Nicholas of Gorran's Commentary on Hebrews 4:14–5:10
From the Postilla of Nicholas of Gorran, O.P. (c. 1210–1295)
Hebrews 4:14
"Having therefore a great High Priest who has penetrated the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast the confession of our hope."
Commentary: This is the fourth part of the first principal part of this Epistle. For [the Apostle] shows Christ's excellence and dignity in comparison to the Prophets, Angels, and Moses; here he shows the same in comparison to the legal or Levitical Priesthood.
Wherein, first, he shows the sufficiency of Christ in His Priesthood; second, His excellence over the Levitical Priesthood in Chapter 7. In the first part, he shows the perfection of Christ the Priest; second, he incidentally rebukes their imperfection in Chapter 5 ("Of whom we have great speech and uninterpretable to speak"). In the first part, he shows the perfection of Christ the Priest: first, absolutely; second, in comparison to other priests in Chapter 5 ("For every...").
In the first [section], he shows the perfection of Christ the Priest: first, in power; second, in piety ("For we do not have a High Priest..."); third, he exhorts [us] to approach Him confidently ("Let us therefore approach with confidence...").
Regarding the power of this High Priest, he implies three things:
First, something which we have, because [we have] a Great High Priest.
Second, something which we ought to do, namely believe in Him, and therefore "let us hold fast the confession."
Third, something which we expect, namely future joy, "of our hope."
The first shows the object of faith, the second the act, the third the reward.
He says therefore: "Having," as if to say: Such is the word of God; therefore we, "having a High Priest," who is above all High Priests, and whose all are Vicars (Zechariah 3:1: "And the Lord showed me Jesus the Great Priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan stood at his right hand to oppose him"; Ecclesiasticus 50:1: "Simon, son of Onias, the Great Priest, who in his life upheld the house, and in his days strengthened the temple").
"Who has penetrated," that is, has entered thoroughly, "the heavens," all previously impenetrable heavens, namely: the aerial, ethereal, fiery, olympian, starry, crystalline, and empyrean. "For from the highest heaven is His going forth, and His course to the highest thereof" (Psalm 18:7).
And he says this to distinguish [Him] from the legal High Priest, who was only able to enter as far as the Holy of Holies, but this One entered into the heaven of heavens (Hebrews 9:24: "For Jesus has not entered into sanctuaries made by hand, copies of the true, but into heaven itself, to appear now before the face of God for us").
"A High Priest," I say, "namely Jesus," that is, who is Savior, "the Son of God," that is, who is Savior and Son of God. Therefore Christ is greater in dignity, higher in seat, supreme in nature.
"Having," I say, such a High Priest, "let us hold fast the confession," namely of faith, that is, with faith of the heart, confession of the mouth. "For with the heart we believe unto justice, but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:10).
"The confession," I say, "of our hope," that is, which is the cause of our hope, that is, of future beatitude, which is hoped for by us.
Hebrews 4:15
"For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who was tempted in all things according to our likeness, yet without sin."
Commentary: Regarding piety, to show this he implies three things:
First, true mercy.
Second, assumed misery ("Tempted in all things").
Third, preserved innocence ("Without sin").
He says therefore: "For not," as if he should say: And truly we ought to hold fast. For He Himself, the High Priest, is prepared to help us. "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot," as if He did not know how, "sympathize with our weaknesses," that is, condescend like a Physician to our fragilities. For He knows by experience as man, but by simple knowledge only as God (Ecclesiasticus 34:11: "He who has not been tested, what does he know?").
"Tempted autem per omnia," here he touches upon assumed passibility, saying: "Tempted autem" by the devil (Matthew 4:1) and by men (Luke 4:1), through all genera of temptations. For He was tempted to test His power, His wisdom, His mercy, and His justice. "Tempted," I say, "pro similitudine," that is, because He was similar to men. "For in habit He was found as man" (Philippians 2:7). Or "tempted pro similitudine," that is, to give an example of conquering temptations.
"Him," I say, "although existing tempted," "absque peccato" (1 Peter 2:22: "Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth"). For both were necessary: that He be passible with men by the likeness of flesh, and just with God by the perfection of grace, so that He might be at once rich and poor (Job 9:33: "There is none that may be able to argue both, and to put his hand on both").
Hebrews 4:16
"Let us therefore approach with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace in timely aid."
Commentary: Here he exhorts [us] to approach God confidently. Wherein first he sets down the exhortation; second, the utility of the exhortation ("That we may obtain mercy...").
