3. This is said against those who assert that faith is of no use, and against those who doubt the possibility of instantaneous change. And see how quickly (the Apostle) stopped their mouths, with the help of the dignity of Him who chose. And He did not say, "Who will accuse the servants of God," but, "The elect of God," because election is a sign of virtue. If he who rides young horses considers them capable of running, then no one can defame him, and anyone who accuses him becomes ridiculous; how much more ridiculous are those who accuse, when God Himself chooses souls. "God justifies them. Who condemns" (Rom. 8:33-34)? (The Apostle) did not say: God forgives sins, but, what is much more important: "God justifies." If the sentence of a judge, and such a judge at that, declares someone to be right, then what does the prosecutor deserve? Therefore, we should not be afraid of temptations, because God is for us, Who has proved this by His works, nor of Jewish idle talk, because God both chose and justified us, and what is even more surprising, justified us by the death of His Son. Who will condemn us when God Himself crowns, when Christ is slain for us and not only slaughters, but also intercedes for us after that? "Christ Jesus died, but also rose again: he is also at the right hand of God, and he also intercedes for us" (Rom. 8:34). Appearing in His own dignity, He did not cease His providence for us, but intercedes for us and constantly preserves the same love for us. He did not confine himself to the mere slaughter, but, which especially proves the greatest love, not only does everything that depended on Him, but also begs others to do it. This one thing (the Apostle) wished to express in the word "intercedeth," conversing with humanity and condescension, in order to show love; In the same way, from the word "did not spare", if it is not taken in this sense, many incongruous things will follow. And in order that you may understand that this is what (the Apostle) wishes to reveal, he first said that Christ is "at the right hand," and then added, "He intercedes for us," by which he proved equality and equality, so that intercession must be represented as a manifestation of no less dignity, but of love alone. When He Himself is life, the source of all good, has equal authority with the Father, raises the dead and gives life, and does everything else, then how can He need intercession to help us? Who freed those who were hopeless and condemned from the condemnation of their own power, made them righteous and sons, raised them to the highest degree of honor, and accomplished in practice that which could not have been expected, did He, after having accomplished all this and after the elevation of our nature to the royal throne, need intercession for something easier? Do you see how everything serves as proof that the word "intercede" (the Apostle) used only to express the fervor and strength of His love for us, since the Father Himself seems to beseech people to be reconciled to Him: "As God Himself exhorts through us; in the name of Christ we beseech" (2 Corinthians 5:20). But, nevertheless, when God exhorts and when people are messengers to people in the name of Christ, we do not imagine anything degrading for such a dignity, but from such expressions we conclude only one, namely, the power of love. We will do the same here. Therefore, if the Spirit intercedes with groanings that cannot be uttered, if Christ died and intercedes for us, if the Father did not spare His Son for your sake, chose you and justified you, then what do you fear, why do you tremble, enjoying such love and such care? And (the Apostle), having shown the great providence for us from above, with all his freedom continues his speech and does not say that you too should love God as much, but, as if enraptured by this ineffable Providence, exclaims: "Who shall separate us from the love of God" (Rom. 8:35)? And he did not say "God's": it makes no difference to him to call both Christ and God. "Tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword"? Pay attention to the wisdom of Blessed Paul. He did not mention what daily traps us in captivity - the love of money, the passion for glory, the power of anger, but he enumerates what is much more painful than this and is capable of conquering nature itself, he points out that often against our will the strength of the mind shakes, namely, he speaks of sorrows and distress. And although it is easy to enumerate all that has been said, each word contains an innumerable series of temptations. When (the Apostle) speaks of tribulation, he means prisons, and bonds, and denunciations, and exiles, and all other calamities, - in a word he points to the boundless sea of dangers and in one expression reveals to us all human misfortunes. And yet, he dares all these disasters. For this reason (the Apostle) uses the form of interrogative speech, as if he does not doubt in the least that whoever is so loved and is under such providence, nothing can separate him from love.

