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he says. See, then, what kind of correction he uses, adding and saying: I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, appointing me to the ministry. Do you see how he everywhere hides his own achievement, and ascribes the whole to God, but only so far as not to destroy free will? For the unbeliever might perhaps have said, if the whole is of God, and nothing is contributed by us, but He moves us from vice to virtue like wood and stones, why then did He make Paul such a one, but not Judas? Therefore, to refute this objection, see how he uses his words with understanding. I was entrusted, he says. This is his achievement and his dignity, but not his entirely; for see what he says: I thank Christ Jesus, who has strengthened me. This is of God; then again, his own part, because He considered me faithful; certainly, because he was going to be useful of himself. Appointing, he says, to the ministry, who was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. See how he sets down both his own part and that of God, assigning the greater part to God's providence, but contracting his own, yet not so much as to destroy, as I said before, free will. What does it mean, Who has strengthened me? Listen: he undertook a great burden, and needed much support from above. For consider 62.516 how great a thing it was to stand against daily insults, railings, plots, dangers, mockings, reproaches, deaths, and not to grow weary nor to slip nor to be overthrown, but, though assailed from all sides by countless darts each day, to stand with a fixed and fearless gaze. This was not of human strength, nor of God's support alone, but also of his own choice. For that He chose him, foreseeing what he would be, hear what He says, before he had even touched upon the preaching: This man is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before Gentiles and kings. For just as those who bear the royal standard in war, which is commonly called the labarum, need great strength and experience, so as not to betray it to the enemy; so also those who bear the name of Christ, not only in war, but also in peace, need great power, so as not to deliver it up to the mouths of accusers, but to bear and carry the cross well. For truly, great strength is needed to bear the name of Christ. For whoever says, or does, or thinks anything unworthy, has not borne the name, does not have Christ in himself. But the one who bears it marches in procession, not through the marketplace but through the heavens, and all are in awe, angels attending as a guard and marveling. I thank, he says, Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me. See how he gives thanks to Him even for his own things. For because he is a chosen instrument, he says he gives thanks to Him. And yet this has become yours, O blessed Paul; for God is not a respecter of persons. But I thank, he says, that He counted me worthy of this ministry; for this is a sign to me that He considers me to be faithful. For just as in a household the steward gives thanks to the master not only for being entrusted, but also takes this as a sign that he considers him more faithful than the others; in the same way here also. Then consider how he extols the mercy and loving-kindness of God by recounting his former life. Who was formerly, he says, a blasphemer and a persecutor and an insolent man. And when he speaks of the Jews who are still unbelievers, he uses his words with reserve: For I bear them witness, he says, that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge; but concerning himself he says, being a blasphemer and a persecutor and an insolent man. Do you see his self-condemnation, how he is not self-loving, how he has a modest mind? It was not enough to say, being a blasphemer and a persecutor, but that he also did this with intensity. For not only, he says, did they stop at me the

