Persecution of Christ

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What was the first thing I took away from you? Did I not shut the gates of paradise in your face? Was it not because of me that you covered yourself with fig leaves? Did I not cause your downfall from your position of power, and did you not mutilate your inheritance and distort your image?

You had the law, but I added grace as a good thing. You were grieving over the letter of the law, and I presented the spirit that gives life. The shadows of the old covenant were grieving, and I revealed the truth of the new covenant.

You were stumbling over the types and symbols of the old covenant, but I brought a single, free healing that surpasses all the expensive sacrifices of the past. I interpreted the Sabbath for you and glorified it, and I put an end to the wound of circumcision. I freed the altar of groans and lamentations, and instead of the many sacrifices that brought only sorrow, I showed you the joyful and bloodless sacrifice of my own body.

Remember the tent of Abraham and the altar of Isaac, and recall the wrestling of Jacob. Why did you deliver the dreams of Joseph to forgetfulness? Are you not ashamed of the rod of Moses, the mantle of Elijah, and the courage of Elisha? These things are types and shadows of me, and their prophecies concern me.

I showed Jeremiah the wooden staff, and I drew a picture of the golden lampstand for Zechariah. I showed Daniel the uncut stone, and I enlarged the belly of the whale for Jonah. Ezekiel saw me as the charioteer of the cherubim, and I am the sheep of Isaiah.

Where are you shooting your arrows? For to me, 'heaven is a throne and earth is a footstool' (Isaiah 66:1). Where are you sending arrows? For I am in the Father and the Father is in me (John 14:10). Against whom are you throwing stones? I have measured the waters in the hollow of my hand and the heavens with a span, and I have weighed the earth in a balance (Isaiah 40:12).

Whose tongue are you arming for battle? I am the one who confuses the tongues of the mute, who makes the deaf and the mute, and who gives sight to the blind. See whom you are calling a deceiver. I have multiplied visions and made the prophets speak in my name.

David sings my praises, while you insult me. He hymns my glory, but you blaspheme. He plays the lyre in my honor, while you bite and attack. He shakes the cords of his instrument, but you use weapons to fight me. Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? Why do you fight against me with my own law?

Greek

Ποίων πρωτείων ἀπε στέρησα; Μὴ γὰρ ἐγώ σοι τὸν παράδεισον ἔκλεισα; Μὴ τὰ φύλλα τῆς συκῆς δι' ἐμὲ περιβέβλησαι; Μὴ γὰρ ἐγώ σοι τῆς εἰς γῆν ἀποστροφῆς παραίτιος γέγονα; Μὴ δι' ἐμὲ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐξέπεσες, τὸν κλῆρον ἐκολόβωσας, τὴν εἰκόνα ἐμείωσας; 3 «Σαούλ, Σαούλ, τί με διώκεις;» Νόμον εἶχες, ἐγὼ δὲ ὡς ἀγαθὸς τὴν χάριν προσέθηκα. Ἔκαμνες τῷ γράμματι καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα παρέστησα. Ἐλύπουν αἱ σκιαὶ καὶ προσελθὼν τὴν ἀλή θειαν ἔδειξα. Προσέκοπτες τοῖς τύποις, ἐγὼ δὲ μίαν ὑπὲρ πολλὰς <ἰατρείαν> ἀντὶ τῶν φιλαργύρων τὴν ἀνάργυρον ἤγαγον, ἐγώ σοι τὸ σάββατον ἑρμηνεύσας ἐδόξασα, ἐγώ σου τῆς περιτομῆς τὴν πληγὴν ἔπαυσα, ἐγὼ τὸν βωμὸν στεναγμῶν ἠλευθέρωσα, ἀντὶ τῶν πολυστενάκτων θυσιῶν τὴν ἀειχαρῆ τὴν ἀστένα 1 κτον ἔδειξα. «Σαούλ, Σαούλ, τί με διώκεις;» Αἰσχύνου τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ τὴν σκηνὴν καὶ τοῦ βωμοῦ τοῦ Ἰσαὰκ μνημόνευε, τοῦ Ἰακὼβ τὴν πάλην ταῖς μνήμαις ἀναλάμβανε. Ἵνα τί τῇ λήθῃ τοὺς Ἰωσὴφ ὀνείρους παρέδωκας; Πῶς οὐκ ἐντρέπει τοῦ Μωυσέως τὴν ῥάβδον, τὴν Ἠλίου μηλωτήν, τὴν ἀνδρείαν Ἐλισαίου; Ἐμοὶ τύποι ταῦτα, αἱ τούτων προφητεῖαι περὶ ἐμοῦ τυγχάνουσιν. «Σαούλ, Σαούλ, τί με διώκεις;» Ἐγὼ Ἰερεμίᾳ τὴν βακτηρίαν τὴν καρυΐνην ἔδειξα· ἐγὼ Ζαχαρίᾳ τὴν λυχνίαν ἐζωγράφησα τὴν χρυσῆν· ἐγὼ τὸν ἄτμητον λίθον τῷ ∆ανιὴλ ὑπέδειξα· ἐγὼ τῷ Ἰωνᾷ τοῦ κήτους τὴν κοιλίαν ἐπλά-τυνα· ἐμὲ τῶν χερουβὶμ ἡνίοχον Ἰεζεκιὴλ ὁ μέγας ἐθεάσατο· ἐγὼ τὸ πολυθρύλητον Ἠσαΐου εἰμὶ πρόβατον. 4 «Σαούλ, Σαούλ, τί με διώκεις;» Πρόσσχες ποῦ τὰ τόξα τείνεις· «Ἐμοὶ γὰρ ὁ οὐρανὸς θρόνος, ἡ δὲ γῆ ὑποπόδιον.» Ποῦ τὰ βέλη πέμπεις; «Ἐγὼ γὰρ ἐν τῷ πατρὶ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί.» Πρὸς τίνα βάλλεις τοὺς λίθους; Ἐγὼ «ἐμέτρησα τῇ χειρὶ τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν σπιθαμῇ καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν δρα κί.» Κατὰ τίνος τὴν γλῶσσαν ὁπλίζεις; Ἐγὼ τῶν μογιλά λων τρανῶ τὰς γλώσσας, ἐγὼ δύσκωφον ἐποίησα <καὶ> κω φόν, ἐγὼ βλέποντα καὶ τυφλὸν ἐκεράμευσα. Ὅρα τίνα πλάνον καλεῖς· «Ἐγὼ ὁράσεις ἐπλήθυνα καὶ ἐν χερσὶν προφητῶν ὡμοιώ θην.» «Σαούλ, Σαούλ, τί με διώκεις;» Ἐμὲ γὰρ ὁ ∆αυὶδ ψάλλει, σὺ δὲ λοιδορεῖς· ἐκεῖνος ὑμνεῖ, σὺ δὲ βλασφημεῖς· ἐκεῖ νος κιθαρίζει, σὺ δὲ λακτίζεις· ἐκεῖνος τινάσσει τὰς χορ δάς, σὺ δὲ τοῖς ὅπλοις κέχρησαι. «Σαούλ, Σαούλ, τί με διώκεις;» Τί με τοῖς ἐμοῖς πολεμεῖς, τοῦ νόμου

About this text

Hesychius of Jerusalem, In sanctos Petrum et Paulum (Greek).

Catalogue & scope

Khazarzar scan

Witnesses

Copy-text PG 93 (Khazarzar) (Greek)

This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.