Hebrews 4:13

"Thine arrows," he says, "are sharp," -God's everywhere-flying precepts (arrows) threatening the exposure of every heart, and carrying compunction and transfixion to each conscience: "peoples shall fall beneath thee," -of course, in adoration.

And Scripture calls by the name of "sword" the Word which has the power of trying and of discerning thoughts and which "extends even to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow." … Every soul at the time of the passion was subjected to a sort of test, as it were, according to the words of the Lord, who said, "You will all fall away because of me." Simeon prophesies concerning Mary that, standing beside the cross and looking at what was happening and hearing his words—even after the testimony of Gabriel, after the secret knowledge of her divine conception, after the great showing of miracles—"Even you will flee," he says, "a certain perplexity about your soul." For the Lord must taste of death for the sake of all, and, being made a propitiation for the world, he must justify all people in his blood. Therefore, some doubt will touch even you yourself who have been taught from above concerning the Lord. That is the sword. "That the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed," meaning that, after the scandal which happened at the cross of Christ to both the disciples and to Mary herself, some swift healing will follow from the Lord, confirming their hearts in their faith in him. Thus we see that even Peter, after having stumbled, clung more firmly to his faith in Christ. What was human, therefore, was proved unsound in order that the power of the Lord might be manifested.

For God says, 'I will dwell among them and walk among them, and I will be their God.' So when the fear of divine power returns to the perception of the soul, then we blush, then we desire to hide, then being placed in the thoughts of our sins, we are found in the midst of the tree of paradise where we sinned, desiring to hide, and thinking that God does not seek the hidden things. But the searcher of hearts and thoughts, penetrating even to the division of the soul, says, 'Adam, where are you?' ... But when He said, 'Where are you?' He is not seeking the place which knew His secret, for God does not have closed eyes so as not to see what is hidden. But God sees the faults of all and knows the offenses of all: he has eyes over every soul, over all hidden things. So, where are you, Adam? That is, not in what place, but in what state are you. Therefore, it is not an inquiry, but a rebuke.

And why speak I of men? he says. For even if thou speak of Angels, of Archangels, of the Cherubim, of the Seraphim, even of any "creature" whatsoever: all things are laid open to that Eye, all things are clear and manifest; there is nothing able to escape it; "All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him, with whom we have to do."

But what is "opened"? It is a metaphor from the skins which are drawn off from the victims. For as in that case, when a man has killed them, and has drawn aside the skin from the flesh, he lays open all the inward parts, and makes them manifest to our eyes; so also do all things lie open before God. And observe, I pray thee, how he constantly needs bodily images; which arose from the weakness of the hearers. For that they were weak, he made plain, when he said that they were "dull," and "had need of milk, not of strong meat." "All things are naked," he says, "and opened unto the eyes of Him, with whom we have to do." (c. v. 11, v. 12.)

Next he discourses of the Son, "with whom we have to do," he says. What is "with whom we have to do"? To Him (he would say) we have to render account for the things we have done? Even so. How then must we act that we fall not, nor be faint-hearted?

He says, "division of soul and spirit." The soul has a special feeling for the body, but the grace of the Holy Spirit draws against the body to the heavenly things.

He used the phrase "laid bare to the eyes of him" as a metaphor from sacrificed beasts, which lie completely mute, the slaughter doing away with their life, and along with their life their cries. In similar manner, he is saying, when we also are judged, we behold everything done by us in ungodly or lawless fashion, whereas we receive the sentence of punishment in silence, realizing as we do its justice.

