§8»Ὕδωρ ἐπάνω τοῦ οὐρανοῦ«· ἐπεὶ τὸ βάπτισμα γίνεται δι᾿ »ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος«, ἀλεξητήριον ὂν πυρὸς τοῦ δισσοῦ, τοῦ τε τῶν ἀοράτων ἁπτομένου καὶ τοῦ τῶν ὁρατῶν, ἀνάγκη καὶ τοῦ ὕδατος τὸ μέν τι νοητόν, τὸ δὲ αἰσθητὸν ὑπάρχειν, ἀλεξητήριον τῆς διπλόης τοῦ πυρός· καὶ τὸ μὲν ἐπίγειον ὕδωρ τὸ σῶμα ἀπορρύπτει, τὸ δὲ ἐπουράνιον ὕδωρ διὰ τὸ εἶναι νοητὸν καὶ ἀόρατον πνεῦμα ἀλληγορεῖται ἅγιον, τῶν ἀοράτων καθαρτικόν, οἷον τοῦ πνεύματος ὕδωρ ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνο τοῦ σώματος.
"Water above the heaven": since baptism takes place through "water and spirit," which is a protection against the double fire, that which touches invisible things and that which touches visible things, it is necessary that of water also, one part should be intelligible and another sensible, being a protection against the duality of fire; and earthly water indeed washes away the body, but heavenly water, because it is intelligible and invisible, is allegorized as the Holy Spirit, purifying invisible things, like the water of the spirit just as that of the body.
§9Ὁ θεὸς καὶ τὸν φόβον τῇ ἀγαθότητι συνέμιξεν δι᾿ ἀγαθότητα.
God mixed fear with goodness because of his goodness.
τὸ γὰρ συμφέρον ἑκάστῳ τοῦτο ἤδη παρέχει, ὡς ἰατρὸς ἀρρωστοῦντι, ὡς πατὴρ ἀτακτοῦντι τῷ παιδί.
For he already provides what is useful for each, like a physician for the sick, like a father for the disobedient child.
»ὁ γὰρ φειδόμενος τῆς βακτηρίας αὐτοῦ μισεῖ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ. « καὶ ὁ κύριος δὲ καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι αὐτοῦ ἐν φόβῳ καὶ πόνοις ἀνεστράφησαν.
"For he who spares his rod hates his son." And the Lord and his apostles lived in fear and labors.
ὅταν οὖν πιστοῦ σῶμα νοσῇ, ἢ δι᾿ ἁμάρτημά τι προημαρτημένον ἐπιτιμῶντος τοῦ κυρίου, ἢ διὰ μέλλοντα προφυλαξαμένου, ἢ καὶ κατ᾿ ἐνέργειαν * *προσβολὴν ἔξωθεν γινομένην οὐ κωλύσαντος διά τι χρήσιμον [καὶ] αὐτῷ ἢ τοῖς πέλας παραδείγματος χάριν.
Therefore, when a believer's body is sick, it is either because the Lord is chastising him for some sin previously committed, or because he is taking precautions against future sins, or also because he has not prevented an attack coming from without as an activity, for some useful purpose, as an example for himself [and] for his neighbors.
§10Ἤδη δὲ οἱ ἐν σαθρῷ οἰκοῦντες σώματι καθάπερ ἐν πλοίῳ πλέοντες παλαιῷ οὐκ εἰσὶν ὕπτιοι, ἀλλ᾿ ἀεὶ εὔχονται ἀνατεταμένοι πρὸς τὸν θεόν.
Now those who dwell in a frail body, just like those sailing in an old ship, are not supine, but always pray, lifting up themselves to God.
§11Οἱ πρεσβύτεροι σφόδρα ἤχθοντο, εἰ μή τι πάσχοιεν κατὰ τὸ σῶμα ἑκάστοτε· ἐφοβοῦντο γὰρ μή πως ἐνταῦθα οὐ κομιζόμενοι τὰ ἐπίχειρα τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, ἃ πολλὰ τοῖς ἐν σαρκὶ κατ᾿ ἄγνοιαν παρακολουθεῖ, ἀθρόαν ἐκεῖ κομίσωνται τὴν δίκην, ὥστε ἐνθάδε θεραπεύεσθαι ἠξίουν.
The elders were exceedingly grieved if they did not suffer something in body from time to time; for they feared lest somehow, not receiving here the wages of their sins, many of which follow those in the flesh through ignorance, they might receive the punishment all at once there, so they deemed it right to be healed here.
