The Instruction of the Power of Zion

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Let us become from the earth in the upper Jerusalem, weighing together the things seen in it which we have heard of long ago, saying: Just as we heard, so also we shall see. For it is also the city of our God, since He Himself established it for eternity (Ps 47:9c-d). And the Savior is not spoken of in these things; for the Father shows Him, saying: I will build my city. He is the artisan and creator, while God is the one having the foundations of the city which all the righteous receive.

Just as your name is wonderful in all the land, so is your praise, since the earth is full of His praise (Ps 47:11ab). One must consider the ends and the borders of the earth, those who have passed from the earth into heaven, upon which the name of God and the praise have reached. Of the assembly named Zion, its Lord is the one whom those trusting in the Lord resemble (Ps 47:12a). 'Judah' is interpreted as confession, and the souls participating in the exercise of confession are the daughters of Judah. Perhaps also all the God-breathed Scripture is homonymous with the place in which Judah is given, in which God is known. The daughters, not of the Judah being given on either side, but approaching as much as possible the judgments of the Lord, are true and justified, and they will rejoice in the same way. And since the judgments of the Lord are unsearchable, they do not rejoice at the present, but they will rejoice face to face, approaching the truth then.

Regarding the ecclesiastical opinion, being a scrutiny of the truth and for this reason called Zion, it is fitting to take it up with wisdom, so that having reflected upon the doctrines of the truth, we may describe them in a circle to their own intellect. And since the city of God is surrounded on every side by the approaching enemies, and has towers constructed from which the approaching enemies can be scouted. And since the enemies of the city are now warring, it is necessary also for those in its towers to give guidance. It also agrees: 'Upon your walls I have set guards by day and by night, who will never be silent until the end' (Ps 47:12bc/13-15).

Being islands of the Lord; in this way even Wisdom is proclaimed upon the battlements of walls. Set therefore your heart, that is to say your mind, having scientifically attending to the power of Zion (this is the ecclesiastical teaching), and divide out analytically to each one attending to it.

For just as it is logical to divide things into essence and what has become, and genera into being, so also to divide the power of Zion into its weighty parts as much as possible; and its weighty parts are the individual contemplations in which the doctrines of piety dwell. Do this, so that you may narrate to another generation what our God himself is.

Since the former generation, having received the city and its power, was reproved as evil, adulterous, crooked, and perverted by its own heresy, having attended to the power of the city and dividing its weighty matters, you shall know the things concerning the calling of the Gentiles, which is another generation besides the former, in which you shall also narrate that this is not the God who, having done the aforementioned paradoxical things, cast away the former generation and called another and others. But this God, concerning whom the proposed theology is always the same and likewise has, unto the age and unto the age of ages; and He himself will shepherd us unto the ages according to what has been said: 'And the Lord shall shepherd his flock in strength' (Ps 48:2a).

Prepare your hearing, not the common one toward other animals, but the one of the inner man through which we comprehend what is heard, as the Savior says: 'He who has ears to hear, let him hear' (Ps 48:3a).

Since among the called Gentiles, some are dull of the matter and of the earthly mindset, but having been born sons of men, they rise up through knowledge and instruction, through lessons and examined words; and He calls not only the herd-like and grazing ones, but also the prudent, saying: 'Hear these, you who are born in the Gentiles and are sons of men.' For teachers are debtors not only to the wise but also to the foolish.

I bring forth wisdom from my mouth, having previously meditated understanding in my heart (Ps 48:4). For then one will be able to speak wisely.

