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Not according to power: Note that Christ did not conquer Satan by might, but by judgment and justice. Gregory of Nyssa also says this in his Catechetical Oration.
Of the blessed/rich: Of the rich. Formless in beauty: And above we said thus, that he calls the darkness of ignorance formless. But it signifies our freedom. Of the most accursed: Of the defiled. § 12. It is necessary for the hierarchical: Of the divine goodness, as he said at the beginning of the
chapter. And having sung a hymn also: That is, blessing the bread and the cup of the holy
gifts. Note that everywhere he calls the divine liturgy symbolic, and the holy gifts symbols of the things above and more true.
For the one veiled: Thus it was also said a little before, that the divine gift remained veiled until the time of communion, unless perhaps "veiled" means that which is hidden from the many and those standing outside, and simply from the laity.
For the one and simple: Since he took both a rational soul and (14E_384> an earthly body. Being formed from us, that is, taking on our form, that is, our nature. Note how we become partakers of the divine nature, being united to Christ. Note also the things concerning the economy, and who it was that appeared, and what the breaking of the bread and distribution is.
To the utmost: That is, to the utmost and perfect and essential union, true according to hypostasis.
Of the unharmed: Unharmed. For we ought: Note what the purpose of Christianity is, § 13. Bringing into view: Here he speaks not symbolically about our Lord Jesus Christ, whom
he also called our intelligible life. And the 'complete,' because he took up both a rational soul and an earthly body. And well did he say 'by an unconfused incarnation'; for God remained God when he appeared as man, preserving the properties of each nature; and note this against the Apollinarians.
Being formed from us: That is, having taken our form, that is, our nature,
Partakers of God: Note how we become partakers of the divine nature, being united to Christ.
§ 14. For thanksgiving: Concerning thanksgiving. He leads the distribution: The 'leads' is used in common, that is, precedes; because first
the priest must partake, and thus distribute. Therefore, the participation leads, and the partaking of the one who has offered precedes the mystical distribution to the rest.
By the inspired teachings: What kind of person the priest ought to be. Those who have boldly misused: What he says is this: just as the priest, not first
partaking of the things offered by him, is unholy, so also those who dare to teach others, (14E_386> not doing what they teach, are unholy; for it is necessary to do, and then to teach, according to what was said by the Lord: "he who does and teaches, this one will be called great."
Of the legislation: Of the divine law. One must not dare: Be very afraid. A harmost: That is, a suitable one. The Lacedaemonians called a harmost the
ruler appointed by them over their subject cities, from the word for fitting for the ruled to live according to the laws, whence the Athenians in turn called those who arranged for living well harmosts, as Plato the comic poet clearly
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Οὐ κατά δύναμιν: Σημείωσαι, ὅτι οὐκ ἐν ἰσχύϊ ἐνίκησεν ὁ Χριστός τόν Σατανᾶν, ἀλλά κρίσει καί δικαιοσύνῃ. Τοῦτο καί Γρηγόριος ὁ Νύσσης ἐν τῷ Κατηχητικῷ φησιν.
Ὀλβίου: Πλουσίου. Ἀνείδεον κάλλεσι: Καί ἀνωτέρω οὕτως ἔφημεν, ὅτι ἀνείδεον τό τῆς ἀγνοίας
σκότος φησί. Σημαίνει δέ τήν ἐλευθερίαν ἡμῶν. Ἐναγεστάτων: Μεμιασμένων. § 12. ∆εῖ ταῖς ἱεραρχικαῖς: Τῆς θεαρχικῆς ἀγαθότητος, ὡς ἔφη ἐν ἀρχῇ τοῦ
κεφαλαίου. Ὑμνήσας δέ καί: Τουτέστι τόν ἄρτον καί τό ποτήριον εὐλογῶν τῶν ἁγίων
δώρων. Σημείωσαι δέ ὅτι πανταχοῦ συμβολικήν λέγει τήν θείαν ἱερουργίαν, καί τά ἅγια δῶρα σύμβολα τῶν ἄνω καί ἀληθινωτέρων.
Τόν γάρ ἐγκεκαλυμμένον: Οὕτω καί πρό ὀλίγου εἴρηται, ὅτι κεκαλυμμένον ἔμενε τό θεῖον δῶρον ἕως καιροῦ μεταλήψεως, εἰ μή ἄρα κεκαλυμμένον λέγεται τό ἀπό τῶν πολλῶν καί ἔξω ἑστώτων, καί ἁπλῶς λαϊκῶν ἀποκεκρυμμένον.
