have come to be in incorruption? Therefore, can those who have been in ignorance and in unbelief and in sins come to be in incorruption if they were to change, it is possible for them to change. 19.15.n The Jews therefore said: "Will he kill himself, because he says, 'Where I am going, you cannot come'?" 19.15.91 It is worth investigating what moved the Jews, in response to "Where I am going, you cannot come," to say, "Will he kill himself, because he says, 'Where I am going, you cannot come'?" But even if it be granted that they said "Will he kill him- 19.15.92 self?" more simply, how can those who are able to kill themselves, even if they do not slay themselves nor go where one who slays himself goes, not be able to depart to where one who slays himself departs? It must be said, then, in response to these questions, to those who listen more carefully and more deeply to the things said by the Jews in the gospels, it is clear that they said many things according to certain secret and esoteric traditions, as 19.15.93 having known things other than <the> common and public ones. But when we see those things from the juxtaposition of the sayings, then we will investigate if this too is said by them about the Savior as they see something deeper. That they spoke according to esoteric and not public accounts, † the obscure one to cast out 19.15.94 demons by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons. For they had certainly learned something about demons and their ruler whose name is Beelzebul; but these things are not at all set down in the 19.15.95 extant books; and the testimony of the Savior is not false when he speaks of <the> Beelzebul, "If I by Beelzebul cast out de-mons, by whom do your sons cast them out?" For having accepted that there is someone, Beelzebul, and that one who casts out demons by him effects a certain division of Satan against himself, he says these things. 19.15.96 They erred, therefore, in saying that demons were cast out by the Savior by Beelzebul, but they had apprehended that there was a certain Beelzebul, a ruler 19.15.97 of demons. But also if they say about Jesus that he is John risen from the dead, or one of the prophets, certainly having a dogma about the soul, as we have examined in the works on John, they suppose such things about the Savior. And it is likely that they knew countless other things beyond the many, either from tradition or from apocryphal works. 