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having labored here, sharing there in the royal throne forever! Will not these things be worse for you than punishment? For if now, seeing some who are well-reputed, and suffering no evil yourself, you consider this worse than any penalty, and by this alone 62.37 are you corrupted, and you mourn yourself, and you weep, and you judge it worthy of a thousand deaths, what will you then endure? For if there were no hell, was not the very thought of the kingdom sufficient to destroy and corrupt you? And that this will be so, it is sufficient to learn from experience of the facts; Let us not then vainly comfort 62.38 ourselves with such words, but let us pay attention, and be concerned for our own salvation, and let us take care for virtue, and let us stir ourselves up to the working of good things, that we may be deemed worthy to attain such great glory in Christ Jesus our Lord.

HOMILY V.

Therefore remember that you were once Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision

by that which is called Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. 1. Many things show God's love for humanity towards us: first, that He saved us through Himself, and through Himself in such a manner; second, who we were when He saved us; third, to what He has exalted us. For all these things, even in themselves, contain the greatest proof of His love for humanity; and Paul now stirs up all these things in his writing. He said that He saved us when we were dead in our trespasses, and children of wrath; now he says also to whom He has made us equal. Therefore, he says, remember. For it is the custom of us all, when from great insignificance we are raised to an equivalent, or even greater, honor, not even to remember our former state, being nourished by that glory. For this reason he says, Therefore remember. Therefore, what? That we were created for good works. And this is sufficient to persuade us to take care for virtue. Remember. For that remembrance is sufficient to make us grateful to the benefactor. That you were once the Gentiles. See how he takes down the Jewish advantages, and marvels at the shortcomings of the Gentiles, which were not shortcomings, but he persuades both from their manner and their life. Who are called the uncircumcision. The honor was in words, the pre-eminence in the flesh; for uncircumcision is nothing, and circumcision is nothing. By that which is called, he says, the circumcision in the flesh made by hands. That you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. You who by the Jews are called this, he says. Why then, when he is about to show their benefit having come about in this, in their having fellowship with Israel, does he not again take down the Israelite dignity, but in these things exalt it? In the necessary things he exalts, but in these he takes down, in which they did not share. For going on, he says: You are fellow-citizens with the saints, and members of the household of God. See how he does not take it down. These things, he says, are indifferent. Do not think, he says, that because you did not receive circumcision and are in uncircumcision, that there is any difference. For this was the difficult thing, being without Christ, being alienated from the commonwealth of Israel; but these are not commonwealths; but being strangers to the covenants of promise, not having the future hope, being without God 62.38 in this world, all these things were theirs. He spoke about the heavenly things, and he speaks also about the things on earth, since the Jews had a great opinion about them. So also Christ, comforting the disciples, after saying, 'Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,' adds the lesser thing: For so, he says, they persecuted the prophets who were before you. For this in relation to its greatness is less

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καμόντας ἐνταῦθα, τοῦ θρόνου μετέχοντας ἐκεῖ τοῦ βασιλικοῦ διαπαντός! Οὐχὶ τῆς κολάσεώς σοι ταῦτα χείρονα ἔσται; Εἰ γὰρ νῦν ὁρῶν εὐδοκιμοῦντάς τινας, καὶ οὐδὲν πάσχων κακὸν, πάσης τιμωρίας χεῖρον τοῦτο νομίζεις, καὶ ὑπὸ τούτου μό 62.37 νου διαφθείρῃ, καὶ πενθεῖς σαυτὸν, καὶ δακρύεις, καὶ μυρίων εἶναι θανάτων κρίνεις ἄξιον, τί τότε ὑποστήσῃ; Εἰ γὰρ μὴ γέεννα ἦν, αὐτὴ ἡ ἔννοια τῆς βασιλείας οὐκ ἦν ἱκανὴ ἀπολέσαι καὶ διαφθεῖραι; Καὶ ὅτι τοῦτο οὕτως ἕξει, ἱκανὸν ἀπὸ τῆς πείρας τῶν πραγμάτων μαθεῖν· Μὴ τοίνυν εἰκῆ ψυχαγωγῶμεν 62.38 ἑαυτοὺς τοῖς τοιούτοις ῥήμασιν, ἀλλὰ προσέχωμεν, καὶ φροντίζωμεν τῆς ἑαυτῶν σωτηρίας, καὶ ἀρετῆς ἐπιμελώμεθα, καὶ πρὸς τὴν τῶν καλῶν ἐργασίαν ἑαυτοὺς διεγείρωμεν, ἵνα καταξιωθῶμεν τυχεῖν τῆς τοσαύτης δόξης ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Εʹ.