Τό γάρ ἕν καί ἁπλοῦν: Ἐπειδή καί ψυχήν νοεράν καί (14Ε_384> σῶμα γήϊνον ἔλαβε. Ἐξ ἡμῶν εἰδοποιούμενον, τοῦτ' ἔστι τό καθ' ἡμᾶς εἶδος, ἤγουν τήν φύσιν λαβών. Σημείωσαι δέ πῶς κοινωνοί θείας φύσεως γινόμεθα Χριστῷ ἑνούμενοι. Σημείωσαι καί τά περί τῆς οἰκονομίας, καί τίς ὁ φανείς, καί τίς ἡ κλάσις τοῦ ἄρτου καί διανομή.
Κατ' ἄκρον: Τουτέστι κατ' ἄκρον ἕνωσιν καί τελείαν, καί οὐσιώδη καθ' ὑπόστασιν ἀληθῆ.
Ἀλωβήτου: Ἀβλαβοῦς. Χρή γάρ ἡμᾶς: Σημείωσαι τίς ὁ σκοπός τοῦ Χριστιανισμοῦ, § 13. Ὑπ' ὄψιν ἄγων: Περί τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐνταῦθά φησιν οὐ
συμβολικῶς, ὅν καί νοητήν ἡμῶν ἔφη ζωήν. Τό δέ 'παντελεῖ', ἐπειδή καί ψυχήν νοεράν καί σῶμα γήϊνον ἀνέλαβε. Καί καλῶς εἶπεν 'ἀσυγχύτῳ ἐνανθρωπήσει'· ἔμεινε γάρ Θεός ἄνθρωπος ὀφθείς, καί ἑκατέρας φύσεως σώζων τά ἰδιώματα· καί σημείωσαι κατά Ἀπολλιναριστῶν.
Ἐξ ἡμῶν εἰδοποιούμενον: Τουτέστι τό καθ' ἡμᾶς εἶδος, ἤγουν τήν φύσιν λαβόντα,
Κοινωνοί Θεοῦ: Σημείωσαι πῶς κοινωνοί θείας φύσεως γινόμεθα, Χριστῷ ἑνούμενοι.
§ 14. Εἰς εὐχαριστίαν: Περί εὐχαριστίας. Μεταδόσεως ἡγεῖται: Κατά κοινοῦ τό ἡγεῖται, ἤγουν προηγεῖται· ὅτι πρῶτον
δεῖ τόν ἱερέα μεταλαμβάνειν, καί οὕτω μεταδιδόναι. Οὐκοῦν ἡ μετοχή ἡγεῖται, καί ἡ μετάληφις τοῦ προσκομίσαντος τῆς μυστικῆς διανεμήσεως τῶν λοιπῶν.
Ταῖς ἐνθέοις διδασκαλίαις: Ὁποῖον δεῖ τόν ἱερέα εἶναι. Οἱ τολμηρῶς ἀποκεχρημένοι: Ὅ λέγει τοῦτό ἐστιν· ὥσπερ ὁ ἱερεύς μή πρῶτος
μεταλαμβάνων τῶν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ προσκομισθέντων, ἀνίερός ἐστιν, οὕτω καί οἱ τολμῶντες διδάσκειν ἄλλους, (14Ε_386> μή πράττοντες ἅ διδάσκουσιν, ἀνίεροί εἰσι· δεῖ γάρ ποιεῖν, καί οὕτω διδάσκειν, κατά τό εἰρημένον ὑπό τοῦ Κυρίου· «ὁ ποιήσας καί διδάξας, οὗτος μέγας κληθέσεται».
Θεσμοθεσίας: Τοῦ θείου νόμου. Οὐ τολμητέον: Φοβήθητι πάνυ. Ἁρμοστήν: Τουτέστιν ἁρμόδιον. Ἁρμοστήν ἔλεγον οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι τόν
καθισταμένον ὑπ' αὐτῶν ἄρχοντα τῶν ὑποκειμένων αὐτοῖς πόλεων, παρά τό ἁρμόζειν τούς ἀρχομένους ζῇν κατά τούς νόμους, ὅθεν καί ἁρμοστήρας πάλιν ἐκάλουν Ἀθηναῖοι τούς εἰς τό εὖ ζῇν διατάττοντας, ὡς σαφῶς Πλάτων ὁ κωμικός