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to testify, and how to place under accusation the one completely departing from the divine purpose; to praise those who in part guard the precision of the evangelical laws, and to correct those who stumble in other things, Christ—who wills all to be saved and wishes them to become heirs and partakers of his own good things—makes clear, having commanded the divine evangelist to send forth the word and the teaching as a suitable medicine for each of the churches; to him be glory for ever and ever, amen. Second Discourse. The first labor of my words and interpretations has been completed; now another mark must be aimed at, showing what the exhortation to the churches is. Therefore, he commands to write first to the church in Ephesus, as presiding over the rest of Asia, saying something like this: To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These things says he who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: I know your works, your labor, and your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have 47 patience and have persevered for my name’s sake, and have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; and repent and do the first works in righteousness; or else I will come to you, and will move your lampstand from its place, if you do not repent. But this you have that is good, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who hears I will give him to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of my God. 'Angel of the church of Ephesus' he said periphrastically for the church in Ephesus. For its angel who presides over the church had not sinned in anything, so as to need to hear 'repent', being most holy and for this reason existing in the right hand of the Lord, bearing this as a sign of his natural purity and luminous splendor. And what need was there for the one revealing the oracle to say to the evangelist, 'write to him'? For the divine angel was present and heard what was said; for he was in the right hand of the one speaking, and finally the holy one himself, interpreting the vision shown to him, says: 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches'; for he did not say 'to the angels of the churches', but 'to the churches'. Thus, therefore, you will also understand in the rest, wherever you find, 'write these things to the angel of this church', that he makes his words not concerning the angel, but concerning the church. And what does he command to be written to the church in Ephesus? 48 'These things says he who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands.' Similar to saying, 'These things says he who attends to and holds fast and holds together both the holy angels in heaven—for these are the seven stars—and the men on earth.' for these are the seven lampstands as was said before. For that he walks in the midst of those who worship him, he also says through the prophet: 'I will dwell in them and walk among them.' 'I know,' he says, 'your works and your labor and your patience, and nothing of the good things you do has escaped me; the one who formed your hearts one by one, who understands all your works.' 'And that you cannot,' he says, 'bear evil men,' possessing a character that hates evil. 'And you have tested those who call themselves apostles, and are not, and found them to be liars.' Those in Ephesus were fulfilling a divine command: not to believe every spirit, but to test the spiritual things, whether they are from God. Therefore they were testing those who were preaching the Gospel among them, and having tested them; they found some false apostles delivering spurious doctrines, and he means those around Cerinthus who, being contemporary with the evangelist, were proclaimers of profane doctrines. 'And you have patience,' he says, 'and have persevered for my name's sake and have not grown weary,' and very fittingly; for it has been said, 'Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of God.' 'But I have,' he says, 'this against you, that you have left your first love.'

