was seen” to Zacharias, and not being willing, he would not have “been seen” by him. But also after the “present age,” if we should depart, know that God or the angels do not appear to everyone, 3.21 but each of those seeing, by having a pure heart and being prepared for seeing God, will see God. And in the same place two, the one having a pure heart, but the other a defiled one; the one will see, since God is not seen in a place, but with a pure heart, but the other will not see him. Thus it is to be understood also concerning Christ. For do not think that all who see Christ saw. They saw Christ’s body, but Christ, insofar as he is Christ, they did not see. But he was seen only by those worthy to see his greatness. 3.22 And scripture also promised: “that he is found by those who do not test him, and reveals himself to those who do not distrust him.” 4.23 “Zacharias seeing,” he says, “was troubled”; for a strange sight appearing to a man is not bearable for him; however, the angel turns him from his confusion, saying: “Do not be afraid, Zacharias,” and he restores him by announcing the good news of the birth of John, saying: “your prayer has been heard.” 4.24 And to say: “he will be great” shows the greatness of John’s soul, and a greatness seen by God. For there is a certain greatness of soul according to virtue, which is seen by the Lord, and there is a certain smallness of soul. Thus I hear of the one in the gospel: “do not despise one of these little ones,” those in the church. For there he calls “little” the one who is the opposite of the great, not having need of a command concerning the great, in order to say this also: for neither is 4.25 the great one despised. But that “the little one” is not just anyone, is clear from: “whoever causes one of these little ones to stumble.” For a great one is not made to stumble; but the great one is superior to every stumbling block. So the people do not know the Savior already performing “signs and wonders,” 4.26 but John, still being in his mother’s womb, leaps, when the mother of Jesus came. “For behold,” she says, “when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.” So John had the Holy Spirit while still being in his mother’s womb. He himself then is said “to have turned many.” John “turned many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God,” according to the voice of the angel, but our Lord Jesus Christ enlightened all 4.27 to the knowledge of the truth. For this is his work: “and he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God.” For it does not say “in the soul of Elijah”—for there was no reincarnation—but “in the spirit and power of Elijah.” For there was upon Elijah a spirit and power, or rather a spiritual gift, just as also upon each of the prophets. Therefore the spirit, which was in Elijah, was in John. That one was taken up, but this one became the forerunner of the Savior. 4.28 He died before the Savior, so that having become the forerunner of the Savior also to those in Hades he might proclaim the descent of Jesus Christ. 