» of God, David, and this does not yet fit the Spirit, but it is spoken with respect to his own spirit. At any rate, he was speaking in spirit also when he said, “Take not your holy spirit from me.” And it did not yet fit the Spirit, “Take not your spirit from me”; for it was not going to take itself away from itself, nor when he was confessing sins and these confessions were of the Spirit.

115 Mt 23, 15 See that some are not by nature sons of Gehenna; but it must be investigated whether before Judaizing the Gentiles were not the sons of Gehenna.

116 Mt 23, 16-22 For since they admired gold, they honored the gold in the temple above the temple, when it was necessary not to honor the material, but the name, because the temple was dedicated in the name of God and the gold was shown to be precious on account of the name of the temple. And since they longed for the sacrifices because of the profits from them, they glorified the gift of the altar more, which, before it was placed on the altar, was a sheep or a calf or some such thing, but on account of being placed upon the altar it was already a sacrifice of God and was so called and was shown to be holy; for the altar was anointed with the sanctifying ointment, but the gift partook of sanctification through it. However, it is not so with spiritual things; for gold in the present spiritual temple of God was the Spirit itself and the gift on the spiritual altar, the body of Christ. Therefore, the things within are now greater than the things that receive them; for the latter sanctify, but the former

are sanctified. 117 Mt 23, 25-26 Through symbols the law taught purity in life. And the custom according to the Jews was of this sort, from the ancient traditions to wash the cups and the dish for food, so that they might keep it clean from the touch of sinners and thus might flee the fellowship of sinners, so as not even to touch the vessels which they had touched. But much more were they prepared through such customs to flee sin itself. But they kept these customs carefully, but they themselves became abominable through their deeds by plundering and profiting by violence. Therefore, he says, flee this injustice, O blind Pharisee, not even seeing what you are doing; and the things in the cup and in the dish are clean for you, not being taken from injustice. Justice cleanses the vessel much better than water. 118 Mt 23, 34 Wise men, those having spiritual wisdom, which Paul speaks of, and scribes, those interpreting the old things in a new way, so that the names are the same as the prophets and wise men and scribes of old, but the realities are not the same; for neither the prophecy nor the wisdom nor the writing is about the same things. By saying “I will send,” he showed his divinity; for it is of God to send prophets and wise men and scribes, of the one who is able to give the spirit of prophecy and of wisdom and of knowledge. 121 Mt 23, 37 For which he was about to bring plagues upon her because she was a murderer. Therefore he accuses her as murderous; for she who kills, he says, the prophets and stones those sent to her, and because, though often able to receive mercy, she was unwilling; for “how often” showed many times and many generations, when he led the people back from captivity. But they scattered themselves through their sins. And by mentioning wings and a shelter he teaches his divine dignity even in human form, like that spoken of God by Moses: “spreading his wings, he received them”; and David: “but the sons of men will hope in the shelter of your wings”; for since Satan was scattering them, partly to idolatry, partly to love of pleasures, he sent prophets, and then he also came himself in order to “gather” them “into one.” But they did not endure to be under his shelter; for I, he says, like a loving bird, always tried to draw you to myself, but you were not willing, but scattered

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» τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ ∆αβὶδ καὶ οὐδέπω τῷ πνεύματι τοῦτο ἁρμόζει, ἀλλ' εἰς τὸ ἴδιον πνεῦμα εἴρηται αὐτό. ἐν πνεύματι γοῦν ἐλάλει καὶ ὅτε ἔλεγεν «τὸ πνεῦμά σου τὸ ἅγιον μὴ ἀντανέλῃς ἀπ' ἐμοῦ ». καὶ οὐδέπω τῷ πνεύματι ἥρμοζεν «μὴ ἀντανέλῃς ἀπ' ἐμοῦ τὸ πνεῦμά σου »· οὐ γὰρ αὐτὸ ἑαυτῷ ἔμελλεν ἀνταν αιρεῖσθαι οὐδὲ ὅτε ἁμαρτίας ἐξωμολογεῖτο καὶ αὐταὶ τοῦ πνεύματος ἦσαν ἐξομολογήσεις.

115 Mt 23, 15 Ὅρα, ὅτι οὐ φύσει τινὲς υἱοὶ γεέννης · ζητητέον δὲ εἰ πρὶν ἰου

δαΐσαι οἱ ἐθνικοὶ οὐκ ἦσαν οἱ υἱοὶ γεέννης . 116 Mt 23, 16-22 Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ χρυσὸν ἐθαύμαζον, τὸν ἐν τῷ ναῷ χρυσὸν ὑπὲρ τὸν ναὸν ἐτίμων δέον μὴ τὴν ὕλην τιμᾶν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ὄνομα, ὅτι θεοῦ ὀνό ματι ὁ ναὸς ἀνέκειτο καὶ ὁ χρυσὸς διὰ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ ναοῦ τίμιος ἀπε δείκνυτο. καὶ ἐπειδὴ τῶν θυσιῶν ὠρέγοντο διὰ τὰ ἐξ αὐτῶν κέρδη, τὸ δῶρον τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου μᾶλλον ἐδόξαζον ὃ πρὶν μὲν ἐπιτεθῆναι τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ πρόβατον ἦν ἢ μόσχος ἤ τι τοιοῦτον, διὰ δὲ τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον ἐπίθεσιν θῦμα ἤδη θεοῦ ἦν καὶ ὠνομάζετο καὶ ἅγιον ἐπεδείκνυτο· καὶ γὰρ τὸ μὲν θυσιαστήριον ἐχρίετο τῷ ἁγιάζοντι χρί σματι, τὸ δὲ δῶρον δι' ἐκείνου μετελάμβανεν ἁγιασμοῦ. οὐ μὴν ἐπί γε τῶν πνευματικῶν οὕτως· χρυσὸς γὰρ ἐν τῷ νῦν ναῷ θεοῦ τῷ πνευμα τικῷ τὸ πνεῦμα ἦν αὐτὸ καὶ δῶρον ἐπὶ τοῦ πνευματικοῦ θυσιαστηρίου τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ. διόπερ τὰ ἐνόντα μείζονα νῦν ἢ τὰ δεχόμενα· ταῦτα μὲν γὰρ ἁγιάζει, ἐκεῖνα

