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let us endeavor to make clear, gathering from all sides the testimonies of the divine scripture for the breadth of a feast and exultation for the faithful who encounter them we should not hesitate again to show how our hope in God is safe and sure, that nothing has been altered in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, but 64.3 the holy Trinity is of the same rank and consubstantial. We do not make our teaching from any other source nor from our own thoughts, but from our life, that is, from the prophets and from the 64.4 presence of our Savior and his love for humanity. For he came, our life came and showed us the light again, having found us gone astray. For we were, we were in arrogance and blasphemies, in likenesses of idols, in denials of spirits, 64.5 immersed in the commands of all evils. Therefore, when these things were present with me unwillingly "for what I wanted to do, I did not do, but what I hated, I was compelled to do," with sin thus ministering to me, the holy Father sent his holy Son and in his mercy he saved me and from all my corruptions he delivered me. 65.1 "For the grace of our Lord and Savior has appeared, teaching us that, having denied ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live soberly and godly and righteously in the present age, awaiting the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all lawlessness, 65.2 and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works"; "having wiped out the handwritten record that was against us, with its decrees which was hostile to us, he has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross, having disarmed the principalities and powers, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it"; "having shattered gates of bronze and broken bars of iron" he again showed the light of life, stretching out a hand, making a way, showing the foundations of the heavens, deeming us worthy to inhabit paradise again. 65.3 Therefore "he dwelt among us" and having given 65.3 us "the righteous requirement of the law" of the spirit, so that we might know him and that the things concerning him are the beginning and end of life, he has become for us a "law of righteousness," a "law of faith," a "law of the spirit," free from the "law of the flesh of sin." 65.4 Therefore "I delight in the law of God according to the inner man"; and within 65.5 us is Christ, if indeed he dwells in us. For he, having died, became for us a way of life, so that "those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for us," the cause of life; "remembering the oath from many generations before" according to David, "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses 65.6 against them," "for in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things to himself, having made peace through 65.7 the blood of the cross." He came, therefore, "for the administration of the fullness of the times," as was promised to Abraham and the other saints, "to sum up all things in him, things in the heavens 65.8 and things on the earth." And there was division and enmity "in the forbearance of God," "but he has reconciled in the body of his flesh," "through him making both one," for "our peace" came and "having broken down the dividing wall of the partition, the enmity in his flesh, abolishing the law of commandments in ordinances, so that he might create the two into one new man," he commanded "that the Gentiles be fellow-body and partakers and co-heirs of the promise" saying, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." 65.9 Therefore "in that I was weak through the flesh," a savior was sent to me "in the likeness of sinful flesh," fulfilling such an administration, that he might "redeem" me from slavery, that me from corruption, that me
