“But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”
But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one; therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them — the patriarchs yearned for (oregō) a better homeland (patris kreitton), the heavenly country. God's being not ashamed (epaidynomai) to be called their God constitutes the supreme reward: covenant relationship validated. The city prepared (hetoimazō) awaits the faithful.
Church Fathers on Hebrews 11:16
The first virtue, yea the whole of virtue, is to be a stranger to this world, and a sojourner, and to have nothing in common with things here, but to hang loose from them, as from things strange to us; As those blessed disciples did, of whom he says, “They wandered about in sheepskins, and in goat-skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented: of whom the world was not worthy.” c. xi. 37, 38 They called themselves therefore “strangers”; but Paul said somewhat much beyond…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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