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The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord,” and what follows. 9.5.3 What then was the voice through John crying out, preaching in the wilderness, than to the crowds going out to be baptized by him, as if they were reptiles of the desert, appropriately, “Brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” And again, transforming the crooked souls “into straight ways” and the rough “into smooth paths,” he said to the same people: “Bear therefore fruits worthy of repentance.” 9.5.4 And these things were accomplished as John prepared those who were to see the “glory” of the Lord, and what is called “the salvation of God,” being none other than the Christ, as he testified, saying: “I baptize you with water; but he who is mightier than I is coming after me, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” 9.5.5 And he, seeing Jesus coming, cried out: “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who was before me.’” And Simeon also testified that the same one was “the salvation of God,” who, taking the infant Jesus in his arms, said: “Now you dismiss your servant, Lord, according to your word, in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles.” 9.5.6 With these things the prophet also agrees, saying: “And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” For “all flesh” is said instead of all the Gentiles. 9.5.7 And how these things were accomplished and the Gentiles recognized the Christ of God, does not require long speeches. And the sayings were fulfilled in this way. But what was the reason for John to come and preach not in cities, nor in Jerusalem itself, but in the wilderness? Someone might say that he did this for the fulfillment of the prophecy. 9.5.8 But one who examines accurately and straightforwardly will ask what the prophecy itself, wishing to signify the wilderness and the things in it, was revealing. To whom we will say that this too was a sign of the destruction of Jerusalem and of its altar and of the worship according to the law of Moses, when the things for the remission of sins were no longer procured for them through the sacrifices according to the law, but through the purification of a washing, being delivered in the formerly thirsty and desert place, I mean the church of the Gentiles, in which also the prophetic voice that arose commands to prepare “the way of the Lord,” that the souls lying somewhere below in a depth of wickedness as in a ravine shall be lifted up, and decreeing that the former heights of Jerusalem and of its rulers and kings, called mountains and hills, shall be humbled. 9.5.9 When these things were accomplished, he says: “All flesh shall see the salvation of God,” and it is clear that this means every soul living in the flesh on earth, of Greeks and barbarians alike, and simply of all the Gentiles, which are also shown to have come to fulfillment in accordance with the prophecy. 9.5.10 And asking myself what it was about John that astonished the crowds, so as to marvel at him and believe him as he preached the “baptism of repentance,” and for all from every direction, leaving their own things, to flock to the wilderness, especially when the accounts record none of his deeds; for he is not recorded as having raised the dead nor performed other miracles. What then was it that astonished everyone? Was it perhaps his strange life, so different from the masses? For he came forth from the wilderness clothed in a strange garment, and shunning all the common life of men, he did not enter a village, or a city, or a common assembly of men, nor did he partake of common food; 9.5.11 For it is written that from childhood “he was in the deserts until the day of his manifestation to Israel;” and also “his garment was made of camel’s hair, and his food was locusts and wild honey.” 9.5.12 Therefore, seeing a man, a Nazirite of God the

