Homily on 1 Samuel 28 (the medium)
Four readings; the bishop chooses the medium§1
1The things read aloud are rather many, and since one must speak by cutting them short, there are four sections. There was read what follows after the matters concerning Nabal of Carmel. Then after that the story of David’s being hidden among the Ziphites and being slandered by them, and of Saul’s having come wanting to seize David and, having come, watching for a moment; and of David’s having come upon Saul and taken, while he and his guards were sleeping, “the spear and the water-flask,” and after that of his having brought a rebuke against those entrusted to guard him who had fallen asleep. Then next was the third story—that David fled “to Achish son of Maoch, king of Gath,” and how much favor he found with him after his many brave deeds, to whom Achish says, “I will make you chief of my bodyguard.”
Next after these was the notorious story concerning the medium and concerning Samuel—that the medium seemed to have brought Samuel up, and Samuel prophesies to Saul. There being four sections, each of which has no small matters, and matters able to occupy even those who can examine them for hours not of one assembly but of several—let the bishop propose whichever of the four he wills, so that we may be occupied about this. “Let the matters concerning the medium,” he says, “be examined.”
Greek · §1
Τὰ ἀναγνωσθέντα πλείονά ἐστιν, καὶ ἐπεὶ χρὴ ἐπιτεμνόμενον εἰπεῖν, δ' εἰσὶν περικοπαί. ἀνεγνώσθη τὰ ἑξῆς τῶν περὶ Νάβαλ Καρμήλιον. εἶτα μετὰ τοῦτο ἡ ἱστορία ἡ περὶ τοῦ κεκρύφθαι τὸν Δαβὶδ παρὰ τοῖς Ζιφαίοις καὶ διαβεβλῆσθαι αὐτὸν ὑπ’ αὐτῶν, ἐληλυθέναι δὲ τὸν Σαοὺλ βουλόμενον λαβεῖν τὸν Δαβὶδ καὶ ἐληλυθότα ἐπιτηρῆσαι καιρόν, ἐπεληλυθέναι τε τῷ Σαοὺλ τὸν Δαβὶδ καὶ εἰληφέναι, κοιμωμένου αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν φρουρούντων αὐτόν, «τὸ δόρυ καὶ τὸν φακὸν τοῦ ὕδατος« καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο ἔλεγχον προσενηνοχέναι τοῖς πεπιστευμένοις μὲν φυλάττειν αὐτόν, ἀποκοιμηθεῖσιν δέ. εἶτα τὰ] ἑξῆς ἡ ἱστορία ἦν ἡ τρίτη, ὅτι κατέφυγε «πρὸς Ἀγχοὺς υἱὸν Ἀμμὰχ βασιλέα Γὲθ« ὁ Δαβίδ, καὶ ὅσην εὗρε χάριν παρ’ αὐτῷ μετὰ τά πολλὰ ἀνδραγαθήματα ὁ Δαβίδ, πρὸς ὃν «ἀρχισωματοφύλακα θήσομαί σε« φησίν.
ἑξῆς τούτοις ἦν ἡ ἱστορία ἡ διαβόητος ἡ περὶ τῆς ἐγγαστριμύθου καὶ περὶ τοῦ Σαμουήλ, ὅτι ἔδοξεν ἀνενηνοχέναι ἡ ἐγγαστρίμυθος τὸν Σαμουὴλ καὶ ὁ Σαμουὴλ προφητεύει τῷ Σαούλ. τεσσάρων οὐσῶν περικοπῶν, ὧν ἑκάστη πράγματα οὐκ ὀλίγα ἔχει, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς δυναμένους ἐξετάζειν δυνάμενα ἀσχολῆσαι ὥρας οὐ μιᾶς συνάξεως ἀλλὰ καὶ πλειόνων, ὁτίποτε βούλεται ὁ ἐπίσκοπος προτεινάτω τῶν τεσσάρων, ἴνα περὶ τοῦτο ἀσχοληθῶμεν. τὰ περὶ τῆς ἐγγαστριμύθου, φησίν, ἐξεταζέσθω.
Some stories do not touch us; this one touches every hope§2
2Some stories do not touch us; some are necessary for our hope. I have said “stories” thus, since we do not yet arrive at the things of the ascent—useful to everyone who knows how to ascend or to hear those who ascend. Of the things of the story, then, some are useful to all, some not to all. For example: the story concerning Lot and his daughters—if it has something useful according to the ascent, God knows, and the one to whom he grants to examine those words; but if according to the story, you might ask: what benefit to me from the story concerning Lot and his daughters? Likewise what benefit to me is the story of Judah and Tamar and the things about her, simply told?
But since the story that has Saul and the medium touches everyone, a necessary truth according to the Word. For who, released from this life, wants to be under a demon’s authority, so that a medium may bring up not some chance believer but Samuel the prophet?—of whom God says through Jeremiah: “Even if Moses and Samuel stood before my face, I would not listen even to them”; of whom the prophet says in hymns: “Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among those who call on his name; they called on the Lord, and he himself listened to them; in a pillar of cloud he spoke to them”; and elsewhere: “If Moses and Samuel stood…” and what follows.
Therefore—if so great a man was under the earth and the medium brought him up—does a demon have authority over a prophetic soul? What shall we say? These things are written: are they true, or are they not true? To say they are not true drives toward unbelief—it will come down on the heads of those who say it. But to say they are true supplies us with inquiry and difficulty.
Greek · §2
Ἔνιαι μὲν ἱστορίαι οὐχ ἅπτονται ἡμῶν, ἔνιαι δὲ ἀναγκαῖαι πρὸς τὴν ἐλπίδα ἡμῶν· οὕτω δ’ εἶπον ἱστορίαι, ἐπεὶ οὐδέπω φθά- νομεν ἐπὶ τὰ τῆς ἀναγωγῆς, παντὶ τῷ | | εἰδότι ἀνάγειν ἢ ἀκούειν ἀναγομένων χρήσιμα. τῶν οὖν τῆς ἱστορίας τινὰ μὲν χρήσιμα πᾶσιν, τινὰ δὲ οὐ πᾶσιν. οἷον, ὡς ἐπὶ παραδείγματος, ἡ ἱστορία ἡ περὶ τοῦ Λὼτ καὶ τῶν θυγατέρων αὐτοῦ εἰ μέν τι κατὰ τὴν ἀναγωγὴν ἔχει χρήσιμον, θεὸς οἶδεν καὶ ᾧ ἂν χαρίσηται τοὺς λόγους ἐκείνους ἐξετάζειν· εἰ δὲ κατὰ τὴν ἱστορίαν, ζητήσαις ἄν· τί γὰρ ὄφελός μοι ἐκ τῆς ἱστορίας τῆς περὶ τοῦ Λὼτ καὶ τῶν θυγατέρων αὐτοῦ; ὁμοίως τί ὄφελός μοι ἁπλῶς λεχθεῖσα ἡ ἱστορία τοῦ Ἰούδα καὶ τῆς Θάμαρ καὶ τῶν κατ’ αὐτήν; ἐπεὶ μέντοιγε ἡ ἱστορία ἡ τὸν Σαοὺλ καὶ τὴν ἐγγαστρίμυθον πάντων ἅπτεται, ἀναγκαία ἀλήθεια κατὰ τὸν λόγον. τίς γὰρ ἀπαλλαγεὶς τούτου τοῦ βίου θέλει εἶναι ὑπὸ ἐξουσίαν δαιμονίου, ἵνα ἀγγαστρίμυθος ἀναγάγῃ οὐ τὸν τυχόντα τῶν πεπιστευκότων, ἀλλὰ Σαμουὴλ τὸν προφήτην; περὶ οὗ φησιν ὁ θεὸς διὰ τοῦ Ἱερεμίου· οὐδ’ ἂν Μωσῆς καὶ Σαμουὴλ πρὸ προσώπου μου, οὐδὲ τούτων εἰσακούσομαι<, περὶ οὑ φησιν ὕμνοις ὁ προφήτης· «Μωσῆς καὶ Ἀαρὼν ἐν τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ Σαμουὴλ ἐν τοῖς ἐπικαλουμένοις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ· ἐπεκαλοῦντο τὸν κύριον. καὶ αὐτὸς εἰσήκουεν αὐτῶν, ἐν στύλῳ νεφέλης ἐλάλει πρὸς αὐτούς«, καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ· >ἐὰν στῇ Μωσῆς καὶ Σαμουὴλ καὶ καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. ἆρ’ οὖν, εἰ ὁ τηλικοῦτος ὑπὸ τὴν γῆν ἦν ἀνήγαγεν αὐτὸν ἡ ἐγγαστρίμυθος, ἐξουσίαν ἔχει δαιμόνιον ψυχῆς προφητικῆς; τί εἴπωμεν; γέγραπται ταῦτα· ἀληθῆ έστιν ἢ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀληθῆ; τὸ μὲν μὴ εἶναι ἀληθῆ λέγειν εἰς ἀπιστίαν προτρέπει χωρήσει ἐπὶ κεφαλὰς τῶν λεγόντων)., τὸ δὲ εἶναι ἀληθῆ ζήτησιν καὶ ἐπαπόρησιν ἡμῖν παρέχει.
