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7/24/2019 Christology and the Eucharist in the Epistle to the Hebrews.pdf
1/23
GBPress Gregorian Biblical Press
Christology and the Eucharist in the Epistle to the HebrewsAuthor(s): James SwetnamSource: Biblica, Vol. 70, No. 1 (1989), pp. 74-95Published by: GBPress- Gregorian Biblical PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/42707461.
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2/23
74
Christology
and the
Eucharist
in
the
Epistle
to
the Hebrews
The subjectof the eucharist n theEpistleto the Hebrews s one
of
the minor
points
of
disagreement
n
contemporary
New Testa-
ment studies. It
is minor because
relatively
ew
people
are
in
favor
of
seeing any
allusions
at all to the
eucharist
n
the
letter,
nd even
these few
regard
the allusions
as
quite
secondary
to the
main
pur-
pose
of the
documenti1).
The
present
writerhas
in
the
past
sustained the view
that there
are allusions to
the eucharist
n
the
epistle
2).
The time has
now
come to
repeat
this claim
and
put
it
on a sounder
footing.
The
sounderfooting s the work being done by Francis Martin on the
Christology
f the
epistle,
in
particular
with
regard
to the
word
T8icond related
concepts
3).
There
will
be
no
"proofs"
offered
-
the
materialdoes not seem to lend itself o a
presentation
which
issues
in
certitude.
All
that
will
be claimed is that
the
hypothesis
f
the
importance
of the eucharist
gives
a
coherence,
relevance,
and
depth
to the letter
which is otherwise
acking.
0 Convenientummaries
re found
n
P.
Andriessen, L'Eucharistiedans 'ptreuxHbreux",NRT 94 (1972)269-277pro, and R.William-
son,
"The Eucharistnd the
Epistle
o
the
Hebrews",
NTS
21
(1975)
300-
312
(contra).
0
"The Greater nd MorePerfect
ent.
A
Contributiono theDiscus-
sion of
Hebrews
,11",
Bib
47
(1966)
91-106;
On the
magery
nd
Signifi-
cance of Hebrews
,9-10",
CBQ
28
(1966)
155-173;
Hebrews
,2
and the
Uses of
Consistency",
BQ
32
(1970)
205-221.
0
The
present
rticle
was
inspired
y
a
suggestion
ade
by
Martin
n
regard
o
the
"completion"
f
Jesus'
ody
t the resurrection.he
sugges-
tion was
made
in
the course
f a
meeting
f the Task
Force
"Aspects
f
Christologyn the Letter o the Hebrews"heldduring heForty-SeventhGeneral
Meeting
f the CatholicBiblicalAssociation f American New
Orleans,
August
11-13,
1984.
The
author f the
present
rticle ssumes
responsibility
or he
development
f
this
uggestion
s
it
is contained
n
the
pages
which ollow.
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3/23
Christology
nd the
Eucharist
n
the
Epistle
o the
Hebrews
75
I. Jesusas "Completed"
1.
Occurrences
f
teXeio) n
Hebrews
The word xeXeico
ppears
nine
times
in
the
epistle:
2,10; 5,9;
7,19; 7,28; 9,9; 10,1;
10,14; 11,40;
and
12,23.
At
2,10
it is
related
intrinsically
o the
"glory"
to
which the
risen
Jesus
will
lead
many
sons
in
his role as
the
"originator"
of salvation
4).
At
5,9
it is
used
to
qualify
Jesus
again
in
his
attained
capacity
to be a
cause of sal-
vation for all who obeyhim. At 7,19 it is used in its negatedform
to
indicate the
inadequacy
of the
Mosaic Law with
regard
o
making
possible
the
approach
to
God. At
7,28
it is
used to
qualify
Jesus
as
son who
has attained the
capacity
which
it
signifies
n
contrast o
the Mosaic
Law
priests
who had
weakness. At
9,9
the
example
of
the desert
tabernacle s a
"parable"
showing
hat
the
gifts
nd
sacri-
fices of the
present
ime are
unable to
give
the
worshipper
certain
quality
according
o his
conscience
5).
At
10,1
it is
used
again
in
its
negated
form to
indicate the
inability
of the
priests
of
the
Mosaic
Law to give by their acrifices certainqualityto thoseapproaching
God. At
10,14
it is used
positively
o
indicate a
permanent
ffect f
Jesus
on those
who are
in
the
process
of
being
sanctified. At
11,40
it is
used to describethe
quality
which
the
heroes of the
old
dispen-
sation will
receive
in
some
way
with
the
Christianswho are
recipi-
ents of the
epistle.
Finally,
t
12,23
it is used
to
ascribe a
quality
to
the "souls of the
ust".
2.
The
Meaning
of
x
Xewco
The
challenge
s
to find a
common
denominator
for all of
the
above
texts,
presuming,
f
course,
that there s
a
common denomin-
ator. In
a work as
carefully
rafted s
Hebrews the
presumption
seems
warranted. Literature
part
from
Hebrews
indicates the
gen-
eral
meaning
make
perfect,
omplete,
ccomplish,
fulfill"
for
xetai-
(4)
On
the ranslation
originator"
or
heword
pxriY
t Heb
2,10
cf.
J.
wetnam,
esus nd
Isaac:
A
Study f
the
Epistle
o the
Hebrewsn
the
Light ftheAqedah AnBib94; Rome 1981)166.Jesushimself irst nder-
goes
that o which e calls andas a results an
example
ausing
hatwhich
he intends o
achieve.
(5)
The
implication
s that
he
worshipper
annot
e freed
rom
is/her
consciousnessf sin
cf.9,14;
10,2.22).
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4/23
76
James
wetnam
oco6). Given theeschatological tmosphere f theepistle, hisgeneric
meaning
seems suitable
for all
nine occurrences f
the word
given
above
7).
That is to
say,
definitive,
od-willed
fulfillmentr
comple-
tion
is
in
question.
What this
definitive,
od-willed fulfillments
in
any given
text
mustbe
sought
n
the context f that
ext(8).
3.
T88WCO
s
Applied
to Jesus
The
key
to
understanding
he
precise
nature of the
"comple-
tion" ofJesusseems to lie
in
a careful racing f the role of sacrifice
in
the
epistle.
Both
9,9
and
10,1
state
explicitly
hat t was the inef-
fectual nature
of
the sacrificesof
the old
dispensation
which
pre-
cluded the
"completion"
of
the
worshippers.
This is
in
contrast o
Jesus
who,
precisely hrough
his
sacrifice,
has
"brought
to
comple-
tion"
those
who are
in
the
process
of
being
sanctified. This same
thought
ppears
at
2,10,
but
with the idea of sacrifice
being
ex-
pressed by
the
word
"sufferings"
(7ca0f||iaTa),
which include
death
9). Again,
at
5,9
Jesus
s
"brought
to
completion"
in
connec-
tion with
the
things
he has learned
as a result of
his
sufferings
(67ca0ev).
A
comparison
of
9,9;
10,1; 10,14; 2,10;
and
5,9
among
themselves
hows
that the sacrifice
f
Jesus
nvolved
his own death.
This
view is
supported
by
other
texts,
uch as
7,27
and
9,28.
