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teaching of the faithful word, so that he may be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to convict those who contradict. But it is necessary to be advanced in age, having experienced many things through time, and revealing the stability of character from his flourishing way of life. For the glory of an elder is gray hairs. But even if in age one finds a certain elderly wisdom, the gift must not be dishonored. For gray hair, he says, is wisdom among men. Since these have been taken from Jerusalem, the elders among the Jews are now falsely named. And through the removal of the captain of fifty, he declares that all the well-ordered administration concerning them will be thrown into confusion, speaking of the whole from the part, as much as Jethro advised Moses. And he represents all the civil good order. For while Christ was still with them, and calling them to eternal life, there were still among them high priests, and ruling Scribes and Pharisees. But having dared terrible things against him, they have been deprived of all good things, and of counselors introducing what is right. For such men are profitable for the things of life, but for the things of the soul, they are also very saving to those who obey. One lacking these is a rudderless boat given over to the great waves. But from when they made the wicked counsel of how they would hand over the wonderful Jesus, they were deprived of a counselor, whose counsels they marveled 1900 at. For they were astonished at his teaching, but they were not persuaded by his exhortations. And how is he not wonderful, instead of, "An eye for an eye," counseling to turn the other cheek to the one who strikes, not to be angry, not to go to law, not to desire evil, not to judge an enemy, but to conquer enmity with love? The one therefore counseling such things, because he was not received by them, the Lord took away, and previously the prophets introducing the things for salvation to the Jews. And a wise architect is everyone who knows how to build up the church, as Paul said, "As a wise architect, I have laid a foundation." According to which the Holy Spirit also builds the Church of God, saying, to be built together into a dwelling place of God in the spirit. And the [saying], through the supply of the Spirit to be built together and to grow into a holy temple in the Lord. Therefore, those who cast off the wonderful counselor, the Word of God, He made destitute of the wise architect, the Holy Spirit. But he also removes the discerning hearer, the one having discernment of Spirit, and understanding who is the one speaking in the Spirit of God, and who is the one [speaking] in Beelzebul. Wherefore Paul also says: "Become wise money-changers, test all things, hold fast to what is good, abstain from every form of evil." But if according to Solomon, A precious word to a