Letter 106: On the saying, “Do not make my Father’s house a house of trade”.

To the Gnostic. Whenever the faculty of reason shows itself to be at a loss before the infinite, let us not put this forward as an objection, since after countless things yet more always appear for demonstration. For the divine power that accompanies the dwelling within us surpasses all number and displays its own power toward the multitude. Therefore both the multitude that exists externally and that which is seen within us are one to God. It is necessary then, according to the choice of the one who is made full, to establish a rule by which the understanding measures what it can grasp while acknowledging the immeasurable depths that lie beyond its reach. For the human mind, though created in the image of God, is finite and cannot encompass the infinite; yet this very limitation is not a defect but a feature of our nature that directs us toward humility and worship, knowing that the God we serve is always greater than our comprehension of him.

On the saying, “Do not make my Father’s house a house of trade”[8]. You will need to reply to the searching enquirer. For he speaks, it is said, to the ears of those who hear.[9] Also “He who has ears to hear, let him hear”. Our Lord said, “Do not make my Father’s house a house of trade” to the sellers of doves, but with the priests who sell off the gifts of the Holy Spirit in mind. Since the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove, this is an insult to those who trade in God. As for ‘’Take these away from here”, he means that there is no longer any need for blood (sacrifices); for I grant bloodless forgiveness of sins; from now on I wish the Spirit alone to make propitiation. The law of flesh is fulfilled, let the law of the Spirit prevail, and that of salvation commence.

ΛΘ'. – ΓΝΩΣΤΙΚΩ. Ἐπειδὰν πρὸς ἄπειρα τὸ λογιστικὸν δυσχερῶς ἐνδεικ- νύηται, μὴ τοῦτο προτείνωμεν, ὅπου μετὰ μυρία πάντως ἕτερ[α] ἐπιδεικνύ[μενον] εὑρίσκεται. Ἡ γὰρ θεία δύναμις ἑπομένη τῷ οἴκῳ τῷ ἐν ἡμῖν, ὑπάρχων τὸν ἀριθμὸν νικᾷ, καὶ πρὸς πλῆθος τὴν οἰκείαν δύναμιν ἀποφαίνει. Τό τε οὖν ἐκτὸς γινόμενον πλῆθος, καὶ τὸ ἐν ἡμῖν ὁρώμενον, ἕν ἐστι τῷ θεῷ. Δεῖ οὖν κατὰ τὴν αἵρεσιν τοῦ πληθο- μένου κανονίζεσθαι, καὶ τοὺς ἐξ ἀνάγκης πληθύνοντας καρποὺς ἐξοικειοῦσθαι. Μὴ οὖν θαυμάσῃς τὴν τῶν ἁμαρ- τωλῶν εὐχέρειαν ἐπιπολάζουσαν, οἵπερ τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ βου- λήσει διαρκῶς καθυπηρετοῦσιν. ΡΕ΄. – ΤΙΜΟΘΕΟ ΑΝΑΓΝΩΣΤΗ. Εἰς τὸ, « Μὴ ποιεῖτε τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Πατρός μου οἶκον ἐμπορίου.» Νουνεχῶς ἐρωτῶντι ἀνάγκη σοι ἀποκρίνεσθαι. Λά- λει γὰρ, φησὶν, εἰς ὦτα ἀκουόντων. Καὶ, « Ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκούειν, ἀκουέτω, » - - Μὴ ποιεῖτε τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Πατρός μου οἶκον ἐμπορίου, » τοῖς τὰς περιστερὰς πω λοῦσιν ὁ Κύριος εἶπε, τοὺς ἱερεῖς αἰνισσόμενος, τὰς τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἀπεμπωλοῦντας δωρεάς· ἐπειδὴ ἐν εἴδει περιστερᾶς τὸ θεῖον ἐπεφάνη Πνεῦμα, τοὺς θεοκαπηλους προπηλακίζον. Τὸ δὲ, «Ἄρατε ταῦτα ἐντεῦθεν, » Οὐ χρεία λοιπὸν, φησὶ, τῶν αἱμάτων· ἀναίμακτον ἐγὼ χαρίζομαι πταισμάτων ἄφεσιν· ἐx τοῦ δεῦρο πνεῦμα (5) μόνον ἐξιλάσκεσθαι βούλομαι. Ὁ σαρκικὸς πεπλήρωται νόμος, ὁ τοῦ πνεύματος κρατείτω, καὶ τῆς σωτηρίας ἀρχέτω, ``` ΠΖ΄. – ΤΟ ΑΥΤΩ. Περὶ τῆς τῶν Διαθηκῶν συμφωνίας. Καινότητα δογμάτων, ὦ φιλότης, οὐδεμίαν τῷ νόμῳ καὶ τοῖς προφήταις ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱὸς ἐπεισ- ήγαγεν (6), ἀλλὰ τοῖς πάλαι περὶ αὐτοῦ προφανθεῖσι τὸ πέρας ἐπέθηκε. Καὶ πάντως νουνεχῶς τὴν Παλαιὰν ἀναπτύσσων, πάντα τὰ τῆς Νέας ἐν αὐτῇ κηρυχθέντα εὑρήσεις. Τοῖς τοίνυν ἐπὶ τῷ νόμῳ ἐρηρεισμένοις, καὶ ξένην ὁδὸν τὴν εὐαγγελικὴν οἰομένοις, ἐκ τῶν τοῦ νόμου ῥημάτων, τῶν τῆς χάριτος δογμάτων τὴν ἀλήθειαν τρανοῖ. Καὶ ὄψονται οὕτως [τὴν] ἀμφοτέ ρων τῶν Διαθηκῶν ἐνδιάθετον συμφωνίαν. ΤΗΕ. – ΑΥΣΟΝΙΟ ΚΟΡΡΙΚΤΩΡΙ. Χαλκῇ μὲν εἰκόνι βασιλεύς σε ἡμείψατο, χρυσῷ στιλβώσας τὸ γέρας πρὸς ἔκλαμψιν. Οὐδὲν γὰρ τοῦ του λαμπρότερον εἶδε τῶν ἀγαθῶν σοι πόνων φιλοτι- -μήσασθαι ἔπαθλον. Ὅσα δὲ τὴν ἐνταῦθα φθορὰν D ὑπερβέβηκε, Χριστὸς ἐκεῖθεν φυλάττει σοι, ἀκήρα- τον ζωὴν, ἀπέραντον τρυφὴν, καὶ δόξαν ἀἴδιον, οἷς qὐκ ἔστιν ἀλλοίωσις. ΡΟΓ΄. – ΙΣΙΔΩΡΩ Τὸ ὀνειδίζεσθαι οὐκ εἰς τὸ μέσον προῆλθεν, ἀλλ᾿ ἕνεκα τοῦ παρασκευάζειν.