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Simply, however, not being so constructs glory. Wherefore he adds, in this part, that is, according to the principle of comparison. Having therefore such hope, we use great boldness, and not as Moses, who put a veil on his face. Since the hearer, having heard such and so great things concerning the new, sought also to see this glory with his own eyes, see where he launches him toward the age to come. So that the sons of Israel might not gaze upon the end of that which was being abolished. We have no need to be veiled, he says, like Moses. For we are able to see this glory in which we are clothed, although it is much greater than that one. But their minds were hardened. The things to come, he says, the law prefigured. For not only did they not see then, but even now they do not see the law; and the fault is with them. For hardening is of an unfeeling and ungrateful mind. For until this day the same veil remains upon the reading of the Old Testament, not being unveiled. Why do you wonder, he says, if they cannot see this glory, when they did not even see the lesser glory of Moses, nor were they strong enough to gaze upon his face? And why are you troubled if the Jews do not believe in Christ, when they do not even follow the law lawfully? For it is for this reason that they did not know grace, because they did not see the Old Testament, nor the glory in it. For the glory of the law is to turn to Christ. 95.724 Because in Christ it is abolished; but until this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. This, he says, they cannot see, that it has ceased, because they do not believe in Christ. For if it has ceased through Christ, how will those who do not receive Christ be able to see that the law has not been abolished? But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. He shows the manner of the correction. But we all, with unveiled face beholding the glory of the Lord, We, he says, did not need a veil as they did. are being transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, as from the Lord, the Spirit. For as soon as we are baptized, the soul of those who are cleansed shines brighter than the sun; and not only do we see into the glory of God, but we also receive from there a certain radiance, as if pure silver, placed against the rays, were itself to send forth rays.

CHAP. IV. Therefore, having this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not

lose heart. Perceiving the excess and the greatness of the things said, he moderates again, saying that these things are from mercy, and the love of God for man. But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking. We do not announce, he says, and promise great things, but bring forth other things in our works, like they do; but we are such as we are seen. in craftiness. For they had the reputation of not taking, but they took, and hid it; they had the reputation of saints and approved apostles. But they were full of countless evils, but we have renounced these things, he says. For these things he also calls the hidden things of shame. Nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. And not in this life only, he says, but also in the preaching. But if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. Since the unbelievers did not know its power, he added that this is not our fault, but their lack of perception. In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that the 95.725 light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not shine on them. That is, the one considered God in this world. And he means Satan. For not

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ἁπλῶς δὲ τὸ μὴ εἶναι δόξαν κατασκευάζει. ∆ιὸ ἐπάγει, ἐν τούτῳ τῷ μέρει, τουτέστιν κατὰ τὸν τῆς συγκρίσεως λόγον. Ἔχοντες οὖν τοιαύτην ἐλπίδα, πολλῇ παῤῥησίᾳ χρώμεθα, καὶ οὐ καθάπερ Μωϋσῆς ἐτίθει κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ. Ἐπεὶ τοσαῦτα καὶ τηλικαῦτα ἀκούσας ὁ ἀκροατὴς περὶ τῆς καινῆς ἐζήτει, καὶ ὀφθαλμοφανῶς τὴν δόξαν ταύτην ἰδεῖν, ὅρα ποῦ αὐτὸν ἐξακοντίζει πρὸς τὸν μέλλοντα αἰῶνα. Πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἀτενίσαι τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραὴλ, εἰς τὸ τέλος τοῦ καταργουμένου. Οὐ χρεία καλύπτεσθαι ἡμᾶς, φησὶ, καθάπερ Μωϋσῆς. ∆υνατοὶ γὰρ ἡμεῖς ἰδεῖν εἰς τὴν δόξαν ταύτην, ἣν περικείμεθα, καίτοι πολλῷ μείζονα οὖσαν ἐκείνης. Ἀλλ' ἐπωρώθη τὰ νοήματα αὐτῶν. Τὰ μέλλοντα, φησὶ, προέγραψεν ὁ νόμος. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον τότε οὐκ εἶδον, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ νῦν ὁρῶσι τὸν νόμον· καὶ ἡ αἰτία παρ' αὐτοῖς. Ἡ γὰρ πώρωσις, γνώμης ἐστὶν ἀναισθήτου καὶ ἀγνωμοσύνης. Ἄχρι γὰρ τῆς σήμερον τὸ αὐτὸ κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τῇ ἀναγνώσει τῆς Παλαιᾶς ∆ιαθήκης μένει μὴ ἀνακαλυπτόμενον. Τί θαυμάζετε, φησὶν, εἰ τὴν δόξαν ταύτην ἰδεῖν οὐ δύνανται, ὅπου γε καὶ τὴν ἐλάττω τὴν Μωϋσέως οὐκ εἶδον, οὔτε εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον ἀτενίσαι ἰσχύσαντο ἐκείνου; Τί δὲ ταράττεσθε εἰ οὐ πιστεύουσιν Ἰουδαιοῖ Χριστῷ, ὅπου γε οὐδὲ τῷ νόμῳ νομίμως; ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ τὴν χάριν ἠγνόησαν, ἐπειδὴ οὐδὲ τὴν Παλαιὰν ∆ιαθήκην εἶδον, οὐδὲ τὴν ἐν αὐτῇ δόξαν. ∆όξα γὰρ νόμου, τὸ πρὸς Χριστὸν ἐπιστρέψαι. 95.724 Ὅτι ἐν Χριστῷ καταργεῖται· ἀλλ' ἕως σήμερον, ἡνίκα ἀναγινώσκεται Μωϋσῆς, κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν κεῖται. Τοῦτο, φησὶν, οὐ δύνανται εἰδεῖν, ὅτι πέπαυται, ἐπειδὴ τῷ Χριστῷ οὐ πιστεύουσιν. Εἰ γὰρ διὰ Χριστοῦ πέπαυται, πῶς οἱ μὴ δεχόμενοι τὸν Χριστὸν δυνήσονται εἰδεῖν, ὅτι οὐ κατήργηται ὁ νόμος; Ἡνίκα δὲ ἀνεπιστρέψῃ πρὸς Κύριον, περιαιρεῖται τὸ κάλυμμα. Ὁ δὲ Κύριος τὸ Πνεῦμά ἐστι· οὗ δὲ τὸ Πνεῦμα Κυρίου, ἐκεῖ ἐλευθερία. ∆είκνυσι τὸν τρόπον τῆς διορθώσεως. Ἡμεῖς δὲ πάντες ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τὴν δόξαν Κυρίου κατοπτριζόμενοι, Ἡμεῖς, φησὶν, οὐκ ἐδεήθημεν καλύμματος ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνοι. Τὴν αὐτὴν εἰκόνα μεταμορφούμεθα, ἀπὸ δόξης εἰς δόξαν, καθάπερ ἀπὸ Κυρίου Πνεύματος. Ἅμα τε γὰρ βαπτιζόμεθα, καὶ ὑπὲρ τὸν ἥλιον ἦ ψυχὴ λάμπει τῶν καθαιρομένων· καὶ οὐ μόνον ὁρῶμεν εἰς δόξαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ κἀκεῖθεν δεχόμεθά τινα τὴν ἀστραπὴν, ὥσπερ εἰ ἄργυρος καθαρὸς πρὸς τὰς ἀκτῖνας κείμενος, καὶ αὐτὸς ἀκτῖνας ἐκπέμψειεν.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ∆ʹ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἔχοντες τὴν διακονίαν ταύτην, καθὼς ἠλεήθημεν, οὐκ

