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we cast out the memory of all things; but he himself so feared and trembled for his children, that even the only consolation he had, Timothy, his partner and fellow-worker, he sent to them in the midst of the very dangers. And our labor, he says, be in vain. Why? For if they were turned aside, it was not through your fault, not through your negligence. But still, even though this is so, I consider my labor to be emptied, from my great love of the brethren. Lest by some means the tempter had tempted you. He tempts, not knowing if he will overthrow. Then he, not even knowing, attacks, and shall we, knowing that we shall utterly overcome him, not be sober? That he attacks us not knowing, he showed in the case of Job. For that wicked demon said to God: Have you not put a hedge about him within and without? Take away his possessions; surely he will bless you to your face. He tempts. If he sees anything weak, he attacks; if strong, he departs. And our labor, he says, be in vain. Let us all hear how Paul labored. He did not say, work, but, The labor; he did not say, and you will perish, but, Our labor. So that if anything had happened, it would have been likely; but since it did not happen, great is the wonder. These things we expected, he says, but the opposite occurred; for not only did we receive no addition of affliction from you, but also comfort. But now that Timothy has come, he says, to us from you, and brought us good tidings of your faith, and your love. And brought us good tidings, he says. Do you see the exceeding joy of Paul? He did not say, reporting, but, Brought us good tidings; so great a good did he consider their steadfastness and love. For it is necessary that when the one remains firm, the other also be established. And he rejoiced in their love, because it was a sign of faith, And that you have, he says, good remembrance of us always, longing to see us, just as we also 62.418 you. That is, with praises. Not when we were present, nor when we were working miracles, but even now, when we are far away, and are scourged, and suffer countless terrible things, you have a good remembrance of us. Hear how disciples are admired for having a good remembrance of their teachers, how they are blessed. Let us imitate these; for we benefit ourselves, not those who are loved. Longing to see us, he says, just as we also you. And this also gladdened them. For for the one who loves to learn that the one who is loved knows this, that he is loved, is a great consolation and comfort. For this reason we were comforted, brethren, over you in all our affliction and distress through your faith; because now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord. What could be equal to Paul, who considered the salvation of his neighbors to be