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to the uncircumcision, to Christ and the world, to flesh and spirit. For some he gives thanks, but others he rebukes. Some he calls his joy and crown, but others he accuses of folly; with those who rightly divide the word he journeys and shares their zeal, but those who are on the wrong path he stops. Now he separates, now he confirms love; now he laments; now he rejoices; now he gives milk to drink, now he touches upon mysteries; now he condescends, now he exalts with himself; now he threatens with a rod, now he offers a spirit of gentleness; now he is exalted with the exalted, now he is humbled with the humble; at one moment he is the least of the apostles, at another he offers proof of Christ speaking in him; at one moment he longs for his departure and is being poured out as a drink offering; at another he judges it more necessary for their sakes to remain in the flesh; for he does not seek his own interests, but those of his children, whom he begot in Christ through the Gospel. This is the rule of all spiritual leadership, everywhere to disregard one's own concerns for the benefit of others. 35.465

55. He boasts in weaknesses and in afflictions; as with some other ornament, he glories in the dying of Jesus; he is lofty in carnal things, and exults in spiritual things; he is not unskilled in knowledge, yet he says he sees through a glass, darkly. He is confident in the spirit, and he disciplines his body, subduing it as an adversary; what is he teaching us in these things, and what is he instructing? Not to set our minds on things below, not to be puffed up by knowledge, not to stir up the flesh against the spirit. He fights for all, prays for all, is zealous for all, is set on fire for all, for those outside the law, for those under the law; a herald to the Gentiles, a champion of the Jews. He even dared something greater on behalf of his brethren according to the flesh, so that I myself may dare to say so; he prays that they might be brought in to Christ in his place for love’s sake. O the greatness of his mind! O the fervor of his spirit! He imitates Christ, who became a curse for us, who took up our infirmities, and bore our diseases; or, to speak more moderately, he accepts to suffer something for them, and as one ungodly, to be first away from Christ, if only they might be saved.

56. And what shall I say of each point? For living not for himself, but for Christ and for the proclamation, and having crucified the world to himself, and having been crucified to the world and to things seen, he considers all things small and less than his desire; even if from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum he has fully preached the Gospel, even if he reaches the third heaven by being caught up, even if he becomes a spectator of paradise, even if he is a hearer of words unutterable to us. These things are Paul's, and anyone who is like him in spirit. But we fear, 35.468 in comparison to these, lest we be some foolish rulers of Tanis, or taskmasters who gather stubble, or those who falsely call the people blessed; and I will add, also being called blessed, and disturbing the path of your feet; or mockers who bear rule, or young men as leaders and immature in understanding, not having enough of even bread and clothing to lead anyone; or prophets teaching lawless things, or disobedient rulers, and worthy of ill repute with their fathers because of the hardness of famine; or priests who are very far from speaking to the heart of Jerusalem, all of which things Isaiah, who was cleansed by the Seraphim and the coal, rightly reproaches and bears witness to.

57. Is then the work so great, and so laborious for a sensitive and sorrowful heart, and truly a moth to the bones for one who has understanding. But is the danger small, or the fall to be despised? But a great fear is raised up for me, on the one hand by the blessed Hosea, who says the judgment is for us, the priests and the rulers, because we have become a snare to the watchtower, and like a net spread upon Tabor, which has been fixed by those who hunt human souls, and who threatens to reap the wicked prophets, and to consume their judges with fire, and to hold back for a little while from anointing a king and rulers; because they made kings for themselves, but not through him.

