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the mind of the hearers, he no longer made them consider the present things terrible, but worthy of thanksgiving. Therefore he added: But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth. How did he choose for salvation? He shows by saying, In sanctification of the Spirit, that is, to sanctify through the Spirit and true faith. For these are the things that hold together our salvation; nowhere from works, nowhere from right achievements, but through belief in the truth. Behold the, "in," is again "through." In sanctification of the Spirit, he says. To which he called you through our Gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. And this is no small thing, if Christ considers our salvation His own glory. For the glory of the benevolent one is that many are saved. Therefore our Lord is great, if he so desires our salvation; great also is the Holy Spirit who works sanctification in us. Why did he not mention faith first, but sanctification? Because even after sanctification we still need much of it, so that we may not be shaken. Do you see how he shows that nothing is of them, but all is of God? Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or by our epistle. From this it is clear that they did not hand down everything by epistle, but many things also unwritten; and both those and these are equally trustworthy. So let us also consider the tradition of the Church trustworthy. It is a tradition, seek nothing more. He shows here that there are many who are being shaken. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work and word. Again a prayer with exhortation; for this is truly to help. He who loved us, he says, and gave eternal comfort and good hope through grace. Where now are those who diminish the Son, because He is named after the Father in the grace of baptism? for behold, here it is the opposite; He himself first says, Our Lord Jesus Christ; then, God and Father of our Lord. He who loved us, and gave eternal comfort. What sort of comfort is this? The hope of future things. Do you see how in the form of a prayer he raises their mind, setting forth the pledges and proofs of God's ineffable care? Comfort, he says, your hearts in every good work and word; that is, through every 62.489 good work and word. For this is the comfort of Christians, not only to wish to do something good, but also what is pleasing to God. See how he restrains their thinking. He who gave comfort, he says, and good hope through grace. At the same time he also makes them hopeful for the future. For if He gave such great things by grace, much more the things to come. I, however, have spoken thus, he says, but the whole is of God. Establish; confirm, so as not to be shaken nor to turn aside; for this is both ours and His. So it is for the sake of both doctrines and deeds. For this is comfort, to be established. For when one is not carried away, whatever things one might suffer, one bears with great long-suffering; as if the mind is shaken, it will no longer accomplish any of the good and noble deeds, but as one's hands might be paralyzed, so also the soul is shaken, when it does not believe that it is coming to some good end. Finally, pray, brethren, for us, that the word of the Lord may run and be glorified, even as it is with you. 3. He therefore prayed for them, that they might be established; but now he asks of them, requesting that they pray for him, not that he might not be in danger (for to this he was appointed), but, That the word of the Lord may run and be glorified, even as it is with you. And with