Brothers refuse the medium; then Samuel in Hades cascades§3
3And indeed we know some of our brothers who have looked the Scripture in the face and say: “I do not believe the medium. The medium says she has seen Samuel—she lies.”
“Samuel was not brought up; Samuel does not speak. But just as there are some false prophets saying, ‘Thus says the Lord,’ and ‘the Lord has not spoken,’ so also this demon lies, promising to bring up the one Saul commands. ‘Whom shall I bring up?’ she says; ‘Bring Samuel up for me.’ And these things are said by those who claim this story is not true: Samuel in Hades? Samuel is brought up by a medium—the exceptional one among the prophets, the one dedicated to God from birth, the one said before birth to be in the temple, the one who at weaning put on the ephod and the double cloak and became a priest of the Lord, to whom while still a child the Lord gave oracles by speaking? Samuel in Hades? Samuel among the underworld—the one who succeeded Eli when he was condemned by providence for the children’s sins and lawlessness? Samuel in Hades, whom God heard at the time of wheat harvest and gave rain to come from heaven? Samuel in Hades—the one who spoke so boldly: Did he take anyone’s desire? He did not take the calf; he did not take the ox; he judged and condemned the people while remaining poor; he never desired to take anything from so great and so large a people.”
“Samuel—why in Hades? You see what follows from Samuel in Hades. Samuel in Hades? Why not also Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in Hades? Samuel in Hades? Why not also Moses, paired with Samuel according to what was said: ‘Not even if Moses and Samuel stood, not even of them…’? Samuel in Hades? Why not also Jeremiah in Hades, to whom it was said: ‘Before I formed you in the belly I know you, and before you came out of the womb I consecrated you’? In Hades also Isaiah, in Hades also Jeremiah, in Hades all the prophets, in Hades.”
Greek · §3
Καὶ μὴν γοῦν ἴσμεν τινὰς τῶν ἡμετέρων ἀδελφῶν ἀντιβλέψαντας τῇ γραφῇ καὶ λέγοντας· οὐ πιστεύω τῇ ἐγγαστριμύθῳ. λέγει ἡ ἐγγαστρίμυθος ἑωρακέναι τὸν Σαμουήλ, ψεύδεται.
Σαμουὴλ οὐχ ἀνήχθη, Σαμουὴλ οὐ λαλεῖ. ἀλλ’ ὥσπερ εἰσί τινες ψευδοπροφῆται λέγοντες· «τάδε λέγει κύριος« καὶ «κύριος οὐκ ἐλάλησεν«, οὕτως καὶ τὸ δαιμόνιον τοῦτο ψεύδεται, ἐπαγγελλόμενον ἀνάγειν τὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ Σαοὺλ προστασσόμενον. «τίνα γὰρ ἀναγάγω;« φησίν· «Σαμουὴλ ἀνάγαγέ μοι. καὶ ταῦτα λέγεται ὑπὸ τῶν φασκόντων τὴν ταύτην μὴ εἶναι ἀληθῆ· Σαμουὴλ ἐν ᾅδου; Σαμουὴλ ὑπὸ ἐγγαστριμύθου ἀνάγεται ὁ ἐξαίρετος τῶν προφητῶν, ὁ ἀπὸ τῆς γενέσεως ἀναδείμενος τῷ θεῷ, ὁ πρὸ γενέσεως ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ λεγόμενος ἔσεσθαι, ὁ ἅμα τῷ ἀπογαλακτισθῆναι ἐνδυσάμενος ἐφοὺδ καὶ διπλοΐδα καὶ ἱερεὺς γενόμενος τοῦ κυρίου, ᾡ παιδίῳ ἔτι ὄντι ἔχρημάτισεν ὁ κύριος λαλῶν; Σαμουὴλ ἐν ᾅδου; Σαμουὴλ ἐν τοῖς καταχθονίοις ὁ διαδεξάμενος Ἡλὶ διὰ τὰ τῶν τέκνων ἁμαρτήματα καὶ παρανομήματα καταδικασθέντα ὑπὸ τῆς προνοίας; Σαμουὴλ ἐν ᾅδου, οὗ ὁ θεὸς ἐπήκουσεν ἐν καιρῷ θερισμοῦ πυρῶν, καὶ ὑετὸν ἔδωκεν ἐλθεῖν ἀπ’ οὐρανοῦ; Σαμουὴλ ἐν ᾅδου ὁ τοιαῦτα παρρησιασάμενος, εἰ ἐπιθύμημά | | τινος ἔλαβεν; οὐκ ἔλαβεν τὸν μόσχον, οὐκ ἔλαβεν τὸν βοῦν, ἔκρινεν καὶ κατεδίκασεν τὸν λαὸν μένων πένης· οὐδέποτε ἐπεθύμησεν λαβεῖν τι ἀπὸ τηλικούτου λαοῦ καὶ τοσούτου.
Σαμουὴλ ἴνα τί ἐν ᾅδου; ὁρᾶτε τί ἀκολουθεῖ τῷ Σαμουὴλ ἐν ᾅδου; Σαμουὴλ ἐν ᾅδου; διὰ τί οὐχὶ καὶ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ ἐν ᾅδου; Σαμουὴλ ἐν ᾅδου; διὰ τί οὐχὶ καὶ Μωσῆς ὁ συνεζευγμένος τῷ Σαμουὴλ κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον· οὐδὲ ἐὰν στῇ Μωσῆς καὶ Σαμουήλ, οὐδὲ ἐκείνων ; Σαμουὴλ ἐν ᾅδου; ἵνα τί μὴ καὶ Ἱερεμίας έν ᾅδου, πρὸς ὃν εἰρηται· «πρὸ τοῦ με πλάσαι σε ἐν κοιλίᾳ ἐπίσταμαί σε, καὶ πρὸ τοῦ σε ἐξελθεῖν ἐκ μήτρας ἡγίακά σε«; ἐν ᾅδου καὶ Ἡσαΐας, ἐν ᾅδου καὶ Ἱερεμίας, ἐν ᾅδου πάντες οἱ προφῆται, ἐν ᾅδου.
The Spirit’s narrative voice saw Samuel—not a pretended demon§4
4These things the one who does not want to accept the contest will say—that it is not really Samuel who was brought up. But since one must be fair-minded in hearing the Scriptures, and the argument has plausibly buzzed around us and can truly disturb and move us, let us see whether the Scripture has been understood by the one who does not accept this, or whether he argues from reputable points yet says things contrary to what is written.
For what things are written? “And the woman said, ‘Whom shall I bring up for you?’” Whose person is it that says, “the woman said”? Is it the person of the Holy Spirit, from whom the Scripture is believed to have been written, or of someone else? For the narrative person everywhere—as even those practiced in all sorts of discourses know—is the person of the writer; and the writer for these words is believed to be not a human being, but the Holy Spirit who moved human beings as writer. Therefore the Holy Spirit says: “And the woman said, ‘Whom shall I bring up for you?’ And he said, ‘Samuel for me.’ Who says: ‘And the woman saw Samuel, and the woman cried out with a great voice, saying…’?”
We will say to that one who has so buzzed against us and said countless things as though Samuel were not in Hades: “The woman saw Samuel”—the narrative voice said this—“and the woman cried out with a great voice and said to Saul, ‘Why have you deceived me? And you are Saul.’ And the king said to her, ‘What is it? Do not fear; what have you seen?’ And the woman said to Saul, ‘I have seen gods coming up from the earth.’ And he said to her, ‘What is their appearance?’ And she said to him, ‘An elderly man coming up, and he himself wrapped in a double cloak, an ephod.’ She says she has seen even the priestly garment.
I know that the one from that argument says: “No wonder; for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. So it is no great thing if his servants also transform themselves as servants of righteousness.” But what is it that “the woman saw”? “Samuel.” And why has it not been said: “The woman saw a demon that pretended to be Samuel”? But it is written that “Saul knew that it is Samuel.” If it were not Samuel, it ought to have been written: “Saul supposed him to be Samuel.” But now it is written: “Saul knew”—and no one knows what is not; therefore “Saul knew that it is Samuel,” “and he fell on his face on the earth and worshiped.”
Then again the person of the Scripture: “And Samuel said to Saul, ‘Why have you provoked me to bring me up?’” “Said,” says the Scripture that must be believed—“Samuel said, ‘Why have you provoked me to bring me up?’” Then Saul answers this: “The foreigners are fighting hard against me, and God has stood away from me and has not answered me any longer, and even by the hand of the prophets and in dreams I have called, that he might show me what I should do.” Again the Scripture has not spoken otherwise, but that Samuel himself said: “And why have you inquired of me? And the Lord has stood away from you.” Does he speak truly or falsely when he says these things: “The Lord has stood away from you and has become against you and has made another for himself, as he spoke by my hand, and he will tear the kingdom from your hand”—and a demon prophesies about Israel’s kingdom? What does the opposing argument say? You see how great a contest there is in the Word of God, needing also hearers able to hear holy words—great and secret words about the departure—while the earlier things are still being questioned and the later are not yet clear.
Greek · §4
Ταῦτα μὲν ἐρεῖ ὀ μὴ βουλόμενος ἀγῶνα παραδέξασθαι, ὅτι Σαμουήλ ἐστιν ὄντως ὁ ἀναχθείς· ἐπεὶ δὲ δεῖ εὐγνώμονα εἶναι ἐν τῷ ἀκούειν τῶν γραφῶν, πιθανῶς καταβομβήσαντος ἡμῶν τοῦ λόγου καὶ ἀληθῶς δυναμένου ταράξαι καὶ κινῆσαι ἡμᾶς, ἴδωμεν πότερόν ποτε νενόηται ἡ γραφὴ τῷ τοῦτο μὴ παραδεξαμένῳ, ἢ ἀπὸ ἐνδόξων μὲν ἐπιχειρεῖ, ἐναντία δὲ λέγει τοῖς γεγραμμένοις. τίνα γάρ ἐστιν τὰ γεγραμμένα; «καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή· τίνα ἀναγάγω σοι;‘ τίνος πρόσωπόν ἐστιν τὸ λέγον· «εἶπεν ἡ γυνή«; ἀρα τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος, ἐξ οὗ πεπίστευται ἀναγεγράφθαι ἡ γραφή, ἢ ἄλλου τινός; τὸ γάρ διηγηματικὸν πρόσωπον πανταχοῦ ὡς ἴσασιν καὶ οἱ περὶ παντοδαποὺς γενόμενοι λόγους) ἐστὶ πρόσωπον τοῦ συγγραφέως· συγγραφεὺς δ’ ἐπὶ τούτων τῶν λόγων πεπίστευται εἶναι οὐκ ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλὰ συγγραφεὺς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τὸ κινῆσαν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους. οὐκοῦν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον λέγει· «καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή· τίνα ἀναγάγω σοι; καὶ εἶπεν· Σαμουὴλ μοι. τίς λέγει· «καὶ εἶδεν ἡ γυνὴ τὸν Σαμουήλ, καὶ ἐβόησεν ἡ γυνὴ φωνῇ μεγάλῃ λέγουσα«; ἐροῦμεν πρὸς ἐκεῖνον τὸν τοσαῦτα ἡμῶν καταβομβήσαντα καὶ μυρία εἰρηκότα ὡς ἄρα Σαμουὴλ οὐκ ἠν ἐν ᾅδου· «εἶδεν ἡ γυνὴ τὸν Σαμουήλ«, ἡ διηγηματικὴ φωνὴ τοῦτο ἔφησεν, «καὶ ἐβόησεν ἡ γυνὴ φωνῇ μεγάλῃ καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς Σαούλ· ἵνα τί παρελογίσω με; καὶ σὺ εἶ Σαούλ. καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ ὁ βασιλεύς· τί γάρ ἐστιν; μὴ φοβοῦ· τί ἑώρακας; καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνὴ πρὸς τὸν Σαούλ· θεοὺς εἶδον ἀναβαίνοντας ἐκ τῆς γῆς. καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ· τί τὸ εἶδος αὐτοῖς; καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ἀνὴρ πρεσβύτερος ἀναβαίνων, καὶ αὐτὸς περιβεβλημένος διπλοΐδα ἐφούδ. λέγει αὐτὴν ἑωρακέναι καὶ τὸ ἱμάτιον τὸ ἱερατικόν. οἶδα δὲ ὅτι ὁ ἐκ τοῦ ἐκ τοῦ] λόγου λέγει· «οὐ θαῦμα· αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ σατανᾶς μετασχηματίζεται εἰς ἄγγελον φωτός. οὐ μέγα οὖν, εἰ καὶ οἱ διάκονοι αὐτοῦ μετασχηματίζονται ὡς διάκονοι δικαιοσύνης. ἀλλὰ τί ἐστιν ὅπερ «εἶδεν ἡ γυνή«; «τὸν Σαμουήλ. καὶ διὰ τί οὐκ εἴρηται· εἶδεν ἡ γυνὴ δαιμόνιον, ὃ προσεποιεῖτο εἶναι Σαμουήλ; ἀλλὰ γέγραπται ὅτι «ἔγνω Σαοὺλ ὅτι Σαμουήλ ἐστιν. εἰ μὴ ἦν Σαμουήλ, ἔδει γεγράφθαι· ἐνόμιζεν Σαοὺλ εἶναι αὐτὸν Σαμουήλ. νῦν δὲ γέγραπται· «ἔγνω Σαούλ«, οὐδεὶς δὲ ἔγνω τὸ μὴ ὄν· «ἔγνω« οὐν «Σαοὺλ ὅτι Σαμουήλ ἐστιν« «καὶ ἔπεσεν | | ἐπὶ πρόσωπον ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ προσεκύνησεν‘. εἶτα πάλιν τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γραφῆς· «καὶ εἶπεν Σαμουὴλ πρὸς Σαούλ· ἵνα τί παρώργισάς με τοῦ ἀναγαγεῖν με;« εἶπεν‘ φησὶν ἡ γραφὴ ᾗ δεῖ πιστεύειν) «εἶπεν Σαμουήλ· ἵνα τί παρώργισάς με τοῦ ἀναγαγεῖν με;« εἶτα πρὸς τοῦτο ἀποκρίνεται Σαούλ· «σφόδρα οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι πολεμοῦσιν ἐν ἐμοί, καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἀπέστη ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἀπεκρίθη μοι ἔτι, καίγε ἐν χειρὶ τῶν προφητῶν καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἐνυπνίοις ἐκάλεσα τοῦ δηλῶσαί μοι τί ποιήσω. πάλιν ἡ γραφὴ οὐκ ἄλλως εἶπεν, ἀλλ’ ὅτι αὐτὸς Σαμουὴλ ἔφη· «καὶ ἵνα τί ἐπηρώτησάς με; καὶ κύριος ἀπέστη ἀπὸ σοῦ((. ἀληθεύει ἢ ψεύδεται ταῦτα λέγων· κύριος ἀπέστη ἀπὸ σοῦ καὶ ἐγενήθη κατὰ σοῦ καὶ ἐποίησεν ἄλλον αὑτῷ, ὃν τρόπον ἐλάλησεν ἐν χειρί μου, καὶ διαρρήξει τὴν βασιλείαν ἐκ χειρός , καὶ δαιμόνιον προφητεύει περὶ βασιλείας Ἰσραηλιτικῆς; τί φησιν ὁ ἐναντίος λόγος; ὁρᾶτε ὅσος ἀγών ἐστιν ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ θεοῦ, χρείαν ἔχων καὶ ἀκροατῶν δυναμένων ἁγίων ἀκούειν λόγων, μεγάλων καὶ ἀπορρήτων τῶν περὶ τῆς ἐξόδου, ἔτι ἐπαπορουμένων τε τῶν προτέρων οὐδὲ τῶν δευτέρων σαφῶν ὄντων.
A demon cannot know David’s kingdom or tomorrow’s death§5
5But the Word is still being examined.
