ACC ~ Hebrews 4 v14 - 5 v10

5:1-6 | Acting on Our Behalf

A PROOF FOR THE WEAK. CHRYSOSTOM: The blessed Paul wishes to show that this covenant is far better than the old. He does this by first laying down remote considerations … just as in the epistle to the Romans, having argued that faith effects that which the labor of the law or the sweat of the daily life could not, an argument of which they were not easily persuaded … so now here also he opens out the other path of the priesthood, showing its superiority from the things which happened before. And as, in the matter of punishment, he brings before them not hell alone, but also what happened to their ancestors, so now here also, he first establishes this position from things present. For it were right indeed that earthly things should be proved from heavenly, but when the hearers are weak, the opposite course is taken. ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 8.1.

HE DID NOT USURP THE PRIESTHOOD. EPHREM THE SYRIAN: And in consequence of his weakness Jesus “felt a proper compassion” for sins, because he had clothed himself with the flesh of sin. And he had the duty “to offer a sacrifice both for his people and for himself and his sins.” He did not obtain the high priesthood by usurpation, but just like Aaron, whom God elected with the leafy staff. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 5.

NOT AN ANGEL BUT A HUMAN BEING. THEODORET OF CYR: Even under the law it was not an angel that was appointed to act as priest for human beings but a human being for human beings, with the same nature, affected by the same passions, understanding the weakness of nature, assigning pardon to the recalcitrant, offering a hand to sinners, treating what affects the neighbor as his own. This is the very reason he is appointed to offer sacrifices not for the people alone but also for himself. INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 5.

HE IS CALLED BY GOD AS AARON WAS. THEODORET OF CYR: The one receiving appointment from God is the lawful high priest; this was the way Aaron, the first high priest, received the honor. The divine apostle said this, of course, not intending to inform us now of the norms for high priesthood, but to lay the groundwork for a treatment of the Lord’s high priesthood. INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 5.

JESUS DID NOT EXALT HIMSELF. PSEUDO-DIONYSIUS: The rites of consecration and those being consecrated denote the mystery that the performer of consecration in love of God is the exponent of the choice of the divinity. It is not by virtue of any personal worth that the hierarch summons those about to be consecrated, but rather it is God who inspires him in every hierarchic sanctification. Thus Moses, the consecrator in the hierarchy of the law, did not confer a clerical consecration on Aaron, who was his brother, whom he knew to be a friend of God and worthy of the priesthood, until God himself commanded him to do so, thereby permitting him to bestow, in the name of God who is the source of all consecration, the fullness of a clerical consecration. And yet our own first and divine consecrator—for Jesus in his endless love for us took on this task—“did not exalt himself,” as Scripture declares. Rather, the consecrator was the one “who said to him … ‘You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.’” ECCLESIASTICAL HIERARCHY 5.3.5.

BECAUSE OF YOUR SALVATION. GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS: He whom presently you scorn was once transcendent over even you. He who is presently human was incomposite. He remained what he was; what he was not he assumed. No “be-cause” is required for his existence in the beginning, for what could account for the existence of God? But later he came into being because of something, namely, your salvation, yours who insult him and despise his Godhead for that very reason, because he took on your thick corporeality. Through the medium of the mind he had dealings with the flesh, being made that God on earth which is human. Human and God blended; they became a single whole, the stronger side predominating, in order that I might be made God to the same extent that he was made man. He was begotten—yet he was already begotten—of a woman. ON THE SON, THEOLOGICAL ORATION 3(29).19.

“FOREVER” REFERS TO PRESENT SACRIFICING PRIESTS. OECUMENIUS: The word makes clear that if Christ himself offered a sacrifice not unstained with blood—for he offered his own blood—then in contrast the priests who derive their office from him (whomever God and the high priest deem worthy to be priests) will bring a sacrifice untainted by blood. For the phrase forever reveals this. For he did not speak to the sacrifice and offering made once and for all when he said “forever,” but he had in mind the present sacrificing priests, by means of whom Christ sacrifices and is sacrificed, who also gives to those in the mystic supper the character of such a sacrifice. FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 5.6.

5:7-10 | With Loud Cries and Tears

HE STILL HAS THE FLESH. OECUMENIUS: It was not for this reason that he called “days of his flesh” the days when the Lord was upon the earth visibly, as if now he had put off the flesh. Perish the thought! For he still has the flesh, even if it is now imperishable. But he calls “the days of his flesh” the days in his fleshly life. FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 5.7.

