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he shows, and through these things which I mentioned, the nobility of his purpose? 6.9 For both are set down for this reason, so that you might neither, on account of those great things, think him to be of another nature and despair, nor, on account of these small things, condemn his holy soul, but from this also, casting out despair, you might lead yourself to good hopes. For this reason he again sets down the matter of the grace of God with exaggeration, or rather not with exaggeration, but with gratitude, so that you might think nothing to be of himself. And he speaks also of his own zeal, so that you might not, having cast everything upon God, spend your time sleeping and snoring. And you will find measures and rules for all things laid down by him with precision. 6.10 But he also once cursed Alexander the coppersmith, it says. And what of this? For the saying was not of anger, but of pain on behalf of the truth; for he was not pained on his own account, but because he was resisting the preaching. For he greatly withstands, it says, not me, but our words; so that the curse not only showed his desire for the truth, but also comforted the disciples. For since it was likely that all would be scandalized, with those who mistreated the word suffering nothing, for this reason he says these things. But he also once prayed against certain others, saying: If it is just with God to repay with affliction those who afflict us; not desiring that they should pay the penalty, far from it, but hastening to comfort those who were being mistreated; for which reason he adds: to those who are afflicted, rest. Since when he himself suffers something unpleasant, hear how he philosophizes, and repays with the opposites, saying: Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. And if you should say that the things said or done on behalf of others are of anger, it would be time for you to say also that he blinded and mistreated Elymas out of anger, and that Peter killed Ananias and Sapphira out of anger. But no one is so foolish and stupid as to say these things. And we find him saying and doing many other things that seem to be burdensome, and these are the very things that show his gentleness. For even when he delivers to Satan the one who fornicated in Corinth, he does it out of great love and an affectionate mind; and this he also shows from the second epistle. And when he threatens the Jews and says: Wrath has come upon them to the uttermost, he does not do this being filled with anger—for you hear him continually praying for them—but wanting to frighten them and make them more temperate. 6.11 But the priest, he says, he insulted, saying: God is about to strike you, you whitewashed wall. And I know that some, making a defense for this, say that what was said is a prophecy. And I do not blame those who say so; for this did happen, and so he died. But if some sharper enemy were to contradict, and making some more curious point were to object, saying: and if it was a prophecy, for what reason did he apologize, saying: I did not know that he was the high priest? we would say this, that he was teaching and admonishing others to be well-disposed toward rulers, just as Christ also did. For having said countless things, both spoken and unspoken, about the scribes and Pharisees, he says: The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; therefore, whatever they tell you to do, do it. So also here Paul both preserved the dignity and foretold what was to be. 6.12 But if he also cut off John, this too was in a manner worthy of his foresight for the preaching. For it is necessary that the one entrusted with this ministry be not some weakling, nor listless, but manly and vigorous, and not even to touch this good business, unless he is prepared to give his own soul countless times in return to death and dangers, just as Christ himself also says: If anyone wishes to come after me,

