Глава 6. Опровержение евреев

33) When this is really so, and there is clear evidence of the resurrection of the (Lord’s) body and the victory won by the Savior over death: let us now expose both the unbelief of the Jews and the blasphemy of the pagans. For despite all this, perhaps the Jews still disbelieve and the pagans laugh, attacking the impropriety of the cross and the incarnation of God’s Word. But our word will not be slow to prevail over both, especially if we have obvious evidence against them. Unbelieving Jews have their own conviction in the Scriptures which they themselves read. For the whole of inspired Scripture, from beginning to end, cries out about this, as the very sayings clearly show. From ancient times, the prophets foretold about the miracle that took place on the Virgin, and about Her birth, saying: “Behold, the Virgin will be with child and give birth to a Son, and they will call His name Immanuel, as it is said: God is with us” (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:23). Moses, truly great and recognized by them as true, justifying and recognizing as truth what was said by others about the incarnation of the Savior, brought this into his writings, saying: “a star will shine from Jacob and a man from Israel, and the princes of Moab will destroy” (Num. 24:17). And again: “If thy houses are good to Jacob, and thy tabernacles to Israel: Like overshadowing oak groves, and like gardens by the rivers, and like the tabernacles that the Lord has set up, like cedar trees by the waters. From his seed a man will come forth, and you will have many languages” (Num. 24:5–7). And Isaiah also says: “Before you understand the offspring, call father or mother, you will receive the power of Damascus, and the gain of Samaria before the king of Assyria” (Isa. 8:4). This foretells that a man will appear; but the Prophets also prophesy that the One who is coming is the Lord of all, saying: “Behold, the Lord sits on a light cloud, and he will come to Egypt, and Egypt will be shaken” (Isa. 19:1). And from there the Father calls Him, saying: “Out of Egypt I called My Son” (Hosea 11:1). 34) But nothing is kept silent about His death; but on the contrary, it is very clearly depicted in the divine Scriptures. They were not afraid to say about the cause of death, namely, that he would endure it not for his own sake, but for immortality and the salvation of all; It is also said about the malicious intent of the Jews and about the insults inflicted on Him by the Jews, so that each of them would understand what was happening and would not be deceived. Therefore they say: “A man with a plague, and knowing to endure illness, for having turned away His face, he became dishonest, and was not accounted for. This one bears our sins, and suffers for us, and we impute His being in labor and in ulcers, and in embitterment. The same wound was for our sins, and the same was tormented for our iniquities, the punishment of our peace was upon Him, by His wound we were healed” (Isa. 53:3-5). Marvel at the humanity of the Word! He suffers dishonor for us, so that we may become glorious. For it is said: “All like sheep have gone astray, man has gone astray from his way, and the Lord gave up His sin for our sakes. And He, who was so embittered, did not open His mouth, like a sheep being led to the slaughter, and like a lamb before His shearers is silent, so He does not open His mouth. In humility His judgment will be taken away” (Isa. 53:6–8). Then, so that, based on His suffering, they would not assume that He was an ordinary person, Scripture prevents such human assumptions, and depicts His supreme human power and the dissimilarity of His nature with ours, saying: “Who can confess His generation? As if His belly would be lifted from the ground for the sake of the iniquities of people, being led to death. And I will give the wicked instead of His burial, and the rich instead of His death: for you will not commit iniquity, and flattery will come from His lips. And the Lord wants to cleanse Him from the plague” (Isa. 53:8–10). 35) But perhaps, hearing prophecies about death, you would like to know the indications of the cross? And this is not silent, but very clearly expressed by the Saints. Moses is the first to announce with great voice, saying: “You will see your life hanging before your eyes, and you will not have faith” (Deut. 28:66). But even after him, the prophets who lived also testify to this, saying: “But I, like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter, did not understand: I thought an evil thought against Me, saying: Come, and let us put wood into His bread, and we will destroy Him from the land of the living” (Jer. 11:19). And again: “You have dug up My hands and My nose: you have cut up all My bones. I have divided My garments for myself, and cast lots for My clothing” (Ps. 21:17-19). Death on high and on a tree is nothing other than a cross. In no other kind of death are the legs and arms pierced, as on the same cross. Because with the coming of the Savior, all nations