Patristic Wisdom: Looking to Reformation Sunday

But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Rom 3:21–26)

He says there is no distinction between Jews and Greeks since it is certain that all equally have come under sin, as became clear above. And he says that now the righteousness of God, which is supported by testimonies in the law and the prophets, has also been given equally to all through faith in Jesus Christ. But because all had come under sin, doubtless they were likewise estranged from the glory of God because they were able neither to receive it in any respect whatsoever nor to merit it. For how would a sinner dare to give glory to God, to whom the prophet says, “But God has said to the sinner: Why do you recite My righteous requirements?” And again another Scripture says, “Praise is unseemly in the mouth of a sinner.” Therefore the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ reaches to all who believe, whether they are Jews or Greeks. It justifies those who have been cleansed from their past crimes and makes them capable of receiving the glory of God; and it supplies this glory not for the sake of their merits nor for the sake of works, but freely to those who believe.

Although the holy Apostle has taught us many things about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ which are to be marveled at, things which are spoken about Him through a mystery, in this passage he has brought forth something even more admirable which I do not think is easy to find in other passages of Scripture. For above he had said that Christ had given His very self as the redemption price for the entire human race so that He might redeem those who were being held in the captivity of their sins, when “apart from God He tastes death for everyone.” Now he has added something even more profound and says, “God predetermined Him as a propitiation through faith in his blood.” This means of course that through the sacrifice of Himself He would make God propitious to men and through this He would manifest His own righteousness as He forgives them their past sins, which they had contracted by serving the worst tyrants at the time when God was tolerating and allowing this to be done. God allowed this so that afterwards, i.e., at this time, He would manifest His own righteousness. For at the consummation of the age, at the end of time, God disclosed His own righteousness and, for the redemption price, gave Him whom He made a propitiator.

Origen, Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans 3.7.18; 3.8.1

Wokism Is Not Christian

In the current issue of Christian Culture, Rolf Preus has written an excellent article entitled “Wokism.” Below is a sample section.

It is among us Christians that human life has been valued. It is among us Christians that marriage and the family have been honored. Wokism takes our teaching about the value of the human being and refashions it in two critical ways. First, it replaces personal sin and guilt with corporate and systemic sin and guilt. Second, it forbids God to enter into the conversation and tell us what is right and wrong in regard to the domestic estate.

Sin is always personal and individual. There is such a thing as corporate sin (“I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips,” Isaiah 6:5), but accountability is always an individual matter. God visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the children of those who hate him, but it is only if they hate him. He does not punish the children for the sins of their fathers. Sin is personal. While the gospel is proclaimed to all, it is received individually. The just shall live by his faith, not by another’s faith. To speak of sin and guilt as systemic ignores individual responsibility. And if one is deemed to be of the oppressor class, how is he to find redemption? Can a white man choose to become black? In fact, there is no redemption in the woke culture. There is only judgment.

The full article can be found here.

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost

Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever. (Heb 7:23–28)

But these things were spoken of generally; but now they are separated by their particular kinds. It says, “If the high priest who was anointed sins, so that he makes the people sin, he will himself offer to the Lord for his sin a calf without blemish from the herd.” Terror and mercy are shown at the same time in the divine law. So finally, is no one safe, not even the high priest? And who is this high priest? He who was anointed; he who kindles holy fires on the divine altars, who sacrifices to God gifts and salutary offerings; he who intervenes between God and men as a propitiator. Not even he, I say, remains free from the contamination of sin. But see the mercy of God and understand it more fully as Paul teaches. For writing to the Hebrews, he says, “For every priest who is taken from men is appointed by men to offer sacrifices to God.” A little farther it says, “The Law appoints human priests who have weaknesses,” in order that just as they can offer for their own weakness, so also they can offer for that of the people. You see, therefore, the dispensation of divine wisdom. It sets up as priests, not those who could not sin in any way—otherwise, they would not be human—but those who ought indeed to imitate that One “who did not sin,” to offer sacrifices first for their own faults and then for the transgressions of the people.” But what is most to be admired in this kind of priest? Not that he may not sin—because that is impossible—but that he knows and understands his own sin. For he who thinks he has not sinned never corrects himself. In like manner, he is more easily able to pardon those who sin, whose conscience is disturbed by his own weakness.

For all these reasons, therefore, “He now stands before the face of God interceding for us.” He stands before the altar to offer a propitiation to God for us. As He was about to approach that altar, moreover, He was saying, “I will not drink again from the fruit of this vine until I drink it anew with you.” Therefore, He expects us to be converted, to imitate his example, to follow His footsteps, that He may rejoice with us and “drink wine with us in His Father’s kingdom.” For now because “the Lord is one who pities and is merciful,” He “weeps with those who weep and desires to rejoice with those who rejoice” with greater feeling than this Apostle. And how much more “this One mourns for those who have previously sinned and did not repent.” For we must not think that Paul is mourning for sinners and weeping for those who transgress, but Jesus my Lord abstains from weeping when He approaches the Father, when He stands at the altar and offers a propitiatory sacrifice for us. This is not to drink the wine of joy “when He ascends to the altar” because He is still bearing the bitterness of our sins. He, therefore, does not want to be the only one to drink wine “in the kingdom” of God. He waits for us, just as He said, “Until I shall drink it with you.” Thus we are those who, neglecting our life, delay His joy.

