82

awesome. Thus they were accustomed from above; for then too the high priest, he says, offered once. And he said well, Not without blood; not without blood indeed, but not this blood; for the matter was not so great. He shows that it will be, not consumed by fire, but rather shown from blood. For since he called the cross a sacrifice, having neither fire, nor wood, nor being offered many times, but offered once in blood; he shows that the old sacrifice was also of such a kind, it was offered once in blood. Which he offers, he says, for himself and for the ignorances of the people. See; he did not say, for sins, but, For ignorances, that they might not think great things of themselves. For even if you did not sin willingly, he says, yet you were ignorant unwillingly, and of this no one is pure. And everywhere he puts, For himself, showing that Christ is much greater than the high priest among the Jews. For if He is separated from our sins, how did He offer for Himself? Why then did you say these things, he says? For this is of one who is better. There is no contemplation here; but for the rest he contemplates and says; This the Holy Spirit signifying, that the way of the holies was not yet made manifest, while the first tabernacle was still standing. For this reason, he says, these things were so constructed, that we might learn that the Holy of Holies, that is, heaven, is still inaccessible. Therefore, because we do not enter it, he says, let us not suppose that it does not even exist, since we did not enter the holies either. Which is a figure, he says, for the time then present. 2. What present time does he mean? The one before the coming of Christ; for after the coming of Christ it is no longer the present time; for how, having come after and having an end? And indicating something else, he says this; Which is a figure for the time then present; that is, it became the type. In which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience. Did you see how clearly he showed from this what is meant by, The law made nothing 63.119 perfect, and, If the first had been faultless? How? As pertaining to the conscience. For the sacrifices did not remit the stain from the soul, but were still about the body; For according to the law of a carnal commandment, he says. For they could not remit adultery, nor murder, nor sacrilege. Do you see, Eat this, do not eat that? which are indifferent matters. Only in foods and drinks and various washings. Drink this, he says; and yet nothing was commanded concerning drink; but disparaging them he spoke thus; And various washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. For this is the righteousness of the flesh. Here he throws down the sacrifices, showing that they had no strength, and that they were until the time of reformation; that is, they awaited the time that would reform all things. But Christ being come a high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands. He means the flesh here. And he well said both greater and more perfect, if indeed God the Word, and all the energy of the Spirit dwells in it; For God does not give the Spirit by measure; or more perfect, he says, since it is also incomprehensible, and accomplishes greater things. That is to say, not of this building. Behold how greater; for it would not have been of the Spirit, if a man had constructed it. Not of this building, he says, that is, not of these created things, but spiritual; for it was constructed of the Holy Spirit. Do you see how he calls the body both tabernacle and veil and heaven? By a greater and more perfect, he says, tabernacle; then, Through the veil, that is to say, His flesh; and again, Into that which is within the veil; and again; Entering into the Holy of Holies, to appear in the presence of God. For what reason then does he do this? Wishing to teach us, by one and another meaning, it being the same word. For example, what I say, the heaven is a veil; for just as a veil walls off the holy things, so too the flesh hides the divinity; and likewise the flesh is a tabernacle, holding the divinity; and again the heaven is a tabernacle; for there within is the priest. But Christ, he says, being come a high priest.

