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enthroned with God. Do you wish to see the countless steps they have leaped over? First, it was necessary to learn that stones are not gods; second, that not only are they not gods, but they are also less than men; third, that they are less than irrational creatures; fourth, that they are less than plants; fifth, that they brought the extremes together to the same point, that not only stones, but neither earth, nor animals, nor plants, nor man, nor heaven; or again from above, that neither stones, nor animals, nor plants, nor elements, nor things above, nor things below, nor man, nor demons, nor angels, nor archangels, nor any other of those powers above ought to be worshipped by human nature. Just as if being drawn up from some abyss, it was necessary to learn that this One is the Lord of all, is God, that it is right to worship Him alone, that the admirable way of life is good, that the present death is not death, that life is not life, that the body rises again, that it becomes incorruptible, that it ascends into heaven, that it attains immortality, that it stands with angels, that it is translated. But this one who was down there, having leaped over all these things, He has seated above on the throne, making him who was beneath stones more lordly than angels and archangels and thrones and dominions. Truly he said well, What is the riches of the glory of this 62.333 mystery. As if someone should suddenly show a foolish man to be a philosopher; or rather, whatever one might say, one will say nothing; for Paul's words too are indefinite. What, he says, is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you. Again it was necessary to learn, that He who is above all, and Ruler of angels, and holds sway over all the other powers, came down below, and became man, and suffered countless things, and rose again and was taken up. 2. All these things were part of the mystery, and he puts it with praise, saying, Which is Christ in you. But if He is in you, why do you seek angels as teachers? Of this mystery. For there is also another mystery. But this is truly a mystery, which no one knew, which is wonderful, which is beyond common expectation, which was hidden. Which is Christ in you, he says, the hope of glory, whom we proclaim, bringing him from above; whom we, not angels, proclaim; teaching and admonishing, not imperiously nor with compulsion; for this too is part of God's love for man, not to bring them over by tyrannical force. Since “Teaching” was a great thing, he added, “Admonishing,” which was more of a father than a teacher. Whom we, he says, proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom; that is, with all wisdom and understanding, or saying all things in wisdom. So there is need of all wisdom; for to be able to learn such things is not for ordinary people. That we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. What do you say, Every man? Yes, he says, this is our endeavor. For what? Even if this does not happen, the blessed Paul was eager to make him perfect. Therefore this is perfection, but that is imperfect; so that if one does not have all wisdom, one is imperfect. Perfect in Christ Jesus. Not in the law nor in angels; for that is not perfect. In Christ, that is, in the knowledge of Christ. He who knows what Christ has done will think greater things than angels. In Christ Jesus; for which I also labor, striving. I do not simply endeavor, he says, nor in a casual way, but, I labor, striving, with much eagerness, that is, with much vigilance. If I am so vigilant for your good, much more ought you to be. Then again showing that it is divine, According to his working, he says, which works in me mightily. He shows that this is the work of God. He therefore who makes me strong for this, it is clear that He wills this; for this reason also he says at the beginning, By the will of God. So that he has set this down not only out of modesty, but also confirming the word, and striving. Having said this, he shows that many fight against him. Then the

