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to disbelieve His promises. Paul, then, abundantly overthrowing such a suspicion, sets forth this example, taking it from common custom. What is this? For this very reason, he says, we must be confident. Why? Because not when the testators are living, but when they have died, then are the testaments firm, and they take effect. Wherefore he also begins by speaking thus, and for this reason he says: He is the mediator of a new testament. The testament is made at the last day of one's life. And such is the testament, it has heirs, and it has the disinherited. So also here, concerning the heirs Christ says: I will that, where I am, they also may be. And again, concerning the disinherited, hear Him say: I pray not for all, but for those who believe in Me through their word. Again, the testament has some things of the testator, and some things of the recipients; so that some things they are to receive, and some things to do. So also here; for after promising countless things, He also requires things from them, saying: A new commandment I give to you. Again, the testament ought to have witnesses; and hear Him saying again: I am He who witnesses concerning Myself, and the Father who sent Me witnesses concerning Me; and again: He will witness concerning Me, speaking of the Paraclete; and He sent the twelve apostles saying: Testify before God. And for this reason, he says, He is the mediator of a new testament. What is a mediator? The mediator is no longer lord of the matter for which he is mediator, but the matter is one thing, and the mediator another; for instance, one becomes a mediator of a marriage, not the one marrying, but the one who cooperates with the one about to be married. So indeed also here the Son became a mediator between the Father and us. The Father was not willing to grant us this inheritance, but was angered towards us, and was enraged as towards those who were alienated; therefore, He became a mediator between us and Him, and persuaded Him. And see how a media- 63.124 -tor He became; He brought and took away words, conveying to us the things from the Father, and adding His death; we had offended, we were obliged to die, He died for us, and made us worthy of the testament. In this way is the testament firm, which was no longer made for the unworthy. From the beginning, therefore, He covenanted as a Father with sons; but since we have become unworthy, there was no longer need for a testament, but for punishment. Why then, he says, do you think so highly of the Law? For it has brought us into so great a sin, that we could never be saved; if our Master had not died for us, the Law would not have had strength; for it was weak. And he no longer confirms it only from common custom, but also from the events in the Old [Testament]; which especially persuaded them. But no one, he says, had died there; how then was that one firm? In the same way, he says. How? For there too was blood, just as here there is blood. But if it was not the blood of Christ, do not be surprised; for it was a type; wherefore he also says, Whence neither has the first been dedicated without blood. What is, Has been dedicated? It has been made firm, it was confirmed. Whence, that is for this reason, he says, it was necessary for there to be a symbol of the testament and of the death. 