ours, or rather God's, having a true mind, but simple language. Having been deemed worthy of these things, let us pray to have "the mind of Christ" and to walk "in newness of life," not showing one thing in the heart and other things on the surface. For a false and deceitful character is hateful to God. Therefore the Lord also clearly and distinctly indicated that "the things which defile a man" proceed from within, "out of the heart," and again, condemning the Pharisee, or rather each of us, as being blind according to the inner man to divine mysteries, He says: "Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, that the outside of it may be clean also." For he who sets his diligence upon the utmost brightness of the things within, that is, being occupied at all times with the mind and the soul, clearly cleanses the outside along with it. I beseech you therefore, let us not remain in outward habits and forms, let us become a pure "temple of God," let us listen to the one who exhorts us: "that you may become blameless and harmless, unblemished children of God"; for unblemished is he who does not work iniquity in his heart, he who has no "spot or wrinkle or any such thing," he who knows what it is: "all the glory of the king's daughter is within" and not without, he who says without falsehood: "You have put gladness in my heart," he who is marked by the face of Christ, or rather, he who is activated, he who strives to attain "to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ," he who flees the good reputa169 tion among men, but pursues the glory from God which works in the pure heart. For just as the radiance of the glory of this sun works on the fleshly eyes, so the glory of the Holy Spirit works on the pure eyes of the inner man, so that he who strives to be justified through the achievements of the outer man and his vain power is such as one who has "a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge," as one who ought to be a teacher on account of "the time" and "again" is in need of teaching, as one who ought to be deemed worthy of "solid food," but partakes of "milk," as one who began "in the Spirit," but is "now" being perfected "in the flesh." Let such a one know, therefore, that "all the righteousness" of the outer man was reckoned by the prophet "as a filthy rag," and by the apostle as "dung."

But may it be for us to be subject to the righteousness of God which is accomplished in the inner man, in whom the judgment seat of Christ stands together with the undefiled sanctuary. For "this" is "toil in my sight" (he says) "until I go into the sanctuary of God," so that "the testimony of conscience" may boast "in the cross of Christ" who redeems our life from corruption and cleanses our conscience from "dead works," that we might worship God "in the Spirit" and not be those "having confidence in the flesh," that we may know what we worship, according to him who said: "We worship what we know." For the witness of these things is faithful in heaven, since "we speak before God in Christ," thinking nothing other than that "it is good for the heart to be established by grace" and not to be carried about "with various and strange doctrines." And we pray that you be delivered from the good reputation among men, which, as it seems, cunningly and wisely ensnares, not to possess governance from the power of God, so that you may neither ever be defeated by the contempt of men, nor again be lifted up by their blessing. Be persuaded by him who guides you "into all" his "truth." Let your 170 soul have fellowship with Christ, as a bride has fellowship with a bridegroom; for "this mystery is great, but I speak concerning Christ and concerning" the blameless soul; for no one is enrolled in the "church of the firstborn in heaven" except the blameless soul, and no one "is crowned unless he competes according to the rules."

ἡμέτερα, μᾶλλον δὲ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ, νοῦν μὲν ἔχοντα ἀληθῆ, λέξιν δὲ ἁπλῆν. τούτων καταξιωθέντες εὐχώμεθα «νοῦν Χριστοῦ» ἔχειν καὶ «ἐν καινότητι ζωῆς» περιπατεῖν, μὴ ἄλλα ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ δεικνύντες ἕτερα δὲ ἐν τῇ ἐπιφανείᾳ. μισητὸν γὰρ παρὰ θεῷ τὸ ψευδὲς καὶ δολερὸν ἦθος. διὸ καὶ ὁ κύριος σαφῶς καὶ εὐκρινῶς ὑπέδειξε «τὰ κοινοῦντα τὸν ἄνθρωπον» ἔνδοθεν «ἐκ τῆς καρδίας» ἐκπορεύεσθαι, καὶ πάλιν τὸν Φαρισαῖον κατακρίνων, μᾶλλον δὲ ἕκαστον ἡμῶν, ὡς τυφλὸν ὄντα κατὰ τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον μυστηρίων θείων, φησίν· «Φαρισαῖε τυφλέ, τὸ ἔσωθεν τοῦ ποτηρίου πλῦνον, ἵνα γένηται καὶ τὸ ἔξωθεν καθαρόν». ὁ γὰρ ἐπὶ τὴν ἄκραν λαμπρότητα τῶν ἐντὸς τὴν σπουδὴν θέμενος, τουτέστι περὶ τὸν νοῦν καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν διὰ παντὸς ἀσχολούμενος, καὶ τὸν ἔξω συνεκπλύνει δηλαδή. παρακαλῶ οὖν μὴ ἐναπομείνωμεν τοῖς ἔξωθεν ἤθεσι καὶ σχήμασιν, «ναὸς θεοῦ» καθαρὸς γενώμεθα, ἀκούσωμεν τοῦ παραινοῦντος ἡμῖν· «ἵνα γένησθε ἄμεμπτοι καὶ ἀκέραιοι, τέκνα θεοῦ ἀμώμητα»· ἄμωμος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ μὴ ἐν καρδίᾳ ἀνομίας ἐργαζόμενος, ὁ μὴ ἔχων «σπίλον ἢ ῥυτίδα ἤ τι τῶν τοιούτων», ὁ εἰδὼς τί ἐστι· «πᾶσα ἡ δόξα τῆς θυγατρὸς τοῦ βασιλέως ἔσωθεν» καὶ οὐκ ἔξωθεν, ὁ ἀψευδῶς λέγων· «ἔδωκας εὐφροσύνην εἰς τὴν καρδίαν μου», ὁ σημειωθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ προσώπου τοῦ Χριστοῦ, μᾶλλον δὲ ὁ ἐνεργηθείς, ὁ ἀγωνιζόμενος φθάσαι «εἰς ἄνδρα τέλειον, εἰς μέτρον ἡλικίας τοῦ πληρώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ», ὁ τὴν παρ' ἀνθρώποις εὐδο169 ξίαν ἀποφεύγων, μεταδιώκων δὲ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ δόξαν τὴν ἐνεργοῦσαν τῇ καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ. ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐνεργεῖ τὸ ἀπαύγασμα τῆς δόξης τοῦ ἡλίου τούτου ταῖς σαρκικαῖς ὄψεσιν, οὕτως ἐνεργεῖ ἡ δόξα τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος τοῖς κατὰ τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον καθαροῖς ὄμμασιν ὥστε ὁ σπουδάζων διὰ τῶν κατορθωμάτων τοῦ ἔξω ἀνθρώπου καὶ τῆς ματαίας αὐτοῦ δυνάμεως δικαιωθῆναι τοιοῦτός ἐστιν ὡς ὁ «ζῆλον θεοῦ» ἔχων «ἀλλ' οὐ κατ' ἐπίγνωσιν» ὡς ὁ ὀφείλων εἶναι διδάσκαλος κατὰ «τὸν χρόνον» καὶ «πάλιν» χρῄζων διδαχῆς, ὡς ὁ «στερεᾶς τροφῆς» καταξιοῦσθαι ὀφείλων, μετέχων δὲ «γάλακτος», ὡς ὁ ἀρξάμενος «πνεύματι, νῦν» δὲ «σαρκὶ» ἐπιτελῶν. γινωσκέτω τοίνυν ὁ τοιοῦτος, ὅτι «πᾶσα ἡ» τοῦ ἔξω ἀνθρώπου «δικαιοσύνη» «ὡς ῥάκος ἀποκαθημένης» ἐλογίσθη παρὰ τῷ προφήτῃ καὶ παρὰ τῷ ἀποστόλῳ δὲ «σκύβαλα».

