The Exaltation of Christ and the Maturity of Believers
Not merely fruits, but more; for the ode is not for a single vintage, but for many vintages. Again, since the practical virtues are many fruits, each will have its own particular vintage; some bear fruits upon the vintage of temperance, those who succeed in chastity and maintain a pure bed; others bear fruits upon the vintage of courage, which those are the farmers of; and concerning the other virtues, they speak of similar things.
Since there are more vintages, those who farm the practical virtues bring them into them like the harvests of vineyards; it is necessary also that those who have borne the clusters of doctrines and theorems of truth bring more into them for the contemplative life. Having said these things, let no one neglect the following of the virtues. For they are one and of the same kind, but since those who partake do not have equal measure toward all, they possess measure from which they profit more than others; he who more fully partakes of justice is named from this, and likewise for each of the others. For you will likewise perceive the various beatitudes spoken in the Gospel, one being named from the most powerful grass, another from the merciful, and similarly regarding the rest.
But also in its own number, this ode is composed as the seventy-eighth. For it has much harmony with the resurrection day of the Lord, on which there has become a harvest of many vineyards, as the disciples of the Risen One are sent to make disciples of all nations and to testify to the Risen One to the ends of the earth, so that the proclamation of the Risen One may be spread everywhere, as it is immediately shown from the words of the psalm. 'Great is the name of the Lord in Israel' (Ps 73:2–3), which was said in former times when Israel alone was holding to godliness; but now, the prophecy having been fulfilled, 'all nations shall serve him' (Ps 22:27), (for he is the hope of the nations), 'Wonderful is your name become in all the earth' among those partaking of Christ's proclamation everywhere. For his name has been magnified over all, as it is carried in another psalm. And the cause of his name being wondered at throughout the earth is given in the following verse. For he says, 'Your majesty has been lifted up above the heavens,' so that you...
Having been taken up, rising from the dead, the Christians of the whole earth are called by your designation, O Christ. The majesty of the Savior is being praised; the economy, which received its purpose for the salvation of the world, is above the heavens. For what is it to find remaining in it lacking in greatness what is becoming? His majesty was lifted up above the heavens, having been made to sit at the right hand of Majesty in the high places after the cleansing of sins.
By this understanding, it must also be received that he has become higher than the heavens after the resurrection. But let not all those believing from the Gentiles and those coming to the Gospel from the circumcision—who, even if they should ever reach the age of a man, are infants in wickedness, being made infants through simplicity, not knowing evil—be so. The difference between infants and sucklings is shown from the word: those receiving milk are sucklings, while those having surpassed this age of infants are being called infants. It is appropriate, as the Apostle wrote to the Corinthians, 'I gave you milk, not food' (1 Cor 3:2). One must watch over this differently: the one being introduced, receiving milk, is a suckling; but the one having been perfected according to understanding, yet being an infant in wickedness, remains an infant. Such are all those having turned and having become like children.
For not much remains to them of having attained the knowledge of you, and of becoming like you in holiness and virtue, to take up as far as is possible (Ps 8:6). But most correctly he said, 'You made him a little lower than the angels,' but 'You have not made him less than the angels' (Ps 8:5). For man, being equal and of equal strength to the immortal rational beings, was made lower than them by the providence of God, through which you alone, the one providing, having been surpassed by mortal life, were struck by the flesh. But even if it has not happened in that way regarding him, he has nonetheless been crowned with surpassing honor and glory by you, because he has become according to your image and likeness, through which image and likeness you have exercised the rational being, having subjected all things to him as being under his feet. Paul writes these words spoken about Christ to the Hebrews, saying, 'What is man, that you should remember him?' (Ps 8:4) and having placed...
