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of the whole world he approached God, and this not once, nor a second time, nor a third, but continually. Now if to carry someone continually in memory could not happen, except from much love; to have them in one's prayers and to have them unceasingly, consider how great a disposition and friendship it is. But when he says, Whom I serve in my spirit, in the Gospel of His Son, he shows us at once the grace of God and his own humility; the grace of God, because He entrusted to him so great a matter, and his own humility, because he reckons the whole thing not to his own diligence, but to the help of the Spirit. The addition of "the Gospel" shows the kind of ministry. For the modes of ministry are many and various, and of worship likewise. For just as with kings, all are appointed under one ruler, but not all minister in the same things, but to one the ministry is in commanding armies, to another in governing cities, to another again in guarding the money in the treasuries; so also in spiritual matters, one worships and serves God in believing and managing his own life well, another in undertaking the care of strangers, another in handling the care of the needy; just as even among the apostles themselves, those around Stephen served God in the care of widows, another in the teaching of the word, among whom Paul also was, in 60.403 serving by preaching the gospel; and this was the manner of his service; for this he had been commanded. For this reason he not only calls God as a witness, but also states what was entrusted to him, showing that, having been entrusted with so great a task, he would not have called the One who entrusted it to witness to falsehoods. And with this he also wants to show that his love for them and his care were necessary. For so that they may not say, "Who are you and from where, that you claim to care for so great and royal a city?" he shows that such care was necessary for him, if indeed this manner of service has been commanded him, to proclaim the Gospel. For the one entrusted with this has a necessity to always have on his mind those who are to receive the word. And he shows something else besides these things by saying, In my spirit; that this worship is far superior both to the Greek and the Jewish. For the Greek is both misguided and carnal; and the Jewish, though true, is also itself carnal; but that of the Church is contrary to the Greek, and much higher in measure than the Jewish. For the manner of our worship is not through sheep and calves and smoke and the savor of burning fat, but through a spiritual soul; which Christ also, making it plain, said; God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. In the Gospel of His Son. Having said above that it is the Gospel of the Father, here he says it is of the Son; so indifferent is it to say of the Father or of the Son. For he learned from that blessed voice, that the things of the Father are the Son's, and the things of the Son are the Father's; For all Mine, He says, are Yours, and Yours are Mine. How unceasingly I make mention of you in my prayers. This is of genuine love. And he seems to say one thing, but he sets down four here: that he remembers them, and that unceasingly, and that in his prayers, and that for great things. Praying that by some means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. For I long to see you. Do you see him travailing to see them, and not enduring to see them contrary to what seems good to God, but having his desire tempered with the fear of God? For he loved them, and was hastening towards them; yet, because he loved them, he did not wish to see them contrary to what seems good to God. This is genuine love, not as we who fall away from the laws of love on both sides. For either we love no one, or when we do love someone, we love them contrary to what seems good to God, in both ways acting against the divine law. But if these things are burdensome when said, they are more burdensome when done, 3. And how do we love contrary to what seems good to God,

