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you die and save all, while the law says that the Christ remains forever, being ignorant that as a sheep he will be led to the slaughter. But when he has been slaughtered and risen, then he no longer dies, but remains forever. 3 Jo 12, 35 He testified accordingly; for the time was still short between the passion and this discourse. And he calls himself light as one who enlightens souls through the teaching of the gospel. 4 Jo 12, 35 Darkness can also be said to be the condemnation of the impious in the age to come, as he said more clearly elsewhere concerning the one not having a wedding garment; ‘for cast him out,’ he says, ‘into the outer darkness; there will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.’ 5 Jo 12, 36 Those who believed not only were illumined by the knowledge of the light, but also became light and were so named. 6 col1 Jo 12, 36 He was hidden not on account of cowardice nor rendering himself completely unseen, but he withdrew usefully, so that he might seem to give them leisure for the consideration of the things that had been said; for thus, having come to a state of reflection and accurately recalling his words along with his deeds, they were able to come to a perception of his dignity, if indeed they wished to see things with good judgment; for even if he especially foreknew their unbelief, nevertheless he did his part out of love for mankind. He withdraws not <on account> of cowardice, but giving them leisure for the consideration of the things that had been said. for even if he knew their disobedience, nevertheless he does his part out of love for mankind. 7 col1 Jo 12, 38-40 Not by a necessity leading them to this, but to what each of them chose for himself. But perhaps because their preceding lawlessness rendered them worthy of hardening, they endured this by a just judgment, paying the penalty for their preceding and still present impiety; for Isaiah, foreseeing their unbelief, prophetically spoke what would happen: ‘In hearing you will hear, and by no means understand; and seeing you will see, and by no means perceive,’ reasonably ascribing to them the cause of their folly and blindness. But the evangelist, knowing accurately that their unbelief, foreknown by God, would certainly come to pass, added the cause, that they were not able to believe, because Isaiah said: ‘He has blinded their eyes;’ for the foreknowledge of God is unerring, not compelling the impious to unbelief, but only foreseeing and knowing their future disobedience which comes from their choice. God himself did not blind or harden them, but permitted them beyond, so that they willed to act, since their preceding lawlessness and present unbelief made them worthy of hardening. Isaiah, therefore, prophetically seeing the things that would be, foretold them, ascribing the cause of the hardening, but the evangelist says that it was impossible for the things foreknown by God not to come to pass; for the foreknowledge of God is unerring, not, however, compelling the impious to disbelieve, but the prophecy came to be by only foreseeing the future unbelief. 