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Hebreus 8

Origen of Alexandria · Comentário Patrístico (catena)

Hebreus 8:5

Now if we correctly understand it, this is the statement Moses writes in the beginning of his book, when he says, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." For this is the beginning of all creation: to this beginning the end and consummation of all things must return. That is, that heaven and earth may be the dwelling place and rest of the pious, so that all the saints and the meek may first obtain an inheritance in that earth, for this is the teaching of the law and the prophets and the gospel. In that earth I believe there exist, the true and living forms of worship which Moses handed down under the shadow of the law. For it is said that "they serve as a copy and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary"—that is, those who were in subjection in the law. To Moses himself it was also said, "See that you make everything according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain." It seems to me, therefore, that on this earth the law was a kind of schoolmaster to those who by it were to be led to Christ and to be instructed and trained in order that, after the training of the law, they might more easily receive the more perfect precepts of Christ. So also that other earth, which receives into it all the saints, may first imbue and mould them by the precepts of the true and everlasting law, that they may more easily gain possession of those perfect precepts of heaven, to which nothing can be added. And in heaven there will truly be what is called the "eternal gospel" and that testament that is always new, which shall never grow old. — ON FIRST PRINCIPLES 3.6.8

Hebreus 8:5

But who could more properly speak to us about who God is than the Son? "For no one knows the Father except the Son." We too aspire to know how God is Spirit as the Son reveals it and to worship God in the Spirit that gives life and not in the letter that kills. We want to honor God in truth and no longer in types, shadows and examples, even as the angels do not serve God in examples and the shadow of heavenly realities but in realities that belong to the spiritual and heavenly order, having a high priest of the order of Melchizedek as leader of the saving worship for those who need both the mystical and secret contemplation. — COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 13.146

Hebreus 8:5

The apostle says with reference to the law that they who have circumcision in the flesh "serve as the copy and shadow of heavenly things." And in another place, "is not our life on earth a shadow?" If then both the law that is on the earth is a "shadow" and all our life that is on earth is the same, and we live among nations under the "shadow of Christ," we must consider whether the truth of all these shadows will be learned in that revelation when, no longer "through a mirror and darkly," but "face to face" all the saints shall be counted worthy to behold the glory of God and the causes and truth of things. And the pledge of this truth being already received through the Holy Spirit, the apostle said, "Even if we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth we know him no more. — ON FIRST PRINCIPLES 2.6.7

Hebreus 8:5

Since, however, "when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken," we must admit, as far as the literal meaning is concerned, that, after the Lord was raised from the dead, the disciples understood that the things said about the temple refer to his passion and resurrection, and they recalled that the saying, "in three days I will raise it up" indicated the resurrection. It was then that "they believed both the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken," since there is no earlier testimony that they had believed the Scripture or this word which Jesus spoke. For faith is, strictly speaking, the acceptance with one's whole soul of the object of faith at baptism. But as for the anagogical meaning, since we previously mentioned the resurrection from the dead of the whole body of the Lord, we must know that the disciples—once they were reminded through the fulfillments of the Scripture which they had not thoroughly understood when they were in this life and once it was brought before their eyes and made manifest that it contained an example and shadow of certain heavenly things—believed what they formerly did not believe, and believed the word of Jesus as he who spoke it intended, which they had not understood before the resurrection.For how can one be said to believe the Scripture in the proper sense, when one does not perceive the meaning of the Holy Spirit in it which God wants to be believed, rather than the intent of the letter? According to this, we must say that none of those who walk according to the flesh believe in the spiritual meanings of the law, whose first principle they do not even imagine. — COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 10.298-300