Chapter Iv. That the Son is by Nature God, wholly remote from likeness to the creature, as regards Essence.

Ye are of this world, I am not of this world.

He shewed herein and very clearly what is the meaning of Above, what of Beneath. For since it was like that the Pharisees able to understand nothing would consider what had been said in a more corporal manner, and understand the Above and Beneath of place and would thence stray into many notions, profitably did our Lord Jesus Christ bare His word of the obscurity that seemed to have been cast upon it and from all want of clearness, putting more clearly in the sequel what He had said darkly. For Ye (He says) are of this world, i. e., from beneath, I am not of this world, this then is From above. For God overpasses all that is created, not having superiority in local exaltation (for it were foolish and utterly uninstructed to conceive of the Incorporeal as local) but surpassing things originate by the ineffable Excellences of Nature. Of this Essence does the Word say that He is, not the creation, but the Fruit and Offspring. For observe how He says not, From above have I been created and made, but rather, I am, that He may shew both whence He is and that He was ever Eternally with His own Progenitor. For He is as the Father too is: but He That is and is Eternally with Him That is, how He was not, let the folly of them who think otherwise say.

But haply the foe of the Truth will withstand us saying, "Not without qualification hath Christ said, I am not of the world, but by adding This, He hath shewn accurately that there is another world, the spiritual, whence He might be."

Therefore among creatures is the Son (for this is what thy language, O sir, is working out for us), among those who have originate nature will the Creator be surely classed, putting about Him some angelic perchance and slave-befitting dignity you deem that yourself will escape the charge of blasphemy. For do you not know, that though you attribute to Him that highest position and status which the holy angels will be conceived of as having, though you confess that He is above every Princedom and Authority and Throne, and yet believe Him to be originate, you sin against Him no whit the less? For there is no worthy place whatever of superiority over the rest to the Only-Begotten, so long as He is at all conceived of as created. For not in having precedence of any hath He glory but in being not originate, yea rather God of God by Nature. But Thou again art classing Him Who beamed forth from God and therefore is God, with things originate, and thou reckonest Him to be a part of the world, and if not perchance of this one yet of another (for imagined distinction of worlds will make no difference at all, in respect of having been made): and dost thou not blush putting the Word Who sitteth with Him Who begat Him, in the category of His guards and those who stand before Him? for dost thou not hear Gabriel saying to Zacharias, I am Gabriel that stand in the Presence of God and I was sent to speak unto thee, and Isaiah, I saw the Lord of Sabaoth sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, and the Seraphim were standing round about Him. And (marvel!) the Prophet was beholding the Son and called Him Lord of Sabaoth, and introduces Him as King with the highest Powers as Body-guard. And that it really was the Glory of the Only-Begotten which he was beholding, the wise John will testify saying, These things said Esaias becausehe saw His glory: and of Him spake he. Wherefore the Divine Paul too, both from His Co-sitting with God the Father and from His being called Son by Nature, coming to most accurate perception of the Mystery and gathering the knowledge pertaining to the idea, says, For unto which of the Angels said (i. e., God the Father) at any time, My Son art Thou, this day have I begotten Thee? (for in the word I have begotten, He shews that the Son is by Nature God of God) and again, But to which of the Angels said He at any time, Sit on My Right Hand? And he does not in saying this accuse God the Father of either being wont to do aught unjust or as dishonouring the nature of the angels, when He honoured that by a position below the Son. For what hinders (may one say) since God the Father is just and good, His making the nature too of the angels assessor with Himself, if the Son be altogether among things originate, and con-natural with them in respect of having been created, even though by some other excellences He surpass the measure belonging to them, just as they may surpass us. But not unrighteous is God the Father, who bade the Angels to stand in the Presence, and gave this Dignity to their nature, having His own Son co-seated with Himself, since He knows that He is by Nature God, and that His own Offspring is not alien from His Essence. How then is He any longer originate, how of an originate world and not rather in the same [state] wherein is Very God, i. e., above all things that are conceived of and acknowledged to exist in every world?

But since ye put out as something great and resistless Christ saying with some fair distinction, I am not of this world; and by the word this, ye affirm that the other world is meant, saying that He is of it, let us see again if ye are not staying yourselves upon rotten arguments, prompted to reason and think thus by only your own want of thought. For the word This, or of this (as it may be), or whatever we say pronomically, is demonstrative, and not altogether or necessarily indicative of another. And verily the blessed Baruch, pointing out to us the One and only God, says, This is our God, there shall none other be accounted of in comparison with Him, but if the word This were altogether significant of another, how would not another be accounted of in comparison of Him? yea and the righteous Symeon too, prophesying the mystery of Christ, says, Behold this child is set for the fall and rising again of many dead in Israel and for a sign which is spoken against, although unto whom is it not most manifest, that not as severing us from other persons does the righteous man say, This, but intimating that He Who is now present and has been set for this, is by Himself? Therefore when Christ says, I am not of this world, not surely as being of another world does He say it, but as defining and laying down in a more corporeal form, as if two places, the originate nature I mean and that of the Man Who is Ineffable and above every essence, He puts the Jews in the place of things originate, saying, Ye are of this world, Himself He altogether severing from things created, and connecting with the other place, I mean Godhead, says, I am not of this world. Hence contrasting (for our knowledge) the Godhead with the world, He gives Of this to the latter, Himself He apportions to God Who hath begotten Him and to the Essence which is Supreme over all.

"But" (says he) "God the Father will in nothing wrong the nature of the angels, if He do not please to honour it in the same degree as the Son. For variety in the creation, or the apportioning glory in befitting degree to each, in no wise argues that God is unjust, since how then should We be less than the angels, albeit we confess that God is Righteous? What then we are in respect of the angels, that are the angels too in respect of the Son ; for they yield as to one better than they, the being in greater honour than themselves be."

But, most excellent sir, shall we reply, shaming the unlearned heretic, if even though we be remote from the glory of the angels, since we come short of the piety too that is inherent in them and though there be much variety in the creation and diversity, and superiority in honour or inferiority according to the will of Him Who made them, yet is the being created common to all, and in this there is nought at all that surpasseth or cometh short of other. For that an angel should excel a man in honour and glory is nought wonderful, or an archangel too an angel; but the power of mounting up to the glory of Him Who made all things, we shall find to accrue to no one of creatures: for not any of the things that have been made will be God, nor will the bond be equal in honour with the Lord, co-sitting with Him and co-reigning. What measure then of honour will there be to the Son? being according to you originate and of the spiritual world, will He have God-befitting Dignity? how will that which is connatural with the creation mount up to the same glory as He Who is by Nature God, albeit God saith, My Glory will I not give to another? what (tell me) put the devil forth of the heavenly halls? was it the thirsting for honour which beseemed the originate nature, yet better and greater than the measure which accrued to him, and was it in this that the nature of his crimes lay? or was it that he dared to say, I will be like the Most High? For the creature pictured to itself that it could mount up to the Nature of its Maker and be co-throned with God Who has the power over all. Wherefore he hath also fallen as lightning, as it is written, from heaven. But Thou springing heedlessly upon things so insecure, accountst it nothing that the Son being according to you of some world, and consequently parcel of the creation, should be called by way of honour by God the Father to sit with Him, though Essence in no wise bestow upon Him this nor call Him to Dignity befitting and due to it. For He receives, if it be as Ye in your babbling say, things above the creature in the way of favour. Away with such blasphemy, man, for we will not be thus minded, may God avert it! For we believe that angels and archangels and those in yet higher place than they, are diversely honoured by the Authority and Counsel of the All-wise God, Who allots to each of the things that are a just Decree: but as to the Son by Nature, we will not imagine that He is so, for no glory by way of favour and imported hath He, but since He is of the Essence of God the Father, Very God of God by Nature and Very, He is co-throned and co-seated with Him, having all things under His Feet as God, and of the Father with the Father in God-befitting way aloft above the whole creation. Wherefore rightly heareth He, For all things are Thy servants. And since from all sides He is found to be Very God, it is (I suppose) wholly clear that He is not of this world, i. e., originate. For the world here signifies to us the nature of created things, carrying the comparison from a part unto the whole that is conceived of as created. As then God withdrawing Himself from all connaturalness with the creature said in the Prophets, For I am God and not man (and not because He said that He is not man as we, shall we surely therefore class Him with angels or any other of things originate, but from part going unto the whole, will confess that God is by Nature Other than all things originate), so I deem that we ought piously to understand the hard things that come in our way; for we see in a mirror by a figure, as Paul saith.

24 I said therefore unto you that ye shall die in your sins.

Having by few words overturned the most ill-counselled fantasy of those who thus conceived, and convicted them again of talking nonsense about Himself, He returns so to speak to the original aim of His Speech, and resuming it again He shews them in how great ill they will be and into what they will fall, if they most unreasonably repulse any believing on Him. A thing very befitting a wise and grave master is this too: for I think that a teacher ought not to quarrel with the ignorance of his hearers nor to be slack in, his care for them, even if perchance they do not very readily take in the knowledge of the lessons, but anew, yea many times, to return to the same things and go through the same words (since verily the enduring ploughman cleaving the field and having exhausted no slight toil thereon, when he has sown the seed in the furrows, if he see any spoilt, he turns again to the plough, and grudges not to sow upon the now ruined parts): for having missed his aim the first time he will not altogether do the same the second. A like habit the Divine Paul too practising somewhere says, Tosaythe same things to you to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. Seest thou that as the teacher is found superior to sloth, then to the hearers often follows the being in safe practice? Serviceably then does our Lord Jesus Christ repeating His Discourse with the Jews affirm that the penalty of not believing on Him will be in no passing things: for He says that they who believe not must surely die in their sins. And that death in transgressions is an heavy burden, because it will deliver the soul of man unto the all-devouring flame, none may doubt.

For if ye believe not that I am, ye shall die in your sins.

He explains more exactly what will happen, and having made the mode of salvation most evident, He shews again by what way they going shall mount up to the life of the saints, and shall attain to the city that is above, the heavenly Jerusalem. And not only does He say that one ought to believe but affirms that it must needs be on Him. For we are justified by believing on Him as on God from God, as on the Saviour and Redeemer and King of all and Lord in truth. Therefore He says, Ye shall perish if ye believe not that I am. But the I (He says) is He of Whom it is written in the Prophets, Shine shine o Jerusalem for thy Light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For I (saith He) am He Who of old bade go to the putting off of the diseases of the soul and Who promised the healing of love through saying, Return ye returning children and I will heal your backslidings. I am He Who declared that the God-befitting and olden goodness and incomparable forbearance should be poured on you, and therefore cried aloud, I, I am He That blotteth out thy sins and I will not remember. I am (He says) He Who by the Prophet Isaiah also said, Wash you, make you clean, put away your wickednesses from your hearts from before Mine Eyes, cease from your wickednesses, and come and let us reason together saith the Lord, even though your sins be as scarlet, Iwill whiten them as snow, even though they be like crimson, I will whiten them as wool. I (says He) am He concerning whom again Isaiah the Prophet himself says, O Zion that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain, o Jerusalem that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength, lift ye up, be not afraid; behold your God, behold the Lord cometh with strength and His Arm with rule, behold His reward with Him and His work before Him: like a shepherd shall He feed His flock, He shall gather the lambs with His Arm and shall comfort those that are with young: and again, Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf shall hear; then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the stammerers be clear. I am (He saith) He of Whom again it is written that suddenly shall come to His Temple the Lord Whom Ye are seeking, even the Messenger of the covenant Whom Ye are desiring, behold He cometh, saith the Lord of hosts, and who shall abide the Day of His Coming? or who shall stand in His Sight? for He shall enter in as fire in a smelting house and as the sope of fullers. I am (He saith) He Who for the salvation of all men promised to offer Myself for a Sacrifice to God the Father through the voice of the Psalmist and cried, Sacrifice and offering Thou wouldst not, a Body preparedst Thou Me; whole burnt offerings and for sin Thou delightedst not in, then I said, Lo I come, in the chapter of the Book it is written of Me, to do Thy Will, O God. I am, He saith, and the very law through Moses did preach Me, saying thus, A Prophet of thy brethren like unto me will the Lord thy God raise up unto thee, unto Him shall ye hearken; according to all that thou desiredst of the Lord thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly.

Therefore with reason (says He) shall ye perish and shall pay to the Judge most righteous Doom, for your much unholiness of manners not giving heed to Him Who through many saints was fore-heralded to you, and attested by the things too which I work. For verily and in truth no argument will liberate from the obligation of undergoing punishment those who believe not on Him, seeing that the Divinely-inspired Scripture is filled with testimonies and words regarding Him and Himself affords by His Works Splendour conformable to what was long ago prophesied of Him.

25 They said therefore to Him, Who art Thou?

Their word commingled with fiercest anger proceeds from boastfulness. For they eagerly ask, not to learn and believe, but out of much madness they spring (so to speak) on Christ. For He says in more simple word, I am, not adding, God of God, nor yet ought else to indicate His inherent Glory; but in lowly wise and apart from all boasting He says only this I am, leaving it to the better instructed to add what was wanting; and they go on to wildest and unbridled madness, and from unmeasured haughtiness they all but cut short the Saviour's word not yet advanced to its completion, and so to say rebuke and interrupt Him in the middle and say, Who art Thou? This is the part of one who openly says, Dost Thou dare to think of Thyself ought greater than We know? we know that Thou art son of the carpenter, a man low and most poor, of no note with us and altogether nought. They therefore condemn the Lord as being nought, looking only to His family after the flesh, but the Magnificence that pertains to His works, and still more His Generation from above and from the Father, whence they might specially recognize that He is by Nature God, they do not so much as admit into their mind. For who will work the things that befit God Alone? will not He surely Who is by Nature God? but Christ wrought them; He therefore was and is God, even when made Flesh for the salvation and life of all. But they whose belief is confined to their own mis-counsels, and take no account at all of our Divine and Divinely-inspired Scripture ; they in regard of the very things for which they ought to give thanks, do disparage Him, knowing neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

Punctuating therefore with emphasis at the word Thou, and throwing back what is called the acute accent, we take the word as a question with note of admiration; for they say Thou, as though, Thou Who art nothing at all, and art known by us to be so, Thou Who art mean and of mean extraction, what canst Thou say illustrious of Thyself, what worth speaking of those about Thee? For nought of such daring is foreign to Jewish madness.

Jesus said unto them, That I speak to you at the beginning.

