Virtue, Holiness, and the Imitation of Christ

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Death; having enclosed into this death and their irrational powers, which are tropically named cattle. For it will be for their good to cast away both themselves and their cattle, that is, their base life, namely, the passionate movement.

And understand more deeply: since the psychic man lives according to soul but not according to spirit, he does not spare these so-called souls of theirs, in order to, having destroyed their psychic state, lead them into a spiritual one. And since the name of the soul does not always signify its essence, it is clearly shown by 'the evil soul will destroy the one who has acquired it.' For it does not say the one having acquired a body calls the soul evil, but the essence of the matter has happened to which the word soul now lies. And the habit of calling some soul beautiful or base is consistent with what is being signified here.

And the tenth plague brought upon the Egyptians was death, the death of the firstborn among them from man to cattle. Perhaps it does not literally speak of the firstborn among men first born, but literally speaks of the firstborn voice upon the irrational animals as the firstfruits of pains. For the firstfruits of pains are the firstborn of those who are beast-fed. I agree to this being what is signified: that by the addition of what is said in their dwellings, the firstborn of the irrational ones were taken away, so that those having them might fall into loss, but also the firstborn of men were struck by death because their parents were tested by calamity.

Toward those not being disciplined nor repenting of such god-fearing things, 'I struck your children,' it is said (Exodus 12:12), 'because you did not receive discipline.' And so the firstborn either suffered the penalty of dying because of their own sins or they were not harmed at all, if they fell into death by the winning of others' discipline; for it is no difference to die and it happens by necessity, but toward the truth, the judgments of God are unsearchable. For the purpose of leading upward: since every place concerning the earth is called Egypt spiritually, those dwelling in it are called Egyptians. Therefore, by the grace of God, the firstborn offspring of their souls among these Egyptians is taken away, being ignorance and malice. For before the 157 virtues and sciences of the beneficial children of the intellects, malice and ignorance exist; therefore...

One does not err by calling these things 'firstfruits'. But even regarding those things which appear to be trivial in the exercise of knowledge according to virtue, they are to be rejected. For for everyone acting according to art and knowledge, the doing or acting well does not immediately occur, but it occurs after acting unassailably and acting blamelessly.

And that which lies in their tabernacles reveals what is to be said concerning souls when they are entwined with bodies; for bodies are tabernacles of souls (Ps 77:54). Holiness is the divided and most high virtue, not the intellectual alone but also the practical. And only the one perfect Teacher, Jesus, introduces one genuinely into this. Then those who are in heaven are not sanctified, but they are carried into it by the Lord. This very holiness is not a matter of chance, but it is called the right hand of God's power, not being anything other than the only-begotten Jesus. For every excellence and theoretical vision of the truth is truly a possession of Jesus, and therefore those acquiring these dispositions are called possessions of the Lord (Ps 77:61).

Perhaps they even blessed those having died in such a way, rather than weeping over the evils they had seen (Ps 77:66). He struck them from behind, so that they might not be diminished by a face of coarseness in front, but might be severed from their inhuman and evil state; for God does not desire anyone to progress in evils, but, caring for them, provided them with eternal reproach. And sinners are reproached, not only by others but also by themselves, when they are ashamed of the evils they have committed. For God says to certain ones: 'Be ashamed of your boasting and from reproach, mourn the day.' For those boasting over trivial things are benefited, if they are ashamed and reproached for the things they were vaunting of (Ps 77:72).

The name of 'innocence' does not signify gentleness here, but the absence of evil and simplicity. The sheep do not imitate the innocence of the Teacher, but are shepherded by it. And lest the one practicing evil be thought to be doing so deceptively, but rather from the best state, it is said of him that he is completing the innocence of the heart. And he also guided others by the wisdom of his hands.

