Then after this he commands them not to be lifted up, and teaches what must be done. What then is it to hear and what is it to give ear, let us understand from the word itself. "give ear" means receive into the ears, and "hear," if it is said in contradistinction to "give ear," is perhaps "receive into the mind." And concerning the things said in the scriptures some are more secret and more mystical, while others are immediately useful to those who understand. Concerning the more secret things, I think "hear" is said, but concerning the things immediately useful and able to benefit the hearer even without interpretation, "give ear." Therefore, if we should examine the whole scripture, we will say, "becoming approved money-changers": this one thing hear, and that one thing give ear. Then when we have heard and given ear, he commands us: "and be not lifted up"; for "everyone who exalts himself will be humbled." And the Savior also in saying: "learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls," teaches us not to be lifted up. For with the other human evils, this sin is also great in us, for sometimes being lifted up very irrationally and for that for which one should not be lifted up at all, and at other times with plausibility, because that for which we are lifted up is reasonable, yet it is not sound to be lifted up even for that. 12.8 What I am saying will be clear thus: there are some who are lifted up because they are sons of rulers and because they are of a family from great worldly dignities. Such people, being lifted up for a thing not of choice and indifferent, do not even have a reasonable plausibility impelling them to be lifted up. There are those who are lifted up because they have the authority to kill people, and who are lifted up because they have received what is called among them such an advancement as to cut off men's heads. "The glory" of such people "is in their shame." Others are lifted up for wealth, not the true but the earthly; and others are lifted up, for instance, for having a fine house or many fields. None of these things is worthy of mention, one must not be lifted up for any of these things. The plausible thing about being lifted up is when someone is lifted up because he is wise, and is lifted up being conscious in himself that for ten years now he has not touched carnal pleasures or even from childhood has not touched them; and again another is lifted up because he has worn chains for Christ. There is a plausibility here suggesting that one is reasonably lifted up, but not even for these things, according to the true account, is one reasonably lifted up. Thus it is not reasonable to be lifted up even for these things. Paul had the material for being lifted up because of the visions, because of the sights, because of the wonders and signs, because of the labors which he performed for Christ, because of the churches which he ambitiously planted, where Christ had not been named, to