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cut him off and place him outside the church, considering it better that he alone should become a stranger to the kingdom of heaven on account of his own wickedness than that he should alienate others from it along with himself. 104 Mt 18, 8-9 We are not taught to cut off our members, but the passions of our members and friends who take the place of members, if they attempt to cause scandal. 105 Mt 18, 10 See, however, he says, that you do not utterly despise those who have been cast out of the church on account of evil; for he does not wish such people to be cast out with any hatred or aversion, but out of care for them, who often become the cause of some harm and disturbance through their own wickedness. as if it were possible, to see these men changing again for the better has been considered by me more preferable than all things. Or by 'little ones' he means those who are imperfect in knowledge, the newly baptized, whom he does not wish to be overlooked in teaching as if they were ignorant. 106 Mt 19, 3 For just as it is absurd to cast out a chaste wife, so it is impious to keep an adulteress, according to what is written concerning Solomon.

107 Mt 19, 29 He says 'a hundredfold' for the many things, with respect to the incomparably

better things that will be in the heavens. However, since Mark says he will receive many times more in this age, it must be said again concerning the spiritual gifts which far surpass earthly things, which are a kind of pledge of the good things to come, which those who possess are in the greatest honor, with almost all people running to the saints, so that through them they might enjoy divine grace.

108 Mt , 1-16 The parable <shows> those who believed at different ages, not seeking the time, but purity in faith and a splendid conduct in virtue. He calls God the householder, the vineyard the commonwealth of piety, the workers those who believed at different times, and he calls last those who lived in unbelief who are in honor, whom the passionate in the church, seeing them being honored, are often vexed, if they are honored in the same way as them. And while many practice virtues, few are found chosen who are deemed worthy of the first honor. And it seems to me that he is also alluding to the Jews and to those who accepted the faith but did not show a worthy life; likewise the blessed John in his second attempt.

111 Mt 21, 17 As one without a home, Christ lodged by the Mount of Olives. 112 Mt

21, 33-41 The parable calls the householder God the Father, who showed great providence for the Jews from the beginning, and the contentiousness of the Jews toward God from the beginning to the end. The vineyard is Israel, which he planted in the land of promise; the hedge is the law, not allowing them to mix with the Gentiles; the winepress is the altar; the tower is Zion; the tenants are the teachers; the servants are the prophets sent at different times, whom they killed; the son is Jesus, whom they killed, and having suffered terrible things under the Romans, they put themselves outside of God, the disciples and apostles having been brought in to take the place of the Jews, who also have rendered the fruits, having lived virtuously in piety.

113 Mt 22, 2-3 By marriage he means the harmony and union of the son that occurred with the church; and those sent to call the invited are the disciples, after whom he sent the seventy. 114 Mt 23, 16 Since they marveled at the gold more than the temple, they honored it above the temple, when they should not honor the material, but the name, because the temple was subject to the name of God and the gold, clearly, was shown to be precious on account of the name of God.

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ἔκκοψον αὐτὸν καὶ ἔξω τῆς ἐκκλησίας κατάστησον κρεῖττον εἶναι νομίσας ἐκεῖνον μόνον γενέσθαι ἀλλότριον τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν διὰ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ μοχθηρίαν ἢ καὶ ἄλλους ἑαυτῷ συναποξενῶσαι ταύτης. 104 Mt 18, 8-9 Οὐ τὰ μέλη ἐκκόπτειν διδασκόμεθα, ἀλλὰ τὰ πάθη τῶν μελῶν καὶ τοὺς εἰς τόπον μελῶν φίλους, εἰ καὶ ἐπιχειροῦσιν τῷ σκανδαλίζειν. 105 Mt 18, 10 Ὁρᾶτε μέντοι, φησίν, ὅπως ἂν μὴ πάντη καταφρονήσητε τῶν διὰ κακίαν τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐξεωσμένων· οὐδὲ γὰρ μίσει τινὶ καὶ ἀποστροφῇ τοὺς τοιούτους ἐκβάλλεσθαι βούλεται, ἀλλὰ φειδοῖ τούτων, οἳ βλάβης τινὸς καὶ ταραχῆς αἴτιοι τῇ οἰκείᾳ μοχθηρίᾳ πολλάκις καθίστανται. ὡς εἴγε δυνατὸν εἴη, καὶ τούτους μεταβαλλομένους αὖθις πρὸς τὸ κρεῖττον ἰδεῖν τοῦτο πάντων ἐμοὶ προτιμότερον εἶναι νενόμισται. ἢ μικροὺς λέγει τοὺς ἀτελεῖς τῇ γνώσει, τοὺς ἄρτι βαπτισθέντας, οὓς οὐ θέλει ὑπερορᾶσθαι ἐν τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ ὡς ἀγνῶτας. 106 Mt 19, 3 Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἄτοπον τὸ ἐκβάλλειν τὴν σώφρονα, οὕτω τὸ κατέχειν μοιχαλίδα ἀσεβὲς κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον εἰς Σολομῶνα.

