Divine Authority and the Virginity of Mary
Goodness is not for those who have merely thought about doing it, but for those who are actually doing it. For those who practice understanding, no benefit will be other than that of virtue, from whose benefit they learn the goodness of it.
Regarding all that has been theologized in the present Psalm, it is said that the end of it is that his understanding remains. For this is a fitting end for those who theologize: to say that his understanding (clearly of the one theologized about) remains forever. Since the one being praised is immortal, it is necessary that his understanding also be without end, as it lasts for all the ages.
He who does not act for the sake of anything else, but through human glory, or to avoid falling into the punishment that entices sinners, or for reward, but by choosing and acting for the sake of the good itself—for such a one will truly be blessed (Ps 111:1bc). The seed of the blessed man, who has the fear of the Lord, sows into the good land, his diligent and beautiful heart; it is possible for him to bring forth a hundredfold fruit (Ps 111:2,3). For those sowing the seeds of evils sow into the flesh, which is their weak and earthly existence (and so they reap corruption from the flesh), but those sowing into the Spirit, the powerful seed, they sow and reap into eternal life. For each of the imperfect and sinful, the Word commands: Sow for yourselves into righteousness, reap for yourselves into the fruit of life. Glory and wealth in his cosmos.
He who has heard the words of Jesus and turned them into works builds his house upon the rock, laying down the foundations of his life, both in thought and action, upon the unshakable Word of God. Each one who fears the Lord has built such a house upon having willed to do what is in the commands of the Lord (that is, to have intensely willed the words of Jesus), filling it with the glory of the notions of truth and the wealth composed of every word, every knowledge, and every working good. Thus, the promise of his righteousness extends into the age of ages. Such imperfect houses they have built for themselves, having feared the Lord, so that they might not dwell in the [er...]
They wander halfway according to Isaiah, but they dwell according to the formed Jacob as a house. Others have also taken the things set forth according to the literal sense.
And the words ought not to be regarded as human. For the words of the stewards are not believed, as they are said. For indeed, one has been placed in advance by prophecy from God, Amos, who became upon the uncircumcised, and Solomon, stripping the matter bare: 'My words,' he says, 'if they are said by God.' Careless also is the divine Gospel, sometimes regarding the giver and sometimes the ministers; from the ministers he says, as Paul says, 'My Gospel,' but from the one handing it over, Paul again says, 'Just as we were approved by God to be believed to have the Gospel,' and 'That they are set apart for the Gospel of God'; and this is not a wonder. For it is the Holy Spirit that fills the holy men with divine things, sometimes of God and sometimes of those possessing it, as it is said in Luke 'The Spirit of the Lord has rested upon him,' and 'In Spirit and in Power' Acts.
But do not think because it is said chronologically, 'Until he goes against his enemies, he is not shaken,' that what is shaken after the destruction of the enemies is not the same. For how could he be moved, the one who, having the enemies removed, did not suffer this while threatening and looming over them? For it is customary in the Scripture to use such a way in many places; for regarding Mary, the Gospel says she remained a virgin until she bore her firstborn son, and so on. Since it is proper to show that the birth of Jesus came from a virgin without marriage, it is fitting that she was once in doubt. Did the virgin not undergo corruption? He says also 'she conceived'; having gone around this doubt, he says she remained a virgin until the childbirth. For if it is not said that a virgin remains until she bears, a virgin did not conceive from a man, nor did a virgin bring forth a child without conception. By this thought, 'I am, I am' is said by God, and 'as you may be reproached, I am.'
He says, 'God is my horn.' For all the righteous say this, being confident: 'In you we horn our enemies.' And he who therefore blesses his enemies in the Lord, having horned his horn against them...
