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not unwillingly nor forced, but willingly and with desire leaping away from him, and being unworthy He delivered. And since he mentioned the things in the heavens, he shows that all the enmity had its beginning from here, not from there. For they long ago desired it, and so did God; but you were not willing. And he shows that the angels had no power at all in former times, if indeed they remained enemies, and they were neither able to persuade, nor to deliver those who had been persuaded from the devil. For neither did persuading have any profit, if the one holding them was not bound; nor did his being bound have any profit, if those being held were not willing to return. But both were necessary, of which they did nothing, but Christ has done both. So that to persuade is more wonderful than to loose death. For that was entirely His, and He alone was lord; but of this, not He alone, but we also; and we accomplish more easily those things of which we ourselves are lords. Therefore, as it is also the greater thing, he places it later. And he did not simply say, being hostile, but, being alienated, which implies great enmity; not just alienated, but not even expecting to return. And enemies, he says, in your mind, by this declaring that their alienation was not only in their choice; but what? Also in wicked works. And you were enemies, he says, and you did the things of enemies. But now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him. Here he also states the manner of the reconciliation, that it was in the body, and that he was not simply struck, nor scourged, nor sold, but also died by the most shameful death. Again he mentions the cross, and again he states another good deed. For he not only delivered us, but also what he says above, To him who has made us sufficient, this he also hints at here. Through his death, he says, to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him. For he not only delivered from sins, but also established among those who have been well-pleasing. For he did not suffer so great things only to deliver from evils, but so that we might also attain the first things; just as if someone should not only free a condemned man from punishment, but also lead him to honor. And he ranked us with those who have not sinned at all; or rather 62.326 not only with those who have not sinned, but also with those who have achieved the greatest things; and what is greater still, that he has given holiness before him. And irreproachable is an intensification of blameless; for something is called irreproachable when nothing has been done by us even to the point of condemnation, nor even to the point of accusation. But since he has made it all His work by saying that through death He accomplished these things, lest someone should say, Then we need nothing, for this reason he added; if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Gospel. Here he cuts off their indolence. And he did not simply say, Continue; for it is possible to continue while being shaken, and being at variance; it is possible to stand and remain while being carried about. If indeed you continue, he says, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away. Ah, what a turn of phrase he has used! Not only not shaken, he says, but not even moved. And see; he lays down nothing burdensome for now, nor laborious, but faith and hope. That is, if you remain believing, that the hope of things to come is true. For here it is possible; but in the case of virtue it is not possible not to be shifted, even a little; thus it is not burdensome. From the hope, he says, of the Gospel, which you heard, which was preached in all creation under heaven. And what is the hope of the Gospel, but Christ? For he is our peace, and the one who has wrought all these things. So that he who ascribes them to others has been moved; for he has lost everything, if he does not believe in Christ. You have heard, he says. Again he brings them as witnesses, then the whole world. He does not say, of the

