{"author":null,"canonical_references":[],"database_sha256":"8cfbe7284c6936871d57c02dc6aa63ebbdfd4722422d539dd9f716e46e91112e","date_end":null,"date_start":null,"edition_year":null,"id":"sermonindex-ecf-6583","native_reference":{"book_number":650,"chapter_from":12,"chapter_to":12,"system":"MyBible module coordinates (mapping unverified)","verse_from":23,"verse_to":23},"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>Ephrem the Syrian</b>: In it there are the firstborn, that is, the first ones and the most excellent, and \"the spirits of just men,\" that is, of your ancient fathers who accomplished perfection.<br/><i>— COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS</i></p><p><b>John Chrysostom</b>: Of what \"first-born\" does he speak? Of the faithful.</p><p>\"And to the spirits of just men made perfect.\" With these shall ye be, he says.</p><p>\"And to the general assembly and church of the first-born which are written in Heaven, and to God the Judge of all.\" They did not draw near, but stood afar off, even Moses: but \"ye are come near.\"</p><p>Here he makes them fear, by saying, \"And to God the Judge of all\"; not of the Jews alone, and the faithful, but even of the whole world.</p><p>\"And to the spirits of just men made perfect.\" He means the souls of those who are approved.<br/><i>— Homily on Hebrews 32</i></p><p><b>Oecumenius</b>: He calls the firstborn holy, who have something excellent beyond other faithful ones who have received adoption from the firstborn who are among us, who by the right of the firstborn have some special birthrights.<br/><i>— The Pseudo-Oecumenian Catena on Hebrews</i></p><p><b>Oecumenius</b>: \"and to God the judge of all.\"As if he were saying: They did not even dare to listen to the word; but you, on the other hand, have approached the very judge, that is, Christ. \"For the Father,\" he says, \"does not judge anyone, but has given all judgment to the Son.\" (Jn. 5:22) —<br/>\"and to the spirits of the righteous.\" For you will be with them, who have come to the New Testament. Paul calls them, as those who will then have their perfection, just as he says above: \"Lest they be made perfect without us.\" (Heb. 11:40)<br/><i>— The Pseudo-Oecumenian Catena on Hebrews</i></p><p><b>Philoxenus of Mabbug</b>: The temples of our houses of prayer are of the world because the buildings thereof are derived from the world and constructed therein; but they are spiritual things above the world, because they are types of that Church of the firstborn, whose names are inscribed in heaven, which is Jerusalem the free, the mother of us all. And all the altars and all the other vessels of the service of the Mysteries, and everything with which we perform the Mysteries which have been delivered to us, according to natural origin are of the world; but by reason of the greatness of those things which are administered in them they are exalted and most high, and are esteemed by us as being above nature, for they are the likeness of the living and spiritual powers which are in heaven, in which the service of the hidden Mysteries of God and of His will are perfected.<br/><i>— 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 3 -- On Faith</i></p>","source_html_sha256":"92075c50abb7dd68914246e58d21d638fddb1890a69fdc8bed31844372e60c6e","source_module":"ECF","source_row_id":6583,"source_url":"https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ecf/","text_sha256":"ae7fbac6e226aac2523e56b1e844e40b4ca0389363e563d3318462ce027e9442","translator":null,"work":null}