THEOSISBeda Venerabilis
The letter from Phaphnaeus to Darius stands in stark contrast to the correspondence that Rehum and Shimshai sent to Artaxerxes. While the latter was rife with accusations directed at the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Phaphnaeus's letter is imbued with admiration, not just for the people but for the Almighty Himself. It opens with the greeting: To Darius the king, greetings! Let the king know that we traveled to the land of Judah, to the house of the great God; it is constructed with large stones, and timber is integrated into the walls; and this endeavor is progressing swiftly and successfully in their hands. We then inquired of the elders, asking them, ‘Who authorized you to rebuild this house and to complete these walls? (1 Ezra 5:7-9)’.
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In these words, we can decipher the significance of the assertion that the house of the Lord was erected from substantial stones, even though it is apparent that such a magnificent task could only be accomplished using crafted stones. The reference to unhewn stones likely signifies the new stones that were gathered raw and subsequently shaped for the construction of the Lord's house. Even if some ancient stones remained, as illustrated in Lamentations by Jeremiah, scattered throughout the streets (Lamentations 4:1), it is clear that new stones had to be refined to finalize the temple's structure. The importance of this detail is evidently significant. It illustrates that the Church of God comprises not only those who, through repentance, regain their senses and return to a life of righteousness lost to sin, but also those who are newly invited to faith, guided by the instruction of leaders akin to builders measuring their work and fitting into the spiritual edifice of the Lord. The construction of the temple using both old and new stones—referring to stones that had been crafted and those that had yet to be worked—can be understood as a representation of the singular Church of Christ, which unites two groups: the Jews and the Gentiles. The Jews are seen as having been prepared long ago, possessing knowledge and adherence to God's law. In contrast, the Gentiles, who were previously ensnared in idolatry and untouched by the spiritual architects' zeal or righteousness, cast off the blemishes of their primitive and earthly mindset.