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1. I have received thy letter, my beloved, and
when I read it, it greatly gladdened me that thou hast turned thy thoughts to
these investigations. For this thing that thou hast asked of me shall be freely
granted, for freely it was received. And whosoever has, and desires to withhold
from him that seeks, whatsoever he withholds shall be taken away from him.
Whoever of free grace receives, of free grace also does it behove him to give.
And so, my beloved, as to that which thou hast asked of me, so far as my
insignificance has apprehended, I will write to thee. And also whatsoever thou
hast not sought of me, invoking God, I will explain to thee. Hear then, my
beloved, and open the inward ears of thy heart unto me, and the spiritual
perceptions of thy mind to that which I say unto thee.
2. Faith is compounded of many things, and by
many kinds is it brought to perfection. For it is like a building that is built
up of many pieces of workmanship and so its edifice rises to the top. And know,
my beloved, that in the foundations of the building stones are laid, and so
resting upon stones the whole edifice rises until it is perfected. Thus also the
true Stone, our Lord p. 346 Jesus Christ, is the
foundation of all our faith. And on Him, on [this] Stone faith is based. And
resting on faith all the structure rises until it is completed. For it is the
foundation that is the beginning of all the building. For when any one is
brought nigh unto faith, it is laid for him upon the Stone, that is our Lord
Jesus Christ. And his building cannot be shaken by the waves, nor can it be
injured by the winds. By the stormy blasts it does not fall, because its
structure is reared upon the rock of the true Stone. And in this that I have
called Christ the Stone, I have not spoken of my own thought, but the Prophets
beforehand called Him the Stone. And this I shall make clear to thee.
3. And now hear concerning faith that is based
upon the Stone, and concerning the structure that is reared up upon the Stone.
For first a man believes, and when he believes, he loves. When he loves, he
hopes. When he hopes, he is justified. When he is justified, he is perfected.
When he is perfected, he is consummated. And when his whole structure is raised
up, consummated, and perfected, then he becomes a house and a temple for a
dwelling-place of Christ, as Jeremiah the Prophet said:—The temple of the Lord,
the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are ye, if ye amend your ways and
your works. And again He said through the Prophet:—I will dwell in them and walk
in them. And also the Blessed Apostle thus said:—Ye are the temple of God and
the spirit of Christ dwelleth in you. And also our Lord again thus said to His
disciples:—Ye are in Me and I am in you.
4. And when the house has become a
dwelling-place, then the man begins to be anxious as to that which is required
for Him Who dwells in the building. Just as if a king or an honourable man, to
whom a royal name is given, should lodge in the house, there would be required
for the King all the appurtenances of royalty and all the service that is needed
for the King’s honour. For in a house that is void of all good things, the King
will not lodge, nor will he dwell in the midst of it; but all that is choicest
in the house is required for the King and that nothing in it be deficient. And
if anything be deficient there in the house in which the King lodges, the keeper
of the house is delivered over to death, because he did not make ready the
service for the King. So also let the man, who becomes a house, yea a
dwelling-place, for Christ, take heed to what is needed for the service of
Christ, Who lodges in him, and with what things he may please Him. For first he
builds his building on the Stone, which is Christ. On Him, on the Stone, is
faith based, and on faith is reared up all the structure. For the habitation of
the house is required pure fasting, and it is made firm by faith. There is also
needed for it pure prayer, and through faith is it accepted. Necessary for it
too is love, and with faith is it compounded. Furthermore alms are needed, and
through faith are they given. He demands also meekness, and by faith is it
adorned. He chooses too virginity, and by faith is it loved. He joins with
himself holiness, and in faith is it planted. He cares also for wisdom, and
through faith is it acquired. He desires also hospitality, and by faith does it
abound. Requisite for Him also is simplicity, and with faith is it commingled.
He demands patience also, and by faith is it perfected. He has respect also to
long-suffering, and through faith is it acquired. He loves mourning also, and
through faith is it manifested. He seeks also for purity, and by faith is it
preserved. All these things does the faith demand that is based on the rock of
the true Stone, that is Christ. These works are required for Christ the King,
Who dwells in men that are built up in these works.
