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that he was some great and highly valued person to the king, I at least do not think; for his death would have been sufficient to show the love of the deceased for him. But now, not a man, not an angel, not an archangel, but the very Master of the heavens, the Only-begotten Son of God Himself, clothed in flesh, gave Himself for us. Shall we not then do and contrive everything, so that men so honored may enjoy all care from us? And what defense shall we have? What excuse? For Paul, pointing this very thing out, said: Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. For desiring to shame those who despise their brethren and look down on them as weak, and to lead them to earnestness, and to persuade them to care for their neighbors, he set forth the death of the Master in place of all else. Sitting, therefore, in the prison, he wrote to the Philippians from so great a distance.

For such is love according to God; it is interrupted by none of human affairs, having its roots and its rewards from above, from the heavens. And what does he say? But I want you to know, brethren. Have you seen care for disciples? Have you seen a teacher's solicitude? Hear also the tender love of the disciples for the teacher, so that you may see that this was what made them strong and invincible, being bound to one another. For if a brother helped by a brother is like a strong city, much more would so many, bound by the bonds of love, have repelled every plot of the evil demon. That Paul, therefore, was bound to his disciples, we no longer need proof or argument, since even in chains he was anxious for them, and daily died for them, inflamed with longing.

2. But that the disciples also were bound to Paul with all

exactness, and not only men, but also women, hear what he says about Phoebe: I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a deacon of the church in Cenchreae, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for she has been a helper of many and of myself also. But here indeed he bore witness to her zeal as far as being a helper; but Priscilla and Aquila went even to the point of death for Paul's sake, and concerning them he writes thus, saying: Aquila and Priscilla greet you, who for my life laid down their own necks, that is, to death. And again writing to these same people about another, he says: Because he came close to death, risking his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me. Have you seen how they loved their teacher? How before their own life they considered his comfort? For this reason no one prevailed against them then. And I say these things, not that we may only hear, but that we may also imi 51.316 tate; and our discourse is directed not only to the ruled, but also to the rulers, that both the disciples may show great care for their teachers, and the teachers may have the same tender love as Paul for those under them, not only those present, but also those who are far away. For Paul, as if inhabiting the whole world as one house, thus cared for the salvation of all, and leaving aside all his own bonds and tribulations and stripes and distresses, he watched over and inquired every day how his disciples were doing; and often for this reason alone he sent, now Timothy, now Tychicus; and concerning the one he says: that he might know your circumstances and comfort your hearts; but concerning Timothy: I sent him to you, no longer being able to bear it, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you; and Titus again elsewhere, and another to another place. For since he himself by the necessity of his chains

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τοῦ μέγαν τινὰ εἶναι καὶ περισπούδαστον ἐκεῖνον τῷ βασιλεῖ, οὐκ ἔγωγε οἶμαι· ἤρκει γὰρ ἡ τελευτὴ δεῖξαι τοῦ τετελευτηκότος τὴν περὶ αὐτὸν ἀγάπην. Νυνὶ δὲ οὐκ ἄνθρωπος, οὐκ ἄγγελος, οὐκ ἀρχάγγελος, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ὁ τῶν οὐρανῶν ∆εσπότης, αὐτὸς ὁ μονογενὴς Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ σάρκα περιβαλόμενος ἐπέδωκεν ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν. Οὐ πάντα οὖν ποιήσομεν καὶ πραγματευσόμεθα, ὥστε τοὺς οὕτω τιμηθέντας ἀνθρώπους πάσης ἀπολαῦσαι παρ' ἡμῶν προνοίας; Καὶ ποίαν ἕξομεν ἀπολογίαν; τίνα συγγνώμην; Τοῦτο γοῦν αὐτὸ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἐνδεικνύμενος ἔλεγε· Μὴ τῷ βρώματί σου ἐκεῖνον ἀπόλλυε, δι' ὃν Χριστὸς ἀπέθανε. Τοὺς γὰρ καταφρονοῦντας τῶν ἀδελφῶν, καὶ ὡς ἀσθενούντων ὑπερορῶντας βουλόμενος ἐντρέψαι καὶ εἰς σπουδὴν ἀγαγεῖν καὶ πεῖσαι κήδεσθαι τῶν πλησίον, ἀντὶ πάντων τὸν τοῦ ∆εσπότου θάνατον τέθεικε. Καθήμενος τοίνυν ἐν τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ τοῖς Φιλιππησίοις ἐπέστελλεν ἐκ τοσούτου τοῦ διαστήματος.

