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you may make them known to all. Hear now, he says, and understand them. The field is this world; and the master of the field is the one who created all things and perfected them and gave them power. And the son is the Holy Spirit; and the servant is the Son of God; and the vines are this people, whom he himself planted; and the stakes are the holy angels of the Lord who hold his people together; and the weeds that have been pulled out from the vineyard are the iniquities of the servants of God; and the foods, which he sent to him from the supper, are the commandments, which he gave to his people through his son; and the friends and counselors are the holy angels who were created first; and the departure of the master is the time remaining until his coming. I say to him: Lord, all things are great and wonderful and glorious. Could I then, I say, Lord, have understood these things? Nor can another person, even if one were exceedingly intelligent, understand them. Furthermore, I say, Lord, explain to me what I am about to ask you. Speak, he says, if you wish anything. Why, I say, Lord, is the Son of God set in the role of a servant in the parable? Listen, he says; the Son of God is not set in the role of a servant, but is set in great authority and lordship. How, I say, Lord, I do not understand. Because, he says, God planted the vineyard, that is, he created the people and handed them over to his Son; and the Son appointed the angels over them to preserve each one; and he himself cleansed their sins, having toiled much and endured many labors; for no vineyard can be dug without toil or labor. He himself, therefore, having cleansed the sins of the people, showed them the paths of life, giving them the law, which he received from his Father. You see then, he says, that he is Lord of the people, having received all authority from his Father. And that the Lord took his Son and the glorious angels as counselors concerning the inheritance of the servant, listen: The pre-existent Holy Spirit, which created all creation, God made to dwell in flesh which he willed. This flesh, therefore, in which the Holy Spirit dwelt, served the spirit well, walking in reverence and purity, having in no way defiled the spirit. Since it had, therefore, lived well and purely and had labored with the spirit and cooperated in every matter, having conducted itself strongly and bravely, he chose it as a partner with the Holy Spirit; for the conduct of this flesh was pleasing, because it was not defiled upon the earth while having the Holy Spirit. He therefore took the Son and the glorious angels as counselors, so that this flesh also, having served the [spirit] blamelessly, might have some place of dwelling, and might not seem to have lost the reward of its service; for all flesh that is found undefiled and unspotted, in which the Holy Spirit has dwelt, will receive a reward. You have also the explanation of this parable. I rejoiced, I say, Lord, having heard this explanation. Hear now, he says; keep this flesh of yours pure and undefiled, so that the spirit that dwells in it may bear witness to it and your flesh may be justified. See that it never comes into your heart that this flesh of yours is corruptible and you misuse it in any defilement. If you defile your flesh, you will also defile the Holy Spirit; and if you defile your flesh, you will not live. But if, I say, Lord, some former ignorance has occurred, before these words were heard, how will the person who has defiled his own flesh be saved? Concerning former ignorances, he says, it is possible for God alone to give healing; for all authority is his. but