He says therefore: "Let us approach ergo," as if he should say: We have such a High Priest, powerful to sympathize; "let us approach," that is, by intention and work, "with confidence to the throne of grace," that is, to Christ Himself, in whom grace reigns, because "full of grace" (John 1:14). Not to the tribunal of judgment, in which He will sit in the future, of which Daniel 7:9: "His throne was a flame of fire."
"Let us approach," I say, "and this that we may obtain through Him mercy," that is, remission of preceding sins, "and find grace" of persevering in good. For where is grace found unless in His throne, namely Christ, "of whose fullness we all have received, and grace for grace" (John 1:16).
"We obtain," I say, "in timely aid," that is, in the present life. For after this life, there will not be timely aid (Matthew 25:12: "Amen I say to you, I know you not," said to the Virgins who delayed too much; 2 Corinthians 6:2: "Behold now is the acceptable time, behold now is the day of salvation").
Scholastic Questions on Previous Verses
Here it is asked regarding that phrase: "Let us hasten to enter" (Hebrews 4:11).
The Gloss: By faith and good works.
Objection: Faith and good works are not sufficient without charity and grace.
Response: It speaks of formed faith, not formless; and of good simply, not in genus only; but these are not without charity and grace.
Item, regarding that phrase: "Division of soul and spirit" (Hebrews 4:12).
Objection: According to Augustine, the soul is spirit in man.
Response: Insofar as they name the substance, they are the same in reality but differ in reason, because it is called soul as unitable to the body, but spirit as separable from the body. Insofar as they name the power, they differ in reality.
Item, regarding that phrase: "Joints and marrow" (Hebrews 4:12).
The Gloss: How does the higher difference of sensuality agree with the differences of reason, which are three?
Objection: Sensuality in one man is one; likewise reason is one power. Likewise sensuality contradicts reason according to Galatians 5:17: "The flesh lusts against the spirit."
Response to the first: Although sensuality is one in one man, nevertheless it is considered doubly: either as it is common to us with brutes, or in order to reason; and this is called here the higher difference of sensuality.
To the second, Response: Although reason is essentially one, nevertheless it has differences according to its different matter. For its supreme difference negotiates concerning higher things, namely divine things; the middle concerning equals, namely celestial things (i.e., Angels); the lowest concerning inferior things, namely terrestrial things. In this grade, reason and sensuality meet, because sensuality considers these terrestrial things according to... [text implies: according to reason in order to another].
To the third, Response: Sensuality sometimes agrees with reason in this, and according to this it agrees with reason, and sometimes it contradicts and draws to another.
Item, regarding that phrase: "Who cannot sympathize" (Hebrews 4:15).
Objection: Impassibility is a property of glory.
Response: Compassion implies two things: namely a pious affect of helping, and a certain anxiety attached. The first is in the Blessed; the second is not.
Item, regarding that phrase: "Tempted in all things" (Hebrews 4:15).
The Gloss: Genera of temptations.
Objection: Not in Him was there temptation of the flesh.
Response: The Gloss speaks only of exterior temptations, because they tempted [Him] to test His Power (Matthew 16:1: "tempting, they asked that He would show them a sign from heaven"); Wisdom (Matthew 19:3: "Pharisees came to Him tempting, and saying: Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for any cause?"); Justice (Matthew 4:1: "Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert, to be tempted by the devil"); Clemency (Wisdom 2:17: "Let us try what shall happen to him, and we shall know what his end shall be").
Item, regarding that phrase: "Pro similitudine absque peccato" (Hebrews 4:15).
The Gloss: It is impossible for a man who has not experienced it to know the affliction of the afflicted.
Objection: A physician knows the suffering of a feverish patient by art.
Response: The Gloss speaks of experimental knowledge, not simple. Or: it is impossible to know so fully for the people in those things which pertain to God. In these, I say, which are done, namely that he offer to God gifts, that is, first fruits of such fruits, sacrifices of animals, and this for sins to be forgiven (Leviticus 4:10: "The Priest shall pray for him, and for his sin, and it shall be forgiven him"; Exodus 28:38: "Aaron shall bear the iniquities of those things which the children of Israel have offered and sacrificed in all their gifts and offerings, and there shall be a plate on his forehead, that the Lord may be pleased with them").
Hebrews 5:7
"Who in the days of His flesh, offering prayers and supplications to Him who was able to save Him from death, with a loud cry and tears, was heard for His reverence."
