[2] In the original and in the Slavonic text, there are shades of meaning here. "Received" – i.e. received through someone (or for something), and "accepted" – simply received.

CONVERSATION 6

"Wherefore, as the Holy Spirit says, now, when ye hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the time of murmuring, in the day of temptation in the wilderness, where your fathers tempted me, tried me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was indignant with this generation, and said, They are continually deceived in their hearts, they have not known My ways; therefore I have sworn in my wrath that they shall not enter into my rest" (Hebrews 3:7-11).

1. After mentioning hope, and saying that "we are his house, if only we keep the boldness and hope which we boast of firmly to the end," Paul further proves that we must have a sure hope, and assures us of this by the testimony of the Scriptures. Be careful, for he expressed this somewhat vaguely and incomprehensibly. Therefore, having said in advance all that is necessary on our part, and having briefly set forth to you the whole essence of the subject, we will then turn to what is written; and as soon as you know the intention of the apostle, you will no longer have need of us. He spoke of hope, and of what the future was to come, and that those who labored here would surely have some reward, recompense, and comfort. Now he proves it by the testimony of a prophet. What should he say? "Wherefore, as the Holy Spirit says, now, when ye hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the time of murmuring, in the day of temptation in the wilderness, where your fathers tempted me, tried me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was indignant with this generation, and said, They are continually deceived in their hearts, they have not known My ways; therefore I have sworn in my anger that they will not enter into my rest." He says that there are three kinds of rest: one is the rest of the Sabbath, in which God rested from His works; the other was the peace of Palestine, when the Jews (having entered Palestine) had to rest from many misfortunes and labors; Third and true rest is the Kingdom of Heaven, which he who has attained truly rests from labor and sorrow. Thus he mentions here the three (kinds of rest). Why, then, did he mention three, when he spoke of one? To show what the prophet said about the latter; He did not speak of the former, for he had been there for a long time; and not of the second, which was in Palestine, for this one is already finished, and he says, "They shall not enter into my rest." There is a third one, of which he speaks. However, it is necessary to relate these historical events in order to make the words clearer. (The Jews), having come out of Egypt, having made a long journey and received a thousand signs of the power of God, in Egypt, on the Red Sea, in the wilderness, desired to send spies to inspect the properties of the (promised) land. And when the messengers returned, they expressed their wonder at the land, and said that it bore abundant excellent fruit, but that it was possessed by strong and invincible men, then the ungrateful and senseless Jews, instead of remembering the former mercies of God, and how he had not only delivered them from danger, when they were surrounded by the armies of Egypt, but had given them the opportunity to take possession of the spoils, And how in the wilderness he cut a stone, and gave forth abundant streams of water, and sent down manna, and remembering all these and other miracles which he had done, having faith in God, they thought of none of these things, as if nothing had happened, but gave way to fear, and wanted to return again to Egypt, saying, God hath brought us hither, to destroy us with our children and wives (Exodus 17:3; Num. 20:4). Wherefore God, angry that they had so soon forgotten the past, swore that the generation which had said these things would not rest, and indeed they all perished in the wilderness. But if David afterwards, after this generation, said, "Now that ye hear his voice, harden not your hearts as in the time of murmuring," for what purpose? "In order that you may not suffer what your forefathers suffered, and that you may not be deprived of peace," it is clear that in his words he pointed to some other rest. If he had spoken of the peace they had attained, why would he have said to them again, "Today, when ye hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the time of murmuring"?

What other rest is this, except the kingdom of heaven, the image and likeness of which is the Sabbath? Having set forth all the testimony, which is as follows: "Now when you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the time of murmuring, in the day of temptation in the wilderness, where your fathers tempted Me, tried Me, and saw My works forty years. Wherefore I was indignant with this generation, and said, They are continually deceived in their hearts, they have not known My ways; therefore I have sworn in My wrath that they shall not enter into My rest," (the Apostle) says further: "Take heed, brethren, that there be no evil and unfaithful heart in any of you, lest ye depart from the living God" (Hebrews 3:12). Unbelief comes from cruelty. Just as hardened and coarse bodies do not yield to the efforts of doctors, so hardened souls do not obey the word of God. Probably, among them were those who did not believe in the truth of what was said; wherefore he saith, Take heed, brethren, that there be no evil and unfaithful heart in any of you, lest ye depart from the living God. Since the speech of the future is not received with the same conviction as the speech of the past, he reminds them of historical events in which faith was also lacking. If, he says, your fathers, not trusting as they ought to have hoped, endured such calamities, how much more will you, for what has been said applies to them also. The word "now" means "always" as long as the world stands. "But instruct one another every day, as long as it is possible to say, 'Today,'" i.e. edify one another, correct yourselves, so that the same thing may not happen (to you). "Lest any of you be hardened, being deceived by sin" (Hebrews 3:13).