Τοιαύτη γὰρ ἡ κατὰ Θεὸν ἀγάπη· οὐδενὶ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων διακόπτεται, ἄνωθεν ἔχουσα τὰς ῥίζας ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν καὶ τὰς ἀμοιβάς. Καὶ τί φησι; Γινώσκειν δὲ ὑμᾶς βούλομαι, ἀδελφοί. Εἶδες πρόνοιαν ὑπὲρ μαθητῶν; εἶδες διδασκάλου κηδεμονίαν; Ἄκουσον καὶ φιλοστοργίαν μαθητῶν περὶ τὸν διδάσκαλον, ἵνα ἴδῃς ὅτι τοῦτο ἦν τὸ ποιοῦν ἰσχυροὺς ἐκείνους καὶ ἀκαταγωνίστους, τὸ συνδεδέσθαι ἀλλήλοις. Εἰ γὰρ Ἀδελφὸς ὑπὸ ἀδελφοῦ βοηθούμενος, ὡς πόλις ὀχυρὰ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τοσοῦτοι συνδεδεμένοι τοῖς τῆς ἀγάπης δεσμοῖς, πᾶσαν ἂν ἀπεκρούσαντο τὴν τοῦ πονηροῦ δαίμονος ἐπιβουλήν. Ὅτι μὲν οὖν ὁ Παῦλος συνεδέδετο τοῖς μαθηταῖς, οὐδὲ ἀποδείξεως δεῖ λοιπὸν ἡμῖν, οὐδὲ λόγου, ὅπου γε καὶ δεδεμένος αὐτῶν ἐμερίμνα, καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἀπέθνησκε τῷ πόθῳ πυρούμενος.

ʹ. Ὅτι δὲ καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ τῷ Παύλῳ συνδεδεμένοι μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἦσαν

ἁπάσης, καὶ οὐκ ἄνδρες μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ γυναῖκες, ἄκουσον τί φησι περὶ τῆς Φοίβης· Συνίστημι δὲ ὑμῖν Φοίβην τὴν ἀδελφὴν, διάκονον οὖσαν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τῆς ἐν Κεγχρέαις, ἵνα προσδέξησθε αὐτὴν ἐν Κυρίῳ ἀξίως τῶν ἁγίων, καὶ παραστῆτε αὐτῇ, ἐν ᾧ ἂν ὑμῶν πράγματι χρῄζῃ, ἥτις προστάτις πολλῶν ἐγενήθη, καὶ αὐτοῦ ἐμοῦ. Ἀλλ' ἐνταῦθα μὲν μέχρι προστασίας ἐμαρτύρησεν αὐτῇ τὴν σπουδήν· Πρίσκιλλα δὲ καὶ Ἀκύλας καὶ μέχρι θανάτου διὰ τὸν Παῦλον ἐχώρησαν, καὶ περὶ αὐτῶν δὲ οὕτω γράφει λέγων· Ἀσπάζονται ὑμᾶς Ἀκύλας καὶ Πρίσκιλλα, οἵτινες ὑπὲρ τῆς ψυχῆς μου τὸν ἑαυτῶν τράχηλον ὑπέθηκαν, εἰς θάνατον δηλονότι. Καὶ περὶ ἑτέρου πάλιν αὐτοῖς τούτοις γράφων, φησίν· Ὅτι ἤγγισεν ἕως θανάτου, παραβουλευσάμενος τῇ ψυχῇ, ἵνα τὸ ὑμῶν ὑστέρημα ἀναπληρώσῃ τῆς πρός με λειτουργίας. Εἶδες πῶς ἐφίλουν τὸν διδάσκαλον; πῶς πρὸ τῆς ψυχῆς τῆς ἑαυτῶν τὴν ἄνεσιν ἐσκόπουν τὴν ἐκείνου; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐδεὶς αὐτῶν περιεγένετο τότε. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγω, οὐχ ἵνα ἀκούωμεν μόνον, ἀλλὰ ἵνα καὶ μι 51.316 μώμεθα· καὶ οὐ πρὸς τοὺς ἀρχομένους μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἄρχοντας ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος ἀποτείνεται, ἵνα καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ πολλὴν περὶ τοὺς διδασκάλους κηδεμονίαν ἐπιδεικνύωνται, καὶ οἱ διδάσκαλοι τὴν αὐτὴν τῷ Παύλῳ φιλοστοργίαν περὶ τοὺς ὑποταττομένους ἔχωσιν, οὐχὶ τοὺς παρόντας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς πόῤῥωθεν ὄντας. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Παῦλος καθάπερ μίαν οἰκῶν οἰκίαν τὴν οἰκουμένην ἅπασαν, οὕτω τῆς πάντων ἐφρόντιζε σωτηρίας, καὶ τὰ αὐτοῦ πάντα ἀφεὶς δεσμὰ καὶ θλίψεις καὶ πληγὰς καὶ στενοχωρίας, ἐπεσκόπει καὶ ἐπυνθάνετο καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν, πῶς τὰ τῶν μαθητῶν ἔχοι· καὶ πολλάκις δι' αὐτὸ τοῦτο μόνον ἔπεμψε, νῦν μὲν Τιμόθεον, νῦν δὲ Τυχικόν· καὶ περὶ μὲν ἐκείνου φησίν· Ἵνα γνῷ τὰ περὶ ὑμῶν, καὶ παρακαλέσῃ τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν· περὶ δὲ Τιμοθέου· Ἔπεμψα αὐτὸν πρὸς ὑμᾶς μηκέτι στέγων, μήπως ἐπείρασεν ὑμᾶς ὁ πειράζων· καὶ Τίτον πάλιν ἀλλαχοῦ, καὶ ἄλλον ἑτέρωσε. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ αὐτὸς τῇ τῶν δεσμῶν ἀνάγκῃ