IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, THE SON, AND OF THE
HOLY SPIRIT ONE GOD AMEN!
A lot of Reformers here in
Ethiopia and other Sister Churches used to misinterpret this verse of the
Apostle Paul in Hebrews 7:25 & Rome 8:34. But what does it mean in its
Orthodox meaning? What does the Ancient Fathers say about it? Let’s hear its
interpretation from one of our Oriental Orthodox Holy Fathers, St. John
Chrysostom, the Arch Bishop of Constantinople and liveth from 347-407 AD.
For as there were
many a, because they were mortal, so [here is] The One, because He is immortal. “By so much
was Jesus made a surety of a better covenant,” inasmuch as He sware to Him that
He should always be [Priest]; which He would not have done, if He were not
living. “Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost, that come
unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Thou
seest that he says this in respect of that which is according to the flesh. For
when He [appears] as Priest, then He also intercedes. Wherefore also when Paul
says, “who also maketh intercession for us” ( Rom. viii. 34 ), he hints the
same thing; the High Priest maketh intercession. We have clearly seen this when
Our Lord was saying ‘’Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do’’
(Luk.23:34).
The question is that
for He “that raiseth the dead as He will, and quickeneth them,” ( John v. 21 ),
and that “even as the Father” [doth], how [is it that] when there is need to
save, He “maketh intercession”? ( John v. 22.) He that hath “all judgment,” how
[is it that] He “maketh intercession”? He that “sendeth His angels” ( Matt.
xiii. 41, 42 ), that they may “cast” some into “the furnace,” and save others,
how [is it that] He “maketh intercession”? Wherefore (the Apostle says) “He is
able also to save.” For this cause then He saves, because He dies not. Inasmuch
as “He ever liveth,” He hath (he means) no successor: And if He have no
successor, He is able to aid all men. For there [under the Law] indeed, the
High Priest although he were worthy of admiration during the time in which he
was [High Priest] (as Samuel for instance, and any other such), but, after
this, no longer; for they were dead. But here it is not so, but “He” saves “to
the uttermost.” What is “to the uttermost”? He hints at some mystery which is
the Holy Eucharist. Not on the day of the Good Friday only (the Apostle says)
but there also He saves them that “come unto God by Him” through confession and
this Holy Communion. If you asketh How does He save? I say unto you “In that He
ever liveth” (the Apostle says) “to make intercession for them.” Thou seest the
humiliation? Thou seest the manhood? For he says not, that He obtained this, by
making intercession once for all, but continually, and when so ever it may be
needful to intercede for them.
“To the uttermost.” What is
it? Not for a time only, but there also in the future life. ‘DOES HE TEHEN
ALWAYS NEED TO PRAY? Yet how can [this] be reasonable? Even righteous men have
oftentimes accomplished all by one entreaty, and is He always praying? NO! If
He need to pray always why then is He throned with [the Father]?’ Thou seest
that it is a condescension. The meaning is: Be not afraid, nor say, Yea,
He loves us indeed, and He has confidence towards the Father, but He cannot
live always. For He doth live always. “For such an High Priest also became us,
who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from the sinners.” Thou seest that
the whole is said with reference to the manhood. (But when I say ‘the manhood,’
I mean [the manhood] having Godhead; not dividing [one from the other], but
leaving [you] to suppose what is suitable.) Didst thou mark the difference of
the High Priest? He has summed up what was said before, “in all points tempted
like as we are yet without sin.” (Heb. iv. 15.) “For” (the Apostle says) “such
an High Priest also became us, who is holy, harmless.”
“Harmless”: what is it?
Without wickedness: that which another Prophet says: “guile was not found in
His mouth” ( Isa. liii. 9 ), that is, [He is] not crafty. Could anyone say this
concerning God? And is one not ashamed to say that God is not crafty, nor
deceitful? Concerning Him, however, in respect of the Flesh, it might be
reasonable [to say it]. “Holy, undefiled.” This too would anyone say concerning
God? For has He a nature capable of defilement? “Separate from sinners.” Does
then this alone show the difference, or does the sacrifice itself also? How?
“He needeth not” (he says) “daily, as the High Priest, to offer up
sacrifices for his sins, for this He did once for all, when He offered up
Himself” ( Heb.7: 27) .“This,” what? Here what follows sounds a prelude
concerning the exceeding greatness of the spiritual sacrifice and the interval
[between them]. He has mentioned the point of the priest; he has mentioned that
of the faith; he has mentioned that of the Covenant; not entirely indeed, still
he has mentioned it. In this place what follows is a prelude concerning the
sacrifice itself through the Holy Eucharist.
Do not then, having
heard that He is a priest, suppose that He is always executing the priest’s
office. For He executed it once, and thenceforward “sat down.” ( Heb. x. 12.)
Lest thou suppose that He is standing on high, and is a minister, he shows that
the matter is [part] of a dispensation [or economy]. For as He became a
servant, so also [He became] a Priest and a Minister. But as after becoming a
servant, He did not continue a servant, so also, having become a Minister, He
did not continue a Minister. For it belongs not to a minister to sit, but to
stand.
Glory be to God Amen!
( Source:-
1.St. John Chrysostom: Homily on the Epistle
of Hebrews, Homily 13:6-9, English Version).
2.ድርሳን ዘቅዱስ ዮሐንስ አፈወርቅ ድርሳን 13፡123-191(Dirsan zekidus Yohans Afewerk)-
which is the Ethiopic Version of the above reference.)
