Early Church Fathers Scripture Index : Texts

Hebrews 4:15

There are 12 footnotes for this reference.

Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 3, page 244, footnote 7 (Image)

Tertullian (I, II, III)

Anti-Marcion. (HTML)

The Prescription Against Heretics. (HTML)

Weak People Fall an Easy Prey to Heresy, Which Derives Strength from the General Frailty of Mankind.  Eminent Men Have Fallen from Faith; Saul, David, Solomon. The Constancy of Christ. (HTML)
CCEL Footnote 1864 (In-Text, Margin)

... to have been esteemed prudent, or faithful, or approved? This again is, I suppose, an extraordinary thing, that one who has been approved should afterwards fall back? Saul, who was good beyond all others, is afterwards subverted by envy. David, a good man “after the Lord’s own heart,” is guilty afterwards of murder and adultery. Solomon, endowed by the Lord with all grace and wisdom, is led into idolatry, by women. For to the Son of God alone was it reserved to persevere to the last without sin.[Hebrews 4:15] But what if a bishop, if a deacon, if a widow, if a virgin, if a doctor, if even a martyr, have fallen from the rule (of faith), will heresies on that account appear to possess the truth? Do we prove the faith by the persons, or the persons by the ...

Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 4, page 283, footnote 5 (Image)

Tertullian (IV), Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen

Origen. (HTML)

Origen De Principiis. (HTML)

Book II (HTML)
On the Incarnation of Christ. (HTML)
CCEL Footnote 2156 (In-Text, Margin)

... the prophets, but that the essential fulness of the Word of God Himself was in it, according to the saying of the apostle, “In whom dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” Finally, on this account he has not only said, “Thou hast loved righteousness;” but he adds, “and Thou hast hated wickedness.” For to have hated wickedness is what the Scripture says of Him, that “He did no sin, neither was any guile found in His mouth,” and that “He was tempted in all things like as we are, without sin.”[Hebrews 4:15] Nay, the Lord Himself also said, “Which of you will convince Me of sin?” And again He says with reference to Himself, “Behold, the prince of this world cometh, and findeth nothing in Me.” All which (passages) show that in Him there was no sense of ...

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 1, Volume 5, page 34, footnote 8 (Image)

Augustine: Anti-Pelagian Writings

A Treatise on the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, and on the Baptism of Infants. (HTML)

Book I (HTML)

From the Epistle to the Hebrews. (HTML)
CCEL Footnote 381 (In-Text, Margin)

... all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Again, shortly after, he says: “Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.” And in another place he writes: “Let us hold fast our profession. For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”[Hebrews 4:14-15] Again he says: “He hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such a High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, ...

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 1, Volume 5, page 125, footnote 6 (Image)

Augustine: Anti-Pelagian Writings

A Treatise on Nature and Grace. (HTML)

Not Everything [of Doctrinal Truth] is Written in Scripture in So Many Words. (HTML)

CCEL Footnote 1157 (In-Text, Margin)

... refutes thus: “That the question here is not in what precise words each doctrinal statement is made.” It is perhaps not without reason that, while in several passages of Scripture we may find it said that men are without excuse, it is nowhere found that any man is described as being without sin, except Him only, of whom it is plainly said, that “He knew no sin.” Similarly, we read in the passage where the subject is concerning priests: “He was in all points tempted like as we are, only without sin,”[Hebrews 4:15] —meaning, of course, in that flesh which bore the likeness of sinful flesh, although it was not sinful flesh; a likeness, indeed, which it would not have borne if it had not been in every other respect the same as sinful flesh. How, however, we are ...

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 1, Volume 5, page 279, footnote 3 (Image)

Augustine: Anti-Pelagian Writings

On Marriage and Concupiscence. (HTML)

On Marriage and Concupiscence (HTML)

Refutation of the Pelagians by the Authority of St. Ambrose, Whom They Quote to Show that the Desire of the Flesh is a Natural Good. (HTML)
CCEL Footnote 2189 (In-Text, Margin)

... marriage. Their object is to praise concupiscence as a natural good, that so they may defend their own baneful dogma, which asserts that those who are born by its means do not contract original sin. Now the blessed Ambrose, bishop of Milan, by whose priestly office I received the washing of regeneration, briefly spoke on this matter, when, expounding the prophet Isaiah, he gathered from him the nativity of Christ in the flesh: “Thus,” says the bishop, “He was both tempted in all points as a man,[Hebrews 4:15] and in the likeness of man He bare all things; but inasmuch as He was born of the Spirit, He kept Himself from sin. For every man is a liar; and there is none without sin but God alone. It has, therefore, been ever firmly maintained, that it is ...

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 1, Volume 7, page 233, footnote 3 (Image)

Augustine: Homilies on the Gospel of John, Homilies on the First Epistle of John, Soliloquies

Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John. (HTML)

Chapter VIII. 31–36. (HTML)

CCEL Footnote 759 (In-Text, Margin)

... highest integrity in this life, and however worthy he may already be of the name of upright, yet is he not without sin. Listen to Saint John himself, the author of the Gospel before us, when he says in his epistle, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” He alone could say this who was “free among the dead:” of Him only could it be said, who knew no sin. It could be said only of Him, for He also “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”[Hebrews 4:15] He alone could say, “Behold, the prince of this world cometh, and shall find nothing in me.” Sift any one else, who is accounted righteous, yet is he not in all respects without sin; not even such as was Job, to whom the Lord bore such testimony, ...