found a church. All these things <were> material for him to be lifted up, if one must speak with plausibility concerning being lifted up, that it would have seemed good to some for him to be lifted up. But nevertheless, since not even being lifted up for such things is without danger, the good Father, as He granted him visions and sights, so also gave him as a share of grace "an angel of Satan, to buffet him, so that he might not be exalted. And concerning this he besought the Lord three times, "that the angel of Satan might depart from him," the one given to him according to the economy so that he might not be lifted up. And the Lord answered him (for Paul was worthy of an answer from the Lord) and said to him: "My grace is sufficient for you; for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, one must not be lifted up for anything; for falling follows being lifted up according to that which says "a man's heart is exalted before destruction, and it is humbled before glory." These things then relate to "hear and give ear, and be not lifted up, because the Lord has spoken." 12.9 But let us see also what he commands us to do after these things; "Give," he says, "glory to the Lord our God before it grows dark, before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains; and you will wait for light." He who gives "glory to God" wills to give "glory to God" while it is light, as glory of God cannot be proclaimed when it grows dark and becomes darkness. When therefore does it grow dark, and when does the
εἶτα μετὰ τοῦτο προστάσσει αὐτοῖς μὴ ἐπαίρεσθαι, καὶ διδάσκει ὃ ποιητέον. τί οὖν τὸ ἀκοῦσαι καὶ τί τὸ ἐνωτίσασθαι, ἀπ' αὐτῆς τῆς λέξεως κατανοήσωμεν. τὸ «ἐνωτίσασθε» εἰς τὰ ὦτα δέξασθε, καὶ τὸ «ἀκούσατε», εἰ πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολὴν λέγεται τοῦ «ἐνωτίσασθε», μήποτέ ἐστιν εἰς τὴν διάνοιαν δέξασθε. καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν λεγομένων ἐν ταῖς γραφαῖς ἃ μέν ἐστιν ἀπορρητότερα καὶ μυστικώτερα, ἃ δὲ αὐτόθεν χρήσιμα τοῖς νοοῦσι. περὶ μὲν τῶν ἀπορρητοτέρων οἶμαι λέγεται τὸ «ἀκούσατε», περὶ δὲ τῶν αὐτόθεν χρησίμων καὶ χωρὶς ἑρμηνείας δυναμένων ὠφελῆσαι τὸν ἀκούοντα τὸ «ἐνωτίσασθε». ὅλην οὖν τὴν γραφὴν ἐὰν ἐξετάσωμεν, ἐροῦμεν «δόκιμοι γενόμενοι τραπεζῖται»· τοῦτο μὲν ἀκούσατε, τοῦτο δὲ ἐνωτίσασθε. Εἶτα ἐπὰν ἐπακούσωμεν καὶ ἐνωτισώμεθα, προστάσσει ἡμῖν· «καὶ μὴ ἐπαίρεσθε»· «πᾶς» γὰρ «ὁ ὑψῶν ἑαυτὸν ταπεινωθήσεται». καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ δὲ ἐν τῷ λέγειν· «μάθετε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πραΰς εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ εὑρήσετε ἀνάπαυσιν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν», διδάσκει ἡμᾶς τὸ μὴ ἐπαίρεσθαι. μετὰ γὰρ τῶν ἄλλων ἀνθρωπίνων κακῶν καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ἁμάρτημα πολὺ ἐν ἡμῖν ἐστιν, ὁτὲ μὲν γὰρ πάνυ ἀλόγως ἐπαιρομένοις καὶ ἐφ' ᾧ οὐδὲ κατὰ τὸ ποσὸν ἐπαίρεσθαι χρή, ὁτὲ δὲ μετὰ πιθανότητος, ὅτι εὔλογον τὸ ἐφ' ᾧ ἐπαιρόμεθα, οὐ μὴν ὑγιὲς καὶ ἐπ' ἐκείνῳ τὸ ἐπαίρεσθαι. 