John Chrysostom, On Melchizedek

earth, and say to him: Come down from the heavens, and show how he was born of the Virgin, and then see those things. Seize him and surround him, do not let him leap away, nor retreat into the labyrinth of reasonings, but seize and choke him, not with the hand, but with the word. Do not give him an interval, lest he escape as he wishes. For from there they cause a disturbance for those who are debating, since we follow them, and do not lead them under the laws of the divine Scriptures. Therefore, surround him on all sides with a wall, the testimonies from the Scriptures, and he will not even be able to open his mouth. Say, How was he born of the Virgin? I do not stand off from you, nor do I retreat. But he could not tell us the manner, even if he should contend ten thousand times. For when God has shut, who then shall open? Such things are acceptable by faith alone. But if you cannot, but seek reasonings, I will say to you what Christ says to Nicodemus: If I have told you earthly things, and you do not believe, how, 56.260 if I tell you heavenly things, will you believe? I spoke about the birth from a Virgin, and you do not know, nor do you dare to open your mouth, and you are curiously examining the heavenly one? And would that you meddled only with heaven, but you are also meddling with the Lord of the heavens. If I have told you earthly things, and you do not believe. He did not say, you are not persuaded, but, You do not believe; showing us that if even earthly things require faith, much more do heavenly things. And yet at that time he was discoursing with Nicodemus about a birth of much less importance; for the discourse was about baptism, and spiritual regeneration; but it is clear that these things too are to be comprehended by faith. But he called them earthly, not because they are earthly, but because they are accomplished on earth, and in comparison with the birth from above, which is ineffable and surpasses all understanding, these things are earthly. If, therefore, it is not possible to know how we are regenerated from the waters, but it is necessary to accept what happens by faith alone, and not to curiously examine the manner; of how much madness would it be to stir up human reasonings concerning the birth from above of the only-begotten Son, and to demand an account of the manner of his birth? How the Son of God is without father and without mother has been sufficiently demonstrated, and how he is without genealogy. 3. But since many, not understanding the things written about him, have said that he is greater than Christ, and have established for themselves a heresy, and are called Melchizedekites, and contend with us, wishing to show that he is greater than Christ, bringing forward the text, You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek; it is necessary also to respond to them. For they say: How could he not be greater than Christ, after whose image and order Christ serves as priest? We therefore say that he