Scholia in Lucam

 it is but of some theorems, the end is action. For through 'eyewitnesses,' it denotes the theoretical, and through 'ministers,' the practical. You ca

 you shall call his name John. 17.317 Verse ιδʹ. And you will have joy and gladness and many will rejoice at his birth. Through condescension an angel

 Since it was not given to the embryos to speak because of their immaturity, as the Baptist hastened to proclaim the Redeemer, his mother lent the orga

 of the coming of Christ. For if He made peace through the blood of His cross, both the things on earth and the things in heaven, according to the divi

 of a river? For truly the river of God is coming down, the true water, the saving water. And he preaches, it says, a baptism for the remission of sins

 to point with his finger at him who was present and to say: Behold the Lamb of God. The all-holy Virgin knew, that he was not the child of Joseph, but

 being ashamed, or fearing the Pharisees, and being occupied with other things, or perhaps thinking it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath. For the evang

 from the surrounding country not accepting the presence of Jesus, he nonetheless provided for the salvation of those who could be saved there, sending

 to be healed. For many physicians promised to heal those from the nations. If you see those who philosophize professing truth, they are physicians try

 to see death, and greater than this is to taste it, and still worse than this is for death to follow someone? and not only to follow, but also to have

 to Moses and Elijah he says: This is he and perhaps also to the disciples. Having heard this, and not bearing this glory, they fell on their face, hu

 therefore, as he could not be healed from the affliction by the lesser word of the disciples. The mute and deaf demon is the irrational impulses towar

 mystically understood is the necessity for the father to be hated by us, if we are to be worthy of Jesus. But the saying, Let the dead bury their own

 of your Father, who is in heaven. Let your kingdom come. That every rule and authority and power may be abolished, and also every kingdom of the world

 of bread, smelling the sweet fragrance of Christ's myrrh, the oil of gladness, touching the living word which, being despised by those who judge the

 of the eleventh. And since choice, not time, is examined, which one has made in faith for this reason to those who have done what is required from th

 to him I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. I ask you, have me excused. Verse 19. And another said: I have bought five yoke of oxen,

 occurring in living flesh, and somehow it releases all impurity from one who has become entirely leprous. For then he is considered unclean, when livi

 he became. But later, on account of his disobedience, he also took up an earthly image. And just as the coin has the image of the ruler of the nations

it is; but of some theorems, the end is action. For through 'eyewitnesses,' it denotes the theoretical, and through 'ministers,' the practical. You can also understand 'becoming ministers of the Word' in another way: either of the teaching word, which the Savior delivered; or of the Word of God Himself, whom the disciples also served in His presence. Luke reveals his own disposition. For he was fully assured, and in nothing did he doubt, whether it was so, or not. And this happens with those who firmly believe. For the Apostle also says of the steadfast: 'That you might be rooted and grounded in the faith.' For nothing gives such full assurance as mind and reason. For sight does not give full assurance; since things are not judged by visible signs and wonders; but are judged by reason, which things are true, and which are false. And he says 'of things,' because Jesus did not enact His incarnate presence as an illusion, according to the children of the heretics; but being truth, He worked the things in truth. Verse 3. to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus. Verse 4. that you might know the certainty of the words in which you were instructed. Verse 5. There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 17.316 Verse ʹ. And they were both righteous before God. It is reasonable to suppose that he wrote the Gospel to a certain Theophilus, who was one of the believers, so fervent in spirit and insatiably disposed towards the deeds and words of the Lord; whom the things now being written were making more certain. If we are all such as to be cherished and loved by God, we are Theophiloi (lovers of God). And a Theophilus could not be weak. For just as it is written of the people coming out of Egypt: 'There was not a weak one among their tribes'; so I would say that every Theophilus is 'most excellent,' having the might and the power that comes from God and His Word. And so one will recognize the certainty of the words in which he was instructed, understanding the word of the Gospel. He promises, therefore, the certainty of knowledge, so that what that man received by hearing, he might also hold more securely by reading in writing, and might preserve the faith. To be righteous before God is perfect praise. For He alone knows the hearts of men. For it is possible for someone to be righteous in appearance before men, but in the secret of the heart not to be such, possessing evil thoughts nesting within. Such is also that of the Apostle: 'Whose praise is not from men, but from God.' For men do not praise worthily, seeing only the appearance; but God makes both the judgment of the blameworthy and the praise of the praiseworthy worthily. Verse ʹ. Walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. Verse 7. And they had no child; because Elizabeth was barren, and they both were advanced in their days. Verse 8. And it came to pass, that while he was executing the priest's office before God in the order of his division, Verse 9. according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. Verse 10. And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the time of incense. Perhaps someone will say: Why is 'blameless' applied to these? for it was sufficient for them to walk in all the ways of God and ordinances; unless perhaps it is possible to walk in all the commandments, but not blamelessly. I say then to him that if this were not so, it would not have been said: 'You shall justly pursue justice.' When, therefore, we do the commandments, so as to also have in the conscience the stain of vainglory, or of men-pleasing, or of any other such thing, we do the commandments blamelessly. Verse 11. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. Verse 12. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled; and fear fell upon him. Verse 13. But the angel said to him: Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and

