Lecture X.

On the Clause, and in One Lord Jesus Christ, with a Reading from the First Epistle to the Corinthians

 For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or on earth  1  1 Cor. viii. 5, 6. Cyril omits the clause: as there be gods many and lords many.  ; yet to us there is One God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and One Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through Him. 

1. They who have been taught to believe “In One God the Father Almighty,” ought also to believe in His Only-begotten Son. For  he that denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father  2  1 John ii. 23. .  I am the Door  3  Ib. x. 9. , saith Jesus;  no one cometh unto the Father but through Me  4  Ib. xiv. 6. . For if thou deny the Door, the knowledge concerning the Father is shut off from thee.  No man knoweth the father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son shall reveal Him  5  Matt. xi. 27. . For if thou deny Him who reveals, thou remainest in ignorance. There is a sentence in the Gospels, saying,  He that believeth not on the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.  6  John iii. 36. For the Father hath indignation when the Only-begotten Son is set at nought. For it is grievous to a king that merely his soldier should be dishonoured; and when one of his nobler officers or friends is dishonoured, then his anger is greatly increased: but if any should do despite to the king’s only-begotten son himself, who shall appease the father’s indignation on behalf of his only-begotten son?

2. If, therefore, any one wishes to shew piety towards God, let him worship the Son, since otherwise the Father accepts not his service. The Father spake with a loud voice from heaven, saying,  This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased  7  Matt. iii. 17. . The Father was well pleased; unless thou also be well pleased in Him, thou hast not life. Be not thou carried away with the Jews when they craftily say, There is one God alone; but with the knowledge that God is One, know that there is also an Only-begotten Son of God. I am not the first to say this, but the Psalmist in the person of the Son saith,  The Lord said unto Me, Thou art My Son  8  Ps. ii. 7. . Heed not therefore what the Jews say, but what the Prophets say. Dost thou wonder that they who stoned and slew the Prophets, set at nought the Prophets’ words?

3. Believe thou In One Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Son of God. For we say “One Lord Jesus Christ,” that His Sonship may be “Only-begotten:” we say “One,” that thou mayest not suppose another: we say “One,” that thou mayest not profanely diffuse the many names  9  τὸ πολυώνυμον, a word used by the Greek Poets of their gods, as by Homer (Hymn to Demeter, 18, 32) of Zeus, Κρόνου πολυώνυμος υἱός. Cf. Soph. Ant. 1115; Æschyl. Prom. V. 210. of His action among many sons. For He is called a Door  10  John x. 7, 9. Cyril calls Christ a “spiritual,” or “rational” (λογική) door, and applies the same term to His sheep, below. Origen (In Evang. Joh. Tom. i. cap. 29): Θύρα ὁ Σωτηρ ἀναγέγραπται, ibid. φιλάνθρωπος δὲ ὢν…ποιμὴν γινεται. ; but take not the name literally for a thing of wood, but a spiritual, a living Door, discriminating those who enter in. He is called a Way  11  John xiv. 6. , not one trodden by feet, but leading to the Father in heaven; He is called a Sheep  12  Ib. i. 29; Is. liii. 7, 8; Acts viii. 32. , not an irrational one, but the one which through its precious blood cleanses the world from its sins, which is led before the shearers, and knows when to be silent. This Sheep again is called a Shepherd, who says,  I am the Good Shepherd  13  John x. 11. : a Sheep because of His manhood, a Shepherd because of the loving-kindness of His Godhead. And wouldst thou know that there are rational sheep? the Saviour says to the Apostles,  Behold, I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves  14  Matt. x. 10, 16. . Again, He is called a Lion  15  Gen. xlix. 9; Apoc. v. 5. , not as a devourer of men, but indicating as it were by the title His kingly, and stedfast, and confident nature: a Lion He is also called in opposition to the lion our adversary, who roars and devours those who have been deceived  16  1 Pet. v. 8. . For the Saviour came, not as having changed the gentleness of His own nature, but as the strong  Lion of the tribe of Judah  17  Ps. cxviii. 22. , saving them that believe, but treading down the adversary. He is called a Stone, not a lifeless stone, cut out by men’s hands, but a  chief corner-stone  18  Is. xxviii. 16; 1 Pet. ii. 4–6. , on whom  whosoever believeth shall not be put to shame .

4. He is called Christ, not as having been anointed by men’s hands, but eternally anointed by the Father to His High-Priesthood on behalf of men  19  The reading of the earlier Editions ὑπὲρ ἀνθρώπων is free from all difficulty, and so the more likely to have been substituted for what is at first sight more difficult ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον, the reading of Cod. Coislin. adopted by the Benedictine and subsequent Editors. The idea of a super-human Priesthood to which the Son in His Divine nature was anointed by the Father from eternity is repeated by Cyril in § 14 of this Lecture, and in Cat. xi. 1, 14. See Index, “Priesthood,” and the reference there given to a fuller consideration of the subject in the Introduction. . He is called Dead, not as having abode among the dead, as all in Hades, but as being alone  free among the dead  20  Ps. lxxxviii. 5. . He is called Son of Man, not as having had His generation from earth, as each of us, but as coming upon the clouds To Judge Both Quick and Dead11341134 John v. 27. Comparing what Cyril says here with Cat. iv. 15, and xv. 10, we see that he means to explain why Christ is called the “Son of Man” when “He cometh again from heaven,” and “no more from earth.” The preceding clause refers to His first coming in the flesh, as differing in the manner of His conception and birth from other men.. He is called Lord, not improperly as those who are so called among men, but as having a natural and eternal Lordship  21  Cf. Athanas. (c. Arian. II. xv. 14), “That very Word who was by nature Lord, and was then made man, hath by means of a servant’s form been made Lord of all and Christ.” . He is called Jesus by a fitting name, as having the appellation from His salutary healing. He is called Son, not as advanced by adoption, but as naturally begotten. And many are the titles of our Saviour; lest, therefore, His manifold appellations should make thee think of many sons, and because of the errors of the heretics, who say that Christ is one, and Jesus another, and the Door another, and so on  22  Cf. Irenæus (III. xvi. 8): “All therefore are outside the Dispensation, who under pretence of knowledge understand that Jesus was one, and Christ another, and the Only-begotten another (from whom again is the Word), and the Saviour another.” The Cerinthians, Ebionites, Ophites, and Valentinians are mentioned by Irenæus as thus separating the Christ from Jesus. , the Faith secures thee beforehand, saying well, In One Lord Jesus Christ: for though the titles are many, yet their subject is one.

5. But the Saviour comes in various forms to each man for his profit  23  Cf. Athanas. (Epist. X.): “Since He is rich and manifold, He varies Himself according to the individual capacity of each soul.” . For to those who have need of gladness He becomes a Vine; and to those who want to enter in He stands as a Door; and to those who need to offer up their prayers He stands a mediating High Priest. Again, to those who have sins He becomes a Sheep, that He may be sacrificed for them.  He is made all things to all men  24  1 Cor. ix. 22. , remaining in His own nature what He is. For so remaining, and holding the dignity of His Sonship in reality unchangeable, He adapts Himself to our infirmities, just as some excellent physician or compassionate teacher; though He is Very Lord, and received not the Lordship by advancement  25  ἐκ προκοπῆς. We learn from Athanasius (c. Arian. i. 37, 38, 40), that from St. Paul’s language Philipp. ii. 9: “Wherefore also God highly exalted Him, &c.,” and from Ps. xlv. 7: “Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows,” the Arians argued that Christ first received Divine honour as Son and Lord as the reward of His obedience as Man. Athanasius replies (c. 40): “He was not from a lower state promoted; but rather, existing as God, He took the form of a servant, and in taking it was not promoted but humbled Himself. Where then is there here any reward of virtue, or what advancement (προκοπή) and promotion in humiliation?” The same doctrine had been previously held by the disciples of Paul of Samosata, who said that Christ was not originally God, but after His Incarnation was by advance (ἐκ προκοπῆς) made God, from being made by nature a mere man: see Athanas. (de Decretis, § 24, c. Arian. i. 38). S. Cyril refers to the error and uses the same word, in xi. 1, 7, 13, 15, 17, and xiv. 27. , but has the dignity of His Lordship from nature, and is not called Lord improperly  26  καταχρηστικῶς, i.e. in a secondary or metaphorical sense. Cf. vii. 5. , as we are, but is so in verity, since by the Father’s bidding  27  νεύματι, “command” or “bidding,” as expressed by nodding the head. He is Lord of His own works. For our lordship is over men of equal rights and like passions, nay often over our elders, and often a young master rules over aged servants. But in the case of our Lord Jesus Christ the Lordship is not so: but He is first Maker, then Lord  28  Origen (De Principiis, I. ii. 10) had argued that “even God cannot be called omnipotent, unless there exist those over whom He may exercise His power,” and therefore creation must have been eternal, or God could not have been eternally Omnipotent. In other passages Origen declares it an impiety to hold that matter is co-eternal with God (De Princip. II. i. 4), and yet maintains that there were other worlds before this, and that there was never a time when there was no world existing. Methodius, in a fragment of his work On things Created, preserved by Photius, and quoted by Bishop Bull (Def. Fid. Nic. II. xiii. 9), argues against these theories of Origen, that in John i. 2 the words “The same was in the beginning with God” indicate the authority (τὸ ἐξουσιαστικόν) of the Word which He had with the Father before the world came into existence; since from all eternity God the Father, together with His Word, possessed the Almighty power whereby whenever He would He could create worlds to rule over. Dean Church remarks that “On the other hand Tertullian, contra Hermog. 3, considering the attributes in question to belong not to the Divine Nature, but Office, denies that God was Almighty (Lord?) from eternity; while the Greeks affirmed this (vid. Cyril Alex. in Joann. xvii. 8, p. 963; Athan. Orat. ii. 12–14), as understanding by the term the inherent but latent attribute of doing what He had not yet done, τὸ ἐξουσιαστικόν.” Cleopas, the Jerusalem Editor, regards the passage as directed against Paul of Samosata, who asserted that Christ had become God, and received His kingdom and Lordship only after His Incarnation, and remarks:—“S. Cyril evidently regards the Lordship of Jesus Christ as twofold: one that which from eternity belonged to Him as God, which he calls natural, according to which ‘He was ever both Lord and King, as being by nature God’ (Cyril Alex. in Johann. cap. xvii.); and the other the Lordship in time relative to the creatures, by which He exercises dominion over the works created by Him, as being their Maker.“ : first He made all things by the Father’s will, then, He is Lord of the things which were made by Him.

