Having good shoots and fruit-bearing branches, she [Israel] produced many clusters, and the abundance of the grapes equaled the great number of the branches. But she who before was of such a kind offended God afterward, turning the abundance of the fruits into a great number of offenses. The more people she had, the more altars she built, and she overmatched the abundance of the land by the number of the idols.

And after their departure they stayed there until the death of Herod, the assassin of the babes of Bethlehem. Archelaus, who succeeded him, also died before Christ fulfilled by his crucifixion the Father’s plan of our redemption. And when Herod succeeded Archelaus and received what had fallen to his share, Pilate favored him by sending Jesus bound to him,^[1] which God in his foreknowledge foretold in these words: And they brought him to the Assyrian, a present to the king.

The Lord himself comes to a trial with the elders and rulers of the people, as Isaiah predicted.^[1] And then he fulfilled all that had been written of his passion. At that time the heathen raged, and the people imagined vain things; the kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers gathered themselves together against the Lord and against his Christ.^[2] The heathen were Pilate and the Romans; the people were the tribes of Israel; the kings were represented in Herod and the rulers in the chief priests. When, indeed, he was sent to Herod gratuitously by Pilate,^[3] the words of Hosea were accomplished, for he had prophesied of Christ, And they shall carry him bound as a present to the king.

Observe how holy and how marvelous is the sequence of things. Do not imagine that wisdom will come before its enactment in deeds. The deeds ought to come first, and wisdom sought afterwards. . . . We ought not teach others before we ourselves are instructed and rational. After these things, however, truth is added because truth is the highest wisdom. The prophet also preserves this same order when he says, Sow for yourselves righteousness and reap the fruit of life; illuminate yourselves with the light of knowledge. See how he does not first say, Illuminate yourselves with the light of knowledge, but first, Sow for yourselves righteousness. It is not sufficient just to sow, but he says, reap the fruit of life so that after these you can fulfill what follows, illuminate yourselves with the light of knowledge.

So that we may know clearly what is meant by not having a share in the works which do not bear fruit, let us first inquire as to what sort of actions merit the attribute unfruitful—whether those only that are forbidden or such also are commendable but are not performed in good dispositions. In the Old Testament, the prophet, comparing the saints with the tree, says, which shall bring forth its fruit in due season. Solomon declares, The work of the just is unto life, but the fruit of the wicked is sin^[1]; and Hosea, Sow for yourselves in justice, reap the fruit of life.

Be careful, therefore, O bishop, to study the Word, that you may be able to explain everything exactly and that you may copiously nourish your people with much doctrine and enlighten them with the light of the law. For God says, Enlighten yourselves with the light of knowledge, while we have yet opportunity.

Therefore, if you are concerned to attain to the light of spiritual knowledge not by the vice of empty boastfulness but by the grace of correction, you are first inflamed with desire for that blessedness about which it is said, Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.^[1] [Thus] you may also attain to that about which the angel said to Daniel: Those who are learned shall shine like the splendor of the firmament, and those who instruct many in righteousness like the stars forever.^[2] And in another prophet: Enlighten yourselves with the light of knowledge while there is time.

It is the bishop’s duty not to be silent in the case of offenders but to admonish them, to exhort them, to wrestle them down, to afflict them with fastings, that so he may strike a pious dread into the rest. For he is called to bring up the children of Israel in piety.^[1] For the bishop must be one who discourages sin by exhortations, who sets a pattern of righteousness, who proclaims those good things that are prepared by God, and who declares that wrath which will come at the day of judgment, lest he neglect the field of God and increase its condemnation. To avoid this carelessness, hear that which is said by Hosea: Why have you held your peace at impiety? You have reaped the fruit of lies.

They ate the fruit of deception, namely, they had a useless and senseless hope. For the true fruit is the one that can save and help, the love toward God and the glory of righteousness. On the contrary, the false fruit would reasonably be considered impiety, for in the end it altogether descends to what is abominable.