I say that both the story and the examination concerning it are necessary, so that we may see what holds us after the departure. “He has spoken by my hand, and the Lord will tear the kingdom from your hand and will give it to your neighbor, to David.” But a demon cannot know David’s kingdom, the one appointed by the Lord. “Because you did not hear the Lord’s voice, you did not execute the wrath of his anger on Amalek.” Are these not God’s words? Are they not true? For truly Saul did not do the Lord’s will, but “spared the king of Amalek,” for which Samuel reproached Saul both before his falling asleep and at the departure: “And because of this word the Lord has done this to you on this day; and the Lord will also give Israel into the foreigners’ hand.” Can a demon prophesy concerning the whole people of God that the Lord is about to hand Israel over? “And also the camp of Israel the Lord will hand over into the foreigners’ hand. Make haste, Saul; tomorrow you also and your sons with me.” And can a demon know this—concerning a king appointed with a prophetic act—that tomorrow Saul was about to leave life, and his sons with him? “Tomorrow you and your sons with me.”
Greek · §5
ἀλλ’ ὁ λόγος ἔτι ἐξετάζεται.
Λέγω δὲ ὅτι ἀναγκαία καὶ ἡ ἱστορία καὶ ἡ ἐξέτασις ἡ περὶ αὐτῆς, ἵνα ἴδωμεν τί ἡμᾶς ἔχει μετὰ τὴν ἔξοδον. «λελάληκεν ἐν χειρί μου, καὶ διαρρήξει κύριος τὴν βασιλείαν ἐκ χειρός σου καὶ δώσει αὐτὴν τῷ πλησίον σου τῷ Δαβίδ. δαιμόνιον δὲ οὐ δύναται εἰδέναι τὴν βασιλείαν Δαβὶδ τὴν ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου χειροτονηθεῖσαν. «καθότι οὐκ ἤκουσας τὴν φωνὴν τοῦ κυρίου, οὐκ ἐποίησας ὀργὴν θυμοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐν Ἀμαλήκ. ταῦτα οὐκ ἔστι ῥήματα θεοῦ; οὐκ ἔστιν ἀληθῆ; ἀληθῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἐποίησεν τὸ θέλημα κυρίου Σαούλ, ἀλλὰ «περιεποιήσατο τὸν βασιλέα Ἀμαλὴκ ἐφ’ ᾡ καὶ πρὸ τῆς κοιμήσεως αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ἐξόδου ὠνείδισεν Σαμουὴλ τῷ Σαούλ· «καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο ἐποίησέν σοι κύριος ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ· καὶ δώσει κύριος καίγε τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ἐν χειρὶ ἀλλοφύλων. περὶ ὅλου λαοῦ θεοῦ δύναται δαιμόνιον προφητεῦσαι ὅτι κύριος μέλλει παραδιδόναι τὸν Ἰσραήλ; «καίγε τὴν παρεμβολὴν Ἰσραὴλ παραδώσει κύριος αὐτὴν ἐν χειρὶ ἀλλοφύλων. τάχυνον δὲ Σαούλ· αὔριον καὶ σὺ καὶ οἱ υἱοί σου μετ’ ἐμοῦ. καὶ τοῦτο δύναται εἰδέναι δαιμόνιον, περὶ βασιλέα χειροτονηθέντα μετὰ προφητικοῦ, ὅτι αὔριον ἔμελλεν ἐξελεύσεσθαι ὁ Σαοὺλ τὸν βίον καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ μετ’ αὐτοῦ; «αὔριον σὺ καὶ οἱ υἱοί σου μετ’ ἐμοῦ.
If Christ went to Hades, prophets went ahead as heralds§6
6These things, then, show that the words are not false and that it is Samuel who has come up. What then is a medium doing here? What is a medium doing about the bringing-up of the righteous man’s soul? That first speaker fled—so as not to seem to have a contest against so many other questions in the passage—and says: “It is not Samuel; the demon lies, since the Scripture cannot lie.” But the Scripture’s words are not from the demon’s person but from her own: “And she saw Samuel,” “Saul said…”—the things spoken from Samuel. How then will the medium’s matters in the passage appear when solved?
I ask the one who said the earlier things (“Samuel in Hades?” and what follows) and let him answer the question: Who is greater, Samuel or Jesus the Christ? Who is greater, the prophets or Jesus the Christ? Who is greater, Abraham or Jesus the Christ? Here no one who has once come to know the Lord as Jesus Christ, the one proclaimed beforehand by the prophets, will dare to say that the Christ is not greater than the prophets.
When therefore you confess that Jesus Christ is greater—Christ in Hades, or did he not come to be there? Is what was said in the Psalms not true, interpreted by the apostles in their Acts, concerning the Savior’s having gone down into Hades? It is written that the fifteenth Psalm is borne upon him: “For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor will you give your holy one to see corruption.” Then Jesus Christ is in Hades. Do you fear to say that yes—and there too he goes down to prophesy and to come to the other souls?
Then after this if he answers that Christ has gone down into Hades, I will say: Christ has gone down into Hades to do what—to conquer, or to be conquered by death? And he has come down into those regions not as a slave of those there but as a master wrestling—as we said earlier when interpreting the twenty-second Psalm: “Many calves surrounded me; fat bulls enclosed me; they opened their mouth at me, like a lion seizing and roaring. My bones were scattered.” We remember, if we remember, the sacred writings; for I remember them said toward the twenty-second Psalm. Therefore the Savior has come down to save; has he come down there proclaimed beforehand by the prophets, or not? But here he was proclaimed beforehand by the prophets, and elsewhere he comes down not through prophets? And Moses proclaims him as about to sojourn with the human race, so that it is well said by our Lord and Savior: “If you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote about me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” And Christ has sojourned in this life, and Christ is proclaimed beforehand as sojourning in this life. But if Moses prophesies him here, do you not want him to have gone down there also, so that he may prophesy that Christ will come?
What then? Moses—yes—but not the prophets after him? And not Samuel? What is out of place in physicians going down to those who are badly off? And what is out of place in the chief physician also going down to those who are badly off? Those were many physicians; but my Lord and Savior is chief physician; for even the desire within, which cannot be healed by others, he himself heals—which “could not be healed by anyone” of the physicians; Christ Jesus heals it. Do not fear; do not be stunned: Jesus has come to be in Hades, and the prophets before him, and they proclaim beforehand Christ’s sojourn.
Greek · §6
Ταῦτα μὲν οὐν δηλοῖ ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ψευδῆ τὰ καὶ ὅτι Σαμουήλ ἐστιν ὁ ἀναβεβηκώς· τί οὖν ποιεῖ ἐγγαστρίμυθος ἐνθάδε; τί ποιεῖ ἐγγαστρίμυθς περὶ τὴν ἀναγωγὴν τῆς ψυχῆς τοῦ δικαίου; ἐκεῖνος ἔφυγεν ὁ τὸν πρῶτον λόγον εἰπών ἵνα γὰρ] μὴ ἀγῶνα ἔχειν δοκῇ κατὰ τοσαῦτα ἄλλα τὰ κατὰ τὸν τόπον ζητούμενα) καὶ λέγει· οὐκ ἔστι Σαμουήλ, | | ψεύδεται τὸ δαιμόνιον, ἐπεὶ οὐ δύναται ψεύδεσθαι ἡ γραφή. τὰ δὲ ῥήματα τῆς γραφῆς ἐστιν] οὐκ ἐ)στιν ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ δαιμονίου αὐτοῦ], ἀλλ’ ἐκ προσώπου αὐτῆς· «καὶ εἶδεν ἡ τὸν τὸν Σαμουήλ«, «εἶπεν Σαοὺλ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . τὰ λελαλημένα ἀπὸ τοῦ Σαμουήλ. πῶς οὖν λυόμενα τὰ τῆς ἐγγαστριμύθου φανεῖται τὰ κατὰ τὸν τόπον; πυνθάνομαι τοῦ προειρηκότος τὰ πρότερα Σαμουὴλ ἐν ᾅδου; καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς) καὶ ἀποκρινάσθω πρὸς τὸ ἐπηρωτημένον· τίς μείζων, Σαμουὴλ ἢ Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστός; τίς μείζων, οἱ προφῆται ἢ Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστός; τίς μείζων, Ἀβραὰμ ἢ Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστός; ἐνθάδε μὲν οὐ τολμήσει τις τῶν ἅπαξ φθασάντων τὸν κύριον εἰδέναι Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν τὸν ὑπὸ τῶν προφητῶν προκηρυχθέντα εἶναι] εἰπεῖν ὅτι μείζων οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ Χριστὸς τῶν προφητῶν.
