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of teachers being destroyed. For Christ was crucified, this one was about to be beheaded, Peter was crucified upside down, and they suffered these things from contemptible and audacious men. Since therefore these were prevailing, Be not thou ashamed, he says, that is, be not at all ashamed to do any of the things that lead to piety, even if you must be a slave, even if you must suffer anything whatever. But how does one become approved? By being a workman that needeth not to be ashamed. The workman is ashamed to do nothing; so neither is the workman of the Gospel; for he must endure all things. Rightly dividing the word of truth. He said this well; for many distort it from all sides and wrest it; it has many things growing upon it. And he did not say, Making straight, but, Rightly dividing; that is, Cut away the spurious, and with much vehemence stand over and cut off such things; just as upon a strap, with the sword of the Spirit cut away from all sides what is superfluous and foreign to the preaching. But shun profane and vain babblings. For they will not stop even at this. For whenever something new is introduced, it always begets innovations; and the error is endless for one who has left the calm harbor, and he will stop nowhere. For they will increase unto more ungodliness, he says, and their word will spread like a gangrene. An unrestrainable evil, no longer able to be checked by treatment, but it ruins everything. He shows that innovation in speech is a disease, or rather, worse than a disease. Here he declares their incorrigibility, and that they did not err simply, but willingly; whence also 62.627 these are especially incorrigible. Of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus, he says, who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some. He said well, They will increase unto more; for while this alone seems to be the terrible thing, see how many things are born from it. For if the resurrection is already past, not only do we suffer this loss, that we have been deprived of that great glory, but also the things of the judgment are done away with, if it has already happened, and the things of retribution; for if the resurrection has already happened, the recompense has also happened. Therefore the good have not had the benefit of their afflictions and pains; and the wicked are not punished—a fine thing indeed for those who are in much luxury. It were better to say that there is no resurrection, than that it has already happened. And overthrow, he says, the faith of some. Not of all, but of some. For if there is no resurrection, the things of the faith are also overthrown; if there is no resurrection, our preaching is vain, neither has Christ been raised; and if He has not been raised, neither was He born, nor did He ascend into heaven. Do you see how it seems to oppose the doctrine of the resurrection, but it drags along many terrible things with it. What then, he says? Must nothing be done for those who are being overthrown? Nevertheless, he says, the firm foundation of God standeth, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His, and, Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from iniquity. 3. He shows that even before they were overthrown they were not firm; for they would not have been overthrown from the first assault, just as Adam was firm before the commandment. For those who are well-fixed not only suffer nothing from the deceivers, but are also admired. Both firm, he says, and a foundation. Thus one must hold to the faith. Having this seal; The Lord knoweth them that are His. What is this? He took it from Deuteronomy. That is, the firm souls stand fixed and unmoved. But from where are they manifest? From having these letters upon their deeds, from being known by God, and not perishing along with others, from departing from iniquity. And, Let every one, he says, that nameth the name of the Lord depart from iniquity. These are the marks of the foundation; just as a firm foundation is shown. As if someone should inscribe upon a stone, so that there be letters signifying; but these letters are shown through works.

