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weavers, filled with the spirit of wisdom, constructed. For the entire tabernacle and its vessels and the adornment which the high priest wears were constructed according to the pattern shown on the mountain to the hierophant. 1.224 The pure mitre covers the head, that is, the mind, of the great priest; and perhaps the mitre is the chief point of the theology concerning Christ, having nothing material or defiling, while the robe reaching to the feet is the contemplation concerning his incarnation. 1.225Zach. III, 5-7: And the angel of the Lord stood by. And the angel of the Lord protested to Jesus, saying: Thus says the Lord Almighty: If you will walk in my ways and keep my ordinances, then you shall also judge my house. And if you will keep my court, I will also give you those who walk in the midst of these who stand by. 1.226 The standing angel of the Lord firmly and immovably protested to Jesus, saying: “Thus says the Lord Almighty: If you will walk in my ways, and keep my commandments.” The ways of the Lord happen to be the virtues which are perfected by the keeping of his commandments, about which the holy one says to God: “Make your ways known to me, O Lord, and teach me your paths.” He who walks them and wears them down by continually treading upon them will obtain divine rewards, receiving from the Lord to “judge his house and to keep his divine court.” 1.227 In these things, 'house' must be understood not as a place and a building, but as the assembly of those who complete it, as the Apostle indicates when he says: “But Christ as a son over his house, whose house we are.” And he writes to Timothy: “If I delay, that you may know how you ought to behave in the house of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.” 1.228 And this house is judged by Jesus, who placed in the Church “apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, for the equipping of the saints.” For not as it chanced, but with much discernment and distinction, one is placed in the rank of an apostle, another in the place of a prophet, and others to tend the flock of Christ and to elaborate the divine teaching for the saints who are prepared to learn. Similar to this is that which is in the Psalms, having it thus: “God stands in the assembly of gods, and in the midst he judges gods.” 1.229 The house of God, thus named, according to another understanding, happens to be the body of Christ, composed and equipped from many members; for its eyes happen to be those who have chosen the contemplative life, while its hands are the practical, working the works of virtue, the ears of this body being called the intelligent hearers, of whom each will say: “The instruction of the Lord opens my ears.” Suitably, the feet of Christ's body would be called “those not slothful in zeal.” 1.230 Consequently, in judging the house of the Lord, also to judge the divine body, so that one, as has been said before, may be an eye, and another an active hand of those working to do and to accomplish what is good. Harmoniously it will also be said concerning the other members. 1.231 Similarly to judging the house of God, he also keeps his divine court, concerning which the Holy Spirit cries out to those who hasten to dwell in it: “Worship the Lord in his holy court.” 1.232 And what is the prize for the one who judges the house of God and keeps his court is presented in this: “And I will give you those who walk in the midst of these who stand by.” And 'those who stand by' are shown to be those who are firmly established in holiness, having obtained a permanent stance in faith, to whom the Apostle, addressing them, writes: “For by faith you stand.” Signifying those thus “founded and rooted” perfectly “in love,” the Savior says in the Gospel: “There are some of those standing here.” 1.233 Among those thus standing, are given to Jesus by God those who walk according to a way of life

