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seed, we would have become like Sodom and we would have been made like Gomorrah”. Through which he presented those of the Jews who had believed in Christ, among whom were the apostles who were sowing the rational and heavenly seeds among all the nations. Therefore, concerning these, the present prophecy also decrees the aforementioned things, saying: in that day, that is, in the time of their rejection, God will shine forth in counsel with glory upon the earth to exalt and glorify the remnant of Israel, those called holy and written for life in Jerusalem. And it is possible to perceive in deed how the first apostles and disciples and evangelists of the Savior who believed in Christ from Israel were glorified and exalted, so that they became renowned everywhere on earth and throughout the whole world, and even now among all nations, “both Greeks and barbarians,” their name and their teaching are glorified. These alone will be called holy, who were deemed worthy to be written for eternal life “of the heavenly Jerusalem”; compare with these the voice of our Savior to the apostles, through which it was said: “but rejoice that your names are written in the heavens.” But how they will be worthy of these things, he clarifies next, saying this: the Lord will wash away the filth of the sons and daughters of Zion and will cleanse the blood from their midst with a spirit of judgment, clearly indicating “the washing of regeneration,” which he also indicated through the things before, saying: “Wash yourselves, become clean,” and now he promises. and with a spirit of burning would in no way differ from “with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” And he speaks of the filth of souls, with which they were defiled, being polluted by the blood, which the word also mentioned through the things before, saying: “for your hands are full of blood.” which indeed he also calls the blood of Jerusalem at present, saying: the Lord will wash away the filth of the sons and daughters of Zion and will cleanse the blood. But which daughters of Zion, if not those just accused through the preceding passage when it was said: “Because the daughters of Zion have become haughty and have walked with outstretched necks” and the things that follow this. And he says these things concerning those who had indeed participated in the blood-guilt against the Savior, but a little later changed and recognized his gospel, such as was Paul, who “formerly was destroying the church of God,” and “consenting to the murder” of Stephen, and in every way surely also to the blood of the Savior, but who later changed and was “baptized” with a spirit of judgment. All these who, like Paul, are washed away are said to be cleansed; “for with judgment” they were about to “be saved” “and with righteousness,” but also with a spirit of burning. But see if the present word is not strongly in agreement with the evangelical testimony concerning our Savior, which taught, saying: “he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire”; for with a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning in no way differs from “with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” For the fiery words, touching them, produced in them a cleansing of their sins. And the Savior likewise in the Gospel is said to “baptize” not with water but “with the Holy Spirit and with fire”; for John taught this, saying concerning himself: “I indeed baptize you with water,” but concerning the Savior: “he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” To these things he adds: and he will come, and every place in Zion shall be, and all the things round about her a cloud will overshadow by day; But who will come, another prophet will show, saying: “the deliverer will come from Zion,” and the one who said: “For yet a little while, the one who is coming will come and will not delay,” and having come he will fulfill the things that are added. But instead of: he will come, the Hebrew and all the other interpreters have said, *and the Lord will create every place of mount Zion*, “a new creation,” that of the church of God which has been founded in every place

