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finds? "For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the preaching to save those who believe." Through that which is manifested by works, by which He willed to be known. For this reason He fashioned them so numerous, so that from what is seen the Maker might be marveled at accordingly. Great is the heaven and boundless the earth. Marvel, therefore, at the One who made them. For this great one is the work of His fingers. And concerning the earth it is written, that He made the earth as nothing. Since, therefore, through this wisdom the world did not wish to know God, through what seemed to be the foolishness of the preaching, He was pleased to save it, not through reasonings, but through faith; so that there is no need of human wisdom. "For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." When we say, he says, to the Jews, "Believe," they say, "Raise the dead; heal demons; show us signs." But what do we say instead of these things? That the one preached was crucified and died. This is sufficient not only to not attract those who are unwilling, but also to put off those who are willing. But nevertheless, it does not put them off, but rather attracts them. Again, the Greeks demand from us the rhetoric of words and the skill of sophisms; but to them too we preach the cross, and what seems to be weak 95.580 ness to the Jews, this is foolishness to the Greeks. When, therefore, we not only do not provide what they ask for, but say the opposite of what they ask, and then through these opposites they are persuaded, how is the power of the one preached not ineffable to them? "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men." Concerning the cross he says "the foolish" and "the weak," not what is, but what seems to be. For he responds to their supposition. For what philosophers were not able to do through syllogisms, this seeming foolishness has accomplished. "And the weakness of God is stronger than men." For from where did unlearned and illiterate men get the power to attempt such great things, and in a short time to array themselves against the entire inhabited world, if there were not some divine strength in them, governing what was happening? "For you see your calling, brethren, that not many are wise according to the flesh." That is, according to appearance, and according to the present life, and according to external education. And lest he contradict himself—for there were also wise and noble people among them—he added, "not many." For even if it accepted these, the others were much more numerous. Why indeed? Because the one who is wise according to the flesh is full of much arrogance; and this one is the fool, when he does not wish to cast out a corrupt teaching. "Not many mighty, not many noble." For these are also filled with pride; and nothing is so useless for the precise knowledge of God as employing arrogance and wealth. "But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise." This is the greatest part of the victory, when He conquers through unlearned men. For the Greeks are not so shamed when they are defeated by the wise. "And God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen." For He called not only the unlearned, but also the poor, and the easily despised, and the obscure, that He Himself might humble those in power. "And the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are." And what does he call "the things which are not"? Those who are considered to be nothing because of their great lowliness. Thus He demonstrated His great power, by bringing down the great through those who seem to be nothing. "That no flesh should glory in His presence." For God does all things for this reason, to suppress pride 95.581 and arrogance, to take down boasting. For from this came sin; they strove to be wiser than the laws of God; not wanting to learn them as He Himself ordained, for this reason they did not learn them at all. "From

