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to see two sitting on the stone, it would be to truly accuse a disagreement. And Matthew likewise, if, similarly to John, having observed the morning hour, he himself also said that not two angels but one was seen inside the tomb, he would have reasonably seemed to write contradictory things. But if the evangelists distinguished both the times and the ways, and the persons of the onlookers, and the words of the angels, no one could reasonably blame a disagreement in the Scripture, since each tells the truth according to its own historical account, indicating a narration of different events. But the angels in these evangelists, and the theophanies of the Savior after the resurrection, being reported by these alone as by superior men and eyewitnesses and hearers of the Savior himself, would preserve this sequence. But the two men in shining apparel seen in Luke, on account of the symbols of the festival; and the young man in Mark, he too clothed in a white robe, and seen on the right but not the left, because he announced glad and favorable things to the women, these again would be different, both from one another and from those in the first gospels. For this reason they did not call them angels, since they did not mention the visions of the Savior, having conceded to Matthew and John, who were superior to themselves, the writing and narrating of the superior things; but they themselves, narrating the secondary things, and in time the things done later after the memory of the first, passed over the things said by the eyewitnesses, but they filled in what was passed over in silence by them; which things were indeed secondary and falling far short of the history of the former; thus the Holy Spirit distributed to each the fitting and appropriate narratives.

ςʹ. The women in Luke, therefore, who came to the tomb at early dawn 22.993

and bringing the spices which they had prepared, would be different from those in Matthew and John. For it would not make sense for the Marys who had seen so much beforehand to be bringing spices now for the first time, as if they had not yet learned of the resurrection. For through what he says he clearly shows that those who appeared were also different from those previously mentioned; and the place where they appeared was different; for they were neither inside the tomb, as John taught, nor sitting upon the stone, as the angel in Matthew; but Luke did not call them angels at all, but two men, except that they too were in shining apparel, on account of the symbols of the festival; and their words to the women are also distinctive; and the women were more numerous, not the two Marys in Matthew, but simply those who had come with him from Galilee; and these too were neglectful, not showing as much diligence as those who persevered through the night and remained by the tomb. Matthew at any rate testifies to much vigor and perseverance on the part of Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, saying these things after his passion: “And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb;” but these on the day of Preparation sat opposite the tomb; for which reason they also see more quickly, first the angel of good things, and then the author of life himself. And she in John, she too first sees the angels, and after them the Savior himself; however, these women did not bring spices, nor were they occupied with this task. But the women from Galilee who followed him, being many according to Luke, returned on the day of Preparation and prepared the spices, since they had as yet learned nothing about the resurrection. For this reason two men in shining apparel appear to them and announce the resurrection. But the Savior did not appear to them, as he did to the one in John and to those in Matthew; so that it is fitting to consider the history distinctive. But according to Mark, very early on the first day of the week, they come to the tomb when the sun had risen, these are yet another group, and again at another time, who also were saying

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τῷ λίθῳ δύο καθεζομένους ὁρᾶσθαι, ἦν ἀληθῶς διαφωνίαν αἰτιᾶσθαι. Καὶ ὁ Ματθαῖος ὡσαύτως εἰ ὁμοίως Ἰωάννῃ τὴν πρωϊνὴν ὥραν τηρήσας, εἴσω τοῦ μνήματος καὶ αὐτὸς οὐ δύο ἀγγέλους ἀλλ' ἕνα ἔφησε τεθεωρῆσθαι, τἀναντία ἔδοξεν ἂν εἰκότως συγγράφειν. Εἰ δ' ἀφώρισαν οἱ εὐαγγελισταὶ καὶ τοὺς χρόνους καὶ τοὺς τρόπους, καὶ τὰ πρόσωπα τῶν θεωμένων, καὶ τοὺς τῶν ἀγγέλων λόγους, οὐκ ἄν τις εὐλόγως μέμψαιτο διαφωνίαν τῆς Γραφῆς, ἀληθευούσης ἑκάστης κατὰ τὸν οἰκείας ἱστορίας λόγον, διαφόρων τε πραγμάτων ὑφήγησιν δηλούσης. Ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν παρὰ τοῖσδε τοῖς εὐαγγελισταῖς ἄγγελοι, καὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος αἱ μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν θεοφάνειαι, παρὰ μόνοις τούτοις ὡς ἂν παρὰ κρείττοσι καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Σωτῆρος αὐτόπταις τε καὶ αὐτηκόοις φερόμεναι, ταύτην σώζοιεν ἂν τὴν ἀκολουθίαν. Οἱ δὲ παρὰ τῷ Λουκᾷ δύο ἄνδρες ἐν ἐσθῆτι ἀστραπτούσῃ ὀφθέντες, διὰ τὰ τῆς ἑορτῆς σύμβολα· καὶ ὁ παρὰ τῷ Μάρκῳ νεανίσκος λευκὴν περιβεβλημένος καὶ αὐτὸς στολὴν, δεξιός τε ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀριστερὸς ἑωραμένος, τῷ τε φαιδρὰ καὶ δεξιὰ ταῖς γυναιξὶν εὐαγγελίζεσθαι, πάλιν ἕτεροι ἂν εἶεν καὶ αὐτοὶ, ἀλλήλων τε καὶ τῶν παρὰ τοῖς πρώτοις. ∆ιὸ οὐδὲ ἀγγέλους αὐτοὺς οἵδε ὠνόμασαν, ἐπεὶ μηδὲ τῶν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ὀπτασιῶν ἐμνημόνευσαν τοῖς κρείττοσιν ἢ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς Ματθαίῳ καὶ Ἰωάννῃ τὰ κρείττονα γράφειν καὶ ἱστορεῖν παρακεχωρηκότες· αὐτοὶ δὲ τὰ δεύτερα διηγούμενοι, καὶ τῷ χρόνῳ τὰ μετὰ τὴν τῶν πρώτων μνήμην ὕστερον πεπραγμένα, παρῄεσαν μὲν τὰ παρὰ τοῖς αὐτόπταις εἰρημένα, ἀντανεπλήρουν δὲ τὰ παρ' ἐκείνοις σεσιγημένα· ἃ δὴ δεύτερα ἦν καὶ μακρῷ λειπόμενα τῆς τῶν προτέρων ἱστορίας· οὕτω τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος διανείμαντος τὰς πρεπούσας ἑκάστῳ καὶ καταλλήλους διηγήσεις.

