John Chrysostom, On Melchizedek

if the one who is weary does not want this, let him take the other; if he accepts that, let him receive the other; and if he rejects this, let him take hold of the other; and by variety let us conquer the difficulty, and by the diversity of the table let us cure the displeasure of the mind; so often must we also do in listening, when we are weak, and it is necessary to prepare a long discourse, and one having various parables and examples, arguments and periods, and many other such things, so that from them all the choice of what is profitable may become easy for us. But even if the discourse is long and hard to explain, he did not deprive them of the teaching about Melchizedek; by saying, ‘Long and hard to explain,’ he stirred up their earnestness, so that they might not become more indolent in listening; and by providing the table, he granted their desire. 2. Let us also do this. Even if we are unequal to the sea and depth of the thoughts, let us venture into the sea, not according to our own power, but according to the grace given to us from above; not through our own confidence, but for your benefit let us venture into the sea, in this also imitating Paul. For that he did not deprive them of the discourse about Melchizedek, hear what follows. For having said, ‘Of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain,’ he added: For this Melchizedek, king of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of 56.259 peace, without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest forever. Did he not weary your ears, discoursing about a man and saying, ‘Without father, without mother, without genealogy’? And why do I say about a man? For if this were said about the Son, would it not even so provide much for inquiry? For if without father, how is He a Son? And if without mother, how is He Only-begotten? For a son must have a father, since he would not be a son. But the Son of God is both without father and without mother; without father in the birth below, without mother in the one above. For He had neither a father on earth, nor a mother in the heavens. Without genealogy. Let those who are overly curious about his essence hear. And yet some think that this ‘Without genealogy’ is said concerning the birth above. For the heretics do not want this either; for they are overly curious and meddle in that one too; but the more reasonable of them concede that one, but think that ‘Without genealogy’ is said concerning this one below. Let us show, therefore, that Paul said this concerning each generation, both the one above and the one below. For that one is awesome, and this one is most mystical. For this reason Isaiah also says: ‘Who shall declare His generation?’ But, he says, he spoke about that one above. What then shall we say to Paul who spoke of both generations, and then added ‘Without genealogy’? So that you may believe Him to be without genealogy not only in respect to that generation, according to which He is without mother, but also in respect to this one, according to which He is without father, I mean the one below; for this reason, having set down both, he then said, ‘Without genealogy.’ For this generation below is also incomprehensible, so that we may not even dare to peer into that one. For if the outer courts of the temple are so fearful and inaccessible, who will attempt to enter the inner sanctuary? That He was begotten of the Father I know, but how, I do not know. That He was born of the Virgin I understand, but the manner I do not comprehend here either. For each generation is confessed, and the manner of each is kept in silence. And just as here in the case of the Virgin, not knowing how He was born from the virgin, I confess that He was born, and I do not deny the fact because of ignorance; so also you do in the case of the Father, even if you do not know how He was begotten, confess it. And if the heretic says to you, ‘How was the Son begotten of the Father?’ pull down his arrogance to the