8 Jo 12, 40 For having been hardened from unbelief they no longer paid attention, not even to the greatness of the signs. Therefore, the prophet foretold this. 9 Jo 12, 41 From what the evangelist says, Isaiah saw the Son. 210 col1 Jo 12, 42-43 Just as, for instance, Nicodemus also, although seeming to be genuinely disposed concerning the things of the Lord, was eager from the beginning to escape the notice of the rulers and came to him by night, hiding on account of fear, and as if stealing by night to him I saw and he confessed to believe, but for a time did not dare to speak freely, lest he be put out of the synagogue, so also were these; for though seeming in their mind to accept him and to believe, they in no way endured to speak freely. Therefore, by not daring, they were not able to be benefited in such a way at all; for the assent of faith, unless it also receives the boldness of speech, is not strong enough to perfect anyone by itself. Therefore it is necessary neither to have a faith without boldness, nor a confession by the mouth without the living

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ἀποθνῄσκεις καὶ σῴζεις πάντας τοῦ νόμου λέγοντος τὸν Χριστὸν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα μένειν, ἀγνοοῦντες, ὅτι ὡς πρόβατον μὲν ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἀχθήσεται. ὅταν δὲ σφαγεὶς ἀναστῇ, τότε οὐκέτι ἀποθνῄσκει, ἀλλὰ μένει εἰς ἀεί. 3 Jo 12, 35 Ἀκολούθως διεμαρτύρετο· ἔτι γὰρ ὀλίγος ἦν καιρὸς ὁ μεταξὺ τοῦ πάθους καὶ ταύτης τῆς διαλέξεως. φῶς δὲ ἑαυτὸν καλεῖ ὡς διὰ τῆς εὐαγγελικῆς διδασκαλίας φωτίζοντα τὰς ψυχάς. 4 Jo 12, 35 Σκοτίαν δυνατὸν λέγεσθαι καὶ τὴν ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι τῶν ἀσεβῶν κατάκρισιν ὡς σαφέστερον ἀλλαχοῦ εἶπε περὶ τοῦ μὴ ἔχοντος ἔνδυμα γάμου· ἐκβάλετε γὰρ αὐτόν, φησίν, εἰς τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον· ἐκεῖ ἔσται ὁ κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων. 5 Jo 12, 36 Οἱ πιστεύσαντες οὐ μόνον ὅτι κατηυγάσθησαν τῇ ἐπιγνώσει τοῦ φωτός, ἀλλὰ καὶ φῶς γεγόνασι καὶ ὠνομάσθησαν. 6 col1 Jo 12, 36 Ἐκρύβη οὐ δειλίας ἕνεκεν οὐδὲ ἀφανῆ ἑαυτὸν παντελῶς καθιστάς, ἀλλ' ὑπεχώρει χρησίμως, ἵνα σχολὴν αὐτοῖς ἐνδιδόναι δόξῃ εἰς ἐπίσκεψιν τῶν εἰρημένων· οὕτω γὰρ ἐπὶ συννοίας γενόμενοι καὶ τοὺς λόγους αὐτοῦ μετὰ τῶν πράξεων ἀκριβῶς ἀναπεμπαζό μενοι εἰς αἴσθησιν ἐλθεῖν ἠδύναντο τοῦ ἀξιώματος αὐτοῦ, εἴγε ἐβούλοντο εὐγνωμόνως συνορᾶν τὰ πράγματα· εἰ γὰρ καὶ τὰ μάλιστα προῄδει αὐτῶν τὴν ἀπιστίαν, ἀλλ' ὅμως τὸ παρ' ἑαυ τοῦ διὰ φιλανθρωπίαν ἐποίει. Οὐ δειλίας <ἕνεκεν> ὑποχωρεῖ, ἀλλὰ διδοὺς αὐτοῖς σχολὴν εἰς ἐπίσκεψιν τῶν εἰρημένων. εἰ γὰρ καὶ ᾔδει τὴν αὐτῶν ἀπείθειαν, ἀλλ' ὅμως τὸ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ ποιεῖ διὰ φιλανθρωπίαν. 