19.15.98 Let us therefore also look into "Will he kill himself?" to see if they are able to have understood something less common and less simple, as of one who led himself out of life either by a noose or a sword or by whatever way those who rid themselves of this life do, and especially since they think that he, killing <himself>, will depart to a place where it was impossible for them to be. And if not being superstitious about names, but seeing the things, † not being found to use other names against the things, perhaps, so to speak, Jesus killed himself more divinely, which we present thus: The souls of all who are released from the body are taken, when certain ones appointed for this purpose demand them. And it is likely <that> those appointed for this service are superior to the souls. For "† Fool, this night they require your soul from you" indicates something of this sort. 19.16.99 But if anyone should say that this can be said of the worse sort, but not of the better and those who have lived well, let him consider if the Lord, announcing something exceptional about himself beyond all who have been in the body, does not say: "No one takes my soul from me, but I lay it down of myself; I have authority 19.16.100 to lay it down and again I have authority to take it up." For let us conceive of someone who, when he wishes, leaves the body and goes out without a path that leads to death, either by violent ways or by diseases, and again, when he wishes, returns, and uses as an instrument the body which he had left; for we will say of such a one that his soul is not demanded. 19.16.101 And it is fitting to say that the death of Jesus' soul happened thus, and that he, wishing to show his disciples the

ἀφθαρσίᾳ γεγόνασιν; δύνανται οὖν οἱ ἐν ἀγνοίᾳ καὶ ἐν ἀπιστίᾳ καὶ ἐν ἁμαρτήμασιν γενόμενοι γενέσθαι ἐν ἀφθαρσίᾳ εἰ μεταβάλλοιεν, δυνατὸν αὐτοὺς μεταβαλεῖν. 19.15.n Ἔλεγον οὖν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι· Μήτι ἀποκτενεῖ ἑαυτὸν ὅτι λέγει· Ὅπου ἐγὼ ὑπάγω ὑμεῖς οὐ δύνασθε ἐλθεῖν; 19.15.91 Ἄξιον ζητῆσαι πόθεν κινηθέντες οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι πρὸς τὸ «Ὅπου»ἐγὼ ὑπάγω ὑμεῖς οὐ δύνασθε ἐλθεῖν» φασὶ τὸ «Μήτι ἀποκτενεῖ ἑαυτὸν ὅτι λέγει· Ὅπου ἐγὼ ὑπάγω ὑμεῖς οὐ δύνασθε ἐλθεῖν;» ἵνα δὲ καὶ δοθῇ ἁπλούστερον αὐτοὺς εἰρηκέναι τὸ «Μήτι ἀποκτενεῖ ἑαυ 19.15.92 «τόν;» πῶς οἱ δυνάμενοι ἀποκτεῖναι ἑαυτούς, κἂν μὴ ἀναιρῶσιν ἑαυτοὺς μηδὲ γίνωνται ὅπου ὁ ἀναιρῶν ἑαυτὸν γίνεται, οὐ δύνανται ἀπιέναι ὅπου ὁ ἀναιρῶν ἑαυτὸν ἀπέρχεται; λεκτέον οὖν πρὸς τὰ ζητούμενα ταῦτα τοῖς ἐπιμελέστερον καὶ βαθύτερον ἀκούουσιν τῶν λεγομένων ὑπὸ Ἰουδαίων ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις σαφές ἐστιν ὅτι πολλὰ κατά τινας παραδόσεις ἀπορρήτους καὶ ἀνακεχωρηκυίας ἔλεγον, ὡς 19.15.93 ἐγνωκότες ἕτερα παρὰ <τὰ> κοινὰ καὶ κατημαξευμένα. ἐπὰν δὲ ἴδωμεν ἐκ τῆς παραθέσεως τῶν ῥητῶν ἐκεῖνα, τότε ζητήσομεν εἰ καὶ τοῦτο ὑπ' αὐτῶν περὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος λέγεται βαθύτερόν τι βλεπόντων. ὅτι δὲ κατὰ ἀνακεχωρηκότας λόγους καὶ μὴ κατημαξευμένους ἔφασκον, † τὸν ἄδηλον ἐν Βεελζεβοὺλ τῷ ἄρχοντι τῶν δαιμονίων ἐκβάλλειν 19.15.94 