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chosen, a cornerstone, precious for its foundations, and he who believes in him will not be put to shame; and I will make judgment a hope, and my mercy a standard. And how is it not truly foolish and utterly ridiculous, the supposition of those who bodily expect that some stone, one of those considered expensive and precious, will be cast by the Lord himself into the foundations of the physical Zion, on which stone he who has believed is prophesied that he will by no means be put to shame; therefore, shaking off the foolish and Judaic narratives, and the old wives' tales which the apostle named, let us receive the divinely inspired prophecies in a manner worthy of God; therefore, it says for this reason, behold I am casting a stone into the foundations of Zion. But for what reason is this? Is it because the rulers of the former people have made covenants with death, and because they have forsaken the covenant of God, and instead of this have made a covenant with Hades, and because of these things they suppose they will suffer no evil; but also for this reason they have placed 193 their hope on a lie and think they will be sheltered by the lie; for because of these things, as they have fallen away from the hope in God, he promises to place the precious stone for those who believe. But to those who said, We have made a covenant with Hades, and with death agreements; if a rushing tempest passes by it will not come upon us, we have made a lie our hope, and by the lie we shall be sheltered, the word coming down says, O you who trust in vain in a lie, the tempest will not pass you by, lest it also take away your covenant of death and your hope in Hades not remain; if a rushing tempest should come, you will be for it to be trampled underfoot; which things it is manifest how they have been fulfilled for that people at the coming of our Savior. Consequently, therefore, we do not think the chosen stone indicated here, being something wonderful and extraordinary, so that those who have believed in him will not be put to shame, is any other than the sacred Word of God, upon whom as upon a firm foundation the spiritual and heavenly Zion has been built, being none other than the church of God; For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ; and concerning this it has been said also in the Psalms, The stone which the builders rejected, this has become the head of the corner, and has been called the cornerstone; and Daniel also interprets this stone to mean the kingdom of Christ, where he says, and the stone that struck the image became a great mountain, and struck or even filled the whole 194 earth. Those, therefore, who build the building according to the letter of the law, rejected this stone; but he, nonetheless rejected by them, has been shown to be the head of the corner of the church of the Gentiles according to what was said somewhere, You will make me the head of the nations. Therefore, he who believes on this stone will not be put to shame, as this prophecy concerning him is also being fulfilled. Ps. 14. Behold the name of the Lord comes after a long time, burning anger, with glory the utterance of his lips, an utterance full of wrath, and the anger of his wrath will devour like fire. And what might the so-called name of the Lord be other than God the Word, through whom all things were made? I think, therefore, that this prophecy also hints at the things concerning his second and glorious coming. Ps. 15. Thus says the Lord: Blessed is he who has seed in Zion, and kinsmen in Jerusalem; for behold, a righteous king will reign, and rulers will rule with judgment. The Christ of God who said, But I was established as king by him, is also indicated by these things; and the rulers under him would be either apostles, and those who with God's judgment rule the churches, or divine angels, guardians of men's salvation; and on account of this one who reigns over Zion and Jerusalem, blessed is he who has in Zion

