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these things are serious, even if they seem to jest somewhat. Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in Christ. That is, to the Lord you give the favor, not to me. The bowels, those concerning you. Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee. What stone would these things not have softened? what beast would these things not have tamed, and prepared to receive him genuinely?

After having testified to him of such great achievements, he does not decline to apologize again. He does not speak simply, nor commanding, nor being presumptuous, but, Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee. What he also said at the beginning, Having boldness, this he also says here to seal the letter. Knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say. At the same time he also stirred him up by saying this; for he would have been ashamed, if nothing else, having such an opinion with him, that he does even more than he says, not to do so much. But withal prepare me also a lodging: for I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you. And this was of one very confident, or rather, this too was for Onesimus, so that not being negligent, but knowing that he would certainly return and hear about him, they might cast out all resentment, and rather give thanks. For great was the grace and the honor of Paul's presence, Paul after his age, Paul after his bonds. Again, a proof of their love is to say that they pray, and to give so much to them, as to pray for him. For though I am now in dangers, yet you shall see me, if you pray. There saluteth thee Epaphras, my fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus. This man was sent from the Colossians; so that from this it is clear that Philemon was [also] in Colossae. And he calls him a fellowprisoner, showing that he too is in much affliction. So that even if he is not heard for that one's sake, it is likely he will be heard for this one's sake.

For he who is in affliction, and has left his own affairs, and cares for the affairs of others, ought 62.716 to be heard. And otherwise he puts him to shame, if indeed his fellow citizen has become his fellowprisoner and suffers with him, while he does not even grant a favor for his own servant. And he added: My fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus, instead of, for Christ's sake. Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers. Why indeed does he place Luke last? and yet elsewhere he says: Only Luke is with me. And Demas, he says, was one of those who forsook him, and loved this present world. And if these things have been said elsewhere, yet they must not be left unexamined, nor heard simply or at random. But how does he say to greet them who forsook him? For Erastus, he says, abode at Corinth. He adds Epaphras, then, both as being known to them and from there, and Mark as also being wonderful; why then does he number Demas with them? Perhaps after this he became more negligent, when he saw the many dangers. Luke, however, being last, became first. And from these he addresses him, urging him more to obedience, and calls them fellow-workers, and in this way entreating him for his request. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. 2. He concluded the epistle with a prayer. And the prayer is a great and saving good, and a protection for our souls; a great one, when we do things worthy of it, and do not make ourselves unworthy. And so you, when you approach the priest, and he says: May God have mercy on you, child, do not trust in the word alone, but also add deeds; do things worthy of mercy.

God will bless you, child, if you do the things of blessing, He will bless, if you have mercy on your neighbor. For those things we wish to receive from God, we ought first to impart to our neighbors. But if we deprive our neighbors of them, how do we wish to receive them? Blessed, He says, are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. For if men have mercy on such, much more God. But those who do not have mercy,

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αὐτὰ σπουδαῖα, κἂν χαριεντίζωνταί τι. Ναὶ, ἀδελφὲ, ἐγώ σου ὀναίμην ἐν Κυρίῳ· ἀνάπαυσόν μου τὰ σπλάγχνα ἐν Χριστῷ. Τουτέστι, τῷ Κυρίῳ δίδως τὴν χάριν, οὐκ ἐμοί. Τὰ σπλάγχνα, τὰ περὶ σέ. Πεποιθὼς τῇ ὑπακοῇ σου ἔγραψά σοι. Ποῖον λίθον ταῦτα οὐκ ἂν ἐμάλαξε; ποῖον θηρίον ταῦτα οὐκ ἂν κατεπράϋνε, καὶ παρεσκεύασε γνησίως προσδέξασθαι;

Μετὰ τὸ ἐν κατορθώμασι τηλικούτοις αὐτῷ μαρτυρῆσαι, οὐ παραιτεῖται καὶ πάλιν ἀπολογεῖσθαι. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς φησιν, οὐδὲ ἐπιτάττων, οὐδὲ αὐθαδιαζόμενος, ἀλλὰ, Πεποιθὼς τῇ ὑπακοῇ σου ἔγραψά σοι. Ὅπερ καὶ ἀρχόμενος εἶπε· Παῤῥησίαν ἔχων, τοῦτο καὶ ἐνταῦθα λέγει εἰς τὸ ἐπισφραγίσαι τὴν ἐπιστολήν. Εἰδὼς, ὅτι καὶ ὑπὲρ ὃ λέγω ποιήσεις. Ἅμα καὶ διήγειρεν εἰπὼν τοῦτο· ᾐσχύνθη γὰρ ἂν, εἰ καὶ μηδὲν ἕτερον, τοιαύτην δόξαν ἔχων παρ' αὐτῷ, ὅτι καὶ ὑπὲρ ὃ λέγει ποιεῖ, μὴ ποιῆσαι τοσοῦτον. Ἅμα δὲ καὶ ἑτοίμασόν μοι ξενίαν· ἐλπίζω γὰρ, ὅτι διὰ τῶν προσευχῶν ὑμῶν χαρισθήσομαι ὑμῖν. Καὶ τοῦτο σφόδρα θαῤῥοῦντος ἦν, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ὑπὲρ Ὀνησίμου, ἵνα μὴ ῥᾳθυμήσαντες, ἀλλ' εἰδότες, ὅτι πάντως ἐπανελθὼν ἀκούσεται τὰ κατ' αὐτὸν, πᾶσαν μνησικακίαν ἐξέλωσι, καὶ χάριν μᾶλλον δῶσι. Πολλὴ γὰρ ἦν ἡ χάρις καὶ ἡ τιμὴ Παύλου ἐνδημοῦντος, Παύλου μετὰ ἡλικίαν, Παύλου μετὰ δεσμούς. Πάλιν τῆς ἀγάπης αὐτῶν τεκμήριον τὸ εὔχεσθαι αὐτοὺς εἰπεῖν, καὶ τοσοῦτον αὐτοῖς δοῦναι, ὡς εὔχεσθαι ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἐν κινδύνοις εἰμὶ νῦν, ἀλλ' ὅμως ὄψεσθέ με, ἐὰν εὔχησθε· Ἀσπάζεταί σε Ἐπαφρᾶς ὁ συναιχμάλωτός μου ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. Οὗτος παρὰ Κολοσσαέων ἦν ἀποσταλείς· ὥστε καὶ ἀπὸ τούτου δῆλον, ὅτι [καὶ] ἐν Κολοσσαῖς ἦν ὁ Φιλήμων. Συναιχμάλωτον δὲ αὐτὸν καλεῖ, δεικνὺς καὶ αὐτὸν ἐν πολλῇ θλίψει. Ὥστε εἰ καὶ μὴ δι' αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνον, διὰ τοῦτον εἰκὸς ἀκουσθῆναι.