his own, being disposed toward all just as a body is to its members? who will be able to utter this voice now? or rather who will ever be able to think thus? He did not think it right for them to be grateful to him for his tribulations on their behalf, but he was grateful to them, because they were not shaken by his tribulations; as if he were to say that To you rather than to us was harm done by the tribulations; you were tempted more than we, you who suffered nothing, than we who suffered. Since Timothy, he says, brought us this good news, we feel none of the grievous things, but, We were comforted in all our affliction; not in this only, but also In our distress, he says; and reasonably so. For nothing else would touch a good teacher, so long as the affairs of his disciples proceed according to his mind. Through you, he says, we were comforted; that is, you strengthened us. And yet it was the opposite; for to suffer and not give in, but to stand nobly, is sufficient to strengthen the disciples. But he does the very opposite, and turns the praise over to them; you anointed us, he says; you have given us room to breathe; you did not let us feel the tribulations. And he did not say, we breathed again, nor, we were consoled; but what? Now we live;

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πάντων τὴν μνήμην ἐκβάλλομεν· αὐτὸς δὲ οὕτως ἐδεδοίκει καὶ ἔτρεμεν ὑπὲρ τῶν παίδων, ὡς καὶ ὃν μόνον εἶχε παραμυθίαν, τὸν Τιμόθεον καὶ κοινωνὸν καὶ συνεργὸν, τοῦτον ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῖς κινδύνοις πέμψαι πρὸς αὐτούς. Καὶ εἰς κενὸν, φησὶ, γένηται ὁ κόπος ἡμῶν. ∆ιὰ τί; εἰ γὰρ καὶ παρετράπησαν, οὐ παρὰ τὴν σὴν αἰτίαν, οὐ παρὰ τὴν σὴν ῥᾳθυμίαν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ τούτων ὄντων, κεκενῶσθαί μοι τὸν κόπον νομίζω ἀπὸ τῆς πολλῆς φιλαδελφίας. Μή πως ἐπείρασεν ὑμᾶς ὁ πειράζων. Πειράζει δὲ οὐκ εἰδὼς εἰ καταβαλεῖ. Εἶτ' ἐκεῖνος μὲν καὶ ὡς οὐκ εἰδὼς ἐπέρχεται, ἡμεῖς δὲ εἰδότες ὅτι σφόδρα αὐτοῦ περιεσόμεθα, οὐ νήφομεν; Ὅτι δὲ οὐκ εἰδὼς ἡμῖν προσβάλλει, ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰὼβ ἐδήλωσεν. Ἔλεγε γὰρ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ὁ πονηρὸς ἐκεῖνος δαίμων· Οὐ σὺ περιέφραξας αὐτοῦ τὰ ἔσω καὶ τὰ ἔξω; Περίελε αὐτοῦ τὰ ὑπάρχοντα· ἦ μὴν εἰς πρόσωπόν σε εὐλογήσει. Πειράζει. Ἂν ἴδῃ τι ἀσθενὲς, ἐπεχείρησεν· ἂν ἰσχυρὸν, ἀπέστη. Καὶ εἰς κενὸν, φησὶ, γένηται ὁ κόπος ἡμῶν. Ἀκούσωμεν ἅπαντες, πῶς ἔκαμνεν ὁ Παῦλος. Οὐκ εἶπεν, ἔργον, ἀλλ' Ὁ κόπος· οὐκ εἶπε, καὶ ὑμεῖς ἀπολεῖσθε, ἀλλ', Ὁ κόπος ἡμῶν. Ὥστε εἰ καὶ συνέβη τι, εἰκὸς ἐγίνετο· ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐ συνέβη, πολὺ τὸ θαῦμα. Ταῦτα μὲν προσεδοκήσαμεν, φησὶν, ἐξέβη δὲ τὰ ἐναντία· οὐ γὰρ μόνον προσθήκην θλίψεως οὐδεμίαν παρ' ὑμῶν ἐλάβομεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ παράκλησιν. Ἄρτι δὲ ἐλθόντος