5

to you nations [as] your inheritance. For no longer is Jacob the portion of the Lord, nor Israel his inheritance, but all. What is, "Whom he has appointed heir"? That is, He made this one Lord of all. Which Peter also said in the Acts: "God has made him both Lord and Christ." And he uses the name of "heir," showing two things, both the genuineness of his sonship, and the inalienable nature of his lordship. "Heir of all things"; that is, of the whole world. Then again he brings the discourse back to what was before: "Through whom also he made the ages." 2. Where are they who say, "There was a time when he was not"? Then, using steps, he utters what is much greater than these things afterwards, saying: "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; being made so much better than the angels, as he has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they." Oh, the apostolic wisdom! Or rather, one should marvel here not at the wisdom of Paul, but at the grace of the Spirit. For he did not utter these things from his own mind, 63.16 nor did he find so much wisdom from himself; for from where? From the chisel and the leathers, or from the workshop? but it was of divine energy to speak thus. For his mind did not produce these thoughts, being then so humble and of no repute, as to have nothing more than common men; for how could a mind spent on contracts and leathers? but it is the grace of the Spirit, which displays its power through whomsoever it wishes. For just as if someone wished to lead a small child up to some high place, reaching to the very summit of heaven, he does this gently and little by little, leading him up by the steps from below; then when he has set him on high, and bids him look down, and sees him growing dizzy and confused and faint, he takes him and brings him down again to a lower place, allowing him to catch his breath; then when he has recovered him, he leads him up again, and again leads him down; so indeed also did the blessed Paul, both in the case of the Hebrews and everywhere, having learned this from his Teacher. For He also did so himself, at one time leading his hearers up to a height, at another time bringing them down, and not allowing them to linger long at the same level. See, for instance, how here also, after leading them up by so many steps, and setting them at the very summit of piety, before they grow dizzy and are seized with faintness, he brings them down again to a lower place, and giving them to catch their breath, he says: "He has spoken to us by a Son;" and again, "Whom He appointed heir of all things." For the name of Son is for the time common. For where it is understood to mean a true Son, He is superior to all; but for the time, however that may be, he then establishes and shows that He is from above. But see also how he first places him on the lower step, saying, "Whom He appointed heir of all things;" for, "He appointed heir," is a humble expression; then on the higher one, adding, "Through whom also He made the ages;" then on the highest, after which there is no other, "Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person." Truly he led us into light inaccessible, into the very brightness. And before they were blinded, see how gently he again brings them down, saying: "Upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty." He did not simply say, "He sat down," but, "After He had made the purification, He sat down." For He took hold of the Incarnation; and again he speaks humble things. Then again having spoken something lofty, "At the right hand," he says, "of the Majesty on high," he again speaks what is humble by adding: "being made so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they." For here he also discusses the economy according to the flesh; for "being made better" is not indicative of the substance which is according to the Father; for that was not made, but has been begotten; but of that according to the flesh; for this was made. But his discourse now is not about being made substance; but just as John

