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

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom517“For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats.” These are the“divers,” these the “strange” 3479 [doctrines]: especially as Christ has said, “not that which enterethinto the mouth defileth the man, but that which cometh out.” ( Matt. xv. 11 .) And observe thathe does not make bold to say this openly, but as it were by a hint. 3480 “For it is a good thing thatthe heart be established with grace, not with meats.”Faith is all. If that establishes [it], the heart stands in security. It follows that Faith establishes:consequently reasonings shake. For Faith is contrary to reasoning.“Which” (he says) “have not profited them that have been occupied therein.” For what is thegain from the observance 3481 [of them], tell me. Does it not rather destroy? Does it not make suchan one to be under sin? If it be necessary to observe [them], we must guard ourselves. 3482“Which” (he says) “have not profited them that have been occupied therein.” That is, who havealways diligently kept them.There is one observance, abstaining from sin. For what profit is it, when some are so polluted,as not to be able to partake of the sacrifices? So that it did not save them at all; although they werezealous about the observances. But because they had not faith, even thus they profited nothing.[7.] In the next place he takes away 3483 the sacrifice from the type, and directs his discourse tothe prototype, saying, “The bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by theHigh Priest, are burned without the camp.” Then those things were a type of these and thus Christ,suffering “without,” fulfilled all.Here he makes it plain too that He suffered voluntarily, showing 3484 that those things were notaccidental, but even the [Divine] arrangement itself was of a suffering “without.” [He suffered]without, but His Blood was borne up into Heaven. Thou seest then that we partake of Blood whichhas been carried into the Holy Place, the True Holy Place; of the Sacrifice of which the Priest alonehad the privilege. We therefore partake of the Truth [the Reality]. If then we partake not of“reproach” [only] but of sanctification, 3485 the “reproach” is the cause of the sanctification. For asHe was reproached, so also are we. If we go forth “without” therefore, we have fellowship withHim.But what is, “Let us go forth to Him”? Let us have fellowship with Him in His sufferings; letus bear His reproach. For He did not simply bid us dwell “outside the gate,” but as He was reproachedas a condemned person, so also we.And “by Him let us offer a sacrifice to God.” Of what kind of sacrifice does he speak? “Thefruit of lips giving thanks to His Name.” They [the Jews] brought sheep, and calves, and gave themto the Priest: let “us” bring none of these things, but thanksgiving. This “fruit” let “our lips” putforth.“For with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” Let us give such a sacrifice to Him, that He mayoffer [it] to The Father. For in no other way it is offered except through the Son, or rather alsothrough a contrite mind. All these things [are said] for the weak. For that the thanks belong to the3479“ foreign to us. ”3480ἐ ν αἰνίγματι3481παρατήρησις ; see Gal. iv. 10 , “ Ye observe ( παρατηρεῖσθε ) days, ” &c.3482ἔ στι παρατηρεῖσθαι : potius sibi cavendum est , is Mr. Field’s translation; “ to be guarded, ” as we say.3483ἀ ναιρεῖ3484δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐκ ἐκεῖνα ἁπλῶς ἦν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ οἰκονομία ἔξω πάθους ἦν3485ἁ γιασμοῦ . The effect of the sprinkling with blood. See c. ix. 12, 13, &c.; x. 10, 14749