Слово 41

Let us briefly think about the holiday so that we can celebrate spiritually. Everyone has their own way of triumphing; and for a servant of the Word it 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 “seeking the physical law,” he “did 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 culprits 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 permanent and eternally existing benefits for the soul, and not transient and soon perishing, which, in my opinion, delight the feeling little, but corrupt it and harm it more. “The body is overwhelmed by its malice.” Is it necessary to add more combustible substance to the flame, or to give the beast abundant food so that it becomes more indomitable and gains power over the mind? So, we should celebrate spiritually. And the beginning of the word (for it is necessary to say what constitutes 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 number seven, as later the Pythagoreans began to honor the number four, by which they even swear, and the Simonians and Marcionites the numbers eight and thirty, who call and honor some aeons as equal in number. Although I don’t know by what laws of correlation or by what power of the number seven, 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 created this now visible world, and on the seventh day he rested from work, which is also shown by the name of the Sabbath, which in Hebrew meant rest. But if there is a higher reason for this, then let others speculate about it. Their veneration of the number seven extended not only for days, but also for 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 of leaven, and in the discussion of years, the eighth 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 - their day is “holy” (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 number seven 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 next century and is the eighth, and at the same time the first, or, better to say, one and endless. For there the local sabbath of souls must end, so that part of the “seven and eight” (Eccl. 11:2) will be given, as some before us understood this Solomon’s saying. Although there is a lot of evidence about the celebration of the number seven, for us many, a few will be enough. This is the name given to the seven venerable spirits (Is. 11:2-3), and I think Isaiah was pleased to call the actions of the Spirit spirits. “The words of the Lord,” according to David, “are purified seven times” (Ps. 11:7). “In six troubles he will save you, and in the seventh” evil will not touch you (Job 5:19). The sinner receives forgiveness not only “up to seven times, but up to seventy times seventy times” (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 times seven” (Gen. 4:24), because he became a murderer after the law and condemnation. The wicked “neighbors” receive sevenfold reward into their “bosom” (Ps. 78:12). The “house” of Wisdom “is built on seven pillars” ( Proverbs 9:1 ); Zerubbabel's stone is decorated with the same number of eyes (Zech.3:9). “Seven times a day” praise is given to God (Ps. 119:164). Even “barren” gives birth “seven times,” a perfect number, and is thus contrasted with the one who does not have the full number of children (1 Samuel 2:5). If we must take into account the Old Testament legends; then I note that the “seventh” of the first parents, Enoch, was honored by “translation” (Gen. 5:25). 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 number seven. And another brave would dare to reach the New Adam, my God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to the descending genealogy in Luke, is considered seventy-seventh from the old and under the sin of the former Adam. I also note the “seven” trumpets of Joshua, the same number of rounds, days and priests, from which the walls of Jericho fall (Joshua 6). I note both 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 the wood, when he destroyed the victim with fire sent from God and condemned the lying prophets, who could not do the same with their invocations, and the sevenfold, according to his command, the youth observed the clouds. I note Elisha’s repeated admiration for the son of the Shunammite woman, by whom his breath 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 candles (Ex. 25:31.37), in seven days the priest is committed (Exod. 29:35), in seven days the 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 number seven 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 four thousand with seven loaves, and the remainder after feeding was in the first case “twelve baskets” (Matthew 14:20), and in the second “seven baskets” (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, but with us renewed mysteriously. Having previously said this in the discussion of the present day, let us proceed to the continuation of the word. We celebrate Pentecost, the coming of the Spirit, the final fulfillment of a promise, the fulfillment of hope, a mystery, and how great and venerable it is! The physical works of Christ are coming to an 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 are ending until some word convinces me that it is better to lose 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 fall of a 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 accepts much of this even now, 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 He tests us in love, whether we will not 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 me the word as much as I desire, and if not to the extent that 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. Whoever reduces the Holy Spirit to the ranks of creatures is a scolder, 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 it before prudent people, is exalted; and if in front of low ones, he is imprudent; because beads trust dirt, the sound of thunder trusts weak hearing, a ray of sunshine