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from heaven he gave them to eat,” 3.12.2 To these things the Savior answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, Moses has not given you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.” Then he adds, “I am the bread of life,” and again, “I am the bread that came down from heaven,” and again, “and the bread that I will give is my body.” And again he adds, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not 3.12.3 have life in yourselves. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood 3.12.4 is true drink. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.” As he was explaining these and such things more mystically, some of his disciples said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” To whom the Savior answered, saying, “Does this offend you? What if then you see 3.12.5 the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” By which he taught them to listen spiritually to the things spoken concerning his flesh and blood; for do not think, he says, that I am speaking of the flesh with which I am clothed, as though it must be eaten, nor suppose that I am commanding you to drink the perceptible and bodily blood, but know well that “the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life,” so that the words themselves and the sayings are the flesh and the blood, of which he who partakes is always nourished as if by heavenly bread, and he will partake of hea3.12.6venly life. Therefore, he says, do not let this offend you, which I have said concerning the eating of my flesh and the drinking of my blood, nor let the literal hearing of the things said by me concerning flesh and blood trouble you; for these things “profit nothing” when heard perceptibly, but it is the spirit that gives life to those who are able to hear spiritually 3.12.7. But the new interpreter of the evangelical teachings, understanding none of these things, listen how he writes, saying in these very syllables, having touched the human body and showed it to those who were watching, “Does this offend you?” he said, “What if then you see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? The spirit gives life, the flesh profits nothing.” 3.12.8 To whom one could say: And from where, noble sir, did you get this addition of things not found in the evangelical scripture? For that the Savior touched the human body and showed it to those who were watching and said, “Does this offend you?” you invent from yourself and dare to make the addition from yourself. Having taken this audacity from himself, he thinks to prepare from this, that the flesh of the Savior will be left devoid of the energy of the Word, saying if he therefore confesses that the flesh profits nothing, how is it possible for that which is from the earth and profits nothing and in the ages to come to be with the Word as beneficial to him? Thus then he rushed ignorantly and unskillfully to misinterpret the evangelical voice. And he likewise made perverse interpretations of the apostolic sayings. 3.13.1 For example, in the Acts of the Apostles, when Peter had said concerning our Savior, “whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration,” not understanding the meaning of the word, he attempts from this to circumscribe the kingdom of Christ, claiming that a certain limit and deadline of his kingdom is indicated by the saying 3.13.2 “until the times of restoration.” And he says that this same thing is established also through the Psalm that says, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet,” and that Paul the apostle for this reason said, “For he must reign until he has put his enemies under his feet”; for he supposed that “until” and “as long as” signify a limited time. Listen, then, how he writes word for word, saying, For this reason it seems to me

