Lectio 1
Lecture 1
Pontifex in caelo
High priest in heaven
8:1 Capitulum autem super ea quae dicuntur: talem habemus pontificem, qui consedit in dextera sedis magnitudinis in caelis, [n. 377]
8:1 Now of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum: we have such an high priest who is set on the right hand of the throne of majesty in the heavens, [n. 377]
8:2 sanctorum minister, et tabernaculi veri, quod fixit Dominus, et non homo. [n. 382]
8:2 A minister of the holies and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord has pitched, and not man. [n. 382]
8:3 Omnis enim pontifex ad offerendum munera, et hostias constituitur: unde necesse est et hunc habere aliquid, quod offerat. [n. 383]
8:3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is necessary that he also should have some thing to offer. [n. 383]
8:4 Si ergo esset super terram, nec esset sacerdos: cum essent qui offerent secundum legem munera, [n. 385]
8:4 If then he were on earth, he would not be a priest: seeing that there would be others to offer gifts according to the law, [n. 385]
8:5 qui exemplari, et umbrae deserviunt caelestium. Sicut responsum est Moysi, cum consummaret tabernaculum: vide (inquit) omnia facito secundum exemplar, quod tibi ostensum est in monte.
8:5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things. As it was answered to Moses, when he was to finish the tabernacle: see (says he) that you make all things according to the pattern which was shown you on the mount.
377. Supra probavit Apostolus excellentiam sacerdotii Christi ad sacerdotium Leviticum ex parte personae, hic probat idem ex parte ipsius sacerdotii, et
377. Having proved the excellence of Christ’s priesthood over that of the Levitical on the part of the person, the Apostle now proves the same on the part of the priesthood itself.
circa hoc facit duo.
In regard to this he does two things.
Primo enim ostendit sacerdotium Christi esse excellentius sacerdotio veteris legis, et primo hoc in generali;
First, he shows in a general way that Christ’s priesthood is more excellent than that of the old law;
secundo in speciali, ibi habuit quidem et prius, scilicet IX cap.
second, in detail, at the former indeed had (Heb 9:1).
Prima in duas.
The first is divided into two parts.
Primo enim ponit intentum;
First, he states his thesis;
secundo manifestat propositum suum, ibi omnis enim pontifex.
second, he explains it, at for every high priest.
Circa primum duo facit quia
In regard to the first he does two things:
primo ponit modum tradendi;
first, he states the way in which he will present his teaching;
secundo praemittit quae debent dicere, ibi talem habemus pontificem, et cetera.
second, he prefaces what he means to say, at we have such an high priest.
378. Dicit ergo capitulum, et cetera. Capitulum est brevis complexio continens multa, et dicitur a capite; quia, sicut in capite virtute et quasi summarie continentur omnia quae sunt in corpore, sic in capitulo illa quae dicenda sunt. Ergo dicemus in quodam capitulo, et quasi in quadam summa, super ea quae dicuntur.
378. He says, therefore: now of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum. A sum or recapitulation is a brief synthesis containing many things. The word comes from caput or ‘head’ because, just as in the head are virtually and, as it were, summarily, contained all the things which are in the body, so too in a recapitulation is everything which we have spoken.
Ly super, potest dicere appositum, et tunc erit sensus: quae summarie dicenda sunt superapponentur praemissis. Vel potest designare excessum, et tunc est sensus: ea quae dicenda sunt in summa et capitulo sunt maiora.
But it could also have the sense that what must be said summarily was placed above with some parts left out. Or it is able to signify an excess, and then the sense is that those things which must be said in sum and recapitulation are greater.
379. Deinde cum dicit talem habemus pontificem, etc., praemittit quae debet dicere.
379. Then when he says we have such an high priest he prefaces what he means to say:
Et primo dignitatem huius sacerdotii;
first, the dignity of this priesthood;
secundo officium eius, ibi sanctorum minister.
second, its office, at a minister of the holies.
