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That “there the Lord commanded the blessing, life forevermore.” ANSWER For a pledge both of all good things and of eternal life is the grace given through

holy baptism, of which may we become partakers by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

QUESTION B,14 How should we understand what is written in the holy Dionysius, that “even non-being desires” God? ANSWER Since God is none of the things that are, but above all things that are, for this reason

non-being also has a place; For non-being is properly said of him, since he is none of the things that are.

(14Α_338> QUESTION B,18 What is: “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven”? ANSWER It is easier, he says, for the crookedness of the gentiles—for this is the camel—

to enter through the narrow and afflicted way, which is the eye of the needle, into the kingdom of heaven, than for the people of the Jews who have the Law and the Prophets; and just as the needle passes through two separate parts and makes one, so also our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the needle, joined the two peoples, according to the Apostle making both one. But also he who has thinned and spun himself through self-control enters more easily through the narrow gate into the kingdom of heaven than a rich man who is always broadening himself with banquets and human glory.

QUESTION B,23 Why did the former men live for many years, but the latter for few? ANSWER Since the former men were altogether sick with godlessness, God arranged for them

to be detained for a long time in this life, so that through successive events he might bring them to the perception that there is some providence that directs the varied motion of things that happen. But the last generation, since it has received knowledge of both the written and the spiritual law, for this reason is not detained by a long life.

VERSION C OF THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (14Α_344> QUESTION C,1 What is the meaning of “Let us make man. according to the image of God and likeness,” and then, going on, he says “and God made man, according to the image of God he made him” and left out “according to the likeness”?

ANSWER Since the first purpose of God was for man to be made “according to the image of God and likeness,” and “according to the image” is incorruptibility, immortality, invisibility, which portray the divine, these things he has given the soul to possess, having given it along with these also self-determination and free will, all of which are representations of the essence of God. But “according to likeness” is dispassion, gentleness, long-suffering and the other characteristics of the goodness of God, all of which are expressive of the energies of God. The things of his essence, therefore, which “according to the image” signifies, he has given naturally to the soul; but those (14Α_346> which are of the energy of God, the “according to likeness”

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Ὅτι «ἐκεῖ ἐνετείλατο Κύριος τὴν εὐλογίαν, ζωὴν ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος». ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Ἀρραβὼν γὰρ καὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν πάντων καὶ τῆς ἀϊδίου ζωῆς ἐστιν ἡ διὰ τοῦ

ἁγίου βαπτίσματος διδομένη χάρις, ἧς μέτοχοι γενοίμεθα χάριτι τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Β,14 Πῶς νοήσομεν τὸ ἐν τῷ ἁγίῳ ∆ιονυσίῳ γεγραμμένον, ὅτι «καὶ τὸ μὴ ὂν

ἐφίεται» τοῦ Θεοῦ; ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Ἐπειδὴ οὐδὲν τῶν ὄντων ἐστὶν ὁ Θεὸς ἀλλ᾽ ὑπὲρ πάντα τὰ ὄντα, κατὰ τοῦτο

καὶ τὸ μὴ ὂν θέσιν λαμβάνει· Κυρίως γὰρ ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῦ λέγεται τὸ μὴ ὄν, ἐπειδὴ οὐδέν ἐστι τῶν ὄντων.

(14Α_338> ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Β,18 Τί ἐστιν· «εὐκοπώτερόν ἐστι κάμηλον διὰ τρυμαλιᾶς ῥαφίδος εἰσελθεῖν ἢ

πλούσιον εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν»; ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Εὐκολώτερόν ἐστι, φησί, τὸ σκολιὸν τῶν ἐθνῶν τοῦτο γὰρ ἡ κάμηλος

