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to close their eyes has become a cause of punishment for them; for their table to become a trap, that is, all their prosperity to be changed. That the divine wrath was justly brought upon them, he taught by saying: And for a recompense to them. "And bow down their back always." This shows the perpetuity of the punishment; for they will not be shown mercy before they repent and accept the faith. "I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid. Having dramatized their calamities, and shown the greatness of their fall, and how they lie on the ground, and are deprived of all hope, so that they might not despair of salvation, see how he consoles them as they lie; and to the words, "Have they stumbled that they should fall," must be added "in perpetuity." For thus receiving some small consolation, they were coming to repentance, at least from the words, even if it did not turn out so because of the difficulty of their disposition. "But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous." Even if this is not the nature of things, yet he speaks thus, consoling their great, as I said, fall from grace. For they did not stumble for this reason, that the Gentiles might be saved, but because they disbelieved, it was preached to the Gentiles. For it was necessary for them to enter first, and then the Gentiles. And this can be seen both from the parables in the Gospels, and from what the Lord said to the apostles, to go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel; for "rather" shows that they were owed it first, and then 95.533 these second. And what was said by Paul to the Jews no less confirms this opinion. Which is this? "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first." "Now if their transgression is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness? But I speak to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?" From that thought which he expressed, that is, the one having consolation as its purpose, let us also consider these words. "For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them." He calls the firstfruit those around Abraham. "And have become a partaker of the root and richness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, you do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, 'Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.' Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off. But you stand by faith." Lest hearing "contrary to nature," you should think the Gentiles are less than those of Israel, for this reason he added, "you have become a partaker of the root and richness," to show that they have shared in the same commonwealth and holiness. "Do not be haughty, but fear. For if the Lord did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness of God, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again." See the wisdom of Paul; how he applies what is suitable to both. For to the Jews who have fallen and lie in a great fall, he raises much consolation, not allowing them to despair; but to the Gentiles who have received the faith and have been glorified through the spiritual gifts, he brings fear, so that they may not, being lifted up in pride by the good things they have obtained, fall from grace. "For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree. For I do not desire you to be ignorant, brethren, of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come 95.536 in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: He will come out of

