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my gospel, he says. He puts this everywhere in his epistles, saying, According to my gospel, either because it was necessary to obey him, or because there were others preaching other gospels. Wherein I suffer trouble, he says, even to the point of bonds, as an evildoer. Again he introduces comfort from himself, again exhortation; and by these two things he anoints the hearer, by his suffering trouble, and by his not doing this for any useless purpose. In this way he will gain, but in that way he will also be harmed. For what is the benefit, if you show the teacher suffering, but for no useful purpose? but that is wonderful, if it is for some useful purpose, if for the benefit of those being taught. But the word of God is not bound. That is, if we were worldly soldiers, he says, or if we were fighting a physical war, these bonds holding our hands would have power; but now God has made us such that we are overcome by nothing. For our hands are bound, but not our tongue; for no one can bind the tongue, except cowardice alone and unbelief; so that if we do not have this, even if you put on bonds, the preaching is not bound. For example, if someone binds a farmer, he has hindered the sowing; for he sows with his hand; if you bind a teacher, you have not hindered the word; for he sows with his tongue, not with his hand. Our word, therefore, is not subject to bonds; for while we are bound, it is loosed and runs. How? he says. Because behold, even being bound we preach. This is for the exhortation of those who are loosed; if we who are bound preach, much more ought you who are loosed to do this. Have you heard that I suffer these things as an evildoer? Do not be downcast. For the wonder is great, for one who is bound to do the things of those who are loosed, for one who is bound to overcome all, for one who is bound to vanquish those who bound him. For the word is of God, not ours; and human bonds will not be able to encompass the word of God. I suffer these things for the sake of the elect. For this cause, he says, I suffer all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. Behold also another exhortation: Not for my own sake, he says, but for the salvation of others I endure these things. It was possible to live without danger, it was possible to suffer none of these things, if indeed I were looking to my own interests. But for whose sake do I suffer these things? For the good of others, that others may obtain eternal life. What then do you also profess? He did not simply say, For these, but, For the elect. If God has chosen them, we ought to suffer all things for them, That they also may obtain salvation. The saying, They also, is of one showing and saying, as we also; for God has also chosen us. And just as God suffered for us, so we also for them; so that the matter is a repayment, not a grace. For in God's case it was grace; for He did not confer a benefit after having first received one; but in our case it is a requital; having first received benefits from God, we suffer for those for whom we suffer, that they may obtain salvation. What are you saying? what salvation? You who are not the cause of your own salvation, but are perishing, do you become the cause of salvation for another? For this reason he added: Not this one, he says, but That which is in Christ Jesus, the true salvation, with eternal glory. The present things are painful, but on earth; the present things are downcast, but temporary; full of unpleasantness and pain, but only until today and tomorrow. 3. The good things, however, are not such, but eternal, but in heaven. Truly that is glory, but this is dishonor. For consider with me, beloved: there is no glory on earth, but the true glory is in the heavens. And if anyone wishes to be glorified, let him be dishonored; if anyone wishes to obtain rest, let him be afflicted; if anyone wishes to be well-reputed and live in luxury always, let him spit upon temporary things. But that dishonor is glory, and glory dishonor, come, let us demonstrate this according to our ability, that we may see the true glory. It is not possible to be glorified on earth; but if you wish to be glorified, it is through dishonor. And come, let us examine this in the case of two persons, in the case of the

