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they judge immediately. No one is like Paul, I too confess; but He who receives a prophet, he says, in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet's reward. For were they admired for this reason, because they worked with Paul? Not for this reason, but because of receiving the preaching. Paul was honored for this reason, because he suffered these things for Christ. Indeed no one is like Paul. What am I saying, like Paul? But not even a little bit near that blessed one; but the preaching is the same as it was then. And not only when he was in bonds did they have fellowship with him, but also from the beginning; for hear him saying: And you yourselves also know, Philippians, that in the beginning of the Gospel, no church had fellowship with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only. And even without temptations the teacher has much labor, sleeplessness, toil in speech, teaching, reproaches, accusations, charges, slanders. Are these small things, to endure countless mouths, when it is possible to be concerned with one's own affairs? Woe is me, what shall I do? I am caught between two matters, at a loss; for I want both to urge you and to exhort you to the alliance and support of the saints of God; but I fear that someone might suspect something else, that I say these things not for your sake, but for theirs. But know that I say these things not for their sake, but for your own. And if you are willing to pay attention, I persuade you through these very words; the profit is not equal for you and for them. For if you give, you will give these things, from which a little later, both willingly and unwillingly, you will part and yield to others; but what you receive is much great and greater. Or are you not so disposed, that in giving you will receive? For if you are not so disposed, I do not want you to give; thus I am not making the argument for their 62.188 sake. Unless someone has first so disposed himself, as receiving rather than giving, as gaining countless things, as being benefited rather than benefiting, let him not give; if as one doing a favor to the one receiving, let him not give. For this is not my chief concern, that the saints be fed; for even if you do not give, another will. So what I want is this, that you have a consolation for your sins; but he who does not give thus will not have consolation. For to give is not what it is to do alms, but to do so with eagerness, rejoicing, being grateful to the one receiving; For not out of grief, he says, nor out of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. If, therefore, anyone does not give thus, let him not give; for this is a loss, not an alms. If, therefore, you know that you will profit, not they, know that the profit becomes greater for you. For their body is nourished, but