3

they asked and they had teachers, but now to appear and having appeared to stand still. For having led them by the hand to the manger, it is not shown from above them, but having come down below, it stood where the child was, over his very head, so to speak. 12 col1 Mt 2, 13-15 When the magi had departed, they made Herod’s wickedness ineffective. And something similar to *I called my son out of Egypt* is found in Numbers: God called him out of Egypt; his glory is as a unicorn's. The phrase *I called my son out of Egypt* is written in the book of Numbers: God called him out of Egypt; his glory is as a unicorn's.

13 Mt 3, 5-6 Having heard of the man’s surpassing way of life, the crowds desired to see him. And for this reason, when they heard that he had arrived, they all ran together to him as to a man sent from God. And they confessed to him, so that like a priest he might offer sacrifices on their behalf. 14 Mt 3, 9 Without arrogance, having cast out kinship of the flesh, he introduces that which is from faith; for the imitation of virtue makes true kinship; for he knew that by boasting in these things they were neglecting virtue of the soul. 15 Mt 3, 9 If children are given to Abraham from the stones, it is not by the state of flesh and spirit, but by the state of virtue; therefore the people of God is called to have Abraham as father. And how or why, inquire. 16 Mt 3, 9 The stones are understood as the barren woman and as the idolatry of the nations. In addition to these things, consider also the heart of the dragon, which was hardened like a stone. 18 Mt 3, 11 *He who is after me* instead of *he who is with me*; and *coming* instead of *he who will be revealed*. The souls of the saints are said to be baptized in fire, purely receiving the mystery of piety, because the Spirit first descended upon the disciples in tongues of fire, by which they were baptized, having been perfected in their souls. Or because in the age to come all are going to be baptized with fire; for everything will be salted with fire, so that the fire may test what kind of work each person has, the *** beyond understanding, and to the material he opposed fire, it being not wicked or evil, but strong and a purifier of evil. For fire is understood as a good and strong power, destructive of the worse things and preservative of the better. Therefore it is also called prudent by the prophets. So therefore, whenever God is called a consuming fire, it must be understood not as a name and symbol of wickedness, but of power; for as fire is the strongest of the elements and holds sway over all, so also is God all-powerful and all-ruling, able to hold sway, to create, to make, to nourish, to increase, to save, he who has authority over body and soul. As fire therefore surpasses the elements, so the Almighty surpasses gods and powers and principalities. And the power of fire is twofold: one is suited for creation and the ripening of fruits and the generation and nourishment of animals, of which the sun is an image; the other for consumption and destruction, like earthly fire. Therefore when God is called a consuming fire, it is a strong and irresistible power, for which nothing is impossible, but it is also able to destroy. And concerning such a power the Savior also says: *I came to cast fire upon the earth*, that is, a power that is purifying for the saints, but for the material, as some say, destructive, but as we would say, instructive. And fire possesses fear, and light, diffusion. 19 Mt 3, 12 As a judge, Christ separates those who are pure in life from the unjust. Mt 3, 15 The Savior is baptized by John not as one who partook of sin and needed to be cleansed from it, but so that he might not be thought opposed to God by not fulfilling the things of the law and, in order to show that John was sent from God, he submits to be baptized by him. 21 Mt 3, 15 He who is perfect according to the law, being baptized with the baptism of John, reached the end of the law. Therefore Christ also, as one perfect in the law, was baptized with the baptism of John; whence he said: *For thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness*.