6.  Christ the Lord is He who was  born in the city of David  29  Luke ii. 11. . And wouldest thou know that Christ is Lord with the Father even before His Incarnation  30  Among those who denied the Divine præ-existence of Christ Cleopas enumerates Ebion, Carpocrates, Theodotus, Artemon, Paul of Samosata, Marcellus, and Photinus. , that thou mayest not only accept the statement by faith, but mayest also receive proof from the Old Testament? Go to the first book, Genesis: God saith,  Let us make man , not ‘in My image,’ but,  in Our image  31  Gen. i. 26. . And after Adam was made, the sacred writer says,  And God created man; in the image of God created He him  32  Ib. i. 27. . For he did not limit the dignity of the Godhead to the Father alone, but included the Son also: that it might be shewn that man is not only the work of God, but also of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is Himself also Very God. This Lord, who works together with the Father, wrought with Him also in the case of Sodom, according to the Scripture:  And the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah fire and brimstone from the Lord out of heaven  33  Ib. xix. 24. . This Lord is He who afterwards was seen of Moses, as much as he was able to see. For the Lord is loving unto man, ever condescending to our infirmities.

7. Moreover, that you may be sure that this is He who was seen of Moses, hear Paul’s testimony, when he says,  For they all drank of a spiritual rock that followed them; and the rock was Christ  34  1 Cor. x. 4. . And again:  By faith Moses forsook Egypt  35  Heb. xi. 27. , and shortly after he says,  accounting the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt  36  Heb. xi. 26. Quoting from memory Cyril mistakes the order of the two sentences. . This Moses says to Him,  Shew me Thyself . Thou seest that the Prophets also in those times saw the Christ, that is, as far as each was able.  Shew me Thyself, that I may see Thee with understanding  37  Ex. xxxiii. 13. Cyril means that even before His Incarnation Christ was seen as far as was possible by Prophets such as Moses. This view was held by many of the Fathers before Cyril. See Justin M. (Tryph. § 56 ff.); Tertull. (adv. Praxean, § 16); Euseb. (Demonstr. Evang. V. 13–16). . But He saith,  There shall no man see My face, and live  38  Ex. xxxiii. 20. . For this reason then, because no man could see the face of the Godhead and live, He took on Him the face of human nature, that we might see this and live. And yet when He wished to shew even that with a little majesty, when  His face did shine as the sun  39  Matt. xvii. 2. , the disciples fell down affrighted. If then His bodily countenance, shining not in the full power of Him that wrought, but according to the capacity of the Disciples, affrighted them, so that even thus they could not bear it, how could any man gaze upon the majesty of the Godhead? ‘A great thing,’ saith the Lord, ‘thou desirest, O Moses: and I approve thine insatiable desire,  and I will do this thing  40  Ex. xxxiii. 17. Gr. λόγον, “word,” in imitation of the Hebrew idiom. for thee, but according as thou art able.  Behold, I will put thee in the clift of the rock  41  Ex. xxxiii. 22. : for as being little, thou shalt lodge in a little space.’

8. Now here I wish you to make safe what I am going to say, because of the Jews. For our object is to prove that the Lord Jesus Christ was with the Father. The Lord then says to Moses,  I will pass by before thee with My glory, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee  42  Ex. xxxiii. 19. Literally “will call in the name of the Lord (Jehovah):” compare Gen. iv. 26. . Being Himself the Lord, what Lord doth He proclaim? Thou seest how He was covertly teaching the godly doctrine of the Father and the Son. And again, in what follows it is written word for word:  And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, both keeping righteousness and shewing mercy unto thousands, taking away iniquities, and transgressions, and sins   43  Ex. xxxiv. 5–7. For “keeping righteousness and shewing mercy,” the Hebrew has only “keeping mercy.” . Then in what follows,  Moses bowed his head and worshipped  44  Ex. xxxiv. 8. before the Lord who proclaimed the Father, and said: Go Thou then, O Lord, in the midst of us  45  Ib. xxxiv. 9. .

9. This is the first proof: receive now a second plain one.  The Lord said unto my Lord, sit Thou on My right hand  46  Ps. cx. 1. Heb. “An oracle of Jehovah unto my lord.” Cyril’s argument is based upon the common mistake of supposing that Κύριος represents the same Hebrew word in both parts of the sentence. . The Lord says this to the Lord, not to a servant, but to the Lord of all, and His own Son, to whom He put all things in subjection.  But when He saith that all things are put under Him, it is manifest that He is excepted, which did put all things under Him , and what follows;  that God may be all in all  47  1 Cor. xv. 27, 28. . The Only-begotten Son is Lord of all, but the obedient Son of the Father, for He grasped not the Lordship  48  Cyril evidently alludes to Philip. ii. 6, “Who being in the form of God thought it not a prize to be on an equality with God:” for the right interpretation of which passage, see Dean Gwynn’s notes in the Speaker’s Commentary. , but received it by nature of the Father’s own will. For neither did the Son grasp it, nor the Father grudge to impart it. He it is who saith,  All things are delivered unto Me of My Father  49  Matt. xi. 27; Luke x. 22. On this text Athanasius wrote a special treatise (In illud ‘Omnia,’ &c.), against the arguments of Arius, Eusebius, and their fellows, who said,—“If all things were delivered (meaning by ‘all’ the Lordship of Creation), there was once a time when He had them not. But it He had them not, He is not of the Father, for if He were, He would on that account have had them always.” Again (contr. Arian. Orat. III. cap. xxvii. § 36), Athanasius argues: “Lest a man, perceiving that the Son has all that the Father hath, from the exact likeness and identity of what He hath, should wander into the impiety of Sabellius, considering Him to be the Father, therefore He has said, Was given unto Me, and I received, and Were delivered to Me, only to shew that He is not the Father, but the Father’s Word, and the Eternal Son, who, because of His likeness to the Father, has eternally what He has from Him, and because He is the Son, has from the Father what eternally He hath.” ; “delivered unto Me, not as though I had them not before; and I keep them well, not robbing Him who hath given them.”

10. The Son of God then is Lord: He is Lord, who was born in Bethlehem of Judæa, according to the Angel who said to the shepherds,  I bring you good tidings of great joy, that unto you is born this day in the city of David Christ the Lord  50  Luke ii. 10, 11. : of whom an Apostle says elsewhere,  The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching the gospel of peace by Jesus Christ: He is Lord of all  51  Acts x. 36. . But when he says,  of all , do thou except nothing from His Lordship: for whether Angels, or Archangels, or principalities, or powers, or any created thing named by the Apostles, all are under the Lordship of the Son. Of Angels He is Lord, as thou hast it in the Gospels,  Then the Devil departed from Him, and the Angels came and ministered unto Him  52  Matt. iv. 11. ; for the Scripture saith not, they succoured Him, but they  ministered unto Him , that is, like servants. When He was about to be born of a Virgin, Gabriel was then His servant, having received His service as a peculiar dignity. When He was about to go into Egypt, that He might overthrow the gods of Egypt made with hands  53  Isa. xix. 1. “Behold, the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud, and cometh unto Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at His presence.” The prophecy was supposed by many of the Fathers to have been fulfilled by the flight into Egypt. Cf. Athanas. (Ep. LXI. ad Maximum, § 4): “As a child He came down to Egypt, and brought to nought its idols made with hands:” and (de Incarn. § 36): “Which of the righteous men or kings went down into Egypt, so that at his coming the idols of Egypt fell?” On the passage of Isaiah see Delitzsch, and Kay (Speaker’s Commentary). , again  an Angel appeareth to Joseph in a dream  54  Matt. ii. 13. . After He had been crucified, and had risen again, an Angel brought the good tidings, and as a trustworthy servant said to the women,  Go, tell His disciples that He is risen, and goeth before you into Galilee; lo, I have told you  55  Ib. xxviii. 7. : almost as if he had said, “I have not neglected my command, I protest that I have told you; that if ye disregard it, the blame may not be on me, but on those who disregard it.” This then is the One Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the lesson just now read speaks:  For though there be many that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth , and so on,  yet to us there is One God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and One Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through Him   56  1 Cor. viii. 5, 6. .

11. And He is called by two names, Jesus Christ; Jesus, because He saves,—Christ, because He is a Priest  57  Compare Eusebius (Eccl. Hist. I. cap. iii.), a passage which Cyril seems to have followed in his explanation of the names ‘Jesus’ and ‘Christ.’ . And knowing this the inspired Prophet Moses conferred these two titles on two men distinguished above all  58  For the common reading ἐγκρίτοις πάντων Cod. Mon. I. has ἐκκρίτοις π. which is required both by the construction and the sense. The change may have been caused by the occurrence of ἐγκρίτων just below. : his own successor in the government, Auses  59  Eusebius (u.s): “His successor, therefore, who had not hitherto borne the name Jesus, but had been called by another name, Auses, which had been given him by his parents, he now called Jesus, bestowing the name upon him as a gift of honour far greater than any kingly diadem.” Auses is a common corruption of the name Oshea. See the note on the passage of Eusebius in this series. , he renamed Jesus; and his own brother Aaron he surnamed Christ  60  Eusebius: “He consecrated a man high-priest of God, in so far as that was possible, and him he called Christ.” Cf. Lev. iv. 5, 16; vi. 22: ὁ ἱερεὺς ὁ Χριστός , that by two well-approved men he might represent at once both the High Priesthood, and the Kingship of the One Jesus Christ who was to come. For Christ is a High Priest like Aaron; since He  glorified not Himself to be made a High Priest, but He that spake unto Him, Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek   61  Heb. v. 4, 5, 6. Cyril omits from his quotation the reference to Ps. ii. 7: “Thou art My Son: this day have I begotten Thee.” . And Jesus the son of Nave was in many things a type of Him. For when he began to rule over the people, he began from Jordan  62  Josh. iii. 1. , whence Christ also, after He was baptized, began to preach the gospel. And the son of Nave appoints twelve to divide the inheritance  63  Ib. xiv. 1. ; and twelve Apostles Jesus sends forth, as heralds of the truth, into all the world. The typical Jesus saved Rahab the harlot when she believed: and the true Jesus says,  Behold, the publicans and the harlots go before you into the kingdom of God  64  Matt. xxi. 31. . With only a shout the walls of Jericho fell down in the time of the type: and because Jesus said,  There shall not be left here one stone upon another  65  Matt. xxiv. 2. , the Temple of the Jews opposite to us is fallen, the cause of its fall not being the denunciation but the sin of the transgressors.

12. There is One Lord Jesus Christ, a wondrous name, indirectly announced beforehand by the Prophets. For Esaias the Prophet says,  Behold, thy Saviour cometh, having His own reward  66  Isa. lxii. 11: “Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him.” . Now Jesus in Hebrew is by interpretation  Saviour . For the Prophetic gift, foreseeing the murderous spirit of the Jews against their Lord  67  τὸ κυριοκτόνον τῶν ᾽Ιουδαίων. , veiled His name, lest from knowing it plainly beforehand they might plot against Him readily. But He was openly called Jesus not by men, but by an Angel, who came not by his own authority, but was sent by the power of God, and said to Joseph,  Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is con  ceivedin her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus  68  Matt. i. 20. . And immediately he renders the reason of this name, saying,  for He shall save His people from their sins . Consider how He who was not yet born could have a  people , unless He was in being before He was born  69  The Anathema appended to the Creed of Nicæa condemns those who said πρὶν γεννηθῆναι οὐκ ἦν. On this Eusebius of Cæsarea (Epist. § 9) remarks: “Moreover to anathematize ‘Before His generation He was not,’ did not seem preposterous, in that it is confessed by all, that the Son of God was before the generation according to the flesh.” . This also the Prophet says in His person,  From the bowels of my mother hath He made mention of My name  70  Isa. xlix. 1. ; because the Angel foretold that He should be called Jesus. And again concerning Herod’s plot again he says,  And under the shadow of His hand hath He hid Me  71  Ib. xlix. 2. .

13. Jesus then means according to the Hebrew “Saviour,” but in the Greek tongue “The Healer;” since He is physician of souls and bodies, curer of spirits, curing the blind in body  72  τυφλῶν αἰσθητῶν. , and leading minds into light, healing the visibly lame, and guiding sinners’ steps to repentance, saying to the palsied,  Sin no more , and,  Take up thy bed and walk  73  John v. 14, 8. . For since the body was palsied for the sin of the soul, He ministered first to the soul that He might extend the healing to the body. If, therefore, any one is suffering in soul from sins, there is the Physician for him: and if any one here is of little faith, let him say to Him,  Help Thou mine unbelief  74  Mark ix. 24. . If any is encompassed also with bodily ailments, let him not be faithless, but let him draw nigh; for to such diseases also Jesus ministers  75  Compare the fragment of the Apology of Quadratus presented to Hadrian 127 a.d., preserved by Eusebius (H.E. IV. iii.): “But the works of our Saviour were always present, for they were genuine:—those that were healed, and those that arose from the dead, who were seen not only when they were healed and when they were raised, but were also always present; and not merely while the Saviour was on earth, but also after His death they were alive for a long while, so that some of them survived even to our times.” See the notes on the passage of Eusebius, in this series. , and let him learn that Jesus is the Christ.

14. For that He is Jesus the Jews allow, but not further that He is Christ. Therefore saith the Apostle,  Who is the liar, but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ  76  1 John ii. 22. ? But Christ is a High Priest,  whose priesthood passes not to another  77  Heb. vii. 24. , neither having begun His Priesthood in time  78  On the opinion that Christ was from all eternity the true High Priest of the Creation, see Index, Priesthood, and the reference there given to the Introduction. Cf. x. 4: xi. 1. Athan (c. Arian. Or. ii. 12, J. H. N.). , nor having any successor in His High-Priesthood: as thou heardest on the Lord’s day, when we were discoursing in the congregation  79  The word ‘synaxis’ was used by the early Christians to distinguish their assemblies from the Jewish ‘synagogue,’ a word formed from the same root and more regularly. ‘Synaxis’ came to be used more especially of a celebration of the Eucharist. See Suicer, Thesaurus, Σύναξις. on the phrase,  After the Order of Melchizedek . He received not the High-Priesthood from bodily succession, nor was He anointed with oil prepared by man  80  σκευαστῷ, Ex. xxx. 22–25: “a perfume compounded (μυρεψικόν ) after the art of the perfumer” (R.V.). , but before all ages by the Father; and He so far excels the others as  with an oath He is made Priest:  For they are priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him that said, The Lord sware, and will not repent  81  Heb. vii. 21. . The mere purpose of the Father was sufficient for surety: but the mode of assurance is twofold, namely that with the purpose there follows the oath also,  that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong encouragement  82  Ib. vi. 18. for our faith, who receive Christ Jesus as the Son of God.

15. This Christ, when He was come, the Jews denied, but the devils confessed. But His forefather David was not ignorant of Him, when he said,  I have ordained a lamp for mine Anointed  83  Ps. cxxxii. 17. The “lamp for the Anointed” was commonly applied by the Fathers to John the Baptist. Compare John v. 35, and Bishop Westcott’s note there. : which lamp some have interpreted to be the brightness of Prophecy  84  2 Pet. i. 19. The supposed reference in the Psalm to the lamp of prophecy is mentioned by Eusebius (Demonstr. Evang. IV. cap. 16). , others the flesh which He took upon Him from the Virgin, according to the Apostle’s word,  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels  85  2 Cor. iv. 7. The reference of the ‘lamp’ to Christ’s Incarnation is mentioned by Eusebius (u.s.) and other Fathers. . The Prophet was not ignorant of Him, when He said,  and announceth unto men His Christ  86  Amos. iv. 13: “and declareth unto man what is his thought.” For ו&x#o@”־המ, ‘what is his thought,’ the LXX. read וׂחישִֹמְ, ‘His Anointed,’ τὸν Χριστὸν αὐτοῦ. . Moses also knew Him, Isaiah knew Him, and Jeremiah; not one of the Prophets was ignorant of Him. Even devils recognised Him, for He rebuked them, and the Scripture says,  because they knew that He was Christ  87  Luke iv. 41. . The Chief-priests knew Him not, and the devils confessed Him: the Chief Priests knew Him not, and a woman of Samaria proclaimed Him, saying,  Come, see a man which told me all things that ever I did. Is not this the Christ  88  John iv. 29. ?

16. This is Jesus Christ who came  a High-Priest of the good things to come  89  Heb. ix. 11. ; who for the bountifulness of His Godhead imparted His own title to us all. For kings among men have their royal style which others may not share: but Jesus Christ being the Son of God gave us the dignity of being called Christians. But some one will say, The name of “Christians” is new, and was not in use aforetime  90  οὐκ ἐπολιτεύετο, “was not in citizenship,” “not naturalised.” Cf. Sueton. Nero. cap. 16: “Christiani, genus hominum superstitionis novae et maleficae.” : and new-fashioned phrases are often objected to on the score of strangeness  91  τὸ ξένον. . The prophet made this point safe beforehand, saying,  But upon My servants shall a new name be called, which shall be blessed upon the earth  92  Isa. lxv. 15, 16. The LXX. here depart from the meaning of the Hebrew: “He shall call His servants by another name: so that he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth” (R.V.). . Let us question the Jews: Are ye servants of the Lord, or not? Shew then your new name. For ye were called Jews and Israelites in the time of Moses, and the other prophets, and after the return from Babylon, and up to the present time: where then is your new name? But we, since we are servants of the Lord, have that new name:  new indeed, but the  new name, which shall be blessed upon the earth . This name caught the world in its grasp: for Jews are only in a certain region, but Christians reach to the ends of the world: for it is the name of the Only-begotten Son of God that is proclaimed.

17. But wouldest thou know that the Apostles knew and preached the name of Christ, or rather had Christ Himself within them? Paul says to his hearers,  Or seek ye a proof of Christ that speaketh in me  93  2 Cor. xiii. 3. ? Paul proclaims Christ, saying,  For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake  94  Ib. iv. 5. . Who then is this? The former persecutor. O mighty wonder! The former persecutor himself preaches Christ. But wherefore? Was he bribed? Nay there was none to use this mode of persuasion. But was it that he saw Him present on earth, and was abashed? He had already been taken up into heaven. He went forth to persecute, and after three days the persecutor is a preacher in Damascus. By what power? Others call friends as witnesses for friends but I have presented to you as a witness the former enemy: and dost thou still doubt? The testimony of Peter and John, though weighty, was yet of a kind open to suspicion: for they were His friends. But of one who was formerly his enemy, and afterwards dies for His sake, who can any longer doubt the truth?

18. At this point of my discourse I am truly filled with wonder at the wise dispensation of the Holy Spirit; how He confined the Epistles of the rest to a small number, but to Paul the former persecutor gave the privilege of writing fourteen. For it was not because Peter or John was less that He restrained the gift; God forbid! But in order that the doctrine might be beyond question, He granted to the former enemy and persecutor the privilege of writing more, in order that we all might thus be made believers. For  all were amazed at Paul, and said,  Is not this he that was formerly a persecutor  95  Acts ix. 21. ? Did he not come hither, that he might lead us away bound to Jerusalem? Be not amazed, said Paul, I know that  it is hard for me to kick against the pricks: I know that  I am not worthy to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God  96  1 Cor. xv. 9. ; but I did it  in ignorance  97  1 Tim. i. 13. : for I thought that the preaching of Christ was destruction of the Law, and knew not that He came Himself to fulfil the Law and not to destroy it  98  Matt. v. 17. .  But the grace of God was exceeding abundant in me  99  1 Tim. i. 14. .