Origen, Homilies on Leviticus 2.3.1; 7.2.3

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost

Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.… There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. (Heb 4:1–2, 9–13)

David promised us, he is saying, that there is a different rest; so let us be keen to attain to it so as not to suffer a fate similar to theirs. Hearing the words does not suffice for salvation; accepting it in faith is necessary, and holding it firm. After all, what benefit was God’s promise to those who received it, but did not receive it faithfully, trust in the power of God or, as it were, associate closely with God’s words?

He called the rest sabbath rest since on the seventh day God rested from all the works He had performed, whereas in the next world life will be free of grief, proof against labor, and rid of cares. So he called the freedom from bodily works sabbath rest, as the sequel indicates. As the God of all on the sixth day completed the whole of creation, and on the seventh He rested from creating, so those departing this life and moving to that one will be rid of the present labors. The Law required Jews to refrain from bodily works on the sabbath, and to devote attention to souls alone.… The person in the grip of sloth and not desirous of enjoying the promised goods will be liable to the accusations of those who were disobedient.

Then he shows the fearful judgement: nothing can escape that incorruptible Judge; He knows everything precisely, even the movements of our very thoughts. He knows what is done under cover of darkness, He knows what is committed in secret, the wicked counsels of the soul did not elude Him, what is hidden is laid bare to Him.… Now, if it was not just to them but also to everyone of us that the divine apostle wrote this. So it behooves us to consider that divine judgement constantly, be afraid and tremble, keep the divine commandments assiduously, and look forward to the promised rest. May we attain it in Christ, to whom with the Father and the all-holy Spirit be glory and magnificence, now and forever, for ages of ages. Amen.

Theodoret of Cyrus, Commentary on Hebrews 4

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

Seek the Lord and live, lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph and devour it, with no one to extinguish the fire for the house of Israel. The Lord is He who brings about justice on high and righteousness on the earth!… They hated him who reproved in the gates and abhorred the upright word. They tread upon the poor and take bribes from him. They built houses of hewn stone, yet they shall not dwell in them. They planted pleasant vineyards, but they shall not drink wine from them. For I know your many transgressions and the enormity of your sins, devouring the righteous and taking bribes, turning away the poor at the gate. Because of this, the prudent keep silent in this time, for it is an evil time. Seek good and not evil so that you may live, so that the Lord God Almighty will be with you. As you have said, “We hated evil and loved good.” And restore justice in the gate that the Lord God Almighty may have mercy on the remnant of Joseph. (Amos 5:6–7, 10–15)

Once again he does not allow the sinners to get caught up in despair, despite being involved in dire and intolerable sins. He also conveys God’s promises so as to land them as a catch for repentance. He also presented him here as necessarily promising to forgive their sins and free them from both the penalty and the terrors associated with it. The Creator, after all, is kind, “long-suffering and rich in mercy, and repenting of the troubles,” as it is written, and as he himself says in Ezekiel, “He does not wish the death of the dying so much as to convert him from his wicked path and have him live.” If, therefore, you set great store by being alive, which seems desirable for you to be, desist from deception, abandon such longstanding ignorance, and seek Me out, he is saying—that is, serve Me, the one who is by nature God, the Life-giver, the one able to save, rescuing from every trouble those who reverence Me.

Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on Amos 5

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? (Heb 2:1–4)

Paul showed that there is a very great difference between the old covenant and the new covenant since he speaks about the “word” in the first covenant, but in this covenant, he speaks of “salvation.” For the first covenant was only a giving of customs and observances, whereas in this covenant there is also the grace of the Spirit and release from sins and the promise of the kingdom of heaven and the promise of immortality. Therefore, he also rightly says, “such a great salvation,” showing by the epithet its greatness. In the first covenant it was given “through the angels,” but now “through the Lord.” And since there were marvels with the former covenant, so that the new covenant might not seem inferior to the old in this respect, he well appended the statement, “while God further testified with signs and wonders and various powers,” saying this so that by its increase the fullness of grace might appear beyond that of the law also in this matter. For there the wonders took place only according to the need, but here also many of those outside the faith were healed through us, from even whatsoever diseases happened to afflict them. For such was the abundance of healings among us. Also the dead were raised.… After comparing and contrasting the difference and showing the superiority in a various and manifold manner, he added a greater thing that did not happen to those in the Law: “and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed.” For that each of the believers should have their own share in the Spirit was a characteristic of those in grace. And well he adds in addition to all these things “according to his own will,” that is, the will of God who fully wished once and for all to lavish us greatly so that his grace for us might not be repented of, and that the gifts of grace once given to us might not be changed along with the things of the previous covenant, as some might suspect.

Theodore of Mopsuestia, Fragments on Hebrews 2

He then shifts his attention to exhortation, saying, Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard: understanding this difference, therefore, we must attend more zealously to the teaching in case we are guilty of backsliding. Again he associated a comparison with the exhortation, showing the extent to which the Gospel teaching surpasses the provisions of the Law. The ministry of angels was involved in the giving of the Law, whereas in this case the Lord in person was the first to propose the saving teaching, and those who were in receipt of the apostolic grace welcomed it. While the Law gives us a glimpse of what has to be done, the Lord’s teaching is the source of eternal salvation. Now, since Moses also employed wonderworking, it was necessary for Him to show the superiority of grace in this respect, too: in this case, it was not only the Lord who worked wonders but also His divine disciples and their successors. He also showed the New Covenant to be resplendent with spiritual gifts: of old the inspired authors alone shared in the spiritual bounty, whereas now all the believers enjoy this grace.

Theodoret of Cyrus, Commentary on Hebrews 2