ἐστί· τινῶν δὲ θεωρημάτων τὸ τέλος ἡ πρᾶξίς ἐστι. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦ, αὐτόπται, δηλοῖ τὸ θεωρητικὸν, διὰ δὲ τοῦ ὑπηρέται, τὸ πραγματικόν. ∆ύνασαι δὲ καὶ ἑτέρως ἐκλαβεῖν τὸ, ὑπηρέται γενόμενοι τοῦ Λό γου· ἤτοι τοῦ διδασκαλικοῦ λόγου, ὃν παρεδίδου ὁ Σωτήρ· ἢ καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου, ᾧ καὶ ἐξυπηρέ τησαν παρόντες οἱ μαθηταί. Τὴν διάθεσιν ἑαυτοῦ ὁ Λουκᾶς ἐμφαίνει. Πεπλη ροφόρητο γὰρ, καὶ ἐν οὐδενὶ ἐδίσταζε, πότερον οὕτως ἔχει, ἢ οὔ. Τοῦτο δὲ γίνεται περὶ τοὺς βεβαίως πι στεύοντας. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Ἀπόστολος περὶ τῶν βεβαίων φησίν· Ἵνα ἦτε ἐῤῥιζωμένοι καὶ τεθεμελιωμένοι τῇ πίστει. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω πληροφορεῖ, ὡς νοῦς καὶ λόγος. Ὄψις γὰρ οὐ πληροφορεῖ· ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἀπὸ ση μείων καὶ τεράτων ὁρατῶν κρίνεται τὰ πράγματα· ἀλλὰ λόγῳ κρίνεται, ποῖα τἀληθῆ, καὶ ποῖα τὰ ψευδῆ. Πραγμάτων δέ φησιν, ἐπειδήπερ οὑ κατὰ φαντασίαν, κατὰ τοὺς τῶν αἱρετικῶν παῖδας, ἐδραματούργη σεν Ἰησοῦς τὴν ἔνσαρκον αὑτοῦ παρουσίαν· ἀλλὰ τυγχάνων ἀλήθεια, πρὸς ἀλήθειαν ἐνήργησε τὰ πράγματα. Στίχ. γʹ. Καθεξῆς σοι γράψαι, κράτιστε Θεόφιλε. Στίχ. δʹ. Ἵνα ἐπιγνῷς περὶ ὧν κατηχήθης λόγων τὴν ἀσφάλειαν. Στίχ. εʹ. Ἐγένετο ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Ἡρώδου τοῦ βασιλέως τῆς Ἰουδαίας ἱερεύς τις ὀνόματι Ζα χαρίας ἐξ ἐφημερίας Ἀβιά· καὶ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ ἐκ τῶν θυγατέρων Ἀαρὼν, καὶ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῆς Ἐλισάβετ. 17.316 Στίχ. ʹ. Ἦσαν δὲ δίκαιοι ἀμφότεροι ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ. Εἰκὸς ὑπολαμβάνειν, ὅτι Θεοφίλῳ τινὶ ἔγραψε τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον, ὃς εἷς ἦν τῶν πεπιστευκότων, οὕτω ζέων τῷ πνεύματι, καὶ ἀπλήστως ἔχων περὶ τὰς τοῦ Κυ ρίου πράξεις τε καὶ λόγους· ὅνπερ ἐποίει ἀσφαλέστε ρον καὶ τὰ νῦν γραφόμενα. Πάντες ἐὰν τοιοῦτοι ὦμεν, ὡς ἀγαπᾶσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ φιλεῖσθαι, Θεό φιλοί ἐσμεν. Καὶ οὐκ ἄν τις εἴη Θεόφιλος ἀσθενής. Ὥσπερ γὰρ γέγραπται ἐπὶ τοῦ λαοῦ ἐξερχομένου ἐκ τῆς Αἰγύπτου· Οὐκ ἦν ἐν ταῖς φυλαῖς αὐτῶν ἀσθε νῶν· οὕτως εἴποιμι ἂν, ὅτι πᾶς Θεόφιλος κράτιστός ἐστιν, ἔχων τὸ κράτος καὶ τὴν δύναμιν, τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τοῦ Λόγου αὐτοῦ. Καὶ οὕτως ἐπιγνώσεταί τις περὶ ὧν κατηχήθη λόγων τὴν ἀσφάλειαν, συνεὶς τὸν λόγον τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου. Ἐπαγγέλλεται τοίνυν τῆς γνώσεως τὸ βέβαιον, ἵνα ἅπερ ἐκεῖνος ἀκοῇ παρέλαβε, ταῦτα καὶ γράμμασιν ἐντυγχάνων ἀσφαλέστερον κατ έχῃ, καὶ τὴν πίστιν διατηρῇ. Τὸ εἶναι δίκαιον ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἔπαινός ἐστι τέλειος. Αὐτὸς γὰρ ἐπίσταται τὰς καρδίας τῶν ἀν θρώπων μονώτατος. Ἐνδέχεται γὰρ κατὰ μὲν τὸ φαι νόμενον δίκαιον εἶναί τινα ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀνθρώπων, κατὰ δὲ τὸ κρυπτὸν τῆς καρδίας μὴ εἶναι τοιοῦτον, ἐμφωλεύοντας κεκτημένος λογισμοὺς πονηρούς. Τοιοῦ τον καὶ τὸ παρὰ τῷ Ἀποστόλῳ· Ὧν ὁ ἔπαινος οὐκ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλ' ἐκ Θεοῦ. Οἱ γὰρ ἄνθρωποι οὐκ ἀξίως ἐπαινοῦσι, τὸ φαινόμενον μόνον βλέποντες· ὁ δὲ Θεὸς καὶ τοῦ ψεκτοῦ τὴν κρίσιν, καὶ τοῦ ἐπαινε τοῦ τὸν ἔπαινον ἀξίως ποιεῖ. Στίχ. ʹ. Πορευόμενοι ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ἐντολαῖς καὶ δικαιώμασι τοῦ Κυρίου ἄμεμπτοι. Στίχ. ζʹ. Καὶ οὐκ ἦν αὐτοῖς τέκνον· καθότι Ἐλι σάβετ ἦν στείρα, καὶ ἀμφότεροι προβεβηκότες ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτῶν ἦσαν. Στίχ. ηʹ. Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῷ ἱερατεύειν αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ τάξει τῆς ἐφημερίας αὐτοῦ, ἔναντι τοῦ Θεοῦ, Στίχ. θʹ. Κατὰ τὸ ἔθος τῆς ἱερατείας· ἔλαχε τοῦ θυμιάσαι, εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὸν ναὸν τοῦ Κυρίου. Στίχ. ιʹ. Καὶ πᾶν τὸ πλῆθος ἦν τοῦ λαοῦ προσ ευχόμενον ἔξω τῇ ὥρᾳ τοῦ θυμιάματος. Ἴσως ἐρεῖ τις· ∆ιὰ τί πρόκειται τούτοις τὸ, ἄμεμ πτοι; ἤρκει γὰρ αὐτοῖς πορεύεσθαι ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ὁδοῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ δικαιώμασιν· εἰ μὴ ἄρα ἐστὶ πορεύεσθαι ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ἐντολαῖς, οὐκ ἀμέμπτως δέ. Φημὶ δὲ οὖν πρὸς αὐτὸν, ὅτι, εἰ μὴ ἦν τοῦτο, οὐκ ἂν ἐλέγετο· ∆ικαίως τὸ δίκαιον διώξεις. Ἐπὰν οὖν ποιῶμεν τὰς ἐντολὰς, ὥστε καὶ ἐν τῷ συνειδότι ῥύπον κενοδοξίας, ἢ ἀνθρωπαρεσκείας, ἢ ἑτέρου τινὸς τοιού του ἔχειν, ποιοῦμεν τὰς ἐντολὰς ἀμέμπτως. Στίχ. ιαʹ. Ὤφθη δὲ αὐτῷ ἄγγελος Κυρίου ἑστὼς ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου τοῦ θυμιάματος. Στίχ. ιβʹ. Καὶ ἐταράχθη Ζαχαρίας ἰδών· καὶ φό βος ἐπέπεσεν ἐπ' αὐτόν. Στίχ. ιγʹ. Εἶπε δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ ἄγγελος· Μὴ φο βοῦ, Ζαχαρία, διότι ἐσηκούσθη ἡ δέησίς σου, καὶ ἡ γυνή σου Ἐλισάβετ γεννήσει υἱόν σοι, καὶ