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to draw what has been dedicated to God for common and human use is impious and presumptuous. 31.1120

QUESTION 54. What is self-love, and how does the self-loving person know himself? RESPONSE. Many things are said improperly, as for example: He who loves his soul will lose it; and he who hates his soul in this world will keep it for eternal life. A self-loving person, therefore, is one who supposedly loves himself. He knows himself if he does what he does for his own sake, even if what is done is according to a commandment. For to neglect something for the need of a brother, whether for the soul or for the body, for the sake of one's own rest, already makes the evil of self-love manifest even to others, the end of which is destruction.

QUESTION 55. What is the difference between bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and irritation? RESPONSE. The difference between wrath and anger perhaps lies in disposition and impulse; for the one who is angry has the passion in disposition only, as he who said, Be angry, and do not sin, indicates; but the one who is wrathful already shows something more; For their wrath, he says, is according to the likeness of a serpent; and, Herod was furiously angry with the Tyrians and Sidonians. And the more vehement movement from wrath is called irritation; but bitterness signifies a more terrible constitution of evil.

QUESTION 56. Since the Lord declared that "He who exalts himself will be humbled;" and the Apostle commands, "Do not set your minds on high things;" and says elsewhere, "Boasters, proud, conceited;" and again, "Love is not puffed up;" who is the high-minded, and who is the boaster, and who is the proud, and who is the conceited or who is the puffed up? RESPONSE. The high-minded would be he who exalts himself, who is proud and lifted up on account of his achievements, like that Pharisee, and is not led away with the humble. The same person might also be called puffed up, according to the accusation against the Corinthians. A boaster is one who does not abide by the established laws, nor fulfills the requirement to walk by the same rule, to be of the same mind; but devises his own way of righteousness and piety. The proud is he who boasts in what he has, and strives to appear greater than he is. The conceited is perhaps the same as the proud, or close to it, according to what was said by 31.1121 the Apostle: He is conceited, knowing nothing.

QUESTION 57. If someone has an incorrigible fault, and being condemned more frequently is harmed, is it more profitable to leave him to himself? RESPONSE. This has also been said elsewhere, that one must patiently turn sinners back, according to the manner shown by the Lord. But if the condemnation and rebuke of the many is not sufficient for his conversion, as was the case with the Corinthian, such a person must be regarded as a gentile. But to leave to himself one who has been condemned by the Lord is in no way safe for anyone, since the Lord said that it is profitable for someone, having lost one eye, or one hand, or one foot, to enter into the kingdom, rather than, by sparing one of these, to be thrown whole into the hell of fire, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth; and the Apostle testifies that a little leaven leavens the whole lump.

QUESTION 58. Is only he who lies deliberately judged? Or also he who through ignorance utters something contrary to the truth at all? RESPONSE. The judgment of the Lord is clear also concerning those who sin in ignorance, when he said: He who did not know, but did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. But everywhere worthy repentance has a sure hope of forgiveness.

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ἀνατεθὲν τῷ Θεῷ εἰς κοινὴν καὶ ἀνθρωπί νην χρῆσιν ἕλκειν ἀσεβὲς καὶ ἀτόλμητον. 31.1120

