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not paying attention, but rather being diligent about the correction of life, so that, deprived of the divine spirit, they might not fail to attain the kingdom of heaven. For the first thing is to deny oneself and to follow Christ, and those who do these things are brought to perfection, having fulfilled all the will of the teacher, becoming sons of God through the spiritual regeneration and heirs of the kingdom of heaven, which seeking first, they will not be forsaken. 36 Those who have followed the second ordinances of the apostles know that the Lord has established a new offering in the new covenant, according to Malachi the prophet: 'For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name has been glorified among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure sacrifice;' as also John says in the Apocalypse: 'The incense is the prayers of the saints;' and Paul exhorts us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, our rational worship. And again: 'let us offer a sacrifice of praise,' that is, the fruit of lips. These offerings are not according to the law, whose handwriting the Lord blotted out and took from our midst, but according to the spirit; for we must worship God in spirit and in truth. For also the offering of the eucharist is not carnal, but spiritual, and in this it is pure. For we offer to God the bread and the cup of blessing, giving thanks to Him that He commanded the earth to bring forth these fruits for our nourishment, and here, having completed the offering, we invoke the Holy Spirit, that He may declare this sacrifice, both the bread the body of Christ, and the cup the blood of Christ, so that those who partake of these antitypes may obtain the remission of sins and eternal life. Therefore, those who make these offerings in remembrance of the Lord do not draw near to the dogmas of the Jews, but, ministering spiritually, they will be called sons of wisdom. 37 The Apostles ordained that we ought not to judge anyone in food and in drink and in respect of a feast or a new moon or of the sabbaths. From where, then, are these battles, from where the schisms? We celebrate, but in the leaven of malice and wickedness, tearing apart the church of God, and we observe the external things, so that we may cast away the better things, faith and love. We have heard from the prophetic words, therefore, that these feasts and fasts are displeasing to the Lord. 38 Christ, who before the ages was called the Son of God, appeared in the fullness of time, so that He might purify us, who were under sin, through His blood, presenting us as pure sons to the Father, if we render ourselves obedient to the instruction of the spirit. And at the end of the ages He is to come to abolish all evil, and to reconcile all things, that there may be an end of all defilements. 39 And he found the jawbone of an ass; It should be noted that the divine scripture no longer, after the fornication, uttered concerning his accomplishments, "The spirit of the Lord came upon him"; for thus the sin of fornication is against the body, as a sin against the temple of God, according to the divine Apostle. 40 This signifies the persecution against the church by the nations still remaining in unbelief. But he who was suffering these things hoped that there would be vengeance against those who were warring. But through what is the vengeance? First, through taking refuge in the spiritual rock, and second, through finding the jawbone of an ass. And the jawbone is a type of the body of Christ. 41 By always speaking well of the worthy, and never ill of the unworthy, we too shall attain the glory and kingdom of God. 42 By prophecy it was signified in these things, that the people, having become a transgressor, will be bound by the cords of its own sins. But that his bonds were loosed automatically signifies that, having repented, he will again be loosed from the bonds of sin. 43 It is not easy to persuade a soul held by error. 44 And they killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword. For he who no longer speaks in the spirit of God, but against the law of God

