Слово 41. На Святую Пятидесятницу

1. Let’s briefly think about the holiday so that we can celebrate spiritually. Everyone has their own way of triumphing; And as a servant of the Word, he consists in the word - in such a word as is most appropriate for the time. And no beauty amuses a lover of beauty as much as a lover of holidays with spiritual celebration. But let's think about it this way. The Jew also celebrates, but according to the letter: for while he persecutes the physical law, he does not comprehend the spiritual law (Rom. 9:31). The Hellenes also celebrate, but physically, in accordance with their gods and demons, some of whom, by the pagans’ own admission, are the originators of passions, while others are honored by the gods for passions, which is why their celebration consists of satisfying passions, and to sin means to honor God, to whom passion resorts for protection, as a praiseworthy deed. We also celebrate, but we celebrate as the Spirit pleases, and He wants us to either say or do something appropriate. And to celebrate means for us to acquire for the soul benefits that are permanent and eternally possessed, and not transitory and quickly perishing, which, in my opinion, do little to delight the feeling, but rather corrupt it and harm it. His body is overwhelmed by his malice. Is it necessary to add more combustible substance to the flame or to give the beast more abundant food so that it becomes more indomitable and gains power over the mind? 2. So, we should celebrate spiritually. And the beginning of the word (for it is necessary to say that which is the subject of study of lovers, in order to thereby add to the triumph, as it were, some pleasure, although our word will thereby deviate somewhat from the subject) - the beginning of the word will be this. The Jews, on the basis of the law of Moses, honor the septenary number, as later the Pythagoreans began to honor the quaternary number, by which they even swear, and the Simonians and Marcionites - the osmeric and tridecimal numbers, by which they name and honor certain aeons as equal. Although I don’t know by what laws of ratio or by what force of the septenary number, the Jews still honor it; and it is known that God created matter in six days, formed and decorated it with all sorts of forms and combinations, and completed this world now visible, and on the seventh day he rested from work, which is also proven by the name of the Sabbath, which in Hebrew means rest. But if there is some higher reason for this, then let others think about it. Their veneration of the septenary number extended not only to days, but also to years. In the discussion of days, this is proven by the Sabbath, which is constantly honored among them, as well as the seven-day abstinence from eating leaven, and in the discussion of years, the seventh year of abandonment (Lev. 25:10). Even the celebration extended not only to weeks, but also to weeks of weeks, and both in days and in years. Weeks of days produce Pentecost - the day is deliberately holy for them (Lev. 23:21); weeks of years - the so-called jubilee, in which there was the abandonment of the land, and the liberation of slaves, and the return of purchased possessions to the former owners. For this people consecrates to God the firstfruits not only of fruits and firstborns, but also of days and years. Thus, the celebration of the septenary number led to the celebration of Pentecost. For the number seven, multiplied by itself, gives fifty, and one day is missing, but it is occupied by us from the age to come and is the eighth, and at the same time the first, or, better said, the one and endless. For there the local sabbath of souls must end, so that a portion may be given to the seventh and to the eighth (Eccl. 11:2), as some before us understood this saying of Solomon. 3. Although there is a lot of evidence about the celebration of the septenary number, for us, out of many, a few will be enough. This is the name given to the seven venerable spirits (Isaiah 11:2-3), and I think Isaiah was pleased to call the actions of the Spirit spirits. The words of the Lord, according to the word of David, are purified by the sevenfold (Ps. 11:7). A righteous man who is taken away from troubles six times is no longer smitten the seventh (Job 5:19). The sinner receives forgiveness not only seven times, but seventy times seven (Matthew 18:22). Again, and vice versa (since punishment for sin is also commendable), Cain suffers vengeance sevenfold, that is, he bears punishment for fratricide; Lamech is seventy sevenfold (Gen. 4:24), because he became a murderer after the law and condemnation. Evil neighbors receive sevenfold reward into their bosom (Ps. 79:12). The House of Wisdom is established on seven pillars (Prov. 9:1); Zerubbabel's stone is decorated with the same number of eyes (Zech. 3:9). By day of the seven days praise is given to God (Ps. 119:164). Even barren children give birth to seven, a perfect number, and thus is contrasted with children who do not have the full number (1 Sam. 2:5). 