51

says he advocates peace, that is, being subject to the natural things enjoined upon us after the transgression, being unable to pursue the way of life according to the Gospel.

14Α_234 QUESTION 166 What does the deaf demon in the Gospel signify? RESPONSE A soul disobedient to the commandments of the Lord is vexed by the deaf demon;

but whenever the Word of God comes to be in it through the practice of the commandments, then it not only hears, but also speaks through the knowledge of God.

QUESTION 167 What does the tower in the Gospel according to the Lord's parable signify, which the one

not being able to finish is mocked by those passing by? RESPONSE The tower signifies the perfection of the virtues with knowledge

built. Therefore, whoever after dispassion according to practice has an aptitude for the acquisition of natural and contemplative and theological principles, through which perfect knowledge is completed, this one completes the building of the tower; but the one who lacks any one of these, as being unable to bring the building to completion, is mocked by those passing by

QUESTION 168 *** of the evangelists will be shown RESPONSE They say the universal is significant of the particular and the particular of the

universal; therefore the one who said "I came to seek the lost," signified the universal nature which is Israel according to the principle of Genesis and always 'seeing God;' but the one who said 14Α_236 he was sent only to the sheep of the house of Israel, he too signified the universal through the particular. For since in Abraham the good of nature which had been lost in the first father through disobedience was restored through recognition, God gives him the promise that he will be the father of many nations, of those who through recognition arrive at his same faith and are adopted by him; for it is clear that if they are adopted, they are also of the house of Israel and fellow heirs and of the same body.

The Canaanite woman's request for the crumbs indicates the appropriate teaching for those being introduced from unbelief into the life of virtue; for the simple and most perfect principle of knowledge is divided into many parts according to the disposition of those receiving it; therefore, catechesis is appropriate for those being introduced, which is likened to crumbs. But the dog, since it is an animal that barks, driving away strangers but fawning upon members of the household, is taken for the practical state, which drives away the vices contrary to nature, but fawns upon the natural virtues, vigorously guarding them.

QUESTION 169 What does the story concerning Joab signify, when Sheba the son of Bichri

he was pursuing «who lifted his hand against David» and who is the woman who threw his head from the wall?

RESPONSE Joab with a rough breathing is interpreted as 'from without' or 'pursuing,' but with a smooth breathing

'giving' or 'provider;' but here Joab must be understood as courage, and Sheba as arrogance, which as a head, in the manner of small houses, contains the other passions as well. 14Α_238 Whenever, therefore, the virtuous mind perceives the rebellion of the

51

εἰρήνην πρεσβεῦσαί φησιν, τουτέστιν τοῖς ἐπιταχθεῖσιν ἡμῖν μετὰ τὴν παράβασιν φυσικοῖς ὑποτασσομένους, τὴν κατὰ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον ἀδυνάτως ἔχοντας μετελθεῖν πολιτείαν.

14Α_234 ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ 166 Τί σημαίνει ὁ ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ κωφὸς δαίμων; ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Ψυχὴ ἀνήκοος ταῖς ἐντολαῖς τοῦ Κυρίου ὀχλεῖται ὑπὸ τοῦ κωφοῦ δαίμονος·

ὅτ᾽ ἂν δὲ ὁ Λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ γένηται ἐν αὐτῇ διὰ τῆς ἐργασίας τῶν ἐντολῶν, τότε οὐ μόνον ἀκούει, ἀλλὰ καὶ λαλεῖ διὰ τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ 167 Τί σημαίνει ὁ ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ κατὰ τὴν παραβολὴν τοῦ Κυρίου πύργος ὃν ὁ

μὴ δυνηθεὶς ἀπαρτίσαι ἐμπαίζεται ὑπὸ τῶν παραπορευομένων; ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Ὁ πύργος σημαίνει τὴν τῶν ἀρετῶν τελείωσιν μετὰ γνώσεως

οἰκοδομηθεῖσαν. Ὅστις οὖν μετὰ τὴν κατὰ πρᾶξιν ἀπάθειαν ἔχει ἐπιτηδειότητα πρὸς ἐπίκτησιν φυσικῶν καὶ θεωρητικῶν καὶ θεολογικῶν λόγων, δι᾽ ὧν ἀπαρτίζεται ἡ τελεία γνῶσις, οὗτος ἀπαρτίζει τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ πύργου· ὁ δὲ ἕν τι τούτων ἐλλείπων, ὡς μὴ δυνηθεὶς εἰς πέρας ἀγαγεῖν τὴν οἰκοδομήν, ἐμπαίζεται παρὰ τῶν παραπορευομένων

