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working out. But this will not be for those who will be deemed worthy of the new age, but having achieved virtue, they will enjoy their own fruits. 2660 For the Lord swore this by his own glory. For he had no one greater by whom to swear. They will eat and drink in my holy courts, which would be the many mansions with the Father. And having mentioned courts, or halls, according to the others, he consequently also mentions the sanctuary, saying, Go through my gates, indicating the heavenly city, and its halls and gates, which in the future will be opened for the worthy, for whom are called into them, so that as they enter nothing may hinder them, neither envy, nor pretext, nor demon, becoming an obstacle to the kingdom, Prepare the way, he says, for my people, speaking to the angelic powers. But some say these things are also about the Church on earth, and that the stumbling blocks are stones. And it is said to its guardians and teachers to give an unobstructed path to those entering. For the one from the Jews delights in legal types, while the one from the Greeks stumbles at the strangeness of the teaching; and he also remembers words, which their own orators have written. But the mystagogues cut off the occasions for stumbling blocks, casting down reasonings, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. Whence Paul says to those of the circumcision: Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. And again: If you are circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. But to those from the Greeks he says: You observe days, and seasons, and years. I am afraid lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain. And the guardians also cut off the stumbling blocks from heretics. You might say the walls of the Church are the steadfastness of the dogmas of truth, against which the gates of Hades shall not prevail. Next he adds, Raise a standard for the nations. For the Lord has made it heard to the end of the earth. For let no one think, he says, that these things were said concerning the people of the Jews. For the sign will be raised to the ends of the earth. But what is the audible standard which he says to raise, this is to make known the word of faith, which we preach, or perhaps the symbol of the saving passion. And this too is in the confession of faith. For one must say that Jesus is Lord, and believe that God raised him from the dead. Then he clearly teaches the daughter of Zion, the Church, to expect her savior. For she is the daughter of the ancient pious polity among the Jews. But now he speaks about the second coming, reminding that the one who formerly saved you, through what he did and suffered. Therefore he is also called Jesus, according to the 2661 word of Gabriel; For he shall save his people. He will come again, being both judge and rewarder. And above he said: Say to the cities of Judah, Behold, his