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Homily XVII.

[1] The text has: “against Peter.”

[2] [Comp. Recognitions, iii. 12, for a similar accusation made by Simon, at the beginning of the second day’s discussion.—R.]

[3] εἰδώλων, idols.

[4] ἰδεῶν.

[5] [These chapters are peculiar to the Homilies.—R.]

[6] Matt. xix. 17.

[7] The Gnostic distinction between the God who is just and the God who is good, is here insisted on.

[8] Matt. xi. 27; [Luke x. 22. Comp. Recognitions, ii. 47.—R.]

[9] One ms. reads, “saw.”

[10] Matt. x. 28.

[11] Luke xviii. 6–8.

[12] Matt. xi. 25; [Luke x. 21.]

[13] [Comp. xviii. 1, etc.; also Recognitions, iii. 37, 38.—R.]

[14] The mss. read ἐνέργειαν, “activity.” Clericus amended it into ἐνάργειαν, which means, vision or sight in plain open day with one’s own eyes, in opposition to the other word οπτασία, vision in sleep, or ecstasy, or some similar unusual state.

[15] Lit. “to a greater extent.”

[16] Matt. xxviii. 19, 20.

[17] Matt. xviii. 10.

[18] [Comp. xvi. 19. The theosophical views here presented are peculiar to the Homilies, though some traces of them appear in the Recognitions.—R.]

[19] Matt. v. 8.

[20] The whole of this chapter is full of corruption; “twice” occurs in one ms. Various attempts have been made to amend the passage.

[21] An emendation.

[22] The text is corrupt. We have translated ἐπ᾽ ἀπείρους τρεῖς. Some think “three” should be omitted. The three infinites are in respect of height, depth, and breadth.

[23] As punctuated in Dressel, this reads, “that the infinite is the heart.”

[24] The emendation of the transcriber of one of the mss.

[25] This refers to the following mode of exhibiting the number: *** where each side presents the number three.

[26] The creation of the world in six days.

[27] The seventh day on which God rested, the type of the rest of the future age. See Epistle of Barnabas, c. xv.

[28] The words in italics are inserted by conjecture. “Sometimes incomprehensible, sometimes illimitable,” occur only in onems.

[29] We have adopted Wieseler’s suggestions.

[30] This word is justly suspected. The passage is in other respects corrupt.

[31] The word “slight” is not used in reference to the character of the faith, but to indicate that the act of faith is a small act compared with the results that flow from it.

[32] We have adopted an emendation of a passage which is plainly corrupt.

[33] Doctrines and deeds; lit., the things of your teacher.

[34] The mss. have here ἐνεργείᾳ, “activity.” This has been amended into ἐναργείᾳ, “with plainness, with distinctness.” ᾽Ενάργεια is used throughout in opposition to ὀπτασία, ὅραμα, and ἐνύπνιον, and means the act of seeing and hearing by our own senses in plain daylight, when to doubt the fact observed is to doubt the senses; ὀπτασία is apparition or vision in ecstasy, or some extraordinary way but that of sleep; ὅραμα and ἐνύπνιον are restricted to visions in sleep. The last term implies this. The first means simply “a thing seen.”

[35] [Comp. Recognitions, ii. 50, 51, 61–65. The emphasis laid upon supernatural visions in the remainder of the Homily has been supposed to convey an insinuation against the revelations to the Apostle Paul.—R.]

[36] Probably it should be ἀπεκλίνω instead of ἀπεκρίνω, “you turned aside to another.”

[37] The words in italics are inserted conjecturally, to fill up a lacuna in the best ms.

[38] ἐναργῶς, “with reference to things palpable to our senses.”

[39] We have translated a bold conjecture. The text has, “The just not in like manner,” without any verb, which Schwegler amended: “To the just this power does not belong in like manner.”

[40] Gen. xx. 3.

[41] Gen. xli. 5, ff.

[42] Gen. xli. 25.

[43] Dan. ii. 31.

[44] Lit., of the whole length of the age.

[45] Dan. iii. 25.

[46] We have amended this passage. The text applies the words “natural or innate and pure” to the mind.

[47] Matt. xvi. 13.

[48] Matt. xvi. 16.

[49] This word is not in the text. Schliemann proposed the word “heart.” Possibly “breath” or “spirit” may be the lost word. See above.

[50] “By” should properly be “from.”

[51] Lit., “who produces according to the merit of each one knowing.” Cotelerius translated, “who, knowing the merit of each man, does to him according to it.” The idea seems to be, that God uncovers the truth hidden in the soul to each man according to his deserts.

[52] Num. xii. 6, 7; Ex. xxxiii. 11.

[53] Matt. xvi. 18.

[54] We have adopted an emendation of Schwegler’s. The text reads, “in good repute.” [The word “condemned” is supposed to be borrowed from the account of the contest at Antioch in Gal. ii. 11, where it is applied to the Apostle Peter. This passage has therefore been regarded as a covert attack upon the Apostle Paul.—R.]

[55] This passage is corrupt in the text. Dressel reads, “that activity is more distinct than apparition.” By activity would be meant, “acting while one is awake, and in full possession of his sense;” and thus the meaning would be nearly the same as in our translation.

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