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more deficient, and by as much as a sign is of the thing of which it is a sign; as for example, as much as the seal of the soldier. And for what reason did he need a seal, he says? He himself did not need one. For what reason then did he receive it? That he might become the common father both of those who believe through uncircumcision, and of those in circumcision; but not simply of those in circumcision; which is why he adds: To those who are not of the circumcision only. For if of the uncircumcised, he is not a father because he is uncircumcised, although indeed he was justified in uncircumcision, but because they emulated his faith, much more of the circumcised will he not be an ancestor because of circumcision, unless faith is also added. For he received circumcision, he says, so that both of us might have him as an ancestor, and the uncircumcised might not push away the circumcised. Do you see how these had him as a forefather first? But if circumcision is venerable because it proclaims righteousness, uncircumcision also has no small precedence, having received it before circumcision; then, therefore, you will be able to have him as a forefather when you walk in the steps of faith, and do not contend or rebel by introducing the law. Of what faith, tell me? That which was in uncircumcision. Again he puts down the Jewish pride, reminding them of the time of the righteousness. And he said well, 'In the steps,' so that you might believe, just as he did, in the resurrection of dead bodies. For he too demonstrated his faith concerning this; so that if you cast out uncircumcision, learn clearly that not even circumcision is of any 60.458 benefit to you. For if you do not follow in the steps of faith, even if you are circumcised ten thousand times, you will not be an offspring of Abraham; since he also received circumcision for this reason, that the one in uncircumcision might not cast you out. Do not then demand this of him; for the matter has become a help to you, not to him. But it is a sign of righteousness, he says. And this is for your sake, since now it is not even this; for then you were in need of bodily signs, but now there is no need of these. For from his faith, he says, was it not possible to comprehend the virtue of his soul? It was indeed possible, but you were in need of this addition as well. For since you did not emulate the virtue of his soul nor were you able to see it, the perceptible circumcision was given to you, so that by practicing this bodily thing, you might be led by the hand little by little even to the philosophy of the soul, and after receiving it with much zeal as the greatest honor, you might be taught to imitate and revere your forefather. And God contrived this not only in circumcision, but also in all other things, such as sacrifices, I mean, and sabbaths and feasts. For that he received circumcision for your sake, listen to what follows; for having said that he received a sign and a seal, he also gives the reason, saying: That he might become the father of circumcision, to those who also receive the spiritual one; as if you have only this one, nothing more will come to you. For this is a sign then, when the thing, of which this is a sign, appears with you, that is, faith; so that if you do not have this, the sign can no longer be a sign. For of what will it be a sign, and of what a seal, when that which is sealed does not exist? as if you were to show us a purse having a seal, with nothing laid up inside; so that circumcision is ridiculous when faith is not inside. For if it is a sign of righteousness, but you do not have righteousness, you do not have a sign either. For you received the sign for this reason, that you might seek the thing of which you have the sign; so that, if you were going to seek it without this, you would not have had need of this. But circumcision proclaims not only this, righteousness, but also righteousness in uncircumcision. Circumcision therefore proclaims nothing else, but that there is no need of circumcision. For if those who are of the law are heirs; faith is made void, and the promise is made of no effect. He has shown that faith is necessary, that it is older than circumcision, that it is stronger than the law, that it establishes the law. For if all have sinned, it is necessary; if being uncircumcised he was justified, it is older; if through the law is the knowledge of sin, but it has been manifested without the law, it is stronger; if it is witnessed by the law and establishes the law, it is not an adversary, but a friend and ally.

