Hebreus 13

Theodoret of Cyrus · Comentário Patrístico (catena)

Hebreus 13:5

He forbade not possessions but the love of money, from which greed springs. — INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 13

Hebreus 13:7

He referred to the saints long dead—Stephen the protomartyr, James the brother of John, James called Just; many others as well were done away with by the Jews' fury. By having an eye to them, he is saying, and acquainting yourselves with their praiseworthy lifestyle, emulate their faith. — INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 13

Hebreus 13:8

This, too, he does not simply put down, but he fits it to the argument that has been interrupted, teaching that he was crucified by the Jews. And he also demonstrates his eternal existence, for he calls the human nature "yesterday and today" and names the divinity "forever." And he says that the two are the same, since the only begotten and the firstborn are one and the same Son. — INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 13.8

Hebreus 13:9

By "strange teachings" he referred to what was at variance with the evangelical teachings. So he bids them persevere in the teaching of grace and abandon the observances of the law: No one reaped any benefit from them. — INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 13

Hebreus 13:11-12

Look at the type, compare it with the reality and perceive the similarity. The law required a red heifer to be sacrificed, and the high priest to take some of its blood and sprinkle the mercy seat seven times with his finger. Burning the heifer itself outside the camp, they took the ashes and with them purified those people called impure. This acted as a type of the saving passion. The word red here means the body from Adam in the Hebrew language. He was fixed to the cross outside the gate. His blood purifies our souls; in place of the dust we have the life giving body. — INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 13

Hebreus 13:13

"Outside the camp" means, Let our way of life be beyond the law, and let us bear the reproaches for the one who saved us. — INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 13

Hebreus 13:14

So let us despise things of this life and look forward to those that are stable and permanent. — INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 13

Hebreus 13:15-16

He brought out the sacrifice of praise that is pleasing to God. To it he linked also that of doing good, which he was right to refer to as sharing.… Elsewhere the divine apostle says, "Our abundance supplies for their need so that their abundance may be for your need for a balance to be achieved." Sharing, then, is also repayment: one person gives money, another returns a blessing, and the person in need is in the stronger position. — INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 13

Hebreus 13:15-16

Hymn singing offered to God is of no benefit to us apart from faith in the Son. Since it was to the Hebrews he wrote, who were in the habit of honoring the Father alone, he felt he had to add "through him." — INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 13

Hebreus 13:18

Paul had been misrepresented to them as preaching the opposite of the law; so he impresses on them that he acted for no other reason than obedience to the divine word—hence his calling his conscience to witness. — INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 13

Hebreus 13:25

He appended the usual conclusion, invoking on them a share in grace. As for us, let us sing the praises of the giver of old laws and new. And let us pray to receive grace from him so that by observing the divine laws we may attain the promised goods, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom with the Father and the all-holy Spirit be glory, now and forever, for ages of ages. Amen. — INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 13