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And one might see this from another point of view, that the Lord Himself has the authority to give the honors above. For when we bring into the midst the best of all men, and show that this man is crowned by Him, what pretext then will be left for you? Who then is the best of all men?

Who else but that tentmaker, the teacher of the world, who ran over land and sea as if on wings, the chosen vessel, the bridegroom's friend of Christ, the planter of the Church, the wise architect, the herald, the runner, the combatant, the soldier, the trainer, who left memorials of his own virtue everywhere in the world, who before the resurrection was caught up to the third heaven, who was carried away to paradise, who shared in ineffable mysteries with God, who heard and spoke such things as it is not possible for human nature to speak, who both enjoyed greater grace and demonstrated greater labor? And that he labored more than all, hear him saying, that I have labored more abundantly than they all. And if he labored more than all, he is also crowned more than all; For each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. If, therefore, he receives a greater crown than the apostles, and no one was equal to the apostles, but this man is even greater than them, it is clear that he will enjoy the highest honor and precedence. Who then is the one who crowns him? Hear him saying: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day. The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son. And this is clear not only from this, but also from what follows: and not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing. And whose appearing is it? hear him saying, For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

4. But our battle against the heretics has an end, and the trophy

we have set up, and we have won a glorious victory, having demonstrated from all that has been said that the Lord has authority both to honor and to punish, having all judgment, both crowning and proclaiming the best of all, and in those parables Himself working both. But it is necessary now to cast out the confusion of the brethren, and to teach for what reason He spoke thus, that It is not mine to give this; for I think many are perplexed by what has been said. In order, then, to resolve the perplexity and to calm the turmoil of the soul, focus your mind on me, prepare your thought for me; for I need greater effort now. For it is not the same thing to make war and to teach, to strike the enemy and to correct one's own, but I have need of greater diligence here 48.773, so as not to overlook the part that is lame, nor to pass by anyone who is disturbed. For I say, but do not be disturbed at what is said, nor be troubled; for I say it is not of the Son only, but not of the Father either; and I cry these things with a loud voice, and more brightly than a trumpet, that it is not His to give, neither His, nor the Father's. For if it were His, it would also be the Father's; if it were the Father's, it would also be His. For this reason He Himself did not simply say, it is not mine to give, but what?

It is not mine to give, but to those for whom it has been prepared. He shows that it is neither His, nor the Father's, but of certain others. What then is the meaning of what has been said? For I think that for you the

4

ἑτέρωθεν δὲ τοῦτο ἴδοι τις ἂν, ὅτι καὶ τὰς ἄνω τιμὰς κύριος αὐτός ἐστι διδόναι. Ὅταν γὰρ παραγάγωμεν εἰς τὸ μέσον τὸν πάντων ἀνθρώπων ἀμείνω, καὶ δείξωμεν τοῦτον ὑπ' αὐτοῦ στεφανούμενον, ποία λοιπὸν ὑπολειφθήσεται πρόφασις ὑμῖν; Τίς οὖν ἁπάντων ἀνθρώπων ἀμείνων;

Τίς δὲ ἕτερος ἀλλ' ἢ ὁ σκηνοποιὸς ἐκεῖνος, ὁ τῆς οἰκουμένης διδάσκαλος, ὁ γῆν καὶ θάλασσαν καθάπερ ὑπόπτερος περιδραμὼν, τὸ σκεῦος τῆς ἐκλογῆς, ὁ νυμφαγωγὸς τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὁ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας φυτουργὸς, ὁ σοφὸς ἀρχιτέκτων, ὁ κῆρυξ, ὁ δρομεὺς, ὁ ἀγωνιστὴς, ὁ στρατιώτης, ὁ παιδοτρίβης, ὁ πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης ὑπομνήματα τῆς οἰκείας ἀρετῆς καταλιπὼν, ὁ πρὸ τῆς ἀναστάσεως εἰς τρίτον ἁρπαγεὶς οὐρανὸν, ὁ εἰς παράδεισον ἀπενεχθεὶς, ὁ ἀποῤῥήτων κοινωνήσας τῷ Θεῷ μυστηρίων, ὁ τοιαῦτα ἀκούσας καὶ λαλήσας, ἃ ἀνθρωπίνῃ φύσει λαλῆσαι οὐκ ἔνι, ὁ καὶ χάριτος πλείονος ἀπολαύσας, καὶ μείζονα κόπον ἐπιδειξάμενος; Ὅτι δὲ πλεῖον ἁπάντων ἔκαμεν, ἄκουσον αὐτοῦ λέγοντος, ὅτι Περισσότερον αὐτῶν πάντων ἐκοπίασα. Εἰ δὲ περισσότερον πάντων ἔκαμε, περισσότερον καὶ στεφανοῦται· Ἕκαστος γὰρ τὸν ἴδιον μισθὸν λήψεται κατὰ τὸν ἴδιον κόπον. Εἰ τοίνυν μείζονα τῶν ἀποστόλων λαμβάνει στέφανον τῶν δὲ ἀποστόλων ἴσος οὐδεὶς γέγονεν, οὗτος δὲ κἀκείνων μείζων, εὔδηλον ὅτι τῆς ἀνωτάτω ἀπολαύσεται τιμῆς καὶ προεδρίας. Τίς οὖν ἐστιν ὁ αὐτὸν στεφανῶν; Ἄκουσον αὐτοῦ λέγοντος· Τὸν ἀγῶνα τὸν καλὸν ἠγώνισμαι, τὸν δρόμον τετέλεκα, τὴν πίστιν τετήρηκα· λοιπὸν ἀπόκειταί μοι ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης στέφανος, ὃν ἀποδώσει μοι ὁ Κύριος ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ὁ δίκαιος κριτής. Ὁ Πατὴρ οὐ κρίνει οὐδένα, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν τὴν κρίσιν δέδωκε τῷ Υἱῷ. Οὐκ ἐντεῦθεν δὲ τοῦτο μόνον δῆλον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἑξῆς· Οὐ μόνον δὲ ἐμοὶ, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἠγαπηκόσι τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν αὐτοῦ. Τίνος δέ ἐστιν ἡ ἐπιφάνεια; ἄκουσον αὐτοῦ λέγοντος, Ἐπεφάνη ἡ χάρις τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἡ σωτήριος πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις, παιδεύουσα ἡμᾶς, ἵνα ἀρνησάμενοι τὴν ἀσέβειαν καὶ τὰς κοσμικὰς ἐπιθυμίας, σωφρόνως καὶ δικαίως καὶ εὐσεβῶς ζήσωμεν ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι, προσδεχόμενοι τὴν μακαρίαν ἐλπίδα, καὶ ἐπιφάνειαν τῆς δόξης τοῦ μεγάλου Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.