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μαρτύρασθαι, καὶ ὅπως τὴν μὲν τέλεον ἔξω βαίνουσαν τοῦ θείου σκοποῦ ἐν αἰτιάσει ποιήσασθαι· τὰς δὲ ἐν μέρει μὲν φυλαττούσας τῶν εὐαγγελικῶν νόμων τὴν ἀκρίβειαν ἐπαινέσαι. ἐν δὲ ἑτέροις πταιούσας ἐπιδιορθώσασθαι, δηλοῖ τῷ θεσπεσίῳ εὐαγγελιστῇ κατάλληλον ἑκάστῃ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν φάρμακον τὸν λόγον καὶ τὴν διδασκαλίαν διαπέμψασθαι προστεταχὼς ὁ πάντας θέλων σωθῆναι Χριστὸς καὶ τῶν οἰκείων ἀγαθῶν κληρονόμους γενέσθαι βουλόμενος καὶ μετόχους· αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, ἀμήν. Λόγος δεύτεροσ ὁ μὲν δὴ πρῶτος ἄθλος τῶν ἐμῶν λόγων τε καὶ ἑρμηνειῶν τετέλεσται· νῦν αὖθ' ἕτερον βλητέον σκοπὸν δεικνύντα τίς ἡ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν παραίνεσις. πρώτη τοιγαροῦν τῇ ἐν Ἐφέσῳ ἐκκλησίᾳ ὡς προκαθεζομένῃ τῆς λοιπῆς Ἀσίας γράψαι διακελεύεται, οὕτω πως λέγων· τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς ἐν Ἐφέσῳ ἐκκλησίας γράψον· τάδε λέγει ὁ κρατῶν τοὺς ἑπτὰ ἀστέρας ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ αὐτοῦ, ὁ περιπατῶν ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἑπτὰ λυχνιῶν τῶν χρυσῶν· οἶδά σου τὰ ἔργα καὶ τὸν κόπον καὶ τὴν ὑπομονήν, καὶ ὅτι οὐ δύνασαι βαστά σαι κακούς, καὶ ἐπείρασας τοὺς λέγοντας ἑαυτοὺς ἀποστό λους, καὶ οὐκ εἰσίν, καὶ εὗρες αὐτοὺς ψευδεῖς· καὶ ὑπομονὴν 47 ἔχεις καὶ ἐβάστασας διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου, καὶ οὐκ ἐκοπίασας. ἀλλὰ ἔχω κατὰ σοῦ, ὅτι τὴν ἀγάπην σου τὴν πρώτην ἀφῆκας. μνημόνευε οὖν πόθεν πέπτωκας καὶ μετανόησον καὶ τὰ πρῶτα ἔργα ποίησον ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ· εἰ δὲ μή, ἔρχομαί σοι, καὶ κινήσω τὴν λυχνίαν σου ἐκ τοῦ τόπου αὐτῆς, ἐὰν μὴ μετα νοήσῃς. ἀλλὰ τοῦτο ἔχεις ἀγαθόν, ὅτι μισεῖς τὰ ἔργα τῶν Νικολαϊτῶν, ἃ κἀγὼ μισῶ. ὁ ἔχων οὖς ἀκουσάτω τί τὸ Πνεῦμα λέγει ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις. τῷ ἀκούοντι δώσω αὐτῷ Φαγεῖν ἐκ τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς, ὅ ἐστιν ἐν παραδείσῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ μου. ἄγγελον τῆς Ἐφέσου ἐκκλησίας περιφραστικῶς ἔφη τὴν ἐν Ἐφέσῳ ἐκκλησίαν. οὐ γὰρ ὁ ἄγγελος αὐτοῦ ὁ προστατῶν τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἡμαρτήκει τι, ὡς δεῖσθαι τοῦ ἀκούειν μετανόησον, ὁ ἁγιώτατος καὶ διὰ τοῦτο εἴς τε τὴν δεξιὰν τοῦ Κυρίου ὑπάρχων, δεῖγμα τοῦτο φέρων τῆς κατὰ τὴν φύσιν αὐτοῦ καθαρότητος καὶ φωτοειδοῦς μαρμαρυγῆς. τίς δὲ ἦν καὶ χρεῖα τοῦ λέγειν τὸν χρηματίζοντα τῷ εὐαγγελιστῇ γράψον αὐτῷ; παρῆν γὰρ καὶ ἤκουεν τῶν λεγομένων ὁ θεῖος ἄγγελος· ἐν γὰρ τῇ δεξιᾷ ἦν τοῦ διαλεγομένου, καὶ τέλος αὐτὸς ἑρμηνεύων ὁ ἅγιος τὴν ὀφθεῖσαν αὐτῷ θεωρίαν, φησίν· ὁ ἔχων οὖς, ἀκουσάτω τί τὸ Πνεῦμα λέγει ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις· οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν τοῖς ἀγγέλοις τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν, ἀλλὰ ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις. οὕτως οὖν καὶ ἐν τοῖς λοιποῖς νοήσεις ἔνθα ἂν εὕρῃς, γράψον τάδε τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆσδε τῆς ἐκκλησίας ὅτι οὐ περὶ τοῦ ἀγγέλου, ἀλλὰ περὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ποιεῖται τοὺς λόγους. τί δὲ κελεύει γραφῆναι τῇ ἐν Ἐφέσῳ ἐκκλησίᾳ; 48 τάδε λέγει ὁ κρατῶν τοὺς ἑπτὰ ἀστέρας ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ αὐτοῦ, ὁ περιπατῶν ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἑπτὰ λυχνιῶν τῶν χρυσῶν. ὅμοιον τῷ εἰπεῖν, τάδε λέγει ὁ περιέπων καὶ διακρατῶν καὶ συνέχων τούς τε ἐν οὐρανῷ ἁγίους ἀγγέλουςοὗτοι γὰρ οἱ ἑπτὰ ἀστέρεςκαὶ τοὺς ἐπὶ γῆς ἀνθρώπους. οὗτοι γὰρ αἱ ἑπτὰ λυχνίαι καθὼς πρόσθεν εἴρηται· ὅτι γὰρ ἐν μέσῳ τῶν σεβομένων αὐτῷ περιπατεῖ καὶ διὰ τοῦ προφήτου φησίν· ἐνοικήσω ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐμπεριπατήσω. οἶδά σού φησιν τὰ ἔργα καὶ τὸν κόπον καὶ τὴν ὑπομονὴν, καὶ οὐδὲν ὧν πράττεις ἀγαθῶν λέληθέ με· τὸν πλάσαντα κατὰ μόνας τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν, τὸν συνιέντα εἰς πάντα τὰ ἔργα ὑμῶν καὶ ὅτι οὐ δύνασαί φησιν βαστάσαι κακούς, μισοπόνηρον ἦθος κεκτημένη. καὶ ἐπείρασας τοὺς λέγοντας ἑαυτοὺς ἀποστόλους, καὶ οὐκ εἰσὶν καὶ εὗρες ὡς ψευδεῖς. θεῖον ἐπλήρουν οἱ ἐν Ἐφέσῳ παράγγελμα· μὴ παντὶ πνεύματι πιστεύειν, δοκιμάζειν δὲ τὰ πνευματικά, εἰ ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰσιν. διὸ ἐπείραζον τοὺς ἐν αὐτοῖς τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον κηρύσσοντας καὶ πειράσαντας· εὗρόν τινας ψευδαποστόλους νόθα παραδιδόντας δόγματα, λέγει δὲ τοὺς περὶ Κόρινθον οἳ συγχρονίσαντες τῷ εὐαγγελίστῃ καταγγελεῖς βεβήλων ὑπῆρχον δογμάτων. καὶ ὑπομονήν φησιν ἔχεις, καὶ ἐβάστασας διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου καὶ οὐκ ἐκοπίασας, καὶ μάλα πρεπόντως· εἴρηται γὰρ ἀλλήλων τὰ βάρη βαστάζετε καὶ οὕτως ἀναπληρώσατε τὸν νόμον τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἀλλὰ ἔχω φησὶν κατὰ σοῦ, ὅτι τὴν ἀγάπην σου τὴν πρώτην ἀφῆκας.