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alluded to, but also that of the prodigal son. For he too was no stranger, but a son, and the brother of the well-pleasing child, and he did not stray into any ordinary wickedness, but to the very limit, as one might say, of evils, he who was rich and free and noble being placed in a more wretched state than servants and hired hands and strangers. But nevertheless, he returned again to his original state and received his former glory. But if he had despaired of his own life and, giving up in the face of what had happened, had remained in the foreign land, he would not have obtained what he did obtain, but, destroyed by famine, he would have suffered the most pitiful death of all; but since he repented and did not despair, after so great a corruption he returns again to his former splendor and is clothed in the most beautiful robe and enjoys greater things than his brother who had not fallen; ‘For so many years,’ he says, ‘I have been serving you and I have never transgressed your command, and you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends, but when this son of yours who has devoured your living with harlots came, you killed for him the fatted calf.’ So great is the power of repentance.

8 Having therefore these examples, let us not remain in our evils, nor let us despair of reconciliation, but let us say, we too: 'Let us go to the father,' and let us draw near to God. For He never turns us away, but it is we who distance ourselves; ‘For I,’ he says, ‘am a God at hand and not a God afar off.’ And through this same prophet, reproaching them again he said: ‘Do not your sins separate between me and you?’ Since, then, this is what makes us far from God, let us remove this harsh partition, and the thing that prevents us from being near. But hear of this happening from the events themselves. Among the Corinthians a certain notable man committed such a sin, which was not even named among the Gentiles. But he was a believer, and one of those who belonged to Christ; and some say that he was also one of the ordained. What then? Did Paul cut him off from the hoped-for portion of those who are being saved? By no means; for it is he himself who countless times up and down reproaches the Corinthians because they did not bring him to repentance; and wishing to show us that there is no sin which cannot be healed, he said again concerning him who had sinned more grievously than the Gentiles: ‘Deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ But this was before his repentance; but since he repented: ‘Sufficient for such a man,’ he says, ‘is this punishment, which was inflicted by many.’ And he sent word to comfort him again, and to accept his repentance, lest he should be overcome by Satan. And the whole nation of the Galatians, after believing and working signs and enduring many trials for the faith in Christ, having fallen away, he raises up again. For that they worked miracles, he made clear by saying: ‘He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you,’ and that they also suffered much for the sake of the faith, this too he showed, saying: ‘Have you suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.’ But nevertheless, after so great progress, they sinned a sin sufficient to alienate them from Christ; concerning which he himself thus declares, saying: ‘Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing,’ and again: ‘Whoever of you are justified by the law; you are fallen from grace.’ And yet after so great a transgression, he receives them, saying: ‘My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,’ showing that even after the uttermost corruption it is possible for Christ to be formed anew in us; ‘for He does not desire the death of the sinner, but that he should turn and live.’ Let us turn, therefore, O dear friend, and accomplish the will of God. For for this He created us and brought us into being, that He might make us partakers of eternal good things, that He might give us the kingdom of heaven, not that He might cast us into Gehenna and deliver us to the fire; for this is not for

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ᾐνίξατο, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ τοῦ παιδὸς τοῦ ἀσώτου. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ οὗτος οὐκ ἀλλότριός τις ἦν, ἀλλ' υἱός, καὶ ἀδελφὸς τοῦ εὐηρεστηκότος παιδός, καὶ εἰς κακίαν οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν ἐξώκειλεν, ἀλλ' εἰς αὐτὸ τὸ πέρας, ὡς ἄν τις εἴποι, τῶν κακῶν, ὁ πλούσιος καὶ ἐλεύθερος καὶ εὐγενὴς οἰκετῶν καὶ μισθωτῶν καὶ ξένων ἀθλιώ τερον διατεθείς. Ἀλλ' ὅμως πάλιν εἰς τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐπανῆλθεν καὶ τὴν προτέραν δόξαν ἀπέλαβεν. Εἰ δὲ ἀπεγνώκει τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ζωῆς καὶ τοῖς συμβεβηκόσιν ἀπαγορεύσας ἔμεινεν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀλλοτρίας, οὐκ ἂν ἔτυχεν ὧνπερ καὶ ἔτυχεν, ἀλλὰ λιμῷ διαφθαρεὶς τὸν ἁπάντων οἴκτιστον ὑπέμεινεν θάνατον· ἐπειδὴ δὲ μετενόησεν καὶ οὐκ ἀπέγνω, μετὰ τὴν τοσαύτην διαφθορὰν ἐπὶ τῆς προτέρας λαμπρότητος ἐπανέρχεται πάλιν καὶ τὴν καλλίστην περιβάλλεται στολὴν καὶ μειζόνων ἀπολαύει τοῦ μὴ καταπεσόντος ἀδελφοῦ· «Τοσαῦτα γάρ, φησίν, ἔτη δουλεύω σοι καὶ οὐδέποτε ἐντολήν σου παρῆλθον, καὶ οὐδέποτέ μοι ἔδωκας ἔριφον, ἵνα μετὰ τῶν φίλων μου εὐφρανθῶ, ὅτε δὲ ὁ υἱός σου οὗτος ὁ καταφαγὼν τὸν βίον σου μετὰ πορνῶν ἦλθεν, ἔθυσας αὐτῷ τὸν μόσχον τὸν σιτευτόν.» Τοσαύτη ἡ τῆς μετανοίας ἰσχύς.

