108

one will be best able to teach, but otherwise in no way. For he will hear: Physician, heal thyself. For he who has not been able to teach himself and tries to correct others will have many who mock 57.244 him; or rather, such a one will not even be able to teach, since his actions speak against him. But if he is perfect in both respects, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you: Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter into the kingdom of heaven. Here he calls righteousness all virtue, just as when speaking of Job he said: And he was a blameless, righteous man. In this sense Paul also called that man righteous for whom he said the law was not made; For the law is not made for a righteous man, he says. And in many other places one might find this name used for virtue in general. But consider for me the increase of grace, in that he wishes the new disciples to be better than the teachers in the Old [Testament]. For here he did not speak simply of the lawless scribes and Pharisees, but of those who lived uprightly; for if they did not live uprightly, he would not have said they had righteousness, nor would he have compared that which did not exist to that which did. See here also how he establishes the Old [Testament], by making a comparison of it with that [the New]; which shows it to be of the same nature and kindred; for the more and the less belong to the same genus. He is not, therefore, disparaging the Old [Testament], but wishes it to be intensified. If it were evil, he would not have sought what is more, nor would he have corrected it, but would have cast it out. And how, one says, if it is such, does it not lead into the kingdom? It does not now lead in those who live their lives after the coming of Christ, inasmuch as they have enjoyed greater power, and are obliged to strive for greater things; since it does lead in all of its own nurslings. For Many will come from the east and west, he says, and will recline in the bosoms of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. And Lazarus, enjoying the great prizes, is seen dwelling in his bosom. And all who shone with excellence in the Old [Testament], all shone through it. And Christ, if it were something evil and alien, would not have come and fulfilled all of it. For if he did this only to win over the Jews, and not to show that this [the Old] was kindred to the New and in agreement with it; for what reason did he not also fulfill the laws and customs of the Greeks, in order to win over the Greeks? 5. So it is clear from all this that it does not lead in, not because it is evil, but because it is the time for greater commandments. And if it is less perfect than the New, this does not show it to be evil; since in this respect the New [Testament] will suffer the same thing. For the knowledge of this [Testament], when compared to the future one, is partial and imperfect, and is done away when that one comes; For when the perfect comes, he says, then the partial will be done away; which is what the Old suffered at the hands of the New. But we will not for this reason disparage it, although this too gives way when we attain the kingdom; For then the partial will be done away, he says; but nevertheless we say it is great. Since, therefore, the prizes are greater, and the power from the Spirit is more abundant, it is reasonable that 57.245 it demands greater gifts. For no longer a land flowing with milk and honey, nor a ripe old age, nor many children, nor wheat and wine, and flocks and herds; but heaven, and the good things in heaven, and adoption as sons, and brotherhood with the Only-Begotten, and a share in the inheritance, and to be glorified with him and to reign with him, and those countless prizes. And that we have enjoyed greater help, hear Paul saying: There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life has set me free from the law of sin and death. Therefore, having threatened those who transgress, and having set great prizes for those who live uprightly, and having shown that justly

