1
I adjure you who will transcribe this book, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by His glorious coming, when He shall come to judge the living and the dead, that you compare what you have transcribed and correct it carefully against this original copy from which you have transcribed it. Likewise, you shall transcribe this adjuration and place it in the copy.
2
These doctrines, Florinus—to speak with restraint—are not of sound judgment. These doctrines are not in harmony with the Church and lead those who follow them into the greatest impiety. These doctrines not even the heretics outside the Church have ever dared to proclaim. These doctrines the elders before us, who also conversed with the apostles, did not hand down to you. For I saw you when you were still a child in Lower Asia, in the company of Polycarp, distinguishing yourself in the royal court and striving to gain his approval. Indeed, the things I remember from that time are more vivid than recent events, for the lessons learned in youth grow with the soul and become one with it, so that I can even describe the place where the blessed Polycarp sat and taught, his manner of life, his appearance, his discourses to the multitude, his account of his association with John and the others who had seen the Lord, how he recalled their words, and what he had heard from them concerning the Lord’s miracles and teaching—all of which Polycarp proclaimed in agreement with the Scriptures. By God’s mercy upon me, I listened diligently to these things at the time, writing them not on paper but in my heart, and by the grace of God I continually recall them faithfully. And I can testify before God that if that blessed and apostolic elder had heard anything like these doctrines, he would have cried out, stopped his ears, and exclaimed, as was his custom, “O good God, to what times have You spared me, that I should endure these things?” And he would have fled from the very place where he sat or stood hearing such words. From his letters as well—whether those sent to neighboring churches to strengthen them or to individual brethren for admonition and encouragement—this may be clearly seen.
3
For the dispute is not only concerning the day but also concerning the manner of the fast. Some think they ought to fast one day, others two, others still more, and some forty. They count their day by combining daytime and nighttime hours. Such diversity among the observers has arisen not now in our time but long before among our predecessors, who, perhaps not being precise, established a custom according to simplicity and private practice, which has continued since. Yet all these have kept and still keep peace among themselves, and the disagreement over fasting confirms the harmony of faith. … The elders before Soter who presided over the church you now lead—we speak of Anicetus, Pius, Hyginus, Telesphorus, and Xystus—neither observed it themselves nor permitted those after them to do so. Yet though they did not observe it, they remained at peace with those from other dioceses who did, even though it would have been more contentious for the non-observers to keep it. And never was anyone rejected on account of this practice. Rather, the elders before you, though not observing it themselves, sent the Eucharist to those from dioceses where it was observed. When the blessed Polycarp visited Rome in the time of Anicetus, though they had small disagreements on other matters, they immediately made peace, not contending over this issue. For neither could Anicetus persuade Polycarp not to observe it, since he had always done so with John the disciple of our Lord and the other apostles with whom he had associated; nor could Polycarp persuade Anicetus to observe it, for he said he ought to follow the custom of the elders before him. Thus, while holding their own views, they maintained fellowship. In the church, Anicetus yielded the celebration of the Eucharist to Polycarp, out of respect, and they parted in peace, the whole Church being at peace—both those who observed and those who did not.
4
If someone is able to do good to his neighbor and does not do so, he shall be considered a stranger to the love of the Lord.
5
The will and operation of God is the creative and providential cause of all time, place, age, and every nature. The will of the rational soul is its self-governing power, the faculty of free choice. Will is the desiring intellect, the rational inclination that consents to what is desired.
7
Not kneeling on the Lord’s Day is a symbol of the resurrection, through which, by the grace of Christ, we have been freed from both sins and the death that reigned over them. This custom dates back to apostolic times, as the blessed Irenaeus, martyr and bishop of Lyons, states in his discourse on Pascha, where he also mentions Pentecost—on which we do not kneel, since it holds equal significance with the Lord’s Day, for the reason already stated concerning it.
8
Just as the Ark was overlaid with pure gold inside and out, so also the body of Christ was pure and radiant—adorned inwardly by the Word and guarded outwardly by the Spirit, so that the splendor of both natures might be manifest.
9
By always speaking well of the worthy and never ill of the unworthy, we too shall partake of the glory and kingdom of God.
10
It is truly proper and fitting to God to be merciful, to show compassion, and to preserve His own works, even if they are brought to the brink of destruction. For with Him, it is said, is redemption.
11
The work of a Christian is nothing else but to practice dying.
