John Chrysostom, On the Letter to the Hebrews

That he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God. For this reason, he says, He took up our flesh, only out of love for mankind, that He might have mercy on us. For there is no other cause for the dispensation than this alone; for he saw us thrown on the ground, perishing, tyrannized by death, and he had mercy. To make propitiation, he says, for the sins of the people, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest. What is, 'Faithful'? True, able; for the Son is the only faithful high priest, able to deliver from their sins those of whom he is high priest. In order therefore to offer a sacrifice able to cleanse us, for this reason he became man. For he added, 'in things pertaining to God'; that is, for the sake of things pertaining to God. We were at war, he says, with God, condemned, dishonored; there was no one to offer a sacrifice for us; he saw us in this state and had mercy, not by appointing a high priest for us, but by becoming himself a faithful high priest. Then, showing how he is faithful, he added, 'To make propitiation for the sins of the people.' For in that he has suffered, he says, having been tempted himself, he is able to help those who are being tempted. 2. This is very humble and of no account and unworthy of God. For 'in that he suffered,' he says, 'himself.' Here he speaks of the incarnate one, and perhaps it is said for the full assurance of the hearers, and because of their weakness. What he says is this: He came through the very experience of what we have suffered; now he is not ignorant of our sufferings; for he does not know them only as God, but also as man he knew them through the experience by which he was tempted; 63.48 he suffered many things, he knows how to sympathize. And yet God is impassible; but here he recounts the things of the incarnation; as if he were saying, 'The very flesh of Christ suffered many terrible things.' He knows what affliction is, he knows what temptation is, and not less than we who have suffered; for he himself also suffered. What then is this, 'He is able to help those who are being tempted'? As one might say, 'With great readiness he will stretch out a hand, he will be compassionate.' For since they wished to have something great and more than those from the nations, he shows that in this they have more, wherein it did no harm to those from the nations. In what is this? That salvation is from them, that he took hold of them first, that from thence he took flesh. For not of angels, he says, does he take hold, but of the seed of Abraham he takes hold. By this he also honors the patriarch, and also shows what this is, 'Of the seed of Abraham.' For he reminds them of the promise made to him which says, 'To you and to your seed I will give this land,' showing the nearness by means of the smallest thing, that all are from one. But since that nearness was not great, he comes again to this, and dwells then on the economy according to the flesh, and says, 'To make propitiation for the sins of the people.' For the very will to become man was of great care and love; but