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of dyeing, thus they apply the precious color; 21.2 and goldsmiths, casting gold into the fire, give it over to the test of the furnace, so as to make it most pure; and trainers, in the wrestling school with many labors train the athletes, falling upon them more forcefully than their opponents, so that having set everything right in their bodies during training, they may be well-prepared for the contests and ready for the holds of their enemies and easily break them, thus also does God do in the present life. 21.3 Wishing to refashion the soul to be fit for virtue, he both treats it with astringents and smelts it and gives it over to the test of temptations, so that the lax and dissolute might be tightened, and the approved might become more approved and unconquerable by the plots of demons and the snares of the devil, and all exceedingly fit for the reception of the good things to come. 21.4 For a man, it says, untested is unapproved; and Paul: "Affliction produces endurance; and endurance, approvedness." Wishing, therefore, to make them steadfast and enduring, he allows the coin to be tested in every way. 21.5 For this reason also he allowed Job to suffer what he suffered, so that he might appear more approved and shut the mouth of the devil; for this reason also he allowed the apostles, so that they too might become more courageous and demonstrate his own power in this way. For indeed this reason is not small. Therefore also he said to Paul, when he was seeking relief and deliverance from the evils that beset him: "My grace is sufficient for you; for my power is made perfect in weakness."

22.t Ch. 22. That not only are they not an offense to those who judge with good sense

but temptations also benefit them, even if they happen to be Greeks

22.1 For indeed those who have not yet come to the doctrine of Christianity and

from this gain all the more, if they are sober. For when they see men being wronged, reviled, inhabiting a prison, being abused, plotted against, beheaded, burned, drowned and yielding to none of the terrors, consider with how much wonder at these extraordinary athletes they went away, both then and now, so that what has happened not only does not create an offense for the sober, but it even becomes the subject of greater teaching. 22.2 Therefore Paul also heard these things, that: "My power is made perfect in weakness." This may be found both in the Old and in the New. For consider what Nebuchadnezzar must have felt, being defeated by three boys, slaves, captives, bound, set on fire, with so great an army present, and not being able to overcome three bodies that were enslaved, subject, fallen from their fatherland, freedom, honor, power, wealth, settled far from their own people. If indeed that conflagration had not been permitted, the prize would not have been so brilliant, the crown would not have been so bright. 22.3 Consider what Herod must have felt, being reproved by a prisoner and seeing him not even from his chain give way in boldness of speech, but choosing rather to be slain than to abandon that most beautiful freedom of speech. 22.4 Consider who, seeing and hearing these things, both of those then living and of those who came after, even if he be exceedingly lax, but having some small sense, goes away having gained the greatest things. For do not speak to me of the refuse of the foolish, those who are stupid and all flesh and lighter than leaves. For these not only stumble at these things, but at almost everything that happens; as also the people of the Jews, eating both manna and bread, likewise

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βαφῆς, οὕτω τὸ χρῶμα τὸ τίμιον ἐπάγουσιν· 21.2 οἵ τε χρυσοχόοι τὸ χρυσίον εἰς τὸ πῦρ ἐμβάλλοντες, τῇ βασάνῳ τῆς καμίνου παραδιδόασιν, ὥστε ποιῆσαι καθαρώτατον· οἵ τε παιδοτρίβαι, ἐν τῇ παλαίστρᾳ πολλοῖς πόνοις τοὺς ἀθλοῦντας γυμνάζουσι, τῶν ἀντιπάλων σφοδρότερον αὐτοῖς ἐμπίπτοντες, ἵνα ἐν τῇ γυμνασίᾳ τὸ πᾶν κατορθώσαντες ἐν τοῖς αὐτῶν σώμασιν, ἐπὶ τῶν ἀγώνων εὐτρεπεῖς ὧσι καὶ παρεσκευασμένοι πρὸς τὰς λαβὰς τῶν ἐχθρῶν καὶ ῥᾳδίως αὐτὰς διαλύσωσιν, οὕτω καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ ποιεῖ. 21.3 Πρὸς ἀρετὴν ἐπιτηδείαν βουλόμενος μετασκευάσαι τὴν ψυχήν, καὶ στύφει καὶ χωνεύει καὶ βασάνῳ πειρασμῶν παραδίδωσιν, ὥστε τούς τε ἀναπεπτωκότας καὶ διαλελυμένους σφιγγῆναι, τούς τε δοκίμους δοκιμωτέρους γενέσθαι καὶ ἀχειρώτους ταῖς τῶν δαιμόνων ἐπιβουλαῖς καὶ ταῖς τοῦ διαβόλου παγίσι, καὶ σφόδρα ἐπιτηδείους πρὸς τὴν τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν ὑποδοχὴν ἅπαντας. 21.4 Ἀνὴρ γάρ, φησίν, ἀπείραστος, ἀδόκιμος· καὶ ὁ Παῦλος· «Ἡ θλῖψις ὑπομονὴν κατεργάζεται· ἡ δὲ ὑπομονὴ δοκιμήν.» Καρτερικοὺς οὖν καὶ ὑπομονητικοὺς ποιῆσαι θέλων, ἀφίησι τὸ νόμισμα διακωδωνίζεσθαι παντὶ τρόπῳ. 21.5 Ταύτης ἕνεκεν τῆς αἰτίας καὶ τὸν Ἰὼβ ἀφῆκε παθεῖν ἅπερ ἔπαθεν, ὥστε καὶ δοκιμώτερον φανῆναι καὶ ἐμφράξαι τοῦ διαβόλου τὸ στόμα· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἀφῆκεν ὥστε κἀκείνους ἀνδρειοτέρους γενέσθαι καὶ τὴν οἰκείαν δύναμιν ταύτῃ ἐπιδείξασθαι. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὕτη αἰτία οὐ μικρά. ∆ιὸ καὶ Παύλῳ ἔλεγε ζητοῦντι ἄνεσιν καὶ ἀπαλλαγὴν τῶν κατεχόντων κακῶν· «Ἀρκεῖ σοι ἡ χάρις μου· ἡ γὰρ δύναμίς μου ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ τελειοῦται.»