Ὁ γὰρ ἐν θλίψει ὢν, καὶ τὰ αὐτοῦ ἀφεὶς, καὶ τὰ τῶν ἄλλων μεριμνῶν, ὀφείλει 62.716 ἀκούεσθαι. Καὶ ἄλλως δὲ ἐντρέπει αὐτὸν, εἴ γε ὁ πολίτης ὁ ἐκείνου καὶ συναιχμάλωτος γέγονεν αὐτῷ καὶ συγκακουχεῖται, οὗτος δὲ οὐδὲ χάριν δίδωσιν ὑπὲρ ἰδίου οἰκέτου. Καὶ προσέθηκε· Συναιχμάλωτός μου ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ἀντὶ τοῦ, διὰ Χριστόν. Μάρκος, Ἀρίσταρχος, ∆ημᾶς, Λουκᾶς, οἱ συνεργοί μου. Τί δὴ τὸν Λουκᾶν τελευταῖον τίθησι; καίτοι γέ φησιν ἀλλαχοῦ· Λουκᾶς ἐστι μόνος μετ' ἐμοῦ. Καὶ ∆ημᾶς, φησὶν, εἷς τῶν ἐγκαταλιπόντων αὐτὸν ἦν, καὶ ἀγαπησάντων τὸν νῦν αἰῶνα. Ταῦτα δὲ εἰ καὶ ἑτέρωθι εἴρηται, ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐκ ἀνεξέταστα δεῖ ἀφεῖναι, οὐδὲ ἁπλῶς ἀκούειν οὐδὲ ὡς ἔτυχε. Πῶς δὲ λέγει ἀσπάσασθαι αὐτοὺς τὸν ἐγκαταλιπόντα αὐτόν; Ἔραστος γὰρ, φησὶν, ἔμεινεν ἐν Κορίνθῳ. Τὸν μὲν οὖν Ἐπαφρᾶν, καὶ ὡς γνώριμον αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐκεῖθεν ὄντα προστίθησι, καὶ Μάρκον ὡς καὶ αὐτὸν θαυμαστόν· τί δαὶ τούτοις συναριθμεῖ τὸν ∆ημᾶν; Ἴσως μετὰ ταῦτα γέγονε ῥᾳθυμότερος, ὅτε τοὺς κινδύνους εἶδε τοὺς πολλούς. Ὁ μέντοι Λουκᾶς ἔσχατος ὢν, ἐγένετο πρῶτος. Καὶ ἀπὸ τούτων δὲ αὐτὸν προσαγορεύει προτρέπων αὐτὸν πλέον εἰς τὴν ὑπακοὴν, καὶ συνεργοὺς καλεῖ, καὶ ταύτῃ δυσωπῶν αὐτὸν πρὸς τὴν αἴτησιν. Ἡ χάρις τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ὑμῶν. Ἀμήν. βʹ. Εὐχῇ τὴν ἐπιστολὴν κατέκλεισεν. Ἡ δὲ εὐχὴ, μέγα μὲν ἀγαθὸν καὶ σωτήριον, καὶ τῶν ψυχῶν τῶν ἡμετέρων φυλακτήριον· μέγα δὲ, ὅταν ἄξια αὐτῆς πράττωμεν, καὶ μὴ ἀναξίους ἑαυτοὺς κατασκευάζωμεν. Καὶ σὺ τοίνυν ὅταν προσέλθῃς τῷ ἱερεῖ, κἀκεῖνος εἴπῃ· Ἐλεήσει σε ὁ Θεὸς, τέκνον, μὴ τῷ ῥήματι θάῤῥει μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἔργα προστίθει· ποίει τὰ ἐλέου ἄξια.

Εὐλογήσει σε ὁ Θεὸς, τέκνον, εἰ μὲν ποιεῖς τὰ τῆς εὐλογίας εὐλογήσει, εἰ ἐλεεῖς τὸν πλησίον· ὧν γὰρ βουλόμεθα τυχεῖν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, τούτων πρότερον μεταδιδόναι τοῖς πλησίον ὀφείλομεν· ἂν δὲ τοὺς πλησίον αὐτῶν ἀποστερῶμεν, πῶς τυχεῖν αὐτῶν βουλόμεθα; Μακάριοι, φησὶν, οἱ ἐλεήμονες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ ἐλεηθήσονται. Εἰ γὰρ ἄνθρωποι τοὺς τοιούτους ἐλεοῦσι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὁ Θεός· τοὺς δὲ μὴ ἐλεοῦντας,