108

μάλιστά τις διδάξαι δυνήσεται, ἑτέρως δὲ οὐδαμῶς. Ἀκούσεται γάρ· Ἰατρὲ, θεράπευσον σεαυτόν. Ὁ γὰρ ἑαυτὸν διδάξαι μὴ δυνηθεὶς καὶ ἑτέρους ἐπιχειρῶν διορθοῦν, πολλοὺς ἕξει τοὺς κωμῳδοῦντας 57.244 αὐτόν· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ διδάξαι ὁ τοιοῦτος δυνήσεται, τῶν πραγμάτων ἀντιφθεγγομένων αὐτῷ. Ἂν δὲ ἑκατέρωθεν ἀπηρτισμένος ᾖ, μέγας κληθήσεται ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν. Λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν· Ἐὰν μὴ περισσεύσῃ ἡ δικαιοσύνη ὑμῶν πλέον τῶν γραμματέων καὶ Φαρισαίων, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. Ἐνταῦθα δικαιοσύνην τὴν πᾶσαν ἀρετὴν λέγει, ὥσπερ καὶ περὶ τοῦ Ἰὼβ διαλεγόμενος ἔλεγε· Καὶ ἦν ἄνθρωπος ἄμεμπτος, δίκαιος. Κατὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλος τὸ σημαινόμενον δίκαιον ἐκεῖνον ἐκάλεσεν, ᾧ μηδὲ νόμον κεῖσθαι ἔλεγε· ∆ικαίῳ γὰρ νόμος οὐ κεῖται, φησί. Καὶ πολλαχοῦ δὲ ἀλλαχοῦ τοῦτο τὸ ὄνομα ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς τῆς καθόλου κείμενον εὕροι τις ἄν. Σὺ δέ μοι σκόπει τῆς χάριτος τὴν ἐπίδοσιν, ὅπου τοὺς μαθητὰς τοὺς νεήλυδας τῶν ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ διδασκάλων κρείττους εἶναι βούλεται. Γραμματέων γὰρ ἐνταῦθα καὶ Φαρισαίων οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἶπε τῶν παρανόμων, ἀλλὰ τῶν κατορθούντων· οὐ γὰρ ἂν, εἰ μὴ κατώρθουν, ἔφησεν ἔχειν δικαιοσύνην, οὐδὲ ἂν τὴν οὐκ οὖσαν παρέβαλε τῇ οὔσῃ. Ὅρα δὲ καὶ ἐνταῦθα πῶς συνίστησι τὴν Παλαιὰν, σύγκρισιν ποιούμενος ταύτης πρὸς ἐκείνην· ὅπερ δείκνυσιν ὁμόφυλον αὐτὴν οὖσαν καὶ συγγενῆ· τὸ γὰρ πλέον καὶ ἔλαττον τοῦ αὐτοῦ γένους ἐστίν. Οὐ τοίνυν διαβάλλει τὴν Παλαιὰν, ἀλλ' ἐπιταθῆναι αὐτὴν βούλεται. Εἰ δὲ ἦν πονηρὰ, οὐκ ἂν τὸ πλέον ἐζήτησεν, οὐδ' ἂν αὐτὴν διώρθωσεν, ἀλλ' ἐξέβαλεν ἄν. Καὶ πῶς. φησὶν, εἰ τοιαύτη ἐστὶν, εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν οὐκ εἰσάγει; Νῦν οὐκ εἰσάγει τοὺς μετὰ τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρουσίαν πολιτευομένους, ἅτε δὴ πλείονος ἀπολελαυκότας δυνάμεως, καὶ μείζονα ὀφείλοντας ἀγωνίζεσθαι· ἐπεὶ τούς γε αὐτῆς τροφίμους εἰσάγει ἅπαντας. Καὶ γὰρ Πολλοὶ ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν καὶ δυσμῶν ἥξουσι, φησὶ, καὶ ἀνακλιθήσονται εἰς κόλπους Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακώβ. Καὶ ὁ Λάζαρος δὲ τῶν μεγάλων ἀπολαύων ἐπάθλων, ἐν τοῖς ἐκείνου κόλποις φαίνεται ἐνδιαιτώμενος. Καὶ πάντες ὅσοι μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς ἔλαμψαν ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ, διὰ ταύτης ἔλαμψαν ἅπαντες. Καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς δὲ, εἰ πονηρά τις ἦν καὶ ἀλλοτρία, οὐκ ἂν αὐτὴν ἐπλήρωσεν ἐλθὼν ἅπασαν. Εἰ γὰρ ὑπὲρ τοῦ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἐπισπάσασθαι τοῦτο ἐποίει μόνον, καὶ οὐχ ὥστε δεῖξαι συγγενῆ ταύτην οὖσαν τῇ Καινῇ καὶ συμβαίνουσαν· τίνος ἕνεκεν οὐχὶ καὶ τὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἐπλήρου νόμιμά τε καὶ ἔθη, ἵνα Ἕλληνας ἐπισπάσηται; εʹ. Ὥστε πανταχόθεν δῆλον, ὅτι οὐ διὰ τὸ πονηρὰ εἶναι οὐκ εἰσάγει, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ μειζόνων ἐντολῶν εἶναι καιρόν. Εἰ δὲ ἀτελεστέρα ἐστὶ τῆς Καινῆς, οὐδὲ τοῦτο δείκνυσιν αὐτὴν πονηράν· ἐπεὶ κατὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡ Καινὴ τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο πείσεται. Καὶ γὰρ ἡ ταύτης γνῶσις πρὸς τὴν μέλλουσαν συγκρινομένη, μερική τίς ἐστι καὶ ἀτελὴς, καὶ καταργεῖται ἐκείνης ἐλθούσης· Ὅταν γὰρ ἔλθῃ, φησὶ, τὸ τέλειον, τότε τὸ ἐκ μέρους καταργηθήσεται· ὅπερ ἔπαθεν ἡ Παλαιὰ παρὰ τῆς Καινῆς. Ἀλλ' οὐ διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὴν διαβαλοῦμεν, καίτοι καὶ αὕτη ὑπεξίσταται, ὅταν τῆς βασιλείας ἐπιτύχωμεν· Τότε γὰρ τὸ ἐκ μέρους καταργηθήσεται, φησίν· ἀλλ' ὅμως μεγάλην αὐτὴν εἶναί φαμεν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν καὶ μείζονα τὰ ἔπαθλα, καὶ πλείων ἡ παρὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος δύναμις, εἰκότως καὶ 57.245 μείζονα ἀπαιτεῖ τὰ χαρίσματα. Οὐκέτι γὰρ γῆ ῥέουσα γάλα καὶ μέλι, οὐδὲ γῆρας λιπαρὸν, οὐδὲ πολυπαιδία, οὐδὲ σῖτος καὶ οἶνος, καὶ ποίμνια καὶ βουκόλια· ἀλλ' οὐρανὸς, καὶ τὰ ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἀγαθὰ, καὶ υἱοθεσία, καὶ ἀδελφότης ἡ πρὸς τὸν Μονογενῆ, καὶ κοινωνία κληρονομίας, καὶ τὸ συνδοξασθῆναι καὶ συμβασιλεῦσαι, καὶ τὰ μυρία ἔπαθλα ἐκεῖνα. Ὅτι δὲ καὶ πλείονος βοηθείας ἀπελαύσαμεν, ἄκουσον τοῦ Παύλου λέγοντος· Οὐδὲν ἄρα κατάκριμα νῦν τοῖς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, μὴ κατὰ σάρκα περιπατοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ πνεῦμα. Ὁ γὰρ νόμος τοῦ Πνεύματος τῆς ζωῆς ἠλευθέρωσέ με ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου τῆς ἁμαρτίας καὶ τοῦ θανάτου. Ἀπειλήσας τοίνυν τοῖς παραβαίνουσι, καὶ μεγάλα ἔπαθλα θεὶς τοῖς κατορθοῦσι, καὶ δείξας ὅτι δικαίως