19. Many, my beloved, are the true testimonies concerning Christ. The Father bears witness from heaven of His Son: the Holy Ghost bears witness, descending bodily in likeness of a dove: the Archangel Gabriel bears witness, bringing good tidings to Mary: the Virgin Mother of God  100  ἡ θεοτόκος— Deipara. Gibbon (Chap. xlvii. 34) says, “It is not easy to fix the invention of this word, which La Croze (Christianisme des Indes, tom. i. p. 16) ascribes to Eusebius of Cæsarea and the Arians. The orthodox testimonies are produced by Cyril (of Alexandria) and Petavius (Dogmat. Theolog. tom. v. L. v. cap. 15, p. 254, &c.), but the veracity of the Saint is questionable, and the epithet of θεοτόκος so easily slides from the margin to the text of a Catholic ms.” This passage is justly described as “Gibbon’s calumny” by Dr. Newman: see his notes on the title θεοτόκος (Athan. c. Arian. Or. ii. cap. 12, n.; Or. iii. capp. 14, 29, 33). The word is certainly used by Origen (Deut. xxii. 13, Lommatzch. Tom. x. p. 378): “She that is already betrothed is called a wife, as also in the case of Joseph and the Theotokos.” Cf. Archelaus (Disput. cum Mane, cap. xxxiv. “qui de Maria Dei Genetrice natus est”); Eusebius (de Vita Constantini, III. cap. 43: “The pious Empress adorned with rare memorials the place of the travail of the Theotokos”). For other examples see Suicer’s Thesaurus, θεοτόκος, Pearson, Creed, Art. iii. notes l, m, n, o, and Routh, Reliq. Sacr. ii. p. 332. bears witness: the blessed place of the manger bears witness. Egypt bears witness, which received the Lord while yet young in the body  101  “Chrysostom describing the flourishing state of the Church in Egypt in those times, says: ‘Egypt welcomes and saves Him when a fugitive and plotted against, and receives a beginning as it were of its appropriation to Him, in order that when it shall hear Him proclaimed by the Apostles, it may in their day also be honoured as having been first to welcome Him’” (Cleopas). : Symeon bears witness, who received Him in his arms, and said,  Now, Lord, lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people   102  Luke ii. 29, 30. . Anna also, the prophetess, a most devout widow, of austere life, bears witness of Him. John the Baptist bears witness, the greatest among the Prophets, and leader of the New Covenant, who in a manner united both Covenants in Himself, the Old and the New. Jordan is His witness among rivers; the sea of Tiberias among seas: blind and lame bear witness, and dead men raised to life, and devils saying,  What have we to do with Thee, Jesus? we know Thee, who Thou art, the Holy One of God  103  Mark i. 24. . Winds bear witness, silenced at His bidding: five loaves multiplied into five thousand bear Him witness. The holy wood of the Cross bears witness, seen among us to this day, and from this place now almost filling the whole world, by means of those who in faith take portions from it  104  See Cat. iv. 10, note 7. . The palm-tree  105  The Bordeaux Pilgrim, who visited the Holy Places of Jerusalem, a.d. 333, c. speaks of this palm-tree as still existing. The longevity of the palm was proverbial: cf. Aristot. (De Longitudine Vitæ, c. iv. 2). on the ravine bears witness, having supplied the palm-branches to the children who then hailed Him. Gethsemane  106  The same Pilgrim (as quoted by the Benedictine Editor) says, “There is also the rock where Judas Iscariot betrayed Christ.” Compare Cat. xiii. 38. bears witness, still to the thoughtful almost shewing Judas. Golgotha  107  See Index, Golgotha. , the holy hill standing above us here, bears witness to our sight: the Holy Sepulchre bears witness, and the stone which lies there  108  See the passage of the Introduction referred to in Index, Sepulchre. to this day. The sun now shining is His witness, which then at the time of His saving Passion was eclipsed  109  See Cat. ii. 15, note 8, and xiii. 25, 34, 38. On the supernatural character of the darkness mentioned in the Gospels see Meyer, Commentary, Matt. xxvii. 45. An eclipse of the sun was of course impossible, as the moon was full. Mr. J. R. Hind (Historical Eclipses, “Times,” 19th July, 1872) states that the solar eclipse, mentioned by Phlegon the freedman of Hadrian, which occurred on Nov. 24, a.d. 29, and was partial at Jerusalem, is “the only solar eclipse that could have been visible at Jerusalem during the period usually fixed for the ministry of Christ.” He adds, “The Moon was eclipsed on the generally received date of the Crucifixion, 3 April, a.d. 33. I find she had emerged from the earth’s dark shadow a quarter of an hour before she rose at Jerusalem (6:36 p.m.), but the penumbra continued upon her disc for an hour afterwards.” Thus the “darkness from the sixth hour unto the ninth” cannot be explained as the natural effect of an eclipse either solar or lunar. : the darkness is His witness, which was then from the sixth hour to the ninth: the light bears witness, which shone forth from the ninth hour until evening. The Mount of Olives bears witness, that holy mount from which He ascended to the Father: the rain-bearing clouds are His witnesses, having received their Lord: yea, and the gates of heaven bear witness [having received their Lord  110  This clause is omitted in Codd. Mon. 1, 2, Roe, Casaub., and is probably repeated from the preceding line: such repetitions, however, are not uncommon in Cyril’s style. ], concerning which the Psalmist said,  Lift up your doors, O ye Princes, and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in  111  Ps. xxiv. 7. The first clause is mistranslated by the LXX. from whom Cyril quotes. . His former enemies bear witness, of whom the blessed Paul is one, having been a little while His enemy, but for a long time His servant: the Twelve Apostles are His witnesses, having preached the truth not only in words, but also by their own torments and deaths:  the shadow of Peter  112  Acts v. 15. bears witness, having healed the sick in the name of Christ. The handkerchiefs and aprons bear witness, as in like manner by Christ’s power they wrought cures of old through Paul  113  Ib. xix. 12. . Persians  114  The persecution of the Christians in Persia by Sapor II. is described at length by Sozomen (E.H. II. cc. ix.–xv., in this Series). It commenced in a.d. 343, and was going on at the date of these Lectures and long after. “During fifty years the Cross lay prostrate in blood and ashes” (Dict. Bib. ‘Sassanidæ’). Compare Neander, Church History, Tom. III. p 148, Bohn.) and Goths  115  The Goths here mentioned are the Gothi minores dwelling on the north of the Danube, where Ulfilas, “the Apostle of the Goths” (311–381), converted many of his countrymen to Christianity. After suffering severe persecution, he was allowed by the Constantius to take refuge with his Arian converts in Mœsia and Thrace. This migration took place in 348 a.d., the same year in which Cyril’s Lectures were delivered. , and all the Gentile converts bear witness, by dying for His sake, whom they never saw with eyes of flesh: the devils, who to this day  116  See Index, Exorcism. are driven out by the faithful, bear witness to Him.

20. So many and diverse, yea and more than these, are His witnesses: is then the Christ thus witnessed any longer disbelieved? Nay rather if there is any one who formerly believed not, let him now believe: and if any was before a believer, let him receive a greater increase of faith, by believing in our Lord Jesus Christ, and let him understand whose name he bears. Thou art called a Christian: be tender of the name; let not our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, be blasphemed through thee: but rather  let your good works shine before men  117  Matt. v. 16. that they who see them may in Christ Jesus our Lord glorify the Father which is in heaven: To whom be the glory, both now and for ever and ever. Amen.

[10]  ΚΑΤΗΧΗΣΙΣ Ιʹ ΦΩΤΙΖΟΜΕΝΩΝ, Ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις σχεδιασθεῖσα, εἰς τό: ΚΑΙ ΕΙΣ ἙΝΑ ΚΥΡΙΟΝ ΙΗΣΟΥΝ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΝ. Καὶ ἀνάγνωσις ἐκ τῆς πρὸς Κορινθίους Αʹ [ἐπιστολῆς]: Καὶ γὰρ εἴπερ εἰσὶ λεγόμενοι θεοὶ, εἴτε ἐν οὐρανῷ εἴτε ἐπὶ γῆς: ἀλλ' ἡμῖν εἷς Θεὸς, ὁ Πατὴρ, ἐξ οὗ τὰ πάντα καὶ ἡμεῖς εἰς αὐτόν: καὶ εἷς Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα καὶ ἡμεῖς δι' αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. 

Οἳ πιστεύειν ΕΙΣ ἙΝΑ ΘΕΟΝ ΠΑΤΕΡΑ ΠΑΝΤΟΚΡΑΤΟΡΑ δεδιδαγμένοι, καὶ ΕΙΣ ὙΙΟΝ ΜΟΝΟΓΕΝΗ πιστεύειν ὀφείλουσιν. Ὁ γὰρ ἀρνούμενος τὸν Υἱὸν, οὐδὲ τὸν Πατέρα ἔχει. Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ θύρα, φησὶν ὁ Ἰησοῦς: οὐδεὶς ἔρχεται πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, εἰ μὴ δι' ἐμοῦ. Ἐὰν [γὰρ] ἀρνήσῃ τὴν θύραν, ἀποκέκλεισταί σοι ἡ πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα γνῶσις. Οὐδεὶς ἐπιγινώσκει Πατέρα, εἰ μὴ ὁ Υἱὸς, καὶ ᾧ ἂν Υἱὸς ἀποκαλύψῃ: ἐὰν [γὰρ] ἀρνήσῃ τὸν ἀποκαλύπτοντα, μένεις ἐν ἀγνωσίᾳ. Ἀπόφασίς ἐστιν ἐν εὐαγγελίοις λέγουσα: Ὁ μὴ πιστεύων εἰς τὸν Υἱὸν, οὐκ ὄψεται ζωὴν, ἀλλ' ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ μένει ἐπ' αὐτόν: ἀγανακτεῖ γὰρ Πατὴρ, Υἱοῦ τοῦ μονογενοῦς ἀθετουμένου. Δεινὸν μὲν γὰρ βασιλεῖ, καὶ τὸν στρατιώτην ἁπλῶς ἀτιμασθῆναι: ὅταν δὲ τῶν ἐνδοξοτέρων τις ὑπασπιστῶν ἢ φίλων ἀτιμασθῇ, τότε προστίθεται μείζων ἡ ὀργή: ἐὰν δὲ καὶ αὐτόν τις τὸν μονογενῆ υἱὸν τοῦ βασιλέως ὑβρίσῃ, τίς παρακαλέσει πατέρα ὑπὲρ υἱοῦ μονογενοῦς ἀγανακτοῦντα;

Εἴ τις οὖν εὐσεβεῖν εἰς Θεὸν βούλεται, προσκυνείτω τὸν Υἱὸν, ἐπεὶ οὐ παραδέχεται τὴν λατρείαν ὁ Πατήρ. Πατὴρ οὐρανόθεν ἐπεφώνησε λέγων: Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητὸς, εἰς ὃν Ἐγὼ ηὐδόκησα. Εὐδόκησεν ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ: ἐὰν μὴ καὶ σὺ εὐδοκήσῃς, ζωὴν οὐκ ἔχεις. Μὴ συμπαραφέρου τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις πανούργως λέγουσι τὸ, Εἷς Θεὸς μόνος: ἀλλὰ μετὰ τοῦ εἰδέναι ὅτι εἷς Θεὸς, γίνωσκε ὅτι καὶ Υἱός ἐστι Θεοῦ μονογενής. Ἐγὼ τοῦτο πρῶτος οὐκ εἶπον, ἀλλ' ὁ ψαλμῳδὸς ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ Υἱοῦ λέγει: Κύριος εἶπε πρός με, Υἱός μου εἶ σύ. Μὴ οὖν τί λέγουσιν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι πρόσεχε, ἀλλὰ τί λέγουσιν οἱ προφῆται. Θαυμάζεις εἰ ἀθετοῦσι τῶν προφητῶν τὰ ῥήματα, οἱ τοὺς προφήτας λιθάσαντες [καὶ ἀποκτείναντες];

Σὺ πίστευε ΕΙΣ ἙΝΑ ΚΥΡΙΟΝ ΙΗΣΟΥΝ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΝ, ΤΟΝ ὙΙΟΝ ΤΟΥ ΘΕΟΥ ΤΟΝ ΜΟΝΟΓΕΝΗ. Ἕνα δὲ λέγομεν Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, ἵνα μονογενὴς ᾖ ἡ υἱότης. Ἕνα λέγομεν, ἵνα μὴ ὑπονοήσῃς ἄλλον. Ἕνα λέγομεν, ἵνα μὴ τὸ πολυώνυμον τῆς ἐνεργείας εἰς πολλοὺς υἱοὺς ἐκχέῃς δυσσεβῶς. Λέγεται γὰρ θύρα: ἀλλὰ μὴ ξυλίνην νόμιζε τὴν προσηγορίαν, ἀλλὰ θύραν λογικὴν, ζῶσαν, διακριτικὴν τῶν εἰσερχομένων. Ὁδὸς καλεῖται: οὐ ποσὶν πατουμένη, ἀλλ' ὁδηγοῦσα πρὸς τὸν ἐν οὐρανοῖς πατέρα. Πρόβατον καλεῖται: οὐκ ἄλογον, ἀλλὰ τὸ διὰ τοῦ τιμίου αἵματος [αὐτοῦ] καθαρίζον τὴν οἰκουμένην τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν, τὸ ἀγόμενον ἐνώπιον τοῦ κείροντος, καὶ γινῶσκον, πότε δεῖ σιωπᾷν. Τοῦτο τὸ πρόβατον πάλιν καλεῖται ποιμὴν, ὁ λέγων: Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν [ὁ καλός]: πρόβατον διὰ τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα, ποιμὴν διὰ τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν τῆς θεότητος. Καὶ θέλεις γνῶναι, ὅτι καὶ πρόβατά ἐστι λογικά; Λέγει τοῖς ἀποστόλοις [ὁ Σωτήρ]: Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω ὑμᾶς ὡς πρόβατα ἐν μέσῳ λύκων. Λέων πάλιν καλεῖται: οὐκ ἀνθρωποβόρος, ἀλλὰ τὸ βασιλικὸν καὶ στεῤῥὸν καὶ πεποιθὸς τῆς ὑποστάσεως διὰ τῆς προσηγορίας ὥσπερ ἐνδεικνύμενος. Λέων δὲ καλεῖται ἀπεναντίας τῷ λέοντι τῷ ἀντιδίκῳ, τῷ ὠρυομένῳ καὶ τοὺς ἠπατημένους καταπίνοντι. Ἦλθε γὰρ ὁ Σωτὴρ, οὐ μεταβαλὼν τὸ πρᾶον τῆς ἑαυτοῦ φύσεως, ἀλλ' ὡς λέων δυνατὸς ἐκ φυλῆς Ἰούδα, σώζων μὲν τοὺς πιστεύοντας, καταπατῶν δὲ τὸν ἀντίδικον. Λίθος καλεῖται: οὐκ ἄψυχος ὑπὸ χειρῶν ἀνθρώπων λατομούμενος, ἀλλὰ λίθος ἀκρογωνιαῖος, εἰς ὃν ὁ πιστεύσας οὐ καταισχυνθήσεται.

Χριστὸς καλεῖται: οὐ χερσὶν ἀνθρωπίναις κεχρισμένος, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἀϊδίως εἰς τὴν ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον ἀρχιερωσύνην χρισθείς. Νεκρὸς καλεῖται: οὐκ ἀπομείνας ἐν νεκροῖς, ὡς πάντες ἐν ᾅδῃ, ἀλλὰ μόνος ἐν νεκροῖς ἐλεύθερος. Υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου καλεῖται: οὐχ ὡς ἕκαστος ἡμῶν ἐκ γῆς τὴν γέννησιν ἐσχηκὼς, ἀλλ' ἐρχόμενος ἐπὶ τῶν νεφελῶν κρῖναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς. Κύριος καλεῖται: οὐ καταχρηστικῶς, ὡς οἱ ἐν ἀνθρώποις, [ἀλλὰ ὡς φυσικὴν καὶ ἀΐδιον ἔχων κυριείαν]. Ἰησοῦς καλεῖται φερωνύμως, ἐκ τῆς σωτηριώδους ἰάσεως ἔχων τὴν προσηγορίαν. Υἱὸς καλεῖται: οὐ θετικῶς προαχθεὶς, ἀλλὰ φυσικῶς γεννηθείς. Καὶ πολλαὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν εἰσιν αἱ προσηγορίαι. Ἵνα τοίνυν μὴ τὸ πολυώνυμον τῆς προσηγορίας πολλοὺς υἱοὺς ποιήσῃ σε νομίζειν: καὶ διὰ τὰς πλάνας τῶν αἱρετικῶν, τῶν λεγόντων, ἄλλον μὲν εἶναι τὸν Χριστὸν, ἄλλον δὲ τὸν Ἰησοῦν, ἄλλον δὲ τὴν θύραν, καὶ τὰ λοιπά: προασφαλίζεταί σε ἡ Πίστις, λέγουσα καλῶς, ΕΙΣ ἙΝΑ ΚΥΡΙΟΝ ΙΗΣΟΥΝ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΝ: εἰ γὰρ καὶ πολλαὶ αἱ προσηγορίαι, ἀλλ' ἓν τὸ ὑποκείμενον.

Ἑκάστῳ δὲ ποικίλως ὁ Σωτὴρ γίνεται πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον. Τοῖς μὲν γὰρ εὐφροσύνης χρείαν ἔχουσιν, ἄμπελος γίνεται: τοῖς δὲ χρείαν ἔχουσιν εἰσελθεῖν, ἕστηκε θύρα: καὶ τοῖς χρείαν ἔχουσι προσενέγκαι τὰς εὐχὰς, ἕστηκε μεσίτης ἀρχιερεύς. Πάλιν τοῖς ἔχουσιν ἁμαρτίας, γίνεται πρόβατον, ἵνα ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν σφαγιασθῇ: τοῖς πᾶσι γίνεται πάντα, μένων αὐτὸς κατὰ φύσιν ὅπερ ἐστίν. Μένων γὰρ καὶ ἔχων τὸ τῆς υἱότητος ἀληθῶς ἀπαράτρεπτον ἀξίωμα, κάλλιστος οἷά τις ἰατρὸς καὶ διδάσκαλος συμπαθὴς, συμπεριφέρεται ταῖς ἡμετέραις ἀσθενείαις: Κύριος ὢν κατὰ ἀλήθειαν, οὐκ ἐκ προκοπῆς τὸ κυριεύειν λαβὼν, ἀλλ' ἐκ φύσεως τὸ τῆς κυριότητος ἔχων ἀξίωμα. Καὶ οὐ καταχρηστικῶς ὡς ἡμεῖς κύριος καλούμενος, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ κύριος ὤν: ἐπειδὴ νεύματι Πατρὸς κυριεύει τῶν οἰκείων δημιουργημάτων. Ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ ἔχομεν τὸ κυριεύειν ἀνθρώπων ἰσοτίμων καὶ ὁμοιοπαθῶν, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ προγενεστέρων: καὶ νέος πολλάκις δεσπότης οἰκετῶν ἄρχει πρεσβυτέρων. Ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, τὸ κυριεύειν οὐχ οὕτως: ἀλλὰ πρῶτον ποιητὴς, εἶτα Κύριος. Πρῶτον ἐποίησε θελήματι Πατρὸς τὰ πάντα, εἶτα κυριεύει τῶν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ γενομένων.

Χριστὸς Κύριός ἐστιν, ὁ τεχθεὶς ἐν πόλει Δαβίδ. Καὶ θέλεις γνῶναι, ὅτι σὺν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεώς ἐστι Χριστὸς Κύριος: ἵνα μὴ μόνον τῇ πίστει παραδέξῃ τὸ λεγόμενον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπόδειξιν ἔχῃς ἀπὸ τῆς παλαιᾶς γραφῆς; ἐλθὲ ἐπὶ τὴν πρώτην βίβλον, τὴν Γένεσιν. Λέγει ὁ Θεός: Ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον, οὐ κατ' εἰκόνα ἐμὴν, ἀλλὰ, κατ' εἰκόνα ἡμετέραν. Καὶ μετὰ τὸ γενέσθαι τὸν Ἀδάμ, φησι: Καὶ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον: κατ' εἰκόνα Θεοῦ ἐποίησεν αὐτόν. Οὐ γὰρ περιώρισεν εἰς τὸν Πατέρα μόνον τὸ τῆς θεότητος ἀξίωμα, ἀλλὰ συμπεριέλαβε καὶ τὸν Υἱόν: ἵνα δειχθῇ, ὅτι ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὐ μόνον Θεοῦ ποίημα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, [ὄντος καὶ αὐτοῦ Θεοῦ ἀληθινοῦ]. Οὗτος ὁ Κύριος ὁ τῷ Πατρὶ συνεργαζόμενος, συνήργησε καὶ ἐπὶ Σοδόμων κατὰ τὴν λέγουσαν γραφήν: Καὶ Κύριος ἔβρεξεν ἐπὶ Σόδομα καὶ Γόμοῤῥα πῦρ καὶ θεῖον, παρὰ Κυρίου ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. Οὗτος ὁ Κύριος ὤφθη τῷ Μωϋσεῖ πάλιν, ὡς ἐδύνατο ἰδεῖν. Φιλάνθρωπος γὰρ ὁ Κύριος, ἀεὶ συμπεριφερόμενος ταῖς ἡμετέραις ἀσθενείαις.

Καὶ ἵνα γνῷς, ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τῷ Μωϋσεῖ ὀφθεὶς, δέξαι μαρτυρίαν τοῦ Παύλου λέγοντος: Ἔπινον γὰρ ἐκ πνευματικῆς ἀκολουθούσης πέτρας: ἡ δὲ πέτρα ἦν ὁ Χριστός. Καὶ πάλιν: Πίστει Μωϋσῆς κατέλιπεν Αἴγυπτον. Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα φησίν: Κρείττονα πλοῦτον ἡγησάμενος τῶν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ θησαυρῶν τὸν ὀνειδισμὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Οὗτος ὁ Μωϋσῆς φησι πρὸς αὐτόν: Ἐμφάνισόν μοι σεαυτόν. Βλέπεις, ὅτι καὶ οἱ προφῆται τότε ἔβλεπον τὸν Χριστὸν, ἀλλὰ καθὸ ἐχώρουν ἕκαστος. Ἐμφάνισόν μοι σεαυτὸν, γνωστῶς ἴδω σε. Ὁ δέ φησι: Οὐδεὶς ὄψεται τὸ πρόσωπόν μου καὶ ζήσεται. Διὰ τοῦτο τοίνυν, ἐπειδὴ τὸ τῆς θεότητος πρόσωπον οὐδεὶς ἠδύνατο ἰδεῖν ζῶν, ἀνέλαβε τὸ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος πρόσωπον, ἵνα τοῦτο ἰδόντες ζήσωμεν. Καὶ ὅτε ἠθέλησε καὶ αὐτὸ τοῦτο δεῖξαι μετ' ὀλίγης ἀξίας, ὅτε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἔλαμψεν ὡς ὁ ἥλιος, οἱ μαθηταὶ πίπτουσι φοβηθέντες. Εἰ δὲ τὸ τοῦ σώματος πρόσωπον λάμψαν, οὐ καθὸ ἠδύνατο ὁ ἐνεργῶν, ἀλλὰ καθὸ ἐχώρουν οἱ μαθηταὶ, ἐφόβησεν αὐτοὺς, καὶ ὅμως ἐνέγκαι οὐκ ἐδυνήθησαν: πῶς εἰς τὸ τῆς θεότητος ἀξίωμα ἀτενίσαι τις ἠδύνατο; Μέγα, φησὶν ὁ Κύριος, ἐπιθυμεῖς, ὦ Μωϋσῆ: καὶ ἀποδέχομαί σου τὴν ἄπληστον ἐπιθυμίαν, καὶ τοῦτόν σοι τὸν λόγον ποιήσω: ἀλλὰ καθὸ χωρεῖς. Ἰδοὺ τίθημί σε εἰς τὴν ὀπὴν τῆς πέτρας: ὡς γὰρ μικρὸς, μενεῖς ἐν μικρᾷ περιγραφῇ.