5. And if perchance thou shouldest say:—If
Christ is set for the foundation, how does Christ also dwell in the building
when it is completed? For both these things did the blessed Apostle say. For he
said:—I p. 347 as a wise architect have laid the
foundation. And there he defined the foundation and made it clear, for he said
as follows:—No man can lay other foundation than that which is laid, which is
Jesus Christ. And that Christ furthermore dwells in that building is the word
that was written above—that of Jeremiah who called men temples and said of God
that He dwelt in them. And the Apostle said:—The Spirit of Christ dwelleth in
you. And our Lord said:—I and My Father are one. And therefore that word is
accomplished, that Christ dwells in men, namely, in those who believe on Him,
and He is the foundation on which is reared up the whole building.
6. But I must proceed to my former statement
that Christ is called the Stone in the Prophets. For in ancient times David said
concerning Him:—The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the
building. And how did the builders reject this Stone which is Christ? How else
than that they so rejected Him before Pilate and said—This man shall not be King
over us. And again in that parable that our Lord spake that a certain nobleman
went to receive kingly power and to return and rule over them; and they sent
after Him envoys saying:—This man shall not be King over us. By these things
they rejected the Stone which is Christ. And how did it become the head of the
building? How else than that it was set up over the building of the Gentiles and
upon it is reared up all their building. And who are the builders? Who but the
priests and Pharisees who did not build a sure building, but were overthrowing
everything that he was building, as is written in Ezekiel the Prophet:—He was
building a wall of partition, but they were shaking it, that it might fall. And
again it is written:—I sought amongst them a man who was closing the fence and
standing in the breach over the face of the land, that I might not destroy it
and I did not find. And furthermore Isaiah also prophesied beforehand with
regard to this stone. For he said:—Thus saith the Lord, Behold I lay in Zion a
chosen stone in the precious corner, the heart of the wall of the foundation.
And he said again there:—Every one that believeth on it shall not fear. And
whosoever falleth on that stone shall be broken, and every one on whom it shall
fall, it will crush. For the people of the house of Israel fell upon Him, and He
became their destruction for ever. And again it shall fall on the image and
crush it. And the Gentiles believed on it and do not fear.
7. And He shows thus with regard to that stone
that it was laid as head of the wall and as foundation. But if that stone was
laid as the foundation, how did it also become the head of the wall? How but
that when our Lord came, He laid His faith in the earth like a foundation, and
it rose above all the heavens like the head of the wall and all the building was
finished with the stones, from the bottom to the top. And with regard to the
faith about which I said that He laid His faith in the earth, this David
proclaimed beforehand about Christ. For He said:—Faith shall spring up from the
earth. And that again, it is above, he said:—Righteousness looked down from the
heavens.
8. And again Daniel also spoke concerning this
stone which is Christ. For he said:—The stone was cut out from the mountain, not
by hands, and it smote the image, and the whole earth was filled with it. This
he showed beforehand with regard to Christ that the whole earth shall be filled
with Him. For lo! by the faith of Christ are all the ends of the earth filled,
as David said:—The sound of the Gospel of Christ has gone forth into all the
earth. And again when He sent forth His apostles He spake thus to them:—Go forth,
make disciples of all nations and they will believe on Me. And again the Prophet
Zechariah also prophesied about that stone p. 348 which
is Christ. For he said:—I saw a chief stone of equality and of love. And why did
he say “chief”? Surely because from the beginning he was with His Father. And
again that he spoke of love, it was because when He came into the world, He said
thus to His disciples:—This is My commandment, that ye love one another. And
again He said:—I have called you My friends (lovers). And the blessed Apostle
said thus:—God loved as in the love of His Son. Of a truth Christ loved us and
gave Himself for us.
9. And definitely did He show concerning this
stone:—Lo! on this stone will I open seven eyes. And what then are the seven
eyes that were opened on the stone? Clearly the Spirit of God that abode on
Christ with seven operations, as Isaiah the Prophet said:—The Spirit of God
shall rest and dwell upon Him, (a spirit) of wisdom and understanding, of
counsel and of courage, of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. These were the
seven eyes that were opened upon the Stone, and these are the seven eyes of the
Lord which look upon all the earth.
