4. What does it seem to you? A man had two children. Approaching the first he said, “Child, go out today and work in <my> vineyard etc., up to, but you, while seeing, did not repent afterwards by believing in him ^[119]. Matthew alone records this parable, which seems to me to involve the teaching (logos) about Israel’s faithlessness to God and the [teaching] about the people from the nations who would believe, for there are two children, whom God has “as a man caring for his son” ^[120]. Indeed, approaching the first one, whom “He acquired” “from the beginning” ^[121], “whom He foreknew and foreordained” ^[122], He said to him, Child, go out today and work in my vineyard. And he put it off, fleeing this region on account of the “scorching heat” ^[123] in him and weariness from toils and he said, I do not wish [to]. But then at a later time, having changed his mind about having said to the father, I do not wish [to], he went into the vineyard and performed the father’s will unto completion. When, however, the first [child] said I do not wish [to], he approached the other [child] and spoke in a similar fashion. Then, the second child answered and said, “I will, lord”, but he did not go to the vineyard of the word and to the field of the father. Now it is apparent that he who said I do not wish [to] and later changed his mind and went and worked in the vineyard is the one who performed the will of the father <not in word, but> in deed. For he who professed with words yet did not do the works refused to do the will of the father. You should attend if one could apply the parable to those who, on the one hand, make an inferior profession or none at all—[professing] neither virginity nor any other <spiritual> practice that is in accordance with the gospel, and yet produce the opposite with [their] works, [such that they end up doing the very works] that they made no profe<s>sion of at the beginning according to [Scripture’s] expressions of words [concerning] good practices— but also, on the other hand, to those who are professing great things but are not putting them into practice according to the gospel. For a person like the [first category] says, “I do not wish [to practice] virginity, because it is beyond me,” and “To have a life that is dedicated to spending time in the word is better than what I’m worth.” But when he hears each of the great works in Scripture he says, I will, lord. So one may see certain people who, contrary to initial expectation, advance to what is better as if from a change of mind and who give charge of themselves unto what is more excellent, while [there are] others who profess many things prematurely and come to practice works opposite to their profession.

5. After the parable the text, Amen I say to you that tax collectors and prostitutes will precede you into the Kingdom of God, is applied to the one who said I do not wish [to] and later had a change of mind and went, but [the text], for John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him [is applied] to the one who said I will, lord but did not go. Again to the first [is said]: tax collectors and prostitutes believed on him, but to the one who said, I will, lord, but did not go, You, while seeing, have not changed your mind afterwards to believe on him. Someone who gives attention to those who come to the word from a most wretched life and who believe on Christ, and to those who boast in the law and the prophets and yet do not believe in the Son of God and live intemperately and who happen to be more savage to those of their own race, will see that Jesus’ saying is true, that the tax collectors and the prostitutes will precede Israel into the Kingdom of God. But this Israel, while seeing Jesus, even up to the present still does not come to a change of heart, such that afterwards it might believe the truth. You should attend also to They will precede you into the Kingdom of God, [for it does] not [say] that Israel is barred from entering <at any time> into the Kingdom of God. For no one precedes someone [into a place] who will never be in that place into which he precedes. See, then, if perhaps he is suggesting that, whenever “the fullness of the nations comes in,” at that time “all Israel will be saved” ^[124]. But let “Israel” be understood not as the one “according to the flesh” ^[125], but as the one who has been imprinted in the nobility of the soul and who has the innate quality for understanding and the faculty of vision,^[10] but has not not been raised in faith and in the good life in a way that is worthy of this natural goodness.