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we say the same; there is someone being introduced according to wisdom and he is subject to reproof as one able to sin; for "reprove a wise man, and he will love you." But no one is reproved who does not have things for which he will be reproved. This wise man, who is subject to reproof, being himself newly established and just introduced, is able to advance always. But when he has so received wisdom that it is no longer possible to receive 327 an increase of it, this one has been changed into the end. And here, indeed, still weighed down by "the body of our lowliness," even if they are many saints, they receive "from his fullness," not his fullness, not each one from the fullness. but "all from the fullness." And here they receive "a pledge of the spirit," not the whole spirit itself, so to speak. But when "that which is in part" is done away with and the end finally arrives and "face to face" is seen and men become according to God according to what has been said: "when he is revealed, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is," here is the end of those who will be changed. And it is well said "of those who will be changed" and not "of those who have been changed." But no one is praised for knowledge and virtue, if he *was* knowledgeable or virtuous, but when he *is* knowledgeable; for virtue and knowledge are among the things that are active, they have their being in being active. "To the end," therefore, "for those who will be changed." And this blessed and divine and supernatural change we have from the right hand of the most High; for it has been said concerning it: "This is the change of the right hand of the most High"; for just as "though he was rich, for our sake he became poor, so that by his poverty we might become rich"—and see: "though he was rich, for our sake he became poor"; for indeed he was changed and came among us. And remaining apart from his sojourn he is the same, he always has it to be rich. "for our sake" he "became poor." When, therefore, having become poor for our sake he makes us rich, we are changed according to wealth and we come to the end, if we become rich as he is, as is possible, when we behold "his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." "From the fullness," therefore, the saints receive. No one receives the fullness, not even all of them. So also this: "I will pour out from my Spirit." He did not say: "my Spirit"; for "a pledge of the spirit" is what the Spirit-bearers here receive. And the pledge is poured out from the Spirit. And a pledge is part of a certain whole. "To the end," therefore, "for those who will be changed." "This," therefore, "is the change of the right hand of the most High." The right hand of the most High is immutable and unchangeable. It is always in the same