THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION TO THE HEAVENLY ONE The apostle ends his talk about the ministry of the New Covenant, by raising the hearts to the heavenly throne to bring everyone forth into the bosom of the Father. Proclaiming his ministry, as an ambassador of the Lord Christ, his call came to be: “Be reconciled to God” (20). 1- Our heavenly habitation is waiting for us 1 - 11 2- All things have become new12 - 17 3- Reconcile to the heavenly One18 – 22 1- OUR HEAVENLY HABITATION IS WAITING FOR US: The apostle intends to reveal the hidden reason, why the true minister does not lose heart, nor despair amid the daily afflictions and the many deaths he confronts; That he sees the gates of heaven open, and his house, not made with human hands, waiting for him; he sees a new unique life, whose guarantee he has got now, to enjoy its perfection in eternity; he sees the bosom of the Father waiting for him to settle down eternally. The apostle here talks about what he expects, and surely hopes for, concerning the eternal blessed life that he will enjoy in the time to come. “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made of hands, eternal in the heavens” (1) By saying: “we know”, he reveals the surety of hope in him, that he has a place in heaven, which he calls “a house”, while he 144 calls his unsettled life here as “a tent”. High up there, he finds for himself a house, a habitation, a place of comfort, his father’s house, or the eternal house, that God Himself has built for His beloved, not to be compared with any palace in this world. While some believe that “the earthly house” is this world, St. John Chrysostom says that it rather refers to the body1. By the “tent”, the apostle means the human body where the soul dwells as though in a tent, while being in its sojourn along the wilderness of this world, until it enters into the heavenly Canaan. With the destruction of this tent or the body, the soul sets forth to paradise to find a new habitation, whose guarantee it experienced while in the body, where it would dwell until the day of the Lord, when its body puts on incorruption, and man in his wholeness dwells in heaven itself. What does he mean by saying: “a building from God”? Some believe that the apostle here, refers to a certain heavenly chariot sent by God to the souls on their departure from the bodies; Whereas others believe it to refer to the resurrection of the body; And still others believe it to refer to the blessed life of the saints who enjoy the kingdom of God. Our present body is our earthly tent; Whereas our risen body is our heavenly house. In the fifth sermon by St. Maccar, it came that the true Christian, having got the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, being born from God high up; His city became in heaven (Philippians 3: 20), where the Spirit reveals to him the heavenly experiences as though in a mirror; grants him the peace of Christ, and the love of the Lord, through the sufferings, the sweat, the temptations, and the several spiritual wars; But he enjoys these things by the grace of God2. The true Christian enters into an experience of a heavenly 1 In 2 Cor. Hom. 10. PG 61: 506. .5- 2 عظات القدیس مقاریوس 3 :5 145 glory outside the body; is wounded by another unutterable beauty (non-carnal) 1; those on whom the dew of the Spirit of life, namely the dew of divinity, has fallen down, to wound their hearts by a divine love for Christ, the heavenly King; and were bound to that beauty, to that inexpressible and incorruptible exalted glory, and riches of Christ, the true eternal King2. By such riches, man is trained on the royal life; that when the great day of the lord comes, he enters into the kingdom to find it not strange to his eyes, for he has already lived its deposit, and enjoyed its riches by the Holy Spirit while on earth. All of us are committed to strive and to walk in every kind of virtue, and to believe that we shall eventually acquire this house, that we possess from now. For if the tent of our body is destroyed, our soul would have no other house to dwell in3. (St. Maccar the Great) Paul here talks about two different worlds: one of them earthly, made with hands, and seen; and the other heavenly, not made with hands, eternal, and unseen. On the earth, our souls are clothed with the organic seen body; but once this body is forsaken, the soulmoves towards the heavenly medium where it restores her body, yet transformed into a heavenly body4. (St. Dedymus the blind) Again Paul hints to the resurrection that many Corinthians could not understand nor accept. The earthly tent is our body, which . 1 المرجع السابق 5 :5 . 2عظة 6 :5 3 Sermon 5; 7. 4 Pauline Comm. Form the Greek Church. 146 although undeniably not made with human hands, yet Paul simply compare it with the houses in which we live1. What is the “building from God”? It is the incorruptible body by which we shall be clothed in the resurrection. Now we groan, for what is going to happen later on is far better than what we in now… Surely, it is not a body that will come down to us from above; but the expression proclaims the grace which does come down to us from above … That is why he calls it from now on, not a tent, but a house or a building; which is rather more convenient, on account of that the tent could be torn into pieces, whereas the house stays unchangeable2. (St. John Chrysostom) The heavenly body is not a different thing; It is he same body we have now, but will transform3. (Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrus) Concerning our carnal nature, we have to understand that there is no body we are using now in lowliness, corruption, and weakness; and a different one which we shall use later on in non-corruption, power, and glory. It is one and the same body, from which the present weaknesses are taken away, is transformed to some kind of glory, and becomes spiritual. The ultimate result is that what has been a vessel of dishonor, will itself be purified and become a vessel of honor, and a habitation of blessing. We should believe that our body we have now will, according to the will of the Creator, remain on this condition forever with no change. This fact is confirmed by the words of 1 In 2 Cor. Hom 10: 1. 2 In 2 Cor. Hom. 10 PG 62: 506. 3 PG 82: 406. 147 the apostle: “We have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (1) 1. (The scholar Origen) On one aspect, our corruptible body is a burden on our souls; And on another aspect, being a burden, is not because of the nature and essence of the body. That is why, knowing its corruption, we do not wish to become un-clothed from the body, but rather to be clothed with its non-corruption. In eternity, we shall have a body, yet, it will not be a burden any more, for it will not be corruptible any more2. (St. Augustine) Let us now talk about the ‘forsaking’ proclaimed by the Holy Book and the tradition, of three kinds; for man to meditate to become perfect: a- The first kind that concerns the body, when man forsakes the riches and the processions of this world. b- The second kind, that concern the spirit and the body, in which we forsake all the old ways of behavior and iniquities. c- The third kind in which the spirit becomes free of all things present and seen, and meditates in the eternals, and the heart becomes preoccupied with the unseen. We are told by the Holy Scripture that God sought from Abraham to execute these three kinds of forsaking together, when he said to him: “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house …” (Genesis 12: 1). In case we faithfully execute the first kind of forsaking, we shall not benefit much unless we consummate it by the second kind, with the same zeal and longing. And once we manage to do 1 dE Principiis 3: 6: 6. 2 The City of God, 14: 3. 148 this, we can reach the third kind, when we “go from our (old) father’s house”, having been “by nature children of wrath, just as the others” (Ephesians 2: 3); and concentrate our sight toward the high things. The Holy Book addresses Jerusalem, who despised God the true Father, saying: “Your father was an Amorite, and your mother a Hittite” (Ezekiel 16: 2). And in the gospel it came: “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do” (John 8: 44). Forsaking this father, crossing over from the seen to the unseen, we can say together with the apostle: “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (1); and we can also say: “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be transformed to His glorious body” (Philippians 3: 20, 21); and can also utter together with David: “I am a stranger in the earth” (Psalm 119: 19). We are committed to become like those about whom the Lord speaks to His Father in the gospel, saying: “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17: 16); and to His disciples, themselves, saying: “If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15: 19) 1. (Father Pavnotius) “For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven” (2) Being in this body, we groan because of the weaknesses which dwell on us, and the temptations which we confront, when 1 St. John Casslan: Conferences, 3: 6-7. 149 we feel that life is full of suffering and sorrow; as though everything around us cries out saying: ‘Go, depart from this body, in which there is no comfort’. Even the saints, sometimes feel the heavy weight of the body of sin and the corruption dwelling in it, and cry out, together with the apostle: “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7: 24). Indeed, the Christian feels that his body is a joyful divine gift, and so is his life; But tasting the deposit of eternity, inflames inside him the longing to have his body clothed in non-corruption, to be prepared for the heavenly life. The word “clothed” came in Hebrew as (labash), to mean all what surround the body, or cover it. In the Jewish writings it came that when Moses entered into the cloud, he was clothed by it like a garment; and about the righteous, it is said that they are clothed by the light as a garment. As to the “habitation” here, it came in Hebrew as (beeyt), and in the Tergom it came as (onkelos); the house of the face is the veil; that of the fingers is the glove, and of those of the feet are the shoes. Therefore, saying that the soul is clothed in a “habitation”, means it is clothed in certain features as the virtue. Some Jews believe that the soul has clothes in this world and the age to come. God meant for the souls to be clothed in a garment through the study of the law and the good deeds. Adam after his fall became naked, as he, in the condition of sin, became without a garment that covers his soul. They believe that the children of Israel got clothes to cover their souls on Mount Sinai; Yet, after worshipping the golden calf they became naked. This garment refers to man’s enjoyment of God’s icon through the holy life. In the (Synopsis Sohar) about the divine wisdom, it came: [When the time comes for man to depart from this world, the angel of death takes away from him his mortal garment, and clothes him with one from paradise, in which he can recognize and meditate in the exalted wisdom. By that, the angel of death is said to be very 150 compassionate to man, by taking away the garment of this world, and clothing him with a more valuable one made for him in paradise].When the apostle says that “they desire to be clothed with the habitation which is from heaven” (2), he surely means that those who believe in God, and walk by the Spirit, are prepared for the enjoyment of seeing the Creator and Savior, which will fill them with joy. The souls, sanctified to the Lord, will not be found naked in the age to come, but will be clothed in righteousness, praise, and glory, “having washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb” (Revelation 7: 14). These souls, feeling the surety of hope in this heavenly garment, long to be clothed in it on their departure from the world. Being clothed in the eternal wedding garment -- The Lord Christ Himself -- no power will be able to deny us the banquet of heaven, or to drive us out of it; As it is written: “But when the king came in to see the guests, He saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So He said to him: ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment/’; and he was speechless. Then the King said to the servants, bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 22: 11-13). St. John Chrysostom calls this garment: The incomparable1, royal, spotless garment, shining with splendor2. 1 In Exp. In Ps. 5 PG 55: 63 C. 2 See ACW, Vol. 31, p. 316. 151 If Christ is the Son of God, and you have been clothed by Him, covered by Him, and became like Him, You have become one with Him, and will bear His form1. (St. John Chrysostom) Speaking about the clothes of a Christian, St. Clement of Alexandria seeks from us to put on the clothes that befit us as Christians; which differ according to age, nature, and circumstances surrounding each one of us. Because what befits one may not befit another, we should have the spirit of discernment. And at the same time it is befitting of us to know that there is a more important garment that all believers are committed to put on; namely, the Person of the Lord Christ, a colorful garment, that provides us with many gifts, that stay bright, and no time would make it lose its beauty. O my Lord, take away from me, by Your grace, the garment of desires and of the darkness of hell, and clothe me with the garment of Your holy light, which is the new world itself, before I depart from the body. O my Lord, make me a member in the body of Your onlybegotten Son, to make me feel the secret of His union with You, as much as my weak nature can bear2. Woe to the monk whose rags on his body do not smell the sweet fragrance of perfume; as his garment would look strange3. (The spiritual elder, John El-Deliaty) The garment with which we are clothed is our Lord Jesus Christ, that covers us from head to feet; And its assorted colors are the 1 Comm. In Gal. 3. {G 61: 656 C-D. . 2 رسالة 8 :4 . 3رسالة 2 :13 152 colors of the flowers of wisdom, the Holy Books, and gospels, that would never fade nor lose their brightness with time1. (St. Clement of Alexandria) Before his disobedience, Adam shared the enlightenment by the divine splendor; And while he was truly clothed by the garment of glory, he was not naked, nor found in a shameful condition. The great Paul calls that divine enlightenment, and the grace, our heavenly habitation … On his way from Jerusalem to Damascus, Paul was provided from God with a deposit of that divine enlightenment … He consented to be purified of his persecution, when he entered into a debate with Him whom he has persecuted; or rather a light touch of that great light2. (Father Gregory Palamas) “If indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked” (3) He who is prepared for departure, and has got the deposit of Glory, will not be found naked, but will get the immortal eternal glory. Saying. “If indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked”, the apostle means that, being clothed with the Spirit, He will not leave even our body naked, but will pour in it the glory of Jesus Christ, risen from the dead; saying: “He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you” (Romans 8: 11); “that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body” (2 Corinthians 4: 11); and “that mortality may be swallowed up by life” (2 Corinthians 5: 4). By that, If our earthly house, this tent, namely our body, be destroyed, we would not appear naked, but, “we have a building 1 Paedagogus 2: 11. 2 The One Hundred and Fifty Chapters, 66, 67. 153 from God, a house not made with hands” (2 Corinthians 5:1); Namely the heavenly glory of the lord Christ, that was hidden, would be manifested in our weak body. And as said by St. Maccar the Great, [Let us then seek to acquire that garment here through faith and virtuous life, that when we take the body off, we would not appear naked; and our body in that day would need nothing to glorify it, because each one, according to his worthiness to the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, by faith and diligence, will have his body glorified on that day; for all what the soul has stored inside it in this present life, will be proclaimed, and be clearly manifested in the body1. That glory of the Lord Christ, by which the Holy Spirit will clothe our souls, will be our own glory and not a borrowed one; Hence we live in this world truly rich in Spirit. We would be like, when a rich king invites some people to a banquet, he would present generously and with no fear that his inner riches would be exhausted; Whereas, when the poor invites some people, he would have to borrow what he presents to his guests; then would get back to his poverty once the banquet is over2. “That is why it is befitting of us to seek from God to grant us to find this riches in our hearts; namely to find the true treasure of Christ by the power and the activity of the Holy Spirit3. He means (naked) of the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, and of getting united to Him, in whom alone, the believing soul would find comfort4. . 1عظة 8 :5 . 2عظة 5 :18 . 3 عظة 5 :18 4 Sermon 5: 7. 154 If the nature of the soul remains naked and on its own, and did not gain the union and fellowship with the divine nature, it would never be upright nor consummate, but would stay naked and worthy of rebuke because of its lowly and defiled nature1. (St. Maccar the Great) We shall be clothed with our faith; which is a garment and a shield at the same time; a garment against nakedness, and a shield against the enemy2. (St. Augustine) Despite the fact that this body will be dissolved at the designated time because of its initial disobedience, it would be put, as though in a crucible of the earth, to be created anew, not as the same corruptible body, but would be pure and incorruptible; Each body would restore its own soul … , and would acquire all what belong to it on all aspects; not different from its present form of body … But as it departs from this life, whether in sins or in righteous deeds, so it will be clothed with its previous state; to be justly judged3. (St. Erinaos) The wicked unbeliever, even though we may assume that he becomes clothed with a heavenly body, yet he would stay naked, for he did nothing to warrant gaining the garment of the inner man4. (St. Dedymus the blind) Be of good cheer; but work diligently with all zeal; Nothing will be wasted; whether a prayer you raise, a psalm you sing, a good 1 Semon 32: 6. 2 Sermons on New Testament Lessons, 8: 13. 3 Fragment 12 (P.N. Frs, 1: 570). 4 Pauline Comm. From the Greek Church. 155 deed you do, every fasting, every keeping of marital duties, every chastity for God’s sake; … Everything will be counted; You will be raised up, clothed, either with your sins or with your righteous works1. A righteous man will be provided with a heavenly body, capable of conversing with angels; Whereas a wicked man, will get a kind of body that would endure eternal punishments for his sins; to burn in eternal fire without ever getting destroyed. God will justly designate the state of our body; because we have done nothing outside it2. (St. Cyril of Jerusalem) There, we shall not be without a body, but we shall receive the same body, yet incorruptible. The resurrection is general for all; Yet the glory is not. But some will be risen in honor, and others in dishonor; Some to the kingdom, and others to punishment3. (St. John Chrysostom) Everyone, the righteous and the wicked, will be clothed with non-death; yet the later would be delivered to hell, and be found naked4. (Severian. Bishop of Gebalah) “For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed ,that mortality may be swallowed up by life” (4) We who are in this tent, burdened with physical weakness, troubles, and afflictions, groan because of the burden to which we 1 Catechetical Lectures 15: 23, 25. 2 Ibid 18: 19, 7: 139. 3 In 2 Cor. Hom. 10. PG 61: 506-607. 4 Pauline Comm. From the Greek Church. 156 are committed to carry. He as though says that human life as a whole is a kind of labor, particularly as far as we are concerned, being perpetually subject to persecution, and carrying the dying of the body of the Lord Jesus; even though we experience the exulted risen life in Christ Jesus. We do not wish to be unclothed of this life, and for our hour of departure to dwell before the time chosen by God for us and for the edification of the church, and the glory of His holy name. We want to be further clothed (above what we have now), to be completely prepared for the eternal glory. We do not seek death until the willof God is realized in us, and everything is consummated by His divine wisdom By our enjoyment of the deposit of eternity we become excited to know that “mortality is swallowed up by the eternal life”, and that sin or corruption have no more authority over us. We do not want to get rid of the body, but of the corruption in it. Our body is a burden on us, not because it is a body, but because it is corrupted and prone to pain. But when the new life dwells, it will take away this corruption; I say this corruption, and not the body itself1. (St. John Chrysostom) Showing the prophet Moses as an example, for the glory of the Spirit that shined on his face, that nobody could stir at it, the apostle means to demonstrate that in the resurrection of the righteous, the bodies of the worthy will be glorified by a glory that the holy and faithful souls have got from now. those who are counted worthy of acquiring it within, namely in the inner man2. 1 In 2 Cor. Hom 10: 3. 2 Sermon 5: 10. 157 (St. Maccar the Great) Are these not the utterances of a citizen of the heavenly Jerusalem? “My tears have been my food day and night” (Psalm 42: 3). “All night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears” (Psalm 6: 6) “My sighing is not hidden from You” (Psalm 38: 9) “My sorrow was stirred up” (Psalm 39: 2) Are they not the children of God who “groan being burdened, not because they desire to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life”? (2 Corinthians 5: 4). Are they not, even those “who have the firstfruit of the Spirit groan themselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of their body”? (Romans 8: 23). Was not the apostle Paul himself, the citizen of the heavenly Jerusalem, all that, when he was burdened and in unceasing sorrow of heart for the sake of his Israeli brethren?... Yet, there will be no death in the city, except when it is said: “O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law” (1 Corinthians 15: 55) 1. (St. Augustine) After our resurrection to come, our body will be the same, and at the same time, it will be different. It will be the same concerning nature; and yet different concerning glory. It is the same in essence, yet different in strength. It will be delicate, for being incorruptible; yet will still be sensed, as it will keep its true nature2. (Pope Gregory the Great) 1 The city of God, 20: 17. 2 The Resurrection of Body from Moralium in Job 19: 25. 158 The righteous will justly get the reward of their sufferings in the body, in which they were sorrowful and justified by sufferings in every way. In the same body the martyrs were killed for the sake of their love of God, they will live; In the same body they endured the bondage, they will reign1. (St. Erinaos) Life for the apostle Paul was very valuable, because of the good chances he has got; Yet for him, at the same time, it was very cheap, because of his longing for heaven where he will be with Christ. And as I previously said, and still say, there is no one with more contradictory tendencies than him. He was always ready to take the side that gives more privileges. No one on earth loved life like him; But on another contradictory aspect, he did not care much for this life, having denied himself all human desires; Nothing on earth took hold of him, but all his being was united with the will of God. At times, he would think that his need for his life on earth and his ministry, is more demanding than to be with Christ; And at other times you find him groan and seek the moment he would set forth from the body. His only desire has been to be where he would realize the abundant profit with Christ2. (St. John Chrysostom) We should not rebuke anyone on account of his fear of strikes; but what to be truly rebuked is to commit sin because of the fear of strikes. He who fears without being disturbed or terrified by the struggle, would be more worthy of commendation than he who does not ever fear; on account of that this reveals his strong will as a clear proof. Fear of strikes is a natural thing; But to 1 Adv. Haer. 5: 37:1. . 2 في مدیح القدیس بولس، عظة 5 159 reject the sin resulting from the fear is the true victory of the will over the weakness of the human nature. Sorrow in itself is not to be blamed; but to blaspheme the name of God because of the sorrow, is a sin to be rebuked. If I say that Paul did not carry the same nature of our body, you would have the right to quote his human weaknesses to prove the falsity of my words. But if I say, and confirm that he is human like us, and not better in nature, but just more exalted in his strong will; All your objections would then be of no value, and would even become for Paul’s favor; as that would prove how he has overcome nature against all his human weaknesses. Beside commending him, we would mute the lips of those who foulmouth him, who present as their excuse, the weakness of human nature; We exhort them to practice strengthening their own will instead. You may object that at certain times Paul feared death; Yet that is also something very natural; “For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened” (2 Corinthians 5: 4); And, “We ourselves groan within ourselves” (Romans 8: 23). We see how he balanced between the weakness of nature and the strong will. Many among the martyrs, on their way to martyrdom, were extremely fearful and terrified; Yet that is what made them distinct: They truly feared death, yet they went ahead to confront it for the sake of Christ. So did Paul … Although he trembled before death, Yet he longed to vanish away1. (St. John Chrysostom) The saints while “in this tents groan, being burdened”, Yet in the body of their humility they did everything as is befitting to be found in the secret of resurrection. When God conforms a new body for those who truly become disciples of Christ, it will . 1 في مدیح القدیس بولس، عظة 6 160 not be in humility, but “conformed to Christ’s glorious body” (Philippians 3: 21) 1. (The scholar Origen) “Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee” (5) It is God who granted us our being and our body, to live eternal by the body, and to have our whole being glorified; He granted us the hunger and thirst for the righteousness and eternity. The main idea of a “guarantee” (or a deposit) is to provide a portion of the payment to guarantee the full payment later on. What we enjoy now of the comforts of the Holy Spirit, the peace that surpasses every mind, and the glorious joy, are all a guarantee of the glory that we shall fully have later on. Here, Paul reveals that these things are not issued just now, but were prepared from the beginning of creation, when Adam was created. God did not create the early man to die, but to make him eternal. To confirm this, Paul adds that we have been granted the Spirit as a guarantee, presented by God as a pledge for us to realize His promises. So did Paul to reveal that what he says is more acceptable by those who do not pay attention to him2. Adam was not created to die, but to strive for the sake of eternity. And to reveal his authenticity, and to present a further proof, the apostle adds: “Who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee”… Now God works through baptism, and gives us a worthy guarantee, “the Holy Spirit” 3. (St. John Chrysostom) 1 Commentary Matthew, 13: 21. 2 In 2 Cor hom 10: 3. 3 In 2 Cor. Hom 10. PG 61: 507. 161 Although the Spirit refuses to be mixed with the unworthy, yet He seems to be there when they are sealed; anticipating the salvation to follow their change … But, when it is time for God to judge the world in righteousness, the Holy Spirit will be there together with Him … And the Spirit will be utterly taken away from the soul that defiled His grace. Hence it is written: “In death there is no remembrance of You; In the grave, who will give You thanks?” (Psalm 6: 5). As there will be no more help from the Holy Spirit; How could we understand that the judgment will be realized without the Holy Spirit, when the Word refers to the fact that He Himself will be the reward of the righteous1? (St. Basil the Great) As God, the Creator, had prior knowledge of Adam’s sin, He prepared a treatment for it beforehand. He Himself gives us the firstfruit of the Spirit; that, by the miracles done by Him among us, we come to be sure that the promises concerning the future are true2. (Theodoret, Bishop od Cyrus) Anyway, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known” (1 Corinthians 13: 12). The present possibility is to see in the Holy Books, dimly and in part to a certain extent; yet in harmony with the Catholic faith. He presents the guarantee, provided by the virgin church, when her Groom descended; And she will get married at His ultimate coming, in glory, and she will sees Him face to face; He 1 On the Spirit 16 (40). 2 PG 82: 407. 162 now gives us the Holy Spirit as a guarantee, according to the apostle1. (St. Augustine) “Therefore, we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord” (6) We completely understand what is our portion; having enjoyed the guarantee of the Spirit, and came to have the abiding hope. The words in Greek came carrying a sense of surety. While inhabiting the body; an expression that carries the meaning of traveling among strange people, yet absent from the Lord. Heaven is the home of the true believer, and its inhabitants are the people to whom he belongs The soul, while dwelling in the body is sojourning away from its city and people; being prepared for the glory befitting for it, to be in the presence of the Lord, and to meet Him face to face. The apostle Paul speaks from experience; having himself set forth to the third heaven to see what God has prepared for His beloved, and accordingly, he truly feels that his soul is a sojourner in this world, a traveler, longing to reach the place where she will settle down forever. In this world we are “Away from the Lord’; we indeed walk on earth, yet we hasten on our way to heaven; here we have no perpetual place, but we are passers-by, and travelers like our fathers2. God is still there; but because we do not see Him, as long as we are in the body, we say that we are “away from Him” 3. 1 Question 59: 4 (FC 70: 114). 2 Hom 63 on Ps. 3 CSEL 81: 231. 163 (Ambrosiaster) As a matter of fact, man brought death upon himself, as well as upon the Son of Man. Yet the Son of Man, by His death and His resurrection, brought life to man … He intended to endure death before the sight of His enemies, to let them think that He is forsaken; and to grant us the grace of the New Covenant, to teach us to seek another happiness, which we possess now by faith, but will see it later on … Now we live by hope, but later on, we shall enjoy the fact1. Before you can see, believe in what you cannot now see. Walk by faith to get what is by sight. What is seen would not make man ultimately glad, unless it is supported by faith on the way. Hence the apostle says: “While we are in the body, we are away from the Lord” (6); Then he adds right away: “For we walk by faith and not by sight” 2 (7) Being away from the Lord while we are in the body; Compared to the saintly angels, we are counted now as babes, suckling faith. But one day, we shall reach the stage of “sight” promised by St. John in his epistle, saying: “Beloved, Now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed, what we shall be” (1 John 3: 2) 3. In the time being, these eyes are enlightened according to what suits their weakness, by faith; but later on they will be enlightened by sight, in what suits their new strength … Now, as long as we are in the stage of faith, it is said about us? “Now we 1 Letter to Honoratus. 2 Sermons on New Testament Lessons, 38: 4. 3 Sermons on New Testament Lessons, 77: 5. 