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a sign of destruction, but of salvation for you. Being terrified, he said well; for such are the things from enemies; they only terrify. In nothing therefore, he says, even if anything should happen, even dangers, even plots; for this is characteristic of those who stand upright. For they can do nothing, but only terrify. Since it was likely they would be disturbed, as Paul was suffering countless things. I do not say, he says, "Do not be shaken," but "Do not be terrified," but even utterly despise them. For if you are so disposed, you will from this now make plain both their destruction and your salvation. For when they see that they devise countless things and are not even able to terrify you, they will take it as proof of their own destruction. For when the persecutors do not overcome the persecuted, the plotters the plotted against, 62.209 the powerful the overpowered, will it not be immediately clear to them that they will perish, that they have no strength, that their own things are false, that the things of those others are weak? And this is from God, he says; that to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake. Again he teaches them to moderate their mindset, ascribing everything to God, and saying that suffering for Christ's sake is a grace, a gift, and a free offering. So do not be ashamed of a gift; for it is indeed much more wonderful than raising the dead and performing signs. For in that case I am a debtor, but in this case I have Christ as a debtor. Therefore one must not only not be ashamed, but even exult, as having a gift. He calls virtues gifts, not in the same way, however, as the other things; for those are entirely of God, but these are also of us. But since here also the greater part is of God, for this reason he says it is all His, not overthrowing free will, but making them modest and grateful. Having the same conflict which you saw in me. That is, You also have the example. Again he lifts them up here. For he shows that everywhere they are contending for the same things as he, competing for the same prizes, both privately and in themselves by sharing his trials. He did not say, "You have heard," but, "You saw"; for there too he competed in Philippi. Therefore this is a great virtue. Wherefore also writing to the Galatians he said, Have you suffered so many things in vain—if it really is in vain; and again writing to the Hebrews he said, But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, partly by being made a public spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming companions of those who were so treated. And again to the Macedonians, that is, the Thessalonians, writing he said: For they themselves report concerning us what kind of entry we had to you; and again: For you yourselves know, brethren, our entry to you, that it was not in vain. And to all alike he testifies the same thing, contests and conflicts. But now you will not find this among us; for now it is a desirable thing to suffer something even in matters of money. And in matters of money he testifies great things to them; for to some he says, that You joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods; and to others he says, that It pleased Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor; and again, Your zeal has stirred up the majority. 4. Do you see the praises of the men of that time? But we do not bear even up to slaps, nor up to a blow, nor do we endure insult nor loss of money. Those men were already zealous, and all were martyrs contending; but we have grown cold in our love for Christ. Again I am compelled to speak against the present state of affairs. And what can I do? I did not wish to, but I am compelled. For if it were possible by keeping silent, and saying nothing, to erase through silence the things that are happening from among the things that have happened, I ought to be silent; but if the opposite happens (for not only does it not disappear when we are silent, but it becomes even worse),

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ἔνδειξις ἀπωλείας, ὑμῖν δὲ σωτηρίας. Πτυρόμενοι, καλῶς εἶπε· τοιαῦτα γὰρ τὰ παρὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν· μόνον πτύρεται. Ἐν μηδενὶ οὖν, φησὶ, κἂν ὁτιοῦν γένηται, κἂν κίνδυνοι, κἂν ἐπιβουλαί· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τῶν ὀρθῶς ἑστώτων. Ἐκεῖνοι γὰρ οὐδὲν δύνανται, ἀλλὰ πτῦραι μόνον. Ἐπειδὴ εἰκὸς ἦν θορυβεῖσθαι αὐτοὺς, ἅτε τοῦ Παύλου μυρία πάσχοντος. Οὐ λέγω, φησὶν, ὅτι Μὴ σαλεύεσθε, ἀλλὰ Μὴ πτύρεσθε, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα αὐτῶν καταφρονεῖτε. Ἂν γὰρ οὕτω διακέησθε, ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη καὶ τὴν αὐτῶν ἀπώλειαν, καὶ τὴν ὑμετέραν σωτηρίαν δήλην ποιήσετε. Ὅταν γὰρ ἴδωσιν, ὅτι μυρία τεχνάζονται, καὶ οὐδὲ πτῦραι ὑμᾶς δύνανται, τεκμήρια λήψονται τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἀπωλείας. Ὅταν γὰρ οἱ διώκοντες τῶν διωκομένων μὴ περιγένωνται, οἱ ἐπιβουλεύοντες τῶν ἐπιβουλευομένων, 62.209 οἱ κρατοῦντες τῶν κρατουμένων, οὐκ αὐτόθεν ἔσται δῆλον αὐτοῖς, ὅτι ἀπολοῦνται, ὅτι οὐδὲν ἰσχύουσιν, ὅτι τὰ αὐτῶν ψευδῆ, ὅτι τὰ ἐκείνων ἀσθενῆ; Καὶ τοῦτο ἀπὸ Θεοῦ, φησίν· ὅτι ὑμῖν ἐχαρίσθη τὸ ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ, οὐ μόνον τὸ εἰς αὐτὸν πιστεύειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ πάσχειν. Πάλιν αὐτῶν παιδεύει τὸ φρόνημα μετριάζειν, τὸ πᾶν ἀνατιθεὶς τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ χάριν εἶναι λέγων καὶ χάρισμα καὶ δωρεὰν τὸ πάσχειν ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ. Ὥστε μὴ αἰσχύνεσθε χάρισμα· καὶ γάρ ἐστιν ὄντως τοῦ νεκροὺς ἀνιστᾷν πολλῷ καὶ σημεῖα ποιεῖν θαυμαστότερον. Ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ ὀφειλέτης εἰμὶ, ἐνταῦθα δὲ ὀφειλέτην ἔχω τὸν Χριστόν. Ὥστε οὐ μόνον αἰσχύνεσθαι οὐ χρὴ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀγάλλεσθαι, ὡς χάρισμα ἔχοντας. Τὰς ἀρετὰς χαρίσματά φησιν, οὐχ ὁμοίως μέντοι, ὡς καὶ τὰ ἄλλα· ἐκεῖνα μὲν γὰρ ὁλόκληρα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ταῦτα δὲ καὶ ἡμῶν. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὸ πλέον τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστι, διὰ τοῦτο ὅλον αὐτοῦ φησιν εἶναι, οὐ τὸ αὐτεξούσιον ἀνατρέπων, ἀλλὰ μετριόφρονας καὶ εὐγνώμονας κατασκευάζων. Τὸν αὐτὸν ἀγῶνα ἔχοντες, οἷον εἴδετε ἐν ἐμοί. Τουτέστι, Καὶ τὸ παράδειγμα ἔχετε. Πάλιν αὐτοὺς ἐπαίρει ἐνταῦθα. ∆είκνυσι γὰρ πανταχοῦ τὰ αὐτὰ ἀγωνιζομένους αὐτῷ, τὰ αὐτὰ ἀθλοῦντας, καὶ ἰδίᾳ καὶ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς τῷ συνδιαφέρειν αὐτῷ τοὺς πειρασμούς. Οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἀκηκόατε, ἀλλ', Εἴδετε· καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖ ἤθλησεν ἐν Φιλίπποις. Ἄρα μεγάλη ἀρετὴ τοῦτό ἐστι. ∆ιὸ καὶ πρὸς Γαλάτας γράφων ἔλεγε, Τοσαῦτα ἐπάθετε εἰκῆ, εἴ γε καὶ εἰκῆ· καὶ Ἑβραίοις πάλιν γράφων ἔλεγεν, Ἀναμιμνήσκεσθε δὲ τὰς πρότερον ἡμέρας, ἐν αἷς φωτισθέντες πολλὴν ἄθλησιν ὑπεμείνατε παθημάτων, τοῦτο μὲν ὀνειδισμοῖς καὶ θλίψεσι θεατριζόμενοι, τοῦτο δὲ κοινωνοὶ τῶν οὕτως ἀναστρεφομένων γενηθέντες. Καὶ Μακεδόσι πάλιν, τουτέστι, Θεσσαλονικεῦσι γράφων ἔλεγεν· Αὐτοὶ γὰρ περὶ ἡμῶν ἀπαγγέλλουσιν, ὁποίαν εἴσοδον ἔσχομεν πρὸς ὑμᾶς· καὶ πάλιν· Αὐτοὶ γὰρ οἴδατε, ἀδελφοὶ, τὴν εἴσοδον ἡμῶν τὴν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ὅτι οὐ κενὴ γέγονε. Καὶ πᾶσιν ὁμοίως τὸ αὐτὸ μαρτυρεῖ, ἄθλους καὶ ἀγῶνας. Ἀλλ' οὐ νῦν τοῦτο εὑρήσετε παρ' ἡμῖν· νῦν γὰρ ἀγαπητὸν τὸ κἂν ἐν χρήμασι τινά τι παθεῖν. Καὶ ἐν χρήμασι δὲ μεγάλα αὐτοῖς μαρτυρεῖ· τοῖς μὲν γάρ φησιν, ὅτι Τὴν ἁρπαγὴν τῶν ὑπαρχόντων ὑμῶν μετὰ χαρᾶς προσεδέξασθε· τοῖς δέ φησιν, ὅτι Εὐδόκησαν Μακεδονία καὶ Ἀχαΐα κοινωνίαν τινὰ ποιήσασθαι εἰς τοὺς πτωχούς· καὶ πάλιν, Ὁ ἐξ ὑμῶν ζῆλος ἠρέθισε τοὺς πλείονας. δʹ. Ὁρᾷς τὰ ἐγκώμια τῶν τότε ἀνδρῶν; Ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐδὲ μέχρι ῥαπισμάτων, οὐδὲ μέχρι πληγῆς φέρομεν, οὐδὲ ὕβριν οὐδὲ χρημάτων ζημίαν ὑπομένομεν. Ἐκεῖνοι ἤδη ζηλωταὶ, καὶ μάρτυρες πάντες ἦσαν ἀγωνιζόμενοι· ἡμεῖς δὲ τὴν ἀγάπην ἐψύξαμεν τὴν εἰς τὸν Χριστόν. Πάλιν ἀναγκάζομαι κατηγορεῖν τῶν παρόντων πραγμάτων. Καὶ τί πάθω; οὐκ ἐβουλόμην, ἀλλ' ἀναγκάζομαι. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἦν σιγήσαντα, καὶ μηδὲν εἰπόντα, τῶν γενομένων ἀφανίσαι διὰ τῆς σιγῆς τὰ γινόμενα, ἔδει σιγᾷν· εἰ δὲ τοὐναντίον γίνεται (οὐ γὰρ μόνον οὐκ ἀφανίζεται, ἡμῶν σιγώντων, ἀλλὰ καὶ χαλεπώτερα γίνεται),