everywhere began to know God; then the Prophets did not leave this without indication, but on the contrary, this too is mentioned in the holy writings. For it is said: “You will be the root of Jesse, and rise up to speak tongues. In Him the nations will put their trust” (Isa. 11:10). Here are a few places - as proof of what happened; but all Scripture is filled with denunciations of the unbelief of the Jews. For which of the righteous people, the holy prophets and patriarchs, who are narrated in the divine scriptures, was ever born bodily from one virgin? Or, what wife had sufficient strength to give birth to a man without a husband? Wasn't Abel born from Adam? Is Enoch not from Jared? Wasn't Noah from Lamech? Isn't Abraham from Terah? Isn't Isaac from Abraham? Is Jacob not from Isaac? Is not Judas from Jacob? Are not Moses and Aaron from Amram? Was not Samuel born of Elkanah? Isn't David from Jesse? Isn't Solomon from David? Isn't Hezekiah from Ahaz? Isn't it from Amos Josiah? Isn't Isaiah from Amos? Isn't Jeremiah from Hilkiah? Isn't Ezekiel from Buzi? Didn't everyone have a Father as the author of their birth? Who is born of one virgin, while the Prophet points this out with extreme care? Whose birth was preceded by a star in the sky and indicated to the universe of the one born? Moses by birth was hidden by his parents. The neighbors had not even heard of David; why even the great Samuel did not know him, but asked: does Jesse have another son? Abraham, when he was already great, was recognized by his neighbors. It was not man who witnessed the birth of Christ, but a star that appeared in the sky from where Christ descended testified to it. 36) Which of the kings who ever existed, before he could name his father or mother, had already reigned and triumphed over his enemies? Didn't David reign for thirty years? And was it not in his youth that Solomon reigned? Was not Joash seven years old when he assumed the kingdom? Was not Josiah, who reigned after him, about seven years old when he took over the reign? But even at that age, they could already name their father and mother. Who is this one who reigns almost before birth and collects profit from his enemies? Was there such a king in Israel and Judah (let the Jews investigate and say) in whom the nations would place all their trust and remain in peace? Is it not fairer to say that nations rose up against them from everywhere? While Jerusalem stood, they had an irreconcilable war, and everyone was opponents of Israel: the Assyrians oppressed, the Egyptians persecuted, the Babylonians made invasions. And what is surprising is that even the Syrians neighboring them were their enemies. Didn’t David fight with the Moabites and kill the Syrians? Wasn't Josiah defending himself from neighboring nations? Wasn't Hezekiah afraid of Sennacherib's arrogance? Did Amalek rebel against Moses? Didn't the Ammorites resist Joshua? Did not the inhabitants of Jericho fight with him? And in general, the pagans never had friendly treaties with the Israelites. Therefore, who is this king in whom the peoples place their trust? It's worth a look. For there must be such a king; because it is impossible to lie to the Prophet. Which of the holy prophets or ancient patriarchs also died on the cross for the salvation of all? Or who is wounded and put to death, so that all may become healthy? Which righteous man or king went to Egypt, and when he entered, the Egyptian idols fell? Abraham went there, but after him idolatry again took possession of everyone. Moses was born there, but nevertheless the false worship of the deceived continued there. 37) Who, according to Scripture, had their hands and feet fossilized? Or who, in general, hung on a tree and died on the cross for the salvation of everyone? Abraham, having lost his strength, died on his bed; Isaac and Jacob also died with their feet stretched out on the bed. Moses and Aaron died on the mountain; But David ended his life in the house, and the nations did not plot against him. Although Saul sought his life, he escaped unharmed. Isaiah was pretentious, but did not hang on the tree. Jeremiah endured reproaches, but died not condemned. Ezekiel suffered, but not for the people, but as a sign of what would happen to the people. Moreover, even if they suffered, they were the same people as we all are, due to the similarity of nature. But He Whom the Scriptures portray as suffering for all is called not just a man, but the Life of all, although He was similar to people by nature. For it is said: see your “belly” hanging before your eyes (Deut. 28:66); and: “Who can confess His generation?” (Is. 53:8; cf. Acts 8:33) Having studied the genealogy of all the saints, one can tell about each one from the very beginning: who he is, and from whom he came; but the genealogy of the One who becomes Life, the word of God calls inscrutable. Therefore, about whom are these divine scriptures talking? Or why is He so great that so much is foreshadowed about Him? Prophets? But in the Scriptures you will not find anyone other than the