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he was saying, but rather to resolve it. For the one who thought him to be of Joseph would not have accepted what was said; but he who was persuaded that he has come down from heaven, and will ascend there, would more easily have attended to what was said. And after these things he also brings on another solution, saying: It is the Spirit that gives life, the flesh profits nothing. What he says is something like this: You must hear the things concerning me spiritually; for he who has heard carnally has gained nothing, nor enjoyed any good thing. And it was carnal to dispute how he has come down from heaven, and to think that he is the son of Joseph, and this: How can he give us his flesh to eat? All these things are carnal; which ought to be understood mystically and spiritually. And from where, he says, were those men able to understand what it is to eat flesh? Therefore, they should have waited for the fitting time, and inquired, and not despaired. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life; that is, they are divine and spiritual, having nothing carnal, nor any natural consequence; which also are freed from all such necessity, and are above the laws established here; and have another, different meaning. Therefore, just as here he said spirit instead of spiritual things, so in saying flesh, he did not mean carnal things, but to hear carnally, at the same time alluding to them, that they always desired carnal things, when they should have been aspiring to spiritual things. For if someone should take it carnally, he has gained nothing. What then? Is his flesh not flesh? It most certainly is. And how did he say, The flesh profits nothing? Not speaking of his own flesh; God forbid; but about those who take what is said carnally. But what is it to understand carnally? To look simply at the things set before you, and not to imagine anything more. For this is carnal. But one must not judge so by the things seen, but behold all the mysteries with the inward eyes. For this is spiritual. So then, he who does not eat his flesh, and drink his blood, has no life in himself; how then does the flesh, without which it is not possible to live, profit nothing? Do you see that the saying, The flesh profits nothing, is not spoken of his flesh, but of carnal hearing? But there are some of you who do not believe. Again, according to his custom, he invests his words with authority, both foretelling the future, and showing that he said these things not desiring their praise, but caring for them. And in saying, Some, he separated out the disciples. For from the beginning he was saying: And you have seen me, and you do not believe me; but here, There are some of you who do not believe. For he knew from the beginning who they were that did not believe, and who it was that would betray him. And he said, For this reason I have said, No one can come to me, unless it has been given to