164 see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face” (1 Corinthians 13: 12) 1. According to the prophet Isaiah: “Unless you believe, you will not understand” (Isaiah 43: 10). Let us then walk by faith as long as we are away from God, until we reach the stage of “sight” when we see Him face to face. Walking by faith let us do good deeds; by which we love God for His own sake, and we also ayyempt to love our neighbor2. (St. Augustine) ”For we walk by faith and not by sight” (7) Here we live by faith, we trust in the word of God and in His divine promises, and enjoy the deposit of glory as a pre-taste of what we shall see face to face, by sight. Now we walk by faith to be prepared for the life by sight. Those who are born by the Spirit from above, feel that they are sojourning here, until they encounter God their Father in His heaven.. They close the eyes of their hearts to what is in this world, until they open them in the world of glory, where faith will be transformed to “sight”. Faith is the entry to secrets, What is done by the eyes of the body concerning the sensed things, is done by faith by the eyes of the soul; looking at the hidden treasures. The way we have two eyes of the body, we have, as well, two eyes of the soul. But these two eyes of the soul do not have the same work of the insight; By the we see the hidden glory of God, veiled within nature; together with His might, wisdom, and eternal mind toward us; All of which we can understand, in particular, through His 1 Sermons on New Testament Lessons 3: 6. 2 Sermons on New Testament Lessons 41: 9. 165 divine care toward us. By these same eyes we can also see the spiritual hosts, our fellow creatures. When God intends to present spiritual secrets, He opens up the sea of faith very widely in our minds1. (St. Isaac the Syrian) The Holy Scripture says: “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would afterward receive as an inheritance. And he went out not knowing where he was going” (Hebrew 11: 8). … When he ceased to attach his mind to anything on earth, Abraham surpassed in understanding and wisdom all those of his generation, and even the well known Chaldean philosophy at the time. Surpassing all what could be realized by senses, and all other beauties, he could behold the true divine beauty, and saw everything that would be attributed to God, like righteousness, love, and the ability to do anything He wills. Abraham understood all that, and took them as provisions in His journey to heaven; His faith grew bigger, and he rose beyond the vision of material things2. (St. Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa) By faith we have hope in God, as He is unseen for us; But we believe that we shall dwell together with Him, and see Him as much as the human being could. Moses saw him while he was still in the body (Exodus 24: 9-11; 33: 11). And the angels see Him in the way suited to them3. (Severian, Bishop of Gebalah) 1 A. J. Wensinck: Mystic Treatises by Isaac of Nineveh, 1923, p 210 Dana Miller: The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian, 1984, p. 223. . 2 من جدٍ إلى مجدٍ، فصل 10 :1 3 Pauline Comm. From the Greek Church. 166 Now, we are not able to see how we shall be later on, but we can perceive it by faith alone. That is why, after the death of the body we wish to stand in the presence of God1. (Father Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrus) The understanding lies in the sight and in the perpetual encounter; Whereas faith feeds us like babes in the swaddles of temporal things. Unless we walk by faith; we shall not get to reach the perpetual sight, as our understanding is purified by our abidance to the truth2. Amid the shadows of this life, in which we are “away from God”, walking by faith and not by sight, the Christian soul is considered as deserted, would not cease to pray, and to look by the eyes of faith to the word of the divine Holy Book3. (St. Augustine) “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord” (8) Walking now by faith we long to enjoy what is by sight. In the midst of our many labors we trust in what we have gained of the deposit of the Spirit and the divine promises, longing to come out of this body and to sojourn from it for some time, to get to the glory we shall enjoy and see. Paul put the greatest thing at the end; As the company (the dwelling) with Christ is greater than getting an incorruptible body.By avoiding the direct reference to the painful issues like death and the end, Paul deals with these things in a way that makes 1 PG 82: 407. 2 On Christian Doctrine, 2: 12 (17). 3 To Proba, 130 (FC 18: 370). 167 his listeners long for them, being “presence with the Lord”. In the same way, he mentioned the sweet things in this life with painful expressions, calling them “absence from the Lord”. He so did, that we would not be satisfied with what we get now, but be prepared to depart to what is better1. (St. John Chrysostom) What I seek, is never to have our souls disturbed, but, in the midst of the troubles and the swords hanging over our necks, to resort to the stronghold of the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, when we count those who are strangers to the body, as dwelling with the Lord2. (The scholar Origen) “Therefore we make it our aim, whether or absent, to be well pleasing to Him” (9) Any way, what we should make our aim, and what we should strive for, is God’s pleasure with us. The words “we make our aim” (philotimoumetha), refer to the love of honor, and of eternal glory, or longing for getting it; as we should not cease to strive, to please, to serve and to love Him, who has granted us our existence, and who will grant us the eternal glories. Therefore, whether we are alive or departed, what is befitting of us, or what we should long to have, is to be the subject of God’s pleasure. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (10) The secret of the believer’s heart desire to be the subject of the pleasure of God, is his anticipation of appearing before the divine throne on the day of judgment, to enjoy the work of the 1 In 2 Cor. Hom 10: 4. 2 An Exhortation to Martydom, 4. 168 grace which has supported and justified him, to receive according to what he has done while he was in the body. For what man do in the present world while being in the body, he will receive its fruition in abundance on the great day of the Lord. St. Cyril the Great used this verse to rebut those who say that the body is given as a punishment to the soul. If it is just for the sake of those things done in the body, that man receives punishment, or be counted as worthy of a fitting reward; There is no reference to sins prior to being in the body, nor to giving an account of what happened before its birth; Therefore, how could there be an existence of the soul before its existence in the body? And how could it be humiliated because of sin, as some claim? Judgment is on what man has done in his life on earth1. (St. Cyril the Great) As far as we are concerned, occupying a position in between the perfect man, and the one apostatized from faith; When we stand before the seat of judgment of Christ, we shall receive what we have done, whether good or bad. As we are neither utterly pure, so that our evil works do not attach to us, or have utterly fallen, so that our good works become forgotten2. The account of the whole life is elaborately presented before the seat of judgment of Christ, for everyone of us to receive what he has done in the body, whether good or bad. In this concern, every idle word man has spoken (Matthew 12: 36), and every cup of cold water given in the name of a disciple (Matthew 10: 42), will be taken into account3. 1 Comm. On John, book 1, ch. 9: 15. 2 Comm. On Matthew, 12: 30. 3 Comm. On Matthew, 14: 8. 169 (The scholar Origen) 3- RECONCILEWITH THE HEAVENLY ONE: “Knowing, therefore, the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade others; but we ourselves are well-known to God, and I also trust we are well-known to your consciences” (11) Enjoying the fear of the Lord, and anticipating His great day of judgment, we try to persuade others to receive faith in Him who can justify, sanctify, and glorify them on that day. The fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom, motivates us to testify to God and to care for the salvation of men, not to please men or to receive a reward from them, but to please Him who searches our hearts and knows our inner intentions. In so doing with the uprightness of the heart, we hope that this would be revealed before the inner consciences of men, to make them imitate us and to strive together with us. We should plant virtue inside our souls, while not disregarding our outer appearance; namely, we should care for what is honorable both before God and men1. (St. Grgory, Biship of Nyssa) “For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast about us, that you may have something to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart” (12) Paul says that defending himself and those who work with him, is not for his or their sakes, nor that he seeks something from them, but in order to provide them with something to answer those who accuse him, so that no one would, by any way, hinder their ministry. 