In
the search
for a
specific
meaning
of
xeteico,
"I
bring
to
completion",
with
regard
o
Jesus,
he
important
hing
o note about
the
centrality
f
his sacrificial
death is the fact that it was made
possible
because
he shared
in
the "blood and flesh" of his "chil-
dren"
(2,14)(10).
It was this
sharing
n
blood and fleshwhich made
possible
Jesus'
death
(iva
i
tou Gavxou.
.)
and hence made
pos-
(6)
Cf.
D.
Peterson,
Hebrews nd
Perfection
An Examination
f
the
Concept f Perfection
n
the
Epistle
o the Hebrews'
SNTSMS
47;
Cam-
bridge
982)
46.
(7)
Cf.
M.Silva,
"Perfectionnd
Eschatology
n
Hebrews",
WTJ 39
(1976-1977)
4-65,
with
note
12.
(8)
Cf.
Peterson,
Hebrews
nd
Perfection
48.
(9)
Cf.
W.
Michaelis,
rccuhina
TWNT
V,
934.
The
point
s notwith-
out
mportance
ecause f
the ntitheticalontrast
hich esults etween
he
means f death "sufferings" and "bring o completion".
(i)
"The reversalfthewordsnthe tandardhraseflesh nd blood' s
probably
aused
y
he uthor's esire
o
emphasize
he
mportance
fblood
n
the
pistle
ndto
show hat
esus'
eath
symbolizedy
blood)
wasfirst
n
order
of
ime ver
nything
lse"
Swetnam,
esus nd
saac,
171).
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Christology
nd the
Eucharist
n
the
Epistle
o the
Hebrews
77
sible his sacrifice thus the centralrole in Hebrewsof thebody of
Jesus
n
his
sacrifice,
role which s
stressed
n
10,5
and
10,10
(Sia
xfjTcpoacpop
ou
ac^iaxo
r|ao0
Xpiaxo.
.
.)(n).
The
offering
f
the
body
is
implied
in
10,12
and
10,14.
This
emphasis
on the
body
of
Jesus
s
intelligible
n
part
because
of the
theology
f
sacrificewhich s
supposed:
withoutblood
there s
no remissionof sin
(9,22)
12).
But this
emphasis
seems
exaggerated
when
viewed
in
the contextof the more
important
actors
nvolved
which
give
Jesus'
sacrifice ts
surpassing
worth:
his
being
united with
Gos will 10,7) and hisperforminghe act ofsacrifice through"the
Holy
Spirit
9,14)(13).
The author of
Hebrews
seems to have
some
ulteriormotive
in
emphasizing
he
body
of
Jesus
in
his
account of
Jesus'
sacrifice,
nd the
immediate
reason for this
emphasis
would
seem to be his view that t
was the
body
of
Jesus,
omposed
of
blood
and
flesh,
which
needed
being
brought
o
"completion"
if
Jesus
was to
attainthe definitive tate
destinedfor
him
by
God.
4.
reei nd the
"
Completion
of
Jesus'
Body
This need of the
body
of
Jesus
to be
brought
o
completion
f
he
was to attain the
definitive tate
destined for him
by
God
emerges
from
study
of
Chapter
7. There
the
reason for
the
appointing
f
Jesus
iepe xepo)
as
high
priest
s
the fact
hathe
has
power
of
ife
without
nd
(7,15-17).
The
weakness of the
Levitical
priests
s
their
innate ack of
continuance ecause of
death
(7,23),
a
lack
of
continu-
ance
built nto the Law.
Jesus
he
priest
ives
forever,
nd is
thus
able
to save all who
come
through
im
to
God
(7,24-25).
Now
it was
pre-
cisely
the
body
which
made
Jesus
iable
to death
2,14),
so it
must
be
the
body
whichmustbe
changed
n some
way
fdeath s tobe
perman-
ently
voided.
Hence it is the
body
which s
brought
o
"completion"
if
he
is to attain
he definitive
tate
willed forhim
by
God(14).
()
Cf.
E.Schweizer,
"afia",
TWNT
VII,
1055.
(12)
Cf.A.
Vanhoye,
Sangue
spirito
ell'epistola
gli
Ebrei",
angue
antropologia
ella letteratura
ristiana
Roma,
29
novembre 4
dicembre
1982) ed.
F.
Vattioni)
(Centro
tudi
Sanguis
Christi
;
Roma
1983)
III,
837.
(13)
bid.,
834.
(14)
As
Martin
nderstands
t,
the
ompletion
f
Jesus
may
be
defined
s
"the
rendering
f
Jesus
Christ
s
totally
pt
for
ternal
ife".
This
means,
for
Martin,
the
transformationf
his
humanity:
ody,
mind,
motions,
y
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6/23
78
James
wetnam
5. The "Completion ofJesus'Body and theResurrection
The
occasion at
which the
author of
Hebrews
seems to
regard
this
"completion"
of
Jesus
as
taking
place
is the
resurrection,
or at
1,9
he
applies
the
words of Ps
45,7
to
Jesus:
"God
anointed
you.
.
with the oil
of
gladness.
."(15).
It
is
this
metaphorical
nointing
which is the
moment when
Jesus
fully
becomes the
Christ,
.e.,
be-
comes
fully
anointed"
(%pico).
Jesus
thus
conquers
death
so
that,
with
immortality
ssured,
he
will
be
able to
intercede
forever
with
God for
those who come to God through im(16). It is thetransfor-
mation of the
body
which is
crucial:
ust
as
Jesus
needed
a
body
of
blood
and flesh to
overcome
death
by
means of
death
(2,14),
so
he
needs a
body
which has
overcome
death
to be
forever
vailable to
those who
need his intercession
7,24-25)
17).
6.
The
Twofold
Meaning of
vi
in
Hebrews
The
view that t is
Jesus'
body
which
was
brought
o
"comple-
tion" seems
sustained
by
a
close
reading
of
the
opening
ines of
the
epistle. At 1,4 Jesus s said to have inherited name as farabove
the
angels
as he
himself
was. This
name is
"Son"(18),
and
1,5
indic-
ates that t was
given
him
at the
resurrection
19).
But
this s
surely
second
meaning
of
"Son",
a
meaning
given
to
Jesus
n
addition
to
the action f the
divinity"private
ommunication
nder
ate of
April 2,
1986).
The
present
aper
focusses n
the
"completion"
f
Jesus'
ody.
(15)Cf. A.Vanhoye,Situation u Christ. breux1-2 (LD 58; Paris1969)191-202.
(16)
The
emphasis laced
n
various
ways
by
the
author f
Hebrews n
the
perpetuity
f Christ's
ntercessory
ower
n
contrast
o the
imited em-
poral
duration f the
Levitical
ntercessory
ower
hould
not be
overlooked.
Cf. Heb
6,20;
7,3.8.16.17.23.
(17)
At
Heb
7,28
the contrast
s drawn
between he
multiple
evitical
priests
onstituted
y
the Mosaic Law
and the
unique
Son who
has been
"brought
o
completion".
he
specific
ontrast
s betweenhe
Levitical
riests
"having
weakness"
xovxa
aveiav)
nd the son
forever
rought
o com-
pletion"uiv
i
xv
lcva
Texeteicoiivov).
he use of
aGveia
nd related
words lsewherenHebrews hows hatimitationstherhanmortalityre n
question
cf.
