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For the sake of place, there is no need to contend any longer. The Jews, however, in their manner of worship had the advantage over the Samaritans; For you, he says, worship what you do not know; but we worship what we know. How then did the Samaritans not know what they worshipped? Because they considered God to be local and partial; thus indeed they also served him; thus also sending to the Persians they reported that, The God of this place is angry with us, imagining nothing more about him in this regard than about idols. Wherefore they remained serving both demons and him, and mixing things that cannot be mixed. But the Jews were free from this suspicion, and knew him to be the God of the world, even if not all of them. For this reason he says, You worship what you do not know; but we worship what we know. But do not marvel that he numbers himself with the Jews; for he is speaking to the woman's supposition, as being a prophet of the Jews. Wherefore also he has set down, We worship. For that he is of those who are worshipped is surely clear to everyone. For to worship belongs to the creation, but to be worshipped, to the Lord of creation. But for the time being he speaks as a Jew. Therefore, the "We" here is, "We the Jews," he says. Having therefore exalted Jewish matters, he again makes himself trustworthy, and persuades her to pay more attention to the things spoken by him, making his speech unsuspected, and showing that he does not exalt their things because of kinship with the same race. For he who declared these things about the place, in which the Jews especially boasted and considered themselves to have an advantage over all, and who brought down their solemn claims, it is quite clear that he did not speak these things to please anyone, but with truth and prophetic power. Since, therefore, he for the time being put away such reasonings by saying, Believe me, woman, and what follows, he adds, For salvation is from the Jews. And what he says is something like this: either that good things for the world have come from there (for to know God and to condemn idols had its beginning there; and all other doctrines, and among you also the very act of worship, even if not rightly, at least took its beginning from the Jews); therefore he calls either these things or his own presence "salvation"; or rather one would not err in calling both these things "salvation," which he said is from the Jews. This also Paul, hinting, said: From whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is God over all. Do you see how he establishes the Old Testament, and shows it to be the root of good things, and through all things shows that he is not contrary to the Law, if indeed he says that the foundation of all good things is from the Jews? But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father. We have an advantage over you, O woman, he says, in the manner of worship; but nevertheless this also will hereafter have an end. For not only will the matter of places