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condemned without examination, but the one because he only spoke evil, he pursued with the most severe and harsh punishment; for that a punishment is set for these things, it is possible to hear from him who is about to bring on the torments, speaking and threatening. It is necessary for all of us to go from here to this judge, and to see that day, in which all things are naked and laid bare, I do not mean actions, nor words only, but even the very thoughts.

2. For even for things that now seem small, then we shall undergo fearful reckonings; thus the judge with the same exactness demands from us both our own salvation and that of our neighbors. For this reason Paul everywhere exhorts each one not to seek his own things, but those of his neighbor; for this reason also he rebukes the Corinthians very severely, because they did not take thought for, nor did they take care of the one who had fornicated but overlooked his wound being aggravated, and writing to the Galatians he said; Brothers, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one. And to the Thessalonians before these he exhorts these same things, saying; Therefore encourage one another, just as you also are doing; and again; Admonish the unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak. For lest anyone say; What have I to do with the care of others? let the one who is perishing, perish, and the one who is being saved, be saved; none of these things concern me, I have been commanded to look after my own affairs; lest anyone say these things, doing away with this beastly and inhuman notion, he built up against it these laws, commanding to overlook many of one's own affairs, so as to set aright those of one's neighbors, and he determines that this exactness of life should be everywhere. And writing to the Romans, he commands that much forethought be given to this part, setting the strong over the weak like fathers, and persuading them to be anxious for their salvation. But here indeed he says these things in the order of exhortation and counsel; but elsewhere and with much severity he shakes the souls of his hearers; for those who neglect the salvation of the brothers, he says sin against Christ himself, and tear down the building of God. And he said these things, having learned them not from himself, but from his teacher. For the Only-begotten 47.351 of God, wishing to teach, that this is a necessary debt, and that great evils will await those not willing to pay it, said; Whoever causes one of these little ones to stumble, it is better for him that a millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea. And the one who brought the talent, not because he overlooked any of his own affairs, but because he neglected the salvation of his neighbors, is punished with that punishment. So that even if all things in our life are well and accurately ordered, it is of no benefit to us, since this sin is sufficient to drown us in the sea of Gehenna. For if no argument will excuse those unwilling to help their neighbor in bodily matters, but even if they have practiced virginity, they will be cast somewhere outside the bridal chamber; he who has failed in what is much greater for the care of the soul is much greater how will he not reasonably suffer all dreadful things? For God did not make man to be self-sufficient for himself alone, but also for many others. For this reason Paul also calls the faithful luminaries, showing that they must also be useful to others; for a luminary, as long as it enlightens only itself, would not be a luminary. For this reason, he also says that those who neglect their neighbors are worse than the Greeks, speaking thus; But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. For what do you wish providence here to signify? The provision of necessities? For I think he means the care of the soul. But if you should be contentious, even so my point will stand all the more. For if he says these things about the body, and delivered him who does not provide this daily food to so great a punishment, and said he was worse than the Greeks,

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κατεδίκαζεν ἀνεξετάστως, τὸν δὲ ὅτι μόνον ἐκακηγόρησε, σφοδροτάτῃ καὶ χαλεπωτάτῃ μετιόντος κολάσει· ὅτι γὰρ καὶ τούτων κεῖται τιμωρία, αὐτοῦ τοῦ μέλλοντος ἐπάγειν τὰ βασανιστήρια ἔστιν ἀκοῦσαι λέγοντος καὶ ἀπειλοῦντος. Πρὸς τοῦτον πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐντεῦθεν ἀπελθεῖν ἀνάγκη τὸν δικαστὴν, καὶ τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην ἰδεῖν, καθ' ἣν γυμνὰ καὶ τετραχηλισμένα πάντα, οὐ τὰ πράγματα λέγω, οὐδὲ τὰ ῥήματα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὰ τὰ νοήματα.

