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the impossibility of repeating Baptism. So, for example, Chrysostom: oJ toivnun deuvteron eJauto;n baptivzwn pavlin aujto;n stauroi' . And Primasius: Qui iterum baptizari volunt quantum in se est Christum quoque iterum crucifigere volunt et derisui habere...quoniam sicut Christus semel mortuus est in carne in cruce, ita et nos semel mori possumus in baptismate peccato.
to;n uiJo;n tou' qeou' ] The use of the title indicates the greatness of the offence. Compare Heb. 10:29; 4:14 note.
paradeigmativzonta" ] The verb occurs as a variant in Matt. 1:19
(
deigmativsai ). Comp. Num. 25:4 (LXX.).

Heb. 6:7, 8. The law of human life, the condemnation which follows from the neglect of blessings, is illustrated by an example from nature. The Parables of the Lord and the usage of the prophets suggest this method of enforcing truth. We spontaneously attribute will, responsibility ( piou'sa, tivktousa, eujlogiva" metalambavnei ), even to the earth. We look for certain results from certain general conditions; and not only so but we regard certain results as naturally appropriate to certain objects. Comp. Mark 4:28
(
aujtomavth ): Rom. 8:19 ff. The comparison between processes of agriculture and moral training is common in all literature. Comp. Philo de Agric. §§ 1 ff.
(1.300ff. M.). The illustration here apparently is not taken from the familiar image of the field and the seed and the sower. The case is rather that of the natural produce of the land. No mention is made of human activity as contributing to the production of the ‘herb’; though the land is such as is cultivated. From the land and from man it is reasonable to look for fruitful use of divine gifts. The human ministry of tiller and teacher falls into the background.

The primal record of Genesis furnishes the example of fruitful fertility (Gen. 1:11 botavnh ) and the example of noxious growth (Gen. 3:18 a[kanqai kai; trivboloi ), followed in the one case by blessing (1:13), and connected in the other with a curse (3:17).

7 For land that drinketh the rain that cometh oft upon it and then bringeth forth herb meet for them for whose sake it is also tilled, receiveth blessing from God; 8 but if it beareth thorns and thistles it is rejected and nigh unto a curse; whose end is for burning.

7. gh' ga;r hJ piou'sa ] For land —to borrow an image from another form of GOD'S works— land that in the season drank the rain of His gift... For the tense compare Heb. 9:2; Rom. 9:30; Phil. 3:12 and Lightfoot ad loc. piou'sa ... tivktousa ] The complete appropriation of the gift at the time when it comes precedes the production of the fruit. Here the Latin (as commonly with such participles) fails to express the full thought: bibens...et generans ...(Tert. quae bibit...et peperit ...).

For piou'sa compare Deut. 11:11. (‘Sat prata biberunt.’) The gift had not been rejected. So the parallel is established with those who had believed the Gospel.
to;n ejpj aujth'" ejrcovmenon poll. uJ. ] The harvest is prepared not by one gift of heaven but by many. The gen. in ejpj aujth'" gives not only the idea of ‘reaching to’ but adds also that of extending over. Comp. James 5:17; Mark 4:26; Apoc. 3:10. Chrysostom sees in uJetovn a pointed reference to the human parallel, th;n didaskalivan fhsivn . Compare Is. 5:6; Amos 8:11. kai; tivktousa ] and then bringeth forth , as the natural and proper fruit.


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