common Savior of all, God’s Word, our Lord Jesus Christ. For He came from the Virgin, appeared on earth as a man, and His genealogy according to the flesh is inscrutable; because no one can name His Father according to the flesh, since His body is not from a man, but from one Virgin. How can one indicate, by genealogy, the fathers of David, Moses and all the Patriarchs; so, according to the flesh, no one can produce the Savior’s birth by genealogy from a husband. He made His physical birth indicated by a star; because the Word descending from heaven had to have a sign in heaven, and the born King of creation had to be clearly known by all creation. And indeed, He was born in Judea, and the Persians came to worship Him. Even before His appearance in the body, He triumphs over the opposing demons and triumphs over idolatry. Pagans everywhere, cursing their fatherly habits and idolatry, finally place their trust in Christ and surrender themselves to Him, as you can see with your own eyes. It was not at any other time that Egyptian atheism ceased, but precisely when the Lord of the universe descended there in body, as if carried on a cloud, and abolished idolatry, and brought everyone to Himself, and through Himself to the Father. He was crucified, having as witnesses the sun, creation, and those who brought Him to death. And through His death the salvation of all was accomplished, all creation was redeemed. He is the common Life of all, and as an atoning sacrifice for the salvation of all, like a sheep, He gave His body to death, although the Jews do not believe it. 38) If this is considered insufficient, then let them be convinced by other prophecies, which they also have in their hands. For about whom the Prophets say: “Who appeared to those who did not seek Me, was found to those who did not ask about Me. Rekokh: Behold, I am a tongue that has not called on My name: I have stretched out My hands to a people who do not submit and who speak against their words” (Isa. 65: 1-2)? Who then became manifest? They will ask the Jews. If the Prophet; then let them say: when did you hide in order to appear later? What kind of prophet is this, who from the unrevealed became revealed and stretched out his hands on the cross? - This is not one of the righteous, but the one Word of God, incorporeal by nature, and for our sake appeared in the body, and suffered for everyone. If this is not enough for them, then let them be ashamed of other prophecies, seeing in them such a clear revelation. For the Scripture says: “Strengthen your weak hands and weak knees, take comfort in your cowardly mind, be strong, do not be afraid: Behold, our God rewards judgment, He will come and save us. Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf will hear. Then the lame will leap like a tree, and the tongue of those who perish will be clear” (Isa. 35:3-6). So what can they say about this? Or how can they even dare to resist this? Prophecy makes it clear that God will come; and signs show the time of coming. For they say that at the Divine Coming the blind will see, the lame will walk, the deaf will hear, and the tongue of the deaf will become clear. So let them say: when did such signs happen in Israel, or did anything similar to this happen in Judea? The leper Naaman was cleansed; but not a single deaf began to hear, not a single lame began to walk. Elijah and Elisha raised the dead; but the man who was blind from birth did not see. It is truly a great thing to resurrect the dead; however, this is not the same as the Savior’s miracle. Moreover, if Scripture was not silent about the leper and the widow’s dead man, then without a doubt, if the lame began to walk and the blind received his sight, the word would not fail to make this known. Because it is silent about this in the Scriptures; it is obvious that this has never happened before. When did this happen? wasn’t it only when God’s Word itself came in the flesh? When did this happen? Was it not then that the lame began to walk, the blind began to speak clearly, the deaf began to hear, the blind from birth received their sight? That is why the Jews, who saw these miracles at that time, as if they had not heard of this happening at another time, said: “It has not been heard since time immemorial, that someone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. Had this not been from God, He could not have done anything” (John 9:32-33). 