Against Heresies: Book IV

THE OFFERING OF THE CHURCH: therefore, which the Lord instructed to be offered throughout the world, is considered a pure sacrifice by God and is acceptable to Him; not because He needs a sacrifice from us, but because the one who offers is glorified in what he offers, if his gift is accepted. For through the gift, both honor and affection are shown towards the King; and the Lord, wishing us to offer it with simplicity and innocence, expressed Himself this way: “Therefore, when you offer your gift on the altar and remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift before the altar and go your way; first be reconciled with your brother, and then return and offer your gift.” We are bound, therefore, to offer to God the first-fruits of His creation, as Moses also says, “You shall not appear in the presence of the Lord your God empty-handed;” so that a person, being recognized as grateful through the things by which he has shown gratitude, may receive the honor that flows from Him. Amen

The category of offerings in general has not been abolished; for there were offerings back then among the Jews, and there are offerings now among the Christians. There were sacrifices among the people then; there are sacrifices in the Church now, too: however, only the form has changed, since the offering is now made by free people, not by slaves. For the Lord remains the same; but the nature of a slave's offering is distinct from that of free people, so that, through the offerings themselves, the sign of freedom is displayed. With Him, nothing is without purpose, significance, or design. For this reason, the Jews had their tithes of goods consecrated to Him, but those who have received freedom dedicate all their possessions for the Lord’s purposes, giving joyfully and freely not the least valuable parts of their property, having hope for better things to come; just as that poor widow did who gave all she had to the treasury of God.

IN THE BEGINNING: God accepted Abel's gifts because he offered them with sincerity and righteousness. However, God did not accept Cain's offering because Cain's heart was filled with envy and malice towards his brother. God reprimanded Cain's hidden thoughts by saying, “Even if you offer correctly, if you do not divide rightly, haven't you sinned? Be calm.” God is not appeased by mere sacrifice. If someone offers a sacrifice for show—correctly in order and appearance—but does not treat his neighbor with fairness or live in the fear of God, that person harbors secret sin and does not deceive God with outward appearances. Such a sacrifice will not benefit him, but only renouncing the evil he has conceived internally will. This is to prevent sin from making him his own destroyer through hypocrisy.

The Lord declared: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you are like whitewashed tombs. The tomb looks beautiful on the outside, but inside it is full of dead bones and all uncleanness. You also appear righteous to people outwardly, but inside you are filled with wickedness and hypocrisy.” Though they offered sacrifices that seemed correct outwardly, they harbored jealousy like Cain, and therefore they killed the Just One, ignoring the counsel of the Word, just as Cain did. God told Cain, “Be calm,” but he didn't listen. “Be calm” means to abstain from intended violence. In saying similar things, God told these men, “You blind Pharisee, clean the inside of the cup so the outside may be clean too,” but they didn't heed His words. Jeremiah says, “Look, neither your eyes nor your heart are good; they turn to your greed, to shed innocent blood, to injustice, and to murder.” Isaiah says, “You have taken counsel, but not from Me; and made covenants, but not by My Spirit.” This is to show that God is blameless and does no evil, revealing what is hidden in the heart. When Cain refused to be calm, God told him, “His desire will be for you, and you shall rule over him.” Similarly, He told Pilate, “You would have no power against Me unless it was given to you from above.” God often allows the righteous to suffer in this life so they may be accepted after being tested, while the evildoer is judged and rejected by his actions. Sacrifices don't sanctify a person, for God does not need them; it is the pure conscience of the offerer that sanctifies the sacrifice, making God accept it as from a friend. “But the sinner,” He says, “who sacrifices a calf to Me, is as if he killed a dog.”

THEREFORE: as the Church offers with single-mindedness, her gift is rightly considered a pure sacrifice to God. As Paul also says to the Philippians, “I am full, having received from Epaphroditus what you sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.” It is necessary for us to make an offering to God, and in everything to be found grateful to God our Maker, with a pure mind, sincere faith, well-grounded hope, and fervent love, offering the first fruits of His created things.

The Church alone offers this pure offering to the Creator, giving thanks and offering what is taken from His creation.

But the Jews do not offer in this way: their hands are full of blood because they have not received the Word, through whom offerings are made to God. Likewise, none of the assemblies of the heretics offer this. Some claim that the Father is different from the Creator, thus when they offer what belongs to our creation, they portray Him as covetous of another’s property and desiring what is not His own.

Others, who assert that the things around us originated from apostasy, ignorance, and passion, offend their Father by offering the fruits of ignorance, passion, and apostasy, rather disrespecting Him than giving thanks. How can they be consistent with themselves when they claim the bread over which thanks are given is the body of their Lord, and the cup is His blood, if they do not acknowledge Him as the Son of the Creator of the world, His Word, through whom the wood bears fruit, fountains flow, and the earth produces “first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear”.

5. Then, again, how can they say that the flesh, which is nourished with the body of the Lord and with His blood, goes to corruption and does not partake of life? Let them, therefore, either change their opinion or stop offering the things just mentioned. But our opinion agrees with the Eucharist, and the Eucharist in turn supports our opinion. For we offer to Him His own, consistently announcing the fellowship and union of the flesh and Spirit. For just as the bread, which is produced from the earth, when it receives the invocation of God, is no longer common bread but the Eucharist, consisting of two realities, earthly and heavenly; so also our bodies, when they receive the Eucharist, are no longer corruptible, having the hope of the resurrection to eternity.

NOW WE OFFER TO HIM: not because He needs it, but to give thanks for His gift and thus sanctify what has been created. Just as God does not need our possessions, we need to offer something to God; as Solomon says: “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord.” For God, who needs nothing, accepts our good works to grant us a reward of His own good things, as our Lord says: “Come, you blessed of My Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you. For I was hungry, and you gave Me food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you took Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; sick, and you visited Me; in prison, and you came to Me.” Therefore, although He does not need these services, He desires that we perform them for our own good, so we are not unfruitful. The Word gave the people the precept of making offerings, not because He needed them, but so they might learn to serve God: thus it is His will that we also offer a gift at the altar, frequently and without interruption. The altar is in heaven (for there our prayers and offerings are directed); the temple is likewise there, as John says in Revelation, “And the temple of God was opened.” The tabernacle is also there: “For, behold,” He says, “the tabernacle of God, in which He will dwell with men.”