2. For what reason, tell me, was the book of the testament sprinkled? For when, he says, every commandment according to the law had been spoken by Moses to all the people, 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 testament, which God has commanded for you. For what reason, then, tell me, is the book of the testament and the people sprinkled? Was not that blood and the other things a certain type of the precious blood that was prefigured from above? Why then also with hyssop? Because being dense and soft, it was good for holding the blood. And what of the water? This too as characterizing the purification through water. And what of the wool? This also was used, so that the blood might be retained. He shows here that it is the same thing, both blood and water; for the baptism is a symbol of His passion. And he likewise sprinkled with blood the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. And almost with blood

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ἀπιστεῖν ταῖς ἐπαγγελίαις αὐτοῦ. Ὁ τοίνυν Παῦλος τὴν τοιαύτην ὑπόνοιαν ἐκ περιουσίας ἀνατρέπων, τοῦτο τίθησι τὸ ὑπόδειγμα, ἀπὸ τῆς κοινῆς συνηθείας λαβών. Ποῖον δὴ τοῦτο; ∆ι' αὐτὸ μὲν οὖν τοῦτο χρὴ θαῤῥεῖν, φησί. ∆ιὰ τί; Ὅτι οὐ ζώντων τῶν διαθεμένων ἀλλ' ἀποθανόντων, τότε βέβαιοί εἰσιν αἱ διαθῆκαι, καὶ τὴν ἰσχὺν λαμβάνουσι. ∆ιὸ καὶ οὕτως ἄρχεται λέγων, καὶ διὰ τοῦτό φησι· Καινῆς διαθήκης μεσίτης ἐστίν. Ἡ διαθήκη πρὸς τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ γίνεται τῆς τελευτῆς. Τοιαύτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ διαθήκη, τοὺς μὲν κληρονόμους ἔχει, τοὺς δὲ ἀποκληρονόμους. Οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα περὶ μὲν τῶν κληρονόμων φησὶν ὁ Χριστός· Θέλω ἵν', ὅπου ἐγώ εἰμι, καὶ οὗτοι ὦσι. Καὶ πάλιν περὶ τῶν ἀποκληρονόμων ἄκουε αὐτοῦ λέγοντος· Οὐ περὶ πάντων ἐρωτῶ, ἀλλὰ περὶ τῶν πιστευόντων διὰ τοῦ λόγου αὐτῶν εἰς ἐμέ. Ἡ διαθήκη πάλιν τὰ μὲν τοῦ διαθεμένου ἔχει, τὰ δὲ τῶν δεχομένων· ὥστε τὰ μὲν αὐτοὺς λαβεῖν, τὰ δὲ ποιῆσαι. Οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα· μετὰ γὰρ τὸ ἐπαγγείλασθαι μυρία, ἀπαιτεῖ καὶ τὰ παρ' αὐτῶν, λέγων· Ἐντολὴν καινὴν δίδωμι ὑμῖν. Πάλιν ὀφείλει ἡ διαθήκη μάρτυρας ἔχειν· καὶ ἄκουε αὐτοῦ πάλιν λέγοντος· Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ μαρτυρῶν περὶ ἐμαυτοῦ, καὶ μαρτυρεῖ περὶ ἐμοῦ ὁ πέμψας με Πατήρ· καὶ πάλιν· Ἐκεῖνος μαρτυρήσει περὶ ἐμοῦ, περὶ τοῦ Παρακλήτου λέγων· καὶ τοὺς δώδεκα ἀποστόλους ἀπέστειλε λέγων· ∆ιαμαρτύρασθε ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτό φησιν, ∆ιαθήκης καινῆς μεσίτης ἐστί. Τί ἐστι μεσίτης; Ὁ μεσίτης οὐκ ἔτι ἐστὶ κύριος τοῦ πράγματος οὗ ἐστι μεσίτης, ἀλλ' ἕτερον μὲν τὸ πρᾶγμα, ἕτερος δὲ ὁ μεσίτης· οἷον, μεσίτης γάμου γίνεται, οὐχ ὁ γαμῶν, ἀλλ' ὁ τῷ μέλλοντι ἄγεσθαι συμπράττων. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα μεσίτης ὁ Υἱὸς ἐγένετο τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ ἡμῶν. Οὐκ ἤθελεν ἡμῖν ἀφεῖναι ὁ Πατὴρ τὴν κληρονομίαν ταύτην, ἀλλ' ὠργίζετο πρὸς ἡμᾶς, καὶ ἐχαλέπαινεν ὡς πρὸς ἀπηλλοτριωμένους· μεσίτης τοίνυν ἐγένετο ἡμῶν καὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔπεισεν αὐτόν. Καὶ ὅρα πῶς μεσί 63.124 της ἐγένετο λόγους ἀπήγαγε καὶ ἤγαγε, τὰ παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἡμῖν διαπορθμεύων, καὶ τὸν θάνατον προστιθείς· προσκεκρουκότες ἦμεν, ἀποθανεῖν ὠφείλομεν, ἀπέθανεν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, καὶ ἐποίησεν ἡμᾶς ἀξίους τῆς διαθήκης. Ταύτῃτοι καὶ βεβαία ἐστὶν ἡ διαθήκη, ἣ οὐκ εἰς ἀναξίους λοιπὸν γέγονε. Παρὰ μὲν οὖν τὴν ἀρχὴν, ἅτε ὡς Πατὴρ πρὸς υἱοὺς διέθετο· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀνάξιοι γεγόναμεν, οὐκέτι διαθήκης, ἀλλὰ τιμωρίας ἔδει. Τί τοίνυν μέγα φρονεῖς, φησὶν, ἐπὶ τῷ νόμῳ; εἰς τοσαύτην γὰρ ἡμᾶς κατέστησεν ἁμαρτίαν, ὡς μὴ ἂν σωθῆναί ποτε· εἰ μὴ ὁ ∆εσπότης ἡμῶν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀπέθανεν, οὐκ ἂν ἴσχυσεν ὁ νόμος· ἀσθενὴς γὰρ ἦν. Οὐκέτι δὲ αὐτὸ ἀπὸ τῆς κοινῆς συνηθείας βεβαιοῖ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ συμβεβηκότων· ὃ μάλιστα αὐτοὺς ἐπήγετο. Ἀλλ' οὐδεὶς, φησὶν, ἦν ὁ τετελευτηκὼς ἐκεῖ· πῶς οὖν ἐκείνη βεβαία; ∆ιὰ τοῦ αὐτοῦ τρόπου, φησί. Πῶς; Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖ αἷμα, ὥσπερ ἐνταῦθα αἷμα. Εἰ δὲ μὴ τὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ αἷμα, μὴ θαυμάσῃς· τύπος γὰρ ἦν· διὸ καὶ λέγει, Ὅθεν οὐδὲ ἡ πρώτη χωρὶς αἵματος ἐγκεκαίνισται. Τί ἐστιν, Ἐγκεκαίνισται; Βεβαία γέγονεν, ἐκυρώθη. Ὅθεν, τουτέστι διὰ τοῦτο, φησὶν, ἔδει τῆς διαθήκης τὸ σύμβολον εἶναι καὶ τῆς τελευτῆς. βʹ. Τίνος γὰρ ἕνεκεν, εἰπέ μοι, τὸ βιβλίον ἐῤῥαντίζετο τῆς διαθήκης; Λαληθείσης γὰρ, φησὶ, πάσης τῆς ἐντολῆς κατὰ νόμον ὑπὸ Μωϋσέως παντὶ τῷ λαῷ, λαβὼν τὸ αἷμα τῶν μόσχων μετὰ ὕδατος καὶ ἐρίου κοκκίνου καὶ ὑσσώπου, αὐτό τε τὸ βιβλίον καὶ πάντα τὸν λαὸν ἐῤῥάντιζε, λέγων· Τοῦτο τὸ αἷμα τῆς διαθήκης, ἧς ἐνετείλατο πρὸς ὑμᾶς ὁ Θεός. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν, εἰπέ μοι, τὸ βιβλίον ῥαντίζεται τῆς διαθήκης καὶ ὁ λαός; Ἦ τοῦ τιμίου αἵματος ἄνωθεν σχηματιζομένου τύπος τις ἐκεῖνο τὸ αἷμα καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἐγίνετο. Τί δήποτε δὲ καὶ μετὰ ὑσσώπου; Ὅτι πυκνὸν καὶ ἁπαλὸν ὑπάρχον, κρατητικὸν τοῦ αἵματος ἦν. Τί δαὶ τὸ ὕδωρ; Καὶ τοῦτο ὡς χαρακτηρίζον τὴν δι' ὕδατος κάθαρσιν. Τί δὲ τὸ ἔριον; Καὶ τοῦτο παρελαμβάνετο, ὥστε κατέχεσθαι τὸ αἷμα. ∆είκνυσιν ἐνταῦθα τὸ αὐτὸ ὂν καὶ αἷμα καὶ ὕδωρ· τὸ γὰρ βάπτισμα αὐτοῦ τοῦ πάθους ἐστὶ σύμβολον. Καὶ τὴν σκηνὴν δὲ, καὶ πάντα τὰ σκεύη τῆς λειτουργίας τῷ αἵματι ὁμοίως ἐῤῥάντισε. Καὶ σχεδὸν ἐν αἵματι