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I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to guard my deposit for that day. What is the deposit? The 62.609 faith, the preaching. This, he says, the one who deposited it will keep intact. I suffer all things so that the treasure might not be plundered; I am not ashamed of these things, as long as it is kept safe and intact. Or he calls the faithful the deposit, which God deposited with him, or which he himself deposited with God. For "And now," he says, "behold, I commend you to the Lord;" that is, these things will not be unprofitable for me; and Timothy shows me the fruit of the deposit. Do you see him not even perceiving the evils because of the hope of his disciples? It is necessary for the teacher to be such, to care for his disciples in this way, to consider them everything. "Now we live," he says, "if you stand fast in the Lord;" and again, "For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting? Is it not you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ?" Do you see him caring for these things, the things of his disciples no less than his own? For it is necessary to surpass natural fathers, it is necessary to be more fervent. But it is also fitting for the children to be affectionately disposed toward them. For "Obey," he says, "your leaders and submit to them, knowing that they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account." For tell me, he is responsible for so great a danger; but you do not even wish to obey him, and this for your own benefit? For even if he arranges his own affairs well, as long as yours are not well disposed, he is in agony, he gives a double account. But consider how great it is to be examined for each of those who are ruled and to be in agony. How much honor do you wish to give? How much service as a counterbalance to these dangers? But you will say nothing is equal; for you have not yet given your soul, but he lays down his soul for you. And even if he does not lay it down here when the time calls, he loses it there; but you do not even wish to submit in word. This is the cause of all evils, that the authority of rulers has vanished; there is no reverence, no fear. "Obey," he says, "your leaders and submit to them;" but now everything has been overturned and thrown into confusion. I do not say these things for the sake of the leaders; for what will they profit from our honor, except insofar as they will have obedient subjects? But for your own benefit. For these men, even if they are honored, gain nothing for the future, but their condemnation is greater; and if they are insulted, they have been harmed in nothing for the future, but their defense is even greater. But for your own sakes I wish all things to be done. For when leaders are honored by those they rule, this is also brought up against them, just as He said to Eli, "I took you from your father's house;" but when they are insulted, as in the case of Samuel, "They have not," He says, "rejected you, but Me." So that insult is a gain for them, but honor is a burden. Therefore, I do not say these things for their sake, but for your own. He who honors the priest will also honor God; but he who has learned to despise the priest, proceeding on his way, will one day also insult God. "He who receives you," He says, "receives Me;" and, "Hold his priests," it says, "in honor." From this the Jews learned to despise God, because they despised Moses, because they stoned him. For when someone is reverently disposed toward the priest, much more so toward God. And even if the priest is worthless, God, seeing that for the sake of honor toward Him you serve even the one not worthy of honor, will Himself give you your reward. For if "he who receives 62.610 a prophet," He says, "in the name of a prophet, will receive a prophet's reward;" so too he who honors and he who yields and he who obeys, that is, the priest. For if, where it is a matter of hospitality, where you do not know the one lodging, you receive so great a reward; to whom He commands you to submit, if you submit, how much more. "On Moses'," He says, "seat have sat the scribes and the Pharisees; therefore, all that they tell you to do, do; but do not do according to their works." Do you not know what the

