Severian of Gabala

In his own words on Hebrews

• Hebrews 1:1

  "In many ways," that is, according to the differences of the times in which the promises concerning us were imparted, such as at the creation of Adam, at the time of Cain, in the days of Noah, at the time of Abraham, at the time before the law, at the time after the law. For many are the manners of God's administration on our behalf. And "in a variety of ways," because one commandment was given to Adam, another to Noah, yet another to Abraham, and another through Moses, and yet different ones through the prophets.

  FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 1.1-2

• Hebrews 1:2

  "He spoke to us in his Son," instead of "by the Son." For he did not speak in him as an instrument but rather through him as one indwelling the flesh.… For when he had said, "He has spoken to us in his Son whom he appointed as an heir"—not "created as an heir"—he applied the word to his existence before the ages. And he does this intelligently, now leading us up into theology, now bringing us down into the incarnation.

  FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 1.1-2

• Hebrews 1:3

  Seeking to present more clearly that the Word was begotten of the essence of the Father, he makes mention of the "radiance." For the radiance is from the essence of that of which it is an efflux of light, and it is continuously conceived both from it and never apart from that of which it is the radiance. But since "radiance" implies a lesser nature than that of which it is the radiance and existence not in the same nature, he uses a different word and states that Christ is "the exact image of his nature." The first phrase ("radiance of his glory") demonstrates that Christ cannot be separated from the essence as God; the second phrase ("exact image of his nature") proves that he is not without God's nature. For just as John, calling Christ "the Word," adds, "he was with God and was God," so also Paul, having said "radiance," added, "and the exact image of his nature."

  FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 1.3

• Hebrews 1:3

  Even if the Word became flesh, he nonetheless was in the glory and nature of divinity and was not kept far from the highest thrones of God the Father. And although "he was made a little lower than the angels" because of the measure of his humanity—for human nature is subordinate to the glory of the angels—he was still "above every name that is named."

  FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 1.3

• Hebrews 1:3

  This is what Jeremiah calls "his strong works of words."

  FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 1.3

• Hebrews 1:7-8

  For just as in the matter of "radiance" and "exact image of his nature" he imitated John, calling him "the Word" and saying that he was God, so also here he imitated John. Just as John said, "This one was in the beginning, all things were created through him," so also does Paul, although he says, "these things were not" instead of saying, "This one was." "To the angels is said, 'who makes them'; but to the Son, 'your throne.' " This proves the point: That which was made was not in existence previously, but he who has an eternal throne always was with his Father.

  FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 1.7-8

• Hebrews 1:11-12

  He does not say that a change of nature took place, but by way of comparison, that he permits these things to be destroyed and they do perish in contrast to the eternity of the Son. For also the Lord, when predicting his second coming, says "the stars will fall" and there will no longer be sun or moon or heavens. And one must demonstrate in addition that he revealed through the statement "but you are the same" Christ's eternal existence and the immutability of his nature.

  FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 1.12-14

• Hebrews 1:13

  "But to what angel has he ever said?" Leaving aside all the rest of creation he speaks about that which is higher than the rest of creation, namely, the angels. For if the Son differed from the angels in that they were created but he was not, how much more does he differ from all invisible things?

  FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 1.12-14

• Hebrews 1:14

  Through the phrase "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve" he shows that the Son is not a servant, but a fellow worker with God.

  FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 1.12-14

• Hebrews 2:9

  He calls it the age to come. Then he adds at last, "we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see Jesus made lower than the angels." Then he applies to Jesus the question, "What is man that you are mindful of him?" For the things common to humanity belong to him. But as the Son himself says, "Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings I will establish praise for the sake of your enemies" and "I will see the heavens, the works of your fingers." No one would say that the man God remembered had made "the praise established from the mouth of babes and infants for the sake of your enemies" and "I will see the heavens, the works of your fingers." This one remembered humanity and lowered himself a little lower than the angels. But who is the "man"? Jesus. Because of the suffering of his death, "he was made a little lower than the angels."

  FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 2.5-9

• Hebrews 3:13

  He introduces the present age as one day.

  FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 3.13

• Hebrews 4:12-13

  He says, "division of soul and spirit." The soul has a special feeling for the body, but the grace of the Holy Spirit draws against the body to the heavenly things.

  FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 4.12

• Hebrews 6:1-2

  The beginning of Christ was from within Judaism—for he lived as a Jew according to the law. He says because of this, "Leaving this behind, let us be borne to that maturity," knowing that the one about to be a high priest apart from the law must be a priest "according to the order of Melchizedek.""Dead works and faith in God, ritual washing." For Christians the earthly things are dead. Therefore he says that it is out of place that they neglect the way of life based on faith and the mortification of all things and return to ablutions according to the law. When the Lord came, he preached repentance, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of God has drawn near," but it was "a repentance from dead works." … This, then, is what he says: it is not necessary to run back to the law, leaving behind the repentance from dead works and faith in God and baptism25—which he named in the plural because of the multitude of those deemed worthy. And he spoke of baptisms and the teaching and the laying on of hands through which are the elections, and the hope of the resurrection and the rest. And he has prepared this beforehand, since the priests in the law uphold the law with a vengeance, but Melchizedek was outside the law. Not coming from the levitical priesthood, he followed "the order of Melchizedek." He says that it was not necessary to leave behind the priest in the order of Melchizedek to pursue those who are priests under the law, so that the things written in the law might stand. But he called those things in the law a "foundation," since it has become a preamble of godliness for men.

  FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 6.1-2

• Hebrews 6:6

  The apostles raised the dead. And this was the power of the resurrection. He said, "hold him up to contempt," because if baptism is a mystery, it suffices once and for all. And if the matter happens a second time, it is an act of despising and ridicule.

  FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 6.6

• Hebrews 6:17

  When he said above, "the full assurance of the hope," he made clear that God furnished to Abraham "full assurance," not that which belonged to his conduct through works but that which belonged to him through God's redemptive plan.

  FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 6.17

• Hebrews 7:1

  It is for a reason that we are reminded how Melchizedek met with Abraham after his victory over the Assyrians and gave him one-tenth of all the spoils. This indicates that Melchizedek, the priest, was a forefather of the tribe of the Levites. However, the priesthood without the law is greater than that under the law.

  FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 7.1-2

• Hebrews 7:3

  Without father, without mother, without genealogy, according to the Scripture. Later, among the Levites it is always clear who were the parents of a priest. They also had allotted times and periods of service, and the total length of their service and of their life is known. All these data exist for each priest under the law, even if not for every year. However, it is said that Melchizedek is without father, without mother, without genealogy, having no beginning and no end of life according to the word of Scripture. He does not belong to a priestly family; we do not know when he started his priesthood or what kind of a priest he was, or whether he was a priest all his life. We do not know any information that is available for those priests under the law. It is said that, likened to the Son of God, he continues his priesthood forever. And how does Melchizedek remain a priest? Here is a solution to that question. As Moses sometimes signifies the law, so Melchizedek, a human being, signifies the priesthood. Now, if he is likened [to the Son of God] through the priesthood in Christ, he remains forever, not as a mortal man but as a pattern of the priesthood.

  FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 7.3

• Hebrews 9:11

  The tent built under Moses was to signify servitude [to the law]. Therefore, the more perfect tent is the dwelling of grace, the body of Christ whose head is Christ himself.

  FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 9.11

• Hebrews 11:20

  "By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau." First he gave it to Jacob, then to Esau, not according to the sequence of their birth but according to the order of spiritual blessing.

  FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 11.2

• Hebrews 11:38

  "Of whom the world was not worthy." … He does not say this about everyone but about the latter ones whom he sees as martyrs, witnesses of faith. He reminds us that these put foreign armies to flight and through their service to their people received grace.

  FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 11.38

• Hebrews 12:1

  Let us lay aside every weight. "Weight" is a sin of the enjoyment of the flesh, a form in which the "sin which clings so closely" is born. It clings closely to us as it surrounds us with pleasure and subdues us to its own will.

  FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 12.1

• Hebrews 12:27

  That is why Paul says elsewhere, "For the form of this world is passing away." So that the temporary may pass away and the eternal may come.

  FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 12.27