9

he commanded these fruits to grow for our nourishment, and here, having completed the offering, we invoke the Holy Spirit, that he may declare this sacrifice, and the bread the body of Christ, and the cup the blood of Christ, so that those who partake of these antitypes may obtain the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Therefore, those who make these offerings in remembrance of the Lord, do not approach with the doctrines of the Jews, but ministering spiritually they will be called sons of wisdom. 37 The Apostles appointed, that we ought not to judge anyone in food and in drink and in respect of a festival or a new moon or of sabbaths. Whence therefore are these battles, whence the schisms? we keep the feast, but with 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 was called the Son of God before the ages, appeared in the fullness of time, that he might cleanse us, who were under sin, through his blood, presenting us as pure sons to the Father, if we render ourselves obedient to the discipline of the spirit. And at the end of the ages he is about to come to abolish all evil, and to reconcile all things, so that there may be an end of all defilements. 39 And he found the jawbone of a donkey; It should be noted that the divine scripture no longer, after the fornication, uttered concerning the things accomplished by him, "The Spirit of the Lord came upon him"; for thus the sin of fornication is against the body, as it is sinned 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 a donkey. And the type of the jawbone is the body of Christ. 41 By always speaking well of the worthy, and never ill of the unworthy, we also will obtain the glory and kingdom of God. 42 By a prophecy it was signified in them, that the people, having become transgressors, will be bound by the chains of their own sins. But his bonds being 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 Balaam son of Beor they killed with the sword. For one no longer speaking in the spirit of God, but establishing another law of fornication against the law of God, he will no longer be reckoned as a prophet, but as a soothsayer. For not having abided in the commandment of God, he received a wage worthy of his evil devising. 45 The god of this age, named god to the unbelievers, that is, Satan. 46 When John was born, he loosed the silence for Zacharias. For the voice, coming forth, did not soothe but burdened the father to be silent; but just as, having been disbelieved, it bound his tongue, so, having been made manifest, it was to give freedom to the father; to whom he was both announced by the gospel and was born. A voice and a lamp, the forerunner of the Word and the Light. 47 And for what reason is "in the city of David" added, if not that he might announce as fulfilled the promise made by God to David, that from the fruit of his loins there would be an eternal king.

9

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 ἕτερον πορνείας νόμον ἱστάνων, οὗτος οὐκέτι ὡς προφήτης, ἀλλ' ὡς μάντις λογισθήσεται. Μὴ ἐμμείνας γὰρ τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐντολῇ, ἄξιον τῆς αὐτοῦ κακομηχανίας ἀντελάβετο μισθόν. 45 Θεὸς αἰῶνος, ὀνομασθεὶς Θεὸς τοῖς ἀπίστοις, τουτέστιν ὁ Σατανᾶς. 46 Λύει τῷ Ζαχαρίᾳ τὴν σιωπὴν γεννηθεὶς ὁ Ἰωάννης. Καὶ γὰρ οὐκ ἐπράϋνε ἐβάρυνε τὸν πατέρα, τῆς φωνῆς σιωπᾶν προελθούσης· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἀπιστηθεῖσα τὴν γλῶσσαν ἔδησεν, οὕτω φανερωθεῖσαν δοῦναι τῷ πατρὶ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν· ᾧ καὶ εὐηγγελίσθη καὶ ἐγεννήθη. Φωνὴ δὲ καὶ λύχνος λόγου καὶ φωτὸς πρόδρομος. 47 Εἰς τί δὲ καὶ τὸ ἐν πόλει ∆αβὶδ πρόσκειται, εἰ μὴ ἵνα διὰ τὴν ὑπὸ Θεοῦ γεγενημένην τῷ ∆αβὶδ ὑπόσχεσιν, ὅτι ἐκ καρποῦ τῆς κοιλίας αὐτοῦ αἰώνιος ἔσται βασιλεὺς, πεπληρωμένην εὐαγγελίσηται.