12
We, therefore, believe that bodies will rise again. For though they decay, they are not destroyed. The earth receives their remains and preserves them, like seed nourished and mingled with the richness of the soil. Again, as a bare grain is sown and, at the command of the Creator God, springs forth clothed in glory, so too the body does not rise unless it first dies and is mingled with the earth. Thus, we have not believed in the resurrection of the body in vain. Though it is dissolved for a time because of the original disobedience, it is placed, as it were, in the earth’s refining furnace, to be remolded—not as perishable, but as pure and no longer subject to decay. Each soul will be restored to its own body, and clothed in it, will not grieve but rejoice, remaining pure, having been united to a righteous Bridegroom and not a deceiver. In all things, it will receive its due—unchanged, free from suffering or disease. The bodies will not be raised in glory but as they were at death, whether in sin or righteousness, and as they lived, so shall they rise again. Those who died in unbelief shall be judged accordingly.
13
When pagans seized Christian catechumens who were slaves and tried to force from them some secret teaching about Christians, these slaves, having no way to satisfy their captors, repeated what they had heard their masters say—that the divine communion was the blood and body of Christ. Thinking it was truly blood and flesh[1], they disclosed this to their interrogators. The pagans, taking this as literal truth, spread it among others and even tortured the martyrs Sanctus and Blandina to confess it. To this, Blandina boldly replied, “How could those who abstain even from lawful meats for the sake of discipline endure such things?”
14
How is it possible for the serpent, which by nature is irrational and mindless, having been created so by God, to speak rationally and intelligently? If it had independently used reason, discernment, and understanding to respond to the woman’s words, then surely every serpent would likewise be capable of such speech. But if they claim that it spoke in a human voice to Eve by divine will and dispensation, they make God the author of sin. Yet even the wicked demon cannot bestow reason upon an irrational creature, bringing it from non-being into being—otherwise, he would never cease deceiving men through serpents, beasts, and birds, speaking to them and leading them astray. And how did this beast, being a mere animal, hear the commandment given secretly by God to man alone—not even the woman herself knowing it? Why did it not rather attack the man instead of the woman? And do not say it was because she was weaker—on the contrary, she showed greater boldness, even assisting man in transgressing the commandment. For she alone resisted the serpent, engaging in debate and contention before being utterly deceived and eating from the tree. But Adam, without any struggle or argument, simply took the fruit given by his wife—a clear sign of complete weakness and cowardice of mind. The woman, being overpowered by a demon, may be excused, but Adam, defeated by a woman, remains inexcusable, since he himself had received the commandment directly from God. The woman, having heard the commandment secondhand from Adam, treated it lightly—either because she thought herself unworthy to hear God speak to her directly, or because she doubted, perhaps even suspecting that Adam had invented the commandment himself. The serpent found her alone, isolated in her thoughts, so that he might privately converse with her. Seeing her eating from the trees, he tempted her with the fruit—unless, of course, she was not eating at all. If she was eating, then clearly she already had a corruptible body, for whatever enters the mouth passes into the stomach. If she was corruptible, then she was also mortal. And if she was mortal, then God’s pronouncement to man—*You are dust, and to dust you shall return*—was not a curse but a statement of fact. But if the serpent saw that the woman was not eating, how did he persuade her, who had never eaten before, to consume it? And who informed this murderous, accursed serpent that God’s sentence of death upon them would not come to pass when He said, On the day you eat of it, you shall surely die? Not only that, but who told him their eyes—previously blind—would be opened? Yet this so-called "opening" only made way for death’s entrance.
15
Long ago, Balaam spoke these things in parables and was not understood. And now Christ, present and fulfilling them, was not believed. Foreseeing this and marveling, he said: Oh, who shall live when God does these things?
16
Expounding the law anew to the generation after those who perished in the wilderness, Moses taught Deuteronomy—not as a different law from what had been given to their fathers, but as a recapitulation of the same, so that hearing what befell their ancestors, they might fear the Lord with all their heart.
17
From these things Christ was prefigured, recognized, and born. In Joseph, He was prefigured; through Levi and Judah, He was born according to the flesh as both King and Priest; through Simeon, He was recognized in the Temple; through Zebulun, He was believed among the nations, as the prophet says: Land of Zebulun; and through Benjamin—that is, Paul—He was glorified, being preached to all the world.
18
Nor was this done idly, but so that through the number of ten men—with Jesus among them—he might appear as their helper, as one who had acted in agreement with them. And when they refused to associate with their idolatrous deeds, they blamed him, saying, Let Jerubbaal plead his case before Baal.
