has been settled among men and an abundant race, being strong in possessions 26.4 and prevailing in wealth? For if on account of an involuntary birth into wealth he is driven away from life, he is rather wronged by the God who begot him, having been deemed worthy of temporary pleasure, but deprived of eternal life, 26.5 why at all was it necessary for wealth ever to spring from the earth, if it is a provider and 26.6 agent of death? But if someone is able to bend his power more inward than his possessions and to be moderate and to be self-controlled and to seek God alone and to breathe God and to live as a citizen with God, this man stands poor according to the commandments, free, unconquered, without disease, 26.7 unwounded by possessions; but if not, sooner will a camel enter through a needle than such a rich man will enter into the kingdom of God. 26.8 Therefore let the camel signify something even higher, overtaking the rich man through a narrow and constricted way, which in the explanation concerning principles and theology it is possible to learn as a mystery of the Savior; 27.1 But nevertheless let the first and apparent meaning and that for which the parable was told be provided. Let it teach the wealthy that they must not neglect their own salvation as if already condemned, nor again must wealth be sunk into the sea nor condemned as a plotter against and enemy of life, but one must learn in what manner and how to use wealth 27.2 and to acquire life. For since no one is completely destroyed, fearing because he is rich, nor is anyone completely saved, being confident and believing that he will be saved, come, let us consider what sort of hope the Savior outlines for them and how what is unhoped for might become secure, and what is hoped for might come to be possessed. 27.3 Therefore the Teacher says, having been asked what is the greatest of the commandments: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your soul and with all your strength," that there is no commandment greater than this, and 27.4 very reasonably so. For it has been commanded concerning the first and the greatest, God himself our Father, through whom all things both have come to be and 27.5 exist and to whom all things that are saved return again. For those, then, who have been loved first by him and have received being, it is not right to consider anything else older or more honorable, paying only this small grace for the greatest things, and having nothing else at all to devise in return for the God who is without need and perfect, but by the very act of loving the Father, they receive incorruptibility as their own strength and power. For as much as one loves God, by so much and more does he enter more deeply into God.

28.1 And second in order and in no way less than this he says is:

"You shall love your neighbor as yourself;" therefore God above 28.2 yourself. But when the one conversing with him asked, "Who is my neighbor?" he did not define it in the same way as the Jews, the one related by blood, nor the fellow citizen, nor the proselyte, nor the one similarly circumcised, 28.3 nor the one using one and the same law; but he brings into his account a certain man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and shows him having been stabbed by robbers, thrown half-dead upon the road, passed by a priest, overlooked by a Levite, and pitied by the Samaritan who was despised and cast out, who did not pass by chance as they did, but came prepared with what the one in danger needed, wine, oil, bandages, a beast, a payment for the innkeeper, one part being given now, and the other promised in addition. 28.4 "Which," he said, "of these became neighbor to the one who suffered terrible things?" And when he answered, "The one who showed mercy toward him;" "You therefore go and do likewise," since love makes good deeds sprout.

29.1 Therefore, in both commandments he introduces love, but by order he

has divided it, and where he assigns the first place of love to God, 29.2 there he also

