{"author":null,"canonical_references":[],"database_sha256":"8cfbe7284c6936871d57c02dc6aa63ebbdfd4722422d539dd9f716e46e91112e","date_end":null,"date_start":null,"edition_year":null,"id":"sermonindex-ecf-6684","native_reference":{"book_number":650,"chapter_from":6,"chapter_to":6,"system":"MyBible module coordinates (mapping unverified)","verse_from":4,"verse_to":4},"public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"verse-keyed-module-record","review_required":["English edition and exact text","author/work attribution","dating","verse mapping and citation kind","reuse and attribution","split author quotations and deduplicate"],"review_status":"unreviewed","source_html":"<p><b>Ambrose of Milan</b>: Could Paul teach in opposition to his own act? He had at Corinth forgiven sin through penance; how could he himself speak against his own decision? Since, then, he could not destroy what he had built, we must assume that what he says was different from, but not contrary to, what had gone before. For what is contrary is opposed to itself; what is different has ordinarily another meaning. Things that are contrary are not such that one can support the other. Inasmuch, then, as the apostle spoke of remitting penance, he could not be silent as to those who thought that baptism was to be repeated. And it was right first of all to remove our anxiety and to let us know that, even after baptism, if any sinned, their sins could be forgiven them, lest a false belief in a reiterated baptism should lead astray those who were destitute of all hope of forgiveness. And second, it was right to set forth in a well-reasoned argument that baptism is not to be repeated.…So, then, that which he says in this epistle to the Hebrews, that it is impossible for those who have fallen to be \"renewed unto repentance, crucifying again the Son of God and putting him to open shame,\" must be considered as having reference to baptism, wherein we crucify the Son of God in ourselves that the world may be by him crucified for us. We triumph, as it were, when we take to ourselves the likeness of his death. We put to open shame upon his cross principalities and powers and triumphed over them, that in the likeness of his death we, too, might triumph over the principalities whose yoke we throw off. But Christ was crucified once and died to sin once, and so there is but one, not several baptisms.…<br/>And indeed I might also say to anyone who thought that this passage spoke of repentance, that things which are impossible from the human point of view are possible with God. God is able whenever God wills to forgive us our sins, even those which we think cannot be forgiven. And so it is possible for God to give us that which it seems to us impossible to attain. For it seemed impossible that water should wash away sin, and Naaman the Syrian thought that leprosy could not be cleansed by water. But that which was impossible, God who gave us such great grace made to be possible. Similarly it seemed impossible that sins should be forgiven through repentance, but Christ gave this power to his apostles, which has been transmitted to the priestly office. That, then, has become possible which was impossible. But by true reasoning, the apostle convinces us that the reiteration by anyone of the sacrament of baptism is not permitted.<br/><i>— Concerning Repentance 2.2.7-12</i></p><p><b>Ephrem the Syrian</b>: \"It is impossible to restore again to repentance\" through a second baptism \"those who have once been baptized, who have tasted the heavenly gift\" through the medicine which they received, \"have become partakers of the Holy Spirit\" through the gifts received from the Spirit, \"have tasted the goodness of the Word of God\" in the new gospel and were armed with the power of the age to come in the promises prepared for the pious ones, but now \"have fallen away\" again. Those who propose two baptisms ask for the crucifixion again of the Son of God and for his dishonor. But crucifixion was performed once and will not be performed once more, and baptism was conceded as an \"absolver\" and is not conceded a second time to the sinner.<br/><i>— COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS</i></p><p><b>John Chrysostom</b>: And see how putting them to shame, and forbiddingly he begins. \"Impossible.\" No longer (he says) expect that which is not possible; (For he said not, It is not seemly, or, It is not expedient, or, It is not lawful, but \"impossible,\" so as to cast [them] into despair), if ye have once been altogether enlightened.</p><p>Then he adds, \"and have tasted of the heavenly gift. If ye have tasted\" (he says) \"of the heavenly gift,\" that is, of forgiveness. \"And been made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and tasted the good word of God\" (he is speaking here of the doctrine) \"and the powers of the world to come\" (what powers is he speaking of? either the working of miracles, or \"the earnest of the Spirit\" - 2 Cor. i. 22).</p><p>What is, \"having tasted of the heavenly gift\"? it is, \"of the remission of sins\": for this is of God alone to bestow, and the grace is a grace once for all. \"What then? shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Far from it!\" (Rom. vi. 1, Rom. vi. 2.) But if we should be always going to be saved by grace we shall never be good. For where there is but one grace, and we are yet so indolent, should we then cease sinning if we knew that it is possible again to have our sins washed away? For my part I think not.