1 Commentary on Song of Songs, Homily 4. 170 Those who oppose Paul; while internally void, are clothed by outer appearances of piety and vain honor, and have no true good works1. (St. John Chrysostom) “For if we are out of our mind, it is for God; Or if we are of sound mind, it is for you” (13) It was not easy for the apostle Paul to defend himself, as, by so doing, he counted himself as being beside himself or out of his mind, for the sake of God, and that ministry would not be hindered. He does not care to appear as such, but he seeks what is for God, and what would support them in their ministry. According to St. Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa, by saying “out of their minds”, the apostle means being spiritually drunken with the divine beauty that surpasses imagination. Having to defend his ministry, he raised their hearts together with his, to heaven to see the apostle preoccupied, not with staying in the temporary tent of the body, but in the heavenly building, and the heavenly issues, like someone drunken with the love of God and the eternities; entering in what is called the spiritual drunkenness or trance. Some may accuse us of being out of our minds… The apostle Paul previously said to Festos the Governor: “I am not mad, most noble Festos, but speak the words of truth and reason” (Acts 26: 25). So has the apostle Peter experienced that spiritual trance through hunger and thirst (Acts 10: 10) 2. (St. Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa) 1 In 2 Cor. Hom 11. PG 61: 513. . 2 من مجدٍ إلى مجدٍ، فصل 41 :3 171 My remarks here are not unfounded, but would rather explain the difficulty to evaluate the wisdom of the apostle Paul, who is to be commended, when he flees from risks, the same way when he confronts them. As in the former case he sees it as wisdom, and in the later he sees it as courage. Whether boasting or not boasting, his words bear the meaning of humility; In the former case he speaks with discernment, and in the later with meekness. … As the goal of all his works and tendencies, is the salvation of the souls of the multitudes, he says: “If we are out of our minds, it is for God, and if we are of sound mind, it is for you” (13). We shall never find anyone else, who has got what is worthy to boast, and at the same time with no trace of pride or glory. Just meditate in his words: “knowledge puffs up” (1 Corinthians 8: 1), words that we all should acquire. Although in truth, he was more knowledgeable than anyone else, it did not make him proud, but humble; saying: “For we know in part” (1 Corinthians 13: 9).; And: “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended” (Philippians 3: 13); And: “If anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know” (1 Corinthians 8: 2) 1. (St. John Chrysostom) “For the love of Christ constrains us, because we judge thus; that if one died for all, then all died” (14) Paul was not preoccupied with defending himself, as much as with his love for the Lord Christ, who filled his heart with the sweetness of love, and drew all his being to the cross; to see Him died for all, for all to die together with Him, to be risen together with Him to His heavens, and to partake of His heavenly glories. . 1 في مدیح القدیس بولس، عظة 5 172 By that, Paul drew his readers, from talking about his love, and of those with him, for them, and about his and their faithfulness in ministry, to make them enjoy the practical divine love through the cross, and to raise their hearts to the heavenly. At the cross, all, in particular the ministers, die together with Christ; as the minister does not seek what is his, but what is for the glory of God and the edification of His church. Do not talk to me about cities, peoples, kings, armies, riches, and authorities; as all these are mortals; But you should care for the heavenly joy, to behold the exalted love of Christ. For Paul, the glory of the angels, the archangels, or of any thing else, is of less importance than the love of Christ. In his inner depths, he possessed the greatest of what any man could possess; namely, the love of Christ, by which he considered himself the happiest of men; and without which he would lose any desire for authority, principles, or power. By such love he preferred to count himself among those of lowly ranks, than to be counted among the greatest of nobles without it. To be deprived of it, was the most horrible punishment, and even hell itself. On the contrary, the possession of the love of Christ is heaven, life, and the whole world for him. Outside that there is nothing, neither joyful nor painful; he despises the whole seen world, as he despises a dry rotten tree leaf; The people full of wrath are in his sight no more than tiny insects; And death, tyranny, and persecution, are like children toys. For the sake of Christ he embraces everything with joy; and considers his chains and shackles as a reward more valuable than the crown of Neron, His prison became like heaven, and he endured the scourges like the longing of a racer for the trophy of victory1. . 1 في مدیح القدیس بولس، عظة 2 173 (St. John Chrysostom) “And He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves but for Him who died for them and rose again” (15) That was the plan of the Lord Christ in His salvation work: that being “lifted up on the cross, He draws all people to Himself” (John 12: 32); to make them live together with Him as His own body; suffer together with Him; die together with Him; glorified together with Him; are risen together with Him; and are lifted up to where He is in His heavens. In other words, the human life, in itself means less and less, but grows in Christ, that those who live, live no more for themselves but for Him who died for all, and rose again; And that everyone of them would say together with the apostle: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2: 29). Yes indeed “He must increase, and I must decrease” (John 3: 20) 1. (St. Augustine) “Therefore from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer” (16) “We regard no one according to the flesh”; meaning, we do not connect to, nor appreciate someone for the sake of family relationships, blood relationships, or of his carnal and material possibilities, but recognize him through the exalted love of Christ, as a partner with us in the heavenly sufferings and glories. The sign of the true union with the Heavenly One, on the negative aspect, is to be (weaned) from the world; and on the 1 Sermons for Christmas and Epiphany (ACW), 12: 1. 