Does 'until the times of restoration' wish to signify to us something other than the age to come, in which all things must obtain the perfect restoration? If, therefore, at the time of the restoration of all things Paul said that creation itself will be changed from bondage to freedom (for he says, 'that creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God'), how could it still be possible for the form of a servant, which the Word assumed, being the form of a servant, to remain with the Word? And so clearly and explicitly, the divine Paul has said that the economy of the Word according to the flesh happened for our sake in some brief period of the past and future ages, and that this, just as it had a beginning, so also will have an end, saying something like this: 'Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father'. 118 Having touched the human body and shown it to those who were watching, 'Does this offend you?' he said. 'What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? The spirit gives life; the flesh is of no avail'. 119 Therefore, not for himself, but for us he assumed human flesh. But if it is shown that he assumed it for us, and all things concerning us will reach their end by his providence and energy at the time of judgment, there will no longer be any need for this partial kingdom either. 1 But if anyone should say that the human flesh is worthy of the Word for this reason, that through the resurrection he made it immortal, let him know that not everything which is immortal is worthy of God. For God is greater than immortality itself, being able by his own will to make immortal even things that are not. And that not everything immortal is worthy to be united with God is clear also from the fact that principalities and powers and angels, though being immortal, do not partake of the unity of God. 121 But if someone should ask about this flesh in the Word that has become immortal, what shall we say to him? That we do not consider it safe to dogmatize about things which we have not learned accurately from the divine scriptures. For how can this be done by those who also overthrow the dogmas of others? But we will say to those who wish to learn the precise account of this from us, that, obeying the holy apostle, we know that it is fitting for us to see the hidden mysteries in this way, as he himself said: 'For now we see,' he says, 'in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now we know in part; then we shall know fully, even as we have been fully known'. Therefore do not ask me about things which I have not learned clearly from the divine scripture. For this reason, therefore, I will not be able to speak clearly about that divine flesh which partook of the divine Word. But for now I believe the divine scriptures, that there is one God, and his Word came forth from the Father, so that 'all things might be made through him'; but after the time of judgment and the correction of all things and the destruction of all opposing energy, 'then he himself will be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him,' 'to God and the Father,' so that the Word may thus be in God, just as he was before the world existed. For when nothing existed before except God alone, and all things were about to come into being through the Word, the Word came forth with effective energy, this Word being of the Father. 122 This is he of whom Paul said, 'of the Son of God who was predestined'. 123 For on his account the most holy prophet Solomon said, 'to receive the turnings of words,' and again, 'the sayings of the wise and their riddles'. 124 Therefore it seems to me that this most wise prophet also spoke the first words of the prophecy in a proverbial manner. 125 For I think it is not at all strange at present to remind you of a few of the proverbs from outside sources. EITHER HE IS DEAD OR HE IS TEACHING LETTERS. One might suppose this proverb, according to the literal appearance, to be said against those who teach letters; since also another of their writers said, 'You were teaching letters, and I was attending'. But those who have written commentaries said it is not so; but since the Sicilians, they say, having conquered the Athenians in war, only

