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But this has been blotted out and taken from the midst, remission of sins having been given. 709a Ps 68,6 No sinner at least has a folly known by God or trespasses remaining before him, with lawless ones not remaining opposite his eyes. Why is someone troubled hearing "folly"? For this expression is not far from his confessing to have ignorance in saying to some, "I never knew you"; and he asserts that he knew nothing concerning the day and hour of the judgment. As therefore these things are piously understood, so also the things concerning his folly will attain clarity when piously conceived. For indeed a teacher having perfect knowledge, through condescension to the beginners, appears to know these things of which they are capable, in a certain manner making himself like them; everyone would accept such condescension as being a kind of ignorance and folly. For since, being rich in wisdom, he became poor for our sakes, so as to be supposed by some not to be wisdom, he had a folly through which we will become rich "in all speech and all knowledge." Suitably to the folly so understood, it is also proper to understand the trespasses not hidden from God. And what can those say who are superstitious about these words, when such things are said about God in which there is more impropriety? For how are they not worse than folly and trespasses: forgetfulness, repentance, passion, wrath, all of which, and still more than these, are said about God? Either therefore let them assert that these words were not spoken of God, or let them agree with the ones before us. 710a Ps 68,10b This, spoken by the Savior, the apostle speaking in Christ has taken, writing thus: "Let each of us please his neighbor for his good"; "for Christ did not please himself," as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached you have fallen on me." 711a Ps 68,11.12a Someone will object, saying this much: Jesus refrained from fasting, so as to gain the reputation of a glutton and a winebibber among the more malevolent. It might be said to him, then, that Jesus and the disciples were not always eating and drinking, even if they did it when invited to feasts for the sake of benefiting and performing signs. Therefore, looking at the feasts, they called him a glutton and a winebibber. For indeed he also fasted for forty days. Since, then, fasting is a restraint of the soul's elation from irrational passions, "I covered," he said, "my soul with fasting." But it is customary for the wicked to reproach the good for the virtues they possess; For piety is an abomination to a sinner. Since the Savior confesses and is afflicted for us, he intimates through the sackcloth the hard and afflicting regimen. For it was not said anywhere that Jesus was clothed in literal sackcloth. But some say that by this garment is signified the body which Christ assumed. 712a Ps 68,14 Therefore hear me in the multitude of your mercy, providing true salvation to those for whom I ask. And this will happen when you save him who has died through resurrection. For thus will there be life and salvation for them, which I undertake. Salvation in truth is that which is according to God, not being in truth but in type and image that which is brought about by physicians and generals for the afflicted. If, therefore, showing me to them, you have ever said, Father, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," raise him up who is crucified for them. For thus is the time, that is, the end of the good pleasure of your will for salvation. Therefore also hear me, so that as I am made alive, those dead through sin may be made alive with me. Teaching this mystery, the apostle said: "God, being rich in mercy, through his great love with which he loved us, being dead through trespasses and sins, made us alive together with Christ." 713a Ps 68,15 And he offers this supplication on our behalf, that we may not be stuck fast in the body, which is called mire because of the passions. if these are also the sins which he took up into his own body, in order that

