First Christian Voices: Practices of the Apostolic Fathers

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First Christian Voices

kingdom so that those believing in Him will live forever. But why was hyssop joined with the wool? Because in His kingdom the days will be evil and polluted in which we will be saved. Also, because he who suffers in body is cured through the cleansing properties of hyssop. So, on this account things are clear to us, but obscure to them because they did not hear the voice of the Lord. The First Covenant B arnabas 13–14: But let us see if this people or the former are the heir, and if the covenant belongs to us or to them. Now hear what the Scripture says concerning the people. Isaac prayed for Rebecca his wife because she was barren and she conceived. Furthermore, Rebecca went out to inquire of the Lord and the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger” (Gen 25:23). You should understand who Isaac and Rebecca are representing, and concerning the people He declared that should be greater than another people. And in another prophecy Jacob speaks more clearly to his son Joseph saying, “Behold, the Lord has not deprived me of your presence; bring your sons to me, that I may bless them” ( Gen 48:9, 11 ). And he brought Manasseh and Ephraim, desiring that Manasseh should be blessed because he was the older. With this desire, Joseph led him to the right hand of his father Jacob. But Jacob saw in the Spirit the type of the people to come afterward. And what does it say? G od the S on and the N ew C ovenant