Greek

ἀπὸ γῆς ἐν τῇ α νω ̔Ιερουσαλὴμ γενώμεθα, συμβάλλοντες τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ θεωρούμενα οι ς πάλαι ἀκηκόειμεν ἐροῦμεν Καθάπερ ἠκούσαμεν, ου τως καὶ ει δομεν. 499 Ps 47,9cδ Εστι δὲ καὶ πόλις τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν, ἐπείπερ αὐτὸς ἐθεμελίωσεν αὐτὴν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. ὁ σωτὴρ δέ ἐστιν περὶ ου λέγεται ταῦτα· δεικνὺς γὰρ αὐτὸν ὁ πατὴρ Ου τος ε φη οἰκοδομήσει τὴν πόλιν μου, αὐτὸς ω ν τεχνίτης καὶ δημιουργὸς οι α θεὸς τῆς τοὺς θεμελίους ἐχούσης πόλεως η ν καὶ ἐκδέχονται πάντες οἱ δίκαιοι. 500 Ps 47,11ab Ωσπερ τὸ ο νομά σου θαυμαστὸν ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ, ου τω καὶ ἡ αι νεσίς σου κατὰ τὸ Τῆς αἰνέσεως αὐτοῦ πλήρης ἡ γῆ. πέρατα τῆς γῆς τὰ τέρματα καὶ τὰς ἐσχατιὰς ει ναι ἡγητέον, η τοὺς περάσαντας ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς εἰς οὐρανὸν ἐφ' ου ς τὸ ο νομα τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἡ αι νεσις ε φθασεν. 501 Ps 47,12a Τῆς ἐκκλησίας Σιὼν ὀνομαζομένης, ο ρος αὐτῆς ὁ κύριός ἐστιν ῳ ὁμοιοῦνται οἱ ἐπὶ κύριον πεποιθότες. 502 Ps 47,12bc ̓Ιουδαία ἐξομολόγησις ἑρμηνεύεται, αἱ δὲ μετέχουσαι τῆς ε ξεως τῆς ἐξομολογητικῆς ψυχαὶ αἱ θυγατέρες εἰσὶν τῆς ̓Ιουδαίας. τάχα δὲ καὶ πᾶσα ἡ θεόπνευστος γραφὴ ὁμωνύμως τῷ τόπῳ ἐν ῳ δέδοται ̓Ιουδαία ἐν ῃ γνωστὸς ὁ θεός ἐστιν. αἱ θυγατέρες ου ν τῆς ἑκατέρως ἀποδοθείσης ̓Ιουδαίας, προσβαλοῦσαι κατὰ τὸ ἐφικτὸν τοῖς κρίμασιν τοῦ κυρίου ου σιν ἀληθινοῖς καὶ δεδικαιωμένοις, ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἀγαλλιάσονται. καὶ ἐπεὶ ἀνεξερεύνητά ἐστιν τὰ κρίματα τοῦ κυρίου, ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος οὐκ ἀγαλλιῶνται, ἀλλὰ ἀγαλλιάσονται πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον προσβαλοῦσαι τότε τῇ ἀληθείᾳ. 503 Ps 47, 13–15 Τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς γνώμης σκοπευτικῆς τῆς ἀληθείας τυγχανούσης καὶ διὰ τοῦτο Σιὼν καλουμένης, τῇ φρονήσει περιλαβεῖν αὐτὴν προσήκει, ι να περινοήσαντες τὰ τῆς ἀληθείας δόγματα ὡς ἐν κύκλῳ περιγράψωμεν αὐτὰ τῇ ἑαυτῶν νοήσει. καὶ ἐπεὶ ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ πόλις πάντοθεν ὠχύρωται διὰ τοὺς ἐπερχομένους πολεμίους, καὶ πύργους ἐγκατεσκευασμένους ε χει ἀφ' ω ν ε στιν κατασκοπῆσαι τοὺς ἐπερχομένους ἐχθρούς. καὶ ἐπεὶ οἱ ἐχθροὶ τῆς πόλεως πολεμοῦσιν λοιπόν, ἀνάγκη καὶ τοὺς ἐν τοῖς πύργοις ο ντας αὐτῆς διηγεῖσθαι. συνᾴδει καὶ τὸ ̓Επὶ τῶν τειχέων σου κατέστησα