Chapter IV.--It is Asserted that Christ's Teaching is Different from Peter's.
"And that he does not really believe even the doctrines proclaimed by his teacher is evident, for he proclaims doctrines opposite to his. [1318] For he said to some one, as I learn, [1319] "Call me not good, for the good is one." Now in speaking of the good one, he no longer speaks of that just one, [1320] whom the Scriptures proclaim, who kills and makes alive,--kills those who sin, and makes alive those who live according to His will. But that he did not really call Him who is the framer of the world good, is plain to any one who can reflect. For the framer of the world was known to Adam whom He had made, and to Enoch who pleased Him, and to Noah who was seen to be just by Him; likewise to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob; also to Moses, and the people, and the whole world. But Jesus, the teacher of Peter himself, came and said, [1321] "No one knew the Father except the Son, as no one knoweth [1322] even the Son except the Father, and those to whom the Son may wish to reveal Him." If, then, it was the Son himself who was present, it was from the time of his appearance that he began to reveal to those to whom he wished, Him who was unknown to all. And thus the Father was unknown to all who lived before him, and could not thus be He who was known to all.
[1318] [These chapters are peculiar to the Homilies.--R.]
[1319] Matt. xix. 17.
[1320] The Gnostic distinction between the God who is just and the God who is good, is here insisted on.
[1321] Matt. xi. 27; [Luke x. 22. Comp. Recognitions, ii. 47.--R.]
[1322] One ms. reads, "saw."
Chapter V.--Jesus Inconsistent in His Teaching.
"In saying this, Jesus is consistent not even with himself. For sometimes by other utterances, taken from the Scriptures, he presents God as being terrible and just, saying, [1323] "Fear not him who killeth the body, but can do nothing to the soul; but fear Him who is able to cast both body and soul into the Gehenna of fire. Yea, I say unto you, fear Him." But that he asserted that He is really to be feared as being a just God, to whom he says those who receive injustice cry, is shown in a parable of which he gives the interpretation, saying: [1324] "If, then, the unjust judge did so, because he was continually entreated, how much more will the Father avenge those who cry to Him day and night? Or do you think that, because He bears long with them, He will not do it? Yea, I say to you, He will do it, and that speedily." Now he who speaks of God as an avenging and rewarding God, presents Him as naturally just, and not as good. Moreover he gives thanks to the Lord of heaven and earth. [1325] But if He is Lord of heaven and earth, He is acknowledged to be the framer of the world, and if framer, then He is just. When, therefore, he sometimes calls Him good and sometimes just, he is not consistent with himself in this point. [1326] But his wise disciple maintained yesterday a third point, that real sight [1327] is more satisfactory than vision, not knowing that real sight can be human, but that vision confessedly proceeds from divinity.
[1323] Matt. x. 28.
[1324] Luke xviii. 6-8.
[1325] Matt. xi. 25; [Luke x. 21.]
[1326] [Comp. xviii. 1, etc.; also Recognitions, iii. 37, 38.--R.]
[1327] The mss. read energeian, "activity." Clericus amended it into enargeian, which means, vision or sight in plain open day with one's own eyes, in opposition to the other word optasia, vision in sleep, or ecstasy, or some similar unusual state.
Chapter VI.--Peter Goes Out to Answer Simon.
"These and such like were the statements, Peter, which Simon addressed to the multitudes while he stood outside; and he seems to me to be disturbing the minds of the greater number. Wherefore go forth immediately, and by the power of truth break down his false statements." When Zacchæus said this, Peter prayed after his usual manner and went out, and standing in the place where he spoke the day before, and saluting the multitudes according to the custom enjoined by his religion, he began to speak as follows: "Our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the true prophet (as I shall prove conclusively at the proper time), made concise declarations in regard to those matters that relate to the truth, for these two reasons: first, because He was in the habit of addressing the pious, who had knowledge enough to enable them to believe the opinions uttered by Him by way of declaration; for His statements were not strange to their usual mode of thought; and in the second place, because, having a limited time assigned Him for preaching, He did not employ the method of demonstration in order that He might not spend all His limited time in arguments, for in this way it might happen that He would be fully occupied in giving the solutions of a few problems which might be understood by mental exertion, while He would not have given us to any great extent [1328] those statements which relate to the truth. Accordingly He stated any opinions He wished, as to a people who were able to understand Him, to whom we also belong, who, whenever we did not understand anything of what had been said by Him,--a thing which rarely happened,--inquired of Him privately, that nothing said by Him might be unintelligible to us.
[1328] Lit. "to a greater extent."