33

of him there is no end. But these things are about the Father; but the Son, he says, is small. But you say this; but Scripture says the contrary; for just as it speaks about the Father, so also it speaks about the Son. For hear Paul saying, Awaiting the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of the great God. But did he perhaps say "appearing" concerning the Father? But so that he might refute you even more, he added "the appearing of the great God". Was it then perhaps said about the Father? By no means; for what follows does not permit it, saying, And the appearing of the great God, and our Savior Jesus Christ. Behold, the Son too is great. How then do you say small, and great? Hear also the prophet calling him Angel of great counsel. Is the Angel of great counsel not great? is the mighty God not great, but small? What then do the shameless and impudent say, that being a small God? I say what they often say, so that you may rather flee from them; being a small God, he says, he did not snatch at being according to the great one. For what, tell me (but do not think these words are ours)? if according to them he was small, and greatly lacking the power of the Father, how would he have been able to snatch at being equal to God? For one who is by nature lesser could not snatch at being in the great; just as a man could not snatch at being equal to an angel in nature; a horse could not snatch, even if it wanted, at 62.221 being equal to a man in nature. But besides this, I will also say that; What does Paul wish to establish through this example? To lead the Philippians to humility, you will surely say. Why then, tell me, would he have brought this forward? For no one wishing to exhort to be humble-minded says this: "Be humble, and think less of those of equal honor; for so-and-so the slave did not rise up against the Master; therefore, imitate him." And yet this is not humility, one might say, but madness. Learn what humility is, you who have a diabolical pride. What then is humility? To think humble things; and he thinks humble things, not who is humble from necessity, but who humbles himself. For example (but pay attention); When someone who is able to think lofty things is humble-minded, this one is humble-minded; but when someone is humble-minded from not being able to do otherwise, he is no longer humble-minded; for instance, if the king submits to the prefect, he is humble-minded, because he has descended from his high position; but if the prefect does this, he is not being humble-minded; for how could he? for he has not humbled himself from a high position. And it is not possible to be humble-minded otherwise, unless it happens from a position of authority. For if one must be humbled even unwillingly, it is no longer the achievement of the mind nor of the will, but of necessity; and it is called humility for this reason, because it is the humbling of the mind. 3. Tell me, if someone not having the power to be greedy, remained in possession of his own things, would we praise this person for righteousness? By no means. Why? For by necessity the praise of choice has been taken away. Tell me, if someone not able to be a tyrant and a king, remained a private citizen, would we praise him as a quiet man? By no means. Therefore, not here either. For praise, O most ignorant of all, is not in the refraining from these things, but in the doing of good things. For the former is free from blame, but does not yet share in praise; but the latter is worthy of encomiums. See therefore how Christ also praises in this way, when he says: Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. He did not say, Because you were not greedy, nor, Because you did not rob [for these are small things] but, Because you saw me hungry, and you fed me.

