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had. 626 {3Jο , }3He showed the signs of the passion, so that they might be fully convinced that it was the very one that had suffered, even though it had become spiritual and passed over into incorruption. For

this reason he showed them, so that he might calm all their disturbance. 627 {3Jο , -21}3Through this was fulfilled the word which the Lord spoke, "a little while and you will see me," and "your heart will rejoice." Through the word of peace he looses their cowardice. "He" himself, Christ, "is our peace." However, through this we also have been taught in the mystical assemblies to utter to one another the word of peace. 628 {3Jο , 21}3Since through the cross all things have become easy, I send you to do

the work which I did. 630 {3Jο , 22-23}3He has given them a spiritual gift to loose sins and to condemn. But others say that he made them fit for the reception of the Spirit, whom they were about to receive after the ascension. Wherefore he did not say, you received the Holy Spirit, but receive. However, it is possible to say that for the forgiveness of sins they received the gift, but after Pentecost that of raising the

dead and whatever is more perfect. 631 {3Jο , 22-23}3Through which, having breathed on them, he gave the Spirit, he showed that it is consubstantial with him and not alien and proceeding from the Father through him, which strengthened them to do the things pleasing to God and to know the power of the mystery according to God. And the inbreathing effected the renewal for humanity and the recovery of the "in his image" which Adam had before the transgression. And having said that he sends, he sent them forth before the time, so that it might be confirmed that this will be for all at the appointed time. 632 {3Jο , 24}3And although Thomas was absent, he obtained the grace of the Spirit through the inbreathing; for the Lord poured out the grace upon the whole company of the apostles. 633 {3Jο , 25}3Thomas, having been overly curious beyond measure because of thinking it impossible, is reproached. Wherefore he said not only if I do not see, but if I do not touch, lest what was seen be a phantom. Having heard, therefore, from the disciples that he had received a <wound> from a lance, he was persuaded, even though he had not seen, but he disbelieved in the resurrection as being beyond reason. He did not say this so much out of disbelief as out of grief, because he himself was not deemed worthy of the sight. But Thomas disbelieved providentially, so that through him we all might know that the crucified body was raised; for by seeking to see the things concerning the fleshly

wounds, he sought to know if the flesh itself had risen. 634 {3Jο , 26-27}3 For the astonishment of the signs draws those who see almost unwillingly to faith. 635 {3Jο , 27}3He shows himself having wounds and allows him to touch him; for through condescension he appeared thus to Thomas, even though the body was rid of all denseness and had become light, so that he might be persuaded that it was the very body that had been crucified. And from the fact that he uses Thomas's own words, he shows that he was present even when Thomas was saying these things. And if bodies are raised incorruptible and without blemish in the new resurrection, yet so that no reason for disbelief might remain, he showed himself just as Thomas had sought to see him. And not only Thomas, but also the angels, who were ignorant of the economy of the incarnation and saying, "Who is this that comes from Edom?" and again, "What are these wounds between your hands?" teaching them, he says, "those with which

I was struck in the house of my beloved."636 {3Jο 21, 1-6}3 The whole contemplation of this pericope is as follows. Those before the disciples, passing their time in the darkness of demonic error, caught nothing or very few, which is as good as nothing; nor did those who worshiped in types and shadows, where they, having despised the law, obeyed human precepts, but also the multitude of the gentiles was unnetted, not receiving the divine teachings. But when the "sun of righteousness" came, who hungers

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εἶχεν. 626 {3Jο , }3Ἔδειξε τοῦ πάθους τὰ γνωρίσματα, ἵνα πληροφορηθῶσιν, ὅτι αὐτὸ ἦν τὸ πεπονθός, εἰ καὶ πνευματικὸν ἦν γεγονὸς καὶ εἰς ἀφθαρσίαν μετεχώρησαν. διὰ

