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God is Spirit, which means nothing other than incorporeal. Therefore, the worship of the incorporeal must also be such, and be offered through that which is incorporeal in us; that is, through the soul and the purity of the mind. Therefore He says: And those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. For since both they and the Jews neglected the soul, but took great pains concerning the body, purifying it in all sorts of ways; He says that the incorporeal is served not by the purity of the body, but by that which is incorporeal in us, that is, by the mind. Therefore, do not sacrifice sheep and calves, but offer your whole self to God and make a whole burnt offering; for this is to present a living sacrifice. For one must worship in truth; as the former things were a type, the circumcision, the whole burnt offerings, the sacrifices, the incense; but now it is no longer so, but truth is everything. For one must cut off not the flesh, but wicked thoughts, and crucify oneself, and destroy and slay the irrational desires. The woman was dizzy at what was said, and despaired at the height of what was spoken, and being weary, hear what she says: I know that Messiah is coming, who is called Christ; when He comes, He will tell us all things. Jesus says to her: I who speak to you am He. And from where did the Samaritans expect the coming of Christ, having accepted only Moses? From the very writings of Moses. For even in the beginning He revealed the Son. For, ‘Let us make man in our image and after our likeness,’ was spoken to the Son; and to Abraham in the tent, this is He who was conversing; and Jacob prophesying concerning Him said: A ruler shall not fail from Judah, nor a leader from his loins, until He comes for whom it is reserved, and He is the expectation of the nations. And Moses himself says: The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet from your brethren, like me; Him you shall hear. And the things concerning the serpent, and concerning the rod of Moses, and concerning Isaac and the ram, and many other things were available for those willing to select them, proclaiming His coming. And why then, he says, did Christ not lead the woman from these things, but to Nicodemus He brought forward the serpent, and to Nathanael He recalled prophecies, yet to this woman He said nothing of the sort? For what reason then and why? Because they were men, and were versed in these things; but she was a poor woman, and unlearned, and inexperienced in the Scriptures. For this reason He does not converse with her from these things, but draws her on from the water and the prophecy, and through these things brings her to the 59.191 remembrance of Christ, and finally reveals Himself; which, if He had said it at the beginning to the woman who had not asked, she would have thought He was talking nonsense, and speaking rashly. But now, leading her little by little to the remembrance, He seasonably revealed Himself. And to the Jews who were continually saying, ‘How long