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ἄκοντας οὐδὲ ἀναγκαζομένους, ἀλλ' ἑκόντας καὶ μετὰ τοῦ βούλεσθαι ἀποπηδῶντας αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀναξίους ὄντας ἀπήλλαξε. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ τῶν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἐμνήσθη, δείκνυσιν ὅτι ἡ ἔχθρα πᾶσα ἐντεῦθεν εἶχε τὴν ἀρχὴν, οὐκ ἐκεῖθεν. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ πάλαι ἐβούλοντο, καὶ ὁ Θεός· ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐκ ἠθελήσατε. Καὶ διόλου δείκνυσι τοὺς ἀγγέλους μηδὲν ἰσχύσαντας ἐν τοῖς κάτω χρόνοις, εἴ γε ἔμενον ἐχθροὶ, καὶ οὔτε πεῖσαι ἠδύναντο, οὔτε πεισθέντας ἀπαλλάξαι τοῦ διαβόλου. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τὸ πεῖσαι εἶχέ τι κέρδος, τοῦ κατέχοντος μὴ δεθέντος· οὐδὲ τὸ δεθῆναι εἶχέ τι κέρδος, τῶν κατεχομένων μὴ βουλομένων ἐπανελθεῖν. Ἀλλ' ἀμφότερα ἔδει, ὧν ἐκεῖνοι μὲν οὐδὲν, ὁ Χριστὸς δὲ ἀμφότερα πεποίηκεν. Ὥστε τοῦ τὸν θάνατον λῦσαι θαυμασιώτερον τὸ πεῖσαι. Ἐκεῖνο μὲν γὰρ ὅλον αὐτοῦ ἦν, καὶ αὐτὸς μόνος κύριος ἦν· τούτου δὲ οὐχὶ αὐτὸς μόνος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡμεῖς· εὐκολώτερον δὲ ταῦτα ἀνύομεν, ὧν αὐτοὶ κύριοί ἐσμεν. Ἅτε οὖν καὶ μεῖζον ὂν, ὕστερον αὐτὸ τίθησι. Καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἶπεν, Ἐχθραίνοντας, ἀλλὰ, Ἀπηλλοτριωμένους, ὃ πολλῆς ἔχθρας ἐστίν· οὐδὲ ἠλλοτριωμένους, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ προσδοκῶντας ἐπανελθεῖν. Καὶ ἐχθροὺς, φησὶ, τῇ διανοίᾳ, διὰ τούτου δηλῶν, ὅτι οὐχὶ μέχρι τῆς προαιρέσεως μόνον ἡ ἀλλοτρίωσις ἦν αὐτῶν· ἀλλὰ τί; Καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις τοῖς πονηροῖς. Καὶ ἐχθροὶ ἦτε, φησὶ, καὶ τὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἐπράττετε. Νυνὶ δὲ ἀποκατήλλαξεν ἐν τῷ σώματι τῆς σαρκὸς αὑτοῦ διὰ τοῦ θανάτου, παραστῆσαι ὑμᾶς ἁγίους καὶ ἀμώμους καὶ ἀνεγκλήτους κατενώπιον αὐτοῦ. Ἐνταῦθα τίθησι καὶ τὸν τρόπον τῆς καταλλαγῆς, ὅτι ἐν τῷ σώματι, καὶ ὅτι οὐχ ἁπλῶς πληγεὶς, οὐδὲ μαστιγωθεὶς, οὐδὲ πραθεὶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀποθανὼν τῷ αἰσχίστῳ θανάτῳ. Πάλιν τοῦ σταυροῦ μέμνηται, καὶ πάλιν ἑτέραν τίθησιν εὐεργεσίαν. Οὐ γὰρ ἀπήλλαξε μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅ φησιν ἀνωτέρω, Τῷ ἱκανώσαντι ἡμᾶς, τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἐνταῦθα αἰνίττεται. ∆ιὰ τοῦ θανάτου αὑτοῦ, φησὶ, παραστῆσαι ὑμᾶς ἁγίους καὶ ἀμώμους καὶ ἀνεγκλήτους κατενώπιον αὐτοῦ. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ μόνον τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀπήλλαξεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς εὐδοκιμηκόσι κατέστησεν. Οὐ γὰρ ἵνα κακῶν ἀπαλλάξῃ μόνον τοσαῦτα ἔπαθεν, ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ τῶν πρώτων ἐπιτύχωμεν· ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις κατάδικον μὴ μόνον τῆς τιμωρίας ἐλευθερώσῃ, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς τιμὴν ἀναγάγῃ. Καὶ τοῖς οὐδὲν ἡμαρτηκόσιν ἐγκατέταξε· μᾶλλον δὲ 62.326 οὐ τοῖς μὴ ἡμαρτηκόσι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς κατωρθωκόσι τὰ μέγιστα· καὶ τὸ δὴ μεῖζον, ὅτι ἁγιωσύνην τὴν κατενώπιον αὐτοῦ δέδωκε. Τὸ δὲ ἀνέγκλητον, ἐπίτασις τοῦ ἀμώμου· ἀνέγκλητον γὰρ τότε λέγεται, ὅταν μηδὲ μέχρι καταγνώσεως, μηδὲ μέχρι ἐγκλήματος ᾖ τι πεπραγμένον ἡμῖν. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τὸ ὅλον αὐτοῦ τέθεικεν εἰπὼν, ὅτι διὰ τοῦ θανάτου ταῦτα κατώρθωσεν, ἵνα μή τις εἴπῃ, Οὐκοῦν οὐδενὸς χρῄζομεν, διὰ τοῦτο ἐπήγαγεν· Εἴ γε ἐπιμένετε τῇ πίστει τεθεμελιωμένοι καὶ ἑδραῖοι, καὶ μὴ μετακινούμενοι ἀπὸ τῆς ἐλπίδος τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου. Τὴν ῥᾳθυμίαν αὐτῶν ἐνταῦθα ἐπικόπτει. Καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἶπεν, Ἐπιμένετε· ἔστι γὰρ ἐπιμένειν σαλευόμενον, καὶ διχοστατοῦντα· ἔστιν ἑστάναι καὶ μένειν περιφερόμενον. Εἴ γε ἐπιμένετε, φησὶ, τεθεμελιωμένοι καὶ ἑδραῖοι, καὶ μὴ μετακινούμενοι. Βαβαὶ, ἡλίκῃ κέχρηται τροπῇ. οὐ μόνον μὴ σαλευόμενοι, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ κινούμενοι. Καὶ ὅρα· οὐδὲν φορτικὸν τέως τίθησιν, οὐδὲ ἐπίπονον, ἀλλὰ πίστιν καὶ ἐλπίδα. Τουτέστιν, ἐὰν μένητε πιστεύοντες, ὅτι ἀληθὴς ἡ ἐλπὶς τῶν μελλόντων. Ἐνταῦθα μὲν γὰρ δυνατόν· ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς ἀρετῆς οὐκ ἔνι μὴ μετασαλευθῆναι, κἂν μικρόν· οὕτως οὐκ ἔστιν ἐπαχθές. Ἀπὸ τῆς ἐλπίδος, φησὶ, τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου, οὗ ἠκούσατε, τοῦ κηρυχθέντος ἐν πάσῃ κτίσει τῇ ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανόν. Τίς δέ ἐστιν ἡ ἐλπὶς τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου, ἀλλ' ἢ ὁ Χριστός; Αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ἡ εἰρήνη ἡμῶν, καὶ πάντα ταῦτα ὁ ἐργασάμενος. Ὥστε ὁ ἑτέροις ἐπιγράφων, μετακεκίνηται· πάντα γὰρ ἀπώλεσεν, ἐὰν μὴ εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν πιστεύῃ. Ἠκούσατε, φησί. Πάλιν αὐτοὺς φέρει μάρτυρας, εἶτα τὴν οἰκουμένην ἅπασαν. Οὐ λέγει, τοῦ