22.t Κεφ. κβʹ. Ὅτι καὶ τοὺς εὐγνωμόνως δικάζοντας οὐ μόνον οὐ

σκανδαλίζει ἀλλὰ καὶ ὠφελεῖ τὰ τῶν πειρασμῶν, κἂν Ἕλληνες τύχωσιν ὄντες

22.1 Καὶ γὰρ οἱ μηδέπω τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ Χριστιανισμοῦ προσελθόντες καὶ

ἐντεῦθεν μειζόνως, ἐὰν νήφωσι, κερδαίνουσι. Καὶ γὰρ ὅταν ἴδωσιν ἀδικουμένους, λοιδορουμένους, δεσμωτήριον οἰκοῦντας, ἐπηρεαζομένους, ἐπιβουλευομένους, ἀποτεμνομένους, καιομένους, καταποντιζομένους καὶ μηδενὶ τῶν δεινῶν εἴκοντας, ἐννόησον ὅσον ἔχοντες θαῦμα τῶν παραδόξων τούτων ἀθλητῶν ἀπήρχοντο καὶ οἱ τότε καὶ οἱ νῦν, ὥστε οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐργάζεται σκάνδαλον τὰ γεγενημένα τοῖς νήφουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλείονος διδασκαλίας ὑπόθεσις γίνεται. 22.2 ∆ιὸ καὶ Παῦλος ἤκουσε ταῦτα, ὅτι· «Ἡ δύναμίς μου ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ τελειοῦται.» Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς Παλαιᾶς καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς Καινῆς ἔστιν εὑρεῖν. Ἐννόησον γὰρ τί πάσχειν εἰκὸς ἦν τὸν Ναβουχοδονόσορ ὑπὸ τριῶν παίδων, δούλων, αἰχμαλώτων, δεδεμένων, πυρπολουμένων, τοσούτου στρατοπέδου παρόντος ἡττώμενον καὶ μὴ δυνάμενον τριῶν περιγενέσθαι σωμάτων δεδουλωμένων, ὑποκειμένων, πατρίδος ἐκπεπτωκότων, ἐλευθερίας, τιμῆς, δυναστείας, χρημάτων, πόρρω τῶν οἰκείων ἀπῳκισμένων. Εἰ δὴ μὴ συνεχωρήθη ὁ ἐμπρησμὸς ἐκεῖνος, οὐκ ἂν οὕτω λαμπρὸν τὸ βραβεῖον ἐγένετο, οὐκ ἂν οὕτω φαιδρὸς ὁ στέφανος. 22.3 Ἐννόησον τί πάσχειν εἰκὸς ἦν τὸν Ἡρώδην ὑπὸ δεσμώτου ἐλεγχόμενον καὶ ὁρῶντα οὐδὲ ἀπὸ τῆς ἁλύσεως ἐνδιδόντα τῇ παρρησίᾳ, ἀλλ' αἱρούμενον σφαγῆναι μᾶλλον ἢ προέσθαι τὴν καλλίστην ἐλευθεροστομίαν ἐκείνην. 22.4 Ἐννόησον τίς ὁρῶν ταῦτα καὶ ἀκούων καὶ τῶν τότε ζώντων καὶ τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα γενομένων, κἂν σφόδρα ἀναπεπτωκὼς ᾖ, νοῦν δέ τινα ἔχων βραχύν, πῶς τὰ μέγιστα κερδάνας ἄπεισι. Μὴ γάρ μοι τὰ καθάρματα τῶν ἀνοήτων εἴπῃς, τοὺς βλᾶκας καὶ αὐτόσαρκας ὄντας καὶ φύλλων κουφοτέρους. Οὗτοι γὰρ οὐχὶ τούτοις μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ παντὶ σχεδὸν γενομένῳ προσπταίουσιν· ὡς καὶ ὁ Ἰουδαίων δῆμος καὶ μάννα ἐσθίων καὶ ἄρτον, ὁμοίως