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σπέρμα, ὡς Σόδομα ἂν ἐγενήθημεν καὶ ὡς Γόμορρα ἂν ὡμοιώθημεν». δι' ὧν παρίστη τοὺς ἀπὸ Ἰουδαίων εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν πεπιστευκότας, ἐν οἷς ὑπῆρχον οἱ ἀπόστολοι οἱ τὰ λογικὰ καὶ ἐπουράνια σπέρματα εἰς πάντα κατασπείροντες τὰ ἔθνη. περὶ τούτων τοιγαροῦν καὶ ἡ παροῦσα προφητεία τὰ προκείμενα θεσπίζει λέγουσα· ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, δηλαδὴ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς ἀποβολῆς ἐκείνων, ἐπιλάμψει ὁ θεὸς ἐν βουλῇ μετὰ δόξης ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς τοῦ ὑψῶσαι καὶ δοξάσαι τὸ καταλειφθὲν τοῦ Ἰσραήλ, οἱ ἅγιοι κληθέντες καὶ ἐγγραφέντες εἰς ζωὴν ἐν Ἰερουσαλήμ. καὶ ἔστιν γε καὶ ἔργῳ παραλαβεῖν ὅπως οἱ πρῶτοι οἱ ἐκ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν πεπιστευκότες ἀπόστολοι καὶ μαθηταὶ καὶ εὐαγγελισταὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἐδοξάσθησαν καὶ ὑψώθησαν, ὡς πανταχοῦ γῆς καὶ καθ' ὅλης τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐπιφανεῖς αὐτοὺς γενέσθαι, εἰσέτι τε καὶ νῦν παρὰ πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, «Ἕλλησί τε καὶ βαρβάροις», δοξάζεσθαι αὐτῶν καὶ τοὔνομα καὶ τὴν διδασκαλίαν. μόνοι οὗτοι ἅγιοι κληθήσονται οἱ καταξιωθέντες γραφῆναι εἰς τὴν αἰώνιον ζωὴν «τῆς ἐπουρανίου Ἰερουσαλήμ»· τούτοις παράθες τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν τὴν πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους φωνήν, δι' ἧς εἴρηται· «χαίρετε δὲ ὅτι τὰ ὀνόματα ὑμῶν ἐγγέγραπται ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς». Πῶς δὲ ἄξιοι τούτων ἔσονται, διασαφεῖ ἑξῆς λέγων τό· ἐκπλυνεῖ κύριος τὸν ῥύπον τῶν υἱῶν καὶ τῶν θυγατέρων Σιὼν καὶ τὸ αἷμα ἐκκαθαριεῖ ἐκ μέσου αὐτῶν ἐν πνεύματι κρίσεως, σαφῶς «τὸ λουτρὸν τῆς παλιγγενεσίας» δηλῶν, ὃ καὶ διὰ τῶν ἔμπροσθεν ἐδήλου λέγων· «λούσασθε, καθαροὶ γένεσθε», καὶ νῦν ἐπαγγέλλεται. ἐν πνεύματι δὲ καύσεως τοῦ «ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ καὶ πυρὶ» οὐδὲν ἂν διαφέροι. ῥύπον δὲ ψυχῶν φησιν, ὃν ἐρυπάνθησαν μολυνθεῖσαι ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος, οὗ καὶ διὰ τῶν ἔμπροσθεν ὁ λόγος ἐμνημόνευσεν εἰπών· «αἱ γὰρ χεῖρες ὑμῶν αἵματος πλήρεις». ὃ δὴ καὶ αἷμα Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος ὀνομάζει φήσας· ἐκπλυνεῖ κύριος τὸν ῥύπον τῶν υἱῶν καὶ τῶν θυγατέρων Σιὼν καὶ τὸ αἷμα ἐκκαθαριεῖ. ποίαις δὲ θυγατράσι Σιὼν ἢ ταῖς ἀρτίως διὰ τῆς ἔμπροσθεν περικοπῆς κατηγορηθείσαις ἐν τῷ λέγεσθαι· «Ἀνθ' ὧν ὑψώθησαν αἱ θυγατέρες Σιὼν καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν ὑψηλῷ τραχήλῳ» καὶ τὰ τούτοις ἑπόμενα. λέγει δὲ ταῦτα περὶ τῶν κεκοινωνηκότων μὲν τῇ κατὰ τοῦ σωτῆρος μιαιφονίᾳ, μικρὸν δὲ ὕστερον μεταβαλόντων καὶ γνωρισάντων αὐτοῦ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον, ὁποῖος ἦν ὁ Παῦλος «λυμαινόμενος μὲν πρότερον τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ», «συνευδοκῶν τε τῇ ἀναιρέσει» Στεφάνου, πάντως δέ που καὶ τῷ αἵματι τοῦ σωτῆρος, μεταβαλὼν δὲ ὕστερον καὶ «βαπτισθεὶς» ἐν πνεύματι δὲ κρίσεως. λέγονται πάντες οὗτοι οἱ Παύλῳ παραπλησίως ἐκπλυνόμενοι καθαρισθήσεσθαι· «μετὰ γὰρ κρίματος» «σωθήσεσθαι» ἤμελλον «καὶ μετὰ δικαιοσύνης», ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν πνεύματι καύσεως. θέα δὲ εἰ μὴ σφόδρα σύμφωνός ἐστιν ὁ παρὼν λόγος τῇ εὐαγγελικῇ μαρτυρίᾳ περὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν, ἣ ἐδίδασκε λέγουσα· «αὐτὸς ὑμᾶς βαπτίσει ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ καὶ πυρί»· τὸ γὰρ ἐν πνεύματι κρίσεως καὶ πνεύματι καύσεως τοῦ «ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ καὶ πυρί» οὐδὲν διαφέρει. οἱ γὰρ πυρωτικοὶ λόγοι καθαπτόμενοι αὐτῶν κάθαρσιν αὐτοῖς ἐνεποίουν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων. καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ ὁμοίως ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ «βαπτίσειν» λέγεται οὐχ ὕδατι ἀλλ' «ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ καὶ πυρί»· τοῦτο γὰρ ἐδίδαξεν ὁ Ἰωάννης περὶ μὲν ἑαυτοῦ εἰπών· «ἐγὼ μὲν ὑμᾶς βαπτίζω ἐν ὕδατι», περὶ δὲ τοῦ σωτῆρος· «αὐτὸς ὑμᾶς βαπτίσει ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ καὶ πυρί». Τούτοις ἐπιλέγει· καὶ ἥξει, καὶ ἔσται πᾶς τόπος ἐν Σιὼν καὶ πάντα τὰ περικύκλῳ αὐτῆς σκιάσει νεφέλη ἡμέρας· τίς δὲ ἥξει, προφήτης ἕτερος παραστήσει εἰπών· «ἥξει ἐκ Σιὼν ὁ ῥυόμενος», καὶ ὁ φήσας· «ἔτι μικρὸν ὅσον, ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἥξει καὶ οὐ χρονιεῖ», ἐλθών τε τὰ ἐπιλεγόμενα πληρώσει. ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ· ἥξει, τὸ Ἑβραϊκὸν καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ πάντες ἑρμηνευταὶ καὶ κτίσει κύριος πάντα τόπον ὄρους Σιὼν εἰρήκασιν, «καινὴν κτίσιν» τὴν τῆς ἐκκλησίας τοῦ θεοῦ τῆς εἰς πάντα τόπον τεθεμελιωμένην