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of kinship and the symbol of the promise to him receiving a true and sure outcome, that those from the nations who believe in Christ, being his seed, are both inscribed with Abraham as father, and through kinship with the one from him enjoy the good things from God, confirming the truth of what has been said. Christ chose, he says, having received circumcision, to become like a servant of the promises given upon this symbol, so that the truth of God might be revealed, the promise to the fathers thus receiving its fulfillment. Therefore the Jews, when they believe in Christ from that background, consequently pass from good things to better things, but those from the Greeks who come forward by the philanthropy of God receive kinship to these things. He said these things, therefore, for the establishment of the things according to the law in order to show how great the difference is between the Greek things and the Jewish things, so that he might not seem to disparage the things of the law based on what he had previously said. And consequently he again secures against giving an occasion to the Jews against those from the nations, as having recently been received, and says.Ro+m 15,9- 12 He used these testimonies, in order to show that it has always been approved also among the prophets for the nations to be trustworthy for the lesson of 170 piety, if indeed they should wish, if indeed the prophet promises also to give thanks in their sight, and they are commanded to share in the gladness with the people and to send up hymns to God.Ro+m 15,14 Since he has made his instruction to them sufficient, he again runs back to the security of his own person. And he had said many things in the introduction, so that he might not seem to attempt with audacity the instruction to them, who had received the doctrines of piety from the blessed Peter, and defending himself also concerning his not having come until this point, and of now conversing with them through letters. although having arrived at many other places, he discusses both matters here, being now at the end of the epistle, being very eager on the one hand to show that he finds no fault with the teachings of the blessed Peter, and defending himself next also concerning his not having come to them. Here therefore he says that I am very persuaded concerning you, that you have become full of every good thing and have all the knowledge of the things that are fitting so as to be able also to admonish others; for such was the one who taught you.Ro+m 15,15 But I have written to you more boldly, he says, in part. "in part" is good, so that he might not seem to declare this about himself in general and thus reject his own teaching, since it was not even right to do it, if indeed he attempted something entirely bold in matters not pertaining to him; for now by the addition of "in part" he has shown both the necessity of his teaching and made clear the reason why he said he had written more boldly, not in teaching them, but in doing so after Peter. Showing, at any rate, the necessity of the matter he says, "as putting you in remembrance." "putting in remembrance" is good; for so, he says, I accept those things and consider them to be wonderful, that I do not profess to teach, but to bring to remembrance what you have learned. And showing that it was fitting for him to do this, he added: "Because of the grace given to me by God" and what follows. I was deemed worthy of the grace from God, he says, for me to minister to Christ, proclaiming to people everywhere the magnitude of the things provided to us through him, so that they too, having believed and having been deemed worthy of the grace of the Spirit, might attain the good things to come. Therefore, having been entrusted with this by necessity I have used instruction toward you, not promising to teach anything new, nor that which you have not learned from Peter, but bringing you to a remembrance of the things you have already received 171.Ro+m 15,22 For this reason, he says, I was hastening to come to you, since God sent to you a sufficient teacher of piety, Peter, but me concerning the

