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he gives, bowels warm, and fervent; for to his genuine servants he gives bowels. In those, he says, bowels; as if one might say: I love you with bowels not natural, but with warmer ones, those of Christ. How I long, he says, for you all. I long for all, since you all are also such. 62.190 Therefore it is not possible to say how I long; for I cannot represent the longing in word; for this reason I leave it to God to know, to him who enters into hearts. But he would not, if he were flattering them, have called God as a witness; for this is not without danger. And this, he says, I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more. Well; for this good is insatiable. See how, being loved, he wished to be loved yet more. For he who loves so, never wishes the one loved to stand still in their love; for there is no measure of this good. Whence Paul always wishes this to be owed, saying, Owe no one anything, except to love one another. The measure of love is to nowhere stand still. That your love, he says, may abound yet more and more. See the disposition of the phrase. Yet more and more, he says, that it may abound in knowledge and all perception. He does not simply admire friendship, nor simply love, but that which is from knowledge; that is, not that you should use the same love toward all; for this is not of love, but of coldness. What is, In knowledge? That is, with judgment, with reasoning, with perception. For there are some who love irrationally, simply and as it may happen; whence it happens that such friendships are not intense. In knowledge, he says, and all perception, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, that is, the things that are 62.191 advantageous. Not for my sake do I say these things, he says, but for your own; for there is fear lest someone be corrupted by the love of heretics. For he hints at this whole thing by speaking thus. And see how he puts it; Not for my sake, he says, do I say these things, but that you may be sincere; that is, that you may not receive any spurious doctrine under the pretext of love. How then does he say elsewhere, If it is possible, be at peace with all men? He said, Be at peace, not declaring this, that you should not so love, as to be harmed by the friendship; For if your right eye offends you, he says, pluck it out, and cast it from you; but, That you may be sincere, obviously in what pertains to God, and without offense, in what pertains to men. For friendships often harm many. For even if it does not harm you at all, he says, yet another stumbles. Unto the day of Christ; that is, that you may then be found pure, having offended no one; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God; that is, having along with the doctrines also a right life. For one must not simply be right, but be filled with the fruits of righteousness. For there is a righteousness, but not according to Christ, such as a simply virtuous life; but, Of those by Jesus Christ, he says, unto the glory and praise of God. Do you see that I speak not of my own glory, but the righteousness of God? And in many places he calls almsgiving also righteousness. Let not love, he says, injure you with respect to knowing the things that are advantageous, nor, because you love so-and-so, should you fall away. I wish your love to increase, but not in such a way as to be harmed; and I do not simply wish it by prejudice, but having tested whether we speak well. And he did not say, That you should choose our things, but, That you should test. And he did not say openly, Do not approach so-and-so; but, I wish your love to be for your advantage, not that you should be disposed insensibly. For it is foolish, if you do not work righteousness for Christ’s sake, and through him. Behold the, Through him, again. Does he then use God as a minister? Far from it; not that I, he says, might be praised, did I say this, but that God might be glorified. Now I would have you know, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the progress of the Gospel. So that the

