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Why is it that one of the evangelists composes the genealogy from below to above, while the other does the opposite?

RESPONSE I think that they have done this not without purpose, but rather and very mystically;

for since some of the faithful are led down from the promises to the practice of the commandments, while others, beginning from the 14Α_026 practice of the commandments, are led up to the promises, for this reason one leads the genealogy down, while the other leads it up.

QUESTION 13 For what reason, in the prothesis of the precious body and blood of the Lord, the

loaves and the chalices is it the custom for the Church to set forth in unequal numbers? RESPONSE All things which are performed in the Church have a supernatural meaning. And since according to

an exceptional way these symbols are mysteries and representations of the divine essence, and this essence is uncompounded while all creation is compounded, and only, as has been said, the holy Trinity is simple and uncompounded; for this reason, therefore, the Church sets forth the loaves and the chalices in unequal numbers, signifying the divine in these.

QUESTION 14 Since some are perplexed that "how is it said to have escaped the notice of all the heavenly

powers the incarnation of the Lord, when we find that also the prophecies concerning the Lord came through angels and Gabriel announces the conception of the virgin and angels instruct the shepherds?" what, then, is that which escaped the notice of the angels?

RESPONSE That the angels knew of the coming for the salvation of

men incarnation of the Lord, one must not doubt. But that which escaped their notice was the incomprehensible conception of the Lord 14Α_028 and the manner how, being whole in the Father and whole in all things and filling all things, he was whole in the womb of the Virgin.

QUESTION 15 Why ever on Mount Ebal, on which the curses were given, is the of

Nun Joshua commanded to build an altar and to write the law? RESPONSE 'Gerizim' is interpreted 'circumcision,' and 'Ebal' 'a lump of dough;' in the lump of dough, therefore,

of the gentile portion which was cursed, our Lord Jesus Christ establishes an altar, that is, the Church, writing the law not on 'tablets of stone but on tablets' of «fleshy hearts». And of whole stones, «upon which no iron has been wielded», he says the altar was to be built, signifying the spiritual stones, the apostles, being unhewn because of the simplicity and plainness of their ways; from whom the Church of the gentiles was established.

QUESTION 16 What does it mean which the prophet threatens, that those who make «cakes for the host

of heaven» are to be handed over to Nebuchadnezzar so that he might set up his throne in the gate of Jerusalem?

RESPONSE 'Chauones' are little loaves being of various kinds, which the Jews, making them,

and their wives would place in the windows of the houses, receiving the light of the moon and of the morning star. Since, therefore, 'chauones' are interpreted as 'windows,' this 14Α_030 suggests one should understand that whoever through pleasure [directs] the senses toward the

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Τί δήποτε ὁ μὲν εἷς τῶν εὐαγγελιστῶν τὴν γενεαλογίαν ἀπὸ τῶν κάτω ἐπὶ τὰ ἄνω ποιεῖται, ὁ δὲ ἕτερος τὸ ἐναντίον;

ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Οἶμαι ὅτι οὐκ ἀσκόπως, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ λίαν μυστικῶς τοῦτο πεποιήκασιν·

ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οἱ μὲν τῶν πιστῶν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν ἐπὶ τὴν πρᾶξιν τῶν ἐντολῶν κατάγονται, οἱ δὲ ἀπὸ 14Α_026 τῆς πράξεως τῶν ἐντολῶν ἀρχόμενοι ἐπὶ τὰς ἐπαγγελίας ἀνάγονται, τούτου χάριν ὁ μὲν κατάγει, ὁ δὲ ἀνάγει τὴν γενεαλογίαν.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ 13 Τίνος χάριν ἐν τῇ προθέσει τοῦ τιμίου σώματος καὶ αἵματος τοῦ Κυρίου τοὺς

ἄρτους καὶ τὰ ποτήρια ἄνισα προτίθειν ἔθος ἐστὶν τῇ Ἔκκλησίᾳ; ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Πάντα ὑπερφυῆ λόγον ἔχουσιν τὰ ἐν τῇ Ἔκκλησίᾳ τελούμενα. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ κατ᾽

