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he knows that health has been given to him from God, but neither has he remained unharmed from war or robbers or such kinds of dangers. But only and every one who is saved from such things is saved by God, when he attributes the cause of having suffered nothing to God. Since therefore the savior came to seek and to save that which was lost but not to judge the world, he saves for God those who are benefited by him, rightly giving them the things that lead to blessedness. But the arm of God is holy, not by partaking of holiness but by being the arm of the Holy Spirit. And perhaps the active power of God, being none other than the Word of God, is called the right hand because it does all things rightly, that is, holily, wisely, praiseworthily, blamelessly; and an arm because of its strength and exceeding might.

947 Ps 97,2 As the right hand and arm of God, so also his salvation and righteousness

is Christ. So, 'All flesh shall see his salvation' means to declare that all men, through being saved, will see the salvation of God, Christ himself who provides salvation. And well also the 'He made known'; for being able to say 'He revealed' or 'He brought forth into the midst', he said none of these but 'He made known'. For one makes known those things of which one, having a faint prior notion, later comes to understand them perfectly. Since therefore there is naturally implanted in the mind of men a notion of God and likewise of his creative and provident Word, the sole bestower of perfect virtue and setter of the laws of nature, and God brought this concept of the Word into the open by sending in the last days his own son as a savior into the world, it is reasonably said that God has made known his salvation among the nations. And having made known his salvation according to the concept of saving, God also revealed his righteousness, which is the same as his salvation, as I just said; for the savior has become for us from God both righteousness and sanctification. For these things were simply hidden from us; but when it became possible for us to approach him, righteousness was revealed to us. But if someone should say that the righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ is what is under discussion, he will say that this righteousness was hidden by the iconic and shadowy one, which Paul called righteousness according to the law, the shadow clearly having ceased; 'For apart from the law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets.' But it has been manifested and revealed to those nations to whom God made known his salvation; whence not only Jesus will be approved in every nation, of the one who fears the Lord and works righteousness becoming acceptable to God. For by faith the nations are justified and not by works of the law, according to Abraham, their faith being counted for righteousness. 948 Ps 97,3ab Israel differs from Jacob in concept but not in substance; for the same person is sometimes Jacob, and sometimes Israel. For when, being an ascetic of practical virtue, wrestling down the irrational passions and vices and the powers that activate them, he is Jacob, supplanting the aforementioned throng; but when, having become above all wickedness through purity of mind, he approaches God, he is called Israel. Since therefore the one still struggling against the said opponents has need of God's mercy, while for the one sharpened for the contemplation of truth, it is harmoniously said in what precedes that God remembers His mercy to Jacob and His truth to the house of Israel. And in Jeremiah also, the one beginning in virtue needs mercy, as God says to the God-fearing one: 'I have remembered the mercy of your youth and the love of your perfection'; for just as the one beginning needs mercy, so also the one led to perfection needs love, who can also say, 'The truth of Christ is in me'. That truth is fitting for the discerning, the savior says to those

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ἐπίσταται ἐκ θεοῦ τὴν ὑγεῖαν αὐτῷ δεδόσθαι, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἐκ πολέμου η λῃστῶν η τοιουτοτρόπων κινδύνων ἀβλαβὴς διαμείνας. μόνος δὲ καὶ πᾶς ὁ ἀπὸ τοιούτων σωθεὶς θεῷ σῴζεται, οταν τὴν αἰτίαν τοῦ μηδὲν πεπονθέναι προσάπτῃ τῷ θεῷ. ἐπεὶ ουν ἐλήλυθεν ὁ σωτὴρ ζητῆσαι καὶ σῶσαι τὸ ἀπολωλὸς ἀλλ' οὐ κρῖναι τὸν κόσμον, σῴζει τῷ θεῷ τοὺς πρὸς αὐτοῦ εὐεργετουμένους, δεξιῶς αὐτοῖς τὰ πρὸς μακαριότητα διδούς. Αγιος δὲ ὁ βραχίων ἐστὶ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐ κατὰ μετοχὴν ἁγιότητος τυγχάνων ἀλλ' ἁγίου πνεύματος ων βραχίων. καὶ τάχα δεξιὰ μὲν ἡ ἐνεργητικὴ τοῦ θεοῦ δύναμις οὐκ αλλη τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου τυγχάνουσα καλεῖται διὰ τὸ δεξιῶς τουτέστιν ἁγίως σοφῶς ἐπαινετῶς ἀμέμπτως πάντα ποιεῖν, βραχίων δὲ διὰ τὸ ἰσχυρὸν καὶ ὑπερβάλλον τῇ κραταιότητι.