trusts sore eyes, hard food trusts 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 to them like this. If you do not confess that the Holy Spirit is neither uncreated nor untimely, then (let zeal express itself 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 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 expression stops you, and it becomes for you a stumbling block and a stone of temptation, which is what Christ was for some. This is human weakness. Let us come together spiritually; let us be brotherly loving rather than selfish. Recognize the power of the Divine, and we will make you lenient in what is said. Confess the nature under other names, which you respect most, and we will heal you as infirm, even if we hide otherwise to your satisfaction. For it is shameful, truly shameful and rather foolish to be healthy in soul and to make great sounds, to hide treasure, as if envying others, or fearing not to sanctify the tongue. But it is even more shameful for us to be subjected to the same thing that we accuse others of, and while condemning disputes about sounds, we ourselves stand for the letter. Confess in the Trinity one Divinity, or, if you wish, one nature; and I will ask you from the Spirit the word of God. For I know well that He who gave the first also gives the second, and even more so if the reason for the dispute is some kind of spiritual timidity, and not devilish stubbornness. I will say even more clearly and briefly: neither you blame us for what we have said that is more sublime (for you should not envy the exaltation), nor will we condemn you for those words that you are able to do 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 tell you this, in which we find several lives who 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 can 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 this decorous garment of yours so much, and this color of abstinence, and sacred hosts, and honest chastity, and purity, and all-night psalmody, and love of 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 would stand with us, and together we would 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 bound by doctrine, and are as disagreeing with each other as slanting eyes, fixed on one object, and not in vision, but in position having a difference, if they should be blamed for this one defect, and not together for blindness. Since I have sufficiently stated what concerns you; then I will return again to the Spirit. I think that you will already follow me. The Holy Spirit always was, and is, and will be; He did not begin and will not cease to exist, but is always one and indivisible 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, as a result of 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, rather than being led into deification. He is always the same for Himself and for Those with whom He is one; invisible, not subject to time, incontainable, unchangeable, has no quality, no quantity, no form, intangible, self-moving, ever-moving, free, autocratic, omnipotent (although, like 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 spirit of dominion” (Ps. 50:12.14), the “Lord” (2 Cor. 3:17), the sender (Acts 13:4), the separater (Acts 13:2), the builder of a church for Himself (Col. 2:22), the instructor (John 16:13), the one who acts “as He pleases” (1 Cor. 12:11), the divider of gifts, “The spirit of adoption” (Rom.8:15), “truth” (John 14:17), “wisdom, understanding, knowledge and godliness, counsel, strength, fear”, according to those who are counted (Is.11:3.4). Through Him the Father is known and the Son is glorified (John 16:11), and He Himself through them alone we know, one and indivisible, 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. You are tormented by impatience 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. The Holy Spirit acted, firstly, in the angelic and heavenly powers - in those who are first after God and around God, for their perfection and illumination, and immobility or immobility towards evil, is 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 on their minds, and they saw the future before them as the 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 abided not as an active one, but as an attendant 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 after the “perfection” (Acts 3:21), or whatever else it 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 was obviously 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 it no longer acts as before, but is essentially present, and, as another would say, the Spirit 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 come down to us, must come because He is Lord, and be sent because He is not adversary to God. For such words show unanimity more than the division of nature. For this reason the Spirit comes after Christ, so that we will not be left without a Comforter; and for this reason it is called “other” in order to give you the concept of equality, for the word: “other” is put instead of “other I”; this same name means one thing - dominion, 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, according to its affinity with the Word; and in the form of fiery tongues (why do you think?) or because of cleansing (for according to Scripture the purifying fire is also known, which those who wish can see everywhere), or in its essence, for “our God is fire” and a fire that “consumes” (Heb. 12:29) ungodliness. But again you are indignant, 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 the Royal dignity and repose in the Saints, for the cherubim are the throne of God. Appears in the upper room (unless they consider me overly inquisitive) to signify the ascension and exaltation from the earth of those who will receive the Spirit, for some “high places” (upper rooms) are “covered” with the “waters” of God, with which God is hymned (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 far as we know, he condescended to Moses), and for us to ascend to Him, and that thus, with the co-dissolution of dignity, communication between God and people should take place. As long as they remain in their own dignity, God is in the dignity of height, and man is of 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. The Holy Spirit was preached by the Prophets, for example in the following places: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me” (Is. 61:1); and “seven spirits” will rest on him (Is. 11:1); and “the Spirit of the Lord came down and led them” (Is. 63:14). The spirit of “knowledge filled” Bezaleel, the builder of the Tabernacle (Exodus 31:3). The spirit is angry (Isa.63:10); The Spirit took Elijah on a chariot, and was doubly 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 it shall come to pass after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh,” that is, the believer, “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. This Spirit creates with the Son in creation and resurrection, of which may you be assured by what has been said: “By the Word of the Lord the heavens were created, and by the Spirit of His mouth all their host” (Ps. 32:6); “The Spirit of God created me, and the breath of the Almighty gave me life” (Job 33:4); and again: “If you send Your Spirit, they will be created, and you will renew the face of the earth” (Ps. 103:30). He creates in spiritual rebirth; of which may what has been said assure you that no one “can see” or receive “the kingdom unless one is born of the Spirit” (John 3:3.5), and from the first birth, which is the mystery of the night, is not purified by the daytime and light re-creation (Ps. 139:16), by which each individual is recreated. This Spirit, being wise and loving of mankind, will take a shepherd - creates him as a psalmist, driving away evil spirits, and indicates in him a king for Israel. If he takes a shepherd who “gathers syquimores,” that makes him a Prophet (Am.7:14). Remember David and Amos! Will he take a witty youth - still a minor - and make him a judge of the elders? Witness Daniel, who defeated the lions in the den. Will he find fishermen, the whole world of words encircling the net will be caught in Christ’s net. Take as an example Peter and Andrew and the sons of thunder, who thundered about spiritual things. If he finds publicans, he acquires disciples and creates souls as merchants. Witness Matthew, yesterday a publican, and now an Evangelist. Will he find fiery persecutors - his desire changes and Saul makes them Pauls, as zealous in piety as he found them defending evil. He is also the Spirit of meekness and is angry with those who sin. So, let us experience His meekness, and not anger, confessing His dignity and avoiding blasphemy, 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, 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 in blood. The apostles began to speak in foreign languages, and not in their native language, 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 other lips to this people, but even then they will not listen to Me, says the Lord” (1 Cor. 14:21; Is. 28:11). “Each one heard” (Acts 2:6). Stop here for a moment and think about how to divide the speech. For there is a reciprocity in the expression, 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, more clearly, did many come from one voice? Or, dwelling on the word heard, the words of those speaking in their own voices should be attributed to what follows in order to get the meaning: 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, which would apply more to the hearers than to the speakers, and the last applies directly to the speakers, who are reproached for being drunk, from which it is clear that by the action of the Spirit they themselves worked miracles in uttering voices. True, the ancient division of languages ​​was also praiseworthy, when the pillar was built maliciously and godlessly by monolinguals (as some still dare to do), for unanimity, disrupted by the difference of languages, also 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 of 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: “Trouble, O Lord, and divide their tongues” (Ps. 54:10). For what? Because they loved “all destructive speech, a deceitful tongue” (Ps. 51:6). David here almost clearly denounces those tongues that cut the Divinity. But enough of that. Since the tongues spoke to those living in Jerusalem, the reverent Jews, the Parthians, the Medes, the Elamites, the Egyptians, the Cretans, the inhabitants of Libya, Arabia, Mesopotamia, and my Cappadocians, and from “all the tongue that is under heaven,” the Jews (if anyone wants to imagine so) gathered in Jerusalem, then the question is worthy of attention: what kind of Jews were they, and who captivity? For the captivity of Egypt and Babylon was temporary and ended long ago with the return of the captives; The captivity of Rome had not yet taken place, but it was only as a punishment for insolence against the Savior. What remains is the captivity that took place under Antiochus and which happened shortly before these times. If anyone does not agree with such an interpretation as unnatural (because this captivity is not ancient, and the Jews were not scattered in it in many countries of the world), 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. I proposed such a study for the curious, and perhaps it will not be superfluous. And whatever anyone offers that is decent for the present time, 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, it is always necessary to celebrate, now even physically, and later and soon completely spiritually, when we learn more purely and clearly the foundations for this in the Word itself 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. You might be interested in: