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Did not all these men then especially shine, when they were being abused? when they were being plotted against? when, suffering the worst things, they stood nobly?

17.t Chapter 17. That of the greatest providence and goodness and love

the cross is a sign of God 17.1 And while praising our common Master for all other things, is it not for

this that we especially praise, glorifying, being astounded because of the cross, because of that accursed death? Does not Paul make this a sign of His love for us, His dying? His dying for such people? and passing over mention of the heaven, the earth, the sea, all the other things which Christ made for our need and rest, he turns over and over the cross, saying. 17.2 “But God commends His own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us;” and from this he offers us good hopes, saying: “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” 17.3 Does he not himself especially glory in this and think highly of it and leap and fly for joy, writing thus to the Galatians: “But God forbid that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ?” And why are you amazed, if Paul leaps and jumps and glories in this? He Himself who suffered these things calls the matter glory. “For Father,” he says, “the hour has come, glorify Your Son.” 17.4 And the disciple who wrote these things said thus: “For the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified,” calling the cross glory. But when he wished to show His love, what did he himself say? Signs, wonders, some portents? By no means, but he brings the cross to the fore, saying: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” 17.5 And Paul again: “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things.” And when he exhorts to humility, from this he constructs his exhortation, saying thus: “If there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind, doing nothing through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind esteeming others better than yourselves.” 17.6 Then introducing the counsel, he says: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” 17.7 And again, advising concerning love, he brings this to the fore: “Love,” he says, “one another, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” And joining wives to husbands in concord, he says thus: “Husbands, love your own wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.” 17.8 And He Himself, showing how this matter was of great importance to Him and how He greatly loved the passion, hear what He called the first of the apostles, the foundation of the Church, the leader of the chorus of the apostles, when he said this out of ignorance, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You”: “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me”; by the excess of the insult and the rebuke, the

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οὐχὶ πάντες οὗτοι τότε μάλιστα ἔλαμψαν, ὅτε ἐπηρεάζοντο; ὅτε ἐπεβουλεύοντο; ὅτε τὰ ἔσχατα πάσχοντες γενναίως εἱστήκεισαν;

17.t Κεφ. ιζʹ. Ὅτι μεγίστης προνοίας καὶ ἀγαθότητος καὶ ἀγάπης

Θεοῦ ὁ σταυρὸς δεῖγμα 17.1 Τὸν δὲ κοινὸν ἡμῶν ∆εσπότην διὰ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα ἀνυμνοῦντες, οὐ διὰ

