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To an Unknown God, but Paul interpreted it. For they were saying this about others, but he himself transferred it to Christ, taking the thought captive, and setting it with himself in his own battle line; For what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim, he says; for there is no other unknown God than Christ. And behold spiritual understanding. After this they were going to accuse him, that You bring strange doctrines to our ears, that you are innovating, that you are introducing a god whom we do not know. Wishing, therefore, to be free from the suspicion of innovation, and to show that he was not proclaiming a foreign god, but one whom they had already honored through their worship, he added and said: that Whom you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. You have anticipated me, he says; your worship has preceded my 51.74 preaching. Do not, therefore, accuse me of introducing a foreign god; for I proclaim this one, whom you worship in ignorance, not in a manner worthy of him, but you worship him nonetheless. For such an altar is not raised to Christ, but a living and spiritual altar; but from this I can lead you up to that one. So also the Jews worshiped in olden times; but they departed from bodily worship, and all who believed came to spiritual worship. Did you see the wisdom of Paul? Did you see his understanding? Did you see how he overcame them, not from the Gospels, not from the prophets, but from an inscription? Do not, therefore, run past, beloved, the inscription of the divine oracles; if you are sober and watchful, you will find something useful even in the things of others; but if you are lazy and listless, you will gain nothing even from the divine Scriptures. For just as he who knows how to profit, profits from everything; so also he who does not know, even if he finds a treasure, will go away empty. Do you wish me to speak of another such argument, which another uttered with a different intention, but the evangelist transferred the power of what was said to his own purpose? Therefore, pay close attention, so that you may learn that he too took the thought captive to the obedience of Christ; so that you may learn that if we can take captive the things of others, much more shall we trade and profit in our own. Caiaphas was high priest of that year; for this too was part of Jewish wickedness; for they disgraced the dignity of the priesthood, by making high priests for purchase. Before it was not so, but only by death was the priesthood of the high priest terminated; but then they were deprived of the honor even while living. Caiaphas, therefore, being high priest of that year, armed the Jews against Christ, and said: that this one must die, having nothing to accuse him of, but being consumed by envy. For such is envy; it gives such rewards for good deeds. Whence also, teaching the reason for the plot, he said: It is expedient that one man should die, and that the whole nation should not perish. See how the power of this saying became with us; so that you may learn that the saying was the priest's, but the thought was able to become spiritual. It is expedient that one man should die, and that the whole nation should not perish. This he said not of himself, it says, but because he was high priest of that year, he prophesied that Christ must die, not only for the Jews, but also for the whole nation; for this reason he also said, It is expedient that one man should die, and that the whole nation should not perish. Did you see the power of God, how he compels the tongue of enemies to speak things on behalf of the truth?

5. So then, that we may not run past the inscriptions of the divine Scriptures, these things have been said sufficiently. if you remember them; and I wanted to say who wrote the book, and when, and for what reason he wrote it. But for now let us hold to these things; and those we will render on the next day, if God wills. For I wish, then, 51.75 to bring the discourse to the newly-enlightened. And by newly-enlightened I mean, not only those enlightened two and three, or ten days ago, but also those a year ago,

