ACC ~ Hebrews 3 v1

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.

Heb