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φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν κυρίου», καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. 9.5.3 τί δὴ οὖν ἐβόα ἡ διὰ τοῦ Ἰωάννου φωνὴ ἐπὶ τῆς ἐρήμου κηρύσσουσα, ἢ «τοῖς ἐκπορευομένοις ὄχλοις βαπτισθῆναι ὑπ' αὐτοῦ», ὡς ἑρπετοῖς ἐρήμου τυγχάνουσιν, οἰκείως τὸ «γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν, τίς ὑπέδειξεν ὑμῖν φυγεῖν ἀπὸ τῆς μελλούσης ὀργῆς»; πάλιν τε αὖ τὰς σκολιὰς ψυχὰς «εἰς εὐθείας» καὶ τὰς τραχείας «εἰς ὁδοὺς λείας» μετασκευάζουσα ἔφασκεν τοῖς αὐτοῖς· «ποιήσατε οὖν καρποὺς ἀξίους τῆς μετανοίας». 9.5.4 καὶ ταῦτά γε συνετελεῖτο προπαρασκευάζοντος Ἰωάννου τοὺς ὀψομένους τὴν «δόξαν» κυρίου, καὶ τὸ καλούμενον «σωτήριον τοῦ θεοῦ», οὐκ ἄλλον ὄντα τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὡς ἐμαρτύρει λέγων· «ἐγὼ μὲν ὑμᾶς ὕδατι βαπτίζω· ἔρχεται δὲ ὁ ἰσχυρότερός μου ὀπίσω μου, οὗ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἄξιος τὰ ὑποδήματα βαστάσαι· αὐτὸς ὑμᾶς βαπτίσει ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ καὶ πυρί». 9.5.5 ὃς καὶ ἰδὼν τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐρχόμενον ἀνεφώνησεν· «ἰδὲ ὁ ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου. οὗτός ἐστιν περὶ οὗ ἐγὼ εἶπον, ὀπίσω μου ἔρχεται ἀνήρ, ὃς ἔμπροσθέν μου γέγονεν». τὸν αὐτὸν δὲ εἶναι «τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ θεοῦ» καὶ ὁ Συμεὼν ἐμαρτύρησεν, ὃς λαβὼν ἐπὶ ταῖς ἀγκάλαις βρέφος ὄντα τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἔφη· «νῦν ἀπολύεις τὸν δοῦλόν σου, δέσποτα, κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμά σου ἐν εἰρήνῃ, ὅτι εἶδον οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου τὸ σωτήριόν σου, ὃ ἡτοίμασας κατὰ πρόσωπον πάντων τῶν λαῶν, φῶς εἰς ἀποκάλυψιν ἐθνῶν». 9.5.6 οἷς συνᾴδει καὶ ὁ προφήτης εἰπών· «καὶ ὄψεται πᾶσα σὰρξ τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ θεοῦ» τὸ γὰρ «πᾶσα σὰρξ» ἀντὶ πάντων εἴρηται τῶν ἐθνῶν. 9.5.7 ὅπως δὲ ταῦτα τέλους ἔτυχεν καὶ τὰ ἔθνη τὸν Χριστὸν ἐπέγνω τοῦ θεοῦ, μακρῶν οὐ δεῖ λόγων. καὶ τὰ μὲν ῥητὰ τοῦτον ἐπληροῦτο τὸν τρόπον. Τί δ' ἦν τὸ αἴτιον τοῦ μὴ ἐν πόλεσιν μηδ' ἐπ' αὐτῆς τῆς Ἱερουσαλήμ, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῆς ἐρήμου Ἰωάννην παρελθόντα κηρύττειν; ὁ μέν τις φήσαι ἂν εἰς ἀποπλήρωσιν τῆς προφητείας τοῦτο αὐτὸν πεποιηκέναι. 9.5.8 ἀλλ' ὁ ἀκριβῶς εὐθέως ἐξετάζων, αὐτή γε ἡ προφητεία τί ποτ' ἄρα σημαίνειν βουλομένη τὴν ἔρημον καὶ τὰ κατ' αὐτὴν ἐδήλου, πεύσεται. πρὸς ὃν φήσομεν, ὅτι καὶ τοῦτο σημεῖον ἦν καθαιρέσεως τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ τοῦ πρὸς αὐτῇ θυσιαστηρίου τῆς τε κατὰ τὸν Μωσέως νόμον λατρείας, ὅτε μηκέτ' αὐτοῖς διὰ τῶν κατὰ νόμον θυσιῶν τὰ τῆς ἀφέσεως τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν προυξενεῖτο, ἀλλὰ διὰ καθάρσεως λουτροῦ, ἐπὶ τῆς πάλαι διψάδος καὶ ἐρήμου, λέγω δὲ τῆς τῶν ἐθνῶν ἐκκλησίας, παραδιδομένου, ἐν ᾗ καὶ ἡ προφητικὴ γενομένη φωνὴ ἑτοιμάζειν παρακελεύεται «τὴν ὁδὸν κυρίου», τὰς μὲν κάτω που εἰς βάθος κακίας ὡς ἐν φάραγγι κειμένας ψυχὰς ἐπαρθήσεσθαι, τὰ δὲ πάλαι ὑψώματα τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ τῶν ἐπ' αὐτῆς ἀρχόντων τε καὶ βασιλέων, ὄρη καὶ βουνοὺς ὀνομαζόμενα, ταπεινωθήσεσθαι θεσπίζουσα. 9.5.9 ὧν ἐπιτελεσθέντων φησί· «πᾶσα σὰρξ ὄψεται τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ θεοῦ», δῆλον δ' ὅτι πᾶσα ἡ ἐν σαρκὶ ἐπὶ γῆς ἀναστρέφουσα ψυχὴ Ἑλλήνων ὁμοῦ καὶ βαρβάρων καὶ πάντων ἁπαξαπλῶς τῶν ἐθνῶν, ἃ καὶ τῇ προρρήσει ἀκολούθως εἰς πέρας ἐλθόντα δείκνυται. 9.5.10 Ζητῶν δὲ παρ' ἐμαυτῷ τί ἄρα ἦν τὸ ἐκπλῆξαν τοὺς πολλοὺς ἐν τῷ Ἰωάννῃ, ὡς θαυμάσαι αὐτὸν καὶ κηρύττοντι «βάπτισμα μετανοίας» πιστεῦσαι, πάντας τε πανταχόθεν τὰ οἰκεῖα ἀπολιπόντας συρρεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν ἔρημον, μάλιστα ὅτε μηδεμίαν αὐτοῦ πρᾶξιν ἱστοροῦσιν οἱ λόγοι· οὔτε γὰρ νεκροὺς ἐγείρας οὔτε ἕτερα θαύματα πεποιηκὼς ἀναγέγραπται· τί δὴ οὖν ἦν τὸ ἐκπλῆξαν τοὺς πάντας; ἢ μήποτε ὁ ξένος καὶ παραλλάττων τοὺς πολλοὺς αὐτοῦ βίος; προῄει γὰρ ἐκ τῆς ἐρήμου ξένην ἠμφιεσμένος στολήν, πᾶσαν δὲ τὴν κοινὴν ἀνθρώπων διατριβὴν ἐκτρεπόμενος, οὔτε γοῦν εἰς κώμην οὔτε εἰς πόλιν οὔτε εἰς κοινὸν σύλλογον ἀνδρῶν παρέβαλλεν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τῆς κοινῆς μετεῖχεν τροφῆς· 9.5.11 γέγραπται γοῦν, ὡς ἐκ τῆς τοῦ παιδὸς ἡλικίας «ἦν ἐν ταῖς ἐρήμοις ἕως ἡμέρας ἀναδείξεως αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸν Ἰσραήλ»· ἀλλὰ καὶ «τὸ ἔνδυμα αὐτοῦ ἦν ἐκ τριχῶν καμήλων πεποιημένον, ἡ δὲ τροφὴ αὐτοῦ ἀκρίδες καὶ μέλι ἄγριον». 9.5.12 μή πη οὖν ὁρῶντες ἄνδρα, ναζιραῖον μὲν θεοῦ τὴν