the narrative and to try to be as precise as possible in detail. But if they should wish to learn excessively something beyond their own measure, to restrain them quietly and to persuade them well to choose to be occupied with more fitting things and to do in these matters those things through which they might become illustrious and have the most pre-eminent brightness from good works before God. Therefore, when they had chosen, I know not how, to ask and learn things beyond a servant's measure, he persuades them to be quiet, shaming them with necessary reasonings, because the Father has not revealed it even to angels, nor does he make it known to the Son himself, if indeed he were a mere man upon the earth like them and not having by nature the being of God. It was a custom for the Savior Christ to do such a thing especially for the holy disciples: if they inquired about anything that had the appearance of love of learning, but was free from higher investigation, to grant them the narrative and to try to be as precise as possible in detail. But if they should wish to learn excessively something beyond their own measure, to restrain them quietly and to persuade them well to choose to be occupied with more fitting things. Since, therefore, the disciples wished to learn things beyond them, he usefully pretends not to know as a man and says that not even the holy angels in heaven know, so that they might not be grieved as not being entrusted with what is moderate. And see how he persuades them to be quiet with fitting reasonings and shames them, because the Father has not revealed it even to angels nor was it made known to the Son himself. 274 Mt 24, 36 If even the end were manifest, what would they not have done? if the Son is the wisdom of the Father and if wisdom does not know what he himself knows, he is found again to be ignorant himself, or that his nature is better than his wisdom, and the simple God is found to be composite and unlike himself; however, not knowing and knowing does not make a difference of substance, just as not even in the case of humans, but ignorance is a passion, which the Son does not have, but he is God by nature and, according to the heretics, unsusceptible to passion. But if all things of the Son are the Father's and all things of the Father are the Son's, either both are ignorant or the Father knows and the Son knows, as having all the Father's things, which are his by nature; for he does not say this concerning the lordship of created things; however, when scripture names the Father, it signifies the whole of the Godhead conceived and worshipped in the holy Trinity. 275 Mt 24, 40 See that the word divides men into two orders, that of those who are being saved and that of those who are perishing. And it says that those being saved are taken, but those who are perishing are left, that is, rejected. And here the field must be understood as the world, where "he" who "sows to the Spirit reaps eternal life," but "he" who sows "to the flesh, corruption." And he compares the teachers to women grinding, who in a way, by making the scriptural concepts fine, set forth the divine oracles as acceptable and easy to understand for men; for indeed a law commanding not to take a mill or a millstone as a pledge, so that one taking the instruments of food might not hinder those who are fed by them, enigmatically signifies the teachers. The Lord divides men into two orders, that of those who are being saved and that of those who are perishing; and he says that the order of those being saved is taken, but the ungodly are left, that is, rejected. And he compares the teachers to women grinding as making the scriptures fine and rendering them acceptable and easy to understand for men; for indeed the law forbids a mill to be taken as a pledge, or a millstone, so that one taking the instruments of food might not become a hindrance to those who are fed. Therefore the Savior also enigmatically signifies the teachers. 276 Mt 24, 45-47 Faithful indeed in teachings, but prudent in action and a most gentle steward of his fellow servants; he will be

