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this? It is excellent indeed. For it says, Considering their way of life, that is, their life, imitate their faith. For from a pure life comes faith. Or by faith he means steadfastness. How? For it shows that by believing steadfastly in the things to come, they achieved the most excellent way of life. For they would not have shown a pure life, if they had disputed about the things to come, if they had doubted. So here too he addresses the same thing. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever. Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, from which those who walked in them were not benefited. 2. Here, "Yesterday" means all the time that is past; "Today," the present; "for ever," the infinite and that which has no end. What he says is something like this: You have heard of a High Priest, but not a High Priest who ceases to be; for he is always the same. Perhaps also, since there were some who said that this crucified one is not the expected Christ, but another will come, he says, "Yesterday and today," and, "The same for ever"; showing by this that he who came will come again, and this very one both was before, and is, and will be for ever. Since even now Jews say that another will come; they, having deprived themselves of the one who is, will fall into the hands of the Antichrist. By varied, he says, and strange teachings do not be carried away. Not only by strange, but not even by varied teachings does he want them to be carried away; for he knows that from both, destruction is born for those who are carried away. For it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, from which those who walked in them were not benefited. Here he gently alludes to those who introduce the observance of foods; for to faith all things are pure; therefore faith is needed, not foods. For we have an altar, from which those who serve the tabernacle 63.227 have no authority to eat. The things among us, he says, are not like the Jewish things, such that it is not lawful even for a high priest to partake of them. Therefore, since he said, "Do not observe," and this seemed to be disparaging his own, he turns it around again. For do we not also observe, he says? We do observe, and more strictly, not even sharing them with the priests themselves. For the blood of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest for sin, their bodies are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered "Outside the gate," he says. Do you see the type shining forth? "Outside the camp," he says, and, "Outside the gate." Since therefore the things offered for sin were a type, and were wholly burned outside the camp, Jesus, who was offered for our sins, also fittingly suffers outside the gate. Therefore we too must imitate him who suffered for us, and be outside the world, or rather, outside the affairs of the world. Therefore, indicating this, he added: "Therefore let us go forth to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach"; that is, suffering the same things, sharing with him in his sufferings. As one condemned he was crucified outside; therefore let us not be ashamed to go outside the world; for this he intimated by saying, "Outside the camp," and, "Outside the gate." For we do not have here an abiding city, he says, but we seek the one to come. Through him therefore let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God; that is, the fruit of lips giving thanks to his name. "Through him," he said, as through a high priest, according to the flesh. "Giving thanks," he says, "to his name." As if he said, If we must give thanks to him, let us utter nothing blasphemous, nothing insolent, nothing bold, nothing rash, nothing desperate, but let us do and say all things with reverence and godliness. He says these things not without reason, but because he knows they are afflicted; for a soul in afflictions despairs and acts shamelessly. But not us, he says. Behold, again he said the same thing that he said above: "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together." Thus we will be able to do all things with reverence; for often, out of shame before men, we do not do many wicked things. But do not forget to do good and to share. 3.

