6

of your conduct handed down from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, who was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but was manifested at the end of the times for your sake, who through him believe in God. We are the creation of God, but through sin we have become the devil's; then, having become the devil's, the Savior buys us out with His own blood, that is, "You were bought with a price." For we were bought with precious blood. For just as a venerable and good householder, having a wicked servant who has many sins, not judging him worthy of his own good house and his own way of life, might sell him to someone, that he might discipline him.

Then if he sees him punished by a wicked master and saying, "I will go to my former master, for it was better with me then than now," he gives the price for him again, and buys him out, that he might become a people for his own possession. Thus, therefore, God also reclaims us. And how are we His own and not His own? As creatures, His own; but as having become alien through sin, not His own; do not think that you are God's own if you are a sinner; for the devil possesses you; you are his property. The man of sin, the son of perdition, he buys you, not with precious blood, but with what is worthless; for he buys with sin; he buys with fornication; for he is unclean. He buys with murder, for he is blood-stained; for "he was a murderer from the beginning, and has not stood in the truth," and these are his coins.

CHAPTER 2

But to those who disobey, "the stone which the build-64.1056-ers rejected, this

has become the head of the corner," and "a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense." This saying refers to Christ; for He Himself in the Gospels brings forward this prophecy, saying, "Have you never read, 'The stone which the builders rejected, this has become the head of the corner'?" -And a little after: "The stone which the builders rejected"; he means the Jews, the Scribes, the Pharisees, because they rejected him, saying, "You are a Samaritan and have a demon"; and again, "This man is not from God, but he deceives the crowd."

CHAPTER 3

And his lips from speaking deceit. And deceit is falsehood, and trickery

and slander, and accusations not having the truth; but these things are somehow dear to the enemy of truth, that is, to Satan, the father of lies. For "he is a liar," as the Savior says, "and has not stood in the truth." But the saints must reject his plunder in favor of the things of God, who is truth. "Let him turn away from evil and do good." For it is not in our power not to receive any such thing into our mind at all; for such thoughts often assail it; but if one is wise, he turns away from them, and grants his inclinations to the better things which have very great benefit; this is, I think, what "Turn away from evil" means.

CHAPTER 4

Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. If you receive him as Christ, neither

grumble nor be ashamed, but rather even take pride in the matter; but if you do not receive him as Christ, do not receive him at all. "He who receives you," He says, "receives Me." If you do not receive him thus, you have no reward. Abraham, thinking they were men, travelers passing by,

6

ὑμῶν ἀναστροφῆς πατροπαραδότου, ἀλλὰ τιμίῳ αἵματι ὡς ἀμνοῦ ἀμώμου καὶ ἀσπίλου Χριστοῦ, προεγνωσμένου μὲν πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου, φανερωθέντος δὲ, ἐπ' ἐσχάτου τῶν χρόνων δι' ὑμᾶς τοὺς δι' αὐτοῦ πιστεύοντας εἰς Θεόν. Κτίσμα ἐσμὲν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν γεγόναμεν τοῦ διαβόλου· εἶτα γεγονότας ἡμᾶς τοῦ διαβόλου, ἐξωνεῖται ὁ Σωτὴρ τῷ ἑαυτοῦ αἵματι, τουτέστι τὸ, Τιμῆς ἠγοράσθητε. Ἠγοράσθημεν γὰρ τιμίῳ αἵματι. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἰκοδεσπότης σεμνὸς καὶ καλὸς, οἰκέτην μοχθηρὸν πολλὰ ἁμαρτήματα ἔχοντα, μὴ κρίνας ἄξιον τῆς ἑαυτοῦ καλῆς οἰκίας καὶ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ διαίτης ἀποδοῖτό τινι, ἵνα αὐτὸν παιδεύσῃ.

