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awesome, do not draw them down to private adornments. Living, he says, in contrast to the Jewish sacrifice, which was through slaughtered animals; again, spiritual, in contrast to the irrational one, which was through livestock. First of all, he mentioned moderation, as a kind of foundation and base for the other virtues. “Your spiritual worship.” Spiritual worship, the spiritual service and the life according to God, he says, that has nothing corporeal. “And do not be conformed to this world, but 95.540 be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” Do not fashion yourself, he says, according to the pattern of this present life. For nothing in it is lasting and established. “For I say, through the grace of God given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think.” Having said above, "I beseech you through the mercies of God," here he says again, "through the grace." Continually reminding them of His benefactions, so as to make them more grateful. The whole passage is about humility. “But to think soberly.” What he says is this: We have received wisdom, not that we might use it for arrogance, but for sobriety. To be sober and sound in mind, from having a sound mind. “To each one as God has dealt a measure of faith.” Here he calls the spiritual gift "faith." By saying that He "dealt," he both comforted the one who received less, and restrained the one who enjoyed more; for if God dealt it, and the achievement is not yours, why are you proud? “For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” For what reason are you proud, he says, or why again does another debase himself? Are we not all one body, both great and small? When, therefore, we are one in the main point, and members of one another, why do you tear yourself apart with arrogance? why are you ashamed of your brother? Just as he is a member of you, so you are of him. “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or he who serves, in his service; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation.” He wishes to make them more diligent, showing that they themselves provide the starting points for receiving more or less. Therefore he says, "in proportion to our faith." For he says that these things have been given by God; as when he says, "to each one as God has dealt a measure of faith." But he also says that the beginnings have come from them, so that he might stir up the lazy. “He who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit. He shows that there is no benefit from virtue, unless it is done with 95.541 what is fitting. For see how everywhere he seeks intensifications; for he did not say, "give," only, but "with