HIS CRUCIFIERS MAY LIVE. EPHREM THE SYRIAN: Jesus’ prayers were granted, but how were his prayers granted if he had demanded to be delivered from death? To be sure, he was not saved. He wanted to fulfill in himself the will of the Father. And for this reason it was evident that he was the Son of God, because in behalf of human creatures he exposed his own soul for the rest of the soul of the one who sent him, and his obedience was made evident by the hands of those who crucified him. If, therefore, the crucifiers testify that his prayers were granted, if it is so, I say, he certainly wanted to die, and he demanded that the will of his Father was fulfilled. He offered supplications with loud claims to the one who was able to save him from death; he who was about to die did not ask for delivery from death nor demand to be resurrected after his death because this had been promised to him earlier, but he prayed for his crucifiers lest they might die in him. And his prayers were granted, because the door was opened so that his crucifiers might live in him. And the one who did these things, that is, the one who abased himself to such humility and suffering for his murderers is the Son of God; and from this it was evident that he was satisfied in those sufferings which he endured. In fact, some of his murderers were converted, and through their repentance they were the heralds of his resurrection. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS.

JESUS FELT FEAR. THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: Even if he [the Word] gave a certain exceptional cooperation to the one who was assumed, this does not mean that the divinity took the place of the mind. If the divinity did take the place of his mind in the assumed man, as you say, how is it that he felt fear in his passion? Why did he need strong prayers in the face of necessity, the strong prayers that he offered to God with a loud voice and many tears, according to blessed Paul? TREATISES AGAINST APOLLINARIS 3.4.

HE WAS OFTEN SAD. CHRYSOSTOM: Our affairs, both our business and our politeness, are turned into laughing; there is nothing steady, nothing grave. I do not say these things only to people of the world, but I know those whom I am hinting at. For the church has been filled with laughter. Whatever clever thing one may say, immediately there is laughter among those present, and the marvelous thing is that many do not leave off laughing even during the very time of the prayer.

Everywhere the devil leads the dance; he has entered into all and is master of all. Christ is dishonored, is thrust aside; the church is made no account of. Do you not hear Paul saying, “Let there be no filthiness, nor silly talk, nor levity”? He places “levity” along with “filthiness,” and do you laugh? What is “silly talk”? That which has nothing profitable. And do you, solitary one, laugh at all and relax your countenance? You that are crucified, you that are a mourner, tell me, do you laugh? Where do you hear of Christ doing this? Nowhere, but that he was sad, indeed oftentimes. For even when he looked on Jerusalem, he wept; and when he thought on the traitor, he was troubled; and when he was about to raise Lazarus, he wept; and do you laugh? If he who grieves not over the sins of others deserves to be accused, of what consideration will he be worthy who is without sorrow for his own sins and even laughs at them? This is the season of grief and tribulation, of bruising and of conflicts, and do you laugh? Do you not see how Sarah was rebuked? Do you not hear Christ saying, “Woe to you that laugh now, for you shall weep”? You chant these things every day, for, tell me, what do you say? “I have laughed”? By no means; but what? “I am weary with my moaning.”

But perhaps there are some persons so dissolute and silly as even during this very rebuke to laugh, because we discourse thus about laughter. For, indeed, such is their derangement, such their madness, that it does not feel the rebuke. ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 15.8.

LOUD CRIES. CHRYSOSTOM: Do you see that Paul sets forth nothing else than Christ’s care and the exceptional greatness of his love? For what does the expression “with loud cries” mean? The gospel nowhere says this, nor that he wept when praying, nor that he uttered a cry. Do you see that it was condescension? ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 8.3.

BEARING THE WHOLE OF ME. GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS: Connected with this general view are the facts that he “learned obedience through what he suffered,” his “loud cries and tears,” the fact that he “offered up prayers,” that he “was heard” and he was “God-fearing.” These things are marvelously constructed drama dealing with us. As Word, he was neither obedient nor disobedient—the terms apply to amenable subordinates or inferiors who deserve punishment. But as the “form of a servant” he comes down to the same level as his fellow servants; receiving an alien “form,” he bears the whole of me, along with all that is mine, in himself, so that he may consume within himself the meaner element, as fire consumes wax or the sun ground mist, and so that I may share in what is his through the intermingling. ON THE SON, THEOLOGICAL ORATION 4(30).6.

WOULD ANYONE SAY THESE THINGS OF GOD? CHRYSOSTOM: Let the heretics who deny the flesh be ashamed. What do you mean? The Son of God was “heard for his godly fear”? What more would anyone say of the prophets? And what sort of logical connection is there between “he was heard for his godly fear” and “although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered”? Would anyone say these things of God? Why, who would be so insane? And who, even if he were beside himself, would have said this? ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 8.3.

HOW CAN HE SAY HE WAS HEARD? PHOTIUS: Two things are most in need of investigation here. First, how can he say, “He was heard,” and yet he himself begged not to enter into death? He did not avoid death, for he was crucified and died. Second, on the basis of what sort of “godliness” was he heard? And third, to what should the phrase “although he was a Son” be adjoined? Does it belong to the clause “he was heard because of his godliness” or to the clause that follows, so that it would read, “although he was a Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered”? For it is not a small difference between those two. FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 5.7-9.

