Obey the priest who expounds the law; the lamp set on the lampstand
Cyril: …in arrogance, so as not to obey the priest who stands to minister in the name of the Lord your God, or the judge who is in office in those days, that man shall die, and you shall remove the wicked person from Israel. And all the people, when they hear, will be afraid, and will no longer act impiously.’ (Deuteronomy 17:8–13) You see how the law clearly charges those who have chosen to bring a complaint on any ground to make the priest their judge and arbiter. Indeed, ‘you shall take great care to act in keeping with all that is laid down for you’ (Deuteronomy 17:10). For ‘the lips of a priest will guard judgment, and they will seek the law from his mouth,’ as the prophet says (Malachi 2:7). He does not make law himself at all; rather, he conveys faithfully what the lawgiver has decided, setting it out without partiality, and, as the best arbiter of justice, he weighs the judgment in each case with precision. For this reason a charge of savagery and contempt follows those who choose to disobey, and the worst of all evils, that is, death, is appointed for them. For whoever disregards the priest who stands to minister in the name of the Lord God, it says, shall die (Deuteronomy 17:12). Great, then, and truly wonderful is this attendance and ministry under God. Whoever dishonors God’s minister will be subject to judgment and punishment, and whoever spurns the divine dignity will render a bitter account for his contempt. We shall find that our Lord Jesus Christ himself was also concerned for the respect due to this law. For he addressed the crowds of the Jews in this way: ‘The scribes and the Pharisees have sat on Moses’ seat; so do all that they tell you, but do not do as they do.’ (Matthew 23:2–3) So let no one judge the priest, even if he is seen to be somewhat slack, and even if he is careless about choosing to live in keeping with the law; but when he interprets the law, let everyone give him ready obedience. For his weaknesses arise from his own will, but what he expounds belongs to God. The things of God, then, must not be dishonored because of what is human.
Palladius: Certainly not.
Cyril: You will learn from this too that the priesthood is a splendid thing, and truly one on which all eyes are fixed. Its beginning is most conspicuous, and so too is its close. For no one could pass unnoticed when he is brought to priestly service, nor again when he is called by God to the dwellings above in heaven and hands the priesthood on to another. That is why Christ too said that those who serve as priests in proclaiming the gospel to the nations (Romans 15:16), and to those of Israel besides, would be conspicuous in every way and without fail, and would receive a glory on which all eyes are fixed. ‘For no one, after lighting a lamp, puts it in a hidden place, nor even under a bed,’ he says, ‘or under a basket, but on the lampstand, so that all who come in may see the light.’ (Luke 11:33; Luke 8:16) That this was truly said, I mean that the divine minister will be in a glory that is conspicuous and admired, let the inspired Isaiah also convince you, when he cries out:
Greek