ὅταν οὖν ὁμολογήσῃς ὅτι Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς μείζων ἐστίν, Χριστὸς έν ᾅδου, ἢ οὐ γέγονεν ἐκεῖ; οὐκ ἐ)στιν ἀληθὲς τὸ εἰρημένον ἐν Ψαλμοῖς, ἑρμηνευθὲν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσιν αὐτῶν περὶ τοῦ τὸν σωτῆρα εἰς ᾅδου καταβεβηκέναι; γέγραπται ὅτι ἐπ’ αὐτὸν φέρεται τὸ έν πεντεκαιδεκάτῳ Ψαλμῷ· «ὅτι οὐκ ἐγκαταλείψεις τὴν ψυχήν μου εἰς ᾅδου, οὐδὲ δώσεις τὸν ὅσιόν σου ἰδεῖν διαφθοράν. εἶτα Ἰησοῦς μὲν Χριστὸς ἐν ᾅδου. φοβῇ δὲ εἰπεῖν ὅτι ναὶ καὶ ἐκεῖ προφητεῦσαι καταβαίνει καὶ ἔρχεσθαι πρὸς τὰς ψυχὰς τὰς ἑτέρας; εἶτα μετὰ τοῦτο ἐὰν ἀποκρίνηται ὅτι Χριστὸς εἰς ᾅδου καταβέβηκεν, ἐρῶ· Χριστὸς εἰς ᾅδου καταβέβηκεν τί ποιήσων; νικήσων ἢ νικηθησόμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ θανάτου; καὶ κατελήλυθεν εἰς τὰ χωρία ἐκεῖνα οὐχ ὡς δοῦλος τῶν ἐκεῖ, ἀλλ’ ὡς δεσπότης παλαίσων, ὡς πρώην ἐλέγομεν ἐξηγούμενοι τὸν κα Ψαλμόν. «περιεκύκληωσάν με μόσχοι πολλοί, ταῦροι πίονες περιέσχον με· ἤνοιξαν ἐπ ἐμὲ τὸ στόμα αὐτῶν, ὡς λέων ἁρπάζων καὶ ὠρυόμενος. διεσκορπίσθησαν τὰ ὀστᾶ μου. μεμνήμεθα, εἴγε μεμνήμεθα τῶν ἱερῶν γραμμάτων· μέμνημαι γὰρ αὐτῶν εἰρημένων εἰς τὸν κα Ψαλμόν. οὐκοῦν ὁ σωτὴρ κατελήλυθεν σώσων· κατελήλυθεν ἐκεῖ προκηρυχθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν προφητῶν ἢ οὔ; ἀλλ’ ἐνθάδε μὲν προεκηρύχθη ὑπὸ τῶν προφητῶν, ἀλλαχοῦ δὲ κατέρχεται οὐ διὰ προφητῶν; καὶ Μωσῆς αὐτὸν κηρύσσει ἐπιδημήσοντα τῷ γένει τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὥστε λέγεσθαι καλῶς ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου καὶ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν· «εἰ ἐπιστεύετε Μωσεῖ, ἐπιστεύετε ἂν ἐμοί· περὶ γὰρ ἐμοῦ ἐκεῖνος ἔγραψεν. εἰ δὲ τοῖς ἐκείνου γράμμασιν οὐ πιστεύετε, πῶς τοῖς ἐμοῖς ῥήμασι πιστεύσητε;« καὶ ἐπιδεδήμηκεν τούτῳ τῷ βίῳ Χριστὸς καὶ προκηρύσσεται Χριστὸς ἐπιδημῶν τούτῳ τῷ βίῳ. εἰ δὲ Μωσῆς προφητεύει αὐτὸν ἐνθάδε, οὐ θέλεις αὐτὸν κἀκεῖ καταβεβηκέναι, ἵνα προφητεύσῃ Χριστὸν ἐλεύσεσθαι; τί δέ; Μωσῆς μέν, οἱ δὲ ἑξῆς προφῆται οὐχί; Σαμουὴλ δὲ οὐχί; τί ἄτοπόν ἐστι τοὺς ἰατροὺς καταβαίνειν πρὸς τοὺς κακῶς ἔχοντας; τί δὲ ἄτοπόν ἐστιν ἵνα καὶ ὁ ἀρχίατρος καταβῇ πρὸς τοὺς κακῶς ἔχοντας; ἐκεῖνοι μὲν ἰατροὶ ἦσαν πολλοί ὁ δὲ κύριός μου καὶ σωτὴρ ἀρχίατρός ἐστι· καὶ γὰρ τὴν | | ἔνδον ἐπιθυμίαν, ἣ οὐ δύναται ὑπὸ ἄλλων θεραπευθῆναι, αὐτὸς θεραπεύει· ἥτις «οὐκ ἴσχυσεν ὑπ’ οὐδενὸς θεραπευθῆναι(( τῶν ἰατρῶν, Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς αὐτὴν θεραπεύει. μὴ φοβοῦ, μὴ θαμβοῦ· Ἰησοῦς εἰς ᾅδου γέγονεν, καὶ οἱ προφῆται πρὸ αὐτοῦ, καὶ προκηρύσσουσι τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὴν ἐπιδημίαν.
Gods ascending; John in prison doubts the descent§7
7Then I want to say something else from the Scripture itself.
Samuel comes up, and what does the woman say to Saul she has seen? She does not say she has seen a human; she shrank before this one she saw. Whom does she see? “I have seen gods,” she says, “gods coming up from the earth.” And perhaps Samuel has not come up alone then also to prophesy to Saul; but likely—just as here “with a holy one you will be made holy, and with a blameless man you will be blameless, and with a chosen one you will be chosen,” and there are here sojourns of holy ones with holy ones, not of holy ones with sinners, and if ever, the holy ones’ sojourn with sinners is for saving the sinners too—so perhaps as Samuel came up there also came up with him either other prophets’ holy souls or angels who had come up with the spirits. Perhaps you will ask whether angels were upon their spirits? The prophet says: “the angel who speaks in me”; and everything is filled with those who need salvation, and “all are ministering spirits sent for service because of those about to inherit salvation.”
Why fear to say that every place needs Jesus Christ? The one who needs Christ needs the prophets; for he does not need Christ while not needing those who prepare Christ’s presence and sojourn. And John—than whom no one greater among those born of women, according to our Savior’s witness saying, “Among those born of women none is greater than John the Baptist”—do not fear to say that he has gone down into Hades proclaiming my Lord beforehand, so that he may foretell him as about to come down. For this reason, when he was in prison and knew the departure lying upon him, sending two of his disciples he inquired—not “Are you the one who is coming?” (for he knew)—but “Are you the one who is coming, or should we expect another?” He saw his glory; he spoke many things about his wonder; he first bore him witness: “He who comes after me has come to be before me”; he saw his glory, glory as of an only-begotten from a father, full of grace and truth. Having seen such things about Christ he hesitates to believe, doubts, and does not say: “Tell him, ‘You are the Christ.’” For now some, not understanding what was said, say: “John so great did not know Christ, but the Holy Spirit stood away from him.” And he knew this one to whom he bore witness before birth and over whom he leaped when Mary also came to him, as his mother bore him witness saying: “For behold, when the sound of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in exultation in my womb.”
This John, then, who leaped before birth, who said, “This is he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has come to be before me,’” and “He who sent me said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit coming down and remaining, this is the Son of God’”—this one, they say, no longer knew Jesus Christ? For in the womb he knew him. But through excess of glory he has done something like Peter. What like? This one knew something great about Christ. “Who am I? Whom do people say I am?” And he: such and such. And you? “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”—for which he is also blessed, because “flesh and blood did not reveal” it to him, “but the Father in the heavens.”
Since therefore he heard great things about Christ and supposed great things and did not accept the divine word toward him—“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and it will be finished,” and “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the chief priests and elders, and be killed, and on the third day rise”—he says, “Mercy to you, Lord.” He knew great things about Christ; he did not want to accept the more humble thing about him. Think of John as some such person for me. He was in prison knowing great things about Christ; he saw heavens opened; he saw the Holy Spirit coming down from heaven upon the Savior and remaining on him; seeing such glory he doubted and perhaps disbelieved whether the one so glorious would also go down as far as Hades and as far as the abyss; for this reason he said: “Are you the one who is coming, or should we expect another?”
Greek · §7
Εἶτα καὶ ἄλλο τι θέλω εἰπεῖν ἀπ’ αὐτῆς τῆς γραφῆς.