Τιμοθέου, φησὶ, πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀφ' ὑμῶν, καὶ εὐαγγελισαμένου ἡμῖν τὴν πίστιν, καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην ὑμῶν. Καὶ εὐαγγελισαμένου, φησίν. Ὁρᾷς τὴν περιχάρειαν Παύλου; Οὐκ εἶπεν, ἀπαγγείλαντος, ἀλλ', Εὐαγγελισαμένου· τοσοῦτον ἀγαθὸν ἡγεῖτο τὴν ἐκείνων βεβαίωσιν καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην. Ἀνάγκη γὰρ ἐκείνης βεβαίας μενούσης καὶ ταύτην ἐστηρίχθαι. Καὶ τῇ ἀγάπῃ δὲ αὐτῶν ἔχαιρεν, ὅτι σημεῖον τῆς πίστεως ἦν, Καὶ ὅτι ἔχετε, φησὶ, μνείαν ἡμῶν ἀγαθὴν πάντοτε ἐπιποθοῦντες ἡμᾶς ἰδεῖν, καθάπερ καὶ ἡμεῖς 62.418 ὑμᾶς. Τουτέστι μετὰ ἐπαίνων. Οὐχ ὅτε παρῆμεν, οὐδ' ὅτε ἐθαυματουργοῦμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ νῦν, ὅτε πόῤῥω ἐσμὲν, καὶ μαστιζόμεθα, καὶ μυρία πάσχομεν δεινὰ, μνείαν ἡμῶν ἀγαθὴν ἔχετε. Ἀκούσατε πῶς θαυμάζονται μαθηταὶ μνείαν ἀγαθὴν περὶ διδασκάλων ἔχοντες, πῶς μακαρίζονται. Μιμώμεθα τούτους· ἡμᾶς γὰρ αὐτοὺς ὠφελοῦμεν, οὐ τοὺς ἀγαπωμένους. Ἐπιποθοῦντες ἡμᾶς, φησὶν, ἰδεῖν, καθάπερ καὶ ἡμεῖς ὑμᾶς. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ αὐτοὺς εὔφρανε. Τὸ γὰρ μαθεῖν τὸν φιλοῦντα, ὅτι τοῦτο οἶδεν ὁ φιλούμενος, ὅτι φιλεῖται, πολλὴ παραμυθία καὶ παράκλησις. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο παρεκλήθημεν, ἀδελφοὶ, ἐφ' ὑμῖν ἐπὶ πάσῃ τῇ θλίψει καὶ ἀνάγκῃ ἡμῶν διὰ τῆς ὑμῶν πίστεως· ὅτι νῦν ζῶμεν, ἐὰν ὑμεῖς στήκητε ἐν Κυρίῳ. Τί Παύλου ἴσον γένοιτ' ἂν, ὃς τὴν τῶν πλησίον σωτηρίαν ἐνόμιζεν εἶναι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ, καθάπερ σῶμα πρὸς μέλη, οὕτω πρὸς πάντας διακείμενος; τίς δυνήσεται ταύτην ῥῆξαι τὴν φωνὴν νῦν; μᾶλλον δὲ τίς δυνήσεται οὕτω φρονῆσαί ποτε; Οὐκ ἠξίου χάριν αὐτοὺς εἰδέναι αὐτῷ τῶν πειρασμῶν τῶν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ χάριν αὐτοῖς ᾔδει, ὅτι οὐκ ἐσαλεύθησαν διὰ τοὺς πειρασμοὺς τοὺς αὐτοῦ· ὡς ἂν εἰ ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Ὑμῖν μᾶλλον, ἢ ἡμῖν ἀπὸ τῶν πειρασμῶν ἐγένετο βλάβη· ὑμεῖς ἐπειράσθητε μᾶλλον ἢ ἡμεῖς, ὑμεῖς οἱ μηδὲν παθόντες, ἡμῶν τῶν παθόντων. Ἐπειδὴ ταῦτα, φησὶν, εὐηγγελίσατο ἡμᾶς ὁ Τιμόθεος, οὐδὲν αἰσθανόμεθα τῶν λυπηρῶν, ἀλλὰ, Παρεκλήθημεν ἐπὶ πάσῃ τῇ θλίψει· οὐ ταύτῃ δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ Τῇ ἀνάγκῃ ἡμῶν, φησίν· εἰκότως. ∆ιδασκάλου γὰρ ἀγαθοῦ οὐδὲν ἂν ἅψαιτο λοιπὸν, ἕως ἂν τὰ τῶν μαθητῶν κατὰ γνώμην αὐτῷ προχωρῇ. ∆ι' ὑμῶν, φησὶ, παρεκλήθημεν· τουτέστιν, ὑμεῖς ἡμᾶς ἐστερεώσατε. Καὶ μὴν τοὐναντίον ἦν· τὸ γὰρ παθόντας μὴ ἐνδοῦναι, ἀλλὰ στῆναι γενναίως, ἱκανὸν τοὺς μαθητὰς στηρίξαι. Ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ἅπαν τοὐναντίον ποιεῖ, καὶ εἰς ἐκείνους περιτρέπει τὸ ἐγκώμιον· ὑμεῖς ἡμᾶς ἠλείψατε, φησίν· ὑμεῖς ἡμῖν ἀναπνεῦσαι δεδώκατε· ὑμεῖς οὐκ ἀφήκατε τῶν πειρασμῶν αἰσθέσθαι. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, ἀνεπνεύσαμεν, οὐδὲ, παρεμυθήθημεν· ἀλλὰ τί; Νῦν ζῶμεν·