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they will be able. At least, even if one of the angels is sent to be seen by a man, he is changed into flesh, so that he may be able to be seen by flesh. For a fleshless power not only of the Son but not even of an angel can anyone see. But if anyone sees a vision, let him understand it to be of an evil demon. However, that even the ungodly see true visions and dreams is clear, and I can demonstrate it from scripture. At least, it is written in the Law, how Abimelech (being ungodly, having wished to defile the wife of the righteous Abraham for intercourse) heard from God in a sleep (as the scripture says) not to touch her, because she was married to a man. But also Pharaoh (an ungodly man) saw a dream concerning the abundance and scarcity of wheat, which Joseph, interpreting it, said the dream came from God. And Nebuchadnezzar (the one who worshipped idols and commanded those who worshipped God to be cast into the fire) sees a dream of the whole length of the age. And let no one say: But no one of the ungodly sees a vision while awake. This is false. At least Nebuchadnezzar himself, having commanded three men to be cast into the fire, looking into the furnace, said of a fourth: "I see the fourth as a son of God." And yet, seeing true visions and sights and dreams, they were ungodly. Thus, it is not in every case that one who sees visions and dreams and apparitions is necessarily pious. For to the pious, innate, and pure mind, the truth springs up, not pursued in a dream, but given to the good with understanding. For thus also was the Son revealed to me by the Father. Therefore I know what the power of a revelation is, having learned from it myself. For as soon as the Lord said whom they say he is, and when I had heard others say he was one thing or another, it came up in my heart; I do not know, then, how I said: "You are the Son of the living God." And He who blessed me informed me that it was the Father who had revealed it, and from then on I learned that to learn something without being taught, without vision or dreams, is a revelation. And truly it is so. For in what has been placed in us by God seminally ... all truth is present, but it is covered and revealed by the hand of God, who knows how to work according to the worth of each. But that something being shown externally through apparitions and dreams is not of revelation but of wrath, is apparent. At least, it is written in the Law that God, being angry with Aaron and Miriam, said: "If a prophet arises from among you, I will make myself known to him through visions and dreams, but not so as to my servant Moses, for I will speak to him in appearance and not through dreams, as one would speak to his friend." Do you see how matters of wrath are through visions and dreams, but to a friend, mouth to mouth, in appearance and not through riddles and visions and dreams, as to an enemy. If, then, our Jesus was made known to you also, appearing in a vision, and spoke as one angry with an adversary, for this reason He spoke through visions and dreams, or even through external revelations. But can anyone be made wise for instruction through an apparition? And if you say: It is possible, why did the teacher, remaining with those who were awake for a whole year, speak with them? And how shall we believe you even that he appeared to you? And how did he appear to you, when the things contrary to his teaching

