7

5. For what reason then, he says, did Paul call the present age evil? Because he was using the common custom. For we too are accustomed to say, I had a bad day, slandering not the time, but the action or the circumstance. So also Paul, slandering evil choices, uses this custom; and he shows that Christ has both delivered us from former sins, and made us secure for the future. For by saying, 'Who gave Himself for our sins,' He showed that; and by adding, 'that He might deliver us from this present evil age,' He revealed the security for the future. For the law was weak even for the one, but grace has become powerful for both. According to the will of our God and Father. For since they thought they were disobeying God, as the giver of the Law, and feared if they, having left the Old, should approach the New; he corrects this suspicion of theirs, saying that these things are also pleasing to the Father. And he did not simply say, 'Father,' but, 'our Father,' and he continually puts this, reproving them by showing that Christ has made His own Father our Father. To whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. And this is new and 61.620 unusual. For we find 'Amen' placed nowhere at the beginning and in the proems of an Epistle, but after many things. But here, showing that what had been said contained a sufficient accusation of the Galatians, and that the argument is complete, he has placed this proem. For manifest crimes do not need much preparation. For having reminded them of the cross and the resurrection, of the redemption from sins, of security for the future, of the Father's will, of the Son's counsel, of grace, of peace, of His whole gift, he concluded the discourse with a doxology. But he has done this not only for this reason, but also because of being exceedingly amazed at the magnitude of the gift, the excess of grace, and considering what sort of beings we were and what God has wrought suddenly and in a moment of time; which things, being unable to represent in words, he resorted to a doxology, sending up not a worthy, but the possible praise for the whole world. For this reason also he uses a more vehement discourse afterwards, as if fiercely inflamed by the thought of the benefactions of God. For having said, 'To whom be glory forever and ever, Amen,' he begins a more vehement rebuke, speaking thus: I marvel that you are so quickly turning away from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel. For since through the keeping of the law they suspected they were pleasing the Father, just as the Jews also persecuting Christ, he first shows this, that in doing this they are provoking not only Christ, but also the Father. For not from Christ, he says, but also from the Father are you turning away by doing this. For just as the Old was not of the Father only, but also of the Son, so also grace is not of the Son only, but also of the Father, and all things are common; For all things that are My Father's are Mine. Having said, therefore, that they are also departing from the Father, he lays down two charges, both the turning away, and the very quick turning away. And yet the opposite is worthy of accusation, to fall away after a long time; but here the discourse is about deceit. For worthy of blame is he also who falls away after a long time; but he who has fallen at the first assault, and in the very skirmishes, has brought forth an example of the utmost weakness, which he also charges against these, saying: What is this, that those who deceive you do not even need time, but the first approach is sufficient to overthrow and capture all of you? And what excuse could you have? For if this happening in the case of friends is a crime, and he who leaves his former and useful acquaintances is worthy of condemnation, he who [leaves] God

7

εʹ. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ὁ Παῦλος εἶπε, φησὶν, αἰῶνα πονηρὸν τὸν ἐνεστῶτα; Τῇ

κοινῇ κεχρημένος συνηθείᾳ. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς εἰώθαμεν λέγειν, Κακὴν ἔσχον ἡμέραν, οὐ τὸν καιρὸν, ἀλλὰ τὴν πρᾶξιν, ἢ τὴν περίστασιν διαβάλλοντες. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Παῦλος τὰς πονηρὰς διαβάλλων προαιρέσεις, τῇ συνηθείᾳ κέχρηται· καὶ δείκνυσιν, ὅτι καὶ τῶν προτέρων ἡμᾶς ἀπήλλαξεν ὁ Χριστὸς ἁμαρτημάτων, καὶ πρὸς τὸ μέλλον ἠσφαλίσατο. Τῷ μὲν γὰρ εἰπεῖν, Τοῦ δόντος ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν, ἐκεῖνο ἐδήλωσε· τῷ δὲ προσθεῖναι, Ὅπως ἐξέληται ἡμᾶς ἐκ τοῦ ἐνεστῶτος αἰῶνος πονηροῦ, τὴν πρὸς τὸ μέλλον ἀσφάλειαν ἐνέφηνεν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ νόμος καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἓν ἠσθένει, ἡ δὲ χάρις πρὸς ἀμφότερα δυνατὴ γέγονε. Κατὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς ἡμῶν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐνόμιζον ἐκεῖνοι τοῦ Θεοῦ παρακούειν, ὡς δεδωκότος τὸν νόμον, καὶ ἐδεδοίκεσαν, εἰ τὴν Παλαιὰν ἀφέντες προσέλθοιεν τῇ Καινῇ· καὶ ταύτην αὐτῶν διορθοῦται τὴν ὑπόνοιαν λέγων, ὅτι καὶ τῷ Πατρὶ ταῦτα δοκεῖ. Καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἶπε, Πατρὸς, ἀλλὰ, Πατρὸς ἡμῶν, καὶ συνεχῶς αὐτὸ τίθησιν, ἐντρέπων αὐτοὺς τῷ δεικνύναι, ὅτι Πατέρα ἡμῶν τὸν αὑτοῦ Πατέρα πεποίηκεν ὁ Χριστός. Ὧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν. Καὶ τοῦτο καινὸν καὶ παρηλ 61.620 λαγμένον. Τὸ γὰρ, Ἀμὴν, οὐδαμοῦ ἐν ἀρχῇ καὶ προοιμίοις Ἐπιστολῆς εὑρίσκομεν κείμενον, ἀλλὰ μετὰ πολλά. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ δεικνὺς, ὅτι καὶ τὰ εἰρημένα ἱκανὴν εἶχε κατηγορίαν Γαλατῶν, καὶ ὅτι ὁ λόγος ἀπηρτισμένος ἐστὶ, τὸ προοίμιον τοῦτο τέθεικε. Τὰ γὰρ φανερὰ τῶν ἐγκλημάτων οὐ πολλῆς δεῖται κατασκευῆς. Ἀναμνήσας γὰρ τοῦ σταυροῦ καὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως, τῆς τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων λυτρώσεως, τῆς πρὸς τὸ μέλλον ἀσφαλείας, τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς γνώμης, τῆς τοῦ Υἱοῦ βουλῆς, τῆς χάριτος, τῆς εἰρήνης, πάσης αὐτοῦ τῆς δωρεᾶς, εἰς δοξολογίαν τὸν λόγον κατέκλεισεν. Οὐ διὰ τοῦτο δὲ μόνον τοῦτο πεποίηκεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὸ μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς ἐκπλήττεσθαι τῆς δωρεᾶς τὸ μέγεθος, τῆς χάριτος τὴν ὑπερβολὴν, καὶ ἐννοεῖν τίνας ὄντας τί εἰργάσατο ὁ Θεὸς ἀθρόον καὶ ἐν ἀκαριαίᾳ καιροῦ ῥοπῇ· ἅπερ τῷ λόγῳ παραστῆσαι μὴ δυνάμενος, εἰς δοξολογίαν κατέλυσεν, οὐ τὴν ἀξίαν, ἀλλὰ τὴν αὐτῷ δυνατὴν εὐφημίαν ὑπὲρ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀναπέμπων ἁπάσης. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ σφοδρότερον τῷ μετὰ ταῦτα κέχρηται λόγῳ, καθάπερ πυρωθεὶς σφοδρῶς ὑπὸ τῆς ἐννοίας τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Εἰπὼν γὰρ, Ὧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, ἀμὴν, ἀπὸ σφοδροτέρας ἄρχεται ἐπιπλήξεως, οὕτω λέγων· Θαυμάζω, ὅτι οὕτω ταχέως μετατίθεσθε ἀπὸ τοῦ καλέσαντος ὑμᾶς ἐν χάριτι Χριστοῦ, εἰς ἕτερον εὐαγγέλιον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ διὰ τῆς τοῦ νόμου φυλακῆς ὑπώπτευον ἀρέσκειν τῷ Πατρὶ, καθάπερ καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι τὸν Χριστὸν διώκοντες, τοῦτο πρῶτον ἐνδείκνυται, ὅτι οὐ τὸν Χριστὸν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν Πατέρα παροξύνουσι τοῦτο πράττοντες. Οὐ γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς μεθίστασθε τοῦτο ποιοῦντες. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἡ Παλαιὰ οὐ τοῦ Πατρὸς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, οὕτω καὶ ἡ χάρις οὐ τοῦ Υἱοῦ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ πάντα κοινά· Πάντα γὰρ τὰ τοῦ Πατρός μου, ἐμά ἐστιν. Εἰπὼν τοίνυν, ὅτι καὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἀφίστανται, δύο ἐγκλήματα τίθησι, καὶ τὴν μετάθεσιν, καὶ τὴν ταχίστην μετάθεσιν. Καὶ μὴν τὸ ἐναντίον κατηγορίας ἄξιον, τὸ μετὰ πολὺν ἀποστῆναι χρόνον· ἀλλὰ ἐνταῦθα περὶ ἀπάτης ὁ λόγος. Ἄξιος μὲν γὰρ ἐγκλημάτων καὶ ὁ μετὰ πολὺν χρόνον· ὁ δὲ ἐκ πρώτης προσβολῆς, καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῖς ἀκροβολισμοῖς καταπεσὼν, ἐσχάτης ἀσθενείας ἐξήνεγκεν ὑπόδειγμα, ὃ καὶ τούτοις ἐγκαλεῖ, λέγων· Τί τοῦτο, ὅτι οὐδὲ χρόνου δέονται οἱ ἀπατῶντες ὑμᾶς, ἀλλ' ἡ πρώτη προσαγωγὴ ἀρκεῖ πάντας ὑμᾶς καταστρέψασθαι καὶ ἑλεῖν; καὶ ποίαν ἂν σχοίητε συγγνώμην; Εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ φίλων τοῦτο γινόμενον, ἔγκλημα, καὶ ὁ τοὺς προτέρους καὶ χρησίμους τῶν ἐπιτηδείων ἀφεὶς καταγνώσεως ἄξιος, ὁ Θεοῦ