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calling men both earthly, saying: "And just as we have borne," he says, "the image of the man of dust," that is, of Adam, the mortality and the weakness and the corruption, "we shall also bear the image of the heavenly man"; that is, of the one who has gone before and has already ascended into the heavens from the resurrection of the dead, I mean of Christ according to the flesh, who became powerful and incorruptible and immortal and glorifiedand we likewise becoming heavenly like him, and having well said "we have borne" already, and having also foretold "we shall bear" as again in the future; for this reason again, rejoicing and exulting, he has cried out: "But when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written "3Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O Hades, where is your sting?"3", so that he might say: Death will disappear, having been swallowed up, life overcoming in us; for this reason let us cry out: Where is your arrogance, O death? And your power, O Hades? 7.35 Finally, he attributes the whole, which was managed through Christ, to God and says: "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ", so that he might say: This victory over death through Christ, the God of all has given usto whom is fitting glory and thanksgiving forever, amen, having written nothing else to these people, except what he also wrote to those from the Jews, that from this mortal state we are passing to the one to come, that is, the heavenly place, which he also calls the kingdom of heaven, as we reign over the passions and corruption and death, and live in a special, eternal, and fitting place, which we also inherit, being transformed from corruption to incorruption. 7.36 For the Apostle also pointed this out above in the example of the grain of wheat, as he used a corruptible example for incorruption, saying: Do not think that the examples are in all respects similar to this; for I say this to you, that while we are still mortal or changeablefor this is what he means by "flesh and blood"—it is impossible to inherit the kingdom of heaven, unless we first rise from the dead incorruptible and immortal and unchangeable. 7.37 But the Lord also used the same example, when some of the Greeks asked Philip to show them Jesus, to whom, when he had reported it, the Lord declared, saying: "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit", so that he might say: Why do they wish to see me now, being seen thus, contemptible, as being only a grain of wheat? For unless I die like the grain and rise like the ear of corn, having become beautiful, incorruptible and immortal and unchangeable, and great powers and signs happen in my name, they will not know our power and glory. 7.38 Likewise also John the Baptist, speaking concerning the Lord, and hastening to show him in the future state as being judge of all, he also used the example of the wheat and says thus: "His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." 7.39 And when Paul, addressing the Greeks themselves in Athens on the Areopagus, what does he say? "Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious; for as I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I found also an altar on which was inscribed, "3TO AN UNKNOWN GOD"3; Therefore, what you worship without knowing, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and all things in it, this one, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all life and breath and all things. And he made from one every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling, to seek God, if perhaps they might feel their way toward him and
