208

fittingly teaches that his coming is at once the consummation and completion of sin for those who have acted impiously against him, and on the other hand the blotting out and cleansing of sins and the expiation of iniquities for those who have believed in him. 8.2.25 And Aquila also, having said, “to finish transgression and to make an end of sin,” added, “to make reconciliation for iniquity,” clearly suggesting that he is an expiation for all iniquity that happened long ago in ignorance. After these things it is said: “to bring in everlasting righteousness.” 8.2.26 Now the Word of God himself is everlasting righteousness, “who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,” according to the apostle. Nevertheless, with his coming he also procured righteousness for all men, showing by his works that God is not only of the Jews but “also of the Gentiles, since God is one, who will justify the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through faith.” 8.2.27 Wherefore Peter, amazed at those with Cornelius who had been deemed worthy of the Holy Spirit, says, “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him,” 8.2.28 and Paul also says that the gospel is of righteousness, saying: “For it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed,” and in the Psalms it is said concerning Christ: “In his days shall righteousness flourish, and abundance of peace.” 8.2.29 And his work indeed showed forth the righteousness of God, having deemed the whole race of men equally worthy of the calling which is from God. But the things through Moses were not such, but were given to the nation of the Jews alone; wherefore, having appeared for a time, they have passed away. But the righteousness proclaimed through our Savior, remaining forever, is fittingly called everlasting righteousness, according to Gabriel who said, “and to bring in righteousness; everlasting.” 8.2.30 But instead of “and to seal up vision and prophet,” it seems to me Aquila has rendered it more accurately by saying: “and to complete vision and prophet.” For our Savior and Lord has not come to shut up and, as it were, seal the prophetic visions, who, indeed, both opened and unfolded those that were formerly obscure and sealed, having removed the seals that lay upon them, as it were, delivering to his own disciples the meaning of the divine scriptures, 8.2.31 whence, “Behold,” it says, “the Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered,” and he himself “opened” the seals that were on the book, according to the Apocalypse of John. And what seals, if not the obscurities of the prophets? Knowing these very well, Isaiah also said accurately: “And these words shall be like the words of the sealed book.” 8.2.32 Therefore the Christ of God has not come to shut up “vision and prophet,” but rather to unfold and bring them to light, whence it seems to me more accurate for Aquila to say, “to complete vision and prophet.” 8.2.33 And this agrees with what was said by the Savior himself, “I have not come to abolish the law or the prophets, but to fulfill;” for “Christ is the end of the law,” and indeed all the prophecies concerning him remained unfulfilled and incomplete, until he himself appeared and put an end to all the things that had been proclaimed beforehand about him. 8.2.34 But according to the interpretation of the seventy, “to seal up vision and prophet” can have such a meaning: since “the law and the prophets were until John,” and since that time have ceased those of old in the nation of the Jews who were borne by the Spirit and proclaiming the predictions concerning Christ, and those who rightly beheld the visions in the sacred words, who, since the divine grace was shut up from them and bound, as it were, with seals, have failed; wherefore it happens that since that time no prophet has been active nor has a seer been called among them, from the