τοῦτο μάλιστα ἀνυμνοῦμεν, δοξάζοντες, ἐκπληττόμενοι διὰ τὸν σταυρόν, διὰ τὸν θάνατον ἐκεῖνον τὸν ἐπάρατον; Οὐ τοῦτο ἄνω καὶ κάτω σημεῖον ὁ Παῦλος ποιεῖται τῆς ἀγάπης αὐτοῦ τῆς περὶ ἡμᾶς, τὸ ἀποθανεῖν; τὸ ὑπὲρ τοιούτων ἀποθανεῖν; καὶ παρεὶς εἰπεῖν τὸν οὐρανόν, τὴν γῆν, τὴν θάλατταν, τὰ ἄλλα πάντα ἅπερ ἐποίησεν ὁ Χριστὸς εἰς χρείαν ἡμῶν καὶ ἀνάπαυσιν, ἄνω καὶ κάτω περιστρέφει τὸν σταυρόν, λέγων. 17.2 «Συνέστησε δὲ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀγάπην ὁ Θεὸς εἰς ἡμᾶς, ὅτι, ἔτι ἁμαρτωλῶν ὄντων ἡμῶν, Χριστὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀπέθανε»· καὶ ἐντεῦθεν ἡμῖν χρηστὰς ὑποτείνει τὰς ἐλπίδας λέγων· «Εἰ γὰρ ἐχθροὶ ὄντες κατηλλάγημεν τῷ Θεῷ διὰ τοῦ θανάτου τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον καταλλαγέντες σωθησόμεθα ἐν τῇ ζωῇ αὐτοῦ.» 17.3 Οὐκ ἐπὶ τούτῳ μάλιστα καὶ αὐτὸς καλλωπίζεται καὶ μέγα φρονεῖ καὶ σκιρτᾷ καὶ πέταται ὑπὸ τῆς ἡδονῆς, Γαλάταις γράφων οὕτως· «Ἐμοὶ δὲ μὴ γένοιτο καυχᾶσθαι, εἰ μὴ ἐν τῷ σταυρῷ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ;» Καὶ τί θαυμάζεις, εἰ Παῦλος ἐπὶ τούτῳ σκιρτᾷ καὶ πηδᾷ καὶ καλλωπίζεται; Αὐτὸς ὁ ταῦτα παθών, δόξαν τὸ πρᾶγμα καλεῖ. «Πάτερ γάρ, φησίν, ἐλήλυθεν ἡ ὥρα, δόξασόν σου τὸν Υἱόν.» 17.4 Καὶ ὁ μαθητὴς δὲ ὁ ταῦτα γράψας οὕτως ἔλεγεν· «Οὔπω γὰρ ἦν ἐν αὐτοῖς Πνεῦμα ἅγιον, ὅτι Ἰησοῦς οὐδέπω ἐδοξάσθη», δόξαν καλῶν τὸν σταυρόν. Ὅτε δὲ αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀγάπην παραστῆσαι ἐβουλήθη, καὶ αὐτὸς τί εἶπε; σημεῖα, θαύματα, τεράστιά τινα; Οὐδαμῶς, ἀλλὰ τὸν σταυρὸν εἰς μέσον φέρει, λέγων· «Οὕτως ἠγάπησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν κόσμον ὅτι τὸν Υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων ἐπ' αὐτὸν μὴ ἀπόληται, ἀλλ' ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον.» 17.5 Καὶ Παῦλος πάλιν· «Ὅς γε τοῦ ἰδίου Υἱοῦ οὐκ ἐφείσατο, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πάντων παρέδωκεν αὐτόν, πῶς οὐχὶ καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα ἡμῖν χαρίσεται.» Καὶ εἰς ταπεινοφροσύνην δὲ ὅταν ἐνάγῃ, ἐντεῦθεν κατασκευάζει τὴν παραίνεσιν, οὕτω λέγων· «Εἴ τις παράκλησις ἐν Χριστῷ, εἴ τι παραμύθιον ἀγάπης, εἴ τις κοινωνία Πνεύματος, εἴ τινα σπλάγχνα καὶ οἰκτιρμοί, πληρώσατέ μου τὴν χαράν, ἵνα τὸ αὐτὸ φρονῆτε, τὴν αὐτὴν ἀγάπην ἔχοντες σύμψυχοι, τὸ ἓν φρονοῦντες, μηδὲν κατ' ἐριθείαν ἢ κενοδοξίαν, ἀλλὰ τῇ ταπεινοφροσύνῃ ἀλλήλους προηγούμενοι ὑπερέχοντας ἑαυτῶν.» 17.6 Εἶτα εἰσάγων τὴν συμβουλήν, φησί· «Τοῦτο γὰρ φρονείσθω ἐν ὑμῖν ὃ καὶ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ὃς ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων, οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα Θεῷ, ἀλλ' ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσε, μορφὴν δούλου λαβών, ἐν ὁμοιώματι ἀνθρώπου γενόμενος καὶ ἐν σχήματι εὑρεθεὶς ὡς ἄνθρωπος· ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτόν, γενόμενος ὑπήκοος μέχρι θανάτου, θανάτου δὲ σταυροῦ.» 17.7 Καὶ περὶ ἀγάπης δὲ πάλιν συμβουλεύων τοῦτο εἰς μέσον παράγει· «Ἀγαπᾶτε, λέγων, ἀλλήλους, καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς καὶ ἑαυτὸν παρέδωκεν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν προσφορὰν καὶ θυσίαν τῷ Θεῷ εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας.» Καὶ γυναῖκας συνάπτων ἀνδράσιν εἰς ὁμόνοιαν, οὕτω λέγει· «Οἱ ἄνδρες, ἀγαπᾶτε τὰς γυναῖκας ἑαυτῶν, καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἠγάπησε τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν καὶ παρέδωκεν ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς.» 17.8 Καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ δεικνὺς πῶς αὐτῷ τὸ πρᾶγμα περισπούδαστον ἦν καὶ πῶς σφόδρα ἤρα τοῦ πάθους, τὸν πρῶτον τῶν ἀποστόλων, τὴν κρηπῖδα τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, τὸν κορυφαῖον τοῦ χοροῦ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ ταῦτα ἐξ ἀγνοίας εἰπόντα «Ἵλεώς σοι, Κύριε, οὐ μὴ ἔσται σοι τοῦτο», ἄκουσον τί ἐκάλεσεν· «Ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, Σατανᾶ, σκάνδαλόν μου εἶ»· τῇ ὑπερβολῇ τῆς ὕβρεώς τε καὶ τῆς ἐπιτιμήσεως τὴν