158

of him and was jealous of his works, because they were good.” So also these, envying Abel who had good works, but honoring Cain, how are they not convicted, when the Savior expressly speaks and decrees a sharp sentence for them, that “all righteous blood will be required of this generation, from the blood of righteous Abel, shed from the beginning, until 2.69 Zacharias the prophet, whom you killed between the temple and the altar,” and what follows? 6. Therefore, it was not through knowledge that Judas betrayed the Savior, as these men say, nor do the Jews have a reward for crucifying the Lord, although we have our salvation through the cross. For Judas did not betray him so that it might become our salvation, but out of ignorance and zeal and the avarice of apostasy. For even if scripture should say that Christ was to be handed over to the cross, or if the divine scripture should speak of the wicked deeds accomplished by us in the last days, none of us who do lawless things would find an absolute defense by bringing forth the testimony of scripture prophesying that these things would happen. For we do not act because scripture said so, but because we were going to act, scripture foretold it, through the foreknowledge of God and so that God, being good, and bringing wrath against sinners, might not be thought to be controlled by passion. For the wrath of God against each of the sinners does not arise from passion; for the divine is impassible. He brings wrath against men not seized by the passion of indignation nor overcome and controlled by anger. For God shows his impassibility by foretelling to us the coming judgment and the just punishment that comes from him, in order to signify the impassibility of the Godhead. Therefore scripture foretold according to foreknowledge, taking precaution and teaching, so that we might not fall into the incurable wrath of God, which is not determined by passion nor happens from defeat, but most justly prepared for men who commit sin and do not truly repent. 7. So also in the case of the cross, it was not because divine scripture said so that the Jews crucified and Judas betrayed the Savior, but because Judas was going to betray and the Jews were going to crucify, for this reason divine scripture in the Old Testament and the Lord in the gospel foretold it. Therefore Judas did not betray the Lord with knowledge of the coming benefit to the world, as they say, but knowing that he was his master, yet ignorant that it would be salvation for the 2.70 world. For how could he be concerned for the salvation of men, who heard from the Savior himself “son of perdition” and “it would be better for him if he had not been born” and “Friend, do what you came for” and “one of you will betray me” and “he who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me,” as the gospel has it from the preceding testimony of the psalter, and “woe to him through whom the Son of Man is betrayed”? For Judas himself revealed the whole matter concerning himself and by himself refuted the folly of those who praise him, even if unwillingly; nevertheless, after receiving the price, the thirty pieces of silver, he later repented and returned the silver pieces, as one who had done something evil, evil for himself and evil also for those who crucified. But the Lord, accomplishing a good thing through himself for us and for the world, gave himself up, so that it might become our salvation. Therefore, we do not confess thanks to Judas the betrayer, but to the merciful Savior, who laid down his life for us, his own sheep, as he himself said. For how could one who thought he had accomplished something good later say, “I have repented, having betrayed innocent blood” and returned the silver pieces, as it was written concerning him in the prophets: “and he returned the thirty silver pieces, the price of the one priced by the sons of Israel,” and again in another prophet “if