4. If we must take into account the Old Testament legends, then I note that the seventh of the ancestors Enoch was honored by transformation (Gen. 5:24). I also note that the twenty-first Abraham was glorified by the patriarchate, through the addition of a great sacrament, because this number is three times the seven. And another brave one would dare to reach the New Adam, my God and Lord Jesus Christ, Who, according to the descending genealogy in Luke, is considered seventy-seventh from the old and former Adam under sin. I note seven more trumpets of Joshua, the same number of rounds, days and priests, from which the walls of Jericho fall (Joshua 6). I note how the sevenfold conversion (1 Kings 18:43–44), similar to the threefold mysterious breath of the prophet Elijah, breathing life into the son of the widow of Sarepta (1 Kings 17:21), and the equal libation on firewood, when he consumed the sacrifice with fire sent from God and condemned the cold prophets who could not do the same with their invocations - and the sevenfold observation of the cloud by the youth, according to his command. I note Elisha’s repeated admiration for the son of the Sumanite, with whom the breath in him is renewed (2 Kings 4:35). Based, as I think, on the same decree, not to mention the lamp of the church, which has seven branches and seven candlesticks (Exodus 25:31, 37), in seven days a priest is committed (Exodus 29:35), in seven days a leper is cleansed (Lev. 13:50) and in the same number of days the church is renewed (2 Chron. 7:8) ). And in the seventieth year the people were returned from captivity, so that in tens there would be the same as there is in units, and the mystery of the septenary number would become the most perfect number. But what should I say about the distant? Jesus himself, pure perfection, knew how to feed five thousand people in the desert with five loaves of bread, and again with seven loaves of four thousand, and the remainder after feeding was in the first case twelve koshas (Matthew 14:20), and in the second - seven koshas (Matthew 15:37); and both, as I think, were not done without a reason and not unworthy of the Spirit. And you yourself, reading Scripture, will notice many numbers in which, in addition to the visible, a deeper meaning is hidden. For the present time, it is most useful to say that, perhaps, for these very reasons, or for very close ones, or for other higher reasons, the Jews honor the fiftieth day, and we also honor it, just as we honor something else Jewish, which among the Jews is done figuratively, and among us renewed mysteriously. Having previously said this in the discussion of the present day, let us proceed to the continuation of the word. 5. We celebrate Pentecost - the coming of the Spirit, the final fulfillment of the promise, the fulfillment of hope, a mystery, and, moreover, how great and venerable! The physical works of Christ end, or, better to say, the works related to His bodily presence on earth (I will hesitate to say that the works related to the body end until some word convinces me that it is better to put off the body), and the works of the Spirit begin. What did this mean about Christ? Virgin, birth, manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes, glorifying Angels, coming shepherds, the course of the star, the adoration and gifts of the Magi, Herod’s infanticide, Jesus fleeing into Egypt, returning from Egypt, circumcised, baptized, witnessed from above, tempted, stoned for us (John 10:32), to whom it was necessary to give an example of suffering for the word, betrayed, nailed, buried, resurrected, ascended. Christ still accepts much of this, namely: dishonorable things from Christ-haters, which he endures because he is long-suffering, and honorable things from Christ-lovers. And He hesitates both to be the first to show His anger and to show us His goodness - and perhaps in the meantime He gives them time to repent, and tests us in love to see if we will weaken in sorrows and deeds for piety. This has been the law of God's economy and the unsearchable destinies of God since ancient times, according to which our affairs are wisely managed. These are the works of Christ, but we will see the most glorious ones that follow. Oh that we ourselves might be seen by Christ! And to speak about the works of the Spirit, may the Spirit come upon me and give the word as much as I desire, and if not to the same extent as is proportionate to the time, it will come, without a doubt, sovereignly, and not slavishly and not waiting for commands, as some think. For He breathes where He wants, on whom, when and as much as He pleases. The Spirit inspires us to think and speak this way. 6. Whoever reduces the Holy Spirit to the ranks of creatures is a scoffer, an evil servant and the worst of the evil. For it is common for evil slaves to reject dominion, rebel against domination, and freely make slaves like themselves. Whoever recognizes Him as God is divine and bright in mind. And whoever even calls God, if he does this in front of prudent people, he is high, and if in front of low people, he is imprudent, because beads trust in dirt, the sound of thunder in weak hearing, a ray of sunshine in sore eyes, solid food in those who eat only milk. We must gradually lead them forward and bring them closer to the highest, so that light is given to light and truth is rewarded with truth. Therefore, we, leaving the most perfect word, for which the time has not yet come, will talk with them like this. 7. If you do not confess that the Holy Spirit is neither uncreated nor untimely, then (let zeal be expressed somewhat and boldly) an opposing spirit is clearly at work in you. If you are so sound that you avoid obvious wickedness and place Him outside slavery who makes us free, then with the Holy Spirit and together with me, consider for yourself what follows, for I am sure that you are already to some extent partakers of the Spirit, and I will reason with you as with my own. Either show me something in between slavery and dominion, where I could give place to the dignity of the Spirit, or, avoiding slavery, do not leave it unknown where you classify the One about whom the question is asked. But you are hampered by syllables, one utterance stops you, and it becomes for you a stone of stumbling and a stone of offense, as Christ was for some. This is human frailty. Let us come together spiritually; let us be brotherly loving rather than selfish. Recognize the power of the Divine, and we will grant you indulgence in speech. Confess nature under other names, which you respect most, and we will heal you as if you were infirm, even if we hide otherwise to your satisfaction. For it is shameful, truly shameful and rather foolish to be sound in soul and to make great sounds, to hide treasures, as if envying others or fearing that you might not sanctify your tongue. But it is even more shameful for us to be subjected to the same thing that we accuse others of, and, condemning disputes about sounds, to stand up for the letter ourselves. 8. Confess in the Trinity one Divinity or, if you wish, one nature, and I will ask you from the Spirit for the word God. For I know very well that He who gave the first also gives the second, and even more so if the cause of the dispute is some kind of spiritual timidity, and not devilish stubbornness. I will say even more clearly and briefly: neither do you blame us for speaking more sublimely (for you should not envy the elevation), nor will we condemn you for the saying that is within your power for the time being, until you reach, albeit in a different way, the same refuge with us. We do not seek victory, but the return of the brothers, separation from whom torments us. We say this to you, in which we find several lives that reason sensibly about the Son. While we are surprised by your life, we do not fully approve of the teaching. Having the gifts of the Spirit, receive also the Spirit, so that you may not only strive, but also strive lawfully (2 Tim. 2:5). From Him, as a reward for life, may this crown be granted to you - to confess the Spirit completely, both with us and before us, to preach Him worthily. I dare for you and for something more, namely, I dare to say with the apostle: I love you so much, I respect so much this decorous garment of yours, and this color of abstinence, and sacred hosts, and honest virginity, and purity, and all-night psalmody, and poverty, and brotherly love, and hospitable love, that I am ready to be excommunicated from Christ (Rom. 9:3) and suffer as a condemned person, only If only you could stand with us and together we glorify the Trinity. For is it necessary to talk about others who are clearly dead, whom Christ alone will resurrect, Who by His power gives life to the dead? They are maliciously separated from each other by place, being connected by teaching, and disagree with each other as much as slanted eyes fixed on one object, and not in vision, but in position having a difference, if they should be blamed for this one shortcoming, and not together for blindness. Since I have sufficiently explained what concerns you, I will return again to the Spirit. I think that you will already follow me. 9. The Holy Spirit always was, and is, and will be; He did not begin and will not cease to exist, but is always ranked and numbered with the Father and the Son. For it was indecent either for the Father to ever be without the Son, or for the Son to ever be without the Spirit; It would be extremely inglorious for the Divine, as if due to a change in His advice, to come to the fullness of perfection. So the Spirit was always accepting, not accepting; doing, not being done; filling, not being filled; sanctifying, not being sanctified; leading to deification, and not leading to deification. He is always the same for Himself and for Those with whom He is related: invisible, not subject to time, incontainable, unchangeable, has neither quality, quantity, nor form, intangible, self-moving, ever-moving, free, autocratic, omnipotent (although both everything that belongs to the Only Begotten, so everything that belongs to the Spirit is raised to the first Guilt); He is life and life-giving; He is light and the Giver of light; He is the original goodness and the source of goodness; He is the right and sovereign Spirit (Ps. 51:12–14), the Lord (2 Cor. 3:17), the sender (Acts 13:4), the separateer (Acts 13:2), the builder of a church for Himself (Col. 2:22), the instructer (John. 16:13), who works as he wills (1 Cor. 12:11), who shares gifts, the Spirit of procreation (Rom. 8:15), truth (John 14:17), wisdom, understanding, knowledge, godliness, counsel, strength, fear, according to those who are counted (Is. 11:2–3). Through Him the Father is known and the Son is glorified (John 16:10), and through Him alone we know one work, service and worship, one power, one perfection and sanctification. But why expand? Everything that the Father has belongs to the Son, except ungeneracy; everything that the Son has belongs to the Spirit, except birth. And unbornness and birth do not distinguish essences, in my opinion, but differ in one and the same essence. 10. You are impatient to object to me, but I hasten to continue the word. It’s almost the day of the Spirit, hold your tongue for a while if you can: now a word about other tongues; be ashamed or afraid of these tongues that appear in the form of fire. Today we will teach, and tomorrow we will reason about words; Today we will celebrate, and tomorrow we will put aside decency. One is mysterious, the other is characteristic of spectacles; one is appropriate for churches, and the other for marketplaces; one is decent for the sober, and the other for the drunk; one is appropriate for those who talk about the Spirit with reverence, and the other for those who laugh at the Spirit. Having rejected what is alien, we will arrange our own. 11. The Holy Spirit acted, firstly, in the angelic and heavenly Powers - in those who are first in God and around God, for their perfection and illumination and immobility, or immobility, to evil comes from none other than the Holy Spirit; and then he acted in the fathers and in the prophets, some of whom saw or knew God in images, while others foreknew the future, since the Spirit imprinted this in their minds and they saw what was to be before them as present, for such is the power of the Spirit; after this he acted in the disciples of Christ (I will not say in Christ, in whom He remained not as active, but as accompanying one of equal honor), and in them three times, according to their acceptability, and at three different times - before the glorification of Christ by passion, after the glorification by resurrection and after the ascension into heaven, or according to the dispensation (Acts. 3:21), or whatever else this should be called, - as shown by the first cleansing from diseases and spirits, which was carried out, of course, not without the Spirit, also after the completion of the Economy, the breath of Christ, which obviously was Divine inspiration, and, finally, the current division of the tongues of fire, which we celebrate. But the first was not clear, the second is more obvious, and the present is more perfect, for the Spirit is no longer an action, as before, but is essentially present and, as others would say, co-abides and cohabits. For just as the Son conversed with us bodily, so it became the Spirit to appear in a bodily form; and when Christ entered into His glory, then He must descend to us; it was necessary to come because He is Lord, and to be sent because He is not adversary to God. For such sayings show unanimity more than the division of nature. 12. For this reason the Spirit comes after Christ, so that we will not be left without a Comforter, and for this reason he is called something else, in order to give you the concept of equality; for the word other is put in place of another I; this same name means sole dominion, and not humiliation. For the word other, as far as I know, is used not about aliens, but about consubstantial ones. It appears in the form of tongues due to its affinity with the Word, and in the form of tongues of fire (why do you think?) or because of purification (for according to Scripture the purifying fire is also known, which those who wish can see it everywhere), or in its essence: for our God is a fire and a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29) ungodliness. But you are indignant again, dissatisfied with the word consubstantial! Appears in the form of divided tongues due to different talents; in the form of tongues sitting down to signify royal dignity and repose in the saints, for the Cherubim are the throne of God. He appears in the upper room (unless they consider me to be overly inquisitive) to signify the ascension and exaltation from the earth of those who will receive the Spirit, for some of the highest (upper rooms) are covered with the waters of God, with which God is praised (Ps. 103:3). And Jesus Himself introduces those ordained to the highest ministry to the sacrament in the upper room, showing that it is necessary for God to condescend to us (as, as we know, he condescended to Moses), and for us to ascend to Him, and that in this way, with the dissolution of dignity, communication between God and people should take place. As long as they remain in their own dignity—God in the dignity of height, and man in baseness—until then goodness is incompatible, love for mankind is incommunicable, and in the middle there is a great and impassable abyss that separates not only the rich from Lazarus and from the coveted bosom of Abraham, but the created and transitory nature from the uncreated and permanent. 13. The Holy Spirit was preached by the prophets, for example, in the following places: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me (Isa. 61:1); and seven spirits will rest on him (Isa. 11:2); and the Spirit came from the Lord and instructed them (Isa. 63:14). Fill the spirit of knowledge with Bezaleel, the builder of the tabernacle (Ex. 31:3). The spirit is angry (Isa. 63:10); The spirit took Elijah in a chariot, and was asked by Elisha (2 Kings 2:9–15); The good and sovereign Spirit instructs and strengthens David (Ps. 142:10; 50:14). The Holy Spirit was promised first by Joel, who says: And in the last days I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh, that is, on those who believe, on your sons and on your daughters, and so on (Joel 2:28; Acts 2:17), and subsequently by Jesus, Who Himself glorifies the Spirit and is glorified by the Spirit, just as he glorifies the Father and is glorified by the Father. And what a generous promise! The Spirit eternally abides, both now with those worthy in temporary life, and later with those worthy of the blessings there, if we completely preserve Him with a good life, and do not remove Him from ourselves to the same extent as we sin. 14. This Spirit creates with the Son in creation and resurrection, of which may what has been said assure you: By the Word of the Lord the heavens were established, and by the Spirit of His mouth all their power (Ps. 32:6); The Spirit of God, who created me, and the breath of the Almighty, who teaches me (Job 33:4); and again: send Thy Spirit, and they will be created, and renew the face of the earth (Ps. 103:30). He creates in spiritual regeneration, of which let what has been said assure you that no one can see or receive the kingdom unless he is born again by the Spirit (John 3:3-5), and from the first birth, which is the mystery of the night, he will not be purified by the daytime and light regeneration (Ps. 139:16), by which each individual is recreated. This Spirit, being wise and loving of mankind, understands the shepherd, creates him as a psalmist, driving away evil spirits, and indicates in him the king of Israel. If the shepherd of the sheep eats the buttocks, it makes him a prophet (Amos 7:14). Remember David and Amos! Whether a witty youth is accepted, even before reaching adulthood makes him a judge of the elders. The witness is Daniel, who defeated the lions in the den. Will he find fishermen, catches in Christ's slaughter a whole world of words enveloping him in a net. Take as an example Peter and Andrew and the sons of thunder, who thundered about spiritual things. Will he find publicans, make disciples and create souls as merchants? Witness - Matthew, yesterday a publican, and now an evangelist. Will he find fiery persecutors, jealousy changes and Saul makes Pauls, just as zealous for piety as he found them zealous for evil. He is also the Spirit of meekness and is angry with those who sin. So, let us taste His meekness, and not anger, confessing His dignity and fleeing blasphemies, let us not wish to see Him angry without mercy. He now makes me a bold preacher before you. And if I don’t suffer anything, thank God! And even if I suffer, thanks be to God! The first is desirable, may he spare those who hate us, the second, may he sanctify me, as a reward for the sacred rite of the Gospel, accepting it to be accomplished with blood. 