hearing ear; where there is no word, there is no need of hearing. And with the wonderful counselor being taken away, the discerning hearer has also been taken away with him. For when there is no silver, a money-changer is idle; but it is also grievous when there is a word full of meanings, but the one who understands is not present, because he does not have ears of the soul, which Christ seeks for the hearing of his own words, saying, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." And from all these things it is established that these things reached their end after the saving advent; for neither in the times of Isaiah, nor at the capture by the Babylonians, did these things happen. For many prophets were with them before the siege. And during the time of Babylon at the return from there. And they also had rulers who judged the people. For in Babylon Daniel judges the elders. And after the return there was Joshua, the son of Jozadak, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel. And after them were the times of the Maccabees. And certainly captains of fifty as in a military order, and as is likely, wonderful counselors, and architects of wise words, according to Paul the architect of the Church. And discerning 1901 hearers who approved the words of the prophets, disapproving those of the false prophets by a discerning spirit, according to the one saying that to one prophecy has been given, and to another discernments of spirits. And having fallen from all these things after the plot against the Savior

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διδασκαλίαν πιστοῦ λόγου, ὡς δυνατὸς εἶναι καὶ παρακαλεῖν ἐν τῇ ὑγιαινούσῃ διδασκαλίᾳ, καὶ τοὺς ἀντιλέγοντας ἐλέγχειν. ∆εῖ δὲ προήκειν καθ' ἡλικίαν πολλῶν πεπειραμένον διὰ τὸν χρόνον, καὶ τὸ εὐσταθὲς τῶν ἠθῶν ἐκ τῆς ἐπανθούσης αὐτῷ πολιτείας ὑποφαίνοντα. ∆όξα γὰρ πρεσβυτέρου πολιαί. Κἂν ἐν ἡλικίᾳ δὲ ἓν φρόνημά τι εὕρῃ πρεσβυτικὸν, οὐκ ἀτιμαστέον τὸ δῶρον. Πολιὰ γὰρ, φησὶ, φρόνησις ἐν ἀνθρώποις. Ὧν ἀφῃρημένων τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ψευδώνυμοι νῦν οἱ παρ' Ἰουδαίοις πρεσβύτεροι. ∆ιὰ δὲ τῆς ἀφαιρέσεως τοῦ πεντηκοντάρχου, πᾶσαν τὴν εὔτακτον περὶ αὐτοὺς οἰκονομίαν δηλοῖ συγχυθήσεσθαι, ἀπὸ μέρους τὸ ὅλον εἰπὼν, ὅσον Ἰοθὸρ Μωϋσεῖ συνεβούλευσεν. Καὶ τὴν πᾶσαν δὲ πολιτικὴν εὐταξίαν παρίστησιν. Ἔτι γὰρ συνόντος αὐτοῖς τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ καλοῦντος ἐπὶ ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον, ἦσαν ἔτι παρ' αὐτοῖς ἀρχιερεῖς, καὶ ἡγούμενοι Γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι. Τὰ δεινὰ δὲ τολμήσαντες κατ' αὐτοῦ, τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἁπάντων ἐστέρηνται, καὶ συμβούλων τῶν εἰσηγουμένων τὰ δέοντα. Καὶ πρὸς τὰ βιωτικὰ μὲν γὰρ οἱ τοιοῦτοι λυσιτελεῖς, πρὸς δὲ τὰ ψυχικὰ, καὶ μάλα τοῖς πειθομένοις σωτήριοι. Ὧν τις ἀπορῶν, σκάφος ἐστὶν ἀκυβέρνητον ταῖς τρικυμίαις ἐκδεδομένον. Ἀφ' οὗ δὲ τὸ πονηρὸν συμβούλιον ἐποιήσαντο, τὸ πῶς παραδώσουσιν Ἰησοῦν τὸν θαυμαστὸν, ἀφηρέθησαν σύμβουλον, οὗ τὰς συμβουλὰς ἐθαύμα 1900 ζον. Ἐξεπλήττοντο γὰρ ἐπὶ τῇ διδαχῇ αὐτοῦ, ταῖς δὲ παραινέσεσιν αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐπείθοντο. Πῶς δὲ οὐ θαυμαστὸς, ἀντὶ τοῦ, Ὀφθαλμὸν ἀντ' ὀφθαλμοῦ, συμβουλεύων στρέφειν τῷ παίοντι καὶ τὴν ἄλλην σιαγόνα, μὴ ὀργίζεσθαι, μὴ δικάζεσθαι, μὴ ἐπιθυμεῖν κακῶς, μὴ κρίνειν ἐχθρὸν, νικᾷν δὲ ἀγάπῃ τὴν ἔχθραν; Τὸν οὖν τοιαῦτα συμβουλεύοντα, διὰ τὸ μὴ παραδεχθῆναι παρ' αὐτῶν, ἀφεῖλεν Κύριος καὶ πρότερον τοὺς προφήτας τὰ εἰς σωτηρίαν Ἰουδαίοις εἰσηγουμένης. Σοφὸς δὲ ἀρχιτέκτων, πᾶς οἰκοδομεῖν ἐκκλησίαν εἰδὼς, ὡς ὁ Παῦλος εἰπὼν, "Ὡς σοφὸς ἀρχιτέκτων θεμέλιον τέθεικα." Καθ' ὃν καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἀρχιτεκτονεῖ Ἐκκλησίαν Θεοῦ λέγοντα, συνοικοδομεῖσθαι εἰς κατοικητήριον Θεοῦ ἐν πνεύματι. Καὶ τὸ, διὰ τῆς ἐπιχορηγίας τοῦ πνεύματος συνοικοδομεῖσθαι καὶ αὔξειν εἰς ναὸν ἅγιον ἐν Κυρίῳ. Τοὺς οὖν ἀποβαλόντας τὸν θαυμαστὸν σύμβουλον τὸν Θεοῦ Λόγον, ἐρήμους ἐποίησε τοῦ σοφοῦ ἀρχιτέκτονος τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος. Ἀλλὰ καὶ συνετὸν ἀκροατὴν ἀφαιρεῖ τὸν ἔχοντα διάκρισιν Πνεύματος, καὶ συνιέντα, τίς μὲν ὁ ἐν Πνεύματι Θεοῦ λαλῶν, τίς δὲ ὁ ἐν Βεελζεβούλ. ∆ιὸ καὶ Παῦλός φησιν· "Γίνεσθε φρόνιμοι τραπεζῖται, πάντα δοκιμάζετε, τὸ καλὸν κατέχετε, ἀπὸ παντὸς εἴδους πονηροῦ ἀπέχεσθε." Εἰ δὲ κατὰ τὸν Σολομῶντα, Λόγος πολυτελὴς εἰς ἐπήκοον οὖς· ὅπου λόγος οὐκ ἔστιν, οὐδ' ἀκοῆς χρεία. Τοῦ δὲ θαυμαστοῦ συμβούλου παραιρεθέντος, καὶ ὁ συνετὸς ἀκροατὴς συναφῄρηται. Μὴ ὄντος γὰρ ἀργυρίου, τραπεζίτης ἀργεῖ· λυπηρὸν δὲ καὶ ὅταν λόγος μὲν ᾖ πλήρης νοημάτων, ὁ δὲ συνιεὶς μὴ παρῇ, τῷ μὴ ἔχειν ὦτα ψυχῆς, ἃ ζητεῖ Χριστὸς πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἰδίων λόγων ἀκρόασιν, λέγων, "Ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκούειν, ἀκουέτω." Καὶ ἐκ τούτων δὲ πάντων συνίσταται τὸ μετὰ τὴν σωτήριον παρουσίαν ταῦτα τέλους τετυχηκέναι· οὔτε γὰρ κατὰ τοὺς Ἡσαΐου χρόνους, οὔτε κατὰ τὴν ὑπὸ Βαβυλωνίων ἅλωσιν, ταῦτα γεγένηται. Πολλοί τε γὰρ συνῆσαν προφῆται πρὸ τῆς πολιορκίας αὐτοῖς. Ἐπὶ τῆς τε Βαβυλῶνος κατὰ τὴν ἐκεῖθεν ἐπάνοδον. Εἶχον δὲ καὶ διοικητὰς τοὺς κρίνοντας τὸν λαόν. Ἐν μὲν γὰρ Βαβυλῶνι ∆ανιὴλ κρίνει τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους. Μετά τε τὴν ἐπάνοδον ἦν Ἰησοῦς, ὁ τοῦ Ἰωσεδὲκ, καὶ Ζωροβάβελ ὁ τοῦ Σαλαθιήλ. Καὶ μετ' αὐτοὺς Μακαβαίους ἐγένοντο χρόνους. Καὶ πεντηκόνταρχοι δὲ πάντως ὡς ἐν τάξει πολεμικῇ, καὶ ὡς εἰκὸς σύμβουλοι θαυμαστοὶ, καὶ λόγων σοφῶν ἀρχιτέκτονες, κατὰ Παῦλον τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τὸν ἀρχιτέκτονα. Καὶ συνετοὶ 1901 δὲ ἀκροαταὶ οἳ τοὺς τῶν προφητῶν λόγους ἐνέκρινον, τοὺς τῶν ψευδοπροφητῶν ἀποδοκιμάζοντες πνεύματι κριτικῷ, κατὰ τὸν λέγοντα, ᾧ μὲν προφητείαν δεδόσθαι, ἄλλῳ δὲ διακρίσεις πνευμάτων. Πάντων δὲ τούτων ἐκπεσόντες μετὰ τὴν κατὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐπιβουλὴν