{"slug":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-assumptionem-domini-nostri-jesu-christi","id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-assumptionem-domini-nostri-jesu-christi","title":"In assumptionem domini nostri Jesu Christi","title_source":"In assumptionem domini nostri Jesu Christi","author":"John Chrysostom","genre":"other","date":"","tradition":"greek","coverage":"not-located","coverage_claim":{"status":"not-located","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},"publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","generated":"2026-11-15T06:34:21Z","cost_usd":0.002818},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-assumptionem-domini-nostri-jesu-christi","work_id":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-assumptionem-domini-nostri-jesu-christi","edition":"khazarzar","language":"","license":"Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/John%20Chrysostom_PG%2047-64/In%20assumptionem%20domini%20nostri%20Jesu%20Christi.pdf"},"stats":{"passages":4,"english_words":1116,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":4564,"commentary_units":24,"commentary_kinds":7,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":7,"work_notes":4,"external_links":0,"timeline":4},"summary":{"work":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-assumptionem-domini-nostri-jesu-christi","abstract":"This homily, titled 'On the Assumption of Our Lord Jesus Christ,' is attributed to John Chrysostom but is of uncertain authorship, likely dating from the 5th–6th century. It survives only in a single medieval Greek manuscript tradition, with no early papyrus witnesses. The text is not included in the standard Clavis Patrum Graecorum and was used in Byzantine liturgical readings for the Feast of the Dormition, though it is not part of the standard Menologion. The present edition reproduces a single manuscript source without critical apparatus.","historical_context":"The homily is attributed to John Chrysostom (c. 347–407), but its absence from the CPG and survival in a single medieval manuscript tradition suggest it may be a later composition, possibly from the 5th–6th century. It was used in Byzantine liturgical contexts for the Feast of the Dormition, indicating its integration into Eastern Christian liturgical practice, though it was not part of the standard Menologion. The text reflects early Christian theological themes of Christ's ascension and glorification, echoing scriptural passages such as Acts 1:9–11 and 1 Timothy 3:16. Its transmission through medieval Greek homiliaries points to a monastic or ecclesiastical setting where such homilies were copied and read. The lack of early witnesses and critical edition limits certainty about its original context and authorship.","significance":"This homily is significant as a witness to the development of liturgical readings for the Feast of the Dormition in Byzantine Christianity, despite its uncertain attribution. It reflects early theological themes of Christ's ascension and glorification, and its survival in a single manuscript tradition highlights the challenges of textual transmission for non-canonical works. The homily's use of Pauline and Christological motifs offers insight into post-Chalcedonian theological discourse.","timeline":[{"date":"c. 347–407","event":"Life of John Chrysostom, to whom the homily is attributed."},{"date":"5th–6th c.","event":"Probable date of composition based on manuscript tradition and theological content."},{"date":"Medieval period","event":"Transmission in Greek homiliaries; used in Byzantine liturgical readings for the Feast of the Dormition."},{"date":"Modern","event":"Edition by khazarzar based on a single manuscript source without critical apparatus."}],"relations":[{"work":"Clavis Patrum Graecorum","relation":"Not listed, indicating uncertain attribution","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Acts 1:9–11","relation":"Echoed in description of the Ascension","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"1 Timothy 3:16","relation":"Referenced in Christological framing","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Romans 7:7–11","relation":"Paraphrased in Pauline dialectic on sin and righteousness","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[],"cautions":["Attribution to John Chrysostom is uncertain; the homily is not in the CPG.","Date of composition is unknown; likely 5th–6th century based on manuscript tradition.","Survives only in a single medieval manuscript tradition with no early papyrus witnesses.","The present edition lacks critical apparatus and collation of variant readings."