52

our Jesus Christ) was taken from them also the wise master builder, and he became the Apostle to the Gentiles, the Hebrew of Hebrews, according to the law a Pharisee, Paul, having become a servant of Jesus Christ, whom he persecuted. What is the proof of his architectural skill? For he himself says: As a wise master builder, I have laid a foundation. But I think that the Holy Spirit also builds the Church of God, according to Paul himself who says: You are being built together into a dwelling place for God in the Spirit, and through the rich supply of the Spirit to be built up together and to grow into a holy temple in the Lord. Therefore, those who cast off the wonderful Counselor, God the Word, he made destitute of the wise Architect, the Holy Spirit. For this reason, not having the one who joins them together and unites them, they are dissolved and torn from one another, unable to become a temple of God through the spiritual building. But let us pray that the Church may have the rich supply of the Spirit, so that spiritual architects may be revealed to us, such as was Bezalel, whom God filled with a divine Spirit, a Spirit of understanding and knowledge, to build according to all the works of architecture. And the discerning hearer. If according to Solomon, A precious word in a hearing ear, where there is no word, there is no need of hearing. Since, therefore, the wonderful Counselor was taken away, consequently the discerning hearer was also removed with him. For where there is no silver, the money-changer is idle. But it is grievous also when there is a word full of meanings and concerning matters, but the one who discerns them wisely is not present, through not having the ears of the soul, which the Lord seeks for the hearing of his own words, saying: He who has ears to hear, let him hear. 3.108 And I will make youths their rulers, and mockers shall have dominion over them. A double punishment, both to have the good things taken away, and to be handed over to the worse. For after the Lord Master took away from Judea and from Jerusalem the strength of bread and the strength of water, giant and mighty man, and man of war and judge, and diviner and captain of fifty, and wonderful Counselor, and wise Architect and discerning hearer, then the word threatened that youths would be sent upon them as rulers. So he knows a most harsh punishment, for a city to be ruled and governed by youths. For youth is frivolous and easily moved toward base things; uncontrollable desires, beastly rages, rashness, insolence, arrogance and puffing up, are passions congenital to youth; envy toward that which is superior, suspicions toward that which is familiar. A swarm of countless evils is joined to youth; of all of which those who are ruled