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a priest, when there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. If, therefore, he is a priest, he says, as indeed he is, it is necessary for him to seek another place. For if he were on earth, he would not be a priest. For how? he did not offer, he did not sacrifice; and reasonably so; for there were the priests. And he shows that it is not even possible for him to be a priest on earth; for how? Since there was no rising up, he says. Here it is necessary to apply the mind, and to perceive the apostolic understanding; for again he shows the difference of the priesthood. Who, he says, serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. What heavenly things does he mean here? The spiritual things; for even if they are performed on earth, yet they are worthy of the heavens. For when our Lord Jesus Christ lies slain, when the Spirit is present, when He who sits at the right hand of the Father is here, when they become sons through the laver, when they are citizens of the heavens, when we have our fatherland there, and a city, and a commonwealth, when we are strangers to things here, how are all these things not heavenly? 2. But what? Are not the hymns heavenly? Do we below not utter in harmony with them the same things which the divine choirs of the bodiless powers sing above? Is not the altar also heavenly? How? It has nothing carnal; all things set forth become spiritual; the sacrifice is not dissolved into ash, nor into smoke, nor into the odor of burnt fat, but it makes the things set forth bright and splendid. And how are the things performed not heavenly, when those who minister them hear what was spoken: Whose soever sins you retain, they are retain 63.112 ed; whose soever sins you remit, they are remitted? How are all things not heavenly, when these men even have the keys of heaven? Who, he says, serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to complete the tabernacle: For see, he says, that you make all things according to the pattern shown to you on the mountain. Since our hearing is less instructed than our sight (for we do not commit to the soul what we hear in the same way as what we see with our very eyes), He showed him all things. Either, then, he means this, By a copy and shadow; or he alludes to the temple; for he added, See that you make all things according to the pattern shown to you on the mountain. Did he then see concerning the construction of the temple only, or concerning the sacrifices, and all the other things? rather, one would not err in saying this also. For the Church is heavenly, and it is nothing other than heaven. But now he has obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant. Do you see, he says, how much better this ministry is than that ministry, if indeed the one is a copy and a type, but the other is the truth. But this did not benefit the hearers, nor did it cheer them. For this reason, he