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εὑρίσκῃ; «Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐκ ἔγνω ὁ κόσμος διὰ τῆς σοφίας τὸν Θεὸν, ηὐδόκησεν ὁ Θεὸς διὰ τῆς μωρίας τοῦ κηρύγματος σῶσαι τοὺς πιστεύοντας.» Τῇ διὰ τῶν ἔργων φαινομένῃ, δι' ὧν ἠθέλησε γνωσθῆναι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο αὐτὰ καὶ τοσαῦτα κατεσκεύαζεν, ἵνα ἀναλόγως ἐκ τῶν ὁρωμένων ὁ ποιητὴς θαυμάζηται. Μέγας ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἀπειροπληθὴς ἡ γῆ. Θαύμασον τοίνυν τὸν πεποιηκότα. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ μέγας οὗτος ἔργον ἐστὶ τῶν δακτύλων αὐτοῦ. Καὶ περὶ τῆς γῆς γέγραπται, ὅτι τὴν δὲ γῆν ἐποίησεν ὡς οὐδέν. Ἐπειδὴ οὖν διὰ τῆς σοφίας ταύτης οὐκ ἠθέλησεν ὁ κόσμος γνωρίσαι τὸν Θεὸν, διὰ τῆς δοκούσης μωρίας εἶναι τοῦ κηρύγματος, ηὐδόκησεν σώζειν αὐτὸν, οὐ διὰ λογισμῶν, ἀλλὰ διὰ πίστεως· λοιπὸν ὅπου σοφίας οὐκ ἔστι χρεία ἀνθρωπίνης. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι σημεῖα αἰτοῦσι καὶ Ἕλληνες σοφίαν ζητοῦσιν· ἡμεῖς δὲ κηρύσσομεν Χριστὸν ἐσταυρωμένον, Ἰουδαίοις μὲν σκάνδαλον, ἔθνεσι δὲ μωρίαν· αὐτοῖς δὲ τοῖς κλητοῖς Ἰουδαίοις τε καὶ Ἕλλησι, Χριστὸν Θεοῦ δύναμιν καὶ Θεοῦ σοφίαν. Ὅταν εἴπωμεν, φησὶν, Ἰουδαίοις, Πιστεύσατε, λέγουσιν, Ἀναστήσασθε νεκρούς· ἰάσασθε δαίμονας· δείξατε σημεῖα· ἡμεῖς δὲ ἀντὶ τούτων τί λέγομεν; Ὅτι ἐσταυρώθη καὶ ἀπέθανεν ὁ κηρυττόμενος. Τοῦτο ἱκανὸν οὐ μόνον τοὺς μὴ βουλομένους μὴ ἐφελκύσασθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ βουλομένους διακρούεσθαι. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐ διακρούεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀφέλκεται. Πάλιν Ἕλληνες ἀπαιτοῦσιν ἡμᾶς ῥητορείαν λόγων καὶ δεινότητα σοφισμάτων· ἡμεῖς δὲ καὶ τούτοις σταυρὸν κηρύττομεν, καὶ ὅπερ ἐπὶ Ἰουδαίων ἀσθέ 95.580 νεια εἶναι δοκεῖ, τοῦτο ἐπὶ Ἑλλήνων μωρία. Ὅταν οὖν μὴ μόνον αἰτοῦσι μὴ παρασχῶμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐναντία ὧν αἰτοῦσι λέγωμεν, εἶτα διὰ τῶν ἐναντίων πείσονται, πῶς οὐκ ἄφατος αὐτοῖς ἐστιν ἡ τοῦ κηρυττομένου δύναμις; «Ὅτι τὸ μωρὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ σοφώτερον τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐστίν.» Περὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ λέγει τὸ μωρὸν καὶ τὸ ἀσθενὲς, οὐ τὸ ὃν, ἀλλὰ τὸ δοκοῦν. Πρὸς γὰρ τὴν ἐκείνων ὑπόληψιν ἀποκρίνεται. Ὃ γὰρ οὐκ ἴσχυσαν φιλόσοφοι διὰ τῶν συλλογισμῶν ποιῆσαι, τοῦτο ἡ δοκοῦσα μωρία κατώρθωσεν. «Καὶ τὸ ἀσθενὲς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἰσχυρότερον τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐστίν.» Πόθεν γὰρ ἀνθρώποις ἰδιώταις καὶ ἀγραμμάτοις, πράγμασιν ἐπιχειρῆσαι τηλικούτοις, καὶ ἐν βραχεῖ καιρῷ πρὸς τὴν οἰκουμένην ἅπασαν παρατάξασθαι, εἰ μὴ θεία τις ἦν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἰσχὺς, ἡ διακυβερνῶσα τὰ γινόμενα; «Βλέπετε γὰρ τὴν κλῆσιν ὑμῶν, ἀδελφοὶ, ὅτι οὐ πολλοὶ σοφοὶ κατὰ σάρκα.» Ἀντὶ τοῦ, κατὰ τὸ φαινόμενον, καὶ κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον, καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἔξωθεν παίδευσιν. Ἵνα δὲ μὴ ἑαυτῷ περιπίπτῃ· ἦσαν γὰρ καὶ σοφοὶ εἰς αὐτοὺς καὶ εὐγενεῖς· τὸ, οὐ πολλοὶ, προσέθηκεν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τούτους ἐδέχετο, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ πλείους ἐκεῖνοι ἦσαν. Τί δήποτε; ὅτι ὁ κατὰ σάρκα σοφὸς, πολλῆς γέμει τῆς ἀπονοίας· καὶ οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ μωρὸς, ὅταν διεφθαρμένην διδασκαλίαν ἐκβάλλειν μὴ βούληται. «Οὐ πολλοὶ δυνατοὶ, οὐ πολλοὶ εὐγενεῖς.» Καὶ γὰρ οὗτοι τύφῳ πεπληρωμένοι εἰσίν· οὐδὲν δὲ οὕτω πρὸς ἀκριβῆ θεογνωσίαν ἄχρηστον, ὡς ἀπονοίᾳ κεχρῆσθαι καὶ πλούτῳ. «Ἀλλὰ τὰ μωρὰ τοῦ κόσμου ἐξελέξατο ὁ Θεὸς, ἵνα καταισχύνῃ τοὺς σοφούς.» Ὅπερ ἐστὶ μέγιστον τῆς νίκης, ὅταν διὰ τῶν ἰδιωτῶν νικᾷ. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτω καταισχύνονται Ἕλληνες, ὅταν διὰ τῶν σοφῶν ἡττηθῶσιν. «Καὶ τὰ ἀσθενῆ τοῦ κόσμου ἐξελέξατο ὁ Θεὸς, ἵνα καταισχύνῃ τὰ ἰσχυρά· καὶ τὰ ἀγενῆ τοῦ κόσμου καὶ τὰ ἐξουθενημένα ἐξελέξατο ὁ Θεός.» Οὐ γὰρ ἰδιώτας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πένητας, καὶ εὐκαταφρονήτους, καὶ ἀσήμους ἐκάλεσεν, ἵνα τοὺς ἐν δυναστείαις αὐτὸς ταπεινώσῃ. «Καὶ τὰ μὴ ὄντα, ἵνα τὰ ὄντα καταργήσῃ. Καὶ τίνα τὰ μὴ ὄντα καλεῖ; τοὺς μηδὲν εἶναι λογιζομένους διὰ τὴν πολλὴν εὐτέλειαν. Οὕτω τὴν πολλὴν δύναμιν ἐπεδείξατο, διὰ τῶν μηδὲν εἶναι δοκούντων τοὺς μεγάλους κατενεγκών. «Ὅπως μὴ καυχήσεται πᾶσα σὰρξ ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ.» Πάντα γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς διὰ τοῦτο ποιεῖ, ἵνα τὸν τύφον 95.581 καὶ τὸ φρόνημα καταστείλῃ, ἵνα τὸ καυχᾶσθαι καθέλῃ. Ἀπὸ γὰρ τούτου ἡ ἁμαρτία· σοφώτεροι τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμων εἶναι ἐφιλονείκησαν· οὐ θέλοντες αὐτοὺς μαθεῖν, ὡς αὐτὸς ἐνομοθέτησεν, διὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ ὅλως ἔμαθον. «Ἐκ