ἐκκακοῦμεν. Αἰσθόμενος τῆς ὑπερβολῆς καὶ τοῦ μεγέθους τῶν εἰρημένων, μετριάζει πάλιν, καὶ ταῦτα ἀπὸ ἐλέους ἔχειν λέγων, καὶ φιλανθρωπίας Θεοῦ. Ἀλλὰ ἀπειπάμεθα τὰ κρυπτὰ τῆς αἰσχύνης, μὴ περιπατοῦντες. Οὐκ ἐπαγγελλόμεθα, φησὶ, καὶ ὑπισχνούμεθα μεγάλα, ἕτερα δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν ἔργων φέρομεν, καθάπερ ἐκεῖνοι· ἀλλὰ τοιοῦτοί ἐσμεν, οἷον ὁρώμεθα. Ἐν πανουργίᾳ. ∆όξαν γὰρ εἶχον μὴ λαμβανόντων ἐκεῖνοι, καὶ ἐλάμβανον, καὶ ἔκρυπτον· δόξαν εἶχον ἁγίων καὶ ἀποστόλων δοκίμων. Ἦσαν δὲ μυρίων γέμοντες κακῶν, ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς τούτοις ἀπειπάμεθα, φησίν. Ταῦτα γὰρ καὶ κρυπτὰ αἰσχύνης καλεῖ. Μηδὲ δολοῦντες τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ τῇ φανερώσει τῆς ἀληθείας συνιστῶντες ἑαυτοὺς πρὸς πᾶσαν συνείδησιν ἀνθρώπων, ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ οὐκ ἐν τῷ βίῳ, φησὶ, μόνον τούτῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ κηρύγματι. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἔστι κεκαλυμμένον τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον ἡμῶν, ἐν τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις ἐστὶ κεκαλυμμένον. Ἐπειδὴ οἱ ἄπιστοι ἠγνόουν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἰσχὺν, ἐπήγαγεν, ὅτι οὐχ ἡμῶν τοῦτο ἔγκλημα, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐκείνων ἀναισθησίας. Ἐν οἷς ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, ἐτύφλωσε τὸ νοήματα τῶν ἀπίστων, εἰς τὸ μὴ αὐγάσαι αὐτοῖς τὸν 95.725 φωτισμὸν τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου τῆς δόξης τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὅς ἐστιν εἰκὼν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τουτέστιν, ὁ νομισθεὶς ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ Θεός. Λέγει δὲ τὸν Σατανᾶν. Οὐ γὰρ