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having received, have become teachers of the nations; who are also called holy stones rolling upon the earth, and carrying the proclamation everywhere. Concerning whom God says through Isaiah, having foretold: "I will destroy the insolence of the lawless, and I will humble the insolence of the proud. And those who are left will be more precious than unrefined gold. And a man more precious than the stone from Ophir." All the sons of the city, therefore, are taught by God, and Paul is a witness, saying: "In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son." But the Word Himself, having become incarnate, spoke. And He who said, also promises them peace: "My peace I give to you." To whom he adds: And in righteousness you shall be built. For according to what is most just, the builder of all things Himself, the wisdom of God, attaching the living and well-fitted stones to the building, made some battlements, laid others as foundations, and arranged others in the enclosures. And some He set apart for the temple of the city, and others for the innermost parts of the temple. And with the others He adorned the rest of the city, not distinguishing human worth, nor looking upon the face, but receiving all justly, free and slaves, poor and rich, both the obscure in life and the renowned. Having promised these things to the Church, He next instructs her: Abstain from the unjust, and terror will not come near you. For He initiates them by deed, showing that "they shall be taught by God." Concerning whom the Bride also says: "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth." For of old he embraced her through the prophets, calling her to union with himself through sanctification and righteousness. But when he appeared in the flesh, we have been kissed with the kisses of his mouth, as he has spoken to us mouth to mouth. He says, therefore, that no enemy of yours will prevail if you honor what is just. And behold, proselytes will come, he says, through me, signifying those who at every time come to the faith from the nations, or even from the Jews themselves. For they have been placed after the nations, although they held the first rank, and have become proselytes to those from the nations, who formerly received these as proselytes. But this also is through me, he says. For through Christ is the conversion of all, and the way to the Father and God. "For no one comes," he says, 2545 "to the Father, except through me." And again: "I am the way." And, "I am the door." But some have called proselytes those who do not approach genuinely nor purely, but for the sake of protection or some benefit. Whom, he says, they will sojourn, but not dwell. For such as these make their entrance as in passing, as if fleeing to her. Concerning which he says: Behold, I create you, not as a smith blowing on coals. I do these things for you, saying, since I am also your creator. For Moses, and Solomon, and Zerubbabel made things that were physical and