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For as "today" is there, so "now" is here, having the pretext of amnesty, and the beginning of other things that will be from God, who does not allow one to be overly despondent, as they will have a change from their present circumstances, all men being redeemed through the blood of Christ. For God was pleased to sum up all things in him, according to the voice of Paul, giving us also the new name of Christ that was called upon us. And what is the name? "You are mine." For we are all said to be Christ's, having come out of the former alienation, which we had while sinning, although we are by nature of God. But again through the Spirit He has made us His own, making us impervious to every temptation. For rivers and water and flames signify the manifold assaults of temptations. For it is written: "That all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." And to those who believed Christ said: "In the world you have tribulation." And in the parable of the house founded on the rock: "And the rain, he says, descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew," signifying the temptations through these things. And the phrase, "I made Egypt your ransom," shows that in place of the casting out I have acquired the gentiles, of whom, being formerly impious, Israel alone was God's inheritance. But now the order of things has been reversed, when the Jews killed the Redeemer. "And I will glorify you," he says, "honoring you after this." For he himself will also be called after the entrance of the gentiles, when, acting on your behalf, I will give you many teachers and rulers speaking for your head. And the head of the faithful is Christ, which will be for you, and for your benefit. And he promises the Synagogue of the Jews to gather its children. For he came to save the lost sheep of Israel. And the children of God scattered everywhere by the word of creation, that is, those from the gentiles, whom Satan, having led them astray, made to depart from God by scattering them. Therefore, when Caiaphas said, "It is expedient that one man should die for the people," the evangelist says, that 2388 being high priest he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the nation. And not for the nation only, but that he might also gather into one the children of God who were scattered abroad. And you might say that those from the gentiles are children of those from Israel, from whom they received the lessons of the faith, being scattered everywhere in the regions of the world, and gathered into one catholic Church, God preventing the resistance of the savage and wicked spirits, who formerly ruling tyrannically did not permit them to look up to God. And calling them sons and daughters, he presents the adoption of the faithful through Christ, whose name we all bear. And he says that this people was created, according to that in the Psalms: "And the people that is being created shall