∆ιὸ μνημονεύετε, ὅτι ὑμεῖς ποτε τὰ ἔθνη ἐν σαρκὶ, οἱ λεγόμενοι ἀκροβυστία

ὑπὸ τῆς λεγο μένης περιτομῆς ἐν σαρκὶ χειροποιήτου· ὅτι ἦτε ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ χωρὶς Χριστοῦ, ἀπηλ λοτριωμένοι τῆς πολιτείας τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ξένοι τῶν διαθηκῶν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας, ἐλπίδα μὴ ἔχοντες, καὶ ἄθεοι ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ. αʹ. Πολλὰ δείκνυσι τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν εἰς ἡμᾶς φιλανθρωπίαν· πρῶτον, ὅτι δι' ἑαυτοῦ ἔσωσε, καὶ δι' ἑαυτοῦ τρόπῳ τοιούτῳ· δεύτερον, ὅτι τίνας ὄντας ἔσωσε· τρίτον, ὅτι ποῦ ἀνήγαγε. Ταῦτα γὰρ πάντα καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὰ μεγίστην ἔχει τὴν ἀπόδειξιν τῆς φιλανθρωπίας αὐτοῦ· καὶ ταῦτα πάντα κινεῖ νῦν γράφων ὁ Παῦλος. Εἶπεν, ὅτι νεκροὺς ὄντας τοῖς παραπτώμασι, καὶ τέκνα ὀργῆς, ἔσωσε· νῦν λέγει καὶ τίνων ἐποίησεν ἴσους. ∆ιὸ, φησὶ, μνημονεύετε. Ἔθος γὰρ ἡμῖν ἅπασιν, ὅταν ἐκ τῆς πολλῆς εὐτελείας εἰς ἀντίῤῥοπον, ἢ καὶ μείζονα τιμὴν ἀναχθῶμεν, μηδὲ μεμνῆσθαι τῶν προτέρων, ἐντρεφομένοις ἐκείνῃ τῇ δόξῃ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησι, ∆ιὸ μνημονεύετε. ∆ιὸ, ποῖον; Ὅτι ἐκτίσθημεν ἐπ' ἔργοις ἀγαθοῖς. Τοῦτο δὲ ἱκανὸν ἡμᾶς πεῖσαι τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐπιμελεῖσθαι. Μνημονεύετε. Ἱκανὴ γὰρ ἡ μνήμη ἐκείνη εὐγνώμονας περὶ τὸν εὐεργέτην ποιῆσαι. Ὅτι ὑμεῖς ποτε τὰ ἔθνη. Ὅρα πῶς τὰ πλεονεκτήματα τὰ Ἰουδαϊκὰ καθαιρεῖ, καὶ τὰ ἐλαττώματα τῶν ἐθνῶν θαυμάζει, ἅπερ οὐκ ἦν ἐλαττώματα, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τοῦ τρόπου καὶ τοῦ βίου ἑκατέρους πείθει. Οἱ λεγόμενοι ἡ ἀκροβυστία. Ἐν ῥήμασιν ἦν ἡ τιμὴ, ἐν σαρκὶ τὸ προτέρημα· οὐδὲν γάρ ἐστιν ἡ ἀκροβυστία, οὐδὲν ἡ περιτομή. Ὑπὸ τῆς λεγομένης, φησὶ, περιτομῆς ἐν σαρκὶ χειροποιήτου. Ὅτι ἦτε ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ χωρὶς Χριστοῦ, ἀπηλλοτριωμένοι τῆς πολιτείας τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ξένοι τῶν διαθηκῶν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας, ἐλπίδα μὴ ἔχοντες, καὶ ἄθεοι ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ. Ὑμεῖς οἱ ὑπὸ Ἰουδαίων τοῦτο, φησὶ, καλούμενοι. Τί δήποτε δὲ μέλλων δεικνύναι τὴν εὐεργεσίαν αὐτῶν ἐν τούτῳ γενομένην, ἐν τῷ κοινωνῆσαι αὐτοὺς τῷ Ἰσραὴλ, πάλιν τὸ ἀξίωμα τὸ Ἰσραηλιτικὸν οὐ καθαιρεῖ, ἀλλ' ἐν τούτοις ἐπαίρει αὐτό; Ἐν τοῖς ἀναγκαίοις ἐπαίρει, ἐν τούτοις δὲ καθαιρεῖ, ἐν οἷς οὐκ ἐκοινώνησαν. Προϊὼν γὰρ, φησί· Συμπολῖται τῶν ἁγίων ἐστὲ, καὶ οἰκεῖοι τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὅρα πῶς οὐ καθαιρεῖ. Ταῦτα, φησὶν, ἀδιάφορά ἐστι. Μὴ νομίσητε, φησὶν, ὅτι περιτομῆς οὐκ ἐτύχετε καὶ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ ἐστὲ, διαφοράν τινα εἶναι. Τὸ γὰρ χαλεπὸν τοῦτο ἦν, τὸ χωρὶς τοῦ Χριστοῦ εἶναι, τὸ τῆς πολιτείας ἀπηλλοτριῶσθαι τοῦ Ἰσραήλ· τοῦτο δὲ οὐ πολιτεῖαι· τὸ δὲ ξένους εἶναι τῶν διαθηκῶν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας, τὸ μὴ ἔχειν ἐλπίδα τὴν μέλλουσαν, τὸ ἀθέους 62.38 εἶναι ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ, ταῦτα πάντα ἐκείνων ἦν. Εἶπε περὶ τῶν οὐρανίων πραγμάτων, λέγει καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς, ἐπειδὴ μεγάλην δόξαν εἶχον περὶ αὐτῶν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς παραμυθούμενος τοὺς μαθητὰς, μετὰ τὸ εἰπεῖν, Μακάριοι οἱ δεδιωγμένοι ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν, τὸ ἔλαττον τίθησιν· Οὕτω γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐδίωξαν τοὺς προφήτας τοὺς πρὸ ὑμῶν. Τοῦτο γὰρ πρὸς μὲν τὸ μέγεθος ἔλαττόν