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χαρίζεται, σπλάγχνα θερμὰ, καὶ διάπυρα· τοῖς γὰρ γνησίοις αὐτοῦ δούλοις σπλάγχνα χαρίζεται. Ἐν ἐκείνοις, φησὶ, τοῖς σπλάγχνοις· ὡς ἂν εἴ τις εἴποι· Φιλῶ ὑμᾶς σπλάγχνοις οὐ φυσικοῖς, ἀλλὰ τοῖς θερμοτέροις, τοῖς τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ὡς ἐπιποθῶ, φησὶ, πάντας ὑμᾶς. Ἐπιποθῶ πάντας, ἐπειδὴ καὶ πάντες τοιοῦτοί ἐστε. 62.190 Οὐ τοίνυν δυνατὸν εἰπεῖν πῶς ἐπιποθῶ· οὐ γὰρ δύναμαι παραστῆσαι τῷ λόγῳ τὸν πόθον· διὰ τοῦτο τῷ Θεῷ καταλιμπάνω εἰδέναι τῷ τὰς καρδίας ἐμβατεύοντι. Οὐκ ἂν δὲ, εἰ ἐκολάκευεν αὐτοὺς, τὸν Θεὸν ἐκάλεσε μάρτυρα· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀκίνδυνον τοῦτο. Καὶ τοῦτο, φησὶ, προσεύχομαι, ἵνα ἡ ἀγάπη ὑμῶν ἔτι μᾶλλον καὶ μᾶλλον περισσεύῃ. Καλῶς· ἀκόρεστον γὰρ ἀγαθὸν τοῦτο. Ὅρα πῶς φιλούμενος, ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐβούλετο φιλεῖσθαι. Ὁ γὰρ οὕτω φιλῶν, τὸν φιλούμενον οὐδαμοῦ τῆς ἀγάπης βούλεται ἵστασθαι· οὐ γὰρ ἔνι μέτρον τούτου τοῦ καλοῦ. Ὅθεν ἀεὶ αὐτὸ ὀφείλεσθαι βούλεται ὁ Παῦλος, Μηδενὶ, λέγων, μηδὲν ὀφείλετε, εἰ μὴ τὸ ἀγαπᾷν ἀλλήλους. Μέτρον ἀγάπης, τὸ μηδαμοῦ ἵστασθαι. Ἵνα ἡ ἀγάπη ὑμῶν, φησὶν, ἔτι μᾶλλον καὶ μᾶλλον περισσεύῃ. Ὅρα τὴν διάθεσιν τῆς λέξεως. Ἔτι μᾶλλον καὶ μᾶλλον, φησὶν, ἵνα περισσεύῃ ἐν ἐπιγνώσει καὶ πάσῃ αἰσθήσει. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς τὴν φιλίαν θαυμάζει, οὐδὲ ἁπλῶς τὴν ἀγάπην, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐξ ἐπιγνώσεως· τουτέστιν, οὐχ ἵνα πρὸς ἅπαντας τῇ αὐτῇ χρήσησθε ἀγάπῃ· τοῦτο γὰρ οὐκ ἀγάπης, ἀλλὰ ψυχρότητος. Τί ἐστιν, Ἐν ἐπιγνώσει; Τουτέστι, μετὰ κρίσεως μετὰ λογισμοῦ, μετὰ τοῦ αἰσθάνεσθαι. Εἰσὶ γάρ τινες ἀλόγως φιλοῦντες, ἁπλῶς καὶ ὡς ἔτυχεν· ὅθεν οὐδὲ σφοδρὰς εἶναι τὰς τοιαύτας φιλίας συμβαίνει Ἐν ἐπιγνώσει, φησὶ, καὶ πάσῃ αἰσθήσει, εἰς τὸ δοκιμάζειν ὑμᾶς τὰ διαφέροντα, τουτέστι, τὰ συμ 62.191 φέροντα. Οὐκ ἐμοῦ ἕνεκεν ταῦτα λέγω, φησὶν, ἀλλ' ὑμῶν αὐτῶν· δέος γὰρ μή τις παραφθαρῇ ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν αἱρετικῶν ἀγάπης. Τοῦτο γὰρ ὅλον αἰνίττεται τῷ οὕτως εἰπεῖν. Καὶ ὅρα πῶς αὐτὸ τίθησιν· Οὐ δι' ἐμὲ, φησὶ, ταῦτα λέγω, ἀλλ' ἵνα ἦτε ὑμεῖς εἰλικρινεῖς· τουτέστιν, Ἵνα μηδὲν νόθον δόγμα τῷ τῆς ἀγάπης προσχήματι παραδέχησθε. Πῶς οὖν ἀλλαχοῦ φησιν, Εἰ δυνατὸν, μετὰ πάντων ἀνθρώπων εἰρηνεύετε; Εἰρηνεύετε, εἶπεν, οὐ τοῦτο δηλῶν, ὅτι Οὐχ οὕτως ἀγαπᾶτε, ὥστε ὑπὸ τῆς φιλίας βλάπτεσθαι· Εἰ γὰρ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου ὁ δεξιὸς σκανδαλίζει σε, φησὶν, ἔκκοψον αὐτὸν, καὶ βάλε ἀπὸ σοῦ· ἀλλ', Ἵνα ἦτε εἰλικρινεῖς, τὸ κατὰ Θεὸν δηλονότι, καὶ ἀπρόσκοποι, τὸ κατὰ ἀνθρώπους. Πολλοὺς γὰρ πολλάκις αἱ φιλίαι βλάπτουσιν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ σὲ οὐδὲν βλάπτει, φησὶν, ἀλλ' ἕτερος προσκόπτει. Εἰς ἡμέραν Χριστοῦ· τουτέστιν, Ἵνα τότε εὑρεθῆτε καθαροὶ, μηδένα σκανδαλίσαντες· Πεπληρωμένοι καρπῶν δικαιοσύνης τῶν διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, εἰς δόξαν καὶ ἔπαινον Θεοῦ· τουτέστι μετὰ τῶν δογμάτων καὶ βίον ὀρθὸν ἔχοντες. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς ὀρθὸν εἶναι χρὴ, ἀλλὰ πεπληρῶσθαι καρπῶν δικαιοσύνης. Ἔστι γὰρ δικαιοσύνη, ἀλλ' οὐ κατὰ Χριστὸν, οἷον βίος ἁπλῶς ἐνάρετος· ἀλλὰ, Τῶν διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, φησὶν, εἰς δόξαν καὶ ἔπαινον Θεοῦ. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι οὐ τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ δόξαν λέγω, ἀλλὰ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην; Πολλαχοῦ δὲ δικαιοσύνην καὶ τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην λέγει. Μὴ παραβλαπτέτω ὑμᾶς, φησὶν, ἡ ἀγάπη πρὸς τὸ εἰδέναι τὰ συμφέροντα, μηδὲ, ἐπειδὴ τὸν δεῖνα φιλεῖς, καταπέσῃς Βούλομαι μὲν αὐξάνεσθαι τὴν ἀγάπην ὑμῶν, οὐχ οὕτω μέντοι, ὡς καὶ βλάπτεσθαι· καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς βούλομαι προλήψει, ἀλλὰ δοκιμάσαντας, εἰ ἡμεῖς καλῶς λέγομεν. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἵνα τὰ ἡμέτερα αἱρῆσθε, ἀλλ', Ἵνα δοκιμάζητε. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε φανερῶς, Μὴ τῷ δεῖνι πλησιάζετε· ἀλλὰ, Πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον βούλομαι ὑμῖν τὴν ἀγάπην γίνεσθαι, οὐχ ἵνα ἀναισθήτως διακέησθε. Ἀνόητον γὰρ, εἰ μὴ διὰ Χριστὸν τὴν δικαιοσύνην ἐργάζεσθε, καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ. Ἰδοὺ τὸ, ∆ι' αὐτοῦ, πάλιν. Ἆρα οὖν ὑπουργῷ κέχρηται τῷ Θεῷ; Ἄπαγε· οὐχ ἵνα ἐγὼ, φησὶν, ἐπαινεθῶ, οὕτως εἶπον, ἀλλ' ἵνα ὁ Θεὸς δοξάζηται. Γινώσκειν δὲ ὑμᾶς βούλομαι, ἀδελφοὶ, ὅτι τὰ κατ' ἐμὲ μᾶλλον εἰς προκοπὴν τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου ἐλήλυθεν. Ὥστε τοὺς