19
Take Joshua the son of Nun for yourself. For it was fitting that Moses should lead the people out of Egypt, but Joshua should bring them into the inheritance. Moses, as the law, was to find rest, while Joshua, as the Word—a true type of the hypostatic Word—was to proclaim to the people. Moses gave the fathers manna as food, but Joshua gave them grain—now the firstfruits of life, a type of Christ’s body, as Scripture says: Then the manna of the Lord ceased after they had eaten the produce of the land.
20
You shall not go with them, nor shall you curse the people. This is not spoken allegorically about the people, for they were all destroyed, but concerning the prefigured mystery of Christ. Since He was to be born according to the flesh from the fathers, the Spirit instructed the man beforehand, lest in ignorance he might go and curse the people—not that a curse could prevail against God’s will, but to demonstrate God’s providence, which He held for them because of their forefathers.
21
And he was riding upon his donkey. The donkey was a type of Christ’s body, upon which all men, weary from their labors, are carried as if by a vehicle. For the Savior bore the burden of our sins. And the angel who appeared to Balaam was the Word Himself, holding in His hand a sword—signifying the authority He possessed from above.
22
God is not like man. He shows that all men are changeable and lie, but God is not so; He remains ever true, fulfilling all that He wills.
23
To execute vengeance from the Lord upon Midian. For he who no longer speaks by the Spirit of God, but opposes God’s law, establishing another law of fornication, will no longer be regarded as a prophet but as a soothsayer. Having not remained steadfast in God’s commandment, he received a reward worthy of his own wickedness.
24
Know that every man is either empty or full. If he does not have the Holy Spirit, he has no knowledge of the Creator, has not received Jesus Christ as life, and does not know the heavenly Father. If he does not live according to the Word, by the heavenly law, if he lacks self-control and righteous deeds—such a man is empty. But if he has received Him who said, I will dwell in them and walk among them, and I will be their God, then he is not empty but full.
25
Now, the young lad leading Samson prefigured John the Baptist, who pointed the people to faith in Christ. The house where they were gathered signifies the world, in which the unbelieving Gentiles dwelt, sacrificing to their idols. And the two pillars represent the two covenants. Thus, Samson resting upon the pillars symbolizes the people, once instructed, recognizing the mystery of Christ.
26
And the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And he showed him the place. Then he cut off a stick and threw it in, and the iron floated. This was a sign of the uplifting of souls through the wood—the wood upon which He who has power to raise souls suffered, so that they might ascend in His own upward path. And another sign of this was that many souls arose and appeared in their bodies at the descent of Christ’s holy soul. For just as the lightest wood sank, while the heaviest iron floated, so too, by the hypostatic union of God’s Word with the flesh, the weighty and earthly was lifted up to the heavens by the divine nature after the resurrection, being made incorruptible.
27
The Gospel according to Matthew was written for the Jews, for they earnestly desired a Christ descended from David’s seed. Matthew, sharing this desire even more fervently, was eager to fully convince them that Christ was indeed of David’s lineage, and so he began with His genealogy.
28
The axe is laid to the root, he says—rousing them to knowledge of the truth, purging them with fear, and preparing them to bear ripe fruit.
29
Behold, the mustard seed is shown in a parable—a heavenly word sown like seed in the world, as in a field, containing within itself the fiery and austere power. For He was proclaimed Judge of the whole world. Hidden in the heart of the earth, buried in the soil, He grew in three days into the greatest of trees, extending His branches to the ends of the earth. From Him sprang forth the Twelve Apostles, becoming fair and flourishing branches, a shelter for the nations like birds of the air. And all who were sheltered beneath these branches, gathered like birds under the shade, partook of the nourishing and heavenly food that came from them.
30
Now then, just as through the disobedience of one man—the first formed from the untilled earth—many were made sinners and lost life, so too it was necessary that through the obedience of one man—the first born of a virgin—many should be justified and receive salvation.
31
Josephus relates that when Moses was raised in royal courts and appointed as a general against the Ethiopians, he conquered them and took the daughter of their king as his wife, since she betrayed the city out of love for him. Now, why was it that of the two who spoke against him, only Miriam was punished? First, because the woman’s transgression was greater—for both nature and the law subject the female to the male. Moreover, Aaron had some measure of excuse, being older in years and honored with the high priesthood. Beyond this, since the leper was considered unclean by the law, and Aaron was the root and foundation of the priesthood, lest the disgrace spread to the entire lineage, equal punishment was not brought upon him. Instead, through his sister, he was both chastened and instructed. For her affliction grieved him so deeply that when she first received it, he entreated Moses, the one he had wronged, to intercede for her deliverance. And Moses did not neglect this but immediately offered supplication. Then the compassionate Lord showed that He had disciplined her not in condemnation but as a father, saying: If her father had but spit in her face, should she not bear her shame for seven days? Let her be shut out of the camp seven days, and after that she may return.
