The Third Perfection and the Testing of the Word

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They say they desired salvation: 'O God, you tested us, you burned us like silver is burned; you brought us into a snare, you set tribulations before us'—or 'into our midst'; for it is also carried in many manuscripts—'you brought up men upon our necks, we passed through fire and water, and you brought us out into refreshment.'

Similarly in Isaiah, regarding the one who helps and does good, it says: 'Do not fear, for I am with you; and if you pass through water, rivers shall not overwhelm you; and if you walk through fire, flame shall not burn you, for I am with you' (Isa 43:2). When, then, does anyone pass through fire and remain unharmed, unless he has possessed the voice of God, concerning which it was said: 'The voice of the Lord breaking a flaming fire' (Ps 29:7)? Just as the people crossed the Red Sea with the holy rod without any loss, as the flame of the fire was broken and divided, so the crossing proceeds without being consumed by the flame.

What remained of the third in the Hebrew plurality, the two parts having been destroyed and having ceased, was tested according to the intellect, both gold and silver, passing through fire. Similarly it is carried in Wisdom: 'Just as gold and silver are tested in a furnace, so are chosen hearts before God' (Wis 2:5). The same thought is held by what the apostle Peter writes in his epistle, exhorting to bear tribulations bravely and magnanimously, especially those concerning faith.

And his word has it thus: 'In which rejoice, though you may sometimes be grieved in various trials, so that the testing of your faith may be found more precious than gold being tested by fire; for it shall be found unto praise and glory' (1 Pet 1:6-7). In agreement, James also addresses the disciples of the Gospel: 'Count it all joy, beloved brothers, when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of you works patience; and let patience have a perfect work, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing' (Jas 1:2-4). For thus, having been prepared, those to whom the word is addressed, having been burned like silver according to the word and having been tested like gold according to their own intellect, shall have God listening, calling upon His name, as He benefits them as a people.

To turn from the benefactor to their own God. The matter laid before is being tortured and is otherwise clear. In the Church of Christ, there are some practicing superstition and others Judaizing among them, even as they also sincerely fear God, in whom the apostles, being said to speak wisdom, have all progressed as far as to reach 'a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of the knowledge of the Son of God' (Eph 4:13).

The two destroying parts will be cut away, so that they may no longer practice superstition or Judaize according to the ways of the Ebionites. For when this has been endured, only the perfect of the Church will remain in it, so that they indeed may be made 'the people of God' (1 Pet 2:10), and He himself may be confessed as 'their God' (Ex 21:6).

Understand precisely even if a third theory may be said regarding the things set forth. Each of the virtues lies in the middle of two evils, excess and deficiency: courage and temperance, the one being the middle of rashness and cowardice, the other of intemperance and foolishness, just as piety has excess in superstition and deficiency in impiety. Similarly, the free man, being social and giving, has the best middle, of which profligacy is excess and stinginess is deficiency.

And since of those sinning, some by excesses—doing rashness, superstition, and profligacy—and others by deficiencies—doing impiety, cowardice, and stinginess—these two ranks and parts must necessarily be destroyed and cut away having fallen under punishment, the third being perfected, being refined and tested like silver and gold, which is the word and the mind, in order to be tested and perfected according to the following virtues, having surpassed the deficiencies and excesses.

It is said from property and another scientific thought thus: 'those bearing the image of the swine', partaking of a material disposition, become unclean, approaching that which is called an indefinite duality toward some. And according to the Scripture, indeed, the unclean of the animals are taken two by two, while the clean are brought into the ark seven by seven, belonging to the incorruptible virgin week (Gen 7:2). And since those bearing the image of the swine are two, the quality of these is also cut away and destroyed, so that the third may be revealed as tested 'of those bearing the image of...'

Greek

ὀρέξαντα σωτηρίαν φασίν· «Ἐδοκίμασας ἡμᾶς, ὁ Θεός, ἐπύρωσας ἡμᾶς, ὡς πυροῦται τὸ ἀργύρι̣ον· εἰσήγαγες ἡμᾶς εἰς τη`̣ν παγίδα, ἔθου θλίψεις ἐνώπιον ἡμῶν» –ἢ «εἰς νῶτον ἡμῶν»· φέρεται γὰρ καὶ οὕτως ἐν πλείστοις ἀντιγράφοις–, «ἐπεβίβασας ἀνθρώπους ἐπὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς ἡμῶν, διήλθαμεν διὰ πυρὸς καὶ ὕδατος, καὶ ἐξήγαγες 146 ἡμᾶς εἰς ἀναψυχήν.» 5.10 Ἰσοδυναμούντως καὶ ἐν Ἠσαΐᾳ πρὸς τὸν εὐεργετούμενον ὁ βοηθῶν λέγει· «Μὴ φοβοῦ, ὅτι μετὰ σοῦ εἰμι· καὶ ἐὰν διέρχῃ δι' ὕδατος, ποταμοὶ οὐ συγκλύσουσίν σε· καὶ ἐὰν διαβαίνῃς διὰ πυρός, φλὸξ οὐ κατακαύσει σε, ὅτι μετὰ σοῦ εἰμι.» Πότε δέ τις διὰ πυρὸς διερχόμενος ἀβλαβὴς μένει, ἢ ὅτε τὴν Θεοῦ φωνὴν κέκτηται περὶ ἧς εἴρηται· «Φωνὴ Κυρίου διακόπτοντος φλόγα πυρός»; Ὡς γὰρ διαιρεθείσης τῆς Ἐρυθρᾶς θαλάσσης τῇ ἁγίᾳ ῥάβδῳ διέβη ὁ λαὸς χωρὶς πάσης ζημίας, οὕτω τῆς φλογὸς τοῦ πυρὸς διακοπτομένης καὶ διαιρουμένης ἄνευ τοῦ ὑπὸ φλογὸς κατακαῆναι ἡ διάβασις ἀνύεται. 5.11 Τὸ ὑπολειφθὲν τρίτον ἐν τῇ πληθύϊ τῇ ἑβραϊκῇ, τῶν δύο μερῶν ὀλεθρευθέντων καὶ ἐκλειψάντων, ἐδοκιμάσθη κατὰ τὸ νοητὸν χρυσίον τε καὶ ἀργύριον διὰ πυρὸς διαβάν. Τούτῳ παραπλησίως ἐν τῇ Σοφίᾳ φέρεται· «Ὡς δοκιμάζεται ἐν καμίνῳ χρυσίον καὶ ἀργύριον, οὕτως ἐκλεκταὶ καρδίαι παρὰ Θεῷ.» Τὴν αὐτὴν νόησιν ἔχει καὶ ὃ γράφει ὁ ἀπόστολος Πέτρος ἐν τῇ κατ' αὐτὸν ἐπιστολῇ, προτρεπόμενος γενναίως καὶ μεγαλοψύχως φέρειν τὰ θλιβερά, μάλιστα τὰ ὑπὲρ τῆς πίστεως. 5.12 Ἔχει δὲ ἡ λέξις αὐτοῦ οὕτως· «Ἐν ᾧ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε, εἰ δέον λυπηθέντες ἐν ποικίλοις πειρασμοῖς, ἵνα ᾖ τὸ δοκίμιον τῆς πίστεως ὑμῶν πολυτιμότερον χρυσίου διὰ πυρὸς δοκιμαζομένου· οὕτω γὰρ εὑρεθήσεται εἰς ἔπαινον καὶ δόξαν.» Συμφώνως φέρεται καὶ Ἰάκωβος προσφωνῶν τοῖς μαθηταῖς τοῦ εὐαγγελίου· «Πᾶσαν χαρὰν ἡγήσασθε, ἀδελφοὶ ἀγαπητοί, ὅταν πειρασμοῖς περιπέσητε ποικίλοις, γινώσκοντες ὅτι τὸ δ̣οκίμιον ὑμῶν κατεργ̣άζεται ὑπομονήν· ἡ δὲ ὑπομονὴ ἔργον τέλειον ἐχέτω, ἵνα ἦτε τέλειοι καὶ ὁλόκληροι, ἐν μηδενὶ λειπόμενοι.» 5.13 Οὕτω γὰρ διατεθέντες οἱ πρὸς οὓς ὁ λόγος, πυρωθέντες ὡς τὸ ἀργύριον κατὰ τὸν λόγον καὶ δοκιμασθέντες ὡς τὸ χρυσίον κατὰ τὸν νοῦν ἑαυτῶν, ἕξουσιν τὸν Θεὸν ἐπακούοντα, ἐπικαλούμενοι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, ὡς αὐτοὺς μὲν λαὸν χρηματίσαι τοῦ εὐεργέτου, αὐτὸν δὲ Θεὸν αὐτῶν. 5.14 Βασανιστέον καὶ ἑτέρως τὸ ἐκκείμενον ῥητόν. Ἐν τῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἐκκλησίᾳ, εἰσί τινες δεισιδαιμονοῦντες καὶ ἄλλοι παρ' αὐτοὺς ἰουδαΐζοντες, ὡς αὖ καὶ γνησίως θεοσεβοῦντες, ἐν οἷς σοφίαν λαλοῦσιν τελείοις οὖσιν οἱ ἀπόστολοι, προκοψάντων πάντων ὡς φθάσαι «εἰς ἄνδρα τέλειον εἰς μέτρον ἡλικίας τοῦ πληρώματος τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ». 5.15 Ἐκλείψει τὰ δύο μέρη ὀλοθρευόμενα, ἵνα μηκέτι δεισιδαιμονῶσιν ἢ ἰουδαΐζωσιν κατὰ τοὺς ἐβιωναίους. Τούτ̣ου γὰρ ἀνυσθέντος, οἱ τέλειοι τῆς Ἐκκλησίας μόνοι ὑπολειφθήσονται ἐν αὐτῇ, ἵνα αὐτοὶ μὲν «Θεοῦ λαὸς» χρηματίσωσιν, αὐτὸς δὲ «αὐτῶν Θεὸς» ὁμολογηθῇ. 5.16 Ἐπίστησον ἀκριβῶς εἰ καὶ τρίτη θεωρία λεχθῆναι δύναται εἰς τὰ προκείμενα. Ἑκάστη τῶν ἀρετῶν μέση κεῖται κακιῶν δύο, ὑπερβολῆς καὶ ἐλλείψεως· ἡ ἀνδρεία καὶ ἡ σωφροσύνη, ἣ μὲν μέση ἐστὶν θρασύτητος καὶ δειλίας, ἣ δὲ ἀκολασίας καὶ ἠλιθιότητος, ὡς αὖ ἡ εὐσέβεια ὑπ̣ερβολὴν̣ ἔχει τὴν δεισιδαιμονία̣ν, ἔλλειψιν δὲ τὴν ἀσέβειαν. Ὁμοίως καὶ ὁ ἐλευθέριος κ̣οινωνικὸς καὶ μεταδοτικὸς ὑπάρχων̣ ἕξ̣ιν ἔχει βελτίστην, ἧς ἀσωτία ὑπερβολή, ἔλλειψις δὲ φειδωλία̣. 5.17 Καὶ ἐπεὶ τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων οἳ μὲν κατὰ τὰς ὑπερβολάς, θρασύτητα, δεισιδαιμονία̣ν, ἀσωτίαν πεποίωνται, οἳ δὲ κατὰ τὰς ἐλλείψεις, ἀσέβειαν, δειλίαν, φειδωλίαν, ἀναγκαίως τὰ δύο τάγματα καὶ μέρη ταῦτα ὀλοθρεύεται καὶ ἐκλείπει τιμωρίᾳ ὑποπεσόντα, τοῦ τρίτου τελειουμένου, πυρουμένου καὶ δοκιμαζομένου κατὰ τὸ ἀργύριον καὶ τὸ χρυσίον, ἅ ἐστιν λόγος καὶ νοῦς, τῷ κατὰ τὰς ἀντακολουθούσας ἀρετὰς δεδοκιμάσθαι καὶ τετελειῶσθαι ὑπερβεβηκότος τὰς ἐλλείψεις καὶ ὑπερβολάς. 5.18 Ῥηθείη ἐκ περιουσίας καὶ ἑτέρα ἐπιστημονικὴ νόησις οὕτως· «οἱ φοροῦντες τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ χοϊκοῦ», ὑλικῆς προαιρέσεως μετέχοντες, ἀκάθαρτοι τυγχάνουσι, προσεοικότες τῇ πρός τινων λεγομένῃ ἀορίστῳ δυάδι. Καὶ κατὰ τὴν γραφὴν γοῦν τὰ ἀκάθαρτα τῶν ζῴων δύο δύο παραλαμβάνονται, τῶν καθαρῶν οἰκειουμένων τῇ 147 ἀδιαφθόρῳ παρθένῳ ἑβδομάδι ἑπτὰ ἑπτὰ εἰσαγομένων εἰς τὴν κιβωτόν. Καὶ ἐπεὶ οἱ τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ χοϊκοῦ φοροῦντες δυάς εἰσιν, ἐκλείπει καὶ ὀλοθρεύεται ἡ τούτων ποιότης, ἵνα τὸ τρίτον ἀναδειχθῇ δόκιμον «τῶν φορούντων τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ

About this text

Didymus the Blind on Zechariah.

Original English Translation — new OET from PG Greek.

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Khazarzar scan

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Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)

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