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καταδεεστέρα, καὶ τοσοῦτον, ὅσον σημεῖον τοῦ πράγματος οὗπέρ ἐστι σημεῖον· οἷον ὅσον ἡ σφραγὶς τοῦ στρατιώτου. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν σφραγῖδος ἐδεῖτο, φησίν; Οὐκ αὐτὸς ἐδεῖτο. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν αὐτὴν ἐδέξατο; Εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτὸν πατέρα κοινὸν καὶ τῶν πιστευόντων δι' ἀκροβυστίας, καὶ τῶν ἐν περιτομῇ· ἀλλ' οὐχ ἁπλῶς τῶν ἐν περιτομῇ· διὸ καὶ ἐπάγει· Τοῖς οὐκ ἐκ περιτομῆς μόνον. Εἰ γὰρ τῶν ἀκροβύστων, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ ἀκρόβυστός ἐστι, διὰ τοῦτό ἐστι πατὴρ, καίτοι γε ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ δικαιωθεὶς, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τὴν πίστιν αὐτοῦ ἐζήλωσαν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τῶν ἐμπεριτόμων οὐκ ἔσται διὰ τὴν περιτομὴν πρόγονος, εἰ μὴ προσγένοιτο καὶ ἡ πίστις. Περιτομὴν γὰρ ἔλαβεν, ἵνα ἑκάτεροι, φησὶν, αὐτὸν ἔχωμεν πρόγονον, καὶ οἱ ἀκρόβυστοι μὴ ἀπώσωνται τοὺς ἐμπεριτόμους. Ὁρᾷς πῶς οὗτοι προπάτορα ἔσχον αὐτὸν πρῶτοι; Εἰ δὲ σεμνὸν ἡ περιτομὴ, ὅτι κηρύττει τὴν δικαιοσύνην, οὐ μικρὰν καὶ ἡ ἀκροβυστία προεδρίαν ἔχει πρὸ τῆς περιτομῆς αὐτὴν δεξαμένη· τότε οὖν αὐτὸν δυνήσῃ προπάτορα ἔχειν, ὅταν στοιχήσῃς τοῖς ἴχνεσι τῆς πίστεως, καὶ μηδὲ φιλονεικῇς μηδὲ στασιάζῃς τὸν νόμον ἐπεισάγων. Ποίας, εἰπέ μοι, πίστεως; Τῆς ἐν τῇ ἀκροβυστίᾳ. Πάλιν καταστέλλει τὸ φύσημα τὸ Ἰουδαϊκὸν, ἀναμιμνήσκων τοῦ χρόνου τῆς δικαιοσύνης. Καὶ καλῶς εἶπε, Τοῖς ἴχνεσιν, ἵνα ὁμοίως ἐκείνῳ πιστεύσῃς εἰς νεκρῶν ἀνάστασιν σωμάτων. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐκεῖνος περὶ τοῦτο τὴν πίστιν ἐπεδείξατο· ὥστε εἰ τὴν ἀκροβυστίαν ἐκβάλλεις, μάνθανε σαφῶς, ὅτι οὐδέν σοι 60.458 οὐδὲ τῆς περιτομῆς ὄφελος. Ἂν γὰρ μὴ τοῖς ἴχνεσιν ἀκολουθήσῃς τῆς πίστεως, κἂν μυριάκις ᾖς ἐμπερίτομος, οὐκ ἔσῃ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ ἔκγονος· ἐπεὶ καὶ τὴν περιτομὴν διὰ τοῦτο ἔλαβεν, ἵνα σὲ ὁ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ μὴ ἐκβάλλῃ. Μὴ δὴ καὶ ἐκεῖνον τοῦτο ἀπαίτει· σοὶ γὰρ τὸ πρᾶγμα βοήθεια γέγονεν, οὐκ ἐκείνῳ. Ἀλλὰ σημεῖον αὐτὸ δικαιοσύνης, φησί. Καὶ τοῦτο διὰ σὲ, ἐπεὶ νῦν οὐδὲ τοῦτό ἐστι· τότε γὰρ σὺ τῶν σωματικῶν ἔχρῃζες σημείων, νῦν δὲ οὐ χρεία τούτων. Ἀπὸ γὰρ τῆς πίστεως, φησὶν, οὐκ ἦν δυνατὸν αὐτοῦ καταμαθεῖν τῆς ψυχῆς τὴν ἀρετήν; ∆υνατὸν μὲν ἦν, σὺ δὲ καὶ ταύτης ἔχρῃζες τῆς προσθήκης. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τῆς ψυχῆς τὴν ἀρετὴν οὐκ ἐζήλωσας οὐδὲ ἰδεῖν ἠδυνήθης, ἐδόθη σοι ἡ αἰσθητὴ περιτομὴ, ἵνα ἐμμελετήσας τῷ σωματικῷ τούτῳ, κατὰ μικρὸν χειραγωγηθῇς καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς φιλοσοφίαν, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς αὐτὴν ὑποδεξάμενος τῆς σπουδῆς ὡς ἀξίωμα μέγιστον, παιδευθῇς μιμεῖσθαι καὶ αἰδεῖσθαι τὸν πρόγονον. Καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐν τῇ περιτομῇ μόνον ὁ Θεὸς κατεσκεύασεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασιν, οἷον θυσίαις λέγω καὶ σάββασι καὶ ἑορταῖς. Ὅτι γὰρ διὰ σὲ περιτομὴν ἔλαβεν, ἄκουσον τῶν ἑξῆς· εἰπὼν γὰρ, ὅτι σημεῖον ἔλαβε καὶ σφραγῖδα, καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν τίθησι, λέγων· Εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτὸν πατέρα περιτομῆς, τούτοις τοῖς καὶ τὴν νοητὴν προσλαμβάνουσιν· ὡς ἐὰν ταύτην μόνον ἔχῃς, οὐδέν σοι γενήσεται πλέον. Σημεῖον γὰρ τότε τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὅταν τὸ πρᾶγμα, οὗ τοῦτό ἐστι σημεῖον, φαίνηται παρὰ σοὶ, τουτέστιν ἡ πίστις· ὡς, ἂν μὴ ταύτην ἔχῃς, οὐδὲ τὸ σημεῖον λοιπὸν εἶναι σημεῖον δύναται. Τίνος γὰρ ἔσται σημεῖον, τίνος δὲ σφραγὶς, οὐκ ὄντος τοῦ σφραγιζομένου; ὡς ἂν εἰ καὶ βαλάντιον ἐπιδεικνύεις ἡμῖν σφραγῖδα ἔχον, μηδενὸς ἔνδον ἀποκειμένου· ὥστε καταγέλαστος ἡ περιτομὴ, τῆς πίστεως ἔνδον οὐκ οὔσης. Εἰ γὰρ δικαιοσύνης ἐστὶ σημεῖον, δικαιοσύνην δὲ οὐκ ἔχεις, οὐδὲ σημεῖον ἔχεις. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἔλαβες σημεῖον, ἵνα τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐπιζητῇς, οὗ τὸ σημεῖον ἔχεις· ὡς, εἴ γε ἔμελλες αὐτὸ χωρὶς τούτου ἐπιζητεῖν, οὐκ ἂν ἐδέησέ σοι τούτου. Οὐ τοῦτο δὲ κηρύττει μόνον ἡ περιτομὴ, τὴν δικαιοσύνην, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ δικαιοσύνην. Οὐδὲν οὖν ἄλλο κηρύττει ἡ περιτομὴ, ἀλλ' ὅτι οὐ χρεία περιτομῆς. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ ἐκ νόμου, κληρονόμοι· κεκένωται ἡ πίστις, καὶ κατήργηται ἡ ἐπαγγελία. Ἔδειξεν, ὅτι ἀναγκαία ἡ πίστις, ὅτι πρεσβυτέρα περιτομῆς, ὅτι νόμου ἰσχυροτέρα, ὅτι συνίστησι νόμον. Εἰ γὰρ πάντες ἥμαρτον, ἀναγκαία· εἰ ἀκρόβυστος ὢν ἐδικαιώθη, πρεσβυτέρα· εἰ διὰ νόμου ἐπίγνωσις ἁμαρτίας, χωρὶς δὲ νόμου πεφανέρωται, ἰσχυροτέρα· εἰ μαρτυρεῖται ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τὸν νόμον ἵστησιν, οὐκ ἐναντία, ἀλλὰ φίλη καὶ σύμμαχος.