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63.214 nicator was Esau? He does not say this here, that Esau was a fornicator, but it is set in contrast to, Pursue holiness; and the word, Profane, is spoken with reference to him. Let no one therefore be as Esau, profane, that is, a glutton, incontinent, worldly, selling spiritual things. Who for one meal sold his own birthright. That is, who sold this honor from God through his own carelessness, and for the sake of a small pleasure lost the greatest honor and glory. This is pertinent to them, this of the abominable, this of the unclean. So not only the fornicator is unclean, but also the glutton, who is a slave to his belly. For this man is a slave to another pleasure; he is forced to be covetous, forced to seize, to act shamefully in countless ways, being a slave of that passion, and often blasphemes. This man considered the birthright to be worth nothing. Therefore, providing for his temporary comfort, he went as far as his birthright. So the birthright is ours now, not the Jews'. At the same time this also contributes to their passion; for by this he almost hints that the first has become last, and the second first; this one is first through endurance, that one last through carelessness. For you know, he says, that even afterwards, when he wished to inherit the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it with tears. 2. What is this then? Does he reject repentance? By no means. But how, he says, did he find no place for repentance? For if he condemned himself, if he lamented greatly, why did he not find a place for repentance? Because the matter was not of repentance. For just as the sorrow of Cain was not of repentance, and the murder showed it; so also here the words were not of repentance, and afterwards the murder showed it; for he also in his purpose killed Jacob. For the days of mourning for my father are near, he says, and I will kill Jacob my brother. For this reason the tears were not able to give him repentance. And he did not say, of repentance, simply, but, and having sought it with tears, he found no place for repentance. Why then? Because he did not repent in the way he ought; for this is repentance; he did not repent as he should have. Since how could he say these things? How could he again exhort those who had become sluggish? How those who had become lame? How the paralyzed? How the enfeebled? For this is the beginning of a fall. It seems to me that he is hinting at some fornicators among them, but does not wish to rebuke them for the time being, but feigns ignorance, so that they may correct themselves. For one must first feign ignorance, and after this, when they persist, then also to bring on the rebuke, so that they might not become shameless. Which Moses also did in the case of Zimri and Cozbi. For, he says, he found no place for repentance. He did not find repentance, either because he sinned greater than repentance, or because he did not show a worthy repentance. There are, then, sins greater than re 63.215 pentance. But what he says is this: Let us not fall an incurable fall; as long as the matter is a lameness, it is easy to become upright; but if we turn aside, what will be left? For to those who have not yet fallen he speaks thus, holding them together with fear, and says that it is not possible for one who has fallen to find comfort; but to those who have fallen, so that they might not fall into despair, he advises the opposite, speaking thus: My little children, of whom I am in labor again, until Christ be formed in you; and again, You who would be justified by the law, you have fallen away from grace. Behold, he testifies that they have fallen away. For he who is standing, hearing that it is not possible for one who has fallen to receive forgiveness, will be more earnest and more secure in his standing; but if you should use the same earnestness toward the one who has fallen, he will never rise again; for with what hope will he show a change? And he does not only say, He wept, but also, He sought; he does not, then, reject repentance, by saying, He found no place for repentance; but through this he rather secures them against falling. Therefore, let as many as disbelieve in Gehenna, remember these things; let as many as think to sin without punishment, consider these things. Why did Esau not receive forgiveness? Because he did not repent as he should have. 3. Do you wish to see an exact repentance?

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63.214 νος ἦν ὁ Ἡσαῦ; Οὐ τοῦτο ἐνταῦθά φησιν, ὅτι πόρνος ἦν ὁ Ἡσαῦ, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολὴν κεῖται τοῦ, Τὸν ἁγιασμὸν διώκετε· τὸ δὲ, Βέβηλος, ὡς πρὸς ἐκεῖνον εἴρηται. Μή τις οὖν ἔστω ὡς ὁ Ἡσαῦ, βέβηλος, τουτέστι, γαστρίμαργος, ἀκρατὴς, κοσμικὸς, τὰ πνευματικὰ ἀπεμπολῶν. Ὃς ἀντὶ βρώσεως μιᾶς ἀπέδοτο τὰ πρωτοτόκια αὑτοῦ. Τουτέστιν, ὃς τὴν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τιμὴν ταύτην διὰ τῆς οἰκείας ῥᾳθυμίας ἀπέδοτο, καὶ μικρᾶς ἡδονῆς χάριν τὴν μεγίστην τιμὴν καὶ δόξαν ἀπώλεσε. Τοῦτο οἰκείως πρὸς αὐτοὺς, τοῦτο βδελυροῦ, τοῦτο ἀκαθάρτου. Ὥστε οὐχ ὁ πόρνος ἀκάθαρτος μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ γαστρίμαργος, ὅς ἐστι τῆς γαστρὸς δοῦλος. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ οὗτος ἑτέρας ἐστὶν ἡδονῆς δοῦλος, ἀναγκάζεται πλεονεκτεῖν, ἀναγκάζεται ἁρπάζειν, μυρία ἀσχημονεῖν, δοῦλος ὢν τοῦ πάθους ἐκείνου, καὶ βλασφημεῖ πολλάκις. Οὗτος οὐδενὸς ἄξια εἶναι ἐνόμισε τὰ πρωτοτόκια. ∆ιὸ καὶ προνοῶν τῆς ἀναπαύσεως τῆς προσκαίρου, καὶ μέχρι τῶν πρωτοτοκίων ἔφθασεν. Ὥστε ἡμῶν τὰ πρωτοτόκια λοιπὸν, οὐχὶ Ἰουδαίων. Ἅμα δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὸ πάθος αὐτῶν τοῦτο συμβάλλεται· μονονουχὶ τοῦτο γὰρ διὰ τούτου αἰνίττεται, ὅτι ὁ πρῶτος ὕστερος γέγονε, καὶ ὁ δεύτερος πρῶτος· οὗτος διὰ καρτερίαν πρῶτος, ἐκεῖνος διὰ ῥᾳθυμίαν ὕστερος. Ἴστε γὰρ, φησὶν, ὅτι καὶ μετέπειτα θέλων κληρονομῆσαι τὴν εὐλογίαν, ἀπεδοκιμάσθη· μετανοίας γὰρ τόπον οὐχ εὗρε, καίπερ μετὰ δακρύων ἐκζητήσας αὐτήν. βʹ. Τί δὴ τοῦτό ἐστιν; ἆρα μὴ τὴν μετάνοιαν ἐκβάλλει; Οὐδαμῶς. Ἀλλὰ πῶς, φησὶ, μετανοίας τόπον οὐχ εὗρεν; εἰ γὰρ κατέγνω ἑαυτοῦ, εἰ ἀνῴμωξε μέγα, διὰ τί οὐχ εὗρε τόπον μετανοίας; Ὅτι οὐκ ἦν μετανοίας τὸ πρᾶγμα. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἡ λύπη τοῦ Κάϊν οὐκ ἦν μετανοίας, καὶ ὁ φόνος ἔδειξεν· οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα οὐκ ἦν μετανοίας τὰ ῥήματα, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ὁ φόνος ἔδειξε· καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς τῇ προαιρέσει ἀνεῖλε τὸν Ἰακώβ. Ἐγγίσουσι γὰρ, φησὶν, αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ πένθους τοῦ πατρός μου, καὶ ἀποκτενῶ Ἰακὼβ τὸν ἀδελφόν μου. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἴσχυσε τὰ δάκρυα μετάνοιαν αὐτῷ δοῦναι. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε, Μετανοίας, ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ, Καὶ μετὰ δακρύων ἐκζητήσας, μετανοίας τόπον οὐχ εὗρε. Τί δήποτε; Ὅτι οὐ μετενόησεν ὃν ἔδει τρόπον· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι μετάνοια· οὐ μετενόησεν ὡς ἐχρῆν. Ἐπεὶ πῶς ταῦτα ἔλεγε; πῶς νωθροὺς γενομένους παρεκάλει πάλιν; πῶς χωλοὺς γενομένους; πῶς παραλυθέντας; πῶς παρειμένους; τοῦτο γὰρ ἀρχὴ πτώσεώς ἐστιν. Ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ αἰνίττεσθαί τινας ἐν αὐτοῖς πόρνους, οὐ μέντοι βούλεσθαι ἐλέγχειν αὐτοὺς τέως, ἀλλὰ προσποιεῖται ἄγνοιαν, ἵνα διορθώσωνται. ∆εῖ γὰρ πρῶτον μὲν ἄγνοιαν ὑποκρίνεσθαι, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα, ὅταν ἐπιμένωσι, τότε καὶ τὸν ἔλεγχον ἐπάγειν, ὥστε μὴ ἀπαναισχυντῆσαι. Ὅπερ καὶ Μωϋσῆς ἐποίησεν ἐπὶ Ζαμβρὶ καὶ τῆς Χασβίτιδος. Μετανοίας γὰρ, φησὶ, τόπον οὐχ εὗρεν. Οὐχ εὗρε μετάνοιαν, ἢ ὅτι μετανοίας μείζονα ἥμαρτεν, ἢ ὅτι μετάνοιαν ἀξίαν οὐκ ἐπεδείξατο. Ἔστιν ἄρα ἁμαρτήματα με 63.215 τανοίας μείζονα. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοῦτό ἐστι· Μὴ πέσωμεν πτῶμα ἀνίατον· ἕως ἂν ᾖ χωλεία τὸ πρᾶγμα, εὔκολον γενέσθαι ὀρθόν· ἐὰν δὲ ἐκτραπῶμεν, τί ἔσται λοιπόν; Τοῖς μὲν γὰρ μηδέπω πεσοῦσιν οὕτω διαλέγεται, τῷ φόβῳ συγκροτῶν αὐτοὺς, καί φησιν ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι πεσόντα παραμυθίας τυχεῖν· τοῖς δὲ πεσοῦσιν, ὥστε μὴ εἰς ἀπόγνωσιν ἐμπεσεῖν, τἀναντία παραινεῖ, οὕτω λέγων· Τεκνία μου, οὓς πάλιν ὠδίνω, ἄχρις οὗ μορφωθῇ Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν· καὶ πάλιν, Οἵτινες ἐν νόμῳ δικαιοῦσθε, τῆς χάριτος ἐξεπέσετε. Ἰδοὺ μαρτυρεῖ ὅτι ἐξέπεσον. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἑστὼς, ἀκούων ὅτι πεσόντα οὐκ ἔστι συγγνώμης τυχεῖν, σφοδρότερος ἔσται, καὶ ἀσφαλέστερος περὶ τὴν στάσιν· ἂν μέντοι καὶ περὶ τὸν πεπτωκότα τῇ αὐτῇ χρήσῃ σφοδρότητι, οὐδέποτε ἀναστήσεται· ποίᾳ γὰρ ἐλπίδι τὴν μεταβολὴν ἐπιδείξεται; Οὐ μόνον δέ φησιν, Ἐδάκρυσεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ, Ἐξεζήτησεν· οὐ τοίνυν ἐκβάλλει μετάνοιαν, λέγων, Μετανοίας τόπον οὐχ εὗρεν· ἀλλ' ἀσφαλίζεται αὐτοὺς μᾶλλον διὰ τούτου πρὸς τὸ μὴ πεσεῖν. Ὅσοι τοίνυν ἀπιστοῦσι τῇ γεέννῃ, ταῦτα ἀναμιμνησκέσθωσαν· ὅσοι νομίζουσιν ἀτιμώρητα ἁμαρτάνειν, ταῦτα λογιζέσθωσαν. ∆ιὰ τί Ἡσαῦ οὐκ ἔτυχε συγγνώμης; Ὅτι οὐ μετενόησεν ὡς ἐχρῆν. γʹ. Θέλεις ἰδεῖν μετάνοιαν ἀκριβῆ;