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as soldiers. If, therefore, to suffer hardship belongs to a king's soldier, not to suffer hardship does not belong to a soldier. So you must not be distressed if you suffer hardship; for this is the part of a soldier. But you should be distressed if you do not suffer hardship. No one serving as a soldier entangles himself in the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. These things were said to Timothy, but through him they are said to everyone, both teacher and student. Let none, therefore, of those who hold the office of bishop think it unworthy to hear these things, but rather think it unworthy not to do them. If a man strive, he says, he is not crowned, except he strive lawfully. What does "Except he strive lawfully" mean? Not, if he enters the contest, is this sufficient, nor if he anoints himself, nor if he engages in wrestling, but unless he keeps the whole rule of the athletic contest, both that concerning food, and that concerning self-control and sobriety, and that in the wrestling-school, and, in short, has gone through everything that pertains to athletes, he is never crowned. And see the wisdom of Paul; he mentioned athletics and soldiers, the one, that he might be ready for slaughters and murders and bloodshed, the other 62.620 for endurance, that he might bear all things nobly, that he might be constantly in training. The husbandman that labors, he says, must be first partaker of the fruits. He has spoken from his own examples, he has spoken from the Teacher; then he speaks also from common occurrences, those of athletes, of soldiers; and there he sets forth the prizes, the one, "That he may please him who has chosen him to be a soldier"; the other, "That he may be crowned." And he speaks also a third example, which is most fitting for him; for that of the soldier and that of the athlete is suitable also for those who are ruled, but that of the husbandman is then for the teacher. Not as a soldier, nor as an athlete only, but also as a husbandman. The husbandman does not care for himself alone, but also for the fruits of the earth; that is, the husbandman also reaps no small reward for his labors. 2. Here he shows both the self-sufficiency of God, and the recompense of teaching, having spoken of a common matter. Just as, he says, the husbandman does not labor for nothing, but before others enjoys his own labors, so too it is likely for the teacher. Either this, or he is speaking about the honoring of teachers. But it does not make sense; for why did he not say simply "husbandman," but "the one who labors"? Nor simply "the one who is weary," but "the one who is beaten down with toil"? Here also, against delay, that no one should be distressed, "Already," he says, "you receive your reward"; or, that in the labor itself is the recompense. Since, therefore, he has set forth the examples of soldiers, and athletes, and husbandmen, and all things simply in a riddle-like way, "No one," he says, "is crowned, except he strive lawfully." And having said, "The husbandman that labors must be first partaker of the fruits," he added, "Consider what I say; for may the Lord give you understanding in all things." For it is for the sake of these things that these have been said in a proverb and a parable. Then again, showing his affection, he does not cease praying for him, as one fearing for a true child, and says, "Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, of the seed of David, according to my gospel, for which I suffer trouble, even to the point of chains, as an evildoer." For what reason does he mention this here? Most of all, then, both addressing the heretics, and at the same time refreshing him, and showing the gain of sufferings, that our teacher Christ himself also overcame death through suffering. "Remember this," he says, "and you will have sufficient comfort." "Remember," he says, "Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, of the seed of David." For already from that time some began to subvert the economy, being ashamed at the greatness of God's love for man. For such were the good things that God bestowed on us, that men were ashamed to attribute them to God, and to disbelieve that he had descended so far. According to the