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διδασκάλων ἀπολλυμένων. Ὁ Χριστὸς γὰρ ἐσταυρώθη, οὗτος ἔμελλεν ἀποκεφαλίζεσθαι, ὁ Πέτρος κάτωθεν ἀνεσκολοπίσθη, καὶ ταῦτα ἔπαθον παρὰ ἀνθρώπων καταπτύστων καὶ ἰταμῶν. Ἐπειδὴ οὖν οὗτοι ἐκράτουν, Μὴ ἐπαισχυνθῇς, φησὶ, τουτέστι, μηδὲν ὅλως αἰσχύνου πράττειν τῶν εἰς εὐσέβειαν ἡκόντων, κἂν δουλεῦσαι δέῃ, κἂν ὁτιοῦν παθεῖν. Πῶς δὲ γίνεταί τις δόκιμος; Ἐργάτης ὢν ἀνεπαίσχυντος. Ὁ ἐργάτης οὐδὲν αἰσχύνεται πράττειν· οὕτως οὐδὲ ὁ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου ἐργάτης· πάντα γὰρ ὑφίστασθαι δεῖ. Ὀρθοτομοῦντα τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας. Καλῶς τοῦτο εἶπε· πολλοὶ γὰρ αὐτὸν παρασπῶσι πάντοθεν καὶ παρέλκουσι· πολλὰ ἔχει τὰ ἐπιφυόμενα. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἀπευθύνοντα, ἀλλ', Ὀρθοτομοῦντα· τουτέστι, Τέμνε τὰ νόθα, καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς σφοδρότητος ἐφίστασο καὶ ἔκκοπτε· καθάπερ ἐπὶ ἱμάντος τῇ μαχαίρᾳ τοῦ πνεύματος πάντοθεν τὸ περιττὸν καὶ ἀλλότριον τοῦ κηρύγματος ἔκτεμνε. Τὰς δὲ βεβήλους καινοφωνίας περιίστασο. Οὐδὲ γὰρ μέχρι τούτου στήσονται. Ὅταν γάρ τι καινὸν ἐπεισενεχθῇ, ἀεὶ καινοτομίας τίκτει· καὶ ἄπειρος ἡ πλάνη τοῦ ἐξελθόντος τὸν λιμένα τὸν εὔδιον, καὶ οὐδαμοῦ στήσεται. Ἐπὶ πλεῖον γὰρ προκόψουσιν ἀσεβείας, φησὶ, καὶ ὁ λόγος αὐτῶν, ὡς γάγγραινα, νομὴν ἕξει. Ἀκάθεκτον κακὸν, οὐκέτι ἰατρείᾳ κατασχεθῆναι δυνάμενον, ἀλλὰ τὸ πᾶν λυμαίνεται. ∆είκνυσιν ὅτι νόσος ἐστὶν ἡ καινοφωνία, μᾶλλον δὲ νόσου χαλεπωτέρα. Ἐνταῦθα τὸ ἀδιόρθωτον αὐτῶν δηλοῖ, καὶ ὅτι οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ' ἑκόντες ἀπεπλανήθησαν· ὅθεν καὶ 62.627 μάλιστα οὗτοί εἰσιν ἀδιόρθωτοι. Ὧν ἐστιν Ὑμέναιος καὶ Φίλητος, φησὶν, οἵτινες περὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἠστόχησαν, λέγοντες τὴν ἀνάστασιν ἤδη γεγονέναι, καὶ ἀνατρέπουσι τήν τινων πίστιν. Καλῶς εἶπεν, Ἐπὶ πλεῖον προκόψουσι· δοκεῖ μὲν γὰρ τοῦτο μόνον εἶναι τὸ δεινόν· ὅρα δὲ πόσα ἐξ αὐτοῦ τίκτεται. Εἰ γὰρ ἤδη ἡ ἀνάστασις, οὐ τοῦτο μόνον ζημιούμεθα, ὅτι τῆς μεγάλης δόξης ἐκείνης ἀπεστερήμεθα, ἀλλὰ ὅτι καὶ τὰ τῆς κρίσεως ἀνῄρηται, εἰ ἤδη γέγονε, καὶ τὰ τῆς ἀντιδόσεως· εἰ γὰρ ἤδη γέγονεν ἡ ἀνάστασις, γέγονε καὶ ἡ ἀνταπόδοσις. Οὐκ οὖν ἀπέλαυσαν μὲν οἱ ἀγαθοὶ τῶν θλίψεων καὶ τῶν ὀδυνῶν· οὐ κολάζονται δὲ οἱ πονηροὶ, καλῶς γε, οἱ ἐν τρυφῇ ὄντες πολλῇ. Βέλτιον ἦν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἀνάστασις, ἢ ὅτι ἤδη γέγονε. Καὶ ἀνατρέπουσι, φησὶ, τήν τινων πίστιν. Οὐ πάντων, ἀλλά τινων. Εἰ γὰρ ἀνάστασις οὐκ ἔστι, καὶ τὰ τῆς πίστεως ἀνατέτραπται· εἰ ἀνάστασις οὐκ ἔστι, κενὸν τὸ κήρυγμα ἡμῶν, οὐδὲ Χριστὸς ἀνέστη· εἰ δὲ μὴ ἀνέστη, οὐδὲ ἐγεννήθη, οὐδὲ εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνῆλθεν. Ὁρᾷς πῶς δοκεῖ μὲν τῷ τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἐναντιοῦσθαι λόγῳ, πολλὰ δὲ συνεφέλκεται δεινά. Τί οὖν, φησίν; οὐδὲν δεῖ ποιεῖν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀνατρεπομένων; Ὁ μέντοι, φησὶ, στερεὸς θεμέλιος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἕστηκεν ἔχων τὴν σφραγῖδα ταύτην· ἔγνω Κύριος τοὺς ὄντας αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀποστήτω ἀπὸ ἀδικίας πᾶς ὁ ὀνομάζων τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου. γʹ. ∆είκνυσιν ὅτι καὶ πρὶν ἀνατραπῆναι οὐκ ἦσαν βέβαιοι· οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἀνετράπησαν ἀπὸ τῆς πρώτης προσβολῆς, ὥσπερ οὖν ὁ Ἀδὰμ πρὸ τῆς ἐντολῆς βέβαιος ἦν. Οἱ γὰρ πεπηγότες οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν πάσχουσιν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀπατεώνων, ἀλλὰ καὶ θαυμάζονται. Καὶ στερεὸς, φησὶ, καὶ θεμέλιος. Οὕτως ἔχεσθαι δεῖ τῆς πίστεως. Ἔχων τὴν σφραγῖδα ταύτην· ἔγνω Κύριος τοὺς ὄντας αὐτοῦ. Τί ἐστι τοῦτο; Ἀπὸ τοῦ ∆ευτερονομίου αὐτὸ ἔλαβε. Τουτέστιν, αἱ στερεαὶ ψυχαὶ ἑστήκασι πεπηγυῖαι καὶ ἀκίνητοι. Πόθεν δὲ δῆλαί εἰσιν; Ἀπὸ τοῦ τὰ γράμματα ταῦτα ἔχειν ἐπὶ τῶν πραγμάτων, ἀπὸ τοῦ γνωρίζεσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ μὴ συμπαραπόλλυσθαι, ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀφεστάναι ἀπὸ ἀδικίας. Καὶ ἀποστήτω, φησὶν, ἀπὸ ἀδικίας πᾶς ὁ ὀνομάζων τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου. Ταῦτα τὰ γνωρίσματα τοῦ θεμελίου· καθάπερ θεμέλιος στερεὸς δείκνυται. Ὡς ἄν τις ἐπὶ λίθον ἐπιγράψειεν, ἵνα ᾖ τὰ γράμματα σημαίνοντα· τὰ δὲ γράμματα ταῦτα δι' ἔργων δείκνυται.