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ἀκροβυστίᾳ, Χριστῷ καὶ κόσμῳ, σαρκὶ καὶ πνεύ ματι. Ὑπὲρ μὲν τῶν εὐχαριστεῖ, τῶν δὲ καθάπτε ται. Τοὺς μὲν χαρὰν καὶ στέφανον ὀνομάζει, τοῖς δὲ ἄνοιαν ἐγκαλεῖ· τοῖς μὲν συνοδεύει καὶ συμπροθυ μεῖται ὀρθοτομοῦσι, τοὺς δὲ ἀνακόπτει κακῶς ὁδεύον τας. Νῦν ἀφορίζει, νῦν ἀγάπην κυροῖ· νῦν θρηνεῖ· νῦν εὐφραίνεται· νῦν γάλα ποτίζει, νῦν μυστηρίων ἅπτεται· νῦν συγκατέρχεται, νῦν ἑαυτῷ συνυψοῖ· νῦν ῥάβδον ἀπειλεῖ, νῦν προτείνεται πνεῦμα πραότη τος· νῦν ἐπαίρεται τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς, νῦν ταπεινοῦται τοῖς ταπεινοῖς· ἄρτι τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐστὶν ἐλάχιστος, ἄρ τι δοκιμὴν ὑπισχνεῖται τοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ λαλοῦντος Χριστοῦ· ἄρτι τὴν ἐκδημίαν ποθεῖ καὶ σπένδεται· ἄρτι παραμεῖ ναι τῇ σαρκὶ δι' αὐτοὺς ἀναγκαιότερον δοκιμάζει· οὐ γὰρ ζητεῖ τὸ ἑαυτοῦ, ζητεῖ δὲ τὸ τῶν τέκνων, οὓς ἐν Χριστῷ διὰ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου ἐγέννησεν. Οὗτος ὅρος πάσης πνευματικῆς προστασίας, πανταχοῦ τὸ καθ' ἑαυτὸν παρορᾷν πρὸς τὸ τῶν ἄλλων συμφέρον. 35.465

ΝΕʹ. Ἐγκαυχᾶται ταῖς ἀσθενείαις καὶ ταῖς θλί ψεσιν· ὡς ἄλλῳ τινὶ κόσμῳ, τῇ Ἰησοῦ νεκρώσει ἐγκαλλωπίζεται· ὑψηλός ἐστι τὰ σαρκικὰ, καὶ τοῖς πνευματικοῖς ἀγάλλεται· οὐκ ἰδιώτης τὴν γνῶσιν, καὶ βλέπειν φησὶ δι' ἐσόπτρου καὶ ἐν αἰνίγματι. Θαῤῥεῖ τῷ πνεύματι, καὶ ὑποπιάζει τὸ σῶ μα καθαιρῶν ὡς ἀντίπαλον· τί διδάσκων ἡμᾶς ἐν τούτοις, καὶ τί παιδεύων; μὴ φρονεῖν τοῖς κάτω, μὴ φυσιοῦσθαι τῇ γνώσει, μὴ τὴν σάρκα ἐπεγείρειν τῷ πνεύματι. Πάντων ὑπερμαχεῖ, πάντων ὑπερεύ χεται, ζηλοῖ πάντας, ἀνάπτεται ὑπὲρ πάντων, τῶν ἔξω νόμου, τῶν ὑπὸ νόμον· κήρυξ ἐθνῶν, Ἰουδαίων προστάτης. Ἐτόλμησέ τι καὶ μεῖζον ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελ φῶν αὐτοῦ τῶν κατὰ σάρκα, ἵνα τολμήσω τι καὶ αὐτὸς οὕτω λέγων· ἀντεισαχθῆναι τούτους ἑαυ τοῦ Χριστῷ διὰ τὴν ἀγάπην εὔχεται. Ὢ τῆς μεγαλο νοίας! ὢ τῆς τοῦ πνεύματος ζέσεως! Μιμεῖται Χριστὸν, τὸν γενόμενον ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν κατάραν, τὸν τὰς ἀσθενείας ἡμῶν ἀναλαβόντα, καὶ τὰς νόσους βα στάσαντα· ἢ, τό γε μετριώτερον εἰπεῖν, παθεῖν τι ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν, καὶ ὡς ἀσεβὴς, δέχεται, πρῶτος ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ, μόνον εἰ οὗτοι σώζοιντο.

