Letters (first part: Migne letters 1-55) 41
Greek text: PG 77.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 41
41PG 77 77:201
Ἴσον ἐπιστολῆς γραφείσης παρὰ τοῦ αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸν ᾿Ακάκιον ἐπίσκοπον, περὶ τοῦ ἀποπομπαίου. Τοῖς παρὰ τῆς σῆς ὁσιότητος ἀρτίως ἀπεσταλμέ νοις - ἐντυχών, ἤσθην ἄγαν· μονονουχὶ καὶ περιφυεὶς - ἡσπαζόμην. Γνώμης γὰρ εἰς τοῦτο προῆλθον, ὡς τάχα που μηδὲ ἀπεῖναι δοκεῖν· αἱ γὰρ τῶν γνησίων προσρήσεις ἱκαναὶ τοιαύτην ἐμποιῆσαι διάθεσιν. Τὰ ἐμὰ μὲν ἐν τούτοις · πέπεισμαι δὲ ὅτι καὶ τὰ τῆς σῆς θεοσεβείας οὐχ ἑτεροτρόπως ἔχει. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ μηνύσαι κατηξίωσας, ὡς χρὴ παρ᾿ ἐμοῦ γενέσθαι τινὰς λόγους περὶ τοῦ ἀποπομπαίου, δι' ὧν ἔσται καταφανὲς τὸ ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ μυστήριον, ἀναγκαίως ἐκεῖνό φημι, τῆς σῆς ἀγχινοίας ἀποχρώντως ἐχούσης τὸ εὐμαθὲς, καὶ τῶν ἱερῶν Γραμμάτων εὐφυᾶ, καὶ οὐκ ἀθαύμαστον ἐπιστήμην, περιττὸν μὲν ἴσως τὸ λέγεσθαί τι παρ' ἑτέρου περὶ τῶν ζητουμένων. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὸ λυποῦν οὐδὲν καὶ τὰ εἰς νοῦν ἐόντα καὶ τὸν ἐμὸν ν εἰπεῖν, γεγράφαμεν · οὐ γὰρ ἦν ἀνήνασθαι τὸ ἐπιταχθέν · εἰ δὲ δὴ τῆς εἰς λῆξιν ἀκριβείας βραχύ πως ἀφαμαρτεῖν ἡμᾶς συμβαίνει, συγγνώμων ἔσο. Τὰ γάρ τοι δυσπρόσιτα τῶν θεωρημάτων δυσχερή πρὸς διασάφησιν, καὶ οὐ ῥᾳδίαν ἑλεῖν τὴν κατάληψιν ἔχει. Πλὴν ἐλπίδος ἐσμὲν οὐ μακρὰν, ὡς διὰ τῶν τῆς σῆς θεοσεβείας εὐχῶν, καὶ πρός γε τοῦτο ἡμᾶς κατευθυνεῖ Χριστὸς, ὁ ἀποκαλύπτων βαθέα ἐκ σκότους, καὶ σοφῶν τυφλοὺς, καὶ ῥῆμα διδοὺς, ὡς λόγος. Γέγραπται τοίνυν ἐν τῷ Λευιτικῷ περὶ τοῦ ἀποπομπαίου· « Καὶ λήψεται τοὺς δύο χιμάρους, καὶ στήσει αὐτοὺς ἔναντι Κυρίου παρὰ τὴν θύραν τῆς σκηνῆς τοῦ μαρτυρίου· καὶ ἐπιθήσει ᾿Ααρὼν ἐπὶ τοὺς δύο χιμάρους κλήρους, κλῆρον ἕνα τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ κλῆρον ἕνα τῷ ἀποπομπαίῳ· καὶ προσάξει ᾿Ααρὼν τὸν χίμαρον, ἐφ᾽ ἂν ἐπῆλθεν ὁ κλῆρος ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ προσοίσει περὶ ἁμαρτίας · καὶ τὸν χίμαρον, ἐφ᾿ ὃν᾿ ἐπῆλθεν ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν ὁ κλῆρος τοῦ ἀποπομπαίου, στήσει αὐτὸν ζῶντα ἔναντι Κυρίου τοῦ ἐξιλάσκεσθαι · ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῦ· ὥστε ἀποστείλαι αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν ἀποπομπήν. ᾿Αφήσει αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν ἔρημον. Καὶ μεθ᾽ ἕτερα· « Καὶ σφάξει τὸν χίμαρον τὸν περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, τὸν παρὰ · τοῦ λαοῦ, ἔναντι Κυρίου - καὶ εἰσοίσει τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ ἐσώτερον τοῦ καταπετάσματος· καὶ ποιήσει τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ, ὃν τρόπον ἐποίησε τὸ αἷμα τοῦ μόσχου · καὶ ῥανεῖ τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ ἱλαστήριον κατὰ πρόσωπον τοῦ ἱλαστηνὲς, τὸν μὲν ἕνα τῶν χιμάρων, ἤτοι τῶν τράγων, τῷ ρίου, καὶ ἐξιλάσεται τὸ ἅγιον ἀπὸ τῶν ἀκαθαρσιῶν τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀδικημάτων αὐτῶν ἐπὶ πασῶν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν. Καὶ οὕτω ποιήσει τῇ σκηνῇ τοῦ μαρτυρίου, τῇ ἐκτισμένῃ ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐν μέσῳ τῆς ἀκαθαρσίας αὐτῶν. » Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν περὶ τοῦ σφαζομένου χιμάρου, καὶ ἁγιάζοντος τῷ αἴματι τὴν ἁγίαν σκηνήν. Περὶ δέ γε τοῦ ζῶντος καὶ ἀφιεμένου πάλιν ὧδέ φησὶ· « Καὶ προσάξει τὸν χίμαρον τὸν ζῶντα, καὶ ἐπιθήσει ᾿Ααρὼν τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ χιμάρου τοῦ ζῶντος, καὶ ἐξαγορεύσει ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῦ πάσας τὰς ἀνομίας τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ πάσας τὰς ἀδικίας αὐτῶν, καὶ πάσας τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν· καὶ ἐπιθήσει αὐτὰς ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ χιμάρου τοῦ ζῶντος, καὶ ἐξαποστελεῖ ἐν χειρὶ ἀνθρώπου ἑτοίμου εἰς τὴν ἔρημον· καὶ λήψεται ὁ χίμαρος ἐφ' ἑαυτῷ τὰς ἀδικίας αὐτῶν εἰς τὴν ἄβατον · καὶ ἐξαποστελεῖ τὸν χίμαρον εἰς τὴν ἔρημον. » Πᾶσα μὲν οὖν Γραφή θεόπνευστος, καὶ ὠφέλιμος. Ὁ γὰρ ἂν φθέγξηται Θεὸς, τοῦτο δὴ πάντως ἐστὶ καὶ σωτήριον. Καὶ τοῖς μὲν οὖσιν οἷοις τε συνιδεῖν τῆς ἀληθείας τὴν δύναμιν, τὸ ταύτης κάλλος ὑπαντᾷ, φωτὸς δίκην ἐναστράπτον τῷ νῷ τοῦ κατὰ Χριστὸν μυστηρίου τὴν γνῶσιν· τοῖς γε μὴν οὐκ ἔχουσιν εὖ βεβηκότα τὸν νοῦν, ἀλλ᾽ οἷον ἔτι σκάζοντά τε καὶ νηπιάζοντα τούτοις εἶεν ἂν καὶ τὰ ἐξαίρετα τῶν θεωρημάτων ὑπὸ μῶμον ἔσθ᾽ ὅτε καὶ γραφήν. Καὶ ταῦτά φημι, τοῖς παρὰ τῆς σῆς θεοσεβείας γραφεῖσιν οὐκ ἀβασανίστως ἐντυχών. Ωήθησαν γὰρ ἴσως τῶν αὐτόθι τι ἐπὶ πάντων ἐκνεμηθῆναι Θεῷ πρὸς καθιέρωσιν καὶ θυσίαν· τὸν γε μὴν ἕτερον ἀποπομπαίῳ τινὶ καὶ πονηρῷ καὶ ἀκαθάρτῳ δαίμονι πεμφθῆναι κατὰ τὴν ἔρημον· καὶ τοῦτο διὰ χειρὸς ἱερᾶς, καὶ ἐκ νομικου θεσπίσματος. Αὐτόθεν μὲν οὖν τὸ χρῆμά ἐστιν εὔηθές τε καὶ καταγέλαστον. Φαίη δ᾽ ἄν τις τοῖς οὕτω ταῦτα ἔχειν ὑπειληφόσι · Καί τοι πῶς οὐκ ἔδει μᾶλλον ἐκεῖνο περινοεῖν; Ὁ γάρ τοι τῶν ὅλων δημιουργός, ὁ καὶ παντὸς ἐπέκεινα, καὶ νοῦ, καὶ λόγου, καὶ μόνος ὧν φύσει Θεὸς καὶ Κύριος, πῶς ἂν ἡνέσχετο κοινωνὸν ὥσπερ τινὰ τῆς αὐτοῦ ὁ βασιλείας καὶ δόξης τὸν ἀποστάτην εἰσδέξασθαι Σατανᾶν; καί τοι λέγοντος ἀκηκόαμεν ἐναργῶς δι᾽ ἑνὸς τῶν ἁγίων προφητῶν· « Τὴν δόξαν μου ἑτέρῳ οὐ δώσω. » Εἰ δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ μόνῳ τὸ χρῆναι καθιεροῦν, ἃ ἂν βούλοιτό τις, ὁ διὰ τοῦ πανσόφου Μωϋσέως προστέταχε νόμος, εἶτα αὐτὸς ὁ λαλήσας τὸν νόμον κατεχρησμώδησε δεῖν καὶ πνεύμασι πονηροῖς τὴν αὐτῷ, καὶ μόνῳ, πρεπωδεστάτην ἀπονέμεσθαι δόξαν, πῶς οὐχὶ τοῖς ἰδίοις ἀντιτάξεται λόγοις; Ὁ γὰρ ἀπέφησε δρᾶν, τοῦτο γενέσθαι προστέταχεν. ᾿Αλλ᾿ ἔστι τῶν ἄγαν ἐκτοπωτάτων τὸ οἴεσθαι μὲν ἀλογεῖν τῆς ὀφειλομένης αὐτῷ τιμῆς τε καὶ δόξης τὸν τῶν ὅλων κατεξουσιάζοντα Θεὸν, ἀνάψαι δὲ καὶ ἑτέροις ἐθέλειν αὐτὴν, καί τοι σαφῶς λέγοντα διὰ Μωϋσέως· « Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου προσκυνήσεις, καὶ αὐτῷ μόνῳ λατρεύσεις . καὶ, Οὐκ ἔσονταί σοι θεοὶ ἕτεροι πλὴν ἐμοῦ. » Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ θεσπέσιος Μωϋσῆς ταῖς ἄνωθεν καὶ παρὰ Θεοῦ ψήφοις εὖ μάλα συμπράττεται ε, καὶ δὴ καί φησι τοῖς ἐξ αἴματος Ἰσραήλ· « Καὶ ταῦτα τὰ προστάγματα, καὶ τὰ κρίματα, ἃ φυλάξεσθε ποιεῖν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἧς Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν δίδωσιν ὑμῖν ἐν κλήρῳ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας, ἃς ὑμεῖς ζῆτε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. ᾿Απωλείᾳ ἀπολεῖτε πάντας τοὺς τόπους, ἐν οἷς ἐλάτρευσαν ἐκεῖ τὰ ἔθνη τοῖς θεοῖς αὐτῶν, οὓς ὑμεῖς κληρονομεῖτε αὐτοὺς, ἐπὶ τῶν ὀρέων τῶν ὑψηλῶν, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν θινῶν, καὶ ὑποκάτω δένδρου δασέος. Κατασκάψετε τοὺς βωμοὺς αὐτῶν, καὶ συντρίψετε τὰς στήλας αὐτῶν. Καὶ ἄλση αὐτῶν ἐκκόψετε, καὶ τὰ γλυπτὰ τῶν θεῶν αὐτῶν κατακαύσετε πυρὶ, καὶ ἀπολεῖτε τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῶν ἐκ τοῦ τόπου ἐκείνου. » Εἶτα πῶς ἦν εἰκὸς, τὸν ἐξ ἀπάτης Ἑλληνικῆς πρὸς τὸ τῆς ἀληθείας μεθορμίζεσθαι φῶς διὰ Μωϋσέως προστάττοντα, καὶ εἰδώλοις ὁμοῦ τὰ τεμένη καταπιμπρᾶν, καὶ ἀναβοθρεύειν βωμοὺς, ἄλση τε ἐκκόπτειν, ὡς μηδὲν τῆς ἐκείνων βδελυρίας ἀπομεῖναι λείψανον, μερίζεσθαι πρὸς αὐτὰ τὴν δόξαν· καθάπερ ἤδη προείπον, καὶ εἰς τοῦτο γνώμης ἐλθεῖν, ὥστε καὶ αὐτοὺς τοὺς ἐκνεμηθέντας αὐτῷ πρὸς ἱερουργίαν, θύειν αὐτοῖς ἐπιτάξαι, ἀφιέντας εἰς τὴν ἔρημον τὸν ἕτερον τῶν χιμάρων; Καί τοι μοσχοποιήσαντος μὲν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ κατῃτιᾶτο σφόδρα, τῷ θεσπεσίῳ λέγων Μωσῇ · « Βάδιζε, κατάβηθι τὸ τάχος ἐντεῦθεν· ἡνόμησε γὰρ ὁ λαός σου, οὓς ἐξήγαγες ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου· ἐποίησαν ἑαυτοῖς εἴδωλον. » Καὶ μὴν καὶ τοῖς τελεσθεῖσιν τῷ Βεελφεγὼρ, ὅτι -· ταῖς Μωαδιτῶν συνεπλέκοντο γυναιξὶ, ταῖς τῶν σωμάτων ὥραις σεσαγηνευμένοι 1 πρὸς ἀπόστασιν, πικρὰν ἐπαρτήσας ὁρᾶται δίκην· ἀπολώλασι γὰρ οὐκ ὀλίγοι τὸν ἀριθμὸν ταύτης ἕνεκα τῆς αἰτίας. Γένοιτο δ᾽ ἂν οὐ μικρὰ κατὰ τῆς θείας τε καὶ ἀκαταψέκτου βουλῆς κατάῤῥησις, εἱ πεπτώκασι μὲν, καὶ ἀπώλοντό