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supplying these things to those in need, he becomes a god to those who receive; this one is an imitator of God. Then you will see, while on earth, that God governs in heaven, then you will begin to speak the mysteries of God, then you will both love and admire those who are punished for not being willing to deny God, then you will condemn the deceit of the world and its error, when you recognize what it is to truly live in heaven, when you despise the seeming death here, when you fear the real death, which is reserved for those who will be condemned to the eternal fire, which will punish those delivered to it until the end. Then you will admire and call blessed those who endure this fire for the sake of righteousness, when you recognize that fire. *************************************** ********************************************** I do not speak of strange things, nor do I seek irrationally, but having become a disciple of the apostles, I become a teacher of the gentiles, I worthily minister the things handed down to those who are becoming disciples of the truth.

For who, having been rightly taught and born to the beloved Word, does not seek to learn clearly the things shown openly to the disciples by the Word? to whom the Word, having appeared, revealed them, speaking with boldness, not being understood by unbelievers, but explaining to the disciples, who, being accounted faithful by him, came to know the mysteries of the Father. For whose sake he sent the Word, that he might be revealed to the world, who, having been dishonored by the people, preached by the apostles, was believed by the gentiles. This is he who is from the beginning, who appeared new and was found to be old, and is always born new in the hearts of the saints. This is he who is eternal, who is today accounted a Son, through whom the church is enriched and grace, being unfolded, is multiplied among the saints, affording understanding, revealing mysteries, declaring seasons, rejoicing over the faithful, being given to those who seek, by whom the pledges of faith are not broken nor are the boundaries of the fathers transgressed. Then the fear of the law is sung, and the grace of the prophets is known, and the faith of the gospels is established, and the tradition of the apostles is guarded, and the grace of the church rejoices. By not grieving this grace, you will understand what the Word speaks through whom he wishes, when he wills. For whatever we have been moved to speak with labor by the will of the commanding Word, we become sharers with you out of love for the things revealed to us. Encountering and hearing these things with diligence, you will know what great things God provides to those who love him rightly, who have become a paradise of delight, a tree bearing all kinds of fruit, flourishing, having sprung up in themselves, adorned with various fruits. For in this place a tree of knowledge and a tree of life have been planted; but it is not the tree of knowledge that destroys, but disobedience that destroys. For the scriptures are not without meaning, how God from the beginning planted a tree of knowledge and a tree of life in the midst of paradise, revealing life through knowledge. Because they did not use it purely, those from the beginning were stripped bare by the deceit of the serpent. For there is no life without knowledge, nor is there sound knowledge without true life; Therefore each has been planted near the other. The apostle, seeing this power and blaming knowledge that is exercised for life without the commandment of truth, says: "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." For he who thinks he knows something without true knowledge that is also witnessed to by life, does not know; he is led astray by the serpent, because he did not love life. But he who has come to know with fear and seeks life, plants in hope, expecting fruit. Let knowledge be your heart, and true, received reason your life. Bearing its tree and desiring its fruit, you will always gather the things desired by God, which the serpent does not touch nor deceit corrupt; nor is Eve corrupted, but is believed to be a virgin. And salvation is shown, and the apostles are made wise, and the Passover of the Lord goes forth, and the seasons are gathered and set in order with the world, and the Word, teaching the saints, rejoices, through whom the Father is glorified: to whom be the glory for ever. Amen.

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ταῦτα τοῖς ἐπιδεομένοις χορηγῶν, θεὸς γίνεται τῶν λαμβανόντων, οὗτος μιμητής ἐστι Θεοῦ. Τότε θεάσῃ τυγχάνων ἐπὶ γῆς ὅτι Θεὸς ἐν οὐρανοῖς πολιτεύεται, τότε μυστήρια Θεοῦ λαλεῖν ἄρξῃ, τότε τοὺς κολαζομένους ἐπὶ τῷ μὴ θέλειν ἀρνήσασθαι Θεὸν καὶ ἀγαπήσεις καὶ θαυμάσεις, τότε τῆς ἀπάτης τοῦ κόσμου καὶ τῆς πλάνης καταγνώσῃ, ὅταν τὸ ἀληθῶς ἐν οὐρανῷ ζῆν ἐπιγνῷς, ὅταν τοῦ δοκοῦντος ἐνθάδε θανάτου καταφρονήσῃς, ὅταν τὸν ὄντως θάνατον φοβηθῇς, ὃς φυλάσσεται τοῖς κατακριθησομένοις εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὸ αἰώνιον, ὃ τοὺς παραδοθέντας αὐτῷ μέχρι τέλους κολάσει. Τότε τοὺς ὑπομένοντας ὑπὲρ δικαιοσύνης τὸ πῦρ τοῦτο θαυμάσεις καὶ μακαρίσεις, ὅταν ἐκεῖνο τὸ πῦρ ἐπιγνῷς. *************************************** ********************************************** Oὐ ξένα ὁμιλῶ οὐδὲ παραλόγως ζητῶ, ἀλλὰ ἀποστόλων γενόμενος μαθητὴς γίνομαι διδάσκαλος ἐθνῶν, τὰ παραδοθέντα ἀξίως ὑπηρετῶ γινομένοις ἀληθείας μαθηταῖς.

