Working Salvation

Καὶ ἐγένετο Κύριος καταφυγὴ τῷ πένητι, βοηθὸς ἐν εὐκαιρίαις, ἐν θλίψεσι. Τὸ, ἐν εὐκαιρίαις ὁ μὲν Ἀκύλας εἰς καιρὸν, ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος ἐπίκαίπως ἡρμήνευσε. Διδάσκει δὲ ὁ λόγος, ὡς ἐν προσφόρῳ καιρῷ τὴν ἡμετέραν ἐπραψματεύσατο σωτηρίαν. Πένητα γὰρ τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν φύσιν ἀποκαλεῖ, διὰ τὴν πολλὴν τῆς παρανομίας πτωχείαν. Τούτου τοῦ καιροῦ τὸ ἐπιτήδειον ὁ μακάριος διδάσκει Παῦλος· Ὅτε γὰρ ἧμεν, φησὶ, νήπιοι, ὑπὸ τὰ στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου ἧμεν δεδουλωμένοι· ὅτε δὲ ἦλθε τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ χρόνον, ἐξαπέπειλεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν Υἱον αὐτοῦ, γενόμενον ἐκ γυναικὸς, γενόμενον ὑπὸ νόμον, ἵνα τοὺς νόμον ἐξαγοράσῇ, ἵνα τὴν υἱοθεσίαν ἀπολάβωμεν. Καὶ ἐλπισάτωσαν ἐπὶ σοὶ οἱ γινώσκοντες τὸ ὄνομά σου, ὅτι οὐκ ἐγκατέλιπες τοὺς ἐκζητοῦντάς σε, Κύριε. Το ἐλπισατωσαν Ἀκύλας καὶ Σύμμαχος πεποιθήσουσιν εἶπον, ὀριστικῷ ἀντὶ προστακτικοῦ χρησάμενοι ῥήματι. Ταύτης γὰρ, φησὶ, τῆς σωτηρίας παρὰ σοῦ γενομένης, οἱ ποιητήν σε καὶ Θεὸν μεμαθηκότες εἰς σὲ ἔξουσι τὰς ἐλπίδας. Ψάλατε τῷ Κύρίῳ τῷ κατοικοῦντι ἐν Σιών. Κατὰ τὴν πάλαι τῶν Ἰουδαίων δόχαν τοῦτο εἴρηκεν ὁ προφήτης· μεμαθήκαμεν δ' ὅμως ἐκ τῆς ἀποστολικῆς διδασκαλίας, καὶ ἐπουράνιον εἶναι Σιών. Προσεληλυθατε γὰρ, φησὶ, Σιὼν ὄρει, καὶ πόλει Θεοῦ ζῶντος, Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἐπουρανίῳ. Ἀναγγείλατε ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσε τὰ επιτηδεύματα αὐτοῦ. Τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα ὁ Σύμμαχος μηχονὰς εἶπεν, ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας ἐναλλαγάς. Τῷ ὄντι γὰρ ἐναλλαγὴ μεγίστη πραγμάτων ἐγένετο. Οἱ πάλαι ἐχθροὶ φίλοι, οἱ μακρὰν ἐγγὺς, οἱ δοῦλοι υἱοὶ, οἱ ἐν ἀγνοίᾳ ἐν γνώσει, ἐν φωτὶ οἱ ἐν σκότῳ, ἐν ελπίδι ζωῆς οἱ νεκροὶ, οἱ πτωχοί κληρονόμοι τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν· Ἰουδαῖοι πόῥῥω, καὶ τὰ ἔθνη πλησίον· οἱ υἱοὶ κύνες, καὶ οἱ κύνες υἱοὶ· καὶ αἰ μηχαναὶ δὲ τοῦ Σωτῆρος θεοπρεπεῖς. Ἀθανασία γὰρ διὰ θνητότητος ἐδωρήθη, καὶ διὰ θανάτου ζωὴ, δι' ἀτιμίας τιμὴ, εὐλογία διὰ κατάρας, διὰ στευροῦ σωτηρία. Ταῦτα τὰ μηχανήματα, ταῦτα τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα. Θεοδώρητος Ἐπίσκοπος Κύρρος, Ἑρμηνεία εἰς Τους Ψαλμούς, Ψαλμός Θ' Source: Migne PG 80.926b-927a

The Lord is a refuge for the poor man, a helper at the needful time, in tribulation. 1 Aquila translates 'at the needful time,' as 'at the right time,' and Symmachus 'in due season', This teaches that our salvation was worked at the opportune time. He names human nature a 'poor man' because of the great poverty of its iniquity. Concerning the opportune nature of this time Paul teaches: 'When we were little children, enslaved to the elements of the world, when came the fullness of time, God sent His own Son, born from a woman, born under the law, that we, who were beneath the Law, He might redeem, so that we receive adoption as sons.' 2 'And let them hope in you all you who know your name, for you do not forsake those who seek you, O Lord.' For 'let them hope' Aquila and Symmachus say 'lay them trust,' the manner of the use of the word indicating it is a command. For indeed he says that this salvation is made for you who have learnt of your God and Creator, that you place your hope in Him. 'Sing to the Lord who dwells in Sion'. The prophet speaks according to the old opinion of the Jews. But we have learnt from the Apostolic teaching that Sion is heaven. 'For you have come to Mount Sion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.' 3 'Declare His ways among the peoples.' For 'ways' Symmachus translates 'arts,' Aquila however has 'changes' And truly it was a great change of all things. They who were once enemies we made friends, they who were distant were brought near, they who were servants were made sons, they who were ignorant were given knowledge, they who were in darkness came to light, they who were dead came to the hope of life, the poor became inheritors of the kingdom. The Jews were made distant, the Gentiles brought near, the sons become dogs, the dogs sons. 4 These are the beautiful arts of the Saviour. Immortality is given by mortality, life by death, honour by shame, a blessing by a curse, salvation by the cross. These are the arts, these are the ways of God. Theodoret of Cyrrhus, Interpretation of the Psalms, from Psalm 9 1 Ps 9.10 2 Galat 4.3 3 Heb 12.22 4 Mt 7.26-29