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some of which are true, and some false, rightly our teacher said: ‘Become approved money-changers,’ as some of the words in the scriptures are approved, and some counterfeit. And to those who are led astray by the false scriptures he appropriately revealed the cause of their error, saying: ‘For this reason you err, not knowing the true things of the scriptures; on which account you are ignorant also of the power of God.’ And I said: Very well. And Peter answered: Therefore, with good reason, I believe nothing against God, nor against the righteous men recorded in the law, presuming it is to think impiously; for as I am persuaded, neither was Adam a transgressor, he who was formed by the hands of God, nor was Noah a drunkard, he who was found righteous above all the world, nor did Abraham live with three wives at once, he who was deemed worthy of many children on account of his moderation, nor did Jacob have relations with four, of whom two were even sisters, he who was the father of twelve tribes and signified the coming of our teacher; Moses was not a murderer and did not learn to judge from the priest of an idol, he who prophesied the law of God to every age and for his right judgment was attested a ‘faithful steward’. But the explanation of these things, along with similar ones, I will provide to you at the proper time. For the rest, as you see, since evening has come, let the things spoken today be sufficient. But at another time, if you wish, ask us confidently about what you want, and we, rejoicing, will unhesitatingly explain. And having said these things, he rose up. And so, having partaken of food, we turned to sleep. For night had fallen.
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ἃ μέν ἐστιν ἀληθῆ, ἃ δὲ ψευδῆ, εὐλόγως ὁ διδάσκαλος ἡμῶν ἔλεγεν· «Γίνεσθε τραπεζῖται δόκιμοι», ὡς τῶν ἐν ταῖς γραφαῖς τινων μὲν δοκί- μων ὄντων λόγων, τινῶν δὲ κιβδήλων. καὶ τοῖς ἀπὸ τῶν ψευδῶν γραφῶν πλανωμένοις οἰκείως τῆς πλάνης ἐξέφανε τὴν αἰτίαν λέγων· «∆ιὰ τοῦτο πλανᾶσθε, μὴ εἰδότες τὰ ἀληθῆ τῶν γραφῶν· οὗ εἵνεκεν ἀγνοεῖτε καὶ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ θεοῦ». κἀγὼ ἔφην· Πάνυ καλῶς. καὶ ὁ Πέτρος ἀπεκρίνατο· Oὐκοῦν εὐλόγως οὔτε κατὰ τοῦ θεοῦ πιστεύω οὔτε κατὰ τῶν ἐν τῷ νόμῳ ἀναγραφέντων δικαίων, ἀσεβῶς φρονεῖν προλαμ- βάνων· ὡς γὰρ πέπεισμαι, οὔτε Ἀδὰμ παραβάτης ἦν, ὁ ὑπὸ τῶν τοῦ θεοῦ χειρῶν κυοφορηθείς, οὔτε Νῶε μέθυσος ἦν, ὁ ὑπὲρ πάντα τὸν κόσμον δίκαιος εὑρεθείς, οὔτε δὲ Ἀβραὰμ τρισὶν ἅμα συνῄει γυναιξίν, ὁ διὰ σωφροσύνην πολυτεκνίας καταξιωθείς, οὔτε Ἰακὼβ τετράσιν ἐκοι- νώνει, ὧν δύο καὶ ἀδελφαὶ ἐτύγχανον, ὃς δεκαδύο φυλῶν ὑπάρξας πατὴρ καὶ τὴν τοῦ διδασκάλου ἡμῶν παρουσίαν ἐσήμανεν ἐλθεῖν· οὐ Μωυσῆς φονεὺς ἦν καὶ παρὰ ἱερέως εἰδώλου κρίνειν ἐμάνθανεν, ὁ παντὶ τῷ αἰῶνι τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ νόμον προφητεύσας καὶ δι' ὀρθὴν φρόνησιν «πιστὸς οἰκονόμος» μαρτυρηθείς. πλὴν καὶ τούτων σοι τὴν ἐπίλυσιν μετὰ τῶν ὁμοίων ἐπὶ καιροῦ παρέξω. τοῦ δὲ λοιποῦ, ὡς ὁρᾷς, ἐπειδὴ ἑσπέρα κατεί- ληφεν, τὰ σήμερον ·ηθέντα αὐτάρκως ἐχέτω. ἄλλοτε δὲ εἰ βούλει, περὶ ὧν θέλεις, θαρρῶν ἡμῖν πυνθάνου, καὶ ἡμεῖς χαίροντες ἀόκνως ἐπιλύσομεν. καὶ ταῦτα εἰπὼν ἐγήγερται. καὶ οὕτως τροφῆς μεταλαβόντες εἰς ὕπνον ἐτράπημεν. κατειλήφει γὰρ ἡ νύξ.