§9Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ προσθετέον τῷ λόγῳ ὅτι εἰ Σαμουὴλ ἦν, καὶ ἐξελθόντος ἀπέστη ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, καὶ ἀπέστη ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ ἡ προφητεία, οὐκ ἄρα ἀληθεύει ὁ λέγων ἀπόστολος· »ἄρτι προφητεύω ἐκ μέρους, καὶ ἐκ μέρους γινώσκω· ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ τὸ τέλειον, τότε τὸ ἐκ μέρους καταργηθήσεται«. οὐκοῦν τὸ τέλειον μετὰ τὸν βίον ἐστίν.
And this also must be added to the argument: if it was Samuel, and if upon his departure the Holy Spirit departed from him, and prophecy departed from him, then the Apostle does not speak the truth when he says: "Now I prophesy in part, and in part I know; but when that which is perfect comes, then that which is in part shall be done away." Therefore, the perfect is after this life.
καὶ εἴ τι ἐπροφήτευσεν Ἡσαΐας, ἐκ μέρους προεφήτευσεν μετὰ πάσης παρρησίας· μεμαρτύρηται δὲ τὰ ἐνθάδε ὁ Δαβὶδ ἐπὶ τὸ τέλειον τῆς προφητείας.
And if Isaiah prophesied anything, he prophesied in part with all boldness; and David has been witnessed to concerning the things here with respect to the perfection of prophecy.
οὐκ ἀπέβαλεν οὖν τὴν χάριν τὴν προφητικὴν Σαμουήλ.
Therefore Samuel did not lose the prophetic grace.
ὅτι δὲ οὐκ ἀπέβαλεν, οὕτως αὐτῇ ἐχρῆτο, ὡς οἱ γλώσσαις λαλοῦντες, ὥστε ἂν εἰπεῖν· »τὸ πνεῦμά μου προσεύχεται, ὁ δὲ νοῦς μου ἄκαρπός ἐστιν«;
But because he did not lose it, did he use it in this way, like those who speak in tongues, so that one might say: "My spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful"?
καίτοι ἐκκλησίαν οὐκ οἰκοδομεῖ ὀ γλώσσῃ λαλῶν· καὶ γὰρ λέγει ὁ Παῦλος ὅτι ἐκκλησίαν οἰκοδομεῖ ὁ προφητεύων, αὐταῖς λέξεσι λέγων· »ὁ δὲ προφητεύων ἐκκλησίαν οἰκοδομεῖ«. εἰ δὲ »ὁ προφητεύων ἐκκλησίαν οἰκοδομεῖ«, εἶκεν δὲ χάριν προφητικήν οὐ γὰρ ἀπολωλέχει αὐτὴν μὴ ἁμαρτήσας· μόνος γὰρ ἀπόλλυσι χάριν προφητικήν, ὃς μετὰ τὸ προφητεῦσαι πεποίηκεν ἀνάξια τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου, ὥστ’ ἐγκαταλιπεῖν αὐτὸν καὶ φυγεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἡγεμονικοῦ αὐτοῦ· ὅπερ ἐφοβεῖτο τότε μετὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν καὶ ὁ Δαβίδ, καὶ ἔλεγεν· »καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιόν σου μὴ ἀντανέλῃς ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ«), εἰ τοίνυν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον προφητεύει, καὶ Σαμουὴλ προφήτης ἦν, »ὁ δὲ προφητεύων ἐκκλησίαν οἰκοδομεῖ«, τίνα οἰκοδομεῖ;
And yet, he who speaks in a tongue does not build up the church; for Paul says that he who prophesies builds up the church, saying in these very words: "But he who prophesies builds up the church." And if "he who prophesies builds up the church," and he had prophetic grace (for he had not lost it, since he did not sin; for only he loses prophetic grace who, after prophesying, has done things unworthy of the Holy Spirit, so that it abandons him and flees from his governing mind—which is what David also feared at that time after his sin, and said: "And take not your Holy Spirit from me"), if, therefore, the Holy Spirit prophesies, and Samuel was a prophet, and "he who prophesies builds up the church," whom does he build up?
εἰς οὐρανὸν προφητεύει;
Does he prophesy to heaven?
τίνι;
To whom?
ἀγγέλοις, τοῖς μὴ χρείαν ἔχουσιν;
To angels, who have no need?
»οὐ χρείαν ἒχουσιν] οἱ ἀλλ’ οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες«. δέονταί τινες τῆς προφητείας αὐτοῦ· οὐ γὰρ ἀργεῖ χάρις προφητική, οὐδὲν χάρισμα ἀγρεῖ τῶν έν τῷ ἁγίῳ.
"Those who are healthy have no need [of a physician], but those who are sick." Some have need of his prophecy; for prophetic grace does not lie idle, nor does any gift of grace lie idle among those in holiness.
τῆς οὖν χάριτος τῆς προφητικῆς αἱ ψυχαὶ τῶν κοιμωμένων (ἳνα καὶ εἴπω) ἐδέοντο.