158

αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐζήλωσε τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἦν καλά». οὕτω καὶ οὗτοι μᾶλλον φθονοῦντες τῷ Ἄβελ τῷ καλὰ ἔργα ἔχοντι, τὸν δὲ Κάϊν τιμῶντες, πῶς οὐκ ἐλέγχονται, διαρρήδην τοῦ σωτῆρος λέγοντος καὶ ἀπότομον ἀπόφασιν ὁρίζοντος αὐτοῖς ὅτι «ζητηθήσεται ἀπὸ τῆς γενεᾶς ταύτης πᾶν αἷμα δίκαιον ἀπὸ Ἄβελ τοῦ δικαίου τὸ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ἐκκεχυμένον ἕως 2.69 Ζαχαρίου τοῦ προφήτου, οὗ ἀπεκτείνατε μέσον τοῦ ναοῦ καὶ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου» καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς; 6. Οὐκ ἄρα τοίνυν ὡς οὗτοί φασι διὰ γνῶσιν ὁ Ἰούδας παρέδωκε τὸν σωτῆρα οὐδὲ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι μισθὸν ἔχουσι σταυρώσαντες τὸν κύριον, καίτοι γε διὰ σταυροῦ ἐχόντων ἡμῶν τὴν σωτηρίαν. οὔτε γὰρ παρέδωκεν αὐτὸν Ἰούδας, ἵνα γένηται ἡμῖν εἰς σωτηρίαν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ ἄγνοιαν καὶ ζῆλον καὶ φιλαργυρίαν ἀρνησιθεΐας. κἄν τε γὰρ εἴποι ἡ γραφὴ τὸν Χριστὸν μέλλοντα σταυρῷ παραδίδοσθαι ἢ κἂν εἴπῃ ἡ θεία γραφὴ τὰ ἐπ' ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν δι' ἡμῶν ἐπιτελούμενα ἀτοπήματα, οὐ πάντως εὕροι ἄν τις ἡμῶν τῶν τὰ παράνομα πραττόντων ἀπολογίαν, τὴν τῆς γραφῆς μαρτυρίαν προφέρων προθεσπιζούσης ταῦτα ἔσεσθαι. οὐ γὰρ ὅτι εἶπεν ἡ γραφὴ ποιοῦμεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἐμέλλομεν ποιεῖν προεῖπεν ἡ γραφή, διὰ τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ πρόγνωσιν καὶ ἵνα θεὸς ἀγαθὸς ὑπάρχων, ἐπιφέρων δὲ τὴν ὀργὴν κατὰ τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων μὴ ὑποληφθῇ πάθει συνεχόμενος. ἡ γὰρ καθ' ἑκάστου τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων παρὰ θεοῦ ὀργὴ οὐκ ἀπὸ πάθους ὁρμᾶται· ἀπαθὲς γὰρ τὸ θεῖον, ἐπιφέρει δὲ τὴν ὀργὴν κατὰ ἀνθρώπων οὐ πάθει ληφθὲν ἀγανακτήσεως οὐδὲ ὀργῇ ἡττηθὲν καὶ κρατούμενον. δείκνυσι γὰρ τὸ ἀπαθὲς ὁ θεός, προειπὼν ἡμῖν τὴν ἐσομένην κρίσιν καὶ τὴν δικαίαν παρ' αὐτοῦ τιμωρίαν γινομένην, ἵνα τὸ ἀπαθὲς σημάνῃ τῆς θεότητος. προεῖπεν τοίνυν ἡ γραφὴ κατὰ πρόγνωσιν προασφαλιζομένη καὶ διδάσκουσα, ἵνα μὴ ἐμπέσωμεν εἰς ὀργὴν ἀνήκεστον θεοῦ, τὴν οὐ πάθει ὁρισθεῖσαν οὐδὲ συμβαίνουσαν ἀπὸ ἥττης, ἀλλὰ δικαιότατα τοῖς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐκτελοῦσιν ἀνθρώποις προετοιμασθεῖσαν καὶ μὴ μετανοοῦσιν ἐξ ἀληθείας. 7. Οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ, οὐχ ὅτι εἶπεν ἡ θεία γραφή, ἐσταύρωσαν Ἰουδαῖοι καὶ παρέδωκεν Ἰούδας τὸν σωτῆρα, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἔμελλεν παραδιδόναι Ἰούδας καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι σταυροῦν, τούτου ἕνεκα προεῖπεν ἡ θεία γραφὴ ἐν τῇ παλαιᾷ διαθήκῃ καὶ ὁ κύριος ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ. ὥστε οὖν οὐκ ἐν γνώσει τῆς ἐσομένης εὐεργεσίας τῷ κόσμῳ παραδέδωκε τὸν κύριον Ἰούδας, ὡς ἐκεῖνοι λέγουσιν, ἀλλ' εἰδὼς μὲν ὅτι ὁ αὐτοῦ δεσπότης ὑπῆρχεν, ἀγνοῶν δὲ ὅτι σωτηρία ἔσται τῷ 2.70 κόσμῳ. πῶς γὰρ ἂν εἴη σωτηρίας ἀνθρώπων ἐπιμελόμενος ὁ παρ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἀκούων «ἀπωλείας υἱός» καὶ τό «συμφέρει αὐτῷ, εἰ οὐκ ἐγεννήθη» καὶ τό «ἑταῖρε, ἐφ' ὃ πάρει» καὶ τό «εἷς ἐξ ὑμῶν παραδώσει με» καὶ τό «ὁ ἐσθίων μετ' ἐμοῦ τὸν ἄρτον ἐπῇρεν κατ' ἐμοῦ πτερνισμόν» ὡς ἔχει τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ἐκ προαγούσης μαρτυρίας τοῦ ψαλτηρίου καὶ τό «οὐαὶ δι' οὗ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοται»; αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ Ἰούδας περὶ ἑαυτοῦ τὸ πᾶν ὑπέφηνεν καὶ τὴν τῶν ἐπαινούντων αὐτὸν ἄνοιαν καὶ ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ ἤλεγξεν, εἰ καὶ ἄκων ἀλλ' ὅμως μετὰ τὸ λαβεῖν τὸ τίμημα τὰ τριάκοντα ἀργύρια ὕστερον μεταμεληθεὶς καὶ ἀποστρέψας τὰ ἀργύρια, ὡς κακόν τι πεπραχώς, κακὸν μὲν ἑαυτῷ κακὸν δὲ καὶ τοῖς σταυρώσασιν. ὁ δὲ κύριος ἀγαθὸν δι' ἑαυτοῦ ἐπιτελῶν ἡμῖν τε καὶ τῷ κόσμῳ ἑαυτὸν παραδέδωκεν, ἵνα γένηται ἡμῖν σωτηρία. ἄρα οὖν οὐχὶ τῷ Ἰούδᾳ τῷ προδότῃ ὁμολογοῦμεν τὴν χάριν, ἀλλὰ τῷ ἐλεήμονι σωτῆρι, τῷ τὴν ψυχὴν θέντι ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τῶν ἰδίων αὐτοῦ προβάτων, καθὼς αὐτὸς εἶπε. πῶς γὰρ ὁ νομίσας ἀγαθὸν ἐπιτελέσαι ὕστερον λέγει ὅτι «μεταμεμέλημαι παραδεδωκὼς αἷμα ἀθῷον» καὶ ἀπέστρεψε τὰ ἀργύρια, καθὼς ἦν περὶ αὐτοῦ γεγραμμένον ἐν τοῖς προφήταις «καὶ ἀπέστρεψε τοὺς τριάκοντα ἀργυροῦς, τὴν τιμὴν τοῦ τετιμημένου παρὰ τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ», καὶ πάλιν ἐν ἄλλῳ προφήτῃ «εἰ