Chapter XXV.--Concerning the Circumcision.
The Circumcision [2694] was given to Abraham before the law, after the blessings, after the promise, as a sign separating him and his offspring and his household from the Gentiles with whom he lived [2695] . And this is evident [2696] , for when the Israelites passed forty years alone by themselves in the desert, having no intercourse with any other race, all that were born in the desert were uncircumcised: but when Joshua [2697] led them across Jordan, they were circumcised, and a second law of circumcision was instituted. For in Abraham's time the law of circumcision was given, and for the forty years in the desert it fell into abeyance. And again for the second time God gave the law of Circumcision to Joshua, after the crossing of Jordan, according as it is written in the book of Joshua, the son of Nun: At that time the Lord said unto Joshua, Make thee knives of stone from the sharp rock, and assemble and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time [2698] ; and a little later: For the children of Israel walked forty and two [2699] years in the wilderness of Battaris [2700] , till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were uncircumcised, because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord: unto whom the Lord sware that He would not shew them the good land, which the Lord swore unto their fathers that He would give them, a land that floweth with milk and honey. And their children, whom He raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way [2701] . So that the circumcision was a sign, dividing Israel from the Gentiles with whom they dwelt.
It was, moreover, a figure of baptism [2702] . For just as the circumcision does not cut off a useful member of the body but only a useless superfluity, so by the holy baptism we are circumcised from sin, and sin clearly is, so to speak, the superfluous part of desire and not useful desire. For it is quite impossible that any one should have no desire at all nor ever experience the taste of pleasure. But the useless part of pleasure, that is to say, useless desire and pleasure, it is this that is sin from which holy baptism circumcises us, giving us as a token the precious cross on the brow, not to divide us from the Gentiles (for all the nations received baptism and were sealed with the sign of the Cross), but to distinguish in each nation the faithful from the faithless. Wherefore, when the truth is revealed, circumcision is a senseless figure and shade. So circumcision is now superfluous and contrary to holy baptism. For he who is circumcised is a debtor to do the whole law [2703] . Further, the Lord was circumcised that He might fulfil the law: and He fulfilled the whole law and observed the Sabbath that He might fulfil and establish the law [2704] . Moreover after He was baptized and the Holy Spirit had appeared to men, descending on Him in the form of a dove, from that time the spiritual service and conduct of life and the Kingdom of Heaven was preached.
[2694] Just. Martyr., Dial. cum Tryph., p. 241.
[2695] Gen. xvii. 10.
[2696] Chrys., Hom. 39 in Gen.
[2697] Text, 'Iesous.
[2698] Josh. v. 2.
[2699] Ibid. 6.
[2700] Text, Battaritidi as in mss.; but in Bib. Sixt. madbareitidi is to be read. The desert in which the Israelites dwelt is called "per antonomasiam" Madbara, from the Hebrew mdvr, desert.
[2701] Josh. v. 6, 7.
[2702] Greg. Naz., Orat. 40. Athan., De Sab. et circ.
[2703] Gal. v. 3.
[2704] St. Matt. v. 17.
Chapter XXVI.--Concerning the Antichrist [2705] .
It should be known that the Antichrist is bound to come. Every one, therefore, who confesses not that the Son of God came in the flesh and is perfect God and became perfect man, after being God, is Antichrist [2706] . But in a peculiar and special sense he who comes at the consummation of the age is called Antichrist [2707] . First, then, it is requisite that the Gospel should be preached among all nations, as the Lord said [2708] , and then he will come to refute the impious Jews. For the Lord said to them: I am come in My Father's name and ye receive Me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive [2709] . And the apostle says, Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved, for this cause God shall send them a strong delusion that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness [2710] . The Jews accordingly did not receive the Lord Jesus Christ who was the Son of God and God, but receive the impostor who calls himself God [2711] . For that he will assume the name of God, the angel teaches Daniel, saying these words, Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers [2712] . And the apostle says: Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition: who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sitteth in the temple of God [2713] , shewing himself that he is God; in the temple of God he said; not our temple, but the old Jewish temple [2714] . For he will come not to us but to the Jews: not for Christ or the things of Christ: wherefore he is called Antichrist [2715] .
First, therefore, it is necessary that the Gospel should be preached among all nations [2716] : And then shall that wicked one be revealed, even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders [2717] , with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, whom the Lord shall consume with the word of His mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming [2718] . The devil himself [2719] , therefore does not become man in the way that the Lord was made man. God forbid! but he becomes man as the offspring of fornication and receiveth all the energy of Satan. For God, foreknowing the strangeness of the choice that he would make, allows the devil to take up his abode in him [2720] .
He is, therefore, as we said, the offspring of fornication and is nurtured in secret, and on a sudden he rises up and rebels and assumes rule. And in the beginning of his rule, or rather tyranny, he assumes the role of sanctity [2721] . But when he becomes master he persecutes the Church of God and displays all his wickedness. But he will come with signs and lying wonders [2722] , fictitious and not real, and he will deceive and lead away from the living God those whose mind rests on an unsound and unstable foundation, so that even the elect shall, if it be possible, be made to stumble [2723] .
But Enoch and Elias the Thesbite shall be sent and shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children [2724] , that is, the synagogue to our Lord Jesus Christ and the preaching of the apostles: and they will be destroyed by him. And the Lord shall come out of heaven, just as the holy apostles beheld Him going into heaven, perfect God and perfect man, with glory and power, and will destroy the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction, with the breath of His mouth [2725] . Let no one, therefore, look for the Lord to come from earth, but out of Heaven, as He himself has made sure [2726] .
[2705] See the note in Migne.
[2706] 1 St. John ii. 22.
[2707] Iren., bk. v. ch. 25; Greg. Naz., Orat. 47.
[2708] St. Matt. xxiv. 14.
[2709] St. John v. 43.
[2710] 2 Thess. ii. 10, 11, 12.
[2711] Chrys., Hom. 4 in Epist. 2 Thess.
[2712] Dan. xi. 37.
[2713] 2 Thess. ii. 3, 4.
[2714] Cyril of Jerusalem, Cat. 15.
[2715] Iren., Cyril Hieros., Catech. 15; Greg. Naz. loc. cit.
[2716] St. Matt. xxv. 14.
[2717] Text has perasi pseudous, instead of the received text, terasi pseudous, cf. infr.
[2718] 2 Thess. ii. 8, 9, 10.
[2719] Jerome on Daniel, ch. vii.
[2720] Chrys., Hom. 3 in 2 Thess.
[2721] Text, hagiosunen . Variants, agathosunen, dikaiosunen . Old trans. "justitiam," but Faber has "bonitatem."
[2722] 2 Thess. ii. 9.
[2723] St. Matt. xxiv. 24.
[2724] Mal. iv. 6; Apoc. xi. 3.
[2725] Acts i. 11.
[2726] 2 Thess. ii. 8.