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Bozrah? Why are your garments red?"; again they ask. Although this body, being raised from the dead, and especially that of the Savior first, does not have the properties of the flesh, having been changed into a spiritual one, yet by the grace of the one ascending, traces were preserved for the recognition of whence the one ascending is. And because of this: "redness of garments from Bozrah." And just as having risen from the dead and appeared to the disciples, wishing to confirm to them that the very body he had was raised, he showed the marks of the nails, he showed the scars—not that that body has scars, for it belongs to something hard and resistant to bear scars—but so that he might fully convince them that he is the one who has risen, then, so that from the sign for the full conviction of the resurrection they might not think wrongly about the resurrection—as if the risen body again bears the properties of the corruptible after the resurrection—he entered "when the doors were shut," so also here, being taken up at the very moment of his ascension, he showed the properties of the flesh, not so that they might remain; nor did he continue having those things which he showed, such as having eaten and the marks of the nails and of the 72 others. He did not eat after the resurrection so that we should eat, but so that they might see that he whom he had spoken of, he was the one who had risen. Luke at least says this: "to whom he also presented himself alive after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them and eating with them." Observe that also by eating with them he presented himself alive after his suffering. 7-8 Lift up your gates, O you rulers, and be lifted up, you everlasting gates, and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? They ask: concerning whom is this said, that he will enter, so that we may open and lift up the gates for him? It says: 8 The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. He makes the reply from his works. As at the beginning of the ascent to the mountain of the Lord: "and who shall stand?", and it was not added "this man," that is, Abraham, John, but: "if anyone is innocent in hands and pure in heart," so also here he did not say "this man," but showed the matter by his work: "the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle." As he was descending, these things were proclaimed beforehand. But when he rose and was taken up, it is no longer said that "he will go forth," he who routed the kingdom on earth, who destroyed the power of death, the devil, but this one is both "mighty and strong, the Lord mighty in battle." Comparing that prophecy which runs thus: "The Lord of hosts will go forth and will crush war." As he was descending, these things were proclaimed beforehand. But when he rose and was taken up, it is no longer said that "he will go forth," but having become "the Lord mighty in battle" he cast down the tyrants. The Lord mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your gates, O you rulers. Since they have said who it is for whom they have said to lift up and open the gates, they say: Since he is the Lord strong and mighty and mighty in battle, do not delay, do not be slow. And see: to those in charge he says: "Lift up your gates." But since the gates are also rational, he addresses them also, saying: "and be lifted up, you everlasting gates." 9 And be lifted up, you everlasting gates, and the King of glory shall come in. Finally he says: "the Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory." Often the armies are signified by the name of power. Of these powers he is Lord, of the heavenly armies; for indeed such powers appeared to the shepherds praising God when Christ was born. And in general he is Lord of all these powers, of the thousands and myriads who praise and minister. It is possible to understand the powers thus: each rational being partaking of holiness is a power. Just as we speak of a musical woman and a literate woman, when she has these things, so she who partakes of "Christ, the power of God," each one is a power. Of these powers, therefore, he is Lord. And in a twofold way