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φησιν. Ὅρα τοίνυν ποίᾳ κέχρηται διορθώσει ἐπάγων καὶ λέγων· Χάριν ἔχω τῷ ἐνδυναμώσαντί με Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ὅτι πιστόν με ἡγήσατο, θέμενος εἰς διακονίαν. Ὁρᾷς πῶς πανταχοῦ τὸ ἑαυτοῦ κατόρθωμα κρύπτει, καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἀνατίθησι τῷ Θεῷ, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον, ἐφ' ὅσον τὸ αὐτεξούσιον μὴ λυμήνασθαι; Ἔφη γὰρ ἂν ἴσως ὁ ἄπιστος, εἰ τὸ πᾶν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστι, καὶ οὐδὲν παρ' ἡμῶν εἰσφέρεται, ἀλλ' ὡς ξύλα καὶ λίθους μετακινεῖ πρὸς φιλοσοφίαν ἀπὸ κακίας· τί δήποτε Παῦλον μὲν τοιοῦτον εἰργάσατο, τὸν δὲ Ἰούδαν οὐκέτι; Ταύτην οὖν ἀναιρῶν τὴν ἀντίθεσιν, ὅρα πῶς μετὰ συνέσεως τῷ λόγῳ κέχρηται. Ἐπιστεύθην, φησὶν, ἐγώ. Τοῦτο αὐτοῦ κατόρθωμα καὶ ἀξίωμα, ἀλλ' οὐκ αὐτοῦ ὅλον· ὅρα γὰρ τί φησι· Χάριν ἔχω τῷ ἐνδυναμώσαντί με Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. Τοῦτο τοῦ Θεοῦ· εἶτα πάλιν τὸ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι Πιστόν με ἡγήσατο· πάντως, ἐπειδὴ ἔμελλεν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ χρησιμεύειν. Θέμενος, φησὶν, εἰς διακονίαν τὸν πρότερον ὄντα βλάσφημον καὶ διώκτην καὶ ὑβριστήν· ἀλλ' ἠλεήθην ὅτι ἀγνοῶν ἐποίησα ἐν ἀπιστίᾳ. Ὅρα πῶς καὶ τὸ αὑτοῦ τίθησι, καὶ τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὸ πλέον νέμων τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ προνοίᾳ, τὸ δὲ αὑτοῦ συστέλλων, πλὴν ὅσον μὴ λυμήνασθαι, ὡς ἔφθην εἰπὼν, τὴν αὐτεξουσίαν. Τί δέ ἐστι, Τῷ ἐνδυναμώσαντί με; Ἄκουε· φορτίον ὑπῆλθε μέγα, καὶ πολλῆς ἐδεῖτο τῆς ἄνωθεν ῥοπῆς. Ἐννόησον γὰρ 62.516 ὅσον ἦν πρὸς καθημερινὰς ὕβρεις, λοιδορίας, ἐπιβουλὰς, κινδύνους, σκώμματα, ὀνείδη, θανάτους ἵστασθαι, καὶ μὴ ἀποκάμνειν μηδὲ ὀλισθαίνειν μηδὲ περιτρέπεσθαι, ἀλλὰ, πάντοθεν βαλλόμενον μυρίοις καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν τοῖς βέλεσιν, ἀτενὲς ἔχοντα τὸ ὄμμα ἑστάναι καὶ ἀκατάπληκτον. Τοῦτο οὐκ ἦν ἀνθρωπίνης ἰσχύος, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ ῥοπῆς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ προαιρέσεως. Ὅτι γὰρ προειδὼς αὐτὸν τίς ἔσται, εἵλετο αὐτὸν, ἄκουσον τί φησι, πρὶν ἢ ἅψασθαι αὐτὸν τοῦ κηρύγματος· Σκεῦος ἐκλογῆς μοί ἐστιν οὗτος, τοῦ βαστάσαι τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐνώπιον ἐθνῶν καὶ βασιλέων. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ βαστάζοντες τὸ σημεῖον τὸ βασιλικὸν ἐν πολέμῳ, τὸ λεγόμενον τῇ συνηθείᾳ λάβουρον, πολλῆς δέονται τῆς ἰσχύος καὶ τῆς ἐμπειρίας, ὥστε αὐτὸ μὴ προδοῦναι τοῖς πολεμίοις· οὕτω καὶ οἱ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Χριστοῦ βαστάζοντες οὐκ ἐν πολέμῳ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν εἰρήνῃ, πολλῆς δέονται τῆς δυνάμεως, ὥστε τοῖς κατηγόροις αὐτὸ μὴ ἐκδοῦναι στόμασιν, ἀλλὰ βαστάζειν καλῶς καὶ φέρειν τὸν σταυρόν. Πολλῆς γὰρ ὄντως δεῖ τῆς ἰσχύος, ὥστε βαστάσαι τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ὁ γὰρ ἀνάξιόν τι ἢ λέγων, ἢ πράττων, ἢ φρονῶν, οὐκ ἐβάστασε τὸ ὄνομα, οὐκ ἔχει τὸν Χριστὸν ἐν ἑαυτῷ. Πομπεύει δὲ ὁ βαστάζων, οὐ δι' ἀγορᾶς ἀλλὰ διὰ τῶν οὐρανῶν, καὶ πάντες πεφρίκασιν, ἄγγελοι δορυφοροῦντες καὶ θαυμάζοντες. Χάριν ἔχω, φησὶ, τῷ ἐνδυναμώσαντί με Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν. Ὅρα πῶς καὶ τῶν αὐτοῦ χάριν αὐτῷ οἶδεν. Ὅτι γὰρ σκεῦος ἐκλογῆς ἐστι, φησὶν αὐτῷ χάριν εἰδέναι. Καίτοι τοῦτο σὸν γέγονεν, ὦ μακάριε Παῦλε· οὐ γὰρ προσωπολήπτης ὁ Θεός. Ἀλλὰ χάριν ἔχω, φησὶν, ὅτι κατηξίωσέ με τῆς διακονίας ταύτης· τοῦτο γάρ με τοῦ πιστὸν εἶναι νομίζειν σημεῖον. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐν οἰκίᾳ οὐ τῷ πιστευθῆναι μόνον ὁ οἰκονόμος χάριν ἔχει τῷ δεσπότῃ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ σημεῖον τίθησι τοῦτο, ὅτι αὐτὸν τῶν ἄλλων ἡγεῖται πιστότερον· τὸν αὐτὸν δὴ τρόπον καὶ ἐνταῦθα. Εἶτα σκόπει πῶς ἐπαίρει τὸν ἔλεον τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν, τὸν πρότερον αὐτοῦ βίον ἐξηγούμενος. Τὸν πρότερον ὄντα, φησὶ, βλάσφημον καὶ διώκτην καὶ ὑβριστήν. Καὶ ὅταν μὲν περὶ Ἰουδαίων διαλέγηται τῶν ἔτι ἀπίστων, μεθ' ὑποστολῆς κέχρηται τῷ λόγῳ· Μαρτυρῶ γὰρ αὐτοῖς, φησὶν, ὅτι ζῆλον Θεοῦ ἔχουσιν, ἀλλ' οὐ κατ' ἐπίγνωσιν· περὶ δὲ ἑαυτοῦ φησι, Βλάσφημον ὄντα καὶ διώκτην καὶ ὑβριστήν. Ὁρᾷς τὴν καταφορὰν αὐτοῦ, πῶς οὐκ ἔστι φίλαυτος, πῶς συνεσταλμένην κέκτηται τὴν διάνοιαν; Οὐκ ἤρκει εἰπεῖν, Βλάσφημον ὄντα καὶ διώκτην, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ μετ' ἐπιτάσεως τοῦτο ἔπραττε. Οὐ μόνον γὰρ, φησὶ, μέχρις ἐμοῦ ἵστων τὸ