Σαμουὴλ ἀναβαίνει, καὶ τί τῷ Σαοὺλ λέγει ἑωρακέναι ἡ γυνή; οὐ λέγει ἑωρακέναι ἄνθρωπον· ἔπτηξεν τοῦτον ὃν εἰδεν. τίνα ὁρᾷ; θεοὺς ἐγὠ« φησιν «εἶδον, θεοὺς ἀναβαίνοντας ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς. καὶ τάχα Σαμουὴλ οὐ μόνος ἀναβέβηκεν καὶ τότε προφητεύσων τῷ Σαούλ· ἀλλ’ εἰκός, ὥσπερ ἐνταῦθα μετὰ ὁσίου ὁσιωθήσῃ, καὶ μετὰ ἀνδρὸς ἀθῴου ἀθῷος ἔσῃ, καὶ μετὰ ἐκλεκτοῦ ἐκλεκτὸς ἔσῃ«, καὶ εἰσὶν ἐνταῦθα διατριβαὶ ἁγίων μετὰ ἁγίων, οὐχὶ δὲ ἁγίων μετὰ ἁματρτωλῶν, καὶ εἰ ἄρα ποτέ, ἐστὶ τῶν ἁγίων ἡ διατριβὴ μετὰ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν ὑπὲρ τοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἁμαρτωλοὺς σῶσαι, οὕτω τάχα καὶ ἀναβαίνοντι τῷ Σαμουὴλ συναναβεβήκασιν ἤτοι ἅγιαι ψυχαὶ ἄλλων προφητῶν ἢ ἄγγελοι ἦσαν μετὰ τῶν πνευμάτων συναναβεβηκότες. τάχα ζητήσεις εἰ ἄγγελοι ἦσαν ἐπὶ τῶν πνευμάτων αὐτῶν; ὁ προφήτης λέγει· «ὁ ἄγγελος ὁ λαλῶν ἐν ἐμοί«· καὶ πάντα πληροῦται τῶν δεομένων σωτηρίας καὶ «πάντες εἰσὶ λειτουργικὰ πνεύματα εἰς διακονίαν ἀποστελλόμενα διὰ τοὺς μέλλοντας κληρονομεῖν σωτηρίαν. τί φοβῇ εἰπεῖν ὅτι πᾶς τόπος χρῄζει Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ; χρῄζει τῶν προ- φητῶν ὁ χρῄζων Χριστοῦ· οὐδὲ γὰρ Χριστοῦ μὲν χρῄζει, τῶν δὲ εὐτρεπιζόντων Χριστοῦ παρουσίαν καὶ ἐπιδημίαν οὐ χρῄζει. καὶ Ἰωάννης, οὗ μείζων ἐν γεννητοῖς γυναικῶν οὐδεὶς ἠν κατὰ τὴν τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν μαρτυρίαν λέγοντος· «μείζων ἐν γεννητοῖς γυναικῶν Ἰωάννου τοῦ βαπτιστοῦ οὐδείς ἐστιν‘, μὴ φοβοῦ λέγειν ὅτι εἰς ᾅδου καταβέβηκε προκηρύσσων μου τὸν κύριον, ἴνα προείπῃ αὐτὸν κατελευσόμενον. διὰ τοῦτο, ὅτε ἦν ἐν τῇ φυλακῇ καὶ ᾔδει τὴν ἔξοδον τὴν ἐπικειμένην αὐτῷ, πέμψας δύο τῶν μαθητῶν ἐπυνθάνετο, οὐχί· «σὺ εἶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος;« ᾔδει γάρ), ἀλλά· «σὺ εἶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος, ἢ ἄλλον προσδοκῶμεν;« εἶδεν αὐτοῦ τὴν δόξαν, ἐλάλησεν πολλὰ περὶ τῆς θαυμασιότητος αὐτοῦ, ἐμαρτύρησεν αὐτῷ πρῶτος· «ὁ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος ἔμπροσθέν μου γέγονεν«, εἶδεν αὐτοῦ τὴν δόξαν, δόξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς παρὰ πατρὸς πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας. τηλικαῦτα ἰδὼν περὶ Χριστοῦ ὀκνεῖ πιστεῦσαι, ἀμφιβάλλει καὶ οὐ λέγει· εἴπατε αὐτῷ· σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστός; νῦν μὴ νοήσαντες γάρ τινες τὰ εἰρημένα λέγουσιν· Ἰωάννης ὁ τηλικοῦτος οὐκ ᾔδει Χριστόν, ἀλλ’ ἀπέστη ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. καὶ ᾔδει τοῦτον, ᾡ ἐμαρτύρησεν πρὸ γενέσεως καὶ ἐφ’ ᾡ ἐσκίρτησεν, ἡνίκα ἠλθεν καὶ ἡ Μαρία πρὸς αὐτόν, ὡς ἐμαρτύρησεν αὐτῶ | | ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ λέγουσα· «ἰδοὺ γάρ, ὡς ἐγένετο ἡ φωνὴ τοῦ ἀσπασμοῦ σου εἰς τὰ ὦτά μου, ἐσκίρτησεν ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει τὸ βρέφος ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ μου. οὑτος οὐν ὁ σκιρτήσας πρὸ γενέσεως Ἰωάννης, ὁ εἰπών· «οὗτός ἐστι περὶ οὑ ἐγὼ εἶπον· ὁ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος ἔμπροσθέν μου γέγονεν« καί· «ὁ πέμψας με εἶπέ μοι· ἐφ’ ὃν ἂν ἴδῃς τὸ πνεῦμα καταβαῖνον καὶ μένον, οὑτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ«, οὑτος, φασίν, οὐκέτι ᾔδει Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν; ἐν κοιλίᾳ ᾔδει γὰρ αὐτόν. ἀλλὰ δι’ ὑπερβολὴν δόξης ὅμοιόν τι τῷ Πέτρῳ πεποίηκεν. τί ὅμοιον; οὑτος μέγα τι ᾔδει περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ. τίς εἰμι; «τίνα με λέγουσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι εἶναι«; ὁ δέ· τόδε καὶ τόδε. σὺ δὲ τί; «σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος«· ἐφ’ ᾡ καὶ μακαρίζεται, ὅτι «σὰρξ καὶ αἷμα οὐκ ἀπεκάλυψεν« αὐτῷ, «ἀλλ’ ὁ πατὴρ ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.
ἐπεὶ οὖν μεγάλα ἤκουσεν περὶ Χριστοῦ καὶ μεγάλα ὑπελάμβανεν καὶ οὐ παρεδέξατο τὴν Ε; θείαν τὴν πρὸς αὐτόν· «ἰδοὺ ἀναβαίνομεν εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ, καὶ τελειωθήσεται« καί· «δεῖ τὸν υὁὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου πολλὰ παθεῖν καὶ ἀποδοκιμασθῆναι ἀπὸ τῶν ἀρχιερέων καὶ πρεσβυτέρων, καὶ ἀποκταν- θῆναι, καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἀναστῆναι«, φησίν· «ἵλεώς σοι, κύριε. μεγάλα ᾔδει περὶ Χριστοῦ, οὐκ ἠθέλησεν παραδέξασθαι τὸ ταπεινότερον περὶ αὐτοῦ. τοιοῦτόν τινά μοι νόει καὶ τὸν Ἰωάννην. έν φυλακῇ ἦν μεγάλα εἰδὼς περὶ Χριστοῦ, εἶδεν οὐρανοὺς ἀνεῳγότας, εἶδεν πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἐξ οὐρανοῦ κατερχόμενον ἐπὶ τὸν σωτῆρα καὶ μένον ἐπ’ αὐτόν· ἰδὼν τὴν τηλικαύτην δόξαν ἀμφέβαλλεν καὶ τάχα ἠπίστει, εἰ ὁ οὕτως ἔνδοξος καὶ μέχρις ᾅδου καὶ μέχρι τῆς ἀβύσσου κατελεύσεται· διὰ τοῦτο ἔλεγεν· «σὺ εἶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος, ἢ ἄλλον προσδοκῶμεν;«
A holy one stays holy in Hades; physicians enter the wards§8
8I have not digressed nor forgotten what lies before us; rather we want to establish this—that if all who went down into Hades before Christ are Christ’s forerunners, the prophets of Christ, so also Samuel has gone down there; for not simply, but as a holy one.
Wherever the holy one is, he is holy. Holy. Surely Christ is not no longer Christ because he was once in Hades? Was he no longer Son of God because he came to be in the underworld place “so that every knee should bend at the name of Jesus Christ—of heavenly and earthly and under-earthly beings”? So Christ was Christ even while below, and—if I may speak thus—while being in the lower place, by choice he was above. So also the prophets and Samuel, even if they go down where the souls below are. Below they can be in place; but they are below by choice. And I ask: †did they prophesy the things above the heavens?
But I cannot give a demon such power—that Samuel prophesies about Saul and the people of God, and prophesies about David’s kingdom that he is about to reign. Those who say these things will know the things of the truth according to the place; they will not find how to show that a holy one would not also come to be for those badly off into the place of those badly off. Let physicians come to be into the places of ailing soldiers, and let them enter where the stenches of their wounds are; this is what medical philanthropy suggests. So this the Word has suggested to the Savior and to the prophets—both to come here and to go down into Hades.
Greek · §8
Οὐ παρεξέβην οὐδὲ ἐπελαθόμην τοῦ προκειμένου, ἀλλὰ τοῦτο θέλομεν κατασκευάσαι ὅτι, εἰ πάντες εἰς ᾅδου καταβεβήκασι πρὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ πρόδρομοι Χριστοῦ οἱ προφῆται Χριστοῦ, οὕτως καὶ Σαμουὴλ ἐκεῖ καταβέβηκεν· οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ’ ὡς ἅγιος.
ὅπου ἐὰν ᾖ ὁ ἅγιος, ἅγιος. ἅγιος. μήτι Χριστὸς οὐκέτι Χριστός ἐστιν, ἐπεὶ ἐν ᾅδου ποτὲ ἠν; οὐκέτι ἠν υἱὸς θεοῦ, ἐπεὶ έν τῷ καταχθονίῳ γεγένηται τόπῳ «ἵνα πᾶν γόνυ κάμψῃ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐπουρανίων καὶ ἐπιγείων καὶ καταχθονίων«; οὕτως Χριστὸς Χριστὸς ἦν καὶ κάτω ὤν, καὶ; ἕνα οὕτως εἴπω, έν τῷ κάτω τόπῳ ὤν, τῇ προαιρέσει ἄνω ἠν. οὕτως καὶ οἱ προφῆται καὶ Σαμουήλ, κἂν καταβῶσιν ὅπου αἱ ψυχαὶ αἱ κάτω. κάτω μὲν δύνανται εἶναι τόπῳ. κάτω δέ εἰσιν τῇ προαιρέσει. πυνθάνομαι δέ· † ἐπροφήτευσαν τὰ ὑπερουράνια.
ἐγὼ δὲ οὐ δύναμαι διδόναι δαιμονίῳ τηλικαύτην δύναμιν, ὅτι προφητεύει περὶ Σαοὺλ Σαμουὴλ] καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ προφητεύει περὶ βασιλείας Δαβὶδ ὅτι μέλλει βασιλεύειν. εἴσονται οἱ ταῦτα λέγοντες τὰ τῆς ἀληθείας τῆς κατὰ τὸν τόπον· οὐχ εὑρήσουσιν παραστῆσαι πῶς οὐκ ἂν καὶ ἅγιος γένοιτο ὑπὲρ τῶν κακῶς ἐχόντων εἰς τὸν τόπον τῶν κακῶς ἐχόντων. | | ἰατροὶ γινέσθωσαν εἰς τοὺς τόπους τῶν καμνόντων στρατιωτῶν, καὶ εἰσίτωσαν ὅπου αἱ δυσωδίαι τῶν τραυμάτων αὐτῶν· τοῦτο ὑποβάλλει ἡ ἰατρικὴ φιλανθρωπία. οὕτω τοῦτο ὑποβέβληκεν τῷ σωτῆρι ὁ λόγος καὶ τοῖς προφήταις, καὶ ἐνθάδε ἐλθεῖν καὶ εἰς ᾅδου καταβῆναι.
Prophetic grace still builds; the flaming sword blocked paradise§9
9And this too must be added to the argument: if it was Samuel, and when he went out the Holy Spirit stood away from him, and prophecy stood away from him, then the apostle who says is not true: “Now I prophesy in part, and I know in part; but when the perfect comes, then what is in part will be abolished.” Therefore the perfect is after this life. And if Isaiah prophesied anything, he prophesied in part with all boldness; and David has been witnessed here unto the perfect of prophecy. Therefore Samuel did not cast away the prophetic grace.
And that he did not cast it away—he used it thus, as those who speak in tongues, so that one might say: “My spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful”? And yet the one who speaks in a tongue does not build the church; for Paul says that the one who prophesies builds the church, saying in those very words: “But the one who prophesies builds a church.” But if “the one who prophesies builds a church,” and he had prophetic grace—for he had not lost it, not having sinned; for only the one loses prophetic grace who after prophesying has done things unworthy of the Holy Spirit, so that it leaves him and flees from his ruling part—which David also feared then after the sin, and said, “And do not take your Holy Spirit from me”—if therefore the Holy Spirit prophesies, and Samuel was a prophet, and “the one who prophesies builds a church,” whom does he build? Does he prophesy into heaven? To whom—to angels, who have no need? “It is not those who have need, but those who are badly off.” Some need his prophecy; for prophetic grace is not idle, and none of the gifts in the Holy One is idle. Therefore of the prophetic grace the souls of those who sleep (if I may also say so) had need. But here Israel had need of the prophet; and the one who sleeps, released from life, also had need of the prophets, so that again the prophets might proclaim Christ’s sojourn to him.
Besides, before my Lord Jesus Christ’s sojourn it was impossible for anyone to pass through where the tree of life is; impossible to pass the things appointed to guard the way of the tree of life: “He placed the cherubim and the flaming sword that turns to guard the way of the tree of life.” Who could make a way? Who could make anyone pass the flaming sword? Just as no one could make a way through the sea except the one of the fiery pillar, the pillar of light from God; just as no one could make a way through the Jordan except Jesus— of whom that Jesus was a type of the true God—so through the flaming sword Samuel could not pass, nor Abraham. For this reason Abraham also is seen by the one being punished, and the rich man, being in torments, lifting his eyes sees—even if from afar, yet he sees—and Lazarus in the bosom. Therefore patriarchs and prophets and all were waiting for my Lord Jesus Christ’s sojourn, so that he might open the way. “I am the way; I am the door.”
There is a way to the tree of life, so that you may become one who passes through fire—“a flame will not burn you”: of what fire? “He placed the cherubim and the flaming sword that turns to guard the way of the tree of life.” So for this reason those blessed ones were waiting there, doing an economy and unable to be where the tree of life is, where God’s paradise is, where God is farmer, where the blessed and elect and holy ones of God come to be.
Greek · §9
Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ προσθετέον τῷ λόγῳ ὅτι εἰ Σαμουὴλ ἦν, καὶ ἐξελθόντος ἀπέστη ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, καὶ ἀπέστη ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ ἡ προφητεία, οὐκ ἄρα ἀληθεύει ὁ λέγων ἀπόστολος· «ἄρτι προφητεύω ἐκ μέρους, καὶ ἐκ μέρους γινώσκω· ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ τὸ τέλειον, τότε τὸ ἐκ μέρους καταργηθήσεται. οὐκοῦν τὸ τέλειον μετὰ τὸν βίον ἐστίν. καὶ εἴ τι ἐπροφήτευσεν Ἡσαΐας, ἐκ μέρους προεφήτευσεν μετὰ πάσης παρρησίας· μεμαρτύρηται δὲ τὰ ἐνθάδε ὁ Δαβὶδ ἐπὶ τὸ τέλειον τῆς προφητείας. οὐκ ἀπέβαλεν οὖν τὴν χάριν τὴν προφητικὴν Σαμουήλ.
