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us to refreshment.” 5.10 Equivalently also in Isaiah the one helping says to the one being helped: “Fear not, for I am with you; and if you pass through water, rivers will not overwhelm you; and if you walk through fire, the flame will not burn you, for I am with you.” When does someone passing through fire remain unharmed, except when he possesses the voice of God about which it is said: “The voice of the Lord cutting through a flame of fire”? For just as when the Red Sea was divided by the holy rod the people crossed without any harm, so when the flame of the fire is cut through and divided, the crossing is accomplished without being burned by the flame. 5.11 The third part left in the Hebrew multitude, after two parts were destroyed and had ceased to be, was tested as intelligible gold and silver by passing through fire. Similarly to this it is stated in Wisdom: “As gold and silver are tested in a furnace, so are chosen hearts with God.” The Apostle Peter also has the same thought in what he writes in his epistle, urging to bear afflictions nobly and magnanimously, especially those for the faith. 5.12 His text is as follows: “In which you rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that is tested by fire—for so it will be found to result in praise and glory.” James also speaks in agreement, addressing the disciples of the gospel: “Count it all joy, my beloved brothers, when you meet various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” 5.13 For being thus disposed, those to whom the word is addressed, having been fired like silver according to the word and tested like gold according to their own mind, will have God hearing them, calling upon his name, so that they might be called the people of the benefactor, and he their God. 5.14 The passage set forth must also be examined in another way. In the Church of Christ, there are some who are superstitious and others besides them who Judaize, as well as those who are genuinely God-fearing, among whom the apostles speak wisdom, being perfect, all having progressed so as to arrive “at a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of the knowledge of the Son of God.” 5.15 The two parts will cease, being destroyed, so that they may no longer be superstitious or Judaize according to the Ebionites. For when this is accomplished, only the perfect of the Church will be left in it, so that they may be called “people of God,” and he may be confessed as “their God.” 5.16 Consider carefully if a third interpretation can also be stated for the preceding matters. Each of the virtues lies in the middle of two vices, of excess and of deficiency; courage and moderation, the one is the mean between rashness and cowardice, the other between licentiousness and stupidity, just as piety has superstition as its excess, and impiety as its deficiency. Likewise also the liberal man, being sociable and generous, has a most excellent disposition, of which prodigality is the excess, and stinginess the deficiency. 5.17 And since of those who sin, some have acted according to excesses—rashness, superstition, prodigality—and others according to deficiencies—impiety, cowardice, stinginess—necessarily these two orders and parts are destroyed and cease, having fallen under punishment, while the third is perfected, fired and tested like silver and gold, which are word and mind, having been tested and perfected according to the corresponding virtues, having overcome the deficiencies and excesses. 5.18 Let another scientific interpretation also be stated for good measure, thus: “those who bear the image of the man of dust,” partaking of a material disposition, are impure, resembling what is called by some the indefinite dyad. And according to scripture, at any rate, the unclean animals are taken two by two, while the clean are associated with the

