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Encouraging him, he says, Be not ashamed, as if there were no longer any danger, if one should overcome shame. For this is the only burdensome thing about shame, to be conquered by it. Be not ashamed, then, if I who raise the dead, who work countless signs, who have run over the whole world, am now in chains; for I am not a prisoner as an evildoer, but for the sake of the Crucified One. If my Master was not ashamed of a cross, neither am I of these bonds. And well does he, exhorting him not to be ashamed, first remind him of the cross. If you are not ashamed of the cross, he says, be not ashamed of bonds; if our Master and Teacher endured a cross, much more should we endure bonds. For he who is ashamed of what he himself has endured is also ashamed of the Crucified One. For not for my own sake, he says, do I bear these bonds. Suffer nothing human, then, but share in the same things, 62.608 But suffer hardship with the Gospel, he says, not as if the Gospel suffers hardship, but rousing the disciple to suffer for the Gospel. According to the power of God, he says, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages of time. Moreover, since it was a heavy thing to say, Suffer hardship, he again comforts him, saying: Not according to our works; that is, do not reckon the bearing of these things by your own power, but by that of God. For it is yours to choose and to be zealous, but God’s to lighten and to end. Then he also shows the proofs of His power: Consider how you were saved, how you were called. As he says elsewhere, According to his working which works in us. So this was a greater power than to make the heaven, to persuade the world. How then was he called, he says, With a holy calling? That is, He made holy those who were sinners and enemies; and these things not of ourselves, it is the gift of God. If then He is both powerful in calling, and good in doing this according to grace, and not according to debt, we must not be afraid. For He who, when we needed to be saved, and were enemies, saved us by grace, when He sees us working, will He not much more cooperate? Not according to our works, he says, but according to His own purpose. That is, with no one compelling, no one advising, but of His own purpose, moved from within by His own goodness He saved us; for this is what, According to His own purpose, means. And grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages of time. That is, without beginning these things were prefigured to come to pass in Christ Jesus. This is no small thing either, to will from above; not, therefore, from repentance. How then is the Son not eternal? For He Himself also willed these things from the beginning. But which is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death, and has brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. βʹ. Have you seen power, have you seen a gift given not through works, but through the Gospel? For these things belong to hope; for in His own body both these things have happened, but in ours they will be. How? Through the Gospel. For which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher of the Gentiles. Why does he say this continually, calling himself a teacher of the Gentiles? Wishing to persuade, as I said, that it is necessary to approach the Gentiles also. Do not be cast down, therefore, by my sufferings; the sinews of death have been destroyed. Not as an evildoer do I endure these things, but for the teaching of the Gentiles. At the same time he also makes the word trustworthy. For which cause, he says, I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day. Nevertheless I am not ashamed, he says. For are bonds, tell me, a matter of shame? Are sufferings a matter of shame? Do not be ashamed then. Do you see how he demonstrates the teaching through his deeds? I suffer these things, he says, I have been cast into prison, I am driven about. For I know whom

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θαῤῥύνων φησὶ, Μὴ ἐπαισχυνθῇς, ὡς οὐκ ὄντος λοιπὸν κινδύνου, εἰ τῆς αἰσχύνης τις περιγένοιτο. Τοῦτο γὰρ μόνον ἔχει φορτικὸν αἰσχύνη, τὸ ἡττᾶσθαι αὐτῆς. Μὴ τοίνυν ἐπαισχυνθῇς, εἰ ἐγὼ ὁ νεκροὺς ἐγείρων, ὁ μυρία ἐργαζόμενος σημεῖα, ὁ τὴν οἰκουμένην περιδραμὼν, δέδεμαι νῦν· οὐ γὰρ ὡς κακοῦργός εἰμι δεσμώτης, ἀλλὰ τοῦ σταυρωθέντος ἕνεκεν. Εἰ σταυρὸν οὐκ ἐπησχύνθη μου ὁ ∆εσπότης, οὐδὲ τὰ δεσμὰ ἐγώ. Καὶ καλῶς παρακαλῶν αὐτὸν μὴ ἐπαισχυνθῆναι, πρότερον αὐτὸν τοῦ σταυροῦ ἀνέμνησεν. Εἰ τὸν σταυρὸν οὐκ ἐπαισχύνῃ, φησὶ, μηδὲ δεσμά· εἰ ὁ ∆εσπότης ἡμῶν καὶ διδάσκαλος σταυρὸν ὑπέμεινε, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμεῖς τὰ δεσμά. Ἅπερ γὰρ αὐτὸς ὑπέμεινεν ὁ αἰσχυνόμενος, καὶ τὸν σταυρωθέντα ἐπαισχύνεται. Οὐ γὰρ δι' ἐμαυτὸν, φησὶ, φέρω ταῦτα τὰ δεσμά. Μηδὲν οὖν ἀνθρώπινον πάθῃς, ἀλλὰ τοῖς αὐτοῖς κοινώνησον, 62.608 Ἀλλὰ συγκακοπάθησον, φησὶ, τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ, οὐχ ὡς τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου κακοπαθοῦντος, ἀλλὰ τὸν μαθητὴν διεγείρων ὑπὲρ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου πάσχειν. Κατὰ δύναμιν Θεοῦ, φησὶ, τοῦ σώσαντος ἡμᾶς καὶ καλέσαντος κλήσει ἁγίᾳ, οὐ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα ἡμῶν, ἀλλὰ κατ' ἰδίαν πρόθεσιν καὶ χάριν τὴν δοθεῖσαν ἡμῖν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ πρὸ χρόνων αἰωνίων. Ἄλλως δὲ, ἐπεὶ φορτικὸν ἦν τὸ εἰπεῖν, Κακοπάθησον, πάλιν αὐτὸν παραμυθεῖται λέγων· Οὐ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα ἡμῶν· τουτέστι, μὴ τῇ δυνάμει λογίζου τῇ σῇ, ἀλλὰ τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ ταῦτα φέρειν· σὸν μὲν γὰρ τὸ ἑλέσθαι καὶ προθυμηθῆναι, Θεοῦ δὲ τὸ κουφίσαι καὶ παῦσαι. Εἶτα καὶ τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ δείκνυσι τὰ τεκμήρια· Πῶς ἐσώθης ἐννόει, πῶς ἐκλήθης· ὥσπερ φησὶν ἀλλαχοῦ, Κατὰ τὴν ἐνέργειαν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐνεργουμένην ἐν ἡμῖν. Οὕτω τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸν οὐρανὸν μείζων δύναμις αὕτη ἦν, τὸ πεῖσαι τὴν οἰκουμένην. Πῶς οὖν ἐκλήθη, φησὶ, Κλήσει ἁγίᾳ; Τουτέστιν, ἁγίους εἰργάσατο ἁμαρτωλοὺς ὄντας καὶ ἐχθρούς· καὶ ταῦτα οὐκ ἐξ ἡμῶν, Θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον. Εἰ τοίνυν καὶ δυνατός ἐστι τῷ καλέσαι, καὶ ἀγαθὸς τῷ κατὰ χάριν, ἀλλὰ μὴ κατὰ ὀφειλὴν τοῦτο ποιῆσαι, οὐ δεῖ δεδοικέναι. Ὁ γὰρ, ἡνίκα ἡμᾶς ἔδει σωθῆναι, καὶ ἐχθροὺς ὄντας, χάριτι σώσας, ὅταν καὶ ἐργαζομένους ἴδῃ, οὐ πολλῷ μᾶλλον συμπράξει; Οὐ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα ἡμῶν, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ κατ' ἰδίαν πρόθεσιν. Τουτέστιν, οὐδενὸς ἀναγκάζοντος, οὐδενὸς συμβουλεύοντος, ἀλλ' ἐξ ἰδίας προθέσεως, οἴκοθεν ἐκ τῆς ἀγαθότητος αὑτοῦ ὁρμώμενος ἔσωσε· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ, Κατ' ἰδίαν πρόθεσιν. Καὶ χάριν τὴν δοθεῖσαν ἡμῖν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ πρὸ χρόνων αἰωνίων. Τουτέστιν, ἀνάρχως ταῦτα προτετύπωτο ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ γενέσθαι. Οὐ μικρὸν καὶ τοῦτο, τὸ ἄνωθεν βούλεσθαι· οὐκ ἐκ μετανοίας ἄρα. Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἀΐδιος ὁ Υἱός; καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς ταῦτα ἐβούλετο ἐξ ἀρχῆς. Φανερωθεῖσαν δὲ νῦν διὰ τῆς ἐπιφανείας τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καταργήσαντος μὲν τὸν θάνατον, φωτίσαντος δὲ ζωὴν καὶ ἀφθαρσίαν διὰ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου. βʹ. Εἶδες δύναμιν, εἶδες δωρεὰν οὐχὶ δι' ἔργων γενομένην, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου; Ἐλπίδος γὰρ ταῦτά ἐστιν· ἐν μὲν γὰρ τῷ αὐτοῦ σώματι ἀμφότερα ταῦτα γεγένηται, ἐν δὲ τῷ ἡμετέρῳ ἔσται. Πῶς; ∆ιὰ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου. Εἰς ὃ ἐτέθην ἐγὼ κήρυξ καὶ ἀπόστολος καὶ διδάσκαλος ἐθνῶν. Τί δήποτε τοῦτο συνεχῶς λέγει, διδάσκαλον ἐθνῶν ἑαυτὸν καλῶν; Πεῖσαι βουλόμενος, ὅπερ ἔφην, ὅτι χρὴ καὶ ἔθνεσι πλησιάζειν. Μὴ καταπέσῃς τοίνυν ἐν τοῖς ἐμοῖς παθήμασι· καταβέβληται τοῦ θανάτου τὰ νεῦρα. Οὐχ ὡς κακοῦργος ταῦτα ὑπομένω, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν διδασκαλίαν τῶν ἐθνῶν. Ἅμα καὶ ἀξιόπιστον ποιεῖ τὸν λόγον. ∆ι' ἣν αἰτίαν καὶ ταῦτα, φησὶ, πάσχω· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐπαισχύνομαι· οἶδα γὰρ ᾧ πεπίστευκα, καὶ πέπεισμαι, ὅτι δυνατός ἐστι τὴν παρακαταθήκην μου φυλάξαι εἰς ἐκείνην τὴν ἡμέραν. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐπαισχύνομαι, φησίν. Αἰσχύνης γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι, τὰ δεσμά; αἰσχύνης τὰ πάθη; Μὴ οὖν ἐπαισχυνθῇς. Ὁρᾷς πῶς διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἐνδείκνυται τὴν διδασκαλίαν; Ταῦτα πάσχω, φησίν, εἰς δεσμωτήριον ἐμβέβλημαι, ἐλαύνομαι. Οἶδα γὰρ ᾧ