For to this end the Lord endured to deliver up His flesh to corruption, that we might be sanctified through the remission of sins, which is effected by His blood of sprinkling. For it is written concerning Him, partly with reference to Israel, and partly to us; and [the Scripture] saith thus: “He was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities: with His stripes we are healed. He was brought as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb which is dumb before its shearer.” 1481 Therefore we ought to be deeply grateful to the Lord, because He has both made known to us things that are past, and hath given us wisdom concerning things present, and hath not left us without understanding in regard to things which are to come. Now, the Scripture saith, “Not unjustly are nets spread out for birds.” 1482 This means that the man perishes justly, who, having a knowledge of the way of righteousness, rushes off into the way of darkness. And further, my brethren: if the Lord endured to suffer for our soul, He being Lord of all the world, to whom God said at the foundation of the world, “Let us make man after our image, and after our likeness,” 1483 understand how it was that He endured to suffer at the hand of men. The prophets, having obtained grace from Him, prophesied concerning Him. And He (since it behoved Him to appear in flesh), that He might abolish death, and reveal the resurrection from the dead, endured [what and as He did], in order that He might fulfil the promise made unto the fathers, and by preparing a new people for Himself, might show, while He dwelt on earth, that He, when He has raised mankind, will also judge them. Moreover, teaching Israel, and doing so great miracles and signs, He preached [the truth] to him, and greatly loved him. But when He chose His own apostles who were to preach His Gospel, [He did so from among those] who were sinners above all sin, that He might show He came “not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” 1484 Then He manifested Himself to be the Son of God. For if He had not come in the flesh, how could men have been saved by beholding Him? 1485 Since looking upon p. 140 the sun which is to cease to exist, and is the work of His hands, their eyes are not able to bear his rays. The Son of God therefore came in the flesh with this view, that He might bring to a head the sum of their sins who had persecuted His prophets 1486 to the death. For this purpose, then, He endured. For God saith, “The stroke of his flesh is from them;” 1487 and 1488 “when I shall smite the Shepherd, then the sheep of the flock shall be scattered.” 1489 He himself willed thus to suffer, for it was necessary that He should suffer on the tree. For says he who prophesies regarding Him, “Spare my soul from the sword, 1490 fasten my flesh with nails; for the assemblies of the wicked have risen up against me.” 1491 And again he says, “Behold, I have given my back to scourges, and my cheeks to strokes, and I have set my countenance as a firm rock.” 1492
Prov. i. 17, from the LXX, which has mistaken the meaning.
139:1483 139:1484Matt. ix. 13; Mark ii. 17; Luke v. 32.
139:1485The Cod. Sin. reads, “neither would men have been saved by seeing Him.”
140:1486Cod. Sin. has, “their prophets,” but the corrector has changed it as above.
140:1487A very loose reference to Isa. liii. 8.
140:1488Cod. Sin. omits “and,” and reads, “when they smite their own shepherd, then the sheep of the pasture shall be scattered and fail.”
140:1489 140:1490 140:1491These are inaccurate and confused quotations from Ps. 22:21, 17, and Ps. cxix. 120.
140:1492