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paradoxical; things said of spiritual, intelligible things are not paradoxical. Sensible things that exist are not another sensible thing. But the intelligible being can also be understood sensibly. Therefore, it is impossible in the realm of the senses to take the same one as high priest and lamb. But Jesus is both lamb and high priest. It is impossible in the realm of the sensible to take the same thing as a door and a house. But Jesus is both, both the door leading into the house and that house, into which the door leads. And simply, all intelligible things are of such a kind. And concerning the human soul, for instance, we say that it cultivates itself, and it is also the plant, and that it is the earth receiving seeds and bearing fruit, and that it becomes the bride of the Word of God and bears children of salvation. And it also becomes a sheep. And we understand them according to the different concepts and names and benefits. When the soul is called earth, the teachings which have some power are seeds, and if it is called a bride, the seeds sown in it, and the ornaments about it are the practical and ethical virtues and the intellectual and perfect ones. Again when it is called a sheep, the teachings are called pasture, the instructions are called green grass. Therefore all things can be at the same time one thing and another. And this also must be known: The one who is called a house is also a vine bearing wine; and again he is flesh that nourishes; and he is a husbandman caring for plants, that they may bear fruit. And see, that he himself is husbandman and vine and shepherd and sheep. But being taken according to different concepts shows that it is an intelligible substance, about which these things are said. For instance, when a Greek once demanded: "Whence can you show from your scripture that, say, the soul is intelligible? For all the things reported about it also signify properties of bodies", I would say this very thing: Indeed each of the bodies has that one form according to which it exists; but when it is said to be all things by participation, nothing is said in a sensible way. God is spoken of, spirit is spoken of, light is spoken of as a man who has been formed and has limbs; for spirit does not have limbs; God does not have sitting and rising and feet and the other things; from which it is demonstrated that the substances, about which these things are said, are certain intelligible things. 