your soul is well-pleasing; for them none of their sins are forgiven when they receive, but for you many of your offenses are cut away. Let us therefore share in their struggles, that we may also share in their great prizes. Some who adopt kings as sons, do not consider that they are giving more than receiving. You adopt Christ as a son, and you will have great security. Do you wish also to have fellowship with Paul? what am I saying, with Paul, when it is Christ who receives? 5. And that you may know that I both say and do all things for your sake, not caring for the repose of others; if there is one of the rulers of the Church living in abundance, and in need of nothing, even if he is a saint, do not give, but prefer to him the one who is in want, even if he is not so admirable. Why so? Because Christ also wishes it so, as when He says: If you make a dinner or a supper, do not call your friends, nor your kinsmen, but the maimed, the lame, the blind, those who cannot repay you. For one must not simply make such receptions, but for the hungry, but for the thirsty, but for the naked, but for strangers, but for those impoverished from wealth. For he did not simply say, I was fed, but, I was hungry; For I was hungry, he says, you saw, and you fed me. The claim is twofold; and if one must feed the one who is simply hungry, how much more so when also

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εὐθέως κρίνουσιν. Οὐδεὶς κατὰ Παῦλόν ἐστι, κἀγὼ ὁμολογῶ· ἀλλ' Ὁ δεχόμενος, φησὶ, προφήτην εἰς ὄνομα προφήτου, μισθὸν προφήτου λήψεται. Μὴ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι διὰ τοῦτο ἐθαυμάζοντο, ἐπειδὴ Παύλῳ συνέπραττον; Οὐ διὰ τοῦτο, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἀναδεξαμένῳ τὸ κήρυγμα. Παῦλος διὰ τοῦτο τίμιος ἦν, ἐπειδὴ ταῦτα ἔπασχε διὰ τὸν Χριστόν. Κατὰ Παῦλον μὲν οὐδείς ἐστι. Τί λέγω κατὰ Παῦλον; Ἀλλὰ οὐδὲ κατὰ μικρὸν ἐγγὺς τοῦ μακαρίου ἐκείνου· τὸ δὲ κήρυγμα τὸ αὐτό ἐστιν, ὅπερ καὶ τότε. Οὐκ ἐν δεσμοῖς δὲ ὄντι μόνον ἐκοινώνουν αὐτῷ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐξ ἀρχῆς· ἄκουε γὰρ αὐτοῦ λέγοντος· Οἴδατε δὲ καὶ ὑμεῖς, Φιλιππήσιοι, ὅτι ἐν ἀρχῇ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου οὐδεμία μοι Ἐκκλησία ἐκοινώνησεν εἰς λόγον δόσεως καὶ λήψεως, εἰ μὴ ὑμεῖς μόνοι. Καὶ χωρὶς πειρασμῶν δὲ ἔχει πολὺν ὁ διδάσκαλος πόνον, ἀγρυπνίαν, κόπον τὸν ἐν λόγῳ, διδασκαλίαν, μέμψεις, κατηγορίας, αἰτίας, βασκανίας. Μικρὰ ταῦτα, τὸ μυρίων ἀνέχεσθαι στομάτων, ἐξὸν τὰ αὐτοῦ μεριμνᾷν; Οἴμοι, τί πάθω; ἐν μέσῳ δυοῖν ἐναπείλημμαι πραγμάτων ἀπορῶν· βούλομαι μὲν γὰρ καὶ προτρέψαι ὑμᾶς, καὶ παρακαλέσαι πρὸς τὴν συμμαχίαν καὶ τὴν ἀντίληψιν τῶν ἁγίων τοῦ Θεοῦ· δέδοικα δὲ μὴ ἕτερόν τις ὑποπτεύσῃ, ὅτι οὐχ ὑμῶν ἕνεκεν, ἀλλ' ἐκείνων ταῦτα λέγω. Ἴστε δὲ, ὅτι οὐκ ἐκείνων ἕνεκεν ταῦτα λέγω, ἀλλ' ὑμῶν αὐτῶν. Καὶ εἰ βούλεσθε προσέχειν, δι' αὐτῶν τῶν λόγων ὑμᾶς πείθω· οὐκ ἔστιν ἴσον ὑμῖν