacrifice, he says, is one; but those were many;

for on this very account they were not strong—because they were many.

For what need was there of many, tell me, when the one sufficed? So that the many, and their being offered continually, prove that they never cleansed those men.

For just as a medicine, when it is potent and health-giving and able to remove every disease, once applied does the whole work;

and if, once applied, it accomplishes the whole, it shows its own strength by no longer being applied, and this is its very work—that it is no longer applied;

but if it is applied continually, it is plain that this is a sign of its having no strength;

for the excellence of a medicine is to be applied once, and not many times;

for why then are they ever being treated with the same sacrifices? For if they had been delivered from all their sins, the sacrifices would not have been offered day by day;

for indeed they were appointed to be offered continually on behalf of the whole people, both in the evening and in the day.

So that what took place was an accusation of sins, and not a loosing of sins;

an accusation of weakness, not a display of strength.

For since the first availed nothing, the second was offered;

and since this accomplished nothing, yet another again;

so that it was a reproof of sins.

The being offered, then, is a reproof of sins;

and the being offered continually, a reproof of weakness.

But in the case of Christ it is the contrary;

He was offered once, and sufficed for ever.

And he well called those things 'figures' (antitypes);

therefore it has only the figure, but not also the strength;

just as in the case of portraits, the image has the figure of the man, but not his strength.

So that the truth and the figure share something in common with each other;

for the figure is the same, but the strength is no longer so.

So too in the case of heaven and of the tabernacle;

for the figure was the same, for they were holy things;

but the power and the rest were not the same.

What does this mean: 'For the putting away of sin He has been manifested through His sacrifice'? What is 'putting away'? That is, contempt;

for sin no longer has boldness;

How so? Though it ought to have received punishment, yet it did not receive it;

when it expected to destroy all, then was it itself destroyed.

'Through His sacrifice,' he says, 'He has been manifested';

that is, He was made manifest to God and drew near.

Therefore, because the priest did this many times in the year, do not suppose that it was done simply, and not on account of weakness;

for if it were not on account of weakness, why then was it done at all? For where there are no wounds, there is no further need of medicines for him who attends to them.

For this reason, he says, He commanded that offering be made continually, on account of weakness, and so that a remembrance of sins might take place.

What then? Do not we offer day by day? We do indeed offer, but making a remembrance

of His death;

and this is one, and not many.

How one, and not many? Because it was offered once, like that offering into the Holy of Holies.

This is a figure of that, and this of that;

for we ever offer the same One, not now one sheep and tomorrow another, but ever the same;

Otherwise, by this reasoning, since He is offered in many places, are there also many Christs? By no means; but Christ is one everywhere, being complete here and complete there, one body.

As therefore, though offered in many places, He is one body and not many bodies, so also is there one sacrifice.

That One is our High Priest, who offered the sacrifice that cleanses us.

That very one we offer even now—the one then offered, which is inexhaustible.

This is done in remembrance of what was then accomplished;

'For this do ye,' He says, 'in remembrance of Me.'

We do not offer another sacrifice, as the high priest did of old, but ever the same one;

or rather, we accomplish a remembrance of the sacrifice.

But since I have made mention of this sacrifice, I wish to say a few words to you who have been initiated—few in measure, yet possessing great force and profit;

for the things spoken are not ours, but those of the divine Spirit.

What then is it? Many partake of this sacrifice once in the whole year, others twice, and others many times.

Our discourse therefore is to all, not only to those here present, but also to those who sit in the desert;

for they partake once in the year, and often even once in two years.

What then? Whom shall we approve? Those who do it once? Those who do it often? Those who do it seldom? Neither those who do it once, nor those who do it often, nor those who do it seldom, but those who come with a pure conscience, with a pure heart, with a blameless life.

Let such as these ever draw near;

but those who are not such, not even once.

Why so? Because they receive to themselves judgment, and condemnation, and chastisement, and punishment.

For just as food, though by nature nourishing, if it fall into a stomach that is out of order, ruins and corrupts everything, and becomes an occasion of disease;

so it is also with these awful mysteries.

Thou enjoyest a spiritual table, a royal table, and again dost thou defile thy mouth with mire? Thou art anointed with fragrant ointment, and again dost thou fill thyself with foul stench? Tell me, I pray thee, when after a year thou partakest of the Communion, dost thou think the forty days sufficient for thee to cleanse away the sins of the whole time? And then, when a week has passed, dost thou give thyself back to thy former ways? Tell me now, if after being restored to health for forty days from a long sickness, thou wert again to give thyself to those foods that breed disease, hast thou not lost thy former labour also? It is quite plain that thou hast.

For if things natural undergo change, much more do things of the will.

By nature we see, and we have healthy eyes according to nature;

but oftentimes our power of sight is injured by an ill habit of body.

If then things that come from nature undergo change, shall not those that come from the will do so much more? Thou assignest forty days to the health of thy soul—perhaps not even forty—and dost thou expect to propitiate God? Thou art trifling, O man.