4. Then, lest you think that these calamities are a sign of abandonment, (the Apostle) quotes the words of a prophet who foretold this for a long time and said: "For Your sake we are slain all the day, they count us as sheep doomed to be slaughtered" (Rom. 8:36; Psalm 43:23), that is, we are ordained to suffer evil from everyone. But in the midst of such numerous and great misfortunes, in the midst of these extraordinary misfortunes, the very cause of our ascetic deeds serves as sufficient consolation for us, or rather, not only sufficient, but also much greater, since we endure this, says (the Apostle), not for people and not for anything worldly, but for the King of all. And it was not with this alone, but also with other diverse and multicolored crowns that he again adorned the ascetics. Since it is impossible for them, as men, to be put to death many times, (the Apostle) proves that this does not diminish the reward in the least. Although by nature man is granted the lot to die only once, yet, if we will, God has given us the opportunity to undergo it daily, according to His will. From this it is clear that we will transmigrate having as many crowns as we live here for days, or even the number of crowns will be greater, because in one day it is possible to die once, twice, and many times. He who is prepared for this always receives a perfect reward. The prophet also understood this, saying: "Every day." The Apostle quoted his words for the greater encouragement of his listeners. If those who lived in the Old Testament, he says, who had the earth as the reward of their labors and that which is destroyed with the present life, so despised the present life, temptations and calamities, then what excuse can we have, who, even after heaven, the heavenly kingdom and unspeakable blessings, remain in slothfulness and do not even reach the measure that the Old Testament reached? (The Apostle), however, did not say this, but, leaving it to the conscience of his hearers, he is content with one testimony and proves that their bodies are sacrifices and that they need not be afraid and troubled, because God Himself has arranged it. (The Apostle) offers them another kind of exhortation. Lest anyone should say that he was merely inquisitive contrary to actual experience, he added, "They reckoned us as sheep doomed to the slaughter," meaning that the apostles were daily subjected to death. Do you notice courage and meekness? As sheep do not resist when they are slaughtered, so do we, says (Paul). But since the human mind, even after so many examples, feared a multitude of temptations in its weakness, see how (the Apostle) again restores the hearer, exalts him and exalts him, saying: "But we overcome all these things by the power of Him who loved us" (Rom. 8:37). That is why it is surprising that we not only conquer, but conquer by the very means by which they plot against us, and not only conquer, but overcome, that is, with all ease, without labor or sweat. Everywhere we erect monuments of victories over our enemies, not only when we really tolerate it, but even when we are only preparing our souls for it. And very justly, because God will help us. Believe, therefore, that we, being subjected to beatings, overcome those who inflict them, being cast out, overcome the persecutors, and when we die, we smite the living. When you consider God's power and love, you will see that there is no obstacle to the performance of such wonderful and extraordinary actions and to the extraordinary radiance of victory. The Apostles not only conquered, but with many miracles, so that it could be understood that they had a battle with those who plotted not against men, but against that irresistible force. See how the Jews, having surrounded them, are perplexed and say: "What shall we do with these people" (Acts 4:16)? It is surprising that those who detain them and demand an account, binding them, subjecting them to slaughter, were perplexed and perplexed, being defeated by him whom they hoped to conquer. Neither the torturer, nor the executioners, nor the hordes of demons, nor the devil himself could defeat them, but, on the contrary, they are all completely defeated and see that everything that they have plotted against them is turned in their own favor. That is why (Paul) said: "We overcome." It was a new way of victory, to conquer by means of the opposite, never to be conquered, and to go out into the contest as if to have in one's will the end of the battle. "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 6:38-39).

5. That which has been said is great, but we do not understand it, because we do not have such great love. But although what has been said is great, the apostle, wishing to show that it is nothing in comparison with the love which God loved, speaks of his love after the love of God, so that no one should think that he exalts himself. And the meaning of his words is as follows. Why speak of the present and of the calamities inseparable from this life? At least someone would point out to me future states and powers, such as life and death, angels, archangels, and all the heavenly creatures, and this is not enough for me in comparison with Christ's love. If someone threatened me with a future unending death in order to separate me from Christ, or promised me eternal life, I would not agree. Why then is it necessary to speak of earthly kings and of popular rulers, and precisely of one or the other of them? And if you point out to me the angels, to all the heavenly powers, to all that exists, and to all things to come, then, in comparison with the love of Christ, all things are small for me, all that is on earth, that is in heaven, that is under the earth, that is above the heavens. Then, since this was not enough to depict the strong love that (the apostle) had, he presented something else, how great, and said: "No other creature." This means this: if there were another similar creature, both visible and comprehensible by the mind, then nothing would distract from that love.