Ὧδε μοι λοιπὸν ἀσφάλισαι, διὰ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους, τὸ λεχθησόμενον. Ὁ γὰρ σκοπὸς ἡμῖν ἀποδεῖξαι, ὅτι ἦν παρὰ τῷ Πατρὶ ὁ Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστός. Λέγει τοίνυν ὁ Κύριος πρὸς τὸν Μωϋσῆν: Ἐγὼ παρελεύσομαι πρότερός σου τῇ δόξῃ μου, καὶ καλέσω ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου ἐναντίον σου. Κύριος ὢν, ποῖον κύριον καλεῖ; Βλέπεις, ὅπως ἐπικεκαλυμμένως ἐδίδασκε τὸ εὐσεβὲς περὶ Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ δίδαγμα. Καὶ πάλιν ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς αὐτολεξεὶ γέγραπται: Καὶ κατέβη Κύριος ἐν νεφέλῃ, καὶ παρέστη αὐτῷ ἐκεῖ: καὶ ἐκάλεσε τῷ ὀνόματι Κυρίου. Καὶ παρῆλθε Κύριος πρὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκάλεσεν: Κύριος, Κύριος οἰκτίρμων καὶ ἐλεήμων, μακρόθυμος καὶ πολυέλεος καὶ ἀληθινὸς, καὶ δικαιοσύνην διατηρῶν [καὶ] ποιῶν ἔλεος εἰς χιλιάδας, ἀφαιρῶν ἀνομίας καὶ ἀδικίας καὶ ἁμαρτίας. Εἶτα ἑξῆς, κύψας Μωϋσῆς καὶ προσκυνήσας ἐνώπιον τοῦ Κυρίου τοῦ καλοῦντος τὸν Πατέρα, λέγει: Συμπορεύθητι δὴ, Κύριε, μεθ' ἡμῶν.

Ἔχεις ταύτην πρώτην ἀπόδειξιν: δέξαι καὶ δευτέραν φανεράν. Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τῷ Κυρίῳ μου, Κάθου ἐξ δεξιῶν μου. Κύριος κυρίῳ ταῦτα λέγει, οὐ δούλῳ: ἀλλὰ Κυρίῳ μὲν τῶν πάντων, Υἱῷ δὲ αὐτοῦ, ᾧ πάντα ὑπέταξεν. Ὅταν δὲ εἴπῃ, ὅτι ὑποτέτακται αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα: δῆλον, ὅτι ἐκτὸς τοῦ ὑποτάξαντος αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα, [καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς]: ἵνα ᾖ ὁ Θεὸς τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσι. Κύριός ἐστι τῶν πάντων ὁ μονογενὴς Υἱός: Υἱὸς δὲ τοῦ Πατρὸς εὐπειθὴς, οὐχ ἁρπάσας τὸ κυριεύειν, ἀλλὰ παρ' αὐτοπροαιρέτου λαβὼν φυσικῶς. Οὔτε γὰρ ὁ Υἱὸς ἥρπασεν, οὔτε Πατὴρ ἐφθόνησε τῆς μεταδόσεως. Αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ λέγων: Πάντα μοι παρεδόθη ὑπὸ τοῦ Πατρός μου. Παρεδόθη μοι, οὐχ ὡς πρότερον μὴ ἔχοντι: καὶ τηρῶ καλῶς, οὐκ ἀποστερῶν τὸν παραδεδωκότα.

Κύριος τοίνυν ἐστὶν ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ: Κύριος ὁ τεχθεὶς ἐν Βηθλεὲμ τῆς Ἰουδαίας, κατὰ τὸν εἰρηκότα τοῖς ποιμέσιν ἄγγελον: Εὐαγγελίζομαι ὑμῖν χαρὰν μεγάλην, ὅτι ἐτέχθη ὑμῖν Χριστὸς Κύριος σήμερον ἐν πόλει Δαβίδ. Περὶ οὗ φησιν ἀλλαχοῦ τῶν ἀποστόλων τις: Τὸν λόγον ὃν ἀπέστειλε τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ, εὐαγγελιζόμενος εἰρήνην διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ: οὗτός ἐστι πάντων Κύριος. Ὅταν δὲ εἴπῃ τὸ, πάντων, μηδὲν ὑπεξέλῃς τῆς κυριότητος. Εἴτε γὰρ ἄγγελοι, εἴτε ἀρχάγγελοι: εἴτε ἀρχαὶ, εἴτε ἐξουσίαι: εἴτε τι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων ὀνομαζόμενον γενητὸν, πάντα ὑπὸ τὴν κυριότητα τοῦ Υἱοῦ τυγχάνει. Ἀγγέλων ἐστὶ Κύριος, καθὼς ἔχεις ἐν εὐαγγελίοις: ὅτι Τότε ἀπέστη ὁ διάβολος ἀπ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ οἱ ἄγγελοι προσῆλθον καὶ διηκόνουν αὐτῶ. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, ὅτι ἐβοήθουν αὐτῷ, ἀλλὰ, διηκόνουν αὐτῷ: ὅπερ ἐστὶ δουλικῶς. Μέλλοντος αὐτοῦ γεννᾶσθαι ἐκ παρθένου, ὑπηρέτει τότε ὁ Γαβριὴλ, οἰκεῖον ἀξίωμα λαβὼν τὴν ὑπηρεσίαν αὐτοῦ. Μέλλοντος αὐτοῦ πορεύεσθαι εἰς Αἴγυπτον, ἵνα καταλύσῃ τὰ χειροποίητα τῆς Αἰγύπτου: πάλιν ἄγγελος κατ' ὄναρ φαίνεται τῷ Ἰωσήφ. Σταυρωθέντος αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀναστάντος, ὁ ἄγγελος εὐηγγελίσατο, καὶ λέγει ταῖς γυναιξὶν ὡς καλὸς οἰκέτης: Πορευθεῖσαι εἴπατε τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ ὅτι ἀνέστη, καὶ προάγει ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν, ἰδοὺ εἶπον ὑμῖν. Μονονουχὶ τοῦτο λέγων: οὐ παρέβην τὸ πρόσταγμα, μαρτύρομαι τὸ εἰρηκέναι ὑμῖν: ἵν' ἐὰν ἀμελήσητε, μὴ κατ' ἐμοῦ ᾖ τὰ τῆς μέμψεως, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τῶν ἀμελησάντων. Οὗτος τοίνυν ἐστὶν ὁ εἷς Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, περὶ οὗ καὶ νῦν τὸ ἀνάγνωσμα λέγει: Καὶ γὰρ εἴπερ εἰσὶ λεγόμενοι θεοὶ [πολλοὶ], εἴτε ἐν οὐρανῷ, εἴτε ἐπὶ γῆς, καὶ ἑξῆς: ἡμῖν δὲ εἷς ὁ Θεὸς ὁ Πατὴρ, ἐξ οὗ τὰ πάντα καὶ ἡμεῖς εἰς αὐτόν: καὶ εἷς Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα καὶ ἡμεῖς δι' αὐτοῦ.

Ἰησοῦς δὲ Χριστὸς καλεῖται διώνυμος: Ἰησοῦς διὰ τὸ σώζειν, Χριστὸς διὰ τὸ ἱερατεύειν. Καὶ τοῦτο γινώσκων ὁ θεσπέσιος τῶν προφητῶν Μωϋσῆς, ἀνδράσι δυσὶ τοῖς πάντων ἐγκρίτοις τὰς δύο ταύτας προσηγορίας ἐχαρίσατο: τὸν μὲν οἰκεῖον τῆς ἀρχῆς διάδοχον Αὐσὴν, Ἰησοῦν μετονομάσας: τὸν δὲ οἰκεῖον ἀδελφὸν τὸν Ἀαρὼν, ἐπονομάσας Χριστὸν, ἵνα διὰ δύο ἀνθρώπων ἐγκρίτων, τὸ ἀρχιερατικὸν ἅμα καὶ βασιλικὸν τοῦ μέλλοντος ἑνὸς Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ παραστήσῃ. Ἀρχιερεὺς μὲν γάρ ἐστιν ὁ Χριστὸς κατὰ τὸν Ἀαρών: ἐπειδὴ οὐχ ἑαυτὸν ἐδόξασε γενέσθαι ἀρχιερέα, ἀλλ' ὁ λαλήσας πρὸς αὐτόν: Σὺ εἶ ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδέκ. Τύπον δὲ ἔφερεν αὐτοῦ ὁ τοῦ Ναυῆ Ἰησοῦς κατὰ πολλά. Ἀρξάμενος γὰρ ἄρχειν τοῦ λαοῦ, ἤρξατο ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰορδάνου: ὅθεν καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς βαπτισθεὶς ἤρξατο εὐαγγελίζεσθαι. Δώδεκα δὲ διαιροῦντας τὴν κληρονομίαν καθίστησιν ὁ τοῦ Ναυῆ υἱός: καὶ δώδεκα τοὺς ἀποστόλους, κήρυκας τῆς ἀληθείας, εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην ἀποστέλλει ὁ Ἰησοῦς. Πιστεύσασαν Ῥαὰβ τὴν πόρνην ἔσωσεν ὁ τυπικός: ὁ δὲ ἀληθής φησιν: Ἰδοὺ οἱ τελῶναι καὶ αἱ πόρναι προάγουσιν ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἀλαλαγμῷ μόνον ἐπὶ τοῦ τυπικοῦ κατέπεσε τὰ τείχη τῆς Ἱεριχώ: καὶ διὰ τὸ εἰπεῖν τὸν Ἰησοῦν, Οὐ μὴ ἀφεθῇ ὧδε λίθος ἐπὶ λίθον, πέπτωκεν ὁ ἀντικρὺς ἡμῶν τῶν Ἰουδαίων ναός: οὐχ ὅτι ἡ ἀπόφασις τοῦ πεσεῖν αἰτία, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἡ ἁμαρτία τῶν παρανόμων γέγονε τοῦ πεσεῖν αἰτία.

