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«Unsearchable are his judgments.» For not only is one unable to comprehend, but not even to begin an investigation; so that not only is one unable to reach the end, but not even to trace out the beginning of his dispensations. 2.8 And having said, «How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!» and having marveled and been astounded, he brought his discourse to a close with a doxology, adding and saying thus: «Who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? or who has first given to him, and it shall be repaid to him? For from him and through him and to him are all things; to him be glory for ever. Amen.» 2.9 And what he says is this: He himself is the source, he himself is the cause of good things, he needs no partner, he needs no counselor; not borrowing knowledge or understanding from another, he works and performs wonders; but he himself is the beginning and cause and source of all good things, he himself is the Creator, he himself brought them into being when they were not, and he himself, having brought them into being, sustains and orders and preserves them as he wishes. 2.10 For the words, «From him and through him and to him are all things,» mean this: that he himself is the cause of beings and the Creator and the one who sustains and holds all things together. Then again, mindful of the gift given to us, he says elsewhere: «But thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift.» And the peace given to us, he shows not only surpasses speech, nor exceeds description, but is also superior to every mind, for which reason he says: «The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts.» 2.11 If, therefore, the depth of the riches and of the wisdom and of the knowledge is infinite, and his judgments are unsearchable, and his ways are untraceable, and his gift is indescribable, and his peace surpasses every mind—not my mind and yours and so-and-so's, nor that of Paul and Peter only, but also that of the archangels and the powers above—what defense will you have, tell me? and what excuse, you who are possessed by such madness and folly, wanting to comprehend the untraceable and demanding an account for all of God's providence? 2.12 For if Paul, who had enjoyed so much knowledge and had such unspeakable boldness and was filled with so many gifts, gives way and stands back from knowledge under inquiry, and not only is unable to find it, but cannot even investigate the beginning, since it is not even possible, how is he not more wretched than all and raging with the most grievous madness, who goes the opposite way to him? 2.13 For he has not only said these things, but also, once writing to the Corinthians about knowledge, and showing how, even if we have learned many things, yet we have a small and exceedingly minimal measure of knowledge, he says something like this: «If anyone thinks that he knows anything, he has not yet seen as he ought to know.» Then, showing that much is lacking in our knowledge and the greater part is reserved for the time to come, but a little something has been given to us, he added: «We know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.» 2.14 And he did not stop there, but wanting to show how great is the difference between this knowledge and that one, and that much is lacking, he makes this clear through certain images, saying: «When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly, but then face to face.» 2.15 Do you see how great the difference is? As great as that between a child and a perfect man; as great as that between a mirror and an enigma and the rest of the unclear vision of things, compared to a clear vision; for this is what «face to face» means. Why then do you rage and rave, daring to attempt forbidden things rashly and in vain? And why are you not persuaded by Paul when he says: «But who are you, O man, who answers back to God? Shall the thing formed say to him who formed it, 'Why have you made me like this?'» 2.16 Do you see how much obedience he demands? how much 2.16 silence? For he does not say this to do away with our free will, may it not be; but showing that the one who seeks these things must be as speechless as the nature of clay, following wherever