5

σοι ἔθνη τὴν κληρονομίαν σου. Οὐκέτι γὰρ μερὶς Κυρίου Ἰακὼβ, οὐδὲ κλῆρος αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰσραὴλ, ἀλλὰ πάντες. Τί ἐστιν, Ὃν ἔθηκε κληρονόμον; Τουτέστι, τοῦτον Κύριον ἁπάντων ἐποίησεν. Ὃ καὶ ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσιν ὁ Πέτρος ἔφη· Καὶ Κύριον καὶ Χριστὸν αὐτὸν ὁ Θεὸς ἐποίησε. Τῷ δὲ τοῦ κληρονόμου ὀνόματι κέχρηται, δύο δηλῶν, καὶ τὸ τῆς υἱότητος γνήσιον, καὶ τὸ τῆς κυριότητος ἀναπόσπαστον. Κληρονόμον πάντων· τουτέστι, τοῦ κόσμου παντός. Εἶτα πάλιν ἐπὶ τὸ πρότερον ἐπανάγει τὸν λόγον· ∆ι' οὗ καὶ τοὺς αἰῶνας ἐποίησε. βʹ. Ποῦ εἰσιν οἱ λέγοντες, Ἦν ὅτε οὐκ ἦν; Εἶτα ἀναβαθμοῖς χρώμενος, τὸ πολλῷ τούτων μεῖζον ὕστερον φθέγγεται λέγων· Ὃς ὢν ἀπαύγασμα τῆς δόξης, καὶ χαρακτὴρ τῆς ὑποστάσεως αὐτοῦ, φέρων τε τὰ πάντα τῷ ῥήματι τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ, δι' ἑαυτοῦ καθαρισμὸν ποιησάμενος τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν, ἐκάθισεν ἐν δεξιᾷ τῆς μεγαλωσύνης ἐν ὑψηλοῖς· τοσούτῳ κρείττων γενόμενος τῶν ἀγγέλων, ὅσῳ διαφορώτερον παρ' αὐτοὺς κεκληρονόμηκεν ὄνομα. Βαβαὶ τῆς συνέσεως τῆς ἀποστολικῆς! μᾶλλον δὲ οὐ τὴν τοῦ Παύλου σύνεσιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν τοῦ Πνεύματός ἐστι θαυμάσαι χάριν ἐνταῦθα. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ ἐξ οἰκείας διανοίας ταῦτα ἐφθέγξατο, 63.16 οὐδὲ τοσαύτην σοφίαν ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ εὗρεν· πόθεν γάρ; ἀπὸ τῆς σμίλης γὰρ καὶ τῶν δερμάτων, ἢ τοῦ ἐργαστηρίου; ἀλλὰ θείας ἐνεργείας ἦν τὸ οὕτως εἰπεῖν. Οὐ γὰρ αὐτοῦ ταῦτα τὰ νοήματα ἔτικτεν ἡ διάνοια, τότε μὲν οὕτω ταπεινὴ καὶ εὐτελὴς οὖσα, ὡς τῶν ἀγοραίων μηδὲν ἔχειν πλέον· πῶς γὰρ ἡ περὶ συμβόλαια καὶ δέρματα καταναλωθεῖσα; ἀλλ' ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος χάρις, ἢ δι' ὧν ἂν ἐθέλῃ τὴν ἰσχὺν αὐτῆς ἐπιδείκνυται. Καθάπερ γὰρ εἰς ὑψηλὸν τόπον τινὰ, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὴν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ φθάνοντα τὴν κορυφὴν, εἴ τις παιδίον μικρὸν ἀναγαγεῖν βούλοιτο, ἠρέμα καὶ κατὰ μικρὸν τοῦτο ποιεῖ, διὰ τῶν κάτωθεν βαθμῶν αὐτὸ ἀνάγων· εἶτα ἐπειδὰν ἄνω στήσῃ, καὶ κελεύσῃ κάτω προσέχειν, καὶ ἴδῃ ἰλιγγιῶν καὶ θορυβούμενον καὶ σκοτοδινιῶν, λαβόμενος αὐτοῦ κατάγει πάλιν ἐπὶ τὸ ταπεινότερον, παρέχων ἀναπνεῦσαι· εἶτα ὅταν ἀνακτήσηται αὐτὸ, πάλιν ἀνάγει, καὶ πάλιν κατάγει· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος ἐποίησε καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν Ἑβραίων καὶ πανταχοῦ, παρὰ τοῦ διδασκάλου τοῦτο μαθών. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς οὕτως ἐποίησε, ποτὲ μὲν ἀνάγων εἰς ὕψος, ποτὲ δὲ κατάγων τοὺς ἀκροατὰς, καὶ οὐκ ἀφεὶς ἐπιπολὺ κατὰ τὸ αὐτὸ ἐγχρονίζειν. Ὅρα γοῦν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐνταῦθα, δι' ὅσων αὐτοὺς ἀναγαγὼν ἀναβαθμῶν, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὴν στήσας τὴν κορυφὴν τῆς εὐσεβείας, πρὶν ἰλιγγιᾶσαι καὶ σκοτοδινίᾳ ἁλῶναι, πῶς κατάγει πάλιν αὐτοὺς κατώτερον, καὶ διδοὺς ἀναπνεῦσαι, φησίν· Ἐλάλησεν ἡμῖν ἐν Υἱῷ· καὶ πάλιν, Ὃν ἔθηκε κληρονόμον πάντων. Τὸ γὰρ τοῦ Υἱοῦ ὄνομα τέως κοινόν. Ἔνθα μὲν γὰρ ἂν γνήσιος ὑπονοῆται, πάντων ἐστὶν ἀνώτερος· τέως δὲ ὅπως ἂν ᾖ, κατασκευάζει λοιπὸν καὶ δείκνυσιν ὅτι ἄνωθέν ἐστιν. Ὅρα δὲ καὶ πῶς πρῶτον ἐπὶ τὸν ταπεινότερον βαθμὸν ἵστησι λέγων· Ὃν ἔθηκε κληρονόμον πάντων· τὸ γὰρ, Κληρονόμον ἔθηκε, ταπεινόν· εἶτα ἐπὶ τὸν ἀνώτερον, ἐπαγαγών· ∆ι' οὗ καὶ τοὺς αἰῶνας ἐποίησεν· εἶτα ἐπὶ τὸν ὑψηλότερον, καὶ μεθ' ὃν οὐκ ἔστιν ἕτερος· Ὃς ὢν ἀπαύγασμα τῆς δόξης, καὶ χαρακτὴρ τῆς ὑποστάσεως αὐτοῦ. Ὄντως εἰς ἀπρόσιτον φῶς ἤγαγεν, εἰς αὐτὸ τὸ ἀπαύγασμα. Καὶ πρὶν ἢ σκοτωθῆναι, ὅρα πῶς πάλιν ἠρέμα κατάγει λέγων· Φέρων τε τὰ πάντα τῷ ῥήματι τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ, δι' ἑαυτοῦ καθαρισμὸν ποιησάμενος τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν, ἐκάθισεν ἐν δεξιᾷ τῆς μεγαλωσύνης. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἶπεν· Ἐκάθισεν, ἀλλὰ, Μετὰ τὸν καθαρισμὸν ἐκάθισεν. Ἐπελάβετο γὰρ τῆς σαρκώσεως· καὶ πάλιν ταπεινὰ φθέγγεται. Εἶτα πάλιν φθεγξάμενός τι ὑψηλὸν, Ἐν δεξιᾷ γὰρ, φησὶ, τῆς μεγαλωσύνης ἐν ὑψηλοῖς, πάλιν φθέγγεται τὸ ταπεινὸν διὰ τῆς ἐπαγωγῆς τῆς, Τοσούτῳ κρείττων γενόμενος τῶν ἀγγέλων, ὅσῳ διαφορώτερον παρ' αὐτοὺς κεκληρονόμηκεν ὄνομα. Ἐνταῦθα γὰρ καὶ περὶ τῆς κατὰ σάρκα οἰκονομίας διαλέγεται· τὸ γὰρ, Κρείττων γενόμενος, οὐκ οὐσίας δηλωτικόν ἐστι τῆς κατὰ Πατέρα· ἐκείνη γὰρ οὐκ ἐγένετο, ἀλλὰ γεγέννηται· ἀλλὰ τῆς κατὰ σάρκα· αὕτη γὰρ ἐγένετο. Ἀλλ' οὐ περὶ οὐσιώσεως νῦν ὁ λόγος αὐτῷ· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ Ἰωάννης