Greek
ἀγαθὴ οὐ τοῖς α νευ τοῦ ποιεῖν νενοηκόσιν ἀλλὰ τοῖς ποιοῦσιν αὐτὴν τυγχάνει. τοῖς 224 γὰρ ποιοῦσι τὴν σύνεσιν οὐχ ἑτέραν ου σαν τῆς ἀρετῆς ὠφέλεια ε σται, ἐξ η ς ὠφελείας μανθάνουσι τὸ ἀγαθὸν αὐτῆς. ̓Επὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἐν τῷ προκειμένῳ ψαλμῷ θεολογηθεῖσι φέρεται τέλος μένειν τὴν αι νεσιν αὐτοῦ. τοῦτο γὰρ κατάλληλον πέρας τοῖς θεολογοῦσι τὸ λέγειν ̔Η αι νεσις αὐτοῦ (τοῦ θεολογηθέντος δηλονότι) μένει ἐπ' α πειρον. ἐπεὶ γὰρ ὁ ὑμνούμενος ἀθάνατος, ἀνάγκη καὶ τὴν αι νεσιν αὐτοῦ ἀτελεύτητον ει ναι ὡς διαρκεῖν εἰς πάντας τοὺς αἰῶνας. 1051 Ps 111,1bc ̔Ο μὴ α λλου του χάριν η αὐτῶν ε νεκα ἐνεργῶν αὐτὰς οι ον διὰ δόξαν ἀνθρωπίνην η διὰ τὸ μὴ περιπεσεῖν τῇ τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν ἐπαγομένῃ κολάσει η διὰ μισθόν, ἀλλὰ δι' αὐτὸ τὸ ἀγαθὸν αἱρούμενος καὶ ἐνεργῶν–ου τω γὰρ ε σται ἀληθῶς ὁ τοιοῦτος μακάριος. 1052 Ps 111,2.3 Τοῦ μακαριζομένου ἀνδρὸς ἐπὶ τῷ τὸν τοῦ κυρίου φόβον ε χειν τὸ σπέρμα ο σπείρει εἰς τὴν ἀγαθὴν γῆν, τὴν σπουδαίαν καὶ καλὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ, δυνατόν ἐστιν ὡς ἑκατονταπλασίονα καρπὸν ἐνεγκεῖν. τῶν μὲν γὰρ φαύλων τὰ σπέρματα α σπείρουσιν εἰς τὴν σάρκα, τὴν ὑλικὴν καὶ γεώδη ε ξιν αὐτῶν, ἀσθενῆ (διὸ καὶ ἐκ τῆς σαρκὸς θερίζουσι φθοράν), τῶν δὲ σπειράντων εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα δυνατὸν τὸ σπέρμα, ο θεν καὶ θερίζουσιν εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον. ἑκάστῳ γοῦν τῶν ου τω τελείων καὶ α μα πᾶσι προστάττει ὁ λόγος Σπείρατε ἑαυτοῖς εἰς δικαιοσύνην, τρυγήσατε ἑαυτοῖς εἰς καρπὸν ζωῆς. ∆όξα καὶ πλοῦτος ἐν τῷ οι κῳ αὐτοῦ. ὁ τοὺς ̓Ιησοῦ λόγους ου ς η κουσεν εἰς ε ργα μεταβαλὼν οἰκοδομεῖ ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ οἰκίαν, ἐπὶ τὸν ἀρραγῆ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγον τὰς κρηπίδας τοῦ θεωρητικοῦ καὶ πρακτικοῦ βίου ἑαυτοῦ καταβαλλόμενος. ταύτην ου ν η ν ᾠκοδόμησεν οἰκίαν ε καστος τῶν φοβουμένων τὸν κύριον ἐπὶ τῷ ἐν ταῖς ἐντολαῖς τοῦ κυρίου τεθεληκέναι (τουτέστι τοῖς ̓Ιησοῦ λόγοις σφόδρα τεθεληκέναι) πληροῖ δόξης νοημάτων τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ πλούτου συγκειμένου ἐκ παντὸς λόγου καὶ πάσης γνώσεως καὶ ε ργων ἀγαθῶν. ο θεν καὶ τὸ ἐπάγγελμα τῆς δικαιοσύνης αὐτοῦ παρατείνει ἐπὶ τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος. τοιαύτας αἱ μαῖαι οἰκίας ἑαυταῖς ᾠκοδόμησαν φοβηθεῖσαι τὸν κύριον, ι να μὴ α οικοι τὴν ἐρημίαν πλανώμεναι κατὰ τὸν ̓Ησαῦ τυγχάνωσιν ἀλλ' οἰκῶσι κατὰ τὸν α πλαστον ̓Ιακὼβ οἰκίαν. Αλλοι δὲ καὶ κατὰ τὸ ῥητὸν ἐξειλήφασι τὰ προκείμενα. 1053 Ps 111,5b 1053 Οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνους δὲ τοὺς λόγους ἡγητέον ει ναι. ου ς γὰρ πιστεύονται οἰκονομεῖν λόγους, καὶ αὐτῶν πως λέγονται. προτέταχε γοῦν η ς ε τυχε προφητείας θεόθεν τις τὸ Λόγοι ̓Αμὼς οι ἐγένοντο ἐπὶ ἀκκάρων, καὶ Σολομὼν δὲ ἀπογυμνῶν τὸ πρᾶγμα Οἱ ἐμοὶ λόγοι, φησίν, ει ρηνται ὑπὸ θεοῦ. ἀμέλει καὶ τὸ θεῖον εὐαγγέλιον ὁτὲ μὲν τοῦ δεδωκότος ὁτὲ δὲ τῶν διακονούντων χρηματίζει, ἀπὸ μὲν τῶν διακονούντων ο ταν λέγῃ Παῦλος Τὸ εὐαγγέλιόν μου, ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ ἐγχειρίσαντος ο ταν πάλιν Παῦλος λέγῃ Καθὼς δεδοκιμάσμεθα ὑπὸ θεοῦ πιστευθῆναι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον, καὶ Οτι ἀφωρισμένοι εἰς εὐαγγέλιον θεοῦ· καὶ οὐ θαυμαστόν. αὐτὸ γὰρ τὸ α γιον πνεῦμα τὸ πληροῦν τῶν θείων τοὺς ἱεροὺς α νδρας ὁτὲ μὲν θεοῦ ὁτὲ δὲ τῶν ἐχόντων λέγεται, ὡς ἐν τῷ ̓Επαναπέπαυται τὸ πνεῦμα ̓Ηλιοῦ, καὶ ̓Εν πνεύματι καὶ δυνάμει ̓Ηλιοῦ1054 Ps 111,8b ̓Αλλὰ μὴ νομίσῃς διὰ τὸ χρονικῶς εἰρῆσθαι Μέχρις ου ἐπίδῃ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτοῦ μὴ σαλεύεσθαι αὐτόν, ο τι μετὰ τὴν κατάλυσιν τῶν ἐχθρῶν σαλεύεται. πῶς γὰρ α ν κλονηθείη, καθαιρεθέντων τῶν ἐχθρῶν, ὁ ἐν τῷ ἀπειλεῖν καὶ ἐπικεῖσθαι αὐτοὺς τοῦτο μὴ παθών; σύνηθες γὰρ τῇ γραφῇ ἐπὶ πολλῶν ου τω χρῆσθαι, οι ον περὶ τῆς Μαρίας φησὶ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον μεμενηκέναι παρθένον αὐτήν, Εως ου ε τεκε τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς τὸν πρωτότοκον, καὶ ἀκολούθως. ἐπεὶ γὰρ προσήκει τὸ δεῖξαι α νευ γάμου ἐκ παρθένου γεγονέναι τοῦ ̓Ιησοῦ τὴν γέννησιν, εἰκότως ε νθα ἀμφίβολον η ν. μὴ α ρα φθορὰν ὑπέμεινεν ἡ παρθένος· ε φη καὶ συνείληφε· τὴν ἀμφιβολίαν ταύτην περιελὼν παρθένον αὐτὴν μεμενηκέναι μέχρι τῆς ἀποτέξεως λέγει. εἰ γὰρ μέχρι τοῦ 225 τεκεῖν παρθένος ου σα ει ρηται, οὐκ ἐξ ἀνδρὸς συνείληφεν ο προήνεγκε παρθένος ου σα τέκνον. ταύτῃ τῇ διανοίᾳ ὑπὸ θεοῦ λέγεται ̓Εγώ εἰμι, ἐγώ εἰμι, καὶ ε ως α ν καταγηράσητε, ἐγώ εἰμι. 1055 Ps 111,9c Κέρας τὸν θεόν φησι. πάντες γὰρ οἱ δίκαιοι τοῦτο θαρροῦντές φασιν ̓Εν σοὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἡμῶν κερατιοῦμεν. καὶ ὁ μακαριζόμενος τοίνυν τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἑαυτοῦ ἐν κυρίῳ κερατίσας τὸ κέρας ῳ αὐτοὺς