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blessed Abraham.” 5.3.20 Therefore it was fittingly and with the taking of an oath for the one designated alone that 'the Lord God swore and will not repent, you are,' he says, 'a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.' 5.3.21 But listen to what the apostle also says about these things: 'Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show to the heirs of the kingdom the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.' 5.3.22 And he adds, saying: 'And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: But this man, because he continues ever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come to God by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them. For such a high priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.' 5.3.23 And he adds: 'Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such a high priest, who is set on the right hand of the majesty in the high places, a minister of the holy things and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.' These things the apostle says. 5.3.24 But the psalm, coming after, also reveals covertly the passion of the one prophesied, saying: 'He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up his head.' 5.3.25 And another psalm reveals that the brook is the time of temptations, saying: 'Our soul has passed through the brook; then our soul has passed through the overwhelming water.' In the brook, therefore, he drinks, it says, the cup, clearly that which he alluded to at the time of the passion, saying: 'Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me,' 5.3.26 and again: 'if it is not possible for it to pass, unless I drink it, your will be done.' Having drunk this cup, therefore, he lifted up his head, and according to the apostle, for since he became 'obedient to the Father unto death, even death on a cross, for this reason,' it says, 'God has highly exalted him,' 'raising him from the dead, and seated him at his right hand above every rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come; and has put all things,' it says, 'under his feet,' according to the promise to him, which he presents through the psalm, saying: 'Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet,' and 'rule in the midst of your enemies.' It is clear to everyone that even now the power of our Savior and the word of his teaching rules over all those who have believed in him, in the midst of his enemies and foes. 5.4.1 From Isaiah. 'I the Lord have made the earth and man upon it, I with my hand established the heaven, I commanded all the stars. I have raised up the king with righteousness, and all his ways are straight; he shall build my city, and he shall return the captivity of the people, not with a ransom nor with gifts, said the Lord of Sabaoth.' 5.4.2 For the time being, God the maker of all things ordains these things through the prophet concerning a certain king and savior who is to build the polity of piety and to ransom the captivity that has befallen men through demonic deceit. Next to these things, the prophetic spirit alludes to the submission of the foreign nations, which they will submit to the one prophesied, and how those who will be subject will worship him as God, and how they will pray in him, because a greater God dwells in him, that is, the highest Father and God of all. 5.4.3 And the words are as follows: 'Thus says the Lord, Egypt has labored, and the merchandise of the Ethiopians, and the Sabeans, tall men, shall cross over to you, and they shall be your slaves and shall follow after you bound in fetters, and the young shall worship, and in you