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σύνθρονοι τοῦ Θεοῦ. Βούλει μυρίους ἰδεῖν ἀναβαθμοὺς, οὓς ὑπερεπήδησαν; Ἔδει μαθεῖν πρῶτον, ὅτι οἱ λίθοι οὐ θεοί· δεύτερον, ὅτι οὐ μόνον οὐ θεοὶ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀνθρώπων ἐλάττους· τρίτον, ὅτι καὶ ἀλόγων· τέταρτον, ὅτι καὶ φυτῶν· πέμπτον, ὅτι τὰ ἄκρα συνήγαγον εἰς ταυτὸν, ὅτι οὐ μόνον λίθοι, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ γῆ, οὐδὲ ζῶα, οὐδὲ φυτὰ, οὐδὲ ἄνθρωπος, οὐδὲ οὐρανός· ἢ ἄνωθεν πάλιν, ὅτι οὐ λίθοι, οὐ ζῶα, οὐ φυτὰ, οὐ στοιχεῖα, οὐ τὰ ἄνω, οὐ τὰ κάτω, οὐκ ἄνθρωπος, οὐ δαίμονες, οὐκ ἄγγελοι, οὐκ ἀρχάγγελοι, οὐχ ἑτέρα τις τῶν ἄνω δυνάμεων ἐκείνων ὑπὸ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως θεραπεύεσθαι ὀφείλει. Καθάπερ ἀπό τινος βυθοῦ ἀνιμωμένους ἔδει μαθεῖν, ὅτι ὁ πάντων ∆εσπότης οὗτος Θεός ἐστιν, ὅτι θεραπεύειν αὐτὸν μόνον χρὴ, ὅτι καλὸν ἡ θαυμαστὴ πολιτεία, ὅτι ὁ παρὼν θάνατος οὐ θάνατος, ὅτι ἡ ζωὴ οὐ ζωὴ, ὅτι τὸ σῶμα ἀνίσταται, ὅτι ἄφθαρτον γίνεται, ὅτι εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἄνεισιν, ὅτι ἀθανασίας ἐπιτυγχάνει, ὅτι μετὰ ἀγγέλων ἕστηκεν, ὅτι μεθίσταται. Ἀλλὰ τοῦτον τὸν ἐκεῖ κάτω, ταῦτα πάντα ὑπερπηδήσαντα, ἄνω ἐκάθισεν ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου, τῶν ἀγγέλων καὶ τῶν ἀρχαγγέλων καὶ τῶν θρόνων καὶ τῶν κυριοτήτων ποιήσας κυριώτερον τὸν ὑποκάτω λίθων ὄντα. Ὄντως καλῶς εἶπε, Τίς ὁ πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης τοῦ 62.333 μυστηρίου τούτου. Ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις μωρόν τινα φιλόσοφον ἐξαίφνης δείξειε· μᾶλλον δὲ ὅσα ἂν εἴποι τις, οὐδὲν ἐρεῖ· καὶ γὰρ καὶ τὰ τοῦ Παύλου ἀόριστά ἐστι. Τίς ὁ πλοῦτος, φησὶ, τῆς δόξης τοῦ μυστηρίου τούτου ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ὅς ἐστι Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν. Πάλιν ἔδει μαθεῖν, ὅτι ὁ πάντων ἀνώτερος, καὶ ἀγγέλων ἄρχων, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπασῶν δυνάμεων κρατῶν, κατέβη κάτω, καὶ ἄνθρωπος γέγονε, καὶ μυρία ἔπαθε, καὶ ἀνέστη καὶ ἀνελήφθη. βʹ. Ταῦτα πάντα μυστηρίου ἦν, καὶ μετ' ἐγκωμίου τίθησι λέγων, Ὅς ἐστι Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν. Εἰ δὲ ἐν ὑμῖν ἐστι, τί ἀγγέλους ζητεῖτε διδασκάλους; Τοῦ μυστηρίου τούτου. Ἔστι γὰρ καὶ ἄλλο μυστήριον. Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο ὄντως μυστήριον, ὃ οὐδεὶς οἶδεν, ὅ ἐστι θαυμαστὸν, ὃ παρὰ τὴν κοινὴν προσδοκίαν, ὃ ἐκρύπτετο. Ὅς ἐστι Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν, φησὶν, ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς δόξης, ὃν ἡμεῖς καταγγέλλομεν, ἄνωθεν αὐτὸν φέροντες· ὃν ἡμεῖς, οὐκ ἄγγελοι· διδάσκοντες καὶ νουθετοῦντες, οὐκ ἐπιτακτικῶς οὐδὲ μετὰ ἀνάγκης· καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίας, τὸ μὴ τυραννικῶς προσάγεσθαι. Ἐπειδὴ τὸ, ∆ιδάσκοντες, μέγα ἦν, ἐπήγαγε, Νουθετοῦντες, ὅπερ ἦν μᾶλλον πατρὸς, ἢ διδασκάλου. Ὃν ἡμεῖς, φησὶ, καταγγέλλομεν, νουθετοῦντες πάντα ἄνθρωπον, καὶ διδάσκοντες πάντα ἄνθρωπον ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ· τουτέστι, μετὰ πάσης σοφίας καὶ συνέσεως, ἢ πάντα ἐν σοφίᾳ λέγοντες. Ὥστε σοφίας δεῖ πάσης· τὸ γὰρ τὰ τοιαῦτα δυνηθῆναι μαθεῖν, οὐ τῶν τυχόντων ἐστίν. Ἵνα παραστήσωμεν πάντα ἄνθρωπον τέλειον ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. Τί λέγεις, Πάντα ἄνθρωπον; Ναὶ, φησὶ, τοῦτο σπουδάζομεν. Τί γάρ; εἰ καὶ μὴ γίνεται τοῦτο, ἔσπευδεν ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος τέλειον ποιῆσαι. Ἄρα τοῦτο τελειότης, ἐκεῖνο δὲ ἀτελές· ὥστε κἂν μὴ πᾶσάν τις ἔχῃ τὴν σοφίαν, ἀτελής ἐστι. Τέλειον ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. Οὐκ ἐν νόμῳ οὐδὲ ἐν ἀγγέλοις· ἐκεῖνο γὰρ οὐ τέλειον. Ἐν Χριστῷ, τουτέστιν, ἐν τῇ γνώσει τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ὁ εἰδὼς τί ἐποίησεν ὁ Χριστὸς, μεῖζον φρονήσει ἀγγέλων. Ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ· εἰς ὃ καὶ κοπιῶ ἀγωνιζόμενος. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς σπουδάζω, φησὶν, οὐδὲ ὡς ἔτυχεν, ἀλλὰ, Κοπιῶ ἀγωνιζόμενος, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς σπουδῆς, τουτέστι, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἀγρυπνίας. Εἰ ἐγὼ ὑπὲρ τῶν ὑμετέρων ἀγαθῶν οὕτως ἀγρυπνῶ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὑμεῖς ὀφείλετε. Εἶτα πάλιν δεικνὺς θεῖον ὂν, Κατὰ τὴν ἐνέργειαν αὐτοῦ, φησὶ, τὴν ἐνεργουμένην ἐν ἐμοὶ ἐν δυνάμει. ∆είκνυσιν ὅτι τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦτο ἔργον ἐστίν. Ὁ τοίνυν ἰσχυρόν με ποιῶν εἰς τοῦτο, δῆλον ὅτι τοῦτο βούλεται· διὸ καὶ ἀρχόμενός φησι, ∆ιὰ θελήματος Θεοῦ. Ὥστε οὐ μόνον μετριάζων αὐτὸ τέθεικεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπαληθεύων τῷ λόγῳ, καὶ ἀγωνιζόμενος. Τοῦτο εἰπὼν, δείκνυσιν ὅτι πολλοὶ μάχονται πρὸς αὐτόν. Εἶτα ἡ