12.8 ὃ δὲ λέγω οὕτως ἔσται σαφές· εἰσί τινες ἐπαιρόμενοι, ὅτι εἰσὶν υἱοὶ ἡγεμόνων καὶ ὅτι γένους εἰσὶ τῶν ἀπὸ κοσμικῶν ἀξιωμάτων μεγάλων. οἱ τοιοῦτοι ἐπὶ ἀπροαιρέτῳ καὶ ἀδιαφόρῳ πράγματι ἐπαιρόμενοι οὐδὲ πιθανότητα εὔλογον ἔχουσι τὴν παραβαλλομένην αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τὸ ἐπαίρεσθαι. εἰσὶν ἐπαιρόμενοι, ὅτι ἐξουσίαν ἔχουσιν ἀναιρεῖν ἀνθρώπους, καὶ ἐπαιρόμενοι, ὅτι εἰλήφασι τὴν παρ' αὐτοῖς καλουμένην προκοπὴν τοιαύτην ὥστε ἀποτεμεῖν ἀνθρώπων κεφαλάς. «ἡ δόξα» τῶν τοιούτων «ἐν τῇ αἰσχύνῃ αὐτῶν» ἐστιν. ἄλλοι ἐπὶ πλούτῳ ἐπαίρονται, οὐ τῷ ἀληθινῷ ἀλλὰ τῷ κάτω· καὶ ἄλλοι ἐπαίρονται, φέρ' εἰπεῖν, ἐπὶ τῷ οἰκίαν ἔχειν καλὴν ἢ ἀγροὺς πολλούς. οὐδὲν τούτων ἐστὶ λόγου ἄξιον, οὐ χρὴ ἐπαίρεσθαι ἐπί τινι τούτων. Τὸ πιθανὸν δὲ περὶ τοῦ ἐπαίρεσθαι, ὅταν τις ἐπαίρηται, ὅτι σοφός ἐστι, καὶ ἐπαίρηται συνειδὼς ἑαυτῷ, ὅτι ἤδη ἀπὸ δέκα ἐτῶν οὐχ ἥψατο ἀφροδισίων ἢ καὶ ἐκ παίδων οὐχ ἥψατο· καὶ πάλιν ἄλλος ἐπαίρεται, ὅτι δεσμοὺς ἐφόρεσε τοὺς περὶ Χριστοῦ. πιθανότης μέν ἐστιν ἐνταῦθα ὑποβάλλουσα, ὅτι εὐλόγως τις ἐπαίρεται, οὐδὲ ἐπὶ τούτοις δὲ ὡς πρὸς τὸν ἀληθῆ λόγον εὐλόγως τις ἐπαίρεται. οὕτως οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδὲ ἐπὶ τούτοις εὐλόγως ἐπαίρεσθαι. Παῦλος εἶχε τὴν ὕλην τοῦ ἐπαίρεσθαι αὐτὸν διὰ τὰς ὀπτασίας, διὰ τὰ ὁράματα, διὰ τὰ τέρατα καὶ σημεῖα, διὰ τοὺς καμάτους οὓς ἔκαμεν ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ, διὰ τὰς ἐκκλησίας ἃς ἔπηξε φιλοτιμούμενος, ὅπου μὴ ὠνομάσθη Χριστός, θεμελιοῦν ἐκκλησίαν. ταῦτα πάντα ὕλη <ἦ>ν τοῦ ἐπαί ρεσθαι αὐτὸν, εἰ χρὴ λέγειν μετὰ πιθανότητος τῆς περὶ τοῦ ἐπαίρεσθαι, ὅτι καλῶς ἂν ἔδοξέ τισιν ἐπαίρεσθαι αὐτόν. ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ τὸ ἐπὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις ἐπαίρεσθαι ἀκίνδυνόν ἐστιν, ὁ χρηστὸς πατὴρ ὡς ἐδωρήσατο αὐτῷ ὀπτασίας καὶ ὁράματα, οὕτως αὐτῷ ἐν χαρίσματος μοίρᾳ ἔδωκεν «ἄγγελον σατάν, ἵνα αὐτὸν κολαφίσῃ, ἵνα μὴ ὑπεραίρηται. καὶ περὶ τούτου τρὶς τὸν κύριον παρεκάλεσεν, ἵνα ἀποστῇ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ ὁ ἄγγελος τοῦ σατανᾶ», ὁ κατ' οἰκονομίαν ἵνα μὴ ἐπαίρηται δοθεὶς αὐτῷ. καὶ ἀπεκρίνατο αὐτῷ ὁ κύριος (ἄξιος γὰρ ἦν ἀποκρίσεως κυρίου ὁ Παῦλος) καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· «ἀρκεῖ σοι ἡ χάρις μου· ἡ γὰρ δύναμίς μου ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ τελειοῦται». ἐπὶ οὐδενὶ οὖν δεῖ ἐπαίρεσθαι· ἀκολουθεῖ γὰρ πεσεῖν τῷ ἐπαίρεσθαι κατὰ τὸ «πρὸ συντριβῆς ὑψοῦται καρδία ἀνδρὸς καὶ πρὸ δόξης ταπεινοῦται». ταῦτα μὲν εἰς τὸ «ἀκούσατε καὶ ἐνωτίσασθε, καὶ μὴ ἐπαίρεσθε, ὅτι κύριος ἐλάλησεν». 12.9 Ἴδωμεν δὲ καὶ τίνα κελεύει ἡμᾶς μετὰ ταῦτα ποιεῖν· «δότε» φησὶ «κυρίῳ τῷ θεῷ ἡμῶν δόξαν πρὸ τοῦ συσκοτάσαι, πρὸ τοῦ προσκόψαι τοὺς πόδας ὑμῶν ἐπ' ὄρη σκοτεινά· καὶ ἀναμενεῖτε εἰς φῶς». τὸν διδόντα «δόξαν τῷ θεῷ» θέλει διδόναι «δόξαν τῷ θεῷ» φωτὸς ὄντος, ὡς οὐ δυναμένης δόξης ἀπαγγέλλεσθαι τοῦ θεοῦ, ἐπὰν συσκοτάσῃ καὶ γένηται σκότος. πότε οὖν συσκοτάζει, καὶ πότε ὁ