10. And also with reference to Christ was this (which
follows) said. For he said that He was given as a light to all the Gentiles as
the Prophet Isaiah said:—I have given Thee as a light to all the Gentiles, that
Thou shouldest be My redemption to the ends of the earth. And furthermore David
also said;—Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my paths. And also
the word and discourse of the Lord is Christ, as is written in the beginning of
the Gospel of our Saviour:—In the beginning was the Word. And with regard to the
light there again he bore witness:—The light was shining in the darkness and the
darkness comprehended it not. What then is this:—The light was shining in the
darkness and the darkness comprehended it not? Clearly Christ, Whose light shone
in the midst of the people of the house of Israel, and the people of the house
of Israel did not comprehend the light of Christ, in that they did not believe
on Him, as it is written:—He came unto His own, and His own received Him
not. And also our Lord Jesus called them darkness, for He said to His
disciples;—Whatsoever I say unto you in the darkness, that speak ye in the
light, namely, let your light shine among the Gentiles; because they received
the light of Christ, Who is the Light of the Gentiles. And He said again to His
Apostles:—Ye are the light of the world. And again He said unto them;—Let your
light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your
Father which is in heaven. And again He showed with regard to Himself that He is
the light, for He said to His disciples:—Walk while the light is with you, ere
the darkness overtake you. And again He said to them:—Believe on the light that
ye may be children of light. And again He said:—I am the light of the world. And
again He said:—No man lighteth a lamp and putteth it under a bushel or under a
bed, or putteth it in a hidden place, but putteth it upon the lamp-stand that
every one may see the light of the lamp. And the shining lamp is Christ, as
David said;—Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my paths.
11. And furthermore the Prophet Hosea also
said:—Light you a lamp and seek ye the Lord.And our Lord Jesus Christ said:—What
woman is there who has ten drachmos and shall lose one of them, and will not
light a lamp and sweep the house and seek her drachma that she lost? What then
does this woman signify? Clearly the congregation of the house of Israel, to
which the ten commandments were given. They lost the first commandment—that in
which He warned p. 349 them saying:—I am the Lord your
God, Who brought you up from the land of Egypt. And when they had lost this
first commandment, also the nine which are after it they could not keep, because
on the first depend the nine. For it was an impossibility that while worshipping
Baal, they should keep the nine commandments. For they lost the first
commandment, like that woman who lost one drachma from the ten. So the Prophet
cried unto them:—Light you a lamp and seek ye the Lord. And furthermore the
Prophet Isaiah also said:—Seek ye the Lord and when ye shall have found Him,
call upon Him; and when He is near let the sinner abandon his way and the wicked
man his thought. For that lamp shone and they did not by it seek the Lord their
God. And its light shone in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it.
And the lamp was set up on the lamp-stand and those who were in the house did
not see its light. And what then means this, that the lamp was set up on the
lamp-stand? Clearly His being raised up upon the cross. And by this all the
house was made dark over them. For when they crucified Him, the light was
darkened from them, and shone amongst the Gentiles, because that from the time
of the sixth hour (of the day) on which they crucified Him even unto the ninth
hour there was darkness in all the land of Israel. And the sun set in midday and
the land was darkened in the shining daytime, as is written in Zechariah the
Prophet:—It shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, I will cause the sun
to set in midday, and will make dark the land in the shining daytime.
12. Now I must proceed to my former subject of
faith, that on it are reared up all the good works of the building. And again,
in what I said with regard to the building, it was in no strange fashion that I
spoke, but the blessed Apostle wrote in the first Epistle to the Corinthians,
saying;—I as a wise master-builder have laid the foundation, but every one
buildeth on it. One builds silver and gold and goodly stones; another builds
reed and straw and stubble. In the last day that building shall be tried by
fire; for the gold and silver and goodly stones shall be preserved in the midst
of the fire, because they are a firm building. But as for the straw and reed and
stubble, the fire shall have power upon them and they shall
p. 350 be burned. And what is the gold and silver and goodly stones by which
the building is raised up? Clearly the good deeds of faith, which shall be
preserved in the midst of the fire; because Christ dwells in that secure
building, and He is its preserver from the fire. And let us consider and
understand (this) from the example that God has given us also in the former
dispensation, because the promises of that dispensation will abide sure for us.