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οὐρανοῦ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς φαγεῖν», 3.12.2 πρὸς ταῦτα ὁ σωτὴρ ἀπεκρίνατο «ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐ Μωσῆς δέδωκεν ὑμῖν τὸν ἄρτον ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ἀλλ' ὁ πατήρ μου δίδωσιν ὑμῖν τὸν ἄρτον τὸν ἀληθινὸν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ». εἶτ' ἐπιφέρει «ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς» καὶ πάλιν «ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος ὁ καταβὰς ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ» καὶ αὖθις «ὁ δὲ ἄρτος ὃν ἐγὼ δώσω τὸ σῶμά μού ἐστιν». καὶ πάλιν προστίθησιν «ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐὰν μὴ φάγητε τὴν σάρκα τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ πίητε αὐτοῦ τὸ αἷμα, οὐκ 3.12.3 ἔχετε ζωὴν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς. ὁ τρώγων μου τὴν σάρκα καὶ πίνων μου τὸ αἷμα ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον, κἀγὼ ἀναστήσω αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ. ἡ γὰρ σάρξ μου ἀληθής ἐστιν βρῶσις, καὶ τὸ αἷμά μου 3.12.4 ἀληθής ἐστιν πόσις. ὁ τρώγων μου τὴν σάρκα καὶ πίνων μου τὸ αἷμα ἐν ἐμοὶ μένει κἀγὼ ἐν αὐτῷ». ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα μυστικώτερον αὐτοῦ διεξιόντος τινὲς τῶν αὐτοῦ μαθητῶν εἶπον «σκληρός ἐστιν ὁ λόγος, τίς δύναται αὐτοῦ ἀκούειν;» πρὸς οὓς ἀπεκρίνατο ὁ σωτὴρ λέγων «τοῦτο ὑμᾶς σκανδαλίζει; ἐὰν οὖν θεωρῆτε 3.12.5 τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἀναβαίνοντα ὅπου ἦν τὸ πρότερον; τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν τὸ ζωοποιοῦν, ἡ σὰρξ οὐκ ὠφελεῖ οὐδέν· τὰ ῥήματα ἃ λελάληκα ὑμῖν πνεῦμά ἐστιν καὶ ζωή ἐστιν». δι' ὧν ἐπαίδευεν αὐτοὺς πνευματικῶς ἀκούειν τῶν περὶ τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ λελεγμένων· μὴ γὰρ τὴν σάρκα , φησίν, ἣν περίκειμαι νομίσητέ με λέγειν, ὡς δέον αὐτὴν ἐσθίειν, μηδὲ τὸ αἰσθητὸν καὶ σωματικὸν αἷμα πίνειν ὑπολαμβάνετέ με προστάττειν, ἀλλ' εὖ ἴστε ὅτι «τὰ ῥήματά μου ἃ λελάληκα ὑμῖν πνεῦμά ἐστιν καὶ ζωή ἐστιν», ὥστε αὐτὰ εἶναι τὰ ῥήματα καὶ τοὺς λόγους αὐτοὺς τὴν σάρκα καὶ τὸ αἷμα, ὧν ὁ μετέχων ἀεὶ ὡσανεὶ ἄρτῳ οὐρανίῳ τρεφόμενος τῆς οὐρα3.12.6 νίου μεθέξει ζωῆς. μὴ δὴ οὖν, φησίν, σκανδαλιζέτω ὑμᾶς τοῦτο, ὃ περὶ βρώσεως τῆς ἐμῆς σαρκὸς καὶ περὶ πόματος τοῦ ἐμοῦ αἵματος εἴρηκα, μηδὲ ταραττέτω ὑμᾶς ἡ πρόχειρος ἀκοὴ τῶν περὶ τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ αἵματος εἰρημένων μοι· ταῦτα γὰρ «οὐδὲν ὠφελεῖ» αἰσθητῶς ἀκουόμενα, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμά ἐστιν τὸ ζωοποιοῦν τοὺς πνευματικῶς 3.12.7 ἀκούειν δυναμένους. ἀλλ' ὁ καινὸς ἐξηγητὴς τῶν εὐαγγελικῶν μαθημάτων μηδὲν τούτων συνείς, ἐπάκουσον ὅπως γράφει λέγων αὐταῖς συλλαβαῖς τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου ἁψάμενος σώματος καὶ δείξας αὐτὸ τοῖς ὁρῶσιν «τοῦτο ὑμᾶς σκανδαλίζει;» ἔφη «ἐὰν οὖν ἴδητε τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἀνιόντα, ὅπου ἦν τὸ πρότερον; τὸ πνεῦμα ζωοποιεῖ, ἡ σὰρξ οὐδὲν ὠφελεῖ». 3.12.8 πρὸς ὃν ἦν εἰπεῖν· καὶ πόθεν σοι, ὦ γενναῖε, ἡ προσθήκη τῶν μὴ φερομένων ἐν τῇ εὐαγγελικῇ γραφῇ; τὸ γὰρ τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου σώματος ἁψάμενον τὸν σωτῆρα καὶ δείξαντα αὐτὸ τοῖς ὁρῶσιν εἰρηκέναι «τοῦτο ὑμᾶς σκανδαλίζει;» παρὰ σαυτοῦ πλάττεις καὶ τὴν προσθήκην ἀπὸ σαυτοῦ ποιεῖσθαι τολμᾷς. ὃ δὴ τόλμημα παρ' ἑαυτοῦ λαβὼν ἐντεῦθεν οἴεται παρασκευάζειν, ἔρημον τῆς ἐνεργείας τοῦ λόγου τὴν σάρκα τοῦ σωτῆρος καταλειφθήσεσθαι, λέγων εἰ οὖν ὁμολογεῖ τὴν σάρκα μηδὲν ὠφελεῖν αὐτόν, πῶς ἐγχωρεῖ τὴν ἐκ γῆς τε οὖσαν καὶ μηδὲν ὠφελοῦσαν καὶ ἐν τοῖς μέλλουσιν αἰῶσιν ὡς αὐτῷ λυσιτελοῦσαν συνεῖναι τῷ λόγῳ; οὕτω μὲν οὖν ἀμαθῶς καὶ ἀνεπιστημόνως τὴν εὐαγγελικὴν παρερμηνεῦσαι φωνὴν ὡρμήθη. καὶ τῶν ἀποστολικῶν δὲ ὁμοίως ῥημάτων διαστρόφους ἐξηγήσεις ἐποιεῖτο. 3.13.1 αὐτίκα γοῦν ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσιν τῶν ἀποστόλων τοῦ Πέτρου περὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν εἰρηκότος «ὃν δεῖ οὐρανὸν μὲν δέξασθαι ἄχρι χρόνων ἀποκαταστάσεως», μὴ νοήσας τὴν τοῦ λόγου διάνοιαν ἐντεῦθεν τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Χριστοῦ περιγράφειν πειρᾶται, ὅρον τινὰ φάσκων καὶ προθεσμίαν τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ δηλοῦσθαι διὰ τὸ λέ3.13.2 γεσθαι «ἄχρι χρόνων ἀποκαταστάσεως». τὸ αὐτὸ δὲ τοῦτο συνίστασθαί φησιν καὶ διὰ τοῦ φάσκοντος Ψαλμοῦ «κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου», καὶ Παῦλον δὲ τὸν ἀπόστολον διὰ τοῦτο εἰρηκέναι τὸ «δεῖ γὰρ αὐτὸν βασιλεύειν ἕως ἂν θῇ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ»· τὸ γὰρ «ἕως» καὶ τὸ «ἄχρι» περιωρισμένου χρόνου σημαντικὸν εἶναι ὑπέλαβεν. ἐπάκουσον γοῦν ὅπως κατὰ λέξιν γράφει λέγων διὰ τοῦτο γάρ μοι δοκεῖ