φύλακας ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτὸς οι διὰ τέλους οὐ σιωπήσονται μιμνησκόμενοι κυρίου· ταύτῃ καὶ ̔Η σοφία ἐπ' α κρων τειχέων κηρύττεται. Θέσθε τοίνυν τὴν καρδίαν ὑμῶν, τουτέστιν τὸν νοῦν, ἐπιστημονικῶς ἐπιστάνοντες εἰς τὴν δύναμιν τῆς Σιών (αυ τη δ' ἐστὶν ἡ ἐκκλησιαστικὴ διδασκαλία), καὶ καταδιέλεσθε διαιρετικῶς ἑκάστοις ἐπιστάνοντες. ὡς γὰρ ε στιν λογικῶς διελεῖν τὰ ο ντα εἰς οὐσίαν καὶ συμβεβηκὸς καὶ τὰ γένη εἰς ει δη, ου τω καὶ τὴν δύναμιν τῆς Σιὼν καταδιελεῖν εἰς τὰς βάρεις αὐτῆς δυνατόν· βάρεις δὲ αὐτῆς αἱ καθ' ε καστον θεωρίαι ἐν αι ς οἰκεῖ τὰ τῆς εὐσεβείας δόγματα. Τοῦτο δὲ πράξατε, Οπως διηγήσησθε εἰς γενεὰν ἑτέραν ο τι αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν. ἐπεὶ ἡ προτέρα γενεὰ ἡ τὴν πόλιν καὶ τὴν δύναμιν αὐτῆς παραλαβοῦσα πονηρὰ καὶ μοιχαλὶς καὶ σκολιὰ καὶ διεστραμμένη ἐξ ἰδίας αἱρέσεως ἠλέγχθη, ἐπιστήσαντες τῇ δυνάμει τῆς πόλεως καὶ καταδιελόντες τὰς βάρεις αὐτῆς γνώσεσθε τὰ περὶ τῆς κλήσεως τῶν ἐθνῶν, η τις ἐστὶν ἑτέρα γενεὰ παρὰ τὴν προτέραν, ῃ περ καὶ διηγήσησθε Οτι ου τος ὁ θεός ἐστιν ὁ τὰ προειρημένα παράδοξα ποιήσας ἀποβαλὼν τὴν προτέραν γενεὰν καὶ α λλην καὶ α λλους καλέσας. ου τος δὲ ὁ θεὸς περὶ ου ἡ προκειμένη θεολογία ἀεὶ κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ καὶ ὡσαύτως ε χει Εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος· καὶ Αὐτὸς ποιμανεῖ ἡμᾶς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον Καὶ στήσεται καὶ ο ψεται καὶ ποιμανεῖ τὸ ποίμνιον αὐτοῦ ἐν ἰσχύϊ κύριος. 96 504 Ps 48,2a Εὐτρεπίσατε δὲ τὴν ἀκοήν, οὐ τὴν κοινὴν πρὸς τὰ α λλα ζῷα ἀλλὰ τὴν τοῦ ε σω ἀνθρώπου καθ' η ν συνίεμεν τῶν ἀκουομένων, καθά φησιν ὁ σωτήρ· ̔Ο ε χων ω τα ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω. 505 Ps 48,3a ̓Επεὶ ἐν τοῖς καλουμένοις ε θνεσιν εἰς ἀκρόασιν οἱ μέν εἰσιν γεώδεις ο λοι τῆς υ λης καὶ τοῦ γηΐνου φρονήματος, γεγενημένοι δὲ υἱοὶ ἀνθρώπων κατ' ἐπιστήμην καὶ παίδευσίν εἰσιν ο σοι μαθήμασιν καὶ λόγοις ἐξητασμένοις ἐπανέχουσιν, καλεῖ δὲ οὐ μόνον τοὺς ἀγελαίους καὶ βοσκηματώδεις ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς συνετοὺς λέγων ̓Ακούσατε ταῦτα οἱ ἐν τοῖς ε θνεσιν γηγενεῖς καὶ ἀνθρώπων υἱοί. ὀφειλέται γὰρ οἱ διδάσκαλοι οὐ μόνον σοφῶν ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀνοήτων εἰσίν. 506 Ps 48,4 Προφέρω ἐκ στόματος τὴν σοφίαν, πρότερον μελετήσας ἐν καρδίᾳ σύνεσιν. τότε γὰρ ἀλήπτως δυνήσεταί τις σοφὸν

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