The Coming Judgment and the Life of the Word

He provides the good things (Cr 64, 17-30). It is necessary that we be prepared for the knowledge of faith in such a way that at all times we are able to answer easily the word concerning it, and in answering, to show gentleness and fear of God; for he who speaks about God should speak as if God were present (Cr 65, 10-14). For practice is then to be praised when it is accomplished with reasoning (Cr 65, 10-14).

For that which seems to be knowledge without understanding and examination brings reproach; 'for the discourses of the unwise are unsearchable' (Cr 65, 33-66, 3). When the time for receiving the beginning of God's judgment arrives, it begins from the greater toward the lesser, that is, from the faithful who complete the church of God (Cr 65, 33-66, 3); therefore it follows: if first the examination of those living occurs among us, the household of God, what should one think of the end for those who disobeyed the gospel of God? It instills much struggle and fear in the faithful, so that they may learn the Judge, to whom they have the word, with safety; he says that by rousing these, he exhorts the disobedient to the same fear, asserting that they shall unavoidably meet such punishments, the end of which is described as the disobedience they possessed (Cr 79, 5-22 Ma 204f).

He says he rouses these even more; if the righteous barely receives salvation, what should one think concerning the impious who are not raised to judgment by their own self-condemnation, and concerning the sinners who do not stand up among the righteous by design? For even the righteous, barely being saved, struggles concerning how the judgment against him was executed; for even if he perceived nothing trivial for himself, but rather knowing that he is not justified by this until the Judge justifies him, he struggles (Cr 79, 5-22 Ma 204f).

But he who is contained by God, yet in another way despises and transgresses His laws; if the same sinner and impious person were according to his underlying nature, he would have the difference in thought; but it is possible for the one sinning and being impious to be impious toward God through contempt (Cr 79, 22-28 Ma 205). Behold: 'the present heavens and earth are stored up by the same word' (2 Peter 3:7), which is like those things that happened during the flood; for he says: as through the ancient...

Just as the world then was destroyed, being overwhelmed by the flood, so the ungodly and sinners will be utterly destroyed when the elements of the heavens and the earth are dissolved into fire; that is, the similarity is that they will perish just as those who perished in the flood. For the Lord says, 'As it was in the days of Noah, they were eating, drinking, marrying, being given in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark and the flood came and swept them all away, so will the coming of the Son of Man be' (Matt 24:37-39). Adding more to explain that it will be so, He says that the day of judgment will come stealing like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away swiftly and unexpectedly, the elements being removed by the approaching fire; after which the heavens having passed away in a rushing manner, there will be new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness and the promises of God hold dominion.

Or does He say this because of the resurrection of Christ, since through Thomas it was made known to all the apostles that He, having risen, had this flesh, which they had fastened to the cross?

Each of the born things is said to be something, such as being an angel, being a sun or a heaven, but the Savior alone, being once eternal, attains it; all things come to participate in this for existence. Having first received this by hearing according to the introductory teaching, one comes to see Him scientifically after much training, which is the grasping of the Word of the life that is to come, saying: 'I am the life' (John 14:6). He will also speak thus: we have heard concerning the One existing from the beginning through the law and the prophets, how He will come; having come, we saw Him appearing to our eyes, not by chance, being joined to the flesh that was seen; for after much grasping of our part, searching the scriptures testifying about Him, we believed in the Word concerning life.

He says that we have seen the life existing in the Father revealed to us, so as to see it and hear about it appropriately; testifying by this revealed life, we announce to you also those things which follow, so that you may see Him and you may see. It is written that an announcement has come from Him, the Savior, to the...