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thinking it fitting, since there is no difference according to nature. Similarly also in the case of the one to the Hebrews, the phrase "but you are the same, and your years will not fail," he appears to have used concerning Christ.

166.Ro+m 14,13 Therefore, he says, let us no longer judge one another. This is said in common, but from this point on he directs his argument to those from the nations, having said enough to the Jews. It is not right therefore for you, he says, to set yourselves up as judges of your fellow believers while the judgment seat of Christ remains for all, but rather judge this, not to place a stumbling block or an obstacle for a brother. For many of those from the Greeks among the Romans, being more powerful both in number and in the credibility of their persons, acted rather for the disparagement of the Jews, deliberately eating in their sight those things which they were especially zealous to abstain from, so that as a result they were often disturbed and fell away from piety, and indeed, growing indifferent to the common assembly, they were rather by themselves. It is good, therefore, he says, that you should rather approve this, to do nothing to the harm of a brother, nor to do such things that turn him from piety. And lest he seem to say these things while himself introducing the observance of foods, he added:

Ro+m 14,14-15 I know and am persuaded that nothing is common of itself, and the rest, necessarily using the arrangement for the confirmation of what is said, and by his own addition making the declaration more trustworthy, since Christ is sufficient to show all things clean. Therefore, he says, I say that nothing of the things set for food is unclean, unless someone through weakness of reasoning holds such an opinion about foods. Thus I do not accept such an observance; but what did he add? For if because of food your brother is grieved, you no longer walk according to love; but that it is not right for you, he says, to grieve a brother for the sake of food, when it is necessary to endure even greater things.

Ro+m 14,17 From this, however, it is worth laughing at the simple-mindedness of those, who think that we eat and drink after the resurrection, supposing things quite contrary to the voice of Paul, who says that the kingdom of God is not confined to eating and drinking.

167. Ro+m 14, He says the salvation of men is the work of God. It is not right, therefore, for you to destroy for the sake of food this which God is raising up. You see to what extent he has magnified the sin. And since it was likely that some among them who were more austere would be displeased with the exhortation, and perhaps even say: What need is there for these many words? For why does he not also say plainly that they are unclean? He takes it up again, guarding himself, and says: All things indeed are clean, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense.

Again guarding himself, lest he should seem to care for the observance of foods, he himself adds: All things indeed are clean to the clean. I say these things, he says, not wanting that observance to prevail; for on the contrary I consider all things clean which have been made by God for food. What then is the meaning of what is said? But it is evil, he says, for the man who eats with offense; but even if the food is clean, at any rate its partaking is not good for you, not simply eating, but to the harm of another with disparagement and mockery.

Ro+m 14,22-23 Blessed, he says, is he who does not judge himself in what he approves. He has set forth a saying necessary not only for those, but indeed also for all who wish to pursue any of those things that tend toward exactness. For I, he says, consider that man blessed, who, whenever he approves pursuing something for the sake of exactness and virtue, holds to the work, but does not on this account consider himself superior to those who do not pursue the same thing; for it is good to perform virtue apart from all conceit, not considering himself superior on account of these things, which he pursues out of a desire for better things, nor indeed disapproving of the one who is not examined in the same things. This, then, has been said in common by the apostle, not only in the present matters,

