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to him who rides upon the heaven of heavens from the beginning;” And according to Symmachus, it is said, “To him who is borne upon the heaven of heaven from the first.” You will understand “from the first” and “from the beginning” when you hear the Savior say: “Father, glorify me with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” “Behold, he will give his voice a voice of power, give glory to God upon Israel.” He delivers a characteristic of the Lord who was revealed, saying: “Behold, he will give his voice a voice of power.” From this, then, it is truly possible to characterize the excellence of the God-Logos, “who was in the beginning with God,” from the fact that his voice is not like that of men, but is filled with divine power. For “He will give,” he says, “his voice a voice of power.” And above it was said: “The Lord will give a word to those who preach the gospel with great power.” For since his voice was filled with power, it was fitting that he also gave a word with great power to those who preach the message about him. And the work demonstrates the power. For having said to his disciples with a mere voice, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men,” he accomplished the work by power; and again, having commanded them and said, “Go and make disciples of all nations in my name,” he showed the power by the deed; and again, having said, “The Gospel of the kingdom must be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations,” he provided the power of the word to be seen in the very deeds; and at another time, having said, “On this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it,” he demonstrated the power by the very fact. In the same way, then, you would find the divine power mixed in with all the other words of his teaching. For this reason it is said: “Behold, he will give his voice a voice of power.” But having taught these things, he next exhorts, saying: “Give glory to God upon Israel; his magnificence and his power are in the clouds.” So, “Give glory to God” is said to all who are called under the saving faith; But “his magnificence is upon Israel” signifies those from Israel who became heralds of his divinity, that is, apostles and evangelists, 23.721 among whom his magnificence was made known, his divinity being so called. Therefore it has been said in other places: “For your magnificence is lifted up above the heavens.” But that not all who are from Israel are Israel, nor are all children because they are Abraham's seed; and that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God; nor is a Jew one who is so outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh, but a Jew is one who is so inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart, in the spirit, not in the letter, the Apostle clearly teaches. Upon Israel, therefore, is his magnificence; but also “his power is in the clouds;” about which Isaiah prophesies, saying: “And I will command the clouds not to rain rain upon the vineyard.” He was signifying, then, the prophets and the teachers of the divine lessons, who by the supply of the Spirit irrigated the souls of men with heavenly rain as if in good lands. Thus, then, his power is also in the clouds. “God is wonderful in his saints,” being others besides the aforementioned prophets and apostles. Who could these be but those from all the nations who have been deemed worthy of purity and holiness? among whom God is also wonderful, giving them power and strength. Therefore it is joined next: “The God of Israel himself will give power and strength to his people, blessed be God.” And again here, it is said that he necessarily gives power to his holy people, so that he might be able to say: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” For it was necessary, just as a word with great power was given to those who preach the gospel, so also to provide strength and power to his people, so that they might be able to stand against the