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τῆς οἰκουμένης ἁπάσης προσῄει τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ τοῦτο οὐχ ἅπαξ οὐδὲ δεύτερον οὐδὲ τρίτον, ἀλλὰ διηνεκῶς. Εἰ δὲ τὸ διηνεκῶς ἐν μνήμῃ τινὰ περιφέρειν, οὐκ ἂν γένοιτο, εἰ μὴ ἀπὸ ἀγάπης πολλῆς· τὸ ἐν εὐχαῖς ἔχειν καὶ ἀδιαλείπτως ἔχειν, ἐννόησον πόσης ἐστὶ διαθέσεως καὶ φιλίας. Ὅταν δὲ εἴπῃ, Ὧ λατρεύω ἐν τῷ πνεύματί μου, ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, ὁμοῦ μὲν τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριν, ὁμοῦ δὲ τὴν αὐτοῦ ταπεινοφροσύνην ἐνδείκνυται ἡμῖν· τὴν μὲν τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριν, ὅτι τοσοῦτον αὐτῷ πρᾶγμα ἐπέτρεψε, τὴν δὲ αὑτοῦ ταπεινοφροσύνην, ὅτι οὐχὶ τῇ ἑαυτοῦ σπουδῇ, ἀλλὰ τῇ τοῦ Πνεύματος βοηθείᾳ τὸ πᾶν λογίζεται. Ἡ δὲ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου προσθήκη τὸ εἶδος δηλοῖ τῆς διακονίας. Καὶ γὰρ πολλοὶ τῆς διακονίας οἱ τρόποι καὶ διάφοροι, καὶ τῆς λατρείας δὲ ὡσαύτως. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν βασιλέων πάντες μέν εἰσιν ὑφ' ἑνὶ τεταγμένοι τῷ βασιλεύοντι, διακονοῦνται δὲ οὐ πάντες τὰ αὐτὰ, ἀλλὰ τῷ μέν ἐστιν ἡ διακονία ἐν τῷ στρατοπέδων ἄρχειν, τῷ δὲ ἐν τῷ πόλεις οἰκονομεῖν, ἑτέρῳ πάλιν ἐν τῷ φυλάττειν τὰ ἐν τοῖς ταμιείοις χρήματα· οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν πνευματικῶν, ὁ μὲν λατρεύει τῷ Θεῷ καὶ δουλεύει ἐν τῷ πιστεύειν καὶ τὸν βίον τὸν ἑαυτοῦ καλῶς οἰκονομεῖν, ὁ δὲ ἐν τῷ ξένων θεραπείαν ἀναδέχεσθαι, ὁ δὲ ἐν τῷ τὴν προστασίαν τῶν δεομένων μεταχειρίζεσθαι· καθάπερ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων αὐτῶν οἱ περὶ τὸν Στέφανον ἐν τῇ τῶν χηρῶν προστασίᾳ ἐδούλευον τῷ Θεῷ, ἄλλος ἐν τῇ τοῦ λόγου διδασκαλίᾳ, ὧν καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἦν, ἐν 60.403 τῷ τὸ κήρυγμα εὐαγγελίζεσθαι λατρεύων· καὶ οὗτος ἦν ὁ τῆς δουλείας αὐτοῦ τρόπος· τοῦτο γὰρ ἦν ἐπιτεταγμένος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐ μάρτυρα καλεῖ τὸν Θεὸν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅπερ ἐνεπιστεύθη λέγει, δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐκ ἂν τηλικαῦτα ἐγχειρισθεὶς, τὸν ἐμπιστεύσαντα μάρτυρα ἐπὶ ψευδέσιν ἐκάλει. Μετὰ δὲ τούτου κἀκεῖνο δεῖξαι βούλεται, τὴν ἀγάπην τὴν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν, καὶ τὴν φροντίδα ἀναγκαίαν οὖσαν. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ λέγωσι, Σὺ τίς ὢν καὶ πόθεν, πόλιν οὕτω μεγάλην καὶ βασιλικωτάτην μεριμνᾷν φής; δείκνυσιν ἀναγκαίαν οὖσαν αὐτῷ τὴν τοιαύτην φροντίδα, εἴ γε αὐτῷ τῆς δουλείας οὗτος ὁ τρόπος ἐπιτέτακται, τὸ καταγγέλλειν τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον. Ὁ γὰρ τοῦτο ἐγκεχειρισμένος ἀνάγκην ἔχει τοὺς μέλλοντας ὑποδέχεσθαι τὸν λόγον διαπαντὸς ἔχειν ἐπὶ τῆς διανοίας. ∆ηλοῖ δὲ καὶ ἕτερον πρὸς τούτοις εἰπὼν, Ἐν τῷ πνεύματί μου· ὅτι πολὺ καὶ τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς καὶ τῆς Ἰουδαϊκῆς λατρείας ἀνωτέρα αὕτη. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ Ἑλληνικὴ, καὶ πεπλανημένη καὶ σαρκική· ἡ δὲ Ἰουδαϊκὴ, ἀληθὴς μὲν, σαρκικὴ δὲ καὶ αὐτή· ἡ δὲ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, τῆς μὲν Ἑλληνικῆς ἐναντία, τῆς δὲ Ἰουδαϊκῆς ὑψηλοτέρα πολλῷ τῷ μέτρῳ. Οὐ γὰρ διὰ προβάτων καὶ μόσχων καὶ καπνοῦ καὶ κνίσσης ὁ τῆς ἡμετέρας λατρείας τρόπος, ἀλλὰ διὰ ψυχῆς πνευματικῆς· ὅπερ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς δηλῶν ἔλεγε· Πνεῦμα ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ τοὺς προσκυνοῦντας αὐτὸν, ἐν πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ δεῖ προσκυνεῖν. Ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ. Ἀνωτέρω εἰπὼν τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Πατρὸς εἶναι, ἐνταῦθα τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτό φησιν· οὕτως ἀδιάφορον καὶ Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ λέγειν. Καὶ γὰρ ἔμαθε παρὰ τῆς μακαρίας ἐκείνης φωνῆς, ὅτι τὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς τοῦ Υἱοῦ, καὶ τὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Πατρός· Πάντα γὰρ, φησὶ, τὰ ἐμὰ σά ἐστι, καὶ τὰ σὰ ἐμά. Ὡς ἀδιαλείπτως μνείαν ὑμῶν ποιοῦμαι ἐπὶ τῶν προσευχῶν μου. Τοῦτο γνησίας ἀγάπης. Καὶ δοκεῖ μὲν ἕν τι λέγειν, τέσσαρα δὲ τίθησιν ἐνταῦθα, καὶ ὅτι μέμνηται, καὶ ὅτι ἀδιαλείπτως, καὶ ὅτι ἐν εὐχαῖς, καὶ ὅτι ὑπὲρ μεγάλων πραγμάτων. ∆εόμενος, εἴ πως ᾔδη ποτὲ εὐοδωθήσομαι ἐν τῷ θελήματι τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐλθεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς. Ἐπιποθῶ γὰρ ἰδεῖν ὑμᾶς. Ὁρᾷς καὶ ὠδίνοντα αὐτοὺς ἰδεῖν, καὶ οὐκ ἀνεχόμενον παρὰ τὸ τῷ Θεῷ δοκοῦν ἰδεῖν, ἀλλὰ κεκερασμένον φόβῳ Θεοῦ τὸν πόθον ἔχοντα; Ἐφίλει μὲν γὰρ αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἠπείγετο πρὸς αὐτούς· οὐ μὴν, ἐπειδὴ ἐφίλει, παρὰ τὸ τῷ Θεῷ δοκοῦν ἐβούλετο ἰδεῖν. Αὕτη ἡ γνησία ἀγάπη, οὐχ ὡς ἡμεῖς οἱ ἀμφοτέρωθεν τῶν νόμων τῆς ἀγάπης ἐκπίπτοντες. Ἢ γὰρ οὐδένα φιλοῦμεν, ἢ ἐπειδὰν φιλήσωμέν ποτε, παρὰ τὸ τῷ Θεῷ δοκοῦν φιλοῦμεν, ἀμφότερα παρὰ τὸν θεῖον ποιοῦντες νόμον. Εἰ δὲ φορτικὰ ταῦτα λεγόμενα, φορτικώτερα γιγνόμενα, γʹ. Καὶ πῶς παρὰ τὸ τῷ Θεῷ δοκοῦν φιλοῦμεν,