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νήσονται. πέρας γοῦν κἂν ἀγγέλων τις ἀνθρώπῳ ὀφθῆναι πεμφθῇ, τρέ- πεται εἰς σάρκα, ἵνα ὑπὸ σαρκὸς ὀφθῆναι δυνηθῇ. ἄσαρκον γὰρ δύναμιν οὐ μόνον υἱοῦ ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἀγγέλου ἰδεῖν τις δύναται. εἰ δὲ ἴδῃ τις ὀπτασίαν, κακοῦ δαίμονος ταύτην εἶναι νοείτω. πλὴν ὅτι καὶ ἀσεβεῖς ὁράματα καὶ ἐνύπνια ἀληθῆ βλέπουσιν, δῆλόν ἐστιν καὶ ἐγγράφως ἀποδεῖξαι δύ- ναμαι. πέρας γοῦν ἐν τῷ νόμῳ γέγραπται, ὡς ὁ Ἀβιμέλεχ (ἀσεβὴς ὤν, τὴν τοῦ δικαίου Ἀβραὰμ γυναῖκα ἐπὶ κοινωνίᾳ μιᾶναι θελήσας) ἤκουσεν παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ καθ' ὕπνον (ὡς ἡ γραφὴ λέγει) μὴ θιγεῖν αὐτῆς, ὅτι ἀνδρὶ συνῳκηκυῖά ἐστιν. ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ Φαραώ (ἀσεβὴς ἀνήρ) ἑώρακεν ὄνειρον περί τε πυρῶν εὐφορίας καὶ ἀφορίας, ᾧ ὁ Ἰωσὴφ ἐπιλύων παρὰ θεοῦ ἔφη τὸν ὄνειρον γεγενῆσθαι. Ναβουχοδονόσορ δέ (ὁ εἴδωλα σέβων καὶ τοὺς θεὸν σέβοντας εἰς πῦρ κελεύσας βληθῆναι) ὄνειρον ὅλου μή- κους αἰῶνος ὁρᾷ. καὶ μὴ λεγέτω τις· Ἀλλ' ὅραμα ἐγρηγορὼς οὐδεὶς ἀσε- βῶν θεωρεῖ. ψεῦδός ἐστιν. αὐτὸς γοῦν ὁ Ναβουχοδονόσορ τρεῖς ἄνδρας κελεύσας βληθῆναι εἰς πῦρ, ἐνιδὼν τῇ καμίνῳ τέταρτον ἔφη· «Τὸν τέταρ- τον ὁρῶ ὡς υἱὸν θεοῦ». καὶ ὁμῶς ὀπτασίας τε καὶ ὁράματα καὶ ἐνύπνια ὁρῶντες ἀληθῆ ἀσεβεῖς ἦσαν. οὕτως οὐ πάντως ἐκ τοῦ ὁρᾶν τινα ὁρά- ματα καὶ ἐνύπνια καὶ ὀπτασίας πάντως εὐσεβής ἐστιν. τῷ γὰρ εὐσε- βεῖ ἐμφύτῳ καὶ καθαρῷ ἀναβλύζει τῷ νῷ τὸ ἀληθές, οὐκ ὀνείρῳ σπουδαζόμενον, ἀλλὰ συνέσει ἀγαθοῖς διδόμενον. οὕτως γὰρ κἀμοὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς ἀπεκαλύφθη ὁ υἱός. διὸ οἶδα τίς δύναμις ἀποκαλύψεως, ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ μαθών. ἅμα γὰρ τῷ τὸν κύριον εἰπεῖν τίνα αὐτὸν λέγουσιν, καὶ ἄλλους ἄλλο τι λέγοντας αὐτὸν ἀκηκοότος ἐμοῦ, ἐπὶ τῆς καρδίας ἀνέβη· οὐκ οἶδα οὖν πῶς εἶπον· «Σὺ εἶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ζῶντος θεοῦ». τὸν δὲ μακαρίσαντά με μηνῦσαί μοι τὸν ἀποκαλύψαντα πατέρα εἶναι, ἐμὲ δὲ ἔκτοτε μαθεῖν ὅτι τὸ ἀδιδάκτως, ἄνευ ὀπτασίας καὶ ὀνείρων, μαθεῖν ἀποκάλυψίς ἐστιν. καὶ ἀληθῶς οὕτως ἔχει. ἐν γὰρ τῇ ἐν ἡμῖν ἐκ θεοῦ τεθείσῃ σπερματικῶς ... πᾶσα ἔνεστιν ἡ ἀλήθεια, θεοῦ δὲ χειρὶ σκέπεται καὶ ἀποκαλύπτεται, τοῦ ἐνεργοῦντος τὸ κατ' ἀξίαν ἑκάστου εἰδότος. τὸ δὲ ἔξωθεν δι' ὀπτασιῶν καὶ ἐνυπνίων δηλωθῆναί τι ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἀπο- καλύψεως ἀλλὰ ὀργῆς, φαίνεται. πέρας γοῦν γέγραπται ἐν τῷ νόμῳ ὅτι ὀργισθεὶς ὁ θεὸς Ἀαρὼν καὶ Μαριὰμ ἔφη· «Ἐὰν ἀναστῇ προφήτης ἐξ ὑμῶν, δι' ὁραμάτων καὶ ἐνυπνίων αὐτῷ γνωρισθήσομαι, οὐχ οὕτως δὲ ὡς Μωυσῇ τῷ θεράποντί μου, ὅτι ἐν εἴδει καὶ οὐ διὰ ἐνυπνίων λαλήσω πρὸς αὐτόν, ὡς εἴ τις λαλήσει πρὸς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ φίλον». ὁρᾷς πῶς τὰ τῆς ὀργῆς δι' ὁραμάτων καὶ ἐνυπνίων, τὰ δὲ πρὸς φίλον στόμα κατὰ στόμα, ἐν εἴδει καὶ οὐ δι' αἰνιγμάτων καὶ ὁραμάτων καὶ ἐνυπνίων, ὡς πρὸς ἐχθρόν. εἰ μὲν οὖν καὶ σοὶ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἡμῶν δι' ὁράματος ὀφθεὶς ἐγνώσθη καὶ ὡμίλησεν ὡς ἀντικειμένῳ ὀργιζόμενος, διὸ δι' ὁραμάτων καὶ ἐνυπνίων ἢ καὶ δι' ἀποκαλύψεων ἔξωθεν οὐσῶν ἐλάλη- σεν. εἴ τις δὲ δι' ὀπτασίαν πρὸς διδασκαλίαν σοφισθῆναι δύναται; καὶ εἰ μὲν ἐρεῖς· ∆υνατόν ἐστιν, διὰ τί ὅλῳ ἐνιαυτῷ ἐγρηγορόσιν παραμένων ὡμίλησεν ὁ διδάσκαλος; πῶς δέ σοι καὶ πιστεύσομεν αὐτὸ κἂν ὅτι ὤφθη σοι; πῶς δέ σοι καὶ ὤφθη, ὁπότε αὐτοῦ τὰ ἐναντία τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