Why ten commandments but nine beatitudes; one righteous man suffices; God sells righteousness cheaply
Epiphanius is answering questions about the number of the commandments and beatitudes, then teaching on God's mercy to sinners and his demands on the righteous.
The same one was asked, "Why are the legal commandments ten, but the beatitudes nine?" And he said, "The Ten Commandments are equal in number to the scourges of Egypt, and the number of the beatitudes is an image of a triple Triad."
The same one was asked whether one righteous person is enough to persuade God, and he said, "Yes, for he himself said: Search out one who does judgment and righteousness, and I will be merciful to all the people."
The same one said that God remits to sinners who repent even the principal, as with the prostitute and the tax collector, but from the righteous he demands even interest. And this is what he was saying to the apostles: Unless your righteousness abounds more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20).
He also said this: God sells righteousness to those eager to buy for very little—for a small piece of bread, a cheap garment, a cold cup, one obol.
He added this too: a person who borrows from another person because of poverty or need of resources, when he repays, acknowledges thanks but repays in secret because he is ashamed. But the Lord God does the opposite: he borrows secretly but repays openly before angels and archangels and the righteous.
Greek
Ὁ αὐτὸς ἠρωτήθη, ∆ιατί δέκα μέν εἰσιν αἱ νομικαὶ ἐντολαὶ, ἐννέα δὲ οἱ
μακαρισμοί; καὶ ἔφη· Ἰσάριθμος τῶν Αἰγυπτιακῶν μαστίγων ὁ ∆εκάλογος· τριπλῆς δὲ Τριάδος εἰκὼν, ἡ τῶν μακαρισμῶν ἀρίθμησις. ιδʹ. Ἠρωτήθη ὁ αὐτὸς, εἰ ἀρκεῖ εἷς δίκαιος δυσωπῆσαι τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ἔφη· Ναὶ, αὐτὸς γὰρ εἶπεν· Ἐρευνήσατε ἕνα ποιοῦντα κρῖμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην, καὶ ἵλεως ἔσομαι παντὶ τῷ λαῷ. ιεʹ. Ὁ αὐτὸς εἶπεν, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς μὲν ἁμαρτωλοῖς καὶ τὸ κεφάλαιον παραχωρεῖ μετανοοῦσιν, ὡς τῇ πόρνῃ καὶ τῷ τελώνῃ· τοὺς δὲ δικαίους ἀπαι ‹65.168› τεῖ καὶ τόκους. Καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν ὃ τοῖς ἀποστόλοις ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Ἐὰν μὴ περισσεύσῃ ἡ δικαιοσύνη ὑμῶν, πλέον τῶν γραμματέων καὶ Φαρισαίων, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. ις ʹ. Ἔλεγε δὲ καὶ τοῦτο, ὅτι ὀλίγον πάνυ τὰς δικαιοσύνας ὁ Θεὸς πωλεῖ τοῖς ἀγοράζειν σπουδάζουσι· μικροῦ κλάσματος ἄρτου, εὐτελοῦς ἱματίου, ψυχροῦ ποτηρίου, ἑνὸς ὀβολοῦ. ιζʹ. Προσετίθει δὲ καὶ τοῦτο, ὅτι παρ' ἀνθρώπῳ δανειζόμενος ἄνθρωπος διὰ πενίαν, ἢ χρείαν εὐπορίας, καὶ ἀποδιδοὺς χάριτας μὲν ὁμολογεῖ, κρύφα δὲ ἀποδίδωσιν αἰσχυνόμενος. Ὁ δὲ δεσπότης Θεὸς τὸ ἀνάπαλιν· κρυφῆ δανειζόμενος ἐνώπιον ἀγγέλων καὶ ἀρχαγγέλων καὶ δικαίων ἀποδίδωσιν.