The Humility of John and the Eternal Truth
The preceding description of the heaven mentioned signifies a superiority and a state of being, if one may say so. None of those deadened by sin praises God (for a beautiful praise is not in the mouth of a sinner, Ps 113:25-26), nor do those descending into the tropical Hades become those who die the death following sin (for there is no one remembering God in death, Ps 114:6), nor anyone in Hades confessing himself.
Therefore, since they do not praise Him, we who live and partake of eternal life praise Him, concerning which the Savior says, 'And this is the eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and whom you sent, Jesus Christ' (John 17:3). The Lord himself protects those who, according to the commandment of Jesus, are childlike in turning and becoming, so that enemies do not attack them before the time of struggle. Just as He protects those who are such children, He humbled me, having set me against a struggle, as if I had ascended far above the age of children, and instead of being tested by many strong things, He made me; and just as He humbled me, so also He saved me, having clothed me with a strength surpassing the struggle and an invincible panoply.
Regarding this word, the Apostle says to the Corinthians, 'Having this, we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written: I believed, therefore I spoke; and we also believe, therefore we also speak' (2 Cor 4:13). By saying 'spirit of faith,' he signifies the being which is near from it, the spirit that God provides to one who has faith. 'I believed, therefore I spoke' is in accord with the heart, for it is believed in the heart unto righteousness, but with the mouth it is confessed unto salvation; for he says, 'If you confess the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved' (Rom 10:9). For by this one is immediately brought to the heart, for it is believed in the heart unto righteousness, and the following. You will also receive this understanding, and 'If you do not believe, you will not understand' (Acts 5:25); for first one believes, if he understands, and after this he speaks, as the Psalm says, 'I believed, therefore I spoke.' When, having believed, I spoke exceedingly and great things, then, seeing nothing of myself, I was greatly humbled. Such is that which is said by John concerning Jesus.
Regarding the saying, 'That He must increase and I must decrease,' John was not diminishing in terms of actual magnitude, but was comparing himself to the superiority of Jesus's teaching and way of life (John 3:30). He who said, after speaking from the beginning, that he had believed, 'I have become exceedingly humbled,' did not suffer this by a subtraction of honor, but by seeing the greater and above himself. If even the death of many signifies God, those who die with Christ and carry His death in the flesh, and who recognized how well to give thanks, will receive the cup of such a saving death, and he who receives it will drink it blamelessly, if he calls upon the name of the Lord to drink it bravely.
If we have said of the lesser ones that they call upon the name of the Lord, let it not trouble you now to receive the Lord while not yet perfect; for the saints, being blind, give the lesser things to themselves that they possess. For Moses and Samuel did not say of themselves, 'We called upon the Lord,' but it is said of others. The word concerning salvation is not complete unless the memory of the saved is also taken up. For having said in that psalm as the end of the shadow approaching, 'I will offer to You a sacrifice of thanksgiving' (Ps 116:1), he immediately calls all nations into eternity, just as these also offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving through the ages, after one nation and people has been cast away, since a sinful nation and people having become full of sins is tossed about. But after this nation and people has been cast away, the mercy of God has reached all, as a certain and strong thing for His mercy to become upon us. And because this has surpassed, 'The truth of the Lord remains forever' (Ps 117:2). For the truth accepted the shadow as an end and a lot, limiting it, but the truth itself, being eternal, will receive nothing that is nothing above it, but itself above all, in an incomparable excess. For indeed, as with a cause, He has given that the remaining truth remains forever. Sharing in the truth of the mercy which has been strengthened upon us, and many times these names, His mercy and...