39) But, perhaps, due to the difficulty of disputing what is obvious, they will not deny what is written, but will claim that they too are expecting all this, but God the Word has not yet come. And indeed, repeating this excuse in any case, they are not ashamed to stubbornly stand against the evidence itself. But even in this, more than in anything else, they will be convicted not by us, but by the wise Daniel, who, pointing to the present time and to the divine coming of the Savior, says: “Seventy weeks have been shortened for your people and for the holy city, so that sin will end, and sins will be sealed, and iniquities will be blotted out, and iniquities will be cleansed, and righteousness will be brought in.” eternal, and the vision and the prophet will be sealed and the Holy of Holies will be anointed. And thou shalt weigh and understand from the exodus the word to answer, and to build up Jerusalem, even unto Christ the Elder” (Dan. 9:24-25). With other prophecies, one can still look for pretexts for attributing what is written to the future tense; but what will they be able to say to this, or in general, what objection will they dare to make? Here the Anointed One (Christ) is indicated, it is foreshadowed that the anointed one is not just a man, but the Holy of Holies, that until His coming Jerusalem will stand, and finally, there will be no Prophet and vision in Israel. David, Solomon and Hezekiah were anointed in ancient times; but Jerusalem and the whole place still stood, and the Prophets also prophesied: Gad, Asaph, Nathan, and after them Isaiah, Hosea, Amos and others. Moreover, the anointed ones themselves were called holy people, and not holy of holies. If they begin to point to the captivity and say that Jerusalem did not exist then; will they say the same about the Prophets? When, in ancient times, the people of Israel moved to Babylon; Daniel and Jeremiah were there, and Ezekiel, Haggai and Zechariah also prophesied. 40) Consequently, the Jews compose pure fables when the fulfillment of a prophecy from the present time is transferred to future times. When there was no prophet and no vision in Israel, was it not from the time when Christ the Holy of Holies came? Here is a sign and an important sign of the appearance of God’s Word: – Jerusalem no longer exists; not a single prophet rises up, and they no longer have the revelation of visions. This was as it should be. When what is already signified has come, what further need is there for a sign? When reality sets in, what need is there for the shadow? This is why they prophesied until the original Truth came, until He who redeemed the sins of all came. This is why Jerusalem stood for so long, so that prototypes of the truth could be taught there. Because the Holy of Holies appeared; then justice demanded that the vision and prophecy be sealed, and the kingdom of Jerusalem cease. Until then their kings were anointed until the Holy of Holies was anointed. And Jacob prophesies that the kingdom of Judah will stand before Him, saying: “The prince will not fail from Judah, nor the leader from his feet, until the hope of the tongues will come to him” (Gen. 49:10). Why does the Savior himself cry out, saying: “the law and the prophets prophesied until John” (Matthew 11:13). So, if the Jews to this day have a king, or a prophet, or a vision; then they rightly renounce the coming Christ. If there is no king, no vision, but every prophecy is already sealed, and the city and church are captured; then why do they so much ungodly and sin that although they see what has been done, they deny Christ who did it? Why, seeing that the pagans leave idols and for the sake of Christ put their trust in the God of Israel, do they deny Christ, Who in the flesh came from the root of Jesse and is already reigning? If the pagans began to serve another God, and did not confess the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses; then they would have had a good excuse - to say that God did not come. If the pagans honor that God, Who gave the law to Moses, spoke the promise to Abraham, and Whose Word the Jews dishonored; then why don’t they recognize, or better yet, don’t voluntarily see that the Lord, about whom the Scriptures prophesy, shone forth into the universe and appeared in it bodily, as the Scripture itself said: “God the Lord has appeared to us” (Psalm 117:27); and again: “I sent my Word, and I healed” (Psalm 106:20); and again: “not an intercessor, a lower angel, but the Lord himself saved them” (Isa. 63:9)? They are in the same state as a demented person who sees the earth illuminated by the sun, but denies the sun illuminating it. For what else was to be done by the One whom they were waiting for after His coming? Summon the pagans? But they have already been called. Make sure that there is no prophet, no king, no vision? And this has already been done. Convict idolatry atheism? It has already been exposed and condemned. Abolish death? And it has already been abolished. What should Christ have done that He did not do? Or what remains, not yet fulfilled. so that the Jews can now take up this with joy and be confirmed in unbelief? For if (as we see) they have neither king, nor prophet, nor Jerusalem, nor sacrifice, nor vision; on the contrary, the whole earth is filled with the knowledge of God, and the pagans, taught by the Word, our Lord Jesus Christ, leaving atheism, are already flowing to the God of Abraham; then even for the most shameless Jews it is clearly visible that Christ came, that He illuminated everyone with His light, and taught the true and divine teaching about His Father. – This and much more in the divine scriptures can very well serve to expose the Jews.