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ἐξήλειπται δὲ τοῦτο καὶ ηρται ἐκ τοῦ μέσου, ἀφέσεως ἁμαρτημάτων δοθείσης. 709a Ps 68,6 Οὐδείς γε μὴν ἁμαρτωλὸς εχει γινωσκομένην ἀπὸ θεοῦ ἀφροσύνην η πλημμελείας ἐπίπροσθεν αὐτοῦ μενούσας, οὐ διαμενόντων παρανόμων ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ. Τί ταράττεταί τις ἀκούων ἀφροσύνην; οὐ γὰρ μακρὰν αυτη ἡ λέξις τὴν αγνοιαν εχειν αὐτὸν ὁμολογεῖν ἐν τῷ πρός τινας λέγειν Οὐδέποτε εγνων ὑμᾶς· καὶ φάσκει ὡς οὐκ εγνω τι περὶ τῆς ἡμέρας καὶ ωρας τῆς κρίσεως. ὡς ουν ταῦτα εὐσεβῶς ἐκλαμβάνεται, καὶ τὰ περὶ ἀφροσύνης αὐτοῦ σαφηνείας τεύξεται εὐσεβῶς νοούμενα. καὶ γὰρ διδάσκαλος τελείαν εχων ἐπιστήμην διὰ συγκαταβάσεως τοῖς εἰσαγομένοις ταῦτα φαίνεται γινώσκων ων εἰσιν ἐκεῖνοι χωρητικοί, τρόπον τινὰ συνομοιούμενος αὐτοῖς· τὴν τοιαύτην συγκατάβασιν ἀπεδέξατο πᾶς αγνοιάν πως καὶ ἀφροσύνην ὑπάρχουσαν. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πλούσιος ων ἐν σοφίᾳ ἐπτώχευσε δι' ἡμᾶς ὡς ὑποληφθῆναί τισι μὴ ειναι σοφία, εσχεν ἀφροσύνην δι' ης πλούσιοι γενησόμεθα ̓Εν παντὶ λόγῳ καὶ πάσῃ γνώσει. καταλλήλως τῇ ουτω ληφθείσῃ ἀφροσύνῃ καὶ τὰς πλημμελείας τὰς ἀπὸ θεοῦ μὴ κρυπτομένας ἐκδέξασθαι προσήκει. Τί δὲ καὶ εχουσιν εἰπεῖν οἱ περὶ τὰς λέξεις ταύτας δεισιδαιμονοῦντες, λεγομένων περὶ θεοῦ τοιούτων ἐν οις μᾶλλον ἀπέμφασίς ἐστι; πῶς γὰρ οὐ χεῖρον ἀφροσύνης καὶ πλημμελειῶν λήθη μεταμέλεια θυμὸς ὀργή, απερ πάντα καὶ ετι τούτων πλεῖστα περὶ θεοῦ λέγεται; η ουν καὶ ταύτας τὰς λέξεις φασκέτωσαν μὴ περὶ θεοῦ εἰρῆσθαι, η καὶ ταῖς προκειμέναις συγκαταθέσθωσαν. 710a Ps 68,10b Ταύτην ὑπὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος εἰρημένην ἐξείληφεν ὁ ἐν Χριστῷ λαλῶν ἀπόστολος, γράφων ωδε· Εκαστος ἡμῶν τῷ πλησίον ἀρεσκέτω εἰς τὸ ἀγαθόν· καὶ γὰρ ὁ Χριστὸς οὐχ ἑαυτῷ ηρεσεν, καθάπερ γέγραπται Οἱ ὀνειδισμοὶ τῶν ὀνειδιζόντων σε ἐπέπεσον ἐπ' ἐμέ. 711a Ps 68,11.12a ̓Ενστήσεταί τις φάσκων τοσοῦτον· ὁ ̓Ιησοῦς ἀπείχετο νηστείας, ὡς φάγου καὶ οἰνοπότου ἀπενέγκασθαι δόξαν παρὰ τοῖς κακοηθεστέροις. λεχθείη γοῦν πρὸς αὐτὸν οὐ πάντως τὸν ̓Ιησοῦν καὶ τοὺς μαθητὰς ἀεὶ ἐν τῷ ἐσθίειν καὶ πίνειν ειναι, εἰ καὶ ἐποίουν αὐτὸ εἰς ἑστίας καλούμενοι τοῦ ὠφελῆσαι χάριν καὶ σημεῖα ποιῆσαι. πρὸς τὰς ἑστίας ουν ἀφορῶντες φάγον καὶ οἰνοπότην ἐκάλουν. καὶ γὰρ καὶ τεσσαράκοντα ἡμέρας ἐνήστευσεν. ̓Επεὶ ουν ἡ νηστεία κωλυτική ἐστι τῆς ἐξ ἀλόγων παθῶν ἐπάρσεως τῆς ψυχῆς, Συνεκάλυψα, εφη, ἐν νηστείᾳ τὴν ψυχήν μου. Σύνηθες δὲ τοῖς φαῦλοις ὀνειδίζειν τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς δι' ας εχουσι καλοκἀγαθίας· Βδέλυγμα γὰρ ἁμαρτωλῷ θεοσέβεια. ̓Επείπερ ὁ σωτὴρ περὶ ἡμῶν ἐξομολογεῖται καὶ κακοῦται, αἰνίττεται δὲ διὰ τοῦ σάκκου τὴν σκληρὰν καὶ κακωτικὴν δίαιταν. οὐ γὰρ αἰσθητῶς που ἐλέχθη σάκκον ἐνδεδύσθαι τὸν ̓Ιησοῦν. τινὲς δέ φασι δηλοῦσθαι ἐκ τοῦ ἐνδύματος τούτου τὸ σῶμα οπερ ἀνέλαβεν ὁ Χριστός. 712a Ps 68,14 ∆ιὸ ἐπάκουσόν μου ἐν πλήθει ἐλέου τοῦ σοῦ, τὴν ἐν ἀληθεῖ σωτηρίαν παρέχων τοῖς ὑπὲρ ων ἀξιῶ. ὑπάρξει δὲ τοῦτο οταν αὐτὸν ἀποθανόντα σώσῃς δι' ἀναστάσεως. ουτω γὰρ ζωὴ καὶ σωτηρία ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν εσται ην ἀναδέχομαι. σωτηρία ἐν ἀληθείᾳ ἡ κατὰ θεόν ἐστιν, οὐκ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ ἀλλ' ἐν τύπῳ καὶ εἰκόνι ουσης τῆς ὑπὸ ἰατρῶν καὶ στρατηγῶν γινομένης τοῖς κάμνουσιν. εἰ καί ποτε τοίνυν ἐπιδεικνύς με αὐτοῖς ειρηκας, πάτερ, Ουτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ἀγαπητὸς ἐν ῳ εὐδόκησα, σταυρούμενον ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἀνάστησον. ουτω γὰρ ὁ καιρός, τουτέστι τὸ τέλος τῆς εὐδοκίας τῆς θελήσεως τῆς σῆς τῆς ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐπάκουσόν μου, ινα ἐμοῦ ζωοποιουμένου σὺν ἐμοὶ ζωοποιηθῶσιν οἱ δι' ἁμαρτίας νεκροί. Τοῦτο μυσταγωγῶν ὁ ἀπόστολος ειπεν ̔Ο θεὸς πλούσιος ων ἐν ἐλέει διὰ τὴν πολλὴν αὐτοῦ ἀγάπην ην ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς νεκροὺς οντας διὰ παραπτώματα καὶ ἁμαρτίας τῷ Χριστῷ συνεζωοποίησεν. 713a Ps 68,15 Καὶ ταύτην ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν προσάγει τὴν δέησιν, ινα μὴ ἐμπαγῶμεν τῷ σώματι διὰ παθῶν πηλῷ ὀνομαζομένῳ. εἰ δὲ καὶ αυται αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ας ἀνέλαβεν εἰς τὸ ἑαυτοῦ σῶμα, ινα