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to bear. We care for your benefit, not simply for display; for this reason we dwell on the meanings.

3. On the first day, then, I said that one must not simply pass over the inscriptions, when I also read to you the inscription 51.91 of the altar, and showed the wisdom of Paul, who transferred the foreign soldier standing in the enemy battle-line to his own phalanx. On this all the teaching on the first day concluded. After that, on the second day, we inquired who it was who wrote the book; and we found, by the grace of God, Luke the evangelist, and through several proofs we presented the matter to you, some clearer, some deeper. For I know that many of the hearers did not follow the last things that were said; but nevertheless, for this reason we will not refrain from venturing into more subtle meanings. The clearer things, therefore, will be useful for the simpler people, and the deeper things for those who see more keenly. For the table must be varied and diverse, since the desire of those who are called is also diverse. So on the first day, concerning the inscription; on the second day, concerning the one who wrote the book; on the third day, yesterday, we discussed with those present concerning the beginning of the scripture, and we showed, as those who have heard know, what an act is, and what a wonder is, and what a way of life is, and what a sign is, and a prodigy, and a power, and how great the difference is between each; and how one is greater, and the other more useful; and how the one, being on its own, brings about the kingdom, while the other, if it does not receive the alliance from the act, is cast out of those gates. Today it is necessary to speak of the remainder of the inscription, and to show what the name of the apostles is. For this is not a bare name, but it is the title of an office, of the greatest office, of the most spiritual office, of the office from above. But rouse yourselves. For just as in worldly matters there are many offices, but not all of the same rank, but some are greater, and some lesser; for example, so that we may make our enumeration from the lower one, there is the defender of the city; higher than him is the governor of the province; after him there is another, greater ruler; again there is the general; there is the prefect; there is an office higher than these, the office of the consuls; and all these are offices, but not all are of the same rank; so also in spiritual matters there are many offices, but not all are of the same rank; but greater than all is the rank of the apostolate. For it is necessary to lead you by the hand from sensible things to intelligible things. So also Christ did, when discoursing about the Spirit, he mentioned water. For he who drinks of this water will thirst again, he says; but he who drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst for ever. Do you see him leading the woman by the hand from sensible things to intelligible things? So also we do, and we ascend from below to above, so that the discourse may become clearer. For this reason, when discoursing about an office, we did not mention a spiritual office, but a perceptible one, so that from this one we might lead you by the hand to that one. You have heard how many worldly offices we have enumerated, and how some are greater, and some lesser, and how the office of the consuls is set over all like a summit and a head; let us see also the spiritual offices. There is a spiritual office, the office of prophecy; there is another office of evangelism, there is that of pastor, there is that of teacher, there is that of gifts, there is that of healings, there is that of interpretation of tongues. All these are names of gifts, but realities of offices and authorities. The prophet is a ruler; among us he who casts out demons is a ruler; among us the pastor and teacher is a spiritual ruler; but greater than all of these is the apostolic office. And from where is this clear? Because the apostle is before all of these. And just as the consul in perceptible offices, so the apostle in spiritual ones holds the first place. Let us hear Paul himself enumerating the offices, and in the highest place the apostolic

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βαστάζειν. Ὠφελείας ἡμῖν μέλει τῆς ὑμετέρας, οὐκ ἐπιδείξεως ἁπλῶς· διὰ τοῦτο ἐνδιατρίβομεν τοῖς νοήμασι.

