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let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For he who is not so disposed betrays many others, and is more beneficial keeping quiet and being by himself, than coming into the midst and accepting a burden greater than his own strength; for he also destroys both himself and those entrusted to him. For how is it not absurd, if someone who is ignorant of the art of steering and the battle against the waves, not even if ten thousand things compel him, would choose to sit at the helm, yet the one who goes to the preaching proceeds to this simply and as it may happen, and uncircumspectly accepts a matter that is the cause of ten thousand deaths? For neither a pilot, nor one who boxes against wild beasts, nor one who has chosen to be a gladiator, nor any other person needs to have his soul so arrayed for deaths and slaughters as the one who undertakes the preaching. For the dangers are greater, and the opponents more difficult, and to be so slain is not for trivial matters. For heaven is set as the prize, and Gehenna is the penalty for those who sin, and the loss and salvation of the soul. Not only the one who undertakes the preaching must be so arrayed, but also simply the believer; for he commands all to take up the cross and follow; and if all, much more so the teachers and shepherds, of whom John, who was also called Mark, then was one. Therefore he was rightly cut off, because having placed himself in the very forefront of the phalanx, he stood most unmanly; wherefore Paul also put him away, so that his sluggishness might not cut short their own course of action. 6.13 But if Luke says that there was a sharp disagreement between them, do not think this to be an accusation. For it is not the being provoked that is grievous, but being so irrationally and for no just cause. For an unrighteous wrath, it says, shall not be justified; not simply wrath, but unrighteous wrath. And Christ again: He who is angry with his brother without a cause; not simply he who is angry. And the prophet also says: Be angry, and do not sin. For if we must not use this passion, not even when the occasion calls for it, it lies within us rashly and in vain; but it is not for nothing. Wherefore also the Creator implanted this for the correction of sinners, that it might stir up what is sluggish and relaxed in the soul, that it might awaken what is sleeping and dissolved, just as the tempered edge of iron, so implanting the well-toned quality of anger in our mind, that we might use it for what is needful. For this reason Paul also used it often, and was more beloved when angry than those who spoke with gentleness, doing all things at the fitting time for the sake of the preaching. For gentleness is not simply a good thing, but when the occasion demands it; since, if this is not present, even that becomes sluggishness, and anger becomes rashness. 6.14 But I have said all these things not defending Paul; for he does not need our tongue; for his praise is not from men, but from God; but that we might instruct the hearers to use all things for what is needful, just as I also said before. For thus we shall be able to gain from every quarter, and with much facility to sail into the waveless harbor, and to obtain the incorruptible crowns, of which may we all be counted worthy, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power now and forever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

7.t Encomium by the same on the holy apostle Paul, Discourse 7

7.1 Whenever those who bear the imperial standards enter into the cities, with a trumpet sounding before them and many soldiers leading the way, all the people are accustomed to run together, so as to both hear the sound, and to see the standard on high