947 Ps 97,2 ̔Ως δεξιὰ καὶ βραχίων θεοῦ, ουτω καὶ σωτήριον καὶ δικαιοσύνη

αὐτοῦ ὁ Χριστός. τὸ γοῦν Οψεται πᾶσα σὰρξ τὸ σωτήριον αὐτοῦ βούλεται δηλοῦν οτι πάντες οἱ ανθρωποι διὰ τοῦ σῴζεσθαι οψονται τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ σωτήριον αὐτὸν τὸν τὴν σωτηρίαν παρέχοντα Χριστόν. Ευ δὲ καὶ τὸ ̓Εγνώρισε· δυνάμενος γὰρ εἰπεῖν ̓Εφανέρωσεν η Εἰς μέσον ηγαγεν· τούτων οὐδὲν ειπεν ἀλλ' ̓Εγνώρισε. γνωρίζει δέ τις ἐκεῖνα ων ἀμυδρὰν προτέραν διάληψιν εχων υστερον ἐπὶ τὸ τελείως αὐτὰ ἐπίστασθαι ερχεται. ἐπεὶ ουν εγκειται φυσικῶς τῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐννοίᾳ ωσπερ θεοῦ διάληψιν ουτω καὶ λόγου αὐτοῦ δημιουργικοῦ καὶ προνοητικοῦ μόνου χορηγοῦντος τὴν τελείαν ἀρετὴν καὶ τοὺς φύσεως νόμους τιθέντος, ταύτην δὲ τὴν τοῦ λόγου εννοιαν εἰς τοὐμφανὲς ηγαγε θεός, πέμψας ἐπ' ἐσχάτου τῶν ἡμερῶν τὸν ιδιον υἱὸν σωτῆρα εἰς τὸν κόσμον, εἰκότως ἐγνωρικέναι ἐν τοῖς εθνεσιν ὁ θεὸς τὸ ἑαυτοῦ σωτήριον ειρηται. Γνωρίσας δὲ τὸ ἑαυτοῦ σωτήριον ὁ θεὸς κατὰ τὴν τοῦ σῴζειν ἐπίνοιαν ἀπεκάλυψε καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ τὴν αὐτὴν ουσαν τῷ σωτηρίῳ, ὡς ειπον ἀρτίως· Γέγονε γὰρ ἡμῖν ὁ σωτὴρ ἀπὸ θεοῦ δικαιοσύνη τε καὶ ἁγιασμός. ων γὰρ ταῦτα ἁπλῶς ἐκέκρυπτο ἡμῖν· οτε δὲ ἡμῖν γέγονε προσβάλλειν αὐτῷ δυναμένοις, ἡ δικαιοσύνη ἀπεκαλύφθη ἡμῖν. Εἰ δὲ τὴν διὰ πίστεως ̓Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ δικαιοσύνην ἐρεῖ τις ειναι περὶ ης τὸ προκείμενον, λέξει κεκαλύφθαι ταύτην τὴν δικαιοσύνην ὑπὸ τῆς εἰκονικῆς καὶ κατὰ σκιάν, ην κατὰ νόμον δικαιοσύνην ὁ Παῦλος εφη, παυσαμένης δηλονότι τῆς σκιᾶς· Χωρὶς γὰρ νόμου δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ πεφανέρωται, μαρτυρουμένη ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν. πεφανέρωται δὲ καὶ ἀπεκαλύφθη οις ἐγνώρισεν εθνεσι τὸ σωτήριον αὐτοῦ ὁ θεός· οθεν οὐχ ὁ ̓Ιησοῦς μόνος συνθήσεται ἐν παντὶ εθνει, τοῦ φοβουμένου τὸν κύριον καὶ ἐργαζομένου δικαιοσύνην δεκτοῦ θεῷ γινομένου. ἐκ πίστεως γοῦν δικαιοῦται τὰ εθνη καὶ οὐκ ἐξ εργων νόμου, κατὰ τὸν ̓Αβραὰμ τῆς πίστεως αὐτῶν εἰς δικαιοσύνην λογιζομένης. 948 Ps 97,3ab ∆ιαφέρει τοῦ ̓Ιακὼβ ὁ ̓Ισραὴλ ἐπινοίᾳ ἀλλ' οὐχ ὑποστάσει· ὁ γὰρ αὐτός, ὁτὲ μὲν ̓Ιακώβ, ὁτὲ δὲ ̓Ισραήλ ἐστιν. οτε γὰρ ἀσκητὴς τυγχάνων τῆς πρακτικῆς ἀρετῆς καταπαλαίων τὰ αλογα πάθη καὶ τὰς κακίας καὶ τὰς ἐνεργούσας αὐτὰς δυνάμεις, ̓Ιακώβ ἐστι πτερνίζων τὸ προειρημένον στῖφος· οταν δὲ ἀνωτέρω πάσης μοχθηρίας γεγονὼς διὰ καθαρότητα νοῦ προσβάλλῃ τῷ θεῷ, Ἰσραὴλ προσαγορεύεται. ἐπεὶ ουν τῷ ετι ἀγωνιζομένῳ πρὸς τοὺς εἰρημένους ἀντιπάλους χρεία ἐλέου θεοῦ, τῷ δὲ πρὸς θεωρίαν ἠκονημένῳ τῆς ἀληθείας, ἁρμονίως ἐν τοῖς προκειμένοις θεὸς μνημονεύειν λέγεται τοῦ ἐλέους αὐτοῦ τῷ ̓Ιακὼβ καὶ τῆς ἀληθείας αὐτοῦ τῷ οικῳ ̓Ισραήλ. καὶ ἐν ̔Ιερεμίᾳ δὲ τῷ ἀρχομένῳ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐλέου δεῖ, ὡς τὸν θεὸν λέγειν πρὸς τὸν θεοσεβοῦντα ̓Εμνήσθην ἐλέους νεότητός σου καὶ ἀγάπης τελειώσεώς σου· ωσπερ γὰρ ἐλέου δεῖ τῷ ἀρχομένῳ, ουτω καὶ ἀγάπης τῷ εἰς τελειότητα ἠγμένῳ ος καὶ δύναται εἰπεῖν Εστιν ἀλήθεια Χριστοῦ ἐν ἐμοί. οτι δὲ τοῖς διορατικοῖς κατάλληλος ἡ ἀλήθεια, ὁ σωτήρ φησι πρὸς τοὺς