τοῦτο αὐτοῖς ἔδειξεν, ἵνα πᾶσαν αὐτῶν ταραχὴν κατακοιμίσῃ. 627 {3Jο , -21}3∆ιὰ τούτου ἐπληρώθη ὁ λόγος, ὃν εἶπεν ὁ κύριος «μικρὸν καὶ ὄψεσθέ με», «καὶ χαρήσεται ὑμῶν ἡ καρδία». διὰ τοῦ ῥήματος τῆς εἰρήνης λύει αὐτῶν τὴν δειλίαν. «αὐτὸς» μέν «ἐστι» ὁ Χριστὸς «ἡ εἰρήνη ἡμῶν». πλὴν διὰ τούτου καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐδιδάχθημεν ἐν ταῖς μυστικαῖς συνόδοις ἐπιφθέγγεσθαι ἑαυτοῖς τὸ τῆς εἰρήνης ῥῆμα. 628 {3Jο , 21}3Ἐπειδὴ διὰ τοῦ σταυροῦ πάντα εὔκολα γέγονεν, πέμπω ὑμᾶς ποιῆσαι

τὸ ἔργον, ὃ ἐποίησα. 630 {3Jο , 22-23}3Πνευματικὸν αὐτοῖς δέδωκε χάρισμα τοῦ λύειν ἁμαρτίας καὶ κατακρίνειν. ἄλλοι δὲ λέγουσιν, ὅτι ἐπιτηδείους αὐτοὺς ἐποίησε πρὸς ὑποδοχὴν τοῦ πνεύματος, οὗ ἤμελλον λαμβάνειν μετὰ τὴν ἀνάβασιν. δι' ὃ οὐκ εἶπεν, ἐλάβετε πνεῦμα ἅγιον, ἀλλὰ λάβετε. πλὴν δυνατὸν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι εἰς μὲν οὖν τὸ ἀφεῖναι ἁμαρτίας ἔλαβον τὸ χάρισμα, μετὰ δὲ τὴν πεντηκοστὴν τὸ ἐγεῖραι τοὺς

νεκροὺς καὶ ὅσα τελειότερα. 631 {3Jο , 22-23}3∆ι' ὧν ἐμφυσήσας ἔδωκε πνεῦμα, ἔδειξεν, ὅτι ὁμοούσιον αὐτοῦ ἐστι καὶ οὐκ ἀλλότριον καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ προϊὸν ἐκ τοῦ πατρός, ὅπερ αὐτοὺς ἐνεύρωσεν εἰς τὸ ποιῆσαι τὰ θεῷ ἀρεστὰ καὶ γνῶναι τοῦ κατὰ θεὸν μυστηρίου τὴν δύναμιν. τὸ δὲ ἐμφύσημα ἐποίησε τὸν ἀνακαινισμὸν τῇ ἀνθρωπότητι καὶ ἀναλαβεῖν τὸ «κατ' εἰκόνα» ὅπερ εἶχεν Ἀδὰμ πρὸ παραβάσεως. εἰπὼν δὲ πέμπειν, προέπεμψε πρὸ καιροῦ, ἵνα πιστώσηται, ὅτι ἔσται τοῦτο ἐπὶ πᾶσι τῷ ὁρισθέντι καιρῷ. 632 {3Jο , 24}3Καὶ ἀπὼν ὁ Θωμᾶς ἔτυχε τῆς τοῦ πνεύματος χάριτος διὰ τῆς ἐμφυσήσεως· ἐφ' ὅλον γὰρ τῶν ἀποστόλων τὸν χορὸν ὁ κύριος τὴν χάριν ἐξέχεεν. 633 {3Jο , 25}3Ὑπὲρ μέτρον ὁ Θωμᾶς πολυπραγμονήσας διὰ τὸ νομίζειν ἀδύνατον ἐγκαλεῖται. διὸ οὐκ εἶπεν μόνον ἐὰν μὴ ἴδω, ἀλλὰ ἐὰν μὴ ψηλαφήσω μή πως φάντασμα εἶναι τὸ ὁρώμενον. ἀκούσας μὲν οὖν ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν, ὅτι λόγχῃ <πληγὴν> ἔλαβεν, ἐπείσθη καὶ μὴ ἑωρακώς, τὸ δὲ τῆς ἀναστάσεως ὡς ὑπὲρ λόγον ἠπίστησεν. οὐ τοσοῦτον ὡς ἀπιστῶν εἶπεν, ὅσον λυπούμενος, ὅτι μὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ἠξιώθη τῆς θέας. οἰκονομικῶς δὲ ἠπίστησεν ὁ Θωμᾶς, ἵνα πάντες δι' αὐτοῦ γνῶμεν, ὅτι τὸ σταυρωθὲν ἀνέστη σῶμα· διὰ γὰρ τοῦ ζητεῖν ἰδεῖν τὰ περὶ τὴν σάρκα