ἐν ὑπερηφανίᾳ ὥστε μὴ ὑπακοῦσαι τοῦ ἱερέως τοῦ παρεστηκότος λειτουργεῖν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ σου, ἢ τοῦ κριτοῦ ὃς ἂν ᾖ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις, καὶ ἀποθανεῖται ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος, καὶ ἐξαρεῖς τὸν πονηρὸν ἐξ Ἰσραήλ. Καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἀκούσας φοβηθήσεται, καὶ οὐκ ἀσεβήσει ἔτι.» Ὁρᾷς ἐπισκήπτοντα σαφῶς τὸν νόμον τοῖς κατὰ πᾶσαν αἰτίαν ἐγκαλεῖν ᾑρημένοις, κριτήν τε καὶ διαγνώμονα ποιεῖσθαι τὸν ἱερουργόν. Ἀλλὰ φυλάξῃ σφόδρα ποιῆσαι κατὰ πάντα ὅσα ἂν νομοθετηθῇ σοι. «Χείλη γὰρ ἱερέως φυλάξεται κρίσιν, καὶ νόμον ζητήσουσιν ἐκ στόματος αὐτοῦ,» κατὰ τὴν τοῦ προφήτου φωνήν. Νομοθετεῖ μὲν γὰρ ἥκιστα μὲν αὐτὸς, ἀποκομίζει δὲ μᾶλλον εἰς τὸ εὐθὺ τὸ τῷ νομοθέτῃ δοκοῦν ἀδεκάστως ἀφηγούμενος, καὶ δικαιοσύνης ὑπάρχων ἄριστος βραβευτὴς, τὴν ἐφ' ἑκάστῳ κρίσιν ταλαντεύει λεπτῶς. Ἀγριότητος δὲ καὶ ὑπεροψίας ταύτῃτοι γραφὴ τοῖς ἀπειθεῖν ἑλομένοις ἀκολουθεῖ, καὶ τὸ παντῶν ἐπέκεινα διεληλακὸς τῶν κακῶν, τοῦτ' ἔστιν, ὁ θάνατος καθορίζεται, Τεθνήξεται γὰρ ὃς ἂν ἀλογήσῃ, φησὶ, τοῦ ἱερέως τοῦ παρεστηκότος λειτουργεῖν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ. Μέγα δὴ οὖν καὶ οὐκ ἀθαύμαστον ἀληθῶς, ἡ ὑπὸ Θεῷ παράστασίς τε καὶ λειτουργία. Ὁ δὲ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ λειτουργὸν ἀτιμάσας, ὑπὸ δίκην ἔσται καὶ κόλασιν, καὶ ὁ τὸ θεῖον ἀξίωμα περιπτύων, πικροὺς τῆς ὑπεροψίας ἀποτίσει λόγους. Πεφροντικότα δὲ καὶ αὐτὸν εὑρήσομεν τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν τῆς εἰς τόνδε τὸν νόμον αἰδοῦς. Προσεφώνει γὰρ ὡδὶ τοῖς Ἰουδαίων λαοῖς· «Ἐπὶ τῆς Μωσέως καθέδρας ἐκάθισαν οἱ Γραμματεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι· πάντα οὖν ὅσα ἂν λέγωσιν ὑμῖν, ποιεῖτε, κατὰ δὲ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν μὴ ποιεῖτε.» Μηδεὶς οὖν κρινέτω τὸν ἱερουργὸν, κἂν εἰ παρειμένος ὁρῷτό πως, καὶ εἰ τὸ ῥᾴθυμον ἔχοι πρός γε τὸ βιοῦν ἑλέσθαι συννόμως, διερμηνεύοντι δὲ τὸν νόμον, προσκομιζέτω τὴν εὐπείθειαν. Πάσχει μὲν γὰρ τὰ ἀπὸ γνώμης οἰκείας, ἐξηγεῖται δὲ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Οὐκ ἀτιμαστέον οὖν τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ διὰ τὰ ἀνθρώπινα.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Οὐ μὲν οὖν.
{ΚΥΡ.} Λαμπρὸν δὲ ὅτι καὶ ἀπόβλεπτον ἀληθῶς τῆς ἱερωσύνης τὸ χρῆμα, κἀντεῦθεν εἴσῃ τοι· ἐπισημοτάτην μὲν γὰρ ἔχει τὴν εἰσβολὴν, καὶ μέν τοι καὶ τὴν κατάληξιν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἄν τις λάθοι πρὸς ἱερουργίαν ἠγμένος, ἤγουν κεκλημένος παρὰ Θεοῦ, πρὸς τὰς ἄνω τε καὶ ἐν οὐρανῷ μονὰς, καὶ μεθεὶς ἑτέρῳ τὴν ἱερωσύνην. Τοιγάρτοι καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς, τοὺς τὸ εὐαγγελικὸν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἱερουργοῦντας κήρυγμα, καὶ προσέτι τοῖς ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ πάντη τε καὶ πάντως ἔσεσθαι περιφανεῖς, καὶ ἀπόβλεπτον ἔφη λαχεῖν τὴν δόξαν. «Οὐδεὶς γὰρ λύχνον ἅψας, εἰς τὸ κρυπτὸν τίθησιν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ὑπὸ κλίνην,» φησὶν, «ἤγουν ὑπὸ μόδιον, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὴν λυχνίαν, ἵνα πάντες οἱ εἰσπορευόμενοι, τὸ φῶς βλέπωσιν·» ἀληθὲς γὰρ ὅτι εἰρημένον, τὸ ἐν δόξῃ φημὶ τῇ περιφανεῖ καὶ τεθαυμασμένῃ, τὸν θεῖον ἔσεσθαι λειτουργὸν, ἀναπειθέτω βοῶν καὶ