εἰσελθεῖν διὰ τῆς στενῆς καὶ τεθλιμμένης, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἡ τρυμαλιά, εἰς τὴν τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν ἢ τῶν Ἰουδαίων τὸν λαὸν ἔχοντα νόμον καὶ προφήτας· ὥσπερ δὲ ἡ ῥαφὶς πίπτει εἰς δύο σχίσματα καὶ ἀποτελεῖ ἕν, οὕτω καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, ὅς ἐστιν ἡ ῥαφίς, συνῆψε τοὺς δύο λαούς, κατὰ τὸν Ἀπόστολον ποιήσας τὰ ἀμφότερα ἕν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ δι᾽ ἐγκρατείας λεπτύνας ἑαυτὸν καὶ κλώσας εὐκολώτερον εἰσέρχεται διὰ τῆς στενῆς πύλης εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν ἢ πλούσιος ὁ τραπέζῃ καὶ ἀνθρωπίνῃ δόξῃ ἑαυτὸν ἐμπλατύνων ἀεί.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Β,23 ∆ιατί οἱ πρώην ἄνθρωποι ἔζων πολλὰ ἔτη, οἱ δὲ τελευταῖοι ὀλίγα; ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Ἐπειδὴ πάντη ἀθεΐαν ἐνόσουν οἱ πρώην, ᾠκονόμησεν ὁ Θεὸς πολὺν αὐτοὺς

χρόνον παρακατέχεσθαι ἐν τῇ ζωῇ ταύτῃ, ὅπως διὰ τῶν ἀλλεπαλλήλων συμβάσεων εἰς αἴσθησιν αὐτοὺς ἀγάγῃ ὅτι ἔστιν τις πρόνοια ἡ τὴν ποικίλην τῶν γινομένων διεξάγουσα κίνησιν. Ἡ δὲ τελευταία γενεά, ἐπειδὴ γνῶσιν ἔλαβε τοῦ τε γραπτοῦ νόμου καὶ τοῦ πνευματικοῦ, διὰ τοῦτο οὐ παρακατέχεται τῇ πολυχρονίῳ ζωῇ.

ΠΑΡΑΛΛΑΓΗ Γ' ΕΡΩΤΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΕΩΝ (14Α_344> ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Γ,1 Τί ἐστι τὸ «ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον. κατ᾽ εἰκόνα Θεοῦ καὶ ὁμοίωσιν», καὶ

ὑποκαταβὰς λέγει «καὶ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον, κατ᾽ εἰκόνα Θεοῦ ἐποίησεν αὐτὸν» καὶ παρέλειπεν τὸ καθ᾽ ὁμοίωσιν;

ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Ἐπειδὴ ὁ πρῶτος τοῦ Θεοῦ σκοπὸς ἦν τὸ ἄνθρωπον γενέσθαι «κατ᾽ εἰκόνα

Θεοῦ καὶ ὁμοίωσιν», ἔστι δὲ τὸ «κατ᾽ εἰκόνα» ἡ ἀφθαρσία, ἡ ἀθανασία, τὸ ἀόρατον, ἅπερ εἰκονίζει τὸ θεῖον, ταῦτα δέδωκεν ἔχειν τῇ ψυχῇ, δεδωκὼς αὐτῇ μετὰ τούτων καὶ τὸ αὐτοδέσποτον καὶ αὐτεξούσιον, ἅπερ πάντα τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰσιν εἰκονίσματα. Τὸ δὲ «καθ᾽ ὁμοίωσίν» ἐστιν ἡ ἀπάθεια, τὸ πρᾶον, τὸ μακρόθυμον καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ τῆς ἀγαθότητος τοῦ Θεοῦ γνωρίσματα, ἅπερ πάντα ἐνεργείας Θεοῦ εἰσιν παραστατικά. Τὰ οὖν τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ, ἅπερ τὸ κατ᾽ εἰκόνα δηλοῦσιν, δέδωκε φυσικῶς τῇ ψυχῇ· ἃ (14Α_346> δὲ τῆς ἐνεργείας εἰσὶν τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὸ «καθ᾽ ὁμοίωσιν»