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γνωστὰ πᾶσι ποιήσῃς αὐτά. ἄκουε νῦν, φησί, καὶ σύνιε αὐτά. ὁ ἀγρὸς ὁ κόσμος οὗτός ἐστιν· ὁ δὲ κύριος τοῦ ἀγροῦ ὁ κτίσας τὰ πάντα καὶ ἀπαρτίσας αὐτὰ καὶ δυναμώσας. ὁ δὲ υἱὸς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιόν ἐστιν· ὁ δὲ δοῦλος ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν· αἱ δὲ ἄμπελοι ὁ λαὸς οὗτός ἐστιν, ὃν αὐτὸς ἐφύτευσεν· οἱ δὲ χάρακες οἱ ἅγιοι ἄγγελοί εἰσι τοῦ κυρίου οἱ συγκρατοῦντες τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ· αἱ δὲ βοτάναι αἱ ἐκτετιλμέναι ἐκ τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος ἀνομίαι εἰσὶ τῶν δούλων τοῦ θεοῦ· τὰ δὲ ἐδέσματα, ἃ ἔπεμψεν αὐτῷ ἐκ τοῦ δείπνου, αἱ ἐντολαί εἰσιν, ἃς ἔδωκε τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ διὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ· οἱ δὲ φίλοι καὶ σύμβουλοι οἱ ἅγιοι ἄγγελοι οἱ πρῶτοι κτισθέντες· ἡ δὲ ἀποδημία τοῦ δεσπότου ὁ χρόνος ὁ περισσεύων εἰς τὴν παρουσίαν αὐτοῦ. λέγω αὐτῷ· Κύριε, με γάλως καὶ θαυμαστῶς πάντα ἐστὶν καὶ ἐνδόξως ἔχει. μὴ οὖν, φημί, κύριε, ἐγὼ ταῦτα ἠδυνάμην νοῆσαι; οὐδὲ ἕτερος ἄνθρωπος κἂν λίαν συνετὸς ἦν τις, οὐ δύναται νοῆσαι αὐτά. ἔτι, φημί, κύριε, δήλωσόν μοι, ὃ μέλλω σε ἐπερωτᾶν. Λέγε, φησίν, εἴ τι βούλει. ∆ιατί, φημί, κύριε, ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ εἰς δούλου τρόπον κεῖται ἐν τῇ παραβολῇ; Ἄκουε, φησίν· εἰς δούλου τρόπον οὐ κεῖται ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀλλ' εἰς ἐξουσίαν μεγάλην κεῖται καὶ κυριότητα. Πῶς, φημί, κύριε, οὐ νοῶ. Ὅτι, φησίν, ὁ θεὸς τὸν ἀμπελῶνα ἐφύτευσε, τοῦτ' ἔστι τὸν λαὸν ἔκτισε καὶ παρέ δωκε τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ· καὶ ὁ υἱὸς κατέστησε τοὺς ἀγγέλους ἐπ' αὐτοὺς τοῦ συντηρεῖν ἑκάστους· καὶ αὐτὸς τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν ἐκαθάρισε πολλὰ κοπιάσας καὶ πολλοὺς κόπους ἀνηντληκώς· οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἀμπελὼν δύναται σκαφῆναι ἄτερ κόπου ἢ μόχθου. αὐτὸς οὖν καθαρίσας τὰς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ λαοῦ ἔδειξεν αὐτοῖς τὰς τρίβους τῆς ζωῆς, δοὺς αὐτοῖς τὸν νόμον, ὃν ἔλαβεν παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ. βλέπεις οὖν, φησίν, ὅτι αὐτὸς κύριός ἐστι τοῦ λαοῦ, ἐξουσίαν πᾶσαν λαβὼν παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ. ὅτι δὲ ὁ κύριος σύμ βουλον ἔλαβε τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἐνδόξους ἀγγέλους περὶ τῆς κληρονομίας τοῦ δούλου, ἄκουε· τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τὸ προόν, τὸ κτίσαν πᾶσαν τὴν κτίσιν, κατóκισεν ὁ θεὸς εἰς σάρκα ἣν ἠβούλετο. αὕτη οὖν ἡ σάρξ, ἐν ᾗ κατóκησε τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ἐδούλευσε τῷ πνεύματι καλῶς ἐν σεμνότητι καὶ ἁγνείᾳ πορευθεῖσα, μηδὲν ὅλως μιάνασα τὸ πνεῦμα. πολιτευσαμένην οὖν αὐτὴν καλῶς καὶ ἁγνῶς καὶ συνκοπιάσασαν τῷ πνεύματι καὶ συνεργήσασαν ἐν παντὶ πράγματι, ἰσχυρῶς καὶ ἀνδρείως ἀναστραφεῖσαν, μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου εἵλατο κοινωνόν· ἤρεσε γὰρ ἡ πορεία τῆς σαρκὸς ταύτης, ὅτι οὐκ ἐμιάνθη ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἔχουσα τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. σύμβουλον οὖν ἔλαβε τὸν υἱὸν καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους τοὺς ἐνδόξους, ἵνα καὶ ἡ σὰρξ αὕτη, δουλεύσασα τῷ [πνεύμα]τι ἀμέμπτως, σχῇ τόπον τινὰ κατασκηνώσεως, καὶ μὴ δόξῃ τὸν μισθὸν τῆς δουλείας αὐτῆς ἀπολωλεκέναι· πᾶσα γὰρ σὰρξ ἀπολήμψεται μισθὸν ἡ εὑρεθεῖσα ἀμίαντος καὶ ἄσπιλος, ἐν ᾗ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον κατó κησεν. ἔχεις καὶ ταύτης τῆς παραβολῆς τὴν ἐπίλυσιν. Hὐφράνθην, φημί, κύριε, ταύτην τὴν ἐπίλυσιν ἀκούσας. Ἄκουε νῦν, φησί· τὴν σάρκα σου ταύτην φύλασσε καθαρὰν καὶ ἀμίαντον, ἵνα τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ κατοικῆσαν ἐν αὐτῇ μαρτυρήσῃ αὐτῇ καὶ δικαιωθῇ σου ἡ σάρξ. βλέπε, μήποτέ σου ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν ἀναβῇ τὴν σάρκα σου ταύτην φθαρτὴν εἶναι καὶ παρα χρήσῃ αὐτῇ ἐν μιασμῷ τινι. ἐὰν μιάνῃς τὴν σάρκα σου, μιανεῖς καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον· κἂν μιάνῃς τὴν σάρκα σου, οὐ ζήσῃ. Eἰ δέ τις, φημί, κύριε, γέγονεν ἄγνοια προτέρα, πρὶν ἀκουσθῆναι τὰ ·»ματα ταῦτα, πῶς σωθήσεται ὁ ἄνθρω πος ὁ μιάνας τὴν σάρκα ἑαυτοῦ; Περὶ τῶν προτέρων, φησίν, ἀγνοημάτων τῷ θεῷ μόνῳ δυνατὸν ἴασιν δοῦναι· αὐτοῦ γὰρ πᾶσά ἐστιν ἡ ἐξουσία. ἀλλὰ