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ἐπιβεβηκότι ἐν οὐρανῷ οὐρανοῦ ἀρχῆθεν·» Κατὰ δὲ τὸν Σύμμαχον, «Τῷ ἐποχουμένῳ ἐπὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἐκ πρώτης,» εἴρηται. Τὸ δὲ, «ἐκ πρώτης» καὶ, «ἀρχῆθεν,» νοήσεις αὐτοῦ λέγοντος ἀκούων τοῦ Σωτῆρος· «Πάτερ, δόξασόν με τῇ δόξῃ ᾗ εἶχον πρὸ τοῦ τὸν κόσμον εἶναι παρὰ σοί.» «Ἰδοὺ δώσει τῇ φωνῇ αὐτοῦ φωνὴν δυνάμεως, δότε δόξαν τῷ Θεῷ ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰσραήλ.» Γνώρισμα τοῦ δηλωθέντος Κυρίου παραδίδωσι λέγων· «Ἰδοὺ δώσει τῇ φωνῇ αὐτοῦ φωνὴν δυνάμεως.» Ἐντεῦθεν οὖν ἀληθῶς ἐστι χαρακτηρίσαι τὴν ἀρετὴν «τοῦ ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν» Θεοῦ Λόγου, ἐκ τοῦ τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ μὴ ὁμοίαν εἶναι ἀνθρώποις, δυνάμεως δὲ πεπληρῶσθαι θείας. «∆ώσει» γὰρ, φησὶ, «τῇ φωνῇ αὐτοῦ φωνὴν δυνάμεως.» Καὶ ἀνωτέρω δὲ ἐλέγετο· «Κύριος δώσει ῥῆμα τοῖς εὐαγγελιζομένοις δυνάμει πολλῇ.» Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἡ φωνὴ αὐτοῦ πεπλήρωτο δυνάμεως, εἰκότως καὶ τοῖς εὐαγγελιζομένοις τὸ περὶ αὐτοῦ κήρυγμα ἐδίδου ῥῆμα σὺν δυνάμει πολλῇ. Παρίστησι δὲ τὸ ἔργον τὴν δύναμιν. Ψιλῇ γὰρ φωνῇ τοῖς αὑτοῦ μαθηταῖς εἰπών· «∆εῦτε ἀκολουθεῖτέ μοι, καὶ ποιήσω ὑμᾶς ἁλιεῖς ἀνθρώπων,» δυνάμει τὸ ἔργον ἐποίει· καὶ πάλιν ἐντειλάμενος αὐτοῖς καὶ εἰπών· «Πορευθέντες μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου,» ἔργῳ τὴν δύναμιν ἐδείκνυ· καὶ αὖθις εἰπών· «∆εῖ κηρυχθῆναι τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον τῆς βασιλείας ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ εἰς μαρτύριον πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσι,» τοῦ λόγου τὴν δύναμιν αὐτοῖς ἔργοις παρεῖχεν ὁρᾷν· καὶ ἄλλοτε φήσας· «Ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν οἰκοδομήσω μου τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ πύλαι ᾅδου οὐ κατισχύσουσιν αὐτῆς,» αὐτῷ πράγματι τὴν δύναμιν παρεστήσατο. Τὸν αὐτὸν οὖν τρόπον καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς ἅπασι τοῖς τῆς διδασκαλίας αὐτοῦ ῥήμασι συγκεκραμένην εὕροις ἂν τὴν θεϊκὴν δύναμιν. Οὗ χάριν εἴρηται· «Ἰδοὺ δώσει τῇ φωνῇ αὐτοῦ φωνὴν δυνάμεως.» Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ταῦτα παιδεύσας, ἑξῆς παρακελεύεται φάσκων· «∆ότε δόξαν τῷ Θεῷ ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰσραήλ· ἡ μεγαλοπρέπεια αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡ δύναμις αὐτοῦ ἐν ταῖς νεφέλαις.» Τὸ μὲν οὖν, «∆ότε δόξαν τῷ Θεῷ,» πᾶσιν εἴρηται τοῖς κεκλημένοις ὑπὸ τὴν σωτήριον πίστιν· Τὸ δὲ, «ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ἡ μεγαλοπρέπεια αὐτοῦ,» σημαίνει τοὺς ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ γενομένους τῆς θεότητος αὐτοῦ κήρυκας, ἀποστόλους δηλαδὴ καὶ εὐαγγελιστὰς, 23.721 παρ' οἷς ἡ μεγαλοπρέπεια αὐτοῦ ἐγνωρίζετο· οὕτω τῆς θεότητος αὐτοῦ καλουμένης. ∆ιὸ λέλεκται ἐν ἑτέροις· «Ὅτι ἐπήρθη ἡ μεγαλοπρέπειά σου ὑπεράνω τῶν οὐρανῶν.» Ὅτι δὲ οὐ πάντες οἱ ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ οὗτοι Ἰσραὴλ, οὐδὲ ὅτι εἰσὶ σπέρμα Ἀβραὰμ πάντες τέκνα· καὶ ὡς οὐ τὰ τέκνα τῆς σαρκὸς ταῦτα τέκνα τοῦ Θεοῦ· οὐδὲ ὁ ἐν τῷ φανερῷ Ἰουδαῖός ἐστιν, οὐδὲ ἡ ἐν τῷ φανερῷ ἐν σαρκὶ περιτομὴ, ἀλλ' ὁ ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ Ἰουδαῖος, καὶ περιτομὴ καρδίας ἐν πνεύματι, οὐ γράμματι, διδάσκει σαφῶς ὁ Ἀπόστολος. Ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ τοίνυν ἡ μεγαλοπρέπεια αὐτοῦ· ἀλλὰ καὶ «ἡ δύναμις αὐτοῦ ἐν ταῖς νεφέλαις·» περὶ ὧν Ἡσαΐας θεσπίζει λέγων· «Καὶ ταῖς νεφέλαις ἐντελοῦμαι μὴ βρέξαι ἐπὶ τὸν ἀμπελῶνα ὑετόν.» Ἐδήλου δὲ ἄρα τοὺς προφήτας καὶ τοὺς τῶν θείων μαθημάτων διδασκάλους, οἳ τῇ τοῦ Πνεύματος χορηγίᾳ τὸν οὐράνιον ὑετὸν ταῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ψυχαῖς ὥσπερ ἐν χώραις ἀγαθαῖς ἐπήρδευον. Οὕτως οὖν καὶ ἡ δύναμις αὐτοῦ ἐν ταῖς νεφέλαις. «Θαυμαστὸς ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις αὐτοῦ,» ἑτέροις οὖσι παρὰ τοὺς προωνομασμένους προφήτας καὶ ἀποστόλους. Τίνες δ' ἂν εἶεν οὗτοι ἀλλ' οἱ ἐξ ἁπάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν ἁγνείας καὶ ἁγιωσύνης ἠξιωμένοι; ἐν οἷς καὶ θαυμαστός ἐστιν ὁ Θεὸς, διδοὺς αὐτοῖς δύναμιν καὶ κραταίωσιν. ∆ιὸ συνῆπται ἑξῆς· «Ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσραὴλ αὐτὸς δώσει δύναμιν καὶ κραταίωσιν τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ, εὐλογητὸς ὁ Θεός.» Πάλιν δὲ κἀνταῦθα δύναμιν ἀναγκαίως διδόναι λέλεκται τῷ ἁγίῳ λαῷ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα δύνηται λέγειν· «Πάντα ἰσχύω ἐν τῷ ἐνδυναμοῦντί με.» Ἔδει γὰρ, ὥσπερ τοῖς εὐαγγελιζομένοις δέδοτο ῥῆμα σὺν δυνάμει πολλῇ, οὕτω καὶ τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ κραταίωσιν καὶ δύναμιν παρέχειν, πρὸς τὸ δύνασθαι ἵστασθαι πρὸς τὰς