32
Since some, moved by who knows what impulse, strip away half of God’s creative power—claiming He is merely the cause of qualities in matter while asserting matter itself is ungenerated—let us ask them this: If matter is unchangeable, and the unchangeable cannot be altered in quality, then it cannot be fashioned into a world. Thus, it is superfluous for them to claim that God imposes qualities upon matter, since matter, being ungenerated, cannot admit change at all. Again, if matter is ungenerated, it must exist in some quality, and if that quality is immutable, matter could not admit further qualities—nor could it be fashioned into a world. And if it cannot be fashioned into a world, it renders God wholly incapable of creation.
33
And he washed, it says, seven times in the Jordan. Long ago, Naaman the leper was not cleansed by washing without purpose, but as a sign for us—we who, being leprous in our sins, are purified through holy water and the invocation of the Lord, cleansed of our former transgressions, reborn spiritually as newborn babes, just as the Lord said: Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.
34
If the dead body of Elisha raised a dead man, how much more will God, who gives life to the dead bodies of men, bring them to judgment?
35
True knowledge, then, is understanding according to Christ—what Paul calls the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which the natural man does not receive, the word of the cross. Whoever tastes this will not turn to the idle disputes and word-battles of the puffed-up and deluded, who intrude into things they have not seen. For the truth is without form, and the word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart, as the same apostle says. It makes us like Christ when we know the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. This is the essence of apostolic teaching and the most holy faith delivered to us, which even the unlearned receive and the simple teach—those who pay no heed to endless genealogies but rather strive for the amendment of life, lest being deprived of the Holy Spirit, they fall short of the kingdom of heaven. For the first thing is to deny yourself and follow Christ, and those who do this are brought to perfection, fulfilling all the will of the Master, becoming sons of God through spiritual regeneration and heirs of the kingdom of heaven—which, if they seek first, they shall not be denied.
36
Those who have followed the apostolic traditions know that the Lord established a new offering in the New Covenant, according to the prophet Malachi: For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name is glorified among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to My name, and a pure sacrifice. So also John says in Revelation: The incense is the prayers of the saints. And Paul exhorts us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God—our reasonable service. And again: Let us offer the sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of our lips. These offerings are not according to the Law, whose bond the Lord blotted out and removed from our midst, but according to the Spirit, for God must be worshiped in spirit and in truth. For the offering of thanksgiving is not carnal but spiritual, and in this it is pure. We offer to God the bread and the cup of blessing, giving thanks to Him because He commanded the earth to bring forth these fruits for our nourishment. And having completed this offering, we invoke the Holy Spirit, that He may declare this sacrifice to be the Body of Christ and the cup the Blood of Christ, so that those who partake of these antitypes may obtain remission of sins and eternal life. Therefore, those who present these offerings in remembrance of the Lord do not adhere to the doctrines of the Jews but minister spiritually and shall be called sons of wisdom.
37
The apostles ordained that we should not judge anyone in matters of food and drink, or regarding a festival or new moon or Sabbath. From where then come these quarrels? From where these divisions? We keep festivals, but with the leaven of malice and wickedness, tearing apart the Church of God. We observe outward things only to cast away what is greater—faith and love. From the prophetic words, we have heard that such festivals and fasts are displeasing to the Lord.
38
Christ, who before the ages was called the Son of God, appeared in the fullness of time to cleanse us—who were under sin—by His Blood, presenting us as pure sons to the Father, if we yield ourselves obedient to the discipline of the Spirit. And at the end of time, He shall come to abolish all evil and to reconcile all things, that there may be an end to all defilement.
39
And he found a jawbone of a donkey. It must be noted that after his fornication, Scripture no longer says of Samson’s exploits, The Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him. For the sin of fornication is committed against the body as the temple of God, according to the divine Apostle.
40
This signifies the persecution of the Church by the nations that remain in unbelief. But he who suffers these things has hope that there will be vengeance against those who make war. And by what means will vengeance come? First, by fleeing to the spiritual Rock; second, by finding the jawbone of a donkey. And the jawbone is a type of the Body of Christ.
41
By always speaking well of the worthy and never ill of the unworthy, we too shall partake of the glory and kingdom of God.