82

φρικτή. Οὕτως ἠθίζοντο ἄνωθεν· καὶ γὰρ τότε ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς, φησὶν, ἅπαξ προσέφερε. Καὶ καλῶς εἶπεν, Οὐ χωρὶς αἵματος· οὐ χωρὶς μὲν αἵματος, οὐ μὴν τούτου τοῦ αἵματος· οὐ γὰρ τοσαύτη ἦν ἡ πραγματεία. ∆είκνυσιν ὅτι ἔσται, οὐ πυρὶ ἀναλουμένη, ἀλλὰ ἀπὸ αἵματος μᾶλλον δεικνυμένη. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ θυσίαν ἐκάλεσε τὸν σταυρὸν, οὔτε πῦρ ἔχοντα, οὔτε ξύλα, οὔτε πολλάκις προσφερόμενον, ἀλλὰ ἅπαξ ἐν αἵματι προσενεχθέντα· δείκνυσιν ὅτι καὶ ἡ παλαιὰ θυσία τοιαύτη ἦν, ἅπαξ προσεφέρετο ἐν αἵματι. Ὃ προσφέρει, φησὶν, ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τῶν τοῦ λαοῦ ἀγνοημάτων. Ὅρα· οὐκ εἶπεν, ἁμαρτημάτων, ἀλλ', Ἀγνοημάτων, ἵνα μὴ μέγα φρονήσωσιν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μὴ ἑκὼν ἥμαρτες, φησίν· ἀλλ' ἄκων ἠγνόησας, καὶ τούτου οὐδείς ἐστι καθαρός. Καὶ πανταχοῦ τὸ, Ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ, τίθησι, δεικνὺς ὅτι ὁ Χριστὸς πολλῷ μείζων ἐστὶ τοῦ παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις ἀρχιερεύς. Εἰ γὰρ κεχώρισται τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν, πῶς ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ προσήνεγκε; Τί οὖν ταῦτα εἶπες, φησί; Τοῦτο γὰρ κρείττονός ἐστιν. Οὐδαμοῦ ἐνταῦθα θεωρία· λοιπὸν δὲ θεωρεῖ καί φησι· Τοῦτο δηλοῦντος τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου, μήπω πεφανερῶσθαι τὴν τῶν ἁγίων ὁδὸν, ἔτι τῆς πρώτης σκηνῆς ἐχούσης στάσιν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο, φησὶ, ταῦτα οὕτω κατεσκεύασται, ἵνα μάθωμεν ὅτι τὰ Ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων, τουτέστιν, ὁ οὐρανὸς, ἔτι ἐστὶν ἄβατος. Μὴ οὖν, ἐπειδὴ μὴ ἐπιβαίνομεν αὐτοῦ, φησὶ, νομίζωμεν αὐτὸν μηδὲ εἶναι, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ τῶν ἁγίων ἐπέβημεν. Ἥτις παραβολὴ, φησὶν, εἰς τὸν καιρὸν τὸν ἐνεστηκότα. βʹ. Καιρὸν ἐνεστηκότα ποῖον λέγει; Τὸν πρὸ τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρουσίας· μετὰ γὰρ τὴν παρουσίαν τοῦ Χριστοῦ οὐκέτι καιρός ἐστιν ἐνεστώς· πῶς γὰρ, ἐπιγενόμενος καὶ τέλος ἔχων; Καὶ ἕτερον δὲ ἐμφαίνων, τοῦτό φησι· Ἥτις παραβολὴ εἰς τὸν καιρὸν τὸν ἐνεστηκότα· τουτέστιν, ὁ τύπος γέγονε. Καθ' ὃν δῶρά τε καὶ θυσίαι προσφέρονται, μὴ δυνάμεναι κατὰ συνείδησιν τελειῶσαι τὸν λατρεύοντα. Εἶδες πῶς σαφῶς ἔδειξεν ἐντεῦθεν τί ἐστι τὸ, Οὐδὲν 63.119 ἐτελείωσεν ὁ νόμος, καὶ τὸ, Εἰ ἡ πρώτη ἦν ἄμεμπτος; Πῶς; Κατὰ συνείδησιν. Αἱ γὰρ θυσίαι οὐ τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ῥύπον ἠφίεσαν, ἀλλ' ἔτι περὶ σῶμα ἦσαν· Κατὰ νόμον γὰρ ἐντολῆς σαρκικῆς, φησίν. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ μοιχείαν, οὐδὲ φόνον, οὐδὲ ἱεροσυλίαν ἀφιέναι ἠδύναντο. Ὁρᾷς, Τόδε φάγε, τόδε μὴ φάγῃς; ἅπερ ἐστὶν ἀδιάφορα. Μόνον ἐπὶ βρώμασι καὶ πόμασι καὶ διαφόροις βαπτισμοῖς. Τόδε πίε, φησί· καίτοι περὶ τοῦ ποτοῦ οὐδὲν ἦν διατεταγμένον· ἀλλ' ἐξευτελίζων αὐτὰ οὕτως εἶπε· Καὶ διαφόροις βαπτισμοῖς, καὶ δικαιώμασι σαρκὸς, μέχρι καιροῦ διορθώσεως ἐπικείμενα. Αὕτη γὰρ ἡ δικαιοσύνη τῆς σαρκός. Ἐνταῦθα καταβάλλει τὰς θυσίας, δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐδεμίαν εἶχον ἰσχὺν, καὶ ὅτι μέχρι καιροῦ διορθώσεως ἦσαν· τουτέστιν, ἔμενον τὸν καιρὸν τὸν διορθοῦντα πάντα. Χριστὸς δὲ παραγενόμενος ἀρχιερεὺς τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν, διὰ τῆς μείζονος καὶ τελειοτέρας σκηνῆς, οὐ χειροποιήτου. Τὴν σάρκα ἐνταῦθα λέγει. Καλῶς δὲ καὶ μείζονα καὶ τελειοτέραν εἶπεν, εἴ γε ὁ Θεὸς Λόγος, καὶ πᾶσα ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐνέργεια ἐνοικεῖ ἐν αὐτῇ· Οὐ γὰρ ἐκ μέτρου δίδωσιν ὁ Θεὸς τὸ πνεῦμα· ἢ τελειοτέρας, ἅτε καὶ ἀλήπτου οὔσης, λέγει, καὶ μείζονα κατορθούσης. Τουτέστιν, οὐ ταύτης τῆς κτίσεως. Ἰδοὺ πῶς μείζονος· οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἐκ Πνεύματος, εἰ ἄνθρωπος αὐτὴν κατεσκεύασεν. Οὐ ταύτης τῆς κτίσεως, φησὶ, τουτέστιν, οὐ τούτων τῶν κτισμάτων, ἀλλὰ πνευματικῆς· ἐκ Πνεύματος γὰρ κατεσκεύαστο ἁγίου. Ὁρᾷς πῶς καὶ σκηνὴν καὶ καταπέτασμα καὶ οὐρανὸν τὸ σῶμα καλεῖ; ∆ιὰ τῆς μείζονος καὶ τελειοτέρας, φησὶ, σκηνῆς· εἶτα, ∆ιὰ τοῦ καταπετάσματος, τουτέστι, τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ· καὶ πάλιν, Εἰς τὸ ἐσώτερον τοῦ καταπετάσματος· καὶ πάλιν· Εἰσερχομένην εἰς τὰ Ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων, ἐμφανισθῆναι τῷ προσώπῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν τοῦτο ποιεῖ; Ἡμᾶς διδάξαι βουλόμενος, καθ' ἕτερον καὶ ἕτερον σημαινόμενον, τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον ὄντα. Οἷόν τι λέγω, καταπέτασμα ὁ οὐρανός ἐστιν· ὥσπερ γὰρ ἀποτειχίζει τὰ ἅγια καταπέτασμα, καὶ ἡ σὰρξ κρύπτουσα τὴν θεότητα· καὶ σκηνὴ ὁμοίως ἡ σὰρξ, ἔχουσα τὴν θεότητα· καὶ σκηνὴ πάλιν ὁ οὐρανός· ἐκεῖ γάρ ἐστιν ἔνδον ὁ ἱερεύς. Χριστὸς δὲ, φησὶ, παραγενόμενος ἀρχιερεύς.