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εὐαγγέλιόν μου, φησί. Πανταχοῦ τοῦτο τίθησι τῶν ἐπιστολῶν λέγων, Κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιόν μου, ἢ ἐπειδὴ αὐτῷ πείθεσθαι ἐχρῆν, ἢ ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἕτεροι ἦσαν εὐαγγελιζόμενοι ἕτερα. Ἐν ᾧ κακοπαθῶ, φησὶ, μέχρι δεσμῶν, ὡς κακοῦργος. Πάλιν παρ' ἑαυτοῦ τὴν παραμυθίαν εἰσάγει, πάλιν τὴν προτροπήν· καὶ δύο τούτοις τὸν ἀκροατὴν ἀλείφει, τῷ τε εἰδέναι κακοπαθεῖν, καὶ τῷ μὴ ἐπ' οὐδενὶ χρησίμῳ τοῦτο ποιεῖν. Οὕτω μὲν κερδανεῖ, ἐκείνως δὲ καὶ βλαβήσεται. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος, ἐὰν δείξῃς τὸν διδάσκαλον κακοπαθοῦντα μὲν, ἐπ' οὐδενὶ δὲ χρησίμῳ; ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο θαυμαστὸν, εἰ ἐπί τινι χρησίμῳ 62.621 εἰ ἐπ' ὠφελείᾳ τῶν διδασκομένων. Ἀλλ' ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐ δέδεται. Τουτέστιν, εἰ μὲν κοσμικοὶ ἦμεν στρατιῶται, φησὶν, ἢ εἰ πόλεμον ἐπολεμοῦμεν αἰσθητὸν, ἴσχυε ταῦτα τὰ δεσμὰ τὰς χεῖρας κατέχοντα· νῦν δὲ τοιούτους ἡμᾶς ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς, ὡς μηδενὶ καταγωνίζεσθαι. ∆εσμοῦνται μὲν γὰρ αἱ χεῖρες, ἀλλ' οὐχ ἡ γλῶττα· γλῶτταν γὰρ οὐδεὶς δῆσαι δύναται, ἀλλ' ἢ δειλία μόνον καὶ ἀπιστία· ὡς ἂν ταύτην μὴ ἔχωμεν, κἂν περιβάλῃς δεσμὰ, τὸ κήρυγμα οὐ δέδεται. Οἷον, γεωργόν τις ἐὰν δήσῃ, τὸν σπόρον ἐνεπόδισε· τῇ χειρὶ γὰρ σπείρει· διδάσκαλον ἐὰν δήσῃς, τὸν λόγον οὐκ ἐνεπόδισας· τῇ γλώττῃ γὰρ σπείρει, οὐ τῇ χειρί. Οὐχ ὑποβάλλεται τοίνυν δεσμῷ ὁ λόγος ὁ ἡμέτερος· ἡμῶν γὰρ δεδεμένων, ἐκεῖνος λέλυται καὶ τρέχει. Πῶς; φησίν· Ὅτι ἰδοὺ καὶ δεδεμένοι κηρύττομεν. Τοῦτο εἰς προτροπὴν τῶν λελυμένων· εἰ ἡμεῖς δεδεμένοι κηρύττομεν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὑμᾶς τοὺς λελυμένους τοῦτο ποιεῖν χρή. Ἤκουσας ὅτι ὡς κακοῦργος ταῦτα πάσχω; μὴ κατηφὴς γένῃ. Πολὺ γὰρ τὸ θαῦμα, δεδεμένον ὄντα τὰ τῶν λελυμένων ποιεῖν, δεδεμένον πάντων περιγενέσθαι, δεδεμένον καταγωνίζεσθαι τοὺς δεδεκότας. Θεοῦ γάρ ἐστιν ὁ λόγος, οὐχ ἡμῶν· δεσμὰ δὲ ἀνθρώπινα Θεοῦ λόγον περιβαλεῖν οὐ δυνήσεται. Ταῦτα πάσχω διὰ τοὺς ἐκλεκτούς. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ, φησὶ, πάντα πάσχω διὰ τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς, ἵνα καὶ αὐτοὶ σωτηρίας τύχωσι τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, μετὰ δόξης αἰωνίου. Ἰδοὺ καὶ ἄλλη προτροπή· Οὐχ ὑπὲρ ἐμαυτοῦ, φησὶν, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ τῆς ἑτέρων σωτηρίας ταῦτα ὑπομένω. Ἐξὸν ἦν ἀκινδύνως ζῇν, ἐξὸν ἦν μηδὲν τούτων πάσχειν, εἴ γε τὰ ἐμαυτοῦ ἐσκόπουν. Ἀλλὰ διὰ τίνα ταῦτα πάσχω; Ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἀγαθῶν, ἵνα ἄλλοι τύχωσι ζωῆς αἰωνίου. Τί οὖν καὶ ἐπαγγέλλῃ; Οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἶπε, ∆ιὰ τούσδε, ἀλλὰ, ∆ιὰ τοὺς ἐκλεκτούς. Εἰ ὁ Θεὸς αὐτοὺς ἐξελέξατο, πάντα ἡμᾶς δεῖ πάσχειν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν, Ἵνα καὶ αὐτοὶ σωτηρίας τύχωσι. Τὸ εἰπεῖν, Καὶ αὐτοὶ, δεικνύντος ἐστὶ καὶ λέγοντος, ὡς Καὶ ἡμεῖς· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς ἐξελέξατο. Καὶ ὥσπερ δι' ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς ἔπαθεν, οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς δι' ἐκείνους· ὥστε ἀνταπόδοσίς ἐστι τὸ πρᾶγμα, οὐχὶ χάρις. Ἐπὶ μὲν τοῦ Θεοῦ χάρις ἦν· οὐ γὰρ προευπαθὼν εὐηργέτησεν· ἐπὶ δὲ ἡμῶν ἀντίδοσις· προευπαθόντες ἡμεῖς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, πάσχομεν ὑπὲρ τούτων ὧν πάσχομεν, ἵνα σωτηρίας τύχωσι. Τί λέγεις; ποίας σωτηρίας; ὁ σεαυτῷ αἴτιος μὴ ὢν σωτηρίας, ἀλλὰ ἀπολλύμενος, ἑτέρῳ σωτηρίας αἴτιος γίνῃ; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο προσέθηκεν· Οὐ ταύτης, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ Τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, τῆς ὄντως σωτηρίας, μετὰ δόξης αἰωνίου. Ὀδυνηρὰ τὰ παρόντα, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· κατηφῆ τὰ παρόντα, ἀλλὰ πρόσκαιρα· ἀηδίας μεστὰ καὶ ὀδύνης, ἀλλὰ μέχρι σήμερον καὶ αὔριον μόνον. γʹ. Τὰ μέντοι χρηστὰ οὐ τοιαῦτα, ἀλλ' αἰώνια, ἀλλ' ἐν οὐρανῷ. Ὄντως ἐκείνη δόξα, αὕτη δὲ ἀτιμία. Θέα γάρ μοι, ἀγαπητέ· οὐκ ἔστι δόξα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἀλλ' ἡ ὄντως δόξα ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἐστιν. Εἰ δέ τις δοξάζεσθαι βούλεται, ἀτιμαζέσθω· εἴ τις ἀνέσεως βούλεται τυχεῖν, θλιβέσθω· εἴ τις διαπαντὸς εὐδοκιμεῖν καὶ τρυφᾷν, τὰ πρόσκαιρα διαπτυέτω. Ὅτι δὲ ἡ ἀτιμία δόξα ἐστὶν, ἡ δὲ δόξα ἀτιμία, φέρε, κατὰ δύναμιν τοῦτο παραστήσωμεν, ἵνα τὴν ὄντως δόξαν ἴδωμεν. Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐπὶ γῆς δοξάζεσθαι· εἰ δὲ βούλει δοξάζεσθαι, δι' ἀτιμίας. Καὶ φέρε ἐπὶ τῶν δύο προσώπων τοῦτο ἐξετάσωμεν, ἐπὶ τοῦ