{"author":null,"canonical_references":[],"database_sha256":"8cfbe7284c6936871d57c02dc6aa63ebbdfd4722422d539dd9f716e46e91112e","date_end":null,"date_start":null,"edition_year":null,"id":"sermonindex-ecf-6514","native_reference":{"book_number":650,"chapter_from":10,"chapter_to":10,"system":"MyBible module coordinates (mapping unverified)","verse_from":32,"verse_to":32},"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>: Then, after he discouraged them from sinning, Paul returned to talk to them about the first topic, that is, that of the joy which was at the beginning of their discipleship. \"Recall,\" he says, \"the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings.\"<br/><i>— COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS</i></p><p><b>John Chrysostom</b>: The best Physicians after they have made a deep incision, and have increased the pains by the wound, soothing the afflicted part, and giving rest and refreshment to the disturbed soul, proceed not to make a second incision, but rather soothe that which has been made with gentle remedies, and such as are suited to remove the violence of the pain. This Paul also did after he had shaken their souls, and pierced them with the recollection of Hell, and convinced them, that he must certainly perish, who does despite to the grace of God, and after he had shown from the laws of Moses, that they also shall perish, and the more fearfully, and confirm it by other testimonies, and had said, \"It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God\": then, lest the soul desponding through excessive fear, should be swallowed up with grief, he soothes them by commendations and exhortation, and gives them zeal derived from their own conduct. For, he says, \"call to remembrance the former days, in which after ye had been enlightened, ye endured a great fight of afflictions.\" Powerful is the exhortation from deeds already done: for he who begins a work ought to go forward and add to it. As if he had said, when ye were brought in to the Church, when ye were in the rank of learners, ye displayed so great readiness, so great nobleness; but now it is no longer so. And he who encourages, does thus especially encourage them from their own example.</p><p>And he did not simply say, \"ye endured a fight\" but a \"great\" fight. Moreover he did not say \"temptations\" but \"fight,\" which is an expression of commendation and of very great praise.<br/><i>— Homily on Hebrews 21</i></p><p><b>Methodius of Olympus</b>: ...and that the side is the Spirit of truth, the Paraclete, of whom the illuminated receiving are fitly born again to incorruption. For it is impossible for any one to be a partaker of the Holy Spirit, and to be chosen a member of Christ, unless the Word first came down upon him and fell into a trance, in order that he, being filled with the Spirit, and rising again from sleep with Him who was laid to sleep for his sake, should be able to receive renewal and restoration.<br/><i>— Methodius Discourse III. Thaleia</i></p><p><b>Oecumenius</b>: \"Remember the earlier days.\" Behold, he speaks to them more plainly, urging them not to lose patience. He says, therefore: Do not imitate others, but imitate yourselves. For at the beginning of your faith you struggled; keep this struggle in mind; do not lose what you have achieved through laziness. Behold the cleverness; shaking their souls with the memory of that fire, he now encourages them with praises.<br/>\"after being illuminated.\" Either concerning baptism, he says, they are illuminated, or concerning the knowledge of Christ.<br/><i>— The Pseudo-Oecumenian Catena on Hebrews</i></p>","source_html_sha256":"335bf083b469afd16d42404f44b31b6815682ecc34d31bd5105b0b7c6108f71e","source_module":"ECF","source_row_id":6514,"source_url":"https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ecf/","text_sha256":"cb8e8266b21ba583654c0cbfdf268d6c0d444a2c00f87b8b7629b57df66410b6","translator":null,"work":null}