abundance"; nor, "lead," but "with diligence"; nor, "show mercy," but "cheerfully"; nor, "honor," but "give preference"; nor, "love," but "without hypocrisy"; nor, "abstain from evil," but "hate"; nor, "hold to what is good," but, "cling"; neither, "love," but, "with brotherly affection"; nor, "be diligent," but "not lagging"; nor, "having the spirit," but "fervent in spirit"; for when you have all the things mentioned before, you draw the spirit to you. For he gives to himself, he leads himself. For it is beloved that he suspect nothing evil, and when you provide with joy. For since nothing seems so shameful to men as to receive from others, unless you remove the suspicion with exceeding cheerfulness, and show that you are receiving rather than giving, you have cast down rather than raised up the one who receives. Who, receiving a kingdom, is sullen? Who, receiving forgiveness of sins, remains downcast? He did not say, "abstaining," but, "hating." And not simply, but even exceedingly

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φοβερᾷ, μὴ κάθελκε πρὸς ἰδιωτικὰς αὐτὰ διακοσμήσεις. Ζῶσαν, φησὶ, πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολὴν τῆς Ἰουδαϊκῆς, τῆς διὰ τῶν σφαζομένων· πάλιν λογικὴν, πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολὴν τῆς ἀλόγου, τῆς διὰ τῶν θρεμμάτων. Πρῶτον δὲ πάντων τὴν σωφροσύνην εἶπεν, ὥσπερ κρηπῖδά τινα καὶ θεμέλιον τῶν λοιπῶν ἀρετῶν. «Τὴν λογικὴν λατρείαν ὑμῶν.» Λογικὴν λατρείαν, τὴν πνευματικὴν διακονίαν καὶ τὴν πολιτείαν τὴν κατὰ Θεὸν, φησὶν, τὴν μηδὲν ἔχουσαν σωματικόν. «Καὶ μὴ συσχηματίζεσθε τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ, ἀλλὰ 95.540 μεταμορφοῦσθε τῇ ἀνακαινώσει τοῦ νοὸς ὑμῶν, εἰς τὸ δοκιμάζειν ὑμᾶς τί τὸ θέλημα Θεοῦ τὸ ἀγαθὸν, τὸ εὐάρεστον καὶ τέλειον.» Μὴ πλάσῃς σαυτὸν, φησὶν, κατὰ τὸ σχῆμα τοῦ παρόντος βίου. Οὐδὲν γὰρ τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ μένον καὶ βεβηκός ἐστιν. «Λέγω γὰρ διὰ τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Θεοῦ τῆς δοθείσης μοι, παντὶ τῷ ὄντι ἐν ὑμῖν, μὴ ὑπερφρονεῖν παρ' ὃ δεῖ φρονεῖν.» Ἀνωτέρω εἰπὼν, ∆ιὰ τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ παρακαλῶ ὑμᾶς, ἐνταῦθα πάλιν λέγει, διὰ τῆς χάριτος. Συνεχῶς τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν αὐτοὺς ἀναμιμνήσκων, ὥστε εὐγνωμονεστέρους αὐτοὺς ποιῆσαι. Ἔστι δὲ τὸ ὅλον περὶ ταπεινοφροσύνης. «Ἀλλὰ φρονεῖν εἰς τὸ σωφρονεῖν.» Ὃ λέγει τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Ἐλάβομεν φρόνησιν, οὐχ ἵνα εἰς ἀπόνοιαν αὐτῇ χρησώμεθα, ἀλλ' ἵνα εἰς σωφροσύνην. Νήφειν καὶ ὑγιαίνειν κατὰ διάνοιαν, ἀπὸ τοῦ σώας ἔχειν τὰς φρένας. «Ἑκάστῳ ὡς Θεὸς ἐμέρισε μέτρον πίστεως.» Πίστιν ἐνταῦθα τὸ χάρισμα καλεῖ. Εἰπὼν δὲ ὅτι ἐμέρισεν, καὶ τὸν ἔλαττον εἰληφότα