The Cessation of Action and the Nature of Resurrection

The temple is a tower, in which those approaching were required to offer the fruits of piety to God, all of them fulfilling everything according to the law. Moreover, the altar is a threshing floor upon which the blood of the sacrifices was poured out; the priestly order are farmers, and all those handling this service, so as to prepare for the people the harvest from the teaching of the law to offer to God with a 'good' 'conscience'.

A prophet speaks of the servants who departed according to the appointed time, those who were sent to make the people or the priests mindful of what is owed to God. For the rebuke was continuous against them, especially against those, more than the rest, who were the causes of the ruin; and they remained enduring all sorts of evils from the Jews, and especially from those who seemed to be in authority among them, without yielding any more. Regarding the Son, he speaks of his arrival (παρουσίαν), having suffered by them and having risen and having destroyed them wickedly (Mt 22:1-14).

This is a wedding of a church being joined to the Word, and a preparation for the wedding through the giving of the gifts of the rich, which is likened to those being prepared for guests in a rich banquet. For Paul says that we are 'in everything' 'made rich' in Christ, 'in word and in knowledge'. The first and second servants are called: the first being those who ran toward the presence of the Lord as fellow-workers and successors of the apostles. But neglect prevents those who are called; for those 'walking according to the flesh' do not follow the divine call toward Christ.

Furthermore, there is the call of the Gentiles, and no longer is there a distinction of race, nor does Israel have the privilege; rather, grace is for those who are negligent and those who are rejected, for 'both the wise and the foolish' as Paul says, and both the evil and the good as the parable says. For he calls those who have taken care of themselves, comparing them to the generally wicked. And the evil may undergo a transition from wickedness, if they entirely obey the good-doing call and 'put on the new man'; but if not this, they were indeed called, but they were not chosen, and indeed their call is overturned; for they are rebuked even for having been convinced of a false entrance. But the ministers who cast out such people are angels. And the binding of feet and hands is...

A cessation of all activity. For no longer is any practice given to the wicked, the time of strangers having been fulfilled in which they have done nothing good. But by saying 'darkness' more externally, he speaks further on of divine virtue and glory.

Regarding the question of those testing him, as it is recorded (Mt 22:16), witnesses who wished to be present wanted to appear as those most opposed to the true Christ, saying that Christ is of Herod, and as being in authority and able to accuse.

We know, however, that even regarding this word, those from Valentinus and Marcion still contend, bringing the word up to souls; for they say that these live, and have spoken concerning these as being the god of the god of these. But the dispute with the Sadducees was not about souls, but about bodies, so that the answer was about these (Mt 22:23). It is said then that the dead rise, when the soul is with a body, not as if the soul were dissolved in the interval, but as being inactive and lacking the proper things of life which are with a body; for man and life are one thing in common, and both must be reunited toward the life from death.

He did not say 'Lord of the Spirit', but 'of David' (Mt 22:43); for not because he called Christ 'Lord' while speaking in spirit, must the Father be made a slave, as those impious toward the Spirit dare to do. For David says, 'and a son' of the handmaid of God, and this does not yet fit with the Holy Spirit, but is said regarding his own spirit. He spoke in spirit, for instance, when he said, 'do not take your Holy Spirit from me' (Psalm 51:11). And 'do not take your spirit from me' did not yet fit with the Holy Spirit; for he was not about to take it from himself, nor even when he confessed his sin were those confessions of the Spirit.

Look, that there are not by nature any sons of Gehenna (Mt 23:15); rather, it should be sought whether the Gentiles, before they were baptized, were not sons of Gehenna. Because they marveled at gold, they valued the gold in the temple above the temple, it being necessary not to value the matter, but the name, since the temple was called by the name of God, and the gold was shown to be precious because of the name of the temple (Mt 23:16). And because they profited from the sacrifices because of the gains from them,