FIRST: HIS PETITION NOT TO ENTER DEATH. PHOTIUS: Now as regards the first matter we say that he did not make one petition but a twofold one. For the one petition asked to avoid death, the other petition asked for death. For he also says in the same prayer and petition, “However, not my will but yours be done.” And John, showing this more clearly, says that the Son prayed by saying, “Father, glorify your Son, in order that your Son may glorify you,” calling the cross and death glory, as is clear. So the excellent Paul says quite well, “He was heard.” FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 5.7-9.

SECOND: “ON THE BASIS OF GODLINESS.” PHOTIUS: The phrase “on the basis of his godliness” comes closer to being understood from the things that have already been spoken. For we said that there were two petitions, the petition to be delivered from the death, and the petition of consent, which was really of much “godliness,” namely, the petition, “however, not my will, but yours, be done.” Therefore, Christ was heard not on the basis of his prayer to avoid death but on the basis of his “godliness,” that is, that petition of his came to pass, not the petition that sought to avoid death but the godly petition. Therefore, he says, “And having been made perfect,” that is, he was acknowledged as perfect and good beyond description and loving of humankind through his sufferings and cross and death. And he also hinted at this above, when he said, “petitions and supplications,” speaking rather enigmatically by doubling the petition. Then also when he said, “petitions and supplications,” he did not append the words about avoiding death but rather “to the One who was able to save him from death.” [He added this] well and very wisely, in order that whenever you think of him who was crucified and buried, you may not think that he endured this owing to the helplessness of his Father but because it was the common will (of the Father and the Son) that the Christ suffer these things for the salvation of the world. And this can be said also because of his resurrection. For the excellent Paul having uttered rather humble things in many places, says that the Father raised Christ. Therefore, having raised him, he rescued and delivered him from death. This is how these things are understood in my opinion. FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 5.7-9.

THIRD: “ALTHOUGH BEING A SON.” PHOTIUS: Now as far as the phrase “although being a Son” is concerned, if someone should understand it as a transposition—and such a trope is uncustomary for the excellent apostle—the natural reading of the passage would be something like this: “Who in the days of his flesh, although being a Son, made petitions and supplications,” etc. That is, although having the very great advantage of being a Son, which enabled him to do all things by his own autocratic opinion without any petition or request, even as the Father does, nonetheless, since he was in the days of the flesh, he offered petitions and supplications. And according to this understanding it can also be understood how the phrase was soon joined to “and being heard because of his godliness,” inasmuch as he says that he was heard, although being a Son, and not asking to be heard, inasmuch as he made his will concurrent to his Father’s will and it was fulfilled without any petition. But if you conjoin this clause with what follows, the understanding will also be guided in the right way in the manner that I will show. But first we ought to examine the meaning of the clause “he learned obedience from the things which he suffered.” It really cannot be that he himself learned from the things he suffered to obey his Father and that by testing he acquired knowledge of how to obey him, can it? Or is it not rather that by testing he learned such was the greatness of the obedience, with which the Father hearkened to him, in that he was crucified and died and rose and exalted the human race to be at the right hand of the Father and to save our race? For these sort of things pertain to that obedience which took place when he said, “Father, glorify your Son.” Christ, being the Son and God just as much as the Father, already knew this obedience and how great it was, even before he rendered obedience to the Father, but “having been heard” he learned it through the things he suffered and through the testing he underwent. Then, however one wishes to understand it—although to me the second way of understanding seems particularly well suited—the phrase “although being a Son” presents no difficulty. FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 5.7-9.

EXTREME HUMILIATION. THEODORET OF CYR: How would it be possible for God the Word to fear death, since he is the Creator of the ages, unchangeable, immutable, free of passion? Certainly it would be the height of folly to go on at length about the point. For the extreme humiliation that marks the theme of the passage compels even those who blaspheme the divinity to recognize that none of these things are suitable to the divinity. INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 5.

PERSUADED TO OBEDIENCE. CHRYSOSTOM: If he, though the Son, gains obedience from his sufferings, how much more shall we? Do you see how many things Paul says about obedience in order to persuade them to obedience? … “Through what he suffered” he continually “learned” to obey God, and he was “made perfect” through sufferings. This, then, is perfection, and by this means we must arrive at perfection. For not only was he himself saved; he also became an abundant supply of salvation to others. ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 8.3.

MORE THAN APPEARANCE. THEODORET OF CYR: For the divinity allowed the humanity to suffer this so that we might learn that he truly became man and assumed a human nature and that the mystery of the incarnation was not perfected in appearance or seeming. INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 5.