9 and you will give them to drink of the torrent of your pleasure. The flowing richness of the house is able, in addition to giving drink, to lead also to a sober intoxication. He names it a "torrent of pleasure," just as it is said "a river of pleasure proceeds out of Eden and waters paradise." And the supply of teaching, of the participation in instruction, is called a "torrent of pleasure." "You will give drink upon them." And it is well said: "you will give drink upon them," since after this torrent they come to be in the spring itself. They are given drink as infants, and, that I may speak from an apostolic expression: to those being initiated Paul writes: "I gave you milk to drink." But those who are not able to drink for themselves are given drink, those being instructed are given drink. When they have been given this river of pleasure to drink, they then come to life itself, from which this river flows, "for with you is the spring of life." since with you is the spring of life. He did not say: "for with you a spring of life has come to be" or "a spring of life will exist," but "with you is the spring of life." This spring of life always is. However, when those who are being given drink draw near, it flows and becomes a stream from the spring, called a "torrent of pleasure." 10 For with you is the spring of life, in your light we shall see light. Observe here again the spring: he has spoken in two ways; and the light is called a spring. But in a historical and corporeal understanding these things are not possible. If, therefore, good things flow from him and he does not receive them from anywhere like a cistern, he is the head, the spring of life. And what am I saying? He himself said: "I am the life." And it is the same thing to say "life" and "spring of life." Life, on the one hand, since it gives life and leads to immortality, and spring, on the other hand, because it does not receive the life-giving things from elsewhere, but has them in itself. "in your light we shall see light"; 240 But if this voice should be said to the Father, it says that: since the one who has seen your son,

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παράδοξον· ἐκ τῶν πνευματικῶν, νοητῶν λεγόμενα οὔκ εἰσιν παράδοξα. τὰ αἰσθητῶς ὄντα τι ἕτερον οὔκ εἰσιν αἰσθητά. τὸ δὲ ὂν νοητὸν δύναται καὶ αἰσθητῶς νοηθῆναι. ἀδύνατον οὖν ἐπὶ αἰσθήσεως ἀρχιερέα καὶ ἀμνὸν τὸν αὐτὸν λαβεῖν. Ἰησοῦς δὲ καὶ ἀμνός ἐστιν καὶ ἀρχιερεύς. ἀδύνατόν ἐστιν θύραν καὶ οἶκον ἐπὶ αἰσθητοῦ λαβεῖν τὸ αὐτό. Ἰησοῦς δὲ ἀμφότερά ἐστιν, καὶ θύρα εἰσάγουσα εἰς τὸν οἶκον καὶ ὁ οἶκος ἐκεῖνος, εἰς ὃν εἰσάγει ἡ θύρα. καὶ ἁπαξαπλῶς τὰ νοητὰ πάντα τοιαῦτά ἐστιν. καὶ περὶ τῆς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου γοῦν ψυχῆς λέγομεν, ὅτι γεωργεῖ ἑαυτήν, αὖ τὸ φυτόν ἐστιν, καὶ ὅτι γῆ ἐστιν δεχομένη σπέρματα καὶ καρποφοροῦσα, καὶ ὅτι νύμφη γίνεται τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου καὶ τίκτει τέκνα σωτηρίας. καὶ γίνεται καὶ πρόβατον. καὶ πρὸς τὰς διαφόρους ἐπινοίας καὶ ὀνομασίας καὶ τὰς ὠφελείας λαμβάνομεν. ὅταν ἡ ψυχὴ γῆ καλῆται, τὰ δυνάμενά τι μαθήματα σπέρματά ἐστιν, ἐὰν δὲ νύμφη λέγηται, αἱ γοναὶ αἱ καταβαλλόμεναι εἰς αὐτήν, καὶ τὰ κόσμια τὰ περὶ αὐτὴν αἱ πρακτικαὶ καὶ ἠθικαὶ ἀρεταί εἰσιν καὶ αἱ διανοητικαὶ καὶ τέλειαι. πάλιν ὅταν πρόβατον λέγηται, νομὴ λέγεται τὰ μαθήματα, χλοὴ λέγεται τὰ παιδεύματα. πάντα οὖν δύναται ἅμα εἶναι ἄλλοις καὶ ἄλλοις. καὶ τοῦτο δὲ ἰστέον· ὁ λεγόμενος οἶκος καὶ ἄμπελός ἐστιν φέρων οἶνον· καὶ πάλιν σάρξ ἐστιν τρέφουσα· καὶ γεωργός ἐστιν ἐπιμελόμενος φυτῶν, ἵνα καρποφορήσουσιν. καὶ ὅρα, ὅτι αὐτὸς καὶ γεωργὸς καὶ ἄμπελος καὶ ποιμὴν καὶ πρόβατον. κατὰ διαφόρους δὲ ἐπινοίας λαμβανόμενα δείκνυσιν ὅτι οὐσία νοητή ἐστιν, περὶ ἧς ταῦτα λέγεται. ποτὲ γοῦν Ἕλληνος ἀπαιτοῦντος ὅτι· "πόθεν ἔχετε δεῖξαι ἐκ τῆς γραφῆς ὑμῶν ὅτι, φέρε, ἡ ψυχὴ νοητή ἐστιν; πάντα γὰρ τὰ ἀπαγγελλόμενα περὶ αὐτῆς καὶ σωμάτων ἴδια σημαίνει", ἔλεγον αὐτὸ τοῦτο· ἦ ἕκαστον τῶν σωμάτων ἓν ἔχει εἶδος ἐκεῖνο καθ' ὅ ἐστιν· ὅταν δὲ μετουσίᾳ λέγηται πάντα εἶναι, οὐδὲν αἰσθητῶς λέγεται. θεὸς λέγεται, πνεῦμα λέγεται, φῶς λέγεται ὡς ἄνθρωπος ἐσχηματιςμένος καὶ μέλη ἔχων· οὐκ ἔχει γὰρ πνεῦμα μέλη· θεὸς οὐκ ἔχει κάθισιν καὶ ἀνάστασιν καὶ πόδας καὶ τὰ ἄλλα· ἐξ οὗ παρίσταται, ὅτι αἱ οὐσίαι, περὶ ὧν ταῦτα λέγονται, νοηταί τινές εἰσιν. 9 καὶ τὸν χειμάρρουν τῆς τρυφῆς σου ποτιεῖς αὐτούς. δύναται ἡ ῥέουσα πιότης τοῦ οἴκου πρὸς τῷ ποτίσαι καὶ εἰς μέθην νηφάλιον ἀγαγεῖν. "χειμάρρουν̣ τρυφῆς" ὀνομάζει, ὥσπερ λέγεται "ποταμὸς τρυφῆς ἐκπορεύεσθαι ἐξ Ἐδὲμ καὶ ποτίζειν τὸν παράδεισον". η῾̣ δὲ χορηγία τῆς διδασκαλίας, τῆς μετουσίας τῆς παιδεύσεως "χειμάρρους" λέγεται "τρυφῆς". "ποτιεῖς ἐπ' αὐτούς". εὖ δὲ καὶ τὸ φάναι· "ποτιεῖς ἐπ' αὐτούς", ἐπεὶ μετὰ τὸν χειμάρρουν τοῦτον γίνονται καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ πηγῇ. ὡς νήπιοι ποτίζονται, καὶ ἵνα ἀπὸ λέξεως ἀποστολικῆς εἴπω· τοῖς εἰσαγομένοις ὁ Παῦλος γράφει· "γάλα ὑμᾶς ἐπότισα". ποτίζονται δὲ οἱ μὴ δυνάμενοι ἑαυτοῖς πιεῖν, ποτίζονται οἱ παιδ̣ευόμενοι. ὅταν ποτισθῶσιν τοῦτον τὸν τῆς τρυφῆς ποταμόν, λοιπὸν ἐπ' αὐτὴν τὴν ζωὴν ἔρχονται, ἀφ' ἧς ρ῾̣εῖ οὗτος ὁ ποταμός, "ὅτι παρὰ σοὶ πηγὴ ζωῆς". ἐπεὶ παρὰ σοὶ πηγὴ ζωῆς ἔστιν. οὐκ εἶπεν· "ὅτι παρὰ σοὶ πηγὴ ζωῆς γέγονεν" ἢ "πηγὴ ζωῆς ὑπάρξεται", ἀλλὰ "παρὰ σοὶ πηγὴ ζωῆς". ἀεὶ ἡ πηγὴ τῆς ζωῆς αὕτη ἐστίν. ὅτε μέντοι οἱ ποτιζόμενοι πλησιάσουσιν, ῥεῖ καὶ ῥεῦμα γίνεται ἀπὸ τῆς πηγῆς καλούμενος "τρυφῆς χειμάρρους". 10 ὅτι παρὰ σοὶ πηγὴ ζωῆς, ἐν τῷ φωτί σου ὀψόμεθα φῶς. θεώρει ὧδε πάλιν τὴν πηγήν· δι̣χῶς εἴρηκεν· καὶ τὸ φῶς εἴρηται πηγή. ἐπ' ἱστορίας δὲ καὶ σωματικῆς διαλήμψεως οὐ δυνατὰ ταῦτα. εἰ δὲ οὖν ἐξ αὐτοῦ ῥεῖ τὰ ἀγαθὰ καὶ οὐ δέχεταί ποθεν αὐτὰ ὡς λάκκος, κεφαλήν, πηγή ἐστιν ζωῆς. καὶ τί λέγω; αὐτὸς ἔλεγεν· "ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ζωή". ταὐτὸν δέ ἐστιν εἰπεῖν "ζωὴν" καὶ "πηγὴν ζωῆς". ζ̣ωὴ μέν, ἐπεὶ ζωοποιεῖ καὶ εἰς ἀθανασίαν ἄγει, πηγὴ δέ, ὅτι οὐκ ἄλλοθεν δέχεται τὰ ζωοποιοῦντα, ἀλλὰ αὐτ̣ὴ αὐτὰ ἔχει ἐν ἑαυτῇ. "ἐν τῷ φωτί σου ὀψόμεθα φῶς"· 240 εἰ δὲ πρὸς τὸν πατέρα λέγοιτο ἡ φωνὴ αὕτη, λέγει ὅτι· ἐπεὶ ὁ ἑωρακὼς τὸν υἱόν σου,