42
It was foretold in prophecy concerning them that the people, having become transgressors, would be bound by the chains of their own sins. But the breaking of his bonds signifies that when he repents, he will again be loosed from the chains of sin.
43
It is not easy to persuade a soul held captive by deception.
44
And they killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword. For he who no longer speaks by the Spirit of God but, opposing God’s Law, establishes another law of fornication, shall no longer be regarded as a prophet but as a soothsayer. Having not remained steadfast in God’s commandment, he received a reward worthy of his own wickedness.
24 — repeat
Know that every man is either empty or full. If he does not have the Holy Spirit, he has no knowledge of the Creator, has not received Jesus Christ as life, and does not know the heavenly Father. If he does not live according to the Word, by the heavenly law—if he lacks self-control and righteous deeds—such a man is empty. But if he has received Him who said, I will dwell in them and walk among them, and I will be their God, then he is not empty but full.
25
The young lad who guided Samson prefigured John the Baptist, who showed the people faith in Christ. The house where they were gathered signifies the world, in which the foreign and unbelieving nations dwelt, sacrificing to their idols. The two pillars represent the two covenants. Thus, Samson resting upon the pillars symbolizes the instructed people coming to know the mystery of Christ.
26
And the man of God said, "Where did it fall?" And he showed him the place. Then he cut off a stick and threw it in, and the iron floated. This was a sign of the uplifting of souls through the wood—the wood upon which He who has power to raise souls suffered, so that they might follow in His ascent. Another sign of this was that many souls arose and appeared in their bodies at the descent of Christ's holy soul. For just as the lightest wood sank while the heaviest iron floated, so too by the hypostatic union of God's Word with the flesh—united naturally in substance—the heavy and earthly was taken up into the heavens by the divine nature after the resurrection, having been made incorruptible.
27
The Gospel according to Matthew was written for the Jews, for they earnestly desired a Christ descended from David's seed. Matthew, sharing this desire even more fervently, was eager to fully convince them that Christ was indeed of David's lineage, and so he began with His genealogy.
28
"The axe is laid to the root," he says—rousing them to knowledge of the truth, purging them with fear, and preparing them to bear ripe fruit.
29
Behold, the mustard seed is shown in a parable—a heavenly word sown like seed in the world, as in a field, containing within itself the fiery and austere power. For He was proclaimed Judge of the whole world. Hidden in the heart of the earth, buried in the soil, He grew in three days into the greatest of trees, extending His branches to the ends of the earth. From Him sprang forth the Twelve Apostles, becoming fair and flourishing branches, a shelter for the nations like birds of the air. And all who were sheltered beneath these branches, gathered like birds under the shade, partook of the nourishing and heavenly food that came from them.
30
Now then, just as through the disobedience of one man—the first formed from the untilled earth—many were made sinners and lost life, so too it was necessary that through the obedience of one man—the first born of a virgin—many should be justified and receive salvation.
31
Josephus relates that when Moses was raised in royal courts and appointed as a general against the Ethiopians, he conquered them and took the daughter of their king as his wife, since she betrayed the city out of love for him. Now, why was it that of the two who spoke against him, only Miriam was punished? First, because the woman's transgression was greater—for both nature and the law subject the female to the male. Moreover, Aaron had some measure of excuse, being older in years and honored with the high priesthood. Beyond this, since the leper was considered unclean by the law, and Aaron was the root and foundation of the priesthood, lest the disgrace spread to the entire lineage, equal punishment was not brought upon him. Instead, through his sister, he was both chastened and instructed. For her affliction grieved him so deeply that when she first received it, he entreated Moses, the one he had wronged, to intercede for her deliverance. And Moses did not neglect this but immediately offered supplication. Then the compassionate Lord showed that He had disciplined her not in condemnation but as a father, saying: "If her father had but spit in her face, should she not bear her shame for seven days? Let her be shut out of the camp seven days, and after that she may return."
32
Since some, moved by who knows what impulse, strip away half of God's creative power—claiming He is merely the cause of qualities in matter while asserting matter itself is ungenerated—let us ask them this: If matter is unchangeable, and the unchangeable cannot be altered in quality, then it cannot be fashioned into a world. Thus, it is superfluous for them to claim that God imposes qualities upon matter, since matter, being ungenerated, cannot admit change at all. Again, if matter is ungenerated, it must exist in some quality, and if that quality is immutable, matter could not admit further qualities—nor could it be fashioned into a world. And if it cannot be fashioned into a world, it renders God wholly incapable of creation.