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ἀπαρνησάσθω ἑαυτόν, καὶ ἀράτω τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀκολουθείτω μοι. Ὁ γὰρ μὴ οὕτω διακείμενος πολλοὺς καὶ ἑτέρους προδίδωσι, καὶ μᾶλλον ἡσυχάζων ὠφελεῖ καθ' ἑαυτὸν ὤν, ἢ παριὼν εἰς μέσον, καὶ φορτίον δεχόμενος τῆς δυνάμεως ἑαυτοῦ μεῖζον· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἑαυτὸν καὶ τοὺς ἐμπιστευθέντας προσαπολλύει. Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἄτοπον, εἰ μέν τις κυβερνητικὴν ἀγνοεῖ, καὶ τὴν πρὸς τὰ κύματα μάχην, μηδὲ μυρίων ἀναγκαζόντων ἑλέσθαι ἐπὶ τῶν οἰάκων καθίσαι, τὸν δὲ ἐπὶ τὸ κήρυγμα ἰόντα, ἁπλῶς καὶ ὡς ἔτυχεν ἐπὶ τοῦτο χωρεῖν, καὶ ἀπερισκέπτως καταδέχεσθαι πρᾶγμα μυρίων θανάτων πρόξενον; Οὔτε γὰρ κυβερνήτην, οὔτε τὸν πρὸς τὰ θηρία πυκτεύοντα, οὐ τὸν μονομαχεῖν ἑλόμενον, οὐκ ἄλλον οὐδένα οὕτω πρὸς θανάτους καὶ σφαγὰς παρατεταγμένην ἔχειν δεῖ τὴν ψυχήν, ὡς τὸν τὸ κήρυγμα ἀναδεχόμενον. Καὶ γὰρ οἱ κίνδυνοι μείζους, καὶ οἱ ἀντίπαλοι χαλεπώτεροι, καὶ τὸ οὕτω σφαγῆναι, οὐ περὶ τῶν τυχόντων. Οὐρανὸς γὰρ τὸ ἔπαθλον κεῖται, καὶ γέεννα τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσι τὸ ἐπιτίμιον, καὶ ψυχῆς ἀπώλεια καὶ σωτηρία. Οὐ τὸν τὸ κήρυγμα δὲ μόνον ἀναδεχόμενον οὕτω παρατετάχθαι δεῖ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἁπλῶς τὸν πιστόν· ἅπασι γὰρ παρακελεύεται τὸν σταυρὸν αἴρειν καὶ ἀκολουθεῖν· εἰ δὲ πᾶσι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τοῖς διδασκάλοις καὶ ποιμέσιν, ὧν καὶ Ἰωάννης ἦν τότε, ὁ καὶ Μάρκος λεγόμενος. ∆ιὸ καὶ δικαίως ἐξετέμνετο, ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ τάξας ἑαυτὸν τῷ μετώπῳ τῆς φάλαγγος, σφόδρα ἀνάνδρως εἱστήκει· διὸ καὶ ἀπέστησεν αὐτὸν ὁ Παῦλος, ὥστε μὴ τὴν ἐκείνου νωθείαν τῶν τόνων αὐτῶν τὸν δρόμον ἐκκόψαι. 6.13 Εἰ δὲ λέγοι Λουκᾶς, ὅτι ἐγένετο παροξυσμὸς μεταξὺ αὐτῶν, μὴ τοῦτο ἔγκλημα εἶναι νόμιζε. Οὐ γὰρ τὸ παροξυνθῆναι χαλεπόν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀλόγως καὶ ἐπ' οὐδενὶ δικαίῳ. Θυμὸς γὰρ ἄδικος, φησίν, οὐκ ἀθωωθήσεται· οὐχ ἁπλῶς θυμός, ἀλλὰ ὁ ἄδικος. Καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς πάλιν· Ὁ ὀργιζόμενος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ εἰκῇ· οὐχ ἁπλῶς ὀργιζόμενος. Καὶ ὁ προφήτης δέ φησιν· Ὀργίζεσθε, καὶ μὴ ἁμαρτάνετε. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ δεῖ κεχρῆσθαι τῷ πάθει, μηδὲ καιροῦ καλοῦντος, εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην ἡμῖν ἔγκειται· ἀλλ' οὐκ εἰκῇ. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ δημιουργὸς τοῦτο κατεφύτευσε πρὸς διόρθωσιν τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων, ἵνα διεγείρῃ τὸ νωθρὸν τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ παρειμένον, ἵνα ἀφυπνίζῃ τὸν καθεύδοντα καὶ διαλελυμένον, καθάπερ στόμωμα σιδήρῳ, οὕτω τὸ τῆς ὀργῆς εὔτονον ἐνθεὶς ἡμῶν τῇ διανοίᾳ, ἵνα αὐτῷ χρησώμεθα εἰς δέον. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλος πολλάκις αὐτῷ ἐκέχρητο, καὶ ποθεινότερος μᾶλλον τῶν μετὰ ἐπιεικείας διαλεγομένων ἦν ὀργιζόμενος, πάντα μετὰ τοῦ προσήκοντος καιροῦ ποιῶν ὑπὲρ τοῦ κηρύγματος. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐπιείκεια ἁπλῶς καλόν, ἀλλ' ὅταν ὁ καιρὸς ἀπαιτῇ· ὡς, ἐὰν τοῦτο μὴ προσῇ, καὶ ἐκείνη νωθεία, καὶ ἡ ὀργὴ θρασύτης γίνεται. 6.14 Ταῦτα δὲ πάντα οὐχ ὑπὲρ Παύλου ἀπολογούμενος εἶπον· οὐδὲ γὰρ δεῖται τῆς ἡμετέρας γλώττης· ὁ γὰρ ἔπαινος αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλ' ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἀλλ' ἵνα παιδεύσωμεν τοὺς ἀκροατὰς εἰς δέον ἅπασι κεχρῆσθαι, καθάπερ καὶ ἔμπροσθεν εἶπον. Οὕτω γὰρ δυνησόμεθα πάντοθεν κερδαίνειν, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς εὐπορίας εἰς τὸν ἀκύμαντον λιμένα καταπλεῖν, καὶ τῶν ἀκηράτων ἐπιτυχεῖν στεφάνων, ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς καταξιωθῆναι, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

7.t Τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐγκώμιον εἰς τὸν ἅγιον ἀπόστολον Παῦλον λόγος ζʹ 7.1 Ὅταν οἱ τὰ σημεῖα βαστάζοντες τὰ βασιλικά, σάλπιγγος πρὸ αὐτῶν ἠχούσης καὶ πολλῶν στρατιωτῶν προηγουμένων, εἰς τὰς πόλεις εἰσίωσιν, ἅπας ὁ δῆμος συντρέχειν εἴωθεν, ὥστε καὶ τῆς ἠχῆς ἀκοῦσαι, καὶ τὸ σημεῖον ἰδεῖν ἐφ' ὑψηλοῦ