3

ἠρώτησαν καὶ διδασκάλους ἔσχοννῦν δὲ φαίνεσθαι καὶ φανέντα ἵστασθαι. χειραγωγήσας γὰρ αὐτοὺς πρὸς τὴν φάτνην, οὐκ ἄνωθεν αὐτῶν δείκνυται, ἀλλὰ κάτω κατελθὼν ἔστη οὗ ἦν τὸ παιδίον, ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς ὡς εἰπεῖν τῆς κεφαλῆς. 12 col1 Mt 2, 13-15 Ἀναχωρήσαντες οἱ μάγοι ἄπρακτον ἐποίησαν τὴν Ἡρώδου πονηρίαν. ὅμοιον δὲ τῷ ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἐκάλεσα τὸν υἱόν μου κεῖται ἐν Ἀριθμοῖς· θεὸς ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἐκάλεσεν αὐτόν· δόξα ὡς μονοκέρωτος αὐτῷ. Τὸ ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἐκάλεσα τὸν υἱόν μου ἐν τῇ βίβλῳ τῶν Ἀριθμῶν γέγραπται· θεὸς ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἐκάλεσεν αὐτόν· δόξα ὡς μονοκέρωτος αὐτῷ.

13 Mt 3, 5-6 Ἀκούσαντες οἱ ὄχλοι τὴν ὑπερβάλλουσαν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς πολιτείαν ἐπεθύμουν αὐτὸν ἰδεῖν. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο, ὅτε ἤκουσαν, ὅτι παραγέγονεν, πάντες συνέτρεχον πρὸς αὐτὸν ὡς πρὸς ἄνθρωπον ἐκ θεοῦ ἀπεσταλμένον. τὸ δὲ ἐξωμολογοῦντο ἐπ' αὐτοῦ, ἵν' ὥσπερ ἱερεὺς προσαγάγῃ τὰς ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν θυσίας. 14 Mt 3, 9 Ἀθρύπτως τὴν τῆς σαρκὸς ἐκβαλὼν συγγένειαν τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς πίστεως εἰσάγει· ἡ γὰρ μίμησις τῆς ἀρετῆς ποιεῖ τὴν ἀληθῆ συγγένειαν· ᾔδει γὰρ ὅτι τούτοις καυχώμενοι ἠμέλουν τῆς κατὰ ψυχὴν ἀρετῆς. 15 Mt 3, 9 Εἰ ἐκ τῶν λίθων δίδονται τέκνα τῷ Ἀβραάμ, οὐ τῇ ἕξει τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ πνεύματος, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἕξει τῆς ἀρετῆς· τοῦ θεοῦ οὖν ὁ λαὸς χρηματίζει πατέρα τὸν Ἀβραάμ. καὶ πῶς ἢ διὰ τί, ζήτει. 16 Mt 3, 9 Οἱ λίθοι λαμβάνονται εἰς στεῖραν καὶ εἰς τὴν εἰδωλολατρείαν τῶν ἐθνῶν. πρὸς τούτοις θεώρει καὶ τὴν πεπηγυῖαν ὡς λίθον καρδίαν τοῦ δράκοντος. 