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κατεσκεύασαν πνεύματος σοφίας πεπληρωμένοι ὑφάνται. Πᾶσα γὰρ ἡ σκηνὴ καὶ τὰ σκεύη αὐτῆς καὶ ὁ κόσμος ὃν περίκειται ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς κατεσκευάσθησαν κατὰ τὸν τύπον τὸν δειχθέντα ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῷ ἱεροφάντῃ. 1.224 Σκέπει δὲ τὴν κεφαλήν, τοῦτ' ἔστιν τὸν νοῦν, τοῦ ἱερέως τοῦ μεγάλου ἡ καθαρὰ κίδαρις· καὶ τάχα τὸ κεφάλαιον τῆς περὶ Χριστοῦ θεολογίας ἡ κίδαρίς ἐστιν, οὐδὲν ὑλικὸν ἢ ῥυποῦν ἔχουσα, ὁ δὲ ποδήρης ἡ περὶ τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως αὐτοῦ θεωρία. 1.225Zach. III, 5-7: Καὶ ὁ ἄγγελος Κυρίου εἱστήκει. Καὶ διεμαρτύρατο ὁ ἄγγελος Κυρίου πρὸς Ἰησοῦν λέγων· Τάδε λέγει Κύριος παντοκράτωρ· Ἐὰν ταῖς ὁδοῖς μου πορεύῃ καὶ ἐν τοῖς προστάγμασίν μου φυλάσσῃ, καὶ σὺ διακρινεῖς τὸν οἶκόν μου. Καὶ ἐὰν διαφυλάξῃς τὴν αὐλήν μου, καὶ δώσω σοι ἀναστρεφομένους ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἑστηκότων τούτων. 1.226 Ἑστὼς ἄγγελος Κυρίου βεβαίως καὶ ἀμετακινήτως διεμαρτύρατο τῷ Ἰησοῦ λέγων· «Τάδε λέγει Κύριος παντοκράτωρ· Ἐὰν ταῖς ὁδοῖς μου πορεύῃ, καὶ τὰ προστάγματά μου φυλάσσῃς.» Ὁδοὶ δὲ Κυρίου αἱ ἀρεταὶ τυγχάνουσιν κατὰ τὴν φυλακὴν τῶν προσταγμάτων αὐτοῦ τελούμεναι, περὶ ὧν ὁ ἅγιός φησιν τῷ Θεῷ· «Τὰς ὁδούς σου, Κύριε, γνώρισόν μοι, καὶ τὰς τρίβους σου δίδαξόν με.» Αὐτὰς ὁ βαδίζων καὶ τρίβων τῷ συνεχῶς ἐπιβαίνειν, θείων ἀμοιβῶν τεύξεται, λαμβάνων ὑπὸ Κυρίου τὸ «διακρίνειν τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ καὶ διαφυλάσσειν τὴν θείαν αὐλὴν αὐτοῦ». 1.227 Οἶκον ἐν τούτοις ἐκλημπτέον οὐ τόπον καὶ οἰκοδόμημα, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἄθροισμα τῶν συμπληρούντων αὐτόν, καθὸ σημαίνων ὁ Ἀπόστολός φησιν· «Χριστὸς δὲ ὡς υἱὸς ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ, οὗ οἶκός ἐσμεν ἡμεῖς.» Καὶ πρὸς Τιμόθεον ἐπιστέλλει· «Ἂν βραδύνω, ἵν' εἰδῇς πῶς δεῖ σε ἐν οἴκῳ Θεοῦ ἀναστρέφεσθαι, ἥτις ἐστὶν Ἐκκλησία Θεοῦ ζῶντος, στῦλος καὶ ἑδραίωμα τῆς ἀληθείας.» 1.228 ∆ιακρίνεται δὲ οὗτος ὁ οἶκος ὑπὸ Ἰησοῦ, τιθέντος ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ «ἀποστόλους, προφήτας, ποιμένας, διδασκάλους, πρὸς τὸν καταρτισμὸν τῶν ἁγίων». Οὐ γὰρ ὡς ἔτυχεν, ἀλλὰ μετὰ πολλῆς διακρίσεως καὶ διαστολῆς, ὃ μέν τις τίθεται εἰς ἀποστόλου βαθμόν, ὃ δὲ εἰς προφήτου τόπον, ἕτεροι δὲ εἰς τὸ νέμειν τὴν Χριστοῦ ποίμνην καὶ ἄλλων τὴν θείαν παίδευσιν ἐκπονεῖν τοῖς πρὸς τὸ μανθάνειν ηὐτρεπισμένοις ἁγίοις τυγχάνουσιν. Τούτοις ὅμοιόν ἐστιν τὸ ἐν Ψαλμοῖς ὧδε ἔχον· «Ὁ Θεὸς ἔστη ἐν συναγωγῇ θεῶν, ἐν μέσῳ δὲ θεοὺς διακρίνει.» 1.229 Ὁ οὕτω χρηματίζων Θεοῦ οἶκος κατ' ἄλλην νόησιν σῶμα Χριστοῦ τυγχάνει ἐκ πολλῶν μελῶν συγκείμενον καὶ καταρτιζόμενον· ὀφθαλμοὶ γοῦν αὐτοῦ τυγχάνουσιν οἱ θεωρητικὸν βίον ἑλόμενοι, ὡς αὖ χεῖρες αὐτοῦ εἰσιν οἱ πρακτικοί, ἐργαζόμενοι τὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἔργα, ὤτων καλουμένων τούτου τοῦ σώματος τῶν συνετῶν ἀκροατῶν ὧν ἕκαστος ἐρεῖ· «Ἡ παιδεία Κυρίου ἀνοίγει μου τὰ ὦτα.» Καταλλήλως πόδες τοῦ Χριστοῦ σώματος λεχθεῖεν «οἱ τῇ σπουδῇ μὴ ὀκνηροί». 1.230 Ἑπομένως τῷ διακρίνειν τὸν οἶκον Κυρίου, καὶ τὸ θεῖον σῶμα διακρίνειν, ἵν' ὃ μέν τις ὡς προείρηται ὀφθαλμὸς ᾖ, ὃ δὲ χεὶρ δραστήριος ὧν καλὸν ἐνεργεῖν καὶ ἀποτελεῖν ἐργαζόμενον. Ἁρμονίως καὶ περὶ τῶν λοιπῶν μελῶν λεχθήσεται. 1.231 Παραπλησίως τῷ διακρίνειν τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τὴν θείαν αὐλὴν αὐτοῦ διαφυλάσσει, περὶ ἧς τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα βοᾷ τοῖς σπεύδουσιν ἐν αὐτῇ διατρίβειν· «Προσκυνήσατε τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐν αὐλῇ ἁγίᾳ αὐτοῦ.» 1.232 Τί δὲ τὸ ἆθλον τοῦ διακρίνοντος τὸν Θεοῦ οἶκον καὶ διαφυλάσσοντος τὴν αὐλὴν αὐτοῦ παρίσταται ἐν τῷ· «Καὶ δώσω σοι ἀναστρεφομένους ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἑστηκότων τούτων.» Ἑστηκότες δὲ δείκνυνται οἱ βεβαίως κατὰ ἁγιότητα ἱδρύμενοι, στάσιν μόνιμον κατὰ πίστιν ἀπειληφότες, οἷς προφωνῶν ὁ Ἀπόστολος γράφει· «Καὶ γὰρ τῇ πίστει ἑστήκατε.» Τοὺς οὕτω «τεθεμελιωμένους καὶ ῥεριζομένους» τελείως «ἐν ἀγάπῃ» σημαίνων ὁ Σωτὴρ ἐν Εὐαγγελίῳ φησίν· «Εἰσίν τινες τῶν ὧδε ἑστηκότων.» 1.233 Ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν οὕτως ἑστηκότων τῷ Ἰησοῦ ὑπὸ Θεοῦ δίδονται ἀναστρεφόμενοι κατὰ πολιτείαν