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we need security if we wish to take some care for our salvation, and how worthy of condemnation are those who prefer the pastimes outside and the unprofitable and harmful gatherings and the horse races and the satanic and destructive theaters to the assembly here and to this spiritual teaching, and not even hearing the blessed Paul saying: "Give no offense, either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God." 6.15 For what pardon is left for such people, or what defense, when the Christian, both partaking of the teaching from here and enjoying the awesome and secret mysteries, conducts himself between the Jew and the Greek and rejoices in those things in which they also delight? When will we be able, then, tell me, to lead the one who wanders to the truth and draw him to piety, when we are possessed by such indifference? And how will it not be fitting for us also to say to such people what the blessed Paul was saying to those in Corinth who were entering the temples of idols after having received the word of piety? "If someone sees you," he says, "who have knowledge, reclining in an idol's temple." 6.16 But we, altering it a little, will say: "If someone sees you, who have knowledge of piety, spending the day in those unprofitable and harmful gatherings, will not his conscience, since he is weak, be built up to pursue such things more eagerly?" For what that blessed one was saying, restraining those who unguardedly frequented the idols' temples after the knowledge of piety and were becoming a cause of scandal to the rest, this we also will now say opportunely to those running to those lawless assemblies and preferring the pastimes outside to the assembly here. 6.17 But what is the profit of so many accusations when the guilty do not hear nor are present when these things are being said? Rather, not even so will the exhortation be unprofitable for us. For it is possible through your understanding for them to learn everything with accuracy, and to flee the devil's bait, and to return to spiritual food. Thus also do physicians act; for when they visit the sick, they do not discuss the matters of treatment with them alone, but they give all their instructions to those who are present and are healthy and are related to the one who is sick, and having entrusted the care of these things to them, they depart as if having accomplished everything. And we, therefore, even if those who are sick are not present, yet to you who are healthy we entrust the matters of their healing and we reveal the pain of our soul, so that you, then, may take care of the salvation of your own members and may fulfill by your deeds the apostolic exhortation which says: "Whether you eat, or whether you drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 6.18 For when, going out from here, you make the salvation of your brother your work, and not only accuse nor rebuke, but also advise and exhort and point out the harm of the pastimes outside, and the profit and benefit of the teaching from here, you will have worked all things to the glory of God and you have prepared a double reward for yourself, both for providing such benefit for your own salvation, and for being eager to heal your own member. This is the boast of the church, this is the command of the Savior, not to look only to one's own interests but also to those of one's neighbor. 6.19 For consider to how great a dignity he raises himself who makes much of his brother's salvation; according to human ability such a one imitates God. For hear what he says through the prophet: "He who brings out the precious from the worthless will be as my mouth." He who is eager to save his neglected brother, he says, and to snatch him from the throat of the devil, according to human ability imitates me. What could be equal to this? This is greater than all right actions, this is the sum of all virtue. 6.20 And very rightly; for if Christ shed his own blood for our salvation

