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

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom444Why then (he would say) dost thou think upon the law? For it placed us in a condition of sogreat sin, that we could never have been saved, if our Lord had not died for us; 3081 the law wouldnot have had power, for it is weak.[3.] And he established this no longer from common custom only, but also from what happenedunder the old [Testament]: which especially influenced them. There was no one who died there:how then could that [Testament] be firm? In the same way (he says). How? For blood was therealso, as there is blood here. And if it was not the blood of the Christ, do not be surprised; for it wasa type. “Whereupon,” he says, “neither was the first [Testament] dedicated without blood.”What is “was dedicated”? was confirmed, was ratified. The word “whereupon” 3082 means “forthis cause.” It was needful that the symbol of the Testament should be also that of death.For why (tell me) is the book of the testament sprinkled? ( Ver. 19, 20 ) “For” (he says) “whenMoses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves,with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,saying, This is the blood of the testament, which God hath enjoined unto you.” Tell me then whyis the book of the testament sprinkled, and also the people, except on account of the precious blood,figured from the first? Why “with hyssop”? It is close and retentive. 3083 And why the “water”? Itshows forth also the cleansing by water. And why the “wool”? this also [was used], that the bloodmight be retained. In this place blood and water show forth the same thing, 3084 for baptism is Hispassion. 3085[4.] Ver. 21, 22 . “Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vesselsof the ministry. And almost 3086 all things are by the law purged with blood, and without sheddingof blood is no remission.” Why the “almost”? why did he qualify it? Because those [ordinances]were not a perfect purification, nor a perfect remission, but half-complete and in a very small degree.But in this case He says, “This is the blood 3087 of the New Testament, which is shed for you, forthe remission of sins.” ( Matt. xxvi. 28 .)Where then is “the book”? He purified their minds. They themselves then were the books ofthe New Testament. But where are “the vessels of the ministry”? They are themselves. And whereis “the tabernacle”? Again, they are; for “I will dwell in them,” He says, “and walk in them.” ( 2Cor. vi. 16 .)[5.] But they were not sprinkled with “scarlet wool,” nor yet “with hyssop.” Why was this?Because the cleansing was not bodily but spiritual, and the blood was spiritual. How? It flowed notfrom the body of irrational animals, but from the Body prepared by the Spirit. With this blood notMoses but Christ sprinkled us, through the word which was spoken; “This is the blood of the New3081Mr. Field points the passage thus: “ we could never have been saved; if our Lord had not died for us, the Law wouldnot have had power, ” &c. The translation follows the Bened. pointing, as giving the meaning most in accordance with St.Chrys.’s teaching. [This pointing of the English edition is allowed to stand as making the sense more obvious to the Englishreader; but Mr. Field’s pointing gives essentially the same sense and is more in St. Chrysostom’s style.—F.G.]3082ὅ θεν . so Hom. v. 5, p. 69 on c. iii. 1.3083κρατητικόν . The common text, besides other additions, adds the explanatory words τοῦ αἵματος “ of the blood. ”3084The common editions add ὄ ν , determining the meaning to be “ he [or it] shows that blood and water are the samething. ”3085See above on ch. vi. 6.3086or, “ and we may almost say that according, ” &c.3087Or as the position of φησὶ after αἷμα would seem to imply was the interpretation of St. Chrys.: “ This blood is that ofthe New Testament, ” &c.642