Commentary: Above he showed the perfection of Christ's Priesthood: first, by the mode of institution; second, by the authority of the institutor; here third, he shows the same by the effect or utility of the execution. Where he touches:
First, the exaudition of His prayer.
Second, the merit or reason of being heard ("And indeed when He was the Son of God...").
Third, the fruit or utility of being heard ("And being made perfect...").
In the first, five things commending prayer are implied:
The opportunity of praying, because "in the days of [His] flesh."
The humility of the one praying, because "prayers and supplications."
The power of the One exorated, because "to Him who was able to save."
The affectivity of the prayer, because "with a loud cry."
The utility following, because "was heard."
He says therefore: "Who in the days," and this in two ways.
In one way, according to which prayers and supplications are taken commonly. In this way: Thus He was made a Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, who Christ, namely "in the days of His flesh," that is, of His mortality, because He sustained death in the flesh (1 Peter 4:1: "Christ having suffered in the flesh, be you also armed with the same thought; for he that has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sins"), "offering prayers" of the heart "and supplications" of the body. For literally He bent His knees (Matthew 26:39: "He fell upon His face"; Luke 22:41: " kneeling down, He prayed"). Or "prayers" for goods to be obtained, "and supplications" for evils to be removed.
"Offering," I say, "to Him," namely God the Father, "who was able to save Him," who offered the prayers, "from death," Himself, namely Christ, by raising Him from death, just as He Himself asked (John 12:27: "Father, save me from this hour").
"Prayers," I say, "and this with a loud cry," that is, with most efficacious intention, as when being in agony He prayed more prolixly (Luke 22:43), "and tears" literally. For although this is not read in the Gospel, nevertheless from this passage it is held that He wept in the Passion.
"Offering," I say, thus "was heard," because what He prayed He received in the Resurrection and Ascension (John 11:42: "I knew that You always hear me"). "Was heard," I say, "pro sua reverentia," that is, by the merit of the reverence by which He revered God above others (Ecclesiasticus 32:14: "For reverence, good grace shall come to you").
In a second way, it is read thus: "Who in the days of His flesh, offering prayers and supplications," that is, His good life and good operation, because according to the Gloss, whatever Christ did was prayers and supplications for men. "Offering," I say, "to Him who was able to save Him from death," and this "with a loud cry," that is, with the effusion of blood. Just as the blood of Abel is said to have cried out (Genesis 4:10: "The voice of your brother Abel's blood cries to me from the earth"; below 12:24: "You have come to the sprinkling of blood, which speaks better than Abel"). "And also with tears."
"Offering," I say, thus "was heard pro sua reverentia," that is, for the reverence of His Passion, namely because He suffered from clarity alone without sin.
Hebrews 5:8
"And indeed, although He was the Son of God, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered."
Commentary: "And indeed," as if: Thus He was heard by merit. "And indeed," that is, because "when," that is, although "He was the Son of God" according to the nature of divinity, "He learned" by experience according to the nature of humanity, "obedience from these," that is, through those things "which He suffered." For He was made obedient to the Father unto death (Philippians 2:8). Or "He learned," that is, He voluntarily undertook obedience "from these," that is, in those things which He suffered.
Hebrews 5:9–10
"And being made perfect, He became to all who obey Him the cause of eternal salvation. Called by God a High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek."
Commentary: Here he touches upon the fruit or utility of being heard. Where regarding the one heard or praying, he implies three things:
The merit, because "being made perfect."
The benefit, because "cause of salvation."
The office, because "called by God a High Priest."
He says therefore: "And therefore being made perfect," that is, led to perfection by the obedience of the Passion. For by the merit of obedience He is placed at the right hand of God (Philippians 2:9: "For which cause God also has exalted Him, and has given Him a name which is above all names," verse 10: "that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth").
"He was made a sufficient cause of eternal salvation," and this "to all obeying Him," that is, believing in Him and obeying Him, not rebels, just as a Physician is a cause of salvation to those obeying Him (Mark 16:16: "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believes not shall be condemned").
"Him," I say, "called by God," that is, really shown/declared, "a High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek," not according to the order of Aaron.
And Christ is called a High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek:
By reason of Person: Because Melchizedek was King and Priest, so also Christ.
By reason of Office/Sacrifice: For [Melchizedek] offered bread and wine, and Christ offered Himself to the disciples under the species of bread and wine.
CONTINUE
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