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σαφηνίσαι σπουδάσωμεν, πανταχόθεν συνάγοντες τῆς θείας γραφῆς τὰς μαρτυρίας εἰς πλάτος εὐωχίας καὶ ἀγαλλίασιν τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσι πιστοῖς πάλιν οὐκ ὀκνήσαιμεν ὑποδεῖξαι ὡς ἀσφαλῆ καὶ βεβαίαν ἐν θεῷ τὴν ἡμετέραν ἐλπίδα, ὅτι οὐδὲν παρήλλακται ἐν πατρὶ καὶ υἱῷ καὶ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι, ἀλλ' 64.3 ὁμόστοιχος καὶ ὁμοούσιός ἐστιν ἡ ἁγία τριάς. οὐκ ἀλλαχόθεν δέ ποθεν οὐδὲ ἀπὸ ἰδίων διανοημάτων ποιούμεθα τὴν διδασκαλίαν, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς ἡμετέρας ζωῆς τουτέστιν ἐκ προφητῶν καὶ ἐκ τῆς τοῦ 64.4 σωτῆρος ἡμῶν παρουσίας καὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ φιλανθρωπίας. ἦλθε γάρ, ἦλθεν ἡ ζωὴ ἡμῶν καὶ τὸ φῶς αὖθις ἡμῖν ὑπέδειξεν εὑρὼν ἡμᾶς πεπλανημένους. ἦμεν γάρ, ἦμεν ἐν ὑπερηφανίᾳ καὶ βλασφημίαις, εἰδώλων ὁμοιώσεσι, πνευμάτων ἀθεΐαις, κακῶν πάντων ἐπιταγαῖς 64.5 βεβαπτισμένοι. τούτων τοίνυν προσόντων μοι ἀκουσίως «οὐ γὰρ ὃ ἤθελον ἔπραττον, ἀλλ' ὃ ἐμίσουν ἠπειγόμην ποιεῖν», ἁμαρτίας διακονούσης μοι οὕτως, ὁ ἅγιος πατὴρ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν ἅγιον ἀπέστειλε καὶ ἐν τῷ αὐτοῦ ἐλέει ἔσωσέ με καὶ ἐκ πασῶν τῶν διαφθορῶν μου ἐρρύσατό με. 65.1 «ἐπεφάνη γὰρ ἡ χάρις τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν καὶ σωτῆρος, διδάσκουσα ἡμᾶς ἵνα ἀρνησάμενοι τὴν ἀσέβειαν καὶ τὰς κοσμικὰς ἐπιθυμίας σωφρόνως καὶ εὐσεβῶς καὶ δικαίως ζήσωμεν ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι, προσδεχόμενοι τὴν μακαρίαν ἐλπίδα καὶ ἐπιφάνειαν τῆς δόξης τοῦ μεγάλου θεοῦ καὶ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· ὃς ἔδωκεν ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ἵνα λυτρώσηται ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἀνομίας, 65.2 καὶ καθαρίσῃ ἑαυτῷ λαὸν περιούσιον, ζηλωτὴν καλῶν ἔργων»· «ἐξαλείψας τὸ καθ' ἡμῶν χειρόγραφον, τοῖς δόγμασιν ὃ ἦν ὑπεναντίον ἡμῶν, ἦρκεν ἐκ μέσου προσηλώσας αὐτὸ τῷ σταυρῷ, ἀπεκδυσάμενος τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς ἐξουσίας, ἐδειγμάτισεν ἐν παρρησίᾳ, θριαμβεύσας αὐτοὺς ἐν αὐτῷ»· «πύλας χαλκᾶς συντρίψας καὶ μοχλοὺς σιδηροῦς συνθλάσας» τὸ φῶς αὖθις ὑπέδειξε τῆς ζωῆς, χεῖρα ὀρέγων, ὁδοποιῶν, ὑποβάθρας οὐρανῶν ὑποδεικνύς, παράδεισον αὖθις οἰκεῖν ἀξιῶν. 65.3 τοίνυν «κατῴκησεν ἐν ἡμῖν» καὶ «τὸ δικαίωμα τοῦ νόμου» δοὺς 65.3 ἡμῖν τοῦ πνεύματος εἰς τὸ γνῶναι αὐτὸν καὶ ὅτι τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ ἐστιν ἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος ζωῆς, «νόμος δικαιοσύνης» γέγονεν ἡμῖν, «νόμος πίστεως» «νόμος πνεύματος», ἐλεύθερος ἐκ «νόμου σαρκὸς ἁμαρτίας». 65.4 διὸ «συνήδομαι τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ θεοῦ κατὰ τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον»· ἔσω 65.5 δὲ ἡμῶν ὁ Χριστός, εἴπερ οἰκεῖ ἐν ἡμῖν. αὐτὸς γὰρ θανὼν ὁδὸς ζωῆς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν γέγονεν, ἵνα «οἱ ζῶντες μηκέτι ἑαυτοῖς ζῶσιν, ἀλλὰ τῷ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀποθανόντι καὶ ἐγερθέντι» αἰτίῳ ζωῆς· «τοῦ πρὸ πολλῶν γενεῶν ὅρκου μνησθείς» κατὰ τὸν ∆αυίδ, «θεὸς ἦν ἐν Χριστῷ κόσμον καταλλάσσων ἑαυτῷ μὴ λογιζόμενος αὐτοῖς τὰ παραπτώματα 65.6 αὐτῶν», «ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ εὐδόκησε πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα κατοικῆσαι καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ ἀποκαταλλάξαι τὰ πάντα εἰς αὐτόν, εἰρηνοποιήσας διὰ 65.7 τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ σταυροῦ». παρεγένετο τοίνυν «εἰς οἰκονομίαν τοῦ πληρώματος τῶν καιρῶν», καθὼς ἐπήγγελται Ἀβραὰμ καὶ λοιποῖς ἁγίοις, «ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι τὰ πάντα ἐν αὐτῷ, τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς 65.8 καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς». διάστασις δὲ ἦν καὶ ἔχθρα «ἐν τῇ ἀνοχῇ τοῦ θεοῦ», «ἀποκατήλλαξε δὲ ἐν τῷ σώματι τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ», «δι' αὐτοῦ ποιήσας τὰ ἀμφότερα ἕν», ἦλθε γὰρ «ἡ εἰρήνη ἡμῶν» καὶ «τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ λύσας, τὴν ἔχθραν ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ αὐτοῦ τὸν νόμον τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐν δόγμασι καταργήσας, ἵνα τοὺς δύο κτίσῃ εἰς ἕνα καινὸν ἄνθρωπον», «εἶναί τε τὰ ἔθνη σύσσωμα καὶ συμμέτοχα καὶ συγκληρονόμα τῆς ἐπαγγελίας» ἐκέλευσεν εἰπών «δεῦτε πρός με πάντες οἱ κοπιῶντες καὶ πεφορτισμένοι, κἀγὼ ἀναπαύσω 65.9 ὑμᾶς». τοίνυν «ἐν ᾧ ἐγὼ ἠσθένουν διὰ τῆς σαρκός», ἀπεστάλη μοι σωτὴρ «ἐν ὁμοιώματι σαρκὸς ἁμαρτίας», οἰκονομίαν τοιαύτην πληρῶν, ἵνα με δουλείας «ἐξαγοράσῃ», ἵνα με φθορᾶς, ἵνα με