442

1. Then, when? When He said these things; when He silenced them; when He made it so that

they no longer dared to test Him; when He showed they were incorrigible. And since he had mentioned Lord and Lord, he runs back again to the law. And yet the law said nothing of the sort, it says; but, The Lord your God, the Lord is one. But Scripture calls the whole Old Testament the law. And He says these things, showing through it all His great unanimity with the one who begat Him. For if He were opposed, He would have said the opposite about the law; but as it is, He commands that such great reverence be shown for it, that even when its teachers were corrupt, He commands them to hold fast to it. And here He discourses both on life and on conduct, since this was the chief cause of their unbelief, their corrupt life and love of glory. Therefore, correcting the hearers, which is first and foremost conducive to salvation, not to despise the teachers, nor to rise up against the priests, this He commands with abundance. And not only does He command it, but He also does it Himself. For even though they are corrupt, He does not remove them from their honor; working out for them a greater judgment, but for the disciples, leaving no excuse for disobedience. For so that no one may say, "Because the teacher is wicked, for this reason I have become more careless;" He removes this excuse also. Thus He established their authority, even though they were wicked, so that even after such an accusation He could say: All things whatsoever they bid you do, do. For they do not speak their own things, but the things of God, which He ordained through Moses. And see how much honor He shows to Moses, again showing His harmony with the Old [Testament], since indeed from this He makes them worthy of respect. For they sat on Moses' seat, He says. For since He could not make them credible from their life, He does this from what was possible, from the seat and from his succession. But when you hear "all things," do not hear the whole legislation; such as, the things concerning foods, the things concerning sacrifices, and all such things; for how was He going to say these things, which He had previously abolished? But He says, "All things" that correct character and improve conduct, and which are in agreement with the laws of the New [Testament], and do not allow one to remain under the yoke of the law. Why then does He not decree these things from the law of grace, but from Moses? Because it was not yet time before the cross to discuss these things clearly. But it seems to me that in addition to what has been said He is also providing for 58.668.10 something else by saying these things. For since He is about to accuse them, so that He might not seem to the foolish to desire this authority of theirs, or to be doing these things out of hatred, He first removes this, and having made Himself free from suspicion, He then begins the accusation. And for what reason does He convict them, and then deliver long discourses against them? To guard the crowds, so that they might not fall into the same things. For it is not the same to forbid, and to point out those who have stumbled; just as it is not the same to exhort to do what is right, and to bring forward those who have succeeded. For this reason He says beforehand: But do not do according to their works. For so that they may not think that because they listen to them, they must also imitate them, He uses this additional correction, and makes what seems to be their honor into an accusation. For what could be more wretched for a teacher, than when his disciples are saved by not paying attention to his life? So that what seems to be their honor is the greatest accusation, when they are seen to have such a life, that those who imitate it are corrupted. For this reason He also launches into accusations against them. But not for this reason only, but also to show that both their former unbelief in which they disbelieved, and the cross after this which they dared, is not a charge against the one who was crucified and disbelieved, but an accusation of their own ignorance. But see from where He begins, and from where He increases the charges. That they say, He says, and do not do. For everyone who transgresses the law is worthy of accusation, but especially one who has the authority of teaching; for doubly