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οὐ προσέχοντες, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον περὶ τὴν τοῦ βίου ἐπανόρθωσιν σπουδάζοντες, ἵνα μὴ τοῦ θείου πνεύματος ἀποστερηθέντες ἀποτύχωσι τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν. Τὸ γὰρ πρῶτον μέν ἐστι τὸ ἀπαρνῆσαι σεαυτὸν καὶ τὸ ἀκολουθῆσαι τῷ Χριστῷ, καὶ οἱ ταῦτα ποιοῦντες εἰς τελειότητα φέρονται, πᾶν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ διδασκάλου πεπληρωκότες, υἱοὶ Θεοῦ διὰ τῆς παλιγγενεσίας τῆς πνευματικῆς γινόμενοι καὶ τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν κληρονόμοι, ἣν πρῶτον ζητοῦντες οὐκ ἀφεθήσονται. 36 Οἱ ταῖς δευτέραις τῶν ἀποστόλων διατάξεσι παρηκολουθηκότες ἴσασι, τὸν Κύριον νέαν προσφορὰν ἐν τῇ καινῇ διαθήκῃ καθεστηκέναι, κατὰ τὸ Μαλαχίου τοῦ προφήτου· ∆ιότι ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν ἡλίου καὶ ἕως δυσμῶν τὸ ὄνομά μου δεδόξασται ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι, καὶ ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ θυμίαμα προσάγεται τῷ ὀνόματί μου καὶ θυσία καθαρά· ὥσπερ καὶ ὁ Ἰωάννης ἐν τῇ Ἀποκαλύψει λέγει· Τὰ θυμιάματά εἰσιν αἱ προσευχαὶ τῶν ἁγίων· καὶ ὁ Παῦλος παρακαλεῖ ἡμᾶς παραστῆσαι τὰ σώματα ἡμῶν θυσίαν ζῶσαν, ἁγίαν, εὐάρεστον τῷ Θεῷ, τὴν λογικὴν λατρείαν ἡμῶν. Καὶ πάλιν· ἀναφέρωμεν θυσίαν αἰέσεως τουτέστι καρπὸν χειλέων. Αὗται μὲν αἱ προσφοραὶ οὐ κατὰ τὸν νόμον εἰσὶν, οὗ τὸ χειρόγραφον ἐξαλείψας ὁ Κύριος ἐκ τοῦ μέσου ᾖρεν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ πνεῦμα, ἐν πνεύματι γὰρ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ δεῖ προσκυνεῖν τὸν Θεόν. ∆ιότι καὶ ἡ προσφορὰ τῆς εὐχαριστίας οὐκ ἔστι σαρκικὴ, ἀλλὰ πνευματικὴ καὶ ἐν τούτῳ καθαρά. Προσφέρομεν γὰρ τῷ Θεῷ τὸν ἄρτον καὶ τὸ ποτήριον τῆς εὐλογίας, εὐχαριστοῦντες αὐτῷ ὅτι τῇ γῇ ἐκέλευσεν ἐκφῦσαι τοὺς καρποὺς τούτους εἰς τροφὴν ἡμετέραν, καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὴν προσφορὰν τελέσαντες ἐκκαλοῦμεν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ὅπως ἀποφήνῃ τὴν θυσίαν ταύτην καὶ τὸν ἄρτον σῶμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ τὸ ποτήριον τὸ αἷμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἵνα οἱ μεταλαβόντες τούτων τῶν ἀντιτύπων, τῆς ἀφέσεως τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν καὶ τῆς ζωῆς αἰωνίου τύχωσιν. Οἱ οὖν ταύτας τὰς προσφορὰς ἐν τῇ ἀναμνήσει τοῦ Κυρίου ἄγοντες, οὐ τοῖς τῶν Ἰουδαίων δόγμασι προσέρχονται, ἀλλὰ πνευματικῶς λειτουργοῦντες τῆς σοφίας υἱοὶ κληθήσονται. 37 Ἔταξαν οἱ Ἀπόστολοι, μὴ δεῖναι ἡμᾶς κρίνειν τινὰ ἐν βρώσει καὶ ἐν πόσει καὶ ἐν μέρει ἑορτῆς ἢ νεομηνίας ἢ σαββάτων. Πόθεν οὖν αὗται αἱ μάχαι, πόθεν τὰ σχίσματα; ἑορτάζομεν, ἀλλ' ἐν ζύμῃ κακίας καὶ πονηρίας, τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ διαῤῥίπτοντες, καὶ τὰ ἐκτὸς τηροῦμεν, ἵνα τὰ κρείττονα, τὴν πίστιν καὶ ἀγάπην ἀποβάλλωμεν. Ταύτας οὖν ἑορτὰς καὶ νηστείας ἀπαρέσκειν τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐκ τῶν προφητικῶν λόγων ἠκούσαμεν. 38 Χριστὸς ὁ πρὸ αἰώνων κληθεὶς Θεοῦ Υἱὸς ἐν τῷ πληρώματι τοῦ καιροῦ ὤφθη, ἵνα ἡμᾶς, τοὺς ὑπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὄντας, διὰ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ καθαρίσῃ, ἁγνοὺς τῷ πατρὶ υἱοὺς παραστήσας, εἰ τῇ παιδείᾳ τοῦ πνεύματος εὐπειθεῖς ἡμᾶς παρέχωμεν. Καὶ ἐν τῷ τέλει τῶν καιρῶν μέλλει ἔρχεσθαι εἰς τὸ καταργῆσαι πᾶν τὸ κακὸν, καὶ εἰς τὸ ἀποκαταλλάξαι τὰ πάντα, ἵνα ᾖ πάντων τῶν μιασμάτων τὸ τέλος. 39 Καὶ εὗρε σιαγόνα ὄνου· Σημειωτέον, ὅτι οὐκέτι ἡ θεία γραφὴ μετὰ τὴν πορνείαν τοῖς παρ' αὐτοῦ κατωρθωμένοις ἐφθέγξατο τὸ, Ἥλατο ἐπ' αὐτὸν πνεῦμα Κυρίου· οὕτω γὰρ τὸ τῆς πορνείας ἁμάρτημα πρὸς τὸ σῶμα, ὡς περὶ Θεοῦ ναὸν ἁμαρτάνεται, κατὰ τὸν θεῖον Ἀπόστολον. 40 Τοῦτο σημαίνει τὸν διωγμὸν τὸν κατὰ τῆς ἐκκλησίας παρὰ τῶν ἔτι μενόντων ἐν τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ ἐθνῶν. Ἀλλ' ἤλπισεν ὁ ταῦτα πάσχων, ὡς ἔσται ἐκδίκησις κατὰ τῶν πολεμούντων. ∆ιὰ τίνος δὲ ἡ ἐκδίκησις; Πρῶτον μὲν διὰ τοῦ καταφυγεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν νοητὴν πέτραν, δεύτερον δὲ διὰ τοῦ εὑρεῖν σιαγόνα ὄνου. Τύπος δὲ τῆς σιαγόνος τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ. 41 Εὖ μὲν λέγοντες ἀεὶ τοὺς ἀξίους, κακῶς δὲ οὐδέποτε τοὺς ἀναξίους, τευξόμεθα καὶ ἡμεῖς τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δόξης καὶ βασιλείας. 42 Προφητείᾳ ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐσημαίνετο, ὡς παραβάτης γενόμενος ὁ λαὸς σειραῖς τῶν ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτιῶν σφιγγίσεται. Τὸ δὲ λυθῆναι αὐτοῦ αὐτομάτως τὰ δεσμὰ σημαίνει, ὡς μετανοήσας πάλιν λυθήσεται ἐκ τῶν τῆς ἁμαρτίας δεσμῶν. 43 Οὐκ εὐχερὲς ὑπὸ πλάνης κατεχομένην μεταπεῖσαι ψυχήν. 44 Καὶ τὸν Βαλαὰμ υἱὸν Βεὼρ ἀπέκτειναν ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ. Ὁ γὰρ μηκέτι ἐν πνεύματι Θεοῦ λαλῶν, ἀλλὰ κατέναντι νόμου Θεοῦ