must partake, because the evils of the rulers become calamities for those who are ruled. I will make youths their rulers. The good things were announced in the singular (mighty man and mighty woman, warrior, judge, prophet, diviner, captain of fifty, wonderful Counselor, wise Architect, the discerning hearer) but the threat of evils increased to a multitude; Youths as rulers, and Mockers shall have dominion over you. Not the one who is young in age is accused, but the one who is childish in character; for not the one who is lacking in time is altogether blameworthy, but the one who lives according to passion. Such was Rehoboam, about whom it is written, that And Rehoboam was younger and fainthearted. For this reason also Ecclesiastes: Woe to you, O city (he says), whose king is a youth and whose rulers eat in the morning. For not the one who is young in age, but the one who is immature in soul, is here also called a youth. Since the matter of age is not an obstacle to one who wishes to live according to virtue, the Lord showed in his words to Jeremiah, saying: Do not say, I am a youth. For he did not deny that he was a youth; but he said that his youth was not an obstacle for him on account of the perfection of his soul: For to all to whom I shall send you, you shall go. For in his mind I saw him to be elderly, I who see the gravity of the one in the

52

ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς) ἤρθη ἀπ' αὐτῶν καὶ ὁ σοφὸς ἀρχιτέκτων, καὶ ἐγένετο Ἀπόστολος ἐθνῶν, ὁ Ἑβραῖος ἐξ Ἑβραίων, ὁ κατὰ νόμον Φαρισαῖος, Παῦλος, δοῦλος γενόμενος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὃν ἐδίωκε. Τίς ἡ τῆς ἀρχιτεκτονικῆς αὐτοῦ ἐπιστήμης ἀπόδειξις; Αὐτὸς γάρ φησιν· Ὡς σοφὸς ἀρχιτέκτων θεμέλιον τέθεικα. Οἶμαι δὲ, ὅτι καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἀρχιτεκτονεῖ Ἐκκλησίαν Θεοῦ, κατ' αὐτὸν τὸν Παῦλον λέγοντα· Συνοικοδομεῖσθε εἰς κατοικητήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν Πνεύματι, καὶ τὸ διὰ τῆς ἐπιχορηγίας τοῦ Πνεύματος συνοικοδομεῖσθαι καὶ αὔξειν εἰς ναὸν ἅγιον ἐν Κυρίῳ. Τοὺς οὖν ἀποβάλλοντας τὸν θαυ μαστὸν Σύμβουλον, τὸν Θεὸν Λόγον, ἐρήμους ἐποίησε τοῦ σοφοῦ Ἀρχιτέκτονος, τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο, μὴ ἔχοντες τὸν συναρμολογοῦντα αὐτοὺς καὶ συμβιβάζοντα, λελυμένοι εἰσὶ καὶ ἐσχισμένοι ἀπ' ἀλλήλων, γενέσθαι ναὸς Θεοῦ διὰ τῆς πνευματικῆς οἰκοδομῆς, μὴ δυνάμενοι. Ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς εὐξώμεθα, ἔχειν τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν τὴν ἐπιχορηγίαν τοῦ Πνεύματος, ὥστε ἀναδείκνυσθαι ἡμῖν τοὺς πνευματικοὺς ἀρχιτέκτονας, ὁποῖος ἦν ὁ Βεσελεὴλ, ὃν ἐνέπλησεν ὁ Θεὸς Πνεῦμα θεῖον, Πνεῦμα συνέσεως καὶ ἐπιστήμης, ἀρχιτεκ τονεῖν κατὰ πάντα τὰ ἔργα τῆς ἀρχιτεκτονίας. Καὶ συνε τὸν ἀκροατήν. Εἰ κατὰ τὸν Σολομῶντα, Λόγος πολυτελὴς εἰς οὖς εὐήκοον, ὅπου λόγος οὐκ ἔστιν, οὐδὲ ἀκοῆς χρεία. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἤρθη ὁ θαυμαστὸς Σύμβουλος, ἀκολούθως συναφῃρέθη καὶ ὁ συνετὸς ἀκροατής. Ὅπου γὰρ ἀργύριον οὐκ ἔστι, τρα πεζίτης ἀργεῖ. Λυπηρὸν δὲ καὶ ὅταν λόγος μὲν ᾖ πλήρης νοημάτων καὶ κατὰ πραγμάτων φερόμενος, ὁ δὲ συνετῶς αὐτῶν ἐπαισθανόμενος μὴ παρῇ, τῷ μὴ ἔχειν τὰ ὦτα τῆς ψυχῆς, ἃ ὁ Κύριος πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἰδίων λόγων ἀκρόασιν ἐπιζητεῖ, λέγων· Ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκούειν, ἀκουέτω. 3.108 Καὶ ἐπιστήσω νεανίσκους ἄρχοντας αὐτῶν καὶ ἐμ παῖκται κυριεύσουσιν αὐτῶν. ∆ιπλῆ τιμωρία, καὶ ἀφαιρεθῆναι τὰ ἀγαθὰ, καὶ παραδοθῆναι τοῖς χείροσι. Μετὰ γὰρ τὸ ἀφελεῖν τὸν ∆εσπότην Κύριον ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰουδαίας καὶ ἀπὸ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἰσχὺν ἄρτου καὶ ἰσχὺν ὕδατος, γίγαντα καὶ ἰσχύοντα, καὶ ἄνθρωπον πολεμιστὴν καὶ δι καστὴν, καὶ στοχαστὴν καὶ πεντηκόνταρχον, καὶ θαυμαστὸν Σύμβουλον, καὶ σοφὸν Ἀρχιτέκτονα καὶ συνετὸν ἀκροατὴν, τότε ἠπείλησεν ὁ λόγος αὐτοῖς ἐπιπεμφθήσεσθαι νεανίσκους ἄρχοντας. Οὕτω χαλεπωτάτην οἶδε τιμωρίαν, ὑπὸ νεανίσκων ἄρχεσθαι καὶ διοικεῖσθαι πόλιν. Κοῦφον γὰρ ἡ νεότης καὶ εὐκίνητον πρὸς τὰ φαῦλα· ἐπιθυμίαι δυσκάθεκτοι, ὀργαὶ θηριώδεις, προπέτειαι, ὕβρεις, ὑπερηφανίαι καὶ φυσιώσεις, σύντροφα τῇ νεότητι πάθη· φθόνοι πρὸς τὸ ὑπερέχον, ὑποψίαι πρὸς τὸ οἰκεῖον. Μυρίων κακῶν ἐσμὸς συνέζευκται τῇ νεότητι· ὧν πάντων ἀνάγκη ἀπολαύειν τοὺς ἀρχομένους, διότι τὰ τῶν ἀρχόντων κακὰ συμφοραὶ τοῖς ἀρχομένοις γίγνονται. Ἐπιστήσω νεανίσκους ἄρχοντας αὐτῶν. Τὰ μὲν ἀγαθὰ ἑνικῶς ἀπηγγέλλετο (ἰσχύοντα καὶ ἰσχύουσαν, πολεμιστὴν, δικαστὴν, προφήτην, στοχαστὴν, πεντηκόνταρχον, θαυμα στὸν Σύμβουλον, σοφὸν Ἀρχιτέκτονα, τὸν συνετὸν ἀκροα τήν) τῶν δὲ κακῶν ἡ ἀπειλὴ εἰς πλῆθος ηὔξησε· Νεανί σκους ἄρχοντας, καὶ Ἐμπαῖκται κυριεύσουσιν ὑμῶν. Οὐχ ὁ τὴν ἡλικίαν νέος κατηγορεῖται, ἀλλ' ὁ νεαρὸς τὸ ἦθος· οὐ γὰρ ὁ τῷ χρόνῳ ἐλλείπων πάντως ψεκτός, ἀλλ' ὁ κατὰ πάθος ζῶν. Ὁποῖος ἦν ὁ Ῥοβοὰμ, περὶ οὗ γέγραπται, ὅτι Καὶ Ῥοβοὰμ ἦν νεώτερος καὶ δειλὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Ἐκκλησιαστής· Οὐαί σοι πόλις (φησὶν) ἧς ὁ βασιλεύς σου νεώτερος καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντές σου πρωῒ ἐσθίουσιν. Οὐ γὰρ ὁ τὴν ἡλικίαν νέος, ἀλλ' ὁ τὴν ψυχὴν ἀτελὴς, νεώ τερος καὶ ἐνταῦθα λέγεται. Ἐπεὶ τό γε τῆς ἡλικίας ὅτι οὐκ ἐμπόδιον τῷ βουλομένῳ ζῇν κατ' ἀρετὴν, ἐν τοῖς πρὸς Ἱερεμίαν λόγοις ὁ Κύριος ἔδειξεν, εἰπών· Μὴ λέγε, ὅτι νεώτερός εἰμι. Οὐ γὰρ ἠρνήσατο αὐτὸν εἶναι νεώτερον· ἀλλ' ἔφη μὴ εἶναι ἐμπόδιον αὐτῷ τὴν νεότητα διὰ τὴν τελείω σιν τῆς ψυχῆς· Ὅτι πρὸς πάντας, πρὸς οὓς ἐὰν ἐξαποστελῶ σε, πορεύσῃ. Τῷ γὰρ φρονήματι ἑώρακα πρεσβυτικὸν τυγ χάνοντα, ὁ βλέπων τὴν σεμνότητα τῆς ἐν τῷ