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αὕτη; Ἀρίστη μὲν οὖν· λέγει γὰρ, Θεωροῦντες αὐτῶν τὴν ἀναστροφὴν, τουτέστι, τὸν βίον, μιμεῖσθε τὴν πίστιν· ἀπὸ γὰρ βίου καθαροῦ ἡ πίστις. Ἢ τὴν πίστιν τὸ βέβαιον λέγει. Πῶς; ∆είκνυσι γὰρ ὅτι πιστεύσαντες βεβαίως τοῖς μέλλουσι, τὴν ἀρίστην πολιτείαν κατώρθωσαν. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἐπεδείξαντο βίον καθαρὸν, εἴ γε ἠμφισβήτουν περὶ τῶν μελλόντων, εἴ γε ἀμφέβαλλον. Ὥστε καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὸ αὐτὸ θεραπεύει. Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς χθὲς καὶ σήμερον ὁ αὐτὸς, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. ∆ιδαχαῖς ποικίλαις καὶ ξέναις μὴ παραφέρεσθε· καλὸν γὰρ χάριτι βεβαιοῦσθαι τὴν καρδίαν, οὐ βρώμασιν, ἐν οἷς οὐκ ὠφελήθησαν οἱ περιπατήσαντες. βʹ. Ἐνταῦθα τὸ, Χθὲς, τὸν παρελθόντα πάντα λέγει χρόνον· τὸ, Σήμερον, τὸν ἐνεστῶτα· ὁ αἰὼν, τὸ ἄπειρον καὶ λῆξιν οὐκ ἔχον. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Ἀρχιερέα ἠκούσατε, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀρχιερέα λήγοντα· ἀεὶ γὰρ ὁ αὐτός ἐστι. Τάχα δὲ ὡς ὄντων τινῶν τῶν λεγόντων, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ σταυρωθεὶς οὗτος ὁ προσδοκώμενος Χριστὸς, ἀλλ' ἕτερος ἥξει, τὸ, Χθὲς καὶ σήμερον, λέγει, καὶ, Ὁ αὐτὸς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας· δηλῶν διὰ τούτου, ὅτι ὁ ἐλθὼν πάλιν ἥξει, καὶ αὐτὸς οὗτος καὶ προῆν, καὶ ἔστι, καὶ ἔσται εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἐπεὶ καὶ νῦν Ἰουδαῖοι λέγουσιν, ὅτι ἕτερος ἥξει· οἳ καὶ τοῦ ὄντος ἀποστερήσαντες ἑαυτοὺς, τῷ Ἀντιχρίστῳ περιπεσοῦνται. ∆ιδαχαῖς ποικίλαις, φησὶ, καὶ ξέναις μὴ παραφέρεσθε. Οὐ μόνον ξέναις, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ποικίλαις διδαχαῖς βούλεται αὐτοὺς παραφέρεσθαι· οἶδε γὰρ ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων τοῖς παραφερομένοις ὄλεθρον τίκτεσθαι. Καλὸν γὰρ χάριτι βεβαιοῦσθαι τὴν καρδίαν, οὐ βρώμασιν, ἐν οἷς οὐκ ὠφελήθησαν οἱ περιπατήσαντες. Ἐνταῦθα ἠρέμα αἰνίττεται τοὺς τὴν παρατήρησιν τῶν βρωμάτων εἰσάγοντας· τῇ γὰρ πίστει πάντα καθαρά· πίστεως οὖν δεῖ, οὐ βρωμάτων. Ἔχομεν γὰρ θυσιαστήριον, ἐξ οὗ φαγεῖν ἐξουσίαν οὐκ ἔχουσιν οἱ τῇ σκηνῇ 63.227 λατρεύοντες. Οὐχ οἷα τὰ Ἰουδαϊκὰ, φησὶ, τοιαῦτα τὰ παρ' ἡμῖν, ὡς μηδὲ ἀρχιερεῖ θέμις εἶναι μετέχειν αὐτῶν. Ὥστε ἐπειδὴ εἶπε, Μὴ παρατηρεῖτε, ἐδόκει δὲ τοῦτο καταβάλλοντος εἶναι τὰ ἴδια, πάλιν αὐτὸ περιστρέφει. Μὴ γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς οὐ παρατηροῦμεν, φησί; Καὶ παρατηροῦμεν, καὶ σφοδρότερον οὐδὲ αὐτοῖς τοῖς ἱερεῦσι μεταδιδόντες αὐτῶν. Ὧν γὰρ εἰσφέρεται ζώων τὸ αἷμα περὶ ἁμαρτίας εἰς τὰ ἅγια διὰ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως, τούτων τὰ σώματα κατακαίεται ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς. ∆ιὸ καὶ Ἰησοῦς, ἵνα ἁγιάσῃ διὰ τοῦ ἰδίου αἵματος τὸν λαὸν, Ἔξω τῆς πύλης, φησὶν, ἔπαθεν. Εἶδες τὸν τύπον λάμποντα; Ἔξω, φησὶν, τῆς παρεμβολῆς, καὶ, Ἔξω τῆς πύλης. Ἐπεὶ οὖν τὰ προσφερόμενα περὶ ἁμαρτίας τύπος τις ἦσαν, καὶ ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς ὡλοκαυτοῦντο, καὶ ὁ ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν προσαχθεὶς Ἰησοῦς εἰκότως ἔξω τῆς πύλης πάσχει. Οὐκοῦν καὶ ἡμᾶς τὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν παθόντα μιμεῖσθαι χρὴ, καὶ ἔξω τοῦ κόσμου γίνεσθαι, μᾶλλον δὲ τῶν τοῦ κόσμου πραγμάτων. ∆ιὸ καὶ τοῦτο δηλῶν ἐπήγαγε· Τοίνυν ἐξερχώμεθα πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς, φέροντες τὸν ὀνειδισμὸν αὐτοῦ· τουτέστι, τὰ αὐτὰ πάσχοντες, κοινωνοῦντες αὐτῷ ἐν τοῖς παθήμασιν. Ὡς κατάδικος ἐσταυρώθη ἔξω· μὴ τοίνυν μηδὲ ἡμεῖς αἰσχυνώμεθα ἐξιέναι ἔξω τοῦ κόσμου· τοῦτο γὰρ ᾐνίξατο τῷ εἰπεῖν, Ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς, καὶ, Ἔξω τῆς πύλης. Οὐ γὰρ ἔχομεν ὧδε μένουσαν, φησὶ, πόλιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν μέλλουσαν ἐπιζητοῦμεν. ∆ι' αὐτοῦ οὖν ἀναφέρωμεν θυσίαν αἰνέσεως διαπαντὸς τῷ Θεῷ· τουτέστι, καρπὸν χειλέων ὁμολογούντων τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ. ∆ι' αὐτοῦ, εἶπεν, ὡς δι' ἀρχιερέως, τὸ κατὰ σάρκα. Ὁμολογούντων, φησὶ, τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ. Ὡσανεὶ ἔλεγεν, Εἰ ὁμολογεῖν αὐτῷ δεῖ, μηδὲν βλάσφημον, μηδὲν ἰταμὸν, μηδὲν θρασὺ, μηδὲν τολμηρὸν, μηδὲν ἀπονενοημένον φθεγγώμεθα, ἀλλὰ μετὰ αἰδοῦς καὶ εὐλαβείας πάντα ποιῶμεν καὶ λέγωμεν. Ταῦτα λέγει οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ οἶδεν αὐτοὺς θλιβομένους· ψυχὴ δὲ ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν ἀπογινώσκει καὶ ἀπαναισχυντεῖ. Ἀλλὰ μὴ ἡμεῖς, φησίν. Ἰδοὺ πάλιν τὸ αὐτὸ εἶπεν, ὅπερ ἀνωτέρω ἔλεγε· Μὴ ἐγκαταλείποντες τὴν ἐπισυναγωγὴν ἑαυτῶν. Οὕτω δυνησόμεθα μετὰ αἰδοῦς πάντα ποιεῖν· πολλάκις γὰρ καὶ ἀνθρώπους αἰσχυνόμενοι, πολλὰ οὐ πράττομεν τῶν πονηρῶν. Τῆς δὲ εὐποιίας καὶ κοινωνίας μὴ ἐπιλανθάνεσθε. γʹ.