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Ν∆ʹ Τί ἐστι φιλαυτία, καὶ πῶς γνωρίζει ἑαυτὸν ὁ φίλαυτος. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Πολλὰ καταχρηστικῶς λέγεται, ὥσπερ τό· Ὁ φιλῶν τὴν ψυχὴν αὑτοῦ ἀπολέσει αὐτήν· καὶ ὁ μισῶν τὴν ψυχὴν αὑτοῦ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον φυλάξει αὐτήν. Φίλαυτος οὖν ἐστιν ὁ ἑαυ τὸν δῆθεν φιλῶν. Γνωρίζει δὲ ἑαυτὸν, ἐὰν ἅπερ ποιεῖ δι' ἑαυτὸν ποιῇ, κἂν κατ' ἐντολὴν ᾖ τὸ γινό μενον. Τὸ γὰρ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ἀναπαύσεως ἐλλεῖψαί τι τῶν πρὸς τὴν χρείαν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ, εἴτε κατὰ ψυχὴν εἴτε κατὰ σῶμα, φανερὰν ἤδη καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἔχει τῆς φιλαυτίας τὴν κακίαν, ἧς τὸ τέλος ἀπώλεια.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΝΕʹ. Ποία διαφορὰ πικρίας, καὶ θυμοῦ, καὶ ὀργῆς, καὶ παροξυσμοῦ. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Θυμοῦ μὲν καὶ ὀργῆς ἡ διαφορὰ τάχα ἐν διαθέσει καὶ ὁρμῇ κεῖται· τοῦ μὲν ὀργιζομένου ἐν διαθέσει μόνῃ ἔχοντος τὸ πάθος, ὡς δηλοῖ ὁ εἰπών· Ὀργί ζεσθε, καὶ μὴ ἁμαρτάνετε· τοῦ δὲ θυμουμένου ἤδη τι καὶ πλέον δεικνύντος· Θυμὸς γὰρ αὐτοῖς, φησὶ, κατὰ τὴν ὁμοίωσιν τοῦ ὄφεως· καὶ, Ὁ Ἡρώδης ἦν θυμομαχῶν Τυρίοις καὶ Σιδονίοις. Καὶ τὸ σφοδρότερον ἀπὸ θυμοῦ κίνημα παροξυσμὸς ὀνομάζεται· ἡ δὲ πικρία κατασκευὴν δεινοτέραν τῆς κακίας ἐμφαίνει.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Νʹ Τοῦ Κυρίου ἀποφηναμένου, ὅτι «Ὁ ὑψῶν ἑαυ τὸν ταπεινωθήσεται·» καὶ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου παρ αγγέλλοντος, «Μὴ τὰ ὑψηλὰ φρονεῖν·» καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ λέγοντος· «Ἀλαζόνες, ὑπερήφανοι, τετυφωμένοι·» καὶ πάλιν· «Ἡ ἀγάπη οὐ φυ σιοῦται·» τίς ἐστιν ὁ ὑψηλόφρων, καὶ τίς ὁ ἀλαζὼν, καὶ τίς ὁ ὑπερήφανος, τίς δὲ ὁ τετυφωμένος ἢ τίς ὁ πεφυσιωμένος. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὑψηλόφρων μὲν εἴη ἂν καὶ ὁ ἑαυτὸν ὑψῶν, ὁ ἐπὶ τοῖς προσοῦσιν αὐτῷ κατορθώμασι μεγαλοφρο νῶν καὶ ἐπαιρόμενος, κατὰ τὸν Φαρισαῖον ἐκεῖνον, καὶ μὴ τοῖς ταπεινοῖς συναπαγόμενος. Ὁ αὐτὸς δ' ἂν λέγοιτο καὶ πεφυσιωμένος, κατὰ τὸ Κορινθίων ἔγκλημα. Ἀλαζὼν δὲ ὁ μὴ στοιχῶν τοῖς νενομοθετη μένοις, μηδὲ πληρῶν τὸ τῷ αὐτῷ στοιχεῖν κανόνι, τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖν· ἰδίαν δὲ ὁδὸν δικαιοσύνης καὶ εὐσε βείας ἐπινοῶν. Ὑπερήφανος δὲ ὁ ἐπὶ τοῖς προσοῦ σιν αὐτῷ κομπάζων, καὶ ὑπὲρ ὅ ἐστι, φαίνεσθαι ἐπιτηδεύων. Τετυφωμένος δὲ ἢ ὁ αὐτός ἐστι τάχα τῷ ὑπερηφάνῳ, ἢ ἐγγὺς τούτου, κατὰ τὸ ὑπὸ 31.1121 τοῦ Ἀποστόλου εἰρημένον· Τετύφωται, μηδὲν ἐπι στάμενος.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΝΖʹ. Ἐάν τις ἐλάττωμα ἔχῃ ἀδιόρθωτον, καὶ συν εχέστερον καταγινωσκόμενος βλάπτηται, εἰ συμφέρει μᾶλλον ἐπαφιέναι αὐτῷ. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τοῦτο καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ εἴρηται, ὅτι τοὺς ἁμαρτά νοντας ἐπιστρέφειν μακροθύμως δεῖ, κατὰ τὸν ὑπο δεδειγμένον τρόπον παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου. Ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ἀρκέσῃ αὐτῷ πρὸς ἐπιστροφὴν ἡ τῶν πλειόνων κα τάγνωσις καὶ ἐπιτίμησις, ὡς τῷ Κορινθίῳ, ὡς ἐθνικὸν ὁρᾶσθαι χρὴ τὸν τοιοῦτον. Ἐναφίεσθαι δὲ τὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου κατακεκριμένον κατ' οὐδένα τρόπον ἀσφαλὲς οὐδενὶ, τοῦ μὲν Κυρίου εἰπόντος, ὅτι συμφέρει ἵνα τις, ἕνα ὀφθαλμὸν, ἢ μίαν χεῖρα, ἢ ἕνα πόδα ἀπολέσας, εἰσέλθῃ εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν, ἢ ἐν τῷ φείσασθαί τινος τούτων, ὅλος βληθῇ εἰς τὴν γέενναν τοῦ πυρὸς, ὅπου ἐστὶν ὁ κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων· καὶ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου μαρτυροῦντος, ὅτι μικρὰ ζύμη ὅλον τὸ φύραμα ζυμοῖ.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΝΗʹ. Ὁ κατ' ἐπιτήδευσιν ψευσάμενος κρίνεται μόνον; ἢ καὶ ὁ κατὰ ἄγνοιάν τι παρὰ τὸ ἀληθὲς ἀπο λύτως φθεγξάμενος; ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τὸ κρῖμα τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν κατὰ ἄγνοιαν ἁμαρτανόντων φανερὸν, εἰπόντος· Ὁ μὴ γνοὺς, ποιήσας δὲ ἄξια πληγῶν, δαρήσεται ὀλίγας. Πανταχοῦ δὲ ἡ ἀξιόλογος μετάνοια βεβαίαν ἔχει τὴν ἐλπίδα τῆς ἀφέσεως.