8 Ταῦτα οὖν ἔχοντες τὰ ὑποδείγματα, μὴ παραμείνωμεν τοῖς κακοῖς, μηδὲ ἀπογνῶμεν τὴν καταλλαγὴν ἀλλ' εἴπωμεν, καὶ αὐτοί· «Πορευσώμεθα πρὸς τὸν πατέρα», καὶ ἐγγίσωμεν τῷ θεῷ. Αὐτὸς γὰρ ἡμᾶς οὐδέποτε ἀποστρέφεται, ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν οἱ μακρύνοντες ἑαυτούς· «Ὁ θεὸς γάρ, φησίν, ἐγγίζων ἐγώ εἰμι καὶ οὐ θεὸς πόρρωθεν.» Καὶ διὰ τοῦ αὐτοῦ δὲ τούτου προφήτου πάλιν ἐγκαλῶν αὐτοῖς ἔλεγεν· «Οὐχὶ αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ὑμῶν διιστῶσιν ἀνὰ μέσον ἐμοῦ τε καὶ ὑμῶν;» Ἐπεὶ οὖν τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ πόρρω ποιοῦν ἡμᾶς τοῦ θεοῦ περιέλωμεν τὸ χαλεπὸν τοῦτο διάφραγμα, καὶ τὸ κωλῦον οὐδὲν γενέσθαι ἐγγύς. Ἄκουσον δὲ καὶ ἀπ' αὐτῶν τῶν πραγμάτων τοῦτο γεγονός. Παρὰ Κορινθίοις ἐπισημός τις ἀνὴρ ἁμαρτίαν εἰργάσατο τοιαύτην, ἥτις οὐδὲ ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἐνομίζετο. Πιστὸς δὲ οὗτος ἦν, καὶ τῶν ᾠκειομένων τῷ Χριστῷ· τινὲς δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ τῶν ἱερωμένων εἶναί φασιν. Τί οὖν; Ἆρα ἐξέκοψεν αὐτὸν τῆς τῶν σῳζομένων ἐλπίδι μερίδος ὁ Παῦλος; Οὐδαμῶς· αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ μυριάκις ἀνὼ καὶ κάτω Κορινθίοις ἐγκαλῶν ὅτι αὐτὸν εἰς μετανοίαν οὐ κατέστησαν· βουλόμενος δὲ δεῖξαι ἡμῖν ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἁμάρτημα ὃ μὴ δύναται ἰαθῆναι, πάλιν ἔλεγεν περὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ χαλεπώτερα τῶν ἐθνῶν ἡμαρτηκότος· «Παράδοτε τὸν τοιοῦτον τῷ Σατανᾷ εἰς ὄλεθρον τῆς σαρκός, ἵνα τὸ πνεῦμα σωθῇ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.» Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν πρὸ τῆς μετανοίας· ἐπειδὴ δὲ μετενόησεν· «Ἱκανὸν τῷ τοιούτῳ, φησίν, ἡ ἐπιτιμία αὕτη ἡ ὑπὸ τῶν πλειόνων.» Καὶ ἐπέστελλεν παρακαλέσαι πάλιν αὐτόν, καὶ προσέσθαι τὴν μετάνοιαν, ὥστε μὴ πλεονεκτηθῆναι ὑπὸ τοῦ Σατανᾶ. Καὶ ἔθνος δὲ ὁλόκληρον τὸ τῶν Γαλατῶν, μετὰ τὸ πιστεῦσαι καὶ σημεῖα ἐργάσασθαι καὶ πολλοὺς πειρασμοὺς ὑπενεγκεῖν διὰ τὴν πίστιν τὴν εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν καταπεσόντας, πάλιν ἀνίστησιν. Ὅτι μὲν γὰρ ἐθαυματούργουν, ἐδήλωσεν εἰπών· «Ὁ οὖν ἐπιχορηγῶν ὑμῖν τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ ἐνεργῶν δυνάμεις ἐν ὑμῖν», ὅτι δὲ καὶ πολλὰ τῆς πίστεως ἕνεκεν ἤθλησαν, καὶ τοῦτο ἔδειξεν λέγων· «Τοσαῦτα ἐπάθετε εἰκῆ, εἴ γε καὶ εἰκῆ.» Ἀλλ' ὅμως μετὰ τὴν τοσαύτην ἐπίδοσιν ἁμαρτίαν ἥμαρτον ἱκανὴν ἀλλοτριῶσαι αὐτοὺς τοῦ Χριστοῦ· περὶ ἧς αὐτὸς οὕτως ἀποφαίνεται λέγων· «Ἴδε ἐγὼ Παῦλος λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι· ἐὰν περιτέμνησθε, Χριστὸς ὑμᾶς οὐδὲν ὠφελήσει», καὶ πάλιν· «Οἵτινες ἐν νόμῳ δικαιοῦσθε, τῆς χάριτος ἐξεπέσετε». Καὶ μετὰ τὴν τοσαύτην ὅμως παράπτωσιν, προσίεται αὐτοὺς λέγων· «Τεκνία μου, οὓς πάλιν ὠδίνω ἄχρις οὗ μορφωθῇ Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν», δεικνὺς ὅτι καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἐσχάτην διαφθορὰν δυνατὸν πάλιν ἄνωθεν τὸν Χριστὸν μορφωθῆναι ἐν ἡμῖν· «Οὐ γὰρ θέλει τὸν θάνατον τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ, ὡς τὸ ἐπιστρέψαι καὶ ζῆν αὐτόν.» Ἐπιστρέψωμεν οὖν, ὦ φίλη κεφαλή, καὶ τὸ θέλημα ἐξανύσωμεν τοῦ θεοῦ. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἡμᾶς ἔκτισεν καὶ εἰς τὸ εἶναι παρήγαγεν, ἵνα τῶν αἰωνίων ποιήσῃ μετασχεῖν ἀγαθῶν, ἵνα τὴν βασιλείαν παράσχῃ τῶν οὐρανῶν, οὐχ ἵνα εἰς γέενναν ἐμβάλῃ καὶ τῷ πυρὶ παραδῷ· τοῦτο γὰρ οὐ δι'