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not to call his brother a fool, but even very carefully observing him, he does this. For it is not simply said, "He who calls his brother a fool," but "He who calls him so without a cause." But who more justly than these would have met with this appellation, who after so many and such great things, as if nothing had happened, cling to their former ways. But if for this you call Paul insolent, then for Sapphira and Ananias you will call Peter a murderer. But if it is madness to say those things, much more so these. But consider for me, how he does not use this severity from the beginning, but after the refutations and the proofs, when they were then receiving the rebuke not from him, but from the refutations themselves.

For when he showed that they were thrusting out faith, and making the death of Christ superfluous, then he brings on the rebuke, and not even then according to what they deserved; for they were worthy of much harsher words. But observe for me how immediately after striking he also lets up. 61.648 For he did not say, Who has deceived you? Who has abused you? Who has deluded you? but, Who has bewitched you? making the reproach not without praise. For this shows that they formerly did things worthy of envy, and that what was happening was the influence of a demon, blowing fiercely against their prosperity. But when you hear "envy" here, and in the Gospel an "evil eye" signifying the same thing, do not think this, that the glance of the eyes is by nature able to harm those who see it; for an eye would not be evil, the member itself; but here Christ calls envy thus. For the function of the eyes is simply to see only, but to see evilly comes from a perverted inner disposition. For since through this sense the contemplation of things seen flows into our soul, and for the most part envy is especially born in wealth, and wealth is seen by the eyes, and powers and bodyguards; for this reason he called it an evil eye, not the one that sees, but the one that sees with bewitchment from the evil of the soul. But by saying, "Who has bewitched you?" he shows that they do this not as guardians, nor as supplying what is lacking, but also as mutilating what exists. For it is characteristic of envy, not to add what is lacking, but even to take away something from what is full, and to ruin the whole. But he says these things, not as if envy had power in itself, but as if those who taught these things came to this through bewitchment. Before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed among you as crucified. And yet He was crucified not in the land of the Galatians, but in Jerusalem; how then does he say, "Among you"? Showing the power of faith, 61.649 which is able to see even things far off. And he did not say, "was crucified," but, "was portrayed as crucified," showing that with the eyes of faith they beheld more accurately than some of those present and watching what happened. For many of those who watched enjoyed no benefit; but these did not see with their physical eyes, but through faith they saw more accurately. And he says these things both rebuking them and praising them at the same time. Praising them, because with such full assurance they received what had happened; but rebuking them, because Him whom they saw stripped for their sakes, crucified, nailed, spat upon, mocked, given vinegar to drink, accused by robbers, pierced by a spear (for all these things he signified by saying, "was portrayed among you as crucified"), they forsook, and ran to the Law, showing no reverence for those sufferings. But consider for me how everywhere, leaving aside heaven, earth, the sea, and all other things, he proclaimed the power of Christ, carrying about the cross. For this was especially the chief point of His care for us. This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? For since you do not follow long arguments, he says, nor the greatness of the economy

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μὴ λέγειν μωρὸν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα αὐτὸν τηρῶν, τοῦτο ποιεῖ. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς εἴρηται, Ὁ καλῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὑτοῦ μωρὸν, ἀλλ', Ὁ εἰκῆ καλῶν. Τίνες δὲ τούτων δικαιότερον ἂν ἔτυχον ταύτης τῆς προσηγορίας, οἱ μετὰ τοσαῦτα καὶ τηλικαῦτα, ὡς οὐδενὸς γενομένου, τῶν προτέρων ἐχόμενοι. Εἰ δὲ διὰ τοῦτο ὑβριστὴν καλεῖς τὸν Παῦλον, καὶ διὰ τὴν Σάπφειραν καὶ τὸν Ἀνανίαν ἀνδροφόνον ἐρεῖς τὸν Πέτρον. Εἰ δὲ ἐκεῖνα μανίας εἰπεῖν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον καὶ ταῦτα. Σὺ δέ μοι σκόπει, πῶς οὐκ ἀπὸ προοιμίων ταύτῃ κέχρηται τῇ σφοδρότητι, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τοὺς ἐλέγχους καὶ τὰς ἀποδείξεις, ὅτε λοιπὸν οὐ παρ' ἐκείνου, ἀλλὰ παρ' αὐτῶν τῶν ἐλέγχων τὴν ἐπιτίμησιν ἐδέχοντο.

Ὅτε γὰρ ἔδειξε τὴν πίστιν ἐξωθουμένους, καὶ τὸν θάνατον τοῦ Χριστοῦ περιττὸν ἀποφαίνοντας, τότε ἐπάγει τὴν ἐπιτίμησιν, καὶ οὐδὲ τότε κατ' ἀξίαν· καὶ γὰρ πολλῷ χαλεπωτέρων ἦσαν ἄξιοι ῥημάτων. Θέα δέ μοι πῶς εὐθέως καὶ καθυφίησι 61.648 πλήξας. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπε, Τίς ὑμᾶς ἠπάτησε; Τίς ὑμῖν ἀπεχρήσατο; Τίς ὑμᾶς παρελογίσατο; ἀλλὰ, Τίς ὑμᾶς ἐβάσκανεν; οὐκ ἄμοιρον ἐγκωμίων τὴν ἐπίπληξιν θείς. Τοῦτο γὰρ δεικνύντος ἐστὶν, ὅτι φθόνου ἄξια ἔπραττον πρότερον, καὶ δαίμονος ἐπήρεια τὸ γινόμενον ἦν, σφοδρὸν κατὰ τῆς εὐημερίας αὐτῶν πνεύσαντος. Ὅταν δὲ φθόνον ἀκούσῃς ἐνταῦθα, καὶ ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ ὀφθαλμὸν πονηρὸν τὸ αὐτὸ δηλοῦντα, μὴ τοῦτο νομίσῃς, ὅτι ἡ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν βολὴ τοὺς ὁρῶντας βλάπτειν πέφυκεν· ὀφθαλμὸς γὰρ οὐκ ἂν εἴη πονηρὸς, αὐτὸ τὸ μέλος· ἀλλ' ἐνταῦθα ὁ Χριστὸς οὕτω τὸν φθόνον λέγει. Ὀφθαλμῶν μὲν γὰρ τὸ ἁπλῶς ὁρᾷν μόνον, τὸ δὲ πονηρῶς ὁρᾷν τῆς ἔνδον διεστραμμένης γίνεται γνώμης. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ διὰ τῆς αἰσθήσεως ταύτης εἰς τὴν ψυχὴν ἡμῶν εἰσρεῖ τῶν ὁρωμένων ἡ θεωρία, καὶ ὡς ἐπὶ πολὺ ἐν πλούτῳ μάλιστα ὁ φθόνος τίκτεται, ὁ δὲ πλοῦτος ἀπὸ ὀφθαλμῶν ὁρᾶται, καὶ αἱ δυναστεῖαι καὶ αἱ δορυφορίαι· διὰ τοῦτο πονηρὸν ὀφθαλμὸν ἐκάλεσεν, οὐ τὸν ὁρῶντα, ἀλλὰ τὸν μετὰ βασκανίας ὁρῶντα ἀπὸ τῆς κατὰ ψυχὴν πονηρίας. Εἰπὼν δὲ, Τίς ὑμᾶς ἐβάσκανεν; δείκνυσιν ὅτι οὐχ ὡς κηδεμόνες, οὐδὲ ὡς τὸ λεῖπον ἀναπληροῦντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ὂν ἀκρωτηριάζοντες, τοῦτο ποιοῦσι. Φθόνου γάρ ἐστιν, οὐ τὸ λεῖπον προσθεῖναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν πεπληρωμένων ὑφελέσθαι τι, καὶ λυμήνασθαι τῷ παντί. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγει, οὐχ ὡς τοῦ φθόνου καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἰσχὺν ἔχοντος, ἀλλ' ὡς τῶν ταῦτα διδασκόντων διὰ βασκανίαν ἐπὶ τοῦτο ἐλθόντων. Οἷς κατ' ὀφθαλμοὺς Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς προεγράφη ἐν ὑμῖν ἐσταυρωμένος. Καὶ μὴν οὐκ ἐν τῇ Γαλατῶν χώρᾳ, ἀλλ' ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐσταυρώθη· πῶς οὖν φησιν, Ἐν ὑμῖν; Τῆς πίστεως δεικνὺς τὴν ἰσχὺν 61.649 καὶ τὰ πόῤῥωθεν δυναμένης ὁρᾷν. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐσταυρώθη, ἀλλὰ, Προεγράφη ἐσταυρωμένος, δηλῶν ὅτι τοῖς τῆς πίστεως ὀφθαλμοῖς ἀκριβέστερον ἐθεώρησαν τῶν παρόντων ἐνίων καὶ τὰ γινόμενα θεωμένων. Ἐκείνων μὲν γὰρ πολλοὶ θεασάμενοι, οὐδὲν ἀπώναντο· οὗτοι δὲ ὀφθαλμοφανῶς μὲν οὐκ εἶδον, διὰ δὲ τῆς πίστεως ἀκριβέστερον εἶδον. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγει ὁμοῦ καὶ καθαπτόμενος αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐπαινῶν. Ἐπαινῶν μὲν, ὅτι μετὰ τοσαύτης πληροφορίας ἐδέξαντο τὸ γεγενημένον· καθαπτόμενος δὲ, ὅτι ὃν εἶδον ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν γυμνωθέντα, ἀνεσκολοπισμένον, προσηλωμένον, ἐμπτυόμενον, κωμῳδούμενον, ποτιζόμενον ὄξος, κατηγορούμενον ὑπὸ λῃστῶν, λόγχῃ νυττόμενον (ταῦτα γὰρ πάντα ἐδήλωσε διὰ τοῦ εἰπεῖν, Προεγράφη ἐν ὑμῖν ἐσταυρωμένος), τοῦτον ἀφέντες, ἐπὶ τὸν νόμον ἔδραμον, οὐδὲν αἰδεσθέντες τῶν παθημάτων ἐκείνων. Σὺ δέ μοι σκόπει πῶς πανταχοῦ τὸν οὐρανὸν, τὴν γῆν, τὴν θάλασσαν, τὰ ἄλλα πάντα ἀφεὶς, τὴν δύναμιν ἐκήρυττε τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τὸν σταυρὸν περιφέρων. Τοῦτο γὰρ μάλιστα κεφάλαιον τῆς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν κηδεμονίας ἦν. Τοῦτο μόνον θέλω μαθεῖν ἀφ' ὑμῶν, ἐξ ἔργων νόμου τὸ Πνεῦμα ἐλάβετε, ἢ ἐξ ἀκοῆς πίστεως; Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τοῖς μακροῖς οὐ παρακολουθεῖτε λόγοις, φησὶν, οὐδὲ τῆς οἰκονομίας τὸ μέγεθος