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389 {3Jο 11, 45-48}3From this it is clear that not all the Jews with Mary witnessed the resurrection of Lazarus, but some of them, who also believed in Christ. But the rest, having heard these things from those who had witnessed them, went down to the Pharisees, stirring them up against him as one who had dared to do an unholy thing; for they slandered him as one who had commanded to dig up the one who had been buried. Then it says that they gathered a council against him and reasoned, saying: If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come upon us as on suspicion of tyranny and will destroy our city. And these things, though they said them out of envy, yet came to pass even when they were not expecting it, when they crucified him. 390 {3Jο 11, 46}3They slandered him as one who had dared to do something unholy, as one who had commanded the buried man to return. After so many proofs, they spoke as if about a mere man, being ignorant that he himself was the Christ, the author of the signs. 391 {3Jο 11, 48}3If, it says, those who believe in him make him king, the Romans will come upon us as having set up a tyranny and will strip us of everything. They said this so that he might be killed, in order not to endure terrible things. And when they killed him, the grievous things came upon them. 392 {3Jο 11, 49}3When the priesthoods became purchasable, the priests no longer served for their whole life, nor by lineage, but to whom the Romans wished

they gave it, replacing them, whenever they wanted. 393 {3Jο 11, 49-51}3It was given to him to prophesy with speaking mouth only, but not with the grace of the Holy Spirit touching his heart, in honor of the priesthood, but not as to a prophet. For it profits no one to prophesy. It is fitting against those who do not believe correctly but foretell certain things, who, if they say on the “day” of judgment to the Lord: “Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?” will hear, “that” I do not know “you.” Therefore, one must not be deceived by this; for prophecy is not the fruit of good works, from which we apprehend the saints, but is entirely the work of the Spirit, even if it speaks through human instruments, that is, the tongues of men. 394 {3Jο 11, 52}3 394For the common salvation of all Christ endured death. 395 {3Jο 11, 52}3The evangelist calls the faithful the children of God, those from the gentiles who were "far off" and have become "near" "into one body," having one head, Christ. He proclaims beforehand what he does not know, glorifying Christ by necessity, just as Balaam did. 396 {3Jο 11, 54}3He withdraws for the condemnation of the Jews, not out of cowardice, but teaching us also not to cast ourselves into dangers in the heat of anger. He fled, awaiting the fitting time for his passion and sparing their salvation. 