33
"And he washed," it says, "seven times in the Jordan." Not in vain was Naaman the leper cleansed by washing long ago, but as a sign for us - we who, being leprous in our sins, are purified through holy water and the invocation of the Lord, cleansed of our former transgressions, being spiritually reborn as newborn babes, just as the Lord said: "Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven."
34
If the dead body of Elisha raised a dead man, how much more will God, who gives life to the dead bodies of men, bring them to judgment?
35
True knowledge, then, is understanding according to Christ - what Paul calls "the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom," which the natural man does not receive, "the word of the cross." Whoever tastes this will not turn to the idle disputes and word-battles of the puffed-up and deluded, who intrude into things they have not seen. For the truth is without form and "the word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart," as the same apostle says. It makes us like Christ when we know the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. This is the essence of apostolic teaching and the most holy faith delivered to us, which even the unlearned receive and the simple teach - those who pay no heed to endless genealogies but rather strive for the amendment of life, lest being deprived of the Holy Spirit, they fall short of the kingdom of heaven. For the first thing is to deny yourself and follow Christ, and those who do this are brought to perfection, fulfilling all the will of the Master, becoming sons of God through spiritual regeneration and heirs of the kingdom of heaven - which, if they seek first, they shall not be denied.
36
Those who have followed the apostolic traditions know that the Lord established a new offering in the New Covenant, according to the prophet Malachi: "For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name is glorified among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to My name, and a pure sacrifice." So also John says in Revelation: "The incense is the prayers of the saints." And Paul exhorts us to "present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God - our reasonable service." And again: "Let us offer the sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of our lips." These offerings are not according to the Law, whose bond the Lord blotted out and removed from our midst, but according to the Spirit, "for God must be worshiped in spirit and in truth." For the offering of thanksgiving is not carnal but spiritual, and in this it is pure. We offer to God the bread and the cup of blessing, giving thanks to Him because He commanded the earth to bring forth these fruits for our nourishment. And having completed this offering, we invoke the Holy Spirit, that He may declare this sacrifice to be the Body of Christ and the cup the Blood of Christ, so that those who partake of these antitypes may obtain remission of sins and eternal life. Therefore, those who present these offerings in remembrance of the Lord do not adhere to the doctrines of the Jews but minister spiritually and shall be called sons of wisdom.
37
The apostles ordained that we should not judge anyone in matters of food and drink, or regarding a festival or new moon or Sabbath. From where then come these quarrels? From where these divisions? We keep festivals, but with the leaven of malice and wickedness, tearing apart the Church of God. We observe outward things only to cast away what is greater—faith and love. From the prophetic words, we have heard that such festivals and fasts are displeasing to the Lord.
38
Christ, who before the ages was called the Son of God, appeared in the fullness of time to cleanse us—who were under sin—by His Blood, presenting us as pure sons to the Father, if we yield ourselves obedient to the discipline of the Spirit. And at the end of time, He shall come to abolish all evil and to reconcile all things, that there may be an end to all defilement.
39
"And he found a jawbone of a donkey." It must be noted that after his fornication, Scripture no longer says of Samson's exploits, "The Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him." For the sin of fornication is committed against the body as the temple of God, according to the divine Apostle.
40
This signifies the persecution of the Church by the nations that remain in unbelief. But he who suffers these things has hope that there will be vengeance against those who make war. And by what means will vengeance come? First, by fleeing to the spiritual Rock; second, by finding the jawbone of a donkey. And the jawbone is a type of the Body of Christ.
41
By always speaking well of the worthy and never ill of the unworthy, we too shall partake of the glory and kingdom of God.
42
It was foretold in prophecy concerning them that the people, having become transgressors, would be bound by the chains of their own sins. But the breaking of his bonds signifies that when he repents, he will again be loosed from the chains of sin.
43
It is not easy to persuade a soul held captive by deception.
44
"And they killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword." For he who no longer speaks by the Spirit of God but, opposing God's Law, establishes another law of fornication, shall no longer be regarded as a prophet but as a soothsayer. Having not remained steadfast in God's commandment, he received a reward worthy of his own wickedness.
45
"The god of this age," called god by unbelievers, that is, Satan.
46
John's birth loosed Zechariah's silence. For he did not soothe but rather weighed down his father when the voice was silent beforehand. But just as unbelief bound the tongue, so its manifestation gave freedom to the father—to whom he was both announced and born. A voice and lamp, forerunner of the Word and Light.
47
Why is it added "in the city of David," unless to proclaim the fulfillment of God's promise to David that from the fruit of his loins would come an eternal king?