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remember that we also promised then to speak of this. For the Fathers did not observe these seasons for us simply or at random, but they did this with some wise reasoning; not in order to subject our freedom to the necessity of seasons, but in order that, by condescending to the poverty of the weaker, they might lead them up to the riches of knowledge. And that for this reason they observe seasons, not subjecting themselves to the necessity of observation, but hastening to condescend to the weaker, hear what Paul says: You observe days and months and seasons and years? I am afraid for you, lest I have labored over you in vain. But do you not observe days and seasons and years? What then? If we see the one who forbids observing days and months and seasons and years observing these things, what shall we say, tell me? That he contradicts himself, and is contentious? May it not be so! but that, wishing to do away with the weakness of those who observe the seasons, he condescends to them through observation. So also do physicians, they first taste the foods given to the sick, not needing the food themselves, but eager to correct their weakness. So also did Paul; needing in no way the observation of the seasons, he observed the seasons, in order that he might free those who observe them from the weakness related to observation. And where did Paul observe seasons? Pay close attention, I beseech you. But on the following day, he says, we sailed down to Miletus. For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia. For he was hastening, if it were possible for him, to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. Do you see how he who says, Do not observe days and months and seasons, observed the day of Pentecost?

4. And not only did he observe a day, but also a place; for not only did he hasten to keep the day of Pentecost, but also to celebrate it in Jerusalem. Why do you do this, O blessed Paul? Jerusalem has been destroyed, the Holy of Holies laid waste by the decree of God, the former polity dissolved. You cry out to the Galatians, saying: You who expect to be justified by the law have fallen from grace; and why do you again lead us to the bondage of the law? It is no small matter that is being raised, to learn if Paul contradicts himself. For not only does Paul observe days, but he also keeps other legal precepts, and cries out, saying to the Galatians: Behold, I, Paul, say to you, that if you are circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. This Paul, therefore, who says that If you are circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing, is seen himself circumcising Timothy. For having found, it says, a certain young man in Lystra, the son of a faithful Jewish woman, but of a Greek father, Paul circumcised him; for he did not want to send an uncircumcised teacher. Why do you do this, O blessed Paul? Do you abolish circumcision by word, and then confirm it by deed? I do not confirm it, he says, but I abolish it through my deeds. For Timothy was the son of a faithful Jewish woman, but of a Greek father, of uncircumcised stock. Since therefore Paul was about to send him forth as a teacher to the Jews, and he did not wish to send him uncircumcised, lest he immediately from the outset close the doors to the word. Therefore, preparing the way for the abolition of circumcision, and opening a way for the teaching of Timothy, he applied circumcision to him, in order that he might abolish circumcision. For this reason he says, To the Jews I became as a Jew; Paul did not say this in order to become a Jew, but in order to persuade those who remained Jews to no longer be Jews; for this reason also he circumcised this man, in order to abolish circumcision. He therefore used circumcision against circumcision. For Timothy also received circumcision, in order that he might be able to be accepted by the Jews, and having entered in, he might little by little draw them away from this observance. Do you see for what reason both Pentecost and circumcision

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μέμνησθε ὅτι καὶ τοῦτο τότε ὑπεσχόμεθα ἐρεῖν. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς οὐδὲ εἰκῆ τοὺς καιροὺς ἡμῖν τούτους παρετήρησαν οἱ Πατέρες, ἀλλὰ μετά τινος λόγου σοφοῦ πεποιήκασι τοῦτο· οὐχ ἵνα ὑπὸ ἀνάγκην καιρῶν τὴν ἐλευθερίαν ἡμῖν ὑποβάλωσιν, ἀλλ' ἵνα τῇ τῶν ἀσθενεστέρων πτωχείᾳ συγκαταβάντες, ἐπὶ τὸν πλοῦτον τῆς γνώσεως αὐτοὺς ἀναγάγωσι. Καὶ ὅτι διὰ τοῦτο παρατηροῦσι καιροὺς, οὐχ ἑαυτοὺς τῇ ἀνάγκῃ τῆς παρατηρήσεως ὑποβάλλοντες, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἀσθενεστέροις συγκατιέναι σπουδάζοντες, ἄκουσον τί φησιν ὁ Παῦλος· Ἡμέρας παρατηρεῖτε καὶ μῆνας καὶ καιροὺς καὶ ἐνιαυτούς; Φοβοῦμαι μή πως εἰκῆ κεκοπίακα εἰς ὑμᾶς. Σὺ δὲ οὐ παρατηρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ καιροὺς καὶ ἐνιαυτούς; Τί οὖν; εἰ ἴδωμεν τὸν κωλύοντα παρατηρεῖν ἡμέρας καὶ μῆνας καὶ καιροὺς καὶ ἐνιαυτοὺς παρατηροῦντα ταῦτα, τί ἐροῦμεν, εἰπέ μοι; ὅτι μάχεται ἑαυτῷ, καὶ φιλονεικεῖ; Μὴ γένοιτο! ἀλλ' ὅτι τῶν παρατηρούντων τοὺς καιροὺς τὴν ἀσθένειαν ἀνελεῖν βουλόμενος συγκαταβαίνει διὰ τῆς παρατηρήσεως πρὸς ἐκείνους. Οὕτω καὶ ἰατροὶ ποιοῦσι, τῶν σιτίων τῶν διδομένων τοῖς νοσοῦσιν ἀπογεύονται πρότερον, οὐκ αὐτοὶ δεόμενοι τῶν σιτίων, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐκείνων ἀσθένειαν διορθῶσαι σπουδάζοντες. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἐποίησεν· οὐδὲν δεόμενος τῆς παρατηρήσεως τῶν καιρῶν, τοὺς καιροὺς ἐτήρησεν, ἵνα τοὺς παρατηροῦντας ἀπαλλάξῃ τῆς ἀσθενείας τῆς κατὰ τὴν παρατήρησιν. Καὶ ποῦ παρετήρησε καιροὺς ὁ Παῦλος; Προσέχετε μετὰ ἀκριβείας, παρακαλῶ. Τῇ δὲ ἐπιούσῃ, φησὶ, κατεπλεύσαμεν εἰς Μίλητον. Κεκρίκει γὰρ ὁ Παῦλος παραπλεῦσαι τὴν Ἔφεσον, ὅπως μὴ γένηται αὐτῷ χρονοτριβῆσαι ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ. Ἔσπευδε γὰρ, εἰ δυνατὸν ἦν αὐτῷ, τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς Πεντηκοστῆς γενέσθαι εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα. Εἶδες πῶς ὁ λέγων, Ἡμέρας μὴ παρατηρεῖσθε καὶ μῆνας καὶ καιροὺς, τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς Πεντηκοστῆς παρετήρει;