2. Do you see that sin produces unbelief? Just as ignorance is the cause of a vicious life, so vice versa, when the soul descends into the depths of evil, it becomes disobedient, and having become disobedient, it does not want to believe in order to stifle fear in itself. "And they said," says (the Scripture), "the Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob know" (Psalm xx, 7); And again: "Our lips are with us; who is our master" (Psalm 11:5)? and again: "Why does the wicked despise God" (Psalm 9:34)? and again: "The fool said in his heart, 'There is no God.' They have become corrupt, they have done abominable deeds" (Psalm 13:1); and again: "There is no fear of God before his eyes"; and again: "For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, as if he were seeking out his iniquity, that he might hate it" (Psalm 35:2, 3). And Christ expresses the same thing when He says: "For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light" (John 3:20). Then (the Apostle) continues: "For we have become partakers of Christ" (Hebrews 3:14). What does it mean: "we have become partakers of Christ"? We have become, he says, partakers of Him; we and He have become one; He is the Head, and we are His body, co-heirs and co-incarnators; we are one body with Him, of His flesh and of His bones. "If only we keep the life we have begun firmly to the end." What does it mean: "life begun"? He speaks here of faith, by which we exist, and are born, and have become, so to speak, one being (with Him). Then he adds: "As long as it is said, 'Now when you hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the time of murmuring'" (Hebrews 3:15). Here he makes the transition; and then he says: "Therefore let us beware lest, when there is still a promise to enter into His rest, any of you be found late. For it has been proclaimed to us also, as to them; but the word which they heard profited them not, which was not dissolved by faith of those who heard" (Hebrews 4:1, 2). "… Until it is said, 'Today, when ye shall hear His voice.' Here - "now" means: always. Then he adds: "But the word that was heard did not profit them, which was not dissolved by the faith of those who heard" (Hebrews 4:2), explaining why the word did not benefit them, precisely because they did not benefit because they did not add (their faith). Further, wishing to frighten them, he expresses the same in the following words: "For some of those who heard murmured; but not all those who came out of Egypt with Moses. Against whom did He resent for forty years? Is it not on those who have sinned, whose bones fell in the wilderness? Against whom then did He swear that they would not enter into His rest, if not against the disobedient? Therefore we see that they could not enter because of unbelief" (Hebrews 3:16-19). After repeating the testimony, he adds a question to make his words clear. "Why, as the Holy Spirit says," he says, "now, when you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the time of murmuring." Of what hardened ones does he remind, of which of those who did not believe? Is it not about the Jews? The meaning of his words is as follows: "And they heard," he says, as we hear, but they did not receive any profit. Therefore, do not think that you will benefit from hearing a sermon alone; and they heard, but did not receive any benefit, because they did not believe. But Caleb and Joshua, who did not mingle with the unbelievers, i.e. did not agree, escaped the punishment that befell them. And this is what is remarkable: it is not said: they did not agree, but: they did not mix, i.e. they did not take part in the rebellion, while all the rest rebelled with one voice. Here, it seems to me, (the apostle) hints at some kind of confusion. "And we enter," he says, "into rest we who have believed" (Hebrews 4:3). Then he confirms this, adding: "For he said, 'I swore in my wrath that they would not enter into my rest,' although [his] works were done at the beginning of the world." Since some could say that these (words) do not show that we will enter, but that they have not entered, then what does (the apostle) do? At first he tries to show that just as the first rest did not prevent the other from being called rest, so this one does not hinder the heavenly rest; and then he wants to show that (the Jews) have not reached rest. And that he really says this is evident from the following addition: "For it is said nowhere about the seventh [day] thus: And God rested on the seventh day from all his works. And again here: "They shall not enter into my rest" (Heb. 4:4,5). Do you see how the first did not hinder the second rest? "Wherefore," he says, "as it remains for some to enter into it, and those to whom it was formerly proclaimed did not enter into it because of disobedience, [that] still determines a certain day, 'today,' speaking through David, after so long a time, as it is said above: 'Today, when ye hear his voice, harden not your hearts' (Heb. 4:6,7). What do these words mean? Since someone, he says, must surely enter, and they have not entered, then (God) determines the rest of the third. And what must enter and someone will certainly enter, this is he, let us listen to how he proves it. By saying that "after so long a time," David again says, "Now, when you hear his voice, harden not your hearts." For if Joshua had given them rest, it would not have been said after that of another day" (Hebrews 4:7, 8). Obviously, he says this because someone will receive a future retribution. "Therefore there is still a Sabbath for the people of God" (Hebrews 4:9). Where does this come from? From the commandment: "Do not harden your hearts." If there had been no other Sabbath, they would not have been commanded and commanded not to do the same, lest they suffer the same thing, if the same fate had not awaited them. How could those who possess Palestine suffer the same fate, if there were no other peace?

