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great affection; For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and for those in Laodicea. Then, lest this seem to be due to their own weakness, he joined others also, and did not yet condemn them. And for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh. Divinely he shows here, that they saw him continually in the spirit. And he testifies 62.334 to them great love; wherefore he also added: That their hearts may be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God the Father and of Christ; in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Now therefore he hastens and travails to introduce the doctrine, neither accusing them, nor acquitting them of the accusation. I have a conflict, he says. That what may happen? That we may be knit together. What he says is this: that they may stand firm in the faith. But he does not put it this way, but cuts short the parts of the accusation. That is, that they may be united with love, not with necessity, nor with force. For as I said, he is always unburdensome, allowing them, and for this reason he says: I am in conflict, because with love, and I want them to be willing. For I do not want the gathering to be simply, not simply with the mouth, but that their hearts may be comforted. Being knit together in love unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding. That is, that they may doubt about nothing, that they may be fully assured about all things. And he spoke of the full assurance that is through faith; for there is also a full assurance that is through reasonings, but that one is of no account. I know, he says, that you believe, but I want you to be fully assured, not only unto the riches, but unto all the riches, that you may be fully assured in all things and intensely. And behold the understanding of this blessed man. He did not say, that You are doing evil, that You are not fully assured, and accuse them; but, You do not know how I strive, that you may be fully assured with understanding, and not simply. For since he spoke of faith, Do not think, he says, that I spoke simply and unprofitably, but with understanding, with love. To the acknowledgment of the mystery of God the Father, and of Christ. So this is the mystery of God, to be brought near through the Son. And of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and of knowledge. But if they are in him, then he came wisely now too. For what reason then do some of the foolish accuse him? See how he speaks to the more simple: In whom are all the treasures. He himself knows all things. Hidden. For do not think that you already have everything; they are hidden even from angels, not from you only; so you must ask all things from him; he gives wisdom and knowledge. Therefore, by saying, Treasures, he shows the great quantity; by saying, All, that he is ignorant of nothing; by saying, Hidden, that he alone knows. This I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. 3. You see that for this reason I said, he says, these things, that you may not seek from men. Beguile, he says, with enticing words. For what if he speaks persuasively? For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit. The logical thing to say was this: For though I be absent in the flesh, yet nevertheless I know the deceivers; but now he has ended in praise. Joying and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. The order, the good order, he says. And steadfastness of the faith in Christ. These things are rather of praise. And he did not say, the faith, but, The steadfastness, as if to soldiers standing in good order and firmly. Deceit does not shake what is firm, nor does temptation. 62.335 Not only, he says, have you not fallen, but no one has even thrown your order into confusion. He set himself before them, that they might fear him as present; for order is thus preserved. From steadfastness comes density; for steadfastness occurs when, having gathered many things, you join them together densely and inseparably; then it becomes steadfastness, as in the case of a wall. And this is of love