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000394,"generated":"2026-11-15T06:34:21Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Patrologia Graeca text (khazarzar mirror)","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/John%20Chrysostom_PG%2047-64/In%20assumptionem%20domini%20nostri%20Jesu%20Christi.pdf"}],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-assumptionem-domini-nostri-jesu-christi","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":4,"translated":4,"commentary_passages":4,"commentary_units":24,"english_words":1116,"source_letters":4564,"commentary_kinds":7},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The work survives only in a single manuscript tradition, with no early papyrus witnesses. The text is known from medieval Greek homiliaries.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"Attribution to Chrysostom is uncertain; the homily is not listed in the standard CPG (Clavis Patrum Graecorum) and may date from the 5th–6th century.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The homily was used in Byzantine liturgical readings for the Feast of the Dormition, though it is not part of the standard Menologion.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The present edition (khazarzar) does not provide a critical apparatus or collation of variant readings; it reproduces a single manuscript source.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"derived_work_notes":[{"kind":"coverage","severity":"info","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},{"kind":"limit","severity":"caution","text":"The English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve."},{"kind":"register","severity":"info","text":"Register: other in ancient Greek; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 4 narrative."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: khazarzar — Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":4},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"Εἰς τὴν ἀνάληψιν τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Τὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας κατὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἀντέστραπται τέχνημα. Τέχνη μὲν γὰρ τῆς ἁμαρτίας σταυρὸς, καὶ τὸ σῶμα θανάτῳ περιβαλεῖν ἀναμάρτητον· γέγονε δὲ ὁ σταυρὸς τῇ σταυρωθείσῃ σαρκὶ τῆς εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀνόδου μηχάνημα, καὶ τὸ περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ῥηθὲν μεταβέβληται. Πρότερον μὲν γὰρ ὁ Παῦλος ἐκήρυττεν, Ἡ ἁμαρτία ἀφορμὴν λαβοῦσα διὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς, ἐξηπάτησέ με, καὶ δι' αὐτῆς ἀπέκτεινε· νῦν δὲ τῆς δικαιοσύνης τὸ ῥῆμα μηχανήματι πρέπον· ἡ γὰρ δικαιοσύνη ἀφορμὴν λαβοῦσα διὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἐξηπάτησεν αὐτὴν καὶ ἀπέκτεινε. Τοῦτο τὸν Παῦλον ἐκπλῆξαν, εἰς ἐκείνην τὴν φωνὴν ἐνεκίνησε, Μέγα ἐστὶ τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας μυστήριον. Ἀνάστασις γὰρ ἐν τῷ σταυρῷ κεκρυμμένη, γέννησις δὲ ἀθανάτου ζωῆς· ἀθανασίαν ἀνθήσασαν τικτόμενος ἐξ ᾅδου τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ὁ βασιλεύς. Ἀληθῶς μυστήριον παμμέγα. Πῶς οὖν γνωστὸν τὸ μυστήριον; Ἐφανερώθη, φησὶν, ἐν σαρκί. Καὶ τίς ἡ φανέρωσις; Ἐδικαιώθη ἐν πνεύματι. Ποῖον τὸ τῆς δικαιοσύνης τεκμήριον; Ὤφθη ἀγγέλοις. Ἔγνωσαν ἄγγελοι, φησὶ, τὴν τοῦ φανέντος ἀξίαν· προσῆλθον καὶ διηκόνουν αὐτῷ. Ἀξιόπιστοι μὲν, Παῦλε, τῆς δικαιοσύνης οἱ θεσπισταὶ, καὶ τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ σεμνύνουσι δύναμιν· δεῖξον μέντοι ἀνθρώποις τῆς ἰσχύος τῆς ἐκείνου σημεῖον. Ἐκηρύχθη, φησὶν, ἐν ἔθνεσιν. Ἔδραμε λόγος περὶ αὐτοῦ θεολόγος, καὶ ταῦτα παρὰ πάντων ἐμποδιζόμενος· ἐπλατύνθη κωλυόμενον κήρυγμα. Τί οὖν εἰ μέχρις ἀκοῆς τὸ κηρυττόμενόν ἐστι, καὶ κηρυχθὲν ἔθνεσι γέγονε τοῖς ἀκούσασι λῆρος; Ἐκηρύχθη, φησὶ, καὶ ἐπιστεύθη ἐν