The Capacity for the Kingdom
Being reproved that she is an adulteress, Christ forgives the one who, having committed fornication, departs, because this has dissolved the natural union and it no longer happens by the man. Regarding the division of the Lord, it is possible for those who live in the lower realm to endure the sorrow of this world rather than think as the righteous do (Mt 19:10), but for those who can rise above the world, as if carried by swift wings toward higher righteousness, they experience no pain and are free from the world's sorrows.
Therefore, not imposing a yoke, he said: not all grasp the word, but those to whom it is given. And that 'to whom it is given' is a manifestation of natural gifts, which anyone might call a natural aptitude and the intelligence from birth toward the achievement of temperance; for there are indeed some differences by nature toward each virtue, some being more, others less, disposed toward it. Even if natural things are by no means perfect, nor are they unchangeable and entirely unachievable, but even the apt toward good is perfected by practice, and the unapt is healed by much struggle. Not all say they grasp the word, but those to whom it is given. And that 'to whom it is given' is a manifestation of natural gifts and of the intelligence from birth toward the achievement of temperance.
Only evil and corruption of the creation prevents approaching the Creator, but the deficiency of wisdom is not a hindrance to the approach; for he seeks fullness, and by this the approach is granted. Therefore also the precise expression of such things is 'the kingdom of the heavens' (Mt 19:14); for he did not say of these, but of such as these, since there is also a deficiency of wisdom in children, which the apostle was turning away from saying: 'do not become children in mind, but in wickedness be sober' (1 Cor 14:20). And Mark also went beyond the text stating the reason and as if interpreting: 'of such as these is the kingdom' of the heavens (Mk 10:14); 'Amen I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a child, will by no means enter into it' (Lk 18:17). And the same also Luke, and even more Matthew said: 'whoever shall humble himself like this child, this is the greater in the kingdom of the heavens' (Mt 18:4); for whatever those things have by nature, these things us...
Greek
διελεγχομένην, ὅτι μοιχεία ἐστίν, τὴν μέντοι πορνεύσασαν ἀποστῆσαι συγχωρεῖ Χριστός, ὅτι δὴ διέλυσεν αὕτη τὴν φυσικὴν σύζευξιν καὶ οὐκέτι ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τοῦτο γίνεται. 95 Mt 19, 10®12 Πάρεστιν ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ κυρίου διαιρέσεως τοῖς μὲν ἐν <τῷ> κάτω βαδίζουσιν ὑπομένειν τὸ ἐν κόσμῳ λυπηρὸν μᾶλλον ἢ τοῦ δικαίου κατα φρονεῖν, τοῖς δὲ δυναμένοις ὑπερ βαίνειν τὸν κόσμον οἷον ὑπὸ πτέ ρυγος φέρεσθαι πρὸς τὴν ἄνω δι καιοσύνην, ἀλύπους δὲ ὄντας καὶ ἐλευθέρους ἀπὸ τῶν ἐν κόσμῳ λυ πηρῶν. οὐκ ἐπιβάλλων οὖν βρόχον εἶπεν· οὐ πάντες χωροῦσι τὸν λόγον, ἀλλ' οἷς δέδοται . τὸ δὲ οἷς δέδοται χαρισμάτων φυσικῶν ἐστι δηλωτικόν, ὅπερ ἄν τις καὶ φύσεως ἐπιτηδειότητα λέγοι καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ γεννήσεως εὐφυίαν εἰς τὸ τῆς σωφροσύνης κατόρθωμα· εἰσὶ γάρ τινες καὶ ἐκ φύσεως διαφοραὶ πρὸς ἑκάστην ἀρετήν, τῶν μὲν μᾶλλον, τῶν δὲ ἧττον πρὸς αὐτὴν πεφυκό των. εἰ καὶ ὅτι μάλιστα μὴ ἐντελῆ τὰ φυσικά, μηδ' ἂν ἀμετακίνητα καὶ ἀκατόρθωτα παντελῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἐπιτήδειον εἰς ἀγαθὸν ἀσκήσει τελειοῦται καὶ τὸ μὴ ἐπιτήδειον ἀγῶνι πολλῷ θεραπεύεται. Οὐ πάντες φησὶν χωροῦσι τὸν λόγον, ἀλλ' οἷς δέδοται . τὸ δὲ οἷς δέδοται χαρισμάτων φυσι κῶν ἐστι δηλωτικὸν καὶ τῆς ἀπὸ γεννήσεως εὐφυίας εἰς τὸ τῆς σω φροσύνης κατόρθωμα. 96 Mt 19, 14®15 Μόνη κακία καὶ διαφθορὰ τῆς δημιουργίας ἀποκωλύει προσελθεῖν τῷ δημιουργῷ, τὸ δὲ τῆς φρονήσεως ἐνδεὲς οὐ κωλυτικὸν τῆς προσόδου· πλήρωσιν γὰρ ἐπιζητεῖ, ταύτῃ δὲ ἡ πρόσοδος χαρίζεται. διὸ καὶ ἀκριβὴς ἡ λέξις τῶν τοιούτων ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν · οὐ γὰρ τούτων εἶπεν, ἀλλὰ τῶν τοιούτων , ἐπειδὴ πρόσεστιν καὶ τὸ τῆς φρο νήσεως ἐνδεὲς τοῖς παισὶν οὗπερ ἀποτρέπων ὁ ἀπόστολος ἔλεγεν· «μὴ παιδία γίνεσθε ταῖς φρεσίν, ἀλλὰ τῇ κακίᾳ νηπιάζετε ». ὁ δὲ Μᾶρκος καὶ ἐπεξῆλθε τὴν αἰτίαν λέγων καὶ οἷον ἑρμηνεύων· «τῶν τοιούτων ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία » τῶν οὐρανῶν· «ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὃς ἂν μὴ δέξηται τὴν βασι λείαν τοῦ θεοῦ ὡς παιδίον, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθῃ εἰς αὐτήν ». τὸ δὲ αὐτὸ καὶ ὁ Λουκᾶς καὶ ἀνωτέρω δὲ ἔλεγεν ὁ Ματθαῖος· «ὅστις οὖν ταπεινώσει ἑαυτὸν ὡς τὸ παιδίον τοῦτο, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ μείζων ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν »· ἅπερ γὰρ ἐκεῖνα ἔχει τῇ φύσει, ταῦτα ἡμᾶς
About this text
Apollinaris of Laodicea on Matthew (catena fragments).
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
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