τινες θεοῖς ἑτέροις προσκυνήσαντες, αὐτός γε μὴν ὁ τοῖς ἀποστάταις ἐπιμηνίσας θεὸς γερῶν ἀξιοῦσθαι, καὶ θυσιῶν προστέταχε πονηράν, καὶ ἀντικειμένην δύναμιν, ἣν ἀποπομπαῖον ὠνομάσθαι, φαῖεν ἂν ἴσως τινὲς, τὴν τῶν ἱερῶν Γραμμάτων δύναμιν τοῖς εἰς νοῦν ἔσω κεκρυμμένοις οὐχ ὁρῶντες ὄμμασιν. Ἡμεῖς δὲ τοῖς θείοις θεσπίσμασιν ἐπαφιέντες τὸν νοῦν, οὐκ ἀτημελῆ καὶ ῥᾴθυμον, ἀκριβῆ δὲ μᾶλλον, καὶ καθ᾿ ὅσον οἷόν τε φιλογρήγορον, τῆς ἀληθείας τὸ ἀξιάγαστον κάλλος φιλοθηρεῖν εὖ μάλα σπουδάσομεν. Καὶ δὴ καὶ φαμεν, ὡς ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς ἐπ᾿ ἀνατροπῇ τῆς πολυθέου πλάνης, καὶ ἐπὶ φωτισμῷ τῶν ἐν σκότῳ, καταχρησμῳδήσας τὸν νόμον τοῖς πάλαι διὰ Μωσέως, ἠνέσχετο ἂν οὐδαμῶς, ὁδὸς γενέσθαι, καὶ θύρα, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ διδάσκαλος τοῦ χρῆναι τιμᾶν τοὺς ἀκαθάρτους δαίμονας. Πολυπραγμονοῦντες δὲ τὰ ἐν ταῖς θεοπνεύστοις Γραφαῖς, κεκρυμμένην 8 εὑρήσομεν τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Πρέποι δ᾽ ἂν ταῖς τοῦ νό- Μωϋσέως πρόσωπον ἀπαλλάττοντες, γυμνὴν ἴδωμεν μου σκιαῖς ἐνορῶντας εἰπεῖν τὸ δι᾽ ἑνὸς τῶν ἁγίων προφητῶν ὀρθῶς εἰρημένον· « Τίς σοφὸς, καὶ συνήσει ταῦτα; ἢ συνετὸς, καὶ ἐπιγνώσεται αὐτά;» – «Σκιὰν γὰρ ὁ νόμος ἔχει τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν, καὶ οὐκ αὐτὴν τὴν εἰκόνα τῶν πράγμάτων, » ὡς γέγραπται· πλὴν ὠδίνουσιν αἱ σκιαὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν, εἰ καὶ αὐτὸ οὐ πάντως ἡ εἰσὶ τὸ ἀληθές. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ θεσπέσιος Μωϋσῆς κάλυμμα ἐτίθη ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἱ, προελάλει ἱ τε οὕτω τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραήλ, μονονουχί δι' αὐτοῦ κεκραγὼς τοῦ πράγματος· ὅτι τῶν δι᾿ αὐτοῦ θεσπισμάτων τὸ κάλλος κατίδοι τις ἂν, οὐκ ἔν γε τοῖς ἔξω φανεῖσι τύποις, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν τοῖς ἔσω κεκρυμμένοις θεωρήμασι. Φέρε δὴ οὖν περιελόντες τοῦ νόμου τὸ κατασκίασμα, καὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν ἐπιβλημάτων τὸ τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Δύο μὲν γὰρ χιμάρους προσκομισθῆναι προστέταχε, καὶ δύο γράφεσθαι κλήρους ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῖς· ὡς τὸν μὲν ἕνα τῶν χιμάρων ὀνομασθῆναι κύριον, τὸν γε μὴν ἕτερον ἀποπομπαῖον. Οὐκοῦν ὀνόματα τοῖς χιμάροις, κύριός τε καὶ ἀποπομπαῖος. Σημαίνε ται δὲ δι᾽ ἀμφοῖν ὁ εἷς καὶ μόνος Υἱὸς, καὶ Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστός. Καὶ τίνα τρόπον, ἐροῦμεν ὡς ἔνι, τῇ τῶν θεωρημάτων ἀκριβείᾳ προσβάλλοντες 1. Αΐξ τοίνυν, ἢ τράγος, ἤγουν ἔριφος, ἦν ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτίας τὸ θῦμα κατά γε τῷ νόμῳ δοκοῦν· προβάτῳ μὲν γὰρ ἀφομοιοῖ τὸν δίκαιον πλεισταχοῦ ἡ θεό πνευστος Γραφὴ, αἰγὶ δὲ τὸν φιλαμαρτήμονα. Και διὰ ποίαν αἰτίαν; Πλήρης μὲν γὰρ ὁ δίκαιος αύχη μάτων τῶν εἰς ἀρετὴν· ἔγκαρπος δὲ διὰ τοῦτο νοοῖτ᾽ ἂν εἰκότως· ἐριοφορεῖ δὲ τὸ πρόβατον· ταύτῃ τοι καὶ μάλ᾽ εἰκότως προβάτῳ παρεικάζεται. Γυμνὴν δὲ, καὶ ἄκαρπον, καὶ ἀγαθοεργίας ἁπάτης ἐρήμην τὴν τοῦ πλημμελοῦντος ψυχὴν κατίδοι τις ἄν. Αϊξ οὖν ἄρα τύπος αὐτῆς· ἄπρακτον δὲ τὸ ζῶον καὶ τῆς τοῦ προβάτου τιμῆς κατόπιν ἔρχεται. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός· « Ὅταν καθίσῃ, φησὶν, ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐπὶ θρόνου δόξης αὐτοῦ, καὶ στήσῃ τὰ μὲν πρόβατα ἐκ δεξιῶν αὐτοῦ, τὰ δὲ ἐρίφια ἐξ εὐωνύμων. » Καὶ τοῖς μὲν ἐκ δεξιῶν, ἅτε δὴ τοὺς τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἔχουσι καρποὺς τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην αὐτοῖς ἀποκαθίστησι βασιλείαν, τοῖς δὲ ἐξ εὐωνύμων πῦρ, καὶ κόλασιν, καὶ τὰς τῷ διαβόλῳ πρεπούσας ἐποίσει ποινάς. Ἐσφάζετο τοίνυν ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτίας ἔριφος· καὶ τοῦτο μαθήσῃ, τοῦ νόμου λέγοντος ἐναργῶς· « Ἐὰν δὲ ὁ ἄρχων ἁμάρτῃ, καὶ ποιήσῃ μίαν ἀπὸ πασῶν τῶν ἐντολῶν Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ αὐτοῦ, ἢ οὐ ποιηθήσεται ἀκουσίως, καὶ ἁμάρτῃ, καὶ πλημμελήσῃ, καὶ γνωσθῇ αὐτῷ ἡ ἁμαρτία, ἣν ἥμαρτεν ἐν αὐτῇ, καὶ προσοίσει τὸ δῶρον αὐτοῦ χίμαρον ἐξ αἰγῶν, ἄῤῥεν, ἄμωμον. » Ἔφη δέ που καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ ἐπὶ πάντων Θεὸς περὶ η τῶν ἱερᾶσθαι λαχόντων κατὰ τὸν νόμον· « Ἁμαρτίας λαοῦ μου φάγονται» τουτέστι τὰ ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτιῶν θύματα. Μερὶς γὰρ καὶ κλῆρος τοῖς ἱερεῦσι κάρπωμα Κυρίου ", κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον. Γέγονε τοίνυν σφάγιον ὁ Χριστὸς ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν, κατὰ τὰς Γραφάς· ταύτης τε ἕνεκα τῆς αἰτίας ἁμαρτίαν αὐτὸν ὠνομάσθαι φαμέν. Γράφει γοῦν ὁ πάνσοφος Παῦλος ὅτι, « Τὸν μὴ γνόντα ἁμαρτίαν, ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησεν, ὁ Θεὸς καὶ Πατήρ δηλονότι. Οὐ γάρ τοί φο φαμεν ἁμαρτωλὸν γενέσθαι Χριστόν· μὴ γένοιτο· ἀλλ᾿ ὄντα δίκαιον, μᾶλλον δὲ αὐτόχρημα δικαιοσύνην, οὐ γὰρ οἶδε πλημμελεῖν, σφάγιον ἐποίησεν ὁ Πατὴρ ὑπὲρ τῶν τοῦ κόσμου πλημμελημάτων. «Καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀνόμοις ἐλογίσθη, » ψῆφον ὑπομείνας τὴν τοῖς ἀνόμοις πρεπωδετάτην. Καὶ πιστώσεται λέγων ὁ θεσπέσιος προφήτης ( Ἡσαΐας ὅτι, « Πάντες ὡς πρόβατα ἐπλανήθημεν, ἕκαστος τῇ ὁδῷ αὐτοῦ ἐπλανήθη· καὶ Κύριος παρἐδωκεν αὐτὸν ταῖς ἀνομίαις ἡμῶν· καὶ αὐτὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ὀδυνᾶται · καὶ τῷ μώλωπι αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς ἰάθημεν. » Γράφει δὲ καὶ ὁ πάνσοφος Πέτρος· « Ὅτι τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν ἀνήνεγκεν ἐν τῷ σώματι αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ ξύλον. Οὐκοῦν ἐπεκρέματο μὲν τοῖς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ὁ κλῆρος, τὸ ο χρῆναι παθεῖν τὸν θάνατον, διά τε τὴν ἐν Ἀδὰμ παράβασιν, καὶ τὴν ἐξ ἐκείνου μέχρις ἡμῶν τυραννήσασαν ἁμαρτίαν. ᾿Αλλ᾿ ὁ ἐκ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς Λόγος, ὁ πολὺς εἰς ἡμερότητα, καὶ φιλανθρωπίαν, γέγονε σάρξ, τουτέστιν ἄνθρωπος, σύμμορφός τε ἡμῖν τοῖς ὑφ᾽ ἁμαρτίαν, καὶ τὸν ἡμῶν ὑπέστη κλῆρον. Ὡς γὰρ ὁ πανάριστος γράφει Παῦλος· ριτι Θεοῦ ὑπὲρ παντὸς ἐγεύσατο θανάτου, » καὶ τῆς ἁπάντων ζωῆς ἀντάλλαγμα τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν ἐποιήσατο· εἷς ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀπέθανεν, ἵνα οἱ πάντες Θεῷ ζήσωμεν Ρ, ἁγιαζόμενοί τε καὶ ζωοποιούμενοι διὰ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ, « δικαιούμενοί τε δωρεάν τῇ παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ χάριτι. » Ὡς γάρ φησιν ὁ μακάριος εὐαγγελιστὴς Ἰωάννης· « Τὸ αἷμα Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καθαρίζει ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἁμαρτίας. » Ὄνομα δὴ οὖν τῷ σφαζομένῳ χιμάρῳ κύριος· καὶ κληρωτὴν ἐδέχετο τὴν σφαγήν· ἅγιόν τε θῦμα, καὶ ἱερὸν ἦν εἰς τύπον Χριστοῦ, οὐ δι' ἑαυτὸν ἀποθνήσκοντος, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ὡς ἔφην, καὶ ἁγιάζοντος τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν τῷ ἰδίῳ αἰματι. « Σφάξει γὰρ τὸν χίμαρον, φησὶν, τὸν περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, τὸν περὶ τοῦ λαοῦ, ἔναντι Κυρίου· καὶ εἰσοίσει τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ ἐσώτερον τοῦ καταπετάσματος, καὶ ῥανεῖ τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ ἱλαστήριον, κατὰ πρόσωπον τοῦ ἱλαστηρίου, καὶ ἐξιλάσεται τὸ ἅγιον ἀπὸ τῶν ἀκαθαρσιῶν τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀδικημάτων αὐτῶν περὶ πασῶν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν. Καὶ οὕτω ποιήσει τῇ σκηνῇ τοῦ μαρτυρίου, τῇ ἐκτισμένῃ ἐν αὐτοῖς, ἐν μέσῳ τῆς ἀκαθαρσίας αὐτῶν. Εἰσῆλθε γὰρ ὁ Χριστὸς εἰς τὰ ῞Αγια τῶν ἁγίων, οὐ δι' αἵματος τράγων καὶ μόσχων, διὰ δὲ τοῦ ἰδίου αἴματος, αἰωνίαν λύτρωσιν εὑράμενος, καὶ ἁγιάζων, ὡς ἔφην, τὴν ἀληθεστέραν σκηνὴν, τουτέστι τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ ἅπαντας δὲ τοὺς ἐν αὐτῇ. Γράφει οὖν ὁ θεσπέσιος Παῦλος ποτὲ μὲν ὅτι, « Διὸ καὶ Ἰησοῦς, ἵνα ἁγιάσῃ τῷ ἰδίῳ αἵματι τὸν λαὸν, ἔξω τῆς πύλης ἔπαθε, » ποτὲ δὲ πάλιν· «Γίνεσθε οὖν μιμηταὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὡς τέκνα