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We were buried with him through baptism; and Our old man was crucified with him; and, We have been united with him in a death like his. Here he also speaks of temptations; or rather of this; for he was in temptations when he wrote these things. What he says is this: If we have died for his sake, shall we not live for his sake? This is indisputable. If we endure, he says, we will also reign with him. He did not simply say, We will reign with him; but, If we endure, showing that it is not enough to die once (this blessed man died every day); but great endurance is needed, which Timothy especially needed. For do not tell me, he says, about the first things, but if it is for all time. Then he exhorts from the other side, not from the good things, but also from the bad. For if the wicked were to partake of the same things, this is not a consolation; and if, by enduring they were to reign with him, but by not enduring they were to suffer only this, not reigning with him, this is also terrible, yet it is not sufficient to sting the many. Therefore he says the more fearful thing: If we deny him, he also will deny us. So the recompenses are not in the good things only, but also in the opposite. But consider what one who is denied in his kingdom is likely to suffer: Whoever denies me, he says, I also will deny him. The requital is not equal, even if he seems to say so; for we who deny are men, but he is God; and what need is there to say how great the distance is between God and men? 2. Moreover, we harm ourselves from this, but him not at all, nor are we able. For this reason he added, declaring the same thing: If we are faithless, he remains faithful; for he cannot deny himself. That is, if we do not believe that he was raised, he is in no way harmed by this; he is true, he is steadfast, whether we say so or not. If, then, he is in no way harmed by our denial, he demands our confession for no other reason than because it is useful for us. For he remains the same whether we deny him or not. For he cannot deny himself, that is, not to be. We 62.626 say that he does not exist, even if the matter is not so. It is not in his nature not to exist, it is not possible; that is, for him to pass into non-existence; he always remains, his substance always is. Let us not, then, be so disposed as if we are doing him a favor, or as if we are harming him. Then, lest anyone think that Timothy needed these things, he added: Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. This is a fearful thing, to speak with God as a witness. For if one would not dare to disregard the testimony of a man when it is called upon, much more that of God. What I mean is this: If someone making a contract or writing a will wants to call trustworthy witnesses, will anyone dare to entrust those things to some outsider? By no means; even if he wishes, fearing the trustworthiness of the witnesses, he refrains. What is, 'Charging them'? He calls God as a witness of the things being said, of the things being done. Not to strive about words to no profit. Not only this, but also, To the ruin of the hearers. Not only is there no gain from this, but also much harm. Remind them of these things, therefore; even if they show contempt, God will judge them. Why does he also exhort about not striving about words? He knows that the matter is alluring, and that the human soul always wants to fight and strive about words. So that this may not happen, he does not simply say not to strive about words, but making the statement more fearful he added, To the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Everywhere, 'not to be ashamed'. Why does he make so much of shame? Because it was likely that many were ashamed both of Paul himself, since he was a tentmaker, and of the preaching, as of

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Συνετάφημεν αὐτῷ διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος· καὶ Ὁ παλαιὸς ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος συνεσταυρώθη· καὶ, Σύμφυτοι γεγόναμεν τῷ ὁμοιώματι τοῦ θανάτου αὐτοῦ. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ καὶ τὸν τῶν πειρασμῶν λέγει· μᾶλλον δὲ τοῦτον· καὶ γὰρ ἐν πειρασμοῖς ἦν, ὅτε ταῦτα ἔγραφεν. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοῦτό ἐστιν· Εἰ δι' αὐτὸν ἀπεθάνομεν, δι' αὐτὸν οὐ ζησόμεθα; ἀναμφισβήτητον τοῦτό ἐστιν. Εἰ ὑπομένομεν, φησὶ, καὶ συμβασιλεύσομεν, Οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἶπε, Συμβασιλεύσομεν· ἀλλ', Εἰ ὑπομένομεν, δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐκ ἀρκεῖ τὸ ἅπαξ ἀποθανεῖν (καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἀπέθνησκεν ὁ μακάριος οὗτος)· ἀλλὰ δεῖ πολλῆς ὑπομονῆς, ἧς μάλιστα ἔδει Τιμοθέῳ. Μὴ γάρ μοι, φησὶ, τὰ πρῶτα εἴπῃς, ἀλλ' εἰ διαπαντός. Εἶτα καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἄλλου μέρους προτρέπει, οὐκ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀγαθῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν κακῶν. Εἰ γὰρ μέλλοιεν τῶν αὐτῶν μετέχειν καὶ οἱ πονηροὶ, οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο παράκλησις· καὶ εἰ μέλλοιεν ὑπομείναντες μὲν συμβασιλεύειν, μὴ ὑπομείναντες δὲ τοῦτο μόνον πάσχειν, τὸ μὴ συμβασιλεύειν, δεινὸν μὲν καὶ τοῦτο, πλὴν ἀλλὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς οὐχ ἱκανὸν δακεῖν. ∆ιὸ τὸ φοβερώτερον λέγει· Εἰ ἀρνησόμεθα αὐτὸν, κἀκεῖνος ἀρνήσεται ἡμᾶς. Ἄρα οὐκ ἐν τοῖς χρηστοῖς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἐναντίοις αἱ ἀμοιβαί. Τὸν δὲ ἀρνηθέντα ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ αὐτοῦ ἐννοήσατε τί παθεῖν εἰκός· Ὃς ἐὰν ἀρνήσηταί με, φησὶν, ἀρνήσομαι κἀγὼ αὐτόν. Οὐκ ἐξ ἴσης ἡ ἀντίδοσις, εἰ καὶ οὕτω λέγων δοκεῖ· ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ ἄνθρωποι οἱ ἀρνούμενοι, ἐκεῖνος δὲ Θεός· ὅσον δὲ τὸ μέσον Θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων τί δεῖ λέγειν; βʹ. Ἄλλως δὲ ἡμεῖς ἐντεῦθεν ἑαυτοὺς βλάπτομεν, ἐκεῖνον δὲ οὐδαμῶς, οὐδὲ δυνάμεθα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐπήγαγε τὸ αὐτὸ δηλῶν· Εἰ ἀπιστοῦμεν, ἐκεῖνος πιστὸς μένει· ἀρνήσασθαι γὰρ ἑαυτὸν οὐ δύναται. Τουτέστιν, εἰ ἀπιστοῦμεν ὅτι ἀνέστη, οὐδὲν ἀπὸ τούτου βλάπτεται ἐκεῖνος· ἀληθής ἐστι, βέβαιός ἐστιν, ἄν τε εἴπωμεν, ἄν τε μὴ εἴπωμεν. Εἰ τοίνυν οὐδὲν παρ' ἡμῶν βλάπτεται τῶν ἀρνουμένων, δι' οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἀπαιτεῖ τὴν ὁμολογίαν ἡμῶν, ἀλλ' ἢ διὰ τὸ ἡμῖν χρήσιμον. Ἐκεῖνος γὰρ ὁ αὐτὸς μένει καὶ ἀρνουμένων καὶ μὴ ἀρνουμένων. Ἀρνήσασθαι γὰρ ἑαυτὸν οὐ δύναται, τουτέστι, μὴ εἶναι. Ἡμεῖς 62.626 λέγομεν ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν, εἰ καὶ μὴ τὸ πρᾶγμα οὕτως ἔχει. Οὐκ ἔχει φύσιν μὴ εἶναι, οὐ δυνατόν· τουτέστιν, εἰς τὸ μὴ εἶναι αὐτὸν χωρῆσαι· ἀεὶ μένει, ἀεί ἐστιν αὐτοῦ ἡ ὑπόστασις. Μὴ τοίνυν ὡς χαριζόμενοι αὐτῷ, οὕτω διακεώμεθα, ἢ ὡς καταβλάπτοντες. Εἶτα, ἵνα μή τις νομίσῃ τὸν Τιμόθεον τούτων δεῖσθαι, ἐπήγαγε· Ταῦτα ὑπομίμνησκε, διαμαρτυρόμενος ἐνώπιον τοῦ Κυρίου, μὴ λογομαχεῖν εἰς οὐδὲν χρήσιμον, ἐπὶ καταστροφῇ τῶν ἀκουόντων. Φοβερὸν τοῦτο τὸ ἐπὶ μάρτυρος τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγειν. Εἰ γὰρ ἀνθρώπου μαρτυρίαν καλουμένην οὐκ ἄν τις τολμήσειεν ἀθετῆσαι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον Θεοῦ. Οἷόν τι λέγω· Εἴ τις συνθήκας τιθέμενος ἢ διαθήκας γράφων βούλεται ἀξιοπίστους μάρτυρας καλέσαι, ἆρα τολμήσει τις ἀναθέσθαι ἐκεῖνα τῶν ἔξωθέν τινι; Οὐδαμῶς· κἂν βούληται, δεδοικὼς τὸ τῶν μαρτύρων ἀξιόπιστον, φυλάττεται. Τί ἐστι, ∆ιαμαρτυρόμενος; Μάρτυρα καλεῖ τὸν Θεὸν τῶν λεγομένων, τῶν πραττομένων. Μὴ λογομαχεῖν εἰς οὐδὲν χρήσιμον. Οὐ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ, Ἐπὶ καταστροφῇ τῶν ἀκουόντων. Οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν ἐκ τούτου κέρδος, ἀλλὰ καὶ βλάβη πολλή. Ταῦτα τοίνυν ὑπομίμνησκε· κἂν καταφρονῶσιν, ὁ Θεὸς αὐτοὺς κρινεῖ. Τί δήποτε καὶ περὶ τοῦ μὴ λογομαχεῖν παραινεῖ; Οἶδεν ὅτι λίχνον τὸ πρᾶγμα, καὶ ὅτι ἀεὶ βούλεται ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη ψυχὴ μάχεσθαι καὶ λογομαχεῖν. Ἵνα οὖν τοῦτο μὴ γίνηται, οὐχ ἁπλῶς φησι μὴ λογομαχεῖν, ἀλλὰ φοβερώτερον τὸν λόγον ποιῶν ἐπήγαγεν, Ἐπὶ καταστροφῇ τῶν ἀκουόντων. Σπούδασον σεαυτὸν δόκιμον παραστῆσαι τῷ Θεῷ, ἐργάτην ἀνεπαίσχυντον, ὀρθοτομοῦντα τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας. Πανταχοῦ τὸ ἀνεπαίσχυντον. Τί δήποτε πολλὴν περὶ τῆς αἰσχύνης ποιεῖται τὴν σπουδήν; Ἐπειδὴ εἰκὸς ἦν πολλοὺς ἐπαισχύνεσθαι καὶ τὸν Παῦλον αὐτὸν, ἅτε σκηνοποιὸν ὄντα, καὶ τὸ κήρυγμα, ὡς τῶν