1PETER 3:18-22
CHRIST’S DESCENT
INTO HELL
  

  Based on: The Harrowing of Hell,   Petites Heures of Jean, Duke of Berry,
  BNF Lat 18104 Pet., 14th c, (image modified).

1Peter 3:18-22

18 FOR Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit; 19 in which he went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water.   ὅτι καὶ Χριστὸς ἅπαξ περὶ ἁμαρτιῶν [ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν] ἀπέθανεν, δίκαιος ὑπὲρ ἀδίκων, ἵνα ὑμᾶς προσαγάγῃ τῷ θεῷ, θανατωθεὶς μὲν σαρκὶ ζῳοποιηθεὶς δὲ πνεύματι· 19 ἐν ᾧ καὶ τοῖς ἐν φυλακῇ πνεύμασιν πορευθεὶς ἐκήρυξεν, 20 ἀπειθήσασίν ποτε ὅτε ἀπεξεδέχετο ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ μακροθυμία ἐν ἡμέραις Νῶε κατασκευαζομένης κιβωτοῦ, εἰς ἣν ὀλίγοι, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ὀκτὼ ψυχαί, διεσώθησαν δι' ὕδατος.
21 BAPTISM, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him. 21 ὃ καὶ ὑμᾶς ἀντίτυπον νῦν σῴζει βάπτισμα, οὐ σαρκὸς ἀπόθεσις ῥύπου ἀλλὰ συνειδήσεως ἀγαθῆς ἐπερώτημα εἰς θεόν, δι' ἀναστάσεωςἸησοῦ Χριστοῦ, 22 ὅς ἐστιν ἐν δεξιᾷ [τοῦ] θεοῦ, πορευθεὶς εἰς οὐρανόν, ὑποταγέντων αὐτῷ ἀγγέλων καὶ ἐξουσιῶν καὶ δυνάμεων.

 

 


AN ANCIENT
HOMILY
for
HOLY
 
SATURDAY
  

 Based on: Anastasis, Chora ,
,

Belles Heures
14th c. Duke of Berry

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit; in which he went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly did not obey... (I Pet.3:18-19)

FROM AN ANCIENT HOMILY ON HOLY SATURDAY

Homilia in divini corporis sepulturam (Epiphanius-sp.) P.G. 43.439, 451, 462-463: TLG 2021.013
(The Liturgy of the Hours v.2, pp. 496-498; 

SOMETHING strange is happening - there is a great silence on earth today,

Τί τοῦτο; σήμερον σιγὴ πολλὴ ἐν τῇ γῇ·

a great silence and stillness.  The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep.  σιγὴ πολλὴ καὶ ἠρεμία λοιπόν· σιγὴ πολλὴ, ὅτι ὁ  Βασιλεὺς ὑπνοῖ·

The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began.  God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.

γῆ ἐφοβήθη καὶ ἡσύχασεν, ὅτι ὁ  Θεὸς σαρκὶ ὕπνωσε, καὶ τοὺς ἀπ' αἰῶνος ὑπνοῦντας ἀνέστησεν. Ὁ  Θεὸς ἐν σαρκὶ τέθνηκε, καὶ ὁ ᾅδης ἐτρόμαξεν. [43.440].9-14]

He has gone to search for our first parents, as for a lost sheep. Οντως τὸν πρωτόπλαστον ὡς ἀπολωλὸς πρόβατον ἐπιζητῆσαι πορεύεται. 
Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, Πάντως καὶ τοὺς ἐν σκότει καὶ σκιᾷ θανάτου καθημένους βούλεται ἐπισκέψασθαι·

he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the son of Eve.

πάντως τὸν αἰχμάλωτον Ἀδὰμ, καὶ τὴν συναιχμάλωτον  Εὔαν τῶν ὀδυνῶν λύσαι πορεύεται ὁ  Θεὸς, καὶ υἱὸς αὐτῆς. [43.452].26-31]

THE Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory.  At the sight of him Adam, the first man he had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: “My Lord be with you all.”  Christ answered him: “And with your spirit.”