δʹ. Καὶ οὐ μόνον ἡμέραν παρετήρει, ἀλλὰ καὶ τόπον· οὐ γὰρ μόνον τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς Πεντηκοστῆς ἔσπευδε ποιῆσαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις αὐτὴν ἐπιτελέσαι. Τί τοῦτο ποιεῖς, ὦ μακάριε Παῦλε; Τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα κατελύθη, ἠρημώθη τὰ Ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ ψήφῳ, ἡ πολιτεία ἡ προτέρα ἐλύθη. Σὺ πρὸς Γαλάτας βοᾷς λέγων· Οἱ ἐν νόμῳ δικαιοῦσθαι προσδοκῶντες, τῆς χάριτος ἐξεπέσατε· καὶ τί πάλιν ἡμᾶς πρὸς τὴν δουλείαν ἄγεις τοῦ νόμου; Οὐκ ἔστι μικρὸν τὸ κινούμενον, μαθεῖν εἰ μάχεται ἑαυτῷ ὁ Παῦλος. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἡμέρας μόνον παρατηρεῖ ὁ Παῦλος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄλλα φυλάττει νομικὰ παραγγέλματα, καὶ βοᾷ λέγων τοῖς Γαλάταις· Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ Παῦλος λέγω ὑμῖν, ὅτι ἐὰν περιτέμνησθε, Χριστὸς ὑμᾶς οὐδὲν ὠφελήσει. Οὗτος τοίνυν ὁ Παῦλος, ὁ λέγων ὅτι Ἐὰν περιτέμνησθε, Χριστὸς ὑμᾶς οὐδὲν ὠφελήσει, φαίνεται αὐτὸς περιτέμνων τὸν Τιμόθεον. Εὑρὼν γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ Παῦλος ἐν Λύστροις τινὰ νεανίαν, υἱὸν Ἰουδαίας γυναικὸς πιστῆς, πατρὸς δὲ Ἕλληνος, περιέτεμεν αὐτόν· οὐκ ἐβούλετο γὰρ ἀκρόβυστον πέμπειν διδάσκαλον. Τί τοῦτο ποιεῖς, ὦ μακάριε Παῦλε; ἀναιρεῖς τῷ λόγῳ τὴν περιτομὴν, καὶ βεβαιοῖς τῷ ἔργῳ πάλιν; Οὐ βεβαιῶ, φησὶν, ἀλλ' ἀναιρῶ διὰ τῶν ἔργων. Καὶ γὰρ υἱὸς γυναικὸς ἦν Ἰουδαίας πιστῆς ὁ Τιμόθεος, πατρὸς δὲ Ἕλληνος, ἀκροβύστου δὲ γένους. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἔμελλεν αὐτὸν ὁ Παῦλος προπέμπειν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις διδάσκαλον, οὐκ ἐβούλετο δὲ ἀκρόβυστον πέμψαι, ἵνα μὴ εὐθέως ἀπὸ τῶν προοιμίων ἀποκλείσῃ τὰς θύρας τῷ λόγῳ. Προοδοποιῶν τοίνυν τῇ ἀναιρέσει τῆς περιτομῆς, καὶ ἀνοίγων ὁδὸν τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ τοῦ Τιμοθέου, περιέθηκεν αὐτῷ περιτομὴν, ἵνα ἀνέλῃ περιτομήν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησιν, Ἐγενόμην τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ὡς Ἰουδαῖος· οὐχ ἵνα Ἰουδαῖοςγένηται, τοῦτο εἴρηκεν ὁ Παῦλος, ἀλλ' ἵνα τοὺς μένοντας Ἰουδαίους πείσῃ μηκέτι εἶναι Ἰουδαίους· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τοῦτον περιέτεμεν, ἵνα ἀνέλῃ τὴν περιτομήν. Τῇ περιτομῇ τοίνυν κατὰ τῆς περιτομῆς ἐχρήσατο. Ἔλαβε γὰρ περιτομὴν καὶ ὁ Τιμόθεος, ἵνα δυνηθῇ παραδεχθῆναι ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, καὶ εἰσελθὼν κατὰ μικρὸν ἐξελκύσῃ ταύτης αὐτοὺς τῆς παρατηρήσεως. Εἶδες τίνος ἕνεκεν καὶ Πεντηκοστὴν καὶ περιτομὴν