Εἷς ἐστι Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, ὄνομα θαυμαστὸν ὑπὸ τῶν προφητῶν πλαγίως προαναφωνούμενον. Λέγει γὰρ Ἡσαΐας ὁ προφήτης: Ἰδοὺ ὁ Σωτήρ σοι παραγίνεται, ἔχων τὸν ἑαυτοῦ μισθόν. Σωτὴρ δὲ παρὰ Ἑβραίοις ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἑρμηνεύεται. Τὸ γὰρ κυριοκτόνον τῶν Ἰουδαίων προβλέπουσα ἡ προφητικὴ χάρις ἐκάλυψε τὴν προσηγορίαν, ἵνα μὴ ἐκ τοῦ προειδέναι σαφῶς, ἑτοίμως ἐπιβουλεύσωσιν. Ἰησοῦς δὲ ἐκλήθη, οὐχ ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ ἀγγέλου φανερῶς, οὐκ ἰδίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ἐλθόντος, ἀλλὰ δυνάμει Θεοῦ ἀποσταλέντος, τοῦ λέγοντος πρὸς τὸν Ἰωσήφ: Μὴ φοβηθῇς παραλαβεῖν Μαριὰμ τὴν γυναῖκά σου: τὸ γὰρ ἐν αὐτῇ γεννηθὲν ἐκ Πνεύματος ἁγίου ἐστί. Τέξεται δὲ υἱὸν, καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦν. Καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς προσηγορίας ἀποδιδοὺς εὐθέως λέγει, Αὐτὸς γὰρ σώσει τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν. Ὁ μηδέπω γεννηθεὶς πῶς λαὸν ἔχει, νόησον, εἰ μὴ καὶ πρὸ τοῦ γεννηθῆναι ἦν. Καὶ τοῦτο ὁ προφήτης ἐκ προσώπου αὐτοῦ φησιν: Ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός μου ἐκάλεσε τὸ ὄνομά μου: διὰ τὸ προλέγειν τὸν ἄγγελον, ὅτι Ἰησοῦς κληθήσεται. Καὶ πάλιν περὶ τῆς ὑπὸ Ἡρώδου ἐπιβουλῆς λέγει: Καὶ ὑπὸ τὴν σκέπην τῆς χειρὸς αὐτοῦ ἔκρυψέ με.

Ἰησοῦς τοίνυν ἐστὶ κατὰ μὲν Ἑβραίους σωτὴρ, κατὰ δὲ τὴν Ἑλλάδα γλῶσσαν, ὁ ἰώμενος. Ἐπειδὴ ἰατρός ἐστι [ψυχῶν] καὶ σωμάτων καὶ θεραπευτὴς πνευμάτων: τυφλῶν μὲν αἰσθητῶν θεραπευτὴς, φωταγωγῶν δὲ τὰς διανοίας: χωλῶν φαινομένων ἰατρὸς, καὶ ποδηγῶν τοὺς ἁμαρτωλοὺς εἰς μετάνοιαν, λέγων τῷ παραλυτικῷ: Μηκέτι ἁμάρτανε: καὶ, Ἆρον τὸν κράββατον σὸν καὶ περιπάτει. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ διὰ τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς ἁμαρτίαν παρελύθη τὸ σῶμα, προεθεράπευσε τὴν ψυχὴν, ἵνα ἐπαγάγῃ καὶ τῷ σώματι τὴν ἴασιν. Εἴ τις τοίνυν πάσχει τὴν ψυχὴν ἐν ἁμαρτίαις, ἔχει τὸν ἰατρόν. Καὶ εἴ τις ὀλιγόπιστος ἐνταῦθα, λεγέτω πρὸς αὐτόν: Βοήθει μου τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ. Εἴ τις καὶ σωματικοῖς περιβέβληται πάθεσι, μὴ ἀπιστείτω, ἀλλὰ προσερχέσθω, (θεραπεύει γὰρ καὶ ταῦτα) καὶ γινωσκέτω ὅτι ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός.

Ἰουδαῖοι γὰρ καταδέχονται τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν Ἰησοῦν, τὸ δὲ καὶ Χριστὸν εἶναι τοῦτον, οὐκέτι. Διὰ τοῦτο λέγει ὁ Ἀπόστολος: Τίς ἐστιν ὁ ψεύστης, εἰ μὴ ὁ ἀρνούμενος ὅτι Ἰησοῦς οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ Χριστός; Χριστὸς δέ ἐστιν ἀρχιερεὺς, ἀπαράβατον ἔχων τὴν ἱερωσύνην: οὔτε ἀπὸ χρόνων ἀρξάμενος τῆς ἱερατείας, οὔτε διάδοχον ἕτερον ἔχων τῆς ἀρχιερατείας: καθὼς ἤκουσας ἐν τῇ Κυριακῇ διαλεγομένων ἡμῶν ἐπὶ τῆς Συνάξεως, εἰς τό, Κατὰ τῂ τάξιν Μελχισεδέκ. Οὐκ ἐκ διαδοχῆς σωμάτων λαβὼν τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην, οὐδὲ ἐλαίῳ σκευαστῷ χρισθεὶς, ἀλλὰ πρὸ τῶν αἰώνων ὑπὸ τοῦ Πατρός: καὶ τοσούτῳ διαφέρων τῶν ἄλλων, ὅσῳ μεθ' ὁρκωμοσίας ἐστὶν ἱερεύς. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ χωρὶς ὁρκωμοσίας εἰσὶν ἱερεῖς, ὁ δὲ μεθ' ὁρκωμοσίας διὰ τοῦ λέγοντος: Ὤμοσε Κύριος, καὶ οὐ μεταμεληθήσεται. Αὔταρκες μὲν ἦν εἰς ἀσφάλειαν καὶ τὸ βούλεσθαι μόνον Πατέρα: διπλασίων δὲ τῆς ἀσφαλείας ὁ τρόπος, τὸ, μετὰ τῆς βουλήσεως καὶ ὅρκον παρακολουθῆσαι: ἵνα διὰ δύο πραγμάτων ἀμεταθέτων, ἐν οἷς ἀδύνατον ψεύσασθαι Θεὸν, ἰσχυρὰν παράκλησιν ἔχωμεν τῆς πίστεως, οἱ Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν Υἱὸν Θεοῦ καταδεχόμενοι.

Τοῦτον τὸν Χριστὸν παραγενόμενον ἠρνήσαντο μὲν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, δαίμονες δὲ ὡμολόγησαν. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἠγνόει τοῦτον ὁ προπάτωρ Δαβὶδ, λέγων: Ἡτοίμασα λύχνον τῷ Χριστῷ μου. Καὶ οἱ μὲν λύχνον εἶναι τὸ λαμπρὸν τῆς προφητείας ἡρμήνευσαν: οἱ δὲ τὸν λύχνον τὴν ἀναληφθεῖσαν ἐκ παρθένου σάρκα, κατὰ τὸ ἐν τῷ Ἀποστόλῳ: Ἔχομεν δὲ τὸν θησαυρὸν τοῦτον ἐν ὀστρακίνοις σκεύεσιν. Οὐκ ἠγνόει τοῦτον ὁ προφήτης, ὁ λέγων: Καὶ ἀπαγγέλλων εἰς ἀνθρώπους τὸν Χριστὸν αὐτοῦ. Ἤιδει τοῦτον καὶ Μωσῆς, ᾔδει τοῦτον καὶ Ἡσαΐας, ᾔδει τοῦτον καὶ Ἱερεμίας: οὐδεὶς τῶν προφητῶν ἠγνόει τοῦτον. Ἐπέγνωσαν τοῦτον καὶ δαίμονες: ἐπετίμα γὰρ αὐτοῖς, καί φησιν: Ὅτι ᾔδεισαν αὐτὸν Χριστὸν εἶναι. Ἀρχιερεῖς ἠγνόησαν, καὶ δαίμονες ὡμολόγησαν. Ἀρχιερεῖς ἠγνόησαν, καὶ γυνὴ Σαμαρεῖτις ἐκήρυσσε, λέγουσα: Δεῦτε, ἴδετε ἄνθρωπον ὃς εἶπέ μοι πάντα ὅσα ἐποίησα: μήτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός;

Οὗτος Ἰησοῦς Χριστός ἐστιν, ὁ παραγενόμενος ἀρχιερεὺς τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν: ὁ διὰ τὸ ἄφθονον τῆς θεότητος πᾶσιν ἡμῖν μεταδοὺς τῆς ἑαυτοῦ προσηγορίας. Βασιλεῖς μὲν γὰρ ἄνθρωποι, ἀκοινώνητον πρὸς ἀνθρώπους ἔχουσι τῆς βασιλείας τὴν προσηγορίαν: Ἰησοῦς δὲ Χριστὸς Θεοῦ Υἱὸς ὢν, Χριστιανοὺς καλεῖσθαι ἡμᾶς κατηξίωσεν. Ἀλλ' ἐρεῖ τις, καινὸν τὸ ὄνομα τῶν χριστιανῶν, καὶ πρὸ τούτου οὐκ ἐπολιτεύετο, καὶ τὰ καινοποιούμενα πολλάκις ἀντιλέγεται διὰ τὸ ξένον. Προησφαλίσατο τοῦτο ὁ προφήτης, λέγων: Τοῖς δὲ δουλεύουσί μοι ἐπικληθήσεται ὄνομα καινὸν, ὃ εὐλογηθήσεται ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Ἐξετάσωμεν τοὺς Ἰουδαίους: δουλεύετε τῷ Κυρίῳ ἢ οὐ; δείξατε οὖν τὸ ὄνομα ὑμῶν τὸ καινόν. Ἰουδαῖοι γὰρ καὶ Ἰσραηλῖται ἐπὶ Μωσέως καὶ τῶν ἄλλων προφητῶν ἐκαλεῖσθε, καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἐκ Βαβυλῶνος ἐπάνοδον καὶ μεχρὶ τοῦ παρόντος. Ποῦ οὖν τὸ ὄνομα τὸ καινόν; Ἡμεῖς δέ, ἐπειδὴ δουλεύομεν τῷ Κυρίῳ, ἔχομεν τὸ ὄνομα τὸ καινόν: καινὸν μὲν, ἀλλ' ὄνομα τὸ καινὸν, ὃ εὐλογηθήσεται ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Περιεδράξατο τῆς οἰκουμένης τοῦτο τὸ ὄνομα. Ἰουδαῖοι μὲν γὰρ μέχρι χώρας τινὸς, χριστιανοὶ δὲ μεχρὶ περάτων τῆς οἰκουμένης: τὸ γὰρ τοῦ μονογενοῦς Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ καταγγέλλεται ὄνομα.