γʹ. Τῇ μὲν οὖν πρώτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ὅτι οὐχ ἁπλῶς παρατρέχειν χρὴ τὰς ἐπιγραφὰς ἔλεγον, ὅτε καὶ τὸ ἐπίγραμμα 51.91 ὑμῖν ἀνέγνων τοῦ βωμοῦ, καὶ τὴν σοφίαν ἐπέδειξα Παύλου, τὸν ἀλλότριον στρατιώτην καὶ ἐν τῇ παρατάξει τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἑστηκότα πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν φάλαγγα μεταστήσαντος. Εἰς τοῦτο ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ ἡμέρᾳ κατέληξεν ἡ διδασκαλία πᾶσα· μετ' ἐκείνην ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ ἡμέρᾳ ἐζητήσαμεν τίς ἦν ὁ τὸ βιβλίον γράψας· καὶ εὕρομεν τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτι Λουκᾶν τὸν εὐαγγελιστὴν, καὶ διὰ πλειόνων ἀποδείξεων ὑμῖν παρεστήσαμεν τὸ ζητούμενον, τῶν μὲν σαφεστέρων, τῶν δὲ βαθυτέρων. Οἶδα γὰρ ὅτι τοῖς ἐσχάτοις τῶν εἰρημένων πολλοὶ τῶν ἀκουσάντων οὐ παρηκολούθησαν· ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐ διὰ τοῦτο ἀποστησόμεθα τοῦ κατατολμᾷν λεπτοτέρων νοημάτων. Τὰ μὲν οὖν σαφέστερα τοῖς ἀφελεστέροις, τὰ δὲ βαθύτερα τοῖς ὀξύτερον ἐνορῶσιν ἔσται χρήσιμα. Ποικίλην γὰρ εἶναι δεῖ τὴν τράπεζαν καὶ διάφορον, ἐπειδὴ καὶ διάφορος ἡ τῶν κεκλημένων ἐπιθυμία. Τῇ μὲν οὖν πρώτῃ ἡμέρᾳ περὶ ἐπιγραφῆς, τῇ δὲ δευτέρᾳ ἡμέρᾳ περὶ τοῦ γράψαντος τὸ βιβλίον, τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ χθὲς πρὸς τοὺς παραγενομένους περὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς τῆς γραφῆς διελέχθημεν, καὶ ἐδείξαμεν, καθάπερ ἴσασιν οἱ ἀκηκοότες, τί μέν ἐστι πρᾶξις, τί δέ ἐστι θαῦμα, καὶ τί μέν ἐστι πολιτεία, τί δέ ἐστι σημεῖον, καὶ τέρας, καὶ δύναμις, καὶ πόσον τὸ μέσον ἑκατέρων· καὶ πῶς τὸ μὲν μεῖζον, τὸ δὲ χρησιμώτερον· καὶ πῶς τὸ μὲν καθ' ἑαυτὸν ὂν βασιλείαν προξενεῖ, τὸ δὲ ἐὰν μὴ λάβῃ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς πράξεως συμμαχίαν, ἔξω τῶν προθύρων ἐκείνων ἐκβάλλεται. Σήμερον ἀναγκαῖον εἰπεῖν τὸ ἐπίλοιπον τῆς ἐπιγραφῆς, καὶ δεῖξαι τί ποτέ ἐστι τὸ ὄνομα τῶν ἀποστόλων. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ψιλόν ἐστι τὸ ὄνομα τοῦτο, ἀλλ' ἀρχῆς ἐστι προσηγορία, ἀρχῆς μεγίστης, ἀρχῆς τῆς πνευματικωτάτης, ἀρχῆς τῆς ἄνω. Ἀλλὰ διανάστητε. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς βιωτικοῖς πράγμασίν εἰσιν ἀρχαὶ πολλαὶ, οὐ πᾶσαι δὲ τῆς αὐτῆς ἀξίας, ἀλλ' αἱ μὲν μείζους, αἱ δὲ ἐλάττους· οἷον, ἵνα ἀπὸ τῆς κατωτέρας τὸν ἀριθμὸν ποιησώμεθα, ἔστιν ὁ τῆς πόλεως ἔκδικος· ἔστιν ἀνώτερος ἐκείνου ὁ τοῦ ἔθνους ἡγεμών· ἔστι μετ' ἐκεῖνον ἕτερος ἄρχων μείζων· ἔστι πάλιν ὁ στρατηλάτης· ἔστιν ὁ ὕπαρχος· ἔστιν ἀνωτέρα τούτων ἀρχὴ, ἡ τῶν ὑπάτων ἀρχή· καὶ πᾶσαι μὲν αὗται ἀρχαὶ, οὐ πᾶσαι δὲ τῆς αὐτῆς ἀξίας· οὕτω καὶ τῶν πνευματικῶν πολλαὶ μὲν ἀρχαὶ, οὐ πᾶσαι δὲ τῆς αὐτῆς ἀξίας· πασῶν δὲ μείζων ἡ τῆς ἀποστολῆς ἀξία. Καὶ γὰρ ἀπὸ τῶν αἰσθητῶν ὑμᾶς ἐπὶ τὰ νοητὰ χειραγωγεῖν δεῖ. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐποίησε, περὶ Πνεύματος διαλεγόμενος ὕδατος ἐμνημόνευσεν. Ὁ γὰρ πίνων ἐκ τοῦ ὕδατος τούτου διψήσει πάλιν, φησίν· ὁ δὲ πίνων ἐκ τοῦ ὕδατος, οὗ ἐγὼ δώσω αὐτῷ, οὐ μὴ διψήσει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. Ὁρᾷς ἀπὸ τῶν αἰσθητῶν ἐπὶ τὰ νοητὰ χειραγωγοῦντα τὸ γύναιον; Οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς ποιοῦμεν, καὶ κάτωθεν ἀναβαίνομεν ἄνω, ὥστε εὐσημότερον γενέσθαι τὸν λόγον. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο περὶ ἀρχῆς διαλεγόμενοι, οὐ πνευματικῆς ἐμνήσθημεν ἀρχῆς, ἀλλ' αἰσθητῆς, ἵνα ἀπὸ ταύτης πρὸς ἐκείνην ὑμᾶς χειραγωγήσωμεν. Ἠκούσατε πόσας ἠριθμήσαμεν ἀρχὰς βιωτικὰς, καὶ πῶς αἱ μὲν μείζους, αἱ δὲ ἐλάττους, καὶ πῶς ἡ τῶν ὑπάτων ἀρχὴ καθάπερ κορυφὴ καὶ κεφαλὴ πᾶσιν ἐπίκειται· ἴδωμεν καὶ τὰς ἀρχὰς τὰς πνευματικάς. Ἔστιν ἀρχὴ πνευματικὴ, προφητείας ἀρχή· ἔστιν ἑτέρα ἀρχὴ εὐαγγελισμοῦ, ἔστι ποιμένος, ἔστι διδασκάλου, ἔστι χαρισμάτων, ἔστιν ἰαμάτων, ἔστιν ἑρμηνείας γλωσσῶν. Ταῦτα πάντα ὀνόματα μέν ἐστι χαρισμάτων, πράγματα δὲ ἀρχῶν καὶ ἐξουσιῶν. Ὁ προφήτης ἄρχων ἐστί· παρ' ἡμῖν ὁ δαίμονας ἐξελαύνων ἄρχων ἐστί· παρ' ἡμῖν ὁ ποιμὴν καὶ διδάσκαλος ἄρχων ἐστὶ πνευματικός· ἀλλὰ τούτων ἁπάντων μείζων ἐστὶν ἀρχὴ ἡ ἀποστολική. Καὶ πόθεν τοῦτο δῆλον; Ὅτι πρὸ πάντων ὁ ἀπόστολος τούτων ἐστί. Καὶ καθάπερ ὁ ὕπατος ἐν ταῖς αἰσθηταῖς ἀρχαῖς, οὕτως ὁ ἀπόστολος ἐν τοῖς πνευματικοῖς τὴν προεδρείαν ἔχει. Αὐτοῦ τοῦ Παύλου ἀκούσωμεν ἀριθμοῦντος τὰς ἀρχὰς, καὶ ἐν τῷ ὑψηλοτέρῳ χωρίῳ τὴν ἀποστολικὴν