Greek
καρποί, ἀλλὰ πλείους, ο θεν οὐχ ὑπὲρ τῆς ληνοῦ ἀλλ' ̔Υπὲρ τῶν ληνῶν ἡ ἐπιλήνιος ᾠδή. πάλιν δ' αυ , ἐπεὶ πολλαὶ αἱ πρακτικαὶ ἀρεταὶ τοῦ καρποῦ, ἑκάστης οἰκείας τις ε σται ληνός, α λλη ληνὸς σωφροσύνης ἐφ' η ν φέρουσι τοὺς καρποὺς οἱ ἀγαμίαν κατορθοῦντες οἱ κοίτην ἀμίαντον διατηροῦντες, α λλη ἀνδρείας ἐφ' η ν οἱ ταύτης γεωργοὶ φέρουσι, καὶ περὶ τῶν ἑτέρων δὲ ἀρετῶν ἐρείδουσι τὰ παραπλήσια. πλειόνων δὲ οὐσῶν ληνῶν εἰς α ς φέρουσιν οἱ γεωργοῦντες δίκην ἀμπελώνων τὰς πρακτικὰς ἀρετάς, ἀνάγκη καὶ τοῦ θεωρητικοῦ βίου πλείονας ει ναι εἰς α ς φέρουσι τὰ δόγματα καὶ θεωρήματα τῆς ἀληθείας οι α βότρυς καρποφορήσαντες, τούτων λεγομένων Μὴ λάθῃ τις ἑαυτόν, τὴν ἀντακολούθησιν τῶν ἀρετῶν ἀθετῶν. ε νθα γὰρ μία καὶ αἱ ὁμογενεῖς, ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ μὴ πρὸς πάσας τὴν ι σην ῥοπὴν ε χουσιν οἱ μετέχοντες, ἀφ' η ς ε χουσι, μᾶλλον τῶν α λλων χρηματίζουσιν· ὁ μᾶλλον δικαιοσύνης μετέχων ἀπὸ ταύτης παρονομάζεται, ὡσαύτως καὶ ἐφ' ἑκάστης τῶν ἑτέρων. ου τω γὰρ νοήσεις καὶ τοὺς λεχθέντας διαφόρους μακαρισμοὺς ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ, ἐκ τοῦ πλειστοδυναμοῦντος πράου τινὸς ὀνομαζομένου, ἑτέρου δὲ ἐλεήμονος, καὶ καταλλήλως ἐπὶ τῶν λοιπῶν. ̓Αλλὰ καὶ ἐν ἀριθμῷ οἰκείῳ ἡ ᾠδὴ αυ τη τέτακται ὀγδόη ου σα. ε χει γὰρ συμφωνίαν πολλὴν πρὸς τὴν ἀναστάσιμον ἡμέραν τοῦ κυρίου, ἐν ῃ τρυγητὸς πολλῶν ἀμπέλων γέγονεν, ἀποστελλομένων τῶν μαθητῶν τοῦ ἀναστάντος ἐκ νεκρῶν μαθητεῦσαι τὰ ε θνη πάντα καὶ μαρτυρῆσαι τῷ ἀναστάντι ε ως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς, ι ν' ἐκταθῇ ἁπανταχῆ τοῦ ἀναστάντος ἡ προσηγορία, ὡς εὐθέως ἐκ τῶν λέξεων τοῦ ψαλμοῦ παρίσταται. 48 Ps 8,2–3 Πάλαι μὲν τοῦ ̓Ισραὴλ μόνου ἐπανέχοντος τῇ θεοσεβείᾳ ἐλέγετο περὶ θεοῦ ̓Εν τῷ ̓Ισραὴλ μέγα τὸ ο νομα αὐτοῦ, νῦν δὲ πληρωθείσης τῆς προφητείας τῆς Πάντα τὰ ε θνη δουλεύσουσιν αὐτῷ (αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ἡ τῶν ἐθνῶν προσδοκία), Θαυμαστὸν τὸ ο νομά σου ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ γέγονεν τῶν ἁπανταχοῦ μετεχόντων τῆς Χριστοῦ προσηγορίας. ̓Εμεγάλυνεν γὰρ ἐπὶ πάντας τὸ ο νομα αὐτοῦ, ὡς ἐν α λλῳ ψαλμῷ φέρεται. τίς δὲ ἡ αἰτία τοῦ ἁπανταχοῦ γῆς θαυμάζεσθαι τὸ ο νομα αὐτοῦ ἀποδίδοται ἐν τῷ ἑπομένῳ στίχῳ. ἐπεὶ γάρ φησιν ̓Επήρθη ἡ μεγαλοπρέπειά σου ὑπεράνω τῶν οὐρανῶν, ο τε ἀνελήφθης ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστάς, οἱ ἁπανταχοῦ γῆς α νθρωποι Χριστιανοὶ καλοῦνται τῇ σοῦ τοῦ Χριστοῦ προσηγορίᾳ. μεγαλοπρέπεια τοῦ σωτῆρος ἐπαιρομένη ἐστὶν ὑπεράνω