397 {3Jο 11, 55}3Those who had committed voluntary or involuntary offenses did not celebrate the Passover unless they were purified with the customary purification. 398 {3Jο 12, 1-2}3But Lazarus did not immediately die after appearing, but lived on, eating and drinking and doing his usual things, which the evangelist related as a matter of wonder. 399 {3Jο 12, 1-4}3Martha is seen as active virtue, and Mary as spiritual contemplation. Others take Martha to be the Old Testament, which prepares the table of the Lord through the testimony of the ancients for the doctrines established concerning Christ, and Mary to be the evangelical teaching, which, anointing the feet of the Lord with ointment, that is, his economy on earth, filled the whole earth with fragrance, which is the house of all humanity. Others understand Martha to be the synagogue of the Jews, wishing to serve God through carnal things, and Mary to be the church from the gentiles, offering spiritual sacrifices and fragrant faith to God and being anointed with the blessing from his flesh through mystical communion. 400 {3Jο 12, 3}3For in the manner of a fragrance the knowledge of Christ was about to fill the

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389 {3Jο 11, 45-48}3Ἐκ τούτου δῆλόν ἐστιν, ὅτι οὐ πάντες οἱ περὶ τὴν Μαρίαν Ἰουδαῖοι ἐθεάσαντο τὴν ἀνάστασιν Λαζάρου, ἀλλά τινες ἐξ αὐτῶν, οἳ καὶ ἐπίστευ σαν εἰς Χριστόν. οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ ἀκούσαντες ὑπὸ τῶν τεθεαμένων ταῦτα κατῆλθον πρὸς τοὺς Φαρισαίους διερεθίζοντες αὐτοὺς κατ' αὐτοῦ ὡς ἀνόσιον τετολ μηκότος· διέβαλλον γὰρ ὡς τὸν τεθαμμένον ἀνασκάψαι ἐπιτάξαντα. εἶτά φησιν, ὅτι συνήγαγον κατ' αὐτοῦ συνέδριον καὶ διελογίζοντο λέγοντες· ἐὰν ἀφῶ μεν αὐτὸν οὕτως, πάντες πιστεύσουσιν εἰς αὐτὸν καὶ ἐπέρχονται ἡμῖν οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι ὡς ἐπὶ ὑποψίᾳ τυραννίδος καὶ καθελοῦσιν ἡμῶν τὴν πόλιν. ταῦτα δέ, εἰ καὶ βασκαίνοντες ἔλεγον, ἀλλ' ἐξέβη καὶ μὴ προσδοκώντων αὐτῶν, ὅτε αὐτὸν ἐσταύρωσαν. 390 {3Jο 11, 46}3Ὡς ἀνόσιόν τι τετολμηκότα ποιῆσαι διέβαλλον ὡς τὸν τεθαμμένον ἀνα κάμψαι ἐπιτάξαντος. μετὰ τοσαύτας ἀποδείξεις ὡς περὶ ψιλοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἔλεγον ἀγνοοῦντες, ὅτι αὐτὸς ἦν ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ τῶν σημείων δημιουργός. 391 {3Jο 11, 48}3Ἐάν, φησίν, οἱ πιστεύοντες εἰς αὐτὸν ποιήσωσιν αὐτὸν βασιλέα, ἐπέρ χονται ἡμῖν ὡς τυραννήσασιν οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι καὶ γυμνοῦσιν ἡμᾶς πάντων. διὰ τὸ μὴ ὑπομεῖναι τὰ δεινὰ ἔλεγον, ἵνα ἀναιρεθῇ. καὶ ὅτε αὐτὸν ἐφόνευσαν, ἐξέβη τὰ λυπηρὰ κατ' αὐτῶν. 392 {3Jο 11, 49}3Ὅτε ἐγένοντο ὠνηταὶ αἱ ἱερωσύναι, οὐκέτι τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον ἑαυτῶν οἱ ἱερεῖς ἱεράτευον οὔτε κατὰ γένος, ἀλλ' οἷς ἐβούλοντο οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι

ἐδίδουν αὐτὴν διαδεχόμενοι αὐτούς, ὅτε ἤθελον. 393 {3Jο 11, 49-51}3Στόματι λαλοῦντι μόνον, οὐ μὴν τῆς τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος χάριτος ἁψαμένης αὐτοῦ τῆς καρδίας, πρὸς τιμὴν τῆς ἱερατείας ἐδόθη αὐτῷ τὸ προειπεῖν, οὐ μὴν ὡς προφήτῃ. οὐδὲν δὲ ὠφελεῖ τινα τὸ προφητεύειν. ἁρμόζει κατὰ τῶν μὴ ὀρθῶς πιστευόντων προλεγόντων δέ τινα, οἵτινες, ἐὰν εἴπωσιν ἐν «ἡμέρᾳ» κρίσεως τῷ κυρίῳ· «κύριε, οὐ τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι ἐπροφητεύσαμεν», ἀκούσονται, «ὅτι» οὐκ οἶδα «ὑμᾶς». οὐ δεῖ οὖν ἐκ τούτου πλανηθῆναι· ἡ γὰρ προφητεία οὐκ ἔστι καρπὸς ἔργων ἀγαθῶν, ἐξ ὧν τοὺς ἁγίους καταλαμβάνομεν, ἀλλὰ τὸ πᾶν τοῦ πνεύματος ἔργον, εἰ καὶ δι' ὀργάνων ἀνθρωπίνων, ὅ ἐστιν γλώττης ἀνθρώπων, λαλεῖ. 394 {3Jο 11, 52}3 394Ὑπὲρ τῆς κοινῆς ἁπάντων σωτηρίας ὁ Χριστὸς τὸν θάνατον ὑπέμεινεν. 395 {3Jο 11, 52}3Τέκνα θεοῦ τοὺς πιστοὺς καλεῖ ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς τοὺς ἐξ ἐθνῶν τοὺς «μακρὰν» ὄντας καὶ «ἐγγὺς» γεγονότας «εἰς ἓν σῶμα», μίαν κεφαλὴν ἔχοντας τὸν Χριστόν. προαναφωνεῖ ὃ οὐκ οἶδεν, δοξάζων τὸν Χριστὸν κατ' ἀνάγκην ὡς καὶ ὁ Βαλαάμ. 396 {3Jο 11, 54}3Εἰς κατάκριμα τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἀναχωρεῖ οὐ δειλιῶν καὶ ἡμᾶς διδάσκων ἐν ἀκμῇ τῆς ὀργῆς μὴ ἐπιρρίπτειν ἑαυτοὺς κινδύνοις. ἔφυγεν ἀναμένων τὸν ἐπιτήδειον τοῦ πάθους καιρὸν καὶ τῆς ἐκείνων φειδόμενος σωτηρίας. 397 {3Jο 11, 55}3Οἱ ἡμαρτηκότες ἑκούσια ἢ ἀκούσια πταίσματα οὐκ ἐποίουν τὸ πάσχα, εἰ μὴ ἡγνίσθησαν τὸν συνήθη ἁγνισμόν. 398 {3Jο 12, 1-2}3Ὁ δὲ Λάζαρος οὐ φανεὶς εὐθὺς ἀπέθανεν, ἀλλ' ἐπέζησεν ἐσθίων καὶ πίνων καὶ τὰ συνήθη πράττων, ὅπερ ὡς ἀποθαυμάζων ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς εἶπεν. 399 {3Jο 12, 1-4}3Ἡ Μάρθα θεωρεῖται εἰς τὴν πρακτικὴν ἀρετήν, ἡ δὲ Μαρία εἰς τὴν πνευματικὴν θεωρίαν. ἄλλοι τὴν Μάρθαν ἐκλαμβάνουσιν εἰς τὴν παλαιὰν δια θήκην, ἥτις τὴν τοῦ κυρίου τράπεζαν εὐτρεπίζει διὰ τῆς τῶν παλαιῶν μαρτυρίας τοῖς περὶ Χριστοῦ συνισταμένη δόγμασιν, τὴν δὲ Μαρίαν εἰς τὴν εὐαγγελικὴν παιδείαν, ἥτις μύρῳ τρίβουσα τοὺς πόδας τοῦ κυρίου, τοῦτ' ἔστι τὴν περὶ τὴν γῆν αὐτοῦ οἰκονομίαν, εὐωδίας ἐπλήρωσεν ὅλην τὴν γῆν, ἥτις ἐστὶν οἶκος πάσης τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος. ἄλλοι τὴν Μάρθαν νοοῦσι τὴν τῶν Ἰουδαίων συνα γωγὴν διὰ τῶν σαρκικῶν θεραπεύειν θέλουσαν τὸν θεόν, τὴν δὲ Μαρίαν τὴν ἐξ ἐθνῶν ἐκκλησίαν τὴν πνευματικὰς θυσίας καὶ εὐώδη πίστιν προσάγουσαν θεῷ καὶ ἀναματτομένην τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ εὐλογίαν διὰ τῆς μυστικῆς μεταλήψεως. 400 {3Jο 12, 3}3Ἐν τάξει γὰρ εὐωδίας ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ γνῶσις ἔμελλεν πληροῦν τὸν