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ 168 *** εὐαγγελιστῶν δειχθήσεται ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Τὰ καθόλου φασὶ σημαντικὰ εἶναι τῶν ἐπὶ μέρους καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ μέρους τῶν

καθόλου· ὁ οὖν εἰπὼν "ἦλθον τὸ ἀπολωλὸς ζητῆσαι", τὴν καθόλου φύσιν ἐσήμανεν Ἰσραὴλ οὖσαν κατὰ τὸν τῆς Γενέσεως λόγον καὶ 'τὸν Θεὸν' ἀεὶ 'ὁρῶσαν·' ὁ δὲ εἰπὼν 14Α_236 εἰς τὰ πρόβατα οἴκου Ἰσραὴλ καὶ μόνον ἀπεστάλθαι, καὶ αὐτὸς διὰ τοῦ ἐπὶ μέρους τὸ καθόλου ἐσήμανεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐν τῷ Ἀβραὰμ τὸ διαρρυὲν ἐν τῷ προπάτορι διὰ τῆς παρακοῆς τῆς φύσεως ἀγαθὸν δι᾽ ἐπιγνώσεως ἀνεσώθη, ἐπαγγελίαν ὁ Θεὸς αὐτῷ δίδωσιν πατέρα αὐτὸν ἔσεσθαι πολλῶν ἐθνῶν, τῶν δι᾽ ἐπιγνώσεως εἰς τὴν ὁμοίαν αὐτοῦ πίστιν καταντώντων καὶ υἱοθετουμένων αὐτῷ· δῆλον γὰρ ὅτι εἴπερ υἱοθετοῦνται, καὶ τοῦ οἴκου Ἰσραήλ εἰσιν καὶ συγκληρονόμοι καὶ σύσσωμοι.

Ἡ δὲ αἴτησις τῶν ψιχίων τῆς Χαναναίας τὴν ἁρμόδιον τῶν εἰσαγομένων εἰς τὸν κατ᾽ ἀρετὴν βίον ἐξ ἀπιστίας δηλοῖ διδασκαλίαν· ὁ γὰρ ἁπλοῦς καὶ τελειότατος τῆς γνώσεως λόγος εἰς πολλὰ μερίζεται κατὰ τὴν τῶν ὑποδεχομένων ἕξιν· ἄρα οὖν τοῖς εἰσαγομένοις ἁρμόδιός ἐστιν ἡ κατήχησις, ἥτις ψιχίων παρεικάζεται. Ὁ δὲ κύων, ἐπειδὴ ζῷόν ἐστιν ὑλακτικόν, ἐκδιώκων μὲν τοὺς ἀλλοτρίους, προσσαίνων δὲ τοῖς οἰκείοις, λαμβάνεται ἐπὶ τῆς πρακτικῆς ἕξεως, ἥτις ἐκδιώκει μὲν τὰς παρὰ φύσιν κακίας, προσσαίνει δὲ ταῖς φυσικαῖς ἀρεταῖς, τονωτικῶς ταύτας φυλάττουσα.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ 169 Τί σημαίνει ἡ κατὰ τὸν Ἰωὰβ ἱστορία ἡνίκα τὸν Σάβεε τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ Βοχορὶ

ἐπεδίωκεν «ἐπαίροντα χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ ∆αβὶδ» καὶ τίς ἡ γυνὴ ἡ ῥίψασα ἀπὸ τοῦ τείχους τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ;

ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Ὁ Ἰωὰβ δασυνόμενος ἑρμηνεύεται 'ἔξωθεν ἢ ἐπιδιώκων,' ψιλούμενος δὲ

'διδοὺς ἢ πάροχος·' ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀνδρείας τὸν Ἰωὰβ ἐκληπτέον, τὸν δὲ Σάβεε ἐπὶ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας ἥτις ὡς κεφαλὴ οἰκίσκων τρόπον καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ πάθη ἐμπεριέχει. 14Α_238 Ὅτ᾽ ἂν οὖν αἴσθηται ὁ ἐνάρετος νοῦς τῆς ἐπαναστάσεως τῆς