5,2;
11,34),
utHeb
4,15
should aution
gainst
verplaying
he
moral
spects
s
opposed
o the
physicalspects
fthis
weakness.
(18)
Cf.
Swetnam,
esus nd
Isaac 145.
(19)
Cf.
Vanhoye,
ituation u
Christ
141-143.
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7/23
Christology
nd
the Eucharist
n
the
Epistle
o the Hebrews
79
the title"Son" which he enjoyed duringhis earthly ife cf. 5,8) 20).
When read with
the
supposition
in
mind
that at the
resurrection
Jesus
was
given
a
body
commensuratewith his
high priestly
eed of
immortality,
he words "You are
my
Son,
today
I
have
given
you
birth" become
stunningly
pposite:
at the
resurrection
esus
finally
and
fully
ecame
the "Son" which
his
divinely-appointed
ole
in
the
drama
of
salvation demanded
that
he
be(21).
II. Jesusas "Completed" and the Eucharist
1. The Crux
at Hebrews
9,11:
The
"
More
Perfect
Tent"
It is
against
the
background
f the use of
xeteico
n
the
epistle
that the
crux at
9,11
should be
judged:
"Now
when Christ
ppears
as
high
priest
of the
good
things
which came
about,
he entered
nce for
all
through
he
greater
nd more
perfect
xeteiTEpo]
ent
not made
with human
hands,
that
s,
not of this
creation,
nd not
through
he
blood of
goats
and calves but
through
his
own
blood,
into the
holy
place,
n
securing
ureternal
edemption".
The
word "more
perfect"
(xeXeixepo)
eems
to reflectnot
only
a
verdict of
superiority
s
(20)
Cf.
Silva,
"Perfectionnd
Eschatology
n
Hebrews",
2-63.
Silva
anachronistically
ses the
erms
humannature"
nd "divine
nature",
ut t
is the
reality nderlying
hese echnicalerms
which s
important
nd
which
Silva
correctly
dentifies.
esus
was
able to die
by
assuming
hatwhich
was
not
proper
o himselfs
divine,
nd it
was
through "completion"
which
eliminated his weaknesswhichhe had
assumed hathe was capableofstandings highpriest efore od forever.
(21)
The twofold
eaning
f "son"
implied
n
Hebrews
pens
he
way
o
a
possible
olution f the lassic rux
t Rom
8,23,
where
hristians
re
por-
trayed
s
"groaning
n
themselves
n
the
expectation
f
sonship,
he
redemp-
tion
of
their
ody".
The
present
riter
fferedhe
suggestion
ome
years
ago
that
7C6K%op.ai
t
Rom
8,23
should e
understoods "infer"
cf.
On
Romans
8,23
and the
Expectation
f
Sonship'",
Bib
48
[1967]
102-108).
But
in
the
ight
f the
two-stage
se of
"son"
in
Hebrews t
seems
more
probable
hat
Rom
8,23
simply
means
hat he
Christians,
lthough
n
pos-
session f the
first ruitsf
the
Spirit,
re
groaning
n
themselves hile
wait-
ingfor hesecond tage fsonshipwhich onsists bove all in thedeliver-ance ofthe
body.
While ther
erfections
re to be
expected
ith
lorifica-
tion,
he freedom
f the
body
from he
constraintsf
mortality
s the chief
good.
The
centrality
f
physical
ransformations
indicated
y
the
fact hat
inanimate
ature lso
yearns
o be
delivered
cf.
v.
22).
This content downloaded from 184.168.27.152 on Wed, 7 Jan 2015 15:01:38 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
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8/23
80
James
wetnam
regards he outergk'v' of the deserttabernacle cf.9,1-2.6),but the
attainment f an
absolute,
i.e.,
the
comparative
form
expresses
not
only
a true
comparative
but also
hints
at the
superlative
use of
the
comparative
found
elsewhere
n
the
letter
nd
in
the
New
Testament
in
general:
the "more
complete"
tent s
not
only
more
complete
han
the outer
tent of the
desert
tabernacle,
t is
finally
nd
definitively
complete
n
the
designs
of
God(22).
The word
"tent"
(aKt|vr|)
used
in
conjunction
with
not made
with
hands"
(o
xeipojcoiixo)
ndicates
contrastwith the
"tent"
(aicr|vr|)
made
by
Moses
(8,5)(23). Further,
this "first" rcpcoTTi)ent was earthly, s opposed to the one "not of
this
creation"
9,11)(24).
The
symmetry
etween
he
two
"tents"
is
not
perfect:
he
tent made
by
Moses
was
something
xternal o
Moses,
whereasthe
tent
through"
Sid)
which
Christ
nteredwas
something
proper
to
himself,
ince
it is
placed
in
parallel
with
his
own
blood
"through" 8i
7/24/2019 Christology and the Eucharist in the Epistle to the Hebrews.pdf
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Christology
nd
the Eucharist
n
the
Epistle
o the Hebrews
81
Christ", nd in virtue f his "[more] complete" bodyhe is now culti-
cally
empowered
to stand before
God
in
the definitive
ole
assigned
him in
the
Holy
of Holies
(x
ayia
[xv
ycov])
the
words
x
ayia
in
9,12
seem
to have this
meaning just
as
in
virtue f his own blood
he
is entitled o enter
nto the
Holy
of Holies
(cf. 9,7) 26).
2.
The
Twofold
Meaning of oky]vy'
n Hebrews
What is
happening
n
9,11
is a
play
on words:
aKt|vf|,
tent",
is
being
used
in
the sense
of
aKfjvo, "tent",
and
in
the sense of
cjKfjvo,
body"(27).
The "tent" which Moses erected n the desert
becomes
a
foreshadowing
f the "tent" which is
Christ's
body.
Whatever
s behind
this
complicated
use of
imagery
t is
important
enough
to
warrantthe evocation
of the
"Holy
Spirit":
the
Holy
Spirit
uses
the
liturgical
estrictionsnvolved
in
the distinctionbe-
tween
the "first"
(i.e.,
"outer")
and
"second"
(i.e., "inner")
tent to
show that the
way
into the
sanctuary
ayia)
had not been "revealed"
(cpavepcxo)
s
long
as
the
outer
tent
still
stood
(9,6-8) 28).
The
sym-
bolism associated
here with the desert tabernacle s
immediately p-
plied
to the
"present
time"
(f|xi TiapaoW] i
xv
Kaipv
veaxr|-
Kxa)
and the
incapacity
of the
contemporary
ewish
ult to
"com-
plete" (xeteico)
the
worshipper
n
regard
to conscience
9,9).
3. The
Symbolism
f
the Outer Tent
The
point
of the
comparison
involved in
the
play
on words
regarding
KT|vf|
eems to be that
the
risen Christ s the new
outer
(26)
The word
eoxpa
ere s to be understoods the
econd
art
f the
desert
abernacle,
he tent alled the
"Holy
of Holies"
('Ayia Ayicov).
f.
