ACC ~ Hebrews 8 v3

THE WORD OF GOD SACRIFICED HIS FLESH FOR OUR SALVATION. ATHANASIUS: I am very much surprised how they have ventured to entertain the idea that the Word became man in consequence of his nature. For, if this were so, the commemoration of Mary would be superfluous. For nature has no conception of a virgin bearing apart from a man. By the good pleasure of the Father, being true God, and Word and Wisdom of the Father by nature, he became man in the body for our salvation in order that, having something to offer for us he might save us all, “as many as through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” For it was not some man that gave himself up for us; since every man is under sentence of death, according to what was said to all in Adam, “earth you are and unto earth you shall return.” Nor yet was it any other of the creatures, since every creature is liable to change. But the Word himself offered his own body on our behalf that our faith and hope might not be in man, but that we might have our faith in God the Word himself. LETTER 61, TO MAXIMUS 3.

THERE IS NO PRIEST WITHOUT A SACRIFICE. CHRYSOSTOM: That you may understand that he used the word minister of humanity, observe how he again indicates it: “For,” he says, “every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; hence it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer.” Do not now, because you hear that he sits, suppose that his being called high priest is mere idle talk. For clearly the former—his sitting—belongs to the dignity of the Godhead, but this [his being a priest] to his great lovingkindness and his tender care for us. On this account, he repeatedly urges this very thing and dwells more upon it, for he feared lest the other truth should overthrow it. Therefore, he again brings his discourse down to this, since some were inquiring why he died. He was a priest. But there is no priest without a sacrifice. It is necessary then that he also should have a sacrifice. ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 14.2.

CHRIST THE PERFECT PRIEST, PERFECT VICTIM. AUGUSTINE: They do not understand that not even the proudest of spirits could themselves rejoice in the honor of sacrifices unless a true sacrifice was due to the one true God in whose place they desire to be worshiped. This sacrifice cannot be rightly offered except by a holy and righteous priest, and it also must be received by those for whom it is offered. And it also has to be without fault, so that it may be offered for cleansing those with faults. This is at least what everyone does who wants a sacrifice to be offered for themselves to God. Who then is so righteous and holy a priest as the only Son of God who had no need to purge his own sins by sacrifice, neither original sins nor those that are added by human life? And what could human beings more appropriately choose to be offered for themselves than human flesh? And what could be more fitting for this immolation than mortal flesh? And what could be cleaner for cleansing the faults of mortals than the flesh born in and from the womb of a virgin without any infection of carnal desires? And what could be more acceptably offered and taken than that the flesh of our sacrifice be the body of our priest? And so, where four things are to be considered in every sacrifice—(1) to whom it is offered, (2) by whom it is offered, (3) what is offered, (4) for whom it is offered—the same one and true mediator himself, reconciling us to God by the sacrifice of peace, might remain one with him [the Father] to whom he offered, might make those one in himself for whom he offered, and he himself might be in one both the offerer and the offering. ON THE TRINITY 4.14.1 [19].

HE OFFERED OUR NATURE FOR US. THEODORET OF CYR: It is proper for a high priest to offer gifts to the God of all. For this reason, the only begotten, when he was made man and assumed our nature, offered it for us. INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 8.3.

Heb