εισηλθεν ὁ Δεσποτης προς αυτους, το νικητικον ὁπλον του σταυρου κατεχων. Ὁν ιδων ὁ Αδαμ ὁ πρωτοπλαστος, και τη εκπλεξει το στηθος τυψας, εβοησε προς παντας, και ειπεν·Ὁ Κυριος μου μετα παντων.  Και αποκριθεις ὁ χριστος, λεγει τω Αδαμ· Και μετα του πνευματος σου·

He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying: “Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.

καὶ κρατήσας αὐτοῦ τῆς χειρὸς ἀνίστησι, λέγων· Ἔγειρε, ὁ καθεύδων, καὶ ἀνάστα ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, καὶ ἐπιφαύσει σοι ὁ  Χριστός.

For I am your God,

who for your sake have become your son.

Ἐγὼ ὁ  Θεός σου,

 ὁ διὰ σὲ γενόμενος υἱός σου,

Out of love for you and for your descendants I now by my own authority command[:]

all who are held in bondage to come forth,

all who are in darkness to be enlightened,

all who are sleeping to arise.

ὁ διὰ σὲ καὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ σοῦ, νῦν λέγων καὶ κατ' ἐξουσίαν ἐπιτρέπων

τοῖς ἐν δεσμοῖς· Ἐξέλθετε,

καὶ τοῖς ἐν σκότει·  Φωτίσθητε,

καὶ τοῖς κεκοιμημένοις·Ἀνάστητε·

I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. σοὶ διακελεύομαι· Ἔγειρε, ὁ καθεύδων· οὐ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτό σε πεποίηκα, ἵνα ἐν ᾅδῃ κατέχῃ δέσμιος.

Arise from the dead,
for I am the life of the dead.

Ἀνάστα ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν·
ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ζωὴ τῶν νεκρῶν.

Arise, work of my hands,

Ἀνάστα, πλάσμα τὸ ἐμὸν,

Arise, O my likeness:
you who were created in my image.

ἀνάστα, μορφὴ ἡ ἐμὴ,
καὶ κατ' εἰκόνα ἐμὴν γεγενημένη.

Rise, let us leave this place,

for you are in me and I am in you:

Εγειρε, ἄγωμεν ἐντεῦθεν·

σὺ γὰρ ἐν ἐμοὶ, κἀγὼ ἐν σοὶ,

together we form only one person and we cannot be separated

ἓν καὶ ἀδιαίρετον ὑπάρχομεν πρόσωπον·

For your sake I, your God, became your son;

[For your sake] I, the Lord, took the form of a slave;

διὰ σὲ ὁ Θεός σου γέγονα υἱός σου·

διὰ σὲ ὁ  Δεσπότης, ἔλαβον τὴν σὴν μορφὴν τοῦ δούλου·

[For your sake] I, whose home is above the heavens, descended to the earth and beneath the earth.

διὰ σὲ ὁ ὑπεράνω τῶν οὐρανῶν ἦλθον ἐπὶ γῆς καὶ ὑποκάτω γῆς·

For your sake, for the sake of man, I became like a man without help, free among the dead.

διὰ σὲ τὸν ἄνθρωπον γέγονα ὡσεὶ ἄνθρωπος ἀβοήθητος, ἐν νεκροῖς ἐλεύθερος·

For the sake of you, who left a garden,

I was betrayed to the Jews in a garden, and I was crucified in a garden.

διὰ σὲ τὸν ἀπὸ κήπου ἐξελθόντα ἀπὸ κήπου

Ἰουδαίοις παρεδόθην, καὶ ἐν κήπῳ ἐσταυρώθην.

SEE on my face the spittle I received

in order to restore to you the life I once breathed into you.

 See there the marks of the blows I received

in order to refashion your warped nature

in my image.

[See] on my back the marks of the scourging I endured

to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon your back.

See my hands, nailed firmly to a tree,

for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree. 