Let us then understand from (the case of) those three righteous men who were
cast into the midst of the fire and were not burned, namely, Hananiah, Azariah
and Misael, over whom the fire had no power, because they built a secure
building and rejected the commandment of Nebuchadnezzar the king and did not
worship the image that he made. And as for those who transgressed the
commandment of God, the fire at once prevailed over them and burned them, and
they were burned without mercy. For the Sodomites were burned like straw and
reed and stubble. Furthermore, Nadab and Abihu were burned, who transgressed the
commandment of God. Again, two hundred and fifty men were burned, who were
offering incense. Again, two princes and a hundred who were with them were
burned, because they approached the mountain on which Elijah was sitting, who
ascended in a chariot of fire to heaven. The calumniators also were burned
because they dug a pit for righteous men. Accordingly, beloved, the righteous
shall be tried by the fire, like gold and silver and goodly stones, and the
wicked shall be burned in the fire like straw and reed and stubble, and the fire
shall have power upon them and they shall be burned; even as the Prophet Isaiah
said:—By fire shall the Lord judge and by it shall He try all flesh. And again
he said:—Ye shall go out and see the carcases of the men who offended against
Me, whose worm shall not die, nor shall their fire be quenched, and they shall
be an astonishment to all flesh.
13. And again the Apostle has commented for us
upon this building and upon this foundation; for he said thus;—No man can lay
another foundation than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Again the
Apostle said about faith that it is conjoined with hope and love, for he said
thus:—These are three which shall abide, faith and hope and love. And he showed
with regard to faith that first it is laid on a sure foundation.
14. For Abel, because of his faith his offering
was accepted. And Enoch, because he was well-pleasing through his faith, was
removed from death. Noah, because he believed, was preserved from the deluge.
Abraham, through his faith, obtained blessing, and it was accounted to him for
righteousness. Isaac, because he believed, was loved. Jacob, because of his
faith, was preserved. Joseph, because of his faith, was tried in the waters of
contention, and was delivered from his trial, and his Lord established a witness
in him, as David said:—Witness hath he established in Joseph. Moses also by his
faith performed many wonderful works of power. By his faith he destroyed the
Egyptians with ten plagues. Again, by faith he divided the sea, and caused his
people to cross over and sank the Egyptians in the midst of it. By faith he cast
the wood into the bitter waters and they became sweet. By faith he brought down
manna and satisfied his people. By faith he spread out his hands and conquered
Amalek, as is written:—His hands continued in faith till the setting of the sun.
Also by faith he went up to Mount Sinai, when he twice fasted for the space of
forty days. Again by faith he conquered Sihon and Og, the Kings of the Amorites.
15. This is wonderful, my beloved, and a great
prodigy that Moses did in the Red Sea, when the waters were divided by faith,
and stood up on high like mountains or like mighty cliffs. They were checked and
stood still at the commandment; they were closed up as in vessels, and fast
bound in the height as in the depth. Their fluidity did not overflow the
boundary, but rather they changed the nature of their creation. Irrational
creatures became obedient. The billows became rigid and were awaiting the
vengeance, when the people should have passed over. Wonderful was it how the
waves stood still and expected the commandment and the vengeance. The
foundations (hidden) from the ages of the world were revealed, and that which
from the beginning had been liquid suddenly became dry. The gates lifted up
their heads and the everlasting gates were lifted up. The pillar of fire entered
and illuminated the entire camp. The people passed over by faith. And the
judgment of righteousness was wrought upon Pharaoh and upon his host and upon
his chariots.
16. Thus also Joshua the son of Nun divided
Jordan by his faith, and the children of Israel crossed over as in the days of
Moses. But know, my beloved, that this passage of the Jordan was three times
laid open by its being divided. First through Joshua the Son of Nun, and
secondly through Elijah, and then through Elisha. For the word of the Book makes
known that over against this passage of Jericho, there Elijah was taken up to
heaven; for when Elisha turned back from following him and divided the Jordan
and passed over, the children of the Prophets of Jericho came out to meet Elisha
and said:—The spirit of Elijah rests upon Elisha. Furthermore when
p. 351 the people crossed over in the days of Joshua the
son of Nun (it was there), for thus it is written:—The people passed over, over
against Jericho. Also Joshua the son of Nun by faith cast down the walls of
Jericho, and they fell without difficulty. Again by faith he destroyed
thirty-one kings and made the children of Israel to inherit the land.