κόσμῳ.","english":"On the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The artifice of sin has been turned against sin. For the artifice of sin was the cross, and to envelop the sinless body in death; but the cross has become for the crucified flesh a device for the ascent into heaven, and what was said concerning sin has been transformed. For earlier Paul proclaimed, \"Sin, taking occasion through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me\"; but now the word of righteousness is fitting for a device: for righteousness, taking occasion through sin, deceived it and killed it. This amazed Paul and moved him to that utterance, \"Great is the mystery of piety.\" For resurrection is hidden in the cross, and birth of immortal life; the king, born from Hades, blossoms with immortality for men. Truly a very great mystery. How then is the mystery known? It was manifested, he says, in flesh. And what is the manifestation? It was justified in spirit. What is the proof of righteousness? It was seen by angels. Angels, he says, recognized the worth of the one who appeared; they approached and served him. Paul, the heralds of righteousness are trustworthy and they exalt the power of Christ; but show men a sign of that power. It was proclaimed, he says, among the nations. A theological word about him ran, and this while being hindered by all; the proclamation was broadened while being obstructed. What then if what is proclaimed is only heard, and having been proclaimed to the nations it became nonsense to those who heard? It was proclaimed, he says, and was believed in the world.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Εἰς τὴν ἀνάληψιν τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ","severity":"info","text":"The title establishes the homily's occasion: the Feast of the Ascension. The Greek ἀνάληψις (analēpsis) is the standard patristic term for the Ascension, distinct from ἀνάστασις (resurrection).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἡ ἁμαρτία ἀφορμὴν λαβοῦσα διὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς, ἐξηπάτησέ με, καὶ δι' αὐτῆς ἀπέκτεινε","severity":"info","text":"This is a paraphrase of Paul's argument in Romans 7:7-11, where sin uses the law as a pretext to deceive and kill. Chrysostom adapts the Pauline dialectic to contrast sin and righteousness.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Μέγα ἐστὶ τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας μυστήριον","severity":"info","text":"This phrase echoes 1 Timothy 3:16 (τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας μυστήριον), a key text in early Christological debates. Chrysostom uses it to frame the paradox of cross and ascension.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"τέχνημα","severity":"info","text":"τέχνημα (technēma) means 'artifice' or 'cunning device'. Chrysostom plays on the double sense: sin's device (the cross) becomes righteousness' device for the ascension.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐδικαιώθη ἐν πνεύματι","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'justified in spirit' likely refers to Christ's post-resurrection glorification, a theme in early ascension theology. Chrysostom connects it to angelic recognition of Christ's worth.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐκηρύχθη, φησὶ, καὶ ἐπιστεύθη ἐν κόσμῳ","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom emphasizes the spread of the kerygma despite opposition, a common apologetic motif. The phrase 'believed in the world' reflects the early Christian claim of universal acceptance.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the speaker in the dialogue sections (e.g., 'Paul, the heralds of righteousness are trustworthy') is ambiguous; Chrysostom may be ventriloquizing an interlocutor.","The phrase 'Ἐδικαιώθη ἐν πνεύματι' could be read as a reference to Christ's own justification or to the Spirit's role in the ascension; the text does not resolve this."