380. Dignitas eius est, quia talem habemus pontificem, qui consedit ad dexteram sedis magnitudinis in excelsis. Sedes est iudiciaria potestas, quae aliquibus convenit tamquam ministris Dei, sicut omnibus regibus, quia adorabunt eum omnes reges terrae, ut dicitur in Ps. LXXI, 11, et omnibus praelatis, I Cor. IV, 1: sic nos existimet homo ut ministros Christi. Sedes ergo magnitudinis est excellentissima potestas iudicandi. Item pars dextera est potentior in animali, et significat bona spiritualia. Quia ergo Christus habet iudiciariam potestatem, dicitur sedere. Pater enim omne iudicium dedit Filio, Io. V, 22. Quia vero post Deum habet hoc, excellentissime, sedet in dextera magnitudinis in excelsis, id est, in potioribus bonis. Supra I, 3: sedet ad dexteram maiestatis in excelsis.
380. Its dignity is that we have such an high priest who is set on the right hand of the throne of majesty in the heavens. The throne is judicial power, which befits certain persons as ministers of God, as all kings: all the kings of the earth will adore him (Ps 72:11), and all prelates: let a man so account of us as of Christ’s ministers (1 Cor 4:1). Therefore, because Christ has judicial power, he is said to sit: for the Father has given all judgment to the Son (John 5:22). But because he has this in the most excellent manner after God, he sits at the right hand of majesty in the heavens, i.e., in the more prominent goods: he sits at the right hand of the majesty on high (Heb 1:3).
381. Hoc autem quod dicitur consedere, vel consedet, potest referri ad Christum, secundum quod est Deus; et sic consedet quia habet eamdem auctoritatem iudicandi, quam habet Pater, sed distinctus est in persona. Et sic ly magnitudinis accipitur pro persona Patris. Vel secundum quod homo, et hoc magis proprie ad intentionem Apostoli, quia loquitur de pontificatu Christi, qui est pontifex inquantum homo. Et sic consedet, quia humanitas assumpta habet quamdam associationem ad deitatem, et consedet ad iudicandum. Ps. VIII, 1: elevata est magnificentia tua super caelos. Io. V, 27: potestatem dedit ei iudicium facere, quia Filius hominis est. Et sic apparet dignitas sacerdotis.
381. The expression, ‘is seated,’ can be referred to Christ as God, and then he is seated in that way, because he has the same authority as the Father, although distinct in person; and so majesty is taken for the person of the Father. Or, to Christ as man: and this is more in keeping with the Apostle’s intention, because he is speaking about the high priesthood of Christ, who is a high priest as man. So he is seated in that way because the assumed humanity has a certain association to the godhead; and he sits at the right hand to judge: your majesty has been elevated above the heavens (Ps 8:2); he gave him power to judge, because he is the Son of man (John 5:27).
382. Consequenter cum dicit sanctorum minister, ostendit dignitatem officii eius.
382. Then when he says, a minister of the holies, he shows the dignity of his office.
Dicitur autem minister sanctorum, id est, sanctarum aedium, scilicet sanctuariorum. Ministri enim antiqui accipiebant ministerium, ut custodirent sacra, et servirent tabernaculo. Hoc autem excellentius habet Christus, qui est minister, non quidem inquantum Deus, quia sic est auctor, sed inquantum homo. Lc. XII, 37: transiens ministrabit illis. Humanitas enim Christi est sicut organum divinitatis. Est ergo minister sanctorum, quia ministrat sacramenta gratiae in praesenti, et gloriae in futuro.
He says, minister of the holies, i.e., of the holy precincts, namely, of the sanctuary. For the ministers of old received the ministry of guarding sacred things and serving the tabernacle. But Christ had this in a more excellent manner, because he is a minister, not inasmuch as he is God, for then he is the author, but inasmuch as he is man: and passing he will minister unto them (Luke 12:37). For the humanity of Christ is an organ of the divinity. Therefore, he is the minister of the holies, because he administers the sacraments of grace in the present life and of glory in the future.
Item est minister tabernaculi veri, quod est, vel eius Ecclesia militans. Ps.: quam dilecta tabernacula tua, Domine virtutum. Vel triumphans. Is. XXXIII, 20: tabernaculum, quod nequaquam transferri poterit. Ps. XIV, 1: Domine, quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo, et cetera. Homo autem Christus minister est, quia omnia bona gloriae per ipsum dispensantur.
He is also the minister of the true tabernacle, that is, either the Church militant: how lovely are your tabernacles, O Lord of hosts (Ps 84:1), or the Church triumphant: a tabernacle that cannot be removed (Isa 33:20); Lord, who shall dwell in your tabernacle? (Ps 15:1). But the man Christ is a minister because all the goods of glory are dispensed by him.