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καμμῦσαι αὐτοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς, αἴτιον αὐτοῖς γέγονε τιμωρίας· τὸ γὰρ τὴν τράπεζαν γενηθῆναι εἰς παγίδα, τουτέστι πᾶσαν αὐτῶν μεταβληθῆναι τὴν εὐημερίαν. Ὅτι δὲ δικαίως ἐπενήνεκται ἡ θεία ὀργὴ, ἐδίδαξεν εἰπών· Καὶ εἰς ἀνταπόδομα αὐτοῖς. «Καὶ τὸν νῶτον αὐτῶν διὰ παντὸς σύγκαμψον.» Τὸ διηνεκὲς τῆς τιμωρίας δηλοῖ· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐλεηθήσονται πρότερον, πρὶν μετανοήσαντες τὴν πίστιν δέξωνται. «Λέγω οὖν, μὴ ἔπταισαν, ἵνα πέσωσι; Μὴ γένοιτο. Ἐκτραγῳδήσας αὐτῶν τὰς συμφορὰς, καὶ δείξας μέγα τὸ πτῶμα, καὶ κειμένους χαμαὶ, καὶ πάσης ἐλπίδος ἀφῃρημένους, ἵνα μὴ ἀπευδοκήσουσι τῆς σωτηρίας, ὅρα πῶς παραμυθεῖται κειμένους· τῷ δὲ, Ἔπταισαν ἵνα πέσωσιν, εἰς τὸ διηνεκὲς, προσθετέον. Οὕτω γὰρ μικράν τινα παραμυθίαν λαμβάνοντες, ἐπὶ τὴν μετάνοιαν ἤρχοντο, ὅσα γε ἐκ τῶν λόγων, εἰ καὶ μὴ οὕτως ἐξέβη διὰ τὸ τῆς γνώμης δύσκολον. «Ἀλλὰ τῷ αὐτῶν παραπτώματι ἡ σωτηρία τοῖς ἔθνεσιν εἰς τὸ παραζηλῶσαι αὐτούς.» Εἰ καὶ μὴ αὕτη τῶν πραγμάτων φύσις, ἀλλ' οὕτω λέγει παραμυθούμενος τὴν μεγάλην αὐτῶν, ὡς ἔφην ἔκπτωσιν. Οὐ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο ἔπταισαν, ἵνα σωθῇ τὰ ἔθνη, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἠπίστησαν αὐτοὶ, ἐκηρύχθη τοῖς ἔθνεσιν. Ἔδει δὲ πρῶτον αὐτοὺς εἰσελθεῖν, εἶτα τὰ ἔθνη. Καὶ τοῦτο ἔκ τε τῶν παραβολῶν ὧν ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, ὧν πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἔφασκεν ὁ Κύριος, τὸ πορεύεσθαι μᾶλλον εἰς τὰ πρόβατα τὰ ἀπολωλότα οἴκου Ἰσραήλ· τὸ γὰρ, μᾶλλον, δηλοῖ, ὡς ἐκείνων μὲν πρῶτον ὀφειλόντων, εἶτα 95.533 τούτων δεύτερον. Καὶ τὸ παρὰ τοῦ Παύλου δὲ πρὸς Ἰουδαίους ῥηθὲν οὐδὲν ἧττον ταύτην βεβαιοῖ τὴν γνώμην. Ποῖον δὴ τοῦτο τὸ; Ὑμῖν ἦν ἀναγκαῖον λαληθῆναι πρῶτον τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ. «Εἰ δὲ τὸ παράπτωμα αὐτῶν πλοῦτος κόσμου, καὶ τὸ ἥττημα αὐτῶν πλοῦτος ἐθνῶν, πόσῳ μᾶλλον τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτῶν; Ὑμῖν δὲ λέγω τοῖς ἔθνεσιν. Ἐφ' ὅσον μὲν οὖν εἰμὶ ἐγὼ ἐθνῶν ἀπόστολος, τὴν διακονίαν μου δοξάζω, εἰ πῶς παραζηλώσω μου τὴν σάρκα, καὶ σώσω τινὰς ἐξ αὐτῶν. Εἰ γὰρ ἡ ἀποβολὴ αὐτῶν καταλλαγὴ κόσμου, τίς ἡ πρόσληψις, εἰ μὴ ζωὴ ἐκ νεκρῶν;» Ἀπ' ἐκείνης ἧς εἶπεν διανοίας, τουτέστι τῆς σκοπὸν ἐχούσης τὴν παραμυθίαν, καὶ τούτους ἡγησώμεθα τοὺς λόγους. «Εἰ δὲ ἡ ἀπαρχὴ ἁγία, καὶ τὸ φύραμα· καὶ εἰ ἡ ῥίζα ἁγία, καὶ οἱ κλάδοι. Εἰ δέ τινες τῶν κλάδων ἐξεκλάσθησαν, σὺ δὲ ἀγριέλαιος ὢν, ἐνεκεντρίσθης ἐν αὐτοῖς.» Ἀπαρχὴν τοὺς περὶ Ἀβραάμ φησιν. «Καὶ συγκοινωνὸς τῆς ῥίζης τῆς πιότητος τῆς ἐλαίας ἐγένου, μὴ κατακαυχῶ τῶν κλάδων· εἰ δὲ κατακαυχᾶσαι, οὐ σὺ τὴν ῥίζαν βαστάζεις, ἀλλ' ἡ ῥίζα σε. Ἐρεῖς οὖν· Ἐξεκλάσθησαν κλάδοι, ἵνα ἐγὼ ἐγκεντρισθῶ. Καλῶς· τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ ἐξεκλάσθησαν. Σὺ δὲ τῇ πίστει ἕστηκας.» Ἵνα μὴ τὸ παρὰ φύσιν ἀκούων, ἔλαττον δῷς ἔχειν τοὺς ἐξ ἐθνῶν τῶν ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ, τούτου χάριν, συγκοινωνὸς τῆς ῥίζης καὶ τῆς πιότητος ἐγένου, προσέθηκεν, ἵνα δείξῃ τῆς αὐτῆς ἐκείνους μετασχόντας πολιτείας καὶ ἁγιότητος. «Μὴ ὑψηλοφρόνει, ἀλλὰ φοβοῦ. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ Κύριος τῶν κατὰ φύσιν κλάδων οὐκ ἐφείσατο, οὐδὲ σοῦ φείσεται. Ἴδε οὖν χρηστότητα καὶ ἀποτομίαν Θεοῦ. Ἐπὶ μὲν τοὺς πεσόντας, ἀποτομία· ἐπὶ δὲ σὲ, χρηστότης Θεοῦ, ἐὰν ἐπιμείνῃς τῇ χρηστότητι· ἐπεὶ καὶ σὺ ἐκκοπήσῃ. Κἀκεῖνοι δὲ ἐὰν μὴ ἐπιμείνωσι τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ, ἐγκεντρισθήσονται. ∆υνατὸς γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς πάλιν ἐγκεντρίσαι αὐτούς.» Ὅρα σύνεσιν τοῦ Παύλου· πῶς ἀμφοτέροις ἐπάγει τὰ πρόσφορα. Τοῖς μὲν γὰρ Ἰουδαίοις πεσοῦσι καὶ ἐν πτώματι μεγάλῳ κειμένοις παραμυθίαν ἐγείρει πολλὴν, μὴ ἐῶν εἰς ἀπόγνωσιν· τοῖς δὲ ἔθνεσι δεξαμένοις τὴν πίστιν καὶ δεδοξασμένοις διὰ τῶν χαρισμάτων, φόβον προσάγει, ὅπως μὴ δι' ὧν ηὐπόρησαν ἀγαθῶν ὑψωθέντες εἰς φρόνημα, τῆς χάριτος ἐκπέσωσιν. «Εἰ γὰρ σὺ ἐκ τῆς κατὰ φύσιν ἐξεκόπης ἀγριελαίου, καὶ παρὰ φύσιν ἐνεκεντρίσθης εἰς καλλιέλαιον, πόσῳ μᾶλλον οὗτοι οἱ κατὰ φύσιν ἐγκεντρισθήσονται τῇ ἰδίᾳ ἐλαίᾳ. Οὐ γὰρ θέλω ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν, ἀδελφοὶ, τὸ μυστήριον τοῦτο, ἵνα μὴ ἦτε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς φρόνιμοι, ὅτι πώρωσις ἀπὸ μέρους τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ γέγονεν, ἄχρις οὗ τὸ πλήρωμα τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰσ 95.536 έλθῃ· καὶ οὕτω πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ σωθήσεται, καθὼς γέγραπται· Ἥξει ἐκ