Εἶτα ἐὰν ἴδῃ αὐτὸν κεκολασμένον ὑπὸ πονηρῷ δεσπότῃ καὶ λέγοντα, Πορεύομαι πρὸς τὸν δεσπότην μου τὸν πρότερον, ὅτι καλῶς μοι ἦν τότε ἢ νῦν· δίδωσιν αὐτῷ πάλιν τὴν τιμὴν, καὶ ἐξαγοράζει αὐτὸν, ἵνα γένηται λαὸς περιούσιος. Οὕτως οὖν καὶ ἡμᾶς ἀνακτᾶται ὁ Θεός. Καὶ πῶς ἐσμεν αὐτοῦ ἴδια καὶ οὐκ ἴδια; ὡς μὲν δημιουργήματα, ἴδια, ὡς δὲ διὰ τὸ ἡμαρτηκέναι γενόμενα ἀλλότρια, οὐκ ἴδια· μὴ νομίσῃς ὅτι ἴδιος εἶ τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἐὰν ᾖς ἁμαρτωλός· ὁ διάβολος γάρ σε κτᾶται· ἐκείνου εἶ κτῆμα. Ἄνθρωπος τῆς ἁμαρτίας, υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας, ἐκεῖνος ἀγοράζει σε, οὐ τιμίῳ αἵματι, ἀλλὰ ἀτίμῳ· ἁμαρτίᾳ γὰρ ἀγοράζει· ἀγοράζει πορνείᾳ· ἀκάθαρτος γάρ ἐστιν. Ἀγοράζει φόνῳ· μιαιφόνος γάρ ἐστιν· Ἀνθρωποκτόνος γὰρ ἦν ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ οὐχ ἕστηκε, καὶ ταῦτα αὐτοῦ ἐστι τὰ νομίσματα.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Βʹ.

Ἀπειθοῦσι δὲ, λίθον ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν οἱ οἰκο64.1056 δομοῦντες, οὗτος

ἐγενήθη εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας, καὶ λίθος προσκόμματος καὶ πέτρα σκανδάλου. Τοῦτο τὸ ῥητὸν εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν ἀναφέρεται· καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις ταύτην παράγει τὴν προφητείαν λέγων, Οὐδέποτε ἀνέγνωτε, λίθον ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες, οὗτος ἐγενήθη εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας; -Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· Λίθον ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες· τοὺς Ἰουδαίους λέγει, τοὺς Γραμματεῖς, τοὺς Φαρισαίους, ὅτι ἀπεδοκίμαζον αὐτὸν λέγοντες, Ὅτι Σαμαρείτης εἶ, καὶ δαιμόνιον ἔχεις· καὶ πάλιν, Οὗτος οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ πλανᾷ τὸν ὄχλον.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Γʹ.

Καὶ χείλη αὐτοῦ τοῦ μὴ λαλῆσαι δόλον. ∆όλος δέ ἐστι τὸ ψεῦδος, καὶ ἀπάτη

καὶ συκοφαντία, καὶ διαβολαὶ τὸ ἀληθὲς οὐκ ἔχουσαι· φίλα δέ πως ταυτὶ τῷ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐχθρῷ, τουτέστι τῷ Σατανᾷ, τῷ τοῦ ψεύδους πατρί· Ψεύστης γάρ ἐστι, καθά φησιν ὁ Σωτὴρ, καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ οὐχ ἕστηκε. Παραιτητέον δὲ τοῖς ἁγίοις τὰ ἐκείνου ἁρπαγημαῖα μᾶλλον τὰ Θεοῦ, ὅς ἐστιν ἀλήθεια. Ἐκκλινάτω ἀπὸ κακοῦ, καὶ ποιησάτω ἀγαθόν. Οὐ γὰρ ἐν ἡμῖν τὸ μηδ' ὅλως εἰς νοῦν δέξασθαί τι τῶν τοιούτων· προσπίπτουσι γὰρ αὐτῷ τοιαῦταί πως ἔννοιαι πλειστάκις· ἀλλ' εἴπερ τις εἴη σοφὸς, ἀποφέρεται μὲν αὐτῶν, τοῖς δὲ ἀμείνοσι καὶ πολὺ λίαν ἔχουσι τὸ ἐπωφελὲς χαρίζεται τὰς ῥοπάς· τοῦτό ἐστιν, οἶμαι, τὸ, Ἔκκλινον ἀπὸ κακοῦ.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ∆ʹ.

Φιλόξενος εἰς ἀλλήλους, ἄνευ γογγυσμῶν. Εἰ ὡς τὸν Χριστὸν δέχῃ, μηδὲν

γογγύσῃς μηδὲ ἐπαισχυνθῇς, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ σεμνύνου ἐπὶ τῷ πράγματι· εἰ δὲ μὴ ὡς τὸν Χριστὸν δέχῃ, μηδὲ δέξῃ, Ὁ δεχόμενος ὑμᾶς, φησὶν, ἐμὲ δέχεται. Ἐὰν μὴ οὕτως δέχῃ, οὐδὲ μισθὸν ἔχεις. Ἀνθρώπους παριόντας ὁδίτας, ὡς ἐνόμιζεν, ὁ Ἀβραὰμ