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Βυσόν; διὰ τί ἐρυθρὰ τὰ ἱμάτιά σου"; πάλιν δὲ πυνθάνονται. εἰ καὶ τὸ σῶμα τοῦτο ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐγειρόμενον καὶ μάλιστα πρότερον τὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος οὐκ ἔχει τὰ ἰδιώματα τῆς σαρκὸς εἰς πνευματικὸν μεταβεβληκός, ἀλλὰ χάριτι τοῦ ἀνιόντος ἐφυλάχθη ἴχνη πρὸς ἐπίγνωσιν τοῦ πόθεν ἐστὶν τὸ ἀναβαῖνον. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο· "ἐρύθρημα ἱματίων ἐκ Βυσόν". καὶ ὥσπερ ἀναστὰς ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐπιφανεὶς τοῖς μαθηταῖς θέλων βεβαιῶσαι αὐτοὺς ὅτι αὐτὸ ὃ εἶχεν σῶμα ἀνέστη, ἔδειξεν τοὺς τύπους τῶν ἥλων, ἔδειξεν τὰς οὐλάς, οὐχ ὅτι οὐλὰς ἐκεῖνο ἔχει τὸ σῶμα-σκληροῦ γὰρ καὶ ἀντιτύπου ἐστὶν τὸ οὐλὰς φέρειν-, ἀλλ' ἵνα πληροφορήσῃ ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ ἀναστάς, εἶτα, ἵνα μὴ ἐκ τοῦ σημείου τοῦ περὶ πληρο φορίας τῆς ἀναστάσεως κακῶς φρονήσουσιν περὶ ἀναστάσεως, ὡς πάλιν μετὰ ἀνάστασιν τὰ ἰδιώματα τοῦ φθαρτοῦ φέρειν τὸ ἐγειρόμενον σῶμα, "θυρῶν κεκλεισμένων" εἰσῆλθεν, οὕτω καὶ ὧδε ἀναλαμβανόμενος παραυτὰ τῆς ἀναλήμψεως ἔδειξεν τὰ ἰδιώματα τῆς σαρκός, οὐχ ἵνα ἀπομείνωσιν· οὐδὲ ἐκεῖνα ἃ ἔδειξεν, οἷον βεβρωκὼς καὶ τύπους ἥλων καὶ τῶν 72 ἄλλων, ἔμεινεν αὐτὰ ἔχων. οὐχ ἵνα ἐσθίωμεν, ἔφαγεν μετὰ ἀνάστασιν, ἀλλ' ἵνα ἴδωσιν ὅτι αὐτὸς ὃν εἴρηκεν, αὐτὸς ἦν ὁ ἀναστάς. τοῦτο γοῦν ὁ Λουκᾶς λέγει· "οἷς καὶ παρέστησεν ἑαυτὸν ζῶντα μετὰ τὸ παθεῖν ἀντὶ πολλῶν τεκμηρίων ὀπτανόμενος καὶ συναλιζόμενος". θεώρει ὅτι καὶ διὰ τοῦ συναλίζεσθαι ζῶντα ἑαυτὸν μετὰ τὸ παθεῖν παρέστησεν. 7-8 ἄρατε πύλας, οἱ ἄρχοντες ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐπάρθητε, πύλαι αἰώνιοι, καὶ εἰσελεύσεται ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης. τίς ἐστιν οὗτος ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης; πυνθάνονται· περὶ τίνος λέγεται τοῦτο ὅτι εἰσελεύσεται, ἵνα τὰς θύρας ἀνοίξωμεν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐπάρωμεν; λέγει· 8 κύριος κραταιὸς καὶ δυνατός, κύριος δυνατὸς ἐν πολέμῳ. ἐξ ἔργων τὴν ἀπόκρισιν ποιεῖται. ὡς ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ τῆς ἀναβάσεως ἐπὶ τὸ ὄρος τοῦ κυρίου· "καὶ τίς στήσεται", καὶ οὐκ ἐπηνέχθη "ὅσδε", ὅτι ὁ Ἀβραάμ, ὁ Ἰωάννης, ἀλλ'· "εἴ τις ἀθῷός ἐστιν χερσὶν καὶ καθαρὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ", οὕτω καὶ ὧδε οὐκ εἶπεν ὅτι ὅσδε, ἀλλ' ἔργῳ ἔδειξεν τὸ πρᾶγμα· "κύριος κραταιὸς καὶ δυνατός, κύριος δυνατὸς ἐν πολέμῳ". ὡς κατήρχετο, ταῦτα προανεφωνεῖτο. ὅτε δὲ ἀνέστη καὶ ἀνελήμφθη, οὐκέτι λέγεται ὅτι "ἐξελεύσεται" ὁ τροπωσάμενος τὴν ἐπὶ γῆς βασιλείαν, ὁ καταλύσας τὸ κράτος τοῦ θανάτου, διάβολον, οὗτος δὲ καὶ "δυνατὸς καὶ ἰσχυρός, κύριος δυνατὸς ἐν πολέμῳ". παραβάλλων τὴν προφητείαν ἐκείνην τὴν οὕτως ἔχουσαν· "κύριος τῶν δυνάμεων ἐξελεύσεται καὶ συντρίψει πόλεμον". ὡς κατήρχετο, ταῦτα προανεφωνεῖτο. ὅτε δὲ ἀνέστη καὶ ἀνελήμφθη, οὐκέτι λέγεται ὅτι "ἐξελεύσεται" αλλον "κύριος δυνατὸς ἐν πολέμῳ" γενόμενος καθεῖλεν τοὺς τυράννοις. κύριος δυνατὸς ἐν πολέμῳ 9 ἄρατε πύλας, οἱ ἄρχοντες ὑμῶν. ἐπεὶ εἴρηκαν τίς ἐστιν ᾧ εἴρηκαν ἆραι τὰς πύλας καὶ ἀνοῖξαι, λέγουσιν· ἐπεὶ κύριος κραταιὸς καὶ δυνατός ἐστιν καὶ δυνατὸς καὶ ἐν πολέμῳ, μὴ μέλλετε, μὴ βραδύνετε. καὶ ὅρα· τοῖς μὲν ἐπιστατουμένοις λέγει ὅτι· "ἄρατε πύλας". ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ αἱ πύλαι λογικαί εἰσιν, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὰς ἀποτείνεται φάσκων· "καὶ ἐπάρθητε, πύλαι αἰώνιοι". 9 καὶ ἐπάρθητε, πύλαι αἰώνιοι, καὶ εἰσελεύσεται ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης. λοιπὸν λέγει· "ὁ τῶν δυνάμεων κύριος, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης". πολλάκις τὰ στρατεύματα τῷ τῆς δυνάμεως ὀνόματι σημαίνεται. τῶν δυνάμεων τούτων κύριός ἐστιν, τῶν στρατευμάτων τῶν οὐρανίων· καὶ γὰρ δυνάμεις τοιαῦται ἐπεφάνησαν τοῖς ποιμέσιν ὑμνοῦσαι τὸν θεὸν ὅτε ἐτέχθη ὁ Χριστός. καὶ ὅλως πάντων τούτων τῶν δυνάμεων κύριός ἐστιν, τῶν χιλιάδων καὶ μυριάδων τῶν ὑμνούντων καὶ λειτουργούντων. δυνατὸν δὲ οὕτω λαβεῖν τὰς δυνάμεις· ἑκάστη λογικὴ οὐσία ἁγιότητος ἀντιποιουμένη δύναμίς ἐστιν. ὥσπερ λέγομεν γυναῖκα μουσικὴν καὶ γυναῖκα γραμματικήν, ὅταν ἔχῃ ταῦτα, ὣς ἡ μετέχουσα τοῦ "Χριστοῦ, τῆς δυνάμεως τοῦ θεοῦ", ἑκάστη δύναμίς ἐστιν. τούτων οὖν τῶν δυνάμεων κύριός ἐστιν. διττῶς δὲ