Therefore, the souls of those who had fallen asleep (if I may say so) had need of the prophetic grace.
ἀλλ’ ἐνθάδε μὲν χρείαν εἶχεν τοῦ προφήτου Ἰσραήλ· καὶ ὁ κοιμώμενος δέ, ὁ ἀπηλλαγμένος τοῦ βίου, χρείαν εἶχεν τῶν προφητῶν, ἵνα πάλιν οἱ προφῆται αὐτῷ κηρύξωσιν τὴν Χριστοῦ ἐπιδημίαν.
But while here Israel had need of the prophet, also the one who has fallen asleep, who has been released from life, had need of the prophets, so that the prophets might in turn preach to him the arrival of Christ.
ἄλλως τε καὶ πρὸ τῆς τοῦ κυρίου μου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐπιδημίας ἀδύνατον ἦν τινα παρελθεῖν ὅπου τὸ ξύλον τῆς ζωῆς, ἀδύνατον ἦν παρελθεῖν τὰ τεταγμένα φυλάσσειν τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς· »ἔταξεν τὰ Χερουβὶμ καὶ τὴν φλογίνην ῥομφαίαν τὴν στρεφομένην φυλάσσειν τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς«. τίς ἠδύνατο ὁδοποιῆσαι;
Moreover, before the arrival of my Lord Jesus Christ, it was impossible for anyone to pass to where the tree of life is, impossible to pass those appointed to guard the way of the tree of life: "He placed the Cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way of the tree of life." Who could make a way?
τίς ἠδύνατο τὴν φλογίνην ῥομφαίαν ποιῆσαι διελθεῖν τινα;
Who could make anyone pass through the flaming sword?
ὥσπερ θάλασσαν οὐκ ἦν οὐδενὸς ὁδοποιῆσαι ἢ τοῦ καὶ τοῦ στύλου τοῦ πυρίνου, τοῦ στύλου τοῦ φωτὸς τοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ, ὥσπερ τὸν Ἰορδάνην οὐκ ἦν οὐδενὸς ὁδοποιῆσαι ἢ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ θεοῦ τύπος ἦν ἐκεῖνος ὁ Ἰησοῦς)· οὕτω διὰ τῆς φλογίνης ῥομφαίας Σαμουὴλ οὐκ ἠδύνατο διελθεῖν, οὐκ Ἀβραάμ.
Just as it was for no one to make a way through the sea except [Moses] and the pillar of fire, the pillar of light from God, and just as it was for no one to make a way through the Jordan except Joshua (for that Joshua was a type of the true God/Jesus); so through the flaming sword Samuel could not pass, nor Abraham.
διὰ τοῦτο καὶ Ἀβραὰμ βλέπεται ὑπὸ τοῦ κολαζομένου, | | καὶ ὑπάρχων ἐν βασάνοις ὁ πλούσιος ἐπάρας τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὁρᾷ, εἰ καὶ ἀπὸ μακρόθεν, ἄλλ’ ὁρᾷ, καὶ τὸν Λάζαρον ἐν τοῖς κόλποις. περιέμενον οὖν τὴν τοῦ κυρίου μου Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐπιόημίαν καὶ πατριáρχαι καὶ προφῆται καὶ πάντες, ἵν ουττος τὴν ὁδὸν a̓νοίξῃ.
For this reason also Abraham is seen by the one being punished: "And being in torments, the rich man, lifting up his eyes, sees, even if from afar, but he sees, and Lazarus in his bosom." Therefore, both patriarchs and prophets and all awaited the arrival of my Lord Jesus Christ, so that he might open the way.
ψώ εἰμι ἡ ὁόόςς, Πrώ έͅμι ὴ θύραa. ὁδός ἐστιν ἐπὶ τὸ ξύλον τῆς ςωῆς, ἕνα γένηται Ἀν όιΜῃς όιà πυρός, φλὸξ οὐ κατακαύσει σε: ποίου δ πυρός;
"I am the way," "I am the door." He is the way to the tree of life, so that it might come to pass: "If you pass through fire, the flame shall not burn you." But what fire?
Α)ταξεν τὰ Χερουβὶμ καὶ. τὴν φλογίνην ῥομφαίαν τὴν στρεφομένην φυλάσσειν τὴν όδὸν τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωής«’ ὥστε όιὰ τοῦτο περιέμενον οἱ μακáριοι ἐκεῖ, οἐκονομίαν Ι ποιοῦντες καὶ μὴ δυνάμενοι ὅπου τὸ ξύλον τῆς ζωῆς, ὅπου ό παρáδεισος ό τοῦ θεοῦ, οοπου θεὸς rεωργός, ὸ́που οἱ μακάριοι καὶ ἐκλεκτοὶ καὶ ἅγιοι θεοῦ Πνώθαι.
"He placed the Cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way of the tree of life." So for this reason the blessed ones waited there, performing a dispensation and not being able [to go] to where the tree of life is, where the paradise of God is, where God is the husbandman, where the blessed and elect and holy ones of God [dwell].