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ἐκλεκτὸν, ἀκρογωνιαῖον, ἔντιμον εἰς τὰ θεμέλια αὐτῆς, καὶ ὁ πιστεύων ἐπ' αὐτῷ οὐ μὴ καταισχυνθῇ· καὶ θήσω κρίσιν εἰς ἐλπίδα, ἡ δὲ ἐλεημοσύνη μου εἰς σταθμούς. Καὶ πῶς οὐκ ἀληθῶς ἠλίθιος καὶ κομιδῇ καταγέλαστος ἡ τῶν σωματικῶς καραδοκούντων λίθον τινὰ τούτων δὴ τῶν πολυτελῶν καὶ πολυτίμων εἶναι νομιζομένων εἰς τὰ θεμέλια τῆς σωματικῆς Σιὼν ἐμβληθήσεσθαι πρὸς αὐτοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου ὑπόληψις, ἐφ' ὃν λίθον ὁ πιστεύσας οὐδαμῶς καταισχυνθήσεσθαι προφητεύεται· τὰς μωρὰς τοιγαροῦν καὶ Ἰουδαϊκὰς διηγήσεις, τούς τε γραώδεις οὓς ὠνόμασεν ὁ ἀπόστολος μύθους ἀποσεισάμενοι, Θεοῦ ἀξίως τὰς θεοπνεύστους παραδεχώμεθα προφητείας· φησὶν οὖν διὰ τοῦτο ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐμβάλλω εἰς τὰ θεμέλια Σιὼν λίθον. ∆ιὰ ποῖον δὲ τοῦτο, ἢ διὰ τὸ τοὺς ἄρχοντας τοῦ προτέρου λαοῦ πεποιηκέναι συνθήκας μετὰ τοῦ θανάτου, καὶ διὰ τὸ καταλεῖψαι μὲν αὐτοὺς τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ διαθήκην, ἀντὶ δὲ ταύτης διαθήκην πρὸς τὸν Αἵδην πεποιηκέναι, ὑπολαμβάνειν δὲ διὰ ταῦτα μηδὲν κακὸν ἑαυτοὺς πείσεσθαι· ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τεθεικέναι 193 μὲν ἐπὶ ψεῦδος τὴν ἐλπίδα αὐτῶν καὶ οἴεσθαι τῷ ψεύδει σκεπασθήσεσθαι· διὰ γάρ τοι ταῦτα, ὡς ἂν ἀποπεπτωκότων ἐκείνων ἀπὸ τῆς εἰς τὸν Θεὸν ἐλπίδος, τὸν πολυτίμητον λίθον τοῖς πιστεύουσιν ἐπαγγέλλεται θήσειν. Πρὸς ἐκείνους δὲ τοὺς εἰρηκότας, ἐποιήσαμεν διαθήκην μετὰ τοῦ Αἵδου, καὶ μετὰ τοῦ θανάτου συνθήκας· καταιγὶς φερομένη ἐὰν παρέλθῃ οὐ μὴ ἔλθῃ ἐφ' ἡμᾶς, ἐθήκαμεν ψεῦδος τὴν ἐλπίδα ἡμῶν, καὶ τῷ ψεύδει σκεπασθησόμεθα, ὑποκαταβὰς ὁ λόγος φησὶν, οἱ πεποιθότες μάτην ψευδεῖ οὐ μὴ παρέλθῃ ὑμᾶς καταιγὶς, μὴ καὶ ἀφελῇ ὑμῶν τὴν διαθήκην τοῦ θανάτου καὶ ἡ ἐλπὶς ὑμῶν ἡ πρὸς τὸν Αἵδην οὐ μὴ ἐμμείνῃ· καταιγὶς φερομένη ἐὰν ἐπέλθῃ ἔσεσθε αὐτῇ εἰς καταπάτημα· ἃ καὶ πρόδηλον ὅπως ἐπὶ τῇ παρουσίᾳ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν εἰς ἐκεῖνον πεπλήρωται τὸν λαόν. Ἀκολούθως ἄρα ἡμεῖς οὐκ ἄλλον ἡγούμεθα εἶναι τὸν δηλούμενον ἐνταῦθα λίθον ἐκλεκτὸν θαυμαστὸν τινὰ ὄντα καὶ παράδοξον, ὡς τοὺς πιστεύσαντας εἰς αὐτὸν μὴ καταισχυνθήσεσθαι τοῦ ἱεροῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου, ἐφ' ὃν ὡς ἐπὶ θεμέλιον ἑδραῖον ἡ πνευματικὴ καὶ ἐπουράνιος Σιὼν ᾠκοδόμηται, οὐκ ἄλλη τις οὖσα τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐκκλησίας· Θεμέλιον γὰρ ἄλλον οὐδεὶς δύναται θεῖναι παρὰ τὸν κείμενον, ὅς ἐστιν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός· περὶ τούτου δὲ καὶ ἐν Ψαλμοῖς εἴρηται, Λίθον, ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες, οὗτος ἐγενήθη εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας, καὶ ἀκρογωνιαῖος ὠνόμασται· τοῦτον δὲ καὶ ∆ανιὴλ τὸν λίθον ἑρμηνεύει ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ βασιλείαν, ἔνθα λέγει, καὶ ὁ λίθος ὁ πατάξας τὴν εἰκόνα ἐγένετο ὄρος μέγα, καὶ ἐπάταξεν ἢ καὶ ἐπλήρωσε πᾶσαν τὴν 194 γῆν. Οἱ μὲν οὖν οἰκοδομοῦντες τὴν κατὰ τὸ γράμμα τοῦ νόμου οἰκοδομὴν, τοῦτον ἀπεδοκίμασαν τὸν λίθον· αὐτὸς δὲ οὐδὲν ἧττον ὑπ' ἐκείνων ἀποδοκιμασθεὶς, κεφαλὴ γωνίας τῆς τῶν ἐξ ἐθνῶν ἐκκλησίας ἀναδέδεικται κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον ποῦ, καταστήσεις με εἰς κεφαλὴν ἐθνῶν. Ἐπὶ τοῦτον τοιγαροῦν τὸν λίθον ὁ πιστεύων οὐ καταισχυνθήσεται, ἐπαληθευούσης καὶ ταύτης τῆς περὶ αὐτοῦ προφητείας. Ψ. Ι∆ʹ. Ἰδοὺ τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου ἔρχεται διὰ πολλοῦ χρόνου, καιόμενος θυμὸς, μετὰ δόξης τὸ λόγιον τῶν χειλέων αὐτοῦ, τὸ λόγιον ὀργῆς πλῆρες, καὶ ὀργὴ τοῦ θυμοῦ ὡς πῦρ ἔδεται. Καὶ τί ἂν εἴη τὸ λεγόμενον ὄνομα Κυρίου ἢ ὁ Θεὸς Λόγος, δι' οὗ τὰ σύμπαντα γεγένηται; Τὰ περὶ τῆς δευτέρας τοίνυν καὶ ἐνδόξου αὐτοῦ παρουσίας νομίζω καὶ ταύτην αἰνίττεσθαι τὴν προφητείαν. Ψ. ΙΕʹ. Τάδε λέγει Κύριος· Μακάριος, ὃς ἔχει ἐν Σιὼν σπέρμα, καὶ οἰκείους ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ· ἰδοὺ γὰρ βασιλεὺς δίκαιος βασιλεύσει, καὶ ἄρχοντες μετὰ κρίσεως ἄρξουσιν. Ὁ Χριστὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ εἰπὼν, ἐγὼ δὲ κατεστάθην βασιλεὺς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ διὰ τούτων δηλοῦται· εἶεν δ' ἂν οἱ ὑπ' αὐτὸν ἄρχοντες, ἤτοι ἀπόστολοι, καὶ οἱ μετὰ Θεοῦ κρίσεως τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν ἄρχοντες ἢ ἄγγελοι θεῖοι, τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἔφοροι σωτηρίας· διὰ τοῦτον δὲ τὸν βασιλεύοντα τῆς Σιὼν καὶ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ, μακάριος ὃς ἔχει ἐν Σιὼν