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Ἀγνώστῳ Θεῷ, ὁ δὲ Παῦλος ἡρμήνευσεν. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ τοῦτο περὶ ἄλλων ἔλεγον, αὐτὸς δὲ αὐτὸ μετέστησεν ἐπὶ τὸν Χριστὸν, αἰχμαλωτίσας τὸ νόημα, καὶ μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ στήσας ἐν τῇ παρατάξει τῇ ἑαυτοῦ· Ὃν γὰρ ἀγνοοῦντες εὐσεβεῖτε ὑμεῖς, τοῦτον ἐγὼ καταγγέλλω, φησίν· ἄγνωστος γὰρ Θεὸς οὐδεὶς ἄλλος ἐστὶν ἢ ὁ Χριστός. Καὶ ὅρα σύνεσιν πνευματικήν. Ἔμελλον αὐτῷ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐγκαλεῖν, ὅτι Ξενίζοντα εἰσφέρεις δόγματα εἰς τὰς ἀκοὰς ἡμῶν, ὅτι καινοτομεῖς, ὅτι θεὸν εἰσφέρεις, ὃν οὐκ ἴσμεν. Βουλόμενος τοίνυν ἀπαλλαγῆναι τῆς ὑποψίας τῆς κατὰ τὴν καινοτομίαν, καὶ δεῖξαι ὅτι οὐ ξένον κηρύττει θεὸν, ἀλλ' ὃν προλαβόντες διὰ τῆς θεραπείας ἐτίμησαν, ἐπήγαγε καὶ εἶπεν· ὅτι Ὃν ἀγνοοῦντες εὐσεβεῖτε, τοῦτον ἐγὼ καταγγέλλω ὑμῖν. Ὑμεῖς με προελάβετε, φησίν· ἔφθασεν ὑμῶν ἡ θεραπεία τὸ ἐμὸν 51.74 κήρυγμα. Μὴ τοίνυν ἐγκαλεῖτε, ὅτι ξένον εἰσφέρω θεόν· τοῦτον γὰρ καταγγέλλω, ὃν ὑμεῖς ἀγνοοῦντες θεραπεύετε, οὐκ ἀξίῳ μὲν αὐτοῦ τρόπῳ, θεραπεύετε δὲ ὅμως. Οὐ γὰρ τοιοῦτος βωμὸς ἵσταται τῷ Χριστῷ, ἀλλὰ βωμὸς ἔμψυχος καὶ πνευματικός· ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τούτου ὑμᾶς καὶ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἀναγαγεῖν δύναμαι. Οὕτω καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι τὸ παλαιὸν ἐθεράπευον· ἀλλ' ἀπέστησαν ἀπὸ τῆς σωματικῆς θεραπείας, καὶ ἦλθον ἐπὶ τὴν πνευματικὴν οἱ πιστεύσαντες ἅπαντες. Εἶδες σοφίαν Παύλου; εἶδες σύνεσιν; εἶδες πῶς αὐτοὺς ἐχειρώσατο, οὐκ ἀπὸ Εὐαγγελίων, οὐκ ἀπὸ προφητικῶν, ἀλλὰ ἀπὸ ἐπιγράμματος; Μὴ παράτρεχε τοίνυν, ἀγαπητὲ, τὴν ἐπιγραφὴν τῶν θείων λογίων· ἂν μὲν νήφῃς καὶ ἐγρήγορος ᾖς, καὶ ἐν ἀλλοτρίοις εὑρίσκεις τι χρήσιμον· ἂν δὲ ῥᾴθυμος καὶ ἀναπεπτωκὼς, οὐδὲ ἀπὸ τῶν θείων Γραφῶν ἔσται σοί τι πλέον. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ εἰδὼς κερδαίνειν, πανταχόθεν κερδαίνει· οὕτω καὶ ὁ μὴ εἰδὼς, κἂν θησαυρὸν εὕρῃ, κενὸς ἄπεισι. Βούλεσθε εἴπω καὶ ἕτερόν τι τοιοῦτον ἐπιχείρημα, ὅπερ ἄλλος μὲν μεθ' ἑτέρας ἐφθέγξατο διανοίας, ὁ δὲ εὐαγγελιστὴς πρὸς ἑαυτὸν μετέθηκε τῶν εἰρημένων τὴν δύναμιν; Οὐκοῦν προσέχετε ἀκριβῶς, ἵνα μάθητε, ὅτι κἀκεῖνος ᾐχμαλώτισε τὸ νόημα εἰς τὴν ὑπακοὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ· ἵνα μάθητε, ὅτι εἰ τὰ ἀλλότρια αἰχμαλωτίζειν δυνάμεθα, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐν τοῖς οἰκείοις ἐμπορευσόμεθα καὶ κερδανοῦμεν. Ὁ Καϊάφας ἀρχιερεὺς ἦν τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ἐκείνου· καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο τῆς Ἰουδαϊκῆς ἐγένετο πονηρίας· κατῄσχυνον γὰρ τὸ τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἀξίωμα, ὠνητοὺς ποιήσαντες ἀρχιερέας. Ἔμπροσθεν δὲ οὐχ οὕτως ἦν, ἀλλὰ τῇ τελευτῇ μόνῃ κατελύετο ἡ ἱερωσύνη τοῦ ἀρχιερέως· τότε δὲ καὶ ζῶντες παρελύοντο τῆς τιμῆς. Ἀρχιερεὺς τοίνυν ὢν τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ἐκείνου ὁ Καϊάφας, καθώπλιζε κατὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους, καὶ ἔλεγεν· ὅτι δεῖ τοῦτον ἀποθανεῖν, ἐγκαλεῖν μὲν οὐδὲν ἔχων, βασκανίᾳ δὲ τηκόμενος. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ ὁ φθόνος· τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν τοιαύτας ἀποδίδωσι τὰς ἀμοιβάς. Ὅθεν καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν διδάσκων τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς, ἔλεγε· Συμφέρει ἵνα εἷς ἄνθρωπος ἀποθάνῃ, καὶ μὴ ὅλον τὸ ἔθνος ἀπόληται. Τούτου τοῦ ῥήματος ἡ δύναμις ὅρα πῶς μεθ' ἡμῶν ἐγένετο· ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι τὸ μὲν ῥῆμα ἦν τοῦ ἱερέως, τὸ δὲ νόημα ἠδυνήθη γενέσθαι πνευματικόν. Συμφέρει ἵνα εἷς ἄνθρωπος ἀποθάνῃ, καὶ μὴ ὅλον τὸ ἔθνος ἀπόληται. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἔλεγεν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ, φησὶν, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἀρχιερεὺς ἦν τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ἐκείνου, προεφήτευσεν, ὅτι δεῖ τὸν Χριστὸν ἀποθανεῖν, οὐ μόνον ὑπὲρ Ἰουδαίων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ ὅλου τοῦ ἔθνους· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Συμφέρει ἵνα εἷς ἄνθρωπος ἀποθάνῃ, καὶ μὴ ὅλον τὸ ἔθνος ἀπόληται. Εἶδες δύναμιν Θεοῦ, πῶς τὴν γλῶτταν τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἀναγκάζει τὰ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας λέγειν;

εʹ. Ἵνα μὲν οὖν μὴ παρατρέχωμεν τὰς ἐπιγραφὰς τῶν θείων Γραφῶν, ἀρκούντως ταῦτα εἴρηται. ἐὰν μνημονεύητε· ἐβουλόμην δὲ εἰπεῖν, καὶ τίς ὁ γράψας τὸ βιβλίον, καὶ πότε, καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν ἔγραψεν. Ἀλλὰ τέως ταῦτα κατέχωμεν· ἐκεῖνα δὲ εἰς τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν, ἐὰν ὁ Θεὸς θέλῃ, ἀποδώσομεν. Βούλομαι γὰρ λοιπὸν 51.75 πρὸς τοὺς νεοφωτίστους ἀγαγεῖν τὸν λόγον. Νεοφωτίστους δὲ λέγω, οὐχὶ τοὺς πρὸ δύο καὶ τριῶν, οὐδὲ πρὸ δέκα ἡμερῶν φωτισθέντας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς πρὸ ἐνιαυτοῦ,