reward is with him, and what follows. And instead of, and he will call him; the others have rendered it "them," that is, those who will be saved. The earthly Jerusalem, then, is called forsaken, but this one is sought after. For he who came to seek and to save that which was lost, having found it and saved it, will no longer permit it to be lost. But some have understood the discourse to be about the first coming. And he commands Zion to preach the gospel, to whom he also exhorted to open the gates. It is possible to learn how great is the difference between the Savior and the disciples. For the ones calling to a good life preached the rewards from God; but they themselves were not givers of spiritual gifts; but the Savior, as God, distributes rewards. Therefore he also sees the manner of each one. And this belongs to God alone. For it is written that the ways of a man are before the eyes of God, and he looks upon all his paths. Therefore he gave the keys of heaven to Peter who confessed the faith well, and the ability to bind and to loose. And he granted to all the disciples to heal every disease and infirmity by the word. And he gives the reward of confession to the thief: Today you will be with me in paradise. And coming, he says, he will call those who have believed a people redeemed by the Lord. For not an ambassador,

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ἀπεργαζόμενοι. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἔσται τοῖς τοῦ νέου καταξιωθησομένοις αἰῶνος, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν κατορθώσαντες, τῶν ἰδίων καρ 2660 πῶν ἀπολαύσονται. Τοῦτο γὰρ κατὰ τῆς ἐαυτοῦ δόξης ὤμοσε Κύριος. Οὐ γὰρ εἶχε κατὰ μείζονος ὀμόσαι. Φάγονται δὲ καὶ πίονται ἐν ταῖς ἐπαύλεσι ταῖς ἁγίαις μου, αἵ τινες εἶεν αἱ πολλαὶ μόναι παρὰ τῷ Πατέρι. Ἐπαύλεων δὲ μνησθεὶς, ἢ αὐλῶν, κατὰ τοὺς λοιποὺς, ἀκολούθως καὶ τοῦ ἱεροῦ μνημονεύει, Πορεύεσθε, λέγων, διὰ τῶν πυλῶν μου, τὴν ἐπουράνιον πόλιν δηλῶν, αὐλάς τε ταύτης καὶ πύλας, αἳ κατὰ τὸ μέλλον τοῖς ἀξίοις ἀναπετάννυνται, εἰς ἃς καλουμένων, ὡς ἂν μηδὲν εἰσιοῦσι παρεμποδίζοι φθόνος, ἢ πρόφασις, ἢ δαίμων, κώλυμα τῆς βασιλείας γινόμενοι, Ὁδοποιήσατε, φησὶ, τῷ λαῷ μου, ταῖς ἀγγελικαῖς λέγων δυνάμεσι. Τινὲς δὲ ταῦτα καὶ περὶ τῆς κατὰ γῆν Ἐκκλησίας φασὶ, καὶ λίθους εἶναι τὰ σκάνδαλα. Λέγεσθαι δὲ ταύτης τοῖς φύλαξί τε καὶ διδασκάλοις ἀπρόσκοπον διδόναι τοῖς εἰσιοῦσιν ὁδόν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐξ Ἰουδαίων, τύποις ἐμφιλοχωρεῖ νομικοῖς, ὁ δὲ ἐξ Ἑλλήνων, τῷ τῆς διδασκαλίας ξένῳ προσπταίει· μέμνηται δὲ καὶ λόγων, οὓς οἱ παρ' αὐτοῖς λογάδες γεγράφασιν. Ἀλλ' οἱ μυσταγωγοὶ τὰς τῶν σκανδάλων περικόπτουσιν ἀφορμὰς, λογισμοὺς καθαιροῦντες, καὶ πᾶν ὕψωμα ἐπαιρόμενον κατὰ τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὅθεν ὁ Παῦλος τοῖς μὲν ἐκ περιτομῆς φησιν· Ἡ περιτομὴ οὐδέν ἐστι, καὶ ἡ ἀκροβυστία οὐδέν ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ τήρησις ἐντολῶν Θεοῦ. Καὶ πάλιν· Εἰ περιτέμνεσθε, Χριστὸς ὑμᾶς οὐδὲν ὠφελήσει. Τοῖς δὲ ἐξ Ἑλλήνων φησίν· Ἡμέρας παρατηρεῖσθε, καὶ καιροὺς, καὶ ἐνιαυτούς. Φοβοῦμαι μήποτε εἰκῆ κεκοπίακα εἰς ὑμᾶς. Καὶ τὰ ἐξ αἱρετικῶν δὲ περικόπτουσιν οἱ φύλακες σκάνδαλα. Εἴποις δ' ἂν τείχη Ἐκκλησίας, τῶν τῆς ἀληθείας δογμάτων τὴν ἑδραιότητα, ὧν ᾅδου πύλαι οὐ κατισχύσουσιν. Ἑξῆς ἐπιλέγει, Ἄρατε σύσσημον εἰς τὰ ἔθνη. Κύριος γὰρ ἐποίησεν ἀκουστὸν ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς. Μὴ γὰρ νομίσῃ τις ταῦτα, φησὶν, εἰρῆσθαι περὶ τοῦ τῶν Ἰουδαίων λαοῦ. Τὸ γὰρ σημεῖον ἀρθήσεται μέχρι τῶν ἐσχάτων τῆς γῆς. Τί δὲ τὸ ἀκουστὸν σύσσημον ὅπερ ἆραί φησι, τοῦτ' ἔστι γνώριμον ποιῆσαι τὸ ῥῆμα τῆς πίστεως, ὃ κηρύσσομεν, ἢ τάχα που τοῦ σωτηρίου πάθους τὸ σύμβολον. Ἔνεστι δὲ καὶ τοῦτο τῇ τῆς πίστεως ὁμολογίᾳ. ∆εῖ γὰρ εἰπεῖν, ὅτι Κύριος Ἰησοῦς, πιστεῦσαί τε ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὸν ἤγειρεν ἐκ νεκρῶν. Εἶτα τὴν θυγατέρα Σιὼν σαφῶς τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν τὸν ἑαυτῆς προσδοκῆσαι σωτῆρα διδάσκει. Ἔστι γὰρ θυγάτηρ τοῦ πάλαι παρ' Ἰουδαίοις θεοσεβοῦς πολιτεύματος. Λέγει δὲ νῦν περὶ τῆς δευτέρας παρουσίας, ἀναμιμνήσκων ὡς ὁ πάλαι σε σώσας, δι' ὧν ἔπραξέν τε καὶ πέπονθεν. ∆ιὸ καὶ Ἰησοῦς ὀνομάζεται, κατὰ τὸν 2661 λόγον τοῦ Γαβριήλ· Αὐτὸς γὰρ σώσει τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ. Πάλιν ἥξει, κριτὴς ὁμοῦ καὶ μισθαποδότης ἐσόμενος. Καὶ ἄνω δὲ ἔλεγεν· Εἰπὸν ταῖς πόλεσιν Ἰούδα, Ἰδοὺ ὁ μισθὸς αὐτοῦ μετ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ ἐφ' ἑξῆς. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, καὶ καλέσει αὐτόν· αὐτοὺς ἐξέδωκαν οἱ λοιποὶ, δηλαδὴ τοὺς σωθησομένους. Ἡ μὲν οὖν ἐπίγειος Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐγκαταλελειμμένη λέγεται, αὕτη δὲ ἐπιζητουμένη. Ὁ γὰρ ἐλθὼν ζητῆσαι καὶ σῶσαι τὸ ἀπολωλὸς, οὗτος εὑρὼν αὐτὸ καὶ σώσας, οὐκ ἔτι ἀπολέσθαι αὐτὸ συγχωρήσει. Τινὲς δὲ περὶ τῆς πρώτης παρουσίας τὸν λόγον ἐξέλαβον. Εὐαγγελίσασθαι δὲ κελεύει Σιὼν, οἷς καὶ τὰς πύλας ἀνοιγνῦναι παρεκελεύετο. Πάρεστι δὲ μαθεῖν, ὅσον τοῦ Σωτῆρος καὶ τῶν μαθητῶν τὸ διάφορον. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ καλοῦντες εἰς εὐζωΐαν, τὰς ἐκ Θεοῦ διεκήρυττον ἀμοιβάς· ἀλλ' οὐκ αὐτοὶ χαρισμάτων ἦσαν δοτῆρες πνευματικῶν· ὁ δὲ Σωτὴρ, ὡς Θεὸς, διανέμει μισθούς. Οὐκοῦν καὶ τὸν ἑκάστου τρόπον ὁρᾷ. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ μόνου Θεοῦ. Γέγραπται γὰρ, ὅτι ἐνώπιόν εἰσι τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ ὀφθαλμῶν ὁδοὶ ἀνδρὸς, εἰς δὲ πάσας τὰς τροχείας αὐτοῦ σκοπεύει. Τοιγαροῦν οὐρανοῦ τὰς κλεῖς Πέτρῳ παρέσχε καλῶς τὴν πίστιν ὁμολογήσαντι, καὶ τὸ δύνασθαι δεσμεῖν τε καὶ λύειν. Ἐχαρίσατο δὲ καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς μαθηταῖς τὸ πᾶσαν νόσον καὶ μαλακίαν θεραπεύειν ἐν τῷ λόγῳ. Μισθόν τε ὁμολογίας δίδωσι τῷ λῃστῇ τό· Σήμερον μετ' ἐμοῦ ἔσῃ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ. Ἐλθὼν δὲ, φησὶ, τοὺς πιστεύσαντας καλέσει λαὸν λελυτρωμένον ὑπὸ Κυρίου. Οὐ γὰρ πρέσβυς,