The Baptism of the Thief
The thief was given the opportunity to believe and be enlightened, for the Savior had decreed: 'Unless one is born of water and Spirit, he shall certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven' (John 3:5). The thief found no opportunity or boldness, nor did he have the time to be baptized, for he was hanging on the cross.
The Savior finds a way even in a desperate way. Since the one aged by sins had believed in the Savior, and he needed to be cleansed, Christ manages, after the passion, that the soldier pierce the side of the Lord with a spear, and blood and water gush out; for from his side, the Evangelist says, 'Blood and water came out' (John 19:34), in the truth of the one fallen, as a type of the mysteries. And the blood and water did not come out simply flowing, but in a torrent, so that it might sprinkle the body of the thief; for that which is sent in a torrent sprinkles, but that which flows simply flows calmly, as it comes. But in a torrent blood and water came out from the side, so that, having sprinkled the thief, it might baptize him, as the Apostle says: 'We have come to Zion with the blood of sprinkling, speaking better than Abel' (Hebrews 12:24).
Why does the blood of Christ speak better than Abel? Because the blood of Abel was at the peak of the murderer, but the blood of Christ cleanses even the murderers who repent. Learn therefore the zeal for the truth, and love the boldness for the sake of Christ; follow the true Teacher struggling for the truth, so that having heard thus from the Apostle Paul, 'Become imitators of me, as I am of Christ' (1 Cor 11:1), you may be worthy yourself of the crowns of righteousness, which Christ our God has prepared for the eternal good things for those who loved him (2 Tim 4:8); of which may we all attain, by the grace and philanthropy of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and the power, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Greek
ἐνεδίδοτο τῷ λῃστῇ πιστεῦσαι καὶ φωτισθῆναι· ὁ Σωτὴρ γὰρ ἀπεφήνατο· Ἐὰν μήτις γεννηθῇ ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ Πνεύματος, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθῃ εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. Οὐχ ηὕρισκεν εὐκαιρίαν ἢ παῤῥησίαν ὁ λῃστὴς, οὐκ εἶχε καιρὸν βαπτισθῆναι· ἐν τῷ σταυρῷ γὰρ ἐκρέματο Εὑρίσκει τοιγαροῦν ὁ Σωτὴρ ἐν ἀπόροις πόρον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐπίστευσε τῷ Σωτῆρι ὁ 59.553 πεπαλαιωμένος ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις, καὶ ἔδει αὐτὸν καθαρισθῆναι, οἰκονομεῖ ὁ Χριστὸς μετὰ τὸ πάθος τὸν στρατιώτην νύξαι τῇ λόγχῃ τὴν πλευρὰν τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ ἐκπηδᾷ αἷμα καὶ ὕδωρ· ἐκ γὰρ τῆς πλευρᾶς αὐτοῦ, φησὶν ὁ Εὐαγγελιστὴς, Ἐξῆλθεν αἷμα καὶ ὕδωρ, ἐν ἀληθείᾳ τοῦ πεσόντος, εἰς τύπον τῶν μυστηρίων. Καὶ οὐκ ἐξῆλθε δὲ τὸ αἷμα καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ οὕτως ἁπλῶς ῥέον, ἀλλὰ ῥοίζῳ, ἵνα ῥαντίσῃ τὸ σῶμα τοῦ λῃστοῦ· τὸ γὰρ μετὰ ῥοίζου πεμπόμενον ῥαντίζει, τὸ δὲ ῥέον ἠρέμα ῥέει, καθὼς ἔρχεται. Ἀλλὰ μετὰ ῥοίζου ἐξῆλθεν τὸ αἷμα καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ ἐκ τῆς πλευρᾶς, ἵνα ῥαντίσας τὸν λῃστὴν βαπτίσῃ, ὡς καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολος λέγει· Προσεληλύθαμεν Σιὼν ὄρει καὶ αἵματι ῥαντισμοῦ κρεῖττον λαλοῦντι παρὰ τὸν Ἄβελ. ∆ιὰ τί παρὰ τὸν Ἄβελ κρεῖττον λαλεῖ 59.554 τὸ αἷμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ; Ἐπειδὴ τὸ αἷμα τοῦ Ἄβελ ἐν τῇ κορυφῇ τοῦ φονέως· τὸ δὲ αἷμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ καθαρίζει καὶ τοὺς φονευτὰς μετανοοῦντας. Μάθε οὖν τὸν ζῆλον τῆς ἀληθείας, καὶ ἀγάπησον τὴν ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ παῤῥησίαν· ἀκολούθησον ἀληθεῖ ∆ιδασκάλῳ ὑπὲρ ἀληθείας ἀγωνιζομένῳ, ἵνα οὕτως ἀκούσας παρὰ τοῦ ἀποστόλου Παύλου, Μιμηταί μου γίνεσθε, καθὼς κἀγὼ Χριστοῦ, καταξιωθῇς καὶ αὐτὸς τῶν στεφάνων τῆς δικαιοσύνης, καὶ ὧν ἡτοίμασεν αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν τοῖς ἠγαπηκόσιν αὐτὸν Χριστὸς ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν· ὧν γένοιτο καὶ ἡμᾶς πάντας ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.
About this text
A spiritual exploration of light and faith through the story of a blind man, showing how divine grace transforms lives.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 65 (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.