Fuller praise to come, and the priests’ share of the offerings
Cyril: …to those in bonds, “Come out,” and to those in darkness, “Show yourselves”’ (Isaiah 49:9): in the same way, I think, once death has been abolished and sin wholly undone, there will be a manner of praise fitting that time. For we shall sing hymns for greater things; and, made rich with good things beyond mind and speech, we shall crown Christ, the giver of all good things to us, with brighter praises, together with God the Father. For it says: ‘Whether there are prophecies, they will be abolished; whether there is knowledge, it will cease. Now we know in part; but when what is perfect comes, what is in part will be abolished’ (1 Corinthians 13:8–10). And Christ himself also said: ‘These things I have spoken to you in figures; but the hour is coming when I shall no longer speak to you in figures, but shall tell you plainly about the Father’ (John 16:25). Since, then, a more perfect knowledge will be in us when its time comes, we shall also sing hymns more loftily than now.
Palladius: The argument is convincing.
Cyril: Having laid down for each sacrifice the rule that fits it, and having explained very well how it should be done, he at once makes the priest a sharer in the altar. For it is written thus: ‘And the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying: You and your sons and your father’s house shall take the firstfruits of the holy things; and you and your sons shall take the sins of your priesthood’ (Numbers 18:1). Then he adds that they must hold to their sacred tasks with a wakeful and sober mind (Numbers 18:2–7), and says: ‘And behold, I Myself have given you the keeping of the firstfruits from all that is consecrated to me by the sons of Israel; to you I have given them as a privilege, and to your sons after you, a perpetual ordinance. And this shall be yours from the consecrated holy things of the burnt offerings: from all their gifts, and from all their sacrifices, and from every trespass of theirs, and from all their sins, all that they render to me from all the holy things shall belong to you and to your sons. In the Holy of Holies you shall eat them; every male shall eat them, you and your sons. They shall be holy to you. And this shall be yours from the firstfruits of their gifts, from all the wave offerings of the sons of Israel. To you I have given them, and to your sons and your daughters with you, a perpetual ordinance; everyone who is clean in your house shall eat them. All the firstfruits of oil, and all the firstfruits of wine and of grain, the firstfruits of whatever they give to the Lord, I have given to you. All the first produce that is in their land, whatever they bring to the Lord, shall be yours; everyone who is clean in your house shall eat them. Everything devoted among the sons of Israel shall be yours; and everything that opens the womb, of all flesh, whatever they offer to the Lord, from man to beast, shall be yours. But the firstborn of men shall surely be redeemed with a ransom, and the firstborn of unclean beasts you shall redeem. Its redemption shall be from a month old; the valuation is five shekels, by the holy shekel; it is twenty obols (Numbers 18:8–16). But the firstborn
Greek
τοῖς ἐν δεσμοῖς, Ἐξέλθετε, καὶ τοῖς ἐν τῷ σκότει, Ἀνακαλύφθητε·» τὸν αὐτὸν, οἶμαι, τρόπον, κατηργημένου θανάτου, καὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας λελυμένης εἰσάπαν, αἰνέσεως ἔσται τρόπος ὁ τῷ καιρῷ πρέπων· ἐπὶ μείζοσι γὰρ ὑμνήσομεν· καὶ τὰ ὑπὲρ νοῦν καὶ λόγον πλουτήσαντες ἀγαθὰ, λαμπροτέραις εὐφημίαις τὸν ἁπάντων ἡμῖν δοτῆρα τῶν ἀγαθῶν Χριστὸν συστεφανώσομεν τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρί. «Εἴτε γὰρ προφητεῖαι καταργηθήσονται,» φησὶν, «εἴτε γνῶσις παύσεται· Καὶ ἄρτι μὲν ἐκ μέρους γινώσκομεν· ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ τὸ τέλειον, τὸ ἐκ μέρους καταργηθήσεται.» Καὶ μὴν καὶ αὐτὸς ἔφη που Χριστός· «Ταῦτα ἐν παροιμίαις λελάληκα ὑμῖν. Ἀλλ' ἔρχεται ὥρα ὅτε οὔτε ἐν παροιμίαις λαλήσω ὑμῖν, ἀλλὰ παῤῥησίᾳ περὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἀναγγελῶ ὑμῖν.» Ὡς οὖν ἐσομένης ἐν ἡμῖν κατὰ καιροὺς τελειοτέρας γνώσεως, ὑψηλότερον ἢ νῦν καὶ ὑμνήσομεν.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Πιθανὸς ὁ λόγος.
{ΚΥΡ.} Ἑκάστῃ δὴ οὖν θυσίᾳ τὸν αὐτῇ πρέποντα θεσμοθετήσας ὅρον, καὶ ὅπως ἂν γένοιτο, διειπὼν εὖ μάλα, κοινωνὸν εὐθὺς τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου καθίστησι τὸν ἱερουργόν. Γέγραπται γὰρ ὡδί· «Καὶ εἶπε Κύριος πρὸς Ἀαρὼν, λέγων· Σὺ καὶ οἱ υἱοί σου, καὶ ὁ οἶκος πατριᾶς σου, λήψεσθε τὰς ἀπαρχὰς τῶν ἁγίων· καὶ σὺ καὶ οἱ υἱοί σου λήψεσθε τὰς ἁμαρτίας τῆς ἱερατείας ὑμῶν.» Προσεπαγαγὼν δὲ τούτοις, ὅτι χρὴ τῶν ἱερῶν ἔχεσθαι σπουδασμάτων αὐτοὺς διεγηγερμένῳ καὶ νήφοντι νῷ, «Καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ,» φησὶ, «δέδωκα ὑμῖν τὴν διατήρησιν τῶν ἀπαρχῶν ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἡγιασμένων μοι παρὰ τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ· σοὶ δέδωκα αὐτὰ εἰς γέρας, καὶ τοῖς υἱοῖς σου μετὰ σὲ, νόμιμον αἰώνιον· καὶ τοῦτο ἔστω ὑμῖν ἀπὸ τῶν ἡγιασμένων ἁγίων τῶν καρπωμάτων, ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν δώρων αὐτῶν, καὶ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν θυσιασμάτων αὐτῶν, καὶ ἀπὸ πάσης πλημμελείας αὐτῶν, καὶ ἀπὸ πασῶν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν, ὅσα ἀποδιδόασί μοι ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἁγίων, σοὶ ἔσται καὶ τοῖς υἱοῖς σου. Ἐν τῷ Ἁγίῳ τῶν ἁγίων φάγεσθε αὐτά· πᾶν ἀρσενικὸν φάγεσθε αὐτὰ, σὺ καὶ οἱ υἱοί σου. Ἅγια ἔσται σοι. Καὶ τοῦτο ἔσται ὑμῖν ἀπαρχῶν δομάτων αὐτῶν, ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἐπιθεμάτων τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ. Σοὶ δέδωκα αὐτὰ καὶ τοῖς υἱοῖς σου καὶ ταῖς θυγατράσι σου μετὰ σοῦ, νόμιμον αἰώνιον· πᾶς καθαρὸς ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ σου ἔδεται αὐτά. Πᾶσα ἀπαρχὴ ἐλαίου, καὶ πᾶσα ἀπαρχὴ οἴνου, καὶ σίτου, ἀπαρχὴ αὐτῶν ὅσα ἂν δῶσι τῷ Κυρίῳ, σοὶ δέδωκα αὐτά. Τὰ πρωτογεννήματα πάντα ὅσα ἐν τῇ γῇ αὐτῶν, ὅσα ἂν ἐνέγκωσι Κυρίῳ, σοὶ ἔσται. Πᾶς καθαρὸς ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ σου ἔδεται αὐτά. Πᾶν ἀνατεθεματισμένον ἐν υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ, σοὶ ἔσται, καὶ πᾶν διανοῖγον μήτραν ἀπὸ πάσης σαρκὸς, ὅσα προσφέρουσι Κυρίῳ, ἀπὸ ἀνθρώπου ἕως κτήνους, σοὶ ἔσται. Ἀλλ' ἢ λύτροις λυτρωθήσεται τὰ πρωτότοκα τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ τὰ πρωτότοκα τῶν κτηνῶν τῶν ἀκαθάρτων λυτρώσῃ· καὶ ἡ λύτρωσις αὐτοῦ, ἀπὸ μηνιαίου· ἡ συντίμησις πέντε σίκλων, κατὰ τὸν σίκλον τὸν ἅγιον, εἴκοσι ὀβολοί εἰσι· πλὴν πρωτότοκα