δὲ ἁγιάζεται. 117 Mt 23, 25-26 ∆ιὰ συμβόλων ὁ νόμος ἐδίδασκεν τὴν ἐν τῷ βίῳ καθαρότητα. καὶ ἡ κατὰ Ἰουδαίους συνήθεια τοιαύτη τις ἦν, ἐκ τῶν ἀρχαίων παραδόσεων ἀποκλύζειν τὰ ποτήρια καὶ τὸ τοῦ ὄψου σκεῦος, ἵνα καθαρὸν ἐκ τῆς τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν ἐπαφῆς τοῦτο κατέχοιεν καὶ οὕτως τὴν τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν φεύγοιεν κοινωνίαν, ὡς μηδὲ ὧν ἐφήψαντο σκευῶν ἐφάπτεσθαι. πολλῷ δὲ μᾶλλον παρεσκευάζοντο διὰ τῶν τοιούτων ἐθῶν αὐτὴν φεύγειν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν. οἱ δὲ τὰ μὲν ἔθη ταῦτα ἐφύλαττον ἐπιμελῶς, αὐτοὶ δὲ ἁρπάζοντες καὶ βιαίως κερδαίνοντες βδελυροὶ διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἐγίνοντο. ταύτην οὖν, φησίν, ἀπόφυγε τὴν ἀδικίαν, ὦ Φαρισαῖε τυφλὲ καὶ μηδὲ ἃ πράττεις ὁρῶν· καὶ καθαρά ἐστί σοι τὰ ἐν τῷ ποτηρίῳ καὶ ἐν τῇ παροψίδι μὴ ἐξ ἀδικίας λαμβανόμενα. πολὺ κάλλιον καθαίρει τὸ σκεῦος ἡ δικαιοσύνη παρὰ τὸ ὕδωρ. 118 Mt 23, 34 Σοφοὺς τοὺς πνευματικὴν σοφίαν ἔχοντας, ἣν ὁ Παῦλός φησιν, καὶ γραμματεῖς τοὺς τὰ παλαιὰ καινῶς ἑρμηνεύοντας, ὥστε τὰ μὲν ὀνόματα τὰ αὐτὰ τοῖς πάλαι προφήταις καὶ σοφοῖς καὶ γραμματεῦσιν, οὐ τὰ αὐτὰ δὲ πράγματα· οὐδὲ γὰρ περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν ἡ προφητεία οὔτε ἡ σοφία οὔτε ἡ γραμματεία. τὸ δὲ ἀποστελῶ εἰπὼν τὸ θεϊκὸν ἔδειξεν· θεοῦ γὰρ τὸ ἀποστέλλειν προφήτας καὶ σοφοὺς καὶ γραμματεῖς τοῦ δυναμένου τὸ πνεῦμα διδόναι τῆς προφητείας καὶ σοφίας καὶ γνώ σεως. 121 Mt 23, 37 Ὑπὲρ οὗ ἔμελλε πληγὰς αὐτῇ ἐπαγαγεῖν διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτὴν μιαι φόνον. αἰτιᾶται τοίνυν αὐτὴν ὡς φονικήν· ἡ ἀποκτείνουσα γάρ, φησίν, τοὺς προφήτας καὶ λιθοβολοῦσα τοὺς ἀπεσταλμένους πρὸς αὐτὴν καὶ ὅτι πολλάκις δυναμένη τυχεῖν ἐλέους οὐκ ἠθέλησεν· τὸ γὰρ ποσάκις πολλοὺς ἔδειξε χρόνους καὶ πολλὰς γενεάς, ὅτε τὸν λαὸν ἐξ αἰχμαλωσίας ἐπανήγαγεν. οἱ δὲ ἐσκόρπιζον ἑαυτοὺς διὰ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν. εἰπὼν δὲ πτέρυγας καὶ σκέπην διδάσκει τὸ θεοπρεπὲς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν ἀνθρωπίνῃ μορφῇ οἷον τὸ ὑπὸ Μωυσέως εἰς θεὸν εἰρημένον· «διεὶς τὰς πτέρυγας αὐτοῦ ἐδέξατο αὐτούς »· καὶ ὁ ∆αβίδ· «οἱ δὲ υἱοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώ πων ἐν σκέπῃ τῶν πτερύγων σου ἐλπιοῦσιν »· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ σατανᾶς διεσκόρπιζεν αὐτοὺς πῇ μὲν εἰς εἰδωλολατρίαν, πῇ δὲ εἰς φιληδονίας, ἀπέστειλε προφήτας, εἶτα καὶ δι' ἑαυτοῦ ἦλθεν ὥστε «συναγαγεῖν » αὐτοὺς «εἰς ἕν». οἱ δὲ οὐκ ἠνέσχοντο ὑπὸ τὴν σκέπην αὐτοῦ εἶναι· ἐγὼ μὲν γάρ, φησίν, ὡς ὄρνις φιλόστοργος ἀεί σε εἶχον προσεπισπᾶσθαι πρὸς ἐμαυτόν, σὺ δὲ οὐκ ἤθελες, ἀλλ' ἐσκόρπιζες

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