3. Well (the apostle) concluded the speech; He did not say, rest, but, Sabbath, he used a name that pleased his hearers, and pleased them. As on the Sabbath it was commanded to abstain from all evil deeds and to engage only in the works of serving God, which were performed by the priests and benefited the soul, and nothing else, so it will be then. However, he did not say so, but how? "For whoever has entered into His rest has himself rested from his works, even as God has from His" (Hebrews 4:10). As God rested, he says, from His works, so also does he who has entered into His rest. Since he spoke to them about rest, and it was very desirable to hear when this rest would be, he concludes his speech in this way.

The word, "today," he said, so that they would never lose hope. "But instruct [1]," he says, "one another every day, as long as it is possible to say, 'today'" - i.e. if anyone sins, let him have hope, as long as there is "today". Let no one despair while he is alive. Especially, he says, "that there should not be in any of you a wicked and unfaithful heart"; but if it does, let no one despair, but correct himself, because as long as we are in this world, the "now" takes place. Here he speaks not only of unbelief, but also of murmuring. "Whose bones," he says, "fell in the wilderness." Then, lest anyone should think that then there will simply be no rest, he adds punishment, saying: "For the word of God is alive and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword: it pierces to the division of soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Heb. 4:12). Here he speaks of hell and punishment. The Word of God, he says, passes to the innermost (refuge) of our hearts and penetrates the soul. Here there will no longer be the fall of bones, nor the deprivation of the earth, as there, but (the loss of) the kingdom of heaven and the surrender to eternal hell, endless punishment and torment. "But instruct (comfort) one another." Notice his meekness and kindness; He did not say, "Rebuke," but, "Instruct (comfort)." This is how we should act with those who are oppressed by sorrow! He says the same thing in the Epistle to the Thessalonians: "Admonish the disorderly"; but not so with regard to the faint-hearted, but how? – "comfort the faint-hearted, support the weak, be long-suffering towards all" (1 Thess. 5:14). What does it mean, "comfort"? In other words: do not deprive him of hope, do not bring him to despair, because whoever does not console the oppressed with sorrow brings him to greater hardening. "Lest any of you be hardened, being deceived by sin."

Further, (the Apostle) inspires them with hope: "For we," he says, "have become partakers of Christ," as if he were saying: He who has loved us so much, who has vouchsafed us such blessings that He has made us His body, will not despise those who are perishing. Let us consider, he says, what we have been vouchsafed: we and Christ are one. Let us not harbor disbelief in Him. Here again he alludes to what he said elsewhere: "If we endure, we shall also reign with Him" (2 Tim. 2:12); this is precisely the meaning of the words: "we have become partakers", i.e. we have a share in that which belongs to Christ. He borrows persuasions now from pleasant things: "We have become," he says, "partakers of Christ," now from sorrowful ones: "Let us beware lest, when there is still a promise to enter into His rest, any of you be found late," because this is certain and known. "They have tempted me," he says, "and have seen my works forty years." Do you see that one should not demand an account from God, but believe Him, whether He saves from calamity, or not? And he now reproaches them for tempting God. For he who desires to receive proofs of the power, or providence, or care (of God), does not yet believe that He is omnipotent and loving to mankind. This (the Apostle) also hints at in this epistle, since they perhaps desired to receive the testimony and proof of His power and providence for them in temptations. Do you see how irritation and anger always come from unbelief? What does he say (further)? "Therefore there is still a Sabbath for the people of God." Notice the order of all his speech. (God) swore, he says, to the ancients that they would not enter into rest, and they did not enter. Then, after a long time after them, addressing the Jews, He said: "Harden not your hearts, as in the time of murmuring, in the day of temptation in the wilderness, where your fathers tempted Me." From this it is evident that there is another rest, because it is not spoken of here of Palestine, for they already possessed it, and not of the seventh day, but of this day, which has been for a long time. Consequently, it points to some other, true peace.