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πεπίστευκα, καὶ πέπεισμαι ὅτι δυνατός ἐστι τὴν παρακαταθήκην μου φυλάξαι εἰς ἐκείνην τὴν ἡμέραν. Τί ἐστι παρακαταθήκη; Ἡ 62.609 πίστις, τὸ κήρυγμα. Τοῦτο αὐτὸς, φησὶν, ὁ παρακαταθέμενος ἀκέραιον φυλάξει. Πάντα πάσχω ὥστε μὴ τὸν θησαυρὸν συληθῆναι· οὐκ ἐπαισχύνομαι τούτοις, ἕως ἂν αὐτὴ ἀκέραιος σώζηται. Ἢ τοὺς πιστοὺς λέγει τὴν παρακαθήκην, ἣν ὁ Θεὸς αὐτῷ παρακατέθετο, ἢ ἣν αὐτὸς τῷ Θεῷ. Καὶ νῦν γὰρ, φησὶν, ἰδοὺ παρατίθεμαι ὑμᾶς τῷ Κυρίω· τουτέστιν, οὐκ ἀνόνητά μοι ταῦτα ἔσται· καὶ Τιμόθεος τῆς παρακαταθήκης δεικνύει μοι τὸν καρπόν. Ὁρᾷς αὐτὸν οὐδὲ αἰσθανόμενον τῶν κακῶν διὰ τὴν ἐλπίδα τῶν μαθητῶν; Τοιοῦτον εἶναι τὸν διδάσκαλον χρὴ, οὕτω κήδεσθαι τῶν μαθητῶν, τούτους πάντα ἡγεῖσθαι. Νῦν ζῶμεν, φησὶν, ἐὰν ὑμεῖς στήκητε ἐν Κυρίῳ· καὶ πάλιν, Τίς γὰρ ἡμῶν ἐλπὶς ἢ χαρὰ ἢ στέφανος καυχήσεως; ἢ οὐχὶ καὶ ὑμεῖς ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ; Ὁρᾷς αὐτὸν ταῦτα μεριμνῶντα, οὐχ ἧττον τῶν οἰκείων τὰ τῶν μαθητῶν; ∆εῖ γὰρ τοὺς φυσικοὺς πατέρας ὑπεραίρειν, δεῖ θερμοτέρους εἶναι. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς παῖδας φιλοστόργως πρὸς αὐτοὺς διακεῖσθαι προσήκει. Πείθεσθε γὰρ, φησὶ, τοῖς ἡγουμένοις ὑμῶν καὶ ὑπείκετε, εἰδότες ὅτι αὐτοὶ ἀγρυπνοῦσιν ὑπὲρ τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν, ὡς λόγον ἀποδώσοντες. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, αὐτὸς μὲν τοσούτῳ κινδύνῳ ἐστὶν ὑπεύθυνος· σὺ δὲ οὐδὲ πείθεσθαι αὐτῷ βούλει, καὶ ταῦτα εἰς τό σοι συμφέρον; Κἂν γὰρ τὰ καθ' ἑαυτὸν καλῶς διάθηται, ἕως ἂν τὰ σὰ μὴ καλῶς ᾖ διακείμενα, ἐναγώνιός ἐστι, διπλᾶς δίδωσι τὰς εὐθύνας. Ἐννόησον δὲ ὅσον ἐστὶ καθ' ἕκαστον τῶν ἀρχομένων ἐξετάζεσθαι καὶ ἀγωνιᾷν. Πόσην βούλει θεῖναι τιμήν; πόσην θεραπείαν ἀντίῤῥοπον τῶν κινδύνων τούτων; Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἴσον ἐρεῖς· οὔπω γὰρ τὴν ψυχὴν ἐπιδέδωκας, αὐτὸς δὲ τὴν ψυχὴν τίθησιν ὑπὲρ σοῦ. Κἂν μὴ θῇ ἐνταῦθα καιροῦ καλοῦντος, ἀπολλύει αὐτὴν ἐκεῖ· σὺ δὲ οὐδὲ μέχρι λόγου ὑποτάσσεσθαι βούλει. Τοῦτο πάντων τῶν κακῶν αἴτιον, ὅτι τὰ τῶν ἀρχόντων ἠφανίσθη· οὐδεμία αἰδὼς, οὐδεὶς φόβος. Πείθεσθε, φησὶ, τοῖς ἡγουμένοις ὑμῶν, καὶ ὑπείκετε· νυνὶ δὲ πάντα κατεστράφη καὶ συγκέχυται. Οὐχὶ τῶν ἡγουμένων ἕνεκεν ταῦτα λέγω· τί γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς τιμῆς ὠφεληθήσονται τῆς ἡμετέρας, ἢ τοσοῦτον ὅσον πειθηνίους ἕξουσιν; ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ ὑμῖν συμφέρον. Οὗτοι μὲν γὰρ, κἂν τιμηθῶσιν, οὐδὲν ὠφελοῦνται πρὸς τὸ μέλλον, ἀλλὰ μεῖζον αὐτοῖς τὸ κατάκριμα· κἂν ὑβρισθῶσιν, οὐδὲν ἐβλάβησαν πρὸς τὸ μέλλον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλείων αὐτοῖς ἡ ἀπολογία. Ἀλλ' ὑμῶν αὐτῶν ἕνεκεν ἅπαντα βούλομαι γενέσθαι. Ὅταν γὰρ τιμῶνται παρὰ τῶν ἀρχομένων οἱ ἡγούμενοι, καὶ τοῦτο αὐτοῖς προφέρεται, καθάπερ τῷ Ἠλεὶ ἔλεγεν, Ἔλαβόν σε ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός σου· ὅταν δὲ ὑβρίζωνται, καθάπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ Σαμουὴλ, Οὐ σὲ, φησὶν, ἐξουθενήκασιν, ἀλλ' ἢ ἐμέ. Ὥστε ἡ μὲν ὕβρις κέρδος αὐτοῖς ἐστιν, ἡ δὲ τιμὴ βάρος. Οὐκ αὐτῶν τοίνυν ἕνεκεν ταῦτα λέγω, ἀλλ' ὑμῶν αὐτῶν. Ὁ τιμῶν τὸν ἱερέα, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν τιμήσει· ὁ δὲ μαθὼν τοῦ ἱερέως καταφρονεῖν, ὁδῷ προβαίνων καὶ εἰς τὸν Θεὸν ὑβρίσει ποτέ. Ὁ δεχόμενος ὑμᾶς, φησὶν, ἐμὲ δέχεται· καὶ, Τοὺς ἱερέας αὐτοῦ, φησὶν, ἐντίμους ἔχε. Ἐντεῦθεν ἔμαθον Ἰουδαῖοι τοῦ Θεοῦ καταφρονεῖν, ὅτι Μωϋσέως κατεφρόνησαν, ὅτι αὐτὸν ἐλίθαζον. Ὅταν γάρ τις πρὸς τὸν ἱερέα εὐλαβῶς διατεθῇ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Κἂν ὁ ἱερεὺς φαῦλος ᾖ, ὁ Θεὸς ὁρῶν ὅτι διὰ τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν τιμὴν καὶ τὸν οὐκ ἄξιον τιμῆς θεραπεύεις, καὶ αὐτὸς ἀποδώσει σοι τὴν ἀμοιβήν. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ δεχό 62.610 μενος προφήτην, φησὶν, εἰς ὄνομα προφήτου, μισθὸν προφήτου λήψεται· καὶ ὁ τιμῶν καὶ ὁ εἴκων καὶ ὑπακούων, δηλονότι τῷ ἱερεῖ. Εἰ γὰρ ἔνθα φιλοξενίας λόγος, ἔνθα οὐκ οἶδας τὸν καταγόμενον, τοσοῦτον λαμβάνεις μισθόν· ᾧ καὶ κελεύει ὑποτάσσεσθαι, ἂν ὑποταγῇς, πολλῷ μᾶλλον. Ἐπὶ τῆς Μωϋσέως, φησὶ, καθέδρας ἐκάθισαν οἱ γραμματεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι· πάντα οὖν, ὅσα ἂν λέγωσιν ὑμῖν ποιεῖν, ποιεῖτε· κατὰ δὲ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν μὴ ποιεῖτε. Οὐκ οἶδας τί ἐστιν ὁ