ἀγαπητὰ, καὶ περιπατεῖτε ἐν ἀγάπῃ, καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἡγάπησεν ἡμᾶς, καὶ ἑαυτὸν παρέδωκεν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν προσφορὰν καὶ θυσίαν, εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας. » Αθρητέον δὴ οὖν ἐν τῷ σφαγέντι χιμάρῳ γενόμενον μὲν ἐν θανάτῳ σαρκὸς τὸν Ἐμμανουὴλ, πλὴν ἐπὶ λύσει θανάτου, καὶ ἁμαρτίας. Ἦν γὰρ ἐν νεκροῖς ἐλεύθερος, τουτέστιν, ἀνάλωτος ἀμαρτίαις, καὶ οὐκ ἔνοχος μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν, τῇ τοῦ θανάτου δίκῃ. Ἴδωμεν αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ ἑτέρῳ χιμάρῳ τῷ ζῶντι καὶ ἀφιεμένῳ, καὶ ἐν τῷ παθεῖν ἀνθρωπίνως, μὴ πά σχοντα θεϊκῶς· καὶ ἐν τῷ τεθνάναι σαρκὶ, θανάτου κρείττονα, καὶ οὐ, κατὰ τὴν Ἰουδαίων ἀπόνοιαν, ἀπομείναντα μεθ' ἡμῶν ἐν μνήματι, καὶ κάτοχον γεγονότα ταῖς ᾄδου πύλαις τοῖς ἄλλοις ὁμοῦ. Ὡς γὰρ ὁ αὐτοῦ φησι μαθητής· « Οὔτε ἐγκατελείφθη εἰς ᾄδην ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ, οὔτε ἡ σάρξ αὐτοῦ οἶδε διαφθο ράν. » Ανεβίω γὰρ σκυλεύσας τὸν ἄδην, καὶ τοῖς ἐν δεσμοῖς εἰπών· Ἐξέλθετε, καὶ τοῖς ἐν τῷ σκότει · Ανακαλύφθητε· καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἄνω καὶ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς Πατέρα, καὶ εἰς τὸν ἀνθρώποις ἄβατον ἀνεπήδησε 4 χῶρον, αὐτὸς ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτῷ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν ἀναλαβών, καὶ ἱλασμὸς ὑπάρχων περὶ αὐτῶν. Γράφει γοῦν ὁ θεσπέσιος Ιωάννης τοῖς εἰς αὐτὸν πιστεύσασι· « Τεκνία, ταῦτα γράψω ὑμῖν, ἵνα μὴ ἁμαρτάνητε. Καὶ ἐάν τις δὲ ἁμάρτῃ, παράκλητον ἔχομεν " πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν δίκαιον· καὶ αὐτὸς ἱλασμός ἐστι περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν· οὐ περὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τοῦ ὅλου κόσμου.» Οἶμαι δὲ δεῖν, καὶ αὐτὴν ποιήσασθαι τὴν παράθεσιν τῶν νομικῶν γραμμάτων εἰς ἀνάμνησιν τοῖς ἀκροωμένοις. Ἔχει δὲ οὕτω· « Καὶ προσάξει τὸν χίμαρον τὸν ζῶντα, καὶ ἐπιθήσει ᾿Ααρὼν τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ χιμάρου τοῦ ζῶντος. Καὶ ἐξαγορεύσει ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῦ πάσας τὰς ἀνομίας, τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ πάσας τὰς ἀδικίας αὐτῶν· και πάσας τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν· καὶ ἐπιθήσει αὐτὰς ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ χιμάμου τοῦ ζῶντος· καὶ ἐξαποστελεῖ ἐν χειρὶ ἀνθρώπου ἑτοίμου εἰς τὴν ἔρημον. » ῎Αθρει δὴ οὖν, ὅπως καί τοι τοῦ πρώτου σφαγέντος χιμάρου, ζῶντα πλεισταχοῦ τὸν ἕτερον ὀνομάζει· ἦν γὰρ, ὡς ἔφην, ἐν ἀμφοῖν γραφόμενος εἷς καὶ μόνος Υἱὸς, καὶ Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, ὡς ἐν πάθει σαρκὸς ἰδίας, καὶ ἔξω πάθους, ὡς ἐν θανάτῳ, καὶ ὑπὲρ θάνατον. Ἔζη γὰρ ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος καὶ γευομένης θανάτου τῆς ἁγίας σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ, καὶ μεμένηκεν ἀπαθὴς, καὶ τοι τοῦ ἰδίου σώματος τὸ πάθος οἰκειούμενος, καὶ εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἀναφέρων αὐτό. Ιδοι δ᾽ ἄν τις τοῦτο τὸ βαθὺ καὶ μέγα μυστήριον καὶ ἑτεροτρόπως ἡμῖν γραφόμενον ἐν τῷ Λευιτικῷ. Μεμολυσμένον γὰρ ἀποφαίνει τὸν λεπρὸν ὁ διὰ Μωϋσέως νόμος· ἐκπέμπεσθαι δὲ προστέταχε τῆς παρεμβολῆς ὡς ἀκάθαρτον. Εἰ δὲ συμβαίη και ταλωφῆσαι τὸ πάθος, τότε δὴ, τότε παράδεκτον γενέσθαι κελεύει. Καὶ δὴ καί φησιν· « Οὗτος ὁ νόμος τοῦ λεπροῦ· ᾗ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ καθαριαθῇ, καὶ προσαχθήσεται πρὸς τὸν ἱερέα· καὶ ἐξελεύσεται ὁ ἱερεὺς ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς, καὶ ὄψεται ὁ ἱερεὺς, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἰᾶται ἡ ἀφὴ τῆς λέπρας ἀπὸ τοῦ λεπροῦ· καὶ προστάξει ὁ ἱερεὺς, καὶ λήψονται τῷ κεκαθαρμένῳ · δύο ὀρνίθια ζῶντα καθαρά · καὶ προστάξει ὁ ἱερεὺς, καὶ σφάξουσι τὸ ὀρνίθιον τὸ ἓν εἰς ἀγγεῖον ὀστράκινον ἐφ᾽ ὕδατι ζῶντι· καὶ τὸ ὀρνίθιον τὸ ζῶν λήψεται αὐτὸ, καὶ βάψει εἰς τὸ αἷμα τοῦ ὀρνιθίου τοῦ σφαγέντος ἐφ᾽ ὕδατι ζῶντι· καὶ περιῤῥανεῖ ἐπὶ τὸν καθαρισθέντα ἀπὸ τῆς λέπρας ἑπτάκις, καὶ καθαρὸς ἔσται. Καὶ ἐξαποστελεῖ τὸ ὀρνίθιον τὸ ζῶν εἰς τὸ πεδίον. » Δύο μὲν οὖν τὰ πτηνὰ, καὶ ἀκίβδηλα, τουτέστι καθαρὰ, καὶ μηδεμίαν ἔχοντα διαβολὴν, τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου φημί· καὶ τὸ μὲν ἐν ἐσφάζετο ἐφ᾽ ὕδατι ζῶντι, τόγε μὴν ἕτερον ἔξω μένον σφαγῆς, εἶτα βαπτισθὲν ἐν τῷ αἴματι τοῦ τετελευτηκότος, καὶ ἐφ᾽ ὕδατι ζῶντι, κατὰ τὸν ἴσον τῷ χιμάρῳ τρόπον εἰς τὴν ἔρημον ἐξεπέμπετο. Ὑπεμφήνειεν δ᾽ ἂν ὁ τύπος ἡμῖν κὰν τούτῳ δὴ πάλιν τὸ μέγα μυστήριον, καὶ σεπτὸν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν. Ἧν μὲν γὰρ ἄνωθεν, τουτέστιν ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ ἐξ οὐρανῶν ὁ Λόγος · ταύτῃ τοι καὶ μάλα εἰκότως πτηνῷ παρεικάζεται. Καταπεφοίτηκε δὲ οἰκονομικῶς εἰς ὁμοίωσιν τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς, καὶ έλαβε δούλου μορφήν · πλὴν καὶ ἄνωθεν οὗτος ἐ ἦν. Καὶ γοῦν ἔφασκεν ἐναργῶς, Ἰουδαίοις προσλαλῶν· ) Ὑμεῖς ἐκ τῶν κάτω ἐστὲ, ἐγὼ ἐκ τῶν ἄνω εἰμί εἰμί · ἐγὼ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου. » Καὶ πάλιν· Οὐδεὶς ἀναβέβηκεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, εἰ μὴ ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβὰς, ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.» Ὡς γὰρ ἔφην ἀρτίως, καὶ σάρξ γεγονώς, ἤγουν τέλειος κ ἄνθρωπος, οὐ γήῖνος ἦν ἢ χοϊκὸς, καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς, ἀλλ' οὐράνιός τε καὶ ὑπερκόσμιος, καθὸ νοεῖται Θεός. Πλὴν ἔστιν ἰδεῖν ἐν τοῖς ὀρνιθίοις καθὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς χιμάροις, σαρκὶ μὲν παθόντα, κατὰ τὰς Γραφὰς, μείναντα δὲ καὶ ἐπέκεινα τοῦ παθεῖν· καὶ ἀποθνήσκοντα μὲν ἀνθρωπίνως, ζῶντα δὲ θεϊκῶς· ζωὴ γὰρ ὁ Λόγος ἦν. Καὶ γοῦν ὁ πάνσοφος μαθητής θανατωθῆναι μὲν αὐτὸν ἔφη σαρκὶ, ζωοποιηθῆναι δὲ πνεύματι. Πλὴν ὅτι κἂν εἰ τοῦ παθεῖν τὸν θάνατον εἰς ἰδίαν φύσιν ἄμοιρος ἦν ὁ Λόγος, ἀλλ᾽ οὖν οἰκειοῦται τὸ πάθος τῆς ἑαυτοῦ σαρκὸς, ὡς ἤδη προεῖπον. Ἐβαπτίζετο γὰρ τὸ ὀρνίθιον τὸ ζῶν ἐν τῷ αἵματι τοῦ τετελευτηκότος, πεφυραμένον δὲ τῷ αἵματι, μονονουχὶ δὲ καὶ κοινωνῆσαν τοῦ πάθους, εἰς τὴν ἔρημον ἐξεπέμπετο · ἀναπεφοίτηκε γὰρ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ὁ μονογενὴς τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος ν μετὰ τῆς ἑνωθείσης αὐτῷ σαρκός· καὶ ξένον ἦν ἐν οὐρανοῖς τὸ θέαμα. Κατεπλήττετο γὰρ ἡ τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων πληθὺς, ἐν εἴδει βλέπουσα τῷ καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς τὸν βασιλέα τῆς δόξης, καὶ τὸν τῶν δυνάμεων Κύριον. Καὶ δὴ ἔφασκον· « Τίς οὗτος ὁ παραγενόμενος ἐξ Ἐδὼμ (τουτέστιν ἐκ τῆς γῆς), ἐρύθημα ἱματίων ἐκ Βοσόρ;» Ἑρμηνεύεται δὲ τὸ Βοσὸρ σάρξ, ἤτοι συνοχὴ καὶ θλίψις. Εἶτα τοῦτο προσεπυνθάνοντο· Τὶ αὗται αἱ πληγαὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν χειρῶν σου;» Ὁ δὲ πρὸς αὐτούς· « "Ας ἐπλήγην ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ μου. » Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἀπιστήσαντι τῷ Θωμᾶ οἰκονομικώτατα λίαν καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀνάστασιν ἐδείκνυ τὰς χεῖρας, καὶ τοὺς ἐν αὐταῖς τῶν ἤλων τύπους, ἐκέλευσε δὲ ψηλαφᾷν καὶ τὰς ἐν τῇ πλευρᾷ διατρήσεις, οὕτω καὶ ἐν οὐρανῷ γεγονὼς πεπληροφόρηκε τοὺς ἁγίους ἀγγέλους, ὅτι δικαίως τῆς πρὸς αὐτοὺς οἰκειότητος ἐκβέβληται καὶ ἀπώλισθεν ὁ ἡγαπημένος Ἰσραήλ. Διὰ τοῦτο πεφυρμένον αἵματι τὸ ἄμφιον, καὶ τὰς ἐν χερσὶν ἐπεδείκνυ πληγὰς, οὐκ ( ἀναποβλήτους ἔχων αὐτὰς (ἐγηγερμένος γὰρ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀπεδύσατο τὴν φθορὰν, καὶ σὺν αὐτῇ πάντα τὰ ἐξ αὐτῆς), ἀλλ᾽ ἴνα, ὡς ἔφην, οἰκονομικῶς γνωρισθῇ νῦν ταῖς ἀρχαῖς καὶ ταῖς ἐξουσίαις ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις διὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, ἡ πολυποίκιλος σοφία τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἣν ἐποίησεν ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ κατὰ πρόθεσιν τῶν αἰώνων. Γράφει γὰρ οὕτω τισὶν ὁ ἱερώτατης Παῦλος. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἐν τοῖς χιμάροις ἐγράφετο σαφῶς τὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μυστήριον, οὕτω καὶ ἐν τοῖς δυσὶν ὀρνιθίοις. ᾿Αλλ' ἴσως τις ἐρεῖ· Πῶς οὖν ἕνα, καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν φὴς εἶναι Υἱὸν καὶ Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, καίτοι δύο χιμάρων παρενηνεγμένων, ὀρνιθίων τε δύο; Ἡ τάχα που καταδείξειεν ἂν οὐκ ἀσυμφανῶς ὁ νόμος, ὡς δύο που πάντως εἰσὶν Υἱοὶ καὶ Χριστοί; Καὶ δυσσεβείας μὲν εἰς τοῦτο κατεβιΗ βάσθησαν ἤδη τινὲς, ὡς οἴεσθαι καὶ λέγειν, ἕτερον μὲν εἶναι Χριστὸν ἰδικῶς τὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς Λόγον, ἕτερον δ᾽ αὖ τὸν ἐκ σπέρματος Δαυΐδ. Ἡμεῖς δὲ φαμεν τοῖς ὧδε ταῦτ᾽ ἔχειν ἐξ ἀμαθίας ὑπειληφόσιν, ὡς ὁ θεσπέσιος γράφει Παῦλος, ὅτι Εἷς Κύριος, μία πίστις, ἓν βάπτισμα. Οὐκοῦν εἰ δύο φασὶν Υἱοὺς, δύο που πάντως εἶεν ἂν οἱ Κύριοι, δύο δὲ καὶ πίστεις, τοσαῦτα δὲ καὶ βαπτίσματα. Ψευδομυθήσει δὴ οὖν ὁ Χριστὸν ἔχων ἐν ἑαυτῷ λαλοῦντα, καθά φησιν αὐτός. ᾿Αλλ᾿ οὐκ ἔστι ταῦτα· μὴ γένοιτο. Οὐκοῦν εἷς Κύριος, καὶ μία πίστις, ἓν βάπτισμα. Πιστεύομεν γὰρ εἰς ἕνα Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, τουτέστι τὸν μονογενῆ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον ἐνανθρωπήσαντα, καὶ σεσαρκωμένον. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ εἰς τὸν θάνατον αὐτοῦ βαπτιζόμεθα, καὶ μόνον ἴσμεν αὐτὸν Κύριον ὡς Θεὸν, οὐκ ἀνὰ μέρος τιθέντες ἄνθρωπον, καὶ Θεὸν, ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὸν, ὡς ἔφην, τὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς Λόγον ἄνθρωπον γενέσθαι διαβεβαιούμενοι μετὰ τοῦ μεῖναι Θεόν· ἄτρεπτος γὰρ, καὶ ἀναλλοίωτος κατὰ φύσιν ἐστίν. Ἐπεὶ φραζέτωσαν οἱ δι' ἐναντίας, εἰ δύο φασὶν Υἱοὺς, ἕνα μὲν ἰδικῶς τὸν ἐκ σπέρματος τοῦ Δαυΐδ, ἔτερον δ᾽ αὖ, καὶ ἀνὰ μέρος τὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς Λόγον. Αρ᾿ οὐκ ἀμείνων κατὰ φύσιν ὁ ἐκ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς Λόγος, τοῦ ἐκ σπέρματος τοῦ Δαυΐδ, καὶ ἀσυγκρίτοις διαφοραῖς; Τί γὰρ ἀνθρώπου φύσις, ὡς πρός γε τὴν θείαν καὶ ὑπερτάτην; ᾿Αλλ' οἶμαι, καὶ οὐχ ἑκόντες ἐροῦσιν, ὡς ἀμείνων ἐστὶ κατὰ φύσιν ὁ ἐκ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς Λόγος. Εἶτα τί δράσομεν, τοὺς χιμάρους ὁρῶντες οὐχ ἑτεροφυεῖς ὄντας ἀλλήλοις, ὁμοειδεῖς δὲ μᾶλλον, καὶ κατ᾿ οὐδὲν ἀλλήλων διαφέροντας, κατά γε τὸ εἶναι τοῦθ᾽ ὅπερ εἰσίν; Ὁ αὐτὸς δ᾽ ἂν γένοιτο λόγος, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς δυσὶν ὀρνιθίοις. Οὐκοῦν συγχωρείτωσαν διὰ τὸ τῶν χιμάρων, ἢ γοῦν ὀρνιθίων ὁμοειδὲς, μηδὲν ἀνθρώπου διαφέρειν τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον. ᾿Αλλ᾽ οὐκ ἀνέξονται, καθάπερ ἐγᾧμαι, τοῦ τοιοῦδε λόγου· πλεῖστον γὰρ ὅσον τὸ μεταξὺ θεότητός τε καὶ ἀνθρωπότητος. Ἐφῶμεν δὴ οὖν τοῖς παραδείγμασι κατὰ τὸν αὐτοῖς πρέποντα νοεῖσθαι λόγον. Ἡττᾶται γὰρ λίαν τῶν ἀληθῶν, καὶ μερικὴν ἔσθ' ὅτε ποιεῖται τῶν σημαινομένων τὴν ἔνδειξιν. Φαμὲν δὲ ὅτι σκιὰ καὶ τύπος ὁ νόμος ἦν, καὶ οἷὖν τις γραφή παρατεθεῖσα πρὸς θέαν τοῖς ὁρῶσι τὰ πράγματα. Αἱ δὲ σκιαὶ τῆς τῶν γραφόντων ἐν πίναξι τέχνης τὰ πρῶτα τῶν χαραγμάτων εἰσίν· αἷς εἴπερ ἐπενεχθεῖεν τῶν χρωμάτων τὰ ἄνθη, τότε δὴ, τότε τῆς γραφῆς ἀπαστράπτει τὸ κάλλος. Ἔδει δὴ οὖν, τὸν διὰ Μωσέως νόμον καταγράψαι σαφῶς ἐθέλοντα τὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μυστήριον, οὐχ ἑνὶ τῶν χιμάρων, ἤτοι τῶν ἀρνιθίων, ἀποθνήσκοντά τε ὁμοῦ καὶ ζῶντα καταδεικνύειν αὐτὸν, ἵνα μὴ τερατοποιΐα σκηνική δόξῃ πως εἶναι τὸ δρώμενον· ἀλλ᾽ ἐδέχετο μὲν ὡς ἐν ἑνὶ παθόντα τὴν σφαγήν, κατεδείκνυ δὲ τὸν αὐτὸν ἐν ἑτέρῳ ζῶντά τε καὶ ἀφιέμενον. Αποφῆναι δὲ τὸν ἐπὶ τῷδε λόγον οὐκ ἔξω βαίνοντα τοῦ εἰκότος οἰήσομαι δεῖν, καὶ ἑτέραν οἷς ἔφην ἐπεισφρήσας · εἰκόνα. Γέγραπται τοίνυν ἐν τῷ τῆς κοσμοποιΐας βιβλίῳ· Καὶ ἐγένετο μετὰ τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα, ὁ Θεὸς ἐπείραζε τὸν ᾿Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ᾿Αβραάμ, ᾿Αβραάμ. Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· Ἰδοὺ ἐγώ. Καὶ εἶπε· Λαβὲ τὸν υἱόν σου τὸν ἀγαπητὸν, ὃν ἠγάπησας, τὸν Ἰσαάκ· καὶ πορεύθητι εἰς τὴν γῆν τὴν ὑψηλὴν, καὶ ἀνένεγκε αὐτὸν ἐκεῖ εἰς ὀλοκάρπωσιν, ἐφ᾽ ἓν τῶν ὀρέων, ὧν ἄν σοι δείξω. ᾿Αναστὰς δὲ πρωῖ, ἐπέσαξε τὴν ὄνον αὐτοῦ· παρέλαβε δὲ μεθ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ δύο παῖδας, καὶ Ἰσαὰκ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ. Καὶ σχίσας ξύλα εἰς ὀλοκάρπωσιν, ἀναστὰς ἐπορεύθη· καὶ ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον, ὃν εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς, τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ. Καὶ ἀναβλέψας Ἀβραὰμ τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς, εἶδε τὸν τόπον μακρόθεν, καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Ἀβραὰμ τοῖς παισὶν αὐτοῦ· Καθίσατε αὐτοῦ μετὰ τῆς ὄνου, ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ τὸ παιδάριον δι ελευσόμεθα ἕως ὧδε, καὶ προσκυνήσαντες ἀναστρέψο μεν πρὸς ὑμᾶς. Ἔλαβε δὲ τὰ ξύλα τῆς ὁλοκαρπώ σεως, καὶ ἐπέθηκεν Ἰσαὰκ τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ. Ἔλαβε δὲ μετὰ χεῖρας τὸ πῦρ, καὶ τὴν μάχαιραν· καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν οἱ δύο ἅμα. » Καὶ μεθ᾽ ἕτερα· « Καὶ ᾠκοδό μησεν Ἀβραὰμ ἐκεῖσε θυσιαστήριον, καὶ ἐπέθηκε τὰ ξύλα. Καὶ συμποδίσας Ἰσαὰκ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ, ἐπέθηκεν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον ἐπάνω τῶν ξύλων. Καὶ ἐξέτεινεν ᾿Ἀβραὰμ τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ λαβεῖν τὴν μάχαιραν τοῦ σφάξαι τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ. » ῾Αρ' οὖν, εἴπερ τις τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς ἐπεθύμησεν ἰδεῖν καταγεγραμμένην ἐν πίνακι τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ ᾿Ἀβραὰμ ἱστορίαν, πῶς ἂν αὐτὸν ἐχάραξεν ὁ ζωγράφος; ῎Αρα ἐν ἑνὶ πάντα δρῶντα τὰ εἰρημένα, ἢ ἀνὰ μέρος, καὶ ἑτεροίως, ἤγουν ἑτεροειδῶς, πλεισταχοῦ τὸν αὐτόν; Οἷόν τί φημι, ποτὲ μὲν ἐφιζήσαντα τῇ ὄνῳ, συμπαραληφθέντος τοῦ παιδαρίου, καὶ ἑπομένων τῶν οἰκετῶν· ποτὲ δ᾽ αὖ πάλιν ἀπομεινάσης τῆς ὄνου κάται τοῖς οἰκέταις ὁμοῦ, καταφορτίσαντα μὲν τοῖς ξύλοις τὸν Ἰσαὰκ, ἔχοντα δὲ μετὰ χεῖρας τὴν μάχαιραν καὶ τὸ πῦρ· καὶ μὴν καὶ ἑτέρωθι τὸν αὐτὸν ἐν εἴδει πάλιν ἑτέρῳ συμποδίσαντα μὲν τὸ μειράκιον ἐπὶ τὰ ξυλα, Cὀπλίσαντα δὲ τῇ μαχαίρᾳ τὴν δεξιὰν, ἵνα ἐπαγάγῃ τὴν σφαγήν; ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἦν οὐχ ἕτερος, καὶ ἕτερος ᾿Αβραάμ, πλεισταχοῦ τῆς γραφῆς ὀρώμενος ἑτεροίως· ἀλλ᾽ ὁ αὐτὸς πανταχοῦ, ταῖς τῶν πραγμάτων χρείαις συγκαθ ισταμένης ἀεὶ τῆς τοῦ γράφοντος τέχνης. Οὐ γὰρ ἦν εἰκὸς, ἤγουν - τῶν ἐνδεχομένων, ἐν ἑνὶ κατιδεῖν αὐτὸν πάντα δρῶντα τὰ εἰρημένα. Γραφή τοιγαροῦν ὁ νόμος ἦν, καὶ τύποι πραγμάτων α, ὠδίνοντες τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Ὥστε κἂν εἰ δύο ὁ χιμάρους παρεκόμισεν ἡ χρεία πρὸς παράδειξιν τοῦ κατὰ Χριστὸν μυστηρίου, κἂν εἰ δυὰς ὀρνιθίων ἦν, ἀλλ᾽ εἷς ἦν ὁ ἐν ἀμφοῖν, καὶ ὡς ἐν πάθει, καὶ ἔξω πάθους, καὶ ἐν θανάτῳ, καὶ ὑπὲρ θάνατον, καὶ ἀναβαίνων εἰς οὐρανοὺς, ἀπαρχή τις ὥσπερ δευτέρα τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος ἀνανεωθείσης εἰς ἀφθαρσίαν. Αὐτὸς γὰρ ἡμῖν ἀνεκαίνισε ῃ τὴν εἰς τὰ ἄνω τρίβον, καὶ ἐψόμεθα κατὰ καιροὺς αὐτῷ· « Πορεύσομαι γὰρ, φησὶν, ἑτοιμάσαι τόπον ὑμῖν, καὶ πάλιν ἔρχομαι, καὶ παραλήψομαι ὑμᾶς μετ' ἐμαυτοῦ, ἵνα ὅπου εἰμὶ ἐγὼ, καὶ ὑμεῖς μετ' ἐμοῦ ἦτε. » Ταύτας ἔχομεν τὰς ἀληθεῖς ἐλπίδας. Ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν ἅπερ ᾔδειν γέγραφα, τῆς δὲ σῆς θεοσεβείας ἐστὶν ἀκριβεστέραν τοῖς γεγραμμένοις ἐπενεγκεῖν τὴν βάσανον, ἵνα εἴπερ τι τῶν ἀμεινόνων εὐρεθῆναι συμβῇ, ἡμᾶς τε καὶ τοὺς αὐτόθι λαοὺς ὠφελῇ. Χριστὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ ἀποκαλύπτων βαθέα καὶ ἀπό κρυφα, καὶ σύνεσιν καρδίαις ὁ ἐνιείς. Ἐν αὐτῷ γὰρ, καὶ παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ πάντες εἰσὶν οἱ θησαυροὶ τῆς σοφίας καὶ γνώσεως ἀπόκρυφοι. Δι' αὐτοῦ τε καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ τῷ θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ δόξα, καὶ κράτος σὺν ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ᾿Αμήν.