9,3.
(27)
uch
plays
on words re not unknown o the
New Testament
cf.
Matt
16,18).
On the
meanings
tent" and
"body"
for
Kfjvo
f.
orell,
Lexicon
raecum
ovi
Testamenti,
ol. 1210. The
exceptional
se of
aKTivf|
for
body"
on
the
nalogy
f
aKfjvo
ffers o
problem.
Paul
uses oiicia
n
the sense
of
"body"
at
2
Cor
5,1
although
his s not a normal
meaning.
(28)
That s to
say, y
aw ccess o the
nner entwas
everely
imited:
nly
thehigh riestnce year ould ntert. TheSpirit ses his rrangements avisual arable
xpressing
nadequacy.
Thesubstitutionfthe uter ent
y
he
"greater
nd
more
erfect
ent", .e.,
Christ's isen
ody,
which s the
result f
Christ'sacrifice
n
the
pirit
9,14),
means hat he raof
imitedccess s at
an
end. The
Spirit
emedies
n
Christ hat he
pirit
ad shown o be
nadequate.
Biblica
0
1989)
6
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10/23
82
James
wetnam
"tent" throughwhose (risen) "body" access to the second tent or
Holy
of Holies
is now
possible
not
just
for the
high
priest
on
one
day
of the
year
but for all
who
believe
in
Christ.
This
interpreta-
tion is
supported
by
the
two
uses of
7/24/2019 Christology and the Eucharist in the Epistle to the Hebrews.pdf
11/23
Christology
nd
the Eucharist
n
the
Epistle
o the
Hebrews 83
tween the two sets of wordswithtwofoldmeanings, he pointwould
then
be that
ust
as Christ's
"completed",
i.e.,
risen,
body
was the
"means"
of
entering
he
sanctuary,
hus
replacing
he outer
tent,
o
the
sanctuary/Holy
f Holies
into which he
enters s
really
a
corres-
ponding reality,
the
"holy things"
of
Christianity.
These
"holy
things"
seem
to be referred o
at
8,3
with the
words
"gifts
and sac-
rifices"
Scop
te
Kai
0ixrai)(31).
Their
old
dispensation
ounterparts
are referred
o
in
8,4
(Scopa)
and
9,9
(Sp
te
Ka
Guatai) 32).
Given
the fact that
Jesus
offeredhimself
9,26.28),
these
"gifts
and sacri-
fices" of the new dispensation re Jesushimself.
What all this
complicated
magery
dds
up
to seems to be
this:
that for the
addressees the
glorified ody
of Christ
which
they
come
into contact
with as the eucharistie
ody
is the
concretemeans
given
to them
by
Christ
the new
high
priest
of
entering
nto the
Holy
of
Holies,
i.e.,
God's
presence.
Even at
9,24,
where
Christ
s
portrayed
as
entering
nto "heaven
itself'
(ei
axv
opavv),
heaven is
viewed under
the
formality
f God's
presence
vOv
|i
7/24/2019 Christology and the Eucharist in the Epistle to the Hebrews.pdf
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84
James
wetnam
place ofmeetingbetweenGod and his people, but in Christ33). No
reader
of the
epistle
as
it was firstwrittenwould
have
been able to
grasp
this subtle
symbolism
without the
aid
of an
oral tradition
against
which the
epistle
could
have been
interpreted.
But there re
other
hints
n
the
epistle
itselfwhich
point
to the need of a eucha-
ristie
nterpretation
f
the letter
s
to
be
fully ntelligible.
6. Other
Eucharistie
Allusions
n Hebrews
a) Hebrews9,20 and theAllusion to Exodus 24,8
One
important
hint that
the author
of
Hebrews
is
interested
n
the eucharist
s
the allusion
at
9,20
to the words of institution f the
eucharist
n
the
citation of
Exod
24,8.
Instead of
writing
o
x
ajia
the author
has
written
oxo x
ajia,
thus
evoking
the
formula
of
consecration
ttributed
o
Jesus
at
the
supperi34). By
itselfthis
viewing
of Moses
as a
prefiguring
f
Jesus
with
regard
o
the
eucha-
rist
seems too
precious
to
meritserious concern. Its true forcecan
be seen only in its context.
The
immediate
context
of the eucharistie llusion at
9,20
is
im-
portant.
At
9,19-20
"every
command
having
been
spoken
[aX]
according
to
the Law
of Moses
to the entire
people",
Moses
pro-
ceeds to
take blood
and
sprinkle
the book" and all the
people,
say-
ing
the
words
which
allude to the
eucharist. The entire cene seems
intended
o be
a
prfiguration
f
what
Jesus
did at the institution f
the eucharist
under the
formof blood.
At the institution
esus
took
his own blood
and
metaphorically
prinkled
all the
people"
by
the
(33)
Cf.
theremarks
f O.
Michel,
Der
Brief
n
die Hebrer
MeyerK
3;
Gttingen
1984):
the
phrase
ji
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Christology
nd the Eucharist
n
the
Epistle
o the
Hebrews
85
bestowal of the savingeffects f his blood on "the many"(35). The
occurrence f the
important
hematicword
faJx
hould be noted.
b)
The
Thematic Word Xal
The thematic
word hjoik
o
appears
at
3,5
in
a rich
context.
The
passage
is
complicated.
Three
persons
are
involved:
1)
God,
who
has "commissioned"
(rcoico)
Jesus
(3,2)
and who
is the
ultimate
"constructor"
KaTaaKeuc)
of
everything; )
Moses,
who is
the
"servant" (Oeprccov)n "all the house" and as such is linked with
the house and merits ess
praise
than
Jesus
because of
this
3,3.5);
3)
Jesus,
who is
"Son",
and who has
"constructed"
KcrcaaKeuc)
house
and who
is
worthy
f
more honor than
Moses
because he has
constructed he house and is "over"
it
(3,2.3.6)
36).
The
"house" is
made
up
of Christians
3,6)
37).
Jesus
and Moses are
thus
placed
in
parallel,
but as
superior
and
inferior,
oth
being
under God.
The
thematicword acomakes
Moses as "servant"
act as
witness
ei
jiapxpiov)
of "the
things
o be
spoken"
(XaXco).
This
use of the
word h(
subtly
modifies he
relationship
etween
Moses
and
Je-sus frommere
parallelism
to
prfiguration.
The
phrase
"the
things
to be
spoken" (tcov
Xar|0r|aofiv)v)
s of a
piece
with the
use of
Ixikz
o
at
9,20.
Moses is
acting
n
prfiguration
n
both
places
38).
(35)
Cf.
Michel,
Der
Brief
n
die
Hebrer,
19-320.
Michel
notes he
anachronismnvolved
n
speaking
f
sprinkling
he
cncr|vr|
nd
the
cnceri.
But
Christ nters hetrue
gk)vt' through
is own
blood"
(9,12).