βʹ. Καὶ γὰρ τῶν δοκούντων εἶναι μικρῶν νῦν, τότε φοβερὰς ὑφέξομεν τὰς εὐθύνας· οὕτως ὁ κριτὴς μετὰ τῆς αὐτῆς ἀκριβείας τήν τε ἡμετέραν καὶ τὴν τῶν πλησίον ἡμᾶς ἀπαιτεῖ σωτηρίαν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὁ Παῦλος πανταχοῦ παραινεῖ μὴ τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ζητεῖν, ἀλλὰ τὸ τοῦ πλησίον ἕκαστον· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ Κορινθίοις σφόδρα ἐπιτιμᾷ, ὅτι μὴ προενόησαν, μηδὲ ἐπεμελήσαντο τοῦ πεπορνευκότος ἀλλ' ὑπερεῖδον αὐτοῦ τὸ τραῦμα ἐπιτριβόμενον, καὶ Γαλάταις δὲ ἐπιστέλλων ἔλεγεν· Ἀδελφοὶ, ἐὰν καὶ προληφθῇ ἄνθρωπος ἔν τινι παραπτώματι, ὑμεῖς οἱ πνευματικοὶ καταρτίζετε τὸν τοιοῦτον. Καὶ Θεσσαλονικεῦσι δὲ πρὸ τούτων τὰ αὐτὰ ταῦτα παραινεῖ λέγων· Ὥστε παρακαλεῖτε εἰς τὸν ἕνα, καθὼς καὶ ποιεῖτε· καὶ πάλιν· Νουθετεῖτε τοὺς ἀτάκτους, παραμυθεῖσθε τοὺς ὀλιγοψύχους, ἀντέχεσθε τῶν ἀσθενῶν. Ἵνα γὰρ μή τις λέγῃ· Τί μοι καὶ τῆς τῶν ἄλλων προνοίας; ὁ ἀπολλύμενος ἀπολλύσθω, καὶ ὁ σωζόμενος σωζέσθω· οὐδὲν τούτων πρὸς ἐμὲ, τὰ ἐμαυτοῦ σκοπεῖν ἐπιτέταγμαι· ἵνα μή τις ταῦτα λέγῃ, τὴν θηριώδη ταύτην καὶ ἀπάνθρωπον ἔννοιαν ἀναιρῶν, ἐπετείχισεν αὐτῇ τούτους τοὺς νόμους, πολλὰ τῶν οἰκείων κελεύων παρορᾷν, ὥστε τὰ τῶν πλησίον ἱστᾷν, καὶ βίου ταύτην ἀκρίβειαν πανταχοῦ εἶναι διορίζεται. Καὶ Ῥωμαίοις δὲ γράφων, πολλὴν τοῦ μέρους τούτου κελεύει ποιεῖσθαι πρόνοιαν, τοὺς ἰσχυροὺς τοῖς ἀσθενέσιν ὥσπερ πατέρας ἐφιστὰς, καὶ μεριμνᾷν ἀναπείθων τὴν σωτηρίαν αὐτῶν. Ἀλλ' ἐνταῦθα μὲν ἐν παραινέσεως τάξει καὶ συμβουλῆς ταῦτά φησιν· ἑτέρωθι δὲ καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς σφοδρότητος τὰς τῶν ἀκουόντων κατασείει ψυχάς· τοὺς γὰρ ἀμελοῦντας τῆς τῶν ἀδελφῶν σωτηρίας, εἰς αὐτὸν ἁμαρτάνειν φησὶ τὸν Χριστὸν, καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ κατασκάπτειν τὴν οἰκοδομήν. Καὶ ταῦτα οὐ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τοῦ διδασκάλου μαθὼν ἔλεγε. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ 47.351 Μονογενὴς διδάξαι βουλόμενος, ὡς ἀναγκαῖον τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ ὄφλημα. καὶ τοὺς μὴ βουλομένους αὐτὸ καταθεῖναι μεγάλα ἐκδέξεται κακὰ, ἔλεγεν· Ὃς ἐὰν σκανδαλίσῃ ἕνα τῶν μικρῶν τούτων, συμφέρει αὐτῷ ἵνα κρεμασθῇ μύλος ὀνικὸς περὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ, καὶ καταποντισθῇ ἐν τῷ πελάγει τῆς θαλάσσης. Καὶ ὁ τὸ τάλαντον δὲ προσενεγκὼν, οὐχ ὅτι τῶν οἰκείων τι παρεῖδεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι τῆς τῶν πλησίον σωτηρίας ἠμέλησεν, ἐκείνῃ τῇ τιμωρίᾳ κολάζεται. Ὥστε κἂν ἅπαντα ἡμῖν καλῶς ᾖ διηκριβωμένα τὰ κατὰ τὸν ἡμέτερον βίον, οὐδὲν ὄφελος ἡμῖν, ταύτης τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἱκανῆς οὔσης ἡμᾶς εἰς τὸ τῆς γεέννης καταποντίσαι πέλαγος. Εἰ γὰρ τοὺς ἐν τοῖς σωματικοῖς μὴ βουληθέντας βοηθεῖν τῷ πλησίον οὐδεὶς ἐξαιρήσεται λόγος, ἀλλὰ κἂν παρθενίαν ἠσκηκότες ὦσιν, ἔξω που ῥιφήσονται τοῦ νυμφῶνος· ὁ τὸ πολλῷ μεῖζον ἐκλελοιπὼς πολλῷ γὰρ μεῖζον ἡ τῆς ψυχῆς προστασία πῶς οὐκ εἰκότως ἅπαντα πείσεται τὰ δεινά; Τὸν γὰρ ἄνθρωπον οὐχ ἑαυτῷ μόνον αὐταρκεῖν κατεσκεύασεν ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑτέροις πολλοῖς. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ φωστῆρας ὁ Παῦλος καλεῖ τοὺς πιστοὺς, ἐνδεικνύμενος ὅτι καὶ ἑτέροις χρησίμους εἶναι δεῖ αὐτούς· ὁ γὰρ φωστὴρ, ἕως ἂν ἑαυτὸν φωτίζῃ μόνον, οὐκ ἂν εἴη φωστήρ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο, καὶ Ἑλλήνων εἶναι χείρους φησὶ τοὺς τῶν πλησίον ἀμελοῦντας, οὑτωσὶ λέγων· Εἰ δέ τις τῶν ἰδίων, καὶ μάλιστα τῶν οἰκείων οὐ προνοεῖ, τὴν πίστιν ἤρνηται, καὶ ἔστιν ἀπίστου χείρων. Τί γὰρ βούλει τὴν πρόνοιαν ἐνταῦθα δηλοῦσθαι; ἆρα τὴν τῶν ἀναγκαίων χορηγίαν; Ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸν οἶμαι τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς ἐπιμέλειαν λέγειν. Εἰ δὲ φιλονεικοίης, καὶ οὕτω τὸ ἐμὸν στήσεται μᾶλλον. Εἰ γὰρ περὶ σώματος ταῦτά φησι, καὶ τὸν μὴ παρέχοντα τὴν ἐφήμερον ταύτην τροφὴν τοσαύτῃ κολάσει παρέδωκε, καὶ τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἔφησεν εἶναι χείρω,