ACC ~ Hebrews 3 v1 - 6

OVERVIEW:

Basil was concerned that this text implied that Jesus was made an apostle and high priest, but he explains it metaphorically, noting that he was made a way, a door, a shepherd, a messenger, a sheep, a high priest and an apostle, “different names given according to the different conceptions.” As apostle, Jesus is God’s envoy to humanity (JUSTIN MARTYR). As high priest, he enters God’s presence to bring humanity close to God, first by his resurrection from the dead and then by sitting at the right hand of God. He becomes the pledge for our ascension into heaven (THEODORE). It is clear to the Fathers that the author of Hebrews carefully proclaims Jesus much more worthy than Moses. Ephrem summarizes this concept: “Since he said, ‘as Moses,’ do not think that he is as Moses. … The honor of the Lord and the Son is greater than that of the servant Moses. In truth, Christ is not a faithful servant like Moses, but ‘as a son’ he was faithful, and not over the shrine of the temple, but over the souls of people.” The figure of Moses highlights Jesus’ humanity and divinity (PHOTIUS).

3:1 | Consider Jesus

COMPARISON WITH MOSES. THEODORET OF CYR: After having in this fashion completed the comparison with the angels, he makes a parallel with the mighty Moses, greater than all the prophets, so that after showing the difference to be infinite, he may show at the same time the contrast between the covenants, the promises and of course the priests. Once again he mingles exhortation with the comparison lest he seem to be doing it on purpose rather than under pressure of a kind of necessity. INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 3.

DOOR, SHEPHERD, MESSENGER, SHEEP, PRIEST AND APOSTLE. BASIL THE GREAT: According to the words of the wise Solomon in the Proverbs, he was created. “The Lord,” he says, “created me.” And he is called “the beginning of the evangelical way” which leads us to the kingdom of heaven, since he is not a creature in substance but was made the “way” in the divine dispensation. For “being made” and “being created” have the same meaning. In fact, as he was made a way, so also was he made a door, a shepherd, a messenger, a sheep, and, in turn, a high priest and apostle, different names given according to the different conceptions. LETTER 8.

GIVING CLOSENESS TO GOD. THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: Because it is also the work of a high priest to enter God’s presence first and then to bring the others close to him, he [Paul] quite rightly calls him high priest, because he did this in fact. Blessed Paul calls him this because by the resurrection of the dead he ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God, and by these events he gave us, too, closeness to God and participation in the good things. CATECHETICAL HOMILIES 15.16.

APOSTLE AFTER THE INCARNATION. THEODORET OF CYR: For if he were high priest as God, he would be so before the incarnation. As it is, that he became the apostle of our confession after the incarnation is taught us by the epistle to the Galatians: “But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman.” INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 3.1-2.

HEAVENLY THINGS WERE MADE ACCESSIBLE. THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: But once for all heavenly things were made accessible to humans, when one of us humans was assumed and, according to the law of human nature, died and was raised from the dead in a marvelous fashion and, because immortal and incorruptible by nature, ascended into heaven. And he became high priest for the rest of humankind and the pledge for their ascension into heaven.

CATECHETICAL HOMILIES 12.4.

3:2-5 | Faithful in God’s House

THE WORD OF GOD IS ALSO CALLED ANGEL AND APOSTLE. JUSTIN MARTYR: The Word of God … is also called “angel” and “apostle” for as angel he announces what it is necessary to know, and as apostle he is sent forth to testify to what is announced. As our Lord himself said, “He that hears me hears him that sent me.” This can be made clear from the writings of Moses, in which this is to be found: “And the angel of the Lord spoke to Moses in a flame of fire out of the bush and said, ‘I am he who is, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, the God of your fathers; go down to Egypt and bring out my people.’ ” … But these words were uttered to demonstrate that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, an apostle, who was first the Word and appeared, now in the form of fire, now in the image of the bodiless creatures. … The Jews, continuing to think that the Father of the universe had spoken to Moses when it was the Son of God, who is called both angel and apostle, who spoke to him, were rightly censured both by the prophetic Spirit and by Christ himself, since they knew neither the Father nor the Son. … What was said out of the bush to Moses, “I am he who is the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob and the God of your fathers,” was an indication that they, though dead, still existed and were Christ’s own people. For they were the first of all people to devote themselves to seeking after God, Abraham being the father of Isaac, and Isaac of Jacob, as Moses also recorded. FIRST APOLOGY 63.

