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He who speaks evil of the action of a fellow believer, and as it were lies in wait for his reviling, this one is rightly said also to speak against his brother; but he who, carried by envy, slanders the one adorned with wisdom, and scandalizes everyone, this is the one who places a stumbling block for the son of his mother.

QUESTION 10.

Since in the holy Diadochus in the hundredth chapter it is written, that some will be judged through fire and purified in the age to come, I ask that the purpose of the Father be revealed with clarity.

Response. Those who have acquired the perfection of love towards God, and the wing of the soul

having raised up through the virtues, according to the Apostle, are caught up in the clouds, and do not come into judgment. But those who have not entirely acquired perfection, but have acquired both sins and right actions, these come into the tribunal of judgment, and there, being tried as if by fire through the comparison of their good and evil deeds, (793) if the scale of good deeds weighs more heavily, are cleansed from punishment.

QUESTION 11.

Concerning different righteousnesses. Response. The wise in divine matters say there are three righteousnesses, human, angelic and

divine. And they say the human one is equality and good judgment in the perceptible things of this world; the angelic, the abundant sharing of divine knowledge; and they define divine righteousness as suffering for sinners.

QUESTION 12.

For what reason did the Lord, rebuking Peter, say to him, "Satan"? Response. The Lord did not call Peter "Satan" insultingly, as some suppose; but

because the Lord's privations became our possessions; for example, his death has become our life; his dishonor became our glory. And the apostle Peter, not knowing this, when the Lord said that he was about to suffer, supposed, following the nature of things, that it is impossible for Life to die, or for such glory to be dishonored. The Lord, therefore, refuting this supposition, showing that one ought not to seek a natural sequence in supernatural matters, determined to accomplish these things through their opposites: through death, life; through dishonor, glory. Since, therefore, this supposition of his was contrary, he says, "Get behind me"; instead of, "follow me in my counsel, and do not anticipate, seeking a sequence of events." And the name Satan, (796) they say, is interpreted as "adversary"; which the Lord did not bring forth insultingly, but as if he were saying, "you who are opposed to my purpose."

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Ὁ τήν τοῦ ὁμοπίστου πρᾶξιν κακηγορῶν, καί ὥσπερ ἐγκαθήμενος τῆ τούτου λοιδορίᾳ, οὗτος εἰκότως λέγεται καί τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ καταλαλεῖν· ὁ δέ τόν τῇ σοφίᾳ κοσμούμενον, φθόνῳ φερόμενος, ἐνδιαβάλλων, καί πάντας σκανδαλίζων, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τιθείς τῶ υἱῷ τῆς μητρός σκάνδαλον.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Ι΄.

Ἐπειδή ἐν τῷ ἁγίῳ ∆ιαδόχῳ ἐν τῶ ἑκατοστῷ κεφαλαίῳ γέγραπται, Κριθήσεσθαί τινας διά πυρός καί καθαίρεσθαι ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι, παρακαλῶ ἐκκαλυφθῆναι διά τῆς σαφηνείας τόν σκοπόν τοῦ Πατρός.

Ἀπόκρισις. Οἱ τό τέλειον τῆς ἀγάπης κεκτημένοι πρός τόν Θεόν, καί τό πτερόν τῆς ψυχῆς

διά τῶν ἀρετῶν μετεωρίσαντες, κατά τόν Ἀπόστολον, ἐν νεφέλαις ἁρπάζονται, καί εἰς κρίσιν οὐκ ἔρχονται. Οἱ δέ γε μή πάντη τό τέλειον κτησάμενοι, ἀλλ᾿ ἁμαρτήματα καί κατορθώματα κεκτημένοι, οὗτοι ἐν τῷ δικαστηρίῳ τῆς κρίσεως ἔρχονται, κἀκεῖ διά τῆς τῶν ἀγαθῶν, καί φαύλων πράξεως ἀντεξετάσεως οἱονεί πυρούμενοι, (793) εἴπερ ἡ τῶν ἀγαθῶν πλάστιγξ ἐπιβαρήση, καθαίρονται τῆς κολάσεως.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΙΑ΄.

Περί διαφόρων δικαιοσυνῶν. Ἀπόκρισις. Τρεῖς δικαιοσύνας οἱ τά θεῖα σοφοί λέγουσιν εἶναι, ἀνθρωπίνην, ἀγγελικήν καί

θείαν. Καί τήν μέν ἀνθρωπίνην φασί, τήν ἐν τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ἰσονομίαν τε καί εὐγνωμοσύνην· τήν ἀγγελικήν δέ, τῆς θείας γνώσεως ἄφθονον μετάδοσιν· τήν δέ θείαν δικαιοσύνην ὁρίζονται, τό πάσχειν ὑπέρ τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΙΒ΄.

Τίνος χάριν ἐπιτιμήσας ὁ Κύριος τῷ Πέτρῳ, εἴρηκεν αὐτῶ, Σατανᾶ; Ἀπόκρισις. Οὐχ ὥς τινες νομίζουσι τόν Πέτρον ἀπεκάλει Σατανᾶν ὑβριστικῶς ὁ Κύριος· ἀλλ᾿

ἐπειδή αἱ τοῦ Κυρίου στερήσεις ἡμῖν ἕξεις ἐγένοντο· οἷον, ὁ αὐτοῦ θάνατος, ἡμῖν ζωή γέγονεν· ἡ αὐτοῦ ἀτιμία, ἡμῖν ἐγένετο δόξα. Τοῦτο δέ ἀγνοῶν ὁ ἀπόστολος Πέτρος, τοῦ Κυρίου λέγοντος, μέλλειν πάσχειν αὐτόν, ὑπελάμβανε τῇ φύσει τῶν πραγμάτων ἑπόμενος, ὡς ἀδύνατόν ἐστι τήν Ζωήν ἀποθνήσκειν, ἤ τήν τοσαύτην δόξαν ἀτιμασθῆναι. Ὁ οὖν Κύριος τήν ὑπόνοιαν ταύτην ἀναιρῶν, ὡς οὐ δεῖ φύσεως ἀκολουθίαν ἐν τοῖς ὑπέρ φύσιν ἐπιζητεῖν, διά τῶν ἐναντίων ταῦτα ποιῆσαι βεβούλευται· διά θανάτου, ζωήν· δι᾿ ἀτιμίας, δόξαν. Ὡς οὖν [ἴσ. πρός] ἀντικειμένην αὐτοῦ τήν ὑπόνοιαν ταύτην, λέγει, Ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου· ἀντί τοῦ, ἕπου μοι τῇ βουλῇ, καί μή προλάμβανε, ζητῶν ἀκολουθίαν πραγμάτων. Τό δέ Σατανᾶς ὄνομα, (796) φασίν ἀντικείμενον ἑρμηνεύεσθαι· ὅπερ ὁ Κύριος οὐχ ὑβριστικῶς προήγαγεν, ἀλλ᾿ ὡσανεί ἔλεγεν, ἀντικείμενέ μου τῶ σκοπῷ.