7 col1 Jo 12, 38-40 Οὐκ ἐξ ἀνάγκης αὐτοὺς εἰς τοῦτο ἀγούσης, ἀλλ' ἐφ' ἅπερ ἕκαστος αὐτῶν προείλετο. ἴσως δὲ ἐπειδὴ ἡ προλα βοῦσα αὐτῶν παρανομία ἀξίους τῆς πωρώσεως ἀπειργάσατο, κρίσει δικαίᾳ ὑπέμενον τοῦτο, δίκην ἐκτίνοντες τῆς προλαβούσης καὶ τῆς ἔτι ἐνεστώσης αὐτῶν δυσσεβείας· ὁ μὲν γὰρ Ἠσαΐας τὴν ἀπιστίαν αὐτῶν προβλέπων προ φητικῶς τὸ γενησόμενον ἔλεγεν· ἀκοῇ ἀκούσετε καὶ οὐ μὴ συνῆτε καὶ βλέ ποντες βλέψετε καὶ οὐ μὴ ἴδητε τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς ἀπονοίας καὶ τῆς τυφλώ σεως εὐλόγως αὐτοῖς ἐπιγράφων. ὁ δὲ εὐαγγελιστὴς ἀκριβῶς ἐπιστάμενος, ὅτι ἡ ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ προγνωσθεῖσα αὐτῶν ἀπιστία ἐξ ἅπαντος εἰς ἔργον χωρήσει, προσετίθει τὴν αἰτίαν, ὅτι οὐκ ἠδύναντο πιστεύειν, ὅτι εἶπεν Ἠσαΐας· τετύφλωκεν αὐ τῶν τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς· ἀψευδὴς γὰρ ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ πρόγνωσις οὐκ ἀναγκά ζουσα μὲν τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς εἰς ἀπιστίαν, προβλέπουσα δὲ μόνον καὶ γινώσκουσα τὴν μέλλουσαν αὐτῶν τὴν ἐκ προαιρέ σεως ἀπείθειαν. Οὐκ αὐτὸς ὁ θεὸς ἐτύφλωσεν ἢ ἐπώρωσεν αὐτούς, ἀλλὰ συνεχώρησεν αὐτοὺς ἐπέκεινα, ἵνα ἤθελον ποιεῖν, ἐπειδὴ ἡ προλαβοῦσα παρανομία ἀξί ους πωρώσεως ἐποίησε καὶ ἡ νῦν ἀπιστία. ὁ μὲν οὖν Ἠσαΐας προφητικῶς ὁρῶν τὰ ἐσόμενα προ εῖπεν αὐτοῖς ἐπιγράφων τῆς πωρώσεως τὴν αἰτίαν, ὁ δὲ εὐαγγελιστής φησιν, ὅτι τὰ προγνωσθέντα παρὰ θεῷ ἀδύ νατον ἦν μὴ ἐκβῆναι· ἀψευδὴς γὰρ ἡ πρόγνωσις τοῦ θεοῦ, οὐκ ἀναγκά ζουσα μέντοι τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς ἀπιστεῖν, ἀλλὰ προβλέπουσα μόνον τὴν ἐJoμένην ἀπιστίαν ἡ προφητεία γέγονεν. 8 Jo 12, 40 Πωρωθέντες γὰρ ἐξ ἀπιστίας οὐκέτι προσεῖχον οὐδὲ τῷ μεγέθει τῶν σημείων. περὶ οὖν τούτου ὁ προφήτης προεῖπεν. 9 Jo 12, 41 Ἐξ ὧν λέγει ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς τὸν υἱὸν εἶδεν ὁ Ἠσαΐας. 210 col1 Jo 12, 42-43 Ὥσπερ ἀμέλει καὶ ὁ Νικόδημος καίπερ γνησίως διακεῖσθαι περὶ τῶν κυρίου δοκῶν παρὰ τὰς ἀρχὰς λανθά νειν τοὺς ἄρχοντας ἐσπούδασε καὶ νυκτὸς παρεγένετο πρὸς αὐτὸν κρυπτόμενος διὰ φόβον καὶ ὥσπερ κλέπτων ἐν νυκτὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν εἴJoδον καὶ πιστεύειν μὲν ὡμολόγει , παρρη σιάζεσθαι δὲ τέως οὐκ ἐτόλμα, ἵνα μὴ ἀποσυνάγωγος γένηται, οὕτω καὶ οὗτοι· κατὰ διάνοιαν γὰρ ἀπο δέχεσθαι αὐτὸν καὶ πιστεύειν δοκοῦντες οὐδαμῶς παρρησιάζεσθαι ὑπέμενον. διόπερ καὶ μὴ τολμῶντες οὐδὲν το Joῦτον ὠφελεῖσθαι ἠδύναντο· ἡ γὰρ τῆς πίστεως συγκατάθεσις, εἰ μὴ προσλάβῃ καὶ τὴν τοῦ λόγου παρρη σίαν, οὐδένα καθ' ἑαυτὴν τελειῶσαι ἰσχύει. χρὴ οὖν μήτε τὴν πίστιν ἀ παρρησίαστον ἔχειν μήτε τὴν διὰ τοῦ στόματος ὁμολογίαν δίχα τῆς ἐμψύχου