5.29 Zacharias the priest is condemned to be silent, the minister of God who offers the sacrifices, and he is silent and being silent he only made signs, and he remained mute until the birth of John. What then are these things? The silence of Zacharias is the silence of the prophets among the ancient people of God. For God no longer speaks to them, but “the Word in the beginning—the Word, who was with God, the Word who was God”—has passed over to us and among us he is not silent, but among them he has become silent. For this reason the prophet Zacharias is silent; for he is said also to have become a prophet. But what of: “and he was making signs to them”? “To make signs” while remaining mute is such as this: actions without reason 5.30 do not differ at all from signs, but actions with reason are not signs; for they are ordered by reason. If then you should see the way of life of the Jews to be without reason, such that they are not able to give a reason for what they do, see the type that has occurred in Zacharias remaining mute and making signs to them. According to this, for them circumcision without reason are signs, and Passover and prayers. For now the people are mute and speechless; for how were they not going to be mute and without reason and

ὤφθη» τῷ Ζαχαρίᾳ, καὶ μὴ θέλων οὐκ ἂν «ὤφθη» αὐτῷ. Ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ τὸν «ἐνεστῶτα αἰῶνα», ἐὰν ἐξέλθωμεν, ἴσθι, ὅτι οὐ παντὶ φαίνεται ὁ θεὸς ἢ οἱ ἄγγελοι, 3.21 ἀλλὰ ἕκαστος τῶν βλεπόντων τῷ καθαρὰν ἔχειν καρδίαν καὶ παρε σκευάσθαι πρὸς τὸ βλέπειν τὸν θεὸν ὄψεται τὸν θεόν. Καὶ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ τόπῳ δύο, ὁ μὲν καθαρὰν ἔχων καρ δίαν, ὁ δὲ ἐβδελυγμένην· ὁ μὲν ὄψεται, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἐν τόπῳ βλέπεται ὁ θεός, ἀλλὰ καθαρᾷ καρ δίᾳ, ὁ δὲ οὐκ ὄψεται αὐτόν. Οὕτω νοητέον καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Μὴ γὰρ οἴου, ὅτι πάντες οἱ βλέ ποντες Χριστὸν ἔβλεπον. Ἔβλεπον Χριστοῦ σῶμα, Χριστὸν δέ, καθ' ὃ Χριστός ἐστιν, οὐκ ἔβλεπον. Ἐβλέπετο δὲ ὑπὸ μόνων τῶν ἀξίων βλέπειν τὸ μέγεθος αὐτοῦ. 3.22 Ἐπηγγείλατο δὲ καὶ ἡ γραφή· «ὅτι εὑρίσκεται τοῖς μὴ πειράζου σιν αὐτόν, ἐμφανίζεται δὲ τοῖς μὴ ἀπιστοῦσιν αὐτῷ». 4.23 «Ἐταράχθη», δέ φησιν, «Ζαχα ρίας ἰδών»· ξενίζουσα γὰρ ὄψις ἀν θρώπῳ φαινομένη οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτῷ ὑπομονητή· ὅμως ἐπιστρέφει αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῆς ταραχῆς ὁ ἄγγελος εἰπών· «μὴ φοβοῦ, Ζαχαρία» καὶ ἀνα κτᾶται αὐτὸν διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίζε σθαι τὴν γέννησιν Ἰωάννου λέγων· «ἠκούσθη ἡ δέησίς σου». 