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δείκνυσι, διὰ δὲ τούτων, ὧν εἶπον, τὴν εὐγένειαν τῆς προαιρέσεως; 6.9 ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἀμφότερα κεῖται, ἵνα μήτε διὰ τὰ μεγάλα ἐκεῖνα ἑτέρας αὐτὸν εἶναι νομίσῃς φύσεως καὶ ἀπογνῷς, μήτε διὰ τὰ μικρὰ ταῦτα καταγνῷς τῆς ἁγίας ψυχῆς, ἀλλὰ κἀντεῦθεν πάλιν τὴν ἀπόγνωσιν ἐκβαλών, εἰς χρηστὰς σαυτὸν ἀγάγῃς ἐλπίδας. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τίθησι πάλιν καὶ τὸ τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Θεοῦ μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐ μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς, ἀλλὰ μετὰ εὐγνωμοσύνης, ἵνα μηδὲν αὐτοῦ νομίσῃς εἶναι. Λέγει δὲ καὶ τὰ τῆς αὐτοῦ προθυμίας, ἵνα μὴ τὸ πᾶν ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν ῥίψας, διάγῃς καθεύδων καὶ ῥέγχων. Καὶ πάντων μέτρα καὶ κανόνας εὑρήσεις παρ' αὐτῷ μετὰ ἀκριβείας κειμένους. 6.10 Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπηράσατο τῷ χαλκεῖ, φησίν, Ἀλεξάνδρῳ ποτέ. Καὶ τί τοῦτο; Οὐ γὰρ θυμοῦ τὸ ῥῆμα ἦν, ἀλλ' ὀδύνης τῆς ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας· οὐ γὰρ δι' ἑαυτὸν ἤλγει, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἀνθίστατο τῷ κηρύγματι· Λίαν γὰρ ἀνθίσταται, φησίν, οὐχὶ ἐμοί, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἡμετέροις λόγοις· ὥστε ἡ ἀρὰ οὐ μόνον τὸν τούτου πόθον ἐδείκνυε τὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς μαθητὰς παρεμυθεῖτο. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πάντας εἰκὸς ἦν σκανδαλίζεσθαι, τῶν ἐπηρεαζόντων τῷ λόγῳ οὐδὲν πασχόντων, διὰ τοῦτο ταῦτά φησιν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ κατηύξατό ποτε ἑτέρων τινῶν, λέγων· Εἴπερ δίκαιον παρὰ Θεῷ ἀνταποδοῦναι τοῖς θλίβουσιν ἡμᾶς θλῖψιν· οὐκ ἐκείνους ἐπιθυμῶν δίκην δοῦναι, μὴ γένοιτο, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἐπηρεαζομένους σπεύδων παραμυθήσασθαι· διὸ καὶ ἐπάγει· Αὐτοῖς τοῖς θλιβομένοις ἄνεσιν. Ἐπεὶ ὅταν αὐτός τι πάσχῃ ἀηδές, ἄκουσον πῶς φιλοσοφεῖ, καὶ τοῖς ἐναντίοις ἀμείβεται, λέγων· Λοιδορούμενοι εὐλογοῦμεν, διωκόμενοι ἀνεχόμεθα, βλασφημούμενοι παρακαλοῦμεν. Εἰ δὲ τὰ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἄλλων λεγόμενα ἢ γινόμενα ὀργῆς εἶναι φαίης, ὥρα σοι καὶ τὸν Ἐλύμαν ἐξ ὀργῆς αὐτὸν πεπηρωκέναι καὶ ὑβρικέναι, καὶ τὸν Ἀνανίαν καὶ τὴν Σάπφειραν τὸν Πέτρον ἐξ ὀργῆς ἀπεκτονέναι. Ἀλλ' οὐδεὶς οὕτως ἀνόητος καὶ ἠλίθιος ὡς ταῦτα εἰπεῖν. Καὶ ἕτερα δὲ πολλὰ εὑρίσκομεν αὐτὸν καὶ λέγοντα καὶ ποιοῦντα, δοκοῦντα εἶναι φορτικά, καὶ ταῦτα μάλιστά ἐστιν, ἃ τὴν ἐπιείκειαν αὐτοῦ δείκνυσι. Καὶ γὰρ ὅταν τῷ σατανᾷ παραδῷ τὸν ἐν Κορίνθῳ πεπορνευκότα, ἐξ ἀγάπης αὐτὸ πολλῆς ποιεῖ καὶ φιλοστόργου διανοίας· καὶ τοῦτο δείκνυσι καὶ ἐκ τῆς δευτέρας ἐπιστολῆς. Καὶ ὅταν Ἰουδαίοις ἀπειλῇ καὶ λέγῃ· Ἔφθασεν αὐτοὺς ἡ ὀργὴ εἰς τέλος, οὐ θυμοῦ πληρούμενος αὐτὸ ποιεῖ, -ἀκούεις γοῦν αὐτοῦ συνεχῶς ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν εὐχομένου-, ἀλλὰ βουλόμενος φοβῆσαι καὶ σωφρονεστέρους ἐργάσασθαι. 6.11 Ἀλλὰ τὸν ἱερέα, φησίν, ὕβρισε, λέγων· Τύπτειν σε μέλλει ὁ Θεός, τοῖχε κεκονιαμένε. Καὶ οἶδα μὲν ὅτι τινὲς πρὸς τοῦτο ἀπολογούμενοι, προφητείαν εἶναί φασι τὸ εἰρημένον. Καὶ οὐκ ἐγκαλῶ τοῖς λέγουσι· καὶ γὰρ συνέβη τοῦτο, καὶ οὕτως ἐτελεύτησεν. Εἰ δέ τις δριμύτερος ὢν ἐχθρὸς ἀντιλέγοι, καὶ περιεργότερόν τι ποιῶν ἀνθυποφέροι λέγων· καὶ εἰ προφητεία ἦν, τίνος ἕνεκεν ἀπελογεῖτο λέγων· Οὐκ ᾔδειν ὅτι ἀρχιερεύς ἐστι; τοῦτο ἂν εἴποιμεν ὅτι τοὺς ἄλλους παιδεύων καὶ νουθετῶν πρὸς τοὺς ἄρχοντας ἐπιεικῶς διακεῖσθαι, ὥσπερ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐποίει. Μυρία γὰρ ῥητὰ καὶ ἄρρητα περὶ τῶν γραμματέων εἰπὼν καὶ Φαρισαίων, φησίν· Ἐπὶ τῆς καθέδρας Μωϋσέως ἐκάθισαν οἱ γραμματεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι· πάντα οὖν, ὅσα ἂν λέγωσιν ὑμῖν ποιεῖν, ποιεῖτε. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα ὁ Παῦλος, ὁμοῦ καὶ τὸ ἀξίωμα διετήρησε, καὶ τὸ μέλλον ἔσεσθαι προανεφώνησεν. 6.12 Εἰ δὲ καὶ τὸν Ἰωάννην ἀπέτεμε, καὶ τοῦτο ἀξίως τῆς ὑπὲρ τοῦ κηρύγματος προνοίας. Τὸν γὰρ τὴν διακονίαν ταύτην ἐγκεχειρισμένον, οὐχὶ χαῦνόν τινα εἶναι χρή, οὐδὲ ἀναπεπτωκότα, ἀλλὰ ἀνδρεῖον καὶ εὔτονον, μηδὲ ἅπτεσθαι τῆς καλῆς πραγματείας ταύτης, εἰ μὴ μέλλοι μυριάκις ἀντεπιδιδόναι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν εἰς θάνατον καὶ κινδύνους, καθὼς καὶ αὐτός φησιν ὁ Χριστός· Εἴ τις θέλει ὀπίσω μου ἐλθεῖν,