τοῦτο ὁ κάμνων μὴ βουληθῇ, τὸ ἕτερον λάβῃ, κἀκεῖνο προσίεται, τὸ ἄλλο δέξηται, κἂν τοῦτο διακρούσηται, θατέρου ἐπιλάβηται, καὶ τῇ ποικιλίᾳ τὴν δυσκολίαν νικήσωμεν, καὶ τῷ πολυτρόπῳ τῆς τραπέζης τὸ δυσάρεστον θεραπεύσωμεν τῆς γνώμης· οὕτω πολλάκις καὶ ἐπὶ ἀκροάσεως δεῖ ποιεῖν, ὅταν ἀσθενεῖς ὦμεν, καὶ πολὺν παρασκευάσαι χρὴ λόγον, καὶ ποικίλας παραβολὰς καὶ παραδείγματα ἔχοντα, κατασκευὰς καὶ περιόδους, καὶ ἕτερα πολλὰ τοιαῦτα, ἵνα ἐκ πάντων ῥᾳδία γένηται ἡμῖν τῶν συμφερόντων ἡ αἵρεσις. Πλὴν ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ πολὺς ὁ λόγος καὶ δυσερμήνευτος, οὐκ ἀπεστέρησεν αὐτοὺς τῆς διδασκαλίας τοῦ Μελχισεδέκ· τὸ μὲν εἰπεῖν, Πολὺς καὶ δυσερμήνευτος, ἀναστήσας αὐτῶν τὴν σπουδὴν, ἵνα μὴ ῥᾳθυμότεροι γίνωνται περὶ τὴν ἀκρόασιν· τὸ δὲ παρασχεῖν τὴν τράπεζαν, χαρισάμενος αὐτῶν τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν. βʹ. Τοῦτο δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς ποιήσωμεν. Εἰ καὶ πρὸς τὸ πέλαγος καὶ βάθος τῶν νοημάτων ἀδυνατοῦμεν, κατατολμήσωμεν τῆς θαλάττης, οὐ κατὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν δύναμιν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν ἄνωθεν διδομένην ἡμῖν χάριν· οὐ διὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν παῤῥησίαν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ὑμῶν ὠφέλειαν κατατολμήσωμεν τῆς θαλάττης, καὶ ἐν τούτῳ Παῦλον μιμούμενοι. Ὅτι γὰρ οὐκ ἀπεστέρησεν αὐτοὺς τοῦ λόγου τοῦ περὶ τὸν Μελχισεδὲκ, ἄκουσον τῶν ἑξῆς. Εἰπὼν γοῦν, Περὶ οὗ πολὺς ὁ λόγος καὶ δυσερμήνευτος, ἐπήγαγεν· Οὗτος γὰρ ὁ Μελχισεδὲκ βασιλεὺς δικαιοσύνης, ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ βασιλεὺς Σαλὴμ, ὅ ἐστιν, βασιλεὺς 56.259 εἰρήνης, ἀπάτωρ, ἀμήτωρ, ἀγενεαλόγητος, μήτε ἀρχὴν ἡμερῶν ἔχων, μήτε τέλος ζωῆς, ἀφωμοιωμένος δὲ τῷ Υἱῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ, μένει ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸ διηνεκές. Ἆρ' οὐ κατέξανεν ὑμῶν τὰς ἀκοὰς, περὶ ἀνθρώπου διαλεγόμενος καὶ λέγων, Ἀπάτωρ, ἀμήτωρ, ἀγενεαλόγητος; Καὶ τί λέγω περὶ ἀνθρώπου; Εἰ γὰρ περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ λέγοιτο τοῦτο, οὐκ ἂν πολλὴν καὶ οὕτως παράσχῃ ζήτησιν; Εἰ γὰρ ἀπάτωρ, πῶς Υἱός; Εἰ δὲ ἀμήτωρ, πῶς Μονογενής; Ὁ γὰρ υἱὸς ὀφείλει πατέρα ἔχειν, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἂν εἴη υἱός. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπάτωρ ἐστὶν ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἀμήτωρ· ἀπάτωρ τὴν κάτω γέννησιν, ἀμήτωρ τὴν ἄνω. Οὔτε γὰρ ἐπὶ γῆς ἔσχεν πατέρα, οὔτε ἐν οὐρανοῖς μητέρα. Ἀγενεαλόγητος. Ἀκουέτωσαν οἱ τὴν οὐσίαν αὐτοῦ πολυπραγμονοῦντες. Καίτοι τινὲς νομίζουσιν ὅτι τὸ Ἀγενεαλόγητος τοῦτο, περὶ τῆς ἄνω γεννήσεως εἴρηται. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ αἱρετικοὶ οὔτε τοῦτο βούλονται· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐκείνην πολυπραγμονοῦσι καὶ περιεργάζονται· οἱ δὲ ἐπιεικέστεροι τούτων ἐκείνην μὲν παραχωροῦσι, περὶ δὲ ταύτης κάτω νομίζουσιν εἰρῆσθαι τὸ, Ἀγενεαλόγητος. ∆είξωμεν οὖν ὅτι περὶ ἑκατέρας τῆς γεννήσεως τοῦτο Παῦλος εἶπε, καὶ περὶ τῆς ἄνω, καὶ περὶ τῆς κάτω. Καὶ γὰρ κἀκείνη φρικτὴ, καὶ αὕτη μυστικωτάτη. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ Ἡσαΐας φησίν· Τὴν γενεὰν αὐτοῦ τίς διηγήσεται; Ἀλλὰ περὶ ἐκείνης, φησὶν, εἶπεν τῆς ἄνω. Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν τῷ Παύλῳ ἀμφοτέρας εἰπόντι τὰς γεννήσεις, καὶ τότε ἐπαγαγόντι τὸ, Ἀγενεαλόγητος; Ἵνα μὴ μόνον κατ' ἐκείνην τὴν γέννησιν, καθ' ἣν ἀμήτωρ ἐστὶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ ταύτην, καθ' ἣν ἀπάτωρ ἐστὶ, τὴν κάτω λέγω, ἀγενεαλόγητον εἶναι πιστεύσῃς· διὰ τοῦτο ἀμφότερα θεὶς, τότε εἶπεν, Ἀγενεαλόγητος. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὕτη ἡ κάτω ἀκατάληπτος, ἵνα πρὸς ἐκείνην μηδὲ παρακύψαι τολμήσωμεν. Εἰ γὰρ τὰ προαύλια τοῦ ναοῦ οὕτω φοβερὰ καὶ ἀπρόσιτα, πρὸς τὰ ἄδυτα τίς εἰσελθεῖν ἐπιχειρήσει; Ὅτι ἐγεννήθη παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς οἶδα, τὸ δὲ πῶς, οὐκ οἶδα. Ὅτι ἐτέχθη ὑπὸ τῆς Παρθένου ἐπίσταμαι, τὸν δὲ τρόπον οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα καταλαμβάνω. Ἑκατέρα γὰρ ἡ γέννησις ὡμολόγηται, καὶ ἑκατέρας ὁ τρόπος σεσίγηται. Καὶ ὅπερ ἐνταῦθα ἐπὶ τῆς Παρθένου, οὐκ εἰδὼς πῶς ἐκ τῆς παρθένου ἐγεννήθη, ὁμολογῶ ὅτι ἐγεννήθη, καὶ οὐκ ἀναιρῶ τὸ πρᾶγμα διὰ τὴν ἄγνοιαν· οὕτω καὶ σὺ ποίησον ἐπὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς, εἰ καὶ οὐκ οἶδας πῶς ἐγεννήθη, ὁμολόγησον. Κἂν εἴπῃ σοι ὁ αἱρετικός· Πῶς ἐγεννήθη ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς ὁ Υἱός; κατάσπασον αὐτοῦ τὸ φρύαγμα εἰς τὴν