Νςʹ. Καὶ τί λέγω καθ' ἕκαστον; ζῶν γὰρ οὐχ ἑαυ τῷ, Χριστῷ δὲ καὶ τῷ κηρύγματι, καὶ κόσμον ἑαυτῷ σταυρώσας, καὶ σταυρωθεὶς κόσμῳ καὶ τοῖς ὁρωμένοις, πάντα ἡγεῖται μικρὰ καὶ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἐλάττονα· κἂν ἀπὸ Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ κύκλῳ μέχρι τοῦ Ἰλλυρικοῦ πληρώσῃ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον, κἂν ἐπὶ τὸν τρί τον οὐρανὸν φθάσῃ δι' ἁρπαγῆς, κἂν τοῦ παραδείσου γένηται θεατὴς, κἂν τῶν ἀῤῥήτων ἡμῖν ῥημάτων ἀκροατής. Ταῦτα Παῦλος, καὶ εἴ τις κατ' ἐκεῖνον τῷ πνεύματι. Ἡμεῖς δὲ δεδοίκαμεν 35.468 παρὰ τούτους, μὴ μωροί τινες ὦμεν ἄρχοντες Τά νεως, ἢ πράκτορες καλαμώμενοι, ἢ μακαρίζοντες τὸν λαὸν ψευδῶς· προσθήσω δὲ, καὶ μακαριζόμενοι, καὶ τὴν τρίβον τῶν ποδῶν ὑμῶν ταράσσοντες· ἢ ἐμ παῖκται κυριεύοντες, ἢ νεανίσκοι προστάται καὶ ἀτελεῖς τὴν φρόνησιν, μηδ' ὅσον ἄρτου καὶ ἱμα τίου πρὸς τὸ καθηγεῖσθαί τινων εὐποροῦντες· ἢ προ φῆται διδάσκοντες ἄνομα, ἢ ἄρχοντες ἀπειθοῦντες, καὶ κακῶς ἀκούειν μετὰ τῶν πατρίων ἄξιοι διὰ λιμοῦ σκληρότητα· ἢ ἱερεῖς τοῦ λαλεῖν εἰς τὴν καρδίαν Ἱερουσαλὴμ πλεῖστον ἀπέχοντες, ἃ δὴ πάν τα ὁ τῷ Σεραφὶμ καὶ τῷ ἄνθρακι καθαρθεὶς Ἡ σαΐας ὀνειδίζει καλῶς καὶ μαρτύρεται.

ΝΖʹ. Ἄρ' οὖν τὸ μὲν ἔργον τοσοῦτον, καὶ οὕ τως ἐπίπονον τῇ αἰσθητικῇ καρδίᾳ καὶ λυπηρᾷ, καὶ ὄντως σὴς ὀστέων τῷ γε νοῦν ἔχοντι. Μικρὸς δὲ ὁ κίνδυνος, ἢ τὸ πτῶμα εὐκαταφρόνητον; Ἀλλά μοι πολὺν ἐπανατείνεται φόβον ἔνθεν μὲν ὁ μακάριος Ὠσηὲ, πρὸς ἡμᾶς εἶναι τὸ κρίμα λέγων τοὺς ἱερεῖς καὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας, ὅτι παγὶς ἐγενήθημεν τῇ σκοπιᾷ, καὶ ὡς δίκτυον ἐκτεταμένον ἐπὶ τὸ Ἰταβύ ριον, ὃ καταπεπῆχθαι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνας ἀγρευόντων ψυχὰς, ἀποθερίζειν τε τοὺς φαύλους ἀπειλῶν προφήτας, καὶ πυρὶ καταναλίσκειν τοὺς κριτὰς αὐτῶν, ἐφέξειν τε μικρὸν τοῦ χρίειν βασιλέα καὶ ἄρχοντας· ὅτι ἑαυτοῖς ἐβασίλευσαν, ἀλλ' οὐ δι' αὐτοῦ.