ὅτι δὲ οὐκ ἀπέβαλεν, οὕτως αὐτῇ ἐχρῆτο, ὡς οἱ γλώσσαις λαλοῦντες, ὥστε ἂν εἰπεῖν· «τὸ πνεῦμά μου προσεύχεται, ὁ δὲ νοῦς μου ἄκαρπός ἐστιν«; καίτοι ἐκκλησίαν οὐκ οἰκοδομεῖ ὀ γλώσσῃ λαλῶν· καὶ γὰρ λέγει ὁ Παῦλος ὅτι ἐκκλησίαν οἰκοδομεῖ ὁ προφητεύων, αὐταῖς λέξεσι λέγων· «ὁ δὲ προφη- τεύων ἐκκλησίαν οἰκοδομεῖ. εἰ δὲ «ὁ προφητεύων ἐκκλησίαν οἰκοδομεῖ«, εἶκεν δὲ χάριν προφητικήν οὐ γὰρ ἀπολωλέχει αὐτὴν μὴ ἁμαρτήσας· μόνος γὰρ ἀπόλλυσι χάριν προφητικήν, ὃς μετὰ τὸ προφητεῦσαι πεποίηκεν ἀνάξια τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου, ὥστ’ ἐγκα- ταλιπεῖν αὐτὸν καὶ φυγεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἡγεμονικοῦ αὐτοῦ· ὅπερ ἐφοβεῖτο τότε μετὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν καὶ ὁ Δαβίδ, καὶ ἔλεγεν· «καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιόν σου μὴ ἀντανέλῃς ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ«), εἰ τοίνυν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον προφητεύει, καὶ Σαμουὴλ προφήτης ἦν, «ὁ δὲ προφητεύων ἐκκλησίαν οἰκοδομεῖ«, τίνα οἰκοδομεῖ; εἰς οὐρανὸν προφητεύει; τίνι; ἀγγέλοις, τοῖς μὴ χρείαν ἔχουσιν; «οὐ χρείαν ἒχουσιν] οἱ ἀλλ’ οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες. δέονταί τινες τῆς προφητείας αὐτοῦ· οὐ γὰρ ἀργεῖ χάρις προφητική, οὐδὲν χάρισμα ἀγρεῖ τῶν έν τῷ ἁγίῳ. τῆς οὖν χάριτος τῆς προφητικῆς αἱ ψυχαὶ τῶν κοιμωμένων (ἳνα καὶ εἴπω) ἐδέοντο. ἀλλ’ ἐνθάδε μὲν χρείαν εἶχεν τοῦ προφήτου Ἰσραήλ· καὶ ὁ κοιμώμενος δέ, ὁ ἀπηλλαγμένος τοῦ βίου, χρείαν εἶχεν τῶν προφητῶν, ἵνα πάλιν οἱ προφῆται αὐτῷ κηρύξωσιν τὴν Χριστοῦ ἐπιδημίαν. ἄλλως τε καὶ πρὸ τῆς τοῦ κυρίου μου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐπιδημίας ἀδύνατον ἦν τινα παρελθεῖν ὅπου τὸ ξύλον τῆς ζωῆς, ἀδύνατον ἦν παρελθεῖν τὰ τεταγμένα φυλάσσειν τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς· «ἔταξεν τὰ Χερουβὶμ καὶ τὴν φλογίνην ῥομφαίαν τὴν στρεφομένην φυλάσσειν τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς. τίς ἠδύνατο ὁδοποιῆσαι; τίς ἠδύνατο τὴν φλογίνην ῥομφαίαν ποιῆσαι διελθεῖν τινα; ὥσπερ θάλασσαν οὐκ ἦν οὐδενὸς ὁδοποιῆσαι ἢ τοῦ καὶ τοῦ στύλου τοῦ πυρίνου, τοῦ στύλου τοῦ φωτὸς τοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ, ὥσπερ τὸν Ἰορδάνην οὐκ ἦν οὐδενὸς ὁδοποιῆσαι ἢ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ θεοῦ τύπος ἦν ἐκεῖνος ὁ Ἰησοῦς)· οὕτω διὰ τῆς φλογίνης ῥομφαίας Σαμουὴλ οὐκ ἠδύνατο διελθεῖν, οὐκ Ἀβραάμ. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ Ἀβραὰμ βλέπεται ὑπὸ τοῦ κολαζομένου, | | καὶ ὑπάρχων ἐν βασάνοις ὁ πλούσιος ἐπάρας τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὁρᾷ , εἰ καὶ ἀπὸ μακρόθεν , ἄλλ’ ὁρᾷ, καὶ τὸν Λάζαρον ἐν τοῖς κόλποις . περιέμενον οὖν τὴν τοῦ κυρίου μου Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐπιόημίαν καὶ πα- τριáρχαι καὶ προφῆται καὶ πάντες, ἵν ουττος τὴν ὁδὸν a̓νοίξῃ. ψώ εἰμι ἡ ὁόόςς, Πrώ έͅμι ὴ θύραa.
ὁδός ἐστιν ἐπὶ τὸ ξύλον τῆς ςωῆς, ἕνα γένηται Ἀν όιΜῃς όιà πυρός, φλὸξ οὐ κατακαύσει σε: ποίου δ πυρός; Α)ταξεν τὰ Χερουβὶμ καὶ. τὴν φλογίνην ῥομφαίαν τὴν στρε- φομένην φυλάσσειν τὴν όδὸν τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωής« ’ ὥστε όιὰ τοῦτο περιέμενον οἱ μακáριοι ἐκεῖ, οἐκονομίαν Ι ποιοῦντες καὶ μὴ δυνάμενοι ὅπου τὸ ξύλον τῆς ζωῆς, ὅπου ό παρáδεισος ό τοῦ θεοῦ, οοπου θεὸς rεωργός, ὸ́που οἱ μακάριοι καὶ ἐκλεκτοὶ καὶ ἅγιοι θεοῦ Πνώθαι.
We at the ages’ end pass the sword and take the denarius first§10
10There is therefore no stumbling-block in the passage, but all things have been written wondrously and have been understood by those to whom God may reveal them. And we who have come upon the completion of the ages have something extra. What extra? If we are released from here, becoming good and excellent, not bringing on ourselves the burdens of sin, we too will pass through the flaming sword and will not go down into the country where those who slept before his presence were waiting for Christ; but we will pass through, harmed in nothing by the flaming sword.
And each one’s work—of what sort it is—the fire itself will test. If someone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved thus, as through fire. We will therefore pass through; and we have something more, and we cannot, having lived well, depart badly. The ancients did not say—nor the patriarchs nor the prophets—what we can if we live well: “For it is better to depart and to be with Christ.” Therefore, having something more in this way and much gain in having come upon the completion of the ages, we receive the denarius first; for hear the parable—that beginning he gave the denarius from the last; but the first thought they would receive something more. You therefore first—you who came last—receive the wages from the householder in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be the glory and the might unto the ages of the ages.
Amen.
Greek · §10
Οὐόὲν οὖν πρόσκομμα κατὰ τὸν τόπον ἐστίν, a̓λλὰ πáντα θαυμασίως γέγραπται καὶ νενόηται οτͅς ἂν ό θεὸς όποκαλύψῃ. πε- ρισσὸν όέ τι ἔχομεν ἡμεῖς οἱ έπὶ συντελείᾳ τῶν αἰώνων ἐληΜότες- τί περισσόν; ἐὰν ἀπαλλαrῶμεν ἐντεῦθεν, rενόμενοι καλοὶ καὶ Λrαθοίι μὴ ἐπαγόμενοι τὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας φορτία, όιελευσόμεθα καὶ αὐτοὶ τὴν φλογίνην ῥομφαίανb καὶ ου) κατελευσόμεθα εἰς τὴν χώραν ὅπου περιέμενον τὸν Χριστὸν οἱ πρὸ τῆς παρουσίας αὐτοῦ κοιμώμενοι· διελευσόμεθα δέ, μηδὲν βλαπτόμενοι ὑπὸ τῆς φλογίνης ῥομφαίας.
U̔κάστου όὲ τὸ ὲ́ρrον ὁποῖόν ἐστι, τὸ πῦρ αὐτὸ όοκιμάσει. έͅ τινος τὸ ἔργον κατακαήσεται, ςημιωθήσεται, αὐτὸς όὲ οωθήσεται ουοτως ὡς όιà πυρΑ. όιελευσόμεθα οὖν· καὶ πλέον ἔχομέν τι, καὶ οὐχὶ όυνάμεθα καλῶς βιώσαντες κακῶς όπαλλάξαι. οὐκ ὲ́λεrον οἱ ἀρ- χαῖοι οὐδὲ οἱ πατριά·ρχαι οὐόὲ οἱ προφῆται, ὸ̀ όυνάμεθα ἡμεῖς ἐὰν καλῶς βιώσωμεν· 〉κάλλιον γὰρ ἀναλῦσαι καὶ σὺ̀ν Χρωτῷ εἐ͂ναμ. όιόπερ οὕτως ἴχοντές τι πλέον καὶ πολὺ κέρδος ἐν τῷ ἐπὶ συντε- - λείᾳ τῶν αἰώνων ἐληΜέναι, πρῶτοι τὸ όηνάριον λαμβάνομεν· ὸ́κουF γὰρ τῆς παραβολῆς, ὅτι pἀρΘ́μενος ἐδίόου τὸ όηνάριον ἀπὸ τῶν ἐσχάτων· οἱ όὲ πρῶτοι ᾤοντο οοτι πλεῖόν τι λήψοντα“. σὺ οὖν πρῶτος, ό ἔσχατος ἐλθὼν , λαμβάνεις τοὺς μισθοὺς a̓πὸ τοῦ οἰ- κοδεσπότου ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ῳτ ἡ όόζα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.
Ἀμήν.