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saying, “Is not this he, whom they seek to kill? And see, he speaks boldly, and they say nothing to him.” What then are these riddles? God forbid; he did not speak thus so that it might be thought he was speaking riddles, but to show that he was displaying both the things of his divinity and the things of his humanity. For when it says that he had no authority, it speaks as of a man, doing many things in a human manner; but when it says that he stood in their midst and they did not seize him, it clearly indicates the power of his divinity. For he fled as a man, and appeared as God; being true in both. For to be in the midst of those plotting against him and not be seized, showed his unconquerable and invincible nature; and to withdraw confirmed and certified the economy, so that neither Paul of Samosata might have anything to say, nor Marcion, and those who suffer from their diseases. Through this, then, he stops the mouths of all. After these things was the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Tabernacles. The phrase, “After these things,” indicates nothing other than that he has cut short and skipped over a long period of time in between. And this is clear from that; for when he sat on the mountain, it says, it was the feast 59.270 of the Passover; but here it mentions the Feast of Tabernacles, and in the five months he has related nothing else to us, nor has he taught us anything else, except for the sign of the loaves, and the discourse delivered to those who had eaten; although he himself did not cease from performing signs and discoursing, not by day, not in the evening, but often even at night. At least, he thus appeared to the disciples, as all the evangelists say. Why then did they pass that over? Because it was not possible to recount everything. Besides, they were also eager to say these things, on account of which either some blame or contradiction from the Jews was likely to follow. For many things were similar to those. For that he healed the sick, and raised the dead, and that he was marveled at, they wrote many times; but where they have something strange to say, or to relate some seeming reproach that arose against him, these things they set down; such as is the case now, that his brothers did not believe in him; for the matter involves no ordinary slander. And it is worthy to admire their truth-loving character, how they are not ashamed to say these things, which seem to bring shame on their teacher, but are most eager to report these things above all others. And so now, having passed over many signs and wonders and discourses, he has leaped at once to this. For his brothers, it says, said to him: “Depart from here to Judea, so that your disciples also may see the works that you do. For no one does anything in secret, and seeks to be in the open himself. Show yourself to the world.” For not even his brothers believed in him. And what unbelief, he