τῶν οὐρανῶν ἡ οἰκονομία, η ν ἀνεδέξατο ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου σωτηρίας. τί γάρ ἐστιν εὑρεῖν ἐν αὐτῇ ἀπολειπόμενον τοῦ ε χειν ἐν μεγάλοις τὸ πρέπον; ὑπεράνω τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐπήρθη ἡ μεγαλοπρέπεια αὐτοῦ καθίσαντος ἐν δεξιᾷ τῆς μεγαλωσύνης ἐν ὑψηλοῖς μετὰ τὸ καθαρισμὸν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν πεποιηκέναι. ταύτῃ τῇ νοήσει ληπτέον καὶ τὸ ὑψηλότερον αὐτὸν τῶν οὐρανῶν γεγονέναι μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν. μήποτε δὲ οἱ ἀπὸ ἐθνῶν πιστεύοντες πάντες καὶ οἱ ἐκ περιτομῆς προσελθόντες τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ, οι αν καὶ ο σην ποτὲ ἐὰν ε χωσι τοῦ ε ξω ἀνθρώπου ἡλικίαν, βρέφη εἰσὶν τῇ κακίᾳ, νηπιάζονται διὰ τὸ ἁπλότητα ε χειν μὴ εἰδότα τὴν πονηρίαν. διαφορὰ νηπίων καὶ θηλαζόντων παρίσταται ἐκ τῆς λέξεως, τῶν μὲν ε τι γάλα δεχομένων τῶν θηλαζόντων, τῶν δὲ ὑπεραναβάντων τὴν ἡλικίαν ταύτην νηπίων χρηματιζόντων, οι ς κατάλληλον τὸ μετὰ τὸ γάλα βρῶμα κατὰ τὸν ἀπόστολον γράψαντα Κορινθίοις Γάλα ὑμᾶς ἐπότισα, οὐ βρῶμα. ἐπιστατέον καὶ ἑτέρως· ὁ εἰσαγόμενος, γάλα δεχόμενος, θηλάζων ἐστίν, ὁ δὲ τελειωθεὶς κατὰ φρόνησιν, νηπιάζων δὲ τῇ κακίᾳ, νήπιος ὑπάρχει· τοιοῦτοι δὲ πάντες οἱ στραφέντες καὶ γενόμενοι ὡς τὰ παιδία. 49 Ps 8,6 Οὐ γὰρ πολὺ αὐτῶν ἀπολείπεται τὸ πεφυκέναι γνῶσίν σου ε χειν καὶ ὁμοιοῦσθαί σοι ἁγιότητος καὶ ἀρετῆς ἀναλήψει ὡς ἐφικτόν. ὀρθότατα δὲ καὶ ̓Ηλάττωσας αὐτὸν ει ρηται, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐλάττονα πεποίηκας. ἰσότιμος γὰρ καὶ ἰσοσθενὴς ω ν τοῖς ἀθανάτοις λογικοῖς ὁ α νθρωπος ἠλαττώθη ἐκείνων θεοῦ 12 προνοίᾳ, δι' ου σὺ δὲ μόνος ὁ προνοούμενος θνητῇ ὑπερβληθεὶς ζωῇ τῷ σαρκὶ συμπλακῆναι. ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ ου τω γέγονε τὰ κατ' αὐτόν, ο μως ε χει ὑπερβάλλουσαν τιμὴν τιμῇ καὶ δόξῃ στεφανωθεὶς ὑπὸ σοῦ ἐν τῷ κατ' εἰκόνα καὶ ὁμοίωσιν σὴν γεγονέναι, δι' η ν εἰκόνα καὶ ὁμοίωσιν ἐνεχείρισας λογικῷ ο ντι τὴν τῶν θνητῶν ζῴων προστασίαν ὑποτάξας αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα ὡς ὑπὸ πόδας αὐτὰ ε χειν. Ταύτας τὰς λέξεις περὶ Χριστοῦ εἰρημένας ̔Εβραίοις γράφει Παῦλος ω δε ἀρχόμενος τῆς περιοχῆς· ∆ιεμαρτύρατο δέ που τις Τί ἐστιν α νθρωπος, ο τι μιμνῄσκῃ αὐτοῦ; καὶ θεὶς
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Discover how early Christians interpreted the Psalms as divine messages and prophecies about salvation and judgment.
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