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"Εἶτα καὶ τούτου πιστευθέντος δεικνὺς ἀκώλυτον, Ἀνελήφθη, φησὶν, ἐν δόξῃ. Ἐκηρύχθη ἡ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἰσχὺς, μᾶλλον δὲ πάσης ὁμοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐπίστασις. Κοινὴ γὰρ τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων φύσεως βοήθεια, ἡ σήμερον ἀνθρωπότης ἀναληφθεῖσα· τὰ γὰρ τῶν κολάσεων μετ' αὐτὴν μετριώτερα. Καί μοι σκόπει τὰς παλαιὰς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐκ Θεοῦ τιμωρίας, καὶ τὸ τῆς ἀναλήψεως εὑρήσεις δημωφελές. Ἐξ ἑνὸς ἁμαρτήματος ἔῤῥιπτο προσκρούσας Ἀδάμ· μακρῷ σώματος τρόμῳ κατεκέκριτο Κάϊν· ἔβρεξε πῦρ οὐρανὸς, ὡς σηπεδόνα τῆς γῆς, καυστηριάζων τὰ Σόδομα· μετεπλάττετο πρὸς στήλην γυνὴ δρόμου παραχαράξασα νόμον. Αἱ δὲ εἰς δήμους ὁποῖαι διαφοραὶ, ἄκουσον τῆς Γραφῆς, ὡς θρηνῳδίᾳ διηγουμένης· Ἐπείρασαν, φησὶ, τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ὄφεων ἀπώλοντο. Ἐγόγγυσαν, φησὶ, καὶ ἀπώλοντο ἀπὸ τοῦ ὀλοθρευτοῦ. Ἐπόρνευσαν, φησὶ, καὶ ἔπεσαν ἐν μιᾷ ἡμέρᾳ εἴκοσι τρεῖς χιλιάδες. Ἔδωκε, φησὶ, Κύριος θάνατον ἐπὶ Ἰσραὴλ ἀπὸ πρωΐθεν, καὶ ἕως ὥρας ἀρίστου, καὶ ἀπέθανον ἑβδομήκοντα χιλιάδες ἀνδρῶν. Τί ἄν σοι τὰς τοῦ Θεοῦ πρὸς βασιλέα τότε διηγοίμην προτάσεις; Τάδε λέγει Κύριος, φησίν· Αἴτησαι σεαυτῷ τρία ἔτη λιμὸν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, ἢ τρεῖς μῆνας τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου καταδιώκειν σε, ἢ τρεῖς ἡμέρας θάνατον ἐν τῇ γῇ σου. Τραγῳδοῦσι καὶ γραφεῖς Ἑλλήνων τὴν τῶν παλαιῶν χρόνων κακοπραγίαν, κατακλυσμῶν ἀμετρίαν, ὑπερβολὴν ἐκπυρώσεως, πολυετίαν λιμῶν, σεισμῶν ὄλεθρον πάνδημον, αἱμάτων ἐμφυλίους ἐκχύσεις, κύματα πολέμων ἐπαλλήλων. Οὐκ ἦν τότε τῶν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς παρατάξεων, οὐχ Ἕλλησιν, οὐ βαρβάροις, οὐκ Ἰουδαίοις εἰρήνη.","english":"Then, when this was believed, showing that it was unhindered, \"He was taken up,\" it says, \"in glory.\" The power of the Church was proclaimed, or rather the uprising of the whole inhabited world together. For the humanity taken up today is a common help for the nature of mankind; for the punishments after it are more moderate. And consider the ancient punishments of men from God, and you will find the benefit of the Ascension for the people. From one sin, Adam was cast out, having offended; Cain was condemned to a long trembling of the body; heaven rained fire, as a corruption of the earth, cauterizing Sodom; a woman was transformed into a pillar for transgressing the law of the race. And what differences there were among the peoples, listen to Scripture narrating as in a dirge: \"They tempted,\" it says, \"God, and were destroyed by serpents.\" \"They murmured,\" it says, \"and were destroyed by the destroyer.\" \"They fornicated,\" it says, \"and fell in one day twenty-three thousand.\" \"The Lord,\" it says, \"gave death upon Israel from morning until the hour of lunch, and seventy thousand men died.\" Why should I recount to you the proposals of God to a king at that time? \"Thus says the Lord,\" it says: \"Ask for yourself three years of famine upon the land, or three months of your enemies pursuing you, or three days of death in your land.\" Greek writers also dramatize and depict the misfortune of ancient times: the excess of floods, the extremity of conflagration, the long duration of famines, the universal destruction of earthquakes, civil outpourings of blood, waves of successive wars. There was then no peace from the arrays of heaven and earth, neither for Greeks, nor for barbarians, nor for Jews.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀνελήφθη, φησὶν, ἐν δόξῃ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'He was taken up in glory' likely echoes the scriptural account of the Ascension (cf. Acts 1:9-11, Mark 16:19, Luke 24:51) and serves as a pivot from the previous discussion of the cross to the present argument about the Ascension's universal benefit.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐπείρασαν, φησὶ, τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ὄφεων ἀπώλοντο","severity":"info","text":"This refers to Numbers 21:6, where the Israelites 'tempted' God and were destroyed by serpents. The citation is part of a catena of Old Testament punishments illustrating divine retribution.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐγόγγυσαν, φησὶ, καὶ ἀπώλοντο ἀπὸ τοῦ ὀλοθρευτοῦ","severity":"info","text":"This alludes to Numbers 16:41-49, where murmuring against Moses and Aaron led to destruction by the 'destroyer' (the plague). The passage is part of the same catena.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐπόρνευσαν, φησὶ, καὶ ἔπεσαν ἐν μιᾷ ἡμέρᾳ εἴκοσι τρεῖς χιλιάδες","severity":"info","text":"This likely refers to Numbers 25:1-9, where Israelite men fornicated with Moabite women and were struck by a plague, resulting in 24,000 deaths. The number 23,000 may be a variant or scribal error.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἔδωκε, φησὶ, Κύριος θάνατον ἐπὶ Ἰσραὴλ ἀπὸ πρωΐθεν, καὶ ἕως ὥρας ἀρίστου, καὶ ἀπέθανον ἑβδομήκοντα χιλιάδες ἀνδρῶν","severity":"info","text":"This echoes 2 Samuel 24:15 (LXX), where a plague killed 70,000 men from morning until midday. The citation is part of the same catena of divine punishments.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Τάδε λέγει Κύριος, φησίν· Αἴτησαι σεαυτῷ τρία ἔτη λιμὸν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, ἢ τρεῖς μῆνας τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου καταδιώκειν σε, ἢ τρεῖς ἡμέρας θάνατον ἐν τῇ γῇ σου","severity":"info","text":"This appears to be a paraphrase of a divine offer to a king, possibly David, as found in 2 Samuel 24:10-13 (LXX), where God offers three years of famine, three months of enemy pursuit, or three days of plague. The exact wording is not verbatim from the LXX.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The source of the phrase 'He was taken up in glory' is not explicitly identified; it may be a liturgical or scriptural echo. The number 23,000 in the fornication episode differs from the LXX's 24,000, possibly a scribal error or variant tradition. The divine offer to the king is a paraphrase, not a direct quotation, and its exact scriptural referent is uncertain."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"Ἔμενε γὰρ τὸν εἰρηνοποιοῦντα τὰ ἄνω καὶ τὰ κάτω μεσίτην· περὶ οὗ Παῦλός φησιν· Αὐτός ἐστιν εἰρήνη ἡμῶν, ὁ κωλύσας τὴν ἔχθραν ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ αὐτοῦ. Πόσοι νῦν Σοδομιτῶν ἀσελγέστεροι; καὶ πῦρ ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ὁ ἀὴρ, ὡς τὸ πρὶν, οὐκ ἐκχέει. Ἐδέξατο γὰρ τὸν τῆς εἰρήνης περιόντα μεσίτην καὶ τῷ τῶν ἀνθρώπων προημέρωσε γένει. Πόσοι τῆς ἐπὶ τοῦ Νῶε γενεᾶς μοχθηρότεροι; καὶ κατακλυσμῷ\n\nτούτους οὐκ ἐκπλύνει οὐρανός. Πόσοι τῆς Κάϊν θηριωδέστεροι γνώμης; καὶ τοῖς τοῦ Κάϊν αὐτοὺς οὐ τιμωρεῖται ὁ Θεός. Ὅταν γὰρ παροξυνθῇ παρ' ἡμῶν, πρὸς τὴν σύνθρονον ἰδὼν ἀπαρχὴν, διαλλάττεται· ὅταν τοῖς κάτω θυμωθῇ παροινοῦσι, τὴν ἄμωμον ἀνθρωπότητα βλέπων ἐκ δεξιῶν, δυσωπεῖται· ὅταν κινήσῃ τὴν ὀργὴν τὸ κάτω πονηρευόμενον γένος, ἄνω πραΰνει τὸν θυμὸν ὁ τοῦ γένους συγγενὴς συγκαθήμενος. Τοῦτό σοι Παῦλος γυμνῶν, Χριστὸς, φησὶν, ἐστὶν ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἐντυγχάνει ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, οὐχ ὡς χρώμενος δικαζομένου φωναῖς· εἰς βασιλείαν γὰρ ἀνῆλθεν ὁ Χριστός· οὐκ ἰδικὴν, ἀλλ' αὐτὴν τῆς ἀπαρχῆς τὴν ἀνάληψιν εἰς ἐντυχίαν ἐσχημάτισε Παῦλος τὰς διαλλαγὰς ἐκδικοῦσαν. Ὢ τῆς φρικτῆς σήμερον θεωρίας τοῖς δαίμοσι! φρικτὴν γὰρ αὐτοῖς θεωρίαν ἑώρων, ἀνθρώπου κατὰ τὸ φαινόμενον φύσιν, ὁδοιπόρον ἀέρος, ὑψηλοτέραν αὐτῶν ἀναβαίνουσαν, ἀνωτέραν οὐρανοῦ γενομένην. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνοι μὲν ἔστενον, ἄγγελοι δὲ τοῖς μαθηταῖς παριστάντες περιχαρῶς ἐπεβόων· Οὗτος ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὁ ἀναληφθεὶς ἀφ' ὑμῶν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, οὕτως ἐλεύσεται, ὃν τρόπον ἐθεάσασθε αὐτὸν πορευόμενον εἰς οὐρανόν. Τὸ τῆς ἀναλήψεως πιστοῦται μυστήριον.","english":"For it was necessary that the one who makes peace between the upper and lower realms be a mediator; concerning whom Paul says: He is our peace, who stopped the enmity in his flesh. How many now are more licentious than the Sodomites? And the air does not pour fire upon them as before. For it received the mediator of peace who was present and softened it toward the human race. How many are more depraved than the generation of Noah? And heaven does not wash them away with a flood. How many are more savage in disposition than Cain? And God does not punish them with the punishments of Cain. For when he is provoked by us, looking upon the co-throned firstfruit, he is reconciled; when he is angered by those below who rage, seeing the blameless humanity on the right, he is shamed; when the wicked race below stirs up his anger, the kinsman of the race who sits with him above soothes his wrath. Paul reveals this to you: Christ, he says, is on the right hand of God and intercedes for us, not as one using the voices of a defendant; for Christ ascended to a kingdom—not a private one, but Paul shaped the ascension of the firstfruit itself into an intercession that claims the reconciliations. Oh, the terrifying spectacle today for the demons! For they saw a terrifying sight: the nature of a man, in appearance, traveling through the air, ascending higher than themselves, becoming higher than heaven. But while they groaned, angels standing by the disciples cried out joyfully: This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same manner as you saw him journeying into heaven. The mystery of the ascension is confirmed.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"περὶ οὗ Παῦλός φησιν· Αὐτός ἐστιν εἰρήνη ἡμῶν, ὁ κωλύσας τὴν ἔχθραν ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ αὐτοῦ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'He is our peace, who stopped the enmity in his flesh' is not a direct biblical quotation but likely an allusion to Ephesians 2:14-16 or Colossians 1:20, where Christ is described as peacemaker.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Σοδομιτῶν ἀσελγέστεροι","severity":"info","text":"The reference to Sodomites and the fire from the air recalls the biblical destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19), a common patristic exemplum of divine punishment for licentiousness.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"τῆς ἐπὶ τοῦ Νῶε γενεᾶς","severity":"info","text":"The generation of Noah refers to the antediluvian world destroyed by the flood (Genesis 6-9), another standard type of divine retribution in early Christian literature.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"τῆς Κάϊν θηριωδέστεροι γνώμης","severity":"info","text":"Cain, the first murderer (Genesis 4), serves as a paradigm of savage disposition; the author argues that contemporary sinners are worse yet escape his punishment.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Χριστὸς, φησὶν, ἐστὶν ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἐντυγχάνει ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν","severity":"info","text":"This echoes Romans 8:34, where Paul says Christ is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us, though the wording is adapted to the homily's argument.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὢ τῆς φρικτῆς σήμερον θεωρίας τοῖς δαίμοσι","severity":"info","text":"This exclamation marks a rhetorical shift from argument to dramatic description of the ascension as a terrifying spectacle for demons, contrasting their groaning with angelic joy.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'σύνθρονον ἀπαρχὴν' (co-throned firstfruit) is ambiguous: it may refer to Christ as the firstfruit of the resurrection seated on the throne, or to the Virgin Mary as co-throned with God. The translation opts for the former, but patristic usage allows both.","The identity of 'ὁ τοῦ γένους συγγενὴς συγκαθήμενος' (the kinsman of the race who sits with him) is unclear: it could be Christ as the kinsman of humanity, or possibly a reference to an angelic intercessor. The context favors Christ."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"Ἔμενον γὰρ οἱ μαθηταὶ πρὸς οὐρανὸν κεχηνότες καὶ συντεταγμένοι τῷ βλέμματι· τῆς σαρκὸς δὲ κατὰ μικρὸν ὑψηλοτέρας τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν γενομένης, ἐσείοντο λογισμοῖς ἀπορίας. Οὐδαμοῦ, φησὶ, τὸ θεωρούμενον σῶμα· τάχα σχήματος ἁπλῶς ἡ ἀνάληψις· τάχα φαντασίας θέα· τάχα πλάνην ὑπεμείναμεν βλέμματος· ἢ πλάνην μὲν ἡμεῖς οὐχ ὑπέστημεν, εἰς ἀέρα δὲ διελύθη τάχα τὸ σῶμα, καὶ φύσιν οὐκ ἔχει λοιπὸν τοῖς ἐπὶ γῆς ὁρατήν. Μετὰ τοιαύτης ὁρῶντες εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀπορίας ἤκουον τῶν ἀγγέλων ἐξαίφνης· Ἄνδρες Γαλιλαῖοι, τί ἑστήκατε βλέποντες εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν; Τί βούλεται, φησὶν, ὑμῖν ἡ περίεργος ὄψις; τί τὸ βλέμμα τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἐπικέχηνε; ζητεῖτε πάντως ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς; Εἰσφέρει τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἡ νεφέλη. Ἦ πάλιν τις αὐτὸν ἐνσώματον ὄψεται· ὡς περὶ βεβαίων ἀμφοτέρων θαῤῥεῖτε. Κἂν γὰρ νῦν εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀναληφθῇ, καὶ πάλιν ἐλεύσεται, Ὃν τρόπον ἐθεάσασθε αὐτὸν πορευόμενον εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν.\n\nἈλλ' ἐπὶ πολὺ τῆς γλώσσης ἡ νευρὰ μὴ τεινέσθω· χαυνώσωμεν τὴν τῶν λόγων αὐτὴν κεκμηκυῖαν κιθαρῳδίαν· δῶμεν καὶ ταῖς λοιπαῖς κιθάραις ἀκρόασιν· κροτείτω τὴν ἀνάληψιν εὐφημία πολύστομος· ᾀδέτω σήμερον κοινῇ πάντων ἀνθρώπων τὸ γένος, Μέγα ἐστὶ τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας μυστήριον· ὤφθη ἀγγέλοις, ἐπιστεύθη ἐν κόσμῳ, ἀνελήφθη ἐν δόξῃ. Αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.","english":"The disciples remained gaping toward heaven, their gaze fixed in order; and as the flesh gradually rose higher than their eyes, they were shaken by thoughts of perplexity. \"Nowhere,\" they said, \"is the body that is seen; perhaps the assumption is merely a form; perhaps it is a vision of fantasy; perhaps we have suffered an error of sight; or perhaps we have not undergone an error, but the body has dissolved into the air, and no longer has a nature visible to those on earth.\" While they were looking toward heaven with such perplexity, they suddenly heard the angels: \"Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing at the sky? What do you mean,\" they said, \"by this curious sight? Why does your gaze gape at the heavens? Are you seeking something in the heavens? The cloud brings Jesus. Or again, someone will see him embodied; be confident about both as certainties. For even if he has now been taken up into heaven, he will come again, in the same way you saw him journeying into heaven.\"\n\nBut let not the string of the tongue be stretched too far; let us slacken the weary citharody of words itself; let us give hearing also to the other citharas. Let a many-voiced acclamation applaud the assumption; let the whole race of men sing today in common: \"Great is the mystery of piety; it was seen by angels, believed in the world, taken up in glory.\" Glory to him for ever and ever. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἔμενον γὰρ οἱ μαθηταὶ πρὸς οὐρανὸν κεχηνότες","severity":"info","text":"The disciples' gaping posture (κεχηνότες) conveys bewilderment, not reverence; the verb often implies open-mouthed stupor.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἄνδρες Γαλιλαῖοι","severity":"info","text":"The angelic address 'Men of Galilee' echoes Acts 1:11, where the apostles are similarly addressed during the ascension narrative.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ πολὺ τῆς γλώσσης ἡ νευρὰ μὴ τεινέσθω","severity":"info","text":"A rhetorical break: the homilist signals a shift from narrative to doxological conclusion, using the metaphor of a taut string (νευρὰ) to indicate restraint.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Μέγα ἐστὶ τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας μυστήριον","severity":"info","text":"The closing acclamation 'Great is the mystery of piety' became a liturgical formula in Byzantine hymnography for the feast of the Dormition/Assumption.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ἀνάληψις","severity":"info","text":"ἀνάληψις ('assumption') is the technical term for Christ's bodily ascension; Chrysostom uses it to distinguish from mere visionary experience (φαντασίας θέα).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἦ πάλιν τις αὐτὸν ἐνσώματον ὄψεται","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'someone will see him embodied again' is ambiguous: it may refer to the parousia or to a post-ascension Christophany; Chrysostom leaves the referent open.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'τις' (someone) who will see Christ embodied again is unspecified—could be a future believer at the parousia or a specific apostle.","The phrase 'ὡς περὶ βεβαίων ἀμφοτέρων θαῤῥεῖτε' is textually uncertain; the transmitted reading may be corrupt."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}