Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Theodoret of Cyrus: Christ Perfects Salvation through Intercession

Hence he is forever able to save those that approach God through him, always living to intercede for them (v.25). The very lowliness of the words bruits abroad the fact that nothing of this is related to the divinity of Christ: he does not live for the purpose of interceding for us, his life being without beginning and indestructible. So it is to be taken in reference to the humanity: as he accepted the passion for us, so he intercedes for us. The divine apostle, of course, links the exalted with the lowly, saying he saves us and provides perfect salvation.

- Theodoret of Cyrus (around A.D. 393 to around A.D. 457), Commentary on Hebrews, Chapter 7, in Theodoret of Cyrus, Commentary on the Letters of St. Paul, Volume 2, p. 168 (2001), Robert C. Hill translator.