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in perfection 26.4 glorifying the Trinity together in unity and unity in Trinity. For the only-begotten Son of God came to teach us this knowledge, the Holy Spirit preached to us this understanding, the Father revealed to us this perfection; in truth the Word made flesh granted us this life, the Holy Spirit built 26.5 for us this building. “For if anyone builds on this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,” and what follows. For there is no other foundation; “for no one can lay any other foundation than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ,” the Son of God, “whose building we are, and whose field we are,” “having been built on the foundation of the prophets and apostles,” to know that our building is solid in truth and our 26.6 foundation is eternal and did not begin to be. But “knowledge is not in everyone,” according to the apostolic word, but in those deemed worthy 26.7 by the Holy Spirit to know the mysteries of truth. For he who revealed himself and his Father and the Holy Spirit, rebuking some who were in ignorance, said, “you do not know the scriptures nor their power,” and again elsewhere, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear,” and again, “If you knew who it is that asks a drink from you, you would have asked,” he said to the Samaritan woman, and again, “you do not 26.8 know what manner of spirit you are of.” Therefore, “knowledge is not in everyone”; “for each one has different gifts from God.” And the holy word says, “To whom more is given, of him they will require more,” as some receive little, some not at all, and others have received more. 27.1 And that these things are so can be found from what is said in the divine 27.1 scriptures themselves. For since the divine scripture for the most part speaks spiritually, especially concerning our life—I mean, the knowledge of the Lord—whatever words are deeper and more thoroughly secure our soul, these have become a 27.2 stumbling block for those who have not comprehended the knowledge of God, as Hosea the prophet says, “Who is wise, and he shall understand these things?” and “to whom the word of the knowledge of the Lord is given, he will also know them; for the 27.3 ways of the Lord are right, but the wicked shall stumble in them.” For they are right, but the wicked stumble in the ways of the Lord, though these are not to blame for men’s stumbling. Indeed, those who stumble over the stone of stumbling stumble indifferently; “for they stumbled 27.4 over the stone of stumbling” and were scandalized. For immediately the Jews, seeing the only-begotten Son of God who had come in the flesh performing signs, and not having been deemed worthy of heavenly knowledge, said, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies?” and at another time, “If this man were from God, he would not break the sabbath.” Therefore they were ignorant of his divinity, and considered him only a mere 27.5 man. But others, though they knew him to be God, being ignorant of his perfect glory, hearing the deep words spoken about him and about the economy of the flesh undertaken for our salvation, being led astray, speak impiously 27.6 against his divinity. For their mind led them astray. For as the Jews were led astray when they heard, so also were these led astray when they heard. For they saw the things foretold in the prophets, but being ignorant that they were fulfilled in the incarnate 27.7 presence of Christ, they were troubled. And these again, hearing the things foretold on account of his economy, but understanding them in a bare sense, are troubled and bring forward to their own destruction the things spoken for our edification, and they say: But he said, “I