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οἰκειότητος καὶ τὸ σύμβολον τῆς πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ὑποσχέσεως ἀληθῆ καὶ βεβαίαν τὴν ἔκβασιν δεχομένης, τὸ τοὺς ἀπ' ἐθνῶν ἐπὶ τὸν Χριστὸν ἐκείνου σπέρμα τυγχάνοντα πιστεύσαντας ὁμοῦ τε τὸν Ἀβραὰμ ἐπι γράφεσθαι πατέρα, καὶ διὰ τῆς πρὸς τὸν ἐξ αὐτοῦ οἰκειώσεως τῶν παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ καλῶν ἀπολαύοντας, βεβαιοῦν τῶν εἰρημένων τὴν ἀλήθειαν. εἵλετο, φησίν, ὁ Χριστὸς τὴν περιτομὴν δεξάμενος ὥσπερ τις διάκονος γενέσθαι τῶν ὑποσχέσεων ἐπὶ τούτῳ δοθεισῶν τῷ συμβόλῳ, ὥστε τοῦ θεοῦ φανῆναι τὴν ἀλήθειαν πέρας τῆς πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας ὑποσχέσεως οὕτω λαμβανούσης. οὐκοῦν Ἰουδαῖοι μέν, ἐπειδὰν ἐκεῖθεν Χριστῷ πιστεύσωσιν, ἀκολούθως ἀπὸ τῶν καλῶν ἐπὶ τὰ κρείττω μεθίστανται, οἱ δέ γε ἀπὸ Ἑλλήνων προσιόντες φιλανθρωπίᾳ θεοῦ τὴν πρὸς ταῦτα οἰκείωσιν δέχονται. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν εἰς σύστασιν ἔφη τῶν κατὰ νόμον ἐπὶ τῷ δεῖξαι, ὅση τίς ἐστι τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν καὶ τῶν κατὰ Ἰουδαίους ἡ διαφορά, ὥστε μὴ ἀπὸ τῶν προειληφότων διασύρειν τὰ τοῦ νόμου δοκεῖν. ἀκολούθως δὲ πάλιν ἀσφαλίζεται τὸ μὴ Ἰουδαίοις ἀφορμὴν παρασχεῖν κατὰ τῶν ἀπ' ἐθνῶν ὡς ἂν πρόσφατον δεδεγμένων καί φησιν.Ro+m 15,9- 12 Ταύταις ἐχρήσατο ταῖς μαρτυρίαις, ὥστε δεῖξαι ὅτι ἀεὶ καὶ παρὰ τοῖς προφήταις δεδοκίμασται τὰ ἔθνη ἀξιόπιστα εἶναι πρὸς τὸ τῆς 170 εὐσεβείας μάθημα, εἰ δὴ βούλοιντο, εἴ γε καὶ εὐχαριστεῖν ἐπ' ὄψεσι ταῖς ἐκείνων ὁ προφήτης ἐπαγγέλλεται , κοινωνεῖν τε τῆς εὐφροσύνης τῷ λαῷ προστάττονται καὶ ὕμνους ἀναπέμπειν θεῷ.Ro+m 15,14 Ἐπειδὴ ἀρκοῦσαν πεποίηται πρὸς αὐτοὺς τὴν διδασκαλίαν, ἐπὶ τὴν ἀσφάλειαν αὖθις ἀνατρέχει τοῦ οἰκείου προσώπου. εἰρήκει δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ προοιμίου πολλὰ μέν, ὥστε μὴ αὐθαδείᾳ δοκεῖν ἐπιχειρεῖν τῇ πρὸς αὐτοὺς διδασκαλίᾳ παρὰ τοῦ μακαρίου Πέτρου παρειληφότας τῆς εὐσεβείας τὸ δόγματα , ἀπολογούμενος δὲ καὶ περὶ τοῦ μὴ ἀπεληλυθέναι ἄχρι τούτου, διὰ γραμμάτων δὲ καὶ νῦν αὐτοῖς διαλέγεσθαι. καίτοιγε πρὸς πολλοὺς ἀφικόμενος ἑτέρους, περὶ ἀμφοτέρων δὴ κἀνταῦθα διαλέγεται πρὸς τῷ τέλει λοιπὸν τῆς ἐπιστολῆς γενόμενος, πάνυ μὲν σπουδάζων δεικνύναι ὡς οὐδὲν ἐπιμέμφεται τοῖς τοῦ μακαρίου Πέτρου διδάγμασιν, ἀπολογούμενος δὲ ἑξῆς καὶ περὶ τοῦ μὴ ἀπεληλυθέναι πρὸς αὐτούς. ἐνταῦθα τοίνυν φησὶν ὅτι σφόδρα πέπεισμαι περὶ ὑμῶν, ὡς παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ μεστοὶ καθεστήκατε καὶ πᾶσαν ἔχετε τῶν προσηκόν των τὴν γνῶσιν ὡς καὶ ἑτέρους δύνασθαι νουθετεῖν· τοιοῦτος γὰρ ὁ διδάξας ὑμᾶς.Ro+m 15,15 Τολμηρότερον δέ, φησίν, ἔγραψα ὑμῖν ἀπὸ μέρους. κολῶς τὸ ἀπὸ μέρους, ἵνα μὴ καθόλου δόξῃ τοῦτο ἀποφαίνεσθαι περὶ ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τὴν οἰκείαν ἐκβάλλειν οὕτω διδασκαλίαν, ἐπείπερ οὐδὲ ποιεῖν αὐτὸ ἐχρῆν, εἰ δὴ καθόλου τολμηρὸν ἐπεχείρει τοῖς μὴ προσήκου σιν· νυνὶ γὰρ τῇ τοῦ ἀπὸ μέρους προσθήκῃ καὶ τὸ ἀναγκαῖον τῆς ἑαυτοῦ διδασκαλίας ἐνεδείξατο καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν σαφῆ πεποίηκε δι' ἣν τολμηρότερον ἔφη γεγραφηκέναι, οὐ τῷ αὐτοὺς διδάσκειν, ἀλλὰ τῷ μετὰ Πέτρον. δεικνὺς γοῦν τὸ τοῦ πράγματος ἀναγκαῖον ὡς ἐπανα μιμνήσκων ὑμᾶς φησίν. καλῶς τὸ ἐπαναμιμνήσκων· οὕτω γάρ , φησίν, ἀποδέχομαι ἐκεῖνα καὶ θαυμαστὰ εἶναι ἡγοῦμαι, ὥστε οὐδὲ διδάσκειν ἐπαγγέλλομαι, ἀλλ' εἰς ὑπόμνησιν ἄγειν ὧν μεμαθήκατε. καὶ δεικνὺς ὅτι ἁρμόττον αὐτῷ τὸ ποιεῖν τοῦτο, ἐπήγαγεν· διὰ τὴν χάριν τὴν δοθεῖσάν μοι ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. τῆς παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ χάριτος ἠξιώθην, φησίν, εἰς τὸ ὑπηρετεῖσθαί με τῷ Χριστῷ τοῖς πανταχόσε ἀνθρώποις διαγγέλλοντα τῶν δι' αὐτοῦ παρα σχεθέντων ἡμῖν τὸ μέγεθος, ἐπὶ τὸ κἀκείνους πιστεύσαντας καὶ τῆς τοῦ πνεύματος ἀξιωθέντας χάριτος τῶν μελλόντων ἐπιτυχεῖν ἀγαθῶν. ἀναγκαίως οὖν καὶ τοῦτο ἐγχειρισθεὶς κέχρημαι τῇ πρὸς ὑμᾶς διδασκα λίᾳ, οὐ καινόν τι διδάσκειν ὑπισχνούμενος, οὐδὲ ὅπερ οὐκ ἔγνωτε παρὰ Πέτρου, εἰς ὑπόμνησιν δὲ τῶν προειληφότων ἄγων ὑμᾶς 171.Ro+m 15,22 ∆ιὰ τοῦτο, φησίν, ἐγὼ πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐλθεῖν ἐπειχό μην, ἐπειδὴ ὑμῖν μὲν ἀρκοῦντα τῆς εὐσεβείας διδάσκαλον ἀπέστειλεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν Πέτρον, ἐμὲ δὲ περὶ τὴν τῶν