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ἀσφαλείας δεῖ εἰ βουλόμεθά τινα ποιεῖσθαι φροντίδα τῆς σωτηρίας τῆς ἡμετέρας καὶ ὅσης εἰσὶ καταγνώσεως ἄξιοι οἱ τῆς ἐνταῦθα συνελεύσεως καὶ τῆς πνευματικῆς ταύτης διδασκαλίας προτιμῶντες τὰς ἔξω διατριβὰς καὶ τὰς ἀνονήτους καὶ ἐπιβλαβεῖς συνουσίας καὶ τὰς ἱπποδρομίας καὶ τὰ σατανικὰ καὶ ὀλέθρια θέατρα καὶ οὐδὲ τοῦ μακαρίου Παύλου ἀκούοντες λέγοντος· «Ἀπρόσκοποι γίνεσθε καὶ Ἰουδαίοις καὶ Ἕλλησι καὶ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ.» 6.15 Ποία γὰρ τοῖς τοιούτοις λείπεται συγγνώμη, τίς δὲ ἀπολογία ὅταν ὁ χριστιανὸς καὶ τῆς ἐντεῦθεν μετέχων διδασκαλίας καὶ τῶν φρικτῶν καὶ ἀπορρήτων μυστηρίων ἀπολαύων μεταξὺ τοῦ Ἰουδαίου καὶ τοῦ Ἕλληνος ἀναστρέφηται κἀκείνοις χαίρῃ οἷς καὶ ἐκεῖνοι ἥδονται; Πότε δυνησόμεθα λοιπόν, εἰπέ μοι, τὸν πλανώμενον εἰς τὴν ἀλήθειαν χειραγωγῆσαι καὶ εἰς τὴν εὐσέβειαν ἐπισπάσασθαι τοσαύτῃ ῥαθυμίᾳ κεχρημένον; Πῶς δὲ οὐχ ἁρμόσει καὶ ἡμῖν εἰπεῖν πρὸς τοὺς τοιούτους ὅπερ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος ἔλεγε πρὸς τοὺς ἐν Κορίνθῳ εἰς τοὺς ναοὺς τοὺς εἰδωλικοὺς εἰσιόντας μετὰ τὸ δέξασθαι τὸν τῆς εὐσεβείας λόγον; «Ἐάν τις ἴδῃ σέ, φησί, τὸν ἔχοντα γνῶσιν ἐν εἰδωλίῳ κατακείμενον.» 6.16 Ἡμεῖς δὲ μικρὸν ὑπαλλάξαντες ἐροῦμεν· «Ἐάν τις ἴδῃ σὲ τὸν ἔχοντα γνῶσιν εὐσεβείας ἐν ταῖς ἀνονήτοις ἐκείναις καὶ ἐπιβλαβέσι συνουσίαις διημερεύοντα, οὐχὶ ἡ συνείδησις αὐτοῦ ἀσθενοῦς ὄντος οἰκοδομηθήσεται εἰς τὸ σπουδαιότερον τὰ τοιαῦτα μεταδιώκειν;» Ὅπερ γὰρ ὁ μακάριος ἐκεῖνος ἔλεγεν, ἀναστέλλων τοὺς ἀπαραφυλάκτως μετὰ τὴν τῆς εὐσεβείας γνῶσιν τοῖς εἰδωλίοις παραβάλλοντας καὶ σκανδάλου τοῖς λοιποῖς αἰτίους γινομένους, τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς νῦν εὐκαίρως ἐροῦμεν πρὸς τοὺς εἰς τὰ παράνομα ἐκεῖνα συνέδρια τρέχοντας καὶ τὰς ἔξω διατριβὰς προτιμῶντας τῆς ἐνταῦθα συνελεύσεως. 6.17 Ἀλλὰ τί τὸ κέρδος τῶν τοσούτων ἐγκλημάτων ὅταν οἱ ὑπεύθυνοι μὴ ἀκούωσι μηδὲ παρῶσι τούτων λεγομένων; Μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ οὕτως ἡμῖν ἀνόνητος ἔσται ἡ παραίνεσις. ∆υνατὸν γὰρ διὰ τῆς ὑμετέρας συνέσεως ἅπαντα αὐτοὺς μετὰ ἀκριβείας μαθεῖν, καὶ φυγεῖν μὲν τοῦ διαβόλου τὸ δέλεαρ, ἐπανελθεῖν δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν τροφὴν τὴν πνευματικήν. Οὕτω καὶ ἰατροὶ ποιοῦσιν· ἐπειδὰν γὰρ τοὺς ἀρρώστους ἐπισκέπτωνται, οὐκ ἐκείνοις μόνοις τὰ περὶ τῆς θεραπείας διαλέγονται, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς παρεστῶσι καὶ ὑγιαίνουσι καὶ τῷ κάμνοντι προσήκουσι πάντα διατάττονται, κἀκείνοις ἐγχειρίσαντες τὴν τούτων ἐπιμέλειαν, οὕτως ἐξίασιν ὡς τὸ πᾶν κατορθώσαντες. Καὶ ἡμεῖς τοίνυν, εἰ καὶ μὴ πάρεισιν οἱ κάμνοντες, ἀλλ' ὑμῖν τοῖς ὑγιαίνουσι τὰ περὶ τῆς ἰατρείας ἐκείνων ἐγχειρίζομεν καὶ τὴν ὀδύνην τῆς ἡμετέρας ψυχῆς ἐκκαλύπτομεν ἵν' ὑμεῖς λοιπὸν φροντίσητε τῆς σωτηρίας τῶν οἰκείων μελῶν καὶ πληρώσητε διὰ τῶν ἔργων τὴν ἀποστολικὴν παραίνεσιν τὴν λέγουσαν· «Εἴτε ἐσθίετε, εἴτε πίνετε, εἴτε τι ποιεῖτε, πάντα εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ ποιεῖτε.» 6.18 Ὅταν γὰρ ἐξελθὼν ἐντεῦθεν ἔργον ποιήσῃ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ τὴν σωτηρίαν καὶ μὴ μόνον ἐγκαλέσῃς μηδὲ ἐπιτιμήσῃς, ἀλλὰ καὶ συμβουλεύσῃς καὶ παρακαλέσῃς καὶ δείξῃς τῆς μὲν ἔξω διατριβῆς τὴν βλάβην, τῆς δὲ ἐντεῦθεν διδασκαλίας τὸ κέρδος καὶ τὴν ὠφέλειαν, εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ τὸ πᾶν εἰργάσω καὶ διπλοῦν σαυτῷ τὸν μισθὸν κατεσκεύασας, ὑπέρ τε ὧν αὐτὸς τῆς οἰκείας σωτηρίας τοσαύτην ποιῇ τὴν ὠφέλειαν καὶ ὑπὲρ ὧν τὸ μέλος τὸ σὸν ἰατρεῦσαι ἐσπούδασας. Τοῦτο τῆς ἐκκλησίας τὸ καύχημα, τοῦτο τοῦ σωτῆρος τὸ παράγγελμα, τὸ μὴ τὰ ἑαυτῶν μόνον σκοπεῖν ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τοῦ πλησίον. 6.19 Ἐννόησον γὰρ εἰς ὅσον ἀξίωμα ἑαυτὸν ἀνάγει ὁ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ τὴν σωτηρίαν περὶ πολλοῦ ποιούμενος· κατὰ δύναμιν ἀνθρωπίνην τὸν Θεὸν ὁ τοιοῦτος μιμεῖται. Ἄκουε γὰρ διὰ τοῦ προφήτου τί λέγει· «Ὁ ἐξάγων ἄξιον ἐξ ἀναξίου ὡς στόμα μου ἔσται.» Ὁ τὸν ἠμελημένον, φησίν, ἀδελφὸν σπουδάζων διασῶσαι καὶ ἐξαρπάσαι τῆς φάρυγγος τοῦ διαβόλου, κατὰ δύναμιν ἀνθρωπίνην ἐμὲ μιμεῖται. Τί τούτου ἴσον γένοιτ' ἄν; Τοῦτο πάντων τῶν κατορθωμάτων μεῖζον, τοῦτο πάσης τῆς ἀρετῆς τὸ κεφάλαιον. 6.20 Καὶ μάλα εἰκότως· εἰ γὰρ ὁ Χριστὸς τὸ αἷμα ἐξέχεε τὸ ἑαυτοῦ διὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν σωτηρίαν