A HIGH ESTEEM FOR MOSES. CHRYSOSTOM: Being about to place him before Moses in comparison, Paul led his discourse to the law of the high priesthood; for they all had a high esteem for Moses. … Therefore he begins from the flesh and goes up to the Godhead, where there was no longer any comparison. He began from the flesh, from his human nature, by assuming for a time the equality, and says, “as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house.” Nor does he at first show his superiority, lest the hearers should start away and straightway stop their ears. For although they were believers, yet nevertheless they still had strong feeling of conscience as to Moses. ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 5.4.

MOSES AND CHRIST. THEODORET OF CYR: As great as is the difference between creature and creator, he is saying, so great is the difference between Moses and Christ. INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 3.

CREATOR AND CREATION. PHOTIUS: “One who has been worthy of much more glory.” He discussed in what ways Moses is equal to Christ, now he talks about Christ’s superiority. “Of much more.” Who is that? Christ, who is the Word incarnate. “More glory than Moses, just as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.” Now he talks about the highest superiority of God over human beings. He says Moses was a faithful ruler over the whole household, that is, over the whole people, yet Moses himself was one of them. Therefore, the humanity of Christ is worthy of so much more honor than the honor of Moses, as the creator is superior to the creation, “just as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.” By “house” he means the people who were with Moses, yet Moses was one of them while Christ was the one who created the house. FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 3.3.

FAITHFUL SERVANTS. CLEMENT OF ROME: The apostles received the gospel for us from the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus, the Christ, was sent from God. Thus Christ is from God and the apostles from Christ. In both instances the orderly procedure depends on God’s will. And so the apostles, after receiving their orders and being fully convinced by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and assured by God’s Word, went out in the confidence of the Holy Spirit to preach the good news that God’s kingdom was about to come. They preached in country and city and appointed their first converts, after testing them by the Spirit, to be the bishops and deacons of future believers. Nor was this any novelty, for Scripture had mentioned bishops and deacons long before. For this is what Scripture says somewhere: “I will appoint their bishops in righteousness and their deacons in faith.”

And is it any wonder that those Christians whom God had entrusted with such a duty should have appointed the officers mentioned? For the blessed Moses too, “who was a faithful servant in all God’s house,” recorded in the sacred books all the orders given to him, and the rest of the prophets followed in his train by testifying with him to his legislation. Now, when rivalry for the priesthood arose and the tribes started quarreling as to which of them should be honored with this glorious privilege, Moses asked the twelve tribal chiefs to bring him rods, on each of which was written the name of one of the tribes. These he took and bound, sealing them with the rings of the tribal leaders; and he put them in the tent of the testimony on God’s table. Then he shut the tent and put seals on the keys, just as he had on the rods. And he told them, “Brothers, the tribe whose rod puts forth buds is the one God has chosen for the priesthood and for his ministry.” Early the next morning he called all Israel together, six hundred thousand strong, and showed the seals to the tribal chiefs and opened the tent of testimony and brought out the rods. And it was discovered that Aaron’s rod had not only budded but was actually bearing fruit. What do you think, dear friends? Did not Moses know in advance that this was going to happen? Why, certainly. But he acted the way he did in order to forestall anarchy in Israel and so that the name of the true and only God might be glorified. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Now our apostles, thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ, knew that there was going to be strife over the title of bishop. It was for this reason and because they had been given an accurate knowledge of the future that they appointed the officers we have mentioned. Furthermore, they later added a codicil to the effect that, should these die, other approved men should succeed to their ministry. In the light of this, we view it as a breach of justice to remove from their ministry those who were appointed either by them (i.e., the apostles) or later on and with the whole church’s consent, by others of the proper standing, and who, long enjoying everybody’s approval, have ministered to Christ’s flock faultlessly, humbly, quietly and unassumingly. For we shall be guilty of no slight sin if we eject from the episcopate men who have offered the sacrifices with innocence and holiness. 1 CLEMENT 42-44.

3:6 | Faithful as a Son

FAITHFUL OVER OUR SOULS. EPHREM THE SYRIAN: But since he said, “as Moses,” do not think that he is as Moses; “the glory of this” high priest “is greater than that of Moses inasmuch as the maker of a house has greater honor than the house.” Similarly the honor of the Lord and the Son is greater than that of the servant Moses. “Every house was built by someone,” but “he who created Moses” and “built all things is God. And Moses was certainly faithful,” but as an assistant, “as a servant was faithful to testify to the things that were to be spoken later.” In truth Christ is not a faithful servant like Moses, but “as a son” he was faithful, and not over the shrine of the temple but over the souls of people. In fact, “we are his house if we stand firm in his confidence” and are not brought into disorder while “in the glory of his hope.” But if we transgress, we cause his suffering. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS.