CHAPTER 22 [THE LORD’S PRAYER]
OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN

22.1

22.1. Our Father in Heaven. It deserves a somewhat careful observation of the so-called Old Testament to discover whether it is possible to find anywhere in it a prayer of one who addresses God as Father. For though I have made examination to the best of my ability, I have up to the present failed to find one. I do not say that God is not spoken of as Father or that accounted believers in God are not called sons of God, but that I have not yet found in prayer that confidence in calling God Father which the Savior has proclaimed.

<{ Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖσ }. > ἄξιον ἐπιμελέστερον ἐπιτηρῆσαι τὴν λεγομένην παλαιὰν διαθήκην, εἰ ἔστι που εὑρεῖν ἐν αὐτῇ εὐχήν τινος λέγοντος τὸν θεὸν { πατέρα }· ἐπὶ γὰρ τοῦ παρόντος κατὰ δύναμιν ἐξετάσαντες οὐχ εὕρομεν. οὐ τοῦτο δέ φαμεν, ὅτι ὁ θεὸς { πατὴρ } οὐκ εἴρηται, ἢ οἱ πεπιστευκέναι νομιζόμενοι θεῷ υἱοὶ οὐκ ὠνομάσθησαν θεοῦ, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἐν προσευχῇ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος κατηγγελμένην παῤῥησίαν περὶ τοῦ ὀνομάσαι τὸν θεὸν { πατέρα } οὐχ εὕρομέν πω.

That God is spoken of as Father and those who have waited on God’s word as sons, may be seen in many places, as in Deuteronomy, “You have forsaken God your parent and forgotten God your nourisher,.” and again, “Is He not your Father himself that got you and made you and created you?” and again, “Sons who have not faith in them.” And in Isaiah, “I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me”; and in Malachi, “A son honors his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is my honor? and if I be a master, where is my fear?”

ὅτι δὲ εἴρηται { πατὴρ } ὁ θεὸς καὶ υἱοὶ οἱ τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ θεοῦ προσεληλυθότες, πολλαχοῦ ἔστιν ἰδεῖν ὥσπερ καὶ ἐν Δευτερονομίῳ· < θεὸν τὸν γεννήσαντά σε ἐγκατέλιπες, καὶ ἐπελάθου θεοῦ τοῦ τρέφοντός σε, > καὶ πάλιν· < οὐκ αὐτὸς οὗτός σου { πατὴρ } ἐκτήσατό σε καὶ ἐποίησέ σε καὶ ἔκτισέ σε; > καὶ πάλιν· < υἱοὶ, οἷς οὐκ ἔστι πίστις ἐν αὐτοῖς > · καὶ ἐν τῷἩσαΐᾳ· < υἱοὺς ἐγέννησα καὶ ὕψωσα, αὐτοὶ δέ με ἠθέτησαν > · καὶ ἐν τῷ Μαλαχίᾳ· < υἱὸς δοξάσει πατέρα, καὶ δοῦλος τὸν κύριον αὐτοῦ. καὶ εἰ { πατήρ } εἰμι ἐγὼ, ποῦ ἐστιν ἡ δόξα μου; καὶ εἰ κύριός εἰμι ἐγὼ, ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ φόβος μου; >

So then, even though God is termed Father and their Sons who have been begotten by reason of their faith in Him, yet sure and unchangeable sonship is not to be seen in the ancient people.

22.2 καὶ εἰ λέγεται τοίνυν { πατὴρ } ὁ θεὸς, καὶ υἱοὶ οἱ τῷ λόγῳ τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν πίστεως γεγεννημένοι, τὸ βέβαιόν γε καὶ τὸ ἀμετάπτω τον τῆς υἱότητος οὐκ ἔστιν ἰδεῖν παρὰ τοῖς ἀρχαίοις.

The very passages I have cited since the subjection of those so-called sons, since according to the apostle “the heir, as long as he is a child, differs nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.” But the fullness of time is in the sojourn of our Lord Jesus Christ, when they who desire receive adoption as sons, as Paul teaches in the words, “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery unto fear, but you received a spirit of adoption as sons, wherein we cry ‘Abba Father’”; and as it is in the Gospel according to John, “To as many as received Him He gave authority to become children of God if believers on His name”;

αὐτὰ γοῦν ἃ παρεθέμεθα ὑπαιτίους ἐμφαίνει εἶναι τοὺς λεγομένους υἱούς· ἐπεὶ κατὰ τὸν ἀπόστολον, ἕως < ὁ κληρονόμος νήπιός ἐστιν, οὐδὲν διαφέρει δούλου, κύριος πάντων ὢν, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ ἐπιτρόπους ἐστὶ καὶ οἰκονόμους ἄχρι τῆς προθεσμίας τοῦ { πατρόσ }>  · < τὸ > δὲ < πλήρωμα τοῦ χρόνου > ἐν τῇ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶνἸησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐπιδημίᾳ ἔνεστιν, ὅτε τὴν υἱοθεσίαν ἀπολαμβάνουσιν οἱ βουλόμενοι, ὡς ὁ Παῦλος διδάσκει διὰ τούτων· < οὐ γὰρ ἐλάβετε πνεῦμα δουλείας εἰς φόβον ἀλλὰ ἐλάβετε πνεῦμα υἱοθεσίας, ἐν ᾧ κράζομεν·Ἀββὰ ὁ { πατήρ }>  · καὶ ἐν τῷ κατὰἸωάννην· < ὅσοι δὲ ἔλαβον αὐτὸν, ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν τέκνα θεοῦ γενέσθαι, τοῖς πιστεύουσιν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ.>.

and it is by reason of this Spirit of adoption as sons, we learn in the Catholic Epistle of John regarding the begotten of God, that “Everyone that is begotten of God does no sin because His seed abides in him, and he cannot sin because he is begotten of God.”

καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τὸ τῆς < υἱοθεσίας πνεῦμα > ἐν τῇ καθολικῇ τοῦἸωάννου ἐπιστολῇ περὶ τῶν ἐκ θεοῦ γεγεννημένων μεμαθήκαμεν ὅτι < πᾶς ὁ γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἁμαρτίαν οὐ ποιεῖ, ὅτι σπέρμα αὐτοῖ ἐν αὐτῷ μένει· καὶ οὐ δύναται ἁμαρτάνειν, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ γεγέννηται.>.

And yet if we think of the meaning of the words which are written in Luke, “When you pray say: Father . . . ,.” we shall hesitate to address this expression to Him unless we have become genuine sons in case, in addition to our other sins, we should also become liable to a charge of impiety. My meaning is as follows. In the first Epistle to Corinthians Paul says, “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ save in a holy spirit, and no one that speaks in God’s spirit says ‘cursed be Jesus’ calling the same thing a holy spirit and God’s spirit.” What is meant by speaking in a holy spirit of Jesus as Lord is not quite clear, as countless actors and numbers of heterodox people, and at times even demons conquered by the power in the name, utter the expression.

22.3 εἰ μέντοι νοήσαιμεν, τί ἐστι τὸ < ὅταν προσεύχησθε, λέγετε· { πάτερ }, > ὅπερ παρὰ τῷ Λουκᾷ· γέγραπται, ὀκνήσομεν μὴ γενόμενοι υἱοὶ γνήσιοι προενέγκασθαι ταύτην τὴν φωνὴν αὐτῷ, μή ποτε πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις ἡμῶν ἁμαρτήμασι καὶ ἀσεβείας ἐγκλήματι ἔνοχοι γενώμεθα.  ὃ δὲ λέγω, τοιοῦτόν ἐστι.  φησὶν ἐν τῇ προτέρᾳ πρὸς Κορινθίους ὁ Παῦλος· < οὐδεὶς δύναται εἰπεῖν· κύριοςἸησοῦς, εἰ μὴ ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐν πνεύματι θεοῦ λαλῶν λέγει· ἀνάθεμαἸησοῦς, > τὸ αὐτὸ ὀνομάζων ἅγιον πνεῦμα καὶ πνεῦμα < θεοῦ.>.  τί δὲ τὸ εἰπεῖν < ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ > κύριονἸησοῦν, οὐ πάνυ ἐστὶ σαφὲς, προφερομένων τὴν φωνὴν ὑποκριτῶν μυρίων καὶ ἑτεροδόξων πλειόνων, ἐνίοτε καὶ δαιμόνων, νικωμένων ὑπὸ τῆς ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι δυνάμεως.

No one therefore will venture to declare that anyone of these calls Jesus ‘Lord’ in a holy spirit. For the same reason, indeed, they could not be shown to call Jesus Lord at all, since they alone call Jesus Lord who express it from inward disposition in service to the word of God and in proclaiming no other Lord than Him in all their conduct. And if it be such who say Jesus is Lord, it may be that everyone who sins, in that he curses the divine Word through his transgression, has through his actions called out, “Cursed be Jesus.”

οὐδεὶς οὖν τολμήσει τινὰ τούτων ἀποφήνασθαι < ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ > λέγειν κύριονἸησοῦν· διόπερ οὐδ' ἂν δειχθεῖεν λέγειν κύριονἸησοῦν, μόνων τῶν ἀπὸ διαθέσεως λεγόντων ἐν τῷ δουλεύειν τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ μηδένα παρὰ τοῦτον ἐν τῷ ὅ τι ποτ' οὖν πράττειν ἀναγορευόντων κύριον τό· < κύριοςἸησοῦς.>.  εἰ δὲ τοιοῦτοι οἱ λέγοντες· < κύριοςἸησοῦς, > τάχα πᾶς ὁ ἁμαρτάνων, διὰ τοῦ παρανομεῖν ἀναθεματίζων τὸν θεῖον λόγον, διὰ τῶν ἔργων κέκραγεν· < ἀνάθεμαἸησοῦς.>.

And accordingly, as the one type of man says “Jesus is Lord,.” and the man of opposite disposition “Cursed be Jesus,.” “so everyone that hath been begotten of God and does not sin” because he is partaker of God’s seed which turns him from all sin, says through his conduct “Our Father in Heaven,.” the spirit himself witnessing with their spirit that they are children of God and heirs to Him and joint heirs with Christ, since as suffering with Him they reasonably hope with Him also to be glorified. But in order that theirs may be no one-sided utterance of the words “Our Father,.” in addition to their actions they have a heart—a fountain and source of good actions—believing unto righteousness, in harmony with which their mouth makes acknowledgment unto salvation.

ὥσπερ οὖν ὁ τοιόσδε λέγει· < κύριοςἸησοῦς > καὶ ὁ τούτῳ ἐναντίως διακείμενος τὸ < ἀνάθεμαἸησοῦς, > οὕτως < πᾶς ὁ ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ γεγεννημένος > καὶ μὴ ποιῶν < ἁμαρτίαν > τῷ σπέρματος μετέχειν θεοῦ, πάσης ἁμαρτίας ἀποτρέποντος, δι' ὧν πράττει λέγει· <{ πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖσ }, > αὐτοῦ τοῦ πνεύματος συμμαρτυροῦντος < τῷ πνεύματι > αὐτῶν < ὅτι > εἰσὶ < τέκνα θεοῦ > < καὶ κληρονόμοι > αὐτοῦ < συγκληρονόμοι > τε τοῦ < Χριστοῦ, > ἐπεὶ συμπάσχοντες καὶ συνδοξάζεσθαι ἐλπίζουσιν εὐλόγως.  ἵνα δὲ μὴ ἐξ ἡμίσους λέγωσι τὸ <{ πάτερ ἡμῶν }>  οἱ τοιοῦτοι, μετὰ τῶν ἔργων καὶ ἡ καρδία, ἡ τῶν καλῶν ἔργων πηγὴ καὶ ἀρχὴ, πιστεύει < εἰς δικαιοσύνην, > οἷς συμφώνως τὸ στόμα ὁμολογεῖ < εἰς σωτηρίαν.>.

So then their every act and word and thought, formed by the only begotten word in accord with Him, imitates the image of the invisible God and has come to be “in accordance with the image of the Creator” who makes “the sun to rise upon evil men and good and rains upon righteous and unrighteous,.” that there may be in them the image of the heavenly One who is himself also an image of God.

22. 4 πᾶν οὖν ἔργον αὐτοῖς καὶ λόγος καὶ νόημα, ὑπὸ τοῦ μονογενοῦς λόγου μεμορφωμένα κατ' αὐτὸν, μεμίμηται τὴν εἰκόνα < τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου > καὶ γέγονε < κατ' εἰκόνα τοῦ κτίσαντος, > ἀνατέλλοντος < τὸν ἥλιον > < ἐπὶ πονηροὺς καὶ ἀγαθοὺς καὶ > βρέχοντος < ἐπὶ δικαίους καὶ ἀδίκους, > ὡς εἶναι ἐν αὐτοῖς < τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ ἐπουρανίου, > καὶ αὐτοῦ ὄντος εἰκόνος θεοῦ.

Saints, therefore, as an image of an Image himself, a son, receive the impress of Sonship, becoming conformed not only to the glorified body of Christ but also to Him who is in that body, and they become conformed to Him who is in a glorified body through being transformed by the renewing of their mind.

< εἰκὼν > οὖν εἰκόνος οἱ ἅγιοι τυγχάνοντες, τῆς εἰκόνος οὔσης υἱοῦ, ἀπομάττονται υἱότητα, οὐ μόνῳ < τῷ σώματι τῆς δόξης > τοῦ Χριστοῦ γινόμενοι σύμμορφοι ἀλλὰ καὶ ὄντι ἐν < τῷ σώματι.>.  γίνονται δὲ σύμμορφοι τῷ ἐν < σώματι τῆς δόξης, > μεταμορφούμενοι < τῇ ἀνακαινίσει τοῦ νοός.>.

And if such men through out the whole of life voice the words “Our Father in the Heavens,.” plainly he that does sin, as John says in the Catholic Epistle, “is of the devil because the devil sins from the beginning” and just as God’s seed abiding in the begotten of God produces inability to sin in him who is formed in accordance with the only begotten Word, so the devil’s seed is in everyone that does sin, to the extent in which it is present within the soul—not suffering its possessor to have power to prosper. But since “for this end was the Son of God manifested that He might undo the actions of the devil,.” it is possible, through the undoing of the actions of the devil by the sojourn of the Word of God within our Soul, for the evil seed implanted in us to be utterly removed and for us to become children of God.

εἰ δ' οἱ τοιοῦτοι δι' ὅλων φασὶ τό· <{ πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖσ }, > δηλονότι < ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, > ὥς φησιν ἐν τῇ καθολικῇ ὁἸωάννης, < ἐκ τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστὶν, ὅτι ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ὁ διάβολος ἁμαρτάνει.>.  καὶ ὥσπερ < σπέρμα > τοῦ θεοῦ, ἐν τῷ γεγεννημένῳ < ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ > μένον, αἴτιον τοῦ μὴ δύνασθαι < ἁμαρτάνειν > γίνεται τῷ κατὰ τὸν μονογενῆ λόγον μεμορφωμένῳ· οὕτως ἐν παντὶ τῷ ποιοῦντι < τὴν ἁμαρτίαν > < σπέρμα > τοῦ διαβόλου ἔνεστιν, ὅσον ἐνυπάρχει τῇ ψυχῇ, μὴ ἐῶν δύνασθαι κατορθοῦν τὸν ἔχοντα αὐτό.  ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ < εἰς τοῦτο ἐφανερώθη ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα λύσῃ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ διαβόλου, > δυνατὸν τῇ εἰς τὴν ψυχὴν ἡμῶν ἐπιδημίᾳ τοῦ λόγου τοῦ θεοῦ, λυθέντων τῶν ἔργων < τοῦ διαβόλου, > ἐξαφανισθῆναι τὸ ἐντεθὲν ἡμῖν < σπέρμα > πονηρὸν, καὶ γενέσθαι ἡμᾶς < τέκνα τοῦ θεοῦ.>.

Let us, therefore, not think that it is words we are taught to say in any appointed season of prayer. On the contrary, if we understand our former consideration of prayer without ceasing, let our whole life of prayer without ceasing speak the words “Our Father in the Heavens,.” having its commonwealth in no wise on earth but in every way in heaven, which is God’s throne because of the foundation of the kingdom of God in all who wear the image of the Heavenly One and therefore become heavenly.

22. 5 μὴ λέξεις τοίνυν νομίσωμεν διδάσκεσθαι λέγειν ἡμᾶς ἔν τινι ἀποτεταγμένῳ τοῦ εὔχεσθαι καιρῷ· ἀλλ' εἰ συνίεμεν τῶν ἡμῖν προεξετασθέντων εἰς τὸ < ἀδιαλείπτως > προσεύχεσθαι, πᾶς ἡμῶν ὁ βίος < ἀδιαλείπτως > προσευχομένων λεγέτω τό· <{ πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖσ }, > < τὸ πολίτευμα > ἔχων οὐδαμῶς ἐπὶ γῆς ἀλλὰ παντὶ τρόπῳ <{ ἐν οὐρανοῖσ }, > θρόνοις τυγχάνουσι τοῦ θεοῦ διὰ τὸ ἱδρῦσθαι τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ βασιλείαν ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς φοροῦσι < τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ ἐπουρανίου > καὶ διὰ τοῦτο γενομένοις ἐπουρανίοις.

When the Father of saints is said to be in the heavens, we are not to suppose that He is circumscribed by material form and dwells in heaven.Since, in that case, as contained God will be formed to be less than the heavens because they contain Him, whereas the ineffable might of His godhead demands our belief that all things are contained and held together by Him.

23. 1Ἐπὰν <δὲ> λέγηται ὁ { πατὴρ } τῶν ἁγίων εἶναι < ἐν { τοῖς οὐρανοῖσ }, > οὐ περιγεγράφθαι αὐτὸν σχήματι σωματικῷ ὑποληπτέον καὶ <{ ἐν οὐρανοῖσ }>  κατοικεῖν, ἐπεί τοι περιεχόμενος ἐλάττων { τῶν οὐρανῶν } ὁ θεὸς εὑρεθήσεται, περιεχόντων αὐτὸν { τῶν οὐρανῶν }· δέον τῇ ἀφάτῳ δυνάμει τῆς θεότητος αὐτοῦ πεπεῖσθαι περιέχεσθαι καὶ συνέχεσθαι τὰ πάντα ὑπ' αὐτοῦ.

And, in general, passages which taken literally are thought by the simpler order of minds to assert that God is in space are to be otherwise taken in a sense more becoming to great spiritual concepts of God.

καὶ καθολικῶς τὰς ὅσον ἐπὶ τῷ ῥητῷ λέξεις, τὰς νομιζομένας τοῖς ἁπλουστέροις ἐν τόπῳ φάσκειν εἶναι τὸν θεὸν, μεταληπτέον πρεπόντως ταῖς μεγάλαις καὶ πνευματικαῖς ἐννοίαις περὶ θεοῦ,

Such are those passages in the Gospel according to John: Before the feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that His hour had come that He should pass from this world to the Father, as He had loved His own who were in the world, loved them to the end; and shortly after: knowing that the Father had given all into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was returning to God; and later: you heard that I said to you: I return and come unto you.

οἷαί εἰσιν ἐν τῷ κατὰ Ἰωάννην αὗται· < πρὸ δὲ τῆς ἑορτῆς τοῦ πάσχα εἰδὼς ὁἸησοῦς ὅτι ἦλθεν αὐτοῦ ἡ ὥρα, ἵνα μεταβῇ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου πρὸς τὸν { πατέρα }, ἀγαπήσας τοὺς ἰδίους τοὺς ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, εἰς τέλος ἠγάπησεν αὐτούς > · καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· < εἰδὼς ὅτι πάντα ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὁ { πατὴρ } εἰς τὰς χεῖρας, καὶ ὅτι ἀπὸ θεοῦ ἐξῆλθε καὶ πρὸς θεὸν ὑπάγει, > καὶ μεθ' ἕτερα· < ἠκούσατε ὅτι ἐγὼ εἶπον ὑμῖν· ὑπάγω καὶ ἔρχομαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς.

If you loved me you would have rejoiced that I go to the Father; and again later; Now I return to Him that sent me and none of you asks me: Where do you return?

εἰ ἠγαπᾶτέ με, ἐχάρητε ἂν ὅτι πορεύομαι πρὸς τὸν { πατέρα }>  · καὶ πάλιν μεθ' ἕτερα· < νῦν δὲ ὑπάγω πρὸς τὸν πέμψαντά με, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐξ ὑμῶν ἐρωτᾷ με· ποῦ ὑπάγεις; >

If these things are to be taken spacially, so also plainly is: Jesus answered and said to them, “If any one love me he will keep my word and my Father will love him and we shall come unto him and make abode with him.”

εἰ γὰρ ταῦτα τοπικῶς ἐκδεκτέον, δῆλον ὅτι καὶ τὸ < ἀπεκρίθη ὁἸησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· ἐάν τις ἀγαπᾷ με, τὸν λόγον μου τηρήσει, καὶ ὁ { πατήρ } μου ἀγαπήσει αὐτὸν, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐλευσόμεθα καὶ μονὴν παρ' αὐτῷ ποιησόμεθα.>.

But surely the words do not imply a spacial transition of the Father and the Son to the lover of the word of Jesus and are therefore not to be taken spacially.

23. 2 οὐχὶ δέ γε ταῦτα τοπικῆς μεταβάσεως νοουμένης περὶ τὸν { πατέρα } καὶ τὸν υἱὸν πρὸς τὸν ἀγαπῶντα τὸν λόγον τοῦἸησοῦ γίνεται, οὐδ' ἄρα τοπικῶς ταῦτα ἐκδεκτέον·

On the contrary, the Word of God, in condescension for us and, in regard to His proper desert, in humiliation while among men, is said to pass from this world unto the Father so that we also may behold Him perfectly there in reversion to His proper fullness from the emptiness among us whereby He emptied himself—where we also, enjoying His guidance, shall be filled and freed from all emptiness.

ἀλλ' ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ, ἡμῖν συγκαταβαίνων καὶ ὡς πρὸς τὴν ἰδίαν ἀξίαν, ὅτε παρὰ ἀνθρώποις ἐστὶ, ταπεινούμενος, μεταβαίνειν λέγεται < ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου πρὸς τὸν { πατέρα }, > ὅπως καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐκεῖθι τέλειον αὐτὸν θεασώμεθα, ἀπὸ τῆς παρ' ἡμῖν κενότητος, ἣν < ἐκένωσεν ἑαυτὸν, > ἐπὶ τὸ ἴδιον < πλήρωμα > παλινδρομοῦντα· ἔνθα καὶ ἡμεῖς, αὐτῷ ὁδηγῷ χρώμενοι, πληρωθέντες πάσης κενότητος ἀπαλλαγησόμεθα.

To such an end the Word of God well may leave the world and depart to Him that sent Him, and go to the Father!

ἀπιέτω τοίνυν < πρὸς τὸν πέμψαντα > αὐτὸν ἀφεὶς τὸν κόσμον ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος, καὶ < πρὸς τὸν { πατέρα }>  πορευέσθω.

And as for that passage near the end of the Gospel according to John, “Cling not to me, for I am not yet gone up unto my Father,.” let us seek to conceive it in the more mystical sense:

καὶ τὸ ἐπὶ τέλει δὲ τοῦ κατὰ Ἰωάννην εὐαγγελίου· < μή μου ἅπτου· οὔπω γὰρ ἀναβέβηκα πρὸς τὸν { πατέρα } μου > μυστικώτερον νοῆσαι ζητήσωμεν·

Let ours be the more reverent conception of the ascension of the Son to the Father with sanctified insight, an ascension rather of soul than of body.

τῆς ἀναβάσεως < πρὸς τὸν { πατέρα }>  τοῦ υἱοῦ θεοπρεπέστερον μετὰ ἁγίας τρανότητος ἡμῖν νοουμένης, ἥντινα ἀνάβασιν νοῦς μᾶλλον ἀναβαίνει σώματος.

I think it right to have linked these considerations to the clause Our Father in the Heavens for the sake of doing away with a low conception of God held by those who think that He is in heaven spacially, and of preventing anyone from saying God is in material space since it follows that He also is physical, which leads to opinions most impious\—to belief that He is divisible and material and corruptible. For every material thing is divisible and corruptible.

23. 3 ταῦτα ἡγοῦμαι συνεξητακέναι τῷ <{ πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖσ }>  ὑπὲρ τοῦ ταπεινὴν περὶ θεοῦ ὑπόληψιν τῶν νομιζόντων αὐτὸν εἶναι τοπικῶς < ἐν { οὐρανοῖσ }>  περιελεῖν καὶ μὴ ἐᾶν τινα ἐν σωματικῷ τόπῳ εἶναι τὸν θεὸν ?ἐπεὶ τούτῳ ἀκόλουθόν ἐστι καὶ σῶμα αὐτὸν εἶναι  λέγειν, ᾧ ἕπεται δόγματα ἀσεβέστατα, τὸ διαιρετὸν καὶ ὑλικὸν καὶ φθαρτὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι ὑπολαμβάνειν· πᾶν γὰρ σῶμα διαιρετόν ἐστι καὶ ὑλικὸν καὶ φθαρτόν·

Or else let them tell us, not on the strength of vague sensation but with a claim to clear understanding, how it can be of any other than a material nature.

ἢ λεγέτωσαν ἡμῖν μὴ κενοπαθοῦντες ἀλλὰ τρανῶς καταλαμβάνειν φάσκοντες, πῶς οἷόν τε ἐστὶν ἑτέρας <εἶναι> φύσεως παρὰ τὴν ὑλικήν.

Since, then, in writings before Christ’s bodily sojourn there are also many statements which seem to say that God is in physical space, it appears to me to be not out of place to cite a few of them also for the sake of doing away with any doubt in those who, because they know no better, confine God, who is over all, within small and scanty space on their own scale. First, in Genesis it says Adam and Eve heard the sound of the lord God walking at evening in the garden, and both Adam and his wife hid themselves from the Lord God amid the wood of the Garden.

ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ πρὸ τῆς σωματικῆς Χριστοῦ ἐπιδημίας γραμμάτων πολλὰ τὸ ἐν σωματικῷ τόπῳ εἶναι τὸν θεὸν λέγειν δοκεῖ, οὐκ ἄτοπόν μοι φαίνεται ὀλίγα κἀκείνων παραθέσθαι ὑπὲρ τοῦ πάντα περισπασμὸν ἀφελεῖν ἀπὸ τῶν διὰ τὸν ἰδιωτισμὸν τὸ ὅσον ἐπ' αὐτοῖς μικρῷ καὶ βραχεῖ τόπῳ ἐμπεριλαμβανόντων τὸν ἐπὶ πάντων θεόν.  καὶ πρῶτόν γε ἐν τῇ Γενέσει <Ἀδὰμ > καὶ Εὔα, φησὶν, < ἤκουσαν τῆς φωνῆς κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ περιπατοῦντος τὸ δειλινὸν ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ· καὶ ἐκρύβησαν ὅ τεἈδὰμ καὶ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ προσώπου κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ ξύλου τοῦ παραδείσου.>.

I shall put the question to those who not only refuse to enter into the treasures of the passage but do not so much as knock at all at its door, whether they are able to imagine the Lord God, who fills the heaven and the earth, who as they themselves suppose in the more physical sense uses heaven as throne and the earth as a footstool for His feet, as contained by so scanty a space in comparison with the whole heaven and the earth that a garden which they suppose to be material is not filled by God but so far exceeds Him in greatness as to hold Him even when walking while a sound from the tread of His feet is heard? Absurder still on their interpretation is the hiding of Adam and Eve, in fear of God by reason of their transgression, from before God amid the wood of the Garden.

ἐροῦμεν πρὸς τοὺς εἰς τοὺς θησαυροὺς τῆς λέξεως ἐλθεῖν μὴ βουλομένους ἀλλὰ μηδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν κρούοντας < τὴν θύραν > αὐτῆς, εἰ δύνανται παραστῆσαι κύριον τὸν θεὸν, τὸν πληροῦντα < τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν, > τὸν, ὡς αὐτοὶ ὑπολαμβάνουσι, σωματικώτερον < οὐρανῷ > θρόνῳ χρώμενον καὶ < τῇ γῇ > ὑποποδίῳ < τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ, > ὑπὸ οὕτω βραχέος συγκρίσει τοῦ παντὸς οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς περιέχεσθαι τόπου, ὥστε ὃν ὑπολαμβάνουσι σωματικὸν παράδεισον μὴ ἐκπληροῦσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀλλὰ τοσούτῳ αὐτοῦ εἶναι τῷ μεγέθει μείζονα, ὡς καὶ περιπατοῦντα χωρεῖν αὐτὸν, ἀκουομένης < φωνῆς > ἀπὸ τῆς βάσεως τῶν ποδῶν αὐ τοῦ.  ἔτι δὲ κατ' ἐκείνους ἀτοπώτερον τὸ αἰδουμένους τὸν θεὸν διὰ τὴν παράβασιν τὸνἈδὰμ καὶ τὴν Εὔαν κρύπτεσθαι < ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ ξύλου τοῦ παραδείσου.>.

For it is not even said that they merely desired to hide but that they actually hid themselves. And how is it in their view that God inquires of Adam saying: Where are you?

οὐδὲ γὰρ λέγεται ὅτι οὕτως ἠθέλησαν κρύπτεσθαι, ἀλλ' ὄντως < ἐκρύβησαν.>.  πῶς δὲ κατ' αὐτοὺς πυνθάνεται τοῦἈδὰμ ὁ θεὸς λέγων· < ποῦ εἶ; >

I have discussed these matters at greater length in my examination of the contents of Genesis, yet here, too—in order not to pass by so grave a subject in complete silence—it will suffice if I recall what is said by God in Deuteronomy: I will dwell in them and walk in them. For as is His walk in saints such is His walk in the Garden also, since everyone that sins hides from God and shuns His oversight and renounces his confidence with Him. So it was that Cain also went out from before God and dwelt in the land of Nod over against Eden. In the same way, therefore, as He dwells in saints.

23. 4 περὶ τούτων δὲ ἐπὶ πλεῖον διειλήφαμεν, ἐξετάζοντες τὰ εἰς τὴν Γένεσιν· πλὴν καὶ νῦν ἵνα μὴ τέλεον παρασιωπήσωμεν τὸ τηλικοῦτον πρόβλημα, αὐτάρκως ἀναμνησθησόμεθα τοῦ < ἐνοικήσω ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐμπεριπατήσω ἐν αὐτοῖς, > λεγομένου ἐν Δευτερονομίῳ ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ. ὁποῖος γὰρ αὐτοῦ ὁ περίπατος ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις, τοιοῦτός τις καὶ ὁ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ, κρυπτομένου θεὸν καὶ φεύγοντος τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀφισταμένου τῆς παῤῥησίας παντὸς τοῦ ἁμαρτάνοντος· οὕτω γὰρ καὶ < Κάϊν ἐξῆλθεν ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ᾤκησεν ἐν γῇ Ναῒδ κατέναντιἘδέμ.>.

So also does He dwell in heaven (that is, in every saint who wears the image of the Heavenly One, or Christ, in whom all who are being saved are luminaries and stars of heaven, or else because saints are in heaven) according to the saying: Unto you who dwells in heaven have I lifted up my eyes. And yet the passage in Ecclesiastes: Be not in haste to utter speech before God, because God is in heaven above, and you on Earth below, means to show the interval which separates those who are in the body of humiliation from Him who is with the angels and holy powers who are being exalted by the help of the Word also and with Christ himself.

ὡς οὖν ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις ἐνοικεῖ, οὕτως καὶ ἐν οὐρανῷ, ἤτοι παντὶ ἁγίῳ καὶ φοροῦντι < τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ ἐπουρανίου > ἢ τῷ Χριστῷ, ἐν ᾧ εἰσι πάντες οἱ σῳζόμενοι < φωστῆρες > καὶ ἀστέρες τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ἢ καὶ διὰ τοὺς ἐν οὐρανῷ ἁγίους κατοικεῖ <ἐκεῖ κατὰ> τὸ εἰρημένον· < πρὸς σὲ ἦρα τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου, τὸν κατοικοῦντα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ.>. καὶ τὸ ἐν τῷἘκκλησιαστῇ δέ· < μὴ σπεύσῃς ἐξενεγκεῖν λόγον πρὸ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ· ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἄνω, καὶ σὺ ἐπὶ γῆς κάτω > διάστημα βούλεται δηλῶσαι ἀπὸ τῶν ὄντων ἐν τῷ σώματι < τῆς ταπεινώσεως > ἕως τοῦ παρὰ τοῖς ὑψουμένοις ὑπὸ τῆς ὠφελείας καὶ τοῦ λόγου ἀγγέλοις καὶ δυνάμεσιν ἁγίαις ἢ αὐτῷ τῷ Χριστῷ.

For it is not unreasonable that He should be strictly at the Father’s throne, allegorically called heaven, while His church, termed Earth, is a footstool at His feet.

οὐ γὰρ ἄτοπον αὐτὸν μὲν εἶναι κυρίως θρόνον τοῦ πατρὸς, ἀλληγορικώτερον οὐρανὸν καλούμενον, τὴν δὲ ἐκκλησίαν αὐτοῦ γῆν ὀνομαζομένην < ὑποπόδιον > τυγχάνειν < τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ.>.

I have cited a few Old Testament utterances, thought to represent God in space, for the sake of urging the reader by every means within the power given me to accept the divine scripture in the higher and more spiritual sense whenever it seems to teach that God is in space. And it was fitting that these considerations should be linked to the clause Our Father in the Heavens inasmuch as it distinguishes the essence of God from all created beings. For it is upon such as do not share in that essence that a certain glory of God and a power from Him, an outflow of the deity, comes.

23.5 προστεθείκαμεν δὴ ὀλίγα καὶ τῆς παλαιᾶς διαθήκης ῥητὰ, νομιζόμενα ἐν τόπῳ παριστάνειν τὸν θεὸν, ὑπὲρ τοῦ πάντοθεν κατὰ τὴν διδομένην ἡμῖν δύναμιν πεῖσαι τὸν ἐντυγχάνοντα ὑψηλότερον καὶ πνευματικώτερον ἀκούειν τῆς θείας γραφῆς, ὅταν δοκῇ ἐν τόπῳ διδάσκειν εἶναι τὸν θεόν. ἔπρεπε δὲ ταῦτα συνεξετασθῆναι τῷ <{ πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖσ }, > οἱονεὶ ἀφιστάντι τὴν οὐσίαν τοῦ θεοῦ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν γεννητῶν· οἷς γὰρ οὐ κοινωνεῖ, αὐτοῖς δόξα τις θεοῦ καὶ δύναμις αὐτοῦ, καὶ, ἵν' οὕτως εἴπω, ἀποῤῥοὴ τῆς θεότητος ἐγγίνεται αὐτοῖς.

CHAPTER 24
HALLOWED BE THY NAME

24. 1 <{Ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου }.>.

Although this may represent either that the object of prayer has not yet come to pass, or after its attainment, that it is not permanent in which case the request is for its retention; the language in this instance makes it plain that it is with the implication that the name of the Father has not yet been hallowed, that we are bidden—according to Matthew and Luke, that is—to say “Hallowed be Thy Name.” Then how, one might say, should a man request the hallowing of God’s name as though not hallowed? Let us understand what the Father’s name, and what the hallowing of it, means

ὅτε μὲν παρίστησι τὸ μὴ γεγονέναι πω, περὶ οὗ εὔχεται, ὁτὲ δὲ τούτου τυχὼν τὸ μὴ παραμένειν αὐτὸ καὶ τηρεῖσθαι ἀξιοῖ, φανερὸν ὅσον ἐπὶ τῇ λέξει ἐνταῦθα, ὡς μηδέπω { ἁγιασθέντος τοῦ ὀνόματοσ } τοῦ { πατρὸσ }, κελεύεσθαι λέγειν ἡμᾶς κατά γε τὸν Ματθαῖον καὶ τὸν Λουκᾶν τό· <{ ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου }.>. καὶ πῶς, εἴποι τις ἂν, ἄνθρωπος ἀξιοῖ { ἁγιάζεσθαι < τὸ ὄνομα }>  τοῦ θεοῦ ὡς μὴ { ἡγιασμένον }; τί <{ τὸ ὄνομα }>  τοῦ { πατρὸσ } καὶ τί τὸ { ἁγιάζεσθαι } αὐτὸ, κατανοήσωμεν.

[“Name”] A name is a summary designation descriptive of the peculiar character of the thing named.Thus the Apostle Paul has a certain peculiar character, partly of soul which is accordingly of a certain kind, partly of intellect which is accordingly contemplative of certain things, and partly of body which is accordingly of a certain kind. It is the peculiar in these characteristics, the unique combination—for there is not another being identical with Paul—that is indicated by means of the appellation Paul.

24. 2 <{ ὄνομα }>  τοίνυν ἐστὶ κεφαλαιώδης προσηγορία τῆς ἰδίας ποιότητος τοῦ ὀνομαζομένου παραστατική· οἷόν ἐστι τὶς ἰδία ποιότης Παύλου τοῦ ἀποστόλου, ἡ μέν τις τῆς ψυχῆς, καθ' ἣν τοιάδε ἐστὶν, ἡ δέ τις τοῦ νοῦ, καθ' ἣν τοιῶνδέ ἐστι θεωρητικὸς, ἡ δέ τις τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ, καθ' ἣν τοιόνδε ἐστί. τὸ τοίνυν τούτων τῶν ποιοτήτων ἴδιον καὶ ἀσυντρόχαστον πρὸς ἕτερον ?ἄλλος γάρ τις ἀπαράλλακτος Παύλου ἐν τοῖς οὖσιν οὐκ ἔστι  δηλοῦται διὰ τῆς < Παῦλος > ὀνομασίας.

In the case of men, however, whose peculiar characteristics are changed, their names also by a sound usage are changed according to scripture. When the character of Abram was transformed, he was called Abraham; when that of Simon he was named Peter, and when that of Saul the persecutor of Jesus, he was designated Paul. But in the case of God, inasmuch as He is himself ever unchangeable and unalterable, the proper name which even He may be said to bear is ever one, that mentioned in Exodus, “He that is,.” or the like. Since therefore, though we all have some notion of God, conceiving of Him in various ways, but not all of what He is, for few and, be it said, fewer than few are they who comprehend His compete holiness—we are with good reason taught to attain to a holy conception of Him in order that we may see His holiness as creator, provider, judge, elector, abandoner, acceptor, rejector, rewarder and punisher of each according to his desert.

ἀλλ' ἐπὶ ἀνθρώπων, οἱονεὶ ἀλλασσομένων τῶν ἰδίων ποιοτήτων, ὑγιῶς κατὰ τὴν γραφὴν ἀλλάσσεται καὶ τὰ ὀνόματα· μεταβαλούσης γὰρ τῆς τοῦ <Ἀβρὰμ > ποιότητος, ἐκλήθη <Ἀβραὰμ, > καὶ τῆς τοῦ Σίμωνος, ὁ < Πέτρος > ὠνομάσθη, καὶ τῆς τοῦ διώκοντος τὸνἸησοῦν < Σαοὺλ, > προσηγορεύθη ὁ < Παῦλος.>. ἐπὶ δὲ θεοῦ, ὅστις αὐτός ἐστιν ἄτρεπτος καὶ ἀναλλοίωτος ἀεὶ τυγχάνων, ἕν ἐστιν ἀεὶ τὸ οἱονεὶ καὶ ἐπ' αὐτοῦ ὄνομα, τὸ < <ὁ> ὢν > ἐν τῇἘξόδῳ εἰρημένον ἤ τι οὕτως ἂν λεχθησόμενον. ἐπεὶ οὖν περὶ θεοῦ πάντες μὲν ὑπολαμβάνομέν τι, ἐννοοῦντες ἅτινα δή ποτε περὶ αὐτοῦ, οὐ πάντες δὲ ὅ ἐστι ?σπάνιοι γὰρ καὶ, εἰ χρὴ λέγειν, τῶν σπανίων σπανιώτεροι οἱ τὴν ἐν πᾶσιν ἁγιότητα καταλαμβάνοντες αὐτοῦ , εὐλόγως διδασκόμεθα τὴν ἐν ἡμῖν ἔννοιαν περὶ θεοῦ ἁγίαν γενέσθαι, ἵν' ἴδωμεν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἁγιότητα κτίζοντος καὶ προνοοῦντος καὶ κρίνοντος καὶ ἐκλεγομένου καὶ ἐγκαταλείποντος ἀποδεχομένου τε καὶ ἀποστρεφομένου καὶ γέρως ἀξιοῦντος καὶ κολάζοντος ἕκαστον κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν.

For it is in such and similar terms that God’s peculiar character may be said to be sketched which I take to be the meaning of the expression, God’s name according to the scriptures in Exodus: Thou shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; in Deuteronomy: Be my utterance awaited as rain: as dew let my words descend, as showers upon herbage and as moisture upon grass: for I have called on the Lord’s name; and in Psalms: They shall remember your name in every generation.

24. 3 ἐν τούτοις γὰρ καὶ τοῖς παραπλησίοις, ἵν' οὕτως εἴπω, χαρακτηρίζεται ἰδία ποιότης τοῦ θεοῦ, ἥντινα νομίζω <{ ὄνομα } θεοῦ > λέγεσθαι κατὰ τὰς γραφὰς, ἐν μὲν τῇἘξόδῳ· < οὐ λήψῃ { τὸ ὄνομα } κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ σου ἐπὶ ματαίῳ > ἐν δὲ τῷ Δευτερονομίῳ· < προσδοκάσθω ὡσεὶ ὑετὸς τὸ ἀπόφθεγμά μου, καταβήτω ὡσεὶ δρόσος τὰ ῥήματά μου, ὡσεὶ ὄμβρος ἐπ' ἄγρωστιν καὶ ὡσεὶ νιφετὸς ἐπὶ χόρτον· ὅτι { ὄνομα } κυρίου ἐκάλεσα, > ἐν δὲ ψαλμοῖς· < μνησθήσονται τοῦ { ὀνόματός σου } ἐν πάσῃ γενεᾷ καὶ γενεᾷ.>.

It is he who associates the thought of God with wrong things that takes the name of the Lord God in vain, and he who is able to utter rain that cooperates with his hearers in the fruit bearing of their souls, and who addresses words of exhortation that are like dew, and who in the edifying torrent of his words turns upon his listeners showers most helpful or moisture most efficacious is able to do so because he has perceived his need of God as the accomplisher and calls in the real supplier of those things; and everyone who penetrates the very things of God recalls to mind rather than learns the mysteries of piety even when he seems to be told them by another or thinks that he discovers them.

ὅ τε γὰρ οἷς μὴ δεῖ ἐφαρμόζων τὴν ἔννοιαν τοῦ θεοῦ λαμβάνει <{ τὸ ὄνομα } κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ > < ἐπὶ ματαίῳ, > ὅ τε δυνάμενος ἀποφθέγξασθαι ὑετὸν, τοῖς ἀκούουσι συνεργοῦντα τῇ καρποφορίᾳ τῶν ψυχῶν αὐτῶν, καὶ ῥήματα δρόσῳ ἐοικότα παρακλητικὰ προσαγόμενος τῇ τε ῥύμῃ τῆς οἰκοδομῆς τῶν λόγων ὄμβρον ὠφελιμώτατον ἐπάγων τοῖς ἀκροαταῖς ἢ νιφετὸν ἀνυσιμώτατον, διὰ τοῦτο ταῦτα δύναται. ταῦτα ἐπινοήσας ἑαυτὸν δεόμενον θεοῦ τοῦ τελειοῦντος καλεῖ παρ' ἑαυτὸν τὸν τῶν προειρημένων κυρίως χορηγόν· πᾶς τε τρανῶν καὶ τὰ περὶ τοῦ θεοῦ ὑπομιμνήσκεται μᾶλλον ἢ μανθάνει, κἂν ἀπό τινος ἀκούειν δοκῇ ἢ εὑρίσκειν νομίζῃ τὰ τῆς θεοσεβείας μυστήρια.

And as the suppliant ought at this point to reflect that his asking is for the hallowing of God’s name, so in Psalms it is said Let us Exalt His name together, the patriarch enjoining attainment to the true and exalted knowledge of God’s peculiar nature with all harmony, in the same mind, and in the same will.

24. 4 ὥσπερ δὲ τὰ ἐνθάδε δεῖ νοεῖν τὸν εὐχόμενον, αἰτεῖν αὐτὸν { ἁγιασθῆναι < τὸ ὄνομα }>  τοῦ θεοῦ· οὕτως ἐν ψαλμοῖς τὸ < ὑψώσωμεν { τὸ ὄνομα } αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ > λέγεται, προστάσσοντος τοῦ προφήτου μετὰ πάσης συμφωνίας ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ νοῒ καὶ ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ γνώμῃ φθάσαι ἐπὶ τὴν ἀληθῆ καὶ ὑψηλὴν γνῶσιν τῆς ἰδιότητος τοῦ θεοῦ.

It is exalting the name of God together when, after one has participated in an outflow of deity in having been sustained by God and having overcome his enemies so that they are unable to rejoice over his fall, he exalts the power of God in which he has participated, as is shown in the twenty-ninth psalm by the words: I will exalt you, O Lord, for you have sustained me and not made my enemies to rejoice over me. A man exalts God when he has consecrated to Him a house within himself, since the superscription of the Psalm also runs thus: A Psalm of singing for the consecration of the House of David.

τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ ὑψοῦν <{ τὸ ὄνομα }>  τοῦ θεοῦ < ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ, > <ὅτε> μεταλαβών τις ἀποῤῥοῆς θεότητος τῷ ὑπειλῆφθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ κεκρατηκέναι τῶν ἐχθρῶν, ἐφησθῆναι πτώσει αὐτοῦ μὴ δυναμένων, ὑψοῖ αὐτὴν τὴν δύναμιν, ἧς μετείληχε, θεοῦ· ὅπερ δηλοῦται ἐν εἰκοστῷ ἐνάτῳ ψαλμῷ διὰ τοῦ < ὑψώσω σε, κύριε, ὅτι ὑπέλαβές με καὶ <οὐκ> εὔφρανας τοὺς ἐχθρούς μου ἐπ' ἐμοί.>.

 ὑψοῖ δέ τις τὸν θεὸν, ἐγκαινίσας αὐτῷ οἶκον ἐν ἑαυτῷ, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἡ <ἐπι>γραφὴ τοῦ ψαλμοῦ οὕτως ἔχει· < ψαλμὸς ᾠδῆς τοῦ ἐγκαινισμοῦ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ Δαυΐδ.>.

It is further to be observed regarding the clause Hallowed be your Name and its successors in imperative form, that the translators also continually made use of imperatives instead of ablatives, as in the Psalms: Speechless let the guileful lips be, that speak lawlessness against the righteous instead of ‘may they be’ and Let the creditor search out all his possessions: Let him possess no helper, concerning Judas in the one hundred and eighth; for the whole Psalm is a petition concerning Judas that certain things may befall him.

24. 5 ἔτι περὶ τοῦ <{ ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου }>  καὶ τῶν ἑξῆς προστακτικῷ χαρακτῆρι εἰρημένων λεκτέον ὅτι συνεχῶς προστακτι κοῖς ἀντὶ εὐκτικῶν ἐχρήσαντο καὶ οἱ ἑρμηνεύσαντες, ὡς ἐν τοῖς ψαλμοῖς· < ἄλαλα γενηθήτω τὰ χείλη τὰ δόλια, τὰ λαλοῦντα κατὰ τοῦ δικαίου ἀνομίαν, > ἀντὶ τοῦ γενηθείη καὶ < ἐξερευνησάτω δανειστὴς πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτῷ· > < μὴ ὑπαρξάτω αὐτᾷ ἀντιλήπτωρ > ἐν τῷ ἑκατοστῷ ὀγδόῳ περὶἸούδα· ὅλος γὰρ ὁ ψαλμὸς αἴτησίς ἐστι περὶἸούδα, ἵνα τάδε τινὰ αὐτῷ συμβῇ.

But Tatian, failing to perceive that let there be does not always signify the ablative but is occasionally also imperative, has most impiously supposed that God said Let there be light in prayer rather than in command that the light should be; since, as he puts it in his godless thought, God was in darkness. In reply to him it may be asked, how is he going to take the other sayings? Let the Earth grow grass, and Let the water below heaven be gathered together, and Let the waters bring forth creeping things with living souls, and Let the earth bring forth a living soul.

μὴ συνιδὼν δὲ ὁ Τατιανὸς τὸ < γενηθήτω > οὐ πάντοτε σημαίνειν τὸ εὐκτικὸν ἀλλ' ἔσθ' ὅπου καὶ προστακτικὸν, ἀσεβέστατα ὑπείληφε περὶ τοῦ εἰπόντος < γενηθήτω φῶς > θεοῦ, ὡς εὐξαμένου μᾶλλον ἤπερ προστάξαντος γενηθῆναι τὸ φῶς· < ἐπεὶ, > ὥς φησιν ἐκεῖνος ἀθέως νοῶν, < ἐν σκότῳ ἦν ὁ θεός.>.  πρὸς ὃν λεκτέον, πῶς ἐκλήψεται καὶ τὸ < βλαστησάτω ἡ γῆ βοτάνην χόρτου > καὶ < συναχθήτω τὸ ὕδωρ <τὸ> ὑποκάτω τοῦ οὐρανοῦ > καὶ < ἐξαγαγέτω τὰ ὕδατα ἑρπετὰ ψυχῶν ζωσῶν > καὶ < ἐξαγαγέτω ἡ γῆ ψυχὴν ζῶσαν.>.

Is it for the sake of standing upon firm ground that He prays that the water below heaven be gathered together into one meeting place, or for the sake of partaking of the things that grow from the earth that He prays Let the Earth grow . . . ? What manner of need, to match His need of light; has He of creatures of water, air, and land that He should pray for them also? If even on Tatian’s view it is absurd to think of Him as praying for these things which occur in imperative expressions, may the same not be said of Let be there light—that it is an imperative and not an ablative expression? I thought that, in view of the fact that prayer is expressed in imperative forms, some reference was necessary to his perversion for the sake of those—I myself have met with cases who have been misled into accepting his impious teaching.

ἆρα γὰρ ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἐπὶ ἑδραίου στῆναι εὔχεται συναχθῆναι < τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ ὑποκάτω τοῦ οὐρανοῦ εἰς συναγωγὴν μίαν, > ἢ ὑπὲρ τοῦ μεταλαβεῖν τῶν βλαστανόντων ἀπὸ γῆς εὔχεται τὸ < βλαστησάτω ἡ γῆ > ; ποίαν δὲ χρείαν ὁμοίαν ἔχει τῷ χρῄζειν φωτὸς τῶν ἐνύδρων καὶ πτηνῶν ἢ χερσαίων, ἵνα καὶ περὶ τούτων εὔχηται; εἰ δὲ καὶ κατ' αὐτὸν ἄτοπον τὸ περὶ τούτων εὔχεσθαι, προστακτικαῖς ὀνομασίαις εἰρημένων, πῶς οὐ τὸ ὅμοιον λεκτέον καὶ περὶ τοῦ < γενηθήτω φῶς, > ὡς μὴ εὐκτικῶς ἀλλὰ προστακτικῶς εἰρημένου; ἀναγκαίως δέ μοι ἔδοξεν, ἐν ταῖς προστακτικαῖς φωναῖς εἰρημένης εὐχῆς, ὑπομνησθῆναι τῶν παρεκδοχῶν αὐτοῦ διὰ τοὺς ἠπατημένους καὶ παραδεξαμένους τὴν ἀσεβῆ διδασκαλίαν αὐτοῦ, ὧν καὶ ἡμεῖς ποτε πεπειράμεθα.

CHAPTER XV
THY KINGDOM COME

25. 1 <{Ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου }.>.

Thy Kingdom Come. According to the word of our Lord and Savior, the Kingdom of God does not come observably, nor shall men say ‘Lo it is here’, or ‘Lo is it there’, but the Kingdom of God is within us; for the utterance is exceedingly near in our mouth and in our heart. It is therefore plain that he who prays for the coming of the kingdom of God prays with good reason for rising and fruit bearing and perfecting of God’s kingdom within him.

εἰ < ἡ { βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ }>  κατὰ τὸν λόγον τοῦ κυρίου καὶ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν < μετὰ παρατηρήσεως > < οὐκ ἔρχεται, > < οὐδὲ ἐροῦσιν· ἰδοὺ ὧδε ἢ ἰδοὺ ἐκεῖ, > ἀλλὰ < ἡ { βασιλεία } τοῦ θεοῦ ἐντὸς > ἡμῶν < ἐστιν > ? < ἐγγὺς > γὰρ < τὸ ῥῆμά ἐστι σφόδρα ἐν τῷ στόματι > ἡμῶν < καὶ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ > ἡμῶν , δῆλον ὅτι ὁ εὐχόμενος { ἐλθεῖν τὴν βασιλείαν } τοῦ θεοῦ περὶ τοῦ { τὴν } ἐν αὐτῷ { βασιλείαν } τοῦ θεοῦ ἀνατεῖλαι καὶ καρποφορῆσαι καὶ τελειωθῆναι εὐλόγως εὔχεται·

For every saint is ruled over by God and obeys the Spiritual laws of God, and conducts himself like a well-ordered city; and the Father is present with him, and Christ rules together with the Father in the perfected Soul, according to the saying that I mentioned shortly before: We will come unto him and make abode with him. By God’s kingdom I understand the blessed condition of the mind and the settled order of wise reflection; by Christ’s kingdom the issue of words of salvation to their hearers and the practice of acts of righteousness and the other excellences; for the son of God is word and righteousness.

παντὸς μὲν ἁγίου ὑπὸ θεοῦ βασιλευομένου καὶ τοῖς πνευματικοῖς νόμοις τοῦ θεοῦ πειθομένου, οἱονεὶ εὐνομουμένην πόλιν οἰκοῦντος ἑαυτόν· παρόντος αὐτῷ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ συμβασιλεύοντος τῷ πατρὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν τῇ τετελειωμένῃ ψυχῇ κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον, οὗ πρὸ βραχέος ἐμνημόνευον· < πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐλευσόμεθα καὶ μονὴν παρ' αὐτῷ ποιησόμεθα > ?καὶ οἶμαι νοεῖσθαι θεοῦ μὲν { βασιλείαν } τὴν μακαρίαν τοῦ ἡγεμονικοῦ κατάστασιν καὶ τὸ τεταγμένον τῶν σοφῶν διαλογισμῶν, Χριστοῦ δὲ { βασιλείαν } τοὺς προϊόντας σωτηρίους τοῖς ἀκούουσι λόγους καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐπιτελούμενα ἔργα δικαιοσύνης καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἀρετῶν· λόγος γὰρ καὶ δικαιοσύνη ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ·

But every sinner is tyrannized by the ruler of this world, since every sinner is in conformity with the present evil world, and does not yield himself to Him who gave Himself for us sinners that He might release us from the present evil world and release us according to the will of God our Father, as it is expressed in the Epistle to Galatians.

παντὸς <δὲ> ἁμαρτωλοῦ κατατυραννουμένου ὑπὸ τοῦ ἄρχοντος < τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, > ἐπεὶ πᾶς ἁμαρτωλὸς τῷ ἐνεστῶτι αἰῶνι πονηρῷ. ᾠκείωται, μὴ ἐμπαρέχων ἑαυτὸν τῷ δόντι < ἑαυτὸν περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν ἡμῶν, ὅπως ἐξέληται ἡμᾶς ἐκ τοῦ αἰῶνος τοῦ ἐνεστῶτος πονηροῦ > καὶ < ἐξέληται > < κατὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ πατρὸς ἡμῶν > κατὰ τὰ ἐν τῇ πρὸς Γαλάτας εἰρημένα ἐπιστολῇ.

And he who, by reason of deliberate sin is tyrannized by the ruler of this world, is also ruled over by sin: wherefore we are bidden by Paul to be no longer subject to sin that would rule over us, and we are enjoined in these words, Let sin therefore not rule in our mortal body that we should obey its lusts.

ὁ δὲ κατατυραννούμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ ἄρχοντος τούτου τοῦ αἰῶνος τῷ ἑκουσίῳ τῆς ἁμαρτίας καὶ βασιλεύεται ὑπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας· διόπερ κελευόμεθα ὑπὸ τοῦ Παύλου μηκέτι ὑποτάσσεσθαι θελούσῃ τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ βασιλεύειν ἡμῶν, καὶ προστασσόμεθά γε διὰ τούτων· < μὴ οὖν βασιλευέτω ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐν τῷ θνητῷ ἡμῶν σώματι εἰς τὸ ὑπακούειν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις αὐτῆς.>.

But in reference to both clauses Hallowed Be Thy Name and Thy Kingdom Come, it may be urged that, if the suppliant prays them with a view to being heard and ever is heard, plainly his will be an instance, answering to what has just been said, of the name of God being hallowed and of the rise of the Kingdom of God, in which event how shall he any longer with propriety pray for things already present as though they not present, saying Hallowed be Thy Name: Thy Kingdom Come:?—And in that case it will sometimes be proper not to say Hallowed Be Thy Name: Thy Kingdom Come.

25. 2 ἀλλ' ἐρεῖ τις πρὸς ἀμφότερα, τό τε <{ ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου }>  καὶ τὸ <{ ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου }, > ὅτι, εἰ ὁ εὐχόμενος ἐπὶ τῷ ἐπακούεσθαι εὔχεται καὶ ἐπακούεταί ποτε, δηλονότι { ἁγιασθήσεταί } ποτε τινὶ κατὰ τὰ προειρημένα < τὸ { ὄνομα }>  τοῦ θεοῦ, ᾧ καὶ < ἡ { βασιλεία }>  τοῦ θεοῦ ἐνστήσεται. εἰ δὲ ταῦτ' αὐτῷ ἔσται, πῶς ἔτι καθηκόντως εὔξεται περὶ τῶν παρόντων ἤδη ὡς μὴ παρόντων λέγων· <{ ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου· ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου }>  ; εἰ δὲ τοῦτο, ἔσται ποτὲ καθῆκον μὴ λέγειν· <{ ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου· ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου }.>.

To this it may be replied that just as he who prays to obtain a word of knowledge and a word of wisdom will with propriety pray for them continually with the prospect of continually receiving fuller contemplations of wisdom and knowledge through being heard, although his knowledge of such things as he may be able in the present to receive is partial, whereas the perfect that annuls the partial shall then be manifested when the mind confronts its objects face to face without sensation—so perfection in our individual hallowing of the name of God and in the rise of His kingdom within us is not possible unless there also come perfection of knowledge and wisdom and it may be the other excellences.

λεκτέον πρὸς ταῦτα ὅτι, ὥσπερ ὁ εὐχόμενος λόγου < γνώσεως > τυχεῖν καὶ λόγου < σοφίας > καθηκόντως ἀεὶ περὶ τούτων εὔξεται, ἀεὶ μὲν πλείονα θεωρήματα < σοφίας > καὶ < γνώσεως > ἐν τῷ ἐπακούεσθαι ληψόμενος, πλὴν < ἐκ μέρους > γινώσκων μὲν ὅσα ποτ' ἂν χωρῆσαι ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος δυνηθῇ, τοῦ <δὲ> τελείου καὶ καταργοῦντος < τὸ ἐκ μέρους > < τότε > φανερωθησομένου, ὅτε < πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον > ὁ νοῦς προσβάλλει χωρὶς αἰσθήσεως τοῖς νοητοῖς· οὕτως < τὸ τέλειον > τοῦ { ἁγιασθῆναι } ἑκάστῳ ἡμῶν <{ τὸ ὄνομα }>  τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἐνστῆναι αὐτοῦ { τὴν βασιλείαν } οὐχ οἷόν τε ἐστὶν, ἐὰν μὴ <{ ἔλθῃ }>  καὶ· < τὸ > περὶ τῆς < γνώσεως > καὶ < σοφίας > < τέλειον > τάχα δὲ καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἀρετῶν.

We are wayfaring toward perfection if we forget the things behind, pressing on toward those before us. The kingdom of God within us will therefore be consummated in us as we advance without ceasing, when, the saying in the Apostle is fulfilled, that Christ, His enemies all made subject to Him, shall deliver the kingdom to God the Father that God may be All in All. For this reason let us pray without ceasing with a disposition made divine by the Word, and say to our Father in heaven: Hallowed Be Thy Name: Thy Kingdom Come.

ὁδεύομεν δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν τελειότητα, ἐὰν < τοῖς > < ἔμπροσθεν > ἐπεκτεινόμενοι τῶν ὄπισθεν ἐπιλανθανώμεθα.  τῇ οὖν ἐν ἡμῖν { βασιλείᾳ } τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ ἀκρότης ἀδιαλείπτως προκόπτουσιν ἐνστήσεται, ὅταν πληρωθῇ τὸ παρὰ τῷ ἀποστόλῳ εἰρημένον, ὅτι ὁ Χριστὸς, πάντων αὐτῷ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ὑποταγέντων, παραδώσει <{ τὴν βασιλείαν } τῷ θεῷ καὶ πατρὶ, > < ἵνα ᾖ ὁ θεὸς τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσι.>. διὰ τοῦτο < ἀδιαλείπτως > προσευχόμενοι μετὰ διαθέσεως τῷ λόγῳ θεοποιουμένης λέγωμεν τῷ ἐν οὐρανοῖς πατρὶ ἡμῶν· <{ ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου· ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου }.>.

Of the kingdom of God it is further to be said by way of distinction that as righteousness has no partnership with lawlessness and light no community with darkness and Christ no argument with Belial, so a kingdom of sin is incompatible with the Kingdom of God.

25. 3 ἔτι δὲ περὶ { τῆσ } τοῦ θεοῦ { βασιλείασ } καὶ τοῦτο διαληπτέον, ὅτι, ὥσπερ οὐκ ἔστι < μετοχὴ δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ἀνομίᾳ > οὐδὲ < κοινωνία φωτὶ πρὸς σκότος > οὐδὲ < συμφώνησις Χριστῷ πρὸς Βελίαρ, > οὕτως ἀσυνύπαρκτόν ἐστι { τῇ βασιλείᾳ } τοῦ θεοῦ { βασιλεία } τῆς ἁμαρτίας.

If, accordingly we would be ruled over by God, by no means let sin rule in our mortal body nor let us obey its commands when it calls our soul forth to the works of the flesh that are alien to God,

εἰ τοίνυν θέλομεν ὑπὸ θεοῦ βασιλεύεσθαι, μηδαμῶς < βασιλευέτω ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐν τῷ θνητῷ ἡμῶν σώματι, > μηδὲ ὑπακούωμεν τοῖς προστάγμασιν αὐτῆς, ἐπὶ < τὰ ἔργα τῆς σαρκὸς > καὶ τὰ ἀλλό τρια τοῦ θεοῦ προκαλουμένης ἡμῶν τὴν ψυχήν·

but let us mortify our members that are on earth and bear the fruits of the Spirit that the Lord may walk in us as in a spiritual garden, ruling alone over us with His Christ seated within us

ἀλλὰ νεκρώσαντες < τὰ μέλη τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς > καρποφορῶμεν τοὺς καρποὺς < τοῦ πνεύματος, > ἵνα ὡς < ἐν > < παραδείσῳ > πνευματικῷ κύριος ἡμῖν ἐμπεριπατῇ, βασιλεύων ἡμῶν μόνος σὺν τῷ Χριστῷ αὐτοῦ, ἐν ἡμῖν

on the right of the Spiritual power that we pray to receive, sitting until all His enemies within us become a footstool for His feet and every rule and authority and power be undone from us.

< ἐκ δεξιῶν > καθημένῳ ἧς εὐχόμεθα λαβεῖν < δυνάμεως > πνευματικῆς καὶ καθεζομένῳ, < ἕως > πάντες οἱ ἐν ἡμῖν ἐχθροὶ αὐτοῦ γένωνται < ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν > αὐτοῦ καὶ καταργηθῇ ἀφ' ἡμῶν πᾶσα ἀρχὴ καὶ ἐξουσία καὶ δύναμις.

These things may come to pass in the case of each of us, and death the last enemy be undone, so that Christ may say within us also O death, where is your sting? O grave! Where is your victory? Even now, therefore, let our corruptible put on the holiness and incorruptibleness that consists in chastity and purity, and our mortal, death undone, wrap itself in the paternal immortality, so that, being ruled over by God, we may even now live amid the blessings of regeneration and resurrection.

δυνατὸν γὰρ ταῦτα καθ' ἕκαστον ἡμῶν γενέσθαι καὶ τὸν ἔσχατον ἐχθρὸν καταργηθῆναι, τὸν θάνατον, ἵνα καὶ ἐν ἡμῖν λέγηται ὑπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ· < ποῦ σου, θάνατε, τὸ κέντρον; ποῦ σου, ᾅδη, τὸ νῖκος; > ἤδη τοίνυν < τὸ φθαρτὸν > ἡμῶν ἐνδυσάσθω τὴν ἐν ἁγνείᾳ καὶ πάσῃ καθαρότητι ἁγιωσύνην καὶ < ἀφθαρσίαν, > < καὶ τὸ θνητὸν > ἀμφιεσάσθω, τοῦ θανάτου κατηργημένου, τὴν πατρικὴν < ἀθανασίαν > · ὥστε ἡμᾶς βασιλευομένους ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ἤδη εἶναι ἐν τοῖς παλιγγενεσίας καὶ ἀναστάσεως ἀγαθοῖς.

CHAPTER 26
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH ALSO AS IN HEAVEN

26. 1 <{ Γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆσ }.>.

Thy Will be done on Earth also as in Heaven. After the clause Thy Kingdom come Luke has passed over these words in silence and placed the clause Give us daily our Needful Bread. Let us therefore examine next in succession the words I have placed first as set down in Matthew alone. As suppliants who are still on earth, believing that the will of God is done in heaven among all the household of the heavens, let us pray that the will of God may be done by us also who are on earth in like manner with them, as will come to pass when we do nothing contrary to His will.

ὁ Λουκᾶς μετὰ τὸ <{ ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου }>  ταῦτα παρασιωπήσας ἔταξε· <{ τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δίδου ἡμῖν καθ' ἡμέραν }>  · διόπερ ἃς προετάξαμεν λέξεις ὡς παρὰ μόνῳ τῷ Ματθαίῳ κειμένας ἐξετάσωμεν ἀκολούθως τοῖς πρὸ τούτων.  ἔτι ὄντες <{ ἐπὶ γῆσ }>  οἱ εὐχόμενοι, νοοῦντες <{ ἐν οὐρανῷ }>  γεγονέναι <{ τὸ θέλημα }>  τοῦ θεοῦ παρὰ πᾶσι τοῖς οἰκείοις τῶν { οὐρανῶν }, εὐξώμεθα καὶ ἡμῖν τοῖς <{ ἐπὶ γῆσ }>  ὁμοίως ἐκείνοις κατὰ πάντα γενέσθαι < τὸ { θέλημα }>  τοῦ θεοῦ· ὅπερ συμβήσεται, μηδὲν ἡμῶν παρὰ <{ τὸ θέλημα }>  πραττόντων αὐτοῦ.

And when the will of God as it is in heaven has been accomplished by us also who are on earth, we shall inherit a kingdom of heaven as having, alike with them, worn the image of the Heavenly One, while those who come after us on earth are praying to become in turn like us who have come to be in heaven.

ἐπὰν δὲ, <{ ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ > τὸ θέλημά }>  ἐστι τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ ἡμῖν τοῖς <{ ἐπὶ γῆσ }>  κατορθωθῇ, ὁμοιωθέντες τοῖς { ἐν οὐρανοῖσ }, ἅτε φορέσαντες παραπλησίως ἐκείνοις < τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ ἐπουρανίου, > < βασιλείαν > { οὐρανῶν } κληρονομήσομεν, { τῶν } μεθ' ἡμᾶς <{ ἐπὶ γῆσ }>  καὶ ἡμῖν, γενομένοις <{ ἐν οὐρανῷ }, > ὁμοιωθῆναι εὐχομένων.

So far as Matthew alone is concerned the words on Earth also as in Heaven can be taken in common, so that what we are enjoined to say in prayer would run thus: Hallowed be Thy Name on Earth also as in Heaven: Thy Kingdom come on Earth also as in Heaven: Thy Will be done on Earth also as in Heaven. For alike the name of God has been hallowed among those who are in heaven, and the kingdom of God is risen in them, and the will of God has been done in their midst—things indeed which are all unrealized by us but which can be acquired by us through rendering ourselves worthy to obtain God’s hearing in reference to them all.

26. 2 δύναται μέντοι γε κατὰ μόνον τὸν Ματθαῖον ἀπὸ κοινοῦ τὸ <{ ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆσ }>  λαμβάνεσθαι, ἵν' ᾖ τοιοῦτον τὸ προστασσόμενον ἡμῖν ἐν τῇ εὐχῇ λέγειν· <{ ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου > < ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς > · < ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου > < ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς > · < γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς > · < τό > τε γὰρ < ὄνομα }>  τοῦ θεοῦ { ἡγιάσθη } παρὰ τοῖς <{ ἐν οὐρανῷ }, > καὶ ἐνέστη αὐτοῖς < ἡ > τοῦ θεοῦ <{ βασιλεία, > γεγένηταί τε } ἐν αὐτοῖς <{ τὸ θέλημα }>  τοῦ θεοῦ· ἅπερ πάντα ἡμῖν λείπει τοῖς <{ ἐπὶ γῆσ }, > δυνάμενα ἡμῖν ὑπαρχθῆναι ἐν τῷ ἀξίους ἑαυτοὺς κατασκευάζειν ἐπηκόου περὶ τούτων πάντων τοῦ θεοῦ τυχεῖν.

The words Thy Will be done on Earth also as in Heaven may raise the question how has the will of God been done in Heaven where the spiritual forces of evil are, by reason of which the sword of God shall drink deep even in heaven? If we pray thus that the will of God be done on Earth just as it is being done in heaven may we not thoughtlessly be praying that the very opposite may abide on earth where such things already come from heaven since much that is bad on earth is due to the overcoming spiritual forces of evil which are in the heavenly places?

26. 3 ζητήσαι δ' ἄν τις διὰ τὸ <{ γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆσ }>  λέγων· πῶς { γεγένηται < τὸ θέλημα }>  τοῦ θεοῦ <{ ἐν οὐρανῷ }, > ὅπου ἐστὶ < τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας, > δι' ἃ μεθυσθήσεται < ἡ μάχαιρα > τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ < ἐν τῷ { οὐρανῷ }>  ; εἰ δὲ οὕτως εὐχόμεθα { γενηθῆναι < ἐπὶ }>  τῆς <{ γῆς > < τὸ θέλημα }>  τοῦ θεοῦ, ὥσπερ { γίνεται < ἐν οὐρανῷ }, > μή ποτε λεληθότως εὐξώμεθα μένειν <{ ἐπὶ γῆσ }>  καὶ τὰ ἐναντία, ὅπου ἀπ' { οὐρανοῦ } καὶ ταῦτα ἔρχεται, πολλῶν φαύλων γινομένων < ἐπὶ γῆς > διὰ τὰ ἡττῶντα < πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας, > ὄντα < ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις.>.

Anyone who allegorizes heaven and asserts that it is Christ, and Earth the church—what throne so worthy of the Father as Christ? What footstool of the feet of God as the Church?—will easily solve the question by replying that everyone in the church ought to pray to receive the paternal will in such wise as Christ has done, who came to do the will of His Father and accomplished if completely. For it is possible by being joined to Him to become one spirit with Him and therefore receptive of the will to the end that, as it has been accomplished in heaven, so it may be accomplished on earth also; for he that is joined to the Lord, according to Paul, is one spirit. And I believe that one who carefully considers it will find this an interpretation not to be despised.

ὁ μὲν οὖν τις ἀλληγορῶν { τὸν οὐρανὸν } καὶ φάσκων αὐτὸν εἶναι τὸν Χριστὸν, { γῆν } δὲ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ?τίς γὰρ οὕτως <ἄξι>ος < θρόνος > τοῦ πατρὸς ὡς ὁ Χριστός; ποῖον δὲ < ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν > τοῦ θεοῦ ὡς ἡ ἐκκλησία;  εὐχερῶς λύσει τὰ ζητούμενα, λέγων εὔχεσθαι δεῖν ἕκαστον τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας οὕτω χωρῆσαι < τὸ > πατρικὸν < θέλημα, > ὃν τρόπον Χριστὸς κεχώρηκεν, ὁ ἐλθὼν ποιῆσαι <{ τὸ θέλημα }>  αὐτοῦ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ πᾶν αὐτὸ τελειώσας· δυνατὸν γὰρ κολληθέντα αὐτῷ < ἓν > γενέσθαι < πνεῦμα > σὺν αὐτῷ, διὰ τοῦτο χωροῦντα <{ τὸ θέλημα }, > ἵν' <{ ὡσ }>  τετέλεσται <{ ἐν οὐρανῷ }, > οὕτω τελεσθῇ <{ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆσ }>  · ὁ κολλώμενος > γὰρ < τῷ κυρίῳ > κατὰ τὸν Παῦλον < ἓν πνεῦμά ἐστι.>.  καὶ οἶμαι ὅτι οὐκ εὐκαταφρόνητος ἔσται αὕτη ἡ ἑρμηνεία τῷ ἐπιμελέστερον κατανοοῦντι αὐτήν.

But someone may dispute it by citing what is said to the eleven disciples by the Lord after the resurrection at the close of the this gospel: There hath been given to me all authority on earth also as in heaven. That is, having authority over the things that are in heaven, He says that He has also received it over those on earth:

26. 4 ἀντιλέγων δέ τις αὐτῇ παραθήσεται τὸ ἐπὶ τέλει τούτου τοῦ εὐαγγελίου μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου εἰρημένον πρὸς τοὺς ἕνδεκα μαθητάς· < ἐδόθη μοι πᾶσα ἐξουσία { ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆσ }.>.

Whereas those that are in heaven have already been illumined by the Word, it is at the consummation of the world that those on earth are also, in imitation of those over which the Savior received authority, brought to a successful issue by reason of the authority given to the Son of God: accordingly His will is to receive those who are disciples under Him as in a sense cooperants through their prayers to the Father in order that, in like manner with the things in heaven that are subject to Truth and Word, He may lead the things on Earth, restored by reason of the authority which He has received on earth also as in heaven, to an end fraught with bliss for the objects of His authority.

ἔχων γὰρ ἐξουσίαν τῶν <{ ἐν οὐρανῷ }>  φησι προσειληφέναι τὴν <{ ἐπὶ γῆσ }, > τῶν μὲν <{ ἐν οὐρανῷ }>  καὶ πρότερον ὑπὸ τοῦ λόγου πεφωτισμένων, ἐπὶ δὲ < τῇ συντελείᾳ τοῦ αἰῶνος > καὶ τῶν <{ ἐπὶ γῆσ }>  διὰ τὴν δεδομένην ἐξουσίαν τῷ υἱῷ τοῦ θεοῦ μιμουμένων τὰ, ὧν ἐξουσίαν ὁ σωτὴρ ἔλαβεν, <{ ἐν οὐρανῷ }>  κατορθουμένων.  οἱονεὶ οὖν διὰ τῶν εὐχῶν συνεργοὺς πρὸς τὸν πατέρα βούλεται λαβεῖν τοὺς μαθητευομένους αὐτῷ, ἵν' ὁμοίως τοῖς <{ ἐν οὐρανῷ }>  ὑποτεταγμένοις ἀληθείᾳ καὶ λόγῳ τὰ <{ ἐπὶ γῆσ }>  διορθωθέντα <διὰ> τὴν ἐξουσίαν, ἣν ἔλαβεν <{ ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆσ }, > εἰς τέλος ἀγάγῃ τῶν ἐξουσιαζομένων μακάριον.

On the other hand one who would take heaven to be the Savior and Earth the church, asserting that it is the firstborn of all creation, on whom the Father reposes as on a throne, that is heaven, would find that it is the man whom He put on after having been fitted for such power because He had humbled himself and having been obedient till death, who says after the resurrection There hath been given to me all authority on Earth also as in heaven—the man in the Savior having received His authority over the things in heaven, as the proper possessions of the Only-begotten, in order to be in communion with Him, mingling in His divinity and becoming one with Him.

ὁ δὲ θέλων { οὐρανὸν } εἶναι τὸν σωτῆρα τὴν δὲ { γῆν } ἐκκλησίαν, τὸν πρωτότοκον < πάσης κτίσεως, > ᾧ ὁ πατὴρ ὡς θρόνῳ ἐπαναπαύεται, φάσκων εἶναι τὸν { οὐρανὸν }, εὕροι ἂν < τὸν > < ἄνθρωπον, > ὃν ἐνεδύσατο οἰκειωθέντα ἐκείνῃ τῇ δυνάμει διὰ τὸ τεταπεινωκέναι < ἑαυτὸν > καὶ γενόμενον ὑπήκοον < μέχρι θανάτου, > λέγειν μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν τό· < ἐδόθη μοι πᾶσα ἐξουσία { ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆσ }>  · λαβόντος τοῦ κατὰ τὸν σωτῆρα ἀνθρώπου τὴν ἐξουσίαν τῶν <{ ἐν οὐρανῷ }>  οἷον τῶν ἐνυπαρχόντων τῷ μονογενεῖ, ἵνα αὐτῷ κοινωνῇ, ἀνακιρνάμενος ἐκείνου τῇ θεότητι καὶ ἑνούμενος αὐτῷ.

But if this second thought does not yet solve the difficulty as to how the will of God can be in heaven when the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places wrestle against those who are on earth, it will be possible to solve the question from this consideration—It is not by virtue of place but of principle that one who is still on earth but has a commonwealth in heaven and lays up treasure in heaven and has his heart in heaven and wears the image of the Heavenly One, is no longer of the earth nor of the world below but of heaven and of the heavenly world that is better than this.

26.5 μὴ λύοντος δέ πω τοῦ δευτέρου τὰ ἠπορημένα περὶ τοῦ πῶς <{ τὸ θέλημα }>  τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν <{ ἐν οὐρανῷ }, > τῶν < ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις > πνευματικῶν < τῆς πονηρίας > ἀντιπαλαιόντων τοῖς <{ ἐπὶ γῆσ }, > ἐκεῖθεν ἐνέσται λύειν οὕτως τὸ ζητούμενον· ὅτι, ὥσπερ οὐ διὰ τὸν τόπον ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν προαίρεσιν ὁ ἔτι ὢν <{ ἐπὶ γῆσ }, > < πολίτευμα > ἔχων <{ ἐν οὐρανοῖσ }>  καὶ θησαυρίζων <{ ἐν οὐρανῷ }, > τὴν καρδίαν ἔχων <{ ἐν οὐρανῷ }, > < τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ ἐπουρανίου > φορῶν, οὐκέτι ἐστὶν < ἐκ τῆς γῆς > οὐδὲ < τοῦ > < κάτω > < κόσμου > ἀλλ' ἐκ τοῦ { οὐρανοῦ } καὶ < τοῦ > κρείττονος < τούτου > οὐρανίου < κόσμου > ·

So, too, the spiritual forces of evil which still dwell in the heavenly places but have their commonwealth on earth and plot against men the means whereby they wrestle against mankind, and lay up treasure on Earth, and wear an image of the Earthly One who the beginning of the Lord’s fashioning made to be mocked by the angels, are not heavenly nor by reason of their vicious disposition do they dwell in the heavens. Accordingly when it is said: Thy will be done on Earth also as in Heaven, we are not to reckon those beings as in heaven at all, because through pride they have fallen along with Him who fell from heaven like a thunderbolt.

οὕτως καὶ < τὰ > ἔτι < ἐν τοῖς <ἐπ>ουρανίοις > διατρίβοντα < πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας, > < τὸ πολίτευμα > ἔχοντα <{ ἐπὶ γῆσ }>  καὶ δι' ὧν ἀντιπαλαίει ἐπιβουλεύοντα ἀνθρώποις, θησαυρίζοντα <{ ἐπὶ γῆσ }, > < εἰκόνα τοῦ χοϊκοῦ > φοροῦντα, ὅστις < ἐστὶν ἀρχὴ πλάσματος κυρίου, πεποιημένος ἐγκαταπαίζεσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀγγέλων, > οὐκ ἔστιν ἐπουράνια οὐδὲ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς διὰ τὴν μοχθηρὰν διάθεσιν οἰκεῖ. ἐπὰν οὖν λέγηται· <{ γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆσ }, > ἐκείνους οὐδὲ <{ ἐν οὐρανῷ }>  εἶναι λογιστέον, τῷ φρονήματι μετὰ τοῦ πεσόντος ἐξ <{ οὐρανοῦ }>  δίκην ἀστραπῆς πεπτωκότας.

And it may well be that our Savior, in saying that we ought to pray that the Father’s will may be done on Earth also as in heaven, does not by any means order prayer for things spacially on earth that they may be made like things spacially in heaven, but His will in enjoining prayer is that all things on earth, that is things inferior and conformed to the earthly, be made like the better which have their commonwealth in heaven, which have all become heaven.

26.6 καὶ τάχα λέγων δεῖν εὔχεσθαι ὁ σωτὴρ ἡμῶν, ἵνα { γένηται < τὸ θέλημα }>  τοῦ πατρὸς <{ ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ }>  οὕτως <{ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆσ }, > οὐ πάντως περὶ τῶν ἐν τόπῳ τῆς < γῆς > κελεύει γίνεσθαι τὰς εὐχὰς, ὅπως ὁμοιωθῶσι τοῖς ἐν τόπῳ οὖσιν οὐρανίῳ· ἀλλ' ἔστιν αὐτῷ ἡ πρόσταξις τῆς εὐχῆς, βουλομένῳ ὁμοιωθῆναι πάντα τὰ <{ ἐπὶ γῆσ }, > τουτέστι τὰ χείρονα καὶ τοῖς γηΐνοις ᾠκειωμένα, τοῖς κρείττοσι καὶ ἔχουσι < τὸ πολίτευμα { ἐν οὐρανοῖσ }, > πᾶσι γενομένοις { οὐρανῷ }.

For he that sins, wherever he may be, is earth, and will turn into the like somehow, unless he repents, whereas he that does the will of God and does not disobey the spiritual laws of salvation is heaven. Whether therefore we are still earth because of sin, let us pray that the will of God may extend restoringly to us also as it has already reached those who have become or are heaven before us: or if we are already accounted not earth but heaven by God, let our request be that, in like manner with heaven, on earth also, in inferior things I mean, the will of God may be fulfilled unto what I may term earth’s heaven-making, so that there shall be no longer earth but all things become heaven.

ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἁμαρτάνων, ὅπου ποτ' ἂν ᾖ, ἐστὶ < γῆ, > εἰς τὴν συγγενῆ, ἐὰν μὴ μετανοῇ, ἐσόμενός πῃ· ὁ δὲ ποιῶν <{ τὸ θέλημα }>  τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ μὴ παρακούων τῶν σωτηρίων πνευματικῶν νόμων { οὐρανόσ } ἐστιν. εἴτε οὖν < γῆ > ἔτι ἐσμὲν διὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, εὐχώμεθα καὶ ἐφ' ἡμᾶς οὕτω <{ τὸ θέλημα }>  τοῦ θεοῦ διατεῖναι διορθωτικῶς, ὥσπερ ἔφθακεν ἐπὶ τοὺς πρὸ ἡμῶν γενομένους { οὐρανὸν } ἢ ὄντας { οὐρανόν }· εἴτε μὴ γῆ ἀλλ' { οὐρανὸσ } ἤδη λελογίσμεθα τῷ θεῷ, ἀξιώσωμεν, ἵνα καὶ <{ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆσ }>  ὁμοίως <{ τῷ οὐρανῷ }, > λέγω δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν χειρόνων, πληρωθῇ <{ τὸ θέλημα }>  τοῦ θεοῦ εἰς τὴν, ἵν' οὕτως εἴπω, οὐρανοποίησιν αὐτῆς, ὥστε μηκέτι ποτὲ εἶναι { γῆν } ἀλλὰ πάντα γενέσθαι { οὐρανόν }.

For if, on this interpretation, the will of God be done on earth also as in heaven, earth will not remain earth, just as to make my meaning clearer with another illustration—if the will of God be done in the case of the wanton as it has been with the temperate, the wanton will be temperate, or if it should be in the case of the unrighteous as it has been with the righteous, the unrighteous will be righteous. If, therefore, the will of God be done on earth also as it has been in heaven, we shall all be heaven; for though flesh that helps not; and blood that is akin to it, are unable to inherit God’s kingdom, they may be said to inherit it if they be changed from flesh and earth and clay and blood to the heavenly essence.

ἐὰν γὰρ ὡς <{ ἐν οὐρανῷ }>  κατὰ τὰ ἡρμηνευμένα <{ τὸ θέλημα }>  τοῦ θεοῦ οὕτω { γένηται } < καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς, > ἡ γῆ οὐ μενεῖ γῆ· ὡς ?εἰ λέγοιμι ἐπὶ ἄλλου παραδείγματος σαφέστερον  ἐὰν, ὥσπερ { γεγένηται < τὸ θέλημα }>  τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπὶ τοὺς σώφρονας, οὕτω { γένηται } καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀκολάστους, οἱ ἀκόλαστοι σώφρονες ἔσονται, ἢ ὡς { γεγένηται < τὸ θέλημα }>  τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπὶ τοὺς δικαίους, <ἐὰν οὕτω { γένηται }> καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀδίκους, οἱ ἄδικοι δίκαιοι ἔσονται· διὰ τοῦτο ἐὰν, ὡς <{ ἐν οὐρανῷ > γεγένηται < τὸ θέλημα }>  τοῦ θεοῦ, { γένηται < καὶ ἐπὶ γῆσ }, > ἐσόμεθα πάντες { οὐρανὸσ }, τῆς μὴ ὠφελούσης σαρκὸς καὶ συγγενοῦς αὐτῇ αἵματος μὴ δυναμένων κληρονομεῖν < βασιλείαν θεοῦ, > κληρονομεῖν δ' ἂν λεχθησομένων, ἐὰν μεταβάλωσιν ἀπὸ σαρκὸς καὶ { γῆσ } καὶ χοῦ καὶ αἵματος ἐπὶ τὴν οὐράνιον οὐσίαν.

CHAPTER XVII
GIVE US TODAY OUR NEEDFUL BREAD

27.1 <{ Τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον }, >

Give us today our Needful Bread, or as Luke has it, Give us daily our Needful Bread. Seeing that some suppose that it is meant that we should pray for material bread, their erroneous opinion deserves to be done away with and the truth about the needful bread set forth, in the following manner. We may put the question to them—how can it be that He, who says that heavenly and great things ought to be asked for as if, on their view, He has forgotten His teaching now enjoins the offering of intercession to the Father for an earthly and little thing, since neither is the bread which is assimilated into our flesh a heavenly thing nor is it asking a great thing to request it?

ἢ ὡς ὁ Λουκᾶς· <{ τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δίδου ἡμῖν καθ' ἡμέραν }.>.  ἐπεί τινες ὑπολαμβάνουσι περὶ τοῦ σωματικοῦ { ἄρτου } λέγεσθαι εὔχεσθαι ἡμᾶς, ἄξιον αὐτῶν τὴν ψευδοδοξίαν διὰ τούτων περιελόντας παραστῆσαι τὸ ἀληθὲς περὶ { τοῦ ἐπιουσίου ἄρτου }.

 λεκτέον οὖν πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὅτι πῶς ὁ λέγων δεῖν αἰτεῖν ἐπουράνια καὶ μεγάλα, οὔτε ἐπουρανίου ὄντος { τοῦ } εἰς τὴν σάρκα ἡμῶν ἀναδιδομένου { ἄρτου } οὔτε μεγάλου αἰτήματος τοῦ περὶ τούτου ἀξιοῦν, ὡσπερεὶ κατ' αὐτοὺς ἐπιλαθόμενος ὧν ἐδίδαξε προστάττει περὶ ἐπιγείου καὶ μικροῦ ἔντευξιν ἀναφέρειν τῷ πατρί;

For my part I shall follow the Teacher’s own teaching as to the bread and cite the passages in detail. To men who have come to Capernaum to seek Him He says, in the Gospel according to John, Verily, verily, I tell you you seek me not because you saw signs but because you ate of the loaves of bread and were filled . . . for he that has eaten and been filled with the loaves of bread which have been blessed by Jesus seeks the more to grasp the Son of God more closely and hastens toward Him.

27. 2 ἡμεῖς δὲ ἑπόμενοι αὐτῷ διδασκάλῳ, διδάσκοντι τὰ περὶ τοῦ { ἄρτου }, διὰ πλειόνων ταῦτα παραθησόμεθα. φησὶν ἐν τῷ κατὰἸωάννην πρὸς ἐληλυθότας εἰς Καφαρναοὺμ ζητεῖν αὐτόν· < ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ζητεῖτέ <με> οὐχ ὅτι εἴδετε σημεῖα, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἐφάγετε ἐκ τῶν { ἄρτων } καὶ ἐχορτάσθητε.>. ὁ γὰρ φαγὼν < ἐκ τῶν > ὑπὸἸησοῦ εὐλογηθέντων <{ ἄρτων }>  καὶ πληρωθεὶς αὐτῶν μᾶλλον ζητεῖ καταλαβεῖν ἀκριβέστερον τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ σπεύδει πρὸς αὐτόν.

Wherefore He will enjoin: Work not for the food that perishes but for the food that abides unto life eternal which the Son of Man shall give you. And when, upon that, they who had heard inquired and said: What are we to do that we may work the works of God? Jesus answered and said to them: This is the work of God that you believe on him whom He has sent. As it is written in Psalms, God sent His Word and healed them, that is the diseased, and believers in that Word work the works of God which are food that abides unto life eternal.

διόπερ καλῶς προστάττει λέγων· < ἐργάζεσθε μὴ τὴν βρῶσιν τὴν ἀπολλυμένην ἀλλὰ τὴν βρῶσιν τὴν μένουσαν εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον, ἣν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ὑμῖν { δώσει }.>. πρὸς ταῦτα δὲ πυθομένων τῶν ἀκουσάντων καὶ λεγόντων· < τί ποιῶμεν, ἵνα ἐργαζώμεθα τὰ ἔργα τοῦ θεοῦ; ἀπεκρίθη ὁἸησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ ἔργον τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα πιστεύητε εἰς ὃν ἀπέστειλεν ἐκεῖνος.>. < ἀπέστειλε > δὲ ὁ θεὸς < τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἰάσατο αὐτοὺς, > ὡς ἐν ψαλμοῖς γέγραπται, δηλονότι τοὺς νενοσηκότας· ᾧ λόγῳ οἱ πιστεύοντες ἐργάζονται < τὰ ἔργα τοῦ θεοῦ, > ὄντα < βρῶσιν μένουσαν εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον.>.

And my Father, He says, gives you the true bread from heaven, for the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. It is true bread that nourishes the true man who is made in God’s image, and he that has been nourished by it also becomes in the Creator’s likeness. What is more nourishing to the soul than Word, or what more precious to the mind of him that is capable of receiving it than the Wisdom of God? What is more congenial to the rational nature than Truth?

καὶ < ὁ πατὴρ > δέ μου, φησὶ, <{ δίδωσιν } ὑμῖν { τὸν ἄρτον } ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὸν ἀληθινόν· ὁ γὰρ { ἄρτοσ } τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν ὁ καταβαίνων ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ζωὴν { διδοὺσ } τῷ κόσμῳ.>.

 <{ ἄρτοσ }>  δὲ ἀληθινός ἐστιν ὁ < τὸν > < ἀληθινὸν > τρέφων < ἄνθρωπον, > τὸν < κατ' εἰκόνα τοῦ θεοῦ > πεποιημένον, ᾧ ὁ τραφεὶς καὶ < καθ' ὁμοίωσιν > < τοῦ κτίσαντος > γίνεται. τί δὲ λόγου τῇ ψυχῇ τροφιμώτερον, ἢ τί τῆς σοφίας τοῦ θεοῦ τῷ νῷ τοῦ χωροῦντος αὐτὴν τιμιώτερον; τί δὲ ἀληθείας τῇ λογικῇ φύσει καταλληλότερον;

Should it be urged in objection to this view that He would not in that case teach men to ask for needful bread as if something other than Himself, it is to be noted that He also discourses in the Gospel according to John sometimes as if it were other than Himself but at other times as if He is Himself the Bread. The former in the sense of the words: Moses hath given you the bread from heaven yet not the true bread, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.

27.3 ἐὰν δέ τις πρὸς ταῦτα ἀνθυποφέρῃ λέγων μὴ ἂν αὐτὸν διδάσκειν ὡς περὶ ἑτέρου ὄντος { ἄρτου τοῦ ἐπιουσίου } αἰτεῖν, ἀκουέτω ὅτι καὶ ἐν τῷ κατὰἸωάννην ὅπου μὲν ὡς περὶ ἑτέρου τινὸς παρ' αὐτὸν διαλέγεται, ὅπου δὲ ὡς αὐτὸς ὁ { ἄρτοσ } ὤν· ὡς μὲν περὶ ἑτέρου διὰ τούτων· < Μωϋσῆς { δέδωκεν } ὑμῖν { τὸν ἄρτον } ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, > < οὐ > < τὸν ἀληθινὸν, > < ἀλλ' ὁ πατήρ μου { δίδωσιν } ὑμῖν { τὸν ἄρτον } ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὸν ἀληθινόν > ·

In the latter sense, to those who had said to Him Ever give us this bread, He says: I am the bread of life: he that comes unto me shall not hunger, and he that believes on me shall not thirst; and shortly after: I am the living bread that is come down from heaven: if anyone eat of this bread he shall live unto eternity: yea and the bread which I shall give is my flesh which I shall give for the sake of the life of the world.

ὡς δὲ περὶ αὐτοῦ φησι πρὸς εἰπόντας αὐτῷ· < πάντοτε { δὸς ἡμῖν τὸν ἄρτον } τοῦτον, > < ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ { ἄρτοσ } τῆς ζωῆς· ὁ ἐρχόμενος πρός με οὐ μὴ πεινάσῃ, καὶ ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ οὐ μὴ διψήσῃ πώποτε.> καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· < ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ { ἄρτοσ } <ὁ ζῶν> ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβάς· ἐάν τις φάγῃ ἐκ τούτου { τοῦ ἄρτου }, ζήσει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα· καὶ ὁ { ἄρτοσ } δὲ, ὃν ἐγὼ { δώσω }, ἡ σάρξ μου ἐστὶν, ἣν ἐγὼ { δώσω } ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου ζωῆς.>

Now since all manner of nourishment is spoken of as bread according to Scripture as is clear from the fact that it is recorded of Moses that he ate not bread and drank not water forty days, and since the nourishing Word is manifold and various, not all being capable of nourishment by the solidity and strength of the divine teachings, He is therefore pleased to offer strenuous nourishment befitting men more perfect, where He says:

27.4 ἐπεὶ δὲ πᾶσα τροφὴ <{ ἄρτοσ }>  λέγεται κατὰ τὴν γραφὴν, ὡς δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ περὶ Μωϋσέως ἀναγεγράφθαι· <{ ἄρτον } οὐκ > ἔφαγε < τεσσαράκοντα ἡμέρας καὶ ὕδωρ οὐκ > ἔπιε, ποικίλος δέ ἐστι καὶ διάφορος ὁ τρόφιμος λόγος, οὐ πάντων δυναμένων τῇ στεῤῥότητι καὶ εὐτονίᾳ τρέφεσθαι τῶν θείων μαθημάτων· διὰ τοῦτο βουλόμενος παραστῆσαι ἀθλητικὴν τελειοτέροις ἁρμόζουσαν τροφήν φησιν

The bread which I shall give is my flesh which I shall give for the sake of the life of the world: and shortly after: Except you eat the flesh of the son of Man and drinks His blood, you have not life in yourselves. He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood hath life eternal, and I will raise him up in the last day. for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him.As the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so also he that eats me—he too shall live because of me.

< ὁ { ἄρτοσ } δὲ, ὃν ἐγὼ { δώσω }, ἡ σάρξ μου ἐστὶν, ἣν ἐγὼ { δώσω } ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου ζωῆς, > καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· < ἐὰν μὴ φάγητε τὴν σάρκα τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ πίητε αὐτοῦ τὸ αἷμα, οὐκ ἔχετε ζωὴν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς.  ὁ τρώγων μου τὴν σάρκα καὶ πίνων μου τὸ αἷμα ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον, καὶ ἐγὼ ἀναστήσω αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ.  ἡ γὰρ σάρξ μου ἀληθής ἐστι βρῶσις, καὶ τὸ αἷμά μου ἀληθής ἐστι πόσις.  ὁ τρώγων μου τὴν σάρκα καὶ πίνων μου τὸ αἷμα ἐν ἐμοὶ μένει, κἀγὼ ἐν αὐτῷ.  καθὼς ἀπέστειλέ με ὁ ζῶν πατὴρ, κἀγὼ ζῶ διὰ τὸν πατέρα· καὶ ὁ τρώγων με κἀκεῖνος ζήσει δι' ἐμέ.>.

This is the true food, Christ’s flesh, which being Word has become flesh, as it is said And the Word became flesh. When we eat and drink the Word He tabernacles in us. When He is assimilated the words are fulfilled: We beheld His glory. This is the bread that is come down from heaven. Not as the fathers ate and died, he that eats this bread shall live unto eternity.

αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ < ἀληθὴς > < βρῶσις, > < σὰρξ > Χριστοῦ, ἥτις < λόγος > οὖσα γέγονε < σὰρξ > κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον· < καὶ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο.>. ὅτε δὲ <φάγοιμεν καὶ> πίοιμεν αὐτὸν, < καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν >· ἐπὰν δὲ ἀναδιδῶται, πληροῦται τὸ < ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ.>. < οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ { ἄρτοσ } ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβὰς, οὐ καθὼς ἔφαγον οἱ πατέρες καὶ ἀπέθανον· ὁ τρώγων τοῦτον { τὸν ἄρτον } ζήσει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.>.

Discoursing to infant Corinthians who walk in the way of man Paul says: I gave you milk to drink, not meat, for you were not yet able. Nay even now you are not yet able, for you are still of the flesh; and in the Epistle to Hebrews: And you are become in need of milk, not of solid nourishment. For any one who partakes of milk is devoid of moral reason, for he is infant.

27.5 ὁ δὲ Παῦλος < νηπίοις > διαλεγόμενος καὶ < κατὰ ἄνθρωπον > περιπατοῦσι Κορινθίοις φησί· < γάλα ὑμᾶς ἐπότισα, οὐ βρῶμα· οὔπω γὰρ ἐδύνασθε.  ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἔτι νῦν δύνασθε· ἔτι γάρ ἐστε σάρκινοι > καὶ ἐν τῇ πρὸςἙβραίους· < καὶ γεγόνατε χρείαν ἔχοντες γάλακτος, οὐ στερεᾶς τροφῆς. πᾶς γὰρ ὁ μετέχων γάλακτος ἄπειρος λόγου δικαιοσύνης, νήπιος γάρ ἐστι·

But solid nourishment is for mature men who by force of use have their senses trained to discriminate good and evil. In my opinion the words: One man hath faith to eat anything, but he that is weak eats vegetables are also in his intention meant to refer not to material forms of nourishment but to the words of God that nourish the soul: Of these the man most faithful and mature is able to partake of any, he being denoted in the words One man hath faith to eat anything, whereas the weaker and more immature is content with simpler teachings that do not quite produce full strength in him, reference being intended to him in the words But he that is weak eats vegetables.

τελείων δέ ἐστιν ἡ στερεὰ τροφὴ, τῶν διὰ τὴν ἕξιν τὰ αἰσθητήρια γεγυμνασμένα ἐχόντων πρὸς διάκρισιν καλοῦ τε καὶ κακοῦ.>. ἐγὼ δὲ ἡγοῦμαι καὶ τὸ < ὃς μὲν πιστεύει φαγεῖν πάντα, ὁ δὲ ἀσθενῶν λάχανα ἐσθίει > μὴ περὶ σωματικῶν τροφῶν αὐτῷ προηγουμένως λέγεσθαι ἀλλὰ περὶ τῶν τρεφόντων τὴν ψυχὴν λόγων θεοῦ· τοῦ μὲν πιστοτάτου καὶ τελειοτάτου δυναμένου πάντων μεταλαμβάνειν, ὅνπερ δηλοῖ διὰ τοῦ < ὃς μὲν πιστεύει φαγεῖν πάντα, > τοῦ δὲ ἀσθενεστέρου καὶ ἀτελεστέρου ἁπλουστέροις καὶ μὴ πάνυ εὐτονίαν ἐμποιοῦσι μαθήμασιν ἀρκουμένου, ὅντινα αὐτὸς σημῆναι θέλων λέγει· < ὁ δὲ ἀσθενῶν λάχανα ἐσθίει.>.

There is also in Solomon a saying in the Proverbs which I think teaches that the man who by reason of simplicity is incapable of the stronger and greater sentiments is better, short of false thought, than the man who, though more ready and keener and of greater insight into things, fails to penetrate the principle of peace and harmony in all. Solomon’s passage runs as follows: Better is hospitality of vegetables served with friendship and grace than a fatted calf with enmity.

27. 6 καὶ τὸ παρὰ τῷ Σολομῶντι δὲ ἐν ταῖς Παροιμίαις λεγόμενον ἡγοῦμαι διδάσκειν ὅτι βελτίων ὁ μὴ χωρῶν τὰ εὐτονώτερα καὶ μείζονα τῶν δογμάτων διὰ τὴν ἁπλότητα ?οὐκ ἐσφαλμένα μέντοι γε φρονῶν  τοῦ ἐντρεχεστέρου μὲν καὶ ὀξυτέρου καὶ μειζόνως ἐπιβάλλοντος τοῖς πράγμασι τὸν δὲ τῆς εἰρήνης καὶ συμφωνίας τῶν ὅλων λόγον μὴ τρανοῦντος.  ἔχει δὲ οὕτως αὐτῷ ἡ λέξις· < κρείσσων ξενισμὸς λαχάνων πρὸς φιλίαν καὶ χάριν ἢ μόσχος ἀπὸ φάτνης μετὰ ἔχθρας.>.

Many a time do we accept untutored simpler entertainment, accompanied by good conscience, as guests at the table of those who are unable to furnish us with more, with greater satisfaction than any elevation of words upreared against the knowledge of God and proclaiming with ample plausibility a sentiment alien to the Father of our Lord Jesus who has given the law and the prophets. In order, therefore, that we may neither fall sick of soul for lack of nourishment nor die to God because of famine of the Lord’s word, let us in obedience to the teaching of our Savior, with righter faith and life, ask the Father for the living bread which is the same as the needful bread.

πολλάκις γοῦν ἀπεδεξάμεθα ἰδιωτικὴν καὶ ἁπλουστέραν μετὰ εὐσυνειδησίας ἑστίασιν, ξενιζόμενοι παρὰ τοῖς πλέον ἡμῖν παρασχεῖν μὴ δυναμένοις, ἤπερ λόγων ὕψος ἐπαιρομένων < κατὰ τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ θεοῦ, > μετὰ πολλῆς πιθανότητος ἀλλότριον καταγγέλλον τοῦ < τὸν νόμον καὶ τοὺς προφήτας > δεδωκότος πατρὸς τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶνἸησοῦ δόγμα. ἵνα τοίνυν μήτε δι' ἔνδειαν τροφῶν τὴν ψυχὴν νοσήσωμεν μήτε διὰ < λιμὸν λόγου κυρίου > τῷ θεῷ ἀποθάνωμεν, { τὸν ζῶντα ἄρτον }, ὅστις ὁ αὐτός ἐστι { τῷ ἐπιουσίῳ }, πειθόμενοι τῷ διδασκάλῳ σωτῆρι ἡμῶν, πιστεύοντες καὶ βιοῦντες δεξιώτερον, αἰτῶμεν παρὰ τοῦ πατρός.

Let us now consider what the word epiousion, needful, means. First of all it should be known that the word epiousion is not found in any Greek writer whether in philosophy or in common usage, but seems to have been formed by the evangelists. At least Matthew and Luke, in having given it to the world, concur in using it in identical form. The same thing has been done by translators from Hebrew in other instances also; for what Greek ever used the expression enotizou or akoutisthete instead of eistaota dexai or akousai poice se.

27.7 τί δὲ καὶ τὸ <{ ἐπιούσιον }, > ἤδη κατανοητέον.

 πρῶτον δὲ τοῦτο ἰστέον, ὅτι ἡ λέξις ἡ <{ ἐπιούσιον }>  παρ' οὐδενὶ τῶνἙλλή νων οὔτε τῶν σοφῶν ὠνόμασται οὔτε ἐν τῇ τῶν ἰδιωτῶν συνηθείᾳ τέτριπται, ἀλλ' ἔοικε πεπλάσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν εὐαγγελιστῶν.  συνηνέχθησαν γοῦν ὁ Ματθαῖος καὶ ὁ Λουκᾶς περὶ αὐτῆς μηδαμῶς διαφερούσης, αὐτὴν ἐξενηνοχότες.  τὸ ὅμοιον δὲ καὶ ἐπ' ἄλλων οἱ ἑρμηνεύοντες τὰἙβραϊκὰ πεποιήκασιν. τίς γάρ ποτεἙλλήνων ἐχρήσατο τῇ < ἐνωτίζου > προσηγορίᾳ ἢ τῇ < ἀκουτίσθητι > ἀντὶ τοῦ < εἰς τὰ ὦτα δέξαι > καὶ < ἀκοῦσαι ποίει σ<ε> > ;

Exactly like the expression epiousion, needful, is one found in Moses’ writings, spoken by God: Ye shall be my periousios—peculiar people. Either word seems to me to be a compund of ousia—essence—the former signifying the bread that contributes to the essence, the latter denoting the people that has to do with the essence and is associated with it.

ἰσομοία τῇ <{ ἐπιούσιον }>  προσηγορίᾳ ἐστὶ παρὰ Μωϋσεῖ γεγραμμένη, ὑπὸ θεοῦ εἰρημένη· < ὑμεῖς δὲ ἔσεσθέ μοι > < λαὸς περιούσιος.>. καὶ δοκεῖ μοι ἑκατέρα λέξις παρὰ τὴν οὐσίαν πεποιῆσθαι, ἡ μὲν { τὸν } εἰς τὴν οὐσίαν συμβαλλόμενον { ἄρτον } δηλοῦσα, ἡ δὲ τὸν περὶ τὴν οὐσίαν καταγινόμενον λαὸν καὶ κοινωνοῦντα αὐτῇ σημαίνουσα.

As for ousia, essence, in the strict sense, by those who assert the priority of the substance of immaterial things, it is ranked with immaterial things which are in possession of permanent being and neither receive addition nor suffer subtraction. For addition and subtraction are characteristic of material things in reference to which growth and decay take place owing to their being in a state of flux, in need of imported support and nourishment.

27.8 ἡ μέντοι κυρίως οὐσία τοῖς μὲν προηγουμένην τὴν τῶν ἀσωμάτων ὑπόστασιν εἶναι φάσκουσι νενόμισται κατὰ τὰ ἀσώματα, τὸ εἶναι βεβαίως ἔχοντα καὶ οὔτε προσθήκην χωροῦντα οὔτε ἀφαίρεσιν πάσχοντα ?τοῦτο γὰρ ἴδιον σωμάτων, περὶ ἃ γίνεται ἡ αὔξη καὶ ἡ φθίσις παρὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτὰ ῥευστὰ, δεόμενα τοῦ ὑποστηρίζοντος ἐπεισιόντος καὶ τρέφοντος·

If the import exceeds the waste in a period growth takes place, if it is less, diminuation; and if, as in conceivable, there are things receiving no import at all, they are in what I may term unmitigated diminuation. Those on the other hand who hold the substance of immaterial things to be posterior and that of material things to be prior, define essence in these terms: It is the primary matter of existing things out of which they are or the matter of bodily things out of which they are; or that of terms out of which they are; or the primary unqualified substance or presubstance of existing things; or that which admits of all transformations and modifications though itself as such inherently incapable of modification; or that which undergoes all modification and transformation.

ὅπερ ἐὰν πλεῖον ἐν καιρῷ ἐπεισίῃ τοῦ ἀποῤῥέοντος, αὔξησις γίνεται, ἐὰν δὲ ἔλαττον, μείωσις· τάχα δέ τινα οὐδ' ὅλως τὸ ἐπεισιὸν λαμβάνοντα ἐν ἀκράτῳ, ἵν' οὕτως εἴπω, μειώσει γίνεται , τοῖς δὲ ἐπακολουθητικὴν αὐτὴν εἶναι νομίζουσι προηγουμένην δὲ τὴν τῶν σωμάτων ὅροι αὐτῆς οὗτοί εἰσιν· οὐσία ἐστὶν ἢ πρώτη τῶν ὄντων ὕλη, καὶ ἐξ ἧς τὰ ὄντα, ἢ τῶν σωμάτων ὕλη, καὶ ἐξ ἧς τὰ σώματα, ἢ τῶν ὀνομαζομένων, καὶ ἐξ ἧς τὰ ὀνομαζόμενα, ἢ τὸ πρῶτον ὑπόστατον ἄποιον ἢ τὸ προϋφιστάμενον τοῖς οὖσιν ἢ τὸ πάσας δεχόμενον τὰς μεταβολάς τε καὶ ἀλλοιώσεις, αὐτὸ δὲ ἀναλλοίωτον κατὰ τὸν ἴδιον λόγον, ἢ τὸ ὑπομένον πᾶσαν ἀλλοίωσιν καὶ μεταβολήν.

On their view essence is inherently unqualified and inarticulate as such. It is even indeterminate in magnitude, but it is involved in all quality as a kind of ready ground for it. By qualities they mean distinctively like the actualities and the activities in which movements and articulations of the essence have come to be, and they say that the essence as such has no part in these inherently though it is always incidentally inseparable from some of them and equally receptive of all the agent’s actualizations however it may act and transform. (For it the force associated with the essence, pervading all that would be responsible for all quality and the particular dispositions involving it.)

κατὰ τούτους δὲ ἡ οὐσία ἐστὶν ἄποιός τε καὶ ἀσχημάτιστος κατὰ τὸν ἴδιον λόγον ἀλλ' οὐδὲ μέγεθος ἀποτεταγμένον ἔχουσα, πάσῃ δὲ ἔγκειται ποιότητι καθάπερ ἕτοιμόν τι χωρίον. ποιότητας δὲ διατακτικῶς λέγουσι τὰς ἐνεργείας καὶ τὰς ποιήσεις κοινῶς, ἐν αἷς εἶναι τὰς κινήσεις καὶ σχέσεις συμβέβηκεν· οὐδέ τινος γὰρ τούτων κατὰ τὸν ἴδιον λόγον μετέχειν φασὶ τὴν οὐσίαν, ἀεὶ δέ τινος αὐτῶν ἀχώριστον εἶναι πάθει τήνδε, οὐδὲν ἧττον καὶ ἐπιδεκτὴν πασῶν τῶν τοῦ ποιοῦντος ἐνεργειῶν, ὡς ἂν ἐκεῖνο ποιῇ καὶ μεταβάλλῃ· ὁ γὰρ συνὼν αὐτῇ τόνος καὶ δι' ὅλων κεχωρηκὼς πάσης τε ποιότητος καὶ τῶν περὶ αὐτὴν αἴτιος ἂν οἰκονομιῶν· δι' ὅλων τε μεταβλητὴν καὶ δι' ὅλων διαιρετὴν λέγουσιν εἶναι, καὶ πᾶσαν οὐσίαν πάσῃ συγχεῖσθαι δύνασθαι, ἡνωμένην μέντοι.

And they say that it is throughout transformable and throughout divisible, and that any essence can coalesce with any other, all being a unity not withstanding. What I have said in this discussion of essence raised by the expressions the needful bread and the peculiar people has been to distinguish the meanings of essence. And since we have already seen that it is spiritual bread for which we ought to ask, we must needs understand the essence to be akin to the bread, so that just as material bread on assimilation into the body of the nourished passes into its essence, so the living bread which is come down from heaven being assimilated into the mind and soul may impart its own power to him who has lent himself to nourishment from it, and so become the needful bread for which we ask.

27.9 ἐπεὶ δὲ περὶ τῆς οὐσίας ζητοῦντες διὰ <{ τὸν ἐπιούσιον > < ἄρτον }>  καὶ τὸν περιούσιον λαὸν εἰς τὸ τὰ σημαίνοντα διακριθῆναι τῆς οὐσίας ταῦτ' εἰρήκαμεν, { ἄρτοσ } δὲ ἐν τοῖς πρὸ τούτων νοητὸς ἦν, ὃν αἰτεῖν ἡμᾶς ἐχρῆν, ἀναγκαῖον συγγενῆ { τῷ ἄρτῳ } τὴν οὐσίαν εἶναι νοεῖν· ἵν' ὥσπερ ὁ σωματικὸς { ἄρτοσ } ἀναδιδόμενος εἰς τὸ τοῦ τρεφομένου σῶμα χωρεῖ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν οὐσίαν, οὕτως < ὁ ζῶν > καὶ < ἐξ οὐρανοῦ > καταβεβηκὼς <{ ἄρτοσ }>  ἀναδιδόμενος εἰς τὸν νοῦν καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν μεταδῷ τῆς ἰδίας δυνάμεως τῷ ἐμπαρεσχηκότι ἑαυτὸν τῇ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τροφῇ· καὶ οὕτως ἔσται ὃν αἰτοῦμεν <{ ἄρτον > < ἐπιούσιον }.>.

And again, in like manner, as the nourished attains strength varying according to the character of the nourishment whether solid and fit for athletes or of the nature of milk and vegetables, so it follows that when the word of God is given either as milk as befits children, or as vegetables as suits invalids, or as flesh as is proper for combatants, each of the nourished acquires this or that power or nature according to the word to which he has lent himself.

καὶ πάλιν ὃν τρόπον κατὰ τὴν ποιότητα τῆς < τροφῆς, > < στερεᾶς > οὔσης καὶ ἀθληταῖς ἁρμοζούσης ἢ γαλακτώδους τινὸς καὶ λαχανώδους, ἐν διαφόρῳ δυνάμει ὁ τρεφόμενος γίνεται, οὕτως ἀκόλουθόν ἐστι, τοῦ λόγου τοῦ θεοῦ ἤτοι ὡς γάλακτος παιδίοις ἁρμοζόντως διδομένου ἢ ὡς λαχάνου ἀσθενοῦσιν ἐπιτηδείως ἢ ὡς σαρκὸς ἀγωνιζομένοις προσ<καίρως>, ἕκαστον τῶν τρεφομένων κατὰ τὴν ἀναλογίαν, ᾧ ἐμπαρέσχεν ἑαυτὸν λόγῳ, τόδε τι ἢ τόδε δύνασθαι καὶ τοιόνδε ἢ τοιόνδε γίνεσθαι.

Moreover, there is a kind of reputed nourishment which is in reality harmful, a second that is productive of disease, and another that cannot even be assimilated, and all of these may be transferred by analogy to varieties of reputedly nourishing teachings. Needful, therefore, is the bread which corresponds most closely to our rational nature and is akin to our very essence, which invests the soul at once with well being and with strength, and, since the Word of God is immortal, imparts to its eater its own immortality.

ἔστι μέντοι γε τὶς νομιζομένη τροφὴ, οὖσα δηλητήριος, καὶ ἑτέρα νοσοποιὸς καὶ ἄλλη μηδὲ ἀναδοθῆναι δυναμένη· ἅπερ πάντα κατ' ἀναλογίαν μετενεκτέον ἐστὶ καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς διαφορὰς τῶν νομιζομένων τροφίμων μαθημάτων. { ἐπιούσιοσ } τοίνυν { ἄρτοσ } ὁ τῇ φύσει τῇ λογικῇ καταλληλότατος καὶ τῇ οὐσίᾳ αὐτῇ συγγενὴς, ὑγείαν ἅμα καὶ εὐεξίαν καὶ ἰσχὺν περιποιῶν τῇ ψυχῇ καὶ τῆς ἰδίας ἀθανασίας ?ἀθάνατος γὰρ ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ  μεταδιδοὺς τῷ ἐσθίοντι αὐτοῦ.

It is just this needful bread that seems to me to be otherwise termed in Scripture a tree of life, he who stretches forth his hand to which and takes of it shall live unto eternity. And under a third name this tree is termed wisdom of God in Solomon’s words: She is a tree of life to all that take hold upon her and to those that lean upon her as upon the Lord she is safe. And since the angels also are nourished by God’s wisdom receiving power for the accomplishment of their proper works from their contemplation in truth with wisdom, it is said in Psalms that the angels also are nourished, men of God designated Hebrews holding communion with the angels and, as it were, even becoming messfellows with them.

27.10 οὗτος δὴ ὁ { ἐπιούσιος ἄρτοσ } ἄλλῳ ὀνόματι δοκεῖ μοι ἐν τῇ γραφῇ < ξύλον ζωῆς > ὠνομάσθαι, ἐφ' ὅπερ ὁ ἐκτείνας < τὴν χεῖρα > καὶ λαβὼν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ < ζήσεται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.>.  καὶ τρίτῳ ὀνόματι τοῦτο τὸ < ξύλον > < σοφία > τοῦ θεοῦ ὀνομάζεται παρὰ τῷ Σολομῶντι διὰ τούτων· < ξύλον ζωῆς ἐστι πᾶσι τοῖς ἀντεχομένοις αὐτῆς, καὶ τοῖς ἐπερειδομένοις ὡς ἐπὶ κύριον ἀσφαλής.>. ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ οἱ ἄγγελοι σοφίᾳ τρέφονται θεοῦ, ἀπὸ τῆς κατὰ τὴν ἀλήθειαν μετὰ σοφίας θεωρίας δυναμούμενοι πρὸς τὸ τὰ ἴδια ἔργα ἐπιτελεῖν, λέγεται ἐν ψαλμοῖς καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους τρέφεσθαι, κοινωνούντων τῶν ἀνθρώπων τοῦ θεοῦ, οἵτινεςἙβραῖοι προσαγορεύονται, τοῖς ἀγγέλοις καὶ οἱονεὶ καὶ συνεστίων αὐτοῖς γινομένων.

Such is the meaning of the saying:Bread of angels hath man eaten. Far from us be such poverty of mind as to suppose that it is of some material bread, such as is recorded to have come down from heaven upon those who had quitted Egypt, that the angels continually partake and are nourished, as though it was actually in this that the Hebrews had communion with the angels, God’s ministering spirits.

τοιοῦτον δέ ἐστι τὸ <{ ἄρτον } ἀγγέλων ἔφαγεν ἄνθρωπος.>. μὴ γὰρ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον πτωχεύσαι ὁ νοῦς ἡμῶν, ὡς οἰηθῆναι σωματικοῦ τινος { ἄρτου }, τοῦ ἱστορουμένου οὐρανόθεν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐξεληλυθότας τὴν Αἴγυπτον καταβεβηκέναι, τοὺς ἀγγέλους ἀεὶ μεταλαμβάνοντας τρέφεσθαι, τούτου αὐτοῦ κεκοινωνηκότων τῶνἙβραίων τοῖς ἀγγέλοις, τοῖς λειτουργικοῖς τοῦ θεοῦ πνεύμασιν.

And while we are considering the needful bread and the tree of life and the wisdom of God and the common nourishment of saintly men and angels, it is not untimely to refer to the three men recorded in Genesis who were entertained by Abraham and partook of three measures of fine flour of wheat kneaded into ember-cakes, and to observe that this may perhaps simply be told in a figurative sense.

27.11 οὐκ ἄκαιρον δὲ ζητοῦσιν ἡμῖν <{ τὸν ἐπιούσιον > < ἄρτον }>  καὶ τὸ < ξύλον τῆς ζωῆς > καὶ τὴν σοφίαν τοῦ θεοῦ τήν τε κοινὴν ἁγίων ἀνθρώπων καὶ ἀγγέλων τροφὴν ἐπιστῆσαι καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐν Γενέσει γεγραμμένων τριῶν ἀνδρῶν, καταχθέντων παρὰ τῷ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ μεταλαβόντων πεφυραμένων τριῶν μέτρων < σεμιδάλεως > εἰς ἐγκρυφιῶν ποίησιν,

It would show that saints are able upon occasion to impart spiritual and rational nourishment not only to men but also to divine powers, either for their benefit or for the exhibition of their most nourishing acquisitions, the angels being cheered and nourished in such display and becoming the readier to cooperate in every way and henceforth to conspire in the apprehension of fuller and greater things by the man who has cheered and so to say nourished them with his store of nourishing teachings already acquired.

μή ποτε γυμνῶς τροπικῶς ταῦτα εἴρηται, δυναμένων τῶν ἁγίων μεταδοῦναί ποτε τροφῆς νοητῆς καὶ λογικῆς οὐ μόνον ἀνθρώποις ἀλλὰ καὶ θειοτέραις δυνάμεσιν ἤτοι εἰς ὠφέλειαν αὐτῶν ἢ εἰς ἐπίδειξιν ὧν δεδύνηνται περιποιῆσαι ἑαυτοῖς τροφιμωτάτων, εὐφραινομένων καὶ τρεφομένων ἐν τῇ τοιαύτῃ ἐπιδείξει τῶν ἀγγέλων καὶ ἑτοιμοτέρων γινομένων πρὸς τὸ παντὶ τρόπῳ συνεργῆσαι καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἑξῆς συμπνεῦσαι τῇ πλειόνων καὶ μειζόνων καταλήψει τοῦ ἐπὶ προτέροις παρεσκευασμένου τροφίμοις μαθήμασιν, εὐφράναντος καὶ, ἵν' οὕτως εἴπω, ἀναθρέψαντος αὐτούς.

No wonder that a man may nourish angels when even Christ avows himself to stand before the door and knock in order that He may enter into him that opens to Him and sup with him on his fare, thereafter Himself in turn to impart His own to him who first according to his individual power has entertained the Son of God.

οὐ θαυμαστὸν δὲ εἰ ἀγγέλους τρέφει ἄνθρωπος, ὅπου γε καὶ Χριστὸς ὁμολογεῖ ἑστὼς παρὰ < τὴν θύραν > κρούειν, ἵν' εἰσελθὼν παρὰ τὸν ἀνοίξαντα αὐτῷ δειπνήσῃ < μετ' αὐτοῦ > ἐκ τῶν ἐκείνου, μετὰ ταῦτα καὶ αὐτὸς μεταδώσων τῶν ἰδίων τῷ πρότερον ἑστιάσαντι κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν δύναμιν τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ.

So then the partaker of the needful bread, having his heart confirmed, becomes a son of God whereas he that has portion in the serpent is none other than a spiritual Ethiopian and himself in turn changes into a snake by reason of the serpent’s toils so that, even should he express a desire for baptism, he is reproached by the Word and hears it said: Snakes, offspring of vipers, who hath prompted you to flee from the coming wrath?

27.12 { τοῦ } μὲν οὖν { ἐπιουσίου } ὁ μεταλαμβάνων { ἄρτου } στηριζόμενος τὴν < καρδίαν > υἱὸς θεοῦ γίνεται· < τοῦ > δὲ < δράκοντος > ὁ μετέχων οὐκ ἄλλος ἐστὶ τοῦ νοητοῦ Αἰθίοπος, διὰ τὰς τοῦ < δράκοντος > ἄρκυς μεταβάλλων καὶ αὐτὸς εἰς ὄφιν, ὥστε ὑπὸ τοῦ λόγου ὀνειδιζόμενον αὐτὸν, κἂν λέγῃ βαπτίζεσθαι θέλειν, ἀκούειν· < ὄφεις, γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν, τίς ὑπέδειξεν ὑμῖν φυγεῖν ἀπὸ τῆς μελλούσης ὀργῆς; >

And David speaks of the serpent body being fed on by Ethiopians: Thou has shattered the heads of the serpents in the water, you hast crushed the serpent’s head, you hast given him to be food for the Ethiopian peoples.

λέγει δὲ περὶ τοῦ δρακοντείου σώματος ὑπὸ τῶν Αἰθιόπων ἑστιωμένου ὁ Δαυῒδ ταῦτα· < συνέτριψας τὰς κεφαλὰς τῶν δρακόντων ἐπὶ τοῦ ὕδατος, <σὺ συνέθλασας τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ δράκοντος,> ἔδωκας αὐτὸν βρῶμα λαοῖς τοῖς Αἰθίοψιν.>.

If it is not absurd to suppose that, since the Son of God and also the Adversary are of essential substances, either of them may become nourishment to this soul or that, why need we hesitate in the case of all powers, better and worse, including human beings, to believe that each one of us may derive nourishment from any of them?

εἰ δὲ μὴ ἀπεμφαίνει, οὐσιωδῶς ὑφεστῶτος τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ ὑφεστῶτος δὲ καὶ τοῦ ἀντικειμένου, ἑκάτερον αὐτῶν τροφὴν γίνεσθαι τοῦδε ἢ τοῦδε, τί ὀκνοῦμεν παραδέξασθαι ἐπί γε πασῶν τῶν δυνάμεων κρειττόνων καὶ χειρόνων· καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὸ δύνασθαι τρέφεσθαι ἀπὸ πάντων τούτων ἕνα ἕκαστον ἡμῶν;

As Peter was about to commune with the centurion Cornelius and those who met together with him in Caesarea, and thereafter to impart the words of God to the Gentiles also, he saw, the vessel let down from heaven by four corners, in which were all manner of quadrupeds and reptiles and beasts of the earth, whereupon he was also bidden rise up and stay and eat, and after he had said in deprecation: Thou knowest that nothing common or unclean hath ever entered my mouth, he was commanded to call no man common or unclean because what God had made clean ought not to be made common by Peter; in the words of the passage, what things God hath made clean make not you common.

κοινωνεῖν γοῦν τῷ ἑκατοντάρχῳ Κορνηλίῳ καὶ τοῖς ἅμα συναχθεῖσιν ἐν τῇ Καισαρείᾳ ὁ Πέτρος μέλλων μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα καὶ τοῖς ἔθνεσι μεταδώσειν τῶν λόγων τοῦ θεοῦ, ὁρᾷ τὸ < τέτταρσιν ἀρχαῖς καθιέμενον > οὐρανόθεν < σκεῦος, > < ἐν ᾧ > < πάντα τὰ τετράποδα καὶ ἑρπετὰ καὶ θηρία τῆς γῆς > · ὅτε καὶ κελεύεται < ἀναστὰς > θῦσαι καὶ φαγεῖν, προστασσόμενος μετὰ τὸ παραιτούμενον αὐτὸν εἰρηκέναι· σὺ οἶδας < ὅτι οὐδέ ποτε κοινὸν ἢ ἀκάθαρτον εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸ στόμα μου > < μηδένα κοινὸν ἢ ἀκάθαρτον λέγειν ἄνθρωπον > τῷ τὰ καθαρθέντα ὑπὸ θεοῦ μὴ δεῖν ὑπὸ Πέτρου κοινοῦσθαι· φησὶ γὰρ ἡ λέξις· < ἃ ὁ θεὸς ἐκαθάρισε σὺ μὴ κοίνου.>.

Accordingly the clean and unclean food distinguished according to the law of Moses in terms of various animals bear an analogy to the differing characters of rational beings and teaches that some are nourishing for us but others the reverse until God has cleansed and made all, or those from every race, nourishing.

οὐκοῦν τὸ καθαρὸν βρῶμα καὶ τὸ ἀκάθαρτον κατὰ τὸν Μωϋσέως νόμον ἐν ὀνομασίαις διακρινόμενον πλειόνων ζῴων, τὴν ἀναφορὰν ἔχον ἐπὶ τὰ διάφορα ἤθη τῶν λογικῶν, διδάσκει τούσδε μὲν τροφίμους ἡμῖν τυγχάνειν τούσδε δὲ ἐναντίως ἔχειν, ἕως καθαρίσας πάντας ποιήσῃ τροφίμους ὁ θεὸς ἢ τοὺς ἀπὸ < παντὸς γένους.>.

But while that is indeed so and while there is such diversity among foods, the needful bread, for which we ought to pray in order to be counted worthy of it, and, being nourished by the Word that was God with God in the beginning to be made divine God, is one and transcends all the foods mentioned.

27.13 τούτων δὴ οὕτως ἐχόντων καὶ τοσαύτης διαφορᾶς βρωμάτων οὔσης, εἷς παρὰ πάντας τοὺς εἰρημένους ἐστὶν ὁ { ἐπιούσιος ἄρτοσ }, περὶ οὗ εὔχεσθαι δεῖ, ἵνα ἐκείνου ἀξιωθῶμεν καὶ τρεφόμενοι τῷ < ἐν ἀρχῇ > < πρὸς θεὸν > θεῷ λόγῳ θεοποιηθῶμεν.

But it will be said that the word epiousion, needful, is formed from epienai, to go on, so that we are bidden to ask for the bread proper to the coming age, in order that God may take it in advance and bestow it on us now. Thus what was to be given as it were tomorrow would be given us today, today being taken to mean the present age, tomorrow the coming. Since, however, as far as I can judge, the preceding interpretation is better, let us go on to consider the added reference to today in Matthew or the expression daily written in Luke.

ἐρεῖ δέ τις τὸ <{ ἐπιούσιον }>  παρὰ τὸ ἐπιέναι κατεσχηματίσθαι, ὥστε αἰτεῖν ἡμᾶς κελεύεσθαι { τὸν ἄρτον } τὸν οἰκεῖον τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος, ἵνα προλαβὼν αὐτὸν ὁ θεὸς ἤδη ἡμῖν δωρήσηται, ὥστε τὸ οἱονεὶ αὔριον δοθησόμενον <{ σήμερον }>  ἡμῖν δοθῆναι, <{ σήμερον }>  μὲν τοῦ ἐνεστῶτος αἰῶνος λαμβανομένου αὔριον δὲ τοῦ μέλλοντος. ἀλλὰ βελτίονος οὔσης τῆς προτέρας ἐκδοχῆς ὅσον ἐπ' ἐμοὶ κριτῇ, τὸ περὶ τῆς <{ σήμερον }>  παρὰ τῷ Ματθαίῳ τούτοις προσκείμενον ἢ { τὸ < καθ' ἡμέραν }>  παρὰ τῷ Λουκᾷ γεγραμμένον ἐξετάσωμεν.

To call the whole present age today is a usage frequent in the Scriptures, as in the passages: He is father of the Moabites until today, and He is father of the Ammonites until today, and this account has been reported among Jews until today, and in the Psalms, Today if you hear His voice harden not your hearts. In Joshua, this is expressed very clearly: Turn not away from the Lord in the days of today. And if today means the whole present age, yesterday is probably the bygone age.

ἔθος δὴ πολλαχοῦ τῶν γραφῶν τὸν πάντα αἰῶνα <{ σήμερον }>  καλεῖσθαι, ὥσπερ ἐν τῷ < οὗτος πατὴρ Μωαβιτῶν ἕως τῆς { σήμερον } ἡμέρας > καὶ < οὗτος πατὴρἈμμανιτῶν ἕως τῆς { σήμερον } ἡμέρας > καὶ < ἐφημίσθη ὁ λόγος οὗτος παρὰἸουδαίοις ἕως τῆς { σήμερον }, > καὶ ἐν τοῖς ψαλμοῖς· <{ σήμερον } ἐὰν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούσητε, μὴ σκληρύνητε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν.>.  ἐν δὲ τῷἸησοῦ σαφέστατα οὕτω τοῦτο εἴρηται· < μὴ ἀπόστητε ἀπὸ κυρίου ἐν ταῖς { σήμερον } ἡμέραις.>. εἰ δὲ <{ σήμερον }>  ὁ πᾶς οὗτος αἰὼν, μή ποτε < ἐχθὲς > ὁ παρεληλυθώς ἐστιν αἰών.

That I have understood to be its meaning in Psalms and in Paul in the Epistle to Hebrews. In Psalms it is thus: A thousand years are in thine eyes as a yesterday that had passed—whatever the much talked of millennium means,

τοῦτο δὲ ἐν ψαλμοῖς καὶ παρὰ τῷ Παύλῳ ἐν τῇ πρὸς Ἑβραίους λέγειν ὑπειλήφαμεν, ἐν ψαλμοῖς οὕτως· < χίλια ἔτη ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου ὡσεὶ ἡμέρα ἡ ἐχθὲς, ἥτις διῆλθεν > ἥτις ποτέ ἐστιν ἡ διαβόητος χιλιονταετηρὶς,

it is likened to yesterday as opposed to today; and in the apostle it is written, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and unto the ages. No wonder that the whole of an age counts with God as the space of a single day with us, aye and less as I think.

? <ἣ> ὁμοιοῦται τῇ < ἐχθὲς > ἡμέρᾳ, διαφερούσῃ τῆς <{ σήμερον }>   , παρὰ δὲ τῷ ἀποστόλῳ γέγραπται· <Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς χθὲς καὶ { σήμερον } ὁ αὐτὸς καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας.>. καὶ οὐ δὲν θαυμαστὸν τῷ θεῷ τὸν ὅλον αἰῶνα τῆς παρ' ἡμῖν μιᾶς ἡμέρας διαστήματος λόγον ἔχειν, ἐγὼ δ' οἶμαι ὅτι καὶ ἐλάττονος.

We may also consider whether the accounts of feasts or assemblies recorded in terms of days or months or seasons or years have symbolical references to ages. For if the law contains a shadow of coming things, its many Sabbaths must be a shadow of many days and its moons come round in the course of intervals of time, completed by some manner of a moon’s conjunction with some sun.

27.14 καὶ ἐξεταστέον εἰ ἐπὶ αἰῶνας ἀναφέρονται οἱ λόγοι τῶν κατὰ τὰς < ἡμέρας > ἢ < μῆνας > ἢ < καιροὺς > ἢ < ἐνιαυτοὺς > ἀναγεγραμμένων ἑορτῶν ἢ πανηγύρεων. εἰ γὰρ < σκιὰν > ἔχει < ὁ νόμος τῶν μελλόντων, > ἀνάγκη τὰ πολλὰ σάββατα πολλῶν τινων ἡμερῶν εἶναι < σκιὰν > καὶ τὰς νουμηνίας διὰ χρονικῶν διαστημάτων ἐνίστασθαι, οὐκ οἶδα ὑπὸ ποίας σελήνης συνοδευούσης τινὶ ἡλίῳ ἐπιτελουμένας.

And if a first month and tenth till fourteenth day and a feast of unleavened bread from fourteenth till twenty-first contain a shadow of coming things, who is wise and to such a degree God’s friend as to have vision of the first among many months and its tenth day and so on? What need I say of that feast of seven weeks of days, and of that seventh month whose new moon is a day of trumpets and on whose tenth day falls a day of atonement, which are known to God alone who has enacted them? Who has to such a degree received the mind of Christ as to interpret those seventh years of freedom for Hebrew domestic slaves and of remission of debts and of cessation from tillage of the holy land?

εἰ δὲ καὶ < πρῶτος > < μὴν > καὶ δεκάτη ἡμέρα < ἕως τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτης > καὶ τῶν ἀζύμων ἑορτὴ ἀπὸ τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτης < ἕως μιᾶς καὶ εἰκάδος > < σκιὰν > περιέχει < μελλόντων, > < τίς σοφὸς καὶ > ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον θεῷ < φίλος, > ὡς πλειόνων μηνῶν τὸν πρῶτον ἰδεῖν καὶ τὴν δεκάτην αὐτοῦ ἡμέραν καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς; τί δέ με δεῖ λέγειν περὶ τῆς ἑορτῆς τῶν ἑπτὰ ἑβδομάδων ἡμερῶν καὶ περὶ τοῦ ἑβδόμου μηνὸς ?οὗ ἡ νεομηνία ἡμέρα < σαλπίγγων > ἐστὶ, < τῇ > δὲ < δεκάτῃ > < ἡμέρα ἱλασμοῦ >  , τῷ μόνῳ νομοθετήσαντι αὐτὰ θεῷ ἐγνωσμένων; τίς δὲ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον τὸν Χριστοῦ κεχώρηκε νοῦν, ὡς τοὺς ἑβδόμους ἐνιαυτοὺς τῆς ἐλευθερίας τῶν Ἑβραίων οἰκετῶν καὶ < τῆς ἀφέσεως > τῶν χρεῶν ἀνέσεώς τε ἀπὸ γεωργίας τῆς ἁγίας γῆς ἐκλαβεῖν;

And over and above the feast of every seven years there is yet another year, the so-called Jubilee, clearly to imagine whose nature even partially, or the true laws to be fulfilled in it, is for no one save Him who has contemplated the Father’s counsel in reference to the order in all the ages according to His unsearchable judgments and His univestigable ways.

ἔστι δέ τις καὶ ἀνωτέρω τῆς διὰ ἑπτὰ ἐτῶν ἑορτῆς ὁ καλούμενοςἸωβηλαῖος, ὅντινα κἂν ἐπὶ ποσὸν φαντασθῆναι εἶναί τι τρανῶς ἢ τοὺς ἐν αὐτῷ νόμους πληρωθησομένους ἀληθινοὺς οὐδενός ἐστι <πλὴν> τοῦ τὴν πατρικὴν βουλὴν περὶ τῆς ἐν ἅπασι τοῖς αἰῶσι διατάξεως κατὰ < τὰ > < ἀνεξερεύνητα > < αὐτοῦ > < κρίματα > καὶ τὰς ἀνεξιχνιάστους αὐτοῦ ὁδοὺς τεθεωρηκότος.

In trying to reconcile two apostolic passages it has often occurred to me to raise the question how there can be consummation of ages at which Jesus has been manifested once for all unto abolition of sins if there are going to be ages following after this. The Apostles’ passages are as follows: In the Epistle to Hebrews, but now at a consummation of the ages He hath been manifested once for all unto abolition of sins through His sacrifice; but in the Epistle to Ephesians, in order that He may show forth, in the years following, the exceeding riches of His Grace in kindness toward us.

27.15 πολλάκις δέ μοι ἐπῆλθεν ἀπορεῖν, συγκρούοντι δύο λέξεις ἀποστολικὰς, πῶς συντέλεια < αἰώνων > ἐστὶν, ἐφ' ᾗ < ἅπαξ > < εἰς ἀθέτησιν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν >Ἰησοῦς < πεφανέρωται, > εἰ μέλλουσιν εἶναι αἰῶνες μετὰ τοῦτον ἐπερχόμενοι.  ἔχουσι δὲ αἱ λέξεις αὐτοῦ οὕτως, ἐν μὲν τῇ πρὸςἙβραίους· < νυνὶ δὲ ἅπαξ ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ τῶν αἰώνων εἰς ἀθέτησιν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν διὰ τῆς θυσίας αὐτοῦ πεφανέρωται, > ἐν δὲ τῇ πρὸςἘφεσίους· < ἵνα ἐνδείξηται ἐν τοῖς αἰῶσι τοῖς ἐπερχομένοις τὸ ὑπερβάλλον πλοῦτος τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ ἐν χρηστότητι ἐφ' ἡμᾶς.>.

Well, in conjecture as to matters so great, I believe that, just as the year’s consummation is it’s last month after which arises another month’s beginning, so probably the present age is a consummation of numerous ages completing as it were a year of ages, and after it certain coming ages will arise whose beginning is the coming age, and in those coming ages God shall show forth the riches of His Grace in kindness, when the greatest sinner, who for having spoken ill against the Holy Spirit is held fast by his sin throughout the present age and the coming one from beginning to end, shall after that, I know not how, receive a dispensation.

καὶ περὶ τηλικούτων στοχαζόμενος νομίζω ὅτι, ὥσπερ συντέλεια τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ὁ τελευταῖός ἐστι μὴν, μεθ' ὃν ἀρχὴ μηνὸς ἑτέρου ἐνίσταται· οὕτω μή ποτε, πλειόνων αἰώνων οἱονεὶ ἐνιαυτὸν αἰώνων συμπληρούντων, συντέλειά ἐστιν ὁ ἐνεστὼς αἰὼν, μεθ' ὃν μέλλοντές τινες αἰῶνες ἐνστήσονται, ὧν ἀρχή ἐστιν ὁ μέλλων, καὶ ἐν ἐκείνοις τοῖς μέλλουσιν ἐνδείξεται ὁ θεὸς τὸν πλοῦτον < τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ ἐν χρηστότητι > · τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοτάτου καὶ εἰς τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα δυσφημήσαντος κρατουμένου παρὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ ἐνεστῶτι αἰῶνι καὶ ἀρχῆθεν μέχρι τέλους τῷ μέλλοντι μετὰ ταῦτα οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως οἰκονομησομένου.

When a man has had vision of these things and has given thought to a week of ages with intent to contemplate a kind of holy sabbath—keeping and a month of ages to see God’s holy new moon, and a year of ages to survey the feasts of the year when every male must appear before the Lord God, and the corresponding years of so many ages to discern the seventh holy year, and seven weekly years of ages to sing a hymn to the Enactor of Laws so great, how can he after such consideration cavil over what is the merest fraction of an hour in the day of such an age, instead of doing everything to become, through his preparation here, worthy of obtaining the needful bread and to receive it while it is today and daily, what daily means being already clear from the foregoing explanations.

27.16 ταῦτα τοίνυν ὁ ἰδὼν καὶ τῇ διανοίᾳ αἰώνων ἑβδομάδα, ἵνα σαββατισμόν τινα ἅγιον θεωρήσῃ, ἐννοήσας καὶ αἰώνων μῆνα, ἵνα τὴν ἁγίαν τοῦ θεοῦ ἴδῃ νουμηνίαν, καὶ αἰώνων ἐνιαυτὸν, ἵνα συνίδῃ τὰς τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ γε ἑορτὰς, ὅτε δεῖ < πᾶν ἀρσενικὸν > ἐνώπιον φαίνεσθαι < κυρίου θεοῦ, > καὶ τηλικούτων αἰώνων τοὺς ἀνάλογον ἐνιαυτοὺς, ἵνα τὸ ἕβδομον ἅγιον ἔτος καταλαμβάνῃ, καὶ αἰώνων ἑβδοματικοὺς ἑπτὰ, ὅπως ὑμνήσῃ τὸν τηλικαῦτα νομοθετήσαντα, ἐξετάσας· πῶς δύναται μικρολογῆσαι περὶ τοῦ ἐλαχίστου μορίου ὥρας τῆς τοῦ τηλικούτου αἰῶνος ἡμέρας καὶ οὐχὶ πάντα ποιήσει, ἵνα ἀπὸ τῆς ἐνταῦθα παρασκευῆς ἄξιος γενόμενος τοῦ τυχεῖν { τοῦ ἐπιουσίου ἄρτου } ἐν τῇ <{ σήμερον }>  ἡμέρᾳ λάβῃ αὐτὸν καὶ <{ καθ' ἡμέραν }, > ἤδη σαφοῦς ἐκ τῶν προειρημένων γινομένου τοῦ <{ καθ' ἡμέραν }>  ;

For he who prays today to God, who is from infiniti to infiniti, not only for today but also in a sense for that which is daily shall be enabled to receive from Him who hath power to bestow exceedingly above what we ask or think even things—to use extreme language—which transcend those that eye hath not seen and ear hath not heard and that have not gone up into the heart of man.

τῷ γὰρ ἐξ ἀπείρων ἐπ' ἄπειρον ὄντι θεῷ οὐ μόνον περὶ τῆς <{ σήμερον }>  ἀλλὰ καί πως τοῦ <{ καθ' ἡμέραν }>  ὁ <{ σήμερον }>  εὐχόμενος, ἀπὸ τοῦ δυνατοῦ δωρήσασθαι < ὑπὲρ ἐκ περισσοῦ ὧν αἰτούμεθα ἢ νοοῦμεν > λαβεῖν οἷός τε ἔσται, ἵν' οὕτως ὑπερβολικῶς εἴπω, καὶ τὰ ὑπὲρ < ἃ ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἶδε καὶ > τὰ ὑπὲρ ἃ < οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσε καὶ > τὰ ὑπὲρ ἃ < ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη.>.

These considerations seem to me to have been very necessary for the understanding of both the expressions today and daily when we are praying that the needful bread be given us from His Father.

27.17 καὶ ταῦτα δέ μοι δοκεῖ ἀναγκαιότατα ἐξητάσθαι, ἵνα τό τε <{ σήμερον }>  νοηθῇ καὶ τὸ <{ καθ' ἡμέραν }, > ὅτε <{ τὸν ἐπιούσιον > < ἄρτον }>  δοθῆναι < ἡμῖν > ἀπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ εὐχόμεθα.

εἰ κατὰ τελευταῖον δὲ βιβλίον πρότερον ἐξετάζομεν τὸ <{ ἡμῶν }, > ἐπεὶ λέγεται οὐχί· <{ τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον }>  ἀλλὰ <{ τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δίδου ἡμῖν καθ' ἡμέραν }, > ὅμως γε ἐξεταστέον, πῶς <{ ἡμῶν }>  ἐστιν ὁ { ἄρτοσ } οὗτος. διδάσκει δὴ ὁ ἀπόστολος ὅτι < εἴτε ζωὴ εἴτε θάνατος εἴτε ἐνεστῶτα εἴτε μέλλοντα, πάντα > τῶν ἁγίων ἐστί· <περὶ οὗ> οὐκ ἀναγκαῖον ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος λέγειν.