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The Virgin a suspicion. For when the bridegroom, who ought to have been jealous, not only did not make a show of her, but also received her and served her after her conception, he makes this plain to all, that being persuaded that the power behind the one who was born was of the Holy Spirit, he restrained himself and ministered to her. And what is usually said concerning paradoxical matters, he declares this here also, saying, that She was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit. And when you have heard, of the Holy Spirit, do not inquire any further. for instance, how is the Infinite in a womb? how is He who contains all things carried by a woman? how does the Virgin give birth, and remain a virgin? how did the 63.826 Holy Spirit fashion that temple? and all such things. For it was the power of the Most High that overshadowed the Virgin, and the Son of God who was being born. But Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. For so admirable was the man, that not only did he not punish her, but he did not even say anything to anyone, not even to her who was suspected, but he reasoned within himself, not to cast her out, but to put her away. And so when he was at a loss with such reasonings, then the angel appeared, resolving the strife of his thoughts. For that he was perplexed is clear from what he was thinking; For he was minded, it says, to put her away secretly; for he would not have wished to send her away secretly, nor at all, if he had been convinced that the fruit of her womb was from an illegitimate union, but rather with both law and punishment, being a just man, he certainly would have. But he was not convinced of this, nor again of that, that the conception was of divine power; for the deed was beyond human understanding. And so he was tossed by his thoughts. When therefore he was being shaken by these reasonings, then the angel appeared, and says: Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. He showed him to be afraid and trembling lest he should offend God by saying, Fear not, but to keep her at home; for this is what it means, to take unto thee, and not, as he had intended, to put her away. For not only, he says, is she free from unlawful union, but she has also conceived above nature. For this is what he makes clear by what he added, saying: For that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. Do not think, he says, because I said that It is of the Holy Spirit, that you are a stranger to the ministry of this dispensation; to you I give the task of giving the name to the one who is born. For even if you contribute nothing to the birth, yet you shall call His name. For even if the offspring is not yours, you will show a father's care for Him, and by the giving of the name you are made akin to the one who is born. And he did not say, She shall bring forth a son to thee, but, She shall bring forth; for she did not bear Him for him, but for the whole world; wherefore he also added, For he shall save his people from their sins. And in saying, His people, he did not speak of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles; for all who receive knowledge from Him are His people. and that in this He who is born is shown to be the Son of God, in that He forgives sins; for to forgive sins belongs to no other power, but only to the divine substance. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. I would wish that all Jews and Greeks were present here, and taking this book from the Jews, to read the prophecy thus. For you know this, of course, that both in law courts and everywhere else, testimony is then most unsuspected, when it is brought forth from enemies. For surely they will not be able to say that these things were fabricated by us, since it is not our books, but those of the ones who crucified Christ, that provide us with the things that speak of his dispensation. But whether these are present or not, we shall do our part, 63.827 and we will take up the interpretation. But, if it seems good, let us take up the prophecy from a little earlier, that what has been said may be clear to you. And he added