15. The apostles began to speak in foreign languages, and not in their own, and, what is especially wonderful, they began to speak without learning. This is a sign for the unbelievers, and not for the believers, and it should have served to accuse the unbelievers, as it is written: I will speak with other tongues and with other lips to this people, and neither will they listen to Me, says the Lord (1 Cor. 14:21; Isa. 28:11). I hear (Acts 2:6). Stop here for a moment and think about how to divide the speech. For in speech there is reciprocity, which is eliminated by punctuation. Did everyone hear in their own dialect that, so to speak, one voice came out, but many voices were heard due to such a shaking in the air, or, to put it more clearly, many came from one voice? Or, stopping at the word I hear, the words of those speaking in their own voices should be attributed to what follows, so that the meaning comes out: those pronouncing voices that were their own for those listening, and this means voices in a foreign language. I agree more with the latter, because the first would be a miracle that would apply more to those who listen than to those who speak, and the last applies directly to those who speak, who are reproached for being drunk, from which it is clear that through the action of the Spirit they themselves worked miracles in uttering voices. 16. True, the ancient division of voices was also worthy of praise, when the pillar was built maliciously and godlessly by those of one consent (which some still dare to do), for the unanimity, violated by the difference of voices, destroyed the enterprise. But much more praiseworthy is the division, which has now been wonderfully accomplished, for, having been poured out from one Spirit on many, it is again raised to one agreement. And there is a difference in talents, which requires a new talent in order to be able to distinguish the most excellent of them, because everyone has something praiseworthy. One could also call the division that David speaks of beautiful: flood, O Lord, and divide their tongues (Ps. 54:10). For what? Because all the verbs of the flood have loved, the tongue is flattering (Ps. 51:6). David here almost clearly denounces those tongues that cut the Divinity. But enough about that. 17. Since the tongues spoke to the reverent Jews living in Jerusalem, the Parthians, the Medes, the Elamites, the Egyptians, the Cretans, the inhabitants of Libya, Arabia, Mesopotamia, and my Cappadocians, and from all the tongues under heaven, the Jews (if anyone wants to imagine so), gathered in Jerusalem, then the question is worthy of attention: what kind of people were they? Jews and whose captivity? For the captivity of Egypt and Babylon was temporary and ended long ago with the return of the captives; The Roman captivity had not yet taken place, but was only meant to be as a punishment for insolence against the Savior. It remains to understand the captivity that took place under Antiochus and happened shortly before the present time. If anyone does not agree with such an interpretation as unnatural (because this captivity is not ancient and the Jews were scattered in it not in many countries of the universe), but is looking for a more probable interpretation, then perhaps it is better to accept the following. Since the Jewish people, as Ezra tells us, were deported many times and many times, some tribes returned to their homeland, while others remained in captivity, and, probably, some of these latter, scattered among many nations, then came to Jerusalem and were participants in the miracle. 18. I proposed such a study for the curious, and perhaps it will not be superfluous. And whatever anyone offers that is suitable for the present day, everything will be an acquisition for us. But it’s time for me to dissolve the meeting, for my conversation is quite long. And the celebration should never stop, but it is always necessary to celebrate, now even physically, and later and soon completely spiritually, when we recognize more purely and clearly the foundations of this in the Word Himself and in God and our Lord Jesus Christ - the true holiday and joy of those who are being saved, with Whom be glory and honor to the Father with the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.