παρεμυθήσατο, καὶ τὸν μείζονος ἀπολαύσαντα κατέστειλεν· εἰ γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς ἐμέρισεν, καὶ μὴ σὸν τὸ κατόρθωμα· τί μέγα φρονεῖς; «Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐν ἑνὶ σώματι μέλη πολλὰ ἔχομεν, τὰ δὲ μέλη πάντα οὐ τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχει πρᾶξιν· οὕτως οἱ πολλοὶ ἓν σῶμά ἐσμεν ἐν Χριστῷ· τὸ δὲ καθ' εἷς, ἀλλήλων μέλη.» Τίνος ἕνεκεν μέγα φρονεῖς, φησὶν, ἢ διὰ τί πάλιν ἕτερος ἑαυτὸν ἐξευτελίζει; οὐχὶ σῶμά ἐσμεν ἅπαντες ἓν, καὶ μεγάλοι, καὶ μικροί; Ὅταν οὖν κατὰ τὸ κεφάλαιον ἓν ὦμεν, καὶ ἀλλήλων μέλη, τί τῇ ἀπονοίᾳ σχίζεις σαυτόν; τί ἐπαισχύνῃ τὸν ἀδελφόν; Ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνος σοῦ μέλος, οὕτως κἀκείνου σύ. «Ἔχοντες χαρίσματα κατὰ τὴν χάριν τὴν δοθεῖσαν ἡμῖν διάφορα, εἴτε προφητείαν κατὰ τὴν ἀναλογίαν τῆς πίστεως, εἴτε ὁ διακονῶν ἐν τῇ διακονίᾳ, εἴτε ὁ διδάσκων ἐν τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ, εἴτε ὁ παρακαλῶν ἐν τῇ παρακλήσει.» Βούλεται αὐτοὺς σπουδαιοτέρους ἐργάσασθαι, δεικνὺς ὅτι αὐτοὶ τὰς ἀφορμὰς παρέχουσι τοῦ μείζονα ἢ ἐλάττω λαβεῖν. ∆ιό φησιν, κατὰ τὴν ἀναλογίαν τῆς πίστεως. Λέγει μὲν γὰρ αὐτὰ καὶ παρὰ Θεοῦ δεδόσθαι· ὡς ὅταν λέγῃ, ἑκάστῳ ὡς ὁ Θεὸς ἐμέρισεν μέτρον πίστεως. Λέγει δὲ καὶ παρ' αὐτῶν τὰς ἀρχὰς γεγενῆσθαι, ἵνα διεγείρῃ τοὺς ῥᾳθύμους. «Ὁ μεταδιδοὺς ἐν ἁπλότητι, ὁ προϊστάμενος ἐν σπουδῇ, ὁ ἐλεῶν ἐν ἱλαρότητι. Ἡ ἀγάπη ἀνυπόκριτος. Ἀποστυγοῦντες τὸ πονηρὸν, κολλώμενοι τῷ ἀγαθῷ. Τῇ φιλαδελφίᾳ εἰς ἀλλήλους φιλόστοργοι· τῇ τιμῇ ἀλλήλους προηγούμενοι· τῇ σπουδῇ μὴ ὀκνηροί· τῷ πνεύματι ζέοντες. ∆είκνυσιν ὡς οὐδὲν ὄφελος ἀρετῆς, εἰ μὴ μετὰ 95.541 τοῦ προσήκοντος γίνεται. Ὅρα γὰρ πῶς πανταχοῦ τὰς ἐπιτάσεις ζητεῖ· οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, μεταδίδοτε, μόνον, ἀλλὰ μετὰ δαψιλείας· οὐδὲ, προΐστασθε, ἀλλὰ μετὰ σπουδῆς· οὐδὲ, ἐλεεῖτε, ἀλλὰ ἱλαρῶς· οὐδὲ, τιμᾶτε, ἀλλὰ προηγεῖσθε οὐδὲ, ἀγαπᾶτε, ἀλλὰ ἀνυποκρίτως· οὐδὲ ἀπέχεσθε τῶν κακῶν, ἀλλὰ μισεῖτε· οὐδὲ, ἔχεσθε τῶν ἀγαθῶν, ἀλλὰ, κολλᾶσθε· οὔτε, φιλεῖτε, ἀλλὰ, φιλοστόργως· οὐδὲ, σπουδάζετε, ἀλλὰ μὴ ὀκνηρῶς· οὐδὲ, πνεῦμα ἔχοντες, ἀλλὰ ζέον τὸ πνεῦμα· ὅταν γὰρ σχῇς ἅπαντα τὰ προειρημένα, ἐπισπάσῃ τὸ πνεῦμα. Ἑαυτῷ γὰρ δίδωσι, ἑαυτῷ προΐσταται. Ἀγαπητὸν γὰρ μηδὲν ὑποπτεῦσαι ἐκεῖνον πονηρὸν, καὶ ὅταν μετὰ τοῦ χαίρειν παράσχῃς. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὐδὲν οὕτως αἰσχρὸν ἀνθρώποις εἶναι δοκεῖ, ὡς τὸ παρ' ἑτέρων λαμβάνειν, ἂν μὴ ὑπερβαλλούσῃ φαιδρότητι τὴν ὑποψίαν ἀνέλῃς, καὶ δείξῃς ὅτι λαμβάνεις μᾶλλον ἢ δίδως, κατέβαλες μᾶλλον, ἢ ἀνέστησας τὸν λαμβάνοντα. Τίς δὲ βασιλείαν λαμβάνων σκυθρωπός ἐστι; τίς ἁμαρτημάτων συγχώρησιν κατηφὴς μένει; Οὐκ εἶπεν, ἀπεχόμενοι, ἀλλὰ, μισοῦντες. Καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα