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The Discourse on the Holy Theophany

Hippolytus

Section 6

About this work

Author: Hippolytus

6. Do you see, beloved, how many and

‹ Section 5 Section 7 ›

how

great

blessings

we

would

have

lost

,

if

the

Lord

had

yielded

to

the

exhortation

of

John

,

and

declined

baptism

?

For

the

heavens

were

shut

before

this

;

the

region

above

was

inaccessible

.

We

would

in

that

case

descend

to

the

lower

parts

,

but

we

would

not

ascend

to

the

upper

.

But

was

it

only

that

the

Lord

was

baptized

?

He

also

renewed

the

old

man

,

and

committed

to

him

again

the

sceptre

of

adoption

.

For

straightway

“

the

heavens

were

opened

to

Him

.

”

A

reconciliation

took

place

of

the

visible

with

the

invisible

;

the

celestial

orders

were

filled

with

joy

;

the

diseases

of

earth

were

healed

;

secret

things

were

made

known

;

those

at

enmity

were

restored

to

amity

.

For

you

have

heard

the

word

of

the

evangelist

,

saying

,

“

The

heavens

were

opened

to

Him

,

”

on

account

of

three

wonders

.

For

when

Christ

the

Bridegroom

was

baptized

,

it

was

meet

that

the

bridal

-

chamber

of

heaven

should

open

its

brilliant

gates

.

And

in

like

manner

also

,

when

the

Holy

Spirit

descended

in

the

form

of

a

dove

,

and

the

Father’s

voice

spread

everywhere

,

it

was

meet

that

“

the

gates

of

heaven

should

be

lifted

up

.

”

“

And

,

lo

,

the

heavens

were

opened

to

Him

;

and

a

voice

was

heard

,

saying

,

This

is

my

beloved

Son

,

in

whom

I

am

well

pleased

.

”

Notes

33
Ps. xxiv. 7.