NT
real-
ities re the
determining
ormforOT
foreshadowings,
s
the
reworking
f
the words f Moses at 9,20 ndicate.(36) Wie Christusls das WortGottes
Abglanz
einerHerrlichkeit
st,
das
All
trgt,
o
ist
er auch Erbauer
es
Hauses',
verbirgt
ich
n
den
Auf-
trgen
er
Propheten
nd
Engel,
ffenbartich
n
der
Gemeinde es
Neuen
Bundes als
Sohn und Herr
3:5)"
(Michel,
Der
Brief
n
die
Hebrer,
177).
(37)
On the
Christian
ommunity
s
the house of
God" cf.
Michel,
Der
Brief
n die
Hebrer
177-178.
(38)
n
9,20
Moses
is
acting
s
Oeprccov
in
the
entirehouse"
(3,5),
whereas hrists son "over"
the house
whenhe
institutes
heeucharist
nd
thus
through
he
establishmentf a new
covenant
constructs"
new
"house" composed f Christians3,3.6). The ultimate constructor" f
everything
s God
(3,4).
This
hierarchy
ith
egard
o
"constructing"
eems
to mirrorhe
hierarchy
ith
egard
o
"speaking":
God
"speaks"
aXco)
n
a
son
2,1),
who
n
turn s
prefigured
n
the
things
hich will
be
spoken"
(xiXr|0T|aop.vcov)
3,3)
by
Moses who
speaks
the words
which
have been
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86
James
wetnam
The phrase "thingsto be spoken" at 3,5, when viewed in con-
nection
with
9,20,
suggests
eucharistie
oloring
o
3,1-6.
This
con-
nection seems to be
supported
by
the use
of the
word
7cappr|aia
t
3,6.
For
7cappr|aia,
assurance",
in
Hebrews
(it
occurs
there four
times)
seems to be associated
with
the
right
o enter
nto
the
Holy
of Holies:
this is
clearly
the case
in
4,16(39)
and
10,
940).
10,35
seems to be
intended as an
explicit
contrast o
3,6
41).
In
3,6
the
Christians
re said to constitute he "house" of
Christ the
son
-
the use
of the word "Christ"
with
ui
indicates that the
risen
Jesus
is meant withall thatthis implies as regards he fullness f Sonship
-
if
they
maintain their assurance about
entering
nto the
Holy
of
Holies where the risen son has
preceded
them.
It is thus that
they
constitute he
dynasty "house")
"constructed"
by
the Son.
The
allusion to Moses as
foreshadowing
ith
his words
the institution f
the eucharist s thus not
foreign
o the
contextof
3,5.
The
sequence
of God
-
Moses
-
Jesus
is
at the heart
of the
main theme of the
epistle:
God
"spoke"
(htkio)
"in
the
pro-
phets"^2)
and
now he
"spoke"
(xxco)
in
a Son"
(1,1)(43).
At
13,7
this thematicuse of fa( is prolonged o thatthe "word" (Xyoq)
of God is
spoken
by
the Christians' eaders
to them. This
transmis-
sion of a
message
from God to
prophets
to
Jesus
to
Christians
s
conformed
o the eucharistie
ords f institutionfter
very
ommand
as
been "sooken" fAxxAico)ccordingo the Law (9.19).
(39)
Dem Gnadenthron
anndie Gemeinde ur
dadurch
ahen,
ass sie
das Wortvon
Jesus
Christusls dem rechten
ohenpriester
nnimmt. m
Hrenund Glauben
naht' sie.
An
sich
meint as
Bild,
das
in
der
ganzen
Antike ekannt
st,
inenkonkreten
nd realen
Vorgang,
er
sich
m
Gottes-dienst reignet,
iex rcappTiaa
immt ie Mahnung on 3:6 wieder uf;
indem ie Gemeinde
as Wort om rechten
ohenpriesternnimmt,
ndem
sie sich ls Gemeinde
er
Snder
usliefert,
ut ie
es
in
der
Freudigkeit',
m
'
Ermchtigtsein
,
auch
m
Vertrauen'
vulg.:
um
fiducia),
n
der
Gewissheit,
dass
sie
so
handeln arfund muss... 'Thron der Gnade' ist
hier
m
Hebr
geradezu
ine hebrische
mschreibung
r Gott
selbst;
ndem
wir
dem
'Thron'
nahen,
nahen
wir
Gott,
nahen
wir
auch dem
erhhten
hristus
(Hebr
1
13
=
Ps 110:
1)" (Michel,
Der
Brief
n die Hebrer
209).
(4)
Marrow
learly
otes
n
this
ontext
he
relation etween
aving
v-
ent and
eschatological
ontext
S.
B.
Marrow,
"
Parrhsia nd the New Tes-
tament", BQ 44 [1982]440-441).
(41)
Cf.
Michel,
Der
Brief
n dieHebrer, 60.
(42)
Moses s to be numbered
mong
he
prophets"
ere eferredo. Cf.
Vanhoye,
ituation
u Christ59.
(43)
bid.,
60.
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Christology
nd the
Eucharist
n
the
Epistle
o
the
Hebrews
87
established t 2,3, where the "word" (yo)was "spoken" (flsco)
through ngels
-
an
obvious allusion
to the
giving
of
the Law
at
Sinai
C*4)
and
is
placed
in
parallel
with the
"salvation"
(acoxripia)
which
had its
"beginning
of
being
spoken"
(xx-co)
hrough
the
Lord and was then
passed
on
by
those
who
heard "to
us"
(ei
r''iq).
From
this
passage
it
is
legitimate
to infer
that
whatever
began
to be
spoken
by
the
Lord was
1) parallel
to and
in
substitu-
tion of the Mosaic
Law,
2)
transmitted
y
word of
mouth,
and
3)
central o the attainment
f
salvation
45).
c)
The
TwofoldMeaning of
Ayo
The
aspects
of Christian
salvation
mentioned
above are
rein-
forced
by
13,7,
wherethe
"leaders" of the
addressees are
pictured
s
having
"spoken"
(h()
to the
addressees the
"word
of
God"
(
^yo
tou
Geou).
Here
the
"salvation"
appears
as "the
word"
(
Xyo),
ust
as
in
the case of
the Law.
But this
"word" is
the
replacement
of the Law.
It is
transmitted
by
word of
mouth
through eaders. These leaders should be trusted nd submitted o
because
they
will
have to
render an
"account"
(Xyo
)
to God
(13,17
-
there
eems to be a
play
on
words
with the
yo
of
13,7:
speaking
the
"word" to
Christiansbears
with t a
grave responsibil-
ity)^).
H
Ibid.,
233-235.
(45)The contrast etween he ngels nd the Sonwhich s so prominentin
1,5-14
s here
ubtly
epeated
n the
contrasting
hrases
i'
yyAxov
nd
i
tou
Kupou.
Cf.
Vanhoye,
ituation u
Christ,
41-242.
The
dispensa-
tion
begun y
Christs
presented
s
being
more
mportant
han
he
dispens-
ation
begun
n Sinai.
46)
At
4,2
yo
s
used to describe
he
good
news"
given
o the
desert
generation
cf.
4,2
and
4,6).
This
good
news s
the same
as that
given
he
addressees
f the
epistle
nd
includes he
promise
f
entry
nto he
and.
In
Hebrews,
f
course,
his
promised
and s
equivalent
o eternal
ife
cf.
wet-
nam,
Jesus nd Isaac 91
and
note
25).
Thus
the
yo fj
icofj
s
closely
ssociatedwith
corripia
cf.
Michel,
Der
Brief
n die
Hebrer,
92-
193). It would eem hat hisAyo fthe goodnews" nd the promise",common o both the old
and new
dispensations,
re
important
orunder-
standing hy
he uthor f
Hebrews
ses the
word
Xyo
o
refer oth
o the
MosaicLaw
and to the
Christian
essage
which
eplaced
t:
both
ontain he
element f
salvation.
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16/23
88
James
wetnam
d) The TwofoldMeaning of SiaOrjicr}
This
substitution f the
yo
of
the new
dispensation
for the
Xyoq
of the
old is
developed
in
the
epistle
under the
term
5ia0f|KT|.
The Sinai covenant
is
expressed
s
a
Sux0|kt|
cf. 8,9;
9,4.15.20);
it
is
replaced
by
a new
and better
Sia0f|KTi
7,22;
8,6.8.10;
9,15.20;
10,16.29; 12,24;
13,20).
The
presence
of
Sia0t|icT|
t
9,20
is
not con-
trary
o the view
that the
eucharist s
being
alluded
to
there,
for the
texts of the institution
f the
eucharist
lways
mention
that it
is a
0ia0f|KT|Matt 28,28; Mark 14,24; Luke 22,20 [f| icavr|ia0f|Kr|];1
Cor
11,25
[f|
Kaivr| ia0r|KT|]).
The allusion
to the
Kavri
0ia0r|KT|
f
Jeremiah
s
evident
in
Luke and
Paul.
The
Kaivri
ia0r|KT|
s of
considerable
mportance
o the
authorof
Hebrews,
s is seen
from he citation
from
Jeremiah
t
8,8-12
and the
emphasis
given
to the
newness t
8,13,
as well as
from he
citation
t
10,16-17.
Among
the
verses
important
for
understanding
ow
the
author f
Hebrewsviews
the
caivr|
ia0fjiai
are
9,15-18.
These
verses
constitute
classic
crux,
for
they
use
8ux0t|kt|
n
two
senses: in
the
sense of "covenant"
(9,15.18)
and in
the sense of "testament" 9,16-
17)(47).
This is
another nstanceof
the
author's
play
on
words. The
explanation
f how he can
go
from
ne
meaning
o
anotherwith
uch
insouciance eems to lie
in
the
fact hathe
views the
6ia0f|Kr|
which
he
has
in
mind as a
concrete
eality,
o
that the
attributes
f both a
cov-
enant nd of a
testament an be
predicated
f t
without
ontradiction:
the
eucharist s both a
covenant
and a
testamenti48).
Christ can
accordingly
e
presented
s
a
successor o
Moses
in
giving
new
Torah
which s also a
testament.
e)
Tabernacleand Tent as
Antitype
nd
Type
Finally,
nother
mage
should be
invoked in
connection
with
the
foreshadowing
f Christ
by
Moses
in
the
institution f the
eucharist.
In
erecting
he
deserttabernacle
which
stands to the
tentwith
which
(47)
Cf.
J.
wetnam,
A
Suggestednterpretation
f
Hebrews
,15-18",
CBQ
27
(1965)
373-390.
(48)Cf.J. wetnam,Aspetti ucaristiciel sangue i Cristo ell'epistola
agli
Ebrei:alcuni
uggerimenti
u Ebrei
9,20",
Atti ellaSettimana i
Studi
"Sangue
e
antropologia
iblicanella
letteraturaristiana"
Roma,
29
nov-
embre 4
dicembre
982) ed.
F.
Vattioni) Centro
tudi
anguis
hristi
;
Roma
1982) I,
845-846.
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Christology
nd the
Eucharist
n
the
Epistle
o the
Hebrews 89
Jesus is concerned as "antitype" to "type" (cf. 8,5; 9,24; 8,2),
Moses
is
doing
something
which
for the
author
of the
epistle clearly
has an
intrinsic
onnection.
For
reasons
rehearsed
above,
this
in-
trinsic
onnection
eems
to
be eucharistie
ymbolism:
he
desert ab-
ernacle
which
Moses
constructed
cted as
an
imperfect
oreshadow-
ing
of
the fullness
of access
to God
which
was to
come
only
with
the
arrival
of
Jesus,
postle
and
high
priest,
who would
finally
make
possible
unrestricted
ccess
to
God's
presence.
III. Other
Relevant
Texts
In
the
light
of
the
foregoing
iscussion
other
passages
in
the
epistle
merit
comment.
1.
Hebrews
6,4
At
6,4
there
s
probably
n allusion
to the eucharist
n
the words
"and having
asted
he
heavenly ift" yeuaa^ivou
s
xfj copexfj
rcoupavou).
There
s
no need to
make an either-or hoice ofeuchar-
istie
llusion
or non-eucharistic
llusion.
The
principalmeaning
ould
well
be
a
general,
metaphorical
reference
o
"tasting"
God's
"gift"
connected
with
the
coming
of
Christ,
while a
specific
onnotation
f
the
eucharist
s
sensed
by
the reader/listener
49).
2. Hebrews
10,20
At
10,20
the
"flesh"
(ap)
of
Jesus
is the
"way" through
he
veil into the Holy of Holies, not the veil itself50). The "way" into
the
sanctuary
was
made
manifest
only
with
the sacrifice
of Christ
(9,8.26),
and Christ
himself
ntered
he
sanctuary
through"
his
glo-
rified
body
which
was the
victim offered
n
that
sacrifice
9,11).
It
is the
body
which
is
the
"way"
and
the veil
which is the
obstacle.
For
the
addressees,
the
glorified
body
of Christ
which
they
come
into
contact
with as
the eucharistie
body
is
the concrete
means of
entering
nto
the
Holy
of
Holies, i.e.,
God's
presence.
(49)
Cf.
Acts
20,11.
50)
Cf.
P.
Andriessen-A.
englet,
"
Quelques
passages
difficiles
e
Fptre
ux Hbreux
5,7.11;
10,20; 12,2)",
Bib 51
(1970)
214-215.
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18/23
90
James
wetnam
3. Hebrews13JO
At
13,10
the author
speaks
of
an
"altar" from
which those
who
worship
"at the tent"
(cncT|vr|)
ave no
right
o eat.
An
allusion
to
the
eucharist an be
argued
even
apart
from the
presentation
made
above.
The "altar"
alludes to the
eucharist,
nd the use
of the
phrase
"those
who
worship
at the tent" to
describe the
worshippers
at the
temple
shows
that the
imagery
f
the
desert
tabernacledevel-
oped
in
Chapter
8 is still
governing
he
thought.
And
this,
n
turn,
reinforces eucharistie nterpretationn Chapter9(51).
IV.
The
Spatial
Imagery
of
Liturgical
Function
Presupposed
n
the above view of the
eucharist s
involving
he
metaphor
f
spatial approach
to describe
coming
to union
with God
are the
terms
"draw near to"
(7cpoapzop.ai)
nd "enter"
(eiap%o-
'iai).