107 Mt 19, 29 Ἑκατονταπλασίονα δὲ λέγει τὰ πολλὰ πρὸς τὸ ἀσυγκρίτως

ἄμεινον τῶν ἐσομένων ἐν οὐρανοῖς. πλὴν ἐπείπερ ὁ Μᾶρκος λέγει πολλαπλασίονα λήψεται ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ, λεκτέον πάλιν περὶ τῶν πνευματικῶν χαρισμάτων πολὺ τὰ ἐπίγεια παρατρεχόντων, ἅπερ εἰσὶν ἀρραβῶνές τινες τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν, ἅπερ οἱ ἔχοντες ἐν μεγίσταις εἰσὶ τιμαῖς πάντων σχεδὸν ἀνθρώπων προστρεχόντων τοῖς ἁγίοις, ἵνα δι' αὐτῶν ἀπολαύσωσι τῆς θείας χάριτος.

108 Mt , 1-16 Ἡ παραβολὴ τοὺς κατὰ διαφόρους ἡλικίας πιστεύσαντας <δείκνυσι>, οὐ τὸν χρόνον ζητοῦσα, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐν πίστει καθαρότητα καὶ ἐν ἀρετῇ διαγωγὴν λαμπράν. οἰκοδεσπότην δὲ τὸν θεὸν λέγει, ἀμπελῶνα δὲ τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας πολίτευμα, ἐργάτας τοὺς κατὰ διαφόρους χρόνους πιστεύσαντας, ἐσχάτους δὲ καλεῖ τοὺς ἐν ἀπιστίᾳ ζήσαντας ἐν τιμαῖς ὄντας, οὓς ὁρῶντες τιμωμένους οἱ ἐκπαθεῖς ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἄχθονται πολλάκις, ἐὰν ὁμοίως αὐτοῖς τιμῶνται. πολλῶν δὲ ἀσκούντων ἀρετὰς ὀλίγοι εὑρίσκονται ἐκλεκτοὶ οἱ τῆς πρώτης τιμῆς ἀξιούμενοι. δοκεῖ δέ μοι καὶ Ἰουδαίους αἰνιττόμενος καὶ τοὺς δεξαμένους μὲν τὴν πίστιν, βίον δὲ οὐκ ἄξιον ἀποδειξαμένους· ὁμοίως ὁ μακάριος Ἰωάννης κατὰ τὴν δευτέραν ἐπιβολήν.

111 Mt 21, 17 Ὡς ἄοικος παρὰ τὸ ὄρος τῶν ἐλαιῶν ηὐλίζετο ὁ Χριστός. 112 Mt

21, 33-41 Ἡ παραβολὴ οἰκοδεσπότην λέγει τὸν θεὸν καὶ πατέρα τὸν πολλὴν πρόνοιαν ἐξ ἀρχῆς εἰς τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἐνδειξάμενον καὶ τὸ ἄνωθεν μέχρι τέλους τῶν Ἰουδαίων φιλόνεικον περὶ τὸν θεόν. ἀμπελὼν δέ ἐστιν ὁ Ἰσραήλ, ὃν κατεφύτευσεν ἐν τῇ γῇ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας· φραγμὸς ὁ νόμος οὐκ ἐῶν αὐτοὺς ἐπιμιγῆναι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ληνὸς τὸ θυσιαστήριον, πύργος ἡ Σιών, γεωργοὶ οἱ διδάσκαλοι, δοῦλοι οἱ κατὰ διαφόρους καιροὺς ἀποσταλέντες προφῆται, οὓς ἀπέκτειναν· υἱὸς ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ὃν ἀπέκτειναν καὶ τὰ δεινὰ ὑποστάντες ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων ἔξω αὑτοὺς ἐποίησαν τοῦ θεοῦ ἀντεισενεχθέντων εἰς τὸν τῶν Ἰουδαίων τόπον τῶν μαθητῶν καὶ ἀποστόλων, οἳ καὶ ἀποδεδώκασιν τοὺς καρποὺς ἐν θεοσεβείᾳ ζήσαντες ἐναρέτως.

113 Mt 22, 2-3 Γάμον λέγει τὴν ἁρμονίαν καὶ συνάφειαν τοῦ υἱοῦ τὴν

γενομένην πρὸς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν· τοὺς δὲ ἀποστελλομένους καλέσαι τοὺς κεκλημένους τοὺς μαθητάς, μεθ' οὓς ἔπεμψε τοὺς ἑβδομήκοντα. 114 Mt 23, 16 Ἐπειδὴ τὸν χρυσὸν ἐθαύμαζον μᾶλλον τοῦ ναοῦ, ὑπὲρ τὸν ναὸν ἐτίμων αὐτόν, δέον μὴ τὴν ὕλην τιμᾶν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ὄνομα, ὅτι θεοῦ ὀνόματι ὁ ναὸς ὑπέκειτο καὶ ὁ χρυσὸς δηλονότι διὰ τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ὄνομα τίμιος ἀπεδείκνυτο.