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τῶν ἀκροατῶν τὴν διάνοιαν, οὐκέτι ἐποίησε δεινὰ τὰ παρόντα νομίζειν, ἀλλ' εὐχαριστίας ἄξια. ∆ιόπερ ἐπήγαγεν· Ἡμεῖς δὲ ὀφείλομεν εὐχαριστεῖν τῷ Θεῷ πάντοτε περὶ ὑμῶν, ἀδελφοὶ ἠγαπημένοι ὑπὸ Κυρίου, ὅτι εἵλετο ὑμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς ἀπ' ἀρχῆς εἰς σωτηρίαν ἐν ἁγιασμῷ πνεύματος καὶ πίστει ἀληθείας. Πῶς εἰς σωτηρίαν εἵλετο; ∆είκνυσιν εἰπὼν, Ἐν ἁγιασμῷ πνεύματος, τουτέστιν, ἁγιάσαι διὰ πνεύματος καὶ πίστεως ἀληθοῦς. Ταῦτα γὰρ ἡμῶν ἐστι τὰ συνεκτικὰ τῆς σωτηρίας· οὐδαμοῦ ἀπὸ ἔργων, οὐδαμοῦ ἀπὸ κατορθωμάτων, ἀλλὰ διὰ πίστεως ἀληθείας. Ἰδοὺ τὸ, ἐν, πάλιν διὰ ἐστίν. Ἐν ἁγιασμῷ πνεύματος, φησίν. Εἰς ὃ ἐκάλεσεν ὑμᾶς διὰ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου ἡμῶν, εἰς περιποίησιν δόξης τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Οὐ μικρὸν καὶ τοῦτο, εἰ αὑτοῦ δόξαν τὴν ἡμετέραν σωτηρίαν ἡγεῖται ὁ Χριστός. ∆όξα γὰρ τοῦ φιλανθρώπου τὸ πολλοὺς εἶναι τοὺς σωζομένους. Ἄρα μέγας ἡμῶν ὁ Κύριος, εἰ οὕτως ἐφίεται τῆς σωτηρίας ἡμῶν· μέγα καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐργαζόμενον ἡμῖν τὸν ἁγιασμόν. ∆ιὰ τί οὐ πρότερον εἶπε τὴν πίστιν, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἁγιασμόν; Ὅτι καὶ μετὰ τὸν ἁγιασμὸν πολλῆς αὐτῆς ἔτι δεόμεθα, ὥστε μὴ παρασαλευθῆναι. Ὁρᾷς πῶς οὐδὲν αὐτῶν δείκνυσιν ὂν, ἀλλὰ τὸ πᾶν τοῦ Θεοῦ; Ἄρα οὖν, ἀδελφοὶ, στήκετε, καὶ κρατεῖτε τὰς παραδόσεις, ἃς ἐδιδάχθητε εἴτε διὰ λόγου εἴτε δι' ἐπιστολῆς ἡμῶν. Ἐντεῦθεν δῆλον ὅτι οὐ πάντα δι' ἐπιστολῆς παρεδίδοσαν, ἀλλὰ πολλὰ καὶ ἀγράφως· ὁμοίως δὲ κἀκεῖνα καὶ ταῦτά ἐστιν ἀξιόπιστα. Ὥστε καὶ τὴν παράδοσιν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἀξιόπιστον ἡγώμεθα. Παράδοσίς ἐστι, μηδὲν πλέον ζήτει. ∆είκνυσιν ἐνταῦθα πολλοὺς ὄντας τοὺς παρασαλευομένους. Αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ ἡμῶν, ὁ ἀγαπήσας ἡμᾶς, καὶ δοὺς παράκλησιν αἰώνιον καὶ ἐλπίδα ἀγαθὴν ἐν χάριτι, παρακαλέσαι ὑμῶν τὰς καρδίας, καὶ στηρίξαι ἐν παντὶ ἔργῳ καὶ λόγῳ ἀγαθῷ. Πάλιν εὐχὴ μετὰ παραίνεσιν· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν ὄντως βοηθεῖν. Ὁ ἀγαπήσας ἡμᾶς, φησὶ, καὶ δοὺς παράκλησιν αἰώνιον καὶ ἐλπίδα ἀγαθὴν ἐν χάριτι. Ποῦ νῦν εἰσιν οἱ τὸν Υἱὸν ἐλαττοῦντες, ἐπειδὴ μετὰ τὸν Πατέρα ἐν τῇ χάριτι τοῦ λουτροῦ ὀνομάζεται; ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἐνταῦθα τοὐναντίον ἐστίν· αὐτός φησι πρῶτον, Ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός· εἶτα, Ὁ Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν. Ὁ ἀγαπήσας ἡμᾶς, καὶ δοὺς παράκλησιν αἰώνιον. Ποίαν δὴ ταύτην; Τὴν ἐλπίδα τῶν μελλόντων. Ὁρᾷς πῶς ἐν τάξει εὐχῆς διανίστησιν αὐτῶν τὴν διάνοιαν, τὰ τῆς κηδεμονίας τοῦ Θεοῦ τῆς ἀφάτου τιθεὶς ἐνέχυρα καὶ τεκμήρια; Παρακαλέσαι, φησὶν, ὑμῶν τὰς καρδίας ἐν παντὶ ἔργῳ καὶ λόγῳ ἀγαθῷ· τουτέστι, διὰ παν 62.489 τὸς ἔργου καὶ λόγου ἀγαθοῦ. Χριστιανῶν γὰρ αὕτη παράκλησις, τὸ μὴ μόνον ποιῆσαί τι χρηστὸν βούλεσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ Θεῷ δοκοῦν. Ὅρα πῶς αὐτῶν καταστέλλει τὸ φρόνημα. Ὁ δοὺς παράκλησιν, φησὶ, καὶ ἐλπίδα ἀγαθὴν ἐν χάριτι. Ἅμα καὶ εὐέλπιδας ὑπὲρ τῶν μελλόντων ποιεῖ. Εἰ γὰρ τοσαῦτα χάριτι ἔδωκε, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὰ μέλλοντα. Ἐγὼ μέντοι οὕτως εἶπον, φησὶ, τὸ δὲ πᾶν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστι. Στηρίξαι· βεβαιώσαι, ὥστε μὴ σαλεύεσθαι μηδὲ παρακλίνεσθαι· καὶ γὰρ ἡμῶν καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦτό ἐστιν. Ὥστε καὶ δογμάτων καὶ πράξεων ἕνεκεν. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι παράκλησις, τὸ ἐστηρίχθαι. Ὅταν γάρ τις μὴ παραφέρηται, πάντα, ὅσαπερ ἂν πάθῃ, μετὰ πολλῆς φέρει τῆς μακροθυμίας· ὡς ἐὰν παρασαλευθῇ ἡ διάνοια, οὐδὲν λοιπὸν ἐργάσεται τῶν ἀγαθῶν καὶ γενναίων πράξεων, ἀλλ' ὡς ἄν τις τὰς χεῖρας ἐκλυθῇ, οὕτω καὶ ψυχὴ παρασαλεύεται, ὅταν μὴ πεπιστευκυῖα ᾖ, ὅτι ἐπί τι χρηστὸν ἀπαντᾷ τέλος. Τὸ λοιπὸν προσεύχεσθε, ἀδελφοὶ, περὶ ἡμῶν, ἵνα ὁ λόγος τοῦ Κυρίου τρέχῃ καὶ δοξάζηται, καθὼς καὶ πρὸς ὑμᾶς. γʹ. Αὐτὸς μὲν οὖν προσηύξατο περὶ αὐτῶν, ὥστε στηριχθῆναι· αἰτεῖ δὲ νῦν παρ' αὐτῶν, προσεύξασθαι ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ ἀξιῶν, οὐχ ἵνα μὴ κινδυνεύῃ (εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ ἔκειτο), ἀλλ', Ἵνα ὁ λόγος τοῦ Κυρίου τρέχῃ καὶ δοξάζηται, καθὼς καὶ πρὸς ὑμᾶς. Καὶ μετ'