state and likewise; for we do not understand it otherwise than as the Savior. How then is it changed, let us see: it condescends to teach; and then we are truly benefited, if it condescends. But while it remains by itself, we are not benefited. It says this therefore: "Will the Lord 328 cast off forever or will he forget to be compassionate?"; Further: "or will he cut off his mercy from generation to generation or will he restrain his compassions?"; It says: "And I said, Now I have begun," when I had experience of the right hand condescending. "now I have begun"; he was at the beginning of knowing the truth, at the beginning of knowing the works of providence, the compassions of God that produce good. "I said," therefore, "Now I have begun." It says: "this change," which I underwent, "is of the right hand of the most High." This has changed me. No one of the created beings was able to change me thus; for all are in need of the one who leads to progress, of the one who perfects. And in a more popular manner and according to those who speak in public we will say that this is the change of the most High: being a blessing he became a curse, that he might release from curses and show them to be blessed. being righteousness, therefore, he became sin, and such a sin as is productive of righteousness. And "in him" we become "a productive righteousness of God." not simply righteousness, therefore, but of God. we have often said, that the names of the dispositions
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αὐτὸ λέγομεν· ἔστ̣ιν τις ε̣ι᾿̣σ̣αγόμενος κατὰ σοφίαν καὶ ὑπόκειται ἐλέγχῳ ὡς ἁμαρτῆσαι δυνάμενος· "ἔλεγχε" γὰρ "σοφόν, καὶ ἀγαπήσει σε". οὐδεὶς δὲ ἐλέγχεται μὴ ἔχων ἐφ' οἷς ἐλεγχθήσεται. οὗτος ὁ σοφὸς ὁ ὑποκείμενος ἐλέγχῳ αὐτὸ νεοπαγὴς καὶ ἄρτι εἰσαχθεὶς ὢν δύναται προκόπτειν ἀεί. ὅταν δὲ οὕτω δέξηται τὴν σοφίαν̣ ὡς μηκέτι οἷόν τε εἶναι δέξασθαι 327 ἐπίτασιν αὐτῆς, οὗτος εἰς τὸ τέλος ἠλλοιώθη. καὶ ὧδε μὲν ἔτι "τὸ σῶμα τῆς ταπεινώσεως" ἐπηχθισμένοι κἂν πολλοὶ ἅγιοι ὦσιν, "ἐκ τοῦ πληρώματος αὐτοῦ" λαμβάνουσιν, οὐ τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτοῦ, οὐχ ἕκαστος ἐκ τοῦ πληρώματος. ἀλλὰ "πάντες ἐκ τοῦ πληρώματος". καὶ "ἀρραβῶνα πνεύματος" ὧδε λαμβάνουσιν, οὐ τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτὸ ὅλον, ἵν' οὕτω φράσω. ὅταν δὲ "τὸ ἐκ μέρους" καταργηθῇ καὶ τὸ τέλος λοιπὸν παραγένηται καὶ "πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον" ὀφθῇ καὶ γένωνται οἱ ἄνθρωποι κατὰ τὸν θεὸν κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον· "ὅταν φανερωθῇ ὅμοιοι αὐτῷ ἐσόμεθα, ὅτι ὀψόμεθα αὐτὸν καθώς ἐστιν", ὧδε τέλος τῶν ἀλλοιωθησομένων ἐστίν. εὖ δὲ καὶ τὸ φάναι "τῶν ἀλλοιωθησομένων" καὶ μὴ "τῶν ἀλλοιωθέντων". οὐδεὶς δὲ ἐπ̣α̣ι̣νεῖται ἐπὶ ἐπιστήμῃ καὶ ἀρετῇ, ἐὰν ἐπιστήμων γενάμενος ᾖν ἢ ἐνάρετος, ἀλλ' ὅταν ᾖν ἐπιστήμων· τῶν γ̣ὰρ ἐνεργητικῶν ἐστιν ἡ ἀρετὴ καὶ ἡ ἐπιστήμη, ἐν τῷ ἐνεργεῖσθαι ἔχει τὸ εἶναι. "εἰς τὸ τέλος" οὖν, "ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀλλοιωθησομένων". ταύτην δὲ τὴν μακαρίαν καὶ θείαν καὶ ὑπερφυ̣ῆ ἀλλοίωσι̣ν ἔχομεν ἐκ τῆς τοῦ ὑψίστου δεξιᾶς· εἴρηται γὰρ περὶ αὐτῆς· "αὕτη ἡ ἀλλοίωσις τῆς δεξιᾶς τοῦ ὑψίστου"· ὥσπερ γὰρ "πλούσιος ὢν δι' ἡμᾶς ἐπτώχευσεν, ἵνα τῇ αὐτοῦ πτωχείᾳ πλούσιοι γενώμεθα"-καὶ ὅρα· "πλούσιος ὢν δι' ἡμᾶς ἐπτώχευσεν"· καὶ γὰρ ἀλλοιωθεὶς καὶ ἐπιδημήσας. καὶ μένων χωρὶς τῆς ἐπιδημίας ὁ αὐτός ἐστιν, ἀεὶ ἔχει τὸ εἶναι πλούσιος. "δι' ἡμᾶς" δε`̣ ἐπ̣τώχευσεν". ὅταν τοίνυν δι' ἡμᾶς πτωχεύσας πλουσίους ἡμᾶς καταστήσῃ, ἀλλοιούμεθα κατὰ πλοῦτον καὶ εἰς τὸ τέλος ἐρχόμεθα, ἐὰν ὡς αὐτὸς γενώμεθα πλούσιοι, ὡς ἐνδέχεται, ὁ´̣τ̣αν θεασώμεθα "τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς παρὰ πατρός, πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας". "ἐκ τοῦ πληρώματος" οὖν λαμ̣βάνουσιν οἱ ἅγιοι. οὐδεὶς τὸ πλήρωμα δέχεται, οὐδὲ πάντες. οὕτω καὶ τό· "ἐκχεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός μου". οὐκ εἶπεν· "τὸ πνεῦμά μου"· "ἀρραβῶνα" γὰρ "πνεύματος" λαμβάνο̣υ̣σιν οἱ ἐνταῦθα πνευματοφ̣όροι. καὶ ἐκχεῖται ὁ ἀρραβὼν ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος. ὁ δὲ ἀρραβὼν ὅλου τινὸς μέρος ἐστίν. "εἰς τὸ τε´̣λος̣" οὖν, "ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀλλοιωθησομένων". "αὕτη" οὖν "ἡ ἀλλοίωσις τῆς δεξιᾶς τοῦ ὑψίστου". ἡ δεξιὰ τοῦ ὑψ̣ι´̣ς̣του ἄτρεπτος καὶ ἀναλλοίωτός ἐστιν. ἀεὶ κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ καὶ ὡσαύτως ἔχει· οὐκ ἄλλως γὰρ αὐτὴν ἢ τὸν σωτῆρα νοοῦμεν. πῶς οὖν ἀλλοιοῦται, ἴδω̣μ̣εν· συνκαταβαίνει παιδεύουσα· καὶ τότε τῷ ὄντι ὠφελούμεθα, ἐὰν συνκαταβῇ. μενού σης δὲ αὐτῆς ἐφ' ἑαυτὴν ἡμεῖς οὐκ ὠφελούμεθα. λέγει οὖν τοῦτο· "μὴ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας ἀπώσεται κύρι328 ος ἢ ἐπιλήσεται τοῦ οἰκτιρῆσαι"; ἔτι· "ἢ ἀποκόψει τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ γενεᾶς εἰς γενεὰν ἢ συνέξει τοὺς οἰκτιρμοὺς αὐτοῦ"; λέγει· "καὶ εἶπα Νῦν ἠρξάμην", ὅτε συνκαταβαινούσης πεῖραν ἔλαβον τῆς δεξιᾶς. "νῦν ἠρξάμην"· ἐν ἀρχῇ γέγονεν τοῦ γνῶναι τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ἐν ἀρχῇ τοῦ γνῶναι τὰ ἔργα τῆς προνοίας, τοὺς οἰκτιρμο̣ὺς τοῦ θεοῦ τοὺς ποιητικοὺς ἀγαθοῦ. "εἶπα" οὖν "Νῦν ἠρξάμην". λέγει· "αὕτη ἡ ἀλλοίωσις", ἣν ὑπέμεινα ἐγώ, "τῆς δεξιᾶς τοῦ ὑψίστου" ἐστίν. αὕτη με ἠλλοίωσεν. οὐδεὶς ἠδύνατο τῶν γε̣νητῶν ἀλλοιῶσαί με οὕτως· πάντες γὰρ δέονται τοῦ εἰς προκοπὴν ἄγοντος, τοῦ τελειοῦντος. δημωδέστερον δὲ καὶ κατὰ τοὺς εἰς μέσον λέγοντας ἐροῦμεν ὅτι ἡ ἀλλοίωσις τοῦ ὑψίστου αὕτη ἐστίν· εὐλογία ὢν γέγονε κατάρα, ἵν' ἀπολύσῃ κατάρας καὶ εὐλογουμένους ἀποδείξῃ. δικαιοσύνη ὠ`̣ν γέγονεν οὖν ἁμαρτία, ἁμαρτία δὲ τοιαύτη δικαιοσύνης ποιητική. "ἐν αὐτῷ" δὲ γινόμεθα "δικ̣αιοσύνη ς ποιητική θεοῦ". οὐκ ἁπλῶς οὖν δικαιοσύνη, ἀλλὰ θεοῦ. εἰρήκαμεν πολλάκις, ὅτι τὰ ὀνόματα τῶν ἕξε̣ων