True meaning of 'every man is a liar' and the cup of salvation as martyrdom
Basil has just dismissed the sophistical objection to 'every man is a liar' as wordplay, and now gives the true interpretation before turning to the psalmist's vow of the cup of salvation.
But these are the games of people who jest and delight in the twists of words at the expense of the inexperienced. The truth is not like that. For those are called men who are still held by human passions. But the one who has already risen above the passions of the flesh, and through the perfection of his mind has passed over to the state of the angels—when he speaks about human things, he clearly exempts himself from the rest. For the one who said, “I said, ‘You are gods, and all of you sons of the Most High; but you die like men’” (Psalm 82:6-7, LXX 81:6-7), is truthful. “You are gods.” And certainly if to anyone else, this title is fitting also for David. For he too is a son of the Most High, made akin to God through virtue, and he does not die like a man, but having God living within himself.
“I said in my ecstasy,” he says, “‘Every man is a liar’” (Psalm 116:11, LXX 115:2). Let those hear this who are mixed together with the flesh through their passions, yet exalt their own minds above the things beyond the world. Let it be the common aim of all who lay claim to piety to tear down their reasonings and the height of their heart that is lifted up against God.
“What shall I give back to the Lord for all that he has given back to me? I will take the cup of salvation” (Psalm 116:12-13, LXX 115:3-4). Coming to awareness of the countless gifts from God—that he was brought from non-being into being; that, formed from the earth, he was honored with reason, in which he is also able to bear the image of the heavenly one; and then, looking also to the plan for the human race, that the Lord gave himself as a ransom for us all—he is at a loss, and searches among all that he possesses for what worthy gift he might find for the Master.
“What then,” he says, “shall I give back to the Lord?” Not sacrifices, not whole burnt offerings, not the service of the legal worship, but my whole life itself. And for this reason, he says, “I will take the cup of salvation,” meaning the suffering in the contests for the sake of piety, the standing against sin even to death. And this would be what the Savior himself taught in the Gospels: “Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me” (Matthew 26:39); and again to the disciples, “Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” (Matthew 20:22). He was indicating the death he accepted for the salvation of the world.
For this reason, he says, “I will take the cup of salvation”—that is, thirsting, I come to the perfection through martyrdom, counting not as pains the tortures brought on in the contests for piety, but as rest for soul and body. “I will offer myself,” he says, “as a sacrifice and offering to the Lord, since I consider all things too small for the worth of my benefactor. And these promises I am ready to pay before all the people, who are my witnesses. For I will pay my vows in the presence of all his people” (Psalm 116:14, LXX 115:5).
Then comes an exhortation to the hearers not to be terrified by death. “Precious before the Lord,” he says, “is the death of his holy ones” (Psalm 116:15, LXX 115:6). Do not shrink from the good contest, you people, and do not be cowardly before death. For it is not corruption, but the starting point of life; it is not utter destruction, but a passage to honor.
Greek
Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν παιζόντων ἐστὶ, καὶ ταῖς τῶν λόγων στροφαῖς ἐπαγαλλομένων πρὸς τοὺς ἀπείρους· τὸ δὲ ἀληθὲς οὐχ οὕτως ἔχει. Ἄνθρωποι γὰρ λέγονται οἱ τοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις ἔτι παθήμασι κατεχόμενοι· ὁ δὲ ὑψηλότερος ἤδη τῶν σαρκικῶν παθημάτων γενόμενος, καὶ διὰ τὴν τοῦ νοῦ τελείωσιν πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἀγγέλων κατάστασιν μετελθὼν, οὗτος ὅταν περὶ τῶν ἀν θρωπίνων διαλέγηται, ἑαυτὸν ὑπεξαιρεῖται τῶν λοι πῶν δηλονότι. Ἀψευδὴς γὰρ ὁ εἰπών· Ἐγὼ εἶπα· Θεοί ἐστε, καὶ υἱοὶ Ὑψίστου πάντες· ὑμεῖς δὲ ὡς ἄνθρωποι ἀποθνήσκετε. Θεοί ἐστε. Πάντως δὲ εἴ τινι ἄλλῳ, καὶ τῷ Δαβὶδ ἡ τοιαύτη προσηγορία πρέπουσα. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ υἱὸς Ὑψίστου, ὁ διὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς ᾠκειωμένος Θεῷ, καὶ οὐκ ἀποθνήσκων ὡς ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλὰ ζῶντα ἔχων ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὸν Θεόν. Ἐγὼ οὖν εἶπον, φησὶν, ἐν τῇ ἐκστάσει μου· Πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ψεύστης. Ἀκουέτωσαν οἱ τῇ μὲν σαρκὶ διὰ τῶν παθημάτων συμπεφυρμένοι, τὸν δὲ νοῦν ἑαυτῶν ὑπεραίροντες τῶν ὑπερκοσμίων· ὧν τοὺς λογισμοὺς καθαιρεῖν, καὶ τὸ ὕψωμα τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν τῆς κατεπαιρομένης τοῦ Θεοῦ, κοινὸς ἔστω σκοπὸς πᾶσι τοῖς ἀντιποιουμένοις τῆς εὐσεβείας. Τί ἀνταποδώσω τῷ Κυρίῳ περὶ πάντων ὧν ἀνταπέδωκέν μοι; Ποτήριον σωτηρίου λήψομαι. Εἰς αἴσθησιν ἐλθὼν τῶν μυρίων παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ δωρεῶν, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος εἰς τὸ εἶναι παρήχθη· ὅτι ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς διαπλασθεὶς, λόγῳ τετίμηται, ἐν ᾧ καὶ τὴν εἰκόνα φορεῖν δύναται τοῦ ἐπουρανίου· ἔπειτα καὶ πρὸς τὴν ὑπὲρ τοῦ γένους τῶν ἀνθρώπων οἰκονομίαν ἀπιδὼν, ὅτι ἑαυτὸν ὁ Κύριος ἔδωκε λύτρον ἀντὶ πάντων ἡμῶν, ἐπαπορεῖ, καὶ ζητεῖ ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ὑπάρχουσιν αὐτῷ, τί ἄξιον ἐξεύρῃ δῶρον τῷ Δεσπότῃ. Τί οὖν, φησὶν, ἀνταποδώσω τῷ Κυρίῳ; Οὐ θυσίας, οὐδὲ ὁλοκαυτώσεις, οὐδὲ τὴν ἐκ τῆς νομικῆς λατρείας θεραπείαν, ἀλλ' αὐτὴν πᾶσαν τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ ζωήν· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο, φησὶ, Ποτήριον σωτηρίου λήψομαι, τὸ ἐν τοῖς ἀγῶσι τοῖς ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσεβείας πάθος, τὸ μέχρι θανάτου πρὸς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἀντικατα στῆναι, ποτήριον λέγων. Τοῦτο δ' ἂν εἴη ὅπερ αὐτὸς ἐδίδαξεν ὁ Σωτὴρ ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις· Πάτερ, εἰ δυνατὸν, παρελθέτω τὸ ποτήριον τοῦτο· καὶ πάλιν τοῖς μαθηταῖς· Δύνασθε πιεῖν τὸ ποτήριον, ὃ ἐγὼ μέλλω πίνειν; ἐδήλου δὲ τὸν θάνατον, ὃν κατεδέχετο ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου σωτηρίας. Διὰ τοῦτο, φησὶ, Ποτήριον σωτηρίου λήψομαι· τουτέστι, διψῶν ἐπὶ τὴν διὰ τοῦ μαρτυρίου τελείωσιν ἔρχομαι, ἀνάπαυσιν ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος, οὐκ ἀλγηδόνας τιθέμενος τὰ ἐν τοῖς ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀγῶσι προσαγόμενα κολαστήρια. Ἐμαυτὸν οὖν, φησὶ, θυσίαν προσοίσω καὶ προσφορὰν τῷ Κυρίῳ, ἐπειδὴ πάντα μικρότερα τί θεμαι τῆς ἀξίας τοῦ εὐεργετήσαντος. Καὶ ταύτας τὰς ἐπαγγελίας ἑτοίμως ἔχω ὑπὸ μάρτυρι παντὶ τῷ λαῷ ἀποτῖσαι. Τὰς γὰρ εὐχάς μου ἀποδώσω ἐναντίον παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ. Εἶτα προτροπὴ πρὸς τοὺς ἀκροατὰς ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ καταπλαγῆναι τὸν θάνατον. Τίμιος, φησὶν, ἐναντίον Κυρίου, ὁ θάνατος τῶν ὁσίων αὐτοῦ. Μὴ ὀκνήσητε, φησὶ, πρὸς ἀγῶνα τὸν καλὸν, οἱ ἄνθρωποι, μηδὲ ἀποδειλιάσητε πρὸς τὸν θάνατον· οὐ γὰρ φθορά ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ ζωῆς ἀφορ μή· οὐκ ἀφανισμός ἐστι παντελὴς, ἀλλὰ μετάβασις πρὸς τιμήν.