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πρέπειν νομίζων, ὡς ἂν οὐδεμιᾶς οὔσης κατὰ τὴν φύσιν διαφορᾶς. παραπλησίως τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς πρὸς Ἑβραίους τὸ σὺ δὲ ὁ αὐτὸς εἶ καὶ τὰ ἔτη σου οὐκ ἐκλείψουσιν , περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ χρησάμενος φαίνεται 166.Ro+m 14,13 Μηκέτι οὖν, φησίν, ἀλλήλους κρίνωμεν. τοῦτο μὲν εἴρηται κατὰ κοινοῦ, ἐντεῦθεν δὲ λοιπὸν πρὸς τοὺς ἀπ' ἐθνῶν τείνει λόγον, ὡς ἂν ἀρκούντως τὰ πρὸς Ἰουδαίους εἰπών. οὐ δίκαιον οὖν ὑμᾶς, φησί, κριτὰς καθίστασθαι τῶν ὁμοπίστων μένοντος ἅπαντας τοῦ κριτηρίου τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἀλλὰ τοῦτο κρίνατε μᾶλλον, τὸ μὴ τιθέναι πρόσκομμα τῷ ἀδελφῷ ἢ σκάνδαλον. πολλὰ γὰρ οἱ ἀπὸ Ἑλλήνων παρὰ Ῥωμαίοις ἐπικρατέστεροι ὄντες καὶ τῷ πλήθει καὶ τῇ τῶν προσώπων ἀξιοπιστίᾳ, διεπράττοντο μᾶλλον ἐπὶ διασυρμῷ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ἐπ' ὄψεσιν ἐκείνων ἐσθίειν ἐπιτηδεύοντες ταῦτα ὧν δὴ μάλιστα ἀπέχεσθαι σπουδὴν εἶχον, ὡς ἐντεῦθεν ἐκείνους ταραττομένους καὶ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀφίστασθαι πολλάκις, καὶ μὴν καὶ τοῦ κοινοῦ συλλόγου καταρρᾳθυμοῦντας ἐφ' ἑαυτῶν γίνεσθαι μᾶλλον. καλὸν οὖν, φησί, τοῦτο μᾶλλον ὑμᾶς δοκιμάσαι, τὸ μηδὲν ποιεῖν εἰς βλάβην τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ, μηδὲ τοιαῦτα πράττειν ἃ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐκεῖνον ἐκτρέπει. καὶ ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ τὴν τῶν βρωμάτων παρατήρησιν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπεισάγων ταῦτα λέγειν, ἐπήγαγεν·Ro+m 14,14-15 Οἶδα καὶ πέπεισμαι ὅτι οὐδὲν κοινὸν δι' αὐτοῖ καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, ἀναγκαίως καὶ τῇ διατάξει χρησάμενος εἰς τὴν τοῦ λεγομένου πίστωσιν, καὶ τῇ δι' αὑτοῦ προσθήκῃ ἀξιοπιστοτέραν τὴν ἀπόφασιν ἐργασάμενος, ὡς ἂν ἀρκοῦντος τοῦ Χριστοῦ πάντα καθαρὰ δεικνύναι. ἀκάθαρτον οὖν, φησίν, οἰδὲν εἶναί φημι τῶν εἰς βρῶσιν κειμένων, εἰ μή τις ἀσθενείᾳ λογισμῶν τοιαύτην περὶ τῶν ἐδεσμάτων λαμβάνει τὴν γνώμην. οὕτως οὐ τὴν τοιαύτην ἀποδέχομαι παρατήρησιν· ἀλλὰ τί ἐπήγαγεν; εἰ γὰρ διὰ βρῶμα ὁ ἀδελφός σου λυπεῖται, οὐκέτι κατ' ἀγάπην περιπατεῖς· ἀλλ' ὅτι μὴ δίκαιόν σε, φησί, διὰ βρῶσιν λυπεῖν τὸν ἀδελφόν, δέον τῇ ἀνάγκῃ καὶ μειζόνων ἀνέχεσθαι.Ro+m 14,17 Ἄξιον μέντοι κἀκείνους γελάσαι τῆς εὐηθείας ἐντεῦθεν, οἳ μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν ἐσθίειν τε καὶ πίνειν ἡμᾶς νομίζουσιν, σφόδρα δὴ ἐναντία ὑπολαμβάνοντες τῇ Παύλου φωνῇ οὐκ ἐν βρώσει καὶ πόσει τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ περιορίζεσθαι φάσκοντος 167. Ro+m 14, Ἔργον θεοῦ τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν σωτηρίαν φησίν. οὐ δίκαιον οὖν τοῦτο διὰ βρῶμά σε καθαιρεῖν ὅπερ ἀνίστησιν ὁ θεός. ὁρᾷς εἰς ὅσον ηὔξησε τὸ ἁμάρτημα. καὶ ἐπείπερ ἦν εἰκὸς αὐστηροτέρους ἐν αὐτοῖς ὄντας τινὰς δυσχεραίνειν πρὸς τὴν παραίνεσιν, καί που καὶ λέγειν τυχόν· τίς χρεία τῶν ῥημάτων τούτων τῶν πολλῶν; τί γὰρ οὐχὶ καὶ αὐτὸς ἀκάθαρτα αὐτὰ σαφῶς εἶναι φησίν; ἀναλαμβάνει πάλιν ἀσφαλιζόμενος καί φησιν· πάντα μὲν καθαρά, ἀλλὰ κακὸν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τῷ διὰ προσκόμματος ἐσθίοντι Πάλιν ἀσφαλιζόμενος τοῦ μὴ δοκεῖν τῆς τῶν βρωμάτων παρα τηρήσεως ἐπιμελεῖσθαι, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπάγει· πάντα μὲν καθαρὰ τοῖς καθαροῖς. ταῦτα λέγω, φησίν, οὐ τὴν παρατήρησιν ἐκείνην βουλόμενος κρατεῖν· τοὐναντίον γὰρ ἅπαντα εἶναι καθαρὰ νομίζω ὅσα πρὸς βρῶσιν ὑπὸ θεοῦ γεγένηται. τί οὖν σοι βούλεται τὰ λεγόμενα; ἀλλὰ κακὸν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, φησί, τῷ διὰ προσκόμματος ἐσθίοντι· ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ καθαρὸν τὸ βρῶμα, ἡ γοῦν μετάληψις αὐτοῦ σοι οὐ καλὴ οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἐσθίοντι, ἀλλ' εἰς βλάβην ἑτέρου ἐπὶ διασυρμῷ καὶ χλεύῃ.Ro+m 14,22-23 Μακάριος, φησίν, ὁ μὴ κρίνων ἑαυτὸν ἐν ᾧ δοκι μάζει. φωνὴν τέθεικεν οὐκ ἐκείνοις ἀναγκαίαν μόνοις, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ὅτι δήποτε τῶν εἰς ἀκρίβειαν συντεινόντων μετιέναι βουλο μένοις. ἐγὼ γάρ, φησίν, ἐκεῖνον μακάριστον εἶναι τίθεμαι, ὃς ἐπειδάν τι δοκιμάσῃ δι' ἀκρίβειαν καὶ ἀρετὴν μετιέναι, ἔχεται μὲν τοῦ ἔργου, οὐ μὴν ἑαυτὸν ὑπερέχειν διὰ τοῦτο νομίζει τῶν οὐ τὸ αὐτὸ μετιόντων· καλὸν γὰρ πάσης ἐκτὸς οἰήσεως τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐπιτελεῖν, μὴ ὑπερέχειν ἑαυτὸν διὰ ταῦτα νομίζοντα, ἅπερ ἂν ἐπιθυμίᾳ τῶν κρειττόνων μετίῃ, μηδὲ μὴν ἀποδοκιμάζοντα τὸν οὐκ ἐν τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἐξεταζόμενον. τοῦτο μὲν οὖν εἴρηται κατὰ κοινοῦ τῷ ἀποστόλῳ οὐκ ἐπὶ τῶν παρόντων μόνον,