no one being permitted to pay a half-shekel, not even if he were rich; but the mystery was to the effect that neither was the Son incarnate with a father, nor could one conceive of anything lacking perfection concerning Christ, whence it has been said, “all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in him bodily.” 88 Mt 17, 27 He presents himself as creator and lord both of the sea and of the things in it and of every element, as the own Son of God and Father; for this fish held the type of the church, formerly seized by the brine of unbelief and superstition and deeply covered in the deep and submerged by the turmoil and surge of the pleasures of life, but led up by the hook of the apostles, by the teaching and fishing and hunting word, to the knowledge of God, “who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

89 Mt 18, 12-13 According to this, he fittingly adapts also his coming into the world to the preceding parable, as having happened for the lost sheep, that is, man, being from the one hundred sheep, from the multitude of the heavenly powers, being of the same kind as them insofar as he is rational, insofar as he is a sheep numbered among the sheep, but least in comparison to the great multitude and for this reason among one hundred sheep. But his wandering is the fall of Adam. But he is sought fittingly, because he is both of the same kind as those who remained with God and necessary for their fulfillment, so that the shepherd might not be lacking and might not be incomplete, just as Paul also spoke of a “summing up of all things in Christ,” the recovery of the part that fell away, since the constitution of all things in Christ was not complete because of what was missing and lacking. 90 Mt 18, 25 It is characteristic of a parable to command the wife and children and all that he has to be sold and for it to be repaid; for in human affairs this is possible, but in the judgment from Christ, since it is not family members being sold nor money, the repayment of what is owed could not happen. but it indicates the removal of all the pleasant things and things according to pleasure that someone has, and the repayment through sufferings; for by opposites the opposite is undone; therefore pains undo pleasures. wherefore also the savior, wishing to pay for the sins of the world, suffered for us. 91 Mt 18, 31 The fellow servants who also report the one who treated his fellow servant harshly are both angels and men entrusted with the stewardship, such as was Paul who handed over to the devil the one who had wronged most shamefully. and just as the one who has paid the debt becomes free, so the one who has suffered for what he has wronged is freed for salvation. But one must also pay attention to this, that while discoursing about the necessity for men to forgive one another and using the parable for this purpose, he began thus: “Therefore

the kingdom of heaven is likened.” 92 Mt 18, 31-35 For not bearing our wickedness, our fellow servants the angels accuse us before God, not as to one who is ignorant, but as being indignant against those who trample the laws of philanthropy. And by tormentors he means the angels appointed over the punishments. And the phrase “until he should pay all that was owed,” that is, he handed him over to be tormented perpetually; for he could not ever repay; for here, turning man back, God hands him over to trials and sicknesses and other torments, but in the age to come to be tormented unceasingly for ever. But he did not say, “so also your father will do to you,” but “my Father;” for such men are unworthy to be called sons of God. Therefore the account describes, as in summary, the ineffable philanthropy of God, which the one who does not imitate according to his ability will undergo a severe punishment from the just judge. and if it has also been said: “irrevocable are the gifts” of God,

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ἡμίσεως ἐξὸν μηδενὶ καταβάλλειν μηδὲ εἰ πλουτοίη· τὸ δὲ μυστήριον ἦν εἰς τὸ μήτε μετὰ πατρὸς σεσαρ κῶσθαι τὸν υἱὸν μήτε ἐνδεές τι τῆς τελειότητος ἐννοῆσαι δύνασθαι περὶ τὸν Χριστόν, ὅθεν εἴρηται «πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα τῆς θεότητος ἐν αὐτῷ κατ οικεῖν σωματικῶς ». 88 Mt 17, 27 Παρίστησιν ἑαυτὸν καὶ θαλάσσης καὶ τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ παντὸς στοιχείου δημιουργὸν εἶναι καὶ κύριον ὡς υἱὸν ἴδιον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ πατρός· ὁ γὰρ ἰχθὺς οὗτος τύπον ἐπεῖχε τῆς ἐκκλησίας τῆς πάλαι τῇ τῆς ἀπιστίας ἅλμῃ καὶ δεισιδαιμονίας κατειλημμένης καὶ βαθέως ἐν βυθῷ κεκα λυμμένης καὶ ταραχῇ καὶ ζάλῃ τῶν βιωτικῶν ἡδονῶν καταβεβαπτισμένης, ἀναχθείσης δὲ τῷ ἀγκίστρῳ τῶν ἀποστόλων τῷ διδασκαλικῷ καὶ ἁλιευ τικῷ καὶ θηρῶντι λόγῳ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ γνῶσιν, «τοῦ ἐκ σκότους ἡμᾶς καλέσαντος εἰς τὸ θαυμαστὸν αὐτοῦ φῶς ».

89 Mt 18, 12-13 Κατὰ τοῦτο εἰκότως καὶ τὴν εἰς κόσμον αὐτοῦ παρουσίαν τῇ προ κειμένῃ παραβολῇ προσαρμόζει ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ ἀπολωλὸς γεγονυῖαν πρόβατον, τοῦτ' ἔστιν τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀπὸ τῶν προβάτων ὄντα τῶν ἑκατόν , ἀπὸ τοῦ πλήθους τῶν οὐρανίων δυνάμεων, ὁμοιογενῆ αὐτοῖς ὄντα καθὸ λογικός, καθὸ πρόβατον ἐν προβάτοις ἀριθμούμενον, ἐλάχιστον δὲ ὡς πρὸς τὸ πολὺ πλῆθος καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐν προβάτοις ἑκατόν . πλάνη δὲ αὐτοῦ τὸ πταῖσμα τοῦ Ἀδάμ. ζητεῖται δὲ εἰκότως, ὅτι καὶ ὁμοιογενὴς τοῖς παρὰ θεῷ μείνασι καὶ πρὸς ἀναπλήρωσιν αὐτῶν ἀναγκαῖον, ἵνα μὴ ἐνδεὴς εἴη ποιμὴν καὶ κολοβὸς εἴη, καθὸ καὶ ἀνακεφαλαίωσιν «τῶν πάντων » εἶπεν ὁ Παῦλος «ἐν Χριστῷ » τὴν τοῦ περιρρυέντος μέρους ἐπανάληψιν οὐκ ἐντελοῦς οὔσης τῆς τῶν ὅλων ἐν Χριστῷ συστάσεως διὰ τὸ ἐκλεῖπον καὶ ἐλλεῖπον. 90 Mt 18, 25 Ἴδιον παραβολῆς τὸ κελεῦσαι πραθῆναι τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ τὰ τέκνα καὶ πάντα ὅσα ἔχει καὶ ἀποδοθῆναι · ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἀνθρω πίνων πραγμάτων τοῦτο δυνατόν, ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς παρὰ Χριστῷ κρίσεως οὐκ οἰκείων πιπρασκομένων οὐδὲ χρημάτων ἡ ἀπόδοσις ἂν γένοιτο τῶν ὀφειλο μένων. ἀλλ' ὑποδείκνυται ἡ πάντων ἀφαίρεσις ὧν τις ἔχει τερπνῶν καὶ καθ' ἡδονὴν καὶ ἡ διὰ τῶν παθημάτων ἀπόδοσις· ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ἐναντίων τὸ ἐναντίον λύεται· τὰς οὖν ἡδονὰς οἱ πόνοι λύουσιν. διὸ καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ ἀποδοῦναι τὰς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ κόσμου βουληθεὶς πέπονθεν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν. 91 Mt 18, 31 Οἱ σύνδουλοι οἱ καὶ μηνύοντες τὸν ἀπηνῶς χρησάμενον τῷ συν δούλῳ ἄγγελοί τέ εἰσι καὶ ἄνθρωποι τὴν οἰκονομίαν ἐγκεχειρισμένοι ὁποῖος ἦν Παῦλος ὁ τῷ διαβόλῳ παραδοὺς τὸν αἴσχιστα ἠδικηκότα. καὶ ὥσπερ ὁ τὸ χρέος ἐκτείσας ἐλεύθερος γίνεται, οὕτως ὁ παθὼν ὑπὲρ ὧν ἠδίκησεν ἐλευθεροῦται πρὸς σωτηρίαν. προσεκτέον δὲ κἀκείνῳ, ὅτι περὶ τοῦ δεῖν συγχωρεῖν ἀλλήλοις τοῖς ἀνθρώποις διαλεγόμενος καὶ πρὸς τοῦτο τῇ παραβολῇ κεχρημένος οὕτως ἤρξατο· «διὰ τοῦτο

ὡμοιώθη ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ». 92 Mt 18, 31-35 Οὐ φέροντες γὰρ τὴν πονηρίαν ἡμῶν οἱ ὁμόδουλοι ἡμῶν ἄγγελοι κατηγοροῦσιν ἡμῶν ἐπὶ θεῷ, οὐχ ὡς ἀγνοοῦντι, ἀλλ' ὡς ἀγανακτοῦντες κατὰ τῶν τοὺς φιλανθρωπίας πατούντων νόμους. βασανιστὰς δὲ τοὺς ἐπὶ τῶν κολάσεων τεταγμένους ἀγγέλους λέγει. τὸ δὲ ἕως οὗ ἀποδῷ πᾶν τὸ ὀφειλόμενον , τοῦτ' ἔστιν διηνεκῶς αὐτὸν παρέδωκεν εἰς τὸ βασανίζεσθαι· οὐ γὰρ ἠδύνατο ἀποδοῦναί ποτε· ἐνταῦθα μὲν γὰρ ἐπι στρέφων τὸν ἄνθρωπον ὁ θεὸς πειρασμοῖς καὶ νόσοις καὶ βασάνοις ἑτέραις παραδίδωσιν, ἐν δὲ τῷ μέλλοντι ἀκαταπαύστως βασανίζεσθαι εἰς τὸ διηνεκές. οὐκ εἶπε δὲ οὕτως καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ποιήσει ὑμῖν , ἀλλ' ὁ πατήρ μου · ἀνάξιοι γὰρ οἱ τοιοῦτοι ὀνομάζεσθαι υἱοὶ θεοῦ. διαγράφει τοίνυν ὡς ἐν συντόμῳ ὁ λόγος τὴν ἄφατον τοῦ θεοῦ φιλαν θρωπίαν, ἣν ὁ μὴ μιμησάμενος κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν ἀπότομον ὑποστήσεται τιμωρίαν παρὰ τοῦ δικαίου κριτοῦ. εἰ δὲ καὶ εἴρηται· «ἀμεταμέλητα τὰ χαρίσματα » τοῦ θεοῦ,

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