ἕτερον βούλεται τὸ "ἄχρι χρόνων ἀποκαταστάσεως", ἢ αἰῶνα μέλλοντα ἡμῖν σημαίνειν, ἐν ᾧ δεῖ πάντα τῆς τελείας τυχεῖν ἀποκαταστάσεως; εἰ τοίνυν ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς ἀποκαταστάσεως ἁπάντων καὶ αὐτὴν τὴν κτίσιν ἐκ τῆς δουλείας εἰς τὴν ἐλευθερίαν μεταβληθήσεσθαι ὁ Παῦλος ἔφη (λέγει γὰρ "ὅτι καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ κτίσις ἐλευθερωθήσεται ἀπὸ τῆς δουλείας τῆς φθορᾶς εἰς τὴν ἐλευθερίαν τῆς δόξης τῶν τέκνων τοῦ θεοῦ"), πῶς ἔτι τὴν τοῦ δούλου μορφήν, ἣν ἀνείληφεν ὁ λόγος, μορφὴν οὖσαν δούλου, συνεῖναι τῷ λόγῳ δυνατὸν γένοιτ' ἄν; σαφῶς δ' οὖν καὶ διαρρήδην ἐν βραχεῖ τινι χρόνῳ τῶν τε παρεληλυθότων καὶ τῶν μελλόντων αἰώνων τὴν κατὰ σάρκα οἰκονομίαν τοῦ λόγου δι' ἡμᾶς γεγενῆσθαι συμβεβηκέναι καὶ ταύτην ὥσπερ ἀρχὴν οὕτως καὶ τέλος ἕξειν ὁ θεσπέσιος εἴρηκεν Παῦλος, οὕτω πως εἰπὼν "εἶτα τὸ τέλος, ὅταν παραδιδῷ τὴν βασιλείαν τῷ θεῷ καὶ πατρί". 118 τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου ἁψάμενος σώματος καὶ δείξας αὐτὸ τοῖς ὁρῶσιν "τοῦτο ὑμᾶς σκανδαλίζει;" ἔφη "ἐὰν οὖν ἴδητε τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἀνιόντα, ὅπου ἦν τὸ πρότερον; τὸ πνεῦμα ζωοποιεῖ, ἡ σὰρξ οὐδὲν ὠφελεῖ". 119 οὐκοῦν οὐ δι' ἑαυτόν, ἀλλὰ δι' ἡμᾶς τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ἀνείληφεν σάρκα. εἰ δὲ δι' ἡμᾶς ἀνειληφὼς φαίνεται, πάντα δὲ τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς τῇ αὐτοῦ προνοίᾳ καὶ ἐνεργείᾳ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς κρίσεως τέλους τεύξεται, οὐκέτι οὐδὲ ταύτης τῆς ἐν μέρει βασιλείας ἔσται χρεία. 1 εἰ δέ τις λέγοι, διὰ τοῦτο τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην σάρκα ἀξίαν εἶναι τοῦ λόγου, ὅτι διὰ τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἀθάνατον αὐτὴν ἀπειργάσατο, γνώτω ὅτι οὐ πᾶν, ὅπερ ἀθάνατον, τοῦτο ἄξιον θεοῦ. μείζων γὰρ καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀθανασίας ὁ θεός, ὁ τῇ ἑαυτοῦ βουλήσει καὶ τὰ μὴ ὄντα ἀθάνατα ποιεῖν δυνάμενος. ὅτι δὲ οὐ πᾶν τὸ ἀθάνατον ἡνῶσθαι θεῷ ἄξιον δῆλόν ἐστι καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀρχὰς καὶ ἐξουσίας καὶ ἀγγέλους ἀθανάτους ὄντας μηδὲν διαφέρειν τῇ ἑνότητι τοῦ θεοῦ. 121 εἰ δέ τις περὶ τῆς σαρκὸς ταύτης τῆς ἐν τῷ λόγῳ ἀθανάτου γεγονυίας πυνθάνοιτο, τί φαμεν πρὸς αὐτόν; ὅτι δογματίζειν μὲν ἡμεῖς περὶ ὧν μὴ ἀκριβῶς παρὰ τῶν θείων μεμαθήκαμεν γραφῶν οὐκ ἀσφαλὲς εἶναι νομίζομεν. πῶς γὰρ τοῦτο πράττειν δυνατὸν τοῖς καὶ τὰ ἑτέρων ἀνατρέπουσιν δόγματα; ἀλλ' ἐροῦμεν πρὸς τοὺς τὸν ἀκριβῆ περὶ τούτου μαθεῖν παρ' ἡμῶν βουλομένους λόγον, ὅτι πειθόμενοι τῷ ἱερῷ ἀποστόλῳ ἴσμεν ὅτι οὕτως ἡμᾶς ὁρᾶν τὰ ἀποκεκρυμμένα μυστήρια προσήκει, ὡς αὐτὸς ἔφη· "βλέπομεν γὰρ ἄρτι" φησὶν "δι' ἐσόπτρου ἐν αἰνίγματι, τότε δὲ πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον· ἄρτι γινώσκομεν ἐκ μέρους, τότε δὲ ἐπιγνωσόμεθα καθὼς καὶ ἐπεγνώσθημεν". ὥστε μή μου πυνθάνου περὶ ὧν σαφῶς παρὰ τῆς θείας γραφῆς μὴ μεμάθηκα. διὰ τοῦτο τοίνυν οὐδὲ περὶ τῆς θείας ἐκείνης τῆς τῷ θείῳ λόγῳ κοινωνησάσης σαρκὸς σαφῶς εἰπεῖν δυνήσομαι. νυνὶ δὲ πιστεύω ταῖς θείαις γραφαῖς, ὅτι εἷς θεός, καὶ ὁ τούτου λόγος προῆλθεν μὲν τοῦ πατρός, ἵνα "πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ" γένηται μετὰ δὲ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς κρίσεως καὶ τὴν τῶν ἁπάντων διόρθωσιν καὶ τὸν ἀφανισμὸν τῆς ἀντικειμένης ἁπάσης ἐνεργείας "τότε αὐτὸς ὑποταγήσεται τῷ ὑποτάξαντι αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα" "θεῷ καὶ πατρί", ἵν' οὕτως ᾖ ἐν τῷ θεῷ ὁ λόγος, ὥσπερ καὶ πρότερον ἦν πρὸ τοῦ τὸν κόσμον εἶναι. οὐδενὸς γὰρ ὄντος πρότερον ἢ θεοῦ μόνου, πάντων δὲ διὰ τοῦ λόγου γίγνεσθαι μελλόντων, προῆλθεν ὁ λόγος δραστικῇ ἐνεργείᾳ, ὁ λόγος οὗτος τοῦ πατρὸς ὤν. 122 οὗτός ἐστιν περὶ οὗ ὁ Παῦλος ἔφη "τοῦ προορισθέντος υἱοῦ θεοῦ". 123 τούτου γὰρ χάριν ὁ ἁγιώτατος προφήτης Σολομὼν "δέξασθαί τε στροφὰς λόγων" ἔφη, καὶ πάλιν "ῥήσεις τε σοφῶν καὶ αἰνίγματα". 124 διό μοι δοκεῖ ὁ σοφώτατος οὗτος προφήτης καὶ τὰ πρῶτα ῥήματα τῆς προφητείας παροιμιωδῶς εἰρηκέναι. 125 οὐδὲν γὰρ ἄτοπον, οἶμαι, ἐν τῷ παρόντι ὀλίγον τῶν ἔξωθεν ὑπομνῆσαί σε παροιμιῶν. ΑΛΛ' Η ΤΕΘΝΗΚΕΝ Η ∆Ι∆ΑΣΚΕΙ ΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΑ. ταύτην τὴν παροιμίαν πρὸς μὲν τὸ φαινόμενον τοῦ γράμματος ὑπολάβοι ἄν τις κατὰ τῶν γράμματα διδασκόντων εἰρῆσθαι· ἐπεὶ καὶ ἕτερός τις τῶν παρ' αὐτοῖς "ἐδίδασκες γράμματα, ἐγὼ δ' ἐφοίτων" ἔφη. τὸ δ' οὐχ οὕτως ἔχειν οἱ τὰ ὑπομνήματα γράψαντες ἔφασαν· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ Ἀθηναίους Σικελιῶται, φασίν, πολέμῳ νικήσαντες μόνους