Greek
προηγουμένην, ι ν' ου τως ει πω, ὑπεροχὴν καὶ κατάστασιν δηλοῖ ἡ τοῦ διηγηθέντος οὐρανοῦ προσηγορία. 1066 Ps 113,25.26 Οὐδεὶς τῶν νεκρωθέντων τῷ ἁμαρτάνειν θεὸν αἰνεῖ (Οὐχ ὡραῖος γὰρ αι νος ἐν στόματι ἁμαρτωλοῦ), ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τῶν καταβαινόντων εἰς τὸν ᾳ δην τὸν τροπικὸν εἰς ο ν γίνονται οἱ ἀποθνῄσκοντες τὸν ἑπόμενον τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ θάνατον (Οὐκ ε στι γὰρ ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ ὁ μνημονεύων θεοῦ), οὐδενὸς ἐν τῷ ᾳ δῃ ἐξομολογουμένου αὐτοῦ. Τούτων τοίνυν μὴ αἰνούντων αὐτόν, ἡμεῖς αὐτὸν αἰνοῦμεν οἱ ζῶντες καὶ τῆς αἰωνίου μετέχοντες ζωῆς, περὶ η ς ὁ σωτήρ φησιν Αυ τη δέ ἐστιν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωή, ι να γινώσκωσι σὲ τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν θεὸν καὶ ο ν ἀπέστειλας ̓Ιησοῦν Χριστόν. 1067 Ps 114,6 Τοὺς κατὰ τὴν ̓Ιησοῦ ἐντολὴν νηπίους ο ντας τῷ ἐστρέφθαι καὶ γεγονέναι ὡς τὰ παιδία αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος φυλάσσει, οὐκ ἐῶν προσβαλεῖν αὐτοῖς πολεμίους τῷ μήπω καιρὸν ε χειν ἀγῶνος. ο μως τοὺς ου τως τυγχάνοντας νηπίους φυλάττων, ἐμὲ ὡς ὑπεραναβεβηκότα τὴν τῶν παιδίων ἡλικίαν εἰς ἀγῶνα προβαλλόμενος ἐταπείνωσέ με καὶ ἀντὶ πολλῶν ἰσχυρῶν πειρασθῆναι ποιήσας· ω σπερ δ' ἐταπείνωσέ με, ου τω καὶ ε σωσέ με ἀνανταγώνιστον ἰσχὺν καὶ ἀκαταμάχητον πανοπλίαν ἐνδύσας με. 1068 Ps 115,1 Ταύτης τῆς λέξεως τὴν διάνοιαν ὁ ἀπόστολος Κορινθίοις Εχοντες, ε φη, τὸ αὐτὸ πνεῦμα τῆς πίστεως, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον ̓Επίστευσα, διὸ ἐλάλησα, καὶ ἡμεῖς πιστεύομεν, διὸ καὶ λαλοῦμεν· πνεῦμα πίστεως λέγων η τοι τὴν ε ξιν τὴν ἀπ' αὐτῆς ἐγγινομένην η τὸ ἐπιχορηγούμενον ἐκ θεοῦ τῷ πίστιν ε χοντι πνεῦμα. Τὸ ̓Επίστευσα, διὸ ἐλάλησα συνῳδὸν τῷ Καρδίᾳ γὰρ πιστεύεται εἰς δικαιοσύνην, στόματι δὲ ὁμολογεῖται εἰς σωτηρίαν· ἐὰν ου ν φησι ὁμολογήσῃς κύριον ̓Ιησοῦν καὶ πιστεύσῃς τῇ καρδίᾳ ο τι ὁ θεὸς αὐτὸν η γειρεν ἐκ νεκρῶν, σωθήσῃ· τούτῳ γὰρ εὐθὺς ἐπηνέχθη τὸ Καρδίᾳ γὰρ πιστεύεται εἰς δικαιοσύνην, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. εἰς ταύτην τὴν διάνοιαν παραλήψῃ καὶ τὸ ̓Εὰν μὴ πιστεύσητε, οὐδ' οὐ μὴ συνῆτε· πρότερον γὰρ πιστεύει τις, ει τα συνίησι καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο λαλεῖ, ῃ φησιν ὁ ψαλμὸς ̓Επίστευσα, διὸ ἐλάλησα. Οτε δὲ πιστεύσας ἐλάλησα ὑπερφυῆ καὶ μεγάλα, τότε τὸ μηδὲν ἐμαυτὸν ἰδὼν ἐταπεινώθην σφόδρα. τοιοῦτόν ἐστι τὸ ὑπὸ ̓Ιωάννου περὶ ̓Ιησοῦ λεγόμενον ̓Εκεῖνον δεῖ αὐξάνειν, ἐμὲ δὲ ἐλαττοῦσθαι. οὐ γὰρ ἀποβαλών τι ου ει χε μεγέθους ὁ ̓Ιωάννης ἠλαττοῦτο, ἀλλὰ συγκρίνων ἑαυτὸν τῇ ὑπεροχῇ τῆς 229 ̓Ιησοῦ διδασκαλίας τε καὶ πολιτείας. καὶ ὁ εἰπὼν τοίνυν μετὰ τὸ λαλῆσαι ἀπὸ ε ξεως πεπιστευκυίας ̓Εγὼ ἐταπεινώθην σφόδρα οὐ κατὰ ἀφαίρεσιν υ ψους τοῦτο πέπονθεν ἀλλ' ἐκ τοῦ μείζονα καὶ ὑπὲρ ἑαυτὸν τεθεᾶσθαι. 