δʹ. Ἀλλ' ἡ μὲν πρὸς τοὺς αἱρετικοὺς ἡμῖν μάχη τέλος ἔχει, καὶ τὸ τρόπαιον

ἐστήσαμεν, καὶ τὴν νίκην λαμπρὰν ἠράμεθα, ἐκ τῶν εἰρημένων ἁπάντων ἀποδείξαντες, ὅτι κύριος καὶ τιμᾷν καὶ κολάζειν ἐστὶ, πᾶσάν τε τὴν κρίσιν ἔχων, καὶ τὸν ἁπάντων ἀμείνω στεφανῶν καὶ ἀνακηρύττων, καὶ ἐν ταῖς παραβολαῖς ἐκείναις ἑκάτερα αὐτὸς ἐργαζόμενος. ∆εῖ δὲ λοιπὸν καὶ τὸν θόρυβον τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἐκβαλεῖν, καὶ διδάξαι τίνος ἕνεκεν οὕτως εἴρηκεν, ὅτι Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμὸν τοῦτο δοῦναι· καὶ γὰρ οἶμαι πολλοὺς ἐπαπορεῖν τοῖς εἰρημένοις. Ἵν' οὖν καὶ τὴν ἀπορίαν λύσωμεν, καὶ τὸν θόρυβον τῆς ψυχῆς κατευνάσωμεν, συντείνατέ μοι τὴν διάνοιαν, παρασκευάσατέ μοι τὴν γνώμην· καὶ γὰρ πλείονός μοι πόνου δεῖ νῦν. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἴσον πολεμεῖν καὶ διδάσκειν, βάλλειν τὸν ἐχθρὸν, καὶ διορθοῦσθαι τὸν οἰκεῖον, ἀλλὰ πλείονός μοι χρεία ἐνταῦθα 48.773 τῆς σπουδῆς, ὥστε μὴ παριδεῖν τὸ μέρος χωλεῦον, μηδέ τινα θορυβούμενον παραδραμεῖν. Λέγω γὰρ, ἀλλὰ μὴ θορυβεῖσθε πρὸς τὰ λεγόμενα, μηδὲ ταράττεσθε· οὐ μόνον γὰρ τοῦ Υἱοῦ φημι μὴ εἶναι, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοῦ Πατρός· καὶ μεγάλῃ ταῦτα βοῶ τῇ φωνῇ, καὶ σάλπιγγος λαμπρότερον, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῦ δοῦναι, οὔτε αὐτοῦ, οὔτε τοῦ Πατρός. Εἰ γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἦν, καὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἦν· εἰ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἦν, καὶ αὐτοῦ ἦν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς οὐκ εἶπεν ἁπλῶς, οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμὸν δοῦναι, ἀλλὰ τί;

Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμὸν δοῦναι, ἀλλ' οἷς ἡτοίμασται. ∆είκνυσιν ὅτι οὔτε αὐτοῦ, οὔτε τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἀλλ' ἑτέρων τινῶν. Τί οὖν ἐστι τὸ εἰρημένον; Οἶμαι γὰρ ὑμῖν ηὐξῆσθαι τὸν