will you hold our souls in suspense? Tell us if you are the Christ;’ to these He did not answer clearly, but to this woman He said plainly that He was. For the woman was more reasonable than the Jews. For they did not seek in order to learn, but in order to mock Him always. For if they had wished to learn, the teaching through His words, and through the Scriptures, and through the signs was sufficient. But she spoke what she spoke from an unbiased judgment and a simple mind; and this is clear from what was done by her afterwards. For she both heard and believed, and drew others to this; and everywhere in the woman it is possible to see what is precise and what is faithful. And upon this His disciples came. They arrived at a very opportune moment, the teaching having been completed. And they marveled that He was speaking with a woman. Yet no one said, ‘What do you seek?’ or, ‘Why do you speak with her?’ 3. But why did they marvel? His lack of pride, His exceeding humility, that being so conspicuous, He endured with such great humility to converse with a woman who was poor and a Samaritan. But nevertheless, though astonished, they did not ask the reason; so well were they taught to maintain the order of disciples, so much did they fear and revere Him. For even if

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Πνεῦμα ὁ Θεὸς, οὐδὲν ἄλλο δηλοῖ, ἢ τὸ ἀσώματον. ∆εῖ τοίνυν τοῦ ἀσωμάτου καὶ τὴν λατρείαν τοιαύτην εἶναι, καὶ διὰ τοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν ἀσωμάτου προσφέρεσθαι· τουτέστιν, διὰ τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ τῆς τοῦ νοῦ καθαρότητος. ∆ιό φησι· Καὶ τοὺς προσκυνοῦντας αὐτὸν, ἐν πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ δεῖ προσκυνεῖν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ καὶ ἐκεῖνοι καὶ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι τῆς μὲν ψυχῆς ἠμέλουν, πολλὴν δὲ περὶ τὸ σῶμα σπουδὴν ἐποιοῦντο, καθαίροντες αὐτὸ παντοδαπῶς· φησὶν ὅτι οὐ τῇ τοῦ σώματος καθαρότητι, ἀλλὰ τῷ ἐν ἡμῖν ἀσωμάτῳ, τουτέστι τῷ νῷ, ὁ ἀσώματος θεραπεύεται. Μὴ τοίνυν πρόβατα θύετε καὶ μόσχους, ἀλλ' ὅλον σαυτὸν ἀνάθες τῷ Θεῷ καὶ ὁλοκαύτωσον· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι θυσίαν ζῶσαν παραστῆσαι. Ἐν γὰρ ἀληθείᾳ δεῖ προσκυνεῖν· ὡς τά γε πρότερα τύπος ἦν, ἡ περιτομὴ, τὰ ὁλοκαυτώματα, τὰ θύματα, τὰ θυμιάματα· νυνὶ δὲ οὐκέτι, ἀλλ' ἀλήθεια τὸ πᾶν. Οὐ γὰρ σάρκα, ἀλλὰ πονηροὺς δεῖ περικόπτειν λογισμοὺς, καὶ σταυροῦν ἑαυτὸν, καὶ τὰς ἀλόγους ἀναιρεῖν ἐπιθυμίας καὶ κατασφάττειν. Ἰλιγγίασεν ἡ γυνὴ πρὸς τὰ λεχθέντα, καὶ ἀπηγόρευσε πρὸς τὸ ὕψος τῶν εἰρημένων, καὶ καμοῦσα ἄκουσον τί φησιν· Οἶδα ὅτι ἔρχεται Μεσσίας ὁ λεγόμενος Χριστός· ὅταν ἔλθῃ ἐκεῖνος, ἀναγγελεῖ ἡμῖν πάντα. Λέγει αὐτῇ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ λαλῶν σοι. Καὶ πόθεν Σαμαρείταις τὸ προσδοκᾷν τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρουσίαν, τὸν Μωϋσέα δεξάμενοι μόνον; Ἀπ' αὐτῶν τῶν Μωϋσέως γραμμάτων. Καὶ γὰρ ἐν ἀρχῇ τὸν Υἱὸν ἀπεκάλυψε. Τὸ γὰρ, Ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον κατ' εἰκόνα καὶ καθ' ὁμοίωσιν ἡμετέραν, πρὸς