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the debt of the race. For not owing death, I endured death, and not being subject to death, I received death, and being without liability, I was enrolled among the liable, and being free from debt, I was ranked with the debtors. I paid, therefore, the debt of nature, and having endured an unjust death, I abolish the just one; those justly held, being unjustly seized, I release from prison. Behold the bond of nature wiped clean, O bitter executioner of sin. Behold it nailed to the cross, and freed from the letters of sin. Behold it not having accepted the signature of wickedness. Therefore, the eyes of this body paid on behalf of the eyes that saw evil things; these ears, on behalf of the ears that received defilement; the tongue likewise, on behalf of the tongues that were moved lawlessly; the hands on behalf of the hands that worked unjust things. And the other parts, on behalf of the members that committed any sin. But when the debt is paid, it is fitting that those imprisoned on account of it be released from prison, and receive their former freedom, and return to their ancestral land. Saying these things, the Lord raised his own body, and sowed in human nature the hopes of the resurrection, having given to all the resurrection of his own body as a pledge. And let no one think that we prattle these things in vain; for from the holy Gospels, and from the apostolic teachings, we have been taught that these things are so; for we heard the Lord himself saying: “The ruler of the world is coming, and he finds nothing in me.” For I have none, he says, of the marks of sin, I have a body free from all lawlessness; but nevertheless, though finding nothing, as though it were subject to countless debts, he will hand it over to death; but I endure it, wishing to cast him out justly from his tyranny. Wherefore also again in another place he says: “Now is the judgment of this world, now will the ruler of this world be cast out.” For when the judgment and the trial have taken place, he will be condemned, and as one who cast an unjust 83.761 vote against me, he will be cast out of his tyranny. Then, teaching that he will not only free his own body from the power of death, but the entire nature of mankind, he immediately added, saying: “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” For I will not only bear to raise the body which I assumed, but I will work out the resurrection for all men; for on account of this I came, and took the form of a servant. On account of this I was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent. These things also the blessed Paul says, writing to the Colossians, and through them to all men: “And you,” he says, “being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us; and he has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross, having disarmed the principalities and powers, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” From this, therefore, we were taught that he paid the debt on our behalf, and wiped out the handwriting that was against us, and nailed it to the cross, and made a spectacle of the principalities and powers, that is, the opposing forces, triumphing over them openly in himself. That is, by showing to them his own body and soul as sinless, and by refuting their unjust vote that was made against him; and having done these things, he made alive the whole nature of mankind. And countless other testimonies can be found in the divine Scripture, teaching that these things are so. But if we should wish to collect them all, and to make the appropriate interpretation for each, we would produce an endless length. To those who love learning, therefore