Dicit autem veri, propter duo. Primo propter differentiam ad Vetus, quod erat figurale istius. I Cor. X, 11: omnia in figura illis contingebant. Istud autem est veritas istius. Est ergo verum, id est, veritatem continens respectu figurae. Secundo quia illud factum est per hominem: istud autem, scilicet vel gratiae, vel gloriae est a solo Deo. Ps. LXXXIII, 12: gratiam et gloriam dabit Dominus. Rom. VI, 23: gratia Dei, vita aeterna. Et ideo dicit quod fixit Deus, et non homo. II Cor. V, 1: scimus quoniam si terrestris domus nostra huius habitationis dissolvatur, quia ex Deo habemus domum non manufactam aeternam in caelis.
But he says, of the true, for two reasons: first, because of its difference from the Old, which was a figure of it: now all these things happened to them in figure (1 Cor 10:11). The New, therefore, is the truth of the former. Therefore, it is true, i.e., containing the truth in relations to the figure. Second, because the former was made by a man, but the other, namely, of grace and of glory by God alone: the Lord will give grace and glory (Ps 84:12); the grace of God, life everlasting (Rom 6:23). Hence, he says, which the Lord has pitched, and not man: we know, if our earthly house of this habitation be dissolved, that we have a building of God not made with hands, eternal in heaven (2 Cor 5:1).
383. Deinde cum dicit omnis enim pontifex, etc., explicat in speciali.
383. Then when he says, for every high priest, he explains in detail.
Et circa hoc facit tria.
In regard to this he does three things.
Primo enim ostendit Christum esse ministrum aliquorum sanctorum;
First, he shows that Christ is a minister of certain holy things;
secundo quod non veteris legis, ibi si ergo esset;
second, that they are not of the old law, at if then he were on earth;
tertio quod aliquorum maiorum, ibi nunc autem melius.
third, that he is a minister of greater things, at but now he has obtained (Heb 8:6).
384. Facit autem primo talem rationem: omnis pontifex ad hoc constituitur, ut offerat munera et hostias, et secundum hoc dicitur minister sanctorum. Christus autem est pontifex, ut supra probatum est. Ergo necesse est ipsum habere aliqua, quae offerat. Supra V, 1: omnis pontifex ex hominibus assumptus, et cetera. Hostia est de animalibus, munera de quocumque alio. Lev. XXI, 6: incensum et panes Dei sui offerunt. Quia vero necesse fuit Christum habere quod offerret, ipse seipsum obtulit.
384. He forms the following argument: every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; and in this respect he is called a minister of the holies. But Christ is a high priest, as has been stated above. Therefore, it is necessary that he also should have some thing to offer: for every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in the things that appertain to God, that he may offer up gifts and sacrifices for sins (Heb 5:1). The sacrifice is offered with animals; the gifts with anything else: they offer the burnt offerings of the Lord and the bread of their God (Lev 21:6). But because it was necessary that Christ have something to offer, he offered himself.
Fuit autem talis oblatio munda, quia caro eius nullam maculam peccati habuit. Ex. XII, v. 5: erit agnus sine macula, masculus, anniculus. Item fuit congrua, quia congruum est, quod homo pro homine satisfaciat. Infra IX, v. 14: obtulit semetipsum immaculatum Deo. Item apta ad immolandum, quia caro eius mortalis erat. Rom. VIII, 3: mittens Deus Filium suum in similitudinem carnis peccati. Item est idem ei cui offertur. Io. X, 30: ego et Pater unum sumus. Item unit Deo illos pro quibus offertur. Io. XVII, 21: ut omnes unum sint, sicut tu, Pater, in me, et ego in te, ut et ipsi in nobis unum sint.
But it was a clean oblation, because his flesh had no stain of sin: and it shall be a lamb without blemish, a male, of one year (Exod 12:5). Furthermore, it was suitable, because it was fitting that a man should satisfy for man: he offered himself unspotted unto God (Heb 9:14). It was also fit to be immolated, because his flesh was mortal: God sending his own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh and sin (Rom 8:3). Also it was the same as the one to whom it was offered: I and the Father are one (John 10:30). And it unites to God those for whom it is offered: that they may be one, as you, Father, in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us (John 17:21).
385. Deinde cum dicit si ergo esset, ostendit quod Christus non est minister legalium.
385. Then when he says if then he were on earth, he shows that Christ is not a minister of the sacrifices of the law.