praise the Lord." That is, being re-created, and having returned again to the state of being according to the image, having become new, and having put off the old man. For if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, according to, "Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Which he now says he has done for his own glory; and the glory of the Father is the Son, through whom, and in whom he is glorified who says: "I have glorified you on the earth." Through whom he led a blind people to the light. For he was the sun of righteousness, not allowing them to be sons of night and darkness, but rather of the day, according to the divine Apostle. And having said "they were gathered," since this had not yet happened, it is clear that "And they shall be gathered" was spoken prophetically. For it is customary in Scripture to speak of things that will certainly happen as if they have already happened. Such as: "I gave my back to the scourges." And, "They divided my garments among themselves." And he says there will be rulers over her from the Church of the gentiles. For according to David: "As is her darkness, so also is her light." For the black one has become whitened. And, "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." These things, therefore, God said, foretelling them as one who knows the future. But the demons, being false gods, deceived you in vain, themselves foreknowing nothing. For through these things he catechizes the gentiles,

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γὰρ ἐκεῖ τὸ σήμερον, οὕτως ἐνταῦθα τὸ νῦν, ἀμνηστείας ἔχον ὑπόθεσιν, καὶ πραγμάτων ἑτέρων ἀρχὴν ἐσομένων παρὰ Θεοῦ μὴ συγχωροῦντος ἄγαν ἀθυμεῖν, ὡς ἕξοντας τῶν παρόντων μεταβολὴν, ἁπάντων ἀνθρώπων δι' αἵματος λυτρουμένων Χριστοῦ. Ηὐδόκησε γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι τὰ πάντα ἐν αὐτῷ, κατὰ τὴν Παύλου φωνὴν, δοὺς ἡμῖν καὶ τὸ καινὸν ὄνομα Χριστοῦ τὸ ἐπικληθὲν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς. Τί δὲ τοὔνομα; Ἐμὸς εἶ σύ. Χριστοῦ γὰρ εἶναι πάντες λεγόμεθα τῆς πρὶν ἔξω γεγονότες ἀλλοτριώσεως, ἣν ἔσχομεν ἁμαρτάνοντες, καίτοι κατὰ φύσιν ὄντες Θεοῦ. Ἀλλὰ πάλιν ἡμᾶς διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος ὠκειώσατο ποιήσας ἀναλώτους παντὶ πειρασμῷ. Ποταμοὶ γὰρ καὶ ὕδωρ καὶ φλόγες, τὰς πολυειδεῖς τῶν πειρασμῶν ἐφόδους κατασημαίνουσι. Γέγραπται γάρ· "Ὅτι πάντες οἱ θέλοντες ζῇν εὐσεβῶς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, διωχθήσονται." Καὶ τοῖς πιστεύσασιν ἔφη Χριστός· "Θλίψιν ἔχετε ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ." Καὶ ἐν τῇ παραβολῇ δὲ τῆς ἐπὶ τῆς πέτρας τεθεμελιωμένης οἰκίας· "Καὶ κατέβη, φησὶν, ἡ βροχὴ, καὶ ἦλθον οἱ ποταμοὶ, καὶ ἔπνευσαν οἱ ἄνεμοι," τοὺς πειρασμοὺς διὰ τούτων δηλῶν. Τὸ δὲ, ἐποίησά σου ἄλλαγμα Αἴγυπτον, δηλοῖ ὡς ἀντὶ τῆς ἐκβολῆς περιεποιησάμην τὰ ἔθνη, ὧν πρώην ἀσεβούντων, μόνος Ἰσραὴλ κλῆρος ὑπῆρχε Θεοῦ. Νῦν δὲ μετέστραπται τῶν πραγμάτων ἡ τάξις, ὅτε τὸν Λυτρωτὴν ἀπέκτειναν Ἰουδαῖοι. ∆οξάσω δέ σε, φησὶ, μετὰ τοῦτο τιμήσας. Κληθήσεται γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς μετὰ τὴν εἴσοδον τῶν ἐθνῶν, ἡνίκα ποιῶν ὑπὲρ σοῦ, πολλούς σοι δώσω διδασκάλους καὶ ἄρχοντας ὑπὲρ τῆς σῆς λέγοντας κεφαλῆς. Κεφαλὴ δὲ τῶν πιστῶν ὁ Χριστὸς, ὅπερ ὑπὲρ σοῦ, καὶ τῆς σῆς ὠφελείας γενήσεται. Τῇ δὲ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ὑπισχνεῖται Συναγωγῇ συνάξειν αὐτῆς τὰ τέκνα. Σῶσαι γὰρ τὰ ἀπολωλότα πρόβατα ἦλθεν Ἰσραήλ. Καὶ τὰ πανταχοῦ διεσπαρμένα λόγῳ δημιουργίας τέκνα Θεοῦ, τοὺς ἐξ ἐθνῶν δηλονότι, οὓς πλανήσας ἀπέστησε Θεοῦ διασκεδάσας ὁ Σατανᾶς. ∆ιὸ εἰπόντος Καϊάφα, "Συμφέρει ἵνα εἷς ἄνθρωπος ἀποθάνῃ ὑπὲρ τοῦ λαοῦ," φησὶν ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς, ὡς 2388 ἀρχιερεὺς ὢν προεφήτευσεν, ὅτι ἤμελλεν Ἰησοῦς ἀποθνήσκειν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἔθνους. Καὶ οὐχ ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἔθνους μόνον, ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ τὰ τέκνα τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰ διεσκορπισμένα συναγάγῃ εἰς ἕν. Εἴποις δ' ἂν καὶ τοὺς ἐξ ἐθνῶν τέκνα εἶναι τῶν ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ, ἐξ ὧν τῆς πίστεως παρέλαβον τὰ μαθήματα, πανταχοῦ τῶν τῆς οἰκουμένης διεσπαρμένοι κλιμάτων, καὶ πρὸς μίαν Ἐκκλησίαν συναχθέντες καθολικὴν, κωλύοντος Θεοῦ τὴν τῶν ἀγρίων καὶ πονηρῶν πνευμάτων ἀντίστασιν, οἱ πρὶν τυραννοῦντες ἀνανεύειν εἰς Θεὸν οὐκ ἐπέτρεπον. Υἱοὺς δὲ καὶ θυγατέρας καλῶν, τὴν διὰ Χριστοῦ τῶν πιστῶν υἱοθεσίαν παρίστησιν, οὗ δὴ καὶ τοὔνομα πάντες ἐπιγραφόμεθα. Τοῦτον δὲ τὸν λαὸν ἐκτικέναι φησὶ, κατὰ τὸ ἐν Ψαλμοῖς· "Καὶ λαὸς ὁ κτιζόμενος αἰνέσει τὸν Κύριον." Τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἀνακτιζόμενος, καὶ πρὸς τὸ κατ' εἰκόνα πάλιν ἐπανελθὼν, καινὸς γεγονὼς, καὶ τὸν παλαιὸν ἀπεκδυσάμενος ἄνθρωπον. Εἴτις γὰρ ἐν Χριστῷ καινὴ κτίσις, κατὰ τὸ, "Μὴ συσχηματίζεσθε τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ, ἀλλὰ μεταμορφοῦσθε τῇ ἀνακαινώσει τοῦ νοὸς ὑμῶν." Ὃ δὴ νῦν πεποιηκέναι τῇ ἰδίᾳ δόξῃ φησί· δόξα δὲ Πατέρος ὁ Υἱὸς, δι' οὗ, καὶ ἐν ᾧ δοξάζεται λέγοντι· "Ἐγὼ ἐδόξασά σε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς." ∆ι' οὗ λαὸν τυφλὸν ἐξήγαγε πρὸς τὸ φῶς. Ἥλιος γὰρ ἦν δικαιοσύνης μὴ συγχωρήσας νυκτὸς καὶ σκότους ὑπάρχειν υἱοὺς, ἡμέρας δὲ μᾶλλον, κατὰ τὸν θεῖον Ἀπόστολον. Εἰπὼν δὲ συνήχθησαν, ἐπειδὴ μήπω τοῦτο γεγόνει, προφητικῶς εἰρῆσθαι δήλων τὸ, Καὶ συναχθήσονται. Ὡς γεγονότα γὰρ τὰ πάντως ἐσόμενα λέγειν σύνηθες τῇ Γραφῇ. Οἷόν ἐστι· "Τὸν νῶτόν μου δέδωκα εἰς μάστιγας." Καὶ τὸ, "∆ιεμερίσαντο τὰ ἱμάτιά μου ἑαυτοῖς." Ἐκ τῆς δὲ τῶν ἐθνῶν Ἐκκλησίας ἄρχοντας ἔσεσθαι, φησὶν ἐπ' αὐτῆς. Κατὰ γὰρ ∆αβίδ· "Ὡς τὸ σκότος αὐτῆς, οὕτω καὶ τὸ φῶς αὐτῆς." Γέγονε γὰρ ἡ μέλαινα λελευκανθισμένη. Καὶ, "Οὗ ἐπερίσσευσεν ἡ ἁμαρτία, ὑπερεπερίσσευσεν ἡ χάρις." Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἔφη Θεὸς ὧν προαγορεύει γινώσκων τὰ μέλλοντα. Θεοὶ δὲ ψευδεῖς ὄντες οἱ δαίμονες μάτην ὑμᾶς ἠπάτων οὐδὲν αὐτοὶ προγινώσκοντες. Κατηχεῖ γὰρ διὰ τούτων τοὺς ἐθνικοὺς,