τὸν Υἱὸν εἴρητο· καὶ τῷ Ἀβραὰμ ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ διαλεγόμενος· καὶ ὁ Ἰακὼβ περὶ αὐτοῦ προφητεύων ἔλεγεν· Οὐκ ἐκλείψει ἄρχων ἐξ Ἰούδα, οὐδὲ ἡγούμενος ἐκ τῶν μηρῶν αὐτοῦ, ἕως ἂν ἔλθῃ ᾧ ἀπόκειται, καὶ αὐτὸς προσδοκία ἐθνῶν. Καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Μωϋσῆς φησι· Προφήτην ὑμῖν ἀναστήσει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἐκ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ὑμῶν, ὡς ἐμέ· αὐτοῦ ἀκούσεσθε· Καὶ τὰ κατὰ τὸν ὄφιν, καὶ τὰ κατὰ τὴν ῥάβδον τὴν Μωϋσέως, καὶ τὰ κατὰ τὸν Ἰσαὰκ καὶ τὸ πρόβατον, καὶ πολλὰ ἕτερα ἐνῆν βουλομένοις ἐκλέγειν τὴν παρουσίαν αὐτοῦ ἀνακηρύττοντα. Καὶ τί δήποτε, φησὶν, οὐκ ἀπὸ τούτων ἐνῆγε τὴν γυναῖκα ὁ Χριστὸς, ἀλλὰ τῷ μὲν Νικοδήμῳ τὸν ὄφιν εἰς μέσον ἤγαγε, καὶ τῷ Ναθαναὴλ προφητείας ἀνέμνησε, ταύτῃ δὲ οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον εἶπεν; Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν καὶ διατί; Ὅτι ἐκεῖνοι μὲν ἄνδρες ἦσαν, καὶ ἐν τούτοις ἐστρέφοντο· αὕτη δὲ γυνὴ πενιχρὰ, καὶ ἀμαθὴς, καὶ Γραφῶν ἄπειρος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο αὐτῇ οὐκ ἀπὸ τούτων διαλέγεται, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος καὶ τῆς προῤῥήσεως αὐτὴν ἐπισπᾶται, καὶ διὰ τούτων εἰς 59.191 μνήμην ἄγει τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ ἐκκαλύπτει λοιπὸν ἑαυτόν· ὅπερ ἂν εἰ παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν μὴ ζητησάσῃ τῇ γυναικὶ εἶπεν, ἔδοξεν ἂν αὐτῇ ληρεῖν, καὶ εἰκῆ φθέγγεσθαι. Νῦν δὲ κατὰ μικρὸν αὐτὴν ἐπὶ τὴν μνήμην ἄγων, εὐκαίρως ἑαυτὸν ἀπεκάλυψε. Καὶ τοῖς μὲν Ἰουδαίοις συνεχῶς λέγουσιν, Ἕως πότε τὴν ψυχὴν ἡμῶν αἴρεις; εἰπὲ ἡμῖν, εἰ σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστός· τούτοις μὲν οὐκ ἀπεκρίνατο σαφῶς, ταύτῃ δὲ εἶπε φανερῶς αὐτὸς εἶναι. Εὐγνωμονεστέρα γὰρ ἦν ἡ γυνὴ τῶν Ἰουδαίων. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ οὐχ ὑπὲρ τοῦ μαθεῖν ἐζήτουν, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ τοῦ κωμῳδεῖν αὐτὸν ἀεί. Εἰ γὰρ ἐβούλοντο μαθεῖν, ἱκανὴ καὶ ἡ διὰ τῶν ῥημάτων, καὶ ἡ διὰ τῶν Γραφῶν, καὶ ἡ διὰ τῶν σημείων διδασκαλία ἦν. Αὕτη δὲ ἐξ ἀδεκάστου γνώμης καὶ ἁπλῆς διανοίας ἐφθέγγετο ἅπερ ἐφθέγγετο· καὶ δῆλον ἐκ τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα ὑπ' αὐτῆς γενομένων. Καὶ γὰρ ἤκουσε καὶ ἐπίστευσε, καὶ ἄλλους ἐπὶ τοῦτο ἐσαγήνευσεν· καὶ πανταχοῦ τῆς γυναικὸς ἔστιν ἰδεῖν τὸ ἠκριβωμένον καὶ τὸ πιστόν. Καὶ ἐπὶ τούτῳ ἦλθον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ. Σφόδρα εἰς καιρὸν ἀπήντησαν, τῆς διδασκαλίας ἀπαρτισθείσης. Καὶ ἐθαύμαζον ὅτι μετὰ γυναικὸς ἐλάλει. Οὐδεὶς μέντοι εἶπε, Τί ζητεῖς; ἢ, Τί λαλεῖς μετ' αὐτῆς; γʹ. Τί δὲ ἐθαύμαζον; Τὸ ἄτυφον, τὸ ταπεινὸν μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς, ὅτι οὕτω περίβλεπτος ὢν, ἠνείχετο μετὰ τοσαύτης ταπεινοφροσύνης γυναικὶ διαλέγεσθαι πενιχρᾷ καὶ Σαμαρείτιδι. Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ ἐκπλαγέντες οὐκ ἠρώτησαν τὴν αἰτίαν· οὕτως ἦσαν πεπαιδευμένοι τὴν τῶν μαθητῶν τάξιν διατηρεῖν, οὕτως αὐτὸν ἐδεδοίκεισαν καὶ ᾐδοῦντο. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