τὴν ἀφήγησιν καὶ ἐξακρι βοῦν ὅτι μάλιστα πειρᾶσθαι λεπτῶς. εἰ δὲ δή τι βούλοιντο τῶν ἐπέκεινα μέτρου τοῦ κατὰ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς πε ριττῶς ἀναμαθεῖν, καταστέλλειν ἡσυχῆ καὶ μεταπείθειν εὖ μάλα πολυπραγμονεῖν ἑλέσθαι τὰ πρε πωδέστερα καὶ δρᾶν ἐπὶ τούτων τὰ δι' ὧν ἂν γένοιντο διαφανεῖς καὶ ἐκπρεπεστάτην ἔχοντες τὴν ἐξ ἔργων ἀγαθῶν φαιδρότητα παρὰ θεῷ. ἑλο μένους τοιγαροῦν οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως τὰ ὑπὲρ μέτρον οἰκετικὸν ἐρέσθαι τε καὶ μαθεῖν, ἠρεμεῖν ἀναπείθει λογισμοῖς ἀναγκαίοις ἐκδυσωπῶν, ὅτι μηδὲ ἀγγέλοις ἀπεκάλυψεν ὁ πατὴρ μηδ' αὐτῷ τῷ υἱῷ καθί στησιν γνώριμον, εἴπερ τις εἴη ψι λὸς καὶ κατ' αὐτοὺς ἄνθρωπος ἐπὶ γῆς καὶ οὐκ ἔχων φύσει τὸ εἶναι θεός. Ἔθος ἦν τῷ σωτῆρι Χριστῷ τοιοῦτόν τι δρᾶν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἁγίοις μά λιστα μαθηταῖς, εἰ διαπυνθάνοιντό τι τῶν ὅσα ἦν φιλομαθείας μὲν ἔχοντα δόξαν, ὑψηλοτέρας γε μὴν ἐρεύνης ἀπηλλαγμένα, χαρίζεσθαι τὴν ἀφήγησιν καὶ ἐξακριβοῦν ὅτι μάλιστα πειρᾶσθαι λεπτῶς. εἰ δὲ δή τι βούλοιντο τῶν ἐπέκεινα μέ τρου τοῦ κατὰ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς περιτ τῶς ἀναμαθεῖν, περιστέλλειν ἡσυχῆ καὶ μεταπείθειν εὖ μάλα πολυπραγ μονεῖν ἑλέσθαι τὰ πρεπωδέστερα. ἐπειδὴ οὖν τὰ ὑπὲρ αὐτοὺς ἤθελον μανθάνειν οἱ μαθηταί, σκήπτεται χρησίμως τὸ μὴ εἰδέναι καθὸ ἄν θρωπος καί φησι μηδὲ αὐτοὺς εἰδέναι τοὺς κατὰ τὸν οὐρανὸν ἁγίους ἀγγέλους, ἵνα μὴ λυπῶνται ὡς μὴ θαρρηθέντες τὸ μέτριον. καὶ ὅρα πῶς ἠρεμεῖν ἀναπείθει λογι σμοῖς οἰκείοις καὶ ἐκδυσωπεῖ, ὅτι μηδὲ ἀγγέλοις ἀπεκάλυψεν ὁ πατὴρ μηδὲ αὐτῷ τῷ υἱῷ καθίστατο γνώ ριμον. 274 Mt 24, 36 Εἰ καὶ ἡ συντέλεια δήλη ἦν, τί οὐκ ἂν ἐποίησαν; εἰ ὁ υἱὸς σοφία ἐστὶν τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ εἰ, ἃ οἶδεν αὐτός, οὐκ οἶδεν ἡ σοφία, εὑρίσκεται πάλιν αὐτὸς ἀγνοῶν ἢ ὅτι ἡ φύσις αὐτοῦ βελτίων ἐστὶν τῆς σοφίας αὐτοῦ, καὶ εὑρίσκεται σύνθετος καὶ ἀνόμοιος ἑαυτῷ ὁ ἁπλοῦς θεός· πλὴν οὐ τὸ ἀγνοεῖν καὶ εἰδέναι ποιεῖ τῆς οὐσίας διαφορὰν ὥσπερ οὐδὲ ἐπ' ἀν θρώπων, ἀλλὰ πάθος ἐστὶν τὸ τῆς ἀγνοίας, ὅπερ οὐκ ἔχει ὁ υἱός, ἀλλὰ θεός ἐστιν φύσει καὶ κατὰ τοὺς αἱρετικοὺς πάθους ἀνεπίδεκτος. εἰ δὲ πάντα τὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ πατρός ἐστιν καὶ πάντα τὰ τοῦ πατρὸς τοῦ υἱοῦ, ἢ ἀμφότεροι ἀγνοοῦσιν ἢ οἶδεν ὁ πατὴρ καὶ ὁ υἱὸς οἶδεν ὡς ἔχων τοῦ πατρὸς πάντα κατὰ φύσιν αὐτῷ ὄντα· οὐ γὰρ περὶ τῆς δεσποτείας τῶν κτισμάτων τοῦτό φησιν· πλὴν ἡνίκα ὀνομάζει ἡ γραφὴ πατέρα, τὸ σύμ παν τῆς ἐν ἁγίᾳ τριάδι νοουμένης καὶ προσκυνουμένης θεότητος ση μαίνει. 275 Mt 24, 40 Ὅρα, ὅτι εἰς δύο τάγματα διαι ρεῖ ὁ λόγος τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, εἴς τε τῶν σῳζομένων καὶ τῶν ἀπολλυ μένων. καὶ τοὺς μὲν σῳζομένους λέγει παραλαμβάνεσθαι, τοὺς δὲ ἀπολλυμένους ἀφίεσθαι ἤγουν ἀποδοκιμάζεσθαι. ἀγρὸν δὲ νοη τέον ὧδε τὸν κόσμον, ἔνθα "ὁ" μὲν "εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα σπείρων θερίζει ζωὴν αἰώνιον, ὁ" δὲ "εἰς τὴν σάρκα, φθοράν". ταῖς δὲ ἀληθούσαις παρ εικάζει τοὺς διδασκάλους, οἵτινες τρόπον τινὰ ἀπολεπτύνοντες τὰς γραφικὰς ἐννοίας εὐπαράδεκτα καὶ εὐνόητα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὰ θεῖα λόγια προτιθέασιν· καὶ γὰρ νόμος κελεύων μὴ λαμβάνεσθαι εἰς ἐνέ χυρον μύλον ἢ ἐπιμύλιον, ἵνα μὴ τὰ τῆς τροφῆς ἐργαλεῖα λαβών τις ἐμποδίσῃ τοῖς τρεφομένοις δι' αὐ τῶν, αἰνιγματωδῶς τοὺς διδασκά λους ὑποσημαίνει. Εἰς δύο τάγματα διαιρεῖ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ὁ κύριος, εἴς τε τὸ τῶν σῳζομένων καὶ εἰς τὸ τῶν ἀπολλυ μένων· καὶ τὸ μὲν τῶν σῳζομένων παραλαμβάνεσθαι λέγει, τοὺς δὲ ἀσεβεῖς ἀφίεσθαι, ὅ ἐστιν ἀποδοκιμάζεσθαι. ταῖς δὲ ἀλη θούσαις τοὺς διδασκάλους παρ εικάζει ὡς λεπτύνοντας τὰς γραφὰς καὶ εὐπαραδέκτους καὶ εὐνοήτους τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ποιοῦντας· καὶ γὰρ ὁ νόμος μὴ λαμβάνεσθαι εἰς ἐνέχυρον μύλον κωλύει ἢ ἐπιμύλιον, ὅπως μὴ τὰ τῆς τροφῆς ἐργαλεῖα λαβών τις ἐμποδὼν γένηται τοῖς τρεφο μένοις. διὸ καὶ αἰνιγματωδῶς ὁ σωτὴρ τοὺς διδασκάλους ὑποση μαίνει. 276 Mt 24, 45-47 Πιστὸς μὲν εἰς διδασκαλίας, φρόνιμος δὲ εἰς ἔργον καὶ τῶν ὁμοδούλων ταμίας ἐπιεικέστατος· ἔσται