4. Indeed, this is a kind of peace in which there is no sickness, no sorrow, no sighing, in which there are no worries, no labors, no sorrows, no fear that strikes and shakes the soul, but there is only the fear of God, filled with joy. There are no words: "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread," and "thorns and thistles it shall bring forth unto thee" (Gen. 3:18,19); there are no thorns or thistles; It is not heard: "In sickness you will bear children; and thy desire is for thy husband, and he shall rule over thee" (Gen. 3:16). Everything is there - peace, joy, merrierness, sweetness, goodness, meekness, truth, love. There is no envy, no hatred, no sickness, no bodily death, no spiritual death, no darkness, no night; everything is day, everything is light, everything is pleasure; there is neither fatigue nor satiety, but there will be a constant desire for the same blessings. Do you want me to give you some picture of the state there? It's impossible; however, I will try to depict him to you as much as possible.

But it is impossible, as I have said, to depict everything in words; It is necessary to experience and know by experience. Tell me: how do you think Adam lived in Paradise? And that life will be as many times better than this life as the sky is better than the earth. But let's look for another comparison. If it were to happen that the king now were to possess the whole world, and then have no trouble either from wars or cares, but only to receive honors and enjoy, to surround himself with a multitude of spearmen, to receive streams of gold from everywhere, and to be in glory, what state do you think his soul would be in, if he saw that wars had ceased all over the earth? Something similar will happen then. However, even this does not give us a sufficient image (of the future life); therefore it is necessary to look for another (comparison). Imagine that a king's child, who feels nothing while he is in the womb, happened to come out of there and suddenly ascend the royal throne, and not gradually, but suddenly, to receive everything. Such will be the state of affairs at that time. Or (it will be like the state) of a prisoner who, having suffered many evils, would suddenly be elevated to the royal throne. But even in this way we do not yet present an accurate depiction, because here, no matter what blessings one receives, even the kingdom itself, on the first day he feels a living joy, and on the second, and in the third, with the passage of time, although the joy still remains, it is not the same, it is always diminished by habit, whatever it may be; and there (joy) not only does not decrease, but even increases. Consider, then, what it will be like when the soul, having departed from here, does not expect either cessation or change of those blessings, but on the contrary increases, and (enjoys) a life that has no end, free from all danger, from all care and sorrow, full of pleasures and innumerable blessings. If we, going out into the field and seeing there the tents of warriors dressed in coverings, and spears, and helmets, the bulges of shields shining with brilliance, are delighted at such a sight; If, having been vouchsafed to see the king marching in their midst, or riding on a horse with golden weapons, we think that we have achieved everything, then what do you think will happen when you see the eternal dwellings of the saints established in heaven, for it is said: "They received you into eternal abodes" (Luke 16:9), when you see that each one shines brighter than the sun's rays, not of brass and iron, but from that eternal glory, the splendor of which cannot be seen by the human eye? And it will be with people; And what can be said of the myriad of angels, archangels, cherubim, seraphim, thrones, dominions, principalities, powers, whose beauty is inexplicable and surpasses all conception? However, how long shall I strive to depict the incomprehensible? "Eye hath not seen," says (the Apostle), "ear hath not heard, nor entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him" (1 Cor. 2:9). Therefore, there is no more worthy of pity than those who are deprived of these blessings, and more blessed than those who receive them. May we also be vouchsafed to be among these blessed, that we may receive eternal blessings in Christ Jesus our Lord, with Whom to the Father with the Holy Spirit be glory, dominion, and honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

[1] This word can also be translated as "comfort" (παρακαλειτε), this meaning is closer to the interpretation of Chrysostom.

CONVERSATION 7

"Let us therefore try to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall into disobedience by the same example. For the word of God is alive and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword: it penetrates to the division of soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from Him, but all things are naked and open before His eyes: to Him we will give an account" (Hebrews 4:11-13).