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φιλοστοργία πολλή· Θέλω γὰρ ὑμᾶς εἰδέναι ἡλίκον ἀγῶνα ἔχω περὶ ὑμῶν, καὶ τῶν ἐν Λαοδικείᾳ. Εἶτα ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ τῆς αὐτῶν ἀσθενείας εἶναι τοῦτο, συνῆψε καὶ ἑτέρους, καὶ οὐδέπω κατέγνω. Καὶ ὅσοι οὐχ ἑωράκασι τὸ πρόσωπόν μου ἐν σαρκί. Θείως δείκνυσιν ἐνταῦθα, ὅτι ἑώρων συνεχῶς ἐν πνεύματι. Μαρτυρεῖ δὲ αὐ 62.334 τοῖς ἀγάπην πολλήν· διὸ καὶ ἐπήγαγεν· Ἵνα παρακληθῶσιν αἱ καρδίαι αὐτῶν, συμβιβασθέντων ἐν ἀγάπῃ, καὶ εἰς πάντα πλοῦτον τῆς πληροφορίας τῆς συνέσεως, εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν τοῦ μυστηρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ· ἐν ᾧ εἰσι πάντες οἱ θησαυροὶ τῆς σοφίας καὶ τῆς γνώσεως ἀπόκρυφοι. Ἤδη λοιπὸν σπεύδει καὶ ὠδίνει ἐμβαλεῖν εἰς τὸ δόγμα, οὔτε κατηγορῶν, οὔτε ἀπαλλάττων αὐτοὺς τῆς κατηγορίας. Ἀγῶνα, φησὶν, ἔχω. Ἵνα τί γένηται; Ἵνασυμβιβασθῶμεν. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοῦτό ἐστιν· ἵνα στῶσι βέβαιοι ἐν τῇ πίστει. Ἀλλ' οὐ τίθησιν οὕτως, ἀλλ' ὑποτέμνεται τὰ τῆς κατηγορίας. Τουτέστιν, ἵνα ἑνωθῶσι μετὰ ἀγάπης, οὐδὲ μετὰ ἀνάγκης, οὐδὲ μετὰ βίας. Ὅπερ γὰρ εἶπον, Ἀνεπαχθής ἐστιν ἀεὶ αὐτοῖς ἐπιτρέπων, καὶ διὰ τοῦτό φησιν· Ἀγωνιῶ, ἐπειδὴ μετὰ ἀγάπης, καὶ ἑκόντας βούλομαι. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς τὴν συναγωγὴν βούλομαι γίνεσθαι, οὐχ ἁπλῶς τῷ στόματι, ἀλλ' ἵνα αἱ καρδίαι αὐτῶν παρακληθῶσι. Συμβιβασθέντων ἐν ἀγάπῃ εἰς πάντα πλοῦτον τῆς πληροφορίας τῆς συνέσεως. Τουτέστιν, ἵνα ὑπὲρ μηδενὸς ἀμφιβάλλωσιν, ἵν' ὑπὲρ πάντων πεπληροφορημένοι ὦσι. Πληροφορίαν δὲ εἶπε τὴν διὰ πίστεως· ἔστι γὰρ πληροφορία καὶ ἡ διὰ λογισμῶν, ἀλλ' οὐδενὸς λόγου ἐκείνη ἀξία. Οἶδα, φησὶν, ὅτι πιστεύετε, ἀλλὰ πληροφορηθῆναι ὑμᾶς βούλομαι, οὐκ εἰς τὸν πλοῦτον μόνον, ἀλλ' Εἰς πάντα τὸν πλοῦτον, ἵνα καὶ ἐν πᾶσι καὶ ἐπιτεταμένως πεπληροφορημένοι ἦτε. Καὶ θέα τὴν σύνεσιν τοῦ μακαρίου τούτου. Οὐκ εἶπεν, ὅτι Κακῶς ποιεῖτε, ὅτι Οὐ πεπληροφόρησθε, καὶ κατηγόρησεν· ἀλλ', Οὐκ ἴστε πῶς σπουδάζω, ἵνα πληροφορηθῆτε μετὰ συνέσεως, καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶπε πίστιν, Μὴ νομίσητε, φησὶν, ὅτι ἁπλῶς καὶ ἀνονήτως εἶπον, ἀλλὰ μετὰ συνέσεως, μετὰ ἀγάπης. Εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν τοῦ μυστηρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ὥστε τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ μυστήριον, τὸ διὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ προσάγεσθαι. Καὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἐν ᾧ εἰσι πάντες οἱ θησαυροὶ τῆς σοφίας καὶ τῆς γνώσεως ἀπόκρυφοι. Εἰ δὲ ἐν αὐτῷ εἰσιν, ἄρα σοφῶς καὶ νῦν ἦλθε. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ἐγκαλοῦσί τινες τῶν ἀνοήτων; Ὅρα πῶς τοῖς ἁπλουστέροις διαλέγεται· Ἐν ᾧ εἰσι πάντες οἱ θησαυροί. Αὐτὸς πάντα οἶδεν. Ἀπόκρυφοι. Μὴ γὰρ δὴ νομίσητε ἤδη τὸ πᾶν ἔχειν· ἀπόκρυφοί εἰσι καὶ ἀπὸ ἀγγέλων, οὐκ ἀφ' ὑμῶν μόνον· ὥστε παρ' αὐτοῦ δεῖ πάντα αἰτεῖν· αὐτὸς δίδωσι σοφίαν καὶ γνῶσιν. Τῷ μὲν οὖν, Θησαυροὶ, εἰπεῖν, τὸ πολὺ δείκνυσι· τῷ δὲ, Πάντες, τὸ μηδὲ ἀγνοεῖν· τῷ δὲ, Ἀπόκρυφοι, τὸ μόνος εἰδέναι. Τοῦτο δὲ λέγω, ἵνα μή τις ὑμᾶς παραλογίζηται ἐν πιθανολογίᾳ. γʹ. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι διὰ τοῦτο εἶπον, φησὶ, ταῦτα, ἵνα μὴ παρὰ ἀνθρώπων ζητῆτε. Παραλογίζηται, φησὶν, ἐν πιθανολογίᾳ. Τί γὰρ, εἰ πιθανῶς λέγει; Εἰ γὰρ τῇ σαρκὶ ἄπειμι, ἀλλὰ τῷ πνεύματι σὺν ὑμῖν εἰμι. Τὸ ἀκόλουθον τοῦτο ἦν εἰπεῖν· Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τῇ σαρκὶ ἄπειμι, ἀλλ' ὅμως οἶδα τοὺς ἀπατεῶνας· νῦν δὲ εἰς ἐγκώμιον κατέληξε. Χαίρων καὶ βλέπων ὑμῶν τὴν τάξιν καὶ τὸ στερέωμα τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν πίστεως ὑμῶν. Τὴν τάξιν, τὴν εὐταξίαν, φησί. Καὶ στερέωμα τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν πίστεως. Ταῦτα ἐγκωμίων μᾶλλόν ἐστι. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε, τὴν πίστιν, ἀλλὰ, Τὸ στερέωμα, καθάπερ πρὸς στρατιώτας εὐτάκτως ἑστῶτας καὶ βεβαίως. Τὸ στεῤῥὸν οὐκ ἀπάτη, οὐ πειρασμὸς δια 62.335 σαλεύει. Οὐ μόνον, φησὶν, οὐ πεπτώκατε, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὴν τάξιν ὑμῶν συνέχεέ τις. Ἐπέστησεν ἑαυτὸν αὐτοῖς, ἵνα ὡς παρόντα φοβῶνται· ἡ γὰρ τάξις οὕτω φυλάττεται. Ἀπὸ τοῦ στερεώματος τὸ πεπυκνωμένον· οὕτω γὰρ γίνεται στερέωμα, ὅτε πολλὰ συναγαγὼν συγκολλήσεις πυκνῶς καὶ ἀδιασπάστως· τότε στερέωμα γίνεται, οἷον ἐπὶ τοίχου. Τοῦτο δὲ τῆς ἀγάπης