"And no creature is hidden from his sight." But what do I say about men, he says? Nor can any other creature hide or be concealed from that watchful eye, whether you speak of angels, or Cherubim, or Seraphim.
"but all are naked." Nothing can be hidden from the inspecting power of Christ. All things are bare before Him, and no covering or character can allow anyone to conceal themselves from those eyes.
"exposed to the eyes." To make it clearer how all things are naked and visible before the Word of God, He used a metaphor from the flayed sheep. For just as those sheep, having been flayed, that is, having had the knife taken to their neck and been slaughtered, after the skin is removed, everything inside is exposed; so it is with God, everything is evident. Or, flayed, He says naked, by metaphor from the sheep hung by the neck and stripped of their skin. Or, the term flayed, instead of those bowing down and stooping necks, because they cannot look upon the glory of that judge and God, our Jesus Christ. But you accept the first.
"to whom we must give account." To Him, he says, we must give an account of our actions, and we must respond to Him, to whom we also have the word [ὁ λόγος]. Do you see where the matter concluded? For in order that, having heard, you should not think that the same punishment is for us and for the Israelites on the same pattern of disobedience, he shows through these things that ours are much more terrible.

"The word of God is … sharper than any two-edged sword." Now the holy depth of divine Scripture is expressed in such common language that everyone immediately takes it in. But buried within it are hidden senses of truth, so that the vital meaning must be most carefully sought out. What contributes most of all to our understanding that it is really divine is the fact that ignorant persons are known to have been able to explain most subtle things, and mortal humans eternal things, but only when filled with the divine Spirit.

Do you not shudder when you hear God each day saying to you through the whole of the divine Scripture, "Let no evil speech come out of your mouth"? For truly I say to you for any idle word you will give an account, and for every cup of cold water you will receive a reward. Have you not heard that God is the judge of the "thoughts and intentions of the heart"? What does it say? "He who looks at a woman with desire has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Do you not see how he who looks with desire upon someone is considered an adulterer? Know then, surely, that those who strongly desire wealth are considered greedy, even if they have acquired nothing at all. Those who strive for many costly foods are gluttons, even if because of poverty they survive on only bread and water. They are sexually immoral who imagine many defiling encounters, even if they never look at another person. So too is it with those who say in their heart, "This has gone badly and become unreasonable" and "Why has this happened?" or "Why has that not happened?" Let them not be deceived, they are slanderers and will be judged as those who condemn, even though not a word comes out of their mouths nor does anyone hear them.

Not only, he says, does He search and know the hearts of men, but even if you were to point to angels and archangels, to cherubim and seraphim, all things are open before Him. Nothing can be hidden from His eyes.

To illustrate more vividly how all things are naked and open before the face of the Word of God, he used a figurative expression taken from sheep when they are flayed. Just as with them, when their head is cut off, or a knife is thrust into the neck and they are slaughtered, after the skin is removed all the innards are exposed — so too all things are open before God. Some understood the word "open" (tetrachelismena) in the sense of ornaments from the neck, more precisely, hanging on the neck. And others understood it in the sense of that which descends downward and bows the neck, so that one cannot gaze intently upon the glory of the Judge and your God, Jesus Christ. You should accept the first explanation.

To Him, he says, we shall give our answer and account of our deeds. Do you see how he elevated the matter? Lest you, having heard "after the same example," should think that the punishment for us and for the Israelites is one and the same, he shows through this that our punishment is more fearful.

It was necessary that our Hierarch be endowed with awareness, in regard to the threefold wisdom within Him: the innate, that is, the wisdom of angels and of the first man, the infused, and the eternal. Through the first, He knows all things which we are able to know by means of the proper disposition; through the second, He comprehends gloriously and infinitely, because "to His wisdom there is no limit"; through the third, He comprehends all things. For the One who was to restore the whole universe had to know the conditions of the whole universe. Hence, in the Epistle to the Hebrews: "The Word of God is living and efficient." And later: "All things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we have to give account." Hence, it was necessary not only that He be powerful, but also that He be aware.

Then when he says, before him no creature is hidden, he shows that anything invisible according to its nature is not hidden from God. For if something is not seen by us, it is because it is more simple and more subtle than our bodily or intellectual eyes, such as separated substances, which we cannot see in this life. But nothing is simpler and subtler than the divine intellect. Therefore, no creature is invisible in His sight.