τὸ κέρδος, κἀκείνοις. Ὑμεῖς μὲν γὰρ ἐὰν δῶτε, ταῦτα δώσετε, ὧν καὶ μικρὸν ὕστερον καὶ ἑκόντες καὶ ἄκοντες ἀποστήσεσθε, καὶ παραχωρήσετε ἑτέροις· ἃ δὲ λαμβάνεις, πολλῷ μεγάλα ἐστὶ καὶ μείζονα. Ἢ οὐχ οὕτω διάκεισθε, ὅτι διδόντες λήψεσθε; Εἰ γὰρ μὴ οὕτω διάκεισθε, οὐδὲ δοῦναι ὑμᾶς βούλομαι· οὕτως οὐ τὸν ὑπὲρ ἐκεί 62.188 νων ποιοῦμαι λόγον Εἰ μή τις οὕτω πρότερον ἑαυτὸν διέθηκεν, ὡς λαμβάνων μᾶλλον ἢ διδοὺς, ὡς κερδαίνων μυρία, ὡς εὐεργετούμενος ἢ εὐεργετῶν, μὴ διδότω· εἰ ὡς χάριν παρέχων τῷ λαμβάνοντι, μὴ διδότω. Οὐ γὰρ τοῦτό μοι περισπούδαστον τοσοῦτον τραφῆναι τοὺς ἁγίους· κἂν γὰρ σὺ μὴ δῷς, ἕτερος δώσει. Ὥστε ὃ βούλομαι, τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὑμᾶς τῶν ὑμετέρων ἁμαρτημάτων παραμυθίαν ἔχειν· ὁ δὲ μὴ οὕτω διδοὺς, οὐχ ἕξει παραμυθίαν. Οὐ γὰρ τὸ δοῦναι, τοῦτό ἐστιν ἐλεημοσύνην ἐργάσασθαι, ἀλλὰ τὸ μετὰ προθυμίας, τὸ χαίροντα, τὸ χάριν εἰδότα τῷ λαμβάνοντι· Μὴ ἐκ λύπης γὰρ, φησὶ, μηδὲ ἐξ ἀνάγκης· ἱλαρὸν γὰρ δότην ἀγαπᾷ ὁ Θεός. Εἰ μή τις τοίνυν οὕτω δίδωσι, μὴ διδότω· ζημία γὰρ τοῦτό ἐστιν, οὐκ ἐλεημοσύνη. Εἰ τοίνυν ἴστε, ὅτι ὑμεῖς κερδανεῖτε, οὐκ ἐκεῖνοι, ἴστε, ὅτι μεῖζον ὑμῖν τὸ κέρδος γίνεται. Ἐκείνοις μὲν γὰρ τὸ σῶμα τρέφεται, ὑμῖν δὲ ἡ ψυχὴ εὐδοκιμεῖ· ἐκείνοις οὐδὲν ἀφίεται τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, ὅταν λάβωσιν, ὑμῖν δὲ τὰ πολλὰ τῶν προσκρουμάτων ὑποτέμνεται. Κοινωνῶμεν τοίνυν αὐτοῖς τῶν ἄθλων, ἵνα καὶ τῶν ἐκείνοις κοινωνήσωμεν μεγάλων ἐπάθλων. Βασιλέας υἱοποιοῦντές τινες, οὐχ ἡγοῦνται διδόναι μᾶλλον, ἢ λαμβάνειν. Υἱοποίησαι σὺ τὸν Χριστὸν, καὶ ἕξεις πολλὴν ἀσφάλειαν. Βούλει καὶ Παύλῳ κοινωνῆσαι; τί λέγω Παύλῳ, ὅπου γε Χριστός ἐστιν ὁ λαμβάνων; εʹ. Ἵνα δὲ εἰδῆτε ὅτι ὑμῶν ἕνεκεν πάντα καὶ λέγω καὶ ποιῶ, οὐ τῆς ἑτέρων ἀναπαύσεως κηδόμενος· εἴ τίς ἐστι τῶν προεστώτων Ἐκκλησίας ἐν ἀφθονίᾳ ζῶν, καὶ μηδενὸς δεόμενος, κἂν ἅγιος ᾖ, μὴ δῷς, ἀλλὰ προτίμησον ἐκείνου τὸν ἐν ἀδείᾳ ὄντα, κἂν μὴ οὕτως ᾖ θαυμαστός. Τί δήποτε; Ὅτι καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς οὕτω βούλεται, ὡς ὅταν λέγῃ· Ἐὰν ποιῇς δεῖπνον, ἢ ἄριστον, μὴ καλέσῃς τοὺς φίλους σου, μηδὲ τοὺς συγγενεῖς, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἀναπήρους, τοὺς χωλοὺς, τοὺς τυφλοὺς, τοὺς μὴ δυναμένους ἀνταποδοῦναί σοι. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς δεῖ τὰς τοιαύτας δεξιώσεις ποιεῖν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς πεινῶσιν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς διψῶσιν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς γυμνητεύουσιν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ξένοις, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἀπὸ πλούτου πτωχεύσασιν. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν ἁπλῶς, Ἐτράφην, ἀλλ', Ἐπείνων· Πεινῶντά με γὰρ, φησὶν, εἴδετε, καὶ ἐθρέψατε. ∆ιπλοῦν τὸ δικαίωμα· εἰ δὲ τὸν ἁπλῶς πεινῶντα δεῖ τρέφειν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον, ὅταν καὶ