Ἴδε τοῦ προσώπου μου τὰ ἐμπτύσματα, ἅπερ διὰ σὲ κατεδεξάμην,

  ἵνα σε ἀποκαταστήσω εἰς τὸ ἀρχαῖον ἐμφύσημα

Ἴδε μου τῶν σιαγόνων τὰ ῥαπίσματα, ἃ κατεδεξάμην,

  ἵνα σου τὴν διαστραφεΐσαν μορφὴν ἐπανορθώσω εἰς τὸ κατ' εἰκόνα μου.

Ιδε μου τοῦ νώτου τὴν φραγγέλλωσιν, ἣν κατεδεξάμην,

  ἵνα σκορπίσω τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν σου τὸ φορτίον τὸ ἐπὶ τοῦ νώτου κείμενον.

Ἴδε μου τὰς προσηλωθείσας  χεῖρας ἐν τῷ ξύλῳ καλῶς, διὰ σὲ τὸν ἐκτείναντα τὴν χεῖρα  ἐν τῷ ξύλῳ κακῶς. [43.461].13-48] 

I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side for you who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side.

My side has healed the pain in yours;

my sleep will rouse you from your sleep in hell.

The sword that pierced me has sheathed the sword that was turned against you.

Ὕπνωσα ἐν τῷ σταυρῷ, καὶ ῥομφαίᾳ ἐνύχθην τὴν πλευρὰν, διὰ σὲ τὸν ἐν παραδείσῳ ὑπνώσαντα, καὶ τὴν  Εὔαν ἐκ πλευρᾶς ἐξενέγκαντα.

Ἡ ἐμὴ πλευρὰ ἰάσατο τὸ ἄλγος τῆς πλευρᾶς·

ὁ ἐμὸς ὕπνος ἐξάξει σε ἐκ τοῦ ἐν ᾅδῃ ὕπνου·

ἡ ἐμὴ ῥομφαία ἔστησε τὴν κατὰ σοῦ στρεφομένην ῥομφαίαν.

ARISE, let us leave this place.

Λοιπὸν ἔγειρε, ἄγωμεν ἐντεῦθεν.

The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise.

I will not restore you to that paradise,

but I will enthrone you in heaven.

̓Εξήγαγέ σε ὁ ἐχθρὸς ἀπὸ γῆς παραδείσου·

ἀποκαθιστῶ σε οὐκέτι ἐν παραδείσῳ,

ἀλλ' ἐν οὐρανίῳ θρόνῳ. 

I forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life, but see, I who am life itself am now one with you.

̓Εκώλυσά σε τοῦ ξύλου τοῦ τυπικοῦ τῆς ζωῆς,

ἀλλ' ἰδοὺ αὐτὸς ἐγὼ ἡνώθην σοι ἡ ζωή.

I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded, but now I make them worship you as God.

Εταξα τὰ χερουβὶμ δουλοπρεπῶς φυλάττειν σε·

  ποιῶ τὰ χερουβὶμ θεοπρεπῶς προσκυνῆσαί σε.

You hid yourselves, as if naked, from God: [but behold – hidden within you is the naked God.]

Ἐκρύβης ἀπὸ  Θεοῦ ὡς γυμνός·

[ἀλλ' ἰδοὺ ἔκρυψας ἐν ἑαυτῷ  Θεὸν γυμνόν.]  [464].3-17] 

THE throne formed by cherubim awaits you,
its bearers swift and eager.

Χερουβικὸς θρόνος ηὐτρέπισται·

οἱ ἀναφέροντες ὀξεῖς τε καὶ ἕτοιμοι·

  The bridal chamber is adorned,
the banquet is ready,

  the eternal dwelling places
are prepared,

ὁ νυμφὼν παρεσκεύασται·

ἐδέσματα ἕτοιμα·

αἱ αἰώνιοι σκηναι

καὶ μοναὶ ἕτοιμοι·

  the treasure houses of all good things lie open.
The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity.”

οἱ θησαυροὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀνεῴχθησαν,

ἡ τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλεία πρὸ αἰώνων ἡτοίμασται· [464].33-37] 

 


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