33

αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστι πέρας. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα περὶ τοῦ Πατρός· ὁ δὲ Υἱὸς, φησὶ, μικρός. Ἀλλὰ σὺ τοῦτο λέγεις· ἡ δὲ Γραφὴ τοὐναντίον· ὥσπερ περὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς, οὕτω καὶ περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ φησιν. Ἄκουε γὰρ Παύλου λέγοντος, Προσδεχόμενοι τὴν μακαρίαν ἐλπίδα καὶ ἐπιφάνειαν τῆς δόξης τοῦ μεγάλου Θεοῦ. Ἀλλ' ἆρα μὴ περὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐπιφάνειαν εἶπεν; Ἵνα δὲ καὶ μᾶλλον ὑμᾶς ἐλέγξῃ, κατὰ τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν τοῦ μεγάλου Θεοῦ προσέθηκεν. Ἄρα οὖν μὴ περὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς εἴρηται; Οὐδαμῶς· ἡ γὰρ ἐπαγωγὴ οὐκ ἀφίησι, λέγουσα, Καὶ τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν τοῦ μεγάλου Θεοῦ, καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ἰδοὺ καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς μέγας. Πῶς οὖν λέγεις μικρὸν, καὶ μέγαν; Ἄκουε καὶ τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος αὐτὸν μεγάλης βουλῆς Ἄγγελον. Ὁ μεγάλης βουλῆς Ἄγγελος οὐ μέγας; ὁ ἰσχυρὸς Θεὸς οὐ μέγας, ἀλλὰ μικρός; Τί οὖν φασιν οἱ ἀναίσχυντοι καὶ ἰταμοὶ, ὅτι μικρὸς ὢν Θεός; λέγω ἃ λέγουσι πολλάκις, ἵνα μᾶλλον αὐτοὺς φύγητε· μικρὸς ὢν, φησὶ, Θεὸς, οὐχ ἥρπασε τὸ εἶναι κατὰ τὸν μέγαν. Τί γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι (ἀλλὰ μὴ νομίσητε ἡμῶν εἶναι τὰ ῥήματα); εἰ μικρὸς ἦν κατ' αὐτοὺς, καὶ πολὺ τῆς δυνάμεως ἀποδέων τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς, πῶς ἂν ἠδυνήθη ἁρπάσαι τὸ εἶναι ἴσα Θεῷ; φύσει γὰρ ἐλάττων οὐκ ἂν δύναιτο ἁρπάσαι τὸ εἶναι ἐν τῇ μεγάλῃ· οἷον ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὐκ ἂν δύναιτο ἁρπάσαι τὸ εἶναι ἴσος ἀγγέλῳ κατὰ τὴν φύσιν· ὁ ἵππος οὐκ ἂν δύναιτο ἁρπάσαι, κἂν θέλῃ, τὸ 62.221 εἶναι ἴσος ἀνθρώπῳ κατὰ τὴν φύσιν. Χωρὶς δὲ τούτου, κἀκεῖνο ἐρῶ· Τί βούλεται κατασκευάσαι ὁ Παῦλος διὰ τούτου τοῦ ὑποδείγματος; Εἰς ταπεινοφροσύνην, πάντως ἐρεῖς, ἐναγαγεῖν τοὺς Φιλιππησίους. Τί οὖν, εἰπέ μοι, τοῦτο ἂν παρήνεγκεν εἰς μέσον; Οὐδεὶς γὰρ βουλόμενος προτρέψαι ταπεινοφρονεῖν, τοῦτό φησιν· Ἔσο ταπεινὸς, καὶ ἔλαττον φρόνει τῶν ὁμοτίμων· καὶ γὰρ ὁ δεῖνα ὁ δοῦλος οὐκ ἐπανέστη τῷ ∆εσπότῃ· μιμοῦ τοίνυν ἐκεῖνον. Καὶ μὴν τοῦτο οὐκ ἔστι ταπεινοφροσύνης, εἴποι τις ἂν, ἀλλ' ἀπονοίας. Μάθετε τί ἐστι ταπεινοφροσύνη ὑμεῖς οἱ τῦφον ἔχοντες διαβολικόν. Τί οὖν ἐστι ταπεινοφροσύνη; Τὸ ταπεινὰ φρονεῖν· ταπεινὰ δὲ φρονεῖ, οὐχ ὁ ἀπὸ ἀνάγκης ὢν ταπεινὸς, ἀλλ' ὁ ἑαυτὸν ταπεινῶν. Οἷόν τι λέγω (προσέχετε δέ)· Ὅταν τις ὑψηλὰ δυνάμενος φρονῆσαι ταπεινοφρονῇ, οὗτος ταπεινόφρων ἐστίν· ὅταν δὲ παρὰ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι ταπεινοφρονῇ, οὐκέτι ταπεινόφρων ἐστίν· οἷον ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ ὑπάρχῳ ἂν ὑποτάττηται, ταπεινόφρων ἐστὶν, ὅτι ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕψους κατέβη· ὁ μέντοι ὕπαρχος ἐὰν τοῦτο ποιῇ, οὐ ταπεινοφρονεῖ· πῶς γάρ; οὐ γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕψους ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτόν. Οὐκ ἔστι δὲ ἄλλως ταπεινοφρονῆσαι, εἰ μὴ ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ γένοιτο. Εἰ γὰρ ἀνάγκη ἐστὶ τεταπεινῶσθαι καὶ ἄκοντα, οὐκέτι τῆς φρονήσεώς ἐστι τὸ κατόρθωμα οὐδὲ τοῦ βουλήματος, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἀνάγκης· ταπεινοφροσύνη δὲ διὰ τοῦτο λέγεται, ὅτι τοῦ φρονήματός ἐστι ταπείνωσις. γʹ. Εἰπέ μοι, εἴ τις μὴ ἔχων ἐξουσίαν πλεονεκτεῖν, μένοι τὰ ἑαυτοῦ κεκτημένος, τοῦτον ἐπαινεσόμεθα ἐπὶ δικαιοσύνῃ; Οὐδαμῶς. ∆ιὰ τί; Τῇ γὰρ ἀνάγκῃ τὸ τῆς προαιρέσεως ἐγκώμιον ἀφῄρηται. Εἰπέ μοι, εἴ τις μὴ δυνάμενος τυραννεῖν καὶ βασιλεύειν, μένοι ἰδιωτεύων, τοῦτον ἐπαινεσόμεθα, ὡς ἀπράγμονα; Οὐδαμῶς. Οὐκοῦν οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα. Ὁ γὰρ ἔπαινος, ὦ πάντων ὑμεῖς ἀμαθέστατοι, οὐκ ἐν τῇ τούτων ἀποχῇ, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐργασίᾳ γίνεται. Ἐκεῖνο μὲν γὰρ ψόγου ἀπήλλακται, οὔπω δὲ καὶ ἐπαίνου μετέχει· τὸ δὲ, ἐγκωμίων ἄξιόν ἐστιν. Ὅρα γοῦν καὶ τὸν Χριστὸν οὕτως ἐπαινοῦντα, ὅταν λέγῃ· ∆εῦτε, οἱ εὐλογημένοι τοῦ Πατρός μου, κληρονομήσατε τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην ὑμῖν βασιλείαν ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου· ἐπείνασα γὰρ, καὶ ἐδώκατέ μοι φαγεῖν· ἐδίψησα, καὶ ἐποτίσατέ με. Οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἐπλεονεκτήσατε, οὐδὲ, Ἐπειδὴ οὐχ ἡρπάσατε [μικρὰ γὰρ ταῦτα] ἀλλ' Ἐπειδὴ πεινῶντά με εἴδετε, καὶ ἐθρέψατε.