τραύματα, αὐτὴν τὴν σάρκα, εἰ ἀνέστη, ἐζήτει. 634 {3Jο , 26-27}3 Ἡ γὰρ τῶν σημείων ἔκπληξις σχεδὸν καὶ ἄκοντας τοὺς ὁρῶντας ἕλκει πρὸς πίστιν. 635 {3Jο , 27}3∆είκνυσιν ἑαυτὸν τραύματα ἔχοντα καὶ συγχωρεῖ αὐτῷ ψηλαφῆσαι αὐτόν· διὰ γὰρ συγκατάβασιν οὕτως ὤφθη τῷ Θωμᾷ καίπερ πάσης παχύτητος τοῦ σώματος ἀπηλλαγμένου καὶ κούφου γεγονότος, ἵνα πεισθῇ, ὅτι αὐτὸ ἦν τὸ σταυρωθὲν σῶμα. ἐξ ὧν δὲ τοῖς τοῦ Θωμᾶ κέχρηται λόγοις, δείκνυσιν, ὅτι καὶ ὅτε ὁ Θωμᾶς ἐλάλει ταῦτα, παρῆν. εἰ δὲ καὶ ἄφθαρτα καὶ ἀνελλιπῆ τὰ σώματα ἐγείρεται ἐν τῇ καινῇ ἀναστάσει, ἀλλ' ἵνα μηδεὶς ἀπιστίας περιλείπηται λόγος, ὡς ἐζήτησεν ἰδεῖν ὁ Θωμᾶς, οὕτως ὑπέδειξεν· οὐ μόνον δὲ τὸν Θωμᾶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους ἀγνοοῦντας τῆς σαρκώσεως τὴν οἰκονομίαν καὶ λέγοντας· «τίς οὗτος ὁ παραγενόμενος ἐξ Ἐδὼμ» καὶ πάλιν· «τί αὗται αἱ πληγαὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν χειρῶν σου;» διδάσκων λέγει· «ἃς

ἐπλήγην ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τῷ ἀγαπητῷ μου».636 {3Jο 21, 1-6}3 Ἡ θεωρία ὅλη τῆς περικοπῆς ταύτης οὕτως ἔχει. οἱ πρὸ τῶν μαθητῶν ἐν σκότει διανύοντες τῆς δαιμονιώδους πλάνης οὐδὲν ἐπίασαν ἢ πάνυ ὀλίγους, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἀντὶ οὐδενός, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ οἱ τύποις καὶ σκιᾷ λατρεύοντες, ὅπου καὶ αὐτοὶ τοῦ νόμου καταφρονήσαντες ἐντάλμασιν ἐπείθοντο ἀνθρωπίνοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ τῶν ἐθνῶν πληθὺς ἀσαγήνευτος ἦν μὴ δεχομένη τὰ θεῖα μαθήματα. ὅτε δὲ ἦλθεν ὁ τῆς «δικαιοσύνης ἥλιος» ὁ πεινῶν