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Παρθένος ὑπόνοιαν. Τοῦ γὰρ ὀφείλοντος ζηλοτυπεῖν μνηστῆρος, οὐ μόνον οὐ θριαμβεύοντος αὐτὴν, ἀλλὰ καὶ δεχομένου καὶ θεραπεύοντος μετὰ κύησιν, εὔδηλον τοῦτο πᾶσι ποιεῖ, ὡς ὅτιπερ πεισθέντος αὐτοῦ ἐκ Πνεύματος ἁγίου τὴν ἐνέργειαν εἶναι τοῦ γεγεννημένου, κατέσχε καὶ ἐξυπηρέτησεν. Ὅπερ δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν παραδόξων πραγμάτων εἴωθε λέγεσθαι, τοῦτο καὶ ἐνταῦθα δηλῶν φησιν, ὅτι Εὑρέθη ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσα ἐκ Πνεύματος ἁγίου. Ἀκούσας δὲ, ὅτι ἐκ Πνεύματος ἁγίου, μηδὲν ἕτερον περιεργάζου. οἷον, πῶς ὁ ἄπειρος ἐν μήτρᾳ ἐστί; πῶς ὁ πάντα συνέχων κυοφορεῖται ὑπὸ γυναικός; πῶς τίκτει ἡ Παρθένος, καὶ μένει παρθένος; πῶς ἔπλασε τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ 63.826 ἅγιον τὸν ναὸν ἐκεῖνον; καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα. Καὶ γὰρ δύναμις Ὑψίστου ἦν ἡ ἐπισκιάσασα τῇ Παρθένῳ, καὶ Υἱὸς Θεοῦ τὸ γεννώμενον. Ἰωσὴφ δὲ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς δίκαιος ὢν, καὶ μὴ θέλων αὐτὴν παραδειγματίσαι, ἐβουλήθη λάθρα ἀπολῦσαι αὐτήν. Τοσοῦτον γὰρ ἦν θαυμαστὸς ὁ ἀνὴρ, ὅτι οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐκόλασεν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ εἶπέ τινι, οὐδὲ αὐτῇ τῇ ὑποπτευομένῃ, ἀλλὰ καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἐλογίζετο, οὐχὶ ἐκβαλεῖν, ἀλλὰ ἀπολῦσαι. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὅτε εἰς ἀπορίαν τῶν τοιούτων λογισμῶν κατέστη, τότε ἐπέστη ὁ ἄγγελος λύων τὴν ἔριν τῶν λογισμῶν. Ὅτι γὰρ διηπορεῖτο, ἐξ ὧν διενοεῖτο δῆλον· Ἐβουλήθη γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀπολῦσαι αὐτὴν λάθρα· οὐκ ἂν οὔτε λάθρα, οὔτε ὅλως ἐκπέμψαι βουληθεὶς, εἰ νόθου γονῆς τὸν ὄγκον ἐπέπειστο γαστρὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ νόμῳ καὶ τιμωρίᾳ, δίκαιος ὢν, μάλιστα ἄν. Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν οὐκ ἐπέπειστο, οὐδὲ ἐκεῖνο πάλιν, θείας ἐνεργείας εἶναι τὴν κύησιν· ὑπὲρ ἔννοιαν γὰρ ἀνθρωπίνην τὸ ἔργον ἦν. ∆ιὸ καὶ τοῖς λογισμοῖς ἐκυμαίνετο. Ὅτε οὖν ἐν τούτοις ἐκλονεῖτο τοῖς διαλογισμοῖς, τότε ἐπέστη ὁ ἄγγελος, καί φησι· Μὴ φοβηθῇς παραλαβεῖν Μαριὰμ τὴν γυναῖκά σου· τὸ γὰρ ἐν αὐτῇ γεννηθὲν ἐκ Πνεύματός ἐστιν ἁγίου. Ἔδειξεν αὐτὸν δεδοικότα καὶ τρέμοντα μὴ προσκρούσῃ τῷ Θεῷ διὰ τοῦ εἰπεῖν, Μὴ φοβηθῇς, ἔνδον δὲ κατέχειν· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι, τὸ παραλαβεῖν, καὶ μὴ, ὡς ἐνεθυμήθη, ἀπολῦσαι αὐτήν. Οὐ μόνον γὰρ, φησὶ, παρανόμου ἀπήλλακται μίξεως, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ φύσιν συνέλαβε. Τοῦτο γὰρ δηλοῖ ὅπερ ἐπήγαγε, λέγων· Τὸ γὰρ ἐν αὐτῇ γεννηθὲν ἐκ Πνεύματός ἐστιν ἁγίου. Τέξεται δὲ υἱὸν, καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦν. Μὴ νομίσῃς, φησὶν, ἐπειδήπερ εἶπον, ὅτι Ἐκ Πνεύματός ἐστιν ἁγίου, ἀλλότριόν σε τῆς διακονίας εἶναι τῆς κατὰ τὴν οἰκονομίαν· σοὶ δίδωμι τὸ ὄνομα ἐπιθεῖναι τῷ τικτομένῳ. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ εἰς τὴν γέννησιν οὐδὲν συντελεῖς, ἀλλ' ὅμως σὺ αὐτοῦ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μὴ σὸς ὁ τόκος, ἀλλὰ τὰ πατρὸς ἐπιδείξῃ περὶ αὐτὸν, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ ὀνόματος θέσεως οἰκείωσαι τῷ τικτομένῳ. Οὐκ εἶπε δὲ, Τέξεταί σοι υἱὸν, ἀλλὰ, Τέξεται· οὐ γὰρ αὐτῷ ἔτικτεν, ἀλλὰ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ πάσῃ· διὸ καὶ ἐπήγαγεν, Αὐτὸς γὰρ σώσει τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν. Εἰπὼν δὲ, Τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, οὐ περὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων εἶπε μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν· λαὸς γὰρ αὐτοῦ πάντες οἱ δεχόμενοι τὴν παρ' αὐτοῦ γνῶσιν. καὶ ὅτι ἐν τούτῳ δείκνυται Υἱὸς Θεοῦ ὁ τικτόμενος, ἐν τῷ ἀφιέναι ἁμαρτίας· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀφιέναι ἁμαρτίας, ἑτέρας ἐστι δυνάμεως, εἰ μὴ τῆς οὐσίας τῆς θεϊκῆς μόνης. Τοῦτο δὲ ὅλον γέγονεν, ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου διὰ τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος· Ἰδοὺ ἡ παρθένος ἐν γαστρὶ ἕξει, καὶ τέξεται υἱὸν, καὶ καλέσουσι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἐμμανουὴλ, ὅ ἐστι μεθερμηνευόμενον, Μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός. Ἐβουλόμην ἐνταῦθα παρεῖναι Ἰουδαίους καὶ Ἕλληνας ἅπαντας, καὶ τὸ βιβλίον τοῦτο παρὰ Ἰουδαίων λαβὼν, οὕτως ἀναγνῶναι τὴν προφητείαν. Ἴστε γὰρ δήπου τοῦτο, ὅτι καὶ ἐν τοῖς δικαστηρίοις καὶ πανταχοῦ τότε μάλιστα ἀνύποπτος ἡ μαρτυρία γίνεται, ὅταν παρὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὕτη φέρηται. Οὐ γὰρ δήπου πεπλάσθαι παρ' ἡμῶν αὐτὰ δυνήσονται λέγειν, οὐχ ἡμῶν, ἀλλὰ τῶν τὸν Χριστὸν σταυρωσάντων τὰ βιβλία παρεχομένων ἡμῖν τὰ περὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ οἰκονομίας διαλεγόμενα. Ἀλλ' εἴ τε πάρεισιν, εἴτε μὴ πάρεισιν οὗτοι, ἡμεῖς τὸ ἡμέτερον ποιήσομεν, 63.827 καὶ τῆς ἑρμηνείας ἁψόμεθα. Ἀλλ', εἰ δοκεῖ, μικρὸν ἄνωθεν τὴν προφητείαν ἀναλαβώμεθα, ἵν' εὐσύνοπτα ὑμῖν τὰ εἰρημένα γένηται. Καὶ προσέθετο