I am dishonoured (He says) albeit I invite unto everlasting life, unto forgiveness of sins, unto putting off of death and corruption, unto holiness, unto righteousness, unto glory, unto boasting in the sonship with God: yea I Who would crown you with all these, am counted for nought, and esteemed by you thus worthless, yea verily I am in deserved condition (He says) because I made a beginning of discourse with you, because I have spoken somewhat that could profit you, and devised to save those who were on the point of descending to such deep depravity as to aim at repaying bitter requital to Him Who hath elected to save them.

Something else besides does Christ appear to indicate to us hereby. It was right (He says) that I should not converse at all with you at the beginning but on them rather should confer this who shall most gladly rejoice in My words and without delay submit their neck to the Gospel ordinances. He means by these the multitude of the Gentiles. But while we conceive of Him as saying thus, we will guard against the words of the adversaries. For one of those who are wont to fight against Christ will haply say, "If the Son ought not to address the Jews at the beginning, but rather the Gentiles, He missed of what was fit, by doing this rather than that." But we will reply, Not as repenting of His own or of the Father's Will, does the Son say thus, nor yet as having transgressed what befitted the Economy (for God would not have devised ought which did not altogether beseem to be): but by saying that not to you was it right to speak at the beginning, nor among you to lay a foundation of saving teaching, He shews that both the Father and Himself are by Nature True and Loving to man. For lo He freely gave to the unholy Jews though not worthy of it the saving word, having put in the second place the multitude of the Gentiles albeit more readily making it their aim both to believe and obey Him.

What was it then which persuaded Him to prefer and fore-honour before the rest the stiffnecked people of the Jews? To them He made through the holy Prophets the promise of His Coming, to them was the grace due for the fathers' sake. Wherefore He also said, I was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and to the Syro-phenician woman, It is not meet to take, the children's bread and to cast it to the dogs. Therefore has Israel been honoured and ranked before the Gentiles, although he had the crookeder disposition. But since he knew not the Lord of all and the Perfecter of the promised good things, the grace of the teaching departed at last to the Gentiles, whom it behoved the Lord at the beginning and first to have addressed, not in regard of the promise made to the fathers, but in regard of their innate obedience.

26  I have many things to say and to judge of you.

Seeing that the Jews condemn Him more recklessly, and though they have nothing at all to accuse Him of, are haughty on account only of the poorness of His Birth after the Flesh, and therefore say that He is nought, He shamed them mildly, having said above more openly, Ye judge after the flesh, I judge no man. But judging after the flesh will reasonably have some such meaning as this: They who delight only in earthly things, see nought of the heavenly good things, but looking only to illustriousness in this life, admire the wealthy or him who boasts in some other petty glories. But they who after the law of God examine thoroughly into the nature of things say that he is really the man worthy of love and admiration, who has within him the desire to live according to the counsel and will of Him Who hath made him. For low position after the flesh will nothing harm the soul of the man who is accustomed to do well, and on the other hand illustrious portion in this life and the splendour of wealth will nothing profit those who refuse to live aright. They therefore judge after the flesh, as we said just now, who look not to holiness, who use not to prove their walk, their manners, but turn aside their mind to only earthly things and deem worthy of all admiration him that is brought up in wealth and luxury. Ye then, O most unwise rulers of the Jews, albeit by the Law of Moses instructed unto accuracy of giving judgment, judging upon no grounds at all, condemn for only bodily low estate Him Who through many wondrous works is shewn to you to be God. But I will not imitate your ill-instructedness, nor will I pass such kind of judgment on you: for nothing at all is human nature. For what is this perishable and earthly body? rottenness and the worm and nought else. Yet I will not for this reason condemn you, nor because ye are men by nature, will I therefore decide that ye ought wholly to be spurned: I have many things to say and to judge of you, that is, every accusing word has a full office to you-ward, not of one thing alone shall I accuse you, but of many, and in none shall I speak falsely as do Ye, I have to judge you as disbelieving, as braggarts, as insulters, as fighters against God, as without feeling, as unthankful, as wicked, as lovers of pleasure rather than habitually loving God, as receiving honour one of another and seeking not the honour that cometh from the Only , as setting on fire the spiritual vineyard, as not feeding aright the flock entrusted to you by God, as not leading them by the hand unto Him That is proclaimed by the Law and the Prophets, i. e., Me. Such things will the Saviour be declaring to the Jews, but by adding, I have yet many things to say and to judge of you, He threatens them that He will one Day appear as their Judge, Who seemed to them to be nought by reason of the Flesh.

But He That sent Me is True, and I the things which I heard from Him, these speak I unto the world.

Having taken leave of the Jews' ill-instructedness, and reckoned as nought those who dared without restraint to revile Him, He returns again to what He was saying at the beginning, reserving the judging them and that in all freedom for not this present but for the fitting time, and retaining to the time of the Appearance its proper aim (for He came not to judge the world but to save the world, as Himself says). Wherefore keeping fast hold of the things befitting Him, and repeating the word that calls unto salvation, He carries on His exhortation. For herein was it meet that we should both marvel at the measure of His Forbearance and the exceedingness of His inherent Love for man: wherefore doth Peter too write of Him, Who when He was reviled, reviled not again, when He suffered, He threatened not but committed Himself to Him That judgeth righteously. Therefore will I expend (He says) discourse upon you now in particular, not for what ye are wont to do it, for faultfinding I mean and exercise unto nought that is profitable: but having reserved the judging you for its fit time, I will keep to what is for your good, and will not cease from care of you, even though ye of your innate madness foolishly insult Me. I said therefore to you just now, I am the Light of the world, he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of Life; at this ye unreasonably vexed sprang sharply upon Me saying, Thou bearest record of Thyself, Thy record is not true; to this again I, Even though I bear record of Myself My record is true, for I know whence I came and whither I go. But if I seem to be burdensome to you saying these things to you, if I be not a reliable witness of the Dignities accruing to Me by Nature, yet He That sent Me is True and the things which I heard of Him, these speak I unto the world. I speak the same (He says) as the Father Who sent Me, I utter words conformable to His, in saying that I am by Nature Light. The things then which I heard God the Father say of Me, these things I speak to the world. If then I speak false according to you, and My record is not true, ye must certainly needs say that the Father spake falsely before Me. But He is True: therefore I do not speak falsely, and if ye do not believe My Words, reverence (He says) the Voice of Him That sent Me. For what said He of Me? Behold a Man, The Day-springHis Name, and again to those who reverence Him, And unto you that fear My Name shall the Sun of righteousness arise and healing in His wings; and to Me Whom ye unknowing insult, He says, Behold I have given Thee for a Covenant of the peoplefor a light of the nations. But that I am also a Light was told you by Him, for He says, Shine shine O Jerusalem for thy Light is come and the glory of the Lord hath risen upon thee. These things did I hear the Father Who sent Me say of Me, and therefore do I say that I am the Light of the world, but Ye disparaged Me, because of the Flesh only judging not rightly, and therefore are ye bold to say frequently, Thou bearest record of Thyself, Thy record is not true.

Therefore (for it is meet to sum up the whole mind of what is before us) He shews that the Jews are fighting right against God, and that not only with His words, but also with the Father's decree. For He knows that His Son is by Nature Light and calls Him therefore Dayspring and San of Righteousness, but they pulling down the destruction of unbelief upon their own heads reject the Truth calling good evil and therefore shall rightly the Woe follow them.

27 They knew not that He spake to them of the Father.

The Spirit-clad is astonishment-stricken at the senselessness of the Jews, and with great reason: for what more without understanding than such, who, when much discourse and often had been made to them concerning God the Father, conceive not of Him a whit when they hear our Saviour saying, But He That sent Me is True? What then is the plea, and why the blessed Evangelist says that the Jews knew not that Christ in these words signified God the Father to them, we must needs say. For since the Saviour said to them, If ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also, in order that in this too He may be found saying what was true, the Evangelist brings in those who know not the Son, as ignorant of the Father too. For the Son is (so to speak) a Door and Gate unto the knowledge of the Father, wherefore He also said, No man cometh unto the Father but by Me. For the mind darting up from Image to Archetype imageth the other from what is before it. It was necessary therefore to shew that the Jews had no conception of the Father, since they would not be led, upward mounting from knowledge of the Son to conception of the Father. Wherefore does the Evangelist clearly shew that when Christ says, He That sent Me is True, they knew not that He spake to them of the Father.

28 When ye have lifted up the Son of Man, then shall ye know that I am.

Imitating the most excellent physicians, He lays bare the cause of their soul's infirmity and clearly opens what it was that hinders their going with resolution to understanding and faith towards Him. For since looking at the Flesh and its family, they were induced to think slightingly of Him and, having this vail over the eyes of their understanding, they would not know that He is God even though He is seen as Man, needs did He address them saying, When ye have lifted up the Son of Man then shall ye know that I am, i. e., when ye cease from your slight and grovelling conception of Me, when ye have some lofty and super-mundane thought of Me, and believe that I am God of God, even though for your sakes I am become Man as you, then shall ye know clearly that I am the Light of the world (for this I just now told you): for what would any longer hinder (He says) Him Who is wholly admitted to be Very God, from being also Light of the world? For not to so great depth of madness and daring will any go as then too to venture to say, Thy record is not true, for he will in no wise accuse what God by Nature and Very shall say.

It is then most evident from the words too of the Saviour, that if we have a mean opinion of Him and consider Him to be bare Man and bereft of the Godhead by Nature, we shall surely both disbelieve Him and not admit Him as Saviour and Redeemer. And what is the result? we have fallen from our hope. For if salvation is through faith and faith be gone, what will yet save us? But if we believe and lift up to God-befitting height the Only-Begotten even though He hath become Man, advancing as with a fair wind and speeding across the all-troublous sea of life, we shall safe moor in the city that is above, there to receive the rewards of believing.

The same in another way. 

When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am.

Having with many and good words bathed the wrath of the Jews, He sees it not a whit the less swelling. For they cease not heedlessly blaspheming, yea at one time they set aside His Speech and impiously call Him a liar: for to say Thy record is not true, what else is it than this? at another time again, to Him out of love declaring the things that belong to salvation and on this account saying, If ye believe not that I am, ye shall die in your sins, they began hotly to oppose Him and arraying against those utterances of love their words of madness said, Who art Thou? For them therefore who thus unmitigatedly wallowed in unreasoning audacity there was need of a word that should sober them and persuade them to be more gently disposed and put a bridle on their tongue even against its will. Therefore was He threatening them telling them most clearly that they shall not escape punishment for their impiety, but even though they see Him for the present forbearing, yet when their impiety towards Him has gone forth to its dread consummation, I mean Death and the Cross, they shall undergo all-dread justice and shall receive in return intolerable lot, that of the war with the Romans, which after the Saviour's Cross befell them from the wrath above from God. And that they should suffer all-terrible things, the Saviour again signified more clearly to them saying, at one time to the weeping women, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for Me but weep for yourselves and for your children, at another again, When ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then shall ye say to the mountains, Cover us and to the hills, Fall on us . For to such an extent do the sufferings of the war overcome the Jews, that every kind of death was to them pleasanter and rather to be chosen than the trial of them: their removal from their country, the enslavements of those who inhabit it and their most savage slaughter and the famines in every city and their child-devourings therein Josephus too relates in his history.

When then (He says) ye having betrayed to the cross the Son of man endure your retributive punishment, and pay penalties correspondent to your daring deeds against Me, then shall ye weeping know that I am the All-Powerful, that is God. For if one sparrow enter not the snare of the fowler without the will of God, how shall a whole country, (He saith) and the beloved nation go on to destruction so complete, except God supreme over all had surely permitted that so it should be? Evil therefore and all-dread is the contempt of God which bringeth to the consummation of things to be deprecated. Wherefore Paul too rebuketh some, saying of God, Or despisest thou the riches of His goodness and forbearance and long suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God is leading thee to repentance, but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath in the Day of wrath?

The same in another way

Christ spent long time dwelling with the Jews, and speaking in every synagogue, so to say, and addressing them every sabbath-day and, setting before them often and ungrudgingly profitable teaching, was continually inviting them to the illumination through the Spirit, and verily He saith, in that He is God by Nature and Very, I am the light of the world; but they thinking most foolishly were ever gainsaying Him who said these things, for (says he) Thou bearest record of Thyself, Thy record is not true. And not at contradictions in words did the daring of the Jews stay, nor only in love of reviling was their untamed audacity consummated, but going without stint through all savageness, they at last betrayed Him both to Cross and Death. But since He was by Nature Life, having burst the bonds of death, He arose from the dead and (as was reasonable) departs from Jewish defilement and hasted away from Israel and that with justice, and betaking Himself to the Gentiles, He invited all to the Light, and to the blind He freely bestowed recovery of sight. It befell then that after the Death on the Cross of our Saviour Christ, the understandings of the Jews were darkened, in that the Light had departed forth from them, and that the hearts of the Gentiles were enlightened, in that the Very Light beamed upon them. When then, He says, ye have lifted up the Son of Man, then shall ye know that I am, instead of, I will await the consummation of your impiety, I will not bring upon you wrath before its time, I will accept the Passion and Death, I will endure along with the rest this too. But when ye shall betray to the Cross the Son of Man deemed by you to be bare man, then shall ye know, even against your will, that not falsely have I said that I am the Light of the world. For when ye see yourselves darkened, the innumerable multitude of the Gentiles enlightened by having Me with them, how will ye not even against your will agree that I am of a truth the light of the world? For that the Saviour was going to depart from the Synagogue of the Jews after His coming to Life again from the dead, is doubtful to none (for it has been accomplished and done): yet may one see it somehow (yea even clearly) from His words, While ye have the Light walk in the Light, lest darkness come upon you. For the repression and withdrawal of light generates darkness, and again the presence of light causes darkness to vanish. Therefore is Christ shewn as being of a truth Light, Who darkened the Jews through His Departure from them, and enlightened the Gentiles through His Presence with them: and a bitter lesson to the Jews was their experience of dread things.

The same in another way

When ye have lifted up the Son of Man, then shall ye know that I am.

