Christ Grown into Perfection 99 bravery, honour, and courage. Of course I prefer that war should not occur […] The conclusion is, not that hardships are desirable, but that virtue is desirable, which enables us patiently to endure hardships (ita non incommoda optabilia sunt, sed virtus qua perferuntur incommoda)(22). He sums up: Nothing is more excellent or more beautiful than virtue; whatever we do in obedience to her orders is both good and desirable (nihil est virtute praestantius, nihil pulchrius; et bonum est et optabile quidquid ex huius geritur imperio) (23). There is no need to assume a Stoic background for the Epistle to the Hebrews, in particular, bearing in mind the high esteem accorded to sumpaqeiva in Hebrews in contrast to the Stoic ideal of ajpaqeiva (24). The example of Seneca’s dealing with the matter shows, however, at least, that the idea of development to perfection, in terms of virtues, by suffering and learning was known to the contemporaries of the author of Hebrews (25). * ** The genitive attribute is therefore not a genitive of relation, but of quality (genitivus qualitatis), and the genovmenoi ajgaqoiv correspond to those expressions promulgating the idea of the teleivwsi" of the Son through sufferings (dia; paqhvmatwn), as shown above. The phrasing is, obviously, a bit strange and unusual, which might be explained by the following. To describe somebody who achieved a high moral status, a Greek author would presumably have made use of a phrase such as: ‘[a person] genovmeno" agaqo" j v (a person who became good)’ (26), but, of course, there was no lack of goodness in Christ at all (cf Heb 1,2f.). The phrasing of Heb 9,11 enables an understanding of Christ to become perfected — though his goodness is already unparalleled — by certain virtues devolved upon him. The participium coniunctum of Heb 9,11 speaks of Christ’s arrival (paragenomeno") at the heavenly sanctuary as that of a high priest, perfected v through sufferings. This perfection into which he grew, enabled him to become a high priest, for it is a constituent part of his completely different liturgy (Heb 8,6: diaforwtevra" tevtucen leitourgiva") that he became merciful, reliable (Heb 2,17) and compassionate (Heb 4,15), in order to intercede with God (Heb 7,25) for those in need of it (Heb 2,18; 4,16). (22) Seneca, Moral Epistles, II, 37. (23) Seneca. Moral Epistles, II, 45. (24) Cf. FUHRMANN, Vergeben, 106 and M. YARNOLD, “Metriopaqei'n apud Hebr 5,2”, VD 38 (1960) 149-155. (25) See also Plutarch’s possibly fragmentary essay ‘Can virtue be taught?’ (An virtus doceri possit, Mor 439A-440C), in volume VI of Plutarch’s Moralia (ed. W.C. HELMBOLD) (LCL; London – Cambridge, MA 1957). (26) To mention but two examples: Diodor, Ant. Rom. 3.66.1: ejn th'/ mavch/ genomevnou" andra" ajgaqouv"; or Josephus, Ant. Iud. 12.24: ∆Iwvshpo" anhr agaqo" genomeno". [ j;j ; v