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The Church is delivered from these things, in which there shall not be one who dies prematurely, nor an old man who does not complete his time. By 'premature' he means the people from the gentiles, about whom David also says: "The people that shall be created will praise the Lord." To whom Paul also says: As newborn babes, desire the rational and pure milk. But by 'old man,' he means the one from the circumcision, as being older in time according to the Church, in which he says there will be no difference between the two. For all will be perfect, ascending to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. For the hundredth number represents this, when also the perfection according to the law will be profitless to those who have it, unless they come to Christ through faith, in which being baptized we wipe away the pollutions from sin. Therefore, even if someone being a hundred years old, having received perfection in the law, should die a sinner, not having accepted the faith in Christ, he will be accursed, being guilty of transgressions of the law, in which no one has succeeded so much as not to fall under transgression. "For all," he says, "have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace." Therefore Paul, having been perfected in the law, considered the things in the law as refuse, that he might gain Christ, and be found in him, not having his own righteousness, that is, the one in the law, but that which is through faith in Jesus Christ. And finding fault with the Jews he says: "For being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." And again: "But knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ, we also have believed in Christ." Wherefore Christ was called a curse, delivering from the curse of the law, in which it is said, "Cursed 2696 is everyone who does not abide by all things written in this book, to do them." But some have explained the phrase, 'There shall not be there one who dies prematurely, nor an old man,' thus: For all who attain to my resurrection will be perfect, and vigorous in their souls, so that there is nothing incomplete and infantile, nor aged, but all of the same age, as attaining the resurrection at one time, and partaking of one regeneration. The one who is saved will therefore be a perfect youth, and the one who is perishing will be of the same age. For all rising together will be divided for salvation and punishment, with those perfect in wickedness being accursed, and dying in their own sin. When also all will receive the dwelling places which they have procured for themselves through their works, and will enjoy their own labors, nourished by their own fruits, no longer fearing that others might snatch away their labors. And they will live in unending well-being, according to the days of the tree of life; which also shows that the promises will be in paradise, and that the one who attains these things will be immortal, not growing old; or leaving their own labors to others through another transfer. But some have attributed these things also to the time of the first coming, when all enjoy peace and goodness, those who are accursed in Christ through faith, no longer being delivered over to wars and calamities because of impiety, like those of old, nor suffering loss of the things they have labored for, but spiritually delighting in their own achievements. Whom no one will drive away from the dwelling place given by the Father, having a holy life, according to the state before the transgression of Adam. And the works, he says, of their labors will not grow old; that is, they will have an unchangeable way of things to be done. For the legal way, being shadowy, underwent a change from types to truth. But the way according to Christ, being true, is unchangeable; its not growing old here signifies its permanence, which those others did not have. For to Christ it was said, "Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and your law is truth." But God does not promise these things to the ordinary, nor to the called. For many are called, but few are chosen; for which reason he says: My chosen shall not labor in vain. For the former teachers of the Jews, teaching the commandments of men,