ἐξαίρετον τὰ σύμβολα ταῦτα τῆς θείας οὐσίας εἰσὶν μυστήρια καὶ ἀπεικονίσματα, ἔστιν δὲ αὕτη ἀσύνθετος πᾶσα δὲ κτίσις σύνθετός ἐστιν, μόνη δέ, ὡς εἴρηται, ἡ ἁγία Τριὰς ἁπλῆ καὶ ἀσύνθετος διὰ τοῦτο οὖν ἄνισα προτίθησιν ἡ Ἐκκλησία τοὺς ἄρτους καὶ τὰ ποτήρια, τὸ θεῖον ἐν τούτοις χαρακτηρίζουσα.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ 14 Ἐπειδή τινες ἀποροῦσιν ὅτι "πῶς λαθεῖν λέγεται πάσας τὰς οὐρανίους

δυνάμεις ἡ τοῦ Κυρίου ἐνανθρώπησις, ὁπόταν εὑρίσκωμεν ὅτι καὶ αἱ προφητεῖαι αἱ περὶ τοῦ Κυρίου δι᾽ ἀγγέλων γεγόνασιν καὶ τὴν σύλληψιν τῆς παρθένου ὁ Γαβριὴλ εὐαγγελίζεται καὶ τοὺς ποιμένας ἄγγελοι μυσταγωγοῦσιν;" τί οὖν ἐστιν τὸ λαθὸν τοὺς ἀγγέλους;

ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Ὅτι μὲν ᾔδεισαν οἱ ἄγγελοι τὴν μέλλουσαν ἔσεσθαι ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῶν

ἀνθρώπων τοῦ Κυρίου ἐνανθρώπησιν, οὐ δεῖ ἀμφιβάλλειν. Ἐκεῖνο δὲ ἔλαθεν αὐτούς, ἡ ἀκατάληπτος τοῦ Κυρίου 14Α_028 σύλληψις καὶ ὁ τρόπος πῶς ὅλος ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ ὅλος ὢν ἐν πᾶσιν καὶ πάντα πληρῶν, ὅλος ἦν ἐν τῇ γαστρὶ τῆς Παρθένου.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ 15 Τί δήποτε ἐν τῷ ὄρει Γεβάλ, ἐν ᾧ αἱ κατάραι ἐδόθησαν, προστάσσεται ὁ τοῦ

Ναυὴ Ἰησοῦς θυσιαστήριον οἰκοδομῆσαι καὶ γράψαι τὸν νόμον; ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ 'Γαρίζιν' ἑρμηνεύεται 'περιτομή,' 'Γεβὰλ' δὲ 'φύραμα·' ἐν τῷ φυράματι οὖν

τῆς ἐθνικῆς μερίδος τῆς κατηραμένης πήγνυσιν θυσιαστήριον ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστός, τουτέστιν τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, ἐγγράφων τὸν νόμον οὐκ ἐν πλαξὶν 'λιθίναις ἀλλ᾽ ἐν πλαξὶν' «καρδίαις σαρκίναις». Ἐκ λίθων δὲ τελείων, «ἐφ᾽ οὓς οὐκ ἐπεβλήθη σίδηρος», τὸ θυσιαστήριον οἰκοδομηθῆναι λέγει, δηλῶν τοὺς νοητοὺς λίθους τοὺς ἀποστόλους, ἀπελεκήτους διὰ τὸ ἁπλοῦν τῶν τρόπων καὶ ἀπέριττον γενομένους· ἐξ ὧν ἡ τῶν ἐθνῶν Ἐκκλησία συνέστη.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ 16 Τί σημαίνει ὅπερ ἀπειλεῖ ὁ προφήτης τοὺς ποιοῦντας «χαύωνας τῇ στρατιᾷ

τοῦ οὐρανοῦ» παραδίδοσθαι τῷ Ναβουχοδονόσορ ὥστε ἐν τῇ πύλῃ Ἱερουσαλὴμ πῆξαι τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ;

ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Χαύωνές εἰσιν ἀρτίδια ἐκ διαφόρων εἰδῶν ὄντα, ἅπερ ποιοῦντες οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι

καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες αὐτῶν ἐτίθουν ἐν ταῖς θυρίσιν τῶν οἴκων, δεχόμεναι τὴν αὐγὴν τῆς σελήνης καὶ τοῦ ἑωσφόρου. Ἐπειδὴ οὖν χαύωνες 'θυρίδες' ἑρμηνεύονται, τοῦτο 14Α_030 ὑποβάλλει νοεῖν ὅτι ὅστις διὰ τῆς ἡδονῆς τὰς αἰσθήσεις πρὸς τὰ