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The unintelligent man is rightly accused, like one who shuts his eyes when the sun has risen, 31.1249 so that he may live in darkness, and not looking up so that he may be enlightened.

QUESTION 249. What is holiness, and what is justice? RESPONSE. I consider holiness to be that which is fitting and owed by subordinates to a superior, according to the principle of superiority; and justice, that which is rendered to each according to the worth of his works. And in the case of holiness, gratitude and recompense are only for the best things; but in the case of justice, there is also the judgment and retribution for evil things.

QUESTION 250. How does one give what is holy to the dogs, or cast pearls before swine; or how does what follows come to pass: “Lest they trample them under their feet, and turning tear you to pieces.” RESPONSE. The Apostle clearly delivers this to us, adding to what he said to the Jews, that "You who boast in the law, through your transgression of the law you dishonor God." Therefore, the dishonor with which we dishonor the holy words of the Lord through transgression, the Lord here has forbidden. From which transgression it also happens that those outside the faith come to regard the Lord's teachings as contemptible, and from these same things they rise up more boldly against us, and as it were tear the transgressor to pieces with reproaches and refutations.

QUESTION 251. How is it that at one time the Lord forbids carrying a purse and a bag for a journey, and at another time says: “But now, let him who has a purse take it, and likewise a bag; and he who does not have, let him sell his garment and buy a sword.” RESPONSE. The Lord Himself clarifies this, saying: For this must yet be fulfilled in me, "And he was numbered with the transgressors." For immediately after the prophecy about the sword was fulfilled, He says to Peter: "Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword." So that it is not a command, "But now let him who has a purse, take it," or rather "he will take it" (for so also many of the copies have it), but a prophecy of the Lord foretelling that 31.1252 the apostles, forgetting the gifts and the law of the Lord, would dare to take up a sword. And that Scripture often uses the imperative form of speech instead of the prophetic is clear from many places, such as, "Let his children be fatherless," and, "Let the devil stand at his right hand," and all such passages.

QUESTION 252. What is the daily bread, which we were taught to pray to be given to us each day? RESPONSE. When the laborer, remembering the Lord saying, "Do not be anxious for your life, what you will eat, or what you will drink;" and the Apostle commanding to work, so that we may have something to give to him who is in need, works not for his own need, but for the sake of the Lord's commandment (since "The laborer is worthy of his food"), then the daily bread, that is, that which is useful for our substance for the daily life, he does not entrust to himself, but entreats God concerning this; and having shown to Him the necessity of his want, he thus eats what is given by the one appointed with discernment to do each day this: "Distribution was made to each as any had need."

QUESTION 253. What is the talent, or how shall we multiply it? RESPONSE. I consider the parable to have been spoken with reference to every gift of God; so that each one, whatever grace he is found to have from God, may multiply this, bringing it to the benefit and profit of many. For no one is without a share in the goodness of God.

QUESTION 254. What is the table on which, says the Lord, you ought to have put the money? RESPONSE. The parables do not fulfill their principles in a literal way,