The
consistency
f
imagery
with which
these terms are
used
in
the
epistle
suggests
ome
underlying
onsistency
f
liturgical
heo-
logy.
1. The
Imagery of
"Approach"
In
4,16
the
addressees are
urged
to "draw near"
(rcpoaepxo^iai)
the throne
of
grace
of
Jesus,
he
high
priest,
he "Son of God"
(this
phrase
is
important
or t
suggests
Jesus
n
his
perfected,
ost-resur-
rection
onship)(52).
In
7,25
the
priesthood
f
Jesus
s
again
invoked
for ll those who
approach
God
through
im because of his interces-
(51)
On
the whole
uestion
f the various
nterpretations
f
the "altar"
cf.
Michel,
Der
Brief
n die
Hebrer,
98-503. Cf.
especially
is remarksn
p.
500:
"In
unserem
usammenhang
erwendet ebr
wei
entscheidendee-
griffe
Zelt und Altar
die vielleicht
ypologisch
inembestimmtenu-
sammenhang
uzuordnen
ind,
hne
ie
gengend
u erklren.Offenbar ar-
en sie dem
Leser
n
ihrer
inndeutungelufiger
ls uns". Cf. also the
importanttudy
f
A.Aalen,
"Das Abendmahl ls
Opfermahl
m
Neuen
Testament", T 6 (1963) 146-147. Also worthnotings E.L.Randall,"The Altar fHebrews 3
10",
Australasianatholic ecord 6
(1969)
197-
208.
(52)
Michel,
Der
Brief
n die Hebrer
209,
calls attentiono
the
iturgi-
cal
coloring
f
the
passage
cf.
above,
note
39).
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Christology
nd the
Eucharist
n
the
Epistle
o the
Hebrews
91
sorypower. At 10,1 the word "approach" is used in connection
with those who
continuously
ome to
God under
the Law
-
it can-
not
bring
them
to
"perfection"
xetaico)
no
matter
what
sacrifices
are offered.
In
10,22
the
addressees
are
exhorted
to
"approach"
with their
hearts and
bodies
cleansed
-
an
allusion
to
baptism
53).
At
11,6
the
need for faith s
emphasized
for those
who
"approach"
God: this
exhortation ets the
scene
for the
stresson
the faith
of
the
fathers
n
the list
beginning
with
Abel.
Finally,
at
12,18.22
the
Christians re
said to have
"approached"
not
Mount
Sinai
but the
heavenlyJerusalem54) in which Jesus is presentas mediatorof a
new
covenant
v. 24) (cf.
the
contrastbetween
the
Mosaic Law
and
the
salvation
brought
hrough
hrist t
2,2-3,
7,19,
and
13,7,
and the
contrastbetween the
two
types
of
"covenant"
in
Chapters 7,
8, 9,
and
10)(55).
The
language
associated with
the
word
"approach"
(7cpoap%o-
jiai)
implies
throughout
liturgical
etting56).
The
implication
of
the Christian
approach"
to
God
is that
it can
result
n
the
same
perfection
hat has
accrued to
Christ
through
his
resurrection.
2.
The
Imagery of
"
Entrance
The ideas
associated
with the
imagery
of
"entrance"
(eiap%o-
'iai)
involve two
distinct
but
related sets
of
goals.
In
Chapters
3
(53)Michel,
Der
Brief n dieHebrer, 46-347;C. Spicq,L'ptre uxHbreux,I (EB; Paris1953)317.
(54)Michel,
Der
Brief
n
die
Hebrer,
65,
points
ut that he
"church
of
thefirst-born"n
12,23
must
till e on
earth,
or heir
ames re
written
in
heaven.
(55)
picq,
Hbreux,
I, 409,
calls attention
o the
allusion o
Exod
24
and the
prinkling
f
the
blood
by
the
mediator
oses
cf.
Heb
9,20)
through
the
mention f
the
sprinkling
f
blood
and the
mediator
esus.
In
the
con-
text
f the
hypothesis
eing
dvanced
n
the
present
aper,
his
would
on-
stituten
allusion o
the
ucharistie
lood,
which
peaks
better" han
Abel's
because t
purifies
nd
saves
in
the
presence
f
the
udge
cf.
12,23).
Cf.
Michel's emarkhat heallusion o Jesus'bloodat 12,24mustbe under-stood nconnection ith he ntercessionfthe
high
riest
esus
ortrayed
t
Heb
7,25 Michel.
Der
Brief n die Hebrer. 69V
(56)
Rein
kultisch
st das
Wort
rcpoapxo^iai]
n
Hb u
1
Pt
gebraucht"
(J.Schneider,
7tpoapxo*iai",
WNT
I,
682).
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20/23
92
James
wetnam
and 4 the term of this "entry" is God's "Rest", i.e., eternal ife(57).
In
Chapters
6
and 9
the term of
this
"entry"
is the
Holy
of
Holies
viewed under the
aspect
of God's
presence.
The
subject
of the
entry
into God's Rest is the Christian
people,
successor to
the
desert
gen-
eration
who did not enter nto
God's Rest. The
subject
of the
entry
into the
Holy
of Holies is
Jesus.
But at
10,19-22
the
Christians re
urged
to
"approach"
(7cpoaep%op.ai)
n
a
context
strongly iturgi-
cal
58).
And the
goal
of their
pproach
s entrance
eaoSo)
into the
Holy
of Holies to which
they
have access
"in
the
blood of
Jesus".
It is the new covenantwhichmakes definitive ccess to God possi-
ble,
as is clear from
he
implied
contrast
n
7,19,
again
in
a
context
clearly iturgical
nasmuch as the
allusion is to
the
priestly
ct of
approaching
God(59).
The
theological
framework f
the
author of
Hebrews
emerges
from he above texts. The ultimate
goal
of the
addressees s
God's
Rest into which
they
are to "enter
in"
(Chapters
3
and
4)(60).
But
before his definitive
ntrance
nto God's Rest there
s the
liturgy
f
"approaching"
God,
a
liturgy
ouched
in
the
imagery
of the en-
trance of the Old Testamenthigh priest into the Holy of Holies.
The Christians re reminded that
Jesus
as the
new
high
priest
has
definitively
ntered nto the new
Holy
of
Holies and
they
are
urged
to
approach
God's
presence
by
doing
likewise
61).
Various
interpre-
(57)
On the motive
f God's "Rest" as eternal ife f.
Swetnam,
Jesus
and
Isaac,
91 withnote25.
(58)
Cf.
above,
note 53.
(59)
Cf.
Michel,
Der
Brief
n
die
Hebrer,
73.
(0 Spicq,Hbreux,I, 95-96.
(61)
Il
va de soi
que
ce
repos,
on divin
gratuit,
evra tre
mploy
remercier
ieu et l'adorer. Aussi
bien,
ds
l'origine,
a notion e
manuha
en Isral
st
intrinsquement
ie celle de culte"
Spicq,
Hbreux,
I,
97).
It
must e recalled
hat he
magery
f the
Holy
of Holiesused
n
Hebrewss
based on the desert
anctuary,
ot on the
temple
n
Jerusalem,.e.,
the
entrance f the
high
priest
nto the
Holy
of
Holies is connected ith
he
pilgrimage
o the definitive
est. This is
perhaps
learest t Heb
13,10.