Τίς γὰρ ὀρθῶς διδαχθεὶς καὶ λόγῳ προσφιλεῖ γεννηθεὶς οὐκ ἐπιζητεῖ σαφῶς μαθεῖν τὰ διὰ λόγου δειχθέντα φανερῶς μαθηταῖς; οἷς ἐφανέρωσεν ὁ λόγος φανείς, παρρησίᾳ λαλῶν, ὑπὸ ἀπίστων μὴ νοούμενος, μαθηταῖς δὲ διηγούμενος, οἳ πιστοὶ λογισθέντες ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἔγνωσαν πατρὸς μυστήρια. οὗ χάριν ἀπέστειλε λόγον, ἵνα κόσμῳ φανῇ, ὃς ὑπὸ λαοῦ ἀτιμασθείς, διὰ ἀποστόλων κηρυχθείς, ὑπὸ ἐθνῶν ἐπιστεύθη. Oὗτος ὁ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, ὁ καινὸς φανεὶς καὶ παλαιὸς εὑρεθεὶς καὶ πάντοτε νέος ἐν ἁγίων καρδίαις γεννώμενος. Oὗτος ὁ ἀεί, ὁ σήμερον υἱὸς λογισθείς, δι' οὗ πλουτίζεται ἡ ἐκκλησία καὶ χάρις ἁπλουμένη ἐν ἁγίοις πληθύνεται, παρέχουσα νοῦν, φανεροῦσα μυστήρια, διαγγέλλουσα καιρούς, χαίρουσα ἐπὶ πιστοῖς, ἐπιζητοῦσι δωρουμένη, οἷς ὅρκια πίστεως οὐ θραύεται οὐδὲ ὅρια πατέρων παρορίζεται. Eἶτα φόβος νόμου °δεται καὶ προφητῶν χάρις γινώσκεται καὶ εὐαγγελίων πίστις ἵδρυται καὶ ἀποστόλων παράδοσις φυλάσσεται καὶ ἐκκλησίας χάρις σκιρτᾷ. Ἣν χάριν μὴ λυπῶν ἐπιγνώσῃ ἃ λόγος ὁμιλεῖ δι' ὧν βούλεται, ὅτε θέλει. Ὅσα γὰρ θελήματι τοῦ κελεύοντος λόγου ἐκινήθημεν ἐξειπεῖν μετὰ πόνου, ἐξ ἀγάπης τῶν ἀποκαλυφθέντων ἡμῖν γινόμεθα ὑμῖν κοινωνοί. Oἷς ἐντυχόντες καὶ ἀκούσαντες μετὰ σπουδῆς εἴσεσθε ὅσα παρέχει ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν ὀρθῶς, οἱ γενόμενοι παράδεισος τρυφῆς, πάγκαρπον ξύλον, εὐθαλοῦν, ἀνατείλαντες ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, ποικίλοις καρποῖς κεκοσμημένοι. Ἐν γὰρ τούτῳ τῷ χωρίῳ ξύλον γνώσεως καὶ ξύλον ζωῆς πεφύτευται· ἀλλ' οὐ τὸ τῆς γνώσεως ἀναιρεῖ, ἀλλ' ἡ παρακοὴ ἀναιρεῖ. Oὐδὲ γὰρ ἄσημα τὰ γεγραμμένα, ὡς Θεὸς ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ξύλον γνώσεως καὶ ξύλον ζωῆς ἐν μέσῳ παραδείσου ἐφύτευσε, διὰ γνώσεως ζωὴν ἐπιδεικνύς. Ἠι μὴ καθαρῶς χρησάμενοι οἱ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς πλάνῃ τοῦ ὄφεως γεγύμνωνται. Oὐδὲ γὰρ ζωὴ ἄνευ γνώσεως, οὐδὲ γνῶσις ἀσφαλὴς ἄνευ ζωῆς ἀληθοῦς· ∆ιὸ πλησίον ἑκάτερον πεφύτευ ται. Ἣν δύναμιν ἐνιδὼν ὁ ἀπόστολος τήν τε ἄνευ ἀληθείας προστάγματος εἰς ζωὴν ἀσκουμένην γνῶσιν μεμφόμενος λέγει· ἡ γνῶσις φυσιοῖ, ἡ δὲ ἀγάπη οἰκοδομεῖ. Ὁ γὰρ νομίζων εἰδέναι τι ἄνευ γνώσεως ἀληθοῦς καὶ μαρτυρουμένης ὑπὸ τῆς ζωῆς, οὐκ ἔγνω· ὑπὸ τοῦ ὄφεως πλανᾶται, μὴ ἀγαπήσας τὸ ζῆν. Ὁ δὲ μετὰ φόβου ἐπιγνοὺς καὶ ζωὴν ἐπιζητῶν ἐπ' ἐλπίδι φυτεύει, καρπὸν προσδοκῶν. Ἤτω σοι καρδία γνῶσις, ζωὴ δὲ λόγος ἀληθής, χωρούμενος. Oὗ ξύλον φέρων καὶ καρπὸν ἐρῶν τρυγήσεις ἀεὶ τὰ παρὰ Θεῷ ποθούμενα, ὧν ὄφις οὐχ ἅπτεται οὐδὲ πλάνη συγχρωτίζεται· οὐδὲ Eὔα φθείρεται, ἀλλὰ παρθένος πιστεύεται. Καὶ σωτήριον δείκνυται, καὶ ἀπόστολοι συνετί ζονται, καὶ τὸ κυρίου πάσχα προέρχεται, καὶ καιροὶ συνάγονται καὶ μετὰ κόσμου ἁρμόζεται, καὶ διδάσκων ἁγίους ὁ λόγος εὐφραίνεται, δι' οὗ πατὴρ δοξάζεται· ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν.