The same general thought is expressed in a second passage: Trall. 7. oJ ejnto;" qusiasthrivou w]n kaqarov" ejstin : oJ de; ejkto;" qusiasthrivou w]n ouj kaqarov" ejstin : toutevstin, oJ cwri;" ejpiskovpou kai; presbuterivou kai; diakovnwn pravsswn ti, ou|to" ouj kaqarov" ejstin th'/ suneidhvsei .
The idea of the Christian qusiasthvrion is here more exactly defined. To be included in the holy precinct, is to be in fellowship with the lawfully organised society.
In a third passage the thought is different and yet closely connected: Magn. 7. pavnte" ou\n wJ" eij" e{na nao;n suntrevcete qeou' (Ltft. conj. qeovn ), wJ" ejpi; e}n qusiasthvrion ejpi; e{na jIhsou'n Cristovn, to;n ajfj eJno;" patro;" proelqovnta kai; eij" e{na o[nta kai; cwrhvsanta .
Here the Father is Himself the Sanctuary, and Christ the means through Whom and in Whom we have access to the Father. He is Himself the living source of unity, just as the altar-court was the symbol of unity for the people of God. To be in Him is to be within the qusiasthvrion .
These passages serve to determine the meaning of the word in the last place in which it occurs:
Philad. 4. spoudavsate ou\n mia'/ eujcaristiva/ crh'sqai : miva ga;r sa;rx tou' Kurivou hJmw'n jIhsou' Cristou', kai; e}n pothvrion eij" e{nwsin tou' ai{mato" aujtou' : e}n qusiasthvrion, wJ" ei|" ejpivskopo", a{ma tw'/ presbuterivw/ kai; diakovnoi" toi'" sundouvloi" mou : i{na o} eja;n pravsshte, kata; qeo;n pravsshte .
There is one organised congregation, which is the Body of Christ, in which the blessings of communion with God are realised.
In the Epistle of Polycarp the image of the altar finds still another application in the narrower sense. Just as Christ Himself can be spoken of as the qusiasthvrion , and the whole Christian body which is in Him, so also a part of the Body may receive the name.
Philipp. 4. didavxwmen ... ta;" chvra" ... ginwskouvsa" o{ti eijsi; qusiasthvrion qeou', kai; o{ti pavnta mwmoskopei'tai, kai; levlhqen aujto;n oujdevn. ...
The widows are an altar in a double sense, both because on them the alms of the faithful are offered to God, and also because they themselves offer to God sacrifices of service and prayer (comp.
Const. Apost.
2.26; 3:6; 14; 4:3). The last passage is instructive:
oJ de; hJlikivan
...
h] tevknwn polutrofivan lambavnwn, oJ toiou'to" ouj movnon ouj memfqhvsetai ujlla; kai; ejpaineqhvsetai
:
qusiasthvrion ga;r tw'/ qew'/ lelogismevno" uJpo; tou' qeou' timhqhvsetai
....
oujk
ajrgw'" lambavnwn ajlla; th'" dovsew" aujtou', o{sh duvnami", to;n misqo;n didou;" dia; th'" proseuch'"
.
Hermas uses qusiasthvrion twice in a purely spiritual sense. For him the altar is, after the imagery of the Apocalypse, that whereon the offerings of men are placed that they may be brought before God.
Mand. 10.3, 2 f. luphrou' ajndro;" hJ e[nteuxi" oujk e[cei duvnamin tou' ajnabh'nai ejpi; to; qusiasthvrion tou' qeou' .
Whatever sacrifice man makes must be made with joy. Sim. 8.2, 5. eja;n dev tiv" se parevlqh/, ejgw; aujtou;" ejpi; to; qusiasthvrion dokimavsw .
So the angel speaks to the Shepherd. If a penitent passes human scrutiny unworthily, a severer trial awaits him. The angel himself will test him (comp. mwmoskopei'sqai Clem. 1.41; Poly c. 4 quoted above) before he is laid