The Joy of Resurrection and the Parables of the Word

You will be brought to the joy of the resurrection (John 16:22). His departing will be sorrowful for the disciples, but the resurrection a delight; and each occurs in a short time.

The matter will appear similar to the pangs of women; for just as a woman labors before the birth, but from the pangs the birth and the after-birth end in delight, and the delight destroys the memory of the sorrow, so it will happen to you regarding this new and wonderful birth; for now, as truly a man is born into the world from extraordinary pangs, so pangs concerning the passion will come to you, but a joy through the resurrection after the passion, a joy that is by no means again being cast away or removed by man or anyone else, when, through the resurrection of the new man, having newly stood forth, you will arrive at boldness toward God; for you will rejoice when you see a child produced, strange to the world, both incorruptible and undying, yet saying that he makes himself known.

The sayings concerning God are parabolic and through likenesses (John 16:25), in which God is compared to a man speaking and the Son to one listening, and the Spirit likewise as one listening and receiving words. Father and Son are made similar as those coming to a man and dwelling in men; for speech and hearing and going and dwelling, and as many such things as have bodily similarities. It is not possible for men to hear otherwise than thus. And there will be, he says, a time when not through visible likenesses, but through the invisible glory of God, you will hear and know, when, having been perfected in the Spirit, you will be familiarly disposed toward the knowledge of God, and then some divine conversation of the Lord toward you will become clear, and not the teaching concerning the Father being done through some veil.

But even that which is now credible, he says, will immediately be shaken (John 16:32), and those saying they believe will flee a little later, having been moved by the fear of faith.

And this, he says, is not difficult for me, but for you; for you will be left alone by the teacher and will leave the Savior, but I will not be left alone by the Father; for there is nothing separating me and the Father. In the world you will have tribulation; but take courage, I have conquered the world (John 16:33).

About to depart, he says, I establish your souls by necessity through the things now spoken, so that they may not be troubled, but to hold fast by faith against circumstances; for many are the things troubling among men, but great is the help for courage from the one who has conquered; for your courage will never be firmly established from your own manliness, since there is nothing in man hard and unshakable and good, but from my unassailable power, the confidence will be secure for my partakers.

Why does he say he asks about them, and what is the asking? Already, he says, they need the spiritual perception of the invisible working in souls, because I no longer walk among them according to the flesh, nor will I discourse with them; for I am already leaving the world, passing into the heavens. But let them perceive the invisible perception by guarding them as sons, as if they have received from me the name of sonship. While I was indeed present, it sufficed for them to see me and to hear me, and this was sufficient for them to guard the faith. Therefore they were guarded, and no one of the salvation in me fell away, except the one who having offered himself to destruction alone, concerning whom also the prophetic Spirit is filled that his 'memorial from the earth' should be destroyed. But now, returning already to you, I ask for your invisible perception for them.

This is what I possess through sanctification, and with which I give them completion by sharing the divine form. And he adds that yours are also mine. But these would be the heavenly things, which do not receive sanctification now, but from the beginning have stood in sanctification; for even to those the sanctification is not otherwise than through the Son.