Ἡμῖν δὲ γένοιτο τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιοσύνῃ ὑποταγῆναι τῇ ἐν τῷ ἔσω ἀνθρώπῳ ἐπιτελουμένῃ, ἐν ᾧ τὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ βῆμα ἅμα τῷ ἀχράντῳ ἁγιαστηρίῳ ἔστηκεν. «τοῦτο» γάρ ἐστι «κόπος ἐνώπιόν μου» (φησίν) «ἕως εἰσέλθω εἰς τὸ ἁγιαστήριον τοῦ θεοῦ», ὅπως «τὸ μαρτύριον τῆς συνειδήσεως» καυχήσηται «ἐν τῷ σταυρῷ τοῦ Χριστοῦ» τοῦ λυτρουμένου ἐκ φθορᾶς τὴν ζωὴν ἡμῶν καὶ καθαρίζοντος τὴν συνείδησιν ἡμῶν ἀπὸ «νεκρῶν ἔργων», ἵνα «τῷ πνεύματι» τοῦ θεοῦ λατρεύσωμεν καὶ μὴ «ἐν σαρκὶ» ὦμεν «πεποιθότες», ἵνα γνῶμεν τί προσκυνοῦμεν κατὰ τὸν εἰπόντα· «ἡμεῖς προσκυνοῦμεν ὃ οἴδαμεν». τούτων γὰρ ὁ μάρτυς ἐν οὐρανῷ πιστός, ἐπειδὴ «κατενώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ λαλοῦμεν», οὐχ ἕτερόν τι φρονοῦντες ἢ ὅτι «καλὸν τὴν καρδίαν χάριτι βεβαιοῦσθαι» καὶ «μὴ διδαχαῖς ποικίλαις καὶ ξέναις» παραφέρεσθαι. εὐχόμεθα δὲ ῥυσθῆναί σε τῆς παρὰ ἀνθρώπων εὐδοξίας τῆς ὡς ἔοικε πανούργως καὶ σοφῶς παγιδευούσης, μὴ κτήσασθαι τὴν ἐκ τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ δυνάμεως κυβέρνησιν, ἵνα μήτε τῷ φαυλισμῷ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ποτὲ ἡττηθῇς, μήτε πάλιν τῷ μακαρισμῷ ἐπαρθῇς. πείσθητι τῷ ὁδηγοῦντί σε «εἰς πᾶσαν» αὐτοῦ «τὴν ἀλήθειαν». κοινωνησάτω 170 ἡ ψυχή σου τῷ Χριστῷ, ὡς κοινωνεῖ νύμφη νυμφίῳ· «τὸ» γὰρ «μυστήριον τοῦτο μέγα ἐστίν, ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω εἰς Χριστὸν καὶ εἰς τὴν» ἄμωμον ψυχήν· οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἀπογράφεται ἐν τῇ «ἐκκλησίᾳ» τῶν «ἐν οὐρανοῖς πρωτοτόκων» εἰ μὴ ἡ ἄμωμος ψυχή, καὶ οὐδεὶς «στεφανοῦται ἐὰν μὴ νομίμως ἀθλήσῃ».