But does He know things in a merely general way, as some claim? No; but all things are naked and open to His eyes. By the eye we mean the cognitive power; for spiritual things are understood through sensible things. But it is significant that he says, eyes, because of the variety of things He understands: for He does not know one thing only, but a multitude of things. He says, naked and open, for something is known in two ways: in one way, superficially, in another way, in depth. Thus a naked man is seen superficially, but not one who is clothed. But all things are manifest to God, which are seen superficially; for there is nothing covering man to impede God's knowledge, as clothing might: 'Hell is naked before him' (Jb. 26:6). But he says, open, because nothing is so concealed that it can escape God's knowledge.

Yet this seems to be contrary to what is stated in Hab (1:13): 'Your eyes are too pure to behold evil, and you cannot look on iniquity.' Therefore, not all things are naked. I answer that in God is knowledge of simple understanding and knowledge of approbation. In the first way He knows all things, even wicked things and things that are not; but in the second way He knows good things insofar as they exist.

Then when he says, with whom we have to do, he shows the perfection of his authority. But this authority is the authority to judge: 'It is he who was appointed by God to be judge of the living and of the dead' (Ac. 10:42). To Him, therefore, is our speech, when we render an account of our works: 'For we must all be manifested before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the proper things of the body, according as he has done, whether it be good or evil' (2 Cor. 5:10). Therefore, because He is so powerful, so knowing and so great, let us hasten to enter into that rest.

For three things are required for passing judgment: first, the power to coerce subjects: 'Seek not to be made a judge, unless you have strength enough to extirpate iniquities' (Sir. 7:6). And this belongs to Christ: 'All power is given me in heaven and in earth' (Mt. 28:18). Secondly, zeal for the right is required, in order that judgment be pronounced not from hatred or spite, but from love of justice: 'Whom the Lord loves he chastises; and as a father in the son he pleases himself' (Pr. 3:12). This love of justice is especially evident in Christ: 'And justice shall be the girdle of his loins' (Is. 11:5). Thirdly, there is required wisdom, according to which a judgment is formed: 'A wise man shall judge his people' (Sir. 10:1). But Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:24). Now this power to judge belongs to Christ as man: 'He gave him power to do judgment, because he is the Son of man' (Jn. 5:27), not, of course, because of the condition of the nature, according to Augustine, because then all men would have such power, but because of the capital grace, which Christ received in His human nature. But this power to judge belongs to Christ according to His human nature for three reasons: first, by reason of His affinity to men. For just as God works through intermediate causes, as being closer to their effects, so He judges through a man in order that the judgment may be gentler. For we have not a high priest who cannot have compassion on our infirmities, as has been said. Secondly, because in the final judgment, as Augustine says, there will be a resurrection of dead bodies, which God quickens through the Son of man, just as through the same Christ He quickens souls, inasmuch as He is the Son of God. Thirdly, because, as Augustine says in the book, The Words of the Lord, it was proper that those to be judged should see their judge. But the good and the wicked are to be judged. Therefore, in the judgment the form of man will be visible to the good and the wicked, the form of God being reserved for the good. But this power suits Christ both on account of His divine personality, on account of His dignity as head, and on account of the fullness of His sanctifying grace. Furthermore, He obtained it by His merits. Hence, it was fitting that according to God's justice the judge should be one who fought for God's justice and overcame; and that the one unjustly judged should condemn the guilty: 'I have overcome and I am set down with my Father on his throne' (Rev. 3:21); 'You have sat on the throne who judge justice' (Ps. 9:5); 'The judge will sit who stood before a judge, and He will condemn the guilty who was falsely judged guilty' (Augustine, The Words of the Lord).

Most of the man's psychological makeup is probably due to his body: when his body dies all that will fall off him, and the real central man, the thing that chose, that made the best or the worst out of this material, will stand naked. All sorts of nice things which we thought our own, but which were really due to a good digestion, will fall off some of us: all sorts of nasty things which were due to complexes or bad health will fall off others. We shall then, for the first time, see every one as he really was. There will be surprises.