Divine Desire and the Judgment of the Son

He prepares friends of God; therefore, one must hear a world in these things regarding the sympathy toward these matters.

9 Originating from the interpretation into 'according to the foreknowledge of God.' For God, having foreseen the faith and the works of men having been perfected in them through the evangelical teaching, foreknowingly chose them in Christ before the foundation of the world, having then predestined them to be sons through the participation of the spirit of sonship; for foreknowledge is to be regarded as nothing other than a vision of things to come, which is no longer foreknowledge, but is knowledge toward the existence of those having been foreseen; even so, according to foreknowledge, they were chosen, as Peter writes (1 Pet 1:2), but not now is the favor being made to them; thus he casts aside the myth concerning natures and the thought contained within.

If the inheritance has been kept in the heavens for the believers, some are growing cold, thinking that they will receive it in the lower Jerusalem in all the thousand years, thinking they will receive enjoyment of the contests of the kingdom; those of whom it must be asked, that they have something to say concerning bodily enjoyment as incorruptible and unfading, especially since they also describe it as ceasing at the end of the millennial year; to these, the sayings declaring that the inheritance is to be in the kingdom of heaven (Matt 6:10) must be joined, and how it does not fall away because it is spiritual, being beyond the perception of mortals.

12 Since some set the promise and salvation of the saints before the appearance of the Savior as lesser, thinking that those after this have had more, having seen the Lord visually and the signs performed by him, it must be shown how their assumption is erroneous.

13.10 For how can someone after the appearance be lesser than Abraham, having seen the day of the Lord, all those being perfected according to the Lord into his own bosom? And how can Moses and Elijah be lesser, having been transformed in glory together with the Lord appearing, since they did not see the Lord visually? For one must not make those who have had the spiritual appearance a judge over the one who has seen him according to the flesh (Cr 45, 20-26).

14 Indeed, many of the heterodox agree with this erroneous doctrine, having a desire in every way to revile the old covenant; and this he will say, that,

Even if they did not see or hear the things the Lord said through the senses, they had a divine desire for them; for many prophets and righteous men desired to see (Ps 64:10).

If anyone were to receive the salvation sought by the prophets as being at the end, which above all is the most desired thing at the end—for all other things come by its grace, but it is not for the sake of anything else—he would not speak against the holy angels or all the simple blessed rational beings who, having all desire to receive what is set before them, stoop toward the things at the end.

If the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, what must be understood about what is set forth? For if the Father is the one meant, how is he a judge judging according to each person's work? But if the Son judges, having received all judgment, how is he a Father? What is to be said: if there is one divinity of Father and Son, with the Son judging, the Father is the one judging; but also the Son is able to be a Father to those born, having begotten them through the communion of holiness; for often indeed he called his own disciples children and said to others, to one: 'Child, your sins are forgiven' (Matt 26:2), and to another: 'Daughter, your faith has saved you' (Luke 7:50). And these things refute those who scrutinize the divinity.

He says the Gospel Word is the living Word of God and remaining in the age forever. The Gospel says: 'Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away' (Matt 24:35), says the Lord Jesus Christ.

Just as the Lord, being light, came into the world for judgment, to open the eyes of the blind before his presence, and to blind those who see badly, so also, being a chosen and worthy stone, he provides honor to those being built with him through faith, having been shown as a firm foundation for them; but for those disobeying through unbelief, he is not worthy, but is considered a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to those who have despised him as builders; and these are scribes and Pharisees.

And regarding 'into which also I have placed you,' he says, not as if they were gathered into this by God, but as if they suffered this from their own weary mind and faulty choice.