A FINE AND USEFUL EXAMPLE. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: It was not while bare and not participating in the limits of his emptying that God the Word became our model, but “in the days of his flesh.” Then, quite legitimately, he could employ human limits and pray insistently and shed tears and even appear somehow to need a savior and learn obedience, though a Son. The inspired author is, so to speak, stupefied by the mystery that the Son, existing by nature truly and endowed with the glories of divinity, should so abase himself that he endured the low estate of our impoverished humanity. But this was for us, as I have said, a fine and useful example. ON THE UNITY OF CHRIST 755.

IN JESUS WE SEE HUMAN NATURE PURIFIED. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: Consider the fact that the only begotten spoke these words only when he had become man and insofar as he was one of us and spoke on our behalf. It was just as though he had said, “The first man sinned by falling into disobedience; he paid no attention to the command which had been given. … But you have established me as a second beginning for those on earth, and I have been named a second Adam. In me you see human nature purified, established sinless, holy and pure. From now on bestow the good things of your mercy, loose despair, rebuke corruption, and put an end to the effects of your wrath. I have conquered even Satan, the ancient ruler, for he found in me absolutely nothing of his own.” ON THE UNITY OF CHRIST 757.

CHRIST WAS TRULY SON. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: For he gave voice to a strong cry and supplication when he became like us; and he was heard because he did not disobey, since by nature he was truly Son. LETTER TO PULCHERIA AND EUDOXIA.

FIRE IS NOT HARMED WHEN STRUCK. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: Iron or any other like material, when joined to the impact of fire, receives it and nourishes the flame. If then it happens to be struck by someone, the material receives damage, but the nature of the fire is in no way harmed by the one who strikes. In the same way, you may understand the Son can be said to suffer in the flesh but not to suffer in his divinity. ON THE UNITY OF CHRIST 776.

HIS LIFE WAS A MODEL OF SAINTLY EXISTENCE. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: He wept in a human manner in order to suppress your tears. He experienced fear in virtue of the economy, at times allowing his flesh to feel what is proper to it in order to fill us with courage. … He slept in order that you might learn not to sleep in times of temptation but rather to apply yourself to prayer. Offering his life as a model of saintly existence to be used by earthly beings, he took on the weaknesses of humanity, and what was his purpose in doing this? That we might truly believe that he became man, although he remained what he was, namely, God. LETTER TO EUOPTIUS, ANATHEMA 10.

LIFE IS GIVEN TO THOSE WHO OBEY. EPHREM THE SYRIAN: “He became the source of our eternal salvation” by replacing Adam, who had been the source of our death through his disobedience. But as Adam’s death did not reign in those who did not sin, so life reigns in those who do not need to be absolved. Even though he is a liberal giver of life, life is given to those who obey, not to those who fall away from him. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS.

MADE PERFECT. THEODORET OF CYR: By “being made perfect” he referred to resurrection and immortality, this being the completion of the incarnation. INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 5.

SALVATION ACCOMPLISHED. LEO THE GREAT: Our origin, corrupted right after its start, needed to be reborn with new beginnings. A victim had to be offered for reconciliation, a victim that was at one and the same time both related to our race and foreign to our defilement. In this way alone could the plan of God—wherein it pleased him that the sin of the world should be wiped away through the birth and passion of Jesus Christ—in this way alone could the plan of God be of any avail for the times of every generation. Nor would the mysteries—as they pass through various developments in time—disturb us. Instead, they would reassure us, since the faith by which we live would not have differed at any stage.

Let them stop complaining, those who speak up against the divine arrangements with a disloyal murmuring and object to the lateness of our Lord’s nativity—as if that which was done in the last age of the world was not applied to previous eras as well. For the incarnation of the Word accomplished by being about to take place the very same thing that it did by having taken place—as the mystery of human salvation never ceased to be active in any earlier age. What the apostles preached, the prophets had also announced. Nor was it too late in being fulfilled, since it has always been believed.

But the wisdom and “kindness of God”—by this delay in his salvific work—has made us better disposed to accept his calling. That way, what had been foretold through so many ages by numerous signs, numerous words and numerous mysteries would not be open to doubt in these days of the gospel. That way, the birth of the Savior—which was to exceed all wonders and the whole measure of human intelligence—would engender in us a faith all the more steadfast, the more often and the earlier it had been proclaimed beforehand.

No, indeed, it is not that God has just recently come up with a plan for attending to human affairs, nor that it has taken him this long to show compassion. Rather, he laid down from the very “foundation of the world” one and the same “cause of salvation” for all. For the grace of God—by which the entire assembly of saints has always been justified—was not initiated at the time when Christ was born, but augmented. This “mystery of great compassion,” with which the whole world has now been filled, was so powerful even in its prefigurations that those who believed it when promised attained to it no less than those who received it when actually given. SERMON 23.3-4.