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ἡμᾶς εἰς ἀναψυχήν.» 5.10 Ἰσοδυναμούντως καὶ ἐν Ἠσαΐᾳ πρὸς τὸν εὐεργετούμενον ὁ βοηθῶν λέγει· «Μὴ φοβοῦ, ὅτι μετὰ σοῦ εἰμι· καὶ ἐὰν διέρχῃ δι' ὕδατος, ποταμοὶ οὐ συγκλύσουσίν σε· καὶ ἐὰν διαβαίνῃς διὰ πυρός, φλὸξ οὐ κατακαύσει σε, ὅτι μετὰ σοῦ εἰμι.» Πότε δέ τις διὰ πυρὸς διερχόμενος ἀβλαβὴς μένει, ἢ ὅτε τὴν Θεοῦ φωνὴν κέκτηται περὶ ἧς εἴρηται· «Φωνὴ Κυρίου διακόπτοντος φλόγα πυρός»; Ὡς γὰρ διαιρεθείσης τῆς Ἐρυθρᾶς θαλάσσης τῇ ἁγίᾳ ῥάβδῳ διέβη ὁ λαὸς χωρὶς πάσης ζημίας, οὕτω τῆς φλογὸς τοῦ πυρὸς διακοπτομένης καὶ διαιρουμένης ἄνευ τοῦ ὑπὸ φλογὸς κατακαῆναι ἡ διάβασις ἀνύεται. 5.11 Τὸ ὑπολειφθὲν τρίτον ἐν τῇ πληθύϊ τῇ ἑβραϊκῇ, τῶν δύο μερῶν ὀλεθρευθέντων καὶ ἐκλειψάντων, ἐδοκιμάσθη κατὰ τὸ νοητὸν χρυσίον τε καὶ ἀργύριον διὰ πυρὸς διαβάν. Τούτῳ παραπλησίως ἐν τῇ Σοφίᾳ φέρεται· «Ὡς δοκιμάζεται ἐν καμίνῳ χρυσίον καὶ ἀργύριον, οὕτως ἐκλεκταὶ καρδίαι παρὰ Θεῷ.» Τὴν αὐτὴν νόησιν ἔχει καὶ ὃ γράφει ὁ ἀπόστολος Πέτρος ἐν τῇ κατ' αὐτὸν ἐπιστολῇ, προτρεπόμενος γενναίως καὶ μεγαλοψύχως φέρειν τὰ θλιβερά, μάλιστα τὰ ὑπὲρ τῆς πίστεως. 5.12 Ἔχει δὲ ἡ λέξις αὐτοῦ οὕτως· «Ἐν ᾧ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε, εἰ δέον λυπηθέντες ἐν ποικίλοις πειρασμοῖς, ἵνα ᾖ τὸ δοκίμιον τῆς πίστεως ὑμῶν πολυτιμότερον χρυσίου διὰ πυρὸς δοκιμαζομένου· οὕτω γὰρ εὑρεθήσεται εἰς ἔπαινον καὶ δόξαν.» Συμφώνως φέρεται καὶ Ἰάκωβος προσφωνῶν τοῖς μαθηταῖς τοῦ εὐαγγελίου· «Πᾶσαν χαρὰν ἡγήσασθε, ἀδελφοὶ ἀγαπητοί, ὅταν πειρασμοῖς περιπέσητε ποικίλοις, γινώσκοντες ὅτι τὸ δ̣οκίμιον ὑμῶν κατεργ̣άζεται ὑπομονήν· ἡ δὲ ὑπομονὴ ἔργον τέλειον ἐχέτω, ἵνα ἦτε τέλειοι καὶ ὁλόκληροι, ἐν μηδενὶ λειπόμενοι.» 5.13 Οὕτω γὰρ διατεθέντες οἱ πρὸς οὓς ὁ λόγος, πυρωθέντες ὡς τὸ ἀργύριον κατὰ τὸν λόγον καὶ δοκιμασθέντες ὡς τὸ χρυσίον κατὰ τὸν νοῦν ἑαυτῶν, ἕξουσιν τὸν Θεὸν ἐπακούοντα, ἐπικαλούμενοι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, ὡς αὐτοὺς μὲν λαὸν χρηματίσαι τοῦ εὐεργέτου, αὐτὸν δὲ Θεὸν αὐτῶν. 5.14 Βασανιστέον καὶ ἑτέρως τὸ ἐκκείμενον ῥητόν. Ἐν τῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἐκκλησίᾳ, εἰσί τινες δεισιδαιμονοῦντες καὶ ἄλλοι παρ' αὐτοὺς ἰουδαΐζοντες, ὡς αὖ καὶ γνησίως θεοσεβοῦντες, ἐν οἷς σοφίαν λαλοῦσιν τελείοις οὖσιν οἱ ἀπόστολοι, προκοψάντων πάντων ὡς φθάσαι «εἰς ἄνδρα τέλειον εἰς μέτρον ἡλικίας τοῦ πληρώματος τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ». 5.15 Ἐκλείψει τὰ δύο μέρη ὀλοθρευόμενα, ἵνα μηκέτι δεισιδαιμονῶσιν ἢ ἰουδαΐζωσιν κατὰ τοὺς ἐβιωναίους. Τούτ̣ου γὰρ ἀνυσθέντος, οἱ τέλειοι τῆς Ἐκκλησίας μόνοι ὑπολειφθήσονται ἐν αὐτῇ, ἵνα αὐτοὶ μὲν «Θεοῦ λαὸς» χρηματίσωσιν, αὐτὸς δὲ «αὐτῶν Θεὸς» ὁμολογηθῇ. 5.16 Ἐπίστησον ἀκριβῶς εἰ καὶ τρίτη θεωρία λεχθῆναι δύναται εἰς τὰ προκείμενα. Ἑκάστη τῶν ἀρετῶν μέση κεῖται κακιῶν δύο, ὑπερβολῆς καὶ ἐλλείψεως· ἡ ἀνδρεία καὶ ἡ σωφροσύνη, ἣ μὲν μέση ἐστὶν θρασύτητος καὶ δειλίας, ἣ δὲ ἀκολασίας καὶ ἠλιθιότητος, ὡς αὖ ἡ εὐσέβεια ὑπ̣ερβολὴν̣ ἔχει τὴν δεισιδαιμονία̣ν, ἔλλειψιν δὲ τὴν ἀσέβειαν. Ὁμοίως καὶ ὁ ἐλευθέριος κ̣οινωνικὸς καὶ μεταδοτικὸς ὑπάρχων̣ ἕξ̣ιν ἔχει βελτίστην, ἧς ἀσωτία ὑπερβολή, ἔλλειψις δὲ φειδωλία̣. 5.17 Καὶ ἐπεὶ τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων οἳ μὲν κατὰ τὰς ὑπερβολάς, θρασύτητα, δεισιδαιμονία̣ν, ἀσωτίαν πεποίωνται, οἳ δὲ κατὰ τὰς ἐλλείψεις, ἀσέβειαν, δειλίαν, φειδωλίαν, ἀναγκαίως τὰ δύο τάγματα καὶ μέρη ταῦτα ὀλοθρεύεται καὶ ἐκλείπει τιμωρίᾳ ὑποπεσόντα, τοῦ τρίτου τελειουμένου, πυρουμένου καὶ δοκιμαζομένου κατὰ τὸ ἀργύριον καὶ τὸ χρυσίον, ἅ ἐστιν λόγος καὶ νοῦς, τῷ κατὰ τὰς ἀντακολουθούσας ἀρετὰς δεδοκιμάσθαι καὶ τετελειῶσθαι ὑπερβεβηκότος τὰς ἐλλείψεις καὶ ὑπερβολάς. 5.18 Ῥηθείη ἐκ περιουσίας καὶ ἑτέρα ἐπιστημονικὴ νόησις οὕτως· «οἱ φοροῦντες τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ χοϊκοῦ», ὑλικῆς προαιρέσεως μετέχοντες, ἀκάθαρτοι τυγχάνουσι, προσεοικότες τῇ πρός τινων λεγομένῃ ἀορίστῳ δυάδι. Καὶ κατὰ τὴν γραφὴν γοῦν τὰ ἀκάθαρτα τῶν ζῴων δύο δύο παραλαμβάνονται, τῶν καθαρῶν οἰκειουμένων τῇ