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στρατευόμενοι. Εἰ τοίνυν τὸ κακοπαθεῖν βασιλικοῦ στρατιώτου, τὸ μὴ κακοπαθεῖν οὐκ ἔστι στρατιώτου. Ὥστε οὐ χρὴ δυσχεραίνειν, εἰ κακοπαθεῖς· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι στρατιώτου· ἀλλὰ δυσχεραίνειν, εἰ μὴ κακοπαθοίης. Οὐδεὶς στρατευόμενος ἐμπλέκεται ταῖς τοῦ βίου πραγματείαις, ἵνα τῷ στρατολογήσαντι ἀρέσῃ. Ἐὰν δὲ καὶ ἀθλῇ τις, οὐ στεφανοῦται, ἐὰν μὴ νομίμως ἀθλήσῃ. Ταῦτα εἴρηται μὲν πρὸς Τιμόθεον, λέγεται δὲ πρὸς πάντα καὶ διδάσκαλον καὶ μαθητὴν δι' ἐκείνου. Μηδεὶς τοίνυν ἀπαξιούτω τῶν τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν ἐχόντων ταῦτα ἀκούων, ἀλλ' ἀπαξιούτω μὴ ταῦτα πράττων. Ἐὰν ἀθλῇ τις, φησὶν, οὐ στεφανοῦται ἐὰν μὴ νομίμως ἀθλήσῃ. Τί ἐστιν, Ἐὰν μὴ νομίμως; Οὐκ, ἐὰν εἰς τὸν ἀγῶνα εἰσέλθῃ, ἀρκεῖ τοῦτο, οὐδὲ ἐὰν ἀλείψηται, οὐδὲ ἐὰν συμπλακῇ, ἀλλὰ ἂν μὴ πάντα τὸν τῆς ἀθλήσεως νόμον φυλάττῃ, καὶ τὸν ἐπὶ σιτίων, καὶ τὸν ἐπὶ σωφροσύνης καὶ σεμνότητος, καὶ τὸν ἐν παλαίστρᾳ, καὶ πάντα ἁπλῶς διέλθῃ τὰ τοῖς ἀθληταῖς προσήκοντα, οὐδέποτε στεφανοῦται. Καὶ ὅρα τοῦ Παύλου τὴν σοφίαν· ἀθλήσεως καὶ στρατιωτῶν ἐμνήσθη, τὸ μὲν, ὥστε ἕτοιμον εἶναι πρὸς σφαγὰς καὶ φόνους καὶ αἵματα, τὸ δὲ 62.620 καρτερικὸν, ἵνα πάντα γενναίως φέρῃ, ἵνα διαπαντὸς ἐν ἀσκήσει ᾖ. Τὸν κοπιῶντα γεωργὸν, φησὶ, δεῖ πρῶτον τῶν καρπῶν μεταλαμβάνειν. Εἶπεν ἀπὸ τῶν αὐτοῦ παραδειγμάτων, εἶπεν ἀπὸ τοῦ διδασκάλου· λέγει λοιπὸν καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν κοινῇ συμβαινόντων, τῶν ἀθλητῶν, τῶν στρατιωτῶν· καὶ τίθησιν ἐκεῖ τὰ ἔπαθλα, τὸ μὲν, Ἵνα ἀρέσῃ τῷ στρατολογήσαντι· τὸ δὲ, Ἵνα στεφανωθῇ. Καὶ λέγει καὶ τρίτον ὑπόδειγμα, ὃ μάλιστα αὐτῷ ἁρμόζει· τὸ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ στρατιώτου καὶ τὸ τοῦ ἀθλητοῦ καὶ τοῖς ἀρχομένοις κατάλληλον, τὸ δὲ τοῦ γεωργοῦ λοιπὸν τῷ διδασκάλῳ. Μὴ ὡς στρατιώτης, μηδὲ ὡς ἀθλητὴς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς γεωργός. Ὁ γεωργὸς οὐχ ἑαυτοῦ ἐπιμελεῖται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν καρπῶν τῆς γῆς· τουτέστιν, οὐ μικρὰν ἀμοιβὴν τῶν πόνων καρποῦται καὶ ὁ γεωργός. βʹ. Ἐνταῦθα καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ ἀνενδεὲς δείκνυσι, καὶ τὴν ἀντίδοσιν τῆς διδασκαλίας, πρᾶγμα εἰπὼν κοινόν. Ὥσπερ, φησὶν, ὁ γεωργὸς οὐκ ἀνόνητα πονεῖ, ἀλλὰ πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων αὐτὸς ἀπολαύει τῶν πόνων τῶν οἰκείων, οὕτω καὶ τὸν διδάσκαλον εἰκός. Ἢ τοῦτο, ἢ περὶ τοῦ τιμᾶσθαι τοὺς διδασκάλους φησίν. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔχει λόγον· πῶς γὰρ οὐχ ἁπλῶς γεωργὸν εἶπεν, ἀλλὰ τὸν κοπιῶντα; οὐδὲ ἁπλῶς τὸν κάμνοντα, ἀλλὰ τὸν κοπτόμενον; Ἐνταῦθα καὶ πρὸς τὴν μέλλησιν ἵνα μηδεὶς δυσχεραίνῃ, Ἤδη, φησὶν, ἀπολαμβάνεις· ἢ ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ κόπῳ ἡ ἀντίδοσις. Ἐπεὶ οὖν τὰ παραδείγματα ἔθηκε τὸ τῶν στρατιωτῶν, καὶ ἀθλητῶν, καὶ γεωργῶν, καὶ πάντα ἁπλῶς αἰνιγματωδῶς, Οὐδεὶς, φησὶ, στεφανοῦται, ἐὰν μὴ νομίμως ἀθλήσῃ. Καὶ εἰπὼν, Τὸν κοπιῶντα γεωργὸν δεῖ πρῶτον τῶν καρπῶν μεταλαμβάνειν, ἐπήγαγε· Νόει ὃ λέγω· δῴη γάρ σοι ὁ Θεὸς σύνεσιν ἐν πᾶσι. Τούτων γὰρ ἕνεκεν ταῦτα εἴρηται ἐν παροιμίᾳ καὶ παραβολῇ. Εἶτα πάλιν τὸ φιλόστοργον αὐτοῦ δεικνὺς, οὐ παύεται ἐπευχόμενος αὐτῷ, ἅτε ὡς ὑπὲρ γνησίου τέκνου δεδοικὼς, καί φησι· Μνημόνευε Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐγηγερμένον ἐκ νεκρῶν, ἐκ σπέρματος ∆αυῒδ, κατὰ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιόν μου, ἐν ᾧ κακοπαθῶ μέχρι δεσμῶν, ὡς κακοῦργος. Τίνος ἕνεκεν ἐνταῦθα τούτου μέμνηται; Μάλιστα μὲν οὖν καὶ πρὸς τοὺς αἱρετικοὺς ἀποτεινόμενος, ἅμα δὲ καὶ ἀνακτώμενος αὐτὸν, καὶ δεικνὺς τῶν παθημάτων τὸ κέρδος, ὅτι καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ διδάσκαλος ἡμῶν ὁ Χριστὸς διὰ πάθους τὸν θάνατον κατηγωνίσατο. Τοῦτο μνημόνευε, φησὶ, καὶ ἕξεις παράκλησιν ἱκανήν. Μνημόνευε, φησὶ, Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐγηγερμένον ἐκ νεκρῶν, ἐκ σπέρματος ∆αυΐδ. Ἤδη γὰρ ἐξ ἐκείνου ἤρξαντό τινες τὴν οἰκονομίαν ἀνατρέπειν, ἐπαισχυνόμενοι τῷ μεγέθει τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίας. Τοιαῦτα γὰρ ἦν ἃ εὐηργέτησεν ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς, ὡς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους αἰσχύνεσθαι περιάπτειν αὐτὰ τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ ἀπιστεῖν ὅτι τοσοῦτον κατέβη. Κατὰ τὸ