The Christian
ccess o the
Holy
of Holies has the ame
ultimaterientation
to entrance
ntoGod's
Rest,
but s broadened o
include ll thosewho
"par-
takeof Christ" hehigh riestHeb 3,14)anddeepened o include urifica-tion not
simply
f the
body
but ofthe heart s well
Heb
10,22).
On the
conditionhatfaith ot
be
lacking,
his ontactwith
God
through
hrist
n
the
Holy
of Holies
will
nfallibly
ead into hedivine estwhich s still
wait-
ing
for hosewho
will
claim
God's
promise
Heb
3,12-19).
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Christology
nd the Eucharist
n
the
Epistle
o
the
Hebrews
93
tationscan be made as to what Christianreality he author had in
mind. But
in
the context
of the
presentpaper
it seems not unnat-
ural to think
of
him
as
referring
o the eucharist as a means of
approaching
God's
presence
through
Jesus
on the Christian
ourney
which
eventually
will
end
with entrance nto eternal life:
entering
into the Christian
Holy
of Holies and thus
the
presence
of
God
available
in
this life
through
he means
offered
y
Jesus'
risen
body
prefigures
ntering
nto the definitiveRest of God to which
entering
the
Holy
of Holies
is
intrinsically
rdered.
V.
Concluding
Remarks
Prescinding
from a eucharistie
nterpretation
f the
epistle,
it
seems
fair to
say
that a
study
of the various
parallels
and
contrasts
based on
the
presumption
f a unified
heological
presentation
hows
the
following:
)
God
spoke
through
he
prophets,
specially
Moses,
in
a
way
which
prefigured
is
speaking
n
a
Son,
and this
speaking
was
carried n beyond heSon,dependent ponhis initiative, o those who
heard
him,
and these
n
turn ransmitted is
message
to the eaders of
the addressees
1,1-2;
3,5;
9,19;
13,7); 2)
the content f the
speaking
s
parallel
to and
superior
n
dignity
o the Mosaic
Law
(2,2-3)
and it is
so
important
hat
t can be termed salvation"
(2,3),
i.e.,
it is
in
some
way
at
the
center
f Christian
iving;
3)
Moses
in
erecting
he tentof
meeting
s
pictured
s
in
some
way
involved
in
erecting
prefiguring
of a
"type"
shown to
him
which has relevance to the Christian
ult
(8,1-6); 4)
the Christian
5ia0f|KT|
s viewed as the
fulfillmentf the
prophecy fJeremiah egardinghe newkx0t|ktind is seen to be in
contrastwith he
0ia0f|KT|
f the Mosaic
dispensations
Chapters
8 and
9).
Apart
from
ny
eucharistie
nterpretation
hesetextsneed
explain-
ing.
What is the
point
of the use of the
word AxxAico
n
a thematic
way?
What Christian
eality
s
parallel
to the Law?
What
s the
pur-
pose
of
the
foreshadowing
f
the tentwhich
Moses erected?
In
what
way
s the new
Sia0f|KT|
ifferent
rom
he
old,
and what s the
point
of
the contrast?
Finally,
how are these four
spects
of the letter
elated
to each other?
The present paper maintains that the common element which
answers
the above
questions
is the Christian
eucharist. Such an
interpretation
lso
explains
why
there are
plausible
grounds
for see-
ing
eucharistie llusions at
9,20
and
13,7.
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94 James
wetnam
In fact, he eucharist mergesfrom hepresent tudy s a central
point
of the
epistle 62).
The author s
speaking
o
people
who have a
good
knowledge
of the
Scriptures
nd
who are
susceptible
to
argu-
mentation
based
on
Jewish
exegetical
suppositions. Apparently
he
addressees
are
tempted by
disbelief
n
the
presence
of God
among
them
in the formof
the
eucharist,
nd the author
attempts
o meet
their doubts
by
showing
that
the eucharist s
really
the heir of an-
cient cultic
practices
nvolving
God's
presence
and
brought
o their
divinely-willed
ulfillment
n
Christ.
The
Jewish
disciples
mentioned
in John 6,66 who were unable to accept Jesus' teachingon the
eucharist
ndicate
the
possible type
of
background
which could have
called
forth
he
epistle.
The
indirection f the
presentation
s
possi-
bly
required by
the
need to
follow the
usages
of the
"discipline
of
the
secret
(63),
or the
indirection
may
simply
be
the result of the
author's
intuition
that such indirection
s more effective
han un-
veiled statements
nd
more
in
keeping
with the
august
natureof the
mystery
e
is
trying
o
convey.
PontificalBiblical Institute
Via della
Pilotta,
25
00187
Rome,
Italy
JamesSwetnam, S.J.
(62)
An
objection
o
seeing
heeucharistlluded o in theexpressiona
yia
t)v
yDV
may
be raised
on the
supposition
hat
he eucharists for
Christ
way
o be
present
o
Christians,
ot God
(cf.
9,24
with eference
o
9,12).
Thus
the
analogy
with he
Holy
of Holies s
flawed rom heoutset.
But this
s to
presume
hat he
eucharist
n the
primitive
hurch
as
exactly
the same
n
this
respect
s it is now.
Cf. F.
Chenderlin,
Do This s
My
Memorial
The Semantic
nd
Conceptual ackground
nd Value
f
Avfivt]-
ai
in
1
Corinthians
1:24-25
(AnBib
99;
Rome
1982).
()
Cf.
Michel,
Der
Brief
n die
Hebrer,
38-239. On the
"discipline
of the
ecret" f.
C.
Perler,
"Arkandisziplin",
A
I,
cols.
667-675,
r
id.,
"Arkandisziplin",TK I, cols. 863-864. J.Jeremias,erusalemn the
Time
of
Jesus:An
Investigation
ntoEconomic nd Social Conditionsuringhe
New Testament
eriod
London
1969;
Fifth
mpression,982)
240,
remarks
that
the whole
ection,
Heb]
6.3-10.18
eads ike a lesson
whichmustbe
revealed
nly
o those
apable
of
understanding
eb. 5.14 cf.
Col. 2.2".
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Christology
nd
the Eucharistn
the
Epistle
o the
Hebrews
95
SOMMAIRE
Une
interprtationucharistique
e
certains
assages-cl
e
l'ptre
ux
Hbreux evient
lus
facile i
l'on
considre a
perfection
onfre
u
Christ
ar
sa rsurrection.
on
corps
eoit
es
qualits
ont
ne
ouissait as
son
corps
physique
t selon
'ptre
'est
par
ce
corps
essuscit
la
tente
plus
grande
t
plus
parfaite) ue
le
Christ ntre
ans e
saint
des
saints
x
yia
tcov
ycov).
'article
met n valeur
n
eu
de mots
urx
yia
en
sorte
que
deux
dsignations
'ensuivent:e
saint
des
saints e la
tente
u
dsert t
les choses
saintes
nourriture)
e la
tradition
uive.
La
rcurrence,
ans
l'ptre,e semblableseuxde mots insique d'autreshmes,ppuientette
interprtation.