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QUESTION 71.

Since in some of the copies of the Apostle it is contained that, “We shall all indeed sleep, but we shall not all be changed;” but in some, that, “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed;” I ask to learn which of the versions one should approve, and what is signified by these.

Answer. I think that according to either of the versions, since also the ancient of the copies

contain the two; one who understands them piously will not fall away from the apostolic aim. According to the one, We shall all sleep, but we shall not all be changed, one must understand it thus, that we shall all indeed endure the sleep of death; but we shall not all exchange glory and confidence; which the same Apostle puts more clearly in another place, saying, If indeed being clothed, we shall not be found naked. But according to the one, We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, one must interpret it thus, that 'We shall not all sleep' the temporal sleep, so as to need burial and dissolution into corruption; but those found then will endure a brief death, not needing temporal sleep, on account of the (845) resurrection happening immediately; but all will be changed, that is, they will put on incorruptibility.

QUESTION 72.

Why is it that, when Luke says in the Acts concerning Paul, that “He was hastening, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost,” he appears to have knelt, which is forbidden by the canons.

Answer. He is not speaking about the Pentecost itself, on which the Spirit descended; but because the

fifty days are called the days of Pentecost, Paul hastened to be in Jerusalem for the first day after Pascha; as it is clear that he bent the knee during the fasts.

QUESTION 73.

What is the meaning of, “Whoever builds on this foundation gold, or silver, or precious stones; wood, hay, stubble; the fire will test them. If anyone’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward; if anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire?”

Answer. The foundation is the faith of Christ. And one builds on it, as gold,

the theological mystagogy; as silver, the transparent life; as precious stones, pious thoughts; as wood, attachment to sensible things; as hay, one nourished on irrationality; as stubble, one who works corruption. And for those who have good works, the day of knowledge [discernment] reveals that their revelation has happened in fire, that is, in the spirit. But in the case of sinners, the works are burned, with the discernment justifying (848) the conscience, and diminishing the sins, and saving the man; but causing loss of the previous

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ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙ ΟΑ΄.

Ἐπειδή κατά τινα τῶν ἀντιγράρων τοῦ Ἀποστόλου περιέχεται, ὅτι "Πάντες μέν κοιμηθησόμεθα, οὐ πάντες δέ ἀλλαγησόμεθα· " κατά τινα δέ, ὅτι "Πάντες μέν οὐ κοιμηθησόμεθα, πάντες δέ ἀλλαγησόμεθα· " παρακαλῶ μαθεῖν, ποίαν χρή τῶν ἐκδόσεων ἐγκρῖναι· καί τί τά ἐκ τούτων δηλούμενα.

Ἀπόκρισις. Οἶμαι ὅτι καθ᾿ ἑκατέραν τῶν ἐκδόσεων, ἐπειδή καί τά ἀρχαῖα τῶν ἀντιγράφων

τά δύο περιέχουσιν· εὐσεβῶς δή τις ἐκλαμβάνων, τοῦ ἀποστολικοῦ οὐκ ἀποπεσεῖται σκοποῦ. Κατά μέν τό, Πάντες κοιμηθησόμεθα, οὐ πάντες δέ ἀλλαγησόμεθα, οὕτω χρή νοεῖν, ὅτι πάντες μέν τήν διά θανάτου κοίμησιν ὑπομενοῦμεν· οὐ πάντες δέ τήν δόξαν καί τήν παῤῥησίαν ἀνταλλαξόμεθα· ὅπερ ὁ αὐτός Ἀπόστολος ἐν ἄλλῳ σαφέστερον τίθησι, φάσκων, Εἴπερ καί ἐνδυσάμενοι, καί οὐ γυμνοί εὑρεθησόμεθα. Κατά δέ τό, Οὐ πάντες μέν κοιμηθησόμεθα, πάντες δέ ἀλλαγησόμεθα, οὕτως χρή ἐκδέχεσθαι, ὅτι Πάντες μέν οὐ κοιμηθησόμεθα τήν χρονικήν κοίμησιν, ὥστε δεηθῆναι ταφῆς καί λύσεως τῆς εἰς φθοράν· ἀλλά σύντομον τόν θάνατον οἱ τότε εὑρισκόμενοι ὑπομενοῦσι, μή δεόμενοι χρονικῆς κοιμήσεως, διά τήν (845) παραυτίκα γινομένην ἀνάστασιν· πάντες δέ ἀλλαγήσονται, τουτέστι, τήν ἀφθαρσίαν ἐνδύσονται.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΟΒ΄.

Τί δήποτε τοῦ λέγοντος τοῦ Λουκᾶ ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσι περί τοῦ Παύλου, ὅτι "Ἔσπευδεν, εἰ δυνατόν ἦν αὐτῶ ποιῆσαι τήν ἡμέραν τῆς Πεντηκοστῆς εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα," φαίνεται γονυκλισίας ποιήσας, ὅ τοῖς κανόσιν ἀπηγόρευται.

Ἀπόκρισις. Οὐ περί αὐτῆς τῆς Πεντηκοστῆς, ἐν ᾗ τό Πνεῦμα κατῆλθε, λέγει· ἀλλ᾿ ἐπειδή αἱ

πεντήκοντα ἡμέραι, ἡμέραι λέγονται τῆς Πεντηκοστῆς, ἔσπευσεν ὁ Παῦλος τήν ἀπό τῆς Πασχαλίας πρώτην ἡμέραν ποιῆσαι εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα· ὡς δῆλόν ἐστιν, ὅτι ἐν ταῖς νηστείαις ἔκλινε γόνυ.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΟΓ΄.

Τί ἐστιν, "Ὅστις ἐποικοδομεῖ ἐπί τόν θεμέλιον τοῦτον χρυσόν, ἤ ἄργυρον, ἤ λίθους τιμίους· ξύλα, χόρτον, καλάμην· τό πῦρ αὐτά δοκιμάσει. Εἴ τινος οὖν τό ἔργον μενεῖ ὅ ἐπῳκοδόμησε, μισθόν λήψεται· εἴ τινος δέ τό ἔργον κατακαήσεται, ζημιωθήσεται· αὐτός δέ σωθήσεται, οὕτως δέ, ὡς διά πυρός;"

Ἀπόκρισις. Θεμέλιός ἐστιν ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ πίστις. Ἐποικοδομεῖ δέ τις ἐν αὐτῇ, χρυσόν μέν,

τήν θεολογικήν μυσταγωγίαν· ὡς ἄργυρον δέ, τόν διαφανῆ βίον· λίθους δέ τιμίους, τούς εὐσεβεῖς λογισμούς· ξύλα δέ, τήν περί τά αἰσθητά προσπάθειαν· χόρτον δέ, ὁ τήν ἀλογίαν τρεφόμενος· καλάμην δέ, ὁ τήν φθοράν ἐργαζόμενος. Καί ἐπί μέν τῶν ἐχόντων τάς ἀγαθάς πράξεις, ἡ τῆς γνώσεως [διαγνώσεως] ἡμέρα δηλοῖ, ὅτι ἐν πυρί, τουτέστιν ἐν τῷ πνεύματι, γέγονεν ἡ τούτων ἀποκάλυψις. Ἐν δέ τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσι, τά ἔργα κατακαίονται, τῆς διαγνώσεως διακαιούσης (848) τήν συνείδησιν, καί μειούσης τάς ἁμαρτίας, καί σωζούσης τόν ἄνθρωπον· ζημιούσης δέ τοῦ προλαβόντος