Yet Apollinarius, enamored with fable, speaks of a different construction of Jerusalem, hinting at services aligned with the Jewish law and faith in the Lord while adhering to the law, suggesting opposing churches: one for Gentiles outside the law, and another for Jews within it. This so-called wise one fails to grasp the truth of God's decrees. Concerning the Jews, the Lord proclaimed: “He will destroy them who do evil, and he will give the grapes to other laborers, and they will reward the fruits in their time” (Matt. 21:41); and also: “I have come in My Father's name, and you will not receive Me, but if anyone comes in his own name, you will receive him” (John 5:43). About the temple, He first proclaimed: “There shall not remain here a stone upon a stone, which shall not be destroyed” (Mt. 24:2), and then: “Behold, your house is left empty” (Mt. 23:38). Isaiah likewise cries, “Let not the hail of the wicked be built up for ever” (Isaiah 25:2), and “The house of Israel is fallen, and shall not rise again” (Am. 5:1). Apollinarius seems unaware of Paul's teaching to the Galatians: “If ye be justified by the law, ye shall fall from grace” (Gal. 5:4). Again, he states that “no flesh shall be justified by the works of the law, but by faith through Jesus Christ” (Gal. 2:16). The law brings wrath; where there is no law, there is no transgression (Rom. 4:15); moreover, God sent His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit (Rom. 8:3, 4). In another passage, “Having been justified by faith, we have peace toward God by our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). Concerning Peter, who acted as a proponent of the law due to the weakness of his disciples, Paul confronted him openly: “If you are a Jew, living Gentilely and not Jewishly, why do tongues need to live Jewishly?” (Galatians 2:14). He continued, “We are Jews by nature, and not sinners in tongue. But having learned that no man is justified by the works of the law, but by the hearing of faith, we also believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 2:15, 16). Thus, the Galatians accepted faith yet allowed circumcision, prompting Paul to call them “uncircumcision” (Galatians 3:1), and in his letter to the Philippians, he warned those teaching this, identifying them as “dogs,” saying, “Watch out for dogs, watch out for evil doers, watch out for cutting. We are the circumcision, who serve God in spirit, and not in the flesh” (Phil. 3:2, 3). To prevent anyone from thinking he relied solely on spiritual matters, he rightly added: “For I also have hope in the same way in the flesh: but if any man should hope in the flesh, I moreover” (Phil. 3:4). He lists his Jewish credentials: “I was circumcised on the eighth day” (Phil. 3:5), indicating he received circumcision according to the law. Since even the sons of foreigners were circumcised after the same number of days, he emphasized his heritage: “of the seed of Israel,” and he was not satisfied merely to claim patriarchy but added the name of his tribe: “of the tribe of Benjamin,” asserting his lineage from Rachel, not only distinguishing himself as free, but as descended from one who was beloved. Going back to the ancient root, he proclaims himself “a Hebrew of Hebrews,” for Hebrews derive their name from Eber. Even regarding heresy, he claimed he was the best: “according to the law, I was a Pharisee,” and he did not merely carry the name of piety but truly embodied it, “for zeal persecuted the church” (Phil. 3:6). After identifying every aspect that could commend him, he concluded: “but what things were gain to me, those I have counted loss for Christ; yes, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (Phil. 3:7, 8). As the blessed Paul contrasted these earthly gains with spiritual treasures, he reflects that, as the wise Apollinarius suggests, Elijah would preach to the Jews, and the Lord Christ Himself would endorse this. Yet we are compelled to ask, why would God provide those of Jewish descent with a life according to the law, as if their faith alone could not assure them salvation? Why did God also extend faith to all Gentiles, granting them complete salvation? If God has abandoned the law because faith alone suffices to rescue us and grant us entrance to the kingdom of heaven, why would He reinstate the law to the Jews, which lacks salvific power? The reality that the majority of the law offers no justification to its keepers has been proclaimed by God through the same Prophet, who said “I have given them commandments that are not good, and they shall not live justified in them” (Ezekiel 20:25). How, then, could He impose what is unworthy upon the Jews when His desire is to save them, not to condemn them? On the contrary, it is easy to see the absurdity of those who expect such reinstatement. For if the experiences of the Jews serve as a type of our own, remaining consistent with our reality and not contradicting it, what necessity exists for the offering of a one-year-old lamb following the sacrifice of the Immaculate Lamb, who takes away the sin of the world? What value remains for unleavened bread after the spiritual bread, or the transformative Passover after Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed for us? Furthermore, he disregards the divine Apostle’s exhortation: “Let us not celebrate in the leavening of the wind, nor in the leavening of malice and wickedness, but in the leavening of purity and truth” (1 Cor. 5:8); and “For our Passover Christ was sacrificed for us” (1 Cor. 5:7). Nor does he heed the Lord's instruction to His disciples: “This is my body, which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me” (1 Cor. 11:24), and “This is my blood, which is shed for you for the remission of sins” (Matt. 26:28). Therefore, “These do in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). At another point, when He mentioned to the Jews, “Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness and died,” He further asserted, “This is the bread of life, that whosoever shall eat of it shall not die” (John 6:49, 50). And aside from countless other examples, we know that even now in Jerusalem there exists the church of the cross, the resurrection, the ascension, the church on Zion, and the holy Bethlehem, along with numerous other places of prayer. Therefore, with the eventual reconstruction of the Jewish temple, will these sacred sites be desecrated, or will they retain their honored status, keeping their dignity? Will they receive respect from the Jews or not? If the Jews disparage these places, clinging to their previous folly, they will gain nothing from the preaching of the great Elijah. However, if they honor them, which temple of prayer will receive the greater veneration? Is it the temple of the cross or the temple of the resurrection, or the one they are to construct? Should they choose the latter, it would display a lack of understanding; if they prefer the former, then the construction of the latter becomes unnecessary. But if they honor both equally, offering sacrifices at one and observing sacred duties at the other, can they genuinely partake in divine rites alongside Gentile believers when the law prohibits communion with them? Thus, they must maintain separate observances within the same temple, blending the gospel with lawful worship. Inevitably, this will generate tensions and competition, as we adhere to our statutes, while they favor the observance of the law. Where then, will be the truth in Paul's declaration: “Christ is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us” (Eph. 2:14-16)? Again, he states that “there is neither Jew nor Greek” (Gal. 3:28); and further explains, “where there is neither Jew nor Greek, circumcision or uncircumcision, but Christ is all and in all” (Col. 3:11). In response to the wise man who contemplates that even in Jerusalem, the apostles retained legal ministry among the believing Jews, we note that the holy Apostles permitted this only out of consideration for their weakness, while they themselves were bold in their disregard for the law, which they would not have contested if they deemed it essential to maintain. Rather, the Apostles, aware of the unnecessary nature of living by the law, embraced the way of the Gospel and were patient as the weak Jews gradually progressed toward perfection. For instance, the blessed Paul had Timothy circumcised, preparing him for the role of teacher within the gospel life. However, we might also be guilty of aligning with Apollinarius, not only challenging his falsehoods but also his distasteful fables. The blessed Paul might justly declare concerning him, “that they which corrupt you may be cut off” (Gal. 5:12). Therefore, concluding this discourse, we implore the readers of this text to seek out any insights worthy of contemplation, thereby glorifying the Lord of all, who has unveiled hidden truths for the collective good. If the result fails to meet expectations, or if the fruits do not measure up to the toil, let us be gentle with our human frailties, welcome earnestness, and seek divine reward through prayers, requesting the Savior for the forgiveness of sins. To Him be glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, through endless ages. Amen.
THEOSIS