138

we will consider in its proper time. 5.22.1 From Hosea. "I will not abandon Jacob to be utterly destroyed, because I am God and not a man, the holy one in you, and I will not enter a city. I will walk after the Lord." These things and through them, all that God the Word, having become man, to those who confess him a holy man but not God. "I am God," he says, "and not a man, the holy one in you." 5.22.2 Then having called himself God, he reveals the Lord and God and Father over all to be his own, adding, "I will walk after the Lord." And the phrase "I will not enter a city" would be of one denying the common and public life of men, from which also dissuading his own disciples he says: "Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not." 5.23.1 From Amos. "I overthrew you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you became like a brand plucked out of the fire, and yet you have not returned to me, says the Lord." And here the Lord himself says that a certain God brought about the destruction of Sodom, being manifestly another than the one indicated by him. 5.23.2 And in the destruction of Sodom two Lords are presented, when the Lord rained "fire from the Lord" upon Sodom and Gomorrah. Therefore, he says, what kind of destruction Sodom endured on account of its monstrous impieties, such things you also, O you people, will suffer, "and yet you have not returned to me." But it is customary for Scripture to indicate the future as past, so that the present things must be understood similarly, the past tense "I overthrew" being said instead of the future "I will overthrow," and "you have returned" being used instead of "you will return." 5.23.3 These things are directed toward the nation of the Jews, which things were fulfilled against them at no other time than after the plot against our Savior. At any rate, their sacred and formerly holy place has now come to this, as in no way to fall short of the destruction of Sodom. Nevertheless, although they have suffered things consistent with the prophecy, they have not yet to this day made their return to the Christ of God, on account of whom they have suffered these things; so that it is fitting that this too is prophesied through the prophecy at hand, which says: "and yet you have not returned to me, says the Lord." 5.24.1 From Obadiah. "The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord to Edom, I have heard a report from the Lord, and he has sent forth a summons to the nations." The Lord God heard a report from the Lord, and this was concerning the calling of the nations. From Zechariah. "Thus says the Lord Almighty, After glory he has sent me to the nations that plundered you," then he adds after a little, saying: "and you shall know that the Lord Almighty has sent me." If both the sending Lord is Lord Almighty, and he who says he has been sent likewise, then there are two. And clearly the one sent says, "The Lord Almighty has sent me to the nations." From the same. "Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Zion, because behold I am coming and will dwell in your midst, says the Lord. And many nations will flee to the Lord in that day, and they will be a people for him, and I will dwell in your midst, and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you," and what follows. to which after other things he adds: "and I will strengthen them in the Lord their God, and in his name they will boast, says the Lord." 5.26.2 And these things are similar to the former, proclaiming the coming of Christ to men and the saving call of the nations which came through him. Therefore I myself, the Lord, will come, he says, and at my coming no longer the Israel of old, nor only one nation on earth, but many nations will flee for refuge to the better and great Lord, the God both of me myself and of all things, to whom the nations that flee for refuge will receive such great benefit, as to be called and to become the people of God, and to dwell in the midst of the so-called daughter of Zion. For so the sacred writings are accustomed to call the church of God on earth, as being a certain daughter of the heavenly one.