is a man of like passions with us, and neither greater than Christ, nor even than John the Baptist; For greater than he, says Christ, has not been raised among those born of women. But others again, having been led astray, say that he is the Holy Spirit; but we do not say this either. Since what need was there for the Word of God to become incarnate, if the Spirit had already long ago become a man? But that he is not greater than Christ, nor again the Holy Spirit, let them tell us, of what place do they say he is; is it of a heavenly one? is it of an earthly one? or of an underworld one? If therefore they should say that Melchizedek is of the heavenly beings, or of some other place, let them hear that he himself also bends the knee to Christ who was incarnate of the Theotokos Mary. For the Apostle says that To him every knee shall bow, and what follows. If therefore every knee bows, Melchizedek would be less than Christ; for he worships the worshipped Christ. But if the wretched and miserable ones would also consider what is said next; for he adds, saying, Made like unto the Son of God; it must be understood thus, that just as we also have been made according to the image and likeness of God, so also was he. For the Jews say that he was born of fornication, and for this reason became without genealogy; to whom we will say, that You speak wickedly. For Solomon also from

γῆν, καὶ εἰπὲ πρὸς αὐτόν· Κατάβηθι ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν, καὶ δεῖξον πῶς ἐγεννήθη ἐκ τῆς Παρθένου, καὶ τότε ἐκεῖνα ὅρα. Κάτασχε αὐτὸν καὶ περίστησον, μὴ ἀφῇς ἀποπηδῆσαι, μηδὲ ἀναχωρῆσαι εἰς τὸν λαβύρινθον τῶν λογισμῶν, ἀλλὰ κάτασχε καὶ ἀπόπνιξον, μὴ τῇ χειρὶ, ἀλλὰ τῷ ῥήματι. Μὴ δώσῃς αὐτῷ διαστολὴν, καὶ διαφύγῃ ὡς βούλεται. Ἐκεῖθεν γὰρ θόρυβον ἐμποιοῦσι τοῖς διαλεγομένοις, ἐπειδὴ ἡμεῖς αὐτοῖς ἀκολουθοῦμεν, καὶ οὐκ ἀπάγομεν ὑπὸ τοὺς νόμους τῶν θείων Γραφῶν. Περίθες τοίνυν αὐτῷ πάντοθεν τειχίον τὰς ἀπὸ τῶν Γραφῶν μαρτυρίας, καὶ οὐδὲ χᾶναι δυνήσεται. Εἰπὲ, Πῶς ἐγεννήθη ἐκ τῆς Παρθένου; Οὐκ ἀφίσταμαί σου, οὐδὲ ἀναχωρῶ. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν ἔχοι τὸν τρόπον ἡμῖν εἰπεῖν, κἂν μυρία φιλονεικῇ. Ὅταν γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς ἀποκλείσῃ, τίς ἀνοίξῃ λοιπόν; Μόνῃ τῇ πίστει τὰ τοιαῦτα παράδεκτα. Εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἂν ἔχοις, ἀλλὰ λογισμοὺς ἐπιζητεῖς, ἐρῶ πρὸς σὲ, ὃ πρὸς Νικόδημον ὁ Χριστός φησιν· Εἰ τὰ ἐπίγεια εἶπον ὑμῖν, καὶ οὐ πιστεύετε, πῶς, 56.260 ἐὰν τὰ ἐπουράνια εἴπω, πιστεύετε; Περὶ τῆς ἐκ Παρθένου γεννήσεως εἶπον, καὶ οὐκ οἶδας, οὐδὲ χᾶναι τολμᾷς, καὶ τὴν οὐράνιον περιεργάζῃ; Καὶ εἴθε μὲν τὸν οὐρανὸν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν ∆εσπότην τῶν οὐρανῶν πολυπραγμονεῖς. Εἰ τὰ ἐπίγεια εἶπον ὑμῖν, καὶ οὐ πιστεύετε. Οὐκ εἶπεν, οὐ πείθεσθε, ἀλλ' Οὐ πιστεύετε· δεικνὺς ἡμῖν, ὅτι εἰ καὶ τὰ ἐπίγεια πίστεως δεῖται, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὰ οὐράνια. Καίτοι τότε τῷ Νικοδήμῳ περὶ τοκετοῦ διελέγετο πολὺ ἐλάττονος· περὶ τοῦ βαπτίσματος γὰρ ὁ λόγος ἦν, καὶ τῆς ἀναγεννήσεως τῆς πνευματικῆς· ἀλλὰ δῆλον ὅτι καὶ ταῦτα πίστει ἐστὶ καταληπτά. Ἐπίγεια δὲ αὐτὰ ἐκάλεσεν, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ ἐπίγειά ἐστιν, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἐν τῇ γῇ τελεῖται, καὶ τῇ συγκρίσει τῆς ἄνω γεννήσεως τῆς ἀποῤῥήτου καὶ πάντα ὑπερβαινούσης νοῦν, ἐπίγεια ταῦτά ἐστιν. Εἰ τοίνυν πῶς ἀναγεννώμεθα ἐκ τῶν ὑδάτων οὐ δυνατὸν εἰδέναι, ἀλλὰ πίστει μόνῃ παραδέχεσθαι χρὴ τὸ γινόμενον, καὶ τὸν τρόπον μὴ περιεργάζεσθαι· πόσης ἂν εἴη μανίας ἐπὶ τῆς ἄνω γεννήσεως τοῦ μονογενοῦς Υἱοῦ λογισμοὺς ἀνθρωπίνους κινεῖν, καὶ τρόπου γεννήσεως εὐθύνας ἀπαιτεῖν; Πῶς ἀπάτωρ καὶ ἀμήτωρ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἱκανῶς ἀποδέδεικται, καὶ πῶς ἀγενεαλόγητος. γʹ. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ πολλοὶ μὴ νοήσαντες τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ γεγραμμένα, καὶ μείζονα τοῦ Χριστοῦ αὐτὸν εἶναι εἰρήκασι, καὶ συνεστήσαντο ἑαυτοῖς αἵρεσιν, καὶ λέγονται Μελχισεδεκιταὶ, καὶ φιλονεικοῦσιν ἡμῖν, δεῖξαι βουλόμενοι, ὅτι μείζων ἐστὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, προφέροντες τὸ, Σὺ ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδέκ· δεῖ καὶ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἀπαντῆσαι. Φασὶ γάρ· Πῶς οὐκ ἂν εἴη Χριστοῦ μείζων, οὗ κατὰ τὴν εἰκόνα καὶ τὴν τάξιν ἱερατεύει Χριστός; Ἡμεῖς οὖν λέγομεν αὐτὸν ἄνθρωπον ὁμοιοπαθῆ ἡμῖν, καὶ οὔτε μείζονα τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἀλλ' οὔτε Ἰωάννου τοῦ Βαπτιστοῦ· Μείζων γὰρ αὐτοῦ, φησὶν ὁ Χριστὸς, ἐν γεννητοῖς γυναικῶν οὐκ ἐγήγερται. Ἄλλοι δὲ πάλιν πλανηθέντες λέγουσιν αὐτὸν εἶναι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον· ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς οὐδὲ τοῦτό φαμεν. Ἐπεὶ τίς χρεία τὸν Λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐνανθρωπῆσαι, ἤδη πάλαι τοῦ Πνεύματος ἀνθρώπου γεγονότος; Ὅτι δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν μείζων Χριστοῦ, οὔτε δὲ πάλιν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, εἰπάτωσαν ἡμῖν ἐκεῖνοι, ποίου χωρίου εἶναι αὐτὸν λέγουσιν· ἆρα οὐρανίου; ἆρα ἐπιγείου; ἢ καταχθονίου; Ἐὰν οὖν εἴπωσιν, ὅτι τῶν οὐρανίων ἐστὶν ὁ Μελχισεδὲκ, ἢ ἄλλου τινὸς χωρίου, ἀκουσάτωσαν ὅτι καὶ αὐτὸς γόνυ κάμπτει τῷ Χριστῷ τῷ σαρκωθέντι ἐκ τῆς θεοτόκου Μαρίας. Λέγει γὰρ ὁ Ἀπόστολος, ὅτι Αὐτῷ κάμψει πᾶν γόνυ, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Εἰ οὖν πᾶν γόνυ κάμπτει, ὁ Μελχισεδὲκ ἐλάττων ἂν εἴη τοῦ Χριστοῦ· προσκυνεῖ γὰρ τῷ προσκυνουμένῳ Χριστῷ. Εἰ δὲ οἱ ἄθλιοι καὶ τάλανες, καὶ τὸ ἑξῆς εἰρημένον σκοπήσωσιν· ἐπιφέρει γὰρ λέγων, Ἀφωμοιωμένος τῷ Υἱῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ· οὕτω δεῖ νοεῖν, ὅτι ὥσπερ καὶ ἡμεῖς κατ' εἰκόνα Θεοῦ γεγόναμεν καὶ ὁμοίωσιν, οὕτω καὶ αὐτός. Ἰουδαῖοι μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸν λέγουσιν ἐκ πορνείας γεννηθέντα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀγενεαλόγητον γενέσθαι· πρὸς οὓς ἐροῦμεν, ὅτι Κακῶς φατε. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ Σολομὼν ἐκ