now it is not only this, but also the immortal good things, which were provided to us through him. For 'to make propitiation,' he says, 'for the sins of the people.' Why did he not say, 'Of the world,' but, 'Of the people'? For in fact he bore the sins of us all. Because for the time being his discourse was about them; since also the angel said to Joseph, 'You shall call his name Jesus; for he will save his people.' For this also had to happen first, and for this reason he came, so as to save these, and then through these to save those, even if the opposite has happened. This also the apostles said from the beginning, 'To you, having raised up his Servant, he sent him to bless you'; and again, 'To you the word of salvation was sent.' Here he shows the Jewish nobility, saying, 'To make propitiation for the sins of the people.' For the time being he speaks thus. For that he is the one who forgives the sins of all, he showed also in the case of the paralytic, saying, 'Your sins are forgiven'; and in baptism; for he says to the disciples, 'Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.' But when Paul takes hold of the flesh, he then utters all humble things, fearing nothing; for see what he then says: Wherefore, holy brethren, of the calling

Ἵνα ἐλεήμων γένηται καὶ πιστὸς ἀρχιερεὺς τὰ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο, φησὶ, τὴν σάρκα ἀνέλαβε τὴν ἡμετέραν, διὰ φιλανθρωπίαν μόνον, ἵνα ἐλεήσῃ ἡμᾶς. Οὐδὲ γάρ ἐστιν ἄλλη τις αἰτία τῆς οἰκονομίας, ἢ μόνη αὕτη· εἶδε γὰρ χαμαὶ ἐῤῥιμμένους, ἀπολλυμένους, ὑπὸ τοῦ θανάτου τυραννουμένους, καὶ ἠλέησεν. Εἰς τὸ ἱλάσκεσθαι, φησὶ, τὰς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ λαοῦ, ἵνα ἐλεήμων γένηται καὶ πιστὸς ἀρχιερεύς· τί ἐστι, Πιστός; Ἀληθὴς, δυνάμενος· ἀρχιερεὺς γάρ ἐστι μόνος πιστὸς ὁ Υἱὸς, δυνάμενος τούτους, ὧν ἐστιν ἀρχιερεὺς, ἀπαλλάξαι τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων. Ἵν' οὖν προσενέγκῃ θυσίαν δυναμένην ἡμᾶς καθαρίσαι, διὰ τοῦτο γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος. Ἐπήγαγε γοῦν· Τὰ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· τουτέστι, τῶν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἕνεκεν. Ἐκπεπολεμωμένοι ἦμεν, φησὶ, τῷ Θεῷ κατεγνωσμένοι, ἠτιμωμένοι· οὐδεὶς ἦν ὁ προσοίσων ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν θυσίαν· εἶδεν ἡμᾶς ἐν τούτοις ὄντας καὶ ἠλέησεν, οὐ καταστήσας ἡμῖν ἀρχιερέα, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς γενόμενος ἀρχιερεὺς πιστός. Εἶτα δεικνὺς πῶς πιστὸς, ἐπήγαγεν, Εἰς τὸ ἱλάσκεσθαι τὰς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ λαοῦ. Ἐν ᾧ γὰρ πέπονθε, φησὶν, αὐτοὺς πειρασθεὶς, δύναται τοῖς πειραζομένοις βοηθῆσαι. βʹ. Πάνυ ταπεινὸν τοῦτο καὶ εὐτελὲς καὶ ἀνάξιον τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐν ᾧ γὰρ πέπονθε, φησὶν, αὐτός. Περὶ τοῦ σαρκωθέντος ἐνταῦθά φησι, τάχα δὲ καὶ πρὸς πληροφορίαν τῶν ἀκουόντων εἴρηται, καὶ διὰ τὴν αὐτῶν ἀσθένειαν. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοῦτό ἐστι· ∆ι' αὐτῆς τῆς πείρας ὧν ἐπάθομεν ἦλθε· νῦν οὐκ ἀγνοεῖ τὰ πάθη τὰ ἡμέτερα· οὐ γὰρ ὡς Θεὸς μόνον οἶδεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς ἄνθρωπος ἔγνω διὰ τῆς πείρας ἧς ἐπειράσθη· 63.48 ἔπαθε πολλὰ, οἶδε συμπάσχειν. Καίτοι γε ἀπαθὴς ὁ Θεός ἐστιν· ἀλλὰ τὰ τῆς σαρκώσεως ἐνταῦθα διηγεῖται· ὡς ἂν εἰ ἔλεγε· Καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ σὰρξ ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ πολλὰ δεινὰ ἔπαθεν. Οἶδε τί ἐστι θλῖψις, οἶδε τί ἐστι πειρασμὸς, καὶ οὐχ ἧττον τῶν παθόντων ἡμῶν· καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς ἔπαθε. Τί οὖν ἐστι τὸ, ∆ύναται τοῖς πειραζομένοις βοηθῆσαι; Ὡς ἄν τις εἴποι· Μετὰ πολλῆς προθυμίας ὀρέξει χεῖρα, συμπαθὴς ἔσται. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐβούλοντο μέγα τι καὶ πλέον ἔχειν τῶν ἐξ ἐθνῶν, δείκνυσιν ἐν τούτῳ πλέον ἔχοντας, ἔνθα οὐδὲν κατέβλαπτε τοὺς ἐξ ἐθνῶν. Ἐν ποίῳ δὴ τούτῳ; Ὅτι ἐξ αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ σωτηρία, ὅτι ἐκείνων ἐπελάβετο πρῶτον, ὅτι ἐκεῖθεν ἀνέλαβε σάρκα. Οὐ γὰρ ἀγγέλων, φησὶν, ἐπιλαμβάνεται, ἀλλὰ σπέρματος Ἀβραὰμ ἐπιλαμβάνεται. Τιμᾷ καὶ τὸν πατριάρχην διὰ τούτου, καὶ δείκνυσι καὶ τί ἐστι, Σπέρματος Ἀβραάμ. Ἀναμιμνήσκει γὰρ αὐτοὺς τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν γενομένης ἐπαγγελίας τῆς λεγούσης· Σοὶ καὶ τῷ σπέρματί σου δώσω τὴν γῆν ταύτην, διὰ τοῦ σμικροτάτου δεικνὺς τὴν ἐγγύτητα, τοῦ ἐξ ἑνὸς εἶναι πάντας. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ οὐ πολλὴ ἐκείνη ἦν ἡ ἐγγύτης, ἔρχεται πάλιν ἐπὶ ταύτην, καὶ ἐνδιατρίβει λοιπὸν τῇ οἰκονομίᾳ τῇ κατὰ σάρκα, καί φησιν· Εἰς τὸ ἱλάσκεσθαι ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις τοῦ λαοῦ. Ἦν μὲν γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ θελῆσαι γενέσθαι ἄνθρωπον, πολλῆς κηδεμονίας καὶ ἀγάπης· νῦν δὲ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον ἐστὶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἀθάνατα ἀγαθὰ, τὰ δι' αὐτοῦ ἡμῖν παρασχεθέντα· Εἰς τὸ ἱλάσκεσθαι γὰρ, φησὶ, ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις τοῦ λαοῦ. ∆ιὰ τί μὴ εἶπε· Τῆς οἰκουμένης, ἀλλὰ, Τοῦ λαοῦ; ὄντως γὰρ τὰς πάντων ἡμῶν ἁμαρτίας ἀνήνεγκεν. Ὅτι τέως περὶ αὐτῶν ἦν ὁ λόγος αὐτῷ· ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ ἄγγελος πρὸς τὸν Ἰωσὴφ ἔλεγε, Καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦν· αὐτὸς γὰρ σώσει τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ πρῶτον ἔδει γενέσθαι, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἦλθεν, ὥστε τούτους σῶσαι, καὶ τότε διὰ τούτων ἐκείνους, εἰ καὶ τοὐναντίον γέγονε. Τοῦτο καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι ἄνωθεν ἔλεγον Ὑμῖν ἀναστήσας τὸν Παῖδα αὐτοῦ ἀπέστειλεν εὐλογοῦντα ὑμᾶς· καὶ πάλιν, Ὑμῖν ὁ λόγος τῆς σωτηρίας ἀπεστάλη. Τὴν εὐγένειαν ἐνταῦθα δείκνυσι τὴν Ἰουδαϊκὴν, λέγων· Εἰς τὸ ἱλάσκεσθαι ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις τοῦ λαοῦ. Τέως οὕτω φησίν. Ὅτι γὰρ αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ τὰς ἁμαρτίας πάντων ἀφιεὶς, ἐδήλωσε καὶ ἐν τῷ παραλυτικῷ, εἰπών· Ἀφέωνταί σοι αἱ ἁμαρτίαι· καὶ ἐν τῷ βαπτίσματι· φησὶ γὰρ πρὸς τοὺς μαθητάς· Πορευθέντες μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος. Ὅταν δὲ τῆς σαρκὸς ἐπιλάβηται ὁ Παῦλος, πάντα λοιπὸν ταπεινὰ φθέγγεται, οὐδὲν δεδοικώς· ὅρα γὰρ λοιπὸν τί φησιν· Ὅθεν, ἀδελφοὶ ἅγιοι, κλήσεως