short-lived; the one a tabernacle, the others temples. But now I myself, the Lord of all, have created you through myself, having built my Church upon the rock. And I created you not by any human art, but by divine and ineffable grace. For not as a smith through an instrument and fire. For such are the arts of men. Wherefore also the things that are made proceed to corruption. But my work is incorruptible. Some, however, have taken "I created" to mean "I rebuilt." And it signifies the renewal through the Holy Spirit, just as He is said to create the two peoples into one new man, according to, "But be transformed by the renewal of your mind." And that courage and spiritual understanding follow such things, he shows, saying: Every perishable vessel against you I will not prosper, and every voice, and what follows; calling perishable vessels the ministers of the devil's malevolence, who are also children of corruption and destruction, [and] who at times bring persecutions and afflictions upon the saints. But they will not obtain their prey; and every tongue that fights against God, he says, will be overcome by you. For according to David: "In God we will do valiantly, and he will bring to nothing our oppressors." But it was necessary to be reminded after all things also of that which is laid up in the

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λαβόντες, διδάσκαλοι τῶν ἐθνῶν γεγόνασιν· οἳ καὶ εἴρηνται λίθοι ἅγιοι κυλιόμενοι ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ τὸ κήρυγμα πανταχοῦ περιφέροντες. Περὶ ὧν ὁ Θεὸς διὰ Ἡσαΐου φησὶν προειπών· "Ἀπολῶὕβριν ἀνόμων, καὶ ὕβριν ὑπερηφάνων ταπεινώσω. Καὶ ἔσονται οἱ καταλελειμμένοι ἔντιμοι μᾶλλον, ἢ τὸ χρυσίον τὸ ἄπυρον. Καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἔντιμος μᾶλλον ἢ ὁ λίθος ὁ ἐκ σουφείρ." Πάντες οὖν οἱ τῆς πόλεως υἱοὶ διδακτοὶ Θεοῦ, καὶ μάρτυς ὁ Παῦλος λέγων· "Πολυμερῶς καὶ πολυτρόπως πάλαι ὁ Θεὸς λαλήσας τοῖς πατράσιν ἐν τοῖς προφήταις, ἐπ' ἐσχάτου τῶν ἡμερῶν τούτων ἐλάλησεν ἡμῖν ἐν Υἱῷ." Αὐτὸς δὲ σαρκωθεὶς ὁ Λόγος ἐφθέγγετο. Ἐπαγγέλλεται δὲ καὶ εἰρήνην αὐτοῖς ὁ εἰπών· "Εἰρήνην τὴν ἐμὴν δίδωμι ὑμῖν." Οἷς ἐπιλέγει· Καὶ ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ οἰκοδομηθήσῃ. Κατὰ γὰρ τὸ δικαιότατον, αὐτὸς ὁ τῶν ὅλων οἰκοδόμος, ἡ σοφία τοῦ Θεοῦ, τοὺς ζῶντας καὶ εὐπαγεῖς λίθους προσάπτων τῇ οἰκοδομῇ, τοὺς μὲν ἐπάλξεις ἐποίει, τοὺς δὲ θεμελίους κατεβάλλετο, τοὺς δὲ ἐν τοῖς περιβόλοις κατέταττε. Καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἀφώριζεν εἰς τὸν νεὼν τῆς πόλεως, τοὺς δὲ εἰς τὰ ἐνδοτάτω τοῦ ναοῦ. Τοῖς δὲ τὴν λοιπὴν πόλιν ἐκόσμει, μὴ διακρίνων τὰς κατ' ἄνθρωπον ἀξίας, οὐδὲ εἰς πρόσωπον ἀφορῶν, ἐκ τοῦ δικαίου δὲ πάντας προσέμενος, ἐλευθέρους καὶ δούλους, πένητας καὶ πλουσίους, τούς τε κατὰ τὸν βίον ἀσήμους τε καὶ περιφανεῖς. Ταῦτα τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐπηγγελμένος ἑξῆς αὐτῇ διαστέλλεται· Ἀπέχου ἀπὸ ἀδίκου, καὶ τρόμος οὐκ ἐγγιεῖ σοι. Μυσταγωγεῖ γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἔργῳ δεικνὺς τὸ, ἔσονται διδακτοὶ Θεοῦ. Περὶ οὗ καὶ ἡ Νύμφη λέγει· "Φιλησάτω με ἀπὸ φιλημάτων στόματος αὐτοῦ." Πάλαι μὲν γὰρ αὐτὴν κατησπάζετο διὰ προφητῶν, πρὸς συνάφειαν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ καλῶν δι' ἁγιασμοῦ καὶ δικαιοσύνης. Ἐν σαρκὶ δὲ φανέντος, ἀπὸ φιλημάτων στόματος αὐτοῦ πεφιλήμεθα στόμα πρὸς στόμα λελαληκότος ἡμῖν. Φησὶν οὖν, ὡς Οὐδεὶς ἐχθρός σου περιγενήσεται τιμώσης τὸ δίκαιον. Καὶ ἰδοὺ προσήλυτοι προσελεύσονται, φησὶ, δι' ἐμοῦ, τοὺς ἐν ἑκάστῳ καιρῷ προσιόντας τῇ πίστει δηλῶν ἐξ ἐθνῶν, ἢ καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν Ἰουδαίων. Κατόπιν γὰρ τέθεινται τῶν ἐθνῶν, καίτοι πρώτην ἔχοντες τάξιν, καὶ γεγόνασι προσήλυτοι τοῖς ἐξ ἐθνῶν, οἱ πάλαι τούτους προσηλύτους δεχόμενοι. Πλὴν καὶ τοῦτο δι' ἐμοῦ, φησί. ∆ιὰ γὰρ Χριστοῦ ἡ πάντων ἐπιστροφὴ, καὶ πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα καὶ Θεὸν ὁδός. "Οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἔρχεται, φησι, 2545 πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, εἰ μὴ δι' ἐμοῦ." Καὶ πάλιν· "Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδός." Καὶ, "Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ θύρα." Τινὲς δὲ προσηλύτους εἰρήκασι τοὺς οὐ γνησίως οὐδὲ καθαρῶς προσιόντας, ἀλλὰ προστασίας ἤ τινος χάριν ὠφελείας. Οὓς καὶ παροικήσειν, ἀλλ' οὐ κατοικήσειν φησίν. Ὡς ἐν παρόδῳ γὰρ οἱ τοιοῦτοι ποιοῦνται τὴν εἴσοδον, οἱονεὶ αὐτῇ προσφεύγοντες. Ἐφ' οἷς φησιν· Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ κτίζω σε, οὐχ ὡς χαλκεὺς φυσῶν ἄνθρακας. Ἐγώ σοι ταῦτα ποιῶ λέγων, ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἐγώ σου κτίστης. Μωσῆς μὲν γὰρ, καὶ Σολομῶν, καὶ Ζοροβάβελ, σωματικὰ καὶ ὀλιγοχρόνια ἐποίουν· ὁ μὲν σκηνὴν, οἱ δὲ νεώς. Νῦν δὲ αὐτὸς ἐγὼ ὁ τῶν ὅλων Κύριος, δι' ἐμαυτοῦ σε ἔκτισα· ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν οἰκοδομήσας μου τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν. Ἔκτισα δέ σε οὐ τέχνῃ τινὶ ἀνθρωπίνῃ. θεϊκῇ δὲ καὶ ἀῤῥήτῳ χάριτι. Οὐ γὰρ ὡς χαλκεὺς δι' ὀργάνου καὶ πυρός. Τοιαῦται γὰρ τῶν ἀνθρώπων αἱ τέχναι. ∆ιὸ καὶ εἰς φθορὰν χωρεῖ τὰ γινόμενα. Τοὐμὸν δὲ ἀδιάφθορον ἔργον. Τινὲς δὲ τὸ ἔκτισα, ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀνέκτισα, παρειλήφασιν. ∆ηλοῖ δὲ τὸν δι' ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἀνακαινισμὸν, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ τοὺς δύο λαοὺς εἰς ἕνα κτίσαι λέγεται καινὸν ἄνθρωπον, κατὰ τὸ, "Ἀλλὰ μεταμορφοῦσθε τῇ ἀνακαινώσει τοῦ νοὸς ὑμῶν." Τοῖς δὲ τοιούτοις ὅτιπερ ἀκολουθεῖ ἀνδρεία, σύνεσίς τε πνευματικὴ δηλοῖ, λέγων· Πᾶν σκεῦος φθαρτὸν ἐπὶ σὲ οὐκ εὐοδώσω, καὶ πᾶσα φωνὴ, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· σκεύη λέγων φθαρτὰ, τῆς τοῦ διαβόλου δυστροπίας τοὺς ὑπουργοὺς, οἳ καὶ φθορᾶς καὶ ἀπωλείας εἰσὶ τέκνα, [καὶ] τοῖς ἁγίοις ἔσθ' ὅτε διωγμοὺς καὶ θλίψεις ἐπάγουσιν. Ἀλλ' οὐ τεύξονται θήρας· καὶ πᾶσα δὲ θεομάχος γλῶττα, φησὶν, ὑπὸ σοῦ νικηθήσεται. Κατὰ γὰρ τὸν ∆αβίδ· "Ἐν τῷ Θεῷ ποιήσωμεν δύναμιν, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐξουδενώσει τοὺς θλίβοντας ἡμᾶς." Ἐχρῆν δὲ ὑπομνῆσαι μετὰ πάντα καὶ τῆς ἀποκειμένης ἐν τῷ