208

εἰκότως τὴν παρουσίαν αὐτοῦ ὁμοῦ μὲν συμπλήρωσιν καὶ τελείωσιν ἁμαρτίας εἶναι διδάσκει τῶν εἰς αὐτὸν ἠσεβηκότων, ὁμοῦ δὲ ἀπάλειψιν καὶ καθαρισμὸν ἁμαρτιῶν καὶ ἀδικιῶν ἱλασμὸν τῶν εἰς αὐτὸν πεπιστευκότων. 8.2.25 καὶ ὁ Ἀκύλας δὲ «τοῦ τελέσαι τὴν ἀθεσίαν καὶ τοῦ τελειῶσαι τὴν ἁμαρτίαν» εἰπών, ἐπήγαγεν τὸ «τοῦ ἐξιλάσασθαι ἀνομίαν», σαφῶς ἱλασμὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι πάσης ἀνομίας τῆς πάλαι κατὰ ἄγνοιαν γενομένης ὑποτιθέμενος. Ἑξῆς τούτοις εἴρηται· «τοῦ ἀγαγεῖν δικαιοσύνην αἰώνιον». 8.2.26 ἔστι μὲν οὖν αὐτὸς ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος αἰώνιος δικαιοσύνη, «ὃς ἐγενήθη σοφία ἡμῖν ἀπὸ θεοῦ, δικαιοσύνη τε καὶ ἁγιασμὸς καὶ ἀπολύτρωσις», κατὰ τὸν ἀπόστολον, πλὴν ἀλλὰ σὺν τῇ ἑαυτοῦ παρουσίᾳ καὶ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις προυξένησεν δικαιοσύνην, ἔργοις ἐπιδείξας, ὅτι μὴ μόνον Ἰουδαίων ἐστὶν ὁ θεὸς ἀλλὰ «καὶ ἐθνῶν, ἐπείπερ εἷς ὁ θεός, ὃς δικαιώσει περιτομὴν ἐκ πίστεως καὶ ἀκροβυστίαν διὰ τῆς πίστεως». 8.2.27 ὅθεν τοὺς ἀμφὶ τὸν Κορνήλιον τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἠξιωμένους ἀποθαυμάσας ὁ Πέτρος «ἐπ' ἀληθείας», φησίν, «οἶδα ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν προσωπολήπτης ὁ θεός, ἀλλ' ἐν παντὶ ἔθνει ὁ φοβούμενος αὐτὸν καὶ ἐργαζόμενος δικαιοσύνην δεκτὸς αὐτῷ ἐστιν», 8.2.28 καὶ ὁ Παῦλος δὲ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον δικαιοσύνης εἶναί φησιν, λέγων· «δύναμις γὰρ θεοῦ ἐστιν εἰς σωτηρίαν παντὶ τῷ πιστεύοντι, Ἰουδαίῳ τε πρῶτον καὶ Ἕλληνι, δικαιοσύνη γὰρ θεοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ ἀποκαλύπτεται», καὶ ἐν ψαλμοῖς δὲ εἴρηται περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ· «ἀνατελεῖ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτοῦ δικαιοσύνη καὶ πλῆθος εἰρήνης». 8.2.29 καὶ τὸ ἔργον δὲ αὐτοῦ ὡς ἀληθῶς θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην ἐνεδείξατο, τὸ πᾶν γένος ἀνθρώπων ἐξ ἴσου τῆς παρὰ τῷ θεῷ καταξιώσαντος κλήσεως. ἀλλ' οὐ τοιαῦτα ἦν τὰ διὰ Μωσέως, ἑνὶ δὲ μόνῳ τῷ Ἰουδαίων ἔθνει δεδωρημένα· διὸ καὶ πρὸς καιρὸν φανέντα παρελήλυθεν. ἡ δὲ διὰ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν κατηγγελμένη δικαιοσύνη, διαμένουσα εἰς τὸ διηνεκές, εἰκότως αἰώνιος προσηγόρευται δικαιοσύνη, κατὰ τὸν Γαβριὴλ φήσαντα «καὶ τοῦ ἀγαγεῖν δικαιοσύνην· αἰώνιον». 8.2.30 Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ «καὶ τοῦ σφραγίσαι ὅρασιν καὶ προφήτην» κυριώτερόν μοι δοκεῖ πεποιηκέναι ὁ Ἀκύλας εἰπών· «καὶ τοῦ τελέσαι ὁραματισμὸν καὶ προφήτην»· οὐ γὰρ ἀποκλεῖσαι καὶ ὥσπερ σφραγίσαι τὰς προφητικὰς ὁράσεις ἐπιδεδήμηκεν ὁ σωτὴρ καὶ κύριος ἡμῶν, ὅς γε καὶ πάλαι οὔσας ἀσαφεῖς καὶ κατεσφραγισμένας, ὥσπερ ἐπικειμένας περιελὼν σφραγῖδας, ἀνέῳξέν τε καὶ ἀνήπλωσεν, τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ μαθηταῖς τὸν νοῦν τῶν θείων παραδιδοὺς γραμμάτων, 8.2.31 ὅθεν «ἰδού», φησίν, «ἐνίκησεν ὁ λέων ὁ ἐκ φυλῆς Ἰούδα», καὶ αὐτὸς «ἤνοιξεν» τὰς σφραγῖδας τὰς ἐπικειμένας τῷ βιβλίῳ, κατὰ τὴν Ἀποκάλυψιν Ἰωάννου. ποίας δὲ σφραγῖδας ἢ τῶν προφητῶν τὰς ἀσαφείας; ἃς εὖ μάλα ἐπιστάμενος, ἀκριβῶς καὶ ὁ Ἡσαΐας ἔλεγεν· «καὶ ἔσονται οἱ λόγοι οὗτοι ὡς οἱ λόγοι τοῦ βιβλίου τοῦ ἐσφραγισμένου». 8.2.32 οὐκ ἄρα ἀποκλεῖσαι «ὅρασιν καὶ προφήτην» ἐλήλυθεν ὁ Χριστὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, μᾶλλον δὲ ἀναπετάσαι καὶ εἰς φῶς ἀγαγεῖν, ὅθεν δοκεῖ μοι κυριώτερον ὁ Ἀκύλας φάναι «τοῦ τελέσαι ὁραματισμὸν καὶ προφήτην». 8.2.33 ὃ καὶ συνᾴδει τῷ οὐκ «ἦλθον καταλῦσαι τὸν νόμον ἢ τοὺς προφήτας, ἀλλὰ πληρῶσαι», πρὸς αὐτοῦ τοῦ σωτῆρος εἰρημένῳ· «τέλος γὰρ νόμου Χριστός», καὶ πᾶσαί γε αἱ περὶ αὐτοῦ προφητεῖαι ἀπλήρωτοι καὶ ἀτελεῖς ἔμενον, εἰς ὅτε αὐτὸς ἐπιστὰς ἐπιτέθεικεν ἅπασι τέλος τοῖς περὶ αὐτοῦ προαναπεφωνημένοις. 8.2.34 δύναται δὲ καὶ κατὰ τὴν τῶν ἑβδομήκοντα ἑρμηνείαν τοιαύτην ἔχειν διάνοιαν τὸ «τοῦ σφραγίσαι ὅρασιν καὶ προφήτην»· ἐπεὶ «ὁ νόμος καὶ οἱ προφῆται μέχρις Ἰωάννου» διήρκεσαν, ἐξ ἐκείνου τε διαλελοίπασιν οἱ πάλαι παρὰ τῷ Ἰουδαίων ἔθνει πνευματοφορούμενοι καὶ τὰς περὶ Χριστοῦ προρρήσεις ἀνακηρύττοντες καὶ οἱ τὰς ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς λόγοις ὁράσεις ὑγιῶς ἐποπτεύοντες, οἳ καὶ ἅτε ἀποκλεισθείσης αὐτοῖς τῆς θείας χάριτος καὶ σφραγίσιν ὥσπερ καταδεθείσης ἐξέλιπον· διὸ συμβαίνει ἐξ ἐκείνου μηκέτι προφήτην ἐνεργεῖν μηδὲ ὁρῶντα χρηματίζειν ἐν αὐτοῖς, ἀπὸ τῶν