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καλῶς ἐγκαλεῖται ὁ ἀσύνετος, ὡς ὁ ἡλίου ἀνατείλαντος καμμύων τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς, 31.1249 ἵνα ἐν σκότει διάγῃ, καὶ μὴ ἀναβλέπων ἵνα φω τισθῇ.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΜΘʹ. Τί ἐστι τὸ ὅσιον, καὶ τί ἐστι τὸ δίκαιον. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὅσιον μὲν εἶναι λογίζομαι τὸ πρέπον, καὶ ὀφει λόμενον παρὰ τῶν ὑποβεβηκότων τῷ ὑπερέχοντι, κατὰ τὸν τῆς ὑπεροχῆς λόγον· δίκαιον δὲ τὸ πρὸς ἀξίαν τῶν ἔργων ἑκάστῳ ἀποδιδόμενον. Καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ μὲν ὁσίου τῶν καλλίστων μόνον ἐστὶν ἡ εὐ γνωμοσύνη καὶ ἀπόδοσις· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ δικαίου καὶ ἡ τῶν κακῶν δοκιμασία καὶ ἀνταπόδοσις.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΝʹ. Πῶς δίδωσί τις τὸ ἅγιον τοῖς κυσὶν, ἢ βάλ λει τοὺς μαργαρίτας ἔμπροσθεν τῶν χοίρων· ἢ πῶς συμβαίνει τὸ ἐπιφερόμενον· «Μήποτε καταπατήσωσιν αὐτοὺς ἐν τοῖς ποσὶν αὐτῶν, καὶ στραφέντες ῥήξωσιν ὑμᾶς.» ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Σαφῶς ἡμῖν παραδίδωσιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος τοῖς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ εἰρημένοις πρὸς τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἐπενεγκὼν, ὅτι Ὃς ἐν νόμῳ καυχᾶσαι, διὰ τῆς παραβάσεως τοῦ νόμου τὸν Θεὸν ἀτιμάζεις. Τὴν οὖν ἀτιμίαν, ἣν διὰ τῆς παραβάσεως ἀτιμάζομεν τοὺς ἁγίους τοῦ Κυρίου λόγους, ἐνταῦθα ὁ Κύριος ἀπηγόρευσεν. Ἀφ' ἧς παραβάσεως συμβαίνει καὶ τοὺς ἔξω τῆς πίστεως ἅμα τε εὐκαταφρόνητα ἡγεῖσθαι τὰ τοῦ Κυρίου διδάγματα, καὶ ἀπ' αὐτῶν ἐκείνων θρασύ τερον ἡμῖν ἐπεγείρεσθαι, καὶ οἱονεὶ ῥήσσειν τοῖς ὀνειδισμοῖς καὶ τοῖς ἐλέγχοις τὸν παραβαίνοντα.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΝΑʹ. Πῶς ποτὲ μὲν ἀπαγορεύει ὁ Κύριος βαστάζειν βαλάντιον καὶ πήραν εἰς ὁδὸν, ποτὲ δὲ λέγει· «Ἀλλὰ νῦν ὁ ἔχων βαλάντιον ἀράτω ὁμοίως καὶ πήραν· καὶ ὁ μὴ ἔχων, πωλησάτω τὸ ἱμάτιον αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἀγορασάτω μάχαιραν.» ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τοῦτο σαφηνίζει αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος εἰπὼν ὅτι, ∆εῖ γὰρ ἔτι τοῦτο τελεσθῆναι ἐν ἐμοὶ τὸ, Καὶ μετὰ ἀνόμων ἐλογίσθη. Αὐτίκα γὰρ μετὰ τὸ πλη ρωθῆναι τὴν περὶ τῆς μαχαίρας προφητείαν λέγει τῷ Πέτρῳ· Ἀπόστρεψον τὴν μάχαιράν σου εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτῆς· πάντες γὰρ οἱ λαβόντες μά χαιραν, ἐν μαχαίρᾳ ἀπολοῦνται· ὡς μὴ εἶναι πρόσταγμα, Ἀλλὰ νῦν ὁ ἔχων βαλάντιον, ἀράτω, ἤτοι ἀρεῖ (οὕτω γὰρ καὶ τὰ πολλὰ τῶν ἀντιγράφων ἔχει), ἀλλὰ προφητείαν προλέγοντος τοῦ Κυρίου, ὅτι 31.1252 ἔμελλον οἱ ἀπόστολοι ἐπιλανθανόμενοι· τῶν δω ρεῶν καὶ τοῦ νόμου τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ ξίφους κατατολ μᾷν. Καὶ ὅτι τῷ προστακτικῷ εἴδει τοῦ λόγου ἀντὶ προφητικοῦ πολλάκις κέχρηται ἡ Γραφὴ, πολλαχό θεν δῆλον, οἷόν ἐστι τὸ, Γενηθήτωσαν οἱ υἱοὶ αὐ τοῦ ὀρφανοί· καὶ, ∆ιάβολος στήτω ἐκ δεξιῶν αὐ τοῦ· καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΝΒʹ. Τίς ἐστιν ὁ ἄρτος ὁ ἐπιούσιος, ὃν δίδοσθαι ἡμῖν καθ' ἡμέραν προσεύχεσθαι ἐδιδάχθημεν. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὅταν ὁ ἐργαζόμενος μνημονεύων τοῦ Κυρίου λέγοντος, Μὴ μεριμνᾶτε τῇ ψυχῇ ὑμῶν, τί φά γητε, ἢ τί πίητε· καὶ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου παραγγεί λαντος ἐργάζεσθαι, ἵνα ἔχωμεν μεταδιδόναι τῷ χρείαν ἔχοντι, μὴ τῆς ἰδίας χρείας, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς τοῦ Κυρίου ἕνεκεν ἐργάζεται (ἐπειδὴ Ἄξιος ὁ ἐργάτης τῆς τροφῆς αὑτοῦ), τότε τὸν ἐπιούσιον ἄρτον, τουτ έστι, τὸν πρὸς τὴν ἐφήμερον ζωὴν τῇ οὐσίᾳ ἡμῶν χρησιμεύοντα, οὐχ ἑαυτῷ ἐπιτρέπει, ἀλλὰ τῷ Θεῷ ἐντυγχάνει περὶ τούτου· καὶ τὴν ἀνάγκην τῆς ἐν δείας αὐτῷ ἐπιδείξας, οὕτως ἐσθίει τὸ διδόμενον παρὰ τοῦ μετὰ δοκιμασίας ἐπιτεταγμένου ποιεῖν ἐφ' ἑκάστης ἡμέρας τὸ, ∆ιεδίδοτο ἑκάστῳ, καθότι ἄν τις χρείαν εἶχεν.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΝΓʹ. Τί ἐστι τὸ τάλαντον, ἢ πῶς αὐτὸ πολυπλα σιάσομεν. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Λογίζομαι τὴν παραβολὴν πρὸς πᾶσαν Θεοῦ δω ρεὰν εἰρῆσθαι· ἵνα ἕκαστος, ἣν ἂν δοκιμασθῇ χάριν ἔχειν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ταύτην πολυπλασιάσῃ εἰς εὐεργεσίαν καὶ ὄφελος πλειόνων ἐνεγκών. Οὐδεὶς γάρ ἐστιν ἀμέτοχος τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ χρηστότητος.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΝ∆ʹ. Τίς ἐστιν ἡ τράπεζα, ἐφ' ἣν ἔδει σε, φησὶν ὁ Κύριος, βαλεῖν τὸ ἀργύριον. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Αἱ παραβολαὶ οὐκ ἐπὶ εἴδους τὰ θεωρήματα πλη ροῦσι,