1069 Ps 115,6 ̓Εὰν δὲ καὶ θάνατον ὁσίων θεοῦ σημαίνηται καθ' ο ν συναποθνῄσκουσι Χριστῷ καὶ τὴν νέκρωσιν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ περιφέρουσι, καὶ ου τω καλῶς α ν εὐχαριστεῖν διέγνω, ληψόμενος τὸ τοιούτου θανάτου σωτηρίου ποτήριον ο καὶ ἀμέμπτως πίεται ὁ ληψόμενος αὐτό, εἰ ἐπικαλοῖτο τὸ ο νομα κυρίου ἐπὶ τῷ γενναίως αὐτὸ πιεῖν. Εἰ δὲ τῶν ἐλαττόνων εἰρήκαμεν τὸ ἐπικαλεῖσθαι τὸ ο νομα κυρίου, τελείων δὲ αὐτὸν τὸν κύριον, μή σε ταραττέτω νῦν ἐπὶ τοῦ ου τως τελείου παραλαμβανόμενον· οἱ γὰρ α γιοι δι' ἀτυφίαν ο ντες ἑαυτῶν ἐλαττωτικοὶ τὰ ἐλάττονα ἑαυτοῖς διδόασιν ω ν ε χουσιν. ἀμέλει γοῦν οὐ Μωυσῆς οὐ Σαμουὴλ εἰρήκασι περὶ ἑαυτῶν ̓Επεκαλοῦντο τὸν κύριον, ἀλλ' α λλος ει πε περὶ αὐτῶν. 1070 Ps 116.1.2 Οὐκ η ν ἐντελὴς ὁ περὶ τῆς σωτηρίας λόγος, εἰ μὴ καὶ τῶν σῳζομένων ἀπειλήφει τὴν μνήμην. εἰπὼν γὰρ ἐν ἐκείνῳ ὡς τέλος ἀπολαβούσης τῆς σκιᾶς τὸ Σοὶ θύσω θυσίαν αἰνέσεως, εὐθέως εἰς αι νον καλεῖ τὰ ε θνη πάντα, ο πως καὶ ταῦτα διὰ τῶν αι νων τὴν τῆς αἰνέσεως προσάγει θυσίαν, ἀποβεβλημένου αὐτοῦ ἑνὸς ε θνους καὶ λαοῦ, ἐπείπερ ταλανίζεται ἁμαρτωλὸν ε θνος καὶ λαὸς πλήρης ἁμαρτιῶν γεγονώς· ἀλλὰ τούτου ἀποβληθέντος τοῦ ε θνους καὶ λαοῦ, ἡ ἐλεημοσύνη τοῦ θεοῦ εἰς πάντας ε φθασεν ὡς βέβαιον καὶ κραταιὸν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς γενέσθαι τὸ ε λεος αὐτοῦ. καὶ ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο ὑπῆρκται, ̔Η ἀλήθεια τοῦ κυρίου μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. τὴν μὲν γὰρ σκιὰν ἡ ἀλήθεια διεδέξατο τέλος καὶ κλῆρον αὐτῇ περιορίσασα, αὐτὴν δὲ τὴν ἀλήθειαν αἰώνιον ου σαν οὐδὲν διαδέξεται τῷ μηδὲν ὑπὲρ αὐτὴν ἀλλ' αὐτὴν ὑπὲρ πάντα καθ' ὑπερβολὴν ἀσύγκριτον ει ναι. ο ρα γοῦν ὡς μετ' αἰτίας ἀποδέδωκε τὸ μένειν ἀλήθειαν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. 1071 Ps 116,2b Συνδιαιωνίζοντος τῇ ἀληθείᾳ τοῦ κραταιωθέντος ἐφ' ἡμᾶς ἐλέου, πολλαχοῦ δὲ τὰ ὀνόματα ταῦτα, τὸ ε λεος αὐτοῦ καὶ
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Discover how early Christians interpreted the Psalms as divine messages and prophecies about salvation and judgment.
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