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Ἐκκλησία τούτων ἀπήλλακται, ἐν ᾗ οὐκ ἔσται ἄωρος, καὶ πρεσβύτης, ὃς οὐκ ἐμπλήσει τὸν χρόνον αὐτοῦ. Ἄωρον μὲν τὸν ἐξ ἐθνῶν λέγει λαὸν, περὶ οὗ φησι καὶ ∆αβίδ· "Ὁ λαὸς ὁ κτιζόμενος αἰνέσει τὸν Κύριον." Οἷς καὶ Παῦλός φησιν· Ὡς ἀρτιγέννητα βρέφη τὸ λογικὸν καὶ ἄδολον γάλα ἐπιποθήσατε. Πρεσβύτην δὲ, τὸν ἐκ περιτομῆς, ὡς τῷ χρόνῳ κατὰ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν πρεσβύτερον, ἐν ᾗ οὐκ ἔσται φησὶν οὐδετέρου διαφορά. Πάντες γὰρ ἔσονται τέλειοι, εἰς μέτρον ἡλικίας ἀναβαίνοντες τοῦ πληρώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ ἑκατοστὸς παρίστησιν ἀριθμὸς, ὅτε καὶ ἡ κατὰ νόμον τελείωσις, ἀνόνητος ἔσται τοῖς ἔχουσιν, εἰ μὴ Χριστῷ προσέλθωσιν διὰ πίστεως, ἐν ᾗ βαπτισθέντες τοὺς ἐκ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἀποτριβόμεθα μολυσμούς. Οὐκοῦν κἂν εἴ τις ἑκατὸν ἐτῶν ὑπάρχων τὴν ἐν νόμῳ λαβὼν τελειότητα, καὶ τελευτήσειεν ἁμαρτωλὸς, τὴν ἐν Χριστῷ μὴ προσηκάμενος πίστιν, ἔσται ἐπικατάρατος, ταῖς τοῦ νόμου παραβάσεσιν ἔνοχος ὢν, ἐν ᾧ μηδεὶς τοσοῦτον κατώρθωσεν, ὡς ὑπὸ παράβασιν μὴ πεσεῖν. "Πάντες γὰρ, φησὶν, ἥμαρτον, καὶ ὑστεροῦνται τῆς δόξης τοῦ Θεοῦ, δικαιούμενοι δωρεὰν τῇ αὐτοῦ χάριτι." Τοιγαροῦν ἐν τῷ νόμῳ Παῦλος τελειωθεὶς, σκύβαλα ἡγήσατο τὰ ἐν νόμῳ, ἵνα Χριστὸν κερδάνῃ, καὶ εὑρεθῇ ἐν αὐτῷ μὴ ἔχων τὴν ἑαυτοῦ δικαιοσύνην, τοῦτ' ἔστι τὴν ἐν νόμῳ, ἀλλὰ τὴν διὰ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Καὶ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους μεμφόμενος λέγει· "Ἀγνοοῦντες γὰρ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην, καὶ τὴν ἰδίαν βουλόμενοι στῆσαι, τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐχ ὑπετάγησαν. Τέλος γὰρ νόμου Χριστὸς εἰς δικαιοσύνην παντὶ τῷ πιστεύοντι." Καὶ πάλιν· "Εἰδότες δὲ, ὅτι οὐ δικαιοῦται ἄνθρωπος ἐξ ἔργων νόμου, ἐὰν μὴ διὰ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ ἡμεῖς εἰς Χριστὸν πεπιστεύκαμεν." ∆ιὸ κατάρα Χριστὸς ἐλέχθη τῆς τοῦ νόμου κατάρας ῥυόμενος, ἐν ᾧ ἐστι τὸ, "Ἐπι 2696 κατάρατος πᾶς, ὃς οὐκ ἐμμένει πᾶσι τοῖς γεγραμμένοις ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τούτῳ, τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτά." Τινὲς δὲ τὸ, Οὐ μὴ γένηται ἐκεῖ ἄωρος, καὶ πρεσβύτης, οὕτως ἐξηγήσαντο· Πάντες γὰρ τυχόντες τῆς ἐμῆς ἀναστάσεως, ἔσονται τέλειοι, καὶ τὰς ψυχὰς ἀκμαῖοι, ὡς μηδὲν ἀτελές τε καὶ νήπιον, μήτε δὲ γεγηρακὸς εἶναι, ἡλικιῶται δὲ πάντες, ὡς ὑφ' ἕνα καιρὸν τευξόμενοι τῆς ἀναστάσεως, καὶ μιᾶς παλιγγενεσίας μεθέξοντες. Τέλειος οὖν ὁ σωζόμενος ἔσται νέος, καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ἡλικίας ἕξει τὸν ἀπολλύμενον. Ἅμα γὰρ πάντες ἀναστάντες, σωτηρίᾳ καὶ κολάσει διαιρεθήσονται, τῶν ἐν κακίᾳ τελείων καταράτων ἐσομένων, καὶ τῇ ἰδίᾳ τελευτώντων ἁμαρτίᾳ. Ὅτε καὶ πάντες, ἃς διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἑαυτοῖς προεξένησαν, κομιοῦνται μονὰς, καὶ τῶν ἰδίων ἀπολαύσονται πόνων, καρποὺς ἰδίους τρεφόμενοι, μηκέτι δεδιότες μήπως ἀλλότριοι τοὺς πόνους αὐτῶν ἀφαρπάσωνται. Ἐν ἀτελευτήτῳ δὲ διάξουσιν εὐζωΐᾳ, κατὰ τὰς ἡμέρας τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς· ὃ καὶ δηλοῖ τὰς ἐπαγγελίας ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ γενήσεσθαι, καὶ τὸν τυχόντα τούτων ὑπάρξειν ἀθάνατον, μὴ παλαιούμενον· ἢ δι' ἑτέραν αὖθις μετάστασιν ἑτέροις τοὺς ἑαυτῶν καταλιπόντες πόνους. Τινὲς δὲ καὶ ταῦτα τῷ καιρῷ τῆς πρώτης ἐπιδημίας ἀπέδωκαν, ὅτε πάντες εἰρήνης ἀπολαύουσι, καὶ χρηστότητος, οἱ ἐν Χριστῷ διὰ πίστεως κατηραμένοι, μηκέτι πολέμοις καὶ συμφοραῖς δι' ἀσέβειαν, ὡς οἱ πάλαι, παραδιδόμενοι, μηδὲ ζημίαν ὑπομένοντες τῶν αὐτοῖς πεπονημένων, πνευματικῶς ἐντρυφῶντες δὲ τοῖς ἑαυτῶν κατορθώμασιν. Οὓς οὐδεὶς ἀπελάσει τῆς παρὰ τῷ Πατέρι δεδομένης μονῆς ζωὴν ἔχοντας ἁγίαν, κατὰ τὴν πρὸ τῆς Ἀδὰμ παραβάσεως. Καὶ τὰ ἔργα, φησὶ, τῶν πόνων αὐτῶν οὐ παλαιώσουσιν· τοῦτ' ἔστιν, ἀμετάβλητον ἕξουσι τὴν τῶν πρακτέων ὁδόν. Ἡ γὰρ νομικὴ, σκιώδης οὖσα, μεταβολὴν ἐκ τύπων εἰς ἀλήθειαν ὑπεδέξατο. Ἡ δὲ κατὰ Χριστὸν ὁδὸς, ὡς ἀληθὴς, ἀμετάβλητος· τῆς μὴ παλαιότητος ἐνταῦθα τὸ διηνεκὲς δηλούσης, ὅπερ οὐκ ἔσχον ἐκεῖνοι. Πρὸς γὰρ Χριστὸν εἴρηται τὸ, "Ἡ δικαιοσύνη σου, δικαιοσύνη εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ ὁ νόμος σου ἀλήθεια." Ταῦτα δὲ Θεὸς οὐ τοῖς τυχοῦσιν ἐπαγγέλλεται, οὐ δὲ τοῖς κλητοῖς. Πολλοὶ γὰρ κλητοὶ, ὀλίγοι δὲ ἐκλεκτοί· δι' ὅνπερ φησίν· Οἱ ἐκλεκτοί μου οὐ κοπιάσουσιν εἰς κενόν. Οἱ γὰρ πάλαι τῶν Ἰουδαίων καθηγηταὶ, διδάσκοντες ἐντάλματα ἀνθρώπων,