Ison epistolēs grapheisēs para tou autou pros ton ᾿Akakion episkopon, peri tou apopompaiou. Tois para tēs sēs hosiotētos artiōs apestalme nois - entychōn, ēsthēn agan; mononouchi kai periphyeis - hēspazomēn. Gnōmēs gar eis touto proēlthon, hōs tacha pou mēde apeinai dokein; hai gar tōn gnēsiōn prosrēseis hikanai toiautēn empoiēsai diathesin. Ta ema men en toutois ; pepeismai de hoti kai ta tēs sēs theosebeias ouch heterotropōs echei. Epeidē de mēnysai katēxiōsas, hōs chrē par᾿ emou genesthai tinas logous peri tou apopompaiou, di' hōn estai kataphanes to ep᾿ autǭ mystērion, anankaiōs ekeino phēmi, tēs sēs anchinoias apochrōntōs echousēs to eumathes, kai tōn hierōn Grammatōn euphya, kai ouk athaumaston epistēmēn, peritton men isōs to legesthai ti par' heterou peri tōn zētoumenōn. Epeidē de to lypoun ouden kai ta eis noun eonta kai ton emon n eipein, gegraphamen ; ou gar ēn anēnasthai to epitachthen ; ei de dē tēs eis lēxin akribeias brachy pōs aphamartein hēmas symbainei, syngnōmōn eso. Ta gar toi dysprosita tōn theōrēmatōn dyscherē pros diasaphēsin, kai ou rhądian helein tēn katalēpsin echei. Plēn elpidos esmen ou makran, hōs dia tōn tēs sēs theosebeias euchōn, kai pros ge touto hēmas kateuthynei Christos, ho apokalyptōn bathea ek skotous, kai sophōn typhlous, kai rhēma didous, hōs logos. Gegraptai toinyn en tǭ Leuitikǭ peri tou apopompaiou; « Kai lēpsetai tous dyo chimarous, kai stēsei autous enanti Kyriou para tēn thyran tēs skēnēs tou martyriou; kai epithēsei ᾿Aarōn epi tous dyo chimarous klērous, klēron hena tǭ Kyriǭ, kai klēron hena tǭ apopompaiǭ; kai prosaxei ᾿Aarōn ton chimaron, eph᾽ an epēlthen ho klēros ep᾿ auton tǭ Kyriǭ, kai prosoisei peri hamartias ; kai ton chimaron, eph᾿ hon᾿ epēlthen ep᾿ auton ho klēros tou apopompaiou, stēsei auton zōnta enanti Kyriou tou exilaskesthai ; ep᾿ autou; hōste aposteilai auton eis tēn apopompēn. ᾿Aphēsei auton eis tēn erēmon. Kai meth᾽ hetera; « Kai sphaxei ton chimaron ton peri tēs hamartias, ton para ; tou laou, enanti Kyriou - kai eisoisei tou haimatos autou esōteron tou katapetasmatos; kai poiēsei to haima autou, hon tropon epoiēse to haima tou moschou ; kai rhanei to haima autou epi to hilastērion kata prosōpon tou hilastēnes, ton men hena tōn chimarōn, ētoi tōn tragōn, tǭ riou, kai exilasetai to hagion apo tōn akatharsiōn tōn huiōn Israēl, kai apo tōn adikēmatōn autōn epi pasōn tōn hamartiōn. Kai houtō poiēsei tę̄ skēnę̄ tou martyriou, tę̄ ektismenę̄ en autois en mesǭ tēs akatharsias autōn. » Kai tauta men peri tou sphazomenou chimarou, kai hagiazontos tǭ aimati tēn hagian skēnēn. Peri de ge tou zōntos kai aphiemenou palin hōde phēsi; « Kai prosaxei ton chimaron ton zōnta, kai epithēsei ᾿Aarōn tas cheiras autou epi tēn kephalēn tou chimarou tou zōntos, kai exagoreusei ep᾿ autou pasas tas anomias tōn huiōn Israēl, kai pasas tas adikias autōn, kai pasas tas hamartias autōn; kai epithēsei autas epi tēn kephalēn tou chimarou tou zōntos, kai exapostelei en cheiri anthrōpou hetoimou eis tēn erēmon; kai lēpsetai ho chimaros eph' heautǭ tas adikias autōn eis tēn abaton ; kai exapostelei ton chimaron eis tēn erēmon. » Pasa men oun Graphē theopneustos, kai ōphelimos. Ho gar an phthenxētai Theos, touto dē pantōs esti kai sōtērion. Kai tois men ousin hoiois te synidein tēs alētheias tēn dynamin, to tautēs kallos hypantą, phōtos dikēn enastrapton tǭ nǭ tou kata Christon mystēriou tēn gnōsin; tois ge mēn ouk echousin eu bebēkota ton noun, all᾽ hoion eti skazonta te kai nēpiazonta toutois eien an kai ta exaireta tōn theōrēmatōn hypo mōmon esth᾽ hote kai graphēn. Kai tauta phēmi, tois para tēs sēs theosebeias grapheisin ouk abasanistōs entychōn. Ōēthēsan gar isōs tōn autothi ti epi pantōn eknemēthēnai Theǭ pros kathierōsin kai thysian; ton ge mēn heteron apopompaiǭ tini kai ponērǭ kai akathartǭ daimoni pemphthēnai kata tēn erēmon; kai touto dia cheiros hieras, kai ek nomikou thespismatos. Autothen men oun to chrēma estin euēthes te kai katagelaston. Phaiē d᾽ an tis tois houtō tauta echein hypeilēphosi ; Kai toi pōs ouk edei mallon ekeino perinoein? Ho gar toi tōn holōn dēmiourgos, ho kai pantos epekeina, kai nou, kai logou, kai monos hōn physei Theos kai Kyrios, pōs an hēnescheto koinōnon hōsper tina tēs autou ho basileias kai doxēs ton apostatēn eisdexasthai Satanan? kai toi legontos akēkoamen enargōs di᾽ henos tōn hagiōn prophētōn; « Tēn doxan mou heterǭ ou dōsō. » Ei de autǭ kai monǭ to chrēnai kathieroun, ha an bouloito tis, ho dia tou pansophou Mōÿseōs prostetache nomos, eita autos ho lalēsas ton nomon katechrēsmōdēse dein kai pneumasi ponērois tēn autǭ, kai monǭ, prepōdestatēn aponemesthai doxan, pōs ouchi tois idiois antitaxetai logois? Ho gar apephēse dran, touto genesthai prostetachen. ᾿All᾿ esti tōn agan ektopōtatōn to oiesthai men alogein tēs opheilomenēs autǭ timēs te kai doxēs ton tōn holōn katexousiazonta Theon, anapsai de kai heterois ethelein autēn, kai toi saphōs legonta dia Mōÿseōs; « Kyrion ton Theon sou proskynēseis, kai autǭ monǭ latreuseis . kai, Ouk esontai soi theoi heteroi plēn emou. » Dia touto kai ho thespesios Mōÿsēs tais anōthen kai para Theou psēphois eu mala symprattetai e, kai dē kai phēsi tois ex aimatos Israēl; « Kai tauta ta prostagmata, kai ta krimata, ha phylaxesthe poiein epi tēs gēs, hēs Kyrios ho Theos tōn paterōn hēmōn didōsin hymin en klērǭ pasas tas hēmeras, has hymeis zēte epi tēs gēs. ᾿Apōleią apoleite pantas tous topous, en hois elatreusan ekei ta ethnē tois theois autōn, hous hymeis klēronomeite autous, epi tōn oreōn tōn hypsēlōn, kai epi tōn thinōn, kai hypokatō dendrou daseos. Kataskapsete tous bōmous autōn, kai syntripsete tas stēlas autōn. Kai alsē autōn ekkopsete, kai ta glypta tōn theōn autōn katakausete pyri, kai apoleite to onoma autōn ek tou topou ekeinou. » Eita pōs ēn eikos, ton ex apatēs Hellēnikēs pros to tēs alētheias methormizesthai phōs dia Mōÿseōs prostattonta, kai eidōlois homou ta temenē katapimpran, kai anabothreuein bōmous, alsē te ekkoptein, hōs mēden tēs ekeinōn bdelyrias apomeinai leipsanon, merizesthai pros auta tēn doxan; kathaper ēdē proeipon, kai eis touto gnōmēs elthein, hōste kai autous tous eknemēthentas autǭ pros hierourgian, thyein autois epitaxai, aphientas eis tēn erēmon ton heteron tōn chimarōn? Kai toi moschopoiēsantos men en tę̄ erēmǭ tou Israēl katę̄tiato sphodra, tǭ thespesiǭ legōn Mōsę̄ ; « Badize, katabēthi to tachos enteuthen; hēnomēse gar ho laos sou, hous exēgages ek gēs Aigyptou; epoiēsan heautois eidōlon. » Kai mēn kai tois telestheisin tǭ Beelphegōr, hoti -; tais Mōaditōn syneplekonto gynaixi, tais tōn sōmatōn hōrais sesagēneumenoi 1 pros apostasin, pikran epartēsas horatai dikēn; apolōlasi gar ouk oligoi ton arithmon tautēs heneka tēs aitias. Genoito d᾽ an ou mikra kata tēs theias te kai akatapsektou boulēs katarrhēsis, hei peptōkasi men, kai apōlonto tines theois heterois proskynēsantes, autos ge mēn ho tois apostatais epimēnisas theos gerōn axiousthai, kai thysiōn prostetache ponēran, kai antikeimenēn dynamin, hēn apopompaion ōnomasthai, phaien an isōs tines, tēn tōn hierōn Grammatōn dynamin tois eis noun esō kekrymmenois ouch horōntes ommasin. Hēmeis de tois theiois thespismasin epaphientes ton noun, ouk atēmelē kai rhąthymon, akribē de mallon, kai kath᾿ hoson hoion te philogrēgoron, tēs alētheias to axiagaston kallos philothērein eu mala spoudasomen. Kai dē kai phamen, hōs ho tōn holōn Theos ep᾿ anatropę̄ tēs polytheou planēs, kai epi phōtismǭ tōn en skotǭ, katachrēsmǭdēsas ton nomon tois palai dia Mōseōs, ēnescheto an oudamōs, hodos genesthai, kai thyra, mallon de kai didaskalos tou chrēnai timan tous akathartous daimonas. Polypragmonountes de ta en tais theopneustois Graphais, kekrymmenēn 8 heurēsomen tēn alētheian. Prepoi d᾽ an tais tou no- Mōÿseōs prosōpon apallattontes, gymnēn idōmen mou skiais enorōntas eipein to di᾽ henos tōn hagiōn prophētōn orthōs eirēmenon; « Tis sophos, kai synēsei tauta? ē synetos, kai epignōsetai auta?» – «Skian gar ho nomos echei tōn mellontōn agathōn, kai ouk autēn tēn eikona tōn pragmatōn, » hōs gegraptai; plēn ōdinousin hai skiai tēn alētheian, ei kai auto ou pantōs hē eisi to alēthes. Dia touto kai ho thespesios Mōÿsēs kalymma etithē epi to prosōpon autou hi, proelalei hi te houtō tois huiois Israēl, mononouchi di' autou kekragōs tou pragmatos; hoti tōn di᾿ autou thespismatōn to kallos katidoi tis an, ouk en ge tois exō phaneisi typois, all᾽ en tois esō kekrymmenois theōrēmasi. Phere dē oun perielontes tou nomou to kataskiasma, kai tōn exōthen epiblēmatōn to tēn alētheian. Dyo men gar chimarous proskomisthēnai prostetache, kai dyo graphesthai klērous ep᾿ autois; hōs ton men hena tōn chimarōn onomasthēnai kyrion, ton ge mēn heteron apopompaion. Oukoun onomata tois chimarois, kyrios te kai apopompaios. Sēmaine tai de di᾽ amphoin ho heis kai monos Huios, kai Kyrios Iēsous Christos. Kai tina tropon, eroumen hōs eni, tę̄ tōn theōrēmatōn akribeią prosballontes 1. Aïx toinyn, ē tragos, ēgoun eriphos, ēn hyper hamartias to thyma kata ge tǭ nomǭ dokoun; probatǭ men gar aphomoioi ton dikaion pleistachou hē theo pneustos Graphē, aigi de ton philamartēmona. Kai dia poian aitian? Plērēs men gar ho dikaios auchē matōn tōn eis aretēn; enkarpos de dia touto nooit᾽ an eikotōs; eriophorei de to probaton; tautę̄ toi kai mal᾽ eikotōs probatǭ pareikazetai. Gymnēn de, kai akarpon, kai agathoergias hapatēs erēmēn tēn tou plēmmelountos psychēn katidoi tis an. Aïx oun ara typos autēs; aprakton de to zōon kai tēs tou probatou timēs katopin erchetai. Dia touto kai ho Kyrios hēmōn Iēsous Christos; « Hotan kathisę̄, phēsin, ho Huios tou anthrōpou epi thronou doxēs autou, kai stēsę̄ ta men probata ek dexiōn autou, ta de eriphia ex euōnymōn. » Kai tois men ek dexiōn, hate dē tous tēs dikaiosynēs echousi karpous tēn hētoimasmenēn autois apokathistēsi basileian, tois de ex euōnymōn pyr, kai kolasin, kai tas tǭ diabolǭ prepousas epoisei poinas. Esphazeto toinyn hyper hamartias eriphos; kai touto mathēsę̄, tou nomou legontos enargōs; « Ean de ho archōn hamartę̄, kai poiēsę̄ mian apo pasōn tōn entolōn Kyriou tou Theou autou, ē ou poiēthēsetai akousiōs, kai hamartę̄, kai plēmmelēsę̄, kai gnōsthę̄ autǭ hē hamartia, hēn hēmarten en autę̄, kai prosoisei to dōron autou chimaron ex aigōn, arrhen, amōmon. » Ephē de pou kai autos ho epi pantōn Theos peri ē tōn hierasthai lachontōn kata ton nomon; « Hamartias laou mou phagontai» toutesti ta hyper hamartiōn thymata. Meris gar kai klēros tois hiereusi karpōma Kyriou ", kata to gegrammenon. Gegone toinyn sphagion ho Christos hyper tōn hamartiōn hēmōn, kata tas Graphas; tautēs te heneka tēs aitias hamartian auton ōnomasthai phamen. Graphei goun ho pansophos Paulos hoti, « Ton mē gnonta hamartian, hyper hēmōn hamartian epoiēsen, ho Theos kai Patēr dēlonoti. Ou gar toi pho phamen hamartōlon genesthai Christon; mē genoito; all᾿ onta dikaion, mallon de autochrēma dikaiosynēn, ou gar oide plēmmelein, sphagion epoiēsen ho Patēr hyper tōn tou kosmou plēmmelēmatōn. «Kai en tois anomois elogisthē, » psēphon hypomeinas tēn tois anomois prepōdetatēn. Kai pistōsetai legōn ho thespesios prophētēs ( Hēsaïas hoti, « Pantes hōs probata eplanēthēmen, hekastos tę̄ hodǭ autou eplanēthē; kai Kyrios paredōken auton tais anomiais hēmōn; kai autos hyper hēmōn odynatai ; kai tǭ mōlōpi autou hēmeis iathēmen. » Graphei de kai ho pansophos Petros; « Hoti tas hamartias hēmōn anēnenken en tǭ sōmati autou epi to xylon. Oukoun epekremato men tois epi tēs gēs ho klēros, to o chrēnai pathein ton thanaton, dia te tēn en Adam parabasin, kai tēn ex ekeinou mechris hēmōn tyrannēsasan hamartian. ᾿All᾿ ho ek Theou Patros Logos, ho polys eis hēmerotēta, kai philanthrōpian, gegone sarx, toutestin anthrōpos, symmorphos te hēmin tois hyph᾽ hamartian, kai ton hēmōn hypestē klēron. Hōs gar ho panaristos graphei Paulos; riti Theou hyper pantos egeusato thanatou, » kai tēs hapantōn zōēs antallagma tēn heautou psychēn epoiēsato; heis hyper pantōn apethanen, hina hoi pantes Theǭ zēsōmen R, hagiazomenoi te kai zōopoioumenoi dia tou haimatos autou, « dikaioumenoi te dōrean tę̄ par᾿ autou chariti. » Hōs gar phēsin ho makarios euangelistēs Iōannēs; « To haima Iēsou Christou katharizei hēmas apo pasēs hamartias. » Onoma dē oun tǭ sphazomenǭ chimarǭ kyrios; kai klērōtēn edecheto tēn sphagēn; hagion te thyma, kai hieron ēn eis typon Christou, ou di' heauton apothnēskontos, all᾽ hyper hēmōn, hōs ephēn, kai hagiazontos tēn Ekklēsian tǭ idiǭ aimati. « Sphaxei gar ton chimaron, phēsin, ton peri tēs hamartias, ton peri tou laou, enanti Kyriou; kai eisoisei tou haimatos autou esōteron tou katapetasmatos, kai rhanei to haima autou epi to hilastērion, kata prosōpon tou hilastēriou, kai exilasetai to hagion apo tōn akatharsiōn tōn huiōn Israēl, kai apo tōn adikēmatōn autōn peri pasōn tōn hamartiōn autōn. Kai houtō poiēsei tę̄ skēnę̄ tou martyriou, tę̄ ektismenę̄ en autois, en mesǭ tēs akatharsias autōn. Eisēlthe gar ho Christos eis ta ῾Agia tōn hagiōn, ou di' haimatos tragōn kai moschōn, dia de tou idiou aimatos, aiōnian lytrōsin heuramenos, kai hagiazōn, hōs ephēn, tēn alēthesteran skēnēn, toutesti tēn Ekklēsian, kai hapantas de tous en autę̄. Graphei oun ho thespesios Paulos pote men hoti, « Dio kai Iēsous, hina hagiasę̄ tǭ idiǭ haimati ton laon, exō tēs pylēs epathe, » pote de palin; «Ginesthe oun mimētai tou Theou, hōs tekna agapēta, kai peripateite en agapę̄, kathōs kai ho Christos hēgapēsen hēmas, kai heauton paredōken hyper hēmōn prosphoran kai thysian, eis osmēn euōdias. » Athrēteon dē oun en tǭ sphagenti chimarǭ genomenon men en thanatǭ sarkos ton Emmanouēl, plēn epi lysei thanatou, kai hamartias. Ēn gar en nekrois eleutheros, toutestin, analōtos amartiais, kai ouk enochos meth᾽ hēmōn, tę̄ tou thanatou dikę̄. Idōmen auton en tǭ heterǭ chimarǭ tǭ zōnti kai aphiemenǭ, kai en tǭ pathein anthrōpinōs, mē pa schonta theïkōs; kai en tǭ tethnanai sarki, thanatou kreittona, kai ou, kata tēn Ioudaiōn aponoian, apomeinanta meth' hēmōn en mnēmati, kai katochon gegonota tais ądou pylais tois allois homou. Hōs gar ho autou phēsi mathētēs; « Oute enkateleiphthē eis ądēn hē psychē autou, oute hē sarx autou oide diaphtho ran. » Anebiō gar skyleusas ton adēn, kai tois en desmois eipōn; Exelthete, kai tois en tǭ skotei ; Anakalyphthēte; kai pros ton anō kai en tois ouranois Patera, kai eis ton anthrōpois abaton anepēdēse 4 chōron, autos eph᾽ heautǭ tas hamartias hēmōn analabōn, kai hilasmos hyparchōn peri autōn. Graphei goun ho thespesios Iōannēs tois eis auton pisteusasi; « Teknia, tauta grapsō hymin, hina mē hamartanēte. Kai ean tis de hamartę̄, paraklēton echomen " pros ton Patera Iēsoun Christon dikaion; kai autos hilasmos esti peri tōn hamartiōn hēmōn; ou peri tōn hēmeterōn de monon, alla kai peri tou holou kosmou.» Oimai de dein, kai autēn poiēsasthai tēn parathesin tōn nomikōn grammatōn eis anamnēsin tois akroōmenois. Echei de houtō; « Kai prosaxei ton chimaron ton zōnta, kai epithēsei ᾿Aarōn tas cheiras autou epi tēn kephalēn tou chimarou tou zōntos. Kai exagoreusei ep᾿ autou pasas tas anomias, tōn huiōn Israēl, kai pasas tas adikias autōn; kai pasas tas hamartias autōn; kai epithēsei autas epi tēn kephalēn tou chimamou tou zōntos; kai exapostelei en cheiri anthrōpou hetoimou eis tēn erēmon. » ᾿Athrei dē oun, hopōs kai toi tou prōtou sphagentos chimarou, zōnta pleistachou ton heteron onomazei; ēn gar, hōs ephēn, en amphoin graphomenos heis kai monos Huios, kai Kyrios Iēsous Christos, hōs en pathei sarkos idias, kai exō pathous, hōs en thanatǭ, kai hyper thanaton. Ezē gar ho tou Theou Logos kai geuomenēs thanatou tēs hagias sarkos autou, kai memenēken apathēs, kai toi tou idiou sōmatos to pathos oikeioumenos, kai eis heauton anapherōn auto. Idoi d᾽ an tis touto to bathy kai mega mystērion kai heterotropōs hēmin graphomenon en tǭ Leuitikǭ. Memolysmenon gar apophainei ton lepron ho dia Mōÿseōs nomos; ekpempesthai de prostetache tēs parembolēs hōs akatharton. Ei de symbaiē kai talōphēsai to pathos, tote dē, tote paradekton genesthai keleuei. Kai dē kai phēsin; « Houtos ho nomos tou leprou; hę̄ an hēmerą kathariathę̄, kai prosachthēsetai pros ton hierea; kai exeleusetai ho hiereus exō tēs parembolēs, kai opsetai ho hiereus, kai idou iatai hē aphē tēs lepras apo tou leprou; kai prostaxei ho hiereus, kai lēpsontai tǭ kekatharmenǭ ; dyo ornithia zōnta kathara ; kai prostaxei ho hiereus, kai sphaxousi to ornithion to hen eis angeion ostrakinon eph᾽ hydati zōnti; kai to ornithion to zōn lēpsetai auto, kai bapsei eis to haima tou ornithiou tou sphagentos eph᾽ hydati zōnti; kai perirrhanei epi ton katharisthenta apo tēs lepras heptakis, kai katharos estai. Kai exapostelei to ornithion to zōn eis to pedion. » Dyo men oun ta ptēna, kai akibdēla, toutesti kathara, kai mēdemian echonta diabolēn, tēn apo tou nomou phēmi; kai to men en esphazeto eph᾽ hydati zōnti, toge mēn heteron exō menon sphagēs, eita baptisthen en tǭ aimati tou teteleutēkotos, kai eph᾽ hydati zōnti, kata ton ison tǭ chimarǭ tropon eis tēn erēmon exepempeto. Hypemphēneien d᾽ an ho typos hēmin kan toutǭ dē palin to mega mystērion, kai septon tou Sōtēros hēmōn. Hēn men gar anōthen, toutestin ek tou Patros, kai ex ouranōn ho Logos ; tautę̄ toi kai mala eikotōs ptēnǭ pareikazetai. Katapephoitēke de oikonomikōs eis homoiōsin tēn pros hēmas, kai elabe doulou morphēn ; plēn kai anōthen houtos e ēn. Kai goun ephasken enargōs, Ioudaiois proslalōn; ) Hymeis ek tōn katō este, egō ek tōn anō eimi eimi ; egō ouk eimi ek tou kosmou toutou. » Kai palin; Oudeis anabebēken eis ton ouranon, ei mē ho ek tou ouranou katabas, ho Huios tou anthrōpou.» Hōs gar ephēn artiōs, kai sarx gegonōs, ēgoun teleios k anthrōpos, ou gēinos ēn ē choïkos, kath᾽ hēmas, all' ouranios te kai hyperkosmios, katho noeitai Theos. Plēn estin idein en tois ornithiois katha kai en tois chimarois, sarki men pathonta, kata tas Graphas, meinanta de kai epekeina tou pathein; kai apothnēskonta men anthrōpinōs, zōnta de theïkōs; zōē gar ho Logos ēn. Kai goun ho pansophos mathētēs thanatōthēnai men auton ephē sarki, zōopoiēthēnai de pneumati. Plēn hoti kan ei tou pathein ton thanaton eis idian physin amoiros ēn ho Logos, all᾽ oun oikeioutai to pathos tēs heautou sarkos, hōs ēdē proeipon. Ebaptizeto gar to ornithion to zōn en tǭ haimati tou teteleutēkotos, pephyramenon de tǭ haimati, mononouchi de kai koinōnēsan tou pathous, eis tēn erēmon exepempeto ; anapephoitēke gar en tois ouranois ho monogenēs tou Theou Logos n meta tēs henōtheisēs autǭ sarkos; kai xenon ēn en ouranois to theama. Kateplētteto gar hē tōn hagiōn angelōn plēthys, en eidei blepousa tǭ kath᾽ hēmas ton basilea tēs doxēs, kai ton tōn dynameōn Kyrion. Kai dē ephaskon; « Tis houtos ho paragenomenos ex Edōm (toutestin ek tēs gēs), erythēma himatiōn ek Bosor?» Hermēneuetai de to Bosor sarx, ētoi synochē kai thlipsis. Eita touto prosepynthanonto; Ti hautai hai plēgai ana meson tōn cheirōn sou?» Ho de pros autous; « "As eplēgēn en tǭ oikǭ tou agapētou mou. » Hōsper gar apistēsanti tǭ Thōma oikonomikōtata lian kai meta tēn ek nekrōn anastasin edeikny tas cheiras, kai tous en autais tōn ēlōn typous, ekeleuse de psēlaphąn kai tas en tę̄ pleurą diatrēseis, houtō kai en ouranǭ gegonōs peplērophorēke tous hagious angelous, hoti dikaiōs tēs pros autous oikeiotētos ekbeblētai kai apōlisthen ho hēgapēmenos Israēl. Dia touto pephyrmenon haimati to amphion, kai tas en chersin epedeikny plēgas, ouk ( anapoblētous echōn autas (egēgermenos gar ek nekrōn apedysato tēn phthoran, kai syn autę̄ panta ta ex autēs), all᾽ ina, hōs ephēn, oikonomikōs gnōristhę̄ nyn tais archais kai tais exousiais en tois epouraniois dia tēs Ekklēsias, hē polypoikilos sophia tou Theou, hēn epoiēsen en tǭ Christǭ kata prothesin tōn aiōnōn. Graphei gar houtō tisin ho hierōtatēs Paulos. Hōsper oun en tois chimarois egrapheto saphōs to tou Christou mystērion, houtō kai en tois dysin ornithiois. ᾿All' isōs tis erei; Pōs oun hena, kai ton auton phēs einai Huion kai Kyrion Iēsoun Christon, kaitoi dyo chimarōn parenēnegmenōn, ornithiōn te dyo? Hē tacha pou katadeixeien an ouk asymphanōs ho nomos, hōs dyo pou pantōs eisin Huioi kai Christoi? Kai dyssebeias men eis touto katebiĒ basthēsan ēdē tines, hōs oiesthai kai legein, heteron men einai Christon idikōs ton ek Theou Patros Logon, heteron d᾽ au ton ek spermatos Dauïd. Hēmeis de phamen tois hōde taut᾽ echein ex amathias hypeilēphosin, hōs ho thespesios graphei Paulos, hoti Heis Kyrios, mia pistis, hen baptisma. Oukoun ei dyo phasin Huious, dyo pou pantōs eien an hoi Kyrioi, dyo de kai pisteis, tosauta de kai baptismata. Pseudomythēsei dē oun ho Christon echōn en heautǭ lalounta, katha phēsin autos. ᾿All᾿ ouk esti tauta; mē genoito. Oukoun heis Kyrios, kai mia pistis, hen baptisma. Pisteuomen gar eis hena Kyrion Iēsoun Christon, toutesti ton monogenē tou Theou Logon enanthrōpēsanta, kai sesarkōmenon. Dia touto kai eis ton thanaton autou baptizometha, kai monon ismen auton Kyrion hōs Theon, ouk ana meros tithentes anthrōpon, kai Theon, all᾽ auton, hōs ephēn, ton ek Theou Patros Logon anthrōpon genesthai diabebaioumenoi meta tou meinai Theon; atreptos gar, kai analloiōtos kata physin estin. Epei phrazetōsan hoi di' enantias, ei dyo phasin Huious, hena men idikōs ton ek spermatos tou Dauïd, eteron d᾽ au, kai ana meros ton ek Theou Patros Logon. Ar᾿ ouk ameinōn kata physin ho ek Theou Patros Logos, tou ek spermatos tou Dauïd, kai asynkritois diaphorais? Ti gar anthrōpou physis, hōs pros ge tēn theian kai hypertatēn? ᾿All' oimai, kai ouch hekontes erousin, hōs ameinōn esti kata physin ho ek Theou Patros Logos. Eita ti drasomen, tous chimarous horōntes ouch heterophyeis ontas allēlois, homoeideis de mallon, kai kat᾿ ouden allēlōn diapherontas, kata ge to einai touth᾽ hoper eisin? Ho autos d᾽ an genoito logos, kai epi tois dysin ornithiois. Oukoun synchōreitōsan dia to tōn chimarōn, ē goun ornithiōn homoeides, mēden anthrōpou diapherein ton tou Theou Logon. ᾿All᾽ ouk anexontai, kathaper egǭmai, tou toioude logou; pleiston gar hoson to metaxy theotētos te kai anthrōpotētos. Ephōmen dē oun tois paradeigmasi kata ton autois preponta noeisthai logon. Hēttatai gar lian tōn alēthōn, kai merikēn esth' hote poieitai tōn sēmainomenōn tēn endeixin. Phamen de hoti skia kai typos ho nomos ēn, kai hoiyn tis graphē paratetheisa pros thean tois horōsi ta pragmata. Hai de skiai tēs tōn graphontōn en pinaxi technēs ta prōta tōn charagmatōn eisin; hais eiper epenechtheien tōn chrōmatōn ta anthē, tote dē, tote tēs graphēs apastraptei to kallos. Edei dē oun, ton dia Mōseōs nomon katagrapsai saphōs ethelonta to tou Christou mystērion, ouch heni tōn chimarōn, ētoi tōn arnithiōn, apothnēskonta te homou kai zōnta katadeiknyein auton, hina mē teratopoiïa skēnikē doxę̄ pōs einai to drōmenon; all᾽ edecheto men hōs en heni pathonta tēn sphagēn, katedeikny de ton auton en heterǭ zōnta te kai aphiemenon. Apophēnai de ton epi tǭde logon ouk exō bainonta tou eikotos oiēsomai dein, kai heteran hois ephēn epeisphrēsas ; eikona. Gegraptai toinyn en tǭ tēs kosmopoiïas bibliǭ; Kai egeneto meta ta rhēmata tauta, ho Theos epeiraze ton ᾿Abraam, kai eipen autǭ; ᾿Abraam, ᾿Abraam. Ho de eipen; Idou egō. Kai eipe; Labe ton huion sou ton agapēton, hon ēgapēsas, ton Isaak; kai poreuthēti eis tēn gēn tēn hypsēlēn, kai anenenke auton ekei eis olokarpōsin, eph᾽ hen tōn oreōn, hōn an soi deixō. ᾿Anastas de prōi, epesaxe tēn onon autou; parelabe de meth᾽ heautou dyo paidas, kai Isaak ton huion autou. Kai schisas xyla eis olokarpōsin, anastas eporeuthē; kai ēlthen epi ton topon, hon eipen autǭ ho Theos, tę̄ hēmerą tę̄ tritę̄. Kai anablepsas Abraam tois ophthalmois, eide ton topon makrothen, kai eipen ᾿Abraam tois paisin autou; Kathisate autou meta tēs onou, egō de kai to paidarion di eleusometha heōs hōde, kai proskynēsantes anastrepso men pros hymas. Elabe de ta xyla tēs holokarpō seōs, kai epethēken Isaak tǭ huiǭ autou. Elabe de meta cheiras to pyr, kai tēn machairan; kai eporeuthēsan hoi dyo hama. » Kai meth᾽ hetera; « Kai ǭkodo mēsen Abraam ekeise thysiastērion, kai epethēke ta xyla. Kai sympodisas Isaak ton huion autou, epethēken auton epi to thysiastērion epanō tōn xylōn. Kai exeteinen ᾿Abraam tēn cheira autou labein tēn machairan tou sphaxai ton huion autou. » ῾Ar' oun, eiper tis tōn kath' hēmas epethymēsen idein katagegrammenēn en pinaki tēn epi tǭ ᾿Abraam historian, pōs an auton echaraxen ho zōgraphos? ᾿Ara en heni panta drōnta ta eirēmena, ē ana meros, kai heteroiōs, ēgoun heteroeidōs, pleistachou ton auton? Hoion ti phēmi, pote men ephizēsanta tę̄ onǭ, symparalēphthentos tou paidariou, kai hepomenōn tōn oiketōn; pote d᾽ au palin apomeinasēs tēs onou katai tois oiketais homou, kataphortisanta men tois xylois ton Isaak, echonta de meta cheiras tēn machairan kai to pyr; kai mēn kai heterōthi ton auton en eidei palin heterǭ sympodisanta men to meirakion epi ta xyla, Coplisanta de tę̄ machairą tēn dexian, hina epagagę̄ tēn sphagēn? ᾿All᾽ ēn ouch heteros, kai heteros ᾿Abraam, pleistachou tēs graphēs orōmenos heteroiōs; all᾽ ho autos pantachou, tais tōn pragmatōn chreiais synkath istamenēs aei tēs tou graphontos technēs. Ou gar ēn eikos, ēgoun - tōn endechomenōn, en heni katidein auton panta drōnta ta eirēmena. Graphē toigaroun ho nomos ēn, kai typoi pragmatōn a, ōdinontes tēn alētheian. Hōste kan ei dyo ho chimarous parekomisen hē chreia pros paradeixin tou kata Christon mystēriou, kan ei dyas ornithiōn ēn, all᾽ heis ēn ho en amphoin, kai hōs en pathei, kai exō pathous, kai en thanatǭ, kai hyper thanaton, kai anabainōn eis ouranous, aparchē tis hōsper deutera tēs anthrōpotētos ananeōtheisēs eis aphtharsian. Autos gar hēmin anekainise ę̄ tēn eis ta anō tribon, kai epsometha kata kairous autǭ; « Poreusomai gar, phēsin, hetoimasai topon hymin, kai palin erchomai, kai paralēpsomai hymas met' emautou, hina hopou eimi egō, kai hymeis met' emou ēte. » Tautas echomen tas alētheis elpidas. Egō men oun haper ę̄dein gegrapha, tēs de sēs theosebeias estin akribesteran tois gegrammenois epenenkein tēn basanon, hina eiper ti tōn ameinonōn eurethēnai symbę̄, hēmas te kai tous autothi laous ōphelę̄. Christos gar estin ho apokalyptōn bathea kai apo krypha, kai synesin kardiais ho enieis. En autǭ gar, kai par᾿ autou pantes eisin hoi thēsauroi tēs sophias kai gnōseōs apokryphoi. Di' autou te kai syn autǭ tǭ theǭ kai Patri doxa, kai kratos syn hagiǭ Pneumati eis tous aiōnas tōn aiōnōn. ᾿Amēn.
Copy of a letter written by the same to bishop Acacius, about the scapegoat.
When I read what your Holiness lately sent, I was greatly delighted; I all but embraced it and clung to it. For I came to feel as though you were not absent at all; the greetings of true friends can create such a disposition. That is how it is with me; and I am persuaded that it is no different with your Reverence. Since you were pleased to let me know that I should write something about the scapegoat, by which the mystery in it would become clear, I must say this: since your sharpness of mind has quite enough aptitude for learning and a natural and admirable knowledge of the sacred writings, it is perhaps superfluous for someone else to say anything about the questions. But since there is no harm in saying what comes into my mind too, we have written, for it was not possible to refuse what was asked. And if we happen to fall a little short of perfect precision, forgive us. For speculations that are hard to approach are difficult to make clear and not easy to grasp. Yet we are not far from hope, through your Reverence's prayers, that Christ will guide us to this too, he who reveals deep things out of darkness, gives wisdom to the blind, and grants a word, as is said.
It is written, then, in Leviticus about the scapegoat: “And he shall take the two goats and set them before the Lord at the door of the tent of witness. And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats, one lot for the Lord and one lot for the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the lot for the Lord fell, and offer it for sin; and the goat on which the lot of the scapegoat fell he shall set alive before the Lord, to make atonement over it, so as to send it away for dismissal; he shall let it go into the wilderness.” And after other things: “And he shall slaughter the goat for sin, the one for the people, before the Lord, and bring some of its blood inside the veil, and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the calf; and he shall sprinkle its blood on the mercy seat, before the face of the mercy seat, and make atonement for the holy place from the uncleannesses of the sons of Israel and from their wrongdoings, for all their sins. And so he shall do for the tent of witness that is set among them in the midst of their uncleanness.” This is about the goat that is slaughtered and sanctifies the holy tent with its blood. About the one that lives and is released it says again: “And he shall bring the living goat, and Aaron shall lay his hands on the head of the living goat and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel, all their wrongdoings, and all their sins; and he shall put them on the head of the living goat and send it away by the hand of a ready man into the wilderness. And the goat shall bear on itself their wrongdoings into an untrodden land; and he shall send the goat away into the wilderness.”
All Scripture is divinely inspired and profitable. For whatever God utters is surely also saving. To those who are able to see the force of the truth its beauty comes to meet them, flashing like light on the mind the knowledge of the mystery of Christ; but to those whose mind is not firmly set, but still limping, as it were, and childish, even the choicest speculations may sometimes be subject to blame and charge. I say this having read with some care what was written by your Reverence. For some there perhaps thought that one of the goats was assigned to the God over all for consecration and sacrifice, while the other was sent into the wilderness to a scapegoat, an evil and unclean demon; and that by priestly hands, and by a decree of the law. On its face the thing is silly and ridiculous. One might say to those who have taken it so: Yet should you not rather have considered this? How could the creator of all, who is beyond all, beyond mind and reason, and alone is God and Lord by nature, have allowed the apostate Satan to be received as a partner, so to speak, in his kingdom and glory? Yet we have heard him say plainly through one of the holy prophets, “My glory I will not give to another.” If the law given through the all-wise Moses commanded that whatever one wishes to consecrate must be consecrated to him alone, and then the very one who spoke the law decreed that the glory most fitting to him alone must also be assigned to evil spirits, how would he not be setting himself against his own words? For what he forbade to be done, this he would have commanded to be done. It is among the most absurd things to think that the God who rules over all disregards the honour and glory owed to him and wishes to attach it to others as well, when he says plainly through Moses, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and him alone shall you serve,” and “You shall have no other gods besides me.”
For this reason the divine Moses too cooperates closely with the decrees from above and from God, and says to those of the blood of Israel: “These are the ordinances and the judgements which you shall keep to do in the land which the Lord God of your fathers gives you as an inheritance, all the days that you live upon the earth. You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations whom you are dispossessing served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every thick tree. You shall pull down their altars and break their pillars, cut down their groves, and burn the carved images of their gods with fire, and destroy their name from that place.” Then how would it be likely that the one who commands through Moses that men be brought from Greek deceit into the light of truth, and that the precincts be burnt along with the idols, the altars dug up and the groves cut down, so that no remnant of their abomination is left, should share his glory with them, as I said before, and should come to the point of ordering the very men set apart for him for the priestly service to sacrifice to them by releasing one of the goats into the wilderness? Yet when Israel made a calf in the wilderness he accused them severely, saying to the divine Moses, “Go, get down quickly from here; for your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have acted lawlessly; they have made themselves an idol.” And on those who were initiated to Baal of Peor because they united with the women of Moab, netted to apostasy by the beauty of their bodies, he is seen to have inflicted a bitter penalty; for no small number perished for this reason. It would be no small charge against the divine and blameless counsel if some fell and perished for worshipping other gods, while the very God who was angry with the apostates commanded that an evil and hostile power be counted worthy of offerings and sacrifices, which some might say is called the scapegoat, not seeing with the eyes of the mind the meaning of the sacred writings that is hidden within.
But we, applying to the divine oracles a mind not careless and lazy but exact and, as far as possible, wakeful, shall be eager to hunt out the admirable beauty of the truth. And we say that the God of all, having given the law through Moses to the people of old for the overthrow of the error of many gods and the enlightenment of those in darkness, would never have consented to become a way and a door, or rather a teacher, for honouring unclean demons. If we search the divinely inspired Scriptures carefully, we shall find the truth hidden in them. It would be fitting for those who look into the shadows of the law to say the words rightly spoken through one of the holy prophets: “Who is wise, and will understand these things? Or prudent, and will know them?” For “the law has a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the realities,” as it is written; yet the shadows are in labour with the truth, even if they themselves are not altogether the truth. For this reason the divine Moses put a veil over his face and so spoke to the sons of Israel, all but crying out through the action itself that the beauty of the oracles given through him would be seen, not in the types that appear outwardly, but in the speculations hidden within. Come, then, removing the shadow of the law and taking the outer coverings away from Moses' face, let us see the truth bare.
He commanded that two goats be brought, and that two lots be written for them, so that one of the goats was named “lord” and the other “scapegoat.” So the goats' names are “lord” and “scapegoat”; and through both is signified the one and only Son and Lord Jesus Christ. In what way, we shall say as best we can, applying ourselves to the precision of the speculations. A she-goat, or a he-goat, or a kid was the sacrifice for sin according to the law. For divinely inspired Scripture very often likens the righteous to a sheep, and the lover of sin to a goat. For what reason? The righteous is full of the glories that come from virtue, and so he would rightly be understood to be fruitful; and the sheep bears wool, so for this reason he is very fittingly compared to a sheep. But one would see the soul of the sinner bare, fruitless, and empty of all good works. The goat, then, is its type; it is an unproductive animal and ranks behind the sheep in value. For this reason our Lord Jesus Christ too says, “When the Son of Man sits on the throne of his glory and sets the sheep on his right and the kids on his left.” To those on the right, since they have the fruits of righteousness, he restores the kingdom prepared for them; but on those on the left he will bring fire, punishment, and the penalties fitting for the devil. A kid, then, was slaughtered for sin; and you will learn this from the law, which says plainly, “If the ruler sins and does one of all the commandments of the Lord his God which should not be done, unintentionally, and sins and errs, and the sin which he has sinned in it is made known to him, then he shall bring as his gift a kid of the goats, a male without blemish.” And the God over all himself said somewhere about those allotted the priesthood according to the law, “They shall eat the sins of my people,” that is, the sacrifices for sins; for the Lord's offering is the portion and lot of the priests, as it is written.