18 Mt 3, 11 Ὁ ὀπίσω μου ἀντὶ τοῦ ὁ μετ' ἐμέ· τὸ δὲ ἐρχόμενος ἀντὶ τοῦ ὁ φανερωθησόμενος. ἐν πυρὶ λέγονται αἱ τῶν ἁγίων ψυχαὶ βαπτίζεσθαι εἰλικρινῶς ὡς τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας παραδεχόμεναι μυστήριον διὰ τὸ ἐν πυρίναις γλώσσαις κατεληλυθέναι τὸ πρῶτον ἐπὶ τοὺς μαθητὰς τὸ πνεῦμα, δι' οὗ ἐβαπτίσθησαν τελειωθέντες τὰς ψυχάς. ἢ ὅτι ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι πάντες πυρὶ μέλλουσι βαπτισθῆναι· πᾶν γὰρ πυρὶ ἁλισθήσεται, ἵνα ἑκάστου τὸ ἔργον, ὁποῖόν ἐστιν, τὸ πῦρ δοκιμάσῃ τὴν *** ὑπὲρ νοῦν, τῷ δὲ ὑλικῷ τὸ πῦρ <ἀντέθηκεν>, οὐ πονηρὸν οὐδὲ κακὸν ὑπάρχον, ἀλλ' ἰσχυρὸν καὶ κακοῦ καθαρτικόν· ἀγαθὴ γὰρ δύναμις τὸ πῦρ νοεῖται καὶ ἰσχυρά, φθαρτικὴ τῶν χειρόνων καὶ σωστικὴ τῶν ἀμεινόνων. διὸ καὶ φρόνιμον λέγεται παρὰ τοῖς προφήταις. οὕτως οὖν καὶ ὅτε ἂν ὁ θεὸς λέγηται πῦρ καταναλίσκον, οὐ κακίας, ἀλλὰ δυνάμεως ὄνομα καὶ σύμβολον ἐκδεκτέον· ὡς γὰρ τὸ πῦρ ἰσχυρότατον τῶν στοιχείων καὶ πάντων κρατοῦν, οὕτως καὶ ὁ θεὸς παντοδύναμος καὶ παντοκράτωρ, δυνάμενος κρατῆσαι, κτίσαι, ποιῆσαι, τρέφειν, αὔξειν, σῴζειν, ὁ σώματος καὶ ψυχῆς ἐξουσίαν ἔχων. ὡς οὖν τῶν στοιχείων ὑπερέχει τὸ πῦρ, οὕτως θεῶν τε καὶ δυνάμεων καὶ ἀρχῶν ὁ παντοκράτωρ. διπλῆ τε ἡ δύναμις τοῦ πυρός, ἣ μὲν πρὸς δημιουργίαν καὶ πέπανσιν καρπῶν καὶ ζῴων γένεσιν καὶ τροφὴν ἐπιτήδειος, ἧς εἰκὼν ἥλιος, ἣ δὲ πρὸς ἀνάλωσιν καὶ φθοράν, ὡς τὸ πῦρ τὸ ἐπίγειον. πῦρ οὖν ὅταν λέγηται θεὸς καταναλίσκον, δύναμις ἰσχυρὰ καὶ ἀπροσάντητος, ᾗ μηδὲν ἀδύνατον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἀπολέσαι δυνατόν. περὶ τῆς τοιαύτης δυνάμεως καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ λέγει· πῦρ ἦλθον βαλεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, δηλονότι δύναμιν τῶν μὲν ἁγίων καθαρτικήν, τῶν δὲ ὑλικῶν ὡς μέν φασι τινὲς ἀφανιστικήν, ὡς δὲ ἡμεῖς ἂν φαίημεν, παιδευτικήν. ἔχει δὲ καὶ φόβον τὸ πῦρ καὶ διάχυσιν τὸ φῶς. 19 Mt 3, 12 Ὡς κριτὴς ὁ Χριστὸς ἀποχωρίζει τοὺς καθαροὺς ἐν βίῳ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀδίκων. Mt 3, 15 Οὐχ ὡς ἁμαρτίας μέτοχος καὶ ἐκ ταύτης καθαίρεσθαι δεόμενος ὑπὸ Ἰωάννου ὁ σωτὴρ βαπτίζεται, ἀλλ' ὡς ἂν μὴ ἀντίθεος νομισθείη μὴ πληρῶν τὰ τοῦ νόμου καὶ ἵνα δείξῃ τὸν Ἰωάννην ἐκ θεοῦ ἀπεσταλμένον καταδέχεται ὑπ' αὐτοῦ βαπτισθῆναι. 21 Mt 3, 15 Ὁ κατὰ νόμον τέλειος τὸ Ἰωάννου βάπτισμα βαπτιζόμενος εἰς τὸ τοῦ νόμου τέλος ἔφθασεν. διὸ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὡς τέλειος ἐν νόμῳ ἐβαπτίσθη τὸ Ἰωάννου βάπτισμα· ὅθεν ἔλεγεν· οὕτως γὰρ πρέπον ἐστὶν ἡμῖν πληρῶσαι πᾶσαν δικαιοσύνην.