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Like a dove the Holy Spirit descended upon the Lord, showing the first-fruits of our baptism and honoring the body, since this, that is, the body, by deification is God and at the same time, perhaps, it is customary from of old for a dove to announce the end of a flood. But upon the holy apostles it descends in the form of fire; for he is God, “and God is a consuming fire.” The oil is used in baptism, signifying the anointing and making us christs and announcing to us through the Holy Spirit the mercy of God, since also the dove brought an olive twig to those who were saved from the flood. John was baptized by laying his hand upon the divine head of the Master, and by his own blood. One must not postpone baptism, when the faith of those who approach is testified by works. He who approaches baptism with deceit will be condemned rather than benefited.

83 Concerning faith Faith, however, is twofold. “For there is faith from hearing.”

For hearing the divine scriptures, we believe in the teaching of the Spirit. This is perfected by all that was legislated by Christ, believing in work, being pious and doing the commandments of Him who renewed us. For he who does not believe according to the tradition of the Catholic Church or who communes with the devil through wicked works is an unbeliever. “There is” again “faith, the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,” or an unwavering and undoubting hope both in the things promised to us by God and in the success of our petitions. The first, therefore, is of our own mind, but the second is of the gifts of the Spirit. It must be known that through baptism we are circumcised of the whole veil from birth, that is, sin, and we are named spiritual Israelites and people of God.

84 Concerning the Cross, in which also still concerning faith “The word of the cross to those who

are perishing is foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” “For the spiritual man judges all things, but the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit.” For it is foolishness to those who do not receive in faith and who do not consider the good and omnipotent power of God, but who investigate divine things with human and natural reasonings; for all things of God are above nature and reason and thought. For if one should reason how and for what purpose God brought all things out of non-being into being, and should wish to grasp it with natural reasonings, he does not comprehend; for this knowledge is natural and demonic. But if one, led by faith, should consider the divine to be good and omnipotent and true and wise and just, he will find all things smooth and even and a straight path. For without faith it is impossible to be saved; for by faith all things, both human and spiritual, hold together. For neither does a farmer without faith cut a furrow in the earth, nor does a merchant on a small piece of wood entrust his own soul to the raging expanse of the sea, nor are marriages established, nor anything else in life. By faith we understand that all things were brought out of non-being into being by the power of God; all things, both divine and human, we accomplish by faith. Faith is assent without questioning. Therefore every action and wonderworking of Christ is most great and divine and wonderful, but most wonderful of all is his precious Cross. For by nothing else has death been abolished, the sin of our forefather been loosed, Hades been despoiled, the resurrection been granted, power has been given to us to despise present things and even death itself, the return to the ancient blessedness has been achieved, the gates of paradise have been opened, our nature has been seated at the right hand of God, we have become children of God and heirs, if not through the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. For through the cross all these things have been achieved.” For as many of us as were baptized into Christ,” says the apostle, “into His death

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ὡσεὶ περιστερὰ κατεφοίτησε τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐπὶ τὸν κύριον τὴν ἀπαρχὴν τοῦ ἡμετέρου ὑποδεικνύον βαπτίσματος καὶ τιμῶν τὸ σῶμα, ἐπεὶ καὶ τοῦτο ἤγουν τὸ σῶμα τῇ θεώσει θεὸς καὶ ἅμα που ἄνωθεν εἴθισται περιστερὰ λύσιν κατακλυσμοῦ εὐαγγελίζεσθαι. Ἐπὶ δὲ τοὺς ἁγίους ἀποστόλους πυροειδῶς κάτεισι· θεὸς γάρ ἐστιν, «ὁ δὲ θεὸς πῦρ καταναλίσκον ἐστί». Τὸ ἔλαιον ἐν τῷ βαπτίσματι παραλαμβάνεται τὴν χρίσιν μηνύον καὶ χριστοὺς ἡμᾶς ἐργαζόμενον καὶ τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῖν ἐπαγγελλόμενον διὰ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἔλεον, ἐπεὶ καὶ κάρφος ἐλαίας τοῖς ἐκ τοῦ κατακλυσμοῦ περισωθεῖσιν ἡ περιστερὰ κεκόμικεν. Ἐβαπτίσθη Ἰωάννης τὴν χεῖρα ἐπιθεὶς ἐπὶ τὴν θείαν τοῦ δεσπότου κορυφὴν καὶ τῷ ἰδίῳ αἵματι. Οὐ χρὴ ὑπερτίθεσθαι τὸ βάπτισμα, ὅτε δι' ἔργων ἡ πίστις τῶν προσιόντων μαρτυρηθῇ. Ὁ ἐν δόλῳ προσιὼν τῷ βαπτίσματι κατακριθήσεται μᾶλλον ἢ ὠφεληθήσεται.

83 Περὶ πίστεωσ Ἡ μέντοι πίστις διπλῆ ἐστιν. «Ἔστι γὰρ πίστις ἐξ ἀκοῆς».