be changed, but also the manner of the service, and these things are at the doors; For the hour is coming, and is now here. 2. For since the prophets said what they said long ages before, refuting this he said here, And is now here. Do not think, he says, that this prophecy is such as will come to pass after a long time. For the events are already at hand, and are at the doors, When the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. Having said 59.190 true, he cast out the Jews along with the Samaritans. For 59.190 if these are better than those, yet they are far inferior to the things to come, and as much so as a type is to the truth. And he speaks of the Church, that this is the true worship and that which is fitting for God. For the Father also seeks such to worship him. Therefore if he was seeking such ones long ago, he did not willingly concede that manner of worship to them, but condescended, and for this reason, that he might also bring these in. Who then are the true worshippers? Those who neither confine their service to a place, and serve God in spirit; as also Paul says: Whom I serve in my spirit in the Gospel of his Son; and again, I beseech you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, well-pleasing to God, which is your rational service. But when he says,

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Τόπου μὲν ἕνεκεν, οὐδὲν δεῖ λοιπὸν φιλονεικεῖν. Ἰουδαῖοι μέντοι τῷ τρόπῳ τὸ πλέον τῶν Σαμαρειτῶν ἔσχον· Ὑμεῖς μὲν γὰρ, φησὶ, προσκυνεῖτε ὃ οὐκ οἴδατε· ἡμεῖς δὲ προσκυνοῦμεν ὃ οἴδαμεν. Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ᾔδεσαν οἱ Σαμαρεῖται ὃ προσεκύνουν; Ὅτι τοπικὸν καὶ μερικὸν Θεὸν ἐνόμιζον εἶναι· οὕτω γοῦν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐθεράπευον· οὕτω καὶ Πέρσαις πέμψαντες ἀπήγγειλαν, ὅτι Ὁ τοῦ τόπου τούτου Θεὸς ἡμῖν ἀγανακτεῖ, οὐδὲν πλέον περὶ αὐτοῦ κατὰ τοῦτο τῶν εἰδώλων φανταζόμενοι. ∆ιόπερ ἔμενον καὶ δαίμονας καὶ αὐτὸν θεραπεύοντες, καὶ τὰ ἄμικτα μιγνύντες. Ἰουδαῖοι δὲ ταύτης ἦσαν ἀπηλλαγμένοι τῆς ὑπονοίας, καὶ τῆς οἰκουμένης αὐτὸν ᾔδεσαν εἶναι Θεὸν, εἰ καὶ μὴ πάντες. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησιν, Ὑμεῖς προσκυνεῖτε ὃ οὐκ οἴδατε· ἡμεῖς δὲ προσκυνοῦμεν ὃ οἴδαμεν. Μὴ θαυμάσῃς δὲ ὅτι μετὰ Ἰουδαίων ἑαυτὸν ἀριθμεῖ· πρὸς γὰρ τὴν ὑπόνοιαν τῆς γυναικὸς διαλέγεται, ὡς προφήτης ὢν Ἰουδαίων. ∆ιὸ καὶ τὸ, Προσκυνοῦμεν, τέθεικεν. Ὅτι γὰρ τῶν προσκυνουμένων ἐστὶ, παντί που δῆλον. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ προσκυνεῖν, τῆς κτίσεως, τὸ δὲ προσκυνεῖσθαι, τοῦ τῆς κτίσεως ∆εσπότου. Ἀλλὰ τέως ὡς Ἰουδαῖος διαλέγεται. Τὸ οὖν, Ἡμεῖς, ἐνταῦθα, Ἡμεῖς οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι,φησίν. Ἐπάρας τοίνυν τὰ Ἰουδαϊκὰ, πάλιν ἀξιόπιστον ἑαυτὸν ποιεῖ, καὶ πείθει μᾶλλον τοῖς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ λεγομένοις προσέχειν, ἀνύποπτον ποιῶν τὸν λόγον, καὶ δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐ τῇ πρὸς τὸ ὁμόφυλον συγγενείᾳ τὰ ἐκείνων ἐπαίρει. Ὁ γὰρ περὶ τοῦ τόπου ταῦτα ἀποφηνάμενος, ἐφ' ᾧ μάλιστα ηὔχουν Ἰουδαῖοι καὶ πλεονεκτεῖν πάντων ἐνόμιζον, καὶ τὰ σεμνὰ τούτων καθελὼν, εὔδηλον ὅτι οὐδὲ κατὰ ταῦτα πρὸς χάριν τινὸς ἔλεγεν, ἀλλὰ μετὰ ἀληθείας καὶ προῤῥητικῇ δυνάμει. Ἐπεὶ οὖν τῶν τοιούτων λογισμῶν τέως ἀπέστησεν εἰπὼν, Πίστευσόν μοι, γύναι, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, ἐπάγει, Ὅτι ἡ σωτηρία ἐκ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἐστίν. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· ἢ ὅτι τὰ ἀγαθὰ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ ἐκεῖθεν γέγονε (τὸ γὰρ εἰδέναι Θεὸν καὶ τὸ καταγινώσκειν εἰδώλων, ἐκεῖθεν τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔσχεν· καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα δόγματα, καὶ παρ' ὑμῖν δὲ αὐτὸ τὸ τῆς προσκυνήσεως, εἰ καὶ μὴ ὀρθῶς, ἀπὸ γοῦν τῶν Ἰουδαίων τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔλαβε)· σωτηρίαν οὖν ἢ ταῦτα ἢ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ παρουσίαν καλεῖ· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐκ ἄν τις ἁμάρτοι ἀμφότερα ταῦτα σωτηρίαν καλῶν, ἣν εἶπεν ἐκ τῶν Ἰουδαίων εἶναι. Ὅπερ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος αἰνιττόμενος ἔλεγεν· Ἐξ ὧν ὁ Χριστὸς τὸ κατὰ σάρκα, ὁ ὢν ἐπὶ πάντων Θεός. Ὁρᾷς πῶς συγκροτεῖ τὴν Παλαιὰν, καὶ ῥίζαν δείκνυσι τῶν ἀγαθῶν, καὶ διὰ πάντων οὐκ ἐναντίον ὄντα τῷ νόμῳ, εἴγε ἐκ τῶν Ἰουδαίων τὴν ὑπόθεσιν εἶναι πάντων τῶν ἀγαθῶν φησιν; Ἀλλ' ἔρχεται ὥρα, καὶ νῦν ἐστιν, ὅτε οἱ ἀληθινοὶ προσκυνηταὶ προσκυνήσουσι τῷ Πατρί. Πλεονεκτοῦμεν μὲν ὑμῶν, ὦ γύναι, φησὶ, τῷ τρόπῳ τῆς προσκυνήσεως· πλὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ οὗτος τέλος ἕξει λοιπόν. Οὐ γὰρ τὰ τῶν τόπων ἀμειφθήσεται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τοῦ τρόπου τῆς λατρείας, καὶ ταῦτα ἐπὶ θύραις ἕστηκεν· Ἔρχεται γὰρ ὥρα, καὶ νῦν ἐστιν. βʹ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οἱ προφῆται πρὸ μακρῶν ἔλεγον χρόνων ἅπερ ἔλεγον, τοῦτο ἀναιρῶν ἐνταῦθα εἶπε, Καὶ νῦν ἐστι. Μὴ νομίσῃς, φησὶ, ταύτην τοιαύτην εἶναι τὴν προφητείαν, ὡς μετὰ πολὺν γενήσεσθαι χρόνον. Τὰ γὰρ πράγματα ἐφέστηκεν ἤδη, καὶ ἐπὶ θύραις ἐστὶν, Ὅτε οἱ ἀληθινοὶ προσκυνηταὶ προσκυνήσουσι τῷ Πατρὶ ἐν πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ. Εἰπὼν 59.190 ἀληθινοὺς, συνεξέβαλε Σαμαρείταις Ἰουδαίους. Εἰ 59.190 γὰρ καὶ ἐκείνων ἀμείνους οὗτοι, ἀλλὰ τῶν μελλόντων ἐλάττους πολλῷ, καὶ τοσοῦτον, ὅσον ἀληθείας τύπος. Λέγει δὲ περὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, ὅτι ἡ ἀληθὴς προσκύνησις καὶ Θεῷ πρέπουσα αὕτη ἐστίν. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Πατὴρ τοιούτους ζητεῖ τοὺς προσκυνοῦντας αὐτόν. Οὐκοῦν εἰ τοιούτους πάλαι ἐζήτει, οὐ βουλόμενος ἐκείνοις συνεχώρησε τὸν τρόπον, ἀλλὰ συγκαταβαίνων, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο, ἵνα καὶ τούτους εἰσαγάγῃ. Τίνες οὖν εἰσιν οἱ ἀληθινοὶ προσκυνηταί; Οἱ μήτε τόπῳ περικλείοντες τὴν λατρείαν, καὶ Θεὸν ἐν πνεύματι θεραπεύοντες· καθὼς καὶ ὁ Παῦλός φησιν· Ὧ λατρεύω ἐν τῷ πνεύματί μου, ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ· καὶ πάλιν, Παρακαλῶ ὑμᾶς παραστῆσαι τὰ σώματα ὑμῶν θυσίαν ζῶσαν, εὐάρεστον τῷ Θεῷ, τὴν λογικὴν λατρείαν ὑμῶν. Ὅταν δὲ εἴπῃ,