him from above from my Father. Here the evangelist hints to us at the voluntary nature of the dispensation, and his long-suffering. And the phrase From the beginning is not put here simply, but that you may learn his 59.266 foreknowledge from above, and that before these words, and not after the murmuring, nor after the scandal, he knew the traitor, but even before this, which was a mark of divinity. Then he also added, Unless it has been given to him from above from my Father, persuading them to consider God his Father, and not Joseph, and showing that it is no small thing to believe in him. For he is all but saying this: Those who do not believe do not disturb, nor trouble, nor surprise me; I knew this from above before it came to be; I know to whom the Father has given. 3. But when you hear that He has given, do not think it is simply predestination, but believe this, that he who made himself worthy to receive, he himself received. From this time many of his disciples went back, and no longer walked with him. And well did the evangelist not say, they departed, but, They went back, showing that they had cut short their progress in virtue, and that they lost the faith they formerly had, separating themselves. But the twelve did not suffer this. Therefore he also says to them: Do you also want to go away? showing again that he does not need their service and

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ἔλεγεν, ἀλλὰ λῦσαι μᾶλλον. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ αὐτὸν εἶναι νομίζων, οὐκ ἂν παρεδέξατο τὰ λεγόμενα· ὁ δὲ πεισθεὶς, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβέβηκε, καὶ ἐκεῖ ἀναβήσεται, εὐκολώτερον ἂν προσέσχε τοῖς λεγομένοις. Μετὰ δὲ τούτων καὶ ἑτέραν λύσιν ἐπάγει, λέγων· Τὸ Πνεῦμά ἐστι τὸ ζωοποιοῦν, ἡ σὰρξ οὐκ ὠφελεῖ οὐδέν. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστι· Πνευματικῶς δεῖ τὰ περὶ ἐμοῦ ἀκούειν· ὁ γὰρ σαρκικῶς ἀκούσας, οὐδὲν ἀπώνατο, οὔτε χρηστόν τι ἀπέλαυσε. Σαρκικὸν δὲ ἦν τὸ ἀμφισβητεῖν πῶς ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβέβηκε, καὶ τὸ νομίζειν, ὅτι υἱός ἐστιν Ἰωσὴφ, καὶ τὸ, Πῶς δύναται ἡμῖν τὴν σάρκα δοῦναι φαγεῖν; Ταῦτα πάντα σαρκικά· ἅπερ ἔδει μυστικῶς νοεῖν καὶ πνευματικῶς. Καὶ πόθεν, φησὶν, ἠδύναντο νοῆσαι τί ποτέ ἐστιν τὸ σάρκα φαγεῖν ἐκεῖνοι; Οὐκοῦν ἔδει τὸν προσήκοντα ἀναμεῖναι καιρὸν, καὶ πυνθάνεσθαι, καὶ μὴ ἀπαγορεύειν. Τὰ ῥήματα, ἃ ἐγὼ λελάληκα ὑμῖν, πνεῦμά ἐστι, καὶ ζωή· τουτέστιν, θεῖα καὶ πνευματικά ἐστιν, οὐδὲν ἔχοντα σαρκικὸν, οὐδὲ ἀκολουθίαν φυσικήν· ἃ καὶ ἀπήλλακται πάσης μὲν τοιαύτης ἀνάγκης, καὶ ὑπέρκειται καὶ τῶν νόμων τῶν ἐνταῦθα κειμένων· ἕτερον δὲ ἔχει νοῦν ἐξηλλαγμένον. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἐνταῦθα τὸ πνεῦμα εἶπεν ἀντὶ τοῦ πνευματικὰ, οὕτω σάρκα εἰπὼν, οὐ σαρκικὰ εἶπεν, ἀλλὰ τὸ σαρκικῶς ἀκοῦσαι, ἅμα καὶ αὐτοὺς αἰνιττόμενος, ὅτι ἀεὶ σαρκικῶν ἐπεθύμουν, δέον πνευματικῶν ἐφίεσθαι. Ἐὰν γὰρ αὐτὸ σαρκικῶς τις ἐκλάβοι, οὐδὲν ἀπώνατο. Τί οὖν; οὐκ ἔστι ἡ σὰρξ αὐτοῦ σάρξ; Καὶ σφόδρα μὲν οὖν. Καὶ πῶς εἶπεν, Ἡ σὰρξ οὐκ ὠφελεῖ οὐδέν; Οὐ περὶ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ σαρκὸς λέγων· μὴ γένοιτο· ἀλλὰ περὶ τῶν σαρκικῶς ἐκλαμβανόντων τὰ λεγόμενα. Τί δέ ἐστι τὸ σαρκικῶς νοῆσαι; Τὸ ἁπλῶς εἰς τὰ προκείμενα ὁρᾷν, καὶ μὴ πλέον τι φαντάζεσθαι. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι σαρκικῶς. Χρὴ δὲ μὴ οὕτω κρίνειν τοῖς ὁρωμένοις, ἀλλὰ πάντα τὰ μυστήρια τοῖς ἔνδον ὀφθαλμοῖς κατοπτεύειν. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι πνευματικῶς. Ἄρα ὁ μὴ τρώγων αὐτοῦ τὴν σάρκα, καὶ πίνων αὐτοῦ τὸ αἷμα. οὐκ ἔχει ζωὴν ἐν ἑαυτῷ· πῶς οὖν οὐδὲν ὠφελεῖ ἡ σὰρξ, ἧς ἄνευ ζῇν οὐκ ἔνι; Ὁρᾷς ὅτι τὸ, Ἡ σὰρξ οὐκ ὠφελεῖ οὐδὲν, οὐ περὶ τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ εἴρηται, ἀλλὰ περὶ τῆς σαρκικῆς ἀκροάσεως; Ἀλλ' εἰσί τινες ἐξ ὑμῶν, οἳ οὐ πιστεύουσι. Πάλιν κατὰ τὸ σύνηθες αὐτοῦ τοῖς λόγοις ἀξίωμα περιτίθησι, τά τε μέλλοντα προλέγων, καὶ δεικνὺς ὡς οὐ τῆς ἐκείνων δόξης ἐφιέμενος ταῦτα ἔλεγεν, ἀλλ' αὐτῶν κηδόμενος. Εἰπὼν δὲ, Τινὲς, τοὺς μαθητὰς ὑπεξήγαγε. Παρὰ γὰρ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔλεγε· Καὶ ἑωράκατέ με, καὶ οὐ πιστεύετέ μοι· ἐνταῦθα δὲ, Εἰσί τινες ἐξ ὑμῶν, οἳ οὐ πιστεύουσιν. Ἤδει γὰρ ἐξ ἀρχῆς, τίνες εἰσὶν οἱ μὴ πιστεύοντες, καὶ τίς ἐστιν ὁ παραδώσων αὐτόν. Καὶ ἔλεγε, ∆ιὰ τοῦτο εἴρηκα, Οὐδεὶς δύναται ἐλθεῖν πρός με, ἐὰν μὴ ᾖ δεδομένον αὐτῷ ἄνωθεν ἐκ τοῦ Πατρός μου. Τὸ ἑκούσιον ἐνταῦθα τῆς οἰκονομίας ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς ἡμῖν αἰνίττεται, καὶ τὸ ἀνεξίκακον. Καὶ τὸ Ἐξ ἀρχῆς δὲ οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἐνταῦθα κεῖται, ἀλλ' ἵνα μάθῃς αὐτοῦ τὴν 59.266 ἄνωθεν πρόγνωσιν, καὶ ὅτι πρὸ τῶν ῥημάτων τούτων, καὶ οὐ μετὰ τὸ γογγύσαι, οὐδὲ μετὰ τὸ σκανδαλισθῆναι τὸν προδότην ᾔδει, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸ τούτου, ὅπερ ἦν θεότητος. Εἶτα καὶ ἐπήγαγεν, Ἐὰν μὴ ᾖ δεδομένον αὐτῷ ἄνωθεν ἐκ τοῦ Πατρός μου, πείθων αὐτοὺς Πατέρα αὐτοῦ νομίζειν τὸν Θεὸν, ἀλλὰ μὴ τὸν Ἰωσὴφ, καὶ δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι τὸ τυχὸν τὸ πιστεῦσαι εἰς αὐτόν. Μονονουχὶ γὰρ τοῦτό φησιν, Οὐ θορυβοῦσιν, οὐδὲ ταράττουσιν, οὐδὲ ξενίζουσί με οἱ μὴ πιστεύοντες· οἶδα τοῦτο ἄνωθεν πρὶν ἢ γενέσθαι· οἶδα τίσιν ἔδωκεν ὁ Πατήρ. γʹ. Ὅταν δὲ ἀκούσῃς, ὅτι ∆έδωκε, μὴ ἀποκλήρωσιν ἁπλῶς νόμιζε, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο πίστευε, ὅτι ὁ παρασχὼν ἑαυτὸν ἄξιον τοῦ λαβεῖν, αὐτὸς ἔλαβεν. Ἐκ τούτου πολλοὶ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ ἀπῆλθον εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, καὶ οὐκ ἔτι μετ' αὐτοῦ περιεπάτουν. Καλῶς καὶ ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς οὐκ εἶπεν, ἀνεχώρησαν, ἀλλὰ, Ἀπῆλθον εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, δηλῶν ὅτι τῆς κατὰ ἀρετὴν ἐπιδόσεως ὑπετέμοντο, καὶ ὅτι ἣν εἶχον πάλαι πίστιν ἀπώλεσαν, ἀποσχίσαντες ἑαυτούς. Ἀλλ' οὐχ οἱ δώδεκα τοῦτο ἔπαθον. ∆ιὸ καί φησι πρὸς αὐτούς· Μὴ καὶ ὑμεῖς θέλετε ὑπάγειν; δεικνὺς πάλιν ὅτι οὐ δεῖται τῆς διακονίας αὐτῶν καὶ