Ἀκούοντες γὰρ τῶν θείων γραφῶν πιστεύομεν τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ τοῦ πνεύματος. Αὕτη δὲ τελειοῦται πᾶσι τοῖς νομοθετηθεῖσιν ὑπὸ Χριστοῦ, ἔργῳ πιστεύουσα, εὐσεβοῦσα καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς πράττουσα τοῦ ἀνακαινίσαντος ἡμᾶς. Ὁ γὰρ μὴ κατὰ τὴν παράδοσιν τῆς καθολικῆς ἐκκλησίας πιστεύων ἢ κοινωνῶν διὰ τῶν ἀτόπων ἔργων τῷ διαβόλῳ ἄπιστός ἐστιν. «Ἔστι δὲ» πάλιν «πίστις ἐλπιζομένων ὑπόστασις, πραγμάτων ἔλεγχος οὐ βλεπομένων» ἢ ἀδίστακτος καὶ ἀδιάκριτος ἐλπὶς τῶν τε ὑπὸ θεοῦ ἡμῖν ἐπηγγελμένων καὶ τῆς τῶν αἰτήσεων ἡμῶν ἐπιτυχίας. Ἡ μὲν οὖν πρώτη τῆς ἡμετέρας γνώμης ἐστίν, ἡ δὲ δευτέρα τῶν χαρισμάτων τοῦ πνεύματος. Ἰστέον, ὅτι διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος περιτεμνόμεθα ἅπαν τὸ ἀπὸ γενέσεως κάλυμμα ἤτοι τὴν ἁμαρτίαν καὶ Ἰσραηλῖται πνευματικοὶ καὶ θεοῦ λαὸς χρηματίζομεν.

84 Περὶ σταυροῦ, ἐν ᾧ ἔτι καὶ περὶ πίστεωσ «Ὁ λόγος ὁ τοῦ σταυροῦ τοῖς μὲν

ἀπολλυμένοις μωρία ἐστί, τοῖς δὲ σῳζομένοις ἡμῖν δύναμις θεοῦ ἐστιν». «Ὁ μὲν γὰρ πνευματικὸς πάντα ἀνακρίνει, ψυχικὸς δὲ ἄνθρωπος οὐ δέχεται τὰ τοῦ πνεύματος». Μωρία γάρ ἐστι τοῖς μὴ πίστει δεχομένοις καὶ τὸ ἀγαθὸν καὶ παντοδύναμον τοῦ θεοῦ λογιζομένοις, ἀλλ' ἀνθρωπίνοις καὶ φυσικοῖς λογισμοῖς ἐρευνῶσι τὰ θεῖα· πάντα γὰρ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ὑπὲρ φύσιν εἰσὶ καὶ λόγον καὶ ἔννοιαν. Εἰ γάρ τις λογίσηται, ὅπως ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος εἰς τὸ εἶναι τίνος τε ἕνεκεν παρήγαγεν ὁ θεὸς τὰ πάντα, καὶ φυσικοῖς λογισμοῖς φθάσαι βουληθῇ, οὐ καταλαμβάνει· ψυχικὴ γάρ ἐστιν ἡ γνῶσις αὕτη καὶ δαιμονιώδης. Εἰ δέ τις πίστει χειραγωγούμενος ἀγαθὸν καὶ παντοδύναμον καὶ ἀληθὲς καὶ σοφὸν καὶ δίκαιον τὸ θεῖον λογίσηται, εὑρήσει πάντα λεῖα καὶ ὁμαλὰ καὶ ὁδὸν εὐθεῖαν. Ἐκτὸς γὰρ πίστεως ἀδύνατον σωθῆναι· πίστει γὰρ πάντα, τά τε ἀνθρώπινα τά τε πνευματικά, συνίστανται. Οὔτε γὰρ γεωργὸς ἐκτὸς πίστεως τέμνει γῆς αὔλακα, οὐκ ἔμπορος μικρῷ ξύλῳ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν τῷ μαινομένῳ τῆς θαλάσσης πελάγει παραδίδωσιν, οὐ γάμοι συνίστανται, οὐκ ἄλλο τι τῶν ἐν τῷ βίῳ. Πίστει νοοῦμεν ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος εἰς τὸ εἶναι τὰ πάντα τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ δυνάμει παρῆχθαι· πάντα, τά τε θεῖα καὶ τὰ ἀνθρώπινα, πίστει κατορθοῦμεν. Πίστις δέ ἐστιν ἀπολυπραγμόνητος συγκατάθεσις. Πᾶσα μὲν οὖν πρᾶξις καὶ θαυματουργία Χριστοῦ μεγίστη καὶ θεία καὶ θαυμαστή, ἀλλὰ πάντων ἐστὶ θαυμαστότερον ὁ τίμιος αὐτοῦ σταυρός. ∆ι' οὐδενὸς γὰρ ἑτέρου ὁ θάνατος κατήργηται, ἡ τοῦ προπάτορος ἁμαρτία λέλυται, ὁ ᾅδης ἐσκύλευται, ἡ ἀνάστασις δεδώρηται, δύναμις ἡμῖν τοῦ καταφρονεῖν τῶν παρόντων καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ θανάτου δέδοται, ἡ πρὸς τὴν ἀρχαίαν μακαριότητα ἐπάνοδος κατώρθωται, πύλαι παραδείσου ἠνοίγησαν, ἡ φύσις ἡμῶν ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ θεοῦ κεκάθικε, τέκνα θεοῦ καὶ κληρονόμοι γεγόναμεν εἰ μὴ διὰ τοῦ σταυροῦ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. ∆ιὰ σταυροῦ γὰρ ταῦτα πάντα κατώρθωται.» Ὅσοι γὰρ ἐβαπτίσθημεν εἰς Χριστόν», φησὶν ὁ ἀπόστολος, «εἰς τὸν θάνατον αὐτοῦ