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τελειότητι 26.4 τριάδα δοξάζοντες ὁμοῦ ἐν ἑνότητι καὶ ἑνότητα ἐν τριάδι. ταύτην γὰρ τὴν γνῶσιν ἦλθεν ὁ μονογενὴς υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμᾶς διδάξαι, ταύτην τὴν σύνεσιν ἡμῖν ἐκήρυξε τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα, ταύτην τὴν τελειότητα ἀπεκάλυψεν ἡμῖν ὁ πατήρ· ἐν ἀληθείᾳ ταύτην τὴν ζωὴν ἐχαρίσατο ἡμῖν σαρκωθεὶς ὁ Λόγος, ταύτην τὴν οἰκοδομὴν ᾠκοδόμησεν 26.5 ἡμῖν τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα. «εἴ τις γὰρ ἐποικοδομεῖ ἐπὶ τὸν θεμέλιον τοῦτον χρυσίον ἄργυρον λίθους τιμίους ξύλα χόρτον καλάμην» καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ἄλλος θεμέλιος· «θεμέλιον γὰρ ἄλλον οὐδεὶς δύναται θεῖναι παρὰ τὸν κείμενον, ὅς ἐστιν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός», ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, «οὗ ἐσμεν οἰκοδομή, καὶ οὗ ἐσμεν γεώργιον», «οἰκοδομηθέντες ἐπὶ τὸν θεμέλιον προφητῶν τε καὶ ἀποστόλων», τοῦ εἰδέναι τὴν ἡμῶν οἰκοδομὴν στερεὰν οὖσαν ἐν ἀληθείᾳ καὶ τὸν ἡμῶν 26.6 θεμέλιον ἀεὶ ὄντα καὶ μὴ ἀρξάμενον τοῦ εἶναι. ἀλλ' «οὐκ ἐν πᾶσιν ἡ γνῶσις» κατὰ τὸν ἀποστολικὸν λόγον, ἀλλ' ἐν τοῖς καταξιω26.7 θεῖσι πνεύματι ἁγίῳ τὰ τῆς ἀληθείας εἰδέναι μυστήρια. αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ ἀποκαλύψας ἑαυτὸν καὶ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ πατέρα καὶ τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα ἐπιμεμφόμενός τινας τῶν ἐν ἀγνωσίᾳ ἔλεγεν «οὐκ οἴδατε τὰς γραφὰς οὐδὲ τὴν δύναμιν αὐτῶν» καὶ πάλιν ἀλλαχόθι «ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω» καὶ πάλιν «εἰ ᾔδεις τίς ἐστιν ὁ ζητῶν παρὰ σοῦ πιεῖν, σὺ ἂν ᾔτησας» τῇ Σαμαρείτιδι ἔλεγε, καὶ πάλιν «οὐκ 26.8 οἴδατε οἵου πνεύματός ἐστε». ἄρα οὖν «ἡ γνῶσις οὐκ ἐν πᾶσι»· «χαρίσματα γὰρ ἔχει ἕκαστος ἐκ θεοῦ διάφορα». καί φησιν ὁ ἅγιος λόγος «ᾧ δίδοται περισσότερον, περισσότερον ἀπαιτήσουσιν αὐτόν», ὡς τινῶν μὲν λαμβανόντων βραχύ, τινῶν δὲ οὐδ' ὅλως, ἄλλων δὲ περισσοτέρως εἰληφότων. 27.1 Καὶ ὅτι μὲν ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχει ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν ἐν ταῖς θείαις 27.1 γραφαῖς εἰρημένων ἔστιν εὑρεῖν. τῆς γὰρ θείας γραφῆς πνευματικῶς διαλεγομένης τὰ πλεῖστα, μάλιστα περὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας ζωῆς, γνώσεως δέ φημι τοῦ κυρίου, ὅσα γὰρ ἐστὶ βαθύτερα καὶ περισσοτέρως τὴν ἡμετέραν ψυχὴν ἀπασφαλιζόμενα ῥήματα, ταῦτα εἰς 27.2 πρόσκομμα τοῖς τὴν γνῶσιν θεοῦ μὴ κατειληφόσι συμβέβηκεν, ὥς φησιν Ὠσηὲ ὁ προφήτης «τίς συνετὸς καὶ συνήσει ταῦτα;» καί «ᾧ λόγος γνώσεως κυρίου δίδοται, καὶ γνώσεται αὐτά· ὅτι εὐθεῖαι αἱ 27.3 ὁδοὶ κυρίου, ἀσεβεῖς δὲ προσκόψουσιν ἐν αὐταῖς». εὐθεῖαι μὲν γάρ εἰσιν, ἀλλ' οἱ ἀσεβεῖς προσκόπτουσι ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς κυρίου, ἀναιτίων τούτων οὐσῶν ἀνθρώποις προσκόμματος. οἱ γοῦν προσκόπτοντες τῷ λίθῳ τοῦ προσκόμματος ἀδιαφόρως προσκόπτουσι· «προσέκοψαν 27.4 γὰρ τῷ λίθῳ τοῦ προσκόμματος» καὶ ἐσκανδαλίσθησαν. εὐθὺς μὲν γὰρ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ὁρῶντες τὸν μονογενῆ υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν σαρκὶ ἐληλυθότα θεοσημείας ἐργαζόμενον καὶ μὴ κατηξιωμένοι τῆς γνώσεως τῆς ἐπουρανίου ἔλεγον «τίς ἐστιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος, ὃς λαλεῖ βλασφημίας;» καὶ ἄλλοτε «εἰ ἦν ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος ἐκ θεοῦ, οὐκ ἂν ἔλυε τὸ σάββατον». ἄρα οὖν τὴν θεότητα ἠγνόουν, ἄνθρωπον δὲ ψιλὸν 27.5 μόνον αὐτὸν ἐνόμιζον. οἱ δὲ καὶ θεὸν αὐτὸν ἐγνωκότες, ἀγνοήσαντες δὲ τὴν τελείαν αὐτοῦ δόξαν, ἀκούσαντες τὰ ἐν βάθει περὶ αὐτοῦ εἰρημένα ῥήματα καὶ κατὰ τὴν εἰς ἡμῶν πραγματευθεῖσαν σωτηρίαν σαρκὸς οἰκονομίαν, σφαλλόμενοι εἰς τὴν αὐτοῦ θεότητα κακοδο27.6 ξοῦσιν. ἔσφαλλε γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἡ διάνοια. ὡς γὰρ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ἐσφάλησαν ἀκούσαντες, οὕτω καὶ αὐτοὶ ἀκούοντες ἐσφάλλοντο. ἐκεῖνοι γὰρ ἑώρων τὰ ἐν προφήταις προειρημένα, εἰς δὲ τὴν ἔνσαρκον Χριστοῦ 27.7 παρουσίαν πληρωθέντα ἀγνοοῦντες ἐταράχθησαν. καὶ οὗτοι πάλιν διὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ οἰκονομίαν τὰ προειρημένα ἀκούοντες, ψιλῶς δὲ αὐτὰ νοοῦντες ταράσσονται καὶ προβάλλονται εἰς τὴν ἑαυτῶν καταστροφὴν τὰ εἰς τὴν ἡμῶν οἰκοδομὴν εἰρημένα καὶ φασίν· ἀλλ' εἶπεν «ἐγὼ