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εὐλόγησεν τὸν Ἀβραάμ». 5.3.20 εἰκότως οὖν καὶ μεθ' ὅρκου παραλήψεως μόνῳ τῷ δηλουμένῳ «ὤμοσεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς καὶ οὐ μεταμεληθήσεται, σὺ εἶ», λέγων, «ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδέκ». 5.3.21 ἐπάκουσον δὲ οἷα καὶ περὶ τῶνδε ὁ ἀπόστολός φησιν· «ἐν ᾧ περισσότερον βουλόμενος ὁ θεὸς ἐπιδεῖξαι τοῖς κληρονόμοις τῆς βασιλείας τὸ ἀμετάθετον τῆς βουλῆς αὐτοῦ, ἐμεσίτευσεν ὅρκῳ, ἵνα διὰ δύο πραγμάτων ἀμεταθέτων, ἐν οἷς ἀδύνατον ψεύσασθαι θεόν, ἰσχυρὰν παράκλησιν ἔχωμεν οἱ προκαταφυγόντες κρατῆσαι τῆς προκειμένης ἐλπίδος». 5.3.22 καὶ ἐπιφέρει λέγων· «καὶ οἱ μὲν πλείονές εἰσιν γεγονότες ἱερεῖς, διὰ τὸ θανάτῳ κωλύεσθαι παραμένειν· ὁ δὲ διὰ τὸ μένειν αὐτὸν ἀπαράβατον ἔχει τὴν ἱερωσύνην· ὅθεν καὶ σῴζειν εἰς τὸ παντελὲς δύναται τοὺς προσερχομένους δι' αὐτοῦ τῷ θεῷ, πάντοτε ζῶν εἰς τὸ ἐντυγχάνειν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν. τοιοῦτος γὰρ ἡμῖν καὶ ἔπρεπεν ἀρχιερεύς, ὅσιος, ἄκακος, ἀμίαντος, κεχω ρισμένος ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν, καὶ ὑψηλότερος τῶν οὐρανῶν γενόμενος». 5.3.23 καὶ ἐπιλέγει· «κεφάλαιον δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς εἰρημένοις, τοιοῦτον ἔχομεν ἀρχιερέα, ὃς ἐκάθισεν ἐν δεξιᾷ τῆς μεγαλωσύνης ἐν ὑψηλοῖς, τῶν ἁγίων λειτουργὸς καὶ τῆς σκηνῆς τῆς ἀληθινῆς, ἣν ἔπηξεν ὁ κύριος, οὐκ ἄνθρωπος». ταῦτα μὲν ὁ ἀπόστολος. 5.3.24 Ὁ δὲ ψαλμὸς ὑποβὰς καὶ τὸ πάθος ἐπικεκαλυμμένως τοῦ προφητευομένου δηλοῖ λέγων· «ἐκ χειμάρρου ἐν ὁδῷ πίεται· διὰ τοῦτο ὑψώσει κεφαλήν». 5.3.25 χείμαρρον δὲ τὸν καιρὸν τῶν πειρασμῶν καὶ ἄλλος δηλοῖ ψαλμὸς λέγων· «χείμαρρον διῆλθεν ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν· ἄρα διῆλθεν ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ ἀνυπόστατον». ἐν τῷ χειμάρρῳ τοίνυν πίεται, φησίν, τὸ ποτήριον, δηλονότι ὃ ᾐνίττετο πρὸς τῷ καιρῷ τοῦ πάθους, λέγων· «πάτερ, εἰ δυνατόν, παρελθέτω τὸ ποτήριον τοῦτο ἀπ' ἐμοῦ», 5.3.26 καὶ πάλιν· «εἰ μὴ δυνατόν ἐστιν αὐτὸ παρελθεῖν, ἐὰν μὴ αὐτὸ πίω, γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου». τοῦτο δὴ οὖν ἐκπιὼν τὸ ποτήριον ὕψωσεν κεφαλήν, καὶ κατὰ τὸν ἀπόστολον, ἐπεὶ γὰρ γέγονεν «ὑπήκοος τῷ πατρὶ μέχρι θανάτου, θανάτου δὲ σταυροῦ, διὰ τοῦτο», φησίν, «ὑπερύψωσεν αὐτὸν ὁ θεός», «ἐγείρας αὐτὸν ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, καὶ καθίσας αὐτὸν ἐν δεξιᾷ αὐτοῦ ὑπεράνω πάσης ἀρχῆς καὶ ἐξουσίας καὶ δυνάμεως καὶ κυριότητος καὶ παντὸς ὀνόματος ὀνομαζομένου οὐ μόνον ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι· καὶ πάντα ὑπέταξεν», φησίν, «ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ», κατὰ τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐπαγγελίαν, ἣν διὰ τοῦ ψαλμοῦ παρίστησι λέγων· «κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου, ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου», καὶ «κατακυρίευε ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἐχθρῶν σου». πρόδηλον παντὶ ὡς ἔτι νῦν ἡ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν δύναμις καὶ ὁ τῆς διδασκαλίας αὐτοῦ λόγος ἐν μέσοις τοῖς ἐχθροῖς καὶ πολεμίοις αὐτοῦ τῶν πεπιστευκότων εἰς αὐτὸν ἁπάντων κατακυριεύει. 5.4.1 Τοῦ Ἡσαΐου. «Ἐγὼ κύριος ἐποίησα γῆν καὶ ἄνθρωπον ἐπ' αὐτῆς, ἐγὼ τῇ χειρί μου ἐστερέωσα τὸν οὐρανόν, ἐγὼ πᾶσι τοῖς ἄστροις ἐνετειλάμην. ἐγὼ ἤγειρα τὸν μετὰ δικαιοσύνης βασιλέα, καὶ πᾶσαι αἱ ὁδοὶ αὐτοῦ εὐθεῖαι· οὗτος οἰκοδομήσει τὴν πόλιν μου, καὶ τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν τοῦ λαοῦ ἐπιστρέψει, οὐ μετὰ λύτρων οὐδὲ μετὰ δώρων, εἶπεν κύριος Σαβαώθ.» 5.4.2 Τέως μὲν ταῦτα ὁ τῶν ὅλων ποιητὴς θεὸς περί τινος βασιλέως καὶ σωτῆρος μέλλοντος οἰκοδομεῖν τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας πολίτευμα λυτρώσασθαί τε τὴν ἐπισυμβᾶσαν ἀνθρώποις ὑπὸ τῆς δαιμονικῆς πλάνης αἰχμαλωσίαν διὰ τοῦ προφήτου θεσπίζει. ἑξῆς δὲ τούτοις τὸ προφητικὸν πνεῦμα τὴν ὑποταγὴν τῶν ἀλλοφύλων ἐθνῶν αἰνίττεται, ἣν ὑποταγήσονται τῷ προφητευομένῳ, καὶ ὡς προσκυνήσουσιν αὐτῷ οἷα θεῷ οἱ ὑποταγησόμενοι, καὶ ὡς προσεύξονται ἐν αὐτῷ, διὰ τὸ μείζονα κατοικεῖν ἐν αὐτῷ θεόν, τὸν ἀνωτάτω δηλαδὴ πατέρα καὶ θεὸν τῶν ὅλων. 5.4.3 τὰ δὲ τῆς λέξεως οὕτως ἔχει· «Οὕτως λέγει κύριος, ἐκοπίασεν Αἴγυπτος, καὶ ἐμπορία Αἰθιόπων, καὶ οἱ Σαβαεὶμ ἄνδρες ὑψηλοὶ ἐπὶ σὲ διαβήσονται, καί σοι ἔσονται δοῦλοι καὶ ὀπίσω σου ἀκολουθήσουσιν δεδεμένοι χειροπέδαις, καὶ προσκυνήσουσιν νέοι, καὶ ἐν σοὶ