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 2, Volume 3, page 31, footnote 1 (Image)

Theodoret, Jerome and Gennadius, Rufinus and Jerome

The Ecclesiastical History, Dialogues, and Letters of Theodoret. (HTML)

Counter-statements of Theodoret. (HTML)

CCEL Footnote 228 (In-Text, Margin)

... union with the God who had assumed it; which walked through all righteousness and said to John, “Suffer it to be so now for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.” This took the name of the priesthood of Melchisedec, for it put on infirmity of nature;—not the Almighty God the Word. Wherefore also, a little before, the blessed Paul said, “We have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin.”[Hebrews 4:15] It was the nature taken from us for our sakes which experienced our feelings without sin, not He that on account of our salvation assumed it. And in the beginning of this part of his subject he teaches us in the words “Consider the apostle and high ...

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 2, Volume 3, page 247, footnote 1 (Image)

Theodoret, Jerome and Gennadius, Rufinus and Jerome

The Ecclesiastical History, Dialogues, and Letters of Theodoret. (HTML)

Dialogues. The “Eranistes” or “Polymorphus” of the Blessed Theodoretus, Bishop of Cyrus. (HTML)

Demonstrations by Syllogisms. (HTML)
Proofs that the Union was without Confusion. (HTML)
CCEL Footnote 1585 (In-Text, Margin)

... learnt that the Saviour Christ hungered and thirsted, and we have believed that this was so really and not in seeming, but such conditions belong not to a bodiless nature but to a body. The Master Christ then had a body which before the resurrection was affected according to its nature. And to this the divine Apostle bears testimony when he says “For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin.”[Hebrews 4:15] For the sin is not of the nature but of the evil will.

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 2, Volume 7, page 428, footnote 2 (Image)

Cyril of Jerusalem, Gregory Nazianzen

Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen. (HTML)

The Second Oration on Easter. (HTML)

CCEL Footnote 4608 (In-Text, Margin)

... every side equal to Himself and alike; and not only this, but also as giving life to all the circle of the virtues, gently commingled and intermixed with each other, according to the Law of Love and Order. And Immaculate and guileless, as being the Healer of faults, and of the defects and taints that come from sin. For though He both took on Him our sins and bare our diseases, yet He did not Himself suffer aught that needed healing. For He was tempted in all points like as we are yet without sin.[Hebrews 4:15] For he that persecuted the Light that shineth in darkness could not overtake Him.

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 2, Volume 7, page 444, footnote 1 (Image)

Cyril of Jerusalem, Gregory Nazianzen

Select Letters of Saint Gregory Nazianzen. (HTML)

Letters on the Apollinarian Controversy. (HTML)

Against Apollinarius; The Second Letter to Cledonius. (HTML)
CCEL Footnote 4726 (In-Text, Margin)

... which the Saviour took of us, and, as far as may be, have attained conformity with it, are said to have the mind of Christ; just as they might be testified to have the flesh of Christ who have trained their flesh, and in this respect have become of the same body and partakers of Christ; and so he says “As we have borne the image of the earth we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” And so they declare that the Perfect Man is not He who was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin;[Hebrews 4:15] but the mixture of God and Flesh. For what, say they, can be more perfect than this?

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 2, Volume 10, page 224, footnote 1 (Image)

Ambrose: Select Works and Letters

Dogmatic Treatises, Ethical Works, and Sermons. (HTML)

Exposition of the Christian Faith. (HTML)

Book II. (HTML)
Introduction. (HTML)
CCEL Footnote 1905 (In-Text, Margin)

4. Of these twelve, as of twelve precious stones, is the pillar of our faith built up. For these are the precious stones—sardius, jasper, smaragd, chrysolite, and the rest,—woven into the robe of holy Aaron, even of him who bears the likeness of Christ,[Hebrews 4:15] that is, of the true Priest; stones set in gold, and inscribed with the names of the sons of Israel, twelve stones close joined and fitting one into another, for if any should sunder or separate them, the whole fabric of the faith falls in ruins.

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 2, Volume 11, page 340, footnote 6 (Image)

Sulpitius Severus, Vincent of Lerins, John Cassian

The Works of John Cassian. (HTML)

The Conferences of John Cassian. Part I. Containing Conferences I-X. (HTML)

Conference V. Conference of Abbot Serapion. On the Eight Principal Faults. (HTML)
Chapter V. How our Lord alone was tempted without sin. (HTML)
CCEL Footnote 1319 (In-Text, Margin)

And so our Lord Jesus Christ, though declared by the Apostle’s word to have been tempted in all points like as we are, is yet said to have been “without sin,”[Hebrews 4:15] i.e., without the infection of this appetite, as He knew nothing of incitements of carnal lust, with which we are sure to be troubled even against our will and without our knowledge; for the archangel thus describes the manner of His conception: “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee: therefore that which shall be born of thee shall be called holy, the ...

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