Оправдание иудеиско и спасение христианьско

Justification by Law, Salvation by Grace

The author contrasts the limited, earthly justification of the Jews under the Law with the universal, heavenly salvation of Christians through grace.

For the Jews worked out their justification by the lamp of the Law, but Christians build their salvation under the sun of grace. For Judaism was justified by the shadow and by the Law, but was not saved; Christians, by truth and grace, are not justified—they are saved.^✦^✦¹ For among the Jews there is justification, but among Christians there is salvation. For justification is in this world, but salvation is in the age to come.² For the Jews rejoiced in earthly things, but Christians in things in heaven. And that Jewish justification was meager as well, because of envy: it did not extend to other nations, but was only in Judea.³ But the Christians' salvation is good and generous, extending to all the ends of the earth.

The Blessing of Manasseh and Ephraim

Using the biblical story of Jacob blessing Manasseh and Ephraim, the author typologically shows how the younger (Christians) surpass the older (Jews) in God's plan.

Manasseh's blessing was fulfilled for the Jews, and Ephraim's for the Christians. For Manasseh, as the elder, was blessed by Jacob's left hand.⁴ But Ephraim, as the younger, was blessed by the right hand.⁵ Although Manasseh was older than Ephraim, by Jacob's blessing he became the lesser. The same is true for Judaism: although it came first, by grace the Christians became greater.⁶ For when Joseph said to Jacob, "Put your right hand on this one, father, for he is the older," Jacob answered, "I know, my child, I know. He too will become a people and will be exalted, but his younger brother will be greater than he, and his offspring will become a multitude of nations."

The Passing of the Old and the Spread of the New

The Law passes away while Christian faith spreads among the nations, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecies of a new name and a new song for God's servants.

And so it was. For the Law came first and was exalted for a little while, and then it passed away.⁷ But the Christian faith, appearing later, became greater than the first and spread among a multitude of nations. And Christ’s grace embraced the whole earth and covered it like the waters of the sea. And all, casting off the old things that had grown obsolete through Jewish envy, hold to the new, according to Isaiah’s prophecy: “The old things have passed away, and I am declaring new things to you; sing to God a new song, and his name is glorified from the ends of the earth—you who go down to the sea, and you who sail on it, and all the islands.”⁸ And again: “Those who serve me will be called by a new name, which will be blessed on the earth, for they will bless the true God.”

From Jerusalem to the Ends of the Earth

Using Gideon's fleece as a type, the author shows how worship moved from being confined to Jerusalem to covering the whole earth through the grace of baptism.

For before, worship was only in Jerusalem; but now it is throughout the whole earth.^✦ As Gideon said to God: "If you will save Israel by my hand, let there be dew on the fleece alone, and dryness over the whole earth." And so it was. For before, the whole earth was dry, when the deceit of idols held the nations and they did not receive the dew of grace.⁹ For God was known only in Judea, and "in Israel his name is great," and God was glorified in Jerusalem alone. And again Gideon said to God, “Let the fleece alone be dry, but let dew be over all the earth.” And so it was. For Judaism ceased and the Law passed away; the sacrifices became unacceptable; the ark and the tablets and the mercy seat were taken away.¹⁰ But dew was over all the earth—for faith has spread over all the earth; the rain of grace has watered it; the font of rebirth clothes its sons in incorruption.¹¹

Read the original Church Slavonic

Иудѣи бо при свѣшти законнѣи дѣлааху свое оправдание, християни же при благодѣтьнѣим солнци свое спасение зиждють. Яко иудеиство стѣнемь и закономъ оправдаашеся, а не спасаашеся, хрьстиани же истиною и благодатию не оправдаються, нъ спасаються.

Въ иудѣихъ бо оправдание, въ христианыихъ же спасение. Яко оправдание въ семь мирѣ есть, а спасение въ будуідиимъ вѣцѣ. Иудѣи бо о земленыих веселяахуся, христиани же о сущиихъ на небесѣхъ. И тоже оправдание иудѣиско скупо бѣ зависти ради, не бо ся простирааше въ ины языкы, нъ токмо въ Иудеи единои бѣ. Христианыихъ же спасение благо и щедро простираяся на вся края земленыа.

Събысться благословение Манасиино на июдеихъ, Ефремово же на христьяныих. Манасиино бо старѣишиньство лѣвицею Иаковлею благословлено бысть. Ефремово же мнишьство десницею. Аще и старѣи Манасии Ефрема, нъ благословлениемь Иаковлемь мнии бысть. Тако иудѣиство, аще прѣжде бѣ, нъ благодѣтию христиании больше быша.