Since looking only (He says) to the flesh, ye believe that I am mere Man, and deem that I am one like yourselves, but the Dignity of the Godhead and the Glory from thence, do not so much as enter your mind:----a most evident token to you of My being God of Truly God and Light of Light, shall be your all-dread and most lawless deed of daring, the Cross that is and the Death of the Flesh thereupon. For when ye see the issue of your mad folly frustrate of its purpose and the snare of death crushed in pieces (for I shall surely rise from the dead): then shall ye even against your will and of necessity at length assent to what I said to you and shall confess that I am by Nature God. For I shall be superior to death and decay, I being by Nature Life shall raise again My Temple. But if to overmaster death and to triumph over the meshes of corruption belong to Him Who is by Nature God and to no other being, how shall I not (all contradiction and all doubt being removed) be shewn thereby to overcome all things mightily and without trouble? therefore does the Saviour say that His Cross shall be a sign to the Jews and a most evident demonstration of His being by Nature God.

And this you may see Him elsewhere too, clearly saying: for when many and unnumbered prodigies had been shewn forth by Him, the Pharisees once came to Him tempting Him and saying, Master, we would see a sign from Thee. But He since He saw the imaginations which were going on in them, and was not ignorant that they were bitterly minded, says, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign, and a sign shall not be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas; for as Jonas was three days and three nights in thewhale's belly, so shall the Son of man too be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Hearest thou how to the Jews asking a sign as a proof that He is God by Nature, even though they said it tempting Him, He says that no other shall be shewn to them save the sign of the prophet Jonas, i. e. the three days death and the coming to life again from the dead? For what token of God-befitting authority so great and manifest, as to undo death and overthrow decay, albeit by Divine sentence having the mastery over human nature? For in Adam it heard, Dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return; but it was in the power of Christ the Saviour both to end His Anger, and by blessings to overthrow the death which from His curse prevailed. But that the Jews exceedingly feared the sign of the resurrection as mighty to convince that Christ is by Nature God, their final deed will clearly tell us, for when they heard of the Resurrection of the Saviour, and that He was not found in the tomb, terrified and exceeding fearful thereat, they planned to buy off the informations of the soldiers by large money. For they gave them money to say, His disciples came by night and stole Him while we slept. Mighty therefore is the sign of the Resurrection, having undoubted demonstration that Jesus is God, whereat the hard and unbending heart of the Jews was sore troubled.  

ΚΕΦΑΛΗ Δ. Ὅτι Θεὸς κατὰ φύσιν ἐστὶν ὁ Υἱὸς τῆς πρὸς τὴν κτίσιν ὁμοιότητος ἀνῳκισμένος παντελῶς, ὅσον εἰς οὐσίας λόγον.
« Ὑμεῖς ἐκ τούτου τοῦ κόσμου ἐστὲ, ἐγὼ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου. » ἜΔΕΙΞΕΝ ἐν τούτοις εὖ μάλα καὶ σαφῶς, τί μὲν ἂν νοοῖτο τό Ἄνω, τί δὲ τό Κάτω. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ δυναμένους συνιέναι μηδὲν εἰκὸς δήπου τοὺς Φαρισαίους σωματικώτερον τοῖς εἰρημένοις προσβαλεῖν, καὶ τὸ ἄνω τε καὶ κάτω τοπικῶς ἐκλαβεῖν, καὶ εἰς πολλὰς ἐντεῦθεν ἐννοίας περιπλανᾶσθαι, χρησίμως ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστὸς τοῦ δοκοῦντος ἐπεῤῥίφθαι περιβλήματος καὶ ἀσαφείας ἁπάσης ἀπογυμνοῖ τὸν λόγον, λευκότερον ὥσπερ καὶ εἰσαῦθις αὐτοῖς παραθεὶς ὅπερ εἴρηκεν αἰνιγματωδῶς. Ὑμεῖς γάρ φησιν ἐκ τούτου τοῦ κόσμου ἐστὲ, τουτέστι τοῦ κάτω: ἐγὼ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐκ τούτου τοῦ κόσμου, οὐκοῦν τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ ἄνω. ὑπερτρέχει δὲ ἅπαν τὸ ἐν γενέσει Θεὸς, οὐ τοπικοῖς ὑπερέχων ὑψώμασιν: εὔηθες γὰρ καὶ ἀνόητον κομιδῇ τὸ ἐν τόπῳ νοεῖν τὸ ἀσώματον: ἀλλὰ τοῖς τῆς φύσεως ἀῤῥήτοις πλεονεκτήμασιν ὑπερανίσχων τὰ γενητά. ταύτης ἑαυτὸν εἶναι τῆς οὐσίας φησὶν ὁ Λόγος, οὐκ ἔργον, ἀλλὰ καρπὸν καὶ γέννημα. ἐπιτήρει γὰρ ὅπως οὐχ ἁλίσκεται λέγων Ἄνωθεν ἐγὼ γέγονα καὶ πεποίημαι, μᾶλλον δὲ τό Εἰμὶ, ἵνα δείξῃ καὶ ὅθεν ἐστὶ, καὶ ὅτι συνῆν ἀϊδίως τῷ ἰδίῳ γεννήτορι. ὢν γάρ ἐστιν ὥσπερ καὶ ὁ Πατήρ: ὁ δὲ ὢν, καὶ τῷ ὄντι συνὼν ἀϊδίως, κατὰ τίνα δὴ τρόπον οὐκ ἦν, ἡ τῶν ἑτεροδοξούντων λεγέτω μωρία. Ἀλλ' ἴσως ἡμῖν ἀνταναστήσεται λέγων ὁ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐχθρός „Οὐκ ἀδιακρίτως εἴρηκεν ὁ Χριστός Οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐκ τοῦ ” κόσμου, προσθεὶς δὲ τό Τούτου, δέδειχεν ἀκριβῶς, ὅτι καὶ „ἕτερός ἐστι κόσμος ὁ νοητὸς ἀφ' οὗπερ εἶναι δύναται.” Οὐκοῦν ἐν ποιήμασιν ὁ Υἱός: τοῦτο γὰρ ἡμῖν ὁ σὸς, ὦ οὗτος, διαπραγματεύεται λόγος: τετάξεται δὲ πάντως ἐν τοῖς γενητὴν ἔχουσι τὴν φύσιν ὁ Δημιουργὸς, ἀγγελικὸν δὲ ἴσως αὐτῷ καὶ δουλοπρεπὲς ἀξίωμα περιθεὶς τῶν τῆς δυσφημίας ἐγκλημάτων ἑαυτὸν ἀπηλλάχθαι νομίζεις. ἢ γὰρ οὐκ οἶσθα πάλιν ὅτι κἂν τὴν ἀνωτάτω στάσιν τε καὶ ἵδρυσιν ἀποδῷς αὐτῷ ἤπερ ἂν νοοῖτο παρὰ τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀγγέλοις, κἂν ὑπεράνω πάσης ἀρχῆς καὶ ἐξουσίας καὶ θρόνων ὁμολογεῖς ὑπάρχειν αὐτὸν, γενητὸν δ' οὖν ὅμως πιστεύσῃς, οὐδὲν ἧττον ὑβριεῖς; λόγος γὰρ ὅλως οὐδεὶς εἰς ἀξίαν τῷ Μονογενεῖ τῆς κατὰ τῶν ἄλλων ὑπεροχῆς, ἐστ' ἂν ὅλως νοῆται πεποιημένος. οὐ γὰρ ἐν τῷ προτετάχθαι τινῶν ἔχει τὴν δόξαν, ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ μὴ εἶναι γενητὸς, ὑπάρχειν δὲ μᾶλλον Θεὸς ἐκ Θεοῦ κατὰ φύσιν. σὺ δὲ πάλιν ἡμῖν τὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ πεφηνότα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο Θεὸν, τοῖς γενητοῖς ἐγκαταριθμεῖς, καὶ μέρος εἶναι τοῦ κόσμου λογίζῃ, καὶ εἰ μὴ τούτου τυχὸν, ἀλλ' οὖν ἑτέρου: διοίσει γὰρ ὅλως οὐδενὸς ὅσον εἰς τὸν τοῦ πεποιῆσθαι λόγον ἡ νοουμένη τῶν κόσμων διαφορά: εἶτα τὸν τῷ γεννήσαντι συνεδρεύοντα Λόγον, τοῖς δορυφόροις καὶ παραστάταις ἐγκαταλέγων οὐκ ἐρυθριᾷς; εἰ γὰρ οὐκ ἀκούεις τοῦ μὲν Γαβριὴλ λέγοντος πρὸς τὸν Ζαχαρίαν “Ἐγώ εἰμι Γαβριὴλ ὁ παρε” στηκὼς ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἀπεστάλην λαλῆσαι πρὸς “σέ:” Ἡσαΐου δὲ πάλιν ὅτι “Εἶδον τὸν Κύριον σαβαὼθ ” καθήμενον ἐπὶ θρόνου ὑψηλοῦ καὶ ἐπηρμένου, καὶ Σερα“φεὶμ εἱστήκεισαν κύκλῳ αὐτοῦ.” καὶ τό γε παράδοξον, τὸν Υἱὸν ὁ προφήτης κατεθεᾶτο, καὶ Κύριον αὐτὸν ἀπεκάλει σαβαὼθ, καὶ ἐν βασιλέως τάξει δορυφορούμενον παρὰ τῶν ἀνωτάτω δυνάμεων εἰσφέρει. ὅτι δὲ τὴν τοῦ Μονογενοῦς δόξαν κατεθεᾶτο σαφῶς, μαρτυρήσει λέγων ὁ σοφὸς Ἰωάννης “Ταῦτα δὲ εἶπεν Ἡσαΐας ὅτι εἶδε τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ: ” καὶ ἐλάλησε περὶ αὐτοῦ.“ διάτοι τοῦτο καὶ ὁ θεσπέσιος Παῦλος ἀπό τε τοῦ συνεδρεύειν αὐτὸν τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ κεκλῆσθαι κατὰ φύσιν Υἱὸν, εἰς ἀκριβεστάτην ἐρχόμενος τοῦ μυστηρίου κατάληψιν, καὶ τῆς ἐπ' αὐτῷ θεωρίας συλλέγων τὴν γνῶσιν ” Τίνι γὰρ εἶπέ φησι τῶν “ἀγγέλων ποτέ Υἱός μου εἶ σύ” ὁ Θεὸς δηλαδὴ καὶ Πατὴρ, “ἐγὼ σήμερον γεγέννηκά σε;” ἐν γὰρ τῷ Γεγέννηκα, τὸ φύσει Θεὸν ὑπάρχειν ἐκ Θεοῦ τὸν Υἱὸν σημαίνεται. καὶ πάλιν “Τίνι δὲ εἶπέν ποτε τῶν ἀγγέλων Κάθου ἐκ ” δεξιῶν μου;“ καὶ οὐ δήπου τὰ τοιαῦτα λέγων, ἢ ὡς ἄδικόν τι δρᾶν εἰωθότα καταιτιᾶται τὸν Θεὸν καὶ Πατέρα, ἢ ὡς τὴν τῶν ἀγγέλων ἀτιμάζοντα φύσιν, ὅτε τοῖς δευτέροις αὐτὴν ἔγνω τιμᾶν παρὰ τὸν Υἱόν: τί γὰρ δὴ τὸ διακωλύον, ἐρεῖ τις τυχὸν, ἐπείπερ ἐστὶ δίκαιος καὶ ἀγαθὸς ὁ Θεός τε καὶ Πατὴρ, σύνεδρον ἑαυτῷ καὶ τὴν τῶν ἀγγέλων ποιεῖσθαι φύσιν, εἴπερ ἐστὶν ὅλον ἐν γενητοῖς ὁ Υἱὸς καὶ ὁμογενὴς αὐτοῖς κατά γε τὸν τοῦ πεποιῆσθαι λόγον, κἂν ὑπεροχαῖς τισιν ἑτέραις τὸ ἐνὸν αὐτοῖς πλεονεκτῇ μέτρον, ὥσπερ οὖν ἡμᾶς ἐκεῖνοι τυχόν. ἀλλ' οὐκ ἄδικος ὁ Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ, ὁ τοῖς μὲν ἀγγέλοις παρεστάναι κελεύων, καὶ τοῦτο διδοὺς τῇ ἐκείνων φύσει τὸ ἀξίωμα σύνεδρον ἔχων τὸν ἴδιον Υἱὸν, ἐπείπερ οἶδε κατὰ φύσιν ὄντα Θεὸν, καὶ οὐκ ἀλλότριον τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ τὸ ἴδιον γέννημα. πῶς οὖν ἔτι γενητὸς, πῶς δὲ ἀπὸ κόσμου τοῦ γενητοῦ, καὶ οὐχὶ μᾶλλον ἐν τούτοις, ἐν οἷσπερ ἂν εἴη Θεὸς ἀληθινὸς, ὑπὲρ πάντα δηλονότι τὰ ἐν παντὶ κόσμῳ νοούμενά τε καὶ ὑπάρχειν ὁμολογούμενα; Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὥς τι μέγα καὶ ἄμαχον προσετείνατε τὸ εἰπεῖν τὸν Χριστὸν εὐδιαστόλως Ἐγὼ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, διὰ δέ Τούτου τὸν ἕτερον ἡμῖν κατασημαίνεσθαι κόσμον διισχυρίζεσθε λέγοντες ἐκεῖθεν ὑπάρχειν αὐτὸν, ἴδωμεν πάλιν εἰ μὴ σαθροῖς ἐπερείδεσθε λογισμοῖς, ταῦτα λογίζεσθαι καὶ φρονεῖν ὑπὸ μόνης τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἐλαφρίας ἀναπειθόμενοι. τὸ γάρ Οὗτος, ἢ Τούτου τυχὸν, καὶ εἴ τι λέγεται παρ' ἡμῶν ἀντωνυμικῶς, δεικτικόν ἐστι, καὶ οὐχὶ πάντως οὐδὲ ἀναγκαίως ἑτέρου σημαντικόν. καὶ γοῦν ὁ μακάριος Βαροὺχ, τὸν ἕνα καὶ μόνον ἡμῖν κατασημαίνων Θεόν ” Οὗτός φησιν ὁ Θεὸς “ἡμῶν, οὐ λογισθήσεται ἕτερος πρὸς αὐτόν:” ἀλλ' εἴπερ ἦν πάντως τό Οὗτος ἑτέρου σημαντικὸν, πῶς οὐκ ἂν ἕτερος ἐλογίσθη πρὸς αὐτῷ; ἀλλὰ καὶ Συμεὼν ὁ δίκαιος τὸ ἐπὶ τῷ Χριστῷ προφητεύων μυστήριον “Ἰδοὺ οὗτος, φησὶ, ” κεῖται εἰς πτῶσιν καὶ ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν πολλῶν ἐν τῷ “Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ εἰς σημεῖον ἀντιλεγόμενον:” καίτοι τίνι τῶν ὄντων οὐ προδηλότατον, οὐχ ὡς ἑτέρων ἡμᾶς προσώπων ἀφιστὰς ὁ δίκαιος τό Οὗτός φησιν, ἀλλ' ἵνα οὕτως εἴπω, μοναδικῶς τὸν ἤδη παρόντα καὶ πρὸς τοῦτο τεθειμένον ὑποδεικνύς. οὐκοῦν ὅταν λέγῃ Χριστός Ἐγὼ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, οὐχὶ πάντως ὡς ὑπάρχων ἐξ ἑτέρου κόσμου τὰ τοιαῦτά φησιν, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ δύο τινὰς τόπους σωματικώτερον ὁρίζων καὶ τιθεὶς, τῆς γενητῆς φύσεώς φημι καὶ τῆς ἀῤῥήτου καὶ ἐπάνω πάσης οὐσίας ἀνθρώπου, μένοντας Ἰουδαίους ἐν τῷ τῶν γενητῶν τόπῳ τίθησι λέγων Ὑμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ἐστέ: ἑαυτὸν δὲ παντελῶς τῶν ἐν γενέσει διιστὰς, καὶ τῷ ἑτέρῳ συνάπτων τόπῳ τῷ τῆς θεότητος λέγω Οὐκ εἰμί φησιν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου. οὐκοῦν ἀντιπαραθεὶς εἰς γνῶσιν τὴν θεότητα τῷ κόσμῳ, τούτου μὲν ἐκείνῳ δίδωσιν, ἑαυτὸν δὲ τῷ γεγεννηκότι Θεῷ καὶ τῇ ἀνωτάτω πασῶν οὐσίᾳ προσνέμει. ” Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἀδικήσει, φησὶ, τῶν ἀγγέλων τὴν φύσιν ὁ „Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ, εἰ μὴ τούτοις αὐτὴν οἷς καὶ τὸν Υἱὸν ” ἔγνω τιμᾶν. ἄδικον γὰρ οὐδαμῶς ἀποφαίνει τὸν Θεὸν, τὸ „ἐν τῇ κτίσει ποικίλον, ἢ τῷ ἑκάστῳ πρεπόντως ἀπονέμειν ” τὴν δόξαν, ἐπεὶ κατά τινα τρόπον ἡμεῖς ἀγγέλων ἠλαττώ„μεθα, καίτοι δίκαιον εἶναι ὁμολογοῦντες τὸν Θεόν: ὅπερ ” οὖν ἡμεῖς πρὸς ἀγγέλους, τοῦτο καὶ ἄγγελοι πρὸς τὸν „Υἱόν: παραχωροῦσι δὲ ὡς ἀμείνονι καὶ τὸ ἐν μείζοσιν εἶναι ” τιμαῖς, ἢ ἐν αἷσπέρ εἰσιν αὐτοί.„ Ἀλλ', ὦ βέλτιστε: πάλιν ἐροῦμεν τὸν ἀμαθῆ δυσωποῦντες αἱρετικόν: εἰ καὶ τῆς τῶν ἀγγέλων δόξης ἀφεστήκαμεν, ἐπεὶ καὶ τῆς ἐνούσης αὐτοῖς εὐσεβείας ἡττώμεθα, καὶ εἰ πολύ τι τὸ ἐν τῇ κτίσει ποικίλον καὶ παρηλλαγμένον καὶ πλεονεκτοῦν ἐν τιμαῖς, ἤτοι μειονεκτούμενον κατὰ τὴν τοῦ ποιήσαντος βούλησιν, ἀλλά γε τοῖς πᾶσιν τὸ ἐκτίσθαι κοινὸν, καὶ οὐδὲν ὅλως ἐν τούτοις τὸ ἕτερον ὑπερτεροῦν ἢ λειπόμενον. προὔχειν μὲν γὰρ ἔν τε τιμῇ καὶ δόξῃ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸν ἄγγελον θαυμαστὸν οὐδὲν, ἢ καὶ τοῦ ἀγγέλου τὸν ἀρχάγγελον: τὸ γεμὴν εἰς τοῦ τὰ πάντα πεποιηκότος ἀναβαίνειν δύνασθαι δόξαν οὐδενὶ τῶν κτισμάτων προσὸν εὑρήσομεν: οὐ γὰρ ἔσται τι τῶν γεγονότων φύσει Θεὸς, οὐδ' ἰσότιμον ἔσται τῷ Δεσπότῃ τὸ δοῦλον, σύνεδρόν τε καὶ συμβασιλεῦον αὐτῷ. ποῖον οὖν ἄρα μέτρον ἔσται τιμῆς τῷ Υἱῷ γενητῷ καθ' ὑμᾶς ὄντι, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τοῦ νοητοῦ τὸ θεοπρεπὲς ἀξίωμα; πῶς δὲ εἰς τὴν αὐτὴν ἀναδραμεῖται δόξαν τῷ κατὰ φύσιν Θεῷ τὸ τοῖς κτίσμασιν ὁμογενὲς, καίτοι τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγοντος “Τὴν δόξαν μου ἑτέρῳ οὐ δώσω.” τί δὲ εἰπέ μοι τὸν διάβολον τῶν οὐρανίων ἐξέπεσεν αὐλῶν; ἆρα τὸ διψῆσαι τιμὴν πρέπουσαν μὲν φύσει τῇ γενητῇ, τῶν γεμὴν προσόντων αὐτῷ μέτρων τὴν ἀμείνω καὶ μείζονα, καὶ ἐν τούτοις ἦν αὐτῷ τῶν ἐγκλημάτων ὁ λόγος; ἢ ὅτι τετόλμηκεν εἰπεῖν “Ἔσομαι ὅμοιος τῷ ὑψίστῳ;” ἐφαντάσθη γὰρ δύνασθαι τὸ ποιηθὲν εἰς τὴν τοῦ ποιήσαντος ἀναβῆναι φύσιν, καὶ σύνθρονον ἔσεσθαι τῷ πάντων ἔχοντι τὸ κράτος Θεῷ. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ πέπτωκεν ὡς ἀστραπὴ, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον, ἐξ οὐρανοῦ. σὺ δὲ ἡμῖν τοῖς οὕτω σφαλεροῖς ἀφυλάκτως ἐπιπηδῶν, ἐν τῷ μηδενὶ τίθης τὸ ἔκ τινος κόσμου καθ' ὑμᾶς ὄντα τὸν Υἱὸν, καὶ μέρος διὰ τοῦτο τῆς κτίσεως, ἐν τάξει τιμῆς καλεῖσθαι παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς εἰς τὸ συνεδρεύειν αὐτῷ, τοῦτο προξενούσης αὐτῷ τῆς οὐσίας οὐδαμῶς, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἐπὶ τὸ πρέπον αὐτῇ καὶ χρεωστούμενον καλούσης ἀξίωμα. δέχεται γὰρ, ἂν οὕτως ἔχῃ καθάπερ ὑμεῖς ληροῦντές φατε, ὡς ἐν χάριτος μέρει τὰ ὑπὲρ τὴν κτίσιν. ἄπαγε τῆς δυσφημίας ἄνθρωπε: διακεισόμεθα γὰρ οὐχ οὕτως ἡμεῖς, μὴ δοίη Θεός. ἀγγέλους μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἀρχαγγέλους, καὶ τοὺς ἔτι τούτων ἐν ἀμείνοσι τετιμῆσθαι διαφόρως πιστεύομεν κατ' ἐξουσίαν καὶ βούλησιν τοῦ πανσόφου Θεοῦ, δικαίαν δηλονότι τὴν ἐφ' ἑκάστῳ τῶν γεγονότων ὁρίζοντος ψῆφον: τὸν δὲ κατὰ φύσιν Υἱὸν, οὐκ ἐν τούτοις εἶναι νομιοῦμεν: οὐ γὰρ ἐν χάριτος μέρει καὶ ἐπακτὴν ἔχει τὴν δόξαν, ἀλλ' ἐπείπερ ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας ἐστὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς, Θεὸς ἀληθινὸς ἐκ Θεοῦ τοῦ κατὰ φύσιν καὶ ἀληθινοῦ, σύνθρονός τε καὶ σύνεδρος ἐστὶν αὐτῷ, πάντα ὑπὸ πόδας ἔχων ὡς Θεὸς, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς μετὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ ὅλῃ τῇ κτίσει θεοπρεπῶς ἐποχούμενος. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ δικαίως ἤκουεν “Ὅτι τὰ σύμπαντα δοῦλα σά:” ἐπειδὴ δὲ πανταχόθεν Θεὸς ἀληθινὸς ὑπάρχων εὑρίσκεται, δῆλον δήπου πάντως ὡς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, τουτέστι, γενητός. ὅλην γὰρ τῶν πεποιημένων τὴν φύσιν ὁ κόσμος ἡμῖν ἐν τούτῳ κατασημαίνει, τὴν ὡς ἐκ μέρους ἐπὶ τὸ σύμπαν τὸ πεποιῆσθαι νοούμενον παραπέμπων σύγκρισιν, ὥσπερ οὖν ἀμέλει πάσης ἑαυτὸν ὑπεξάγων τῆς πρὸς τὴν κτίσιν ὁμοφυΐας ἐν προφήταις ἔφη Θεός “Διότι Θεὸς ἐγώ ” εἰμι καὶ οὐκ ἄνθρωπος.“ καὶ οὐκ ἐπείπερ ἔφη μὴ εἶναι καθ' ἡμᾶς ἄνθρωπος, διὰ τοῦτο πάντως αὐτὸν ἀγγέλοις, ἤγουν ἑτέροις τισὶ τῶν γενητῶν, συντάξομεν, ἀλλ' ἐκ μέρους ἐπὶ τὸ σύμπαν ἰόντες, ἕτερόν τι κατὰ φύσιν ὑπάρχειν ὁμολογήσομεν τὸν Θεὸν παρὰ πάντα τὰ γενητά. οὕτως οἶμαι δεῖν εὐσεβοῦντας νοεῖν τὰ παρεμπίπτοντα δυσχερῆ: ” Βλέπομεν “γὰρ ἐν ἐσόπτρῳ δι' αἰνίγματος,” καθάπερ ὁ Παῦλός φησιν.
« Εἶπον οὖν ὑμῖν ὅτι ἀποθανεῖσθε ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ὑμῶν. » Δι' ὀλίγων ἀνατρέψας τὴν ἀβουλοτάτην τῶν ἐκεῖνα διενθυμουμένων ὑπόνοιαν, καὶ ληροῦντας ἐφ' ἑαυτῷ πάλιν ἐλέγξας, ἐπάνεισιν ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τὸν ἐξ ἀρχῆς προτεθέντα τῷ λόγῳ σκοπὸν, καὶ ἐν ὅσοις ἔσονται κακοῖς, περιπεσοῦνται δὲ τίσιν, ἀλογώτατα παρωθούμενοι τὸ πιστεύειν αὐτῷ, καὶ εἰσαῦθις ἐπαναλαβὼν ὑποφαίνει. χρῆμα δὲ διδασκάλῳ τῷ σοφῷ καὶ ἐπιεικεῖ πρεπωδέστερον ἂν εἴη καὶ τοῦτο: δεῖν γὰρ οἶμαι τὸν διδάσκοντα, μὴ ταῖς τῶν ἀκροωμένων ἀμαθίαις φιλονεικεῖν, μηδὲ τῆς εἰς αὐτοὺς φροντίδος ὀλιγωρεῖν, εἰ καὶ μὴ λίαν ἑτοίμως παραδέχοιντο τυχὸν τῶν μαθημάτων τὴν γνῶσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰσαῦθις τὰ αὐτὰ, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πολλάκις ἀνακυκλοῦντα λέγειν, καὶ διὰ τῶν αὐτῶν ἰέναι ῥημάτων. ἐπείτοι καὶ ὁ τληπαθὴς ἀροτρεὺς ἀνατεμὼν ἔσθ' ὅτε τὴν ἄρουραν, καὶ πόνους ἐν αὐτῇ διηντληκὼς οὐ βραχεῖς, καὶ τὸν σπόρον ἐγκαταχώσας τοῖς αὔλαξιν, ἂν ἴδῃ διεφθαρμένον, παλινδρομεῖ πρὸς ἄροτρον, καὶ τοῖς ἤδη κατεφθαρμένοις ἐπισπείρειν οὐ κατοκνεῖ. διημαρτηκὼς γὰρ ἐν ἀρχῇ τοῦ σκοποῦ πάθοι ἂν οὐ πάντως ἐν γοῦν τοῖς δευτέροις τὰ παραπλήσια. τοιαύτην ἐπασκήσας τὴν ἕξιν καὶ ὁ θεσπέσιος Παῦλός που φησίν “Τὰ αὐτὰ λέγειν ὑμῖν ἐμοὶ μὲν οὐκ ” ὀκνηρὸν, ὑμῖν δὲ ἀσφαλές.“ ὁρᾷς ὅπως ὄκνου κρείττων ὁ διδάσκων εὑρίσκεται, τότε τοῖς ἀκροωμένοις τὸ ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων γενέσθαι πολλάκις ἀκολουθεῖ; χρησίμως τοιγαροῦν τὸν πρὸς Ἰουδαίους ἀναμηρυσάμενος λόγον ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστὸς, οὐκ ἐν τοῖς τυχοῦσιν ἔσεσθαι τοῦ μὴ πιστεύειν αὐτῷ τὴν ζημίαν διισχυρίζεται: δεῖν γὰρ πάντως ἐν ἁμαρτίαις ἀποθανεῖν τοὺς ἀπειθοῦντάς φησι, τὸ δὲ τεθνάναι πεφορτισμένον τοῖς πλημμελήμασιν, ὅτι φλογὶ τῇ παμφάγῳ παραδώσει τὴν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ψυχὴν, οὐκ ἀμφίλογον.
« Ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ πιστεύσητε ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι, ἀποθανεῖσθε ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ὑμῶν. » Ἀκριβέστερον εἰσηγεῖται τὰ συμφέροντα, καὶ φανότατον τῆς σωτηρίας καθιστὰς τὸν τρόπον ὑποδεικνύει λοιπὸν διὰ ποίας ἰόντες ὁδοῦ πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἁγίων ἀναβήσονται ζωὴν, καὶ εἰς τὴν ἄνω γενήσονται πόλιν, τὴν ἐπουράνιον Ἱερουσαλήμ. καὶ οὐ μόνον ὅτι προσήκει πιστεῦσαί φησιν, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν τοῦτο γενέσθαι δεήσει διισχυρίζεται. δικαιούμεθα γὰρ πιστεύοντες εἰς αὐτὸν ὡς εἰς Θεὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ, ὡς εἰς Σωτῆρα καὶ λυτρωτὴν καὶ βασιλέα τῶν ὅλων καὶ Κύριον ἀληθῶς. ἀπολεῖσθε τοιγαροῦν οὐ πιστεύοντες, φησὶν, ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι. τὸ δέ Ἐγὼ περὶ οὗ, φησὶν, ἐν προφήταις γέγραπται ” Φωτίζου φωτίζου Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ἥκει γὰρ τὸ φῶς σου, καὶ “ἡ δόξα Κυρίου ἐπὶ σὲ ἀνατέταλκεν.” ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμί φησιν, ὁ πάλαι πρὸς ἀπόστασιν τῶν ἐν ψυχῇ νοσημάτων βαδίσαι κελεύων, καὶ τὴν ἐξ ἀγάπης θεραπείαν ὑπισχνούμενος διὰ τοῦ λέγειν “Ἐπιστράφητε υἱοὶ ἐπιστρέφοντες, καὶ ἰάσομαι ” τὰ συντρίμματα ὑμῶν.“ ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ τὴν θεοπρεπῆ ἐν σοὶ καὶ πάλαι χρηστότητα καὶ ἀσύγκριτον ἀνεξικακίαν χαριεῖσθαι δὴ εἰπὼν, διά τε τοῦτο βοῶν ” Ἐγώ εἰμι ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ “ἐξαλείφων τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου καὶ οὐ μὴ μνησθήσομαι.” ἐγώ εἰμι, φησὶν, ὁ καὶ διὰ τοῦ προφήτου Ἡσαΐου λέγων “Λούσασθε, καθαροὶ γενέσθε, ἀφέλετε τὰς πονηρίας ἀπὸ ” τῶν καρδιῶν ὑμῶν ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν μου: παύ“σασθε ἀπὸ τῶν πονηριῶν ὑμῶν, καὶ δεῦτε καὶ διαλεχθῶμεν ” λέγει Κύριος: καὶ ἐὰν ὦσιν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ὑμῶν ὡς φοινικοῦν, “ὡς χιόνα λευκανῶ, ἐὰν δὲ ὦσιν ὡσεὶ κόκκινον, ὡς ἔριον ” λευκανῶ.“ ἐγώ φησίν εἰμι, περὶ οὗ πάλιν αὐτός που φησὶν ὁ προφήτης Ἡσαΐας ” Ἐπ' ὄρος ὑψηλὸν ἀνάβηθι ὁ εὐαγ“γελιζόμενος Σιὼν, ὕψωσον τῇ ἰσχύϊ τὴν φωνὴν ὁ εὐαγγελι” ζόμενος Ἱερουσαλήμ: ὑψώσατε, μὴ φοβεῖσθε: ἰδοὺ ὁ Θεὸς “ὑμῶν, ἰδοὺ Κύριος μετὰ ἰσχύος ἔρχεται, καὶ ὁ βραχίων ” μετὰ κυρίας: ἰδοὺ ὁ μισθὸς αὐτοῦ μετ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ ἔργον “ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ. ὡς ποιμὴν ποιμανεῖ τὸ ποίμνιον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ” τῷ βραχίονι αὐτοῦ συνάξει ἄρνας, καὶ ἐν γαστρὶ ἐχούσας “παρακαλέσει.” καὶ πάλιν “Τότε ἀνοιχθήσονται ὀφθαλμοὶ ” τυφλῶν, καὶ ὦτα κωφῶν ἀκούσονται, τότε ἁλεῖται ὡς “ἔλαφος ὁ χωλὸς, καὶ τρανὴ ἔσται γλῶσσα μογιλάλων.” ἐγώ εἰμί φησι, περὶ οὗ πάλιν γέγραπται ὅτι “Ἐξαίφνης ” ἥξει εἰς τὸν ναὸν αὐτοῦ Κύριος ὃν ὑμεῖς ζητεῖτε, καὶ ὁ “ἄγγελος τῆς διαθήκης ὃν ὑμεῖς θέλετε: ἰδοὺ ἔρχεται, λέγει ” Κύριος, καὶ τίς ὑπομενεῖ ἡμέραν εἰσόδου αὐτοῦ; ἢ τίς “ὑποστήσεται ἐν τῇ ὀπτασίᾳ αὐτοῦ; ὅτι αὐτὸς εἰσπορεύ” σεται ὡς πῦρ ἐν χωνευτηρίῳ καὶ ὡς ποία πλυνόντων.“ ἐγώ φησίν εἰμι ὁ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἁπάντων σωτηρίας προσάγειν ἐμαυτὸν εἰς θυσίαν αὐτῷ τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ διὰ φωνῆς τοῦ μελῳδοῦ καθυπισχνούμενος καὶ βοῶν ” Θυσίαν καὶ προσ“φορὰν οὐκ ἠθέλησας, σῶμα δὲ κατηρτίσω μοι: ὁλοκαυτώ” ματα καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτίας οὐκ ηὐδόκησας: τότε εἶπον Ἰδοὺ “ἥκω, ἐν κεφαλίδι βιβλίου γέγραπται περὶ ἐμοῦ, τοῦ ποιῆσαι ” τὸ θέλημά σου ὁ Θεός.“ ἐγώ φησίν εἰμι, καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ διὰ Μωυσέως ἐκήρυττε νόμος οὕτω λέγων ” Προφήτην ἐκ τῶν “ἀδελφῶν σου ὡς ἐμὲ ἀναστήσει σοι Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου, ” αὐτοῦ ἀκούσεσθε: κατὰ πάντα ὅσα ᾐτήσω παρὰ Κυρίου “τοῦ Θεοῦ σου ἐν ὄρει ἐν Χωρὴβ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τῆς ἐκκλησίας.” οὐκοῦν εὐλόγως ἀπολεῖσθε, φησὶ, καὶ δικαιοτάτην ἀποτίσετε τῷ κρίνοντι δίκην τὸν διὰ πολλῶν μὲν ὑμῖν προκεκηρυγμένον ἁγίων, μαρτυρηθέντα δὲ καὶ δι' ὧν ἐργάζομαι διὰ πολλὴν ἀνοσιότητα τρόπων οὐ προσηκάμενοι. καὶ γὰρ δὴ καὶ κατὰ ἀλήθειαν οὐδεὶς ἐξαλεῖται λόγος τοῦ κολάζεσθαι δεῖν τοὺς ἀπειθοῦντας αὐτῷ, πεπληρωμένης μὲν τῆς θεοπνεύστου γραφῆς τῶν περὶ αὐτοῦ μαρτυριῶν τε καὶ λόγων, καὶ αὐτοῦ δὲ συνῳδὸν τοῖς πάλαι χρησμῳδουμένοις τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων παρεχομένου λαμπρότητα.