φοβητέον ἄρα οὐχὶ νόσον τὴν ἔξωθεν, ἀλλὰ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, δι᾿ ἃ ἡ νόσος, καὶ νόσον ψυχῆς, οὐ σώματος, ὅτι »πᾶσα σὰρξ χόρτος«, τὰ δὲ σωματικὰ καὶ τὰ ἐκτὸς καλὰ »πρόσκαιρα, τὰ δὲ μὴ βλεπόμενα αἰώνια«. §12Τὰ τῆς γνώσεως τὰ μὲν ἤδη μετέχομεν, τὰ δὲ δι᾿ ὧν ἔχομεν βεβαίως ἐλπίζομεν· οὔτε γὰρ πᾶν κεκομίσμεθα οὔτε παντὸς ὑστεροῦμεν, ἀλλ᾿ οἷον »ἀρραβῶνα« τῶν αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν καὶ τοῦ πατρῴου πλούτου προσειλήφαμεν·
One must fear, therefore, not the disease from without, but sins, because of which the disease exists, and the disease of the soul, not of the body, because "all flesh is grass," and bodily and external beauties are "temporary, but the things not seen are eternal." As for the things of knowledge, we already share in some, while others we firmly hope for through those we have; for we have neither received all nor are we destitute of all, but we have received in advance a sort of "pledge" of eternal goods and of the fatherly wealth; and the provisions for the Lord's way are the beatitudes of the Lord.
τὰ δὲ ἐφόδια τῆς κυριακῆς ὁδοῦ οἱ μακαρισμοὶ τοῦ κυρίου. »ζητεῖτε«. γὰρ εἶπεν, »καὶ μεριμνᾶτε τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ ταῦτα πάντα προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν· οἶδεν γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ ὧν χρείαν ἔχετε. « οὕτως οὐ μόνον τὰς ἀσχολίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς φροντίδας περιγράφει.
"For seek," he said, "and be anxious for the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you; for the Father knows what you have need of." Thus he limits not only occupations but also worries.
»οὐ γὰρ τῇ ἡλικίᾳ«, φησίν, »ἐκ τοῦ φροντίζειν προσθεῖναί τι δύνασθε. « ὁ γὰρ θεὸς οἶδεν σαφῶς τίνα μὲν ἡμῖν ἔχειν, τίνων δὲ ἀπορεῖν συμφέρει.
"For you cannot," he says, "add anything to your stature by worrying." For God knows clearly what things are useful for us to have, and what things to lack.
κενώσαντας οὖν σφᾶς αὐτοὺς τῶν κοσμικῶν φροντίδων ἀξιοῖ πληροῦσθαι τῆς εἰς θεόν.
Therefore, he deems those who empty themselves of worldly worries worthy to be filled with those directed toward God.
»ἡμεῖς γὰρ στενάζομεν ἐπενδύσασθαι ποθοῦντες« τὰ ἄφθαρτα, πρὶν ἐκδύσασθαι τὴν φθοράν.
"For we groan, longing to put on" incorruptibility, before putting off corruption.
ἐπιχεομένης γὰρ τῆς πίστεως ἀπορρεῖ ἡ ἀπιστία.
For when faith is poured in, unbelief flows away.
ὁμοίως καὶ ἐπὶ γνώσεως καὶ δικαιοσύνης.
Likewise also in the case of knowledge and righteousness.
οὐ χρὴ οὖν μόνον κενῶσαι τὴν ψυχήν.
One must not only empty the soul, but also fill it with God.
ἀλλὰ καὶ πληρῶσαι θεοῦ. οὔτε γὰρ ἔτι κακόν, ἐπεὶ πέπαυται, οὔτε ἤδη ἀγαθόν. ἐπεὶ μηδέπω εἴληφεν· τὸ δὲ μήτε ἀγαθὸν μήτε κακὸν οὐδέν ἐστιν.
For it is no longer evil, since it has ceased, nor yet good, since it has not yet received; and that which is neither good nor evil is nothing.
»ἐπάνεισι γὰρ εἰς τὸν κεκαθαρμένον οἶκον καὶ κενόν«, ἐὰν μηδὲν τῶν σωτηρίων ἐμβληθῇ, τὸ προενοικῆσαν ἀκάθαρτον πνεῦμα. συμπαραλαμβάνον ἄλλα ἑπτὰ ἀκάθαρτα πνεύματα.
"For the unclean spirit that previously dwelt in it will return to the house that is swept and empty," if nothing of the saving things is put in, taking along seven other unclean spirits.
διὸ κενώσαντας τῶν κακῶν δεῖ πληρῶσαι τὴν ψυχὴν τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ θεοῦ, ὅπερ ἐστὶν οἰκητήριον ἐπιλελεγμένον.
Wherefore, having emptied the soul of evils, one must fill it with the good God, which is a chosen dwelling.
πληρωθέντων γὰρ τῶν κενῶν, τότε ἡ σφραγὶς ἐπακολουθεῖ. ἵνα φυλάσσηται τῷ θεῷ τὸ ἅγιον.
For when the empty spaces are filled, then the seal follows, so that the holy thing may be guarded for God.
§13»Πᾶν ῥῆμα ἵσταται ἐπὶ δύο καὶ τριῶν μαρτύρων«, ἐπὶ πατρὸς καὶ υἱοῦ καὶ ἁγίου πνεύματος, ἐφ᾿ ὧν μαρτύρων καὶ βοηθῶν αἱ ἐντολαὶ λεγόμεναι φυλάσσεσθαι ὀφείλουσιν.
"Every word is established upon two and three witnesses," upon the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, before whom as witnesses and helpers the commandments spoken are bound to be kept.