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γένους τὸ χρέος. Οὐκ ὀφείλων γὰρ θάνατον, θάνατον ὑπέμεινα, καὶ μὴ ὑποκείμενος θανάτῳ, ὑπεδεξάμην τὸν θάνα τον, καὶ ἀνεύθυνος ὢν, ἐνεγράφην τοῖς ὑπευθύνοις, καὶ ὀφλήματος ὑπάρχων ἐλεύθερος, μετὰ τῶν ὀφει λόντων ἐτάχθην. Ἐξέτισα τοίνυν τὸ τῆς φύσεως ὄφλημα, καὶ θάνατον ἄδικον ὑπομείνας, καταλύω τὸν δίκαιον· τοὺς ἐνδίκως κατεχομένους, ἀδίκως κατασχεθεὶς, τῆς εἱρκτῆς ἀπολύω. Βλέπε τὸ γραμ ματεῖον τῆς φύσεως ἀπηλειμμένον, ὦ πικρὲ τῆς ἁμαρτίας δήμιε. Βλέπε αὐτὸ τῷ σταυρῷ προσ ηλωμένον, καὶ τῶν γραμμάτων τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἀπ ηλλαγμένον. Βλέπε αὐτὸ πονηρίας ὑπογραφὴν οὐ δεδεγμένον. Ἀπέδοσαν τοίνυν οἱ τοῦδε τοῦ σώματος ὀφθαλμοὶ, ὑπὲρ τῶν κακῶς θεασαμένων ὀμμάτων· αἱ τοῦδε ἀκοαὶ, ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀκοῶν τὸν μολυσμὸν δεξαμέ νων· ἡ γλῶττα ὡσαύτως, ὑπὲρ τῶν γλωττῶν τῶν παρανόμως κινηθεισῶν· αἱ χεῖρες ὑπὲρ τῶν ἄδικα ἐργασαμένων χειρῶν. Καὶ τἄλλα μέρη, ὑπὲρ τῶν τιναοῦν ἁμαρτίαν διαπραξαμένων με λῶν. Τοῦ δὲ χρέους ἐκτιθέντος, προσήκει τοὺς τούτου χάριν καθειργμένους τῆς εἱρκτῆς ἀπαλλαγῆναι, καὶ τὴν προτέραν ἐλευθερίαν ἀπολαβεῖν, καὶ εἰς τὸ πατρῷον χωρίον ἐπανελθεῖν. Ταῦτα λέγων ὁ Κύριος, τό τε οἰκεῖον ἀνέστησε σῶμα, καὶ τῇ φύσει τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὰς τῆς ἀνα στάσεως ἐλπίδας κατέσπειρεν, ἐχέγγυον ἅπασι δεδωκὼς τοῦ οἰκείου σώματος τὴν ἀνάστασιν. Καὶ μή τις οἰέσθω ταῦτα ἡμᾶς μάτην ἀδολεσχεῖν· ἐκ γὰρ τῶν ἱερῶν Εὐαγγελίων, καὶ τῶν ἀποστολικῶν παιδευμά των, ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχειν ἐπαιδεύθημεν· ἠκούσαμεν γὰρ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου λέγοντος· «Ἔρχεται ὁ τοῦ κόσμου ἄρχων, καὶ ἐν ἐμοὶ εὑρίσκει οὐδέν.» Οὐδὲν γὰρ ἔχω, φησὶ, τῶν τῆς ἁμαρτίας γνωρισμάτων, ἐλεύ θερον ἔχω πάσης παρανομίας τὸ σῶμα· ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ μηδὲν εὑρίσκων, ὡς μυρίοις ὀφλήμασιν ὑποκεί μενον, παραδώσει τῷ θανάτῳ· ἐγὼ δὲ ἀνέχομαι, δι καίως ἐκβάλλειν αὐτὸν τῆς τυραννίδος ἐθέλων. ∆ιὸ καὶ αὖθις ἐν ἑτέρῳ χωρίῳ φησί· «Νῦν κρίσις ἐστὶ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, νῦν ὁ ἄρχων τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ἐκβληθήσεται ἔξω.» Τῆς γὰρ κρίσεως καὶ τῆς διαδι κασίας γενομένης κατακριθήσεται, καὶ ὡς ἄδικον 83.761 κατ' ἐμοῦ τὴν ψῆφον ἐξενεγκὼν, τῆς τυραννίδος ἐκ βληθήσεται. Εἶτα ἐκδιδάσκων ὡς οὐ μόνον τὸ οἰκεῖον σῶμα τῆς τοῦ θανάτου δυναστείας ἐλευθερώσει, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν ὁμοῦ τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν φύσιν, εὐθὺς ἐπ ήγαγε λέγων· «Κἀγὼ, ἐὰν ὑψωθῶ ἐκ τῆς γῆς, πάν τας ἑλκύσω πρὸς ἐμαυτόν.» Οὐ γὰρ ἀνέξομαι μό νον ἀναστῆσαι ὃ ἀνέλαβον σῶμα, ἀλλὰ πᾶ σιν ἀνθρώποις πραγματεύσομαι τὴν ἀνάστασιν· τούτου γὰρ χάριν ἐλήλυθα, καὶ τὴν τοῦ δούλου μορ φὴν ἀνέλαβον. Τούτου χάριν ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἤχθην, καὶ ὡς ἀμνὸς ἐναντίον τοῦ κείροντος αὐ τὸν ἄφωνος. Ταῦτα καὶ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλός φησι, Κολοσσαεῦσι γράφων, καὶ δι' αὐτῶν ἅπασιν ἀνθρώ ποις· «Καὶ ὑμᾶς γὰρ, φησὶ, νεκροὺς ὄντας τοῖς παραπτώμασι καὶ τῇ ἀκροβυστίᾳ τῆς σαρκὸς ὑμῶν, συνεζωοποίησεν αὐτῷ, χαρισάμενος ἡμῖν πάντα τὰ παραπτώματα, ἐξαλείψας τὸ καθ' ἡμῶν χειρόγρα φον τοῖς δόγμασιν, ὃ ἦν ὑπεναντίον ἡμῖν· καὶ αὐτὸ ἦρεν ἐκ μέσου, προσηλώσας αὐτὸ τῷ σταυ ρῷ, ἀπεκδυσάμενος τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς ἐξουσίας, ἐδειγμάτισεν ἐν παῤῥησίᾳ, θριαμβεύσας αὐτοὺς ἐν αὐτῷ.» Κἀντεῦθεν τοιγαροῦν ἐδιδάχθημεν ὡς ἀπ έδωκε μὲν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τὸ χρέος, ἐξήλειψε δὲ τὸ καθ' ἡμῶν χειρόγραφον, καὶ προσήλωσεν αὐτὸ τῷ σταυρῷ, καὶ ἐδειγμάτισε τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς ἐξουσίας, τουτ έστι, τὰς ἐναντίας δυνάμεις, ἐν παῤῥησίᾳ θριαμβεύσας αὐτὰς ἐν αὑτῷ. Τουτέστιν, ἀναμάρ τητον αὐταῖς τὸ οἰκεῖον ἐπιδείξας σῶμά τε καὶ ψυ χὴν, καὶ τὴν κατ' αὐτοῦ γενομένην ἄδικον αὐτῶν ψῆ φον ἐλέγξας· καὶ ταῦτα πεποιηκὼς, συνεζωοποίησε πᾶσαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν φύσιν. Καὶ μυρίας δὲ ἑτέ ρας μαρτυρίας ἔστιν εὑρεῖν παρὰ τῇ θείᾳ Γραφῇ, ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχειν διδασκούσας. Ἀλλ' εἰ συλλέγειν ἁπάσας ἐθελήσαιμεν, καὶ τὴν προσήκουσαν ἑκά στῃ ἑρμηνείαν ποιήσασθαι, μῆκος ἄπειρον ἐργασό μεθα. Τοῖς φιλομαθέσι τοίνυν