He expressed himself in this way, not because the angels or other heavenly powers really distracted him from Christ - no, - but because he wanted to present to the highest degree the love that he had for Christ. He loved Christ not for the sake of what belongs to Christ, but for the sake of Christ Himself, to Him he fixed his gaze and feared only one thing – to fall away from this love. To fall away from the love of Christ was for him more terrible than hell itself, just as to abide in love was more desirable than the kingdom. Wherefore, then, can we be worthy, that the Apostle, in comparison with Christ's love, was not surprised at the things that are in heaven, and we prefer to Christ that which lies in the mud and dust? Out of love for Christ, he was ready to submit to hell and lose his kingdom, if he had to do both, and we cannot neglect the present life. Are we worthy even of the apostle's shoes, being so far from the greatness of his spirit? He counted the kingdom itself as nothing for Christ's sake, but we despise Christ and attach great importance to what belongs to Christ.

Since we do not have proper love for God, He offers us many other things to keep us close to Himself; despite all this, we do not remain with Him, but run from Him to children's games. Paul was not like that, but as a noble, free, and loving son, he seeks only one thing, and that is to be with the Father, and to the rest he is not very important, or rather, he is in many ways superior to such a son. He does not value his father and his father's property equally, but when he turns his eyes to his father, he considers nothing to be his own, and would rather endure punishment and beatings with him than rejoice away from him.

6. Therefore we shall be terrified, who cannot despise money for God, or, rather, cannot despise money for ourselves. Paul alone endured everything truly for Christ, not for the kingdom, not for honor, but out of love for Christ. And neither Christ nor all the things of Christ distract us from the occupations of life, but like snakes, vipers, or pigs, or like all these together, we grovel in the mud. In what way are we better than these animals, when, having so many and great examples, we still look down and cannot even look at the sky a little? God gave up the Son for you, and you do not give bread to Him, who was betrayed for you, who was killed for you. The Father did not spare Him for you, did not spare His true Son, and you do not pay attention to Him when He is starving, and moreover preparing to squander His property and squander it for yourself. What could be worse than such iniquity? For your sake he is betrayed, for your sake he is slain, for your sake he wanders, enduring thirst, you give of His own possessions in order to benefit from it, but in spite of this, you give nothing. Are not those more senseless than any stone who, under so many motivating circumstances, remain in such diabolical cruelty? Christ did not confine Himself only to death and the cross, but deigned to become a beggar, a stranger, homeless, naked, to be imprisoned, to endure sickness, in order to draw you to Himself. If you do not repay Me for suffering for you, He says, then have compassion on Me for the sake of poverty. If you do not want to take pity on poverty, be touched by My illness, have compassion for the sake of bonds, but if this does not incline you to love mankind, pay attention to the ease of the request. I ask for nothing dear, but bread, shelter, and a word of consolation. And if you remain cruel even after this, then become kinder, at least for the sake of the kingdom, for the sake of the rewards that I promised you. But they don't matter to you either? So incline with pity at least to nature itself, seeing Me naked, and remember the nakedness that I endured for you on the cross. And if you do not want to remember it, imagine the nakedness that I endure in the face of the poor. And then I needed for you, and now I need for you, that you, moved by one or the other, should want to show some mercy; for thee I fasted, and again for thee I endure hunger, thirsty, hanging on the cross, thirsty in the face of the poor, if only in one way or another to draw thee unto Me and for thy own salvation to make thee a lover of mankind. Therefore, although you owe Me a reward for innumerable blessings, I do not ask you as a debtor, but crown you as a gift, and for this small thing I give you a kingdom. I do not say, "Deliver me from poverty, or give me riches," although it is for you that I have become poor; but I ask only bread, clothing, a little consolation in hunger. When I am in prison, I do not compel you to remove my bonds and bring me out of prison, but I seek only one person that you may visit who is bound for you, and this I take as a great mercy, and for this alone I give you heaven. Though I have delivered you from the heaviest bonds, yet it is enough for Me if you want to see Me bound. Of course, I can crown you without this, but I want to be your debtor, so that the crown may bring you some boldness. And therefore, having the opportunity to nourish Myself, I go and ask, I stand at your door and stretch out my hand. It is from you that I desire to receive nourishment, because I love you very much, I long for your meal, as is the case with friends, and I boast about it in the face of the whole universe, I constantly proclaim you in public, and show everyone My provider. When we eat at someone's, we are ashamed of it and usually hide it, but Christ, who loves us dearly, even though we are silent, tells everyone about what happened with much praise and is not ashamed to say that we clothed Him when He was naked, fed Him when He was hungry. Having pondered all this, let us not dwell on praise alone, but let us put our words into practice. What is the use of this applause and this noise? I demand of you only one thing - proof in deed, obedience in reality: this is my praise, this is your gain, this is more brilliant for me than a diadem. Wherefore, having departed from here, prepare a crown for yourselves and for me by the hands of the poor, so that in this life we may be nourished by good hope, and, having migrated to the life to come, we may attain innumerable blessings, which may be given to all of us by the grace and love of mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom to the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, dominion, and honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

CONVERSATION 16

"I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie, my conscience bears witness to me in the Holy Spirit" (Rom. 9:1).

1. Did not what I said in the previous discourse about Paul's love for Christ seem great and supernatural to you? Truly, all this in itself is great and surpasses every word. Yet what has been said now is as much superior to the past as the former surpasses all that can be said of us. I myself could not imagine that there could be anything higher than what was said in the last conversation, but what we had to read today is much more brilliant than anything before. He himself (Paul), foreseeing this, announced at the very beginning that he intended to touch on a still more important thing, which many would not believe. And, above all, he testifies to the truth of what he intends to say. This is what many people usually do when they intend to talk about something incredible for the majority and of which they themselves are firmly convinced. "I speak the truth," he says, "I do not lie," in this my conscience is my witness. "Great is my sorrow, and the continual anguish of my heart: I would that I myself should be separated from Christ" (Rom. 9:2-3).

What do you say, Paul? From the beloved Christ, from whom neither the kingdom nor hell, nor the visible, nor the imaginable, nor the like, could separate you - from this (Christ) do you now desire to be excommunicated? What happened? Have you not changed, have you not ruined your love? No, he said, don't be afraid, I only strengthened this love in myself. How then do you desire to be excommunicated, to seek alienation and such a rupture after which there is no other to be found? Because I love Him very much, he says. How, tell me, and how? Your words look like a riddle, don't they? But it seems better that we first know what excommunication is, and then begin to ask him about it, and thus understand this inexpressible and extraordinary love. So, what is excommunication? Listen to what Paul himself says: "Whoever does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed" (1 Cor. 16:22), that is, let him be excommunicated from all and become a stranger to all. As no one dares to touch merely with his hands, or to approach the gift which is consecrated to God, so (the Apostle) calls by this name, in the opposite sense, the excommunicated one, cutting him off from all and distancing him as far as possible, commanding all to depart and flee from such a man with great fear. No one dared to approach the gift out of respect, and everyone left the excommunicated for another, opposite feeling. Thus excommunication is one, and both are equally made alien to men, but the method of excommunication is not the same, but one is contrary to the other. One is removed from the one because it is consecrated to God, and from the other because it is alienated from God and excommunicated from the church. In the latter sense, Paul also said: "I would that I myself should be excommunicated from Christ." He did not simply say, "I would will," but he strengthens his speech and says, "I would pray." But if you are troubled by words that seem very weak, then you reflect on the matter itself, and not only on the fact that (Paul) wanted to be excommunicated, but also on the very reason why he desired it, then you will see all the excessiveness of his love. For example, he performed circumcision, but if we pay attention not to the action, but to the intention and cause of the action, we are even more surprised at him. He not only circumcised, but also cut his hair and offered a sacrifice, but, of course, we do not consider him a Jew for this, but, on the contrary, say that in consequence of this he especially became free and pure from Judaism and became a true servant of Christ. Wherefore, when thou seest that (Paul) circumcises and offers sacrifices, thou dost not consequently condemn him for his adherence to Judaism, but chiefly praise him for this, both the stranger of Judaism, and seeing that he desires to be excommunicated, do not be troubled by this, but, having understood the reason why he desires it, glorify him all the more for it. And if we do not inquire into the causes, we must call Elijah a murderer, and Abraham not only a murderer, but also a child-murderer, and also accuse Phinehas and Peter of murder; if we do not observe this rule, we will draw absurd conclusions not only about the saints, but also about God of all kinds. In order to avoid this in all such cases, let us examine the circumstances, paying attention to the cause, intention, time, and everything that can serve to justify what happened. So we should do now with this blessed soul. So, what is the reason? Again the beloved Jesus Himself. And, of course, (the Apostle) does not call Him the cause, since he says: I would like to be excommunicated from Him "for my brethren." But this only indicates his humility; he does not want to give the slightest pretense that he speaks of a great deed, and that he offers it as a gift to Christ. Wherefore he said, "Of my kinsmen according to the flesh," in order to conceal the greatness of the work. And that he desired all things for Christ, hear the following. Having said, "Those who are my kinsmen according to the flesh," he added, "To whom belong the adoption and the glory, and the covenants, and the law, and the worship, and the promises; and their fathers, and of them Christ according to the flesh, God who is over all, blessed for ever, Amen" (Rom. 9:4-5).

2. What is it, you will ask. If (Paul) wanted to be excommunicated in order that others might believe, then he ought to pray for the Gentiles for the same, and if he prays only for the Jews, he shows that he desired excommunication not for Christ's sake, but for the sake of kinship with the Jews. And, of course, if he prayed only for the Gentiles, it would not be so obvious, and since he prays only for the Jews, he clearly shows that he cares about this for the glory of Christ. I know that my words seem strange to you, but if you do not make a noise, I will immediately try to explain them. It was not without reason that (the Apostle) said what he said, but on the ground that all, reproaching God, said that those were expelled and deprived of honor who were worthy to be called the sons of God, received the law, knew God before all nations, enjoyed special glory, served God before all the world, received the promises, were fathers of their tribes, and, most importantly, became the forefathers of Christ Himself (this is the meaning of the words: "Christ according to the flesh is of them") and that, in their place, people from the Gentiles were brought in, who had never known God. As they were blaspheming God in saying this, Paul, hearing this, was tormented, grieved for the glory of God, and desired to be excommunicated, if possible, on condition that the Jews should be saved, that such blasphemy might cease, and that it would not seem that God had deceived their forefathers, to whom he had promised gifts. (Paul wanted to be excommunicated) so that you would understand how much he was crushed by the opinion that God's promise to Abraham had not been fulfilled: "To your descendants I will give this land" (Gen. 12:7). After these words (the Apostle) added: "Not that the word of God should not come to pass" (Rom. 9:6). Here he shows that he is willing to endure all these things for the word of God, that is, for the promise made to Abraham. As Moses seems to have interceded for the Jews, but did all things for the glory of God [he said, Cease thy wrath, lest it be said that thou could not save, and that thou didst bring them out to slay them in the wilderness" (Deuteronomy 9:28)], so Paul says, I desired to be excommunicated, lest it be said that the promise of God was not fulfilled, that God did not do what he promised, and put his word into action. Therefore he does not say this for the Gentiles (for they were not given the promise, they did not serve God and did not blaspheme Him), but prayed for it for the Jews who had received the promise, and for others who were close to him. Do you notice that if he had prayed for the Gentiles, it would not have been so clearly revealed that he was doing it for the glory of Christ; and since he desired to be excommunicated for the Jews, he made it especially clear that he desired it for Christ's sake. Wherefore he said, To them belong adoption, and glory, and covenants, and statutes, and worship, and promises. With them, says (the Apostle), the law that testifies of Christ, all covenants were made with them, Christ Himself came from them, from them were all the fathers who received the promises, but nevertheless the opposite happened, and they were deprived of all blessings. That is why I am tormented, he says, and if it were possible to be excluded from the face of Christ, alienated not from the love of Christ (let this not be, for he did it out of love for Christ), but from blessedness and glory, I would agree to this on the condition that my Lord should not be subjected to blasphemy, and that I should not hear from anyone, as if His works were a shadow, as if God promised some and gave to others, Christ was born of some, and saved others. He made promises to the ancestors of the Jews, and, leaving their descendants, brought into their possession of their goods those who had never known Him; The Jews labored, learning the law and reading the prophets, but the Gentiles, who had recently turned away from altars and idols, became higher than the Jews. Where is God's Providence here? And so, says (the Apostle), although this opinion is unjust, no matter what they say about my Lord, I would gladly lose the kingdom and that unspeakable glory, and I would endure all the calamities, considering it the greatest consolation for me in sorrows not to hear any more blasphemy against my beloved. If you have not yet understood what has been said, then imagine that many fathers often decided to do this because of their children and preferred to be separated from them, only to see them prosperous, considering their happiness above the pleasure of living with them. But since we are far from such love, we cannot understand what has been said.

And some are not even worthy to hear Paul's teaching, and are so far removed from that greatest love that they think that (Paul) is speaking here of temporal death. Of such I can say that they do not know Paul as much as the blind do not know the sunbeam and much more. He who died every day was exposed to clouds of danger, and said, "Who shall separate us from the love of God, tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword"? - He who did not confine himself to what has been said, who has passed through heaven and the heaven of heavens, has outstripped the angels, archangels, and all things above, who has comprehended the present and the future at the same time, visible and cognizable by the intellect, sad, useful, and contained in both, and in general has left nothing unattended, who did not confine himself to this, but also assumed another similar creation, not yet existing, as he could have mentioned temporal death after all this, definitely about something important.

3. It's not so, no. This opinion is characteristic of worms nesting in manure. If (the apostle) had spoken of this, how would he have desired to be excommunicated from Christ? After all, such a death united more with the face of Christ and contributed to the delivery of future glory. But there are also those who dare to assert another, more ridiculous thing. He did not desire death, they say, but to be the treasure and gift of Christ. And who among the lowest and most unworthy people would not desire this? But how could (Paul) want this for his relatives? And so, abandoning fables and idle talk (which are not worth refuting, since they are like childish babbling), let us return again to the very saying (of the Apostle), and, enjoying the sea of his love, let us safely swim and meditate on the ineffable flame, of which, no matter what anyone speaks, will say nothing worthy. (Paul's love) was wider than any sea, stronger than any fire, no word can depict it in its worth, only (Paul) comprehended it as one who possessed it perfectly. And so, let us repeat again his words: "I would like to be excommunicated myself." What does it mean: "I myself"? I, who have become a common teacher, have rendered innumerable services, expect innumerable crowns for myself, have loved Christ so much that I prefer His love to everything in the world, I burn daily for Him and put everything below love for Him. (Paul) was concerned not only to be loved by Christ, but also to love Him deeply, and especially about the latter. Therefore, this was the only thing he had in mind and easily endured everything; In all his affairs he watched one thing - to satisfy this beautiful love. And he wanted to be excommunicated, but, as it could not happen, he tries to defend himself against accusations and, having presented what everyone was talking about, tries to refute it. And before proceeding to an explicit justification, he has already planted some of its seeds. When he says, "To whom belong the adoption and the glory, and the covenants, and the ordinance of the law, and the worship, and the promises," he means nothing else than that God desired that they also should be saved; this He proved by what He had done before, that Christ came from them, and He had made promises to their fathers. But the Jews, through their own ingratitude, rejected the beneficence. Therefore (the Apostle) presents that which testifies only to the gift of God, and does not serve to their praise, but adoption, glory, promises, and the law were precisely the work of God's grace. Having presented all this, and considering how much care God and His Son had taken for the salvation of the Jews, he cried out with a loud voice and said, "He is blessed for ever." Amen. He sends such thanksgiving for all to the Only-begotten Son of God. That if others blaspheme, he says, we, knowing His mysteries, His ineffable Wisdom and all-embracing Providence, know well that He is worthy not of blasphemy, but of glorification. But, not content with his own conscience, he tries to bring and judge the argument, uses the strongest expressions against the Jews, and does not leave them until he has destroyed their suspicion. In order not to seem that he converses as with enemies, he also says: "Brothers! the desire of my heart, and my prayer to God for Israel unto salvation" (Romans 10:1), and here, among other things he said, he tries to show that he does not say out of enmity what he should say against them; therefore he does not refuse to call them relatives and brothers. And although everything that he said and said for Christ, he nevertheless attracts their favor to himself, first paves the way for his word, deflects from himself any suspicion about what he intends to say against them, and only then proceeds to consider what occupied many. Many, as I have remarked above, have asked, why did those who received the promise perish, and those who had never heard of it were saved before the first? Thus, removing this perplexity, he offers his solution before the objection. Lest someone say, "What, do you care more about the glory of God than God himself?" Does He really need your help so that His word does not perish? Answering this, (the Apostle) also says: I did not say this in the sense that the word of God did not come to pass, but to prove love for Christ. And although the works were fulfilled in this form, we do not doubt the words of God, and affirm that the promise is immutable. God said to Abraham: "And I will give thee and thy descendants after thee the land, and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 17:8; 12:3). Therefore, he says, let us see what kind of seed it is, since not all that came from Abraham are his seed, which is why it is said: "Not all the children of Abraham who are of his seed, but it is said, In Isaac thy seed shall be called" (Rom. 9:7).