Рекшу бо Иосифу къ Иакову: «На семь, отче, положи десницу, якось старѣи есть», отвѣща Иаковъ: «Вѣдѣ, чядо, вѣдѣ. И тъ будеть въ люди и възнесется, нъ братъ его мении болии его будеть, и племя его будеть въ множьство языкъ».

Яко же и бысть. Законъ бо прѣжде бѣ и възнесеся въ малѣ, и отииде. Вѣра же христианьская, послѣжде явльшися, больши первыа бысть и расплодися на множьство языкъ. И Христова благодѣть всю землю обятъ и ако вода морьскаа покры ю. И вси, ветъхая отложьше, обетъшавъшая завистию иудеискою, новая держать, по пророчьству Исаину: «Ветхая мимоидоша, и новая вамъ възвѣщаю; поите Богу пѣснь нову, и славимо есть имя его от конець земли, и съходящеи въ море, и плавающеи по нему, и острови вси». И пакы: «Работающимъ ми наречется имя ново, еже благословится на земли, благословять бо Бога истиньнааго».

Прѣжде бо бѣ въ Иеросалимѣ единомь кланятися, нынѣ же по всеи земли. Яко же рече Гедеонъ къ Богу: «Аще рукою моею спасаеши Израиля, да будеть роса на рунѣ токмо, по всеи же земли суша». И бысть тако. По всеи бо земли суша бѣ прѣжде, идольстѣи льсти языкы одержашти и росы благодѣтьныа не приемлющемь. Въ Иудеи бо тъкмо знаемь бѣ Богъ, и «въ Израили велие имя его», и въ Иеросалимѣ единомь славѣмь бѣ Богъ.

Рече же пакы Гедеонъ къ Богу: «Да будеть суша на рунѣ токмо, по всеи же земли роса». И бысть тако. Иудеиство бо прѣста и законъ отиде, жертвы неприатны, кивотъ и скрижали, и оцѣстило отъято бысть. По всеи же земли роса, по всеи бо земли вѣра прострѣся, дождь благодѣтныи оброси, купѣль пакыпорождениа сыны своа въ нетлѣние облачить.

Scripture echoes

↩Heb.10.1;Col.2.17 — For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come — not the very image of the realities — can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year after year, perfect those who draw near. Col.2.17 — These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body belongs to Christ.
↩John.1.17 — For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
↩John.4.20-John.4.21 — Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship. John.4.21 — Jesus said to her, "Believe me, woman, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father."

Notes

1 ↩Ilarion’s contrast treats оправдание (justification) and спасение (salvation) as ordered gifts: Judaism receives justification under Law/shadow, while Christians receive salvation by truth and grace. The adversative не … нъ is rendered as ‘not justified—they are saved,’ not as a denial that Christians have any right standing before God.
2 ↩Normalized reading has будуідиимъ, taken as intended будущиимъ ('coming/future') modifying вѣцѣ ('age').
3 ↩зависти ради rendered 'because of envy' (jealous restriction of the gift); could also be read as 'out of jealousy' toward the nations.
4 ↩старѣишиньство = elder status / primogeniture (Manasseh as the older son), not merely chronological age.
5 ↩мнишьство = lesser/younger status (being the younger), paired with Manasseh's старѣишиньство; not monastic 'monasticism'.
6 ↩иудѣиство rendered as 'Judaism' (the prior dispensation/people under the Law); Christians as the later people made greater by grace (благодѣтию).
7 ↩въ малѣ may mean ‘for a little while,’ ‘to a small degree,’ or ‘among a few.’ Rendered temporally here; the next sentence’s ‘multitude of nations’ also supports a limited-scope reading.
8 ↩обетъшавъшая завистию иудеискою: the old order is said to have grown worn out / obsolete ‘by Jewish envy.’ Rendered as causal instrument (‘through Jewish envy’), not as a blanket ethnic condemnation beyond the source’s polemic frame.
9 ↩«росы благодѣтьныа» rendered as "the dew of grace," keeping the Gideon typology and theological force of благодѣть (grace/favor).
10 ↩оцѣстило rendered as 'mercy seat' (the propitiatory covering of the ark); it names the cultic center of atonement under the Law, not a generic purification rite.
11 ↩купѣль пакыпорождениа is the baptismal font of regeneration; нетлѣние kept as 'incorruption' for the durable patristic sense of undying life, not mere physical durability.

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