Θέλεις δὲ γνῶναι ὅτι τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὄνομα ᾔδεισαν οἱ ἀπόστολοι καὶ ἐκήρυξαν, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ Χριστὸν αὐτὸν εἶχον ἐν ἑαυτοῖς; Παῦλός φησι πρὸς τοὺς ἀκούοντας: Ἢ δοκιμὴν ζητεῖτε τοῦ ἐν ἐμοὶ λαλοῦντος Χριστοῦ; Παῦλος καταγγέλλει τὸν Χριστὸν, [λέγων: Οὐ γὰρ ἑαυτοὺς κηρύσσομεν, ἀλλὰ Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν Κύριον, ἑαυτοὺς δὲ δούλους ὑμῶν διὰ Ἰησοῦν]: τίς ἆρα οὗτος; Ὁ τὸ πρότερον διώξας. Ὢ μεγάλου θαύματος! ὁ πρότερον διώξας, αὐτὸς Χριστὸν καταγγέλλει. Διὰ τί; χρήμασιν ἆρα πεισθείς; ἀλλ' οὐδεὶς ἦν ὁ πείθων οὕτως. Ἀλλ' ἆρα βλέπων αὐτὸν παρόντα, καὶ δυσωπούμενος; ἤδη ἦν ἀναληφθεὶς εἰς οὐρανόν. Ἐξῆλθεν ἐπὶ τὸ διώκειν: καὶ μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας ἐν Δαμασκῷ κήρυξ ὁ διώκτης. Ποίᾳ δυνάμει; Ἄλλοι μὲν οὖν οἰκείους ὑπὲρ οἰκείων καλοῦσι μάρτυρας: ἐγὼ δέ σοι μάρτυρα τὸν πρότερον ἐχθρὸν παρέστησα. Ἔτι ἀμφιβάλλεις; Μεγάλη μὲν γὰρ Πέτρου καὶ Ἰωάννου μαρτυρία: ἀλλ' ὕποπτός τις ἦν: οἰκεῖοι γὰρ ἦσαν. Τοῦ δὲ πρότερον ἐχθροῦ, ὕστερον δὲ ὑπεραποθνήσκοντος, τίς ἔτι ἀμφιβάλλει πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν;

Ἐνταῦθα γενόμενος τοῦ λόγου, τεθαύμακα ἀληθῶς τὴν τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος οἰκονομίαν: πῶς τὰς μὲν τῶν ἄλλων ἐπιστολὰς εἰς ὀλίγον περιέγραψεν ἀριθμὸν, Παύλῳ δὲ τῷ πρότερον διώκτῃ γράψαι δεκατέσσαρας ἐπιστολὰς ἐχαρίσατο. Οὐ γὰρ ὅτι ἥττων ἦν Πέτρος ἢ Ἰωάννης, ἐνέκοψε τὴν χάριν: μὴ γένοιτο: ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀναμφίβολον εἶναι τὴν διδασκαλίαν, τῷ πρότερον ὄντι ἐχθρῷ καὶ διώκτῃ πλεῖον ἐχαρίσατο γράφειν, ἵνα πάντες οὕτω πιστοποιηθῶμεν. Ἐξίσταντο δὲ πάντες περὶ τοῦ Παύλου καὶ ἔλεγον: Οὐχ οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ πρότερον διώκων; οὐχ ὧδε ἦλθεν, ἵνα δεδεμένους ἡμᾶς ἀπαγάγῃ εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ; Μὴ ἐξίστασθέ, φησιν ὁ Παῦλος, Ἐγὼ οἶδα ὅτι σκληρόν μοί ἐστι πρὸς κέντρα λακτίζειν. Οἶδα ὅτι οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς καλεῖσθαι ἀπόστολος, διότι ἐδίωξα τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλ' ἀγνοῶν. Ἐνόμιζον γὰρ κατάλυσιν εἶναι τοῦ νόμου τὸ περὶ Χριστοῦ κήρυγμα. Οὐκ ᾔδειν δὲ ὅτι αὐτὸς ἦλθε πληρῶσαι τὸν νόμον, καὶ οὐ καταλῦσαι. Ὑπερεπλεόνασε δὲ ἡ χάρις τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν ἐμοί.

Πολλαὶ τυγχάνουσιν ἀληθεῖς, ἀγαπητοὶ, περὶ Χριστοῦ μαρτυρίαι. Μαρτυρεῖ Πατὴρ οὐρανόθεν περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ. Μαρτυρεῖ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον καταβαῖνον σωματικῶς ἐν εἴδει περιστερᾶς. Μαρτυρεῖ Γαβριὴλ ὁ ἀρχάγγελος τὴν Μαριὰμ εὐαγγελιζόμενος. Μαρτυρεῖ παρθένος ἡ θεοτόκος: μαρτυρεῖ ὁ μακάριος τῆς φάτνης τόπος. Αἴγυπτος μαρτυρεῖ, ἡ ἔτι νέον ὄντα τῷ σώματι τὸν δεσπότην δεξαμένη. Μαρτυρεῖ Συμεὼν ὁ δεξάμενος αὐτὸν ἐν ἀγκάλαις, καὶ εἰπών: Νῦν ἀπολύεις τὸν δοῦλόν σου δέσποτα: κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμά σου, ἐν εἰρήνῃ: ὅτι εἶδον οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου τὸ σωτήριόν σου, [ὃ ἡτοίμασας κατὰ πρόσωπον πάντων τῶν λαῶν]. Καὶ Ἄννα προφῆτις, ἐγκρατὴς εὐλαβεστάτη καὶ ἀσκήτρια, μαρτυρεῖ περὶ αὐτοῦ. Μαρτυρεῖ Ἰωάννης ὁ βαπτιστὴς, ὁ μέγιστος μὲν ἐν προφήταις, ἀρχηγὸς δὲ τῆς καινῆς διαθήκης, καὶ τρόπον τινὰ συνάπτων ἀμφοτέρας ἐν αὐτῷ τὰς διαθήκας, παλαιάν τε καὶ καινήν. Μαρτυρεῖ ὁ Ἰορδάνης ἐν ποταμοῖς. Μαρτυρεῖ θάλασσα Τιβεριάδος ἐν θαλάσσαις. Μαρτυροῦσι τυφλοὶ, μαρτυροῦσι χωλοὶ, μαρτυροῦσι νεκροὶ ἐγειρόμενοι. Δαίμονες μαρτυροῦσι λέγοντες: Τί ἡμῖν καί σοι Ἰησοῦ: οἴδαμέν σε τίς εἶ, ὁ ἅγιος τοῦ Θεοῦ. Μαρτυροῦσιν ἄνεμοι προστασσόμενοι καὶ φιμούμενοι. Πέντε ἄρτοι μαρτυροῦσιν εἰς πεντακισχιλίους πληθυνθέντες. Τὸ ξύλον τὸ ἅγιον τοῦ σταυροῦ μαρτυρεῖ, μέχρι σήμερον παρ' ἡμῖν φαινόμενον, καὶ διὰ τῶν κατὰ πίστιν ἐξ αὐτοῦ λαμβανόντων, ἐντεῦθεν τὴν οἰκουμένην πᾶσαν σχεδὸν ἤδη πληρῶσαν. Ὁ φοῖνιξ ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς φάραγγος μαρτυρεῖ, τὰ βάϊα παρασχὼν παισὶ τοῖς τότε εὐφημοῦσι. Τὸ Γεθσημανῆ μαρτυρεῖ, τὸν Ἰούδαν μονονουχὶ δεικνύον ἔτι τοῖς νοοῦσιν. Ὁ Γολγοθᾶς ὁ ἅγιος οὗτος ὁ ὑπερανεστηκὼς, μαρτυρεῖ φαινόμενος. Τὸ μνῆμα τῆς ἁγιότητος μαρτυρεῖ, καὶ ὁ λίθος ὁ μέχρι σήμερον κείμενος. Ἥλιος νῦν λάμπων μαρτυρεῖ, ὁ τότε κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ σωτηριώδους πάθους ἐκλιπών. Τὸ σκότος μαρτυρεῖ, τὸ τότε γενόμενον ἀπὸ ἕκτης μέχρις ἐννάτης ὥρας. Τὸ φῶς μαρτυρεῖ, τὸ ἀπὸ ἐννάτης ἕως ἑσπέρας ἐκλάμψαν. Τὸ ὄρος τῶν Ἐλαιῶν μαρτυρεῖ τὸ ἅγιον, ἀφ' οὗπερ ἀνῆλθε πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα: καὶ ὀμβροτόκοι νεφέλαι μαρτυροῦσι, δεξάμεναι τὸν δεσπότην. Καὶ οὐράνιοι δὲ πύλαι μαρτυροῦσι [δεξάμεναι τὸν δεσπότην], περὶ ὧν εἶπεν ὁ ψαλμῳδός: Ἄρατε πύλας οἱ ἄρχοντες ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐπάρθητε πύλαι αἰώνιοι, καὶ εἰσελεύσεται ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης. Οἱ ποτὲ ἐχθροὶ μαρτυροῦσιν, ὧν εἷς ὁ μακάριος Παῦλός ἐστιν, πρὸς ὀλίγον μὲν ἐχθράνας, πολυχρονίως δὲ δουλεύσας. Ἀπόστολοι δώδεκα μαρτυροῦσιν οὐ λόγοις μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ βασάνοις καὶ θανάτοις ἰδίοις κηρύξαντες τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Ἡ σκιὰ Πέτρου μαρτυρεῖ, θεραπεύσασα ἐν ὀνόματι Χριστοῦ τοὺς ἀῤῥωστοῦντας. Τὰ σουδάρια καὶ τὰ σημικίνθια μαρτυρεῖ: θεραπεύοντα παραπλησίως τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ Χριστοῦ τότε διὰ Παύλου. Πέρσαι καὶ Γότθοι καὶ πάντες οἱ ἐξ ἐθνῶν μαρτυροῦσιν, ὑπεραποθνήσκοντες τούτου, ὃν σαρκὸς ὀφθαλμοῖς οὐκ ἐθεώρησαν. Οἱ διὰ τῶν πιστῶν μέχρι σήμερον ἀπελαυνόμενοι δαίμονες μαρτυροῦσι.

Τοσοῦτοι, καὶ διάφοροι, καὶ πλείους εἰσὶ μάρτυρες: ἆρα ἀπιστεῖται λοιπὸν Χριστὸς ὁ μαρτυρούμενος; Εἰ μὲν οὖν ἐστί τις πρότερον ἀπιστῶν, πιστευέτω νῦν: εἰ δὲ πρότερον ἦν πιστὸς, προσθήκην πίστεως λαμβανέτω μείζονα, πιστεύων εἰς τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν: καὶ γινωσκέτω τίνος ἔχει τὴν προσηγορίαν. Χριστιανὸς ἐκλήθης: φεῖσαι τοῦ ὀνόματος. Μὴ διὰ σὲ βλασφημείσθω ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ: Ἀλλὰ λαμψάτω τὰ καλὰ ἔργα σου μᾶλλον ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἵνα οἱ βλέποντες ἄνθρωποι δοξάζωσιν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν τὸν Πατέρα τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς: ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.