Homilies on the Gospel of St. John and the Epistle to the Hebrews

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom390now it is not this alone, but there are also the undying benefits which are bestowed on us throughHim, for, he says, “to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.”Why said he not, of the world, instead of “the people”? for He bare away the sins of all. Becausethus far his discourse was concerning them [the Hebrews]. Since the Angel also said to Joseph,“Thou shalt call His name Jesus , for He shall save His people.” ( Matt. i. 21 .) For this too oughtto have taken place first, and for this purpose He came, to save them and then through them therest, although the contrary came to pass. This also the Apostles said at the first, “To you [God]having raised up His Son, sent [Him] to bless you” ( Acts iii. 26 ): and again, “To you was theword of this Salvation sent.” ( Acts xiii. 26 .) Here he shows the noble birth of the Jews, in saying,“to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.” For a while he speaks in this way. For that it isHe who forgives the sins of all men, He declared both in the case of the paralytic, saying, “Thysins are forgiven” ( Mark ii. 5 ); and also in that of Baptism: for He says to the disciples, “Go yeand teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the HolyGhost.” ( Matt. xxviii. 19 .)[4.] But when Paul has once taken in hand the flesh, he proceeds to utter all the lowly things,without any fear: for see what he says next:C. iii. 1, 2 . “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostleand High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus , who was faithful to Him that appointed [ or made]Him, as also Moses [was faithful] in all His house.”Being about to place Him before Moses in comparison, he led his discourse to the law of thehigh-priesthood; for they all had a high esteem for Moses: moreover, he is already beforehandcasting down the seeds of the superiority. Therefore he begins from the flesh, and goes up to theGodhead, where there was no longer any comparison. He began from the flesh [from His Humannature], by assuming for a time the equality, and says, “as also Moses in all His house”: nor doeshe at first show His superiority lest the hearer should start away, and straightway stop his ears. Foralthough they were believers, yet nevertheless they still had strong feeling of conscience as toMoses. “Who was faithful,” he says, “to Him that made Him”—made [Him] what? “Apostle andHigh Priest.” He is not speaking at all in this place of His Essence, nor of His Godhead; but so farconcerning human dignities.“As also Moses in all His house,” that is, either among the people, or in the temple. But herehe uses the expression “in His house,” just as one might say, concerning those in the household;even as some guardian and steward of a household, so was Moses to the people. For that by “house”he means the people, he added, “whose house we are” ( c. iii. 6 ); that is, we are in His creation.Then [comes] the superiority.Ver. 3 . “For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses,” (Again [he is speaking]of the Flesh), “inasmuch as he who hath builded 2801 [the house] hath more honor than the house”;[Moses] himself also (he means) was of the house. (Moreover he did not say, For this one was aservant, but the Other a master, but he covertly intimated it.) If the people were the house and hewas of the people, then he certainly was of the household. For so also we are accustomed to say,such an one is of such an one’s house. For here he is speaking of a house, not of the temple, for thetemple was not constructed by God, but by men. But He that made 2802 him [is] God. Moses he2801κατασκεύασας2802ποιήσας . Referring to what is implied in ver. 2 , that Moses was faithful to Him that made him.562