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«Ἀνεξερεύνητα τὰ κρίματα αὐτοῦ.» Οὐ μόνον γὰρ καταλαβεῖν τις οὐ δύναται, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἀρχὴν ἐρεύνης ποιήσασθαι· ὥστε οὐ μόνον εἰς τὸ πέρας τις ἐλθεῖν οὐκ ἰσχύει, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐξιχνιάσαι τῶν οἰκονομιῶν αὐτοῦ. 2.8 Εἰπὼν δέ· «Ὡς ἀνεξερεύνητα τὰ κρίματα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀνεξιχνίαστοι αἱ ὁδοὶ αὐτοῦ» καὶ θαυμάσας καὶ ἐκπλαγείς, εἰς δοξολογίαν τὸν λόγον κατέπαυσεν, οὕτως ἐπάγων καὶ λέγων· «Τίς ἔγνω νοῦν Κυρίου, ἢ τίς σύμβουλος αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο; ἢ τίς προέδωκεν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀνταποδοθήσεται αὐτῷ; Ὅτι ἐξ αὐτοῦ καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν τὰ πάντα· αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν.» 2.9 Ὃ δὲ λέγει τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Αὐτὸς πηγή, αὐτὸς αἰτία τῶν ἀγαθῶν, οὐδενὸς δεῖται κοινωνοῦ, οὐδενὸς δεῖται συμβούλου· οὐ παρ' ἑτέρου δανειζόμενος γνῶσιν ἢ σύνεσιν, πραγματεύεται καὶ θαυματουργεῖ· ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ἀρχὴ καὶ αἰτία καὶ πηγὴ πάντων τῶν ἀγαθῶν, αὐτὸς δημιουργός, αὐτὸς αὐτὰ οὐκ ὄντα παρήγαγε, καὶ αὐτὸς παραχθέντα διακρατεῖ καὶ διακοσμεῖ καὶ διατηρεῖ ὡς βούλεται. 2.10 Τὸ γάρ· «Ἐξ αὐτοῦ καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν τὰ πάντα», τοῦτό ἐστι δηλοῦντος ὅτι αἴτιος τῶν ὄντων αὐτὸς καὶ δημιουργὸς καὶ διακρατῶν καὶ συνέχων τὰ πάντα. Εἶτα πάλιν τῆς δωρεᾶς μνησθεὶς τῆς εἰς ἡμᾶς γεγενημένης, ἀλλαχοῦ λέγει· «Χάρις δὲ τῷ Θεῷ ἐπὶ τῇ ἀνεκδιηγήτῳ αὐτοῦ δωρεᾷ.» Καὶ τὴν εἰρήνην δὲ τὴν δοθεῖσαν ἡμῖν, οὐχὶ λόγον νικᾶν μόνον, οὐδὲ διήγησιν ὑπερβαίνειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ νοῦ παντὸς ἀνωτέραν εἶναι δηλοῖ, διὸ λέγει· «Ἡ εἰρήνη τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἡ ὑπερέχουσα πάντα νοῦν, φρουρήσει τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν.» 2.11 Εἰ τοίνυν τὸ βάθος ἄπειρον τοῦ πλούτου καὶ τῆς σοφίας καὶ τῆς γνώσεως καὶ τὰ κρίματα αὐτοῦ ἀνεξερεύνητα καὶ αἱ ὁδοὶ αὐτοῦ ἀνεξιχνίαστοι καὶ ἡ δωρεὰ αὐτοῦ ἀνεκδιήγητος καὶ ἡ εἰρήνη ὑπερέχει πάντα νοῦν, οὐ τὸν ἐμὸν καὶ τὸν σὸν καὶ τοῦ δεῖνος, οὐδὲ τὸν τοῦ Παύλου καὶ Πέτρου μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν ἀρχαγγέλων καὶ τῶν ἄνω δυνάμεων, ποίαν ἕξεις αὐτὸς ἀπολογίαν, εἰπέ μοι; τίνα δὲ συγγνώμην, τοσαύτῃ κεχρημένος μανίᾳ καὶ ἀπονοίᾳ, τὰ ἀνεξιχνίαστα βουλόμενος καταλαβεῖν καὶ περὶ πάσης τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ προνοίας λόγον ἀπαιτῶν; 2.12 Εἰ γὰρ ὁ τοσαύτης ἀπολελαυκὼς γνώσεως καὶ παρρησίαν οὕτως ἄφατον ἔχων καὶ τῶν τοσούτων χαρισμάτων ἐμπεπλησμένος Παῦλος παραχωρεῖ καὶ ἐξίσταται τῆς ὑπὸ τὴν ζήτησιν γνώσεως καὶ οὐ μόνον εὑρεῖν οὐ δύναται, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἐρευνῆσαι τὴν ἀρχήν, ἐπεὶ μηδὲ δυνατόν, πῶς οὐ πάντων ἀθλιώτερος καὶ τὴν χαλεπωτάτην μαινόμενος μανίαν, ὁ τὴν ἐναντίαν ὁδὸν ἐρχόμενος ἐκείνῳ; 2.13 Οὐδὲ γὰρ ταῦτα εἴρηκε μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ γνώσεώς ποτε Κορινθίοις ἐπιστέλλων, καὶ δεικνὺς ὅπως, εἰ καὶ πολλὰ μεμαθήκαμεν, ἀλλ' ὀλίγον καὶ σφόδρα ἐλάχιστον μέτρον γνώσεως ἔχομεν, οὕτω πώς φησιν· «Εἴ τις δοκεῖ ἐγνωκέναι τι, οὔπω εἶδε καθὼς δεῖ γνῶναι.» Εἶτα δηλῶν ὅτι πολὺ λείπει τῆς γνώσεως ἡμῖν καὶ τὸ πλέον ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι τεταμίευται χρόνῳ, ὀλίγον δέ τι ἡμῖν δέδοται, ἐπήγαγεν· «Ἐκ μέρους γινώσκομεν καὶ ἐκ μέρους προφητεύομεν. Ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ τὸ τέλειον, τότε τὸ ἐκ μέρους καταργηθήσεται.» 2.14 Καὶ οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα ἔστη, ἀλλὰ δεῖξαι βουλόμενος πόσον τὸ μέσον ταύτης κἀκείνης τῆς γνώσεως καὶ ὅτι πολὺ τὸ λειπόμενον, διὰ εἰκόνων τινῶν σαφὲς τοῦτο ποιεῖ λέγων· «Ὅτε ἤμην νήπιος, ὡς νήπιος ἐλάλουν, ὡς νήπιος ἐφρόνουν, ὡς νήπιος ἐλογιζόμην· ὅτε δὲ γέγονα ἀνήρ, τὰ τοῦ νηπίου κατήργηκα. Βλέπομεν γὰρ ἄρτι δι' ἐσόπτρου ἐν αἰνίγματι, τότε δὲ πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον.» 2.15 Εἶδες πόσον τὸ μέσον; Ὅσον νηπίου παιδὸς καὶ ἀνδρὸς τελείου· ὅσον ἐσόπτρου καὶ αἰνίγματος καὶ τῆς ἄλλης τῆς ἀσαφοῦς τῶν πραγμάτων ὄψεως πρὸς σαφῆ ὄψιν· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ «πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον». Τί οὖν μαίνῃ καὶ λυττᾷς, τῶν κεκωλυμένων κατατολμῶν εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην; τί δὲ οὐ πείθῃ Παύλῳ λέγοντι· «Μενοῦν γε σὺ τίς εἶ, ἄνθρωπε, ὁ ἀνταποκρινόμενος τῷ Θεῷ; Μὴ ἐρεῖ τὸ πλάσμα τῷ πλάσαντι· Τί με ἐποίησας οὕτως;» 2.16 Ὁρᾷς πόσην ἀπαιτεῖ τὴν ὑπακοήν; πόσην τὴν 2.16 σιγήν; Οὐ γὰρ δὴ τὸ αὐτεξούσιον ἡμῶν ἀναιρῶν τοῦτο λέγει· μὴ γένοιτο· ἀλλὰ δηλῶν ὅτι τὸν ταῦτα ζητοῦντα οὕτως ἄφωνον εἶναι δεῖ, ὡς ἡ τοῦ πηλοῦ φύσις, ἑπομένη ᾗπερ