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QUESTION 16.

Whom does the Apostle mean, saying, "who first hoped in Christ?" writing to the Ephesians.

Response. Every one of the saints before the coming of the Lord, who practiced any kind of virtue,

even if he did not know the whole mystery of the economy; but being (800) moved in part by nature, he hoped and expected that the one who made nature would himself also restore it when it was corrupted.

Herod is interpreted as "of skin"; therefore one must abhor carnal thoughts.

QUESTION 17.

What is it according to the Apostle: "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God."

Response. Flesh is desire; and blood, anger. And so it is fitting that one who is not

pure of these, cannot inherit the kingdom of God.

QUESTION 18.

What is diapsalma? Response. I think it is the change from one thought to another; or from one mode of teaching to

another mode.

QUESTION 19.

What does the story concerning Lamech signify. Response. Some of those educated in divine things say that in the times of Lamech, there being disorder and

anarchy, the strong oppressed the weak. This Lamech then, meeting a man with his wife, killed him and took his wife. And meeting a brother with his sister, he killed him also, and took his sister; and the Scripture called the one a man, and the other a young man. And these things according to the history; but according to contemplation, Lamech is taken for the activity of wickedness. For he killed in us the man, the natural law; and the young man, I mean the spiritual law, (801) and he took from him [them] the mind, so that the sower of wickedness, being mixed with it, might cause sin to be born. From this Lamech, therefore, vengeance is taken seventy-seven times; he pays the penalty for his consent and activity. Whence also the Lord, when Peter said, How many times shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him; up to seven times? He answered him, Not only

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ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΙΣτ΄.

Τίνας σημαίνει ὁ Ἀπόστολος, λέγων, "Τούς προηλπικότας ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ;" πρός Ἐφεσίους γράφων.

Ἀπόκρισις. Πᾶς τις τῶν ἁγίων, τῶν πρό τῆς ἐπιδημίας τοῦ Κυρίου, οἱανοῦν ἀρετήν ἐξασκῶν,

κἄν εἰ μή τό ὅλον τῆς οἰκονομίας μυστήριον ἐγίνωσκεν· ἀλλ᾿ ἐκ (800) μέρους φυσικῶς κινούμενος, ἤλπιζε καί προσεδόκα, ὅτι ὁ τήν φύσιν ποιήσας, αὐτός καί παραφθαρεῖσαν ἀνασώσεται.

Ἡρώδης δερμάτινος, ἑρμηνεύεται· χρή οὖν τούς σαρκικούς λογισμούς βδελύττεσθαι.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΙΖ΄.

Τί ἐστι κατά τόν Ἀπόστολον· Ὅτι " Σάρξ καί αἷμα βασιλείαν Θεοῦ κληρονομῆσαι οὐ δύνανται. "

Ἀπόκρισις. Σάρξ ἐστιν ἡ ἐπιθυμία· αἷμαι δέ, ὁ θυμός. Καί εἰκότως οὖν, ὁ μή τούτων

καθαρεύων, βασιλείαν Θεοῦ κληρονομῆσαι οὐ δύναται.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΙΗ΄.

Τί ἐστι διάψαλμα; Ἀπόκρισις. Οἶμαι ὅτι ἡ ἀπό νοήματος εἰς νόημα μεταβολή· ἤ καί τρόπου διδασκαλίας εἰς

ἕτερον τρόπον.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΙΘ΄.

Τί δηλοῖ ἡ κατά τόν Λάμεχ ἱστορία. Ἀπόκρισις. Φασί τινες τῶν τά θεῖα πεπαιδευμέων, ὅτι ἐν τοῖς καιροῖς τοῦ Λάμεχ, ἀταξίας καί

ἀναρχίας οὔσης, ὁ δυνατός τόν ἀσθενοῦντα κατεδυνάστευεν. Οὗτος οὖν ὁ Λάμεχ ὑπαντήσας ἀνδρί μετά τῆς γυναικός, ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτόν, καί ἔλαβε τήν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ. Ἀπαντήσας δέ ἀδελφῷ μετά ἀδελφῆς, ἀπέκτεινε καί αὐτόν, καί ἔλαβε τήν ἀδελφήν αὐτοῦ· καί τόν μέν ἐκάλεσεν ἡ Γραφή ἄνδρα· τόν δέ νεανίσκον. Καί ταῦτα μέν κατά τήν ἱστορίαν· κατά δέ θεωρίαν λαμβάνεται ὁ Λάμεχ, ἐπί τῆς ἐνεργείας τῆς κακίας. Ἀπέκτεινε γάρ ἐν ἡμῖν τόν ἄνδρα, τόν φυσικόν νόμον· καί τόν νεανίσκον, τόν πνευματικόν φημι νόμον, (801) καί ἔλαβεν ἐξ αὐτοῦ [αὐτῶν] τήν διάνοιαν, ὅπως ταύτῃ μιγνύμενος ὁ τῆς κακίας σπορεύς, ἀποτεκεῖν ποιήσῃ τήν ἁμαρτίαν. Ἐκ τούτου οὖν τοῦ Λάμεχ ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά ἐκδικεῖται· ὑπέρ τῆς συγκαταθέσεως καί ἐνεργείας δίκας εἰσπράττεται. Ὅθεν καί ὁ Κύριος λέγοντος Πέτρου, Ποσάκις ἐάν ἁμάρτῃ εἰς ἐμέ ὁ ἀδελφός μου, ἀφήσω αὐτῷ· ἕως ἑπτάκις; Ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ, Οὐ μόνον