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of faith." {ORTH.} You have produced the apostolic testimonies at an opportune time. If 69 then we say that the teachings both of the evangelists and of the apostles are of the same spirit, listen to the apostle interpreting the evangelical saying. For writing to the Hebrews he spoke thus: "For surely he does not take hold of angels, but he takes hold of the seed of Abraham." He did not say, he became the seed of Abraham, but he takes hold of the seed of Abraham. Answer then, what do you understand by the seed of Abraham? {ERAN.} Clearly, the nature of Abraham. {ORTH.} Therefore whatever Abraham had by nature, the seed of Abraham also had? {ERAN.} Not everything. For Christ did not commit sin. {ORTH.} Sin is not of nature, but of a bad will. For this reason I did not say indefinitely, whatever Abraham had, but whatever he had by nature, that is, a body and a rational soul. Say clearly then, if you agree that the seed of Abraham is both a body and a rational soul. For if not, in this too you agree with the nonsense of Apollinarius. But I will also compel you from another source to confess this. Tell me then, do the Jews have a body and a rational soul? {ERAN.} It is clear that they do. {ORTH.} When therefore we hear the prophet saying, "But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham, whom I have loved," do we not understand the Jews to be not just flesh, but complete human beings composed of bodies and rational souls? {ERAN.} True. {ORTH.} And is the seed of Abraham not soulless nor mindless, but having everything that characterizes the nature of Abraham? {ERAN.} He who says these things proclaims two sons. {ORTH.} But he who says the Word of God was changed into flesh, does not speak of even one son. For flesh by itself is not a son. But we confess one son, who took hold of the seed of Abraham according to the divine apostle, and who worked out the salvation of men. But if you do not accept the apostolic teaching, confess it openly. 70 {ERAN.} Then we say the apostles have spoken contraries. For "The Word became flesh" seems somehow to be contrary to "He took hold of the seed of Abraham." {ORTH.} To you who do not understand or who are pointlessly contentious, harmonious things seem contrary. For to those who use sound reasoning, it does not seem so. For the divine apostle teaches that the Word of God did not become flesh by being changed, but by taking hold of the seed of Abraham. At the same time he also reminds us of the promise made to Abraham. Or do you not remember the promises given by the God of all to the patriarch? {ERAN.} Which ones? {ORTH.} When He led him out from his father's house and instructed him to go to Palestine, did he not say to him, "I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you, and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed?" {ERAN.} I remember these promises. {ORTH.} Therefore, recall also the covenants made by God with Isaac and Jacob. For He gave the same promises to them also, confirming the former ones by the second and third. {ERAN.} I remember these also. {ORTH.} Interpreting these covenants, the divine apostle speaks thus in his letter to the Galatians: "Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, And to seeds, as referring to many, but as referring to one, And to your seed, who is Christ," most clearly showing the humanity of Christ which sprang from the seed of Abraham, and which fulfilled the promise made to Abraham. {ERAN.} These things were said by the apostle. {ORTH.} These things are sufficient to resolve all dispute raised concerning this. Nevertheless, I will remind you of another prophecy as well. Jacob the patriarch gave this blessing, which was given both to him and to his father and his grandfather, to Judah his son alone. 71 And he spoke thus: "A ruler shall not fail from

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πίστεως." {ΟΡΘ.} Εἰς καιρὸν τὰς ἀποστολικὰς παρήγαγες μαρτυρίας. Εἰ 69 τοίνυν τοῦ αὐτοῦ πνεύματος εἶναί φαμεν τά τε τῶν εὐαγγελιστῶν τά τε τῶν ἀποστόλων παιδεύματα, ἄκουσον τοῦ ἀποστόλου τὸ εὐαγγε λικὸν ῥητὸν ἑρμηνεύοντος. Ἑβραίοις γὰρ ἐπιστέλλων οὕτως ἔφη· "Οὐ γὰρ δήπου ἀγγέλων ἐπιλαμβάνεται, ἀλλὰ σπέρματος Ἀβραὰμ ἐπιλαμβάνεται." Οὐκ εἶπε, σπέρμα Ἀβραὰμ ἐγένετο, ἀλλὰ σπέρμα τος Ἀβραὰμ ἐπιλαμβάνεται. Ἀπόκριναι τοίνυν, τί νοεῖς τὸ σπέρμα τοῦ Ἀβραάμ; {ΕΡΑΝ.} ∆ῆλον ὅτι τὴν φύσιν τοῦ Ἀβραάμ. {ΟΡΘ.} Οὐκοῦν ὅπερ εἶχε κατὰ φύσιν Ἀβραάμ, εἶχε καὶ τὸ σπέρμα τοῦ Ἀβραάμ; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Οὐ πάντα. Ἁμαρτίαν γὰρ ὁ Χριστὸς οὐκ ἐποίησεν. {ΟΡΘ.} Ἡ ἁμαρτία οὐκ ἔστι τῆς φύσεως, ἀλλὰ τῆς κακῆς προαιρέ σεως. Τούτου δὴ χάριν οὐκ ἀορίστως ἔφην, ὅπερ εἶχεν Ἀβραάμ, ἀλλ' ὅπερ εἶχε κατὰ φύσιν, τουτέστι σῶμα καὶ ψυχὴν λογικήν. Εἰπὲ τοίνυν σαφῶς, εἰ συνομολογεῖς τὸ σπέρμα τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ σῶμα εἶναι καὶ ψυχὴν λογικήν. Εἴπερ ἄρα μή, καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο τοῖς Ἀπολι ναρίου συμφέρῃ ληρήμασιν. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ ἑτέρωθέν σε τοῦτο συνομο λογῆσαι καταναγκάσω. Εἰπὲ τοίνυν, οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι σῶμα ἔχουσι καὶ ψυχὴν λογικήν; {ΕΡΑΝ.} ∆ῆλον ὡς ἔχουσιν. {ΟΡΘ.} Ὅταν τοίνυν ἀκούσωμεν τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος, "Σὺ δέ, Ἰσραὴλ ὁ παῖς μου, Ἰακὼβ ὃν ἐξελεξάμην, σπέρμα Ἀβραάμ, ὃνἠγάπησα," μὴ μόνον σάρκας τοὺς Ἰουδαίους νοοῦμεν, οὐ τελείους ἀνθρώπους ἐκ σωμάτων καὶ ψυχῶν λογικῶν συνεστῶτας; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Ἀληθές. {ΟΡΘ.} Καὶ τὸ σπέρμα τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ οὐκ ἄψυχον οὐδὲ ἄνουν, ἀλλὰ πάντα ἔχον, ὁπόσα τὴν φύσιν χαρακτηρίζει τοῦ Ἀβραάμ; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Ὁ ταῦτα λέγων δύο πρεσβεύει υἱούς. {ΟΡΘ.} Ὁ δὲ τὸν θεὸν λόγον εἰς σάρκα τετράφθαι λέγων, οὐδὲ ἕνα λέγει υἱόν. Σὰρξ γὰρ αὐτὴ καθ' αὑτὴν οὐχ υἱός. Ἡμεῖς δὲ ἕνα υἱὸν ὁμολογοῦμεν, σπέρματος Ἀβραὰμ ἐπιλαβόμενον κατὰ τὸν θεῖον ἀπόστολον, καὶ τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων πραγματευσάμενον σωτηρίαν. Εἰ δὲ μὴ στέργεις τὴν ἀποστολικὴν διδασκαλίαν, ἄντικρυς ὁμολόγησον. 70 {ΕΡΑΝ.} Ἐναντία τοίνυν φαμὲν εἰρηκέναι τοὺς ἀποστόλους. Ἐναντίον γὰρ εἶναί πως δοκεῖ τό, "Ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο," τοῦ "Σπέρ ματος Ἀβραὰμ ἐπελάβετο." {ΟΡΘ.} Σοὶ τῷ μὴ νοοῦντι ἢ μάτην φιλονεικοῦντι ἐναντία δοκεῖ τὰ σύμφωνα. Τοῖς γὰρ σώφρονι λογισμῷ κεχρημένοις οὐ φαίνεται. ∆ιδάσκει γὰρ ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος, ὡς οὐ τραπεὶς ὁ θεὸς λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, ἀλλὰ σπέρματος Ἀβραὰμ ἐπιλαβόμενος. Κατὰ ταὐτὸν δὲ καὶ τῆς πρὸς τὸν Ἀβραὰμ γεγενημένης ἐπαγγελίας ἀναμιμνήσκει. Ἢ οὐ μέμνησαι τῶν τῷ πατριάρχῃ παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων δοθεισῶν ὑπο σχέσεων; {ΕΡΑΝ.} Ποίων; {ΟΡΘ.} Ἡνίκα αὐτὸν ἐκ τῆς πατρῴας ἐξήγαγεν οἰκίας, καὶ εἰς τὴν Παλαιστίνην ἐλθεῖν παρηγγύησεν, οὐκ ἔφη πρὸς αὐτόν, "Εὐλογήσω τοὺς εὐλογοῦντάς σε, καὶ τοὺς καταρωμένους σε καταράσομαι, καὶ ἐνευλογηθήσονται ἐν τῷ σπέρματί σου πάντα τὰ ἔθνη τῆς γῆς;" {ΕΡΑΝ.} Μέμνημαι τῶνδε τῶν ὑποσχέσεων. {ΟΡΘ.} Οὐκοῦν ἀναμνήσθητι καὶ τῶν πρὸς Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ γεγενημένων παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ συνθηκῶν. Τὰς αὐτὰς γὰρ καὶ τούτοις δέδωκεν ὑποσχέσεις, βεβαιῶν τοῖς δευτέροις καὶ τρίτοις τὰ πρότερα. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Μέμνημαι καὶ τούτων. {ΟΡΘ.} Ταύτας δὲ τὰς συνθήκας ἑρμηνεύων ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος, οὕτως ἐν τῇ πρὸς Γαλάτας φησί· "Τῷ δὲ Ἀβραὰμ ἐρρήθησαν αἱ ἐπαγγελίαι, καὶ τῷ σπέρματι αὐτοῦ. Οὐ λέγει, καὶ τοῖς σπέρμασιν, ὡς ἐπὶ πολλῶν, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐφ' ἑνός, καὶ τῷ σπέρματι αὐτοῦ, ὅς ἐστι Χριστός," ἐναργέστατα δεικνὺς τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐκ σπέρματος βλαστήσασαν Ἀβραάμ, καὶ τὴν πρὸς τὸν Ἀβραὰμ γεγενημένην ἐπαγγελίαν πληρώσασαν. {ΕΡΑΝ.} Εἴρηται ταῦτα τῷ ἀποστόλῳ. {ΟΡΘ.} Ἱκανὰ μὲν καὶ ταῦτα πᾶσαν τὴν περὶ τούτου κινουμένην ἀμφισβήτησιν λῦσαι. Ἐγὼ δὲ ὅμως καὶ ἑτέρας σε προρρήσεως ἀναμνήσω. Ἰακὼβ ὁ πατριάρχης τήνδε τὴν εὐλογίαν τὴν αὐτῷ τε καὶ τῷ πατρὶ καὶ τῷ πάππῳ δοθεῖσαν Ἰούδᾳ τῷ παιδὶ δέδωκε μόνῳ. 71 Ἔφη δὲ οὕτως· "Οὐκ ἐκλείψει ἄρχων ἐξ