</p><p>He here shows that the gifts are many: and to explain it, Ye were counted worthy (he says) of so great forgiveness; for he that was sitting in darkness, he that was at enmity, he that was at open war, that was alienated, that was hated of God, that was lost, he having been suddenly enlightened, counted worthy of the Spirit, of the heavenly gift, of adoption as a son, of the kingdom of heaven, of those other good things, the unspeakable mysteries; and who does not even thus become better, but while indeed worthy of perdition, obtained salvation and honor, as if he had successfully accomplished great things; how could he be again baptized?</p><p>\"And tasted,\" he says, \"the good word of God\"; and he does not unfold it; \"and the powers of the world to come,\" for to live as Angels and to have no need of earthly things, to know that this is the means of our introduction to the enjoyment of the worlds to come; this may we learn through the Spirit, and enter into those sacred recesses.</p><p>What are \"the powers of the world to come\"? Life eternal, angelic conversation. Of these we have already received the earnest through our Faith from the Spirit. Tell me then, if after having been introduced into a palace, and entrusted with all things therein, thou hadst then betrayed all, wouldest thou have been entrusted with them again?<br/><i>— Homily on Hebrews 9</i></p><p><b>Oecumenius</b>: \"For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened.\" He did not say that it is difficult, unprofitable, or improper, but impossible, so as to cast them into despair of hoping for a second cleansing.<br/>\"Having tasted the gift.\" The forgiveness of sins, which is in baptism; for this is a heavenly gift. For no one can give such things except one, God.<br/>\"and having become partakers of the Holy Spirit.\"After the forgiveness of sins, then comes the partaking of the Holy Spirit; for He does not dwell in a body burdened with sins; By the laying on of hands, as he says above (Heb. 6:2).<br/><i>— The Pseudo-Oecumenian Catena on Hebrews</i></p><p><b>Origen of Alexandria</b>: Now we ought to be aware that there are some Lazaruses even now who, after having become friends of Jesus, have become sick and died. As dead persons they have remained in the tomb and the land of the dead with the dead.… Consider the one who has fallen away from Christ and returned to the Gentiles' life after he has received knowledge of the truth. He has been enlightened and tasted the heavenly gift and become a partaker of the Holy Spirit … yet now is in hades with the shades and the dead and to be in the land of the dead or the tombs.Whenever, therefore, on behalf of such a person, Jesus comes to his tomb and, standing outside it, prays and is heard, he asks that there be power in his voice and words, and he cries out with a loud voice to summon him who was his friend to the things outside the life of the Gentiles and their tomb and cave.<br/><i>— COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF John 28.54-56</i></p><p><b>Theodoret of Cyrus</b>: It is out of the question, he is saying, for those who have approached all-holy baptism, shared in the grace of the divine Spirit and received the type of the eternal goods to make their approach again and be granted another baptism. This is no different, in fact, from fixing the Son of God to the cross again and besmirching him again with the dishonor already shown. As he in his own case endured the passion once, we too likewise ought share the passion with him once. We are buried with him in baptism, and we rise with him; so it is not possible for us to enjoy the gift of baptism again.… Our former self was crucified with him in baptism by receiving the type of death. By \"goodness of the Word of God\" he meant the promise of good things; \"powers of the age to come\" is the term he used of baptism and the grace of the Spirit: through them it is possible to attain the promised goods.Now, the apostle said this to teach the believers from Jews not to think all-holy baptism is like the Jewish baptisms: they did not wash away sins, but cleansed the body of apparent defilement—hence they were applied many times and frequently. This baptism of ours, on the contrary, is one only, for the reason that it involves the type of the saving passion and resurrection and prefigures for us the resurrection to come. The followers of Novatian use these words to contest the truth, failing to understand that the divine apostle, far from prohibiting the remedies of repentance, set the limit for divine baptism.… After all, his writings to the Corinthians and the Galatians testify to the fact that he preaches repentance everywhere, and he disseminates these teachings everywhere.<br/><i>— INTERPRETATION OF Hebrews 6</i></p><p><b>Theognostus Of Alexandria</b>: Then he says again: As the Saviour converses with those not yet able to receive what is perfect, condescending to their littleness, while the Holy Spirit communes with the perfected, and yet we could never say on that account that the teaching of the Spirit is superior to the teaching of the Son, but only that the Son condescends to the imperfect, while the Spirit is the seal of the perfected; even so it is not on account of the superiority of the Spirit over the Son that the blasphemy against the Spirit is a sin excluding impunity and pardon, but because for the imperfect there is pardon, while for those who have tasted the heavenly gift, and been made perfect, there remains no plea or prayer for pardon.<br/><i>— From His Seven Books of Hypotyposes or Outlines</i></p>","source_html_sha256":"bae196d2d5070a3ace0fc20d74391e83b927a1abd8315a5d22ce614f20fa1c2e","source_module":"ECF","source_row_id":6684,"source_url":"https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ecf/","text_sha256":"cab73909168a2ec02efded9f1345057c8894c1176bace64560680d86674f3fa4","translator":null,"work":null}