278

QUESTION 37.

What is the meaning of what is written in the Catholic Epistle of Peter, "That they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit?"

Response. Since these things were said concerning those in the flood; and these had complete

ignorance of God, and lived with wicked practices; as many things as they sinned against men, through the wars and plagues and various events that happened to them daily, he forgave them; but the sins concerning their ignorance of him he did not forgive them; (817) so that through faith in him, when out of love for mankind he came to be in the region of Hades, for as many as would believe, the sin of impiety might be forgiven them; and they might live according to God in the spirit, having been judged, that is, in the flesh, as has been said, for their trespasses against men.

QUESTION 38.

What is the meaning of David playing the harp, and making the evil spirit of Saul cease? Response. Everyone who, like the blessed David, shepherds the sheep, that is, the

rational part of the soul; and who kills anger and desire just as he killed the lion and the bear; this one, using the word of teaching with a certain high contemplation, pleases the hearer, and calms the passions of wickedness within him.

QUESTION 39.

Since Scripture clearly says that Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek; and besides, if he returned everything, as he himself says, that he did not take so much as a shoelace, from where did he give tithes? For he himself did not bring anything of his own when he went out to war in haste.

Response. Since the divine Scripture says that Melchizedek is a priest of God, it is fittingly

then to be believed that Abraham, holding the rank of a layman, gave the tithes to the priest. And that he had from where to provide them is clear from this. For the kings who campaigned against Sodom had taken not only the things of Sodom, but also had with them spoils from other lands, which they had previously captured. All of which Abraham, having cut them down and taken, returned the things of the Sodomites; but the other things he kept for himself, from which he also provided the tithes to Melchizedek.

QUESTION 40.

For what reason were the priests according to the law not forbidden to have wives; while the priests according to Christ are forbidden, at least by custom?

Response.

278

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΛΖ΄.

Τί ἐστι τό ἐν τῇ καθολικῇ Πέτρου γεγραμμένον, "Ἵνα κριθῶσι κατά ἀνθρώπους σαρκί, ζῶσι δέ κατά Θεόν πνεύματι; "

Ἀπόκρισις. Ἐπειδή περί τῶν ἐν τῷ κατακλυσμῷ εἴρηται ταῦτα· οὗτοι δέ εἶχον παντελῆ

ἀγνωσίαν Θεοῦ, καί πονηροῖς ἐπιτηδεύμασι συνέζων· ὅσα μέν εἰς ἀνθρώπους ἡμάρτανον, διά τῶν καθ᾿ ἑκάστην συμβαινόντων αὐτοῖς πολέμων τε καί ἐπαγωγῶν, καί ποικίλων συμβάσεων, ἀφῆκεν αὐτοῖς· τά δέ περί τῆς εἰς αὐτόν ἀγνοίας ἁμαρτήματα οὐκ ἀφῆκεν αὐτοῖς· (817) ἵνα διά τῆς εἰς αὐτόν πίστεως, ἡνίκα διά φιλανθρωπίαν ἐν τῇ τοῦ ᾅδου γένηται χώρᾳ, ὅσοι πιστεύσωσιν, ἀφεθῇ αὐτοῖς ἡ τῆς ἀσεβείας ἁμαρτία· καί ζήσωσι κατά Θεόν πνεύματι, κριθέντες δηλονότι σαρκί, καθώς εἴρηται, ὑπέρ τῶν εἰς ἀνθρώπους πλημμελειῶν.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΛΗ΄.

Τί σημαίνει ∆αβίδ ψάλλων, καί τό πονηρόν πνεῦμα τοῦ Σαούλ ἀποκαταπαύων, Ἀπόκρισις. Πᾶς ὁ κατά τόν μακάριον ∆αβίδ ποιμαίνων τά πρόβατα, τουτέστιν, τό

λογιστικόν τῆς ψυχῆς· καί κτένων θυμόν καί ἐπιθυμίαν καθάπερ ἐκεῖνος τόν λέοντα καί τήν ἄρκον· οὗτος τῷ λόγῳ τῆς διδασκαλίας χρώμενον μετά τινος ὑψηλῆς θεωρίας, ἡδύνει τόν ἀκούοντα, καί τά ἐν αὐτῶ πάθη τῆς κακίας κατευνάζει.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΛΘ΄.

Ἐπειδή ἡ Γραφή τρανῶς λέγει, ὅτι δέδωκε δεκάτας ὁ Ἀβραάμ τῷ Μελχισεδέκ· ἄλλως τε καί εἰ πάντα ἀπέδωκε, καθώς αὐτός λέγει, ὅτι ἕως σφαιρωτῆρος ὑποδήματος οὐκ ἔλαβε, πόθεν δέδωκε δεκάτας; Οὐδέ γάρ αὐτός ἴδιόν τι ἐπεφέρετο εἰς πόλεμεον ἔκπληκτος ἀπερχόμενος.

Ἀπόκρισις. Ἐπειδή ἡ θεία Γραφή ἱερέα τοῦ Θεοῦ τόν Μελχισεδέκ λέγει εἶναι, προσηκόντως

ἄρα ὁ Ἀβραάμ ὡς λαϊκοῦ τάξιν ἐπέχων δεδωκέναι τῷ ἱερεῖ τάς δεκάτας πιστευθήσεται. Ὅτι δέ καί εἶχε πόθεν παρασχεῖν, ἐκεῖθεν δῆλον. Οἱ γάρ ἐπιστατρεύσαντες βασιλεῖς ἐπί Σόδομα, οὐ μόνον τά Σοδόμων εἶχον λαβόντες, ἀλλά καί ἄλλων χωρῶν εἶχον μεθ᾿ ἑαυτῶν λάφυρα, ἅπερ ἦσαν προαιχμαλωτεύσαντες. Ἅπερ πάντα κατακόψας αὐτούς ὁ Ἀβραάμ, καί λαβών, τά μέν τῶν Σοδομιτῶν ἀπέδωκε· τά δέ ἄλλα παρ᾿ ἑαυτῷ κατέσχεν, ἐξ ὧν καί τάς δεκάτας τῷ Μελχισεδέκ παρέσχετο.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Μ΄.

Τίνος χάριν, οἱ μέν κατά νόμον ἱερεῖς γυναῖκας ἔχειν οὐκ ἐκωλύοντο· οἱ δέ κατά Χριστόν ἱερεῖς κωλύονται, ὅσον ἀπό τῆς συνηθείας;

Ἀπόκρισις.