says, is here? For they are urging him to work miracles. Very much. For the words and the audacity and the untimely boldness are of unbelief. For they thought that because of their kinship it was permitted for them to speak with boldness. And the demand indeed seems to be that of friends, but what was said was of great bitterness; for here they reproach him with both cowardice and vainglory. So, to say, “No one does anything in secret,” is characteristic of those who accuse him of cowardice, and at the same time suspect the things done by him; and to add that “he seeks to be in the open,” of vainglory. 2. But consider for me the power of Christ. For from these men who said these words, the first bishop of Jerusalem came to be, the blessed James, concerning whom Paul also says: “But I saw none of the other apostles, except James the brother of the Lord.” And Judas also is said to have 59.271 become a wonderful man. And yet these men were also present in Cana, when the wine was made; but they gained nothing at that time. Whence then came so great an unbelief to them? From a wicked mind and envy; for a superior relative is somehow accustomed to be envied by those who are not such. But whom do they mean here by “disciples”? The crowd that followed, not the twelve. What then did Christ do? See how gently he answered. For he did not say: “And who are you to give this advice and
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λέγοντες, Οὐχ οὗτός ἐστιν ὃν ζητοῦσιν ἀποκτεῖναι; Καὶ ἴδε παῤῥησίᾳ λαλεῖ, καὶ οὐδὲν αὐτῷ λέγουσι. Τίνα δή ἐστι ταῦτα τὰ αἰνίγματα; Ἄπαγε· οὐχ ἵνα αἰνίγματα λέγειν νομισθῇ, οὕτως εἶπεν, ἀλλ' ἵνα δηλώσῃ ὅτι καὶ τὰ τῆς θεότητος ἐπεδείκνυτο, καὶ τὰ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος. Ὅταν μὲν γὰρ λέγῃ, ὅτι Ἐξουσίαν οὐκ εἶχεν, ὡς περὶ ἀνθρώπου διαλέγεται, πολλὰ καὶ ἀνθρωπίνως ποιοῦντος· ὅταν δὲ λέγῃ, ὅτι ἐν μέσοις αὐτοῖς εἰστήκει, καὶ οὐ κατεῖχον αὐτὸν, τῆς θεότητος τὴν δύναμιν ἐνδείκνυται δηλονότι. Καὶ γὰρ ἔφευγεν ὡς ἄνθρωπος, καὶ ἐφαίνετο ὡς Θεός· ἀμφότερα ἀληθεύων. Τό τε γὰρ ἐν μέσοις ὄντα τοῖς ἐπιβουλεύουσι μὴ κατέχεσθαι, τὸ ἀκαταγώνιστον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἄμαχον ἐδήλου· τό τε ὑποστέλλεσθαι, τὴν οἰκονομίαν ἐβεβαίου καὶ ἐπιστοῦτο, ἵνα μήτε Παῦλος ὁ Σαμοσατεὺς ἔχῃ τι λέγειν, μήτε Μαρκίων, καὶ οἱ τὰ ἐκείνων νοσοῦντες. ∆ιὰ τούτου τοίνυν πάντων ἐμφράττει τὰ στόματα. Μετὰ ταῦτα ἦν ἡ ἑορτὴ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ἡ Σκηνοπηγία. Τὸ, Μετὰ ταῦτα, οὐδὲν ἄλλο δηλοῖ, ἢ ὅτι πολὺν μεταξὺ χρόνον ἐπιτεμὼν ὑπερεπήδησε. Καὶ τοῦτο δῆλον ἐκεῖθεν· ὅτε γὰρ εἰς τὸ ὄρος ἐκάθητο, φησὶν, ἦν ἡ ἑορτὴ 59.270 τοῦ Πάσχα· ἐνταῦθα δὲ τῆς Σκηνοπηγίας μέμνηται, καὶ ἐν τοῖς πέντε μησὶν οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἡμῖν διηγήσατο, οὔτε ἐδίδαξεν ἡμᾶς ἄλλο τι, ἢ τὸ κατὰ τοὺς ἄρτους σημεῖον, καὶ τὴν πρὸς τοὺς φαγόντας γενομένην δημηγορίαν· καίτοι αὐτὸς οὐ διελίμπανε σημεῖα ποιῶν καὶ διαλεγόμενος, οὐκ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ, οὐκ ἐν ἑσπέρᾳ, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ νυκτός. Τοῖς γοῦν μαθηταῖς οὕτως ἐπέστη, ὡς πάντες φασὶν οἱ εὐαγγελισταί. Τί δή ποτε οὖν παρέλιπον ἐκεῖνο; Ὅτι οὐκ ἐνῆν ἅπαντα καταλέγειν. Ἄλλως δὲ, καὶ ταῦτα λέγειν ἐσπουδάκασιν, ὑπὲρ ὧν ἢ μέμψις ἢ ἀντιλογία τις παρὰ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἔμελλε παρακολουθεῖν. Ἐκείνοις μὲν γὰρ πολλὰ ὅμοια ἦν. Καὶ γὰρ ὅτι νοσοῦντας ἐθεράπευσε, καὶ νεκροὺς ἤγειρε, καὶ ὅτι ἐθαυμάσθη, πολλάκις ἀνέγραψαν· ἔνθα δὲ ξένον ἔχουσι λέγειν τι, ἢ μέμψιν τινὰ δοκοῦσαν κατ' αὐτοῦ φύεσθαι διηγεῖσθαι, ταῦτα τιθέασιν· οἷον δὴ καὶ τὸ νῦν ἐστιν, ὅτι οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ ἠπίστουν αὐτῷ· καὶ γὰρ οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν ἔχει διαβολὴν τὸ πρᾶγμα. Καὶ ἄξιον θαυμάσαι τὸ φιλάληθες αὐτῶν ἦθος, πῶς οὐκ αἰσχύνονται λέγοντες ταῦτα, ἃ δοκεῖ τῷ διδασκάλῳ φέρειν αἰσχύνην, ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῦτα μάλιστα τῶν ἄλλων ἐσπουδάκασιν ἀπαγγέλλειν. Καὶ νῦν γοῦν πολλὰ παραδραμὼν καὶ σημεῖα καὶ θαύματα καὶ δημηγορίας, ἐπὶ τοῦτο εὐθέως ἐπεπήδησεν. Εἶπον γὰρ, φησὶ, πρὸς αὐτὸν οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ· Μετάβηθι ἐντεῦθεν εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν, ἵνα καὶ οἱ μαθηταί σου θεωρήσωσι τὰ ἔργα ἃ ποιεῖς. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἐν κρυπτῷ τι ποιεῖ, καὶ ζητεῖ αὐτὸς ἐν παῤῥησίᾳ εἶναι. Φανέρωσον σεαυτὸν τῷ κόσμῳ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ ἐπίστευον εἰς αὐτόν. Καὶ ποία, φησὶν, ἀπιστία ἐνταῦθα; Παρακαλοῦσι γὰρ αὐτὸν θαυματουργῆσαι. Πολλὴ σφόδρα. Ἀπιστίας γὰρ καὶ τὰ ῥήματα καὶ ἡ θρασύτης, καὶ ἡ ἄκαιρος παῤῥησία. Ὤοντο γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς συγγενείας ἐξεῖναι αὐτοῖς μετὰ παῤῥησίας διαλέγεσθαι. Καὶ δοκεῖ μὲν ἡ ἀξίωσις δῆθεν φίλων εἶναι· πολλῆς δὲ πικρίας ἦν τὰ λεγόμενα· ἐνταῦθα γὰρ αὐτῷ καὶ δειλίαν καὶ φιλοδοξίαν ὀνειδίζουσι. Τὸ μὲν οὖν εἰπεῖν, Οὐδείς τι ἐν κρυπτῷ ποιεῖ, δειλίαν ἐγκαλούντων ἐστὶν, ἅμα καὶ ὑποπτευόντων τὰ γινόμενα ὑπ' αὐτοῦ· τὸ δὲ ἐπαγαγεῖν, ὅτι Ζητεῖ ἐν παῤῥησίᾳ εἶναι, φιλοδοξίας. βʹ. Σὺ δέ μοι σκόπει τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὴν δύναμιν. Ἀπὸ γὰρ τούτων τῶν ταῦτα λεγόντων τὰ ῥήματα, ὁ πρῶτος τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων ἐπίσκοπος γέγονεν, ὁ μακάριος Ἰάκωβος, περὶ οὗ καὶ Παῦλός φησιν· Ἕτερον δὲ τῶν ἀποστόλων οὐκ εἶδον, εἰ μὴ Ἰάκωβον τὸν ἀδελφὸν τοῦ Κυρίου. Λέγεται δὲ καὶ ὁ Ἰούδας θαυ 59.271 μαστός τε γεγονέναι. Καίτοι γε οὗτοι καὶ ἐν Κανᾷ παρῆσαν, τοῦ οἴνου γενομένου· ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἀπώναντο τέως. Πόθεν οὖν αὐτοῖς ἡ τοσαύτη ἀπιστία; Ἀπὸ πονηρᾶς γνώμης καὶ φθόνου· τὸ γὰρ συγγενὲς ὑπερέχον εἴωθέ πως διαφθονεῖσθαι παρὰ τῶν οὐ τοιούτων. Τίνας δὲ ἐνταῦθα λέγουσι τοὺς μαθητάς; Τὸν ὄχλον τὸν παρεπόμενον, οὐ τοὺς δώδεκα. Τί οὖν ὁ Χριστός; Ὅρα πῶς προσηνῶς ἀπεκρίνατο. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν· Ὑμεῖς δὲ τίνες ἐστὲ ταῦτα συμβουλεύοντες καὶ