Greek

θάνατον· εἰς τοῦτον τὸν θάνατον συγκλείσας καὶ τὰς ἀλόγους αὐτῶν δυνάμεις κτήνη τροπικῶς ὀνομαζομένας. πρὸς ἀγαθοῦ γὰρ αὐτοῖς ε σται ἀποβαλεῖν καὶ τὰ κτήνη αὐτῶν τὴν φαύλην ζωήν, τουτέστι τὴν ἐμπαθῆ κίνησιν. Καὶ βαθύτερον δὲ νοήσεις· ἐπεὶ γὰρ ὁ ψυχικὸς α νθρωπος κατὰ ψυχὴν ἀλλ' οὐ κατὰ πνεῦμα ζῇ, οὐ φείδεται τῶν ου τω λεγομένων ψυχῶν αὐτῶν, ι ν' ἀπολέσας τὴν ψυχικὴν κατάστασιν αὐτῶν εἰς πνευματικὴν ε ξιν αὐτοὺς ἀγάγῃ. ο τι δὲ οὐκ ἀεὶ τὸ ο νομα τῆς ψυχῆς οὐσίαν σημαίνει, σαφῶς παρίσταται ἐκ τοῦ Ψυχὴ πονηρὰ ἀπολεῖ τὸν κτησάμενον αὐτήν. οὐ γὰρ τὸ σῶμα κτησάμενον ψυχὴν λέγει πονηρὰν ἀλλὰ τὴν οὐσίαν ῃ συμβέβηκε τὸ πρᾶγμα καθ' ου κεῖται νῦν ἡ ψυχὴ λέξις. καὶ ἡ συνήθεια δὲ ψυχὴν καλὴν καὶ φαύλην ε χειν τινὰς λέγουσα συμφέρεται τῷ προκειμένῳ σημαινομένῳ. ̔Η δεκάτη δὲ πληγὴ τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις ἐπαχθεῖσα θάνατος η ν τῶν παρ' αὐτοῖς πρωτοτόκων ἀπὸ ἀνθρώπου ε ως κτήνους. τάχα ου ν ἐπὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων τῶν πρῶτον τεχθέντων κυριολεκτοῦσαν τὴν πρωτότοκον φωνὴν ἐπὶ τῶν ἀλόγων ζῴων ἀπαρχὴν πόνων τὴν πρωτότοκον ει πε. ἀπαρχὴ γὰρ πόνων τῶν ζῳοτροφούντων τὰ πρωτότοκα. συμφέρομαι δὲ εἰς τοῦτο ει ναι τὸ δηλούμενον· ἐκ προσθήκης τῆς λεγούσης ἐν τοῖς σκηνώμασιν αὐτῶν τὰ πρωτότοκα τῶν ἀλόγων ἀνῃρέθη, ο πως ζημίᾳ ὑποπέσωσιν οἱ κεκτημένοι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἀνθρώπων πρωτότοκα ὑπεβλήθη θανάτῳ ἐπὶ τῷ πειραθῆναι συμφορᾶς τοὺς τούτων γονέας. πρὸς γοῦν τοὺς μὴ παιδευομένους μηδ' αυ μετανοοῦντας ἐπὶ τοιούτοις θεηλάτοις Μάτην ἐπάταξα τὰ τέκνα ὑμῶν, ει ρηται, παιδείαν οὐκ ἐδέξασθε. καὶ ου τοι δὲ οἱ πρωτότοκοι η τοι ἐπιτιμίαν ε σχον τὸ θανεῖν τῶν σφῶν ἁμαρτιῶν η οὐδὲν ἐβλάβησαν, εἰ παιδεύσεως α λλων ε νεκα ὑπέπεσον θανάτῳ· ἀδιάφορον γὰρ τὸ τεθνάναι καὶ ἐξ ἀνάγκης συμβαῖνον, πρὸς δ' ἀλήθειαν ἀνεξερεύνητα τὰ κρίματα τοῦ θεοῦ. Πρὸς ἀναγωγήν· ἐπεὶ πνευματικῶς Αι γυπτος καλεῖται πᾶς ὁ περὶ γῆν τόπος, οἱ ἐν τούτῳ διατρίβοντες Αἰγύπτιοι προσαγορεύονται. χάριτι θεοῦ τοίνυν τούτων τῶν Αἰγυπτίων τὰ πρῶτα γεννήματα τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτῶν ἀναιρεῖται, α γνοια καὶ κακία τυγχάνοντα. πρὸ γὰρ τῶν 157 ἀρετῶν καὶ ἐπιστημῶν τῶν ὠφελίμων τέκνων τῶν διανοιῶν κακία καὶ α γνοια ὑφίσταται· διὸ καὶ πρωτότοκά τις ταῦτα ὀνομάζων οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει. ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὰς ἐπιτηδεύσεις τῶν κατὰ ἀρετὴν ἐπιστήμην ἐνεργειῶν φαῦλα τυγχάνοντα ε στιν ἀναιρετέα. παντὶ γὰρ τῷ κατὰ τέχνην καὶ ἐπιστήμην ἐνεργοῦντι οὐκ εὐθὺς τὸ ευ ποιῆσαι η πρᾶξαι παραγίνεται, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τὸ ἀνεπιλήπτως ἐνεργῆσαι τὸ ἀμέμπτως ἐνεργῆσαι παραγίνεται. Τὸ δ' ἐν τοῖς σκηνώμασιν αὐτῶν προσκείμενον δηλοῖ περὶ ψυχῶν τὰ προκείμενα λέγεσθαι ε τι τοῖς σώμασι συμπεπλεγμένων· σκηνώματα γὰρ ψυχῶν τὰ σώματα. 811 Ps 77,54 ̔Αγιάσματος ο ρος ἡ διῃρημένη καὶ ὑψηλοτάτη ἀρετή ἐστιν, οὐχ ἡ διανοητικὴ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ πρακτική. μόνος δὲ εἰς ταύτην γνησίως εἰσάγει ὁ μόνος τέλειος διδάσκαλος ̓Ιησοῦς. τότε ου ν ἁγιάζονται οἱ ἐν τῷ ο ρει γινόμενοι, ο ταν ὑπὸ κυρίου ἀχθῶσιν εἰς αὐτό. τοῦτο δὴ τὸ ο ρος οὐχ ἡ τυχοῦσα ἀλλ' ἡ δεξιὰ τοῦ θεοῦ δύναμις οὐκ α λλη τοῦ μονογενοῦς ̓Ιησοῦ τυγχάνουσα κέκληται αὐτό. κτῆμα γὰρ ἀληθῶς ̓Ιησοῦ πᾶσα ἀρίστη γνώμη καὶ θεωρητικὴ τῆς ἀληθείας ε ξις, ο θεν καὶ οἱ ταύτας τὰς διαθέσεις κτώμενοι κτήματα τοῦ κυρίου καλοῦνται. 812 Ps 77,61 Τάχα δὲ καὶ τεθνηκυίας αὐτὰς ἐν τοσαύτῃ φορᾷ θεηλάτων κακῶν ἐμακάρισαν μᾶλλον η ε κλαυσαν. 813 Ps 77,66 Εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω αὐτοὺς ἐπάταξεν, ο πως μὴ ε μπροσθεν καὶ πρόσω ὠμότητος ἐλάσσωσιν ἀλλ' ἀναχαιτίσωσιν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀπανθρώπου καὶ πονηρᾶς ε ξεως αὐτῶν· οὐδένα γὰρ βούλεται ὁ θεὸς ἐν κακοῖς προκόπτειν, κηδόμενος δὲ αὐτῶν καὶ ο νειδος αἰώνιον παρέσχεν αὐτοῖς. ὀνειδίζονται δὲ οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ καὶ οὐ πρὸς α λλων μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑφ' αὑτῶν, ο ταν αι σθωνται ω ν δεδράκασι κακῶν. λέγει γοῦν πρός τινας ὁ θεὸς Αἰσχύνθητε ἀπὸ καυχήσεως ὑμῶν καὶ ἀπὸ ὀνειδισμοῦ ο λην τὴν ἡμέραν. οἱ γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῖς χειρίστοις καυχώμενοι εὐεργετοῦνται, ο ταν αἰσχυνθῶσι καὶ ὀνειδισθῶσιν ἐφ' οι ς ἐσεμνύνοντο. 814 Ps 77,72 Τὸ τῆς ἀκακίας ο νομα οὐκ εὐήθειαν ἐνταῦθα σημαίνει ἀλλὰ στέρησιν κακίας καὶ τὸ α δολον. ο σοι ου ν τῶν ἀρχομένων μιμοῦνται ἀκακίαν τοῦ διδασκάλου, ποιμαίνονται ὑπ' αὐτῆς. ο πως δὲ μὴ ἐπιπλάστως τὸ α κακον ἐπιτηδεύων νομισθῇ ἀλλὰ ἀπὸ βελτίστης ε ξεως, ἐπιτελούμενον καρδίας ἀκακίαν ε χειν αὐτὸν ε φη. ̔Ωδήγησε δὲ καὶ α λλους τῇ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ συνέσει.

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Discover how early Christians interpreted the Psalms as divine messages and prophecies about salvation and judgment.

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