These things I say, not to hinder you from the one yearly approach, but rather desiring that you should continually draw near to the holy things.

For this reason the priest at that time cries aloud, calling upon the holy, and by this cry, as it were scrutinizing all for blemish, so that no one may approach unprepared.

For just as in a flock, where many sheep are sound but many are full of scab, it is needful for these to be separated from the sound ones;

so also in the Church, since some are healthy sheep and others diseased, by this cry the priest separates the one from the other, going everywhere by this most awful cry, calling and drawing the holy.

For since it is not possible, being a man, to know the things of one's neighbour;

'For what man knoweth the things of a man,' he says, 'save the spirit of the man which is in him?' He utters this cry after the whole sacrifice has been completed, so that no one may come to the spiritual fountain simply and at random.

Of a flock (for nothing hinders using the same illustration again) we shut up the diseased within, and keep them in darkness, and give them other food, allowing them to partake neither of pure air, nor of clean grass, nor of the fountain outside.

Here too then this cry is instead of a kind of bond.

Thou canst not say, 'I knew not, I was ignorant that danger follows upon the matter;'

for indeed Paul above all bore witness to this.

But thou wilt say, 'I did not read it.' This is no defence, but rather an accusation;

every day thou enterest into the church, and dost thou still know not this? (5)

Yet, that thou mayest not have even this to allege as a pretext, for this reason with a loud voice, with an awful cry, like a herald lifting his hand on high, standing aloft, made conspicuous to all, and crying out mightily amid that awful stillness, the priest calls some and repels others—doing this not with the hand, but with the tongue, more plainly than with the hand.

For that voice, falling upon our hearing, like a hand thrusts some forth and casts them out, but brings others in and presents them.

Tell me now, I pray thee, in the Olympic games does not the herald stand crying with a loud and lofty voice, 'If any one accuses this man, saying, is he not a slave? is he not a thief? is he not of wicked ways?' And yet those contests are neither of the soul nor of good character, but of strength and body.

If then, where there is exercise of bodies, there is so much scrutiny of the will, how much more here, where the whole soul contends? So then even now our herald stands, not holding each one by the head and leading him aside, but holding all together by the head that is within;

he sets no others over them as accusers, but themselves against themselves;

for he says not, 'Does any one accuse this man?' but what? 'If any one accuses himself.'

For when he says, 'Holy things for the holy,' this is what he means:

'If any one is not holy, let him not approach.'

He says not simply, 'pure from sins,' but, 'holy;'

for it is not the mere putting away of sins that makes one holy, but also the presence of the Spirit, and the wealth of good works.

'I would not,' he says, 'that ye should merely be freed from the mire, but that ye should also be white and comely.'

For if the king of Babylon, choosing out from among the captives the young men, selected those fair in form and comely in appearance;

much more must we, who stand at the royal table, be fair in the form of the soul, having the golden ornament, the clean robe, the royal sandals, the face of the soul beautiful, the golden adornment set about it, the girdle of truth.

Let such a one approach, and touch the royal cups.

But if any one, clothed in rags, filthy and squalid, should wish to come in to the royal table, see how much he shall suffer, since the forty days do not suffice to wash away the transgressions committed in all the time.

For if hell is not enough—and yet it is eternal (for on this account it is even eternal)—much more this short time.

For we have shown no strong repentance, but a weak one.

The eunuchs above all must stand beside the king;

I mean the eunuchs, those who are white in mind, having no stain nor spot, lofty in mind, having the eye of the soul gentle and keen-sighted, quick to turn and vigorous, but neither drowsy nor supine, full of much freedom, far indeed from shamelessness and effrontery, wakeful, sound, neither too gloomy and downcast, nor dissolute and languid.

This eye we have power to fashion, and to make keen-sighted and beautiful.

For when we lead it not toward the smoke, nor toward the dust (for all human affairs are such), but toward the fine breeze, toward the light air, toward the things on high and lofty, full of much stillness and purity and much delight, we shall quickly restore it, and strengthen it as it revels in such a sight.

Hast thou seen covetousness, and one possessing much wealth? Lead not thither thine eye;

the thing is mire, it is smoke, an evil vapour, darkness;

and much straitness, and a choking of cares.

Hast thou seen a man practising righteousness, content with his own, and having much spaciousness of ease, anxious for nothing, careful for nothing of the things here? Set him there, and lift him up on high;

and thou shalt make him far more beautiful and more radiant, feasting him not on the flowers of the earth, but on those of virtue—on self-control, on gentleness, and on all the rest.

For nothing so troubles the eye as an evil conscience;

'Mine eye,' he says, 'was troubled because of wrath;'

Rid it of this injury, and thou shalt make it bright and strong, ever nourished with good hopes.

And may it be that all of us make both this and the other energies of the soul such as Christ wills;

that, having become worthy of the Head that is set over us, we may depart whither He wills.

'I will that where I am, they also may be with Me, that they may behold My glory;'

which may it be that all of us enjoy, in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom to the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, might, honour, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.