442

αʹ. Τότε, πότε; Ὅτε ταῦτα εἶπεν· ὅτε αὐτοὺς ἐπεστόμισεν· ὅτε ἔστησεν εἰς τὸ

μηκέτι τολμᾷν πειράζειν αὐτόν· ὅτε ἔδειξεν ἀνιάτως ἔχοντας. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ κυρίου καὶ κυρίου ἐμνημόνευσε, πάλιν ἐπὶ τὸν νόμον ἀνατρέχει. Καίτοιγε ὁ νόμος τοιοῦτον οὐδὲν εἶπε, φησίν· ἀλλὰ Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου, Κύριος εἷς ἐστιν. Ἀλλὰ νόμον ἡ Γραφὴ τὴν Παλαιὰν ἅπασαν καλεῖ. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγει, δεικνὺς διὰ πάντων τὴν πολλὴν πρὸς τὸν γεγεννηκότα ὁμόνοιαν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐναντίος ἦν, τοὐναντίον ἂν εἶπε περὶ τοῦ νόμου· νῦν δὲ τοσαύτην περὶ αὐτὸν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι κελεύει τὴν αἰδῶ, ὡς καὶ διεφθαρμένων ὄντων τῶν διδασκόντων αὐτὸν, ἐκείνου κελεύειν ἀντέχεσθαι. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ καὶ περὶ βίου καὶ περὶ πολιτείας διαλέγεται, ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο μάλιστα αἴτιον τῆς ἀπιστίας αὐτοῖς ἦν, ὁ διεφθαρμένος βίος, καὶ ὁ τῆς δόξης ἔρως. ∆ιορθούμενος τοίνυν τοὺς ἀκροατὰς, ὃ πρῶτον μάλιστά ἐστιν εἰς σωτηρίαν συντελοῦν, τὸ τῶν διδασκάλων μὴ καταφρονεῖν, μηδὲ κατεξανίστασθαι τῶν ἱερέων, τοῦτο ἐκ περιουσίας κελεύει. Οὐ κελεύει δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς ποιεῖ. Καὶ γὰρ διεφθαρμένους ὄντας οὐ κατάγει ἀπὸ τῆς τιμῆς· ἐκείνοις μὲν πλέον τὸ κρίμα ἐργαζόμενος, τοῖς δὲ μαθητευομένοις οὐδεμίαν παραλιμπάνων παρακοῆς πρόφασιν. Ἵνα γὰρ μή τις λέγῃ, ὅτι Ἐπειδὴ φαῦλος ὁ διδάσκαλος, διὰ τοῦτο ῥᾳθυμότερος γέγονα· καὶ ταύτην ἀναιρεῖ τὴν πρόφασιν. Οὕτω γοῦν αὐτῶν ἔστησε τὴν ἀρχὴν, καίτοι πονηρῶν ὄντων, ὡς καὶ μετὰ τοσαύτην κατηγορίαν εἰπεῖν· Πάντα ὅσα ἂν λέγωσιν ὑμῖν ποιεῖν, ποιεῖτε. Οὐ γὰρ τὰ ἑαυτῶν λέγουσιν, ἀλλὰ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἃ διὰ Μωϋσέως ἐνομοθέτησε. Καὶ σκόπει πόσῃ περὶ τὸν Μωϋσέα κέχρηται τιμῇ, πάλιν τὴν πρὸς τὴν Παλαιὰν συμφωνίαν ἐνδεικνύμενος, ὅπου γε καὶ ἐντεῦθεν αὐτοὺς αἰδεσίμους ποιεῖ. Ἐπὶ γὰρ τῆς Μωϋσέως καθέδρας ἐκάθισαν, φησίν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὐκ εἶχεν αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ βίου ἀξιοπίστους ποιῆσαι, ἀπὸ τῶν ἐγχωρούντων τοῦτο ποιεῖ, τῆς καθέδρας καὶ τῆς ἐκείνου διαδοχῆς. Πάντα δὲ ὅταν ἀκούσῃς, μὴ πᾶσαν ἄκουε τὴν νομοθεσίαν· οἷον, τὰ περὶ βρωμάτων, τὰ περὶ θυσιῶν, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα· πῶς γὰρ ἔμελλε ταῦτα λέγειν, ἃ προλαβὼν ἀνεῖλεν; ἀλλὰ Πάντα φησὶ τὰ διορθοῦντα ἦθος, καὶ βελτίω ποιοῦντα τρόπον, καὶ τοῖς τῆς Καινῆς συμβαίνοντα νόμοις, καὶ οὐκ ἀφιέντα λοιπὸν ὑπὸ τὸν τοῦ νόμου ζυγὸν εἶναι. ∆ιατί οὖν οὐκ ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου τῆς χάριτος ταῦτα θεσπίζει, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τοῦ Μωϋσέως; Ὅτι οὐδέπω καιρὸς ἦν πρὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ ταῦτα σαφῶς διαλέγεσθαι. Ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκεῖ πρὸς τοῖς εἰρημένοις καὶ ἕτερόν τι προ 58.668.10 οικονομεῖν, ταῦτα λέγων. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ μέλλει κατηγορεῖν αὐτῶν, ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ παρὰ τοῖς ἀνοήτοις τῆς ἀρχῆς αὐτῶν ταύτης ἐρᾷν, ἢ δι' ἀπέχθειαν ταῦτα ποιεῖν, πρῶτον τοῦτο ἀναιρεῖ, καὶ ἀνύποπτον ἑαυτὸν ποιήσας, τότε ἄρχεται τῆς κατηγορίας. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν αὐτοὺς ἐλέγχει, καὶ μακροὺς λοιπὸν ἀποτείνει λόγους κατ' αὐτῶν; Προφυλαττόμενος τοὺς ὄχλους, ὥστε μὴ τοῖς αὐτοῖς περιπεσεῖν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὅμοιον ἀπαγορεύειν, καὶ τοὺς πταίσαντας δεικνύναι· ὥσπερ οὐχ ὅμοιον παραινεῖν τὰ δέοντα, καὶ τοὺς κατορθοῦντας εἰς μέσον ἄγειν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ προλαβών φησι· Κατὰ δὲ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν μὴ ποιεῖτε. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ νομίσωσι διὰ τὸ ἀκούειν αὐτῶν, δεῖν αὐτοὺς καὶ ζηλοῦν, ταύτῃ κέχρηται τῇ ἐπιδιορθώσει, καὶ τὴν δοκοῦσαν αὐτῶν τιμὴν εἶναι κατηγορίαν ποιεῖται. Τί γὰρ διδασκάλου γένοιτ' ἂν ἀθλιώτερον, ὅταν τοὺς μαθητὰς τὸ μὴ προσέχειν αὐτοῦ τῷ βίῳ διασώζῃ; Ὥστε ἡ δοκοῦσα αὐτῶν εἶναι τιμὴ, μεγίστη κατηγορία ἐστὶν, ὅταν τοιοῦτον φαίνωνται βίον ἔχοντες, ὃν οἱ ζηλοῦντες διαφθείρονται. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ εἰς τὰς κατ' αὐτῶν ἐμπίπτει κατηγορίας. Οὐ διὰ τοῦτο δὲ μόνον, ἀλλ' ἵνα δείξῃ, ὅτι καὶ ἡ προτέρα ἀπιστία ἢν ἠπίστησαν, καὶ ὁ σταυρὸς ὁ μετὰ ταῦτα ὃν ἐτόλμησαν, οὐ τοῦ σταυρωθέντος καὶ ἀπιστηθέντος ἔγκλημα, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐκείνων ἀγνωμοσύνης κατηγορία. Θέα δὲ πόθεν ἄρχεται, καὶ πόθεν αὔξει τὰ ἐγκλήματα; Ὅτι λέγουσι, φησὶ, καὶ οὐ ποιοῦσιν. Ἕκαστος μὲν γὰρ ἐγκλημάτων ἄξιος, παραβαίνων τὸν νόμον, μάλιστα δὲ ὁ διδασκαλίας αὐθεντίαν ἔχων· διπλῇ γὰρ