4. If, therefore, you know who is called the seed of Abraham, you will see that the promise was given to his seed, and you will understand that the word of God has not been unfulfilled. Tell me, then, who is called seed? It is not I who speaks, answers (the Apostle), but the Old Testament explains itself, saying thus: "In Isaac thy seed shall be called" (Gen. 21:12). Explain what is meant by "in Isaac"? "That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of promise who are counted as seed" (Rom. 9:8). Notice the wisdom and loftiness of Paul's mind: in his explanation he says that the children according to the flesh are not the children of Abraham, but the children of God; thus he connects the Old Testament with the present and shows that Isaac was not simply the son of Abraham. Its meaning is this: those who were born after the example of Isaac are the children of God and the seed of Abraham. Wherefore he said, "In Isaac thy seed shall be called," that thou mayest understand that those who are born in the image of Isaac are especially the seed of Abraham. How was Isaac born? Not by the law of nature, not by the power of the flesh, but by the power of the promise. What does it mean, according to the power of the promise? "At the same time I will come" to you, "and Sarah will have a son" (Rom. 9:9). That was the promise, and the word of God formed and begat Isaac. And what happened? Although the woman's bed and womb contributed to birth, it was not the power of the womb, but the power of promise that produced the child. In the same way, we are born of the word of God, because that which gives birth to us and forms us in the font of water is the word of God, and on the other hand, when we are baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we are born. This is not a birth by nature, but by the promise of God. As He foretold the birth of Isaac and fulfilled it, so He foretold our birth a long time before through all the prophets, and then brought it to pass. Do you notice how many proofs he has presented, and how He who gave great promises fulfilled them with all ease? But if the Jews say that the words, "In Isaac thy seed shall be called," mean that those who are born of Isaac are due to him as his seed, then they must consider the Edomites and all those who are descended from him as sons of Isaac, because their forefather Esau was the son of Isaac. But not only are the Edomites not called children now, but they were even very alien to the Israelites. Do you see that it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but that in nature itself the birth again through baptism is foreshadowed? But if you tell me about the beds, I can also tell you about the water. And as here everything is of the Spirit, so there everything is of promise, because the beds, because of barrenness and old age, were colder than water. Therefore, with all attention, let us comprehend our nobility and show a life worthy of it; there is nothing carnal and earthly in this, let it not be in us either. Not sleep, not carnal lust, not embraced and not the arousal of passion, but God's love for mankind has accomplished everything. And just as there, when age gave no hope, so here, when old age came as a result of sins, a new man suddenly appeared, and we all became the sons of God, the seed of Abraham. "And this is not one thing; but so it was with Rebekah, when she conceived two sons at the same time by Isaac our father" (Rom. 9:10). The question was important, therefore (the apostle) gives many arguments and tries by all means to eliminate the difficulty. If it was strange and unexpected that the Jews, after so many promises, perished, it seems more strange that we, who had not expected anything of the kind, should have entered into their possession. It was the same as if the king's son, who had been promised succession to the throne after the king, had been reduced to the rank of disenfranchised, and in his place a man guilty of innumerable crimes, and condemned to death, had been taken out of prison, and had received the power that belonged to the former. What can be said about this? That the son is unworthy? But even he is unworthy, even more so. This means that it was necessary either to punish together or to honor together. A similar thing, I say, happened to the Gentiles and to the Jews, and even much stranger. That all are unworthy, (the Apostle) declared above, saying: "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23); but it is extraordinary that, while all were unworthy, only the pagans were saved. After this, another question may be proposed, namely, if God did not intend to fulfill the promises made to the Jews, why did he give them? For only men, not knowing the future and often being deceived, promise gifts even to those who are not worthy to receive them; but He who foresees the present and the future, who clearly knew that the Jews would become unworthy of the promises, and consequently would receive none of what was said, for which purpose he made the promises?