Christ as Wisdom and the Eternal Dwellings
Deceptive doctrines constructed sophistically. They have surrounded me like bees surround wax, and the following: the class of wax-makers is similar to bees; for although they are greater than bees in size, they do not deceive the unreasoning ones as bees do; nor do they make honey or mold wax, nor do they have a sting to repel those attempting to harm the wax. But eating the honey from the opposite, they wage war against the bees, just as those having used their own sting to safely destroy the wax-makers as having defiled their fruit.
The honey-making and wax-molding bee is not an allegory, but the Church which has honored the wisdom of God, whose labors, though not of a precious or glorious kind, are offered by kings and laymen for health; even though she is weak in strength, her preaching is not in persuasive words of human wisdom, but she possesses the sting in the demonstration of the spirit and power of God, having the word of faith, just as she destroys heresies like wax-makers, dividing them by the reproof of the truth. And one is the bee that has honored the wisdom, but many are those that depart from honoring the wisdom of God—not bees, but those who are like bees; he is not sinning, saying they are wax-makers surrounding like wax to consume the honey and having been burned like fire in thorns. For those from the heresies and the fire of shameful things and desires escape, as Paul says, 'For what is shameful to speak of is made known by them' (2 Cor 13:1). And the Gospel interpreted the thorns as pleasures.
However, even if they surrounded the wise one like wax, bees, and were burned like fire in thorns, they did not defend themselves by the name of the Lord alone. For he did not only remain undefiled, but he also cast down all their sophistical reasoning, and every high thing boasting itself against the knowledge of God, since his works are not fleshly but are powerful in God, not being defeated by the approach of God. The Lord becoming salvation does not receive a beginning of being; for he is both eternal and everlasting. And he becomes for salvation according to the taking up of the relation...
Regarding those being saved, God submits to the mind these things said by the one declaring that all things have become Christ; for it has not become that God is Word, not truth, not wisdom, not Son, but he has become to us wisdom, not merely having become wisdom, but this himself to us is righteousness and sanctification and redemption. For the reference to these things having become to us simply and eternally is said according to the relation toward us; thus God has made him both Christ and Lord, Christ meaning king and priest to those who reign and to those for whom he offers the sacrifices, but also to those who wish to serve him as Lord, and in general, the things said concerning him are not thought to be impieties.
You will understand the dwellings of the righteous, which are alone with the Father according to the fulfillment of the promises, concerning which the Savior says: 'When Mammon departs' (meaning that), 'they will receive you into the eternal dwellings' (Ps 117:15a). In these dwellings all the righteous are rejoicing; for they have attained the promised good things. Thus it is well said, 'A voice of joy and confession in the dwellings of the righteous' (Ps 117:15b), with sorrow and sighing fleeing away. And if you say that even the bodies of the righteous, their dwellings, will be returned to them incorruptible and spiritual, you will not dispute that in these dwellings of theirs there will also be a voice of joy and confession. A voice of joy and salvation is brought forward, as the righteous rejoice in the aforementioned dwellings having received the eternal salvation, not different from eternal life.
He has thus made power for those partaking of him, as it is possible to say, 'I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me' (Phil 4:13). He thus lifts up and exalts the one partaking, as one having been strengthened by the right hand of the Lord more brightly and more greatly, and to say a second time, 'The right hand of the Lord made power' (Ps 117:16). Therefore he says, 'I shall no longer die, he who follows the evil death, but I shall live' (Ps 118:17), partaking of the life opposite the evil death, in order to recount the wonderful works of God that have become in me. And his right hand makes power in everyone who thinks and acts according to the right, but also lifts him up as a second power in him of the former power, through which having obtained immortality, he says, 'I shall not die, but...'
Greek
σοφιστικῶς κατεσκευασμένα ἀπατηλὰ δόγματα. ̓Εκύκλωσάν με ὡσεὶ μέλισσαι κηρίον, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· ὁμοιότητα φέρει πρὸς τὰς μελίσσας κηφήνων τὸ γένος· αυ ται γὰρ εἰ καὶ μείζους τῶν μελισσῶν τῷ ο γκῳ τυγχάνουσιν, ἀλλ' ου ν γε ἀπατῶσι τοὺς ἀνιστορήτους ὡς ου σαι μέλισσαι· ου τε δὲ μελισσουργοῦσιν η πλάττουσι κηρὸν οὐδ' αυ κέντρον ε χουσι τὸ ἀλεξοῦν τὰ βλάπτειν ἐπιχειροῦντα τὸν κηρόν. ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου δὲ ἐσθίοντες τὸ μέλι ἐκπολεμοῦσι κατ' αὐτῶν τὰς μελίσσας ὡς χρησαμένας κατ' αὐτῶν τῷ ἰδίῳ κέντρῳ σωρηδὸν ἀναιρεῖν τοὺς κηφῆνας ὡς λυμηναμένους τῷ καρπῷ αὐτῶν. ἐστὶν ου ν πρὸς ἀλληγορίαν ἡ μελισσουργοῦσα καὶ κηροπλαστοῦσα μέλιττα ἡ τιμήσασα τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ σοφίαν ἐκκλησία, η ς ἐργάτιδος ου σης ποθεινῆς τυγχανούσης καὶ ἐπιδόξου τοὺς πόνους βασιλεῖς καὶ ἰδιῶται πρὸς ὑγίειαν προσφέρονται· καίπερ ου σης τῇ ῥώμῃ ἀσθενοῦς τῷ τὸ κήρυγμα αὐτῆς μὴ ἐν πειθοῖς ἀνθρωπίνης σοφίας λόγοις ει ναι, ο μως δ' ε χει τὸ κέντρον ἐν ἀποδείξει πνεύματος καὶ δυνάμεως θεοῦ τῆς πίστεως τὸν λόγον ε χουσα, ὡς καὶ ἀναιρεῖν κηφήνων δίκην τὰς αἱρέσεις διχοτομοῦσα αὐτὰς ἐλέγχῳ τῆς ἀληθείας. καὶ μία μὲν ἡ τιμήσασα τὴν σοφίαν μέλισσα, πολλαὶ δὲ αἱ ἀποστᾶσαι τοῦ τιμᾶν τὴν σοφίαν τοῦ θεοῦ οὐ μέλισσαι ἀλλ' ὡς μέλισσαι τυγχάνουσαι, α ς ει ναι κηφῆνας λέγων οὐχ ἁμαρτήσεις κυκλούσας ὡς κηρίον ἐπὶ τῷ ἀναλῶσαι τὸ περὶ αὐτὸ μέλι καὶ ἐκκαυθείσας ὡσεὶ πῦρ ἐν ἀκάνθαις. ἐξάπτουσι γὰρ οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν αἱρέσεων καὶ τὸ τῶν αἰσχρῶν καὶ ἐπιθυμιῶν πῦρ, ῃ φησιν ὁ Παῦλος Τὰ γὰρ κρυφῆ γινόμενα ὑπ' αὐτῶν αἰσχρόν ἐστι καὶ λέγειν. ἀκάνθας δὲ τὰς ἡδονὰς ἡρμήνευσε τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον. Ομως δὲ εἰ καὶ ἐκύκλωσαν τὸν σοφὸν ὡσεὶ κηρίον μέλισσαι καὶ ἐξεκαύθησαν ὡσεὶ πῦρ ἐν ἀκάνθαις, ἀλλ' ου ν αὐτὸς τῷ ὀνόματι κυρίου ἠμύνατο αὐτούς. οὐ γὰρ ἀζήμιος μόνον ε μεινεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ καθεῖλεν αὐτῶν πάντα σοφιστικὸν λογισμόν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶν υ ψωμα ἐπαιρόμενον 231 κατὰ τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ θεοῦ, ἐπείπερ τὰ ο πλα αὐτοῦ οὐ σαρκικὰ ἀλλὰ δυνατὰ τῷ θεῷ οὐχ ε τερα ο ντα τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ προσηγορίας ἠμύνατο αὐτούς. 1075 Ps 117,14b Γενόμενος εἰς σωτηρίαν ὁ κύριος οὐκ ἀρχὴν οὐσιώσεως δέχεται· ἀΐδιος γὰρ καὶ αἰώνιός ἐστι. γίνεται δὲ εἰς σωτηρίαν κατὰ τὸ ἀναλαμβάνειν σχέσιν τὴν πρὸς τοὺς σῳζομένους. ο θεν πάντα γεγονέναι τὸν Χριστὸν λέγοντα ταῦτα ὑποβάλλεται τῇ διανοίᾳ· οὐ γὰρ γέγονε θεὸς λόγος οὐκ ἀλήθεια οὐ σοφία οὐχ υἱός, ἀλλὰ γέγονεν ἡμῖν σοφία, οὐχ ἁπλῶς γενόμενος σοφία ἀλλ' αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἡμῖν δικαιοσύνη καὶ ἁγιασμὸς καὶ ἀπολύτρωσις. ω ν γὰρ ἁπλῶς καὶ ἀϊδίως ταῦτα ἡμῖν γεγονέναι κατὰ ἀναφορὰν τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς λέγεται· ου τω καὶ χριστὸν καὶ κύριον πεποίηκεν αὐτὸν ὁ θεός, χριστὸν μὲν τουτέστι βασιλέα καὶ ἱερέα τοῖς βασιλευομένοις καὶ τοῖς ὑπὲρ ω ν προσάγει τὰς θυσίας. ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς δουλεύειν ἐθέλουσιν αὐτῷ κύριον καὶ καθόλου τὰ σχετικῶς περὶ αὐτοῦ λεγόμενα ου τω διανοούμενος οὐκ ἀσεβήσεις. 1076 Ps 117,15a Σκηνὰς δὲ δικαίων νοήσεις τὰς παρὰ τῷ πατρὶ μονὰς κατὰ τὴν ἀπόδοσιν τῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν, περὶ ω ν ὁ σωτήρ φησιν Οταν ἐκλίπῃ (δηλονότι ὁ μαμωνᾶς), δέξονται ὑμᾶς εἰς τὰς αἰωνίους σκηνάς. ἐν ταύταις ταῖς σκηναῖς πάντες εἰσὶν οἱ δίκαιοι ἀγαλλιώμενοι· τετύχασι γὰρ τῶν προσδοκωμένων ἀγαθῶν. ο θεν καλῶς ει ρηται Φωνὴ ἀγαλλιάσεως καὶ ἐξομολογήσεως ἐν σκηναῖς δικαίων, ἀποδρασάσης λύπης καὶ στεναγμοῦ. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τὰ σώματα τῶν δικαίων σκηνὰς αὐτῶν ἐρεῖς ἀφθάρτων καὶ πνευματικῶν ἀποδοθεισῶν αὐτοῖς, οὐκ ἀμφισβητήσεις ὡς καὶ ἐν ταύταις ταῖς σκηναῖς αὐτῶν φωνὴ ἀγαλλιάσεως καὶ ἐξομολογήσεως ε σται. Φέρεται Φωνὴ ἀγαλλιάσεως καὶ σωτηρίας τῷ ὡς ἐν ταῖς προειρημέναις σκηναῖς ἀγαλλιᾶσθαι τοὺς δικαίους ἐπὶ τῷ αἰωνίαν σωτηρίαν ἀπειληφέναι οὐκ α λλην ου σαν τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς. 1077 Ps 117,15b–17 Αυ τη τοιγαροῦν ἐποίησε δύναμιν τοῖς μετειληφόσιν αὐτοῦ, ὡς ε καστον φάναι Πάντα ἰσχύω ἐν τῷ ἐνδυναμοῦντί με Χριστῷ. αυ τη τὸν μετέχοντα ὑψοῖ καὶ μετεωρίζει, ὡς φαιδρότερον καὶ μειζόνως ὑπὸ τῆς δεξιᾶς κυρίου δυναμωθέντα καὶ δεύτερον εἰπεῖν ∆εξιὰ κυρίου ἐποίησε δύναμιν. διό φησιν Οὐκέτι θνήξομαι τὸν ἑπόμενον τῇ κακίᾳ θάνατον, ἀλλὰ ζήσομαι μετασχὼν τῆς ἐναντίας τοῦ πονηροῦ θανάτου ζωῆς ἐπὶ τῷ ἐκδιηγήσασθαι τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ εἰς ἐμὲ γενόμενα θαυμαστὰ ε ργα. ποιεῖ δὲ δύναμιν ἡ δεξιὰ αὐτοῦ ἐν παντὶ τῷ δεξιὰ φρονοῦντι καὶ πράττοντι ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑψοῖ αὐτὸν ὡς καὶ δευτέραν γενέσθαι ἐν αὐτῷ τῆς προτέρας δυνάμεως δύναμιν ἐφ' ῃ ἀθανασίαν κεκτημένος ἐρεῖ τὸ Οὐκ ἀποθανοῦμαι, ἀλλὰ
About this text
Discover how early Christians interpreted the Psalms as divine messages and prophecies about salvation and judgment.
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- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
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