says what most cheered them: Which was established upon better promises. Having lifted the argument from the place and the priest and the sacrifice, he then also brings the covenant into the midst; having said indeed before, when he was showing that it was weak and unprofitable. And see what safeguards he lays down, when he is about to speak against it. For there, having said, According to the power of an endless life, he then said, that There is a setting aside of the preceding commandment; then later he also set down something great, saying: through which we draw near to God. But here, having led us up to heaven, and having shown that instead of the temple we have heaven, and that those things were types of our things, and having exalted the ministry by these things, and he reasonably exalts the priesthood as well. But, as I was saying, he sets down what most cheers them, saying: Which was established upon better promises. From where is this clear? From the fact that this one was cast out, and that one was brought in instead; for because of this it prevails, because it is better. For just as he says, that, If perfection were through it, what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek? so also here he has used the same reasoning, saying: For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second; that is, if it had nothing lacking, if it made men blameless. For that he speaks concerning this, hear what follows: For finding fault with them, he says. He did not say, But finding fault with it, but, But finding fault

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ἱερεὺς, ὄντων τῶν ἱερέων τῶν προσφερόντων κατὰ τὸν νόμον τὰ δῶρα. Εἰ τοίνυν ἐστὶν ἱερεὺς, φησὶν, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ἔστι, δεῖ αὐτῷ τόπον ζητῆσαι ἕτερον. Ἐπὶ γῆς μὲν γὰρ ὢν, οὐκ ἂν ἦν ἱερεύς. Πῶς γάρ; οὐ προσήνεγκεν, οὐχ ἱεράσατο· καὶ εἰκότως· ἦσαν γὰρ οἱ ἱερεῖς. Καὶ δείκνυσιν, ὅτι οὐδὲ δυνατὸν ἐπὶ γῆς εἶναι ἱερέα· πῶς γάρ; Ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ ἐπανάστασις ἦν, φησίν. Ἐνταῦθα ἀναγκαῖον συντεῖναι τὸν νοῦν, καὶ συνιδεῖν τὴν ἀποστολικὴν σύνεσιν· πάλιν γὰρ τὴν διαφορὰν δείκνυσι τῆς ἱερωσύνης. Οἵτινες, φησὶν, ὑποδείγματι καὶ σκιᾷ λατρεύουσι τῶν ἐπουρανίων. Τίνα λέγει ἐνταῦθα ἐπουράνια; Τὰ πνευματικά· εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς τελεῖται, ἀλλ' ὅμως τῶν οὐρανῶν εἰσιν ἄξια. Ὅταν γὰρ ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς κεῖται ἐσφαγμένος, ὅταν Πνεῦμα παραγίνηται, ὅταν ὁ καθήμενος ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐνταῦθα ᾖ, ὅταν υἱοὶ γίνωνται διὰ τοῦ λουτροῦ, ὅταν πολῖται ὦσι τῶν ἐν οὐρανοῖς, ὅταν πατρίδα ἔχωμεν ἐκεῖ, καὶ πόλιν, καὶ πολίτευμα, ὅταν ξένοι ὦμεν τῶν ἐνταῦθα, πῶς οὐκ ἐπουράνια ταῦτα πάντα τυγχάνει; βʹ. Ἀλλὰ τί; οἱ ὕμνοι οὐκ ἐπουράνιοι; οὐχ ἅπερ ἄνω ᾄδουσιν οἱ θεῖοι χοροὶ τῶν ἀσωμάτων δυνάμεων, ταῦτα καὶ ἡμεῖς οἱ κάτω συνῳδὰ ἐκείνοις φθεγγόμεθα; οὐχὶ καὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον ἐπουράνιον; Πῶς; οὐδὲν ἔχει σαρκικόν· πάντα πνευματικὰ γίνεται τὰ προκείμενα· οὐκ εἰς τέφραν, οὐκ εἰς καπνὸν, οὐκ εἰς κνῖσσαν διαχεῖται ἡ θυσία, ἀλλὰ λαμπρὰ καὶ φαιδρὰ ἐργάζεται τὰ προκείμενα. Πῶς δὲ οὐκ οὐράνια τὰ τελούμενα, ὅταν οἱ διακονούμενοι αὐτοῖς ἀκούωσιν ἔτι ἐξ οὗ εἴρηται· Ἄν τινων κρατῆτε, κεκράτην 63.112 ται· ἄν τινων ἀφῆτε, ἀφίενται; Πῶς οὐκ οὐράνια πάντα, ὅταν οὗτοι καὶ τὰς κλεῖς ἔχωσι τοῦ οὐρανοῦ; Οἵτινες, φησὶν, ὑποδείγματι καὶ σκιᾷ λατρεύουσι τῶν ἐπουρανίων, καθὼς κεχρημάτισται Μωϋσῆς, μέλλων ἐπιτελεῖν τὴν σκηνήν· Ὅρα γὰρ, φησὶ, ποιήσεις πάντα κατὰ τὸν τύπον τὸν δειχθέντα σοι ἐν τῷ ὄρει. Ἐπειδὴ ἡ ἀκοὴ ἡμῶν ἀμαθεστέρα τῆς ὄψεώς ἐστιν (οὐ γὰρ οὕτως ἅπερ ἂν ἀκούσωμεν, τῇ ψυχῇ παρακατατιθέμεθα, ὡς ἅπερ ἂν ἴδωμεν αὐταῖς ὄψεσιν), ἔδειξεν αὐτῷ πάντα. Ἢ τοίνυν τοῦτο λέγει, Ὑποδείγματι καὶ σκιᾷ· ἢ περὶ τοῦ ναοῦ αἰνίττεται· ἐπήγαγε γάρ, Ὅρα, ποιήσεις πάντα κατὰ τὸν τύπον τὸν δειχθέντα σοι ἐν τῷ ὄρει. Ἄρα περὶ τῆς κατασκευῆς τοῦ ναοῦ μόνον, ἢ περὶ τῶν θυσιῶν εἶδε, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐκ ἄν τις ἁμάρτοι καὶ τοῦτο εἰπών. Οὐρανία γάρ ἐστιν ἡ Ἐκκλησία, καὶ οὐδέν ἐστιν ἄλλο ἢ οὐρανός. Νυνὶ δὲ διαφορωτέρας τετύχηκε λειτουργίας, ὅσῳ καὶ κρείττονός ἐστι διαθήκης μεσίτης. Ὁρᾷς, φησὶν, ὅσῳ βελτίων ἡ λειτουργία τῆς λειτουργίας, εἴ γε ἐκείνη μὲν ὑπόδειγμα καὶ τύπος, αὕτη δὲ ἀλήθεια. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν τοῦτο ὠφέλει τοὺς ἀκούοντας, οὐδὲ εὔφραινε. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο ὃ μάλιστα αὐτοὺς εὔφραινε, λέγει· Ἥτις ἐπὶ κρείττοσιν ἐπαγγελίαις νενομεθέτηται. Ἐπάρας ἀπὸ τοῦ τόπου καὶ τοῦ ἱερέως καὶ τῆς θυσίας, τότε καὶ τῆς διαθήκης τὸ μέσον τίθησιν· εἰπὼν μὲν καὶ πρότερον, ὅτε ἐδείκνυ ὅτι ἀσθενὴς ἦν καὶ ἀνωφελής. Καὶ ὅρα οἷα τίθησιν ἀσφαλίσματα, μέλλων αὐτῆς κατηγορεῖν. Ἐκεῖ γὰρ εἰπὼν, Κατὰ δύναμιν ζωῆς ἀκαταλύτου, τότε εἶπεν, ὅτι Ἀθέτησις γίνεται προαγούσης ἐντολῆς· εἶτα καὶ ὕστερον μέγα τι ἔθηκεν εἰπών· ∆ι' ἧς ἐγγίζομεν τῷ Θεῷ. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἡμᾶς εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀναγαγὼν, καὶ δείξας ὅτι ἀντὶ τοῦ ἱεροῦ τὸν οὐρανὸν ἔχομεν, καὶ ὅτι τύποι ἦσαν τῶν ἡμετέρων ἐκεῖνα, καὶ τὴν λειτουργίαν ἐπάρας τούτοις, καὶ τὴν ἱερωσύνην εἰκότως ἐπαίρει λοιπόν. Ἀλλ', ὅπερ ἔφην, ὃ μάλιστα αὐτοὺς εὐφραίνει τίθησι λέγων· Ἥτις ἐπὶ κρείττοσιν ἐπαγγελίαις νενομοθέτηται. Πόθεν τοῦτο δῆλον; Ἐξ ὧν αὕτη μὲν ἐξεβλήθη, ἐκείνη δὲ ἀντεισήχθη· διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο κρατεῖ, ὅτι βελτίων. Ὥσπερ γὰρ λέγει, ὅτι, Εἰ ἡ τελείωσις δι' αὐτῆς ἦν, τίς ἔτι χρεία κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδὲχ ἕτερον ἀνίστασθαι ἱερέα; οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα τῷ αὐτῷ συλλογισμῷ κέχρηται, λέγων· Εἰ γὰρ ἡ πρώτη ἐκείνη ἦν ἄμεμπτος, οὐκ ἂν δευτέρας ἐζητεῖτο τόπος· τουτέστιν, εἰ οὐδὲν εἶχεν ἐλλιπὲς, εἰ ἀμέμπτους ἐποίει. Ὅτι γὰρ περὶ τούτου φησὶν, ἄκουε τὸ ἑξῆς· Μεμφόμενος δὲ αὐτοῖς λέγει. Οὐκ εἶπε, Μεμφόμενος δὲ αὐτῇ, ἀλλὰ, Μεμφόμενος δὲ