Furthermore by his faith he spread out his hands towards heaven and stayed the
sun in Gibeon and the moon in the valley of Ajalon. And they were stayed and
stood still from their courses. But enough! All the righteous, our fathers, in
all that they did were victorious through faith, as also the blessed Apostle
testified with regard to all of them:—By faith they prevailed. Again Solomon
said:—Many men are called merciful, but a faithful man who can find? Also Job
thus said:—My integrity, shall not pass from me, and in my righteousness will
persist.
17. Also our Saviour used thus to say to every
one who drew near to Him to be healed:—According to thy faith be unto thee. And
when the blind man approached Him, He said to him:—Dost thou believe that I am
able to heal thee? That blind man said to Him:—Yea, Lord, I believe. And his
faith opened his eyes. And to him whose son was sick, He said:—Believe and thy
son shall live. He said to Him:—I believe, Lord; help thou my feeble faith. And
by his faith his son was healed. And also when the nobleman came near to Him, by
his faith was his boy healed, when he said to our Lord:—Speak the word and my
servant will be cured. And our Lord was astonished at his faith, and according
to his faith it happened to him. And also when the chief of the Synagogue
requested Him concerning his daughter, He said thus to him:—Only firmly believe
and thy daughter shall live. So he believed and his daughter lived and arose.
And when Lazarus died, our Lord said to Martha:—If thou believest, thy brother
shall rise. Martha saith unto Him;—Yea, Lord, I believe. And He raised him after
four days. And also Simon who was called Cephas because of his faith was called
the firm rock. And again when our Lord gave the Sacrament of Baptism to His
apostles, He said thus to them:—Whosoever believeth and is baptized shall live,
and whosoever believeth not shall be condemned. Again He said to his
Apostles:—If ye believe and doubt not, there is nothing ye shall not be able to
do. For when our Lord walked on the billows of the sea, Simon also by his faith
walked with Him; but when in respect of his faith he doubted, and began to sink,
our Lord called him, thou of little faith. And when the Apostles asked of our
Lord, they begged nothing at His hands but this, saying to Him:—Increase our
faith. He said to them:—If there were in you faith, even a mountain would remove
from before you. And He said to them:—Doubt ye not, lest ye sink down in the
midst of the world, even as Simon when he doubted began to sink in the midst of
the sea. And again He said thus;—This shall be the sign for those that believe;
they shall speak with new tongues and shall cast out demons, and they shall lay
their hands on the sick and they shall be made whole.
18. Let us draw near then, my beloved, to faith,
since its powers are so many. For faith raised up to the heavens (Enoch), and
conquered the Deluge. It caused the barren to bring forth. It delivered from the
sword. It raised up from the pit. It enriched the poor. It released the
captives. It delivered the persecuted. It brought down the fire. It divided the
sea. It cleft the rock, and gave to the thirsty water to drink. It satisfied the
hungry. It raised the dead, and brought them up from Sheol. It stilled the
billows. It healed the sick. It conquered p. 352 hosts.
It overthrew walls. It stopped the mouths of lions, and quenched the flame of
fire. It humiliated the proud, and brought the humble to honour. All these
mighty works were wrought by faith.
19. Now thus is faith; when a man believes in
God the Lord of all, Who made the heavens and the earth and the seas and all
that is in them; and He made Adam in His image; and He gave the Law to Moses; He
sent of His Spirit upon the prophets; He sent moreover His Christ into the
world. Furthermore that a man should believe in the resurrection of the dead;
and should furthermore also believe in the sacrament of baptism. This is the
faith of the Church of God. And (it is necessary) that a man should separate
himself from the observance of hours and Sabbaths and moons and seasons, and
divinations and sorceries and Chaldćan arts and magic, from fornication and from
festive music, from vain doctrines, which are instruments of the Evil One, from
the blandishment of honeyed words, from blasphemy and from adultery. And that a
man should not bear false witness, and that a man should not speak with double
tongue. These then are the works of the faith which is based on the true Stone
which is Christ, on Whom the whole building is reared up.
20. Furthermore, my beloved, there is much
besides in the Holy Books about faith. But these few things out of the much have
I written to recall them to thy love that thou mayest know and make known and
believe and also be believed. And when thou hast read and learned the works of
faith, thou mayest be made like unto that tilled land upon which the good seed
fell, and produced fruit a hundred-fold and sixty-fold and thirty-fold. And when
thou comest to thy Lord, He may call thee a good servant and prudent and
faithful, who on account of His faith, that abounded, is to enter into the
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