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ἀνθρώπους καὶ ἐπιγείους λέγοντα· "καὶ ὡς ἐφορέσαμεν, φησί, τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ χοϊκοῦ", τουτέστι τοῦ Ἀδὰμ τὴν θνητότητα καὶ τὴν ἀσθένειαν καὶ τὴν φθοράν, "φορέσομεν καὶ τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ ἐπουρανίου"· τουτέστι τοῦ προλαβόντος καὶ ἀνελθόντος ἤδη ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἐκ τῆς τῶν νεκρῶν ἀναστάσεως, λέγω δὴ τοῦ Χριστοῦ κατὰ σάρκα τοῦ γενομένου δυνατοῦ καὶ ἀφθάρτου καὶ ἀθανάτου καὶ δεδοξασμένουκαὶ ἡμεῖς ὁμοίως αὐτῷ οὐράνιοι γινόμενοι, καλῶς δὲ καὶ τὸ "ἐφορέσαμεν" ἤδη εἰπών, καὶ τὸ "φορέσομεν" ὡς πάλιν ἐπὶ μέλλοντος προειπών· διὰ τοῦτο πάλιν γεγηθὼς καὶ ἀγαλλόμενος κέκραγεν· "Ὅταν δὲ τὸ φθαρτὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀφθαρσίαν καὶ τὸ θνητὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀθανασίαν, τότε γενήσεται ὁ λόγος ὁ γεγραμμένος "3Κατεπόθη ὁ θάνατος εἰς νῖκος. Ποῦ σου, θάνατε, τὸ νῖκος; Ποῦ σου, ᾅδη, τὸ κέντρον;"3", ἵνα εἴπῃ· Ἀφανὴς γενήσεται καταποθεὶς ὁ θάνατος, τῆς ζωῆς ὑπερνικώσης ἐν ἡμῖν· διὰ τοῦτο βοήσωμεν· Ποῦ σού ἐστι, θάνατε, ἡ ὑπερηφανία; Καί σου, ᾅδη, τὸ κράτος; 7.35 Λοιπὸν ἀποδίδωσι τὸ ὅλον τῷ Θεῷ διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ οἰκονομηθὲν καί φησι· "Τῷ δὲ Θεῷ χάρις τῷ διδόντι ἡμῖν τὸ νῖκος διὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ", ἵνα εἴπῃ· Ταύτην τὴν νίκην τὴν κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου τὴν διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐδωρήσατο ἡμῖν ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεόςᾧ πρέπει δόξα καὶ εὐχαριστία διὰ παντός, ἀμήν, οὐδὲν ἕτερον καὶ τούτοις γράψας, εἰ μὴ ἅπερ καὶ τοῖς ἐξ Ἰουδαίων γεγράφηκεν, ὅτι ἐκ τῆς καταστάσεως ταύτης τῆς ἐπικήρου ἐπὶ τὴν μέλλουσαν μετερχόμεθα, τουτέστι τὸν οὐράνιον χῶρον, ὃν καὶ καλεῖ βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν, ὡς βασιλευόντων ἡμῶν κατὰ τῶν παθῶν καὶ τῆς φθορᾶς καὶ τοῦ θανάτου καὶ ἐν ἐξαιρέτῳ χωρίῳ αἰωνίῳ καὶ ἁρμοδίῳ διαγόντων, ὃ καὶ μετασχηματιζόμενοι ἀπὸ φθορᾶς εἰς ἀφθαρσίαν κληρονομοῦμεν. 7.36 Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἀνωτέρω ἐπεσημήνατο ὁ Ἀπόστολος ἐν τῷ κατὰ τὸν κόκκον τοῦ σίτου ὑποδείγματι, ὡς ὅτι παραδείγματι φθαρτῷ πρὸς ἀφθαρσίαν ἐχρήσατο λέγων· Μὴ νομίσητε τούτῳ κατὰ πάντα ὁμοίως ἔχειν τὰ ὑποδείγματα· τοῦτο γὰρ ὑμῖν λέγω ὅτι ἔτι θνητοὺς ἡμᾶς ὑπάρχοντας ἢ τρεπτοὺςτοῦτο γὰρ λέγει "αἷμα καὶ σάρκα" ἀνένδεκτόν ἐστι κληρονομεῖν βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν, εἰ μὴ πρῶτον ἐκ νεκρῶν ἄφθαρτοι καὶ ἀθάνατοι καὶ ἄτρεπτοι ἀναστῶμεν. 7.37 Ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ Κύριος τῷ αὐτῷ ὑποδείγματι ἐχρήσατο, ὅτε τινὲς τῶν Ἑλλήνων παρεκάλεσαν τὸν Φίλιππον δεῖξαι αὐτοῖς τὸν Ἰησοῦν, πρὸς ὃν ὁ Κύριος ἀπαγγείλαντα ἀπεφήνατο λέγων· "Ἐὰν μὴ ὁ κόκκος τοῦ σίτου πεσὼν εἰς τὴν γῆν ἀποθάνῃ, αὐτὸς μόνος μένει· ἐὰν δὲ ἀποθάνῃ, πολὺν καρπὸν φέρει", ἵνα εἴπῃ· Τί με βούλονται νῦν ἰδεῖν οὕτως ὁρώμενον, εὐκαταφρόνητον, ὡς κόκκον μόνον σίτου ὑπάρχοντα; Εἰ μὴ γὰρ ἀποθάνω ὡς ὁ κόκκος καὶ ἀναστῶ ὡς ὁ στάχυς, ὡραῖος, ἄφθαρτος καὶ ἀθάνατος καὶ ἄτρεπτος γενόμενος, καὶ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου δυνάμεις καὶ σημεῖα μεγάλα γενήσωνται, οὐ γνώσονται τὴν ἡμετέραν δύναμίν τε καὶ δόξαν. 7.38 Ὁμοίως καὶ Ἰωάννης ὁ Βαπτιστὴς περὶ τοῦ Κυρίου διαλεγόμενος, καὶ σπεύδων δεῖξαι αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ μελλούσῃ καταστάσει κριτὴν τοῦ παντὸς ὄντα, τῷ κατὰ τὸν σῖτον ὑποδείγματι καὶ αὐτὸς ἐχρήσατο καί φησιν οὕτως· "Οὗ τὸ πτύον ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ διακαθαριεῖ τὴν ἅλωνα αὐτοῦ καὶ συνάξει τὸν μὲν σῖτον εἰς τὴν ἀποθήκην, τὸ δὲ ἄχυρον κατακαύσει πυρὶ ἀσβέστῳ." 7.39 Ἡνίκα δὲ καὶ πρὸς αὐτοὺς τοὺς Ἕλληνας ἀποτεινόμενος ἐν Ἀθήναις ὁ Παῦλος ἐν τῷ Ἀρείῳ πάγῳ τί φησιν; "Ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, κατὰ πάντα ὡς δεισιδαιμονεστέρους ὑμᾶς θεωρῶ· διερχόμενος γὰρ καὶ ἀναθεωρῶν τὰ σεβάσματα ὑμῶν εὗρον καὶ βωμὸν ἐν ᾧ ἐπεγέγραπτο "3Ἀγνώστῳ Θεῷ"3· ὃν οὖν ἀγνοοῦντες εὐσεβεῖτε, τοῦτον ἐγὼ καταγγέλλω ὑμῖν. Ὁ Θεὸς ὁ ποιήσας τὸν κόσμον καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ, οὗτος οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς ὑπάρχων Κύριος, οὐκ ἐν χειροποιήτοις ναοῖς κατοικεῖ, οὐδὲ ὑπὸ χειρῶν ἀνθρώπων θεραπεύεται προσδεόμενός τινος, αὐτὸς διδοὺς πᾶσι ζωὴν καὶ πνοὴν καὶ τὰ πάντα. Ἐποίησέ τε ἐξ ἑνὸς πᾶν ἔθνος ἀνθρώπων κατοικεῖν ἐπὶ πᾶν τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γῆς, ὁρίσας προστεταγμένους καιροὺς καὶ τὰς ὁροθεσίας τῆς κατοικίας αὐτῶν ζητεῖν τὸν Θεόν, εἰ ἄρα γε ψηλαφήσειεν αὐτὸν καὶ