« Ἔλεγον οὖν αὐτῷ Σὺ τίς εἶ; » Πρόεισι πάλιν αὐτοῖς ἐξ ἀλαζονείας ὁ λόγος ἀγριωτάτῃ συγκεκραμένον ὀργῇ. φιλοπευστοῦσι γὰρ οὐχ ἵνα μαθόντες πιστεύσειαν, ἀλλ' ἐκ πολλῆς ἀπονοίας μονονουχὶ καὶ ἐπιπηδῶσι Χριστῷ. ἁπλούστερον μὲν γὰρ τό Ἐγώ εἰμί φησιν αὐτὸς, οὐ προσθεὶς ὅτι Θεὸς ἐκ Θεοῦ, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἕτερόν τι τῶν ὅσα τὴν ἐνοῦσαν αὐτῷ κατασημαίνει δόξαν: ὑφειμένως δὲ πάλιν καὶ κόμπου δίχα παντὸς μόνον ἐκεῖνό φησι, τό Ἐγώ εἰμι, προστιθέναι τὸ λεῖπον ἐπιτρέψας τοῖς εὐμαθεστέροις: οἱ δὲ πρὸς ἐκτοπωτάτην καὶ ἀχάλινον χωροῦσι μανίαν, καὶ ἐξ ἀμέτρου τῆς ὑπεροψίας μονονουχὶ καὶ διακόπτουσιν οὔπω πρὸς τέλος ἐλάσαντα τοῦ Σωτῆρος τὸν λόγον, ἐπιτιμῶσι δὲ ὥσπερ καὶ μεταξὺ διαλαβόντες φασί Σὺ τίς εἶ; τοῦτο δὲ ἦν εἰπεῖν ἐναργῶς Μὴ ἄρα τι μεῖζον ὧν ἴσμεν ἡμεῖς περὶ σεαυτοῦ φρονῆσαι τολμᾷς; οἴδαμέν σε τοῦ τέκτονος υἱὸν, ἀνδρὸς εὐτελοῦς καὶ πενιχροτάτου, ἀσήμου παρ' ἡμῖν καὶ οὐδενὸς παντελῶς. κατακρίνουσι τοιγαροῦν ὡς οὐδὲν ὄντα τὸν Κύριον ὁρῶντες εἰς μόνον τὸ κατὰ σάρκα γένος, τὴν δὲ ἐκ τῶν ἔργων μεγαλοπρέπειαν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὴν ἄνωθεν καὶ ἐκ Θεοῦ γέννησιν, οὐδ' ὅσον εἰς νοῦν δεξάμενοι, ὅθεν ἦν μάλιστα Θεὸν ὄντα κατὰ φύσιν ἐπιγινώσκειν αὐτόν: τίς γὰρ ἂν εἰργάσατο τὰ μόνῳ πρέποντα Θεῷ; μὴ οὐχὶ καὶ αὐτὸς ὑπάρχων κατὰ φύσιν Θεός; εἰργάζετο δὲ ὁ Χριστός: ἦν οὖν ἄρα, καὶ ἔστι Θεὸς, καὶ ἐν σαρκὶ γεγονὼς ὑπὲρ τῆς ἁπάντων σωτηρίας καὶ ζωῆς. ἀλλ' οἱ μόναις ταῖς ἑαυτῶν δυσβουλίαις πειθόμενοι, τῆς δὲ θείας ἡμῶν καὶ θεοπνεύστου γραφῆς λόγον οὐδένα λαβόντες πώποτε, ἐφ' οἷς ἔδει μᾶλλον εὐχαριστεῖν, ἐπὶ τούτοις αὐτὸν κατασμικρύνουσι, μὴ εἰδότες “μήτε ἃ λέγουσι, μήτε περὶ τίνων διαβεβαιοῦνται.” Στήσαντες τοίνυν εἰς τό Σὺ μετ' ἐμφάσεως τὴν ὑποστιγμὴν, καὶ τὴν καλουμένην ὀξεῖαν ἀναπέμψαντες, ὡς ἐν ἐρωτήσει μετὰ θαύματος ἐκδεχόμεθα τὸν λόγον: φασὶ γὰρ τό Σύ, οἱονεί Ὁ μηδεὶς ὢν ὅλως, καὶ τοῦτο παρ' ἡμῖν γινωσκόμενος, ὁ εὐτελὴς καὶ ἐξ εὐτελῶν, τί περὶ σεαυτοῦ λαμπρὸν ἔχεις εἰπεῖν, τί δὲ ἄξιον λόγου τῶν περὶ σοῦ; τῆς γὰρ Ἰουδαϊκῆς ἀπονοίας οὐδὲν τῶν τοιούτων τολμημάτων ἀλλότριον.
« Εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς Τὴν ἀρχὴν ὅ τι καὶ λαλῶ ὑμῖν. » Ἀτιμάζομαι, φησὶ, καίτοι καλῶν εἰς αἰώνιον ζωὴν, εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν, εἰς ἀπόθεσιν θανάτου καὶ φθορᾶς, εἰς ἁγιασμὸν, εἰς δικαιοσύνην, εἰς δόξαν, εἰς καύχημα πρὸς υἱοθεσίαν Θεοῦ: ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτοις ἅπασι στεφανοῦν ἐθέλων ὑμᾶς, ἐν τῷ μηδενὶ κατατέταγμαι λόγῳ, καὶ εὐτελὴς οὕτω λελόγισμαι παρ' ὑμῖν: ἀλλὰ ναὶ δίκαια πάσχω, φησὶν, ὅτι καὶ λόγου παρ' ὑμῖν ἐποιησάμην ἀρχὴν ὅτι καὶ προσπεφώνηκά τι τῶν εἰδότων ὠφελεῖν, καὶ διασώζειν ἐβουλευσάμην τοὺς οἵπερ ἔμελλον εἰς τοσαύτην κατοιχήσεσθαι μοχθηρίαν, ὡς πικρὰς ἀμοιβὰς ἀποδιδόναι φιλεῖν τῷ διασώζειν αὐτοὺς ᾑρημένῳ. Ἔοικε δέ τι καὶ ἕτερον ἡμῖν διὰ τούτων ὑποδηλοῦν ὁ Χριστός. ἔδει γάρ με, φησὶν, οὐχ ὑμῖν ὅλως προσλαλῆσαι κατὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν, ἐκείνοις δὲ μᾶλλον τοῦτο χαρίζεσθαι τοῖς μέλλουσι καὶ λίαν ἀσμένως ἐφήδεσθαι λόγοις, καὶ ἀμελλητὶ τὸν αὐχένα τοῖς εὐαγγελικοῖς ὑποζεῦξαι διατάγμασι. σημαίνει δὲ διὰ τούτων τῶν ἐθνῶν τὴν πληθύν. ὅταν δὲ τὰ τοιαῦτα λέγοντα νοῶμεν αὐτὸν, παραφυλαξόμεθα πάλιν τῶν δι' ἐναντίας τὸν λόγον: ἐρεῖ γάρ τις τυχὸν τῶν εἰωθότων χριστομαχεῖν Εἰ μὴ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις προσλαλεῖν ἐν ἀρχῇ, μᾶλλον δὲ τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἔδει, διήμαρτεν ἄρα τοῦ πρέποντος ὁ Υἱὸς, οὐχὶ τοῦτο μᾶλλον, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο διαπεπραχώς. ἀλλ' ἐροῦμεν πρὸς τοῦτο πάλιν Οὐκ εἰς μετάγνωσιν τῶν ἰδίων, ἢ τῶν τοῦ Πατρὸς θελημάτων ἐλθὼν ὁ Υἱὸς, τὰ τοιαῦτά φησιν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ὡς ἔξω βεβηκὼς τοῦ πρέποντος τῇ οἰκονομίᾳ πράγματος, οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἐβουλεύσατό τι Θεὸς, ὃ μὴ πάντως ἦν γενέσθαι καὶ πρέπον: διὰ δὲ τοῦ λέγειν, ὡς οὐχ ὑμῖν ἔδει λαλῆσαι κατὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν, οὐδὲ θεμέλιον ὥσπερ καταβαλέσθαι παρ' ὑμῖν τῆς σωτηριώδους διδασκαλίας, ἀληθῆ καὶ φιλάνθρωπον κατὰ φύσιν ὑπάρχοντα καὶ τὸν Πατέρα δεικνύει καὶ ἑαυτόν. ἰδοὺ γὰρ, καίτοι μὴ οὖσιν ἀξίοις τοῖς ἀνοσίοις Ἰουδαίοις τὸν σωτήριον ἐχαρίζετο λόγον, ἐν δευτέρῳ κατατάξας τόπῳ τῶν ἐθνῶν τὴν πληθὺν, καίτοι λίαν εὐπετέστερον καὶ πιστεύειν αὐτῷ καὶ πείθεσθαι μελετήσασαν. Τί οὖν ἄρα τὸ ἀναπεῖσαν αὐτὸν τὸν σκληροτράχηλον τῶν Ἰουδαίων λαὸν τῶν ἑτέρων προτάξαι καὶ προτιμᾶν; πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐποιήσατο τῆς ἀφίξεως τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν διὰ τῶν ἁγίων προφητῶν, αὐτοῖς ἡ χάρις διὰ τοὺς πατέρας ὠφείλετο. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἔφασκεν “Οὐκ ἀπεστάλην εἰ μὴ εἰς τὰ πρό” βατα τὰ ἀπολωλότα οἴκου Ἰσραήλ:“ καὶ πρὸς γυναῖκα δὲ τὴν συροφοινίκισσαν ” Οὐκ ἔστι καλὸν λαβεῖν τὸν ἄρτον τῶν “τέκνων καὶ βαλεῖν τοῖς κυναρίοις.” οὐκοῦν ὁ μὲν Ἰσραὴλ ἐκ τούτου τετίμηται, καὶ προτέτακται τῶν ἐθνῶν, καίτοι σκαιοτέραν ἔχων τὴν γνώμην. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἠγνόησε τὸν ἁπάντων Δεσπότην, καὶ τῶν ἐν ἐπαγγελίαις ἀγαθῶν τὸν τελειωτὴν, μετέστη λοιπὸν ἐπὶ τὰ ἔθνη τῆς διδασκαλίας ἡ χάρις, οἷς ἐχρῆν κατὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν καὶ ἐν πρώτοις προσδιαλεχθῆναι τὸν Κύριον, οὐχ ὅσον εἰς τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν τὴν εἰς τοὺς πατέρας γεγενημένην, ἀλλ' ὅσον εἰς τὴν ἐνοῦσαν αὐτοῖς εὐπείθειαν.
« Πολλὰ ἔχω περὶ ὑμῶν λαλεῖν καὶ κρίνειν. » Καταδικαζόντων αὐτοῦ τῶν Ἰουδαίων προαλέστερον, καὶ οὐδενὶ μὲν ἐχόντων τὸ παράπαν ἐγκαλεῖν, ἐπὶ μόνῃ δὲ τῇ εὐτελείᾳ τοῦ κατὰ σάρκα γένους ἐξωφρυωμένων, διά τε τοῦτο τὸ μηδὲν εἶναι λεγόντων αὐτὸν, ἐδυσώπει πράως, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀνωτέρω γυμνότερον εἰπών “Ὑμεῖς κατὰ τὴν σάρκα κρίνετε, ” ἐγὼ κρίνω οὐδένα.“ τὸ δὲ κρίνειν κατὰ τὴν σάρκα, τοιαύτην ἂν ἔχοι τὴν διάνοιαν εἰκότως: οἱ γὰρ μόνα θαυμάζοντες τὰ ἐπίγεια, τῶν μὲν οὐρανίων ἀγαθῶν ὁρῶσιν οὐδὲν, εἰς μόνην δὲ τὴν τῷδε τῷ βίῳ λαμπρότητα βλέποντες, τὸν πλουτοῦντα θαυμάζουσιν, ἤτοι τὸν ἑτέροις τισὶ δοξαρίοις ἐπικομπάζοντα: ἀλλ' οἵ γε κατὰ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμον τὰς τῶν πραγμάτων διευκρινόμενοι φύσεις, τῶν ἀξιεράστων ὄντως καὶ ἀξιοζηλώτων ἀνθρώπων ἐκεῖνον εἶναί φασιν, ᾧ τὸ βούλεσθαι βιοῦν ἐνυπάρχει κατὰ τὴν τοῦ πεποιηκότος βουλήν τε καὶ θέλησιν. ἀδικήσει γὰρ οὐδὲν τὴν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ψυχὴν ἀγαθουργεῖν εἰθισμένην τὸ κατὰ σάρκα σμικροπρεπὲς, ὠφελήσει δὲ καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἐναντίων οὐδὲν τοὺς διαζῆν ἐννόμως παραιτουμένους ἡ ἐν τῷδε τῷ βίῳ λαμπρότης καὶ τὸ ἐκ πλούτου περιφανές. κρίνουσι τοιγαροῦν κατὰ τὴν σάρκα, καθάπερ οὖν ἀρτίως ἐλέγομεν, οἱ μὴ βλέποντες εἰς ἁγιότητα, μὴ πολιτείαν, μὴ τρόπους εἰωθότες δοκιμάζειν, ἀλλ' εἰς μόνα τὰ ἐπίγεια τὸν οἰκεῖον παρατρέποντες νοῦν, καὶ παντὸς ἀξιοῦντες θαύματος τὸν ἐν πλούτῳ καὶ τρυφῇ τεθραμμένον. ὑμεῖς οὖν, ὦ παραφρονέστατοι τῶν Ἰουδαίων καθηγηταὶ, καίτοι νόμῳ τῷ διὰ Μωυσέως πρὸς τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ δικάζειν ἀκρίβειαν παιδαγωγούμενοι, κατεγνωκότες ἐπ' οὐδενὶ διὰ μόνην τὴν τῆς σαρκὸς εὐτέλειαν κατακρίνετε τὸν διὰ πολλῶν ὑμῖν παραδόξων ὀφθέντα Θεόν. ἐγὼ δὲ τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀπαιδευσίαν οὐ μιμήσομαι, οὐδὲ τοιαύτην περὶ ὑμῶν ἐξοίσω τὴν ψῆφον: οὐδὲν μὲν γὰρ ὅλως ἡ ἀνθρώπου φύσις. τί γὰρ ἂν εἴη τὸ ἐπίκηρον τουτὶ καὶ ἀπὸ γῆς σῶμα; σαπρία καὶ σκώληξ καὶ ἕτερον οὐδέν. ἀλλ' οὐ διὰ ταύτην ὑμᾶς τὴν αἰτίαν κατακρινῶ, οὐδὲ ἐπείπερ ἄνθρωποι κατὰ φύσιν ἐστὲ, διὰ τοῦτο πάντως ὑμᾶς καὶ περιπτύεσθαι δεῖν ὁριῶ: ἔχω πολλὰ περὶ ὑμῶν λαλεῖν καὶ κρίνειν, τουτέστι, πλουτεῖ πᾶς ὁ λόγος ὁ κατηγορῶν ἐφ' ὑμῖν, οὐχ ἓν ἐγκαλέσω μόνον, ἀλλὰ πολλὰ, καὶ ἐπ' οὐδενὶ διαψεύσομαι, καθάπερ ὑμεῖς. ἔχω κρίνειν ὡς ἀπειθεῖς, ὡς ἀλαζόνας, ὡς ὑβριστὰς, ὡς θεομάχους, ὡς ἀγνώμονας, ὡς ἀχαρίστους, ὡς πονηροὺς, ὡς φιληδονοῦντας μᾶλλον ἢ φιλοθεεῖν εἰθισμένους, ὡς ” δόξαν παρ' “ἀλλήλων λαμβάνοντας, τὴν δὲ δόξαν τὴν παρὰ τοῦ μόνου ” οὐ ζητοῦντας:“ ὡς ἐμπυρίσαντας τὸν νοητὸν ἀμπελῶνα, ὡς μὴ βοσκήσαντας κατὰ λόγον τὴν ἐγχειρισθεῖσαν ὑμῖν ἀγέλην παρὰ Θεοῦ, ὡς μὴ χειραγωγήσαντας ἐπὶ τὸν διὰ νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν κηρυττόμενον, τουτέστιν, ἐμέ. τοιαῦτα μὲν ὁ Σωτὴρ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ἐπιφθέγξαιτο: προστιθεὶς δὲ τό Πολλὰ ἔχω λέγειν περὶ ὑμῶν ἔτι καὶ κρίνειν, ὑπαπειλεῖ πως αὐτοῖς, ὡς ἀναδειχθήσεταί ποτε Κριτὴς, ὁ μηδὲν εἶναι δοκῶν παρ' ἐκείνοις διὰ τὴν σάρκα.