τὰ δαιμόνια. πάντως γὰρ περὶ δαιμόνων τι μεμαθήκεισαν καὶ τοῦ ἄρχοντος αὐτῶν ᾧ ὄνομα Βεελζεβούλ· ταῦτα δὲ οὐ πάνυ τι ἐν τοῖς 19.15.95 φερομένοις κεῖται βιβλίοις· καὶ μαρτυρία τοῦ σωτῆρος οὐ ψεύδεται <τὸν> Βεελζεβοὺλ λέγοντος «Εἰ ἐγὼ ἐν Βεελζεβοὺλ ἐκβάλλω τὰ δαι «μόνια, οἱ υἱοὶ ὑμῶν ἐν τίνι ἐκβάλλουσιν;» παραδεξάμενος γὰρ τὸ εἶναί τινα τὸν Βεελζεβοὺλ καὶ τὸν ἐν αὐτῷ ἐκβάλλοντα δαιμόνια οἱονεὶ μερισμόν τινα ἐνεργεῖν τοῦ Σατανᾶ γίνεσθαι ἐφ' ἑαυτόν, ταῦτά φησιν. 19.15.96 ἐσφάλησαν μὲν οὖν λέγοντες ἐν Βεελζεβοὺλ ὑπὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἐκβάλ λεσθαι τὰ δαιμόνια, κατειλήφεισαν δὲ ὅτι εἴη τις Βεελζεβοὺλ ἄρχων 19.15.97 δαιμονίων. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐὰν λέγωσιν περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ὅτι αὐτὸς Ἰωάννης ἐστὶν ἀναστὰς ἀπὸ τῶν νεκρῶν, ἢ εἷς τις τῶν προφητῶν, πάντως δόγμα ἔχοντες περὶ ψυχῆς, ὡς ἐξητάσαμεν ἐν τοῖς περὶ Ἰωάννου, τοιαῦτα περὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος ὑπονοοῦσιν. εἰκὸς δὲ καὶ ἄλλα μυρία ἢ ἐκ παραδόσεως ἢ ἐξ ἀποκρύφων αὐτοὺς εἰδέναι παρὰ τοὺς πολλούς. 19.15.98 ἴδωμεν οὖν καὶ εἰς τὸ «Μήτι ἀποκτενεῖ ἑαυτόν;» εἰ δύνανται μὴ κοι νότερόν τι καὶ ἁπλούστερον νενοηκέναι, ὡς ἑαυτὸν ἐξαγαγόντος τοῦ βίου ἤτοι ἀγχόνῃ ἢ ξίφει ἢ ὁποιᾳδήποτε ὁδῷ τῶν ἐντεῦθεν ἑαυτοὺς ἀπαλλαττόντων, καὶ μάλιστα ἐπεὶ οἴονται αὐτὸν <ἑαυτὸν> ἀποκτεί νοντα ἀπελεύσεσθαι εἰς τόπον εἰς ὃν ἀδύνατον ἦν αὐτοὺς γενέσθαι· καὶ εἰ μὴ δεισιδαιμονοῦντές γε περὶ τὰ ὀνόματα, ἀλλὰ βλέποντες τὰ πράγματα † μὴ εὑρισκόμενα ἄλλοις ὀνόμασιν χρῆσθαι κατὰ τῶν πραγ μάτων, τάχα, ἵν' οὕτως εἴπω, θειότερον Ἰησοῦς αὑτὸν ἀπέκτεινεν, ὅπερ οὕτως παρίσταμεν· πάντων μὲν αἱ ψυχαὶ τῶν ἀπαλλαττομένων τοῦ σώματος, ἀπαιτούντων τινῶν αὐτὰς τῶν ἐπὶ τοῦτο τεταγμένων, παραλαμβάνονται· εἰκὸς <δὲ> ὅτι κρείττους εἰσὶν τῶν ψυχῶν ἐπὶ ταύ της τῆς διακονίας τεταγμένοι· τὸ γὰρ «† Ἄφρων, ταύτῃ τῇ νυκτὶ τὴν «ψυχήν σου ἀπαιτοῦσιν ἀπὸ σοῦ» τοιοῦτόν τι δηλοῖ. 19.16.99 Ἐὰν δέ τις φάσκῃ τοῦτο μὲν δύνασθαι ἐπὶ τῶν χειρόνων λέγεσθαι, οὐ μὴν καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν κρειττόνων καὶ καλῶς βεβιωκότων, ἐπιστησάτω εἰ μὴ ἐξαίρετόν τι παρὰ πάντας τοὺς ἐν σώματι γενο μένους περὶ ἑαυτοῦ ἀπαγγέλλων ὁ κύριός φησιν· «Οὐδεὶς αἴρει τὴν «ψυχήν μου ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ἀλλ' ἐγὼ τίθημι αὐτὴν ἀπ' ἐμαυτοῦ· ἐξουσίαν 19.16.100 «ἔχω θεῖναι αὐτὴν καὶ πάλιν ἐξουσίαν ἔχω λαβεῖν αὐτήν». νοήσωμεν γάρ τινα ὅτε βούλεται καταλιπόντα τὸ σῶμα καὶ ἐξιόντα χωρὶς ὁδοῦ τῆς φερούσης ἐπὶ τὸν θάνατον, ἤτοι διὰ βιαίων ὁδῶν ἢ διὰ νόσων, καὶ πάλιν ἐπὰν θέλῃ ἐπανιόντα, καὶ χρώμενον ὀργάνῳ τῷ σώματι, ὃ καταλέλοιπεν· τὸν γὰρ τοιοῦτον ἐροῦμεν μὴ ἀπαιτεῖσθαι 19.16.101 τὴν ψυχήν. καὶ πρέπον γε ἐπὶ τῆς Ἰησοῦ ψυχῆς οὕτω λέγειν τὸν θάνατον γεγονέναι, καὶ αὐτὸν παραστῆσαι βουλόμενον τοῖς μαθηταῖς τὸ