138

τὸν οἰκεῖον καιρὸν ἐπιθεωρήσομεν. 5.22.1 Ἀπὸ τοῦ Ὠσηέ. «Οὐ μὴ ἐγκαταλείψω τοῦ ἐξαλειφθῆναι τὸν Ἰακώβ, ὅτι θεὸς ἐγώ εἰμι καὶ οὐκ ἄνθρωπος ἐν σοὶ ἅγιος, καὶ οὐκ εἰσελεύσομαι εἰς πόλιν. ὀπίσω κυρίου πορεύσομαι.» Ταῦτα καὶ διὰ τούτων ὅσα ὁ θεὸς λόγος ἐνανθρωπήσας πρὸς τοὺς ἄνθρωπον αὐτὸν ἅγιον ἀλλ' οὐ θεὸν εἶναι ὁμολογοῦντας. «θεὸς ἐγώ εἰμι», φησί, «καὶ οὐκ ἄνθρωπος ἐν σοὶ ἅγιος». 5.22.2 εἶτα θεὸν αὐτὸν εἰπών, τὸν ἐπὶ πάντων κύριον καὶ θεὸν καὶ πατέρα ἑαυτοῦ δηλοῖ, ἐπιλέγων «ὀπίσω κυρίου πορεύσομαι». τὸ δὲ «οὐκ εἰσελεύσομαι εἰς πόλιν» ἀρνουμένου ἂν εἴη τὴν κοινὴν καὶ δημώδη ἀνθρώπων πολιτείαν, ἧς καὶ τοὺς ἰδίους μαθητὰς ἀποτρέπων φησίν· «εἰς ὁδὸν ἐθνῶν μὴ ἀπέλθητε, καὶ εἰς πόλιν Σαμαρειτῶν μὴ εἰσέλθητε». 5.23.1 Ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀμώς. «Κατέστρεψα ὑμᾶς καθὼς κατέστρεψεν ὁ θεὸς Σόδομα καὶ Γόμορρα, καὶ ἐγένεσθε ὡς δαλὸς ἐξεσπασμένος ἐκ πυρός, καὶ οὐδ' οὕτως ἐπεστρέψατε πρός με, λέγει κύριος.» Κἀνταῦθα αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος θεόν τινά φησιν τὴν ἐπὶ Σοδόμων καταστροφὴν πεποιηκέναι, ἕτερος ὢν δηλαδὴ τοῦ πρὸς αὐτοῦ δηλουμένου. 5.23.2 καὶ ἐν τῇ ἐπὶ Σοδόμων δὲ καταστροφῇ δύο κύριοι παρίστανται, ὅτε ἔβρεξεν ὁ κύριος «πῦρ παρὰ κυρίου» ἐπὶ Σόδομα καὶ Γόμορρα. ὁποίαν τοιγαροῦν, φησίν, διὰ τὰς ἐκτόπους δυσσεβείας ὑπέμεινεν καταστροφὴν τὰ Σόδομα, τοιαῦτα καὶ ὑμεῖς, ὦ οὗτοι, πείσεσθε, «καὶ οὐδ' οὕτως ἐπεστρέψατε πρός με». σύνηθες δὲ τῇ γραφῇ τὸ μέλλον ὡς παρεληλυθὸς δηλοῦν, ὥστε καὶ τὰ παρόντα ὁμοίως χρὴ νοεῖν, ἀντὶ μὲν τοῦ «καταστρέψω», μέλλοντος, τοῦ παρωχημένου εἰρημένου, τοῦ «κατέστρεψα», ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ «ἐπιστραφήσεσθε» τοῦ «ἐπεστρέψατε» κειμένου. 5.23.3 ταῦτα δὲ πρὸς τὸ Ἰουδαίων ἔθνος ἀποτείνεται, ἃ καὶ οὐδ' ἄλλοτε ἢ μετὰ τὴν κατὰ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐπιβουλὴν εἰς αὐτοὺς ἐπληροῦτο. ὁ γοῦν ἱερὸς αὐτῶν καὶ τὸ πρὶν ἅγιος τόπος εἰς τοῦτο νῦν περιῆλθεν, ὡς κατὰ μηδὲν τῆς Σοδόμων καταστροφῆς ἀποδεῖν. πλὴν ὅμως καίπερ ἀκόλουθα τῇ προρρήσει πεπονθότες, οὔπω καὶ εἰς δεῦρο τὴν πρὸς τὸν Χριστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ, δι' ὃν ταῦτα πεπόνθασιν, ἐπιστροφὴν ἐποιήσαντο· ὡς εἰκότως καὶ τοῦτο διὰ τῆς ἐν χερσὶν θεσπίζεσθαι προφητείας λεγούσης· «καὶ οὐδ' ὣς ἐπεστρέψατε πρός με, λέγει κύριος». 5.24.1 Ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀβδιοῦ. «Ὅρασις Ἀβδιοῦ. τάδε λέγει κύριοτῇ Ἰδουμαίᾳ, ἀκοὴν ἤκουσα παρὰ κυρίου, καὶ περιοχὴν εἰς τὰ ἔθνη ἐξαπέστειλεν.» Κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἀκοὴν ἤκουσεν παρὰ κυρίου, καὶ αὕτη δὲ ἦν περὶ τῆς τῶν ἐθνῶν κλήσεως. Ἀπὸ τοῦ Ζαχαρίου. «Τάδε λέγει κύριος παντοκράτωρ, ὀπίσω δόξης ἀπέσταλκέν με ἐπὶ τὰ ἔθνη τὰ σκυλεύσαντα ὑμᾶς», εἶτ' ἐπιφέρει μετὰ βραχέα λέγων· «καὶ γνώσεσθε ὅτι κύριος παντοκράτωρ ἀπέσταλκέν με». Εἰ καὶ ὁ ἀποστέλλων κύριος κύριός ἐστιν παντοκράτωρ, καὶ ὁ ἀπεστάλθαι λέγων ὡσαύτως, δύο ἄρα. σαφῶς δὲ ὁ ἀπεσταλμένος «κύριος παντοκράτωρ ἐπὶ τὰ ἔθνη», φησίν, «ἀπέσταλκέν με». Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. «Τέρπου καὶ εὐφραίνου, θύγατερ Σιών, διότι ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἔρχομαι καὶ κατασκηνώσω ἐν μέσῳ σου, λέγει κύριος. καὶ καταφεύξονται ἔθνη πολλὰ ἐπὶ τὸν κύριον ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, καὶ ἔσονται αὐτῷ εἰς λαόν, καὶ κατασκηνώσω ἐν μέσῳ σου, καὶ γνώσῃ ὅτι κύριος παντοκράτωρ ἐξαπέσταλκέν με πρός σε», καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. οἷς μεθ' ἕτερα ἐπιλέγει· «καὶ κατισχύσω αὐτοὺς ἐν κυρίῳ θεῷ αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ καυχήσονται, λέγει κύριος». 5.26.2 Καὶ ταῦτα τοῖς προτέροις ὅμοια, τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς ἀνθρώπους παρουσίαν καὶ τὴν γενομένην τῶν ἐθνῶν σωτήριον δι' αὐτοῦ κλῆσιν ἀναφωνοῦντα. ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος ἥξω, φησίν, ἐπὶ δὲ τῇ ἐμῇ παρουσίᾳ οὐκέθ' ὁ πάλαι Ἰσραὴλ ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἓν μόνον ἐπὶ γῆς ἔθνος, ἔθνη δὲ πολλὰ καταφεύξονται ἐπὶ τὸν κρείττονα καὶ μέγαν κύριον, τὸν ἐμοῦ τε αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν ὅλων θεόν, ἐφ' ὃν τὰ καταφεύγοντα ἔθνη τοσαύτης τεύξεται εὐεργεσίας, ὡς καὶ χρηματίσαι καὶ γενέσθαι λαὸν θεοῦ, κατοικῆσαί τε ἐν μέσῳ τῆς καλουμένης θυγατρὸς Σιών. οὕτω δὲ τὴν ἐπὶ γῆς ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ, ὥσπερ τινὰ θυγατέρα τυγχάνουσαν τῆς ἐπουρανίου, τοῖς ἱεροῖς γράμμασιν ἀποκαλεῖν φίλον.