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to those who became the cause in sinning for being clothed in such garments? It is possible to understand that those receiving the command are divine angels, encamping around those who fear God in order to deliver them, so that they may no longer be downcast and sullen over present misfortune. 1.213 In addition to what has been said regarding the literal narrative, we must also consider the spiritual meaning. 1.214 Jesus the great high priest, whose type is borne by the figurative Jesus who lived in Babylon with the captives, was clothed in filthy garments, the sins of all men, though he himself did not sin nor was tempted by sin. In order that he might take off and cast away the fabric of sin which he put on for our sake, he ascends the cross, as the theologian Peter, the apostle of Christ, writes: “Who himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for his righteousness.” 1.215 Likewise Paul, “the chosen vessel,” also instructs, writing thus: “Having disarmed the principalities and powers, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them on the tree, having wiped out the handwriting that was against us, tearing it and taking it out of the way,” so that, having triumphed in boldness, he might divest himself of the principalities and powers with which he was previously surrounded. For how does one who enacts the worse and evil thoughts they suggest not put them on? 1.216 But the contemplation must be constructed from the opposite. 1.217 He who does and thinks what the Savior teaches puts on Christ himself, according to: “Put on the Lord Jesus,”and that: “As many of you as have put on Christ.” He who does and thinks the things of the wicked principalities and powers, against which those who contend for salvation have their struggle, puts them on, receiving their qualities. These our Lord and Savior stripped off, having taken up our sins; for it is said of him: “This one bears our sins and is in pain for us,” and after other things in the prophecy of Isaiah it is said: “And he will bear the sins of many.” 1.218 Therefore, even if Jesus is seen clothed in filthy garments, these are not his own, since he did not weave them, nor make them. For on behalf of those who made and previously wore them, by the grace of the good God he put them on, “that by tasting death for everyone” he might put outside of death those for whom he tasted it, only touching and drawing near to it. Therefore, at once, even having put on the filthy clothes, he stands before the face of the angel, in no way separated from him. 1.219 And what does the angel say to those standing before the face of Jesus? “Take the filthy garments off him”; for they are not his, but yours; for since he wears filthy clothing because you do forbidden things, repent of the sinful things you were doing, and put him outside the filth of sins. 1.220 And it must be said in another way: “Jesus, having known no sin, was made sin for us by God,” taking up the cross, “that we might become the righteousness of God in him.” When this happened, the state of having become sin is taken from him, so that he no longer has the filthy garments of others. 1.221 Likewise he wears filthy clothing, when for all of us he becomes a curse that we might receive a blessing, which he takes off when we receive the blessing, for which to exist he accepted a curse, despising the shame so that we might live according to God. 1.222 The filthy garments having been taken away, being the great and true high priest he puts on the priestly tunic called the podērēs, and puts on a clean turban, and is clothed by us with a garment, the human body. For having become the cause of his using such a garment, we clothe him. 1.223 Yet even if he has been clothed with the said garment, saying to God, “But a body you have prepared for me,” still he remains again a great priest wearing the priestly tunic, that podērēs, in relation to which the perceptible

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τοῖς αἰτίοις γεγενημένοις ἐν τῷ ἁμαρτάνειν τοῦ τοιαῦτα ἄμφια ἐνδεδῦσθαι; ∆υνατὸν ἐκλαβεῖν ἀγγέλους θείους εἶναι τοὺς τὴν πρόσταξιν λαμβάνοντας, παρεμβάλλοντας κύκλῳ τῶν φοβουμένων τὸν Θεὸν ἐπὶ τῷ ῥύσασθαι αὐτούς, ὥστε μηκέτι κατηφεῖν καὶ σκυθρωπάζειν ἐπὶ παρούσῃ δυσπραγίᾳ. 1.213 Πρὸς τοῖς εἰρημένοις πρὸς τὴν ῥητὴν διήγησιν, καὶ τὰ πρὸς διάνοιαν θεωρητέον. 1.214 Ἰησοῦς ὁ μέγας ἀρχιερεύς, οὗ τύπον φέρει ὁ εἰκονικὸς Ἰησοῦς ὁ ἐν τῇ Βαβυλῶνι μετὰ τῶν αἰχμαλώτων διάγων, ἐνεδέδυτο ῥυπαρὰ ἱμάτια τὰς πάντων ἀνθρώπων ἁμαρτίας, οὐχ ἁμαρτὼν αὐτὸς μηδὲ πειραθεὶς ἁμαρτίας. Ἵν' ἐκδύσηται καὶ ἀποβάλῃ τὸ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐνεδύσατο ὕφασμα τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἐπὶ τὸν σταυρὸν ἀναβαίνει, ὡς τὸν θεολόγον Πέτρον, τὸν ἀπόστολον Χριστοῦ, γράφειν· «Ὃς τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμω῀̣ν ἀνήνεγκεν τῷ σώματι αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ ξύλον, ἵν' ἀπογενόμενοι ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ αὐτοῦ ζήσωμεν.» 1.215 Συνῳδὰ καὶ «τὸ τῆς ἐκλογῆς σκεῦος» Παῦλος ἐπιστέλλει οὕτω γράφων· «Ἀπεκδυσάμενος τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς ἐξουσίας ἐθριάμβευσεν παρρησίαν ἐν τῷ ξύλῳ, ἐξαλείψας τὸ καθ' ἡμῶν χειρόγραφον, ῥήξας αὐτὸ καὶ ἄρας ἐκ τοῦ μέσου», ἵν' ἐν παρρησίᾳ θριαμβεύσας ἀποδύσηται τ̣ὰς περιέκειτο πρότερον ἀρχὰς καὶ ἐξουσίας. Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἐνδιδύσκεται ταύτας ὁ ἐνεργῶν ἃ ὑποβάλλουσι χείρονα καὶ κακὰ φρονήματα; 1.216 Κατασκευαστέον δὲ ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου τὴν θεωρίαν. 1.217 Ὁ πράττων καὶ φρονῶν ἃ διδάσκει ὁ Σωτὴρ αὐτὸν ὄντα Χριστὸν ἐνδύεται κατὰ τὸ· «Ἐνδύσασθε τὸν Κύριον Ἰησοῦν»,καὶ τό· «Ὅσοι Χριστὸν ἐνεδύσασθε.» Ὁ πράττων καὶ διανοούμενος τὰ τῶν πονηρῶν ἀρχῶν καὶ ἐξουσιῶν, πρὸς ἃς ἔχουσι τὴν πάλην οἱ σωτηρίως ἀθλοῦντες, ἐνδιδύσκεται αὐτάς, τὰς κατ' αὐτὰς ποιότητας δεχόμενος. Ταύτας ὁ Κύριος καὶ Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν ἀπεξεδύσατο, ἀναλαβὼν τὰς ἡμετέρας ἁμαρτίας· εἴρηται γὰρ περὶ αὐτοῦ· «Οὗτος τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν φέρει καὶ περὶ ἡμῶν ὀδυνᾶται», καὶ μεθ' ἕτερα ἐν τῇ Ἠσαΐου προφητείᾳ λέγεται· «Καὶ ἁμαρτίας πολλῶν ἀνοίσει.» 1.218 Κἂν τοίνυν Ἰησοῦς ἐνδεδυκὼς θεωρῆται ἱμάτια ῥυπαρά, οὐκ αὐτοῦ ταῦτα τυγχάνει, οὐχ ὑφάνας, οὐ κατασκευούσας αὐτά. Ὑπὲρ γὰρ τῶν ποιησάντων καὶ προηγουμένως φορούντων αὐτά, χάριτι τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ Θεοῦ ἐνεδύσατο αὐτά, «ἵν' ὑπὲρ παντὸς γευσάμενος θανάτου» ἔξω ποιήσῃ θανάτου τοὺς ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐγεύσατο αὐτοῦ, μόνον θιγὼν καὶ πλησιάσας αὐτῷ. Αὐτίκα γοῦν καὶ ἐνδυσάμενος τὰ ῥυπῶντα ἐσθήματα, πρὸ προσώπου τοῦ ἀγγέλου ἕστηκεν, οὐδαμῶς χωριζόμενος αὐτοῦ. 1.219 Τί δὲ λέγει ὁ ἄγγελος τοῖς πρὸ προσώπου τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἑστηκόσιν; «Ἀφέλετε τὰ ἱμάτια τὰ ῥυπαρὰ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ»· οὐ γὰρ αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ' ὑμέτερά ἐστιν· ἐπεὶ γὰρ ὑμῶν πραττόντων τὰ ἀπαγορευόμενα ῥυπῶσαν αὐτὸς ἐσθῆτα περ̣ίκειται, μεταγνόντες ἐφ' οἷς ἁμαρτητικῶς ἐποιεῖτε, ἔξω ποιήσατε αὐτὸν τῶν ῥύπων τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν. 1.220 Ῥητέον δὲ καὶ ἑτέρως· «μὴ γνοὺς Ἰησοῦς ἁμαρτίαν, ἁμαρτία ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν γέγονεν ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ», σταυρὸν ἀναδεξάμενος, «ἵνα ἡμεῖς δικαιοσύνη Θεοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ γενώμεθα». Οὗ συμβάντος, αἵρεται ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τὸ ἁμαρτία γεγονέναι, ἵνα μηκέτι ἔχῃ τὰ ἄλλων ῥυπαρὰ ἱμάτια. 1.221 Ὡσαύτως ῥυπῶσαν ἐσθῆτα περίκειται, ὅταν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πάντων γένηται κατάρα ἵν' εὐλογίας τύχωμεν, ἥνπερ ἐκδιδύσκεται ὅταν ἀπολάβωμεν τὴν εὐλογίαν, ἣν ἵνα ὑπαρχθῇ κατάραν ἀνεδέξατο, αἰσχύνης καταφρονήσας ἵνα ζῶντες κατὰ Θεὸν γενώμεθα. 1.222 Ἀφαιρέσεως γεγενημένης τῶν ῥυπαρῶν ἐνδυμάτων, ἐνδύεται ἀρχιερεὺς ὢν μέγας καὶ ἀληθινὸς τὸν ἱερατικὸν χιτῶνα ποδήρη καλούμενον, καὶ κίδαριν περιτίθεται καθαράν, καὶ περιβάλλεται ὑφ' ἡμῶν ἱμάτιον τὸ ἀνθρώπου σῶμα. Αἴτιοι γὰρ γενάμενοι τοῦ χρήσασθαι αὐτὸν τοιούτῳ ἐνδύματι, ἡμεῖς αὐτὸν περιβάλλομεν. 1.223 Πλὴν εἰ καὶ περιβέβληται τὸ λεχθὲν ἱμάτιον τῷ Θεῷ λέγων· «Σῶμα δὲ κατηρτίσω μοι», ἀλλ' οὖν μένει πάλιν ἱερεὺς μέγας περικείμενος τὸν ἱερατικὸν χιτῶνα, τὸν ποδήρη ἐκεῖνον πρὸς ὃν τὸν αἰσθητὸν