ςʹ. Αἱ γοῦν παρὰ τῷ Λουκᾷ ἄρθρου βαθέος ἐπὶ τὸ μνῆμα 22.993 ἐλθοῦσαι

γυναῖκες καὶ φέρουσαι ἃ ἡτοίμασαν ἀρώματα, ἕτεραι ἂν εἶεν τῶν παρὰ τῷ Ματθαίῳ καὶ Ἰωάννῃ. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἔχοι λόγον τὰς τοσαῦτα προτεθεαμένας Μαρίας ἄρτι πρῶτον ἀρώματα φέρειν, ὡς μήπω τὴν ἀνάστασιν προμεμαθηκυίας. Σαφῶς γὰρ δι' ὧν φησι δείκνυσι ὅτι καὶ οἱ ὀφθέντες, ἕτεροι παρὰ τοὺς ἔμπροσθεν δεδηλωμένους· καὶ ὁ τόπος ἔνθα ὤφθησαν ἕτερος· οὔτε γὰρ εἴσω τοῦ μνήματος ἦσαν, ὡς ὁ Ἰωάννης ἐδίδαξεν, οὔτε ἐπὶ τὸν λίθον καθεζόμενοι, ὡς ὁ παρὰ τῷ Ματθαίῳ ἄγγελος· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ὅλως ὠνόμασεν ἀγγέλους ὁ Λουκᾶς, δύο δὲ ἄνδρας, πλὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοὺς ἐν ἐσθῆτι ἀστραπτούσῃ, διὰ τὰ τῆς ἑορτῆς σύμβολα· καὶ οἱ λόγοι δὲ αὐτῶν οἱ πρὸς τὰς γυναῖκας ἰδιάζουσι· καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες δὲ πλείους ἦσαν, ἀλλ' οὐχ ἡ παρὰ τῷ Ματθαίῳ δύο Μαρίαι, ἀλλ' ἁπαξαπλῶς αἱ συνελθοῦσαι αὐτῷ ἐκ τῆς Γαλιλαίας· ὀλίγωροι δὲ καὶ αὗται, οὐδὲ τοσαύτην ἐνδειξάμεναι σπουδὴν ὅσην αἱ διὰ νυκτὸς καρτερήσασαι καὶ παραμείνασαι τῷ μνημείῳ. Μαρτυρεῖ γοῦν ὁ Ματθαῖος τῇ Μαγδαληνῇ καὶ τῇ ἄλλῃ Μαρίᾳ εὐτονίαν πολλὴν καὶ παραμονὴν, λέγων μετὰ τὸ πάθος αὐτοῦ ταῦτα· «Ἦν δὲ ἐκεῖ Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ καὶ ἄλλη Μαρία, καθήμεναι ἀπέναντι τοῦ τάφου·» ἀλλ' αὗται μὲν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς Παρασκευῆς παρεκάθηντο ἀντικρὺ τοῦ μνήματος· διὸ καὶ θᾶττον ὁρῶσι πρῶτον μὲν τὸν τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἄγγελον, εἶτα καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν τῆς ζωῆς ἀρχηγόν. Ἡ δὲ παρὰ τῷ Ἰωάννῃ, καὶ αὕτη τὸ μὲν πρῶτον τοὺς ἀγγέλους, μετὰ δὲ τούτους καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν Σωτῆρα θεωρεῖ· οὐ μὴν ἀρώματα ἔφερον αὗται, οὐδὲ περὶ ταύτην κατεγίνοντο τὴν σπουδήν. Αἱ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας ἀκολουθήσασαι αὐτῷ γυναῖκες, πολλαὶ οὖσαι κατὰ τὸν Λουκᾶν, τῇ μὲν Παρασκευῇ ὑποστρέψασαι, ἡτοίμασαν τὰ ἀρώματα, ἅτε δὴ μηδὲν μηδέπω προμαθοῦσαι περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως. ∆ιὸ ταύταις μὲν δύο ἄνδρες ἐν ἐσθῆτι ἀστραπτούσῃ φαίνονται καὶ τὴν ἀνάστασιν εὐαγγελίζονται. Οὐκέτι δὲ αὐταῖς ὁ Σωτὴρ ὤφθη, ὥσπερ οὖν τῇ παρὰ τῷ Ἰωάννῃ καὶ ταῖς παρὰ τῷ Ματθαίῳ· ὥστε ἰδιάζουσαν ἡγεῖσθαι προσήκει τὴν ἱστορίαν. Κατὰ δὲ τὸν Μάρκον λίαν πρωῒ τῇ μιᾷ τῶν Σαββάτων ἔρχονται ἐπὶ τὸ μνημεῖον ἀνατείλαντος τοῦ ἡλίου ἄλλαι πάλιν αὗται, καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ καιρῷ πάλιν, αἳ καὶ ἔλεγον