Christ, then, became a slaughtered victim for our sins, according to the Scriptures; and for this reason we say that he was named sin. The all-wise Paul writes, “Him who knew no sin he made sin for us,” that is, God the Father. For we certainly do not say that Christ became a sinner, God forbid; but, though he was righteous, or rather righteousness itself (for he does not know how to do wrong), the Father made him a victim for the sins of the world. “And he was counted among the lawless,” undergoing the sentence most fitting for the lawless. And the divine prophet Isaiah will assure us, saying, “All we like sheep have gone astray; each has gone astray in his own way; and the Lord handed him over to our iniquities; and he is in pain for us; and by his bruise we were healed.” And the all-wise Peter writes, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree.” So the lot hung over those on earth that they must suffer death, because of the transgression in Adam and the sin that has reigned like a tyrant from him down to us. But the Word from God the Father, rich in gentleness and love for mankind, became flesh, that is, man, conformed to us who are under sin, and took up our lot. For, as the most excellent Paul writes, “by the grace of God he tasted death for everyone,” and made his own life the ransom for the life of all; one died for all, so that all of us might live to God, sanctified and given life through his blood, “being justified freely by the grace that comes from him.” For, as the blessed evangelist John says, “The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.” The name of the slaughtered goat, then, was “lord,” and it received its slaughter by lot; it was a holy and sacred victim as a type of Christ, who died not for himself but for us, as I said, and sanctifies the church with his own blood. “For he shall slaughter the goat for sin,” it says, “the one for the people, before the Lord, and bring some of its blood inside the veil, and sprinkle its blood on the mercy seat, before the face of the mercy seat, and make atonement for the holy place from the uncleannesses of the sons of Israel and from their wrongdoings, for all their sins. And so he shall do for the tent of witness that is set among them in the midst of their uncleanness.” For Christ entered the holy of holies, not through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption and sanctifying, as I said, the truer tent, that is, the church, and all who are in it. So the divine Paul writes at one time, “Therefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered outside the gate,” and at another, “Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a fragrant odour.”
We must see, then, in the slaughtered goat Emmanuel come to be in the death of the flesh, but for the undoing of death and sin. For he was free among the dead, that is, not to be caught by sins, and not liable with us to the penalty of death. Let us see him in the other goat, the one that lives and is released, both suffering humanly and not suffering divinely; dying in the flesh and stronger than death; not remaining with us in the tomb, as the Jews in their madness supposed, nor held fast by the gates of Hades together with the rest. For, as his disciple says, “His soul was not left in Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.” For he came back to life having despoiled Hades, saying to those in chains, “Come out,” and to those in darkness, “Be uncovered”; and he leapt up to the Father above and in heaven, into the place untrodden by men, taking our sins on himself and being the atonement for them. So the divine John writes to those who believe in him, “Little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atonement for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”
I think it necessary to set out the very words of the law as a reminder for the hearers. They run thus: “And he shall bring the living goat, and Aaron shall lay his hands on the head of the living goat and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel, all their wrongdoings, and all their sins; and he shall put them on the head of the living goat and send it away by the hand of a ready man into the wilderness.” See how, though the first goat has been slaughtered, he very often calls the other living. For, as I said, the one and only Son and Lord Jesus Christ was depicted in both: as in the suffering of his own flesh and outside suffering, as in death and above death. For the Word of God lived even while his holy flesh tasted death, and remained impassible, though making the suffering of his own body his own and referring it to himself.
One might also see this deep and great mystery depicted for us in another way in Leviticus. The law given through Moses declares the leper defiled and commands that he be sent out of the camp as unclean; but if the affliction should come to an end, then indeed it orders that he become acceptable. It says, “This is the law of the leper: on the day he is cleansed he shall be brought to the priest; and the priest shall go out of the camp, and the priest shall look, and behold, the infection of leprosy is healed from the leper; and the priest shall give orders, and they shall take for the one cleansed two living clean birds; and the priest shall give orders, and they shall slaughter one bird into an earthen vessel over running water; and the living bird he shall take and dip it in the blood of the bird slaughtered over running water; and he shall sprinkle the one cleansed of the leprosy seven times, and he shall be clean. And he shall send the living bird away into the plain.” The birds, then, are two, and unblemished, that is, clean and with no fault, I mean according to the law. The one was slaughtered over running water, while the other, remaining outside the slaughter and then dipped in the blood of the dead one and over running water, was sent away into the wilderness in the same way as the goat. The type would suggest to us here again the great and holy mystery of our Saviour. For the Word was from above, that is, from the Father and from heaven; for this reason he is very fittingly likened to a bird. He came down by the dispensation into likeness with us and took the form of a servant; yet he was also from above. So he said plainly to the Jews, “You are from below; I am from above; I am not of this world.” And again, “No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.” For, as I said just now, even when he had become flesh, that is, a perfect man, he was not earthly or made of dust like us, but heavenly and above the world, inasmuch as he is understood to be God. Yet one may see in the birds, as in the goats, that he suffered in the flesh, according to the Scriptures, but remained beyond suffering; that he died humanly but lived divinely, for the Word was life. So the all-wise disciple said that he was put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit. Yet even though the Word had no part in suffering death in his own nature, he nonetheless makes the suffering of his own flesh his own, as I have already said. For the living bird was dipped in the blood of the dead one, and, soaked in the blood and, as it were, sharing in the suffering, was sent away into the wilderness; for the only-begotten Word of God went back up into heaven with the flesh united to him, and the sight in heaven was strange. For the host of the holy angels was astonished to see the King of glory and the Lord of hosts in a form like ours. And they said, “Who is this who comes from Edom” (that is, from the earth), “with the redness of his garments from Bosor?” Bosor is interpreted “flesh,” or “constraint and affliction.” Then they asked further, “What are these wounds between your hands?” And he said to them, “Those with which I was wounded in the house of my beloved.” For just as, by a most fitting dispensation, he showed to the doubting Thomas even after his resurrection from the dead his hands and the marks of the nails in them, and told him to touch the piercing in his side, so too, when he had come into heaven, he assured the holy angels that Israel, once beloved, had justly been cast out of its relationship with them and had slipped away. For this reason he showed his garment stained with blood and the wounds in his hands; not that he had them as something he could not cast off (for, risen from the dead, he put off corruption and with it all that comes from it), but so that, as I said, by the dispensation “the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, which he accomplished in Christ according to the purpose of the ages.” For so the most holy Paul writes to some. As, then, the mystery of Christ was clearly depicted in the goats, so it was in the two birds.
But perhaps someone will say: “How, then, do you say that the Son and Lord Jesus Christ is one and the same, when two goats were brought forward, and two birds? Or might not the law show, not obscurely, that there are certainly two Sons and Christs?” Some have already been forced down into such impiety as to think and say that the Word from God the Father is specially one Christ, and the one from the seed of David another. But we say to those who have supposed this out of ignorance, as the divine Paul writes, that there is “one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” So if they say two Sons, there would certainly be two Lords, two faiths, and as many baptisms. Then the one who had Christ speaking in him, as he himself says, would be telling a falsehood. But this is not so, God forbid. So there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism. For we believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, that is, the only-begotten Word of God made man and incarnate. For this reason we are also baptized into his death, and we know him alone as Lord, being God, not setting man and God apart, but affirming, as I said, that the very Word from God the Father became man while remaining God; for he is unchangeable and unalterable by nature. Otherwise, let our opponents tell us, if they say two Sons, one specially the one from the seed of David and another again, separately, the Word from God the Father: is not the Word from God the Father better by nature than the one from the seed of David, and by incomparable differences? For what is the nature of man compared with the divine and supreme nature? But I think they will say, even against their will, that the Word from God the Father is better by nature. Then what shall we do, seeing that the goats are not of different natures from one another, but rather of the same kind, and in no way differ from each other as regards being what they are? The same argument would apply to the two birds. Let them grant, then, that because the goats, or the birds, are of the same kind, the Word of God does not differ at all from a man. But they will not, I think, tolerate such an argument; for the gap between Godhead and manhood is very great.
Let us leave the examples, then, to be understood according to the sense that fits them. For they fall far short of the realities and sometimes give only a partial indication of what they signify. We say that the law was a shadow and type, a kind of painting set before those who look at the realities. Shadows are the first strokes of the art of those who paint on panels; and when the bloom of the colours is laid on them, then indeed the beauty of the painting flashes out. It was necessary, then, that the law given through Moses, wishing to depict clearly the mystery of Christ, should not show him dying and living at once in one of the goats, or of the birds, lest the action seem a theatrical marvel; but it received the slaughter in one, as in one who suffered, and showed the same one in the other living and released.
I shall think it necessary to show that the argument on this point does not go beyond what is reasonable, by adding another image to what I have said. It is written in the book of the making of the world: “And it came to pass after these words that God tested Abraham and said to him, ‘Abraham, Abraham.’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ And he said, ‘Take your beloved son, whom you love, Isaac, and go into the high land, and offer him there as a whole burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will show you.’ And rising early, he saddled his donkey and took with him two servants and Isaac his son; and having split wood for the burnt offering, he rose and went, and came to the place God had told him of, on the third day. And Abraham looked up with his eyes and saw the place from afar; and Abraham said to his servants, ‘Sit here with the donkey; I and the boy will go on as far as there, and when we have worshipped we will return to you.’ And he took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and took in his hands the fire and the knife; and the two went together.” And after other things: “And Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood on it; and binding Isaac his son, he laid him on the altar on top of the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand to take the knife to slaughter his son.” Now if one of us wished to see the story of Abraham painted on a panel, how would the painter have drawn him? Doing everything that is described in one picture, or separately and in different ways, that is, in different forms, the same man many times? I mean, for example, at one point seated on the donkey, with the boy taken along and the servants following; at another, again, with the donkey left below with the servants, having loaded Isaac with the wood and holding the knife and the fire in his hands; and elsewhere the same man in yet another form, having bound the youth on the wood and armed his right hand with the knife to bring down the stroke? Yet it would not be one Abraham and another, seen many times in different ways in the painting, but the same one everywhere, the painter's art always adapting itself to the needs of the action. For it was not reasonable, or rather not possible, to see him doing everything described in one picture. The law, then, was a painting, and types of realities in labour with the truth. So even if the need to show the mystery of Christ brought forward two goats, and even if there was a pair of birds, yet the one in both was one, as in suffering and outside suffering, in death and above death, and ascending into heaven as a kind of second firstfruits of humanity renewed for incorruption. For he himself has renewed for us the road upward, and we shall follow him in due time. “For I go,” he says, “to prepare a place for you; and I will come again and take you with me, so that where I am you also may be with me.” These are the true hopes we have.
I have written what I knew. It is for your Reverence to examine what has been written more exactly, so that, if something better should be found, it may benefit both us and the people there. For Christ is the one who reveals deep and hidden things and puts understanding into hearts. For in him, and from him, are all the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Through him and with him be glory and power to God the Father with the Holy Spirit to the ages of ages. Amen.
Lev 16:7–10 (quotation, high confidence) · Lev 16:15–16 (quotation, high confidence) · Lev 16:20–22 (quotation, high confidence) · Job 12:22 (echo, medium confidence) · 2 Tim 3:16 (allusion, high confidence) · Isa 42:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Deut 6:13 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 4:10 (quotation, high confidence) · Exod 20:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Deut 12:1–3 (quotation, high confidence) · Exod 32:7–8 (quotation, high confidence) · Num 25:1–9 (allusion, high confidence) · Hos 14:9 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 10:1 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 3:13 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 34:33 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 25:31–33 (quotation, high confidence) · Lev 4:22–23 (quotation, high confidence) · Hos 4:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Deut 18:1 (echo, medium confidence) · 2 Cor 5:21 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 53:12 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 53:5–6 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Pet 2:24 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 5:12–14 (allusion, medium confidence) · Heb 2:9 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 5:15 (allusion, high confidence) · Rom 3:24 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 John 1:7 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 9:12 (allusion, high confidence) · Heb 13:12 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 5:1–2 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 2:31 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 49:9 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 John 2:1–2 (quotation, high confidence) · Lev 14:2–7 (quotation, high confidence) · Phil 2:7 (allusion, high confidence) · John 8:23 (quotation, high confidence) · John 3:13 (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:4 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Pet 3:18 (allusion, high confidence) · Isa 63:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Zech 13:6 (quotation, high confidence) · John 20:27 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 24:10 (23:10 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence) · Eph 3:10–11 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 4:5 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 13:3 (allusion, high confidence) · Rom 6:3 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 22:1–6 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 22:9–10 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 15:20 (echo, medium confidence) · John 14:2–3 (quotation, high confidence) · Dan 2:22 (allusion, medium confidence) · Col 2:3 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Answering Acacius of Melitene, Cyril rejects the view that the scapegoat of Lev 16 was sent to a demon and reads the two goats, and the two birds of Lev 14, as a double picture of the one Christ who dies in the flesh and lives as God.
- Written to Acacius of Melitene (date uncertain, after 431). The quotations are from the Septuagint: Lev 16:7–10, 15–16, 20–22; Lev 14:2–7; Gen 22:1–10. A displaced line (“that one of the goats, or he-goats, was assigned to the”) is printed inside the quotation of Lev 16:15 and is translated where the sense requires; the sentence about the veil of Moses is likewise printed out of order. Footnote words inside “his donkey” (Gen 22:3) are removed by a logged correction. The prayer at the start (“reveals deep things out of darkness, gives wisdom to the blind, and grants a word”) combines Job 12:22, Ps 146:8, and Ps 68:11 (LXX) and is garbled in the edition. “What are these wounds between your hands?” is Zech 13:6. The interpretation of Bosor as “flesh” is Cyril's. The sayings of the risen Christ to those in chains are Isa 49:9 (LXX).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (footnote variants leaked into the word αὐτοῦ): αὐἢ τῶν. ν ἐπεισφορήσας. τοῦ· → αὐτοῦ·.
Topics: Christology, Scripture and canon
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Ep. 41 (PG 77 77:201; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-epistulae/41). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-epistulae/41
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 77 (Bavarian State Library OCR); letters 4, 17 and 39 compared with NPNF² 14; the rest re-read against the Greek.