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brother. But these are they who from some Greek skillfulness generated heretical ideas, and as it were fashioned golden heifers in Bethel, which is interpreted house of God. And it seems to me that through these things the Word also hints, that they dedicated their own fabrications to the Scriptures, in which the word of God dwells, which are tropologically called Bethel. But the other fabrication the Word says was dedicated in Dan. But the borders of Dan are the last, and near the borders of the gentiles; as is clear from the things written in Joshua son of Nun. Therefore near the borders of the gentiles are some of the fabrications, which the brothers of Ader, as we have explained, fabricated. 4 You therefore, my lord son, first and foremost pay attention to the reading of the divine Scriptures; but pay attention. For we are in need of much attention when reading the divine things; so that we may not say anything too rashly or think concerning them. And paying attention to the reading of the divine things with a faithful and God-pleasing conviction, knock on its closed doors, and it will be opened to you by the gatekeeper, concerning whom Jesus said: to him the gatekeeper opens. And paying attention to the divine reading, seek rightly and with unwavering faith in God the meaning of the divine letters, hidden from the many. But be not content with knocking and seeking; for prayer for understanding the divine things is also most necessary. To which the Savior exhorting, not only said: Knock, and it shall be opened to you; and: Seek, and you shall find; but also: Ask, and it shall be given to you. These things have been ventured from my fatherly love toward you. But whether the things ventured are good or not, God would know and his Christ and he who partakes of the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ. And may you partake, and may you ever increase your participation, so that you may say not only: We have become partakers of Christ, but also: We have become partakers of God.

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ἀδελφός. οὗτοι δέ εἰσιν οἱ ἀπό τινος Ἑλληνικῆς ἐντρεχείας αἱρετικὰ γεννήσαντες νοήματα, καὶ οἱονεὶ δαμάλεις χρυσᾶς κατασκευάσαντες ἐν Βαιθὴλ, ὃ ἑρμηνεύεται οἶκος θεοῦ. δοκεῖ δέ μοι καὶ διὰ τούτων ὁ λόγος αἰνίσσεσθαι, ὅτι τὰ ἴδια ἀναπλάσματα ἀνέθηκαν ταῖς γραφαῖς, ἐν αἷς οἰκεῖ λόγος θεοῦ, τροπικῶς Βαιθὴλ καλουμέναις. τὸ δ' ἄλλο ἀνάπλασμα ἐν ∆άν φησιν ὁ λόγος ἀνατεθεῖσθαι. τοῦ δὲ ∆ὰν τὰ ὅρια τελευταῖά ἐστιν, καὶ ἐγγὺς τῶν ἐθνικῶν ὁρίων· ὡς δῆλον ἐκ τῶν ἀναγεγραμ- μένων ἐν τῷ τοῦ Ναυῆ Ἰησοῦ. ἐγγὺς οὖν εἰσιν ἐθνικῶν ὁρίων τινὰ τῶν ἀναπλασμάτων, ἅπερ ἀνέπλασαν οἱ τοῦ Ἄδερ, ὡς ἀποδεδώκαμεν, ἀδελφοί. 4 Σὺ οὖν, κύριε υἱὲ, προηγουμένως πρόσεχε τῇ τῶν θείων γραφῶν ἀναγνώσει· ἀλλὰ πρόσεχε. πολλῆς γὰρ προσοχῆς ἀναγινώσκοντες τὰ θεῖα δεόμεθα· ἵνα μὴ προπετέστερον εἴπωμέν τινα ἢ νοήσωμεν περὶ αὐτῶν. καὶ προσέχων τῇ τῶν θείων ἀναγνώσει μετὰ πιστῆς καὶ θεῷ ἀρεσκούσης προλήψεως κροῦε τὰ κεκλεισμένα αὐτῆς, καὶ ἀνοιγήσεταί σοι ὑπὸ τοῦ θυρωροῦ, περὶ οὗ εἶπεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς· τούτῳ ὁ θυρωρὸς ἀνοίγει. καὶ προσέχων τῇ θείᾳ ἀναγνώσει ὀρθῶς ζήτει καὶ μετὰ πίστεως τῆς εἰς θεὸν ἀκλινοῦς τὸν κεκρυμμένον τοῖς πολλοῖς νοῦν τῶν θείων γραμμάτων. μὴ ἀρκοῦ δὲ τῷ κρούειν καὶ ζητεῖν· ἀναγκαιοτάτη γὰρ καὶ ἡ περὶ τοῦ νοεῖν τὰ θεῖα εὐχή· ἐφ' ἣν προτρέπων ὁ σωτὴρ οὐ μόνον εἶπεν τό· κρούετε, καὶ ἀνοιγήσεται ὑμῖν· καὶ τό· ζητεῖτε, καὶ εὑρήσετε· ἀλλὰ καὶ τό· αἰτεῖτε, καὶ δοθήσεται ὑμῖν. ταῦτα ἀπὸ τῆς πρός σε ἐμοῦ πατρικῆς ἀγάπης τετόλμηται. εἰ δ' εὖ ἔχει τὰ τετολμημένα ἢ μὴ, θεὸς ἂν εἰδείη καὶ ὁ χριστὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ὁ μετέχων πνεύματος θεοῦ καὶ πνεύματος χριστοῦ. μετέχοις δὲ σὺ, καὶ ἀεὶ αὔξοις τὴν μετοχὴν, ἵνα λέγῃς οὐ μόνον τό· μέτοχοι τοῦ χριστοῦ γεγόναμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ· μέτοχοι τοῦ θεοῦ γεγόναμεν.