ἀνθρώπων εἰσῳκίσθη καὶ γένος ἀμφιλαφές, τοῖς χρήμασιν ἰσχῦον 26.4 καὶ τῷ πλούτῳ κρατοῦν; εἰ γὰρ διὰ τὴν ἀκούσιον ἐν πλούτῳ γένεσιν ἀπελήλαται ζωῆς, ἀδικεῖται μᾶλλον ὑπὸ τοῦ γειναμένου θεοῦ, προσ καίρου μὲν ἡδυπαθείας κατηξιωμένος, ἀιδίου δὲ ζωῆς ἀπεστερημένος, 26.5 τί δ' ὅλως πλοῦτον ἐχρῆν ἐκ γῆς ἀνατεῖλαί ποτε, εἰ χορηγὸς καὶ 26.6 πρόξενός ἐστι θανάτου; ἀλλ' εἰ δύναταί τις ἐνδοτέρω τῶν ὑπαρχόν των κάμπτειν τῆς ἐξουσίας καὶ μέτρια φρονεῖν καὶ σωφρονεῖν καὶ θεὸν μόνον ζητεῖν καὶ θεὸν ἀναπνεῖν καὶ θεῷ συμπολιτεύεσθαι, πτωχὸς οὗτος παρέστηκε ταῖς ἐντολαῖς, ἐλεύθερος, ἀήττητος, ἄνοσος, 26.7 ἄτρωτος ὑπὸ χρημάτων· εἰ δὲ μή, θᾶττον κάμηλος διὰ βελόνης εἰσε λεύσεται ἢ ὁ τοιοῦτος πλούσιος ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ παρελεύ 26.8 σεται. σημαινέτω μὲν οὖν τι καὶ ὑψηλότερον ἡ κάμηλος διὰ στενῆς ὁδοῦ καὶ τεθλιμμένης φθάνουσα τὸν πλούσιον, ὅπερ ἐν τῇ περὶ ἀρ χῶν καὶ θεολογίας ἐξηγήσει μυστήριον τοῦ σωτῆρος ὑπάρχει μαθεῖν· 27.1 οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ τό γε φαινόμενον πρῶτον καὶ δι' ὃ λέλεκται τῆς παρα βολῆς παρεχέσθω. διδασκέτω τοὺς εὐποροῦντας ὡς οὐκ ἀμελητέον τῆς ἑαυτῶν σωτηρίας ὡς ἤδη προκατεγνωσμένους οὐδὲ καταποντι στέον αὖ πάλιν τὸν πλοῦτον οὐδὲ καταδικαστέον ὡς τῆς ζωῆς ἐπί βουλον καὶ πολέμιον, ἀλλὰ μαθητέον τίνα τρόπον καὶ πῶς πλούτῳ 27.2 χρηστέον καὶ τὴν ζωὴν κτητέον. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὔτε ἐκ παντὸς ἀπόλ λυταί τις, ὅτι πλουτεῖ δεδιώς, οὔτε ἐκ παντὸς σῴζεται θαρρῶν καὶ πιστεύων ὡς σωθήσεται, φέρε σκεπτέον ἥντινα τὴν ἐλπίδα αὐτοῖς ὁ σωτὴρ ὑπογράφει καὶ πῶς ἂν τὸ μὲν ἀνέλπιστον ἐχέγγυον γένοιτο, τὸ δὲ ἐλπισθὲν εἰς κτῆσιν ἀφίκοιτο. 27.3 Φησὶν οὖν ὁ διδάσκαλος, τίς ἡ μεγίστη τῶν ἐντολῶν ἠρωτημέ νος· "ἀγαπήσεις κύριον τὸν θεόν σου ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ψυχῆς σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς δυνάμεώς σου", ταύτης μείζω μηδεμίαν ἐντολὴν εἶναι, καὶ 27.4 μάλα εἰκότως. καὶ γὰρ καὶ περὶ τοῦ πρώτου καὶ περὶ τοῦ μεγίστου παρήγγελται, αὐτοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν, δι' οὗ καὶ γέγονε καὶ 27.5 ἔστι τὰ πάντα καὶ εἰς ὃν τὰ σῳζόμενα πάλιν ἐπανέρχεται. ὑπὸ τού του τοίνυν προαγαπηθέντας καὶ τοῦ γενέσθαι τυχόντας οὐχ ὅσιον ἄλλο τι πρεσβύτερον ἄγειν καὶ τιμιώτερον, ἐκτίνοντας μόνην τὴν χάριν ταύτην μικρὰν ἐπὶ μεγίστοις, ἄλλο δὲ μηδοτιοῦν ἔχοντας ἀνενδεεῖ καὶ τελείῳ θεῷ πρὸς ἀμοιβὴν ἐπινοῆσαι, αὐτῷ δὲ τῷ ἀγα πᾶν τὸν πατέρα εἰς οἰκείαν ἰσχὺν καὶ δύναμιν ἀφθαρσίαν κομιζο μένους. ὅσον γὰρ ἀγαπᾷ τις θεόν, τοσούτῳ καὶ πλέον ἐνδοτέρω τοῦ θεοῦ παραδύεται.

28.1 ∆ευτέραν δὲ τάξει καὶ οὐδέν τι μικροτέραν ταύτης εἶναι λέγει τό·

"ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν·" οὐκοῦν τὸν θεὸν ὑπὲρ 28.2 σεαυτόν. πυνθανομένου δὲ τοῦ προσδιαλεγομένου "τίς ἐστιν πλη σίον;" οὐ τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον Ἰουδαίοις προωρίσατο τὸν πρὸς αἵματος οὐδὲ τὸν πολίτην οὐδὲ τὸν προσήλυτον οὐδὲ τὸν ὁμοίως περιτετμη 28.3 μένον οὐδὲ τὸν ἑνὶ καὶ ταὐτῷ νόμῳ χρώμενον· ἀλλὰ ἄνωθεν κατα βαίνοντα ἀπὸ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἄγει τῷ λόγῳ τινὰ εἰς Ἱεριχὼ καὶ τοῦτον δείκνυσιν ὑπὸ λῃστῶν συγκεκεντημένον, ἐρριμμένον ἡμιθνῆτα ἐπὶ τῆς ὁδοῦ, ὑπὸ ἱερέως παροδευόμενον, ὑπὸ Λευίτου παρορώμενον, ὑπὸ δὲ τοῦ Σαμαρείτου τοῦ ἐξωνειδισμένου καὶ ἀφωρισμένου κατελεούμενον, ὃς οὐχὶ κατὰ τύχην ὡς ἐκεῖνοι παρῆλθεν, ἀλλ' ἧκε συνεσκευασμένος ὧν ὁ κινδυνεύων ἐδεῖτο, οἶνον, ἔλαιον, ἐπιδέσμους, κτῆνος, μισθὸν τῷ πανδοχεῖ, τὸν μὲν ἤδη διδόμενον, τὸν δὲ προσυπισχνούμενον. 28.4 "τίς", ἔφη, "τούτων γέγονε πλησίον τῷ τὰ δεινὰ παθόντι;" τοῦ δὲ ἀποκριναμένου ὅτι "ὁ τὸν ἔλεον πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐπιδειξάμενος· καὶ σὺ τοίνυν πορευθεὶς οὕτω ποίει", ὡς τῆς ἀγάπης βλαστανούσης εὐποιίαν.

29.1 Ἐν ἀμφοτέραις μὲν οὖν ταῖς ἐντολαῖς ἀγάπην εἰσηγεῖται, τάξει δ' αὐτὴν

διῄρηκε, καὶ ὅπου μὲν τὰ πρωτεῖα τῆς ἀγάπης ἀνάπτει τῷ 29.2 θεῷ, ὅπου δὲ τὰ