4.24 Τὸ δὲ εἰπεῖν· «ἔσται μέγας» μέ γεθος ἐμφαίνει τῆς Ἰωάννου ψυχῆς, καὶ μέγεθος βλεπόμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ. Ἔστι γάρ τι μέγεθος ψυχῆς κατ' ἀρετήν, ὅ ἐστιν ὁρώμενον κυ ρίῳ, καὶ ἔστι τις σμικρότης ψυχῆς. Ἐγὼ οὕτως ἀκούω τοῦ ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ· «μὴ καταφρονήσητε ἑνὸς τῶν μικρῶν τούτων», τῶν ἐν τῇ ἐκ κλησίᾳ. «Μικρὸν» γὰρ ἐκεῖ τὸν ἐναν τίον τοῦ μεγάλου λέγει, οὐ χρείαν ἔχων ἐντολῆς περὶ τοῦ μεγάλου, ἵνα καὶ τοῦτο εἴπῃ· οὐδὲ γὰρ κατα 4.25 φρονεῖται ὁ μέγας. Ὅτι δὲ «ὁ μικρὸς» <οὐχ> ὁ τυχών ἐστι, δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ· «ὃς ἂν σκανδαλίσῃ ἕνα τῶν μικρῶν τούτων». Μέγας γὰρ οὐ σκανδαλίζεται· ἀλλ' ὁ μέγας παντὸς σκανδάλου κρείττων ἐστίν. Ὁ μὲν οὖν λαὸς οὐκ οἶδε τὸν σωτῆρα ἤδη ποιοῦντα «σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα», 4.26 ὁ δὲ Ἰωάννης ἔτι ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ τῆς μητρὸς ὢν σκιρτᾷ, ἡνίκα ἦλθεν ἡ μήτηρ Ἰησοῦ. «Ἰδοὺ γάρ», φησίν, «ὡς ἐγένετο ὁ ἀσπασμός σου εἰς τὰ ὦτά μου, ἐσκίρτησε τὸ βρέφος ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ μου». Πνεῦμα οὖν ἅγιον εἶχεν ἔτι ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ τῆς μητρὸς ὢν ὁ Ἰωάννης. Αὐτὸς μὲν οὖν «πολλοὺς» λέγεται «ἐπιστρέψαι». Ὁ μὲν Ἰωάννης «πολλοὺς τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ ἐπέστρεψε πρὸς κύριον τὸν θεὸν αὐτῶν», κατὰ τὴν τοῦ ἀγγέλου φωνήν, ὁ δὲ κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς πάντας ἐφώτι 4.27 σεν εἰς τὴν ἐπίγνωσιν τῆς ἀληθείας. Τοῦτο γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὸ ἔργον ἐστίν· «καὶ πολλοὺς τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ ἐπι στρέψει πρὸς κύριον τὸν θεὸν αὐτῶν». Οὐ γὰρ «ἐν ψυχῇ Ἡλίου» φησίν -οὐ γὰρ ἦν μετεμψύχωσις-ἀλλ' «ἐν πνεύματι καὶ δυνάμει Ἡλίου». Ἦν γὰρ ἐπὶ τὸν Ἡλίαν πνεῦμα καὶ δύναμις, εἴτ' οὖν πνευματικὸν χάρισ μα, ὥσπερ καὶ ἐπὶ ἕκαστον τῶν προφητῶν. Τὸ οὖν πνεῦμα, ὅπερ ἦν ἐν Ἡλίᾳ, γέγονεν ἐν Ἰωάννῃ. Ἐκεῖνος ἀνελήφθη, οὗτος δὲ πρό δρομος γέγονε τοῦ σωτῆρος. 4.28 Ἀπέθανε πρὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος, ἵνα καὶ τοῖς ἐν ᾅδῃ πρόδρομος γεγονὼς τοῦ σωτῆρος κηρύξῃ τὴν κατάβασιν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. 5.29 Καταδικάζεται σιωπᾶν Ζαχαρίας ὁ ἱερεύς, ὁ λειτουργὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ τὰς θυσίας προσφέρων, καὶ σιωπᾷ καὶ σιωπῶν μόνον διένευεν, καὶ διέμεινε κωφὸς μέχρι τῆς γεννή σεως Ἰωάννου. Τί οὖν ταῦτα; Ἡ τοῦ Ζαχαρίου σιωπὴ <σιωπὴ> τῶν προφητῶν ἐστιν ἐν τῷ πάλαι λαῷ τοῦ θεοῦ. Οὐκέτι γὰρ θεὸς λαλεῖ αὐτοῖς, ἀλλὰ μεταβέβηκεν «ὁ ἐν ἀρχῇ λόγος-ὁ λόγος, ὁ πρὸς τὸν θεόν, ὁ θεὸς λόγος»-πρὸς ἡμᾶς καὶ παρ' ἡμῖν οὐ σιωπᾷ, παρ' ἐκείνοις δὲ σεσιώπηκεν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο σιωπᾷ ὁ προφήτης Ζαχαρίας· καὶ γὰρ προφήτης γεγονέναι λέγεται. Τί δέ· «καὶ διένευεν αὐτοῖς»; Τὸ «διανεύειν» διαμένοντα κωφὸν τοι οῦτόν ἐστιν· αἱ χωρὶς λόγου πράξεις 5.30 οὐδὲν διαφέρουσι νεύσεων, αἱ δὲ μετὰ λόγου πράξεις οὐκ εἰσὶ νεύσεις· κοσμοῦνται γὰρ ὑπὸ τοῦ λόγου. Ἐὰν οὖν ἴδῃς Ἰουδαίων τὴν πολιτείαν ἄλογον, ὡς μὴ δύνασθαι αὐτοὺς διδόναι λόγον, περὶ ὧν πράτ τουσι, βλέπε τὸν τύπον τὸν γεγενη μένον ἐπὶ Ζαχαρίου διαμένοντος κωφοῦ καὶ διανεύοντος αὐτοῖς. Κατὰ τοῦτο αὐτοῖς περιτομὴ χωρὶς λόγου νεύματα, καὶ Πάσχα καὶ προσευχαί. Ἔστι γὰρ κωφὸς νῦν ὁ λαὸς καὶ ἄλαλος· καὶ πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἤμελλεν κωφὸς καὶ ἄλογος καὶ