« Ἀλλ' ὁ πέμψας με ἀληθής ἐστι, κἀγὼ ἃ ἤκουσα παρ' αὐτοῦ, ταῦτα λαλῶ εἰς τὸν κόσμον. » Ἐῤῥῶσθαι φράσας ταῖς Ἰουδαίων ἀπαιδευσίαις, καὶ τοὺς ἀνέδην αὐτῷ διαλοιδορήσασθαι τολμήσαντας, ἐν τῷ μηδενὶ λογισάμενος, ἐπάνεισιν ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς, τὸ μὲν κρίνειν ἤδη τὰ κατ' αὐτοὺς, καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τούτῳ παῤῥησίαν οὐ τῷ παρόντι μᾶλλον, ἀλλὰ τῷ πρέποντι τηρήσας καιρῷ, καὶ τῷ τῆς ἐπιδημίας τρόπῳ τὸν ἴδιον ἀποσώσας σκοπόν: οὐ γὰρ ἦλθεν ἵνα κρίνῃ τὸν κόσμον, ἀλλ' ἵνα σώσῃ τὸν κόσμον, ὡς αὐτός που φησί. διάτοι τοῦτο καὶ ἀπρὶξ τῶν αὐτῷ πρεπόντων ἐχόμενος, καὶ τὸν εἰς σωτηρίαν καλοῦντα πάλιν ἀναμηρυσάμενος λόγον, ἐπιτείνει τὴν παραίνεσιν. ἐν τούτῳ γὰρ μάλιστα θαυμάζειν ἄξιον τῆς τε ἀνεξικακίας τὸ μέτρον, καὶ τῆς ἐνούσης αὐτῷ φιλανθρωπίας τὴν ὑπερβολήν: διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Πέτρος ἐπιστέλλει περὶ αὐτοῦ ” Ὃς λοιδορού“μενος οὐκ ἀντελοιδόρει, πάσχων οὐκ ἠπείλει, παρεδίδου δὲ ” τῷ κρίνοντι δικαίως.“ οὐκοῦν ἀναλώσω φησὶ τὸν πρὸς ὑμᾶς νῦν μάλιστα λόγον, οὐκ ἐφ' οἷς ὑμῖν ἔθος: εἰς φιλοψογίας δηλονότι καὶ τὴν ἐπ' οὐδενὶ τῶν χρησίμων τριβήν: ἀλλὰ τὸ κρίνειν ὑμᾶς καιρῷ τηρήσας τῷ πρέποντι, τῶν ὑμῖν συμφερόντων ἀνθέξομαι, καὶ τῆς εἰς ὑμᾶς οὐκ ἀποστήσομαι φειδοῦς, κἂν ἐξ ἀπονοίας τῆς ἐνούσης ὑμῖν ἀσυνέτως ὑβρίζετε. ἔλεγον τοίνυν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἀρτίως ” Ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς “τοῦ κόσμου: ὁ ἀκολουθῶν ἐμοὶ οὐ μὴ περιπατήσει ἐν τῇ ” σκοτίᾳ, ἀλλ' ἕξει τὸ φῶς τῆς ζωῆς:“ ἐπὶ τούτῳ παραλόγως ἀσχάλλοντες ἀνεπηδᾶτε δριμεῖς ” Σὺ περὶ σεαυτοῦ “μαρτυρεῖς, ἀναβοῶντες ἐκτόπως, ἡ μαρτυρία σου οὐκ ἔστιν ” ἀληθής.“ πρὸς δὴ τὰ τοιαῦτα πάλιν ἐγώ ” Κἂν ἐγὼ μαρ“τυρῶ περὶ ἐμαυτοῦ, ἀληθής ἐστιν ἡ μαρτυρία μου, ὅτι ” οἶδα πόθεν ἦλθον καὶ ποῦ ὑπάγω.“ ἀλλ' εἰ δοκῶ τις εἶναι φορτικὸς, ταῦτα λέγων ἐν ὑμῖν, εἰ μὴ δεκτός εἰμι μάρτυς περὶ τῶν ἐμοὶ προσόντων ἀξιωμάτων φυσικῶν, ἀλλ' ὁ πέμψας με ἀληθής ἐστι κἀγὼ ἃ ἤκουσα παρ' αὐτοῦ ταῦτα λαλῶ εἰς τὸν κόσμον. ταυτολογῶ, φησὶ, τῷ πέμψαντί με Πατρὶ, συνῳδὰ τοῖς ἐκείνου φθέγγομαι ῥήμασιν, ὅτι φῶς εἰμι κατὰ φύσιν εἰπών. ἅπερ οὖν ἤκουσα λέγοντος περὶ ἐμοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς, ταῦτα λαλῶ εἰς τὸν κόσμον. οὐκοῦν εἰ ψεύδομαι καθ' ὑμᾶς, καὶ οὐκ ἀληθής ἐστιν ἡ μαρτυρία μου, προεψεῦσθαι πάντως ἀναγκαῖον ὑμᾶς εἰπεῖν τὸν Πατέρα. ἀλλ' ἔστιν ἀληθής: οὐκοῦν οὐ διέψευσμαι, καὶ εἰ μὴ τοῖς παρ' ἐμοῦ καταπείθησθε λόγοις, δυσωπήθητε, φησὶ, τὰς τοῦ πέμψαντός με φωνάς. τί γὰρ ἔφη περὶ ἐμοῦ; ” Ἰδοὺ ἀνὴρ, Ἀνατολὴ ὄνομα αὐτῷ:“ καὶ πάλιν πρὸς τοὺς σεβομένους αὐτόν ” Καὶ ἀνατελεῖ ὑμῖν τοῖς φοβουμένοις τὸ “ὄνομά μου ἥλιος δικαιοσύνης, καὶ ἴασις ἐν ταῖς πτέρυξιν ” αὐτοῦ:“ πρὸς ἐμὲ δή φησιν, ὃν οὐκ εἰδότες ὑβρίζετε ” Ἰδοὺ “δέδωκά σε εἰς διαθήκην γένους, εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν.” ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ φῶς εἰμι πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐλέγετο παρ' αὐτοῦ “Φωτίζου ” φωτίζου γάρ φησιν, Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ἥκει γάρ σου τὸ φῶς, “καὶ ἡ δόξα Κυρίου ἐπὶ σὲ ἀνατέταλκε.” ταῦτα λέγοντος ἤκουσα περὶ ἐμοῦ τοῦ ἀποστείλαντός με Πατρὸς, κἀγὼ διὰ τοῦτο φῶς ἐμαυτὸν εἶναι τοῦ κόσμου φημὶ, ὑμεῖς δὲ διὰ μόνην τὴν σάρκα κατεσμικρύνατε κρίναντες οὐκ ὀρθῶς, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο λέγειν ἀποτολμᾶτε συχνῶς “Σὺ περὶ σεαυτοῦ ” μαρτυρεῖς: ἡ μαρτυρία σου οὐκ ἔστιν ἀληθής.“ Οὐκοῦν: ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι γὰρ ὅλην ἀκόλουθον τὴν ἐν τῷ προκειμένῳ διάνοιαν: θεομαχοῦντας ἀντικρὺς ἀποφαίνει τοὺς Ἰουδαίους, καὶ οὐ μόνον ταῖς παρ' αὐτοῦ μαχομένους φωναῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ψήφῳ τῇ παρὰ τοῦ Πατρός: ὁ μὲν γὰρ φῶς οἶδεν ὄντα κατὰ φύσιν τὸν ἴδιον Υἱὸν, καὶ ἀνατολὴν καὶ ἥλιον δικαιοσύνης διὰ τοῦτο καλεῖ: οἱ δὲ τὸν ἐξ ἀπειθείας ὄλεθρον ταῖς ἑαυτῶν ἐπισύροντες κεφαλαῖς ἀποδοκιμάζουσι τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ” τὸ καλὸν λέγοντες πονηρὸν,“ καὶ διά τοι τοῦτο δικαίως αὐτοῖς ἀκολουθήσει τό Οὐαί.
« Οὐκ ἔγνωσαν ὅτι τὸν Πατέρα αὐτοῖς ἔλεγε. » Καταπλήττεται πάλιν τὴν τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἀναισθησίαν ὁ πνευματοφόρος, καὶ μάλα εἰκότως: τί γὰρ ἂν γένοιτο τῶν τοιούτων ἀνοητότερον, οἵ γε καὶ μακροῦ πολλάκις πρὸς αὐτοὺς γεγονότος λόγου περὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς, οὐδὲν ἐννοοῦσι περὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἀκροώμενοι λέγοντος ” Ἀλλ' ὁ πέμψας με ἀληθής ἐστι.“ τίς οὖν ἡ πρόφασις, καὶ διὰ ποίαν αἰτίαν ὁ μακάριος Εὐαγγελιστὴς οὐκ ἐγνωκέναι φησὶν Ἰουδαίους ὅτι τὸν Θεὸν αὐτοῖς καὶ Πατέρα διὰ τούτων ἐσήμανεν ὁ Χριστὸς, ἀναγκαῖον εἰπεῖν. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔφη πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὁ Σωτήρ ” Εἰ ἐμὲ ᾔδειτε, καὶ τὸν Πατέρα “μου ἂν ᾔδειτε,” ἵνα κἀν τούτῳ πάλιν ἀληθῆ λέγων εὑρίσκηται, τοὺς ἀγνοήσαντας τὸν Υἱὸν, ἀγνοοῦντας εἰσφέρει καὶ τὸν Πατέρα. θύρα γὰρ ὥσπερ καὶ πύλη τις ἐστὶ τῆς εἰς τὸν Πατέρα γνώσεως ὁ Υἱός: διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἔλεγεν “Οὐδεὶς ” ἔρχεται πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα εἰ μὴ δι' ἐμοῦ.“ ὡς γὰρ ἐξ εἰκόνος ἐπὶ τὸ ἀρχέτυπον ἀνατρέχων ὁ νοῦς ἐκ τοῦ παρεμπίπτοντος ἐκεῖνο φαντάζεται. ἦν οὖν ἀναγκαῖον ἐπιδεῖξαι τοὺς Ἰουδαίους οὐδὲν ἐννοοῦντας περὶ Πατρὸς, ἐπείπερ οὐκ ἠθέλησαν ἀναγώγως ἀπὸ τῆς γνώσεως τῆς τοῦ Υἱοῦ πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνου χειραγωγεῖσθαι κατάληψιν. διὰ τοῦτο γοργῶς ὁ Εὐαγγελιστὴς μονονουχὶ καὶ ἐπισημαίνεται, ὅτι λέγοντος τοῦ Χριστοῦ Ὁ πέμψας με ἀληθής ἐστιν, οὐκ ἔγνωσαν ὅτι τὸν Πατέρα αὐτοῖς ἔλεγεν.
« Ὅταν ὑψώσητε τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, τότε γνώσεσθε ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι. » Τοὺς τῶν ἰατρῶν ἀρίστους ἀπομιμούμενος, τῆς ἐνούσης αὐτοῖς κατὰ ψυχὴν ἀῤῥωστίας ἀπογυμνοῖ τὴν πρόφασιν, καὶ τὸ διακωλύον αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν ἐπ' αὐτῷ σύνεσίν τε καὶ πίστιν ἰέναι γοργῶς, ἀποκαλύπτει σαφῶς. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἴς τε τὴν σάρκα καὶ τὸ ἐντεῦθεν βλέποντες γένος, μικρά πως φρονεῖν ἀνεπείθοντο περὶ αὐτοῦ, κάλυμμα δὲ τοῦτο τοῖς τῆς διανοίας ἔχοντες ὀφθαλμοῖς, οὐκ ᾔδεσαν ἂν ὄντα Θεὸν, καὶ εἰ πέφηνεν ἄνθρωπος, ἀναγκαίως αὐτοῖς προσεφώνει λέγων Ὅταν ὑψώσητε τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τότε γνώσεσθε ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι, τουτέστιν, ὅταν τῆς ἐπ' ἐμοὶ μικρᾶς τε καὶ χαμαιπετοῦς ἀποπαύσησθε διαλήψεως, ὅταν ὑψηλόν τε καὶ ὑπέργειον φρονήσητε περὶ ἐμοῦ, καὶ Θεὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ πεφηνότα πιστεύσητε, εἰ καὶ γέγονα δι' ὑμᾶς ἄνθρωπος καθ' ὑμᾶς, τὸ τηνικάδε διαγνώσεσθε σαφῶς, ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου: τοῦτο γὰρ εἰς ὑμᾶς ἔλεγον ἀρτίως: τί γὰρ ἂν ἔτι διακωλύσαι, φησὶ, τὸν ὅλως παραδεχθέντα Θεὸν ὑπάρχειν ἀληθινὸν, καὶ φῶς εἶναι τοῦ κόσμου; οὐ γὰρ δὴ πρὸς τοσαύτην κατοιχηθήσεταί τις μανίαν καὶ θράσος, ὡς καὶ τότε φάναι τολμᾶν ” Ἡ μαρτυρία σου οὐκ ἔστιν ἀληθής:“ ψευδηγορήσει γὰρ οὐδαμῶς ἐφ' οἷσπερ ἂν λέγῃ Θεὸς φύσει καὶ ἀληθινός. Ἔστι τοίνυν προδηλότατον καὶ ἐκ τῶν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ῥημάτων, ὅτι σμικρὰν ἔχοντες ἐπ' αὐτῷ τὴν ὑπόνοιαν, καὶ ἄνθρωπον εἶναι γυμνὸν, ἔρημόν τε τῆς κατὰ φύσιν θεότητος διενθυμούμενοι, πάντως δήπου καὶ ἀπιστήσομεν εἰκότως αὐτῷ, καὶ οὐ παραδεξόμεθα Σωτῆρα καὶ λυτρωτήν. εἶτα τί τὸ ἐντεῦθεν; τῆς ἐλπίδος ἀποπεπτώκαμεν. εἰ γὰρ διὰ πίστεως ἡ σωτηρία, φρούδη δὲ ἡ πίστις, τί τὸ διασῶζον ἔτι; πιστεύοντες δὲ καὶ εἰς ὕψος αἴροντες τὸ θεοπρεπὲς τὸν Μονογενῆ, καὶ εἰ γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, ἐξ οὐρίας ὥσπερ ἐρχόμενοι, καὶ τὸ παγχάλεπον τοῦ βίου διαθέοντες πέλαγος, πρὸς τὴν ἄνω μεθορμισόμεθα πόλιν, τὰς ἐκ τοῦ πιστεύειν τιμὰς ἐκεῖ κομιούμενοι. ΑΛΛΩΣ ΤΟ ΑΥΤΟ.
« Ὅταν ὑψώσητε τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τότε γνώσεσθε ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι. » Πολλοῖς τε καὶ ἀγαθοῖς περιαντλήσας λόγοις τὸν τῶν Ἰουδαίων θυμὸν, σφριγῶντα πάλιν οὐδὲν ἧττον ὁρᾷ. δυσφημοῦντες γὰρ ἀφυλάκτως οὐ καταλήγουσιν, ἀλλὰ ποτὲ μὲν ἄκυρον αὐτοῦ ποιοῦσι τὴν φωνὴν, καὶ ψεύστην ἀποκαλοῦσι δυσσεβῶς: τὸ γὰρ ὅλον εἰπεῖν ” Ἡ μαρτυρία σου οὐκ ἔστιν “ἀληθὴς,” τί ἂν ἕτερον εἴη λοιπὸν ἢ τοῦτο; ποτὲ δὲ πάλιν ἐξ ἀγάπης αὐτοῖς τὰ εἰς σωτηρίαν εἰσηγουμένῳ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο λέγοντι, ὅτι “Ἐὰν μὴ πιστεύσητε ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι, ἀπο” θανεῖσθε ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ὑμῶν,“ ἀντηγείροντο θερμῶς, καὶ τοῖς ἐξ ἀγάπης αὐτοῖς ῥήμασι τοὺς ἐξ ἀπονοίας ἀντεξάγοντες λόγους, ἔφασκον Σὺ τίς εἶ; ἔδει τοίνυν τοῖς ἀκράτως οὕτως ἐγκεκυλισμένοις εἰς παράλογον θράσος τοῦ σωφρονίζοντος λόγου, καὶ μετριώτερον ἔχειν ἀναπείθοντος φρόνημα, χαλινὸν δὲ λοιπὸν ἐπιτιθέντος καὶ οὐχ ἑκούσῃ τῇ γλώττῃ. διὰ ταύτην αὐτοῖς ἠπείλει τὴν αἰτίαν ἐναργέστατα λέγων ὡς οὐ διαφεύξονται τὴν ἐφ' οἷς δυσσεβοῦσι κόλασιν, ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ πρὸς τὸ παρὸν ἀνεξικακοῦντα βλέπουσιν, ἀλλ' εἰς πέρας αὐτοῖς τὸ δεινὸν διεξοιχομένης τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν δυσσεβείας, τουτέστι τοῦ θανάτου καὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ, πάνδεινον ὑποστήσονται δίκην, καὶ ἀφόρητον ἀντιδέξονται συμφορὰν, τὴν ἐκ τοῦ πολέμου δηλονότι τοῦ πρὸς Ῥωμαίους, ὃς αὐτοῖς μετὰ τὸν τοῦ Σωτῆρος συνέβη σταυρὸν ἐξ ὀργῆς τῆς ἄνωθεν παρὰ Θεοῦ. ὅτι δὲ ἔμελλον ὑπομεῖναι τὰ παγχάλεπα, σαφέστερόν που πάλιν αὐτοῖς ὁ Σωτὴρ κατεσήμαινε λέγων, ποτὲ μὲν πρὸς τὰς κλαιούσας γυναῖκας ” Θυγατέρες Ἱερουσαλὴμ, “μὴ κλαίετε ἐπ' ἐμοὶ, κλαίετε δὲ ἐφ' ὑμᾶς καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ τέκνα ” ὑμῶν:“ ποτὲ δὲ πάλιν ” Ὅταν ἴδητε κυκλουμένην ὑπὸ “στρατοπέδων τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, τότε ἐρεῖτε τοῖς ὄρεσι ” Καλύψατε ἡμᾶς, καὶ τοῖς βουνοῖς Πέσατε ἐφ' ἡμᾶς.“ εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ Ἰουδαίοις τὰ ἐκ τοῦ πολέμου περίεστι πάθη, ὡς τῆς ἐκείνων πείρας πᾶν εἶδος θανάτου γενέσθαι γλύκιόν τε καὶ αἱρετώτερον: τὴν δὲ τῆς χώρας αὐτῶν ἐξανάστασιν, καὶ τῶν ἐνοικούντων αὐτὴν τούς τε ἐξανδραποδισμοὺς, καὶ τὴν ὠμοτάτην σφαγὴν, καὶ τοὺς ἐν ἑκάστῃ πόλει λιμοὺς, τάς τε ἐν αὐταῖς τεκνοφαγίας, ἱστορεῖ καὶ Ἰώσηπος ἐν οἰκείοις συγγράμμασι. ὅταν οὖν, φησὶ, σταυρῷ παραδόντες τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὴν ἀντίῤῥοπον ὑπομείνητε κόλασιν, καὶ τῶν εἰς ἐμὲ τολμημάτων ἰσοστάθμους ἀντεκτίσητε δίκας, τότε κλαίοντες γνώσεσθε ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ πάντα ἰσχύων, δηλονότι Θεός. εἰ γὰρ στρουθίον ἓν ἀθεεὶ πρὸς παγίδα τοῦ θηρεύοντος οὐκ εἰσβήσεται, πῶς δ' ἂν ὅλη χώρα, φησὶ, καὶ ἔθνος τὸ ἠγαπημένον, πρὸς ὄλεθρον οὕτως βαδιεῖται παντελῆ, μὴ οὐχὶ πάντως τοῦτο γενέσθαι κατανεύσαντος τοῦ πάντων κρατοῦντος Θεοῦ; κακὸν οὖν ἄρα καὶ πάνδεινον ἡ Θεοῦ καταφρόνησις εἰς πέρας ἄγουσα τῶν ἀπεύκτων. διὸ καὶ ὁ Παῦλός τισιν ἐπιπλήττει λέγων ὡς περὶ Θεοῦ ” Ἢ τοῦ “πλούτου τῆς χρηστότητος αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς ἀνοχῆς καὶ τῆς ” μακροθυμίας αὐτοῦ καταφρονεῖς, ἀγνοῶν ὅτι τὸ χρηστὸν “τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς μετάνοιάν σε ἄγει, κατὰ δὲ τὴν σκληρότητά ” σου καὶ ἀμετανόητον καρδίαν, θησαυρίζεις σεαυτῷ ὀργὴν “ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ὀργῆς.” ΑΛΛΩΣ ΤΟ ΑΥΤΟ. Μακροὺς διετέλεσε χρόνους τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις συνδιαιτώμενος ὁ Χριστὸς, καὶ κατὰ πᾶσαν, ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, συναγωγὴν προσλαλῶν, καὶ ἐν παντὶ σαββάτῳ προσδιαλεγόμενος, καὶ μάθημα πολλάκις αὐτοῖς ἀφθόνως παραθεὶς τὸ λυσιτελοῦν, ἐκάλει συχνῶς πρὸς τὸν διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος φωτισμόν: καὶ δὴ καὶ ἔφασκεν, ἅτε δὴ καὶ Θεὸς ὑπάρχων κατὰ φύσιν καὶ ἀληθινός “Ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου:” ἀντέπραττον δὲ ταῦτα λέγοντι φρονοῦντες παραλογώτατα “Σὺ γὰρ, φησὶ, περὶ σεαυτοῦ μαρτυρεῖς: ἡ μαρτυρία σου ” οὐκ ἔστιν ἀληθής.“ καὶ οὐ μέχρι τῶν ἐν ῥήμασιν ἀντιλογιῶν τὰ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἐστὶ τολμήματα, οὐδὲ ἐν μόνῳ τῷ διαλοιδορῆσαι φιλεῖν τὸ ἀτίθασον αὐτῶν συμπεπέρασται θράσος: ἐρχόμενοι δὲ διὰ πάσης ὠμότητος ἀφειδῶς, τελευτῶντες καὶ σταυρῷ καὶ θανάτῳ παρέδοσαν αὐτόν. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἦν κατὰ φύσιν ζωὴ, διαῤῥήξας τὰ τοῦ θανάτου δεσμὰ, διεγήγερται μὲν ἐκ νεκρῶν, ἀποφοιτᾷ δὲ εἰκότως τῆς Ἰουδαίων βδελυρίας, καὶ τοῦ μὲν Ἰσραὴλ ἀπεπήδα καὶ σφόδρα δικαίως, ἑαυτὸν δὲ πρὸς τὰ ἔθνη μετατιθεὶς, πάντας ἐκάλεσε πρὸς τὸ φῶς, καὶ τυφλοῖς μὲν οὖσιν ἀνάβλεψιν ἐχαρίζετο. συμβέβηκε τοίνυν μετὰ τὸν ἐπὶ τῷ σταυρῷ θάνατον τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Χριστοῦ, τὰς μὲν τῶν Ἰουδαίων σκοτισθῆναι διανοίας, ἅτε δὴ καὶ ἐκεχωρηκότος παρ' αὐτῶν τοῦ φωτὸς, τὰς δὲ τῶν ἐθνῶν καταλαμπρυνθῆναι καρδίας, ὡς ἐπιλάμψαντος αὐτοῖς τοῦ φωτὸς τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ. Ὅταν οὖν ὑψώσητέ φησι τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τότε γνώσεσθε ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι. ἀντὶ τοῦ Περιμενῶ τῆς ὑμῶν δυσσεβείας τὸ τέλος, οὐκ ἐποίσω δὲ πρόωρον ὑμῖν τὴν ὀργὴν, ἐκδέξομαι τὸ παθεῖν καὶ τὸν θάνατον, ὑπομενῶ πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις καὶ τοῦτο: ἀλλ' ὅτε σταυρῷ παραδῶτε τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἄνθρωπον γυμνὸν νομισθέντα παρ' ὑμῖν, τότε γνώσεσθε καὶ οὐχ ἑκόντες, φησὶν, ὡς οὐ διέψευσμαι λέγων ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου. ὅταν γὰρ ἑαυτοὺς σκοτισθέντας βλέπητε, πεφωτισμένην δὲ τῶν ἐθνῶν τὴν ἀμέτρητον πληθὺν διὰ τὸ γενέσθαι με παρ' αὐτοῖς, πῶς οὐχὶ καὶ ἄκοντες συνερεῖτε λοιπὸν ὅτι φῶς εἰμι τοῦ κόσμου κατὰ ἀλήθειαν; ὅτι γὰρ ἔμελλεν τῆς Ἰουδαίων ἀποφοιτήσειν Συναγωγῆς μετὰ τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναβίωσιν ὁ Σωτὴρ, οὐδενὶ μὲν ἀμφίβολον: πέπρακται γὰρ καὶ διήνυσται: πλήν ἐστί πως, μᾶλλον δὲ ἤδη σαφῶς καὶ ἐκ τῶν παρ' αὐτοῦ περιαθρῆσαι λόγων ” Ἕως γὰρ τὸ φῶς ἔχετε, περι“πατεῖτε ἐν τῷ φωτὶ, ἵνα μὴ ἡ σκοτία ὑμᾶς καταλάβῃ.” ἡ γὰρ τοῦ φωτὸς συστολή τε καὶ ἀναχώρησις σκοτίας γένεσιν ποιεῖ, καὶ πάλιν ἡ τοῦ φωτὸς παρουσία σκοτίας ἀφανισμὸν ἐργάζεται. οὐκοῦν ἀποδείκνυται φῶς ὑπάρχων κατὰ ἀλήθειαν ὁ Χριστὸς, σκοτίσας μὲν Ἰουδαίους διὰ τῆς ἀπ' αὐτῶν ἀποστάσεως, καταφωτίσας δὲ τὰ ἔθνη διὰ τῆς εἰς αὐτὰ παρουσίας, καὶ πικρὸν μάθημα τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ἡ τῶν δεινῶν γέγονε πεῖρα. ΑΛΛΩΣ ΤΟ ΑΥΤΟ.
« Ὅταν ὑψώσητε τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, τότε γνώσεσθε ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι. » Ἐπείπερ εἰς τὴν σάρκα, φησὶν, ἀφορῶντες μόνην, ψιλὸν ἄνθρωπον εἶναί με πιστεύετε, καὶ τῶν καθ' ὑμᾶς ὑπάρχειν ἕνα νομίζετε, τὸ δὲ τῆς θεότητος ἀξίωμα, καὶ ἡ ἐντεῦθεν δόξα, οὐδ' ὅσον εἰς νοῦν ἄνεισι τὸν ὑμῶν: ἔσται σημεῖον ὑμῖν ἐναργέστατον τοῦ κατὰ ἀλήθειαν ἐκ Θεοῦ Θεὸν ὑπάρχειν ἐμὲ, καὶ φῶς ἐκ φωτὸς, τὸ πάνδεινον ὑμῶν καὶ παρανομώτατον τόλμημα, τουτέστιν, ὁ σταυρὸς καὶ ὁ ἐπ' αὐτῷ τῆς σαρκὸς θάνατος. ὅταν γὰρ ἴδητε τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἀπονοίας ἄπρακτον μὲν γενομένην τὴν ἔκβασιν, συντεθραυσμένην δὲ καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ θανάτῳ πάγην: διαναστήσομαι γὰρ ἐκ νεκρῶν: τότε καὶ οὐχ ἑκόντες ὡς ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἤδη λοιπὸν συνθήσεσθε τοῖς παρ' ἐμοῦ πρὸς ὑμᾶς γεγονόσι λόγοις, καὶ Θεὸν εἶναι κατὰ φύσιν ὁμολογήσετε. κρείττων μὲν γὰρ ἔσομαι θανάτου καὶ φθορᾶς, ὡς δὲ ζωὴ κατὰ φύσιν ὑπάρχων τὸν ἐμὸν ἀναστήσω ναόν. ἀλλ' εἴπερ ἐστὶ τὸ θανάτου κρατεῖν καὶ τῶν τῆς φθορᾶς καταλαζονεύεσθαι βρόχων Θεῷ πρέπον τῷ κατὰ φύσιν, καὶ οὐχ ἑτέρῳ τῶν ὄντων τινὶ, πῶς οὐ κατὰ πάσης ἐκποδὼν γενομένης ἀντιλογίας καὶ παντὸς ἐνδοιασμοῦ ἀναδειχθήσομαι πάντα διὰ τοῦτο νικᾶν ἰσχύων καὶ ἀκονητί; οὐκοῦν σημεῖον ἔσεσθαι τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις τὸν οἰκεῖον σταυρὸν ἔφασκεν ὁ Σωτὴρ, καὶ ἀπόδειξιν τὴν ἐναργεστάτην τοῦ κατὰ φύσιν αὐτὸν εἶναι Θεόν. Τοῦτο δ' ἂν ἴδῃς αὐτὸν καὶ ἑτέρωθί που λέγοντα σαφῶς: πολλῶν μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἀναριθμήτων τερατουργημάτων ἐπιδειχθέντων δι' αὐτοῦ, προσῄεσάν ποτε πειράζοντες οἱ Φαρισαῖοι καὶ λέγοντες “Διδάσκαλε θέλομεν ἀπὸ σοῦ σημεῖον ” ἰδεῖν:“ ὁ δὲ ἐπείπερ τοὺς ἐν αὐτοῖς ἰόντας ἐθεᾶτο διαλογισμοὺς, καὶ πικρῶς διενθυμουμένους οὐκ ἠγνόει ” Γενεὰ,“ φησὶ, ” πονηρὰ καὶ μοιχαλὶς σημεῖον ἐπιζητεῖ, καὶ σημεῖον “οὐ δοθήσεται αὐτῇ εἰ μὴ τὸ σημεῖον Ἰωνᾶ τοῦ προφήτου: ” ὥσπερ γὰρ ἦν Ἰωνᾶς ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ τοῦ κήτους τρεῖς ἡμέρας “καὶ τρεῖς νύκτας, οὕτως ἔσται καὶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐν ” τῇ καρδίᾳ τῆς γῆς τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ τρεῖς νύκτας.“ ἀκούεις ὅπως σημεῖον αἰτοῦσι τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις εἰς ἀπόδειξιν ὅτι Θεὸς ὑπάρχει κατὰ ἀλήθειαν, εἰ καὶ πειράζοντες ἔλεγον, οὐχ ἕτερον αὐτοῖς ἐπιδειχθήσεσθαί φησιν, εἰ μὴ τὸ σημεῖον Ἰωνᾶ τοῦ προφήτου, τουτέστι, τὸν τριήμερον θάνατον καὶ τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναβίωσιν; τί γὰρ ἂν γένοιτο τῆς θεοπρεποῦς ἐξουσίας σημεῖον οὕτω μέγα καὶ περιφανὲς, ὡς τὸ καταλῦσαι θάνατον, καὶ ἀνατρέψαι φθορὰν, καίτοι κατὰ θείαν ἀπόφασιν τῆς ἀνθρωπείας κατακρατήσαντα φύσεως; ἤκουσε γὰρ ἡ ἐν Ἀδάμ ” Γῆ εἶ καὶ εἰς γῆν ἀπελεύσῃ:“ ἀλλ' ἦν ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ τῷ Σωτῆρι Χριστῷ καὶ τέλος ἐπιθεῖναι ταῖς οἰκείαις ὀργαῖς, καὶ ταῖς εὐλογίαις ἀνατρέψαι τὸν ἐκ τῆς αὐτοῦ πάλιν ἀρᾶς ἰσχύσαντα θάνατον. ὅτι δὲ σφόδρα κατέφριττον Ἰουδαῖοι τὸ ἐκ τῆς ἀναστάσεως σημεῖον ὡς ἀναπεῖσαι δεινὸν ὅτι Θεὸς ὑπάρχοι κατὰ ἀλήθειαν ὁ Χριστὸς, τὸ τελευταῖον αὐτῶν δραματούργημα διδάξει σαφῶς: ὡς γὰρ ἐπύθοντο τοῦ Σωτῆρος τὴν ἀνάστασιν, καὶ ὅτι οὐχ εὕρηται ἐν τῷ μνημείῳ, τεθορυβημένοι τε καὶ περιδεεῖς ἐπὶ τοῦτο γεγονότες λίαν, τὰς ἐκ τῶν στρατιωτῶν συκοφαντίας πολλοῖς ἐξωνεῖσθαι χρήμασιν ἐμελέτων. δεδώκασι γὰρ ἀργύριον αὐτοῖς, ἵνα λέγωσιν ” ὅτι οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἐλθόντες ἔκλεψαν αὐτὸν ἡμῶν κοιμω“μένων.” μέγα τοιγαροῦν τὸ ἐκ τῆς ἀναστάσεως σημεῖον ἀναμφίλογον ἔχον τὴν ἀπόδειξιν τοῦ εἶναι Θεὸν τὸν Ἰησοῦν, ἐφ' ᾧ καὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων σκληρὰ καὶ ἀκαμπὴς διεταράχθη καρδία.