174 positive aspect, to enjoy the new creation, in the image of the Creator. The believer is (weaned) from the world and from the carnal things, even in his relationship with Christ Himself; namely; his knowledge of Him should not stop at the body, or else he would be counted as still not knowing him; The love of Christ sets forth to our hearts, and the love of the world slides down under our feet. Although Paul has not enjoyed knowing the Lord Jesus while in the body in this world, as the other disciples and apostles did, Yet that does not belittle his apostleship, as he has encountered the Lord Christ dwelling in heaven; who transfigured before him, and even in his depths. The Jews have so evaluated themselves, considering Abraham as their father according to the flesh; and some teachers of Jewish origin in Corinth, boasted of having seen the Lord Jesus according to the flesh; and accordingly counted themselves better than the apostle Paul who has not seen Him while in His ministry on earth. Every mind is lifted up and is conformed in prayer according to its purity; In case he cares for the earthly things, he would bear that view before his inner eyes in his vision of the Lord Christ, whether when He came in His humility in the flesh, or when He is to come in His great glory. Such people cannot behold the Lord Christ coming in His kingdom; as long as they stay holding fast to that Jewish weakness (namely the material way); and they would not be able to say together with the apostle: “Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no more” (16). As to those, on the other hand, who rise above the lowly works and thoughts, ascend up the high mountain of solitude (seclusion), freeing themselves of being disturbed by all the earthly troubles and thoughts; They are safe against the intervention of sins, glorified by strong faith; can, by pure eyes, behold His deity; 175 and up in the height of virtue, discover His glory and the image of His exaltation. To those in the cities, the country and villages, namely those preoccupied by doing their worldly works, Jesus is proclaimed, yet not in the same splendor by which He is proclaimed, to those who ascend together with Him on the solitude of the previously mentioned mountain of virtue … where God appeared to Moses and talked with Elijah1. (Father Isaac) Notice how He Himself, who is the Truth and the word, By whom everything has been; having become a body to dwell among us, and yet the apostle says: “even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer” (16); For Christ did not intend only to give possessions to those who consummate the journey, but also to make Himself the way to those who start walking2. (St. Augustine) We learn from the apostle not to know Christ now, the same way He was before … Namely, by which He proclaims to us His temporary ordinance; but by which He proclaims His eternal existence3. He proclaims this great secret through His incarnation, that purity is the only perfect sign of the presence and the coming of God, And that no one can truly guarantee this to himself, unless he sojourns completely from the desires of his body. What happened with St. Mary, the immaculate virgin, through whom the perfection of the Deity in Christ has shined, can also happen 1 St. John Sassian. 10: 6. 2 Son Christian Doctrine, 1: 34 (38). 3 Against Eunomius, 6: 2. 176 with every soul that practices the life of virginity. Of course, the Lord would not come any more in a material presence: “We know Christ thus no longer”, but it will be a spiritual presence; dwelling in us, together with the Father, as we are told in the gospel1. (St. Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa) “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (17) How dangerous it is for man to cherish his knowledge of Christ through reading alone, or through the seen miracles, without changing his nature to become an icon of Him! He who is in Christ, namely, the true believer, will enjoy the dwelling of Christ in his heart by faith, and the continuous renewal through the work of His Holy Spirit; and thus will practice his sonhood to God, denying his old sonhood to the devil and his evil works. In Christ we get a new heart, a new thought, a new behavior, and a new life; and we live as well in a new creation in the heavenlies. He who is in Christ lives free of sin, of the love of the world, and of the desires of the body; he is no more preoccupied with what is seen, but with what is unseen. The true believer does not only enjoy the continuous renewal inside him, but sees everything as new; Through the eyes of Christ, he sees around himself a new creation. The term “creation” came in Greek as (Ktisis) in feminine, as most feminine names end with “sis”, while the masculine ends with “ma”. The feminine gender refers to movement, work, and 1 On Virginity, 2. 177 production. The creation here is not static, but dynamic, working, and fruitful. He who believes in Me would come to another creation, namely would be born again by the Spirit … We should live for Him …. Paul exhorts us to have a life of virtue … showing that it is “a new creation”, and adds that “Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (17). What are the old things, but the sins, and the lack of piety, namely, keeping the Jewish practices; Or rather mean this and that1. (St. John Chrysostom) That is the same goal, for the sake of which the Lord Jesus Christ came; namely, to change the human nature, to transform, and to renew it. He creates the soul a new creation. Christ came to unify the human nature with His own Spirit, namely, the Spirit of Deity. He came to make a new mind, a new soul, new eyes, new ears, and a new spiritual tongue, in short to make a new man altogether; That is what he came to do in those who believe in Him; to make them new vessels, to anoint them by the light of His divine knowledge, and to pour in them the new wine, namely, His Spirit; for He says: “New wine should be put into new wineskins” (Matthew 9: 17) 2. Man’s whole nature has become sinful in the person of the one first created; But now it is justified anew in Christ; who became to us a new beginning for our race after that early beginning; In Him all thing have become new3. 1 In 2 Cor. Hom 11. PG 61: 513. 2 Sermon 44: 1. 3 Sermon 42 on Luke 8: 9-21. 178 We have a new world through the coming of our Savior, in whom all things became new for us1. (St. Cyril the Great) Once the early creation has grown old and disappeared, there was a need for a new creation in Christ. According to the apostle, we shall see in the new creation no more trace of what has grown old; saying: “taking off the old man with his works and lusts, we put on the new man created according to God”; “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new”. … In the early creation, the Creator took dust from the earth and conformed man; In the new creation, He again took dust from the Virgin Mary, and conformed, not just a man, but a Man for Himself. … He who created became Himself a Creation, The Word created a body, then became Himself a body, to transform our body to a Spirit, having become with us a partner in flesh and blood. … By such a new creation in Christ, by which He Himself started, He is called the Firstfruit of all; of both those who are born in this life, and those who lived by the resurrection from the dead2. Once again, having made Himself “the Firstfruit of resurrection”, and having got the title “The Firstfruit of those who have fallen asleep”, He has the priority in everything; Then, according to the apostle: “The old things have passed away”. He became the Firstfruit of the new creation of men in Christ, by a new double birth: one by the holy baptism, and the other as a result of the resurrection from the dead. In both of them He became for us “the Prince of life” and the “Firstborn”…. This 1 Sermon 60 on Luke 10: 1-3. 2 Against Eunomius, 4: 3. 179 Firstborn has as well brethren, about whom He says to Mary Magdalene: “Go to My brethren and say to them: ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father; to My God and your God” *John 20: 17). In those words He summarized all His goal from His ordinance of becoming a Man1. (St. Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa) To prove by our works what we proclaim by words, he says: “Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” ; “And if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation” (17) 2. (St. John Chrysostom) “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation” (18) All these gifts that touch our inner renewal, namely the new creation, are gifts from God, that we enjoy through the reconciliation with the Father in Jesus Christ. If sin has taken away our attachment to God, destroyed our relationship with Him, and turned it into animosity, the salvation work of Christ is the reconciliation. God has reconciled us to Himself by His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. The source of all the graces we get from God has been realized by the atoning Intercessor the Lord Jesus Christ. Our God has given us the ministry of reconciliation, and granted us the Holy Book, the divine Word, being the word of reconciliation, having enjoyed peace with God through the blood of the cross. The cross has taken away the spirit of animosity that prevailed upon the heart toward the divinities and the heavenlies; and presented the spirit of reconciliation to and the attachment to it. 1 Against Eunomius, 2: 8. 2 In Galat., hom 2. 180 By saying: “He has given us the ministry of reconciliation”, he means to say to us: Do not assume that we work by our own authority; we are only ministers. He who does everything is God, who reconciled the world by His only begotten Son1. (St. John Chrysostom) “That is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (19) By so saying, he proclaims that God Himself is the One who seeks the reconciliation. We initiated the animosity, opposition, rebellion, and stubbornness; and He initiated love, and sought reconciliation; He walks toward us, presenting His gospel “the word of reconciliation”. There is a wicked world and a good world; The wicked world is all the wicked men in this world; and the good world is all the good men in it2. “The world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him” (John 1: 10). What world that was made through Him? And what world that did not know Him? It is not the physical world; namely the heaven and the earth. Because how could heaven not know Him, when, in His passion the sun was darkened? And how could the earth not known Him, when it trembled, as he was hanged on the cross? But the world did not know Him, who said: “the ruler of this world comes, he has nothing in Me” (John 14: 30). The wicked and the non-believers are called “the world”; so called because of what they love. By our love for God, therefore, we become “gods”, and by loving 1 In 2 Cor. Hom 11. PG 61: 515. 2 Sermons on New Testament Lessons, 31: 3. 181 the world, we are called “the world”, Yet God reconciled the world to Him in Christ1. (St. Augustine) The gospels are four; being the four elements of faith of the church; through which the world which was reconciled to God has indeed gathered together in Christ2. (The scholar Origen) “Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us; we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God” (20) If God is the Initiator of the reconciliation, it is befitting of His ministers, being His ambassadors, to initiate reconciliation in their turn; to plead with the sinners to accept this reconciliation to God. The ministers being ambassadors for the Lord Christ, they represent Him, proclaim His will in their reconciliation to the Father, and reveal God’s exalted love for the congregation. As representatives of Christ, the atoning Intercessors, they pray for the sinners, and plead to them to accept His atoning work, in order to enjoy His divine bosoms which carry them to the bosom of the Father. As ambassadors for Christ, namely, His representatives, having succeeded Him in His work, do not assume that it is sought for your sake, from Him through us, but Christ Himself seeks you through us … He, who grants His blessings to tens of thousands, was attacked; Yet He did not use justice, but He even delivered His only begotten Son to reconcile… What does He seek? “Be reconciled to God”. He does not say “Reconcile God to you”, as 1 Sermons on New Testament Lessons, 71: 1. 2 Commentary on John, 1: 6. 182 God bears no hatred, but it is you who bear it; God never bore hatred1. (St. John Chrysostom) “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (21) He who knew no sin became a sacrifice of sin offered on our behalf. The Hebrew word (hamarita) that came here, was translated in the Septuagint version in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and the Numbers, as “a sin offering”. Having consented to become “a sin offering”, our Christ had all the hands of humanity put on Him to bear the whole weight of their sins. Having taken our place, our Christ was counted as though the greatest sinner; And He granted us, bearing the righteousness of Christ, to take His place, to be counted as “righteous” in the sight of God the Father. This chapter therefore presents to us a magnificent concept of salvation and the ministry of reconciliation to the Father, to enjoy the righteousness of Christ; as Christ took our place, and presented Himself a sacrifice of sin on our behalf. It is indeed a unique presentation that reveals the exalted experience of the apostle with the cross of the Lord of Glory Jesus Christ. He means to say that He, who is Righteous, has become a sin; namely suffered as a condemned sinner, cursed to die2. (St. John Chrysostom) What did happen is that He became obedient, having “taken our weaknesses upon Himself, and bore our infirmities”, healing the disobedience of men by His obedience.; that by His scourges He 1 In 2 Cor. Hom. 11. PG 61: 517. 2 In 2 Cor. Hom. 11. PG 61: 517. 183 would heal our wounds; and by His death He drive away the general death from all mankind. For our sake He became obedient; and for our sake He became a “sin” and a “curse”; for the sake of the ordainment to our account, and not according to nature; but He so became in His love of mankind1. (St. Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa) Who is He, who knew no sin, but Him who said: “The ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me” (John 14: 30). “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us”. What does this mean, O brethren? If it is said: “He made Him sin”, it would be unbearable; So how could we bear saying “He made Him to be sin for us”? Namely that Christ Himself becomes a sin?! Those who have knowledge of the Old Testament would understand what I say; As this is not an expression that came only once, but is repeated several times. The sacrifices for the sake of sin are called “sins”. As an example goats and rams offered for sin, were called “sins”. In the law we read: “He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering” (Leviticus 4: 29) … The way the sin was offered, the blood of the Savior was shed and made void the bill of the debtor … the blood which is shed for many for the remission of sins (Matthew 26: 28) 2. (St. Augustine) 1 Against Eunomius, 2: 11. 2 Sermons on New Testament Lessons, 84: 5. 184 AN INSPIRATION FROM 2 CORINTHIANS 5 MY SOUL PRAISES YOU IN THE TENT OF HER BODY, ANTICIPATING HER ETERNAL DWELLING WITH YOU Glory be to You, who granted me the tent of the body. A beautiful tent, the work of Your hands. Yet, it is temporal and temporary. By my own corrupted will I corrupted it. Through it, my soul departs, setting forth toward You. I wonder when shall I encounter You, to enjoy the heavenly habitation! When shall I bear a spiritual body like Your body risen from the dead? In which there is no corruption; And in which there will be no more death. I often get preoccupied by the clothes on my body. Yet they would not take away my nakedness before the heavenlies. When shall I hide in You, and put on an eternal attire? Here on earth, although I put on clothes, yet I am naked. There I shall not put on any clothes; As Your splendor will reflect on me as my heavenly garment. I wonder if I shall enjoy the deposit of Your Holy Spirit? To enjoy having an incorruptible garment that would never be worn-out. To enjoy the deposit of eternity instead of being preoccupied with temporal things. By faith, I behold You, and enjoy You. Yet, while dwelling in this body I am away from You. Let me dwell together with You, and become away from this mortal body. Can I say: 185 The body lusts have no place in me! For where You dwell, is no place for sin. My soul groans in me; Come to dwell in my depths. Whether I live here, or depart from this world, I am only preoccupied with what brings You pleasure. Let me please You; As who can love me like You? You love me together with all my brethren. Your love perpetually surrounds me. By Your love You consented to die, that I, together with my brethren may live. How can I pay You back; as I am all Yours? Let me live for You, O who came to the world for my sake. To enjoy uniting